Why Did Noah Curse Canaan?

I was wondering why Canaan was cursed by Noah

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

The story you refer to is in Genesis 9:20-27. After the flood, Noah planted a vineyard and became drunk from the wine he produced. While in his drunken state, he lay uncovered in his tent. Ham, one of Noah's sons, saw his father's nakedness and went to tell his brothers about it. However, Shem and Japheth, the other sons, covered their father without looking at him. As you noted, when Noah awoke and learned what had happened, he pronounced a curse not on Ham himself, but on Ham's son, Canaan.

The exact reason for Noah's curse on Canaan and not Ham is not explicitly stated in the Torah but several answers are offered.

One answer is that since God had previously blessed Noah and his three sons, the blessing could not be revoked. It would not have helped for Noah to curse Ham. The curse would have no effect. One cannot curse he who God has blessed. (Bereishit Rabbah 36:11).

Another answer is that Canaan, the first to see Noah in his undignified state, and did nothing to rectify the situation. He then went and told his father Ham who further exacerbated the situation. As such, Ham was cursed through his son Canaan (Bereishit Rabbah 36:11).

Some say that it was indeed Canaan who sinned the worst against Noah by castrating him and possibly also sodomizing him. (Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer 23, Sforno 9:22, Ibn Ezra, Chizkuni).

Finally, Noah saw prophetically that the Canaanites would be the worst of his descendants, associated with terrible sins and moral depravity. As such, the curse of slavery was indeed appropriate them (Radak).

Hope this helps!