Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Noach – What’s in a name?

This week’s parashah, Noach, is replete with word associations of its namesake. As soon as Noach is born, as recorded in the previous parashah, the narrator provides us with a wordplay on his name: “And, he (his father) called his name Noach/נח, saying: ‘This one will provide us comfort (yinachamen/uינחמנו) in our work and toil of our hands (responding to humanity’s punishment of ceaselessly working the ground due to Adam’s sin)’”.

While the name Noach/נח is here associated with the similarly sounding word nacham/ נחם (to comfort), etymologically it derives from the root word nuach/נוח, to rest. (A cognate to the Babylonian nuchu-to rest). Accordingly, we read, as Noach/נח approaches the end of his mission, va-tanach ha-teivah/ ותנח התיבה-“The ark came to rest”. And, ve–lo mats’ah ha-yonah manoach/ולא מצאה היונה מנוח-Noach’s “dove could not find a resting place”.

Shabbat is called Yom Menuchah/יום מנוחה- a day of rest, because va-ynach ba-yom ha-shevi’i/וינח ביום השביעי-God “rested on the seventh day”. Noach’s ark rested on the seventh month and with the incoming of Shabbat, seeking rest from the anxiety and stress of the workweek, we traditionally sing Yonah Mats’ah Manoach/ יונה מצא מנוח-Noach’s “dove has found rest”. There clearly is an association between the words nechamah/נחמה-comfort and  menuchah/ מנוחה-rest, with both, in turn, being related to Noach/נח.

Following the sturm und drang of the flood, we read that Noach made a sacrificial offering to God and va-yarach Adonai et reiach ha-nichoach/וירח ה׳ את ריח הניחוח-“The Lord smelled the settling scent”. Noach was appeasing God through the nichoah. We read immediately thereafter: “And, the Lord said: ‘I will never again destroy all living beings, as I have done”.

We are left with a question. Is Noach not a bit late?

When God is about to destroy Israel, for the people’s betrayal in the incident of the Golden Calf, He says but two words to Moshe: Hanichah li/הניחה לי – “Let Me be”.

Seeing the word Noach/נח in God’s request, our tradition sees God asking Moshe to be like Noach and not intervene. When God says, “I will blot out the human race”, He goes unchallenged by Noach, so that we soon read “He blotted out all existence”.  

Moshe, however, does intercede on behalf of his people with the result that God “regrets/ repents of (va-yinachem/ וינחם the evil he proposed against His people”, and their destruction is averted. (Indeed, God then says to Moshe נחה/necheh et ha-am ha-zeh-“Lead this people”).

When God “repents/regrets (va-yinachem/ וינחם) that He created humans”, Noach/נח does not contest but, as the root word of his name connotes, he remains at rest (Nuach/נוח) with His impending plan. In his silence, Noach/נח lets God be and the world is destroyed.

One might say that in over-prizing his nachat/ נחת-restfulness and peace of mind, Noach/נח did not afford much nachas (Yiddish for nachat) for his father or nechamah/נחמה – comfort to the world.