Associating nakedness with shame is not universal. Notions of what is shameful is culturally determined; it is not inborn. Some traditional people living in hot humid climates were mostly and sometimes completely naked and felt no shame until other people imposed their cultural notions upon them. The story reflects the cultures of the ancient Near East that frowned upon nakedness. There are many places in the Bible where nakedness whether of people or the land are viewed negatively.
There are a few places in the Bible where one would expect a statement of shame in connection to nakedness where none is found. When David sees Bathsheba bathing, there is nothing in the story that suggests that is shameful. When the prophet confronts David, it is because David took someone who belonged to someone else Bathsheba but there is no statement connecting his sin with nakedness or seeing nakedness. The Song of Songs describes naked human bodies without a sense of shame.
The Adam and Eve story is humorous. They are naked but they do not know it. When their eyes are opened, they see that they are naked and they are ashamed. Why should they care? They are husband and wife and no one else is around. They expect to be exposed to something extraordinary when they eat the fruit but the only thing that they discover is that they are naked.
They are ashamed because their nakedness is a visual symbol of their disobedience. Covering up their nakedness does not cover their disobedience. Japhet lives in the tents of Shem. Japhet is not cursed.
There is room in the land for Japhet, but Shem is the superior son because Shem is the ancestor of Abraham who is the ancestor of the Israelites and actually a lot of others, too, along the line of Hagar, Keturah, Esau, etc.
Note that Canaan the ancestor of the Canaanites is Ham's youngest son of four Genesis But this is speculation. Indeed, anything we say about this story is speculative--we only have the story itself to go on: no other evidence or input. We do not actually know how this story came into being, or why a story about Noah and his children ends with the cursing of one of Noah's grandchildren. But what is Ham's crime anyway? What is so wrong with accidentally seeing one's father naked?
Accidentally seeing a parent naked is nowhere treated as taboo in scripture. Could it be that Noah is cross because rather than cover him up, Ham went and gossiped with his brothers? Uncovering nakedness elsewhere suggests sexual intercourse and or promiscuity see Leviticus Note that in Genesis 19, Lots daughters intentionally get their father drunk so that they can have sex with him.
Again, these proposals can only be informed speculations. A couple of extra points worth noting: God has no input in this story God is cited in the curses, but does not actively speak or curse "him"self ; drunkeness itself is not regarded as a sin--Noah may be vulnerable because he is drunk, but he is not treated as wicked on this account. Japeth is to "live in the tents" of Shem Shem being the ancestor of the Israelites , which suggests that Jepheth's descendents are to be in some way dependent on the hospitality or working in league with Shem's.
After disembarking from the ark, Genesis reports, Noah planted a vineyard, drank some of the wine, and became drunk. Shem and Japheth, the two righteous brothers, then entered the tent to intervene. Like their ancestor Ham, they are beyond redemption. This is a good question: such behavior hardly seems offensive, at least initially. Interpreters have been troubled by this odd passage for centuries, offering various solutions, some of which blame Noah as well as Ham and, by extension, Canaan.
According to the vast majority of interpretations, some sort of sexual indiscretion must have been in view. Since Ham made it impossible for his father to beget further sons, Noah appropriately denied him future sons, making Canaan and all his descendants into slaves rather than free men, who would be capable of passing on their property to others. Alternatively, the rabbis reasoned, perhaps Ham sexually abused his father and did not castrate him, though they were not sure why this behavior would result in the curse of Canaan.
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After Noah uncovered himself in his drunken state, Ham saw his father and told his two brothers. And Ham the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his brothers outside. But Shem and Japeth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father.
Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father's nakedness Genesis , Ham looked upon his father's nakedness but Shem and Japeth did not.
Instead they covered it. Noah awoke from his drunkenness, realized what Ham had done and then proceeded to curse Canaan. Then he said: Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren. May God enlarge Japeth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem and may Canaan by his servant Genesis Several questions arise. Why did Noah curse Canaan? Was not Ham the one that committed the sin?
Furthermore, what was the sin of Ham that caused Noah to curse the descendants of Ham? Why was the punishment so severe? Sin Of Ham Many explanations have been offered as to the exact nature of the sin of Ham, and the harsh punishment that was placed upon Canaan. The event may give only a brief outline of a more sinister episode. Castration Some argue that Ham castrated Noah-which showed why Noah had no other sons.
This crime would, of course, warrant the punishment. Incest Others believe it was a case of incest. Ham slept with his own mother thus uncovering his father's nakedness. Canaan, it is argued was the offspring of that union. Activity Still others contend that there was some activity between Ham and Noah. However the Hebrew makes it clear that Noah uncovered himself and that Ham saw that nakedness that was uncovered. Ham did not cover him up but rather made fun of him.
Many commentators have had problems with the punishment being so severe if simple ridicule is in involved. Shameful Act In the ancient world merely seeing one's father naked was a highly offensive act. The father's position as moral and spiritual head would be held in disrepute and the family unit would suffer as a result of this. The culture in which this event occurred considered it a capital crime for a child to strike their father. It seems that Ham innocently came upon his father after he had uncovered himself in a drunken stupor.
The sin of Ham, therefore, is that he told his brothers of what he had seen. In doing so, it brought shame to the entire family. Deut ; 2 Sam But the narrator does not appear to show interest in her concerns or plight.
He does not even emphasize that rape was involved. Rabbi David Frankel did his Ph. He teaches Hebrew Bible to M. I would like to receive new essays When published Before Shabbat. Torah Portion. This Week's Torah Portion. Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy. Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur Yom Kippur. Sukkot Sukkot. Simchat Torah Simchat Torah. Chanukah Chanukah. Purim Purim. Passover Passover.
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