Torah Talk for Parashat Noach
October 9, 2018 by
In this parasha we hear the story of Noach and the flood; its aftermath when Noach planted a vineyard and got inebriated and his son saw “his nakedness”; and finally, the story of the Tower of Babel and the birth of Avram.
The number “40” appears no less than six times in the flood story. The rains fell for forty days and forty nights, and this fact is repeated three times. Noach also waited forty days after he saw the tops of the mountains reappear before he sent out the raven from the teivah (Ark). (Noach first sent out a raven, who came back with nothing; then a dove who also returned with nothing; another dove who came back with an olive branch in its beak; and a final dove who flew away and did not return.)
How can we account for the repeated appearance of the number 40? Read more >
