Gan Eden

Dec 18, 1998 - © Virginia Marin

In Judaism, the term Gan Eden (Garden of Eden) is kaddish, a hymn in praise of God, recited at daily service or as a mourner's prayer, and refers not to THE Garden of Eden, but rather to the spiritual reward of the righteous in a world to come. Some, however, do use Gan Eden as a place of refreshment.

How appropriate Gan Eden is when applied to Noah, who labored undauntedly in building the Ark, in spite of being thought - and called - a fool until the waters came, slowly at first, then in torrents from the sky and in time covered the earth.

Noah and the Ark. Fact - or folklore?

Before this, it had NEVER rained. The earth was watered from a mist which came forth from the ground. The concept of rain and flood was unknown to the antedeluvians. But Noah believed G-d.

Noah and his family actually lived somewhere in Mesopotamia, in the "Cradle of Civilization," but in a Chelm, a make-believe town of happy though not-too-bright and foolish people.

If fact, WHY did God send the Flood?

And God said unto Noah: The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Gen.6:13).

If the whole earth was wicked, WHY did God save Noah and his family?

Simply, and according to the Torah and the Bible, because Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (Gen.6:8). Noah walked with God and by faith he prepared the ark. It took faith to prepare an ark on dry land when it had never even drizzled!

In preparation for the Flood, God gave the people ample opportunity to change their ways, but repentence was not in their hearts. And God, from the Genesis account in the Torah told Noah to make an ark of gopher wood...the length of the ark to be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits...

A cubit is eighteen inches. Now, that is some BOAT!

Noah was further instructed to install a window and a door. The ark had only one door, and after Noah and his family finally had entered into the Ark, with the animals, two by two, God closed that door and it could not be opened by human hands.

I am of the opinion that had anyone knocked at THE DOOR of the ark, God would have been mericful and let him enter. All one had to do was to believe God.

The copyright of the article Gan Eden in Folklore is owned by Virginia Marin. Permission to republish Gan Eden in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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