)%20(95).png)
Noach
This Shabbat we study the Parshah Noach (Noah), named after the protagonist of its major event: The Great Flood. It is found in Genesis 6:9. G-d instructs Noah - the only righteous man in a world consumed by violence and corruption – to build a large wooden teivah (ark) according to G-d’s precise instructions. This ark, G-d says, will protect Noah, his family and the animals accompanying them – from a great deluge that will wipe out all life from the face of the earth.
Noah and his family build the ark, ensure the animals are snug inside – and endure 40 days and nights of non-stop, life-destroying rain. The waters churn for 150 days more before calming and beginning to recede. The ark settles on Mount Ararat, and Noah dispatches a raven, and then a series of doves, “to see if the waters were abated from the face of the earth.” When the ground dries completely—exactly one solar year (365 days) after the onset of the Flood—G-d commands Noah to exit the teivah and repopulate the earth.
Chabad.org
)%20(97).png)
Is The World Any Better Now?
G-d created human beings with an evil inclination, which gives us a selfish and self-serving perspective on life. The corruption of society is the expected outcome of this reality, a function of our very natures. And yet, although most of humanity was annihilated during the Flood, we retained a self-serving attitude that has lead to further corruption. And so why, after the Flood, did G-d promise to never again bring such destruction upon the world? Given human nature, did He really trust that we would not deserve it again?
Our answer can be found in the rainbow, the symbol of G-d’s covenant with humanity in the aftermath of the flood. As Noah emerged from the ark into a desolate world, he was plagued by doubt. “Am I to replenish the world’s population only to have it obliterated yet again due to its perverse behavior?”
To allay Noah’s fears, G-d showed him the first rainbow in history—the beautiful spectrum of colors refracted from the sunlight in the water droplets of the storm clouds. The rainbow’s message was clear: The previous generation was so soiled with sin, it was incapable of reflecting even a vestige of divinity. The purifying waters of the Great Flood had refined our reality—physically and spiritually—to the point that, no matter the intensity of humanity’s corruption going forward, there would always be redeeming factors.
From beneath the layers of negative media coverage, tales of selflessness and devotion emerge. It is for these reflections of divinity that G-d committed to preserve the world. Rainbows are quite rare, but they define the sky following a storm. Let’s work on creating more rainbows in our stormy world.
From an article by Rabbi Levi Greenberg
)%20(99).png)
What Do You See?
Ham saw his father, Noah, drunk and naked in his tent. What did he do? He went and told his brothers. Shem and Yefet saw their father, took a blanket, and covered him without looking. If you see what needs to be repaired and how to repair it,
then you have found a piece of the world that G-d has left for you to complete. If you only see what is wrong and how ugly it is, then it is you yourself that needs repair. In either case, it is impossible that you should ever see something and there is nothing you can do.
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman
)%20(100).png)
“The rainbow will be seen in the cloud.” (Noach 9:14)
The Zohar (I:72b) states that the rainbow is one of the signs of the future redemption. Commentators note that the rainbow indicates the purification and refinement that the world underwent by means of the Flood. Before the Flood the clouds were very coarse, thus preventing a reflection of sunlight. Thereafter, however, the clouds became more refined; they reflected sunlight, thus bringing about a rainbow. This, then, is the connection between the rainbow and the future redemption: The entire world will attain the peak of refinement with the coming of Moshiach.
Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet
)%20(98).png)
The Questions You Need To Ask Yourself Before Criticizing Another Person
The other day, my husband and I had a visitor. He was loud and boisterous, making inappropriate jokes. He made his presence felt in an unpleasant way. Even though I was trying not to judge, my impression of this individual was not positive. In the back of my mind, I was disapproving. Why does he talk so flamboyantly? Does he need to act so audaciously? Doesn’t he realize that his comments are so inappropriate? And look at his garish clothes!
It wasn’t until several days later that my husband learned something about him. “Did you know that he has a special-need’s child who is severely disabled that he cares for?” he asked me. Of course, I had no idea. I then understood that his “boisterous” manner was his way of coping with his challenge. His jokes and his comments were his way of staying above the darkness that was his reality by keeping a positive and joyous mindset.
Suddenly, my perspective was turned on its head. This man wasn’t the one who needed judging—it was me, for judging him!
In this week’s Torah portion, we read about the tower, which was built in Babel to rebel against G-d.
G-d descended to see the city and the tower, which the sons of man had built (Gen. 11:5).
Rashi explains: Obviously, G-d did not need to “come down” in order to see their crime; but He wished to teach all future judges not to judge a defendant until they see [the case] and understand it.
As parents, educators, friends or colleagues, there are times that we need to intervene and share our negative feedback. But before doing so, we need to “come down” from our condescending positions to see the individual’s reality. We need to acknowledge, too, that rarely, can we fully understand the other person’s circumstances.
Here are some questions we can ask ourselves before judging or criticizing:
Our words and even our thoughts carry a tremendous amount of energy; if we have some forethought, they can be so positive.
Chana Weisberg
