Making sense of the sedra: Noach

For much of the 20^th century, Kodak was one of the biggest names in photography. And in 1975, a Kodak engineer, Steven Sasson, developed one of the world’s first digital cameras. In other words, Kodak had the future sitting in its own building. But the company had become so successful through traditional photographic film that it struggled to adapt to the digital revolution. Eventually, in 2012, Kodak filed for bankruptcy.

There is something ironic about a company whose business was preserving memories being so tied to the past that it struggled to prepare for the future. Perhaps this gives us an insight into a puzzling episode in this week’s parsha, Noach.

“Noach became a master of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk” (Bereishit 9:20–21).

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Rashi explains that Noah profaned himself by making his first act after leaving the Ark the planting of a vineyard. Chazal (Bereishit Rabbah 36:3) add that he should have planted something else first, such as wheat.

But why did it matter what Noah planted first? He had just emerged from the Ark into a world that needed to be rebuilt from scratch. Presumably, both wheat and grapes would eventually be necessary. And why specifically should wheat have taken priority?

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Rabbi Simcha Wasserman explains that wine and wheat represent two very different attitudes.

Wine is generally enjoyed in a social setting, often while people reminisce about the past and the “good old days”. Chazal say: “Remember it over wine” (Pesachim 106a). Wine itself improves with age. It represents looking backwards.

Wheat is the opposite. Bread is best when it is fresh. Leave it too long and it quickly deteriorates. Wheat therefore represents freshness and a focus on the future.

This was the problem with Noah’s vineyard. Noah had just watched an entire world disappear. There was certainly plenty to remember. But at that moment, his primary task was not to look back at the world that had been. It was to build the world that would be.

As Jews, we have an illustrious past which we should never forget. We look back to learn, to remember and to draw inspiration from those who came before us. But we cannot become so busy preserving yesterday that we forget to build tomorrow. The past must always be part of who we are – but its real value is when we use it as a building block to create an even greater future.

Rabbi Brendan Stern is at Hendon United Synagogue