Noach 5770 EXTRA: Mystery Word

This morning we came across Bereishis 9.20:

 וַיָּחֶל נֹחַ אִישׁ הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּטַּע כָּרֶם:

And Noach began a master of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.

...or at least this seems the literal translation. Of course, Torah analysis is not always what it seems. And as is so often the case, we ran out of time.


Rashi renders it this way (citing the midrash): 

ויחל: עשה עצמו חולין, שהיה לו לעסוק תחלה בנטיעה אחרת

began: he made himself profane, for he should have first engaged in planting something different. [Bereishis Rabbah 36:3]

Rashi leaves us puzzled. Has he re-cast ויחל from the root חולין (profane)? Do we suppose Rashi inserts some words and keeps "He began" and fills the missing information about what it is that he began? Perhaps "He began to make himself profane"?


R' SR Hirsch inserts two missing words: And Noach began to be the man of the earth...He makes no comments and thus must be totally at ease with the construct.


Dr Everett Fox who translates the Torah most literally, puts it this way: "And Noach was the first man of the soil." This ties in neatly with the Medrash. See the Rashi at Bereishis 5.29.


How do you translate this verse?