Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why does the Torah mention Noach's age when he had children?
A: The Torah mentions Noach's age (500 years) to show that he waited much longer than usual to have children. According to Rashi, this was because Hashem wanted Noach's children to be born closer to the time of the Flood so they could be part of the new world after it.
Q: Why are Noach's three sons listed in this order (Shem, Cham, Yefet)?
A: Shem is listed first because he was the most righteous and from his lineage would come Avraham and ultimately the Jewish people. Cham is listed second, and Yefet last, though in other verses the order changes. The Midrash explains that the order reflects their spiritual levels and future roles in history.
Q: What is the significance of Noach having exactly three sons?
A: The Talmud (Sanhedrin 108b) teaches that Noach was meant to repopulate the world after the Flood, and three sons represent the minimum needed to properly rebuild civilization. Each son would become the ancestor of major groups of nations (Shem - Semites, Cham - Africans/Canaanites, Yefet - Europeans/Asians).
Q: How old was Noach when the Flood came, if he was 500 here?
A: According to Genesis 7:6, Noach was 600 years old when the Flood came. Since this verse tells us he was 500 when he began having children, this means the Flood came 100 years later. The Midrash says this 100-year period was a time when Noach warned people to repent while building the ark.
Q: Why does the Torah list Noach's children here before the Flood story?
A: Rashi explains that listing Noach's children here shows that despite the coming destruction, Hashem's plan included continuity - these sons would survive and rebuild the world. The Sforno adds that mentioning them first emphasizes that Noach was worthy to be saved because he raised righteous children in a corrupt generation.
Age of Noach at the Birth of His Sons
The verse states that Noach was 500 years old when he fathered Shem, Cham, and Yefet. Rashi (Bereshit 5:32) notes that this age seems inconsistent with the earlier chronology in Bereshit 5, where Noach is listed as 500 years old before the births of his sons. Rashi resolves this by explaining that the Torah does not always follow chronological order, and the births of Noach's sons actually occurred earlier in his life.
Order of the Sons' Listing
The verse lists the sons in the order of Shem, Cham, and Yefet. The Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 26:3) explains that Shem is listed first because he was the most righteous, being the ancestor of Avraham and ultimately the Jewish people. Cham is listed second because he was intermediate in character, while Yefet is listed last as he was the youngest.
Significance of the Number 500
The Ramban (Bereshit 5:32) comments that Noach's age of 500 when beginning to have children is significant. Unlike his ancestors who had children much earlier (e.g., Lemech at 182, Metushelach at 187), Noach delayed having children until this age. This may indicate his awareness of the impending flood and his hesitation to bring children into a corrupt world.
Names of the Sons
Chronological Considerations
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 69b) calculates that Shem was actually 100 years old when the flood began (based on Bereshit 11:10), meaning he was born when Noach was 502 years old. This suggests the term "500 years" may be rounded or that the sons were born over a span of years beginning when Noach was 500.