Community Magazine November 2019

70 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE RABBI ADI COHEN J ust as the Torah assigns a role to the Jewish people within the framework of creation, it also assigns a role to all other nations. The Jewish people have 613 commandments to observe, while the gentile nations are obliged by seven commandments, known as the sheva mitzvot beneh Noah (“seven Noachide laws”). Just as the Jewish people are promised reward in the next world for observing the Torah’s commands, gentiles are likewise promised reward in the next world for observing their seven commandments. They must observe the Noachide laws with the intention that they were commanded by Gd, through Moshe, in the Torah, and they are then called “ tzadikeh umot ha’olam – the righteous of the nations of the world.” Since gentiles, like Jews, have a defined role in creation, the Torah relates prophecies relevant to them, just as it presents prophecies relevant to the Jewish People. The earliest such prophecy was delivered by none other than Noah. “A Slave Among Slaves” The Torah tells that when Noah regained his sobriety after becoming drunk, and he learned of what his son, Ham, had done to him, he placed a curse upon Ham’s son, Canaan, while pronouncing a blessing to his two other sons, Shem and Yefet: “And he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan; he shall be a slave among slaves to his brethren.’ And he said, ‘Blessed be the L-rd, the Gd of Shem, and may Canaan be a slave to them. May Gd beautify Yefet, and may He dwell in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be a slave to them” (Beresheet 9:25-27). These verses foresee the entire future of Noah’s descendants. Canaan, the fourth son of Ham, was cursed with slavery: “Cursed be Canaan; he shall be a slave among slaves to his brethren.” The Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel, 1809–1879) explains “a slave among slaves” to mean that Canaan would be a slave of slaves – that is, a slave to his brothers, who will also be slaves. Who were Canaan’s brothers, the other sons of Ham? The Torah states: “And the sons of Ham were Kush and Mitzrayim and Put and Canaan” (ibid. 10:6). These are the nations of Africa. It is well known that Africa has always been the source for slaves; slave traffic originated there and spread throughout the world. Noah’s Prophecy The 7 Noachide Laws 1) The prohibition against eating meat taken from a live animal. 2) The prohibition against cursing Gd. 3) The prohibition against theft. 4) The obligation to establish courts of law. 5) The prohibition against idol worship. 6) The prohibition against certain illicit relations. 7) The prohibition against murder.