1. Parsha Summary – Parshat Noach
(Genesis 6:9 - Genesis 11:32 link to Sefaria here)
Humanity’s Demise: When humanity became so corrupt and G-d wanted to start over, he chose Noah to build an ark and save some humans and animals to eventually restart humanity.
The Destruction: G-d then sends a flood, submerging the earth. Though it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, it took significantly longer for the water for subside. Noach is traumatized and feels fear about leaving the ark. Eventually he does after the dove does not return to the ark.
The Vineyard: In processing his trauma, Noach plants a vineyard – but only as a means to an end: to forget his sorrow through alcohol. While drunk, his son, according to Rashi, catreates him in order to prevent the world from being split up between more sons (primogenitor).
Migdal Bavel: more on this below.
Genealogy: The parsha ends with a genealogy from Noach through Avrham Avinu. Specifically, the very last thing we’re told is that Avram married his niece Sarai after her father died. This marriage was like an ancient form of adoption: processing the grief of his brother’s loss through caring for his niece.
2. Story context – Noah’s Ark
(Genesis 6:1- 8:22, link to Sefaria here)
Section 1 – Breishit 6:9-22 G-d instructs Noah to build the ark
Section 2 – Breishit 7:1-11 Noah brings onboard all the animal in the world
Section 3 – Breishit 7:12-24 Noah’s experience on the ark
Section 4 – Breishit 8:1-22 Noah finds land to leave
3.Paintings
4. Discussion Questions
The text leaves these points ambiguous; in making their art, the the artist takes their liberty in imagining the answers to these questions:
1. What: What did the tower look like? What was its architecture?
2. Where: Where were they building the tower?
3. Leader: Was there a leader motivating this building? Notice how one of the paintings shows a leader while the other was not.
4. Mission Accomplished: Did they finish building the tower before God punished them?
5. Why: what was their sin? God punished them – but what was wrong with this anyway?
4. Discussion Questions
The text leaves these points ambiguous; in making their art, the the artist takes their liberty in imagining the answers to these questions:
1. Structural Ark: How do you show all of the animals in the Ark? What did the Ark look like? How big is it?
2. Story Arc: What point of the story is being described in either picture?
3. Noah: Where does Noah fit in to the art piece’s narrative?
(1) Tower of Babel, Pieter Bruegel the Elder
(2) Tower of Babel, Giusto de' Menabuoi
(1) Noah’s Ark, Thomas Kinkade
(2) The Animals Entering Noah’s Ark, Jacopo Bassano
Parshat Noach פרשת נח
Piece Description, “Harmony”
I used acrylic paint in vivid color to depict a scene of an olive tree growing out of a destroyed skyscraper submerged underwater, sending a message about the necessity for harmony between nature and humanity. This art piece was inspired by my study of Parshat Noach in the Torah and climate change. In Parshat Noach, we hear the story of the Tower of Babel, in which all of humanity attempts to build a massive structure meant to challenge G-d, and Noah’s flood, where G-d decides that humanity has corrupted beyond repair and floods the world. I combined these biblical stories with the rising waters and pollution of the current climate crisis, as it is the modern-day “Noah’s flood”. In my art piece, climate change simultaneously represents the “corruption” of humanity and the need to come together as a society to correct our ways and heal the world. Through the biblical symbolism of the dove, representing peace and hope, and the rainbow, used in the Torah to represent a warning, and the need for change, I show my dream for us, as a society, to come together to build a better world before it is too late.
1. Parsha Summary – Parshat Noach
(Genesis 6:9 - Genesis 11:32 link to Sefaria here)
Humanity’s Demise: When humanity became so corrupt and God wanted to start over, he chose Noah to build an ark and save some humans and animals to eventually restart humanity.
The Destruction: G-d then sends a flood, submerging the earth. Though it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, it took significantly longer for the water for subside. Noach is traumatized and feels fear about leaving the ark. Eventually he does after the dove does not return to the ark.
The Vineyard: In processing his trauma, Noach plants a vineyard – but only as a means to an end: to forget his sorrow through alcohol. While drunk, his son, according to Rashi, catreates him in order to prevent the world from being split up between more sons (primogenitor).
Migdal Bavel: more on this below.
Genealogy: The parsha ends with a genealogy from Noach through Avrham Avinu. Specifically, the very last thing we’re told is that Avram married his niece Sarai after her father died. This marriage was like an ancient form of adoption: processing the grief of his brother’s loss through caring for his niece.
2. Story context – The Tower of Babel
(Genesis 11:1-9, link to Sefaria here)
Section 1 – Breishit 9:1-2 humanity’s shared language
Section 2 – Breishit 9:3-4 humanity wants to build a city and tower
Section 3 – Breishit 9:5-7 G-d disapproves
Section 4 – Breishit 9:8-9 G-d’s punishment
3.Paintings AlHaTorah interpretation, link here
THE FIRST SOURCE SHEET THAT THEY STUDIED TOGETHER
Student: Rivka Shaefer and Mentor: Yona Verwer
THE SECOND SOURCE SHEET THAT THEY STUDIED TOGETHER
Learn more about Rivka Shaefer here
Learn more about Yona Verwer here
