נח / לך לך

The Mirror Covenants of Noach and Avraham

Prior to the flood, God promises to save Noach as a result of some form of covenant:

וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ וּבָאתָ אֶל־הַתֵּבָה אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ וּנְשֵׁי־בָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ (בראשית ו:יח)

We are not informed of the content of this original covenant. Some have suggested that this is a reference to the covenant of the rainbow made after the flood.[1] However, it is more plausible that the reference is to a pre-existing covenant which is the covenant of existence itself. Such a covenant to maintain the world is embedded in the act of creation which is described as Tov and, by its very nature, implies a fundamental will for the world's continued existence. [2]

This understanding can shed much light on the ambiguous assessment of Noach at the beginning of the Parashah:

אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת־הָאֱלֹקים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹחַ (בראשית ו:ט)

Commenting on this verse, Rashi references the Talmudic dispute regarding the interpretation of 'his generation':

יֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לְשֶׁבַח, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן אִלּוּ הָיָה בְדוֹר צַדִּיקִים הָיָה צַדִּיק יוֹתֵר; וְיֵשׁ שֶׁדּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לִגְנַאי, לְפִי דוֹרוֹ הָיָה צַדִּיק וְאִלּוּ הָיָה בְדוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם לֹא הָיָה נֶחְשָׁב לִכְלוּ:

This is an interesting thought exercise, yet it seems unlikely that the Torah was intending to make such ‘greatest of all time’ comparisons.

The meaning of the verse seems to be that Noach was the one chosen - of his generation - to survive with the premise that there had to be such a survivor. Whether Noach was deserving in his own right is not relevant in this context. The point of the verse is that there had be a designated survivor to sustain humanity and the world. This understanding is implicit from verse 6:18 quoted above, which references the covenant as a reason for Noach and his family being saved from the flood. From this perspective, the significance of Noach’s selection is the perpetuation of the existence of the world in accordance with God's plan.

This is only half the story, however. An individual has independent standing – not just as part of the global historical system – therefore Noach is considered from an individual perspective as well. This perspective, involving a more direct form of providence apparently disregarding the broader historical significance, is the subject of an earlier verse deploying the name י-ק-ו-ק rather than אלוקים:

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶמְחֶה אֶת־הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָאתִי מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה מֵאָדָם עַד־בְּהֵמָה עַד־רֶמֶשׂ וְעַד־עוֹף הַשָּׁמָיִם כִּי נִחַמְתִּי כִּי עֲשִׂיתִם׃ וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה'׃ (בראשית ו:ז-ח)

According to this verse, the impression is that Noach is saved because of independent merit and God's individual providence. This touches on a concept which is critical for understanding the literary form of the flood story and many other sections of the Torah which contain similar cases of dual causality. As discussed previously, the Torah's approach to addressing the interaction between individual and universal providence is to allow the two to co-exist without one subsuming the other. The former perspective is signalled by use of י-ק-ו-ק – the personal name of God which is indicative of a personal relationship, whilst the latter perspective is described using the broader term – אלוקים.[3] But the interaction and reconciliation of the two perspectives (which may well conflict) are an inherent mystery remaining part of the hidden workings of God.   

The covenant of the rainbow – featuring exclusively the name אלוקים - should be understood against this background. At its core, it represents an expansion and deepening of the original covenant for the continuity of existence:

עֹד כָּל־יְמֵי הָאָרֶץ זֶרַע וְקָצִיר וְקֹר וָחֹם וְקַיִץ וָחֹרֶף וְיוֹם וָלַיְלָה לֹא יִשְׁבֹּתו (בראשית ח:כב)

וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה עוֹד הַמַּיִם לְמַבּוּל לְשַׁחֵת כָּל־בָּשָׂר (בראשית ט:טו)

God now promises not only survival which was the original covenant, but regularity and predictability as well. There will not be another such destruction of the physical world.[4]

With this background, we can better appreciate the covenantal development which takes place at the circumcision of Avraham.

Comparison with Brit Milah

The covenant with Avraham of Brit Milah and the covenant of the rainbow, contain a number of textual similarities which invite a comparison:

