Genesis · Weekly Torah portion
Parashat Noachנֹחַ
Torah reading
Genesis 6:9-11:32
Haftarah
Isaiah 54:1-55:5
Sephardic: Isaiah 54:1-10
What happens in Noach
God tells Noah, the one righteous man of his generation, to build an ark before a flood washes the world clean. Noah gathers his family and pairs of every animal, rides out forty days of rain, and steps into an empty world to start again — greeted by a rainbow, God's promise never to destroy the earth by flood again. The parsha ends with the Tower of Babel, where humanity's attempt to build a single tower to the heavens ends with scattered peoples and many languages.
Big themes
- Righteousness under pressure
- Second chances
- Promises and covenants
If this is your bar or bat mitzvah portion
Noah is called 'righteous in his generation' — and the rabbis debate whether that's a compliment or a critique. Was he good only compared to terrible neighbors? It's a perfect launching point for asking what real goodness demands.
Learning to chant Noach?
Ready 13 builds a verse-by-verse practice plan for this exact portion — chanted reference audio, karaoke highlighting, trope games, and a countdown that keeps the big day on track.
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