חם בן נח

Among the sons of Noach, חם, also known as “Ham”, was the most problematic for several reasons.

There are some very strange Midrashim regarding חם. One says that he sinned by violating the prohibition against intimacy in the Ark. For this he was punished and his skin became black.(racist commentary?)

Ham also sinned in revealing his father’s nakedness. Rashi says he wanted to be sure that Noach would not father any more children. For shaming his father, his children would become slaves. Just as he mocked his father, his descendants would be mocked as slaves often are.

His list of descendants were very problematic as well. Kush descended from him as did Amalek. From his oldest son, כנען, other members of the Seven Nations also descended. They were: יבוסי, אמורי,גרגשי, and חוי.

The Jewish people suffered a great deal from the family of חם. Perhaps “stay away from Ham” has new meaning for us! שבוע טוב