Parshas Noach 5776

Who Was Noah's Wife?

The Torah writes (Genesis 7:7):

And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, before the waters of the flood

The Torah writes (Genesis 4:22):

And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah

Rashi (ibid) writes:

Naamah - she was the wife of Noah

Rashi's source is Genesis Rabbah (23:3):

"And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah" - Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Naamah was the wife of Noah .... and the Rabbis said: this was a different Naamah (not Noah's wife) ...

(see also Ramban ibid)

Sefer HaYashar (ibid) cites a different opinion:

 ... And Noah went and choose a wife, and he choose Naamah the daughter of Enoch and she was 580 years old...

Sefer Lemekasei Atik (ibid) cites other opinions:

And some say from children of Barakiel, and some say Amora daughter of Barakiel

Seder HaDoros cites more opinions:

... and his wife's name was Tutzia, and some say Artzia from the language of Eretz for she was the mother of all living ... and she went up to heaven...

(see also Sefer Mayim Rabim, pp. 36)

The Children of Noah

The Torah writes (Genesis 6:10):

And Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth

Seder HaDoros writes that Noah had more children:

Some say that Noah had a fourth son born after the Flood and his name was Yenuka and he was a great sage

Baalei Tosfos (Moshav Zekeinim, end of Chukas) writes that Sihon was also the son of Noah:

Noah's wife died before the Flood, and Noah married the mother of Og. Og was already born when her first husband was alive, and she married Noah once Og's father died. And she conceived Sihon from Noah before the flood and he was born in the Ark

(see also the second answer given by Baalei Tosfos that Sihon was the son of Noah's wife, but not Noah's son)

This would also make Noah the step-father of Og (also see our earlier post)

(see also Sefer Mayim Rabim, pp. 56) 

Tower of Babel as Spaceship

Josh Waxman has an extensive discussion of sources regarding whether Tower of Babel was a spaceship or spaceship-like entity


[Published at parshapeople.blogspot.com / Comments welcome to parsha-people@publishyoursefer.com]