Avraham / Brit Milah	Noach / Rainbow
הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי וֶהְיֵה תָמִים (בראשית יז:א)	נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת־הָאֱלֹקים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹחַ (בראשית ו:ט)
וַיָּמָל אֶת־בְּשַׂר עָרְלָתָם בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אִתּוֹ אֱלֹקים (בראשית יז:כג)	בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה בָּא נֹחַ וְשֵׁם־וְחָם וָיֶפֶת בְּנֵי־נֹחַ וְאֵשֶׁת נֹחַ וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת נְשֵׁי־בָנָיו אִתָּם אֶל־הַתֵּבָה (בראשית ז:יג)
וְהִפְרֵתִי אֹתְךָ (בראשית יז:ו)	וְאַתֶּם פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ שִׁרְצוּ בָאָרֶץ וּרְבוּ־בָהּ (בראשית ט:ז)
וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ לְדֹרֹתָם לִבְרִית עוֹלָם לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹקים וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ (בראשית יז:ז)	וַאֲנִי הִנְנִי מֵקִים אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אִתְּכֶם וְאֶת־זַרְעֲכֶם אַחֲרֵיכֶם (בראשית ט:ט) וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ וּבָאתָ אֶל־הַתֵּבָה אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ וּנְשֵׁי־בָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ (בראשית ו:יח)
לְדֹרֹתָם לִבְרִית עוֹלָם (בראשית יז:ז)	לְדֹרֹת עוֹלָם (בראשית ט:יב)
וּנְמַלְתֶּם אֵת בְּשַׂר עָרְלַתְכֶם וְהָיָה לְאוֹת בְּרִית בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם (בראשית יז:יא)	אֶת־קַשְׁתִּי נָתַתִּי בֶּעָנָן וְהָיְתָה לְאוֹת בְּרִית בֵּינִי וּבֵין הָאָרֶץ (בראשית ט:יג)
וְהָיְתָה בְרִיתִי בִּבְשַׂרְכֶם לִבְרִית עוֹלָם (בראשית יז:יג)	וְהָיְתָה הַקֶּשֶׁת בֶּעָנָן וּרְאִיתִיהָ לִזְכֹּר בְּרִית עוֹלָם בֵּין אֱלֹהִים וּבֵין כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה בְּכָל־בָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר עַל־הָאָרֶץ (בראשית ט: טז)

 Against these comparisons, lie a number of key differences.

1. The participants

God speaks to Noach at the covenant of the rainbow, but the scope extends to all the land and all living things:

וְהָיְתָה הַקֶּשֶׁת בֶּעָנָן וּרְאִיתִיהָ לִזְכֹּר בְּרִית עוֹלָם בֵּין אֱלֹהִים וּבֵין כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה בְּכָל־בָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר עַל־הָאָרֶץ (בראשית ט: טז)

In contrast, the covenant with Avraham is exclusively intended for him and his children and geographically focused on the land of Israel rather than the wider world:

וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ לְדֹרֹתָם לִבְרִית עוֹלָם לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹקים וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ׃ וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ אֵת אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֶיךָ אֵת כָּל־אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן לַאֲחֻזַּת עוֹלָם וְהָיִיתִי לָהֶם לֵאלֹקים׃ (בראשית יז:ז-ח)

2. Who is initiating

At the rainbow covenant, God is the active partner and Noach is passive, whereas at the Brit Milah, Avraham is the active party. The appearance of a rainbow is an act of God within nature whereas circumcision is a purely human act upon the human flesh. The significance of the human role is captured well by the famous Midrash where the Roman ruler asks why man is not born circumcised, to which R. Akiva responds that God intended that everything in the world be improved through human action.[5]

3. The level of commitment

In exchange for the promise of regularity, Noach is commanded to procreate on the one hand, and not to murder on the other. These are basic demands to sustain a civilization but no more. The demand on Avraham is far greater, necessitating the development of a moral-spiritual personality –  תָמִים הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי וֶהְיֵה.

The intensity of God's role also differs. In the rainbow covenant, man is commanded by God to procreate but it is left to humanity to carry out. At the Brit Milah, however, God is described as actively facilitating the process:

Brit Milah	Rainbow
וְהִפְרֵתִי אֹתְךָ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד (בראשית יז:ו)	וְאַתֶּם פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ שִׁרְצוּ בָאָרֶץ וּרְבוּ־בָהּ (בראשית ט:ז)

Though we said above that God is the active partner in the covenant of the rainbow, the point is more nuanced. God's role is prominent but is it in fact one of restraint.[6] Rainbows appear in the wake of a rainstorm when the sunlight breaks through the clouds reflecting the limits set on the force of nature and symbolic of God's own restraint (a point we will return to below). At the Brit Milah, God promises to actively intervene in nature to provide a child for Avraham.[7]

Circumcision and the rainbow as mirror covenants

We can summarise as follows. The covenant with Noach is about God ensuring the stability and perpetuation of the world. God stands back from His creation and man is tasked with maintaining its basic functionality. The question this gives rise to is: what has changed in the post-flood world to prevent the same problem repeating itself? If God withdraws, what remains to rein in the destructive capabilities of man? The danger that mortal power and ingenuity can be thought to displace God is plainly evident from the story of the Tower of Bavel – a story which sits at the intersection between Avraham and Noach. 

