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Parshat Noach is the Torah’s first great lesson in covenant. It is in this parsha that we encounter the first formal agreement between God and humanity: “I now establish My covenant with you and your offspring to come, and with every living thing that is with you — birds, cattle, and every wild beast as well — all that have come out of the ark, every living thing on earth” (Bereshit 9:9–10).
The rainbow becomes the symbol of this universal covenant — the reminder that God’s promises are not only for Israel, but for all creation. With Noach, God sets a precedent: He enters into partnership with humanity. Yet a covenant, or brit, is never one-sided. It is not a declaration, but a relationship. It requires both parties to share responsibility for its fulfillment. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 56a–b) teaches that humanity’s side of the covenant is moral conduct — the Sheva Mitzvot Bnei Noach, the Seven Noachide Laws:
1. Not to worship idols.
2. Not to curse God.
3. Not to commit murder.
4. Not to commit adultery or acts of sexual immorality.
5. Not to steal.
6. Not to eat the flesh torn from a living animal.
7. To establish courts of justice.
These are the foundational laws of civilization — seven pillars holding up the moral world. And yet, within this list, one commandment stands out for its phrasing and depth. The Torah says, “Whoever sheds the blood of man in man, his blood shall be shed” (Bereshit 9:6).
The phrase “ba’adam” — “in man” — seems redundant. Why not simply say, “Whoever sheds human blood”? The Alshich HaKadosh teaches that the word ba’adam is not redundant at all; it is the key to understanding not only this commandment, but the entire moral dimension of the covenant. Drawing on the Talmud (Bava Metzia 58b), he recalls the statement: “Anyone who humiliates another in public, it is as though he were shedding blood.”
When someone is shamed, says the Gemara, “the blood leaves his face.” His countenance drains of life, and what remains is a kind of spiritual death. The Alshich explains: “Do not wonder how one is liable for shedding blood if blood never leaves the body.” The act of humiliation, he says, is an act of moral violence. One need not spill blood to destroy a life; to rob another person of dignity is to strike at the image of God within them.
This, the Alshich says, is the deeper meaning of ba’adam — “in the man.” It means that the commandment is not only about what we do to a person’s body, but what we do inside a person — to their spirit, their self-worth, their humanity.
Each of the Seven Noachide Commandments is designed to elevate not just society, but the soul. They remind us that human civilization is not sustained by law alone, but by conscience. At their heart lies a single truth: All people are created in the image of God.
If we truly believe that, then morality is not optional — it is sacred. To treat another person with dignity is not merely kindness; it is theology in action.
The word ba’adam thus becomes a moral mirror. It demands that every literal commandment be infused with a spiritual consciousness — that we weigh not only our deeds, but their impact on the divine image in others.
We cannot say, “Yes, I humiliated him in public, but at least I didn’t kill him.” To do so is to miss the entire point of covenant. The brit that God forges with Noach is not simply about obedience; it is about moral awareness. It teaches that civilization is sustained not by fear of punishment, but by reverence for life — by recognizing that every human being, every face we encounter, bears something of the Divine.
And so, the covenant with Noach is the covenant that gave humanity its conscience. It introduced the idea that holiness is not confined to heaven, but can — and must — be expressed through how we treat one another on earth.
This Shabbat, as we reflect on this covenant, let us remember the sacred responsibility it places upon all of us: to think morally, to act compassionately, and to uphold the Tzelem Elohim — the divine image — in every person we meet. For Parshat Noach teaches not only that God shares responsibility with His creation, but that He expects His creations to share responsibility for one another. And the force that binds covenant to commandment, and commandment to compassion, is — and always will be — morality.
Shabbat Shalom!
-Rabbi Dan
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