Noah and the Vineyard

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Noah's Vineyard and Excess Revealed

TANAKH

Noah's actions after the flood, particularly his planting of a vineyard and subsequent drunkenness, offer a profound lesson on the consequences of overindulgence. The Torah recounts Noah's decision to plant a vineyard, his consumption of its wine, and the resulting personal and familial consequences.

Noah, the tiller of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and he uncovered himself within his tent.

Genesis 9:20-21

Noah and the Stages of Intoxication

MIDRASH

The story of Noah and the vineyard offers a profound exploration of how wine can influence human behavior. Louis Ginzberg’s early 20th-century work, Legends of the Jews, provides a rich narrative that expands on the biblical account of Noah, incorporating moral lessons and symbolic imagery.

Satan thereupon slaughtered a lamb, and then, in succession, a lion, a pig, and a monkey. The blood of each as it was killed he made to flow under the vine. Thus he conveyed to Noah what the qualities of wine are: before man drinks of it, he is innocent as a lamb; if he drinks of it moderately, he feels as strong as a lion; if he drinks more of it than he can bear, he resembles the pig; and if he drinks to the point of intoxication, then he behaves like a monkey, he dances around, sings, talks obscenely, and knows not what he is doing.

Legends of the Jews 1:4:72

The Spiritual Consequences of Noah's Vineyard

MUSAR

Noah's sin of drunkenness is linked to the original sin of Eve, suggesting a deeper spiritual consequence that affects humanity. Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, in his 17th-century work Shenei Luchot HaBerit, explores the connection between Noah's actions and the original sin in the Garden of Eden.

Noach sinned in a similar fashion by getting drunk on wine which contained sediments, i.e. pollutants introduced by the original serpent when Eve first drank from the grapes of the tree of knowledge. This led to the fact that man would henceforth be born with a foreskin.

Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Sefer Vayikra, Torah Ohr, Kedoshim 22

Woe of the Vineyard

TALMUD

The repeated use of the conversive vav followed by the letter yod in the passage about Noah and the vineyard forms the word 'vay' (woe), symbolizing the suffering caused by uncontrolled drinking. In Tractate Sanhedrin, a visitor from the Galilee explains the significance of this linguistic pattern in the context of Noah's story.

A visitor from the Galilee expounded: The conversive vav is stated thirteen times in the passage concerning wine, as it is stated: “And Noah began [vayyaḥel] to be a farmer, and he planted [vayyita] a vineyard, and he drank [vayyesht] of the wine, and was drunk [vayyishkar]; and he was uncovered [vayyitgal] within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw [vayyar] the nakedness of his father, and told [vayyagged] his two brothers outside…

Sanhedrin 70a:17

Noah's Miraculous Vineyard

MIDRASH

The miraculous growth of Noah's vineyard, producing wine in a single day, adds a fascinating layer to the biblical narrative. The Midrash Tanchuma, an early medieval collection of midrash, provides deeper insights into the story of Noah planting a vineyard after the flood.

(Gen. 9:20:) < NOW NOAH … WAS THE FIRST > TO PLANT A VINEYARD. FROM WHERE DID HE GET IT? From grape pips which he brought along into the ark. < These > he took and sowed, as stated: < NOW NOAH … WAS THE FIRST > TO PLANT A VINEYARD…. And what is written next (in vs. 21)? THEN HE DRANK OF THE WINE. R. Hiyya bar Abba said: The very day that he planted it was the day it produced blossoms. On that day it produced fruit; on that day he plucked it, harvested it, tread upon it, and drank. Thus it is stated (in Gen…

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Noach 20:7

Noah's Drunkenness and Its Mystical Consequences

KABBALAH

The Zohar offers a profound mystical interpretation linking Noah's actions after becoming intoxicated with the consequences of his behavior, including castration and the loss of the covenant. This esoteric perspective connects Noah's narrative to later biblical figures like Mordechai, who, according to the Zohar, used divine names to safeguard Esther and the Jewish people, illustrating moral and spiritual parallels across different biblical contexts.

The same sense, then, underlies the verse, “And he drank of the wine and was drunken, and he was uncovered within his tent.” This, as explained, was observed by Ham, the father of Canaan, and Canaan seized the opportunity to work his will by removing from that righteous man the mystical symbol of the covenant; for this, according to tradition, is what he did.

