Parsha

Noach

7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Gen 7

Rashi on this verse notes the strange ordering of this verse ‘And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife’ to indicate that marital relations did not take place on the Ark as the men and women were separated from each other. Otherwise the verse would say ‘And Noah went in, his wife and his sons’ and their wives’.

According to the sages the wife of Noah was Naamah.

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. Gen 4

Naamah descended from the ignoble line of Cain and yet chooses the ark and lives separate from her husband. Was the flood not an opportunity to wipe out the line of Cain? May be this teaches us something: Naamah demonstrates that it is indeed possible to repent and choose to do the right thing, after all choice was offered to all was it not? But has it always been the case that the choice and the power to choose has always been with us?

6 And the LORD said unto Cain: ‘Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and unto thee is its desire, but thou mayest rule over it.‘ Gen 4

Puts ideas of original sin and total depravity where one is incapable of doing anything into the ‘falsehood’ bin somewhat?