307. "And Noah began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard" (Beresheet 9:20). Rabbi Yehuda disagreed with Rabbi Yosi's interpretation of this verse. One said the vine was thrown out of the Garden of Eden, and that Noah planted it IN THE GROUND. The other said, IT IS WRITTEN, "AND HE PLANTED," BECAUSE the vine had already been in the ground and Noah plucked it out FROM ITS PLACE and replanted it ELSEWHERE. It blossomed and gave fruit on the same day, and he squeezed the grapes, drank their wine, and got drunk.

308. Rabbi Shimon said that there is a sublime secret hidden in this passage. Noah had come to reexamine Adam's sin OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE, so that he could refrain from repeating it and could make reparations in the world. But he was unable TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, HOWEVER, because after squeezing the grapes, so that he could examine them, he got drunk, was uncovered, and had no strength to get up. This is why THE VERSE SAYS, "and was uncovered," MEANING THAT he 'uncovered' a gap in the World, which had been covered until that time. "Within his tent (Heb. ohaloh)" is spelled with a final Hei. It is not spelled OHALO WITH A VAV. Therefore, it is written, "and do not come near the door of her house" (Mishlei 5:8), "his tent" - indicating the vienyard's tent AND NOT HIS OWN TENT. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS SPELLED WITH A HEI AND NOT WITH A VAV.

309. The same thing happened with the sons of Aaron, who, as we have learned, were drunk. AND HE ASKS: Who gave them wine to drink in such a place? Could you ever think that they were so impertinent as to get drunk! No, this cannot be so, but indeed they did drink from that certain type of wine and became drunk, as is it is written: "and they offered strange fire before Hashem" (Vayikra 10:1). It says here "a strange fire (Heb. esh)" and elsewhere "That they may keep you from the strange woman (Heb. isha)" (Mishlei 7:5), and both verses apply to the same thing. Everything amounts to the same explanation.

310. We find the same meaning in the words: "And he drank of the wine and was drunk, and he was uncovered" (Beresheet 9:21). This aroused Ham, the father of Canaan. And we have learned that Canaan was given a place to rule. And he castrated NOAH, thereby removing the secret of the covenant, which had made him a righteous man. As we have learned that he removed the covenant (the male organ) from him, MEANING THAT HE REMOVED THE MOCHIN OF BEGETTING, WHICH ARE GIVEN ONLY BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY COVENANT. THIS REMOVAL IS CONSIDERED CASTRATION.

311. This is why NOAH said, "Cursed be Canaan," because curses were initially brought upon the world by him. FOR HE IS THE SECRET OF THE SERPENT, AS IT IS WRITTEN: "A slave of slaves he shall be," and, also, "You are cursed above all cattle" (Beresheet 3:14). Everything shall be corrected in the future except for CANAAN. All THE SLAVES EXCEPT CANAAN shall be freed from their slavery. And this is the secret known to those who are familiar with the ways and the paths of the Torah.