THE TREE DOES NOT GROW FAR FROM THE SEED
Taken from Rav Hirsch on Chumash
All of humanity as we know it today began with Noach and his three sons. Many of the unique traits of the various societies find their roots in the development of the three sons of Noach. The Torah highlights the story of Noach’s becoming drunk and how his three sons reacted to his drunkenness. From their varying reactions we can see the seeds of the future nations and societies that sprouted from them. It is evident that the Torah is highlighting this sorrowful story to give us a direction on living our own lives.
If we apply the following notion in studying the Book of Breishis we will gain much Torah understanding about the world around us. The notion is that just as a tree sprouts from the seeds from which it began, so it is with nations and societies; they are who they are from the progenitors who gave birth to them. The seeds of a plant contain everything that will sprout from them. If there is a depravity in the seed we should expect to find that flaw in its offspring. If the seed contains a quality of kindness and dignity we should expect to find those qualities in its offspring.
Immediately after Noach and his family emerged from the Teiva, Noach planted a grape vine. This was his first attempt to test the new Earth. We can well imagine his euphoria when he saw how successful the vine grew and how beautiful and tasty the fruit was. We can certainly appreciate how Noach became intoxicated just with the idea that the Earth was viable and that Mankind had been given a second chance. After enjoying his fresh new wine, Noach became truly intoxicated. When Noach realized his state of drunkenness he was careful to hide himself in his wife’s tent so as not to expose himself in the presence of his children. However, Cham, went into his mother’s tent, ostensibly with no permission to look for his father. When he saw what he saw he reveled at the opportunity to show the nakedness of his father to his brothers. When Shem was informed of what occurred he together with Yefes covered their father and only by walking backwards to avoid seeing their father’s degraded state.
There is a well known principle; the way people treat their parents is the way their children will treat them.
With the incident of Noach’s sons the Torah teaches us that this principle applies not only to individual families but to societies as well. Consider how Shem treated his father with the greatest respect. Shem saw the greatness of his father as being identified by HaShem as a perfect righteous man in his generation. When exposed to the shortcoming of Noach’s intoxicated state, Shem refuses to identify Noach as a drunk. With this approach, Shem had set the perspective for his descendants. Shem sees parents as the carriers of moral strength from the morals they received from their parents. Even if there may be shortcomings, those can be dismissed. Those are certainly not emulated.
It is no wonder that the Jewish people who descend from Shem are able to carry the tradition of Sinai for 100 generations. With each successive generation the new one accepts the tradition of the previous one. Any moral shortcomings are disposed of.
Cham, on the other hand, reveled in seeing the shortcomings of his father in spite of the moral greatness he embodied. With this approach Cham set the perspective for his descendants. Cham looks upon the older generation with disdain. With each successive generation they fall further into decadence and moral depravity.
It is no wonder that the Torah identifies Egypt and Canaan as the most morally corrupt nations of the world, both being the descendants of Cham.
Let us celebrate that we find ourselves members of the descendants of Shem!
Have a very wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind