Sin of Cham and Canaan

The incident with נח getting drunk is very puzzling. It is not clear exactly what the sin of Cham was, but it was much worse than merely seeing his father’s nakedness. When the Torah describes this story, it tells us that חם הוא אבי כנען, that חם was the father of כנען. Rashi tells us that his כנען was the troublemaker in this whole tragic affair. He was the one who let חם know that נח was drunk. Perhaps had this information not been let out, חם would not have sinned with his father. It was no surprise that the Land of כנען was an extremely decadent place. Cham represented one who gives in to his physical drives, and he paid a heavy price. The other brothers, Yefet, who appreciated beauty (Greek), and Shem, who appreciated spirituality, were blessed in trying to restore their father’s dignity. The descendants of Cham, were cursed with slavery as a punishment for Cham’s sin.