Noach 9:24 · unit 1

TT #61 · Parashas Noach · Fifth Aliyah · Passuk 9:24

The Complete Passuk

וַיִּ֥יקֶץ נֹ֖חַ מִיֵּינ֑וֹ וַיֵּ֕דַע אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עָ֥שָׂה ל֖וֹ בְּנ֥וֹ הַקָּטָֽן׃

Noach awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him.

Chabad.org — 9:24

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to the dispute of Rav and Shmuel (Sanhedrin 70a) — castration vs. sexual violation.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin 70a

E-Daf image — Sanhedrin 70a (size=3)

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לוֹ — רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל: חַד אָמַר סֵרְסוֹ וְחַד אָמַר רְבָעוֹ. מַאן דְּאָמַר סֵרְסוֹ: מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁקִּלְקְלוּ בִּרְבִיעִי קִלְּלוּ בִּרְבִיעִי.

English: “What he had done to him” — Rav and Shmuel: one said he castrated him, and one said he sexually violated him. According to the one who said he castrated him: because he prevented a fourth generation, the curse fell on the fourth (Canaan).

Type of Learning

Custom (two opinions on the nature of Cham’s act).

What Is Learned

Cham’s offense was either castration or sexual violation; the curse on Canaan is measure-for-measure with the former view.