The answer to this dilemma is provided by Brit Milah. The covenantal sign on the most symbolic organ of creativity, acts as a reminder that our own creative potential derives from God. What Shabbat may be to technological creativity, Brit Milah is to biological creativity. Brit Milah serves as the commitment of man to channel his creative potential to pursue a partnership with God. The emergence of one nation committed to this ideal is the insurance policy for God's commitment not to destroy the world.

Rain and fertility

On a symbolic plane as well, Brit Milah is the inversion of the covenant of the rainbow. Rain represents the creative force of God in nature which fertilises the land:

וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ וְכָל־עֵשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִצְמָח כִּי לֹא הִמְטִיר ה' אֱלֹקים עַל־הָאָרֶץ וְאָדָם אַיִן לַעֲבֹד אֶת־הָאֲדָמָה (בראשית ב:ה)

Too much rain, however, can cause destruction as we saw in the flood. In the prelude to the covenant of the rainbow, God promises that the rains will not overwhelm existence and there will be stability in nature (contrast to Devarim 11:10-12). But with a promise of regularity, comes a perceived distancing of God from the world which is now seen to be governed by the predictable forces of nature.

As the life-giving force which provides fertility to the earth, rain represents God's creative energy and vividly parallels man's own fertility and reproductive potential - in terms of substance and perhaps in visual form as well.[8] God's restraint to allow man's creative energy to flourish needs to be met with a conscious containment of man's creative output to prevent it giving rise to arrogance and destruction. The act of circumcision represents the tempering of man's creative energy with self-control and the acknowledgement of God as the ultimate creative force. This invites God back to take an active role in the world, but in a creative rather than destructive way. This is actualised through the miraculous birth of Yitzchak who's mission it is to establish a nation of 'justice and righteousness' (see Gen 18:19).    

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[1] See Ibn Ezra (6:18)

[2] Some cite the following verse as support of this idea:

כֹּה אָמַר ה' אִם־לֹא בְרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה חֻקּוֹת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ לֹא־שָׂמְתִּי (ירמיהו לג:כה)

[3] The numerical symbolism also supports the close connection between the two covenants with Noach. Within the flood story, בריתי אתך are word numbers 129 and 130 counting from the beginning, whilst בריתי איתכם are 129 and 130 counting from the end. There are precisely 800 words between the 2 phrases of וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ (the first covenant) and מֵקִים אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אִתְּכֶם (covenant of the rainbow). The significance of these numbers should be appreciated in the context of the wider system of number patterns (particularly around 8 and 13) in the Torah generally and the flood story in particular. See R' Moshe Shamah, 'On number symbolism in the Torah', Recalling the Covenant.

[4] This is certainly true throughout Bereshit. Thereafter, with the transition to the national story, the names of God obtain new significance. 

[5] 

מעשה ששאל טורנוסרופוס הרשע את רבי עקיבא, איזו מעשים נאים, של הקדוש ברוך הוא או של בשר ודם. אמר לו, של בשר ודם נאים. אמר לו טורנוסרופוס, הרי השמים והארץ יכול אדם לעשות כיוצא בהם אמר לו רבי עקיבא, לא תאמר לי בדבר שהוא למעלה מן הבריות שאין שולטין עליו, אלא אמור דברים שהם מצויין בבני אדם. אמר לו, למה אתם מולין. אמר לו, אני הייתי יודע שעל דבר זה אתה שואלני, ולכך הקדמתי ואמרתי לך, שמעשה בני אדם נאים משל הקדוש ברוך הוא. הביא לו רבי עקיבא שבלים וגלסקאות, אמר לו, אלו מעשה הקדוש ברוך הוא, ואלו מעשה ידי אדם. אמר לו, אין אלו נאים יותר מן השבלים אמר לו טורנוסרופוס, אם הוא חפץ במילה, למה אינו יוצא הולד מהול ממעי אמו. אמר לו רבי עקיבא, ולמה שוררו יוצא עמו והוא תלוי בבטנו ואמו חותכו ומה שאתה אומר למה אינו יוצא מהול, לפי שלא נתן הקדוש ברוך הוא את המצות לישראל אלא לצרף אותם בהם. ולכך אמר דוד, (כל) אמרת ה' צרופה. (תנחומא ויקרא יב:ג)

[6] Many have noted that the core elements of the creation story repeat themselves in the description of the subsiding of the flood waters and exiting from the ark. The main difference the second time round is that now it is Noach - rather than God - who is responsible for the new process of creation. For example, he sends out the birds (the dove and the raven) before actively sending the animals and the people out of the ark into the new world. See Grossman, Creation: The Story of Beginnings, p.185-197.

[7] Note the added significance that the circumcision was performed one year prior to the Yitzchak's birth. The implication is that Yitzchak was conceived only after the circumcision was performed.   

[8] Grossman (ibid p.217-222)