Chapter XXXII.
Why was it said in the blessing of Shem: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and why is not the curse of slavery assigned to Ham who sinned, but to his son? Finally, the blessing of Japheth is explained.
120. Blessing his son Sem, Noah said: Blessed be the Lord God of Sem; and Chanaan shall be his servant. And he called him both Lord and God, specifically the God of his son whose name is Sem; because God is the God of the righteous, that is, the God of the mountains, not valleys, who grants grace to those who possess great virtue. Then, why did he subject not the son himself but his son's son to servitude when his son Cham sinned? And perhaps this is because a father is more affected by the wrongdoings of his own son, especially when he himself is guilty and the instigator, and he is deeply saddened by the damnation of his own sin, which is paid for by his son, who would be punished not so much for his own sake, but for the sake of the father's merit. Then, because the son was a student of his father's teachings and an imitator of the worst thoughts, they both used the same body and mind, and the same wickedness. Therefore, the son pays the price indiscriminately for either his father's or his own wickedness, since it is a common partnership in wrongdoing. So, whatever he pays for his father's wickedness, without a doubt he also pays for his own, being guilty of his own faults. Or certainly, the punishment is prolonged for a longer time, since it extends even to the son and extends the affliction of the successor into many times. According to the letter.
Moreover, here it is not so much individuals that are understood, but rather their customs, of which in both there is one nature. For Cham is heat, Canaan agitation and restlessness: but he who is hot is certainly restless and more agitated. Therefore, in both there was one passion and one affect. So when one is condemned, both are condemned.
122. When therefore the holy Noah, blessing his son Japheth, said: May the Lord enlarge Japheth, may he dwell in the tents of Sem, and let Chanaan be his servant (Ibid., 27); we have said above that Japheth is used to signify a kind of indifference to good (Sup., chap. 2). However, this indifference has a breadth, which is found in health, strength, beauty, courage, wealth, grace, nobility, friends, power, and other things. But although these indifferent things may be good, they have harmed many who have possessed them without wisdom and justice. For wealth has made many men drunk, nobility and power have made them arrogant, beauty has made them luxurious, and by its influence they have corrupted the chastity of others. Therefore, for those who are affected by these things that we have mentioned, they are indifferent, whose use is either governed by virtues, or certainly, without the guidance of virtues, they begin to be harmful, which can be beneficial.