Zohar, Noach 38:310

Noah's Priorities Post-Flood

COMMENTARY

Noah's choice to cultivate grapes instead of essential crops is seen as a critique of his priorities, suggesting he may have sought to get drunk to cope with the trauma of the flood. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's commentary on Genesis 9:20 provides a deep and accessible analysis of Noah's actions post-flood, shedding light on his character and decisions.

Noah, man of the soil, began, and he planted a vineyard. As related earlier (see 5:29), Noah was a farmer. One of his first actions after the flood was to plant a vineyard. Apparently, Noah chose a vineyard over essential grains or fruit trees necessary for his survival. This is meant as a criticism of Noah, as he decided to produce a luxury item. It is possible that he planted a vineyard because he actively wanted to get drunk; after the entire world that he was familiar with had been destroyed, he sought to blur his mind in order to overcome the trauma.

Steinsaltz on Genesis 9:20

Respect and Consequence in Noah's Vineyard

COMMENTARY

The moral and spiritual consequences of Noah's sons' actions reveal the profound impact of respect and disrespect towards one's parents. The Tze'enah Ure'enah, a late 16th-century Yiddish commentary, provides accessible explanations and moral lessons from the Torah.

“Ham, the father of Canaan, saw” [9:22]. Canaan, the son of Ham, saw Noah lying with his shame uncovered. Canaan went and told his father Ham, and he also went and saw his father lying naked. He further told his brothers Shem and Japhet. They were having a big discussion about their father, but Shem immediately took a garment and covered the shame of his father. Japhet later also helped his brother Shem to cover his father. That is why Shem was worthy that his descendants received the commandment of zizit, which are on garments…

Tze'enah Ure'enah, Noach 46

Noah's Post-Flood Impact Unveiled

MIDRASH

Noah's post-flood actions introduced significant behaviors that shaped human history and morality. The Midrash Tanchuma, an early medieval collection of midrash, offers a deep dive into Noah's life after the flood, exploring his role in planting, cursing, slavery, and drunkenness.

And he planted a vineyard (Gen. 9:20). Noah was one of four men who introduced four things. Noah introduced planting, as it is written: And he planted a vineyard; cursing when he said: Cursed be Canaan (Gen. 9:25); slavery when he said: He shall be slave unto his brothers (ibid.); and drunkenness when he drank of the wine, and was drunken (ibid., v. 21).

Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 14:1

Noah and the Consequences of Wine

MIDRASH

The story of Noah and the vineyard serves as a cautionary tale about the multifaceted consequences of wine consumption. The Midrash Mishlei uses the narrative of Noah to explore the physical and moral repercussions of drunkenness, including its impact on family and society.

[3] (Proverbs 23:29): "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?" Rabbi Simon said: Come and see how harsh wine is, for thirteen woes [denoted by the hebrew letter vav in the Genesis verse below] are spoken about it at first impression, and these are: (Genesis 9:20-25): "- Noah began and planted a vineyard, and he drank from the wine and became drunk, and he uncovered himself within his tent, and Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and he told his two brothers outside…

Midrash Mishlei 23:3

Noah's Vineyard on Mount Lûbâr

SECOND TEMPLE

The Book of Jubilees offers a unique detail about the specific location where Noah planted his vineyard, adding depth to the biblical narrative. This ancient Jewish text, often considered part of the Pseudepigrapha, provides additional details and alternative explanations to the stories found in Genesis and Exodus.

And in the seventh week in the first year thereof, in this jubilee, Noah planted vines on the mountain on which the ark had rested, named Lûbâr, one of the Ararat Mountains,

Book of Jubilees 7:1

Respect and Modesty in the Story of Noah

COMMENTARY

The actions of Noah's sons, Shem and Yefeth, in covering their father's nakedness highlight the values of respect and modesty. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his insightful essays, delves into this episode from the Book of Genesis to explore deeper themes of family dynamics and moral conduct.

Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Yefeth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backwards and covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father’s nakedness. (9:20–23)

Covenant and Conversation; Genesis; The Book of the Beginnings, Noach, Beyond Obedience 8

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