Below is a collection of Parashat Noah resources created by The Lookstein Center staff or contributed to the site by Jewish educators.
This is a growing collection. Check back soon or write to us at content@lookstein.org if you didn’t find what you’re looking for. 

Return to Sefer Bereshit Resources
Parasha Points
  • God instructs Noah to build an ark to preserve all the basic elements – plants and animal life – from the world before the Flood
  • God brings water from above and below, inundating everything on earth outside the ark. Noah, along with everything and everyone on the ark, is spared
  • God instructs Noah with certain basic laws upon exiting the ark and afterward establishes a covenant, signified by a rainbow, that there will never be another Flood to destroy the earth.
  • After the Flood, Noah gets drunk inside his tent. One of his children (Ham) disgraces him while the other two, Shem and Yefet, protect his dignity. Noah curses Ham and blesses the other two.
  • Generations later, the survivors of the Flood want to build a city with a control tower. God decides that this is not a good idea, so he undoes their plan by mixing up their languages. Unable to communicate with each other, they spread out over the earth.
  • Noah’s three sons multiply into 70 nations.
  • Ten generations after Noah, Abram is born to Terah. He marries Sarai, who is barren. Terah moves the family to Haran.
Major Mitzvot

Murder is forbidden because people are created b’tzelem Elokim, in the image of God. 

Educational Themes
  • Even though people can become evil, God does not give up on humanity.
  • The God of the Bible cares about people and makes promises to them, expecting nothing in return.
  • God sometimes does things that we view as punishing or hurtful, but ultimately they are beneficial to us in the long term.
Notable Quotes
  • Highlighting Noah’s uniqueness:
    נח איש צדיק, תמים היה בדורותיו
  • The sign of the covenant: (the rainbow)
    את קשתי נתתי בענן והיתה לאות ברית
  • Noah’s blessings to his sons:
    יפת אלקים ליפת וישכון באהלי שם

DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Question #1: Should you defend someone who did the wrong thing? In Parashat Noah, God tells Noah that He is about to destroy the world and tells him how to build an ark to save himself, his family, and some of the animals. The Rabbis criticize Noah for not trying to ask God  for mercy for the people (as Abraham does for Sodom when God tells him about their destruction and Moses does for the Jewish people). Do you think it’s important to defend someone, or ask for mercy when they have done something wrong? If they “did the crime” shouldn’t they “pay the time”?

Question #2: “The devil made me do it!” – After the Flood, God explains that He promises not to destroy the world again, because (Bereshit 8:21)

וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ אֶל לִבּוֹ לֹא אֹסִף לְקַלֵּל עוֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּר הָאָדָם כִּי יֵצֶר לֵב הָאָדָם רַע מִנְּעֻרָיו וְלֹא אֹסִף עוֹד לְהַכּוֹת אֶת כָּל חַי כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי – A person’s heart is evil from his youth (or, from the time he is born, according to Rashi).

Is “I couldn’t help it” a good enough excuse?

Question #3: Marital relations were forbidden during the Flood because they would have been inappropriate in a time when the world was drenched in sorrow. Is it necessary, or appropriate, for individuals to suspend their personal lives and aspirations when the broader community faces a serious crisis? Many people refused to have children during the Holocaust while others insisted on doing so as an affirmation of life. What would you do?

Question #4: Noah decrees that his grandson, Canaan, is to be a servant to his brothers. Does that suggest that, for all eternity, Canaan’s descendants are destined to slavery? Can such a “decree” be undone? Can it be that our fate is predetermined by the actions of our ancestors?

LESSON PLANS AND ARTICLES

Multiple Intelligence – Examples for Chumash – This lesson plan for middle school and high school students utilizes the story of the Flood as an example of a different educational approach.
The Biblical Stories of Creation, Garden of Eden, and the Flood: History or Metaphor? – This article explores the messages of key stories from Bereshit.
Teaching the Flood Story: The Importance of Cultural Context – This article explores the themes of the story of the Flood.
A Note on the Flood Story in the Language of Man – This article reviews the historical context of the story of the Flood.