In Noach (“Noah”), God plans to wipe out humanity with a flood. The righteous Noah, his family, and a few chosen animals survive the flood on the ark he constructs in response to God’s order. Noah’s offspring procreate, leading to the development of several generations. God confuses the language of those constructing the Tower of Babel.
The second weekly Torah part in the yearly Jewish cycle of Torah reading is Noach or Noah (נֹחַ, Hebrew for the name “Noah”, the third word, and first distinguishing word, of the parasha). It is found in Genesis 6:9–11:32. The parasha includes tales of the Flood and Noah’s Ark, as well as the Tower of Babel and Noah’s subsequent inebriation and cursing of Canaan.
This parasha contains the most verses of any weekly Torah section (but not the most letters or words). In a Torah Scroll, there are 1,861 Hebrew words, 153 verses, and 230 lines spread across 6,907 Hebrew characters. The Book of Genesis contains three parashot: Parashat Miketz, which has the most letters, Parashat Vayeira, which has the most words, and Parashat Vayishlach, which has the same amount of verses as Parashat Noach. We read it on the second Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in October or early November.
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