B"H

Wednesday, Mar-Cheshvan 1, 5780 / October 30, 2019

Today is Rosh Chodesh of the new Hebrew month Mar-Cheshvan.

In the beginning of this week's Parsha, Noach, G-d commands Noach (Noah) to build an ark.  The ark will save Noach, his family, two of every species plus seven of the kosher species.  All other living beings will be destroyed from the face of the earth when G-d floods the earth. 

Noach builds the ark for 120 years.  The ark had three floors: a top floor for the people; a middle floor for animals; and bottom floor for garbage.

On the 17th of Cheshvan, the Great Flood (Mabul) began. The flood lasted forty days. But the destruction was so great that Noach and his family and animals spent more than a year in the ark.  On the 27th of Cheshvan, after one year and ten days, they went out to the dry land.

The Torah calls Noach a Tzaddik B'dorotav, "righteous in his generation."  Based on this expression, the Rabbis debate whether Noah was only righteous compared to the other people in his generation or whether he would have been called righteous in the generation of Abraham, as well.

The prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 54) refers to the Great Flood as Mei Noach, "the waters of Noach", thus placing partial responsibility for the flood on Noah! How could a righteous person (Tzaddik) like Noach, who was saved from the Flood, be blamed for the Flood?

Our sages explain the apparent contradiction with the following parable: Many people were sitting in a cold room.  Two of the people decided to do something. One person went and put on his fur coat.  Although he was now comfortable, everyone else was still freezing.  The other person decided to get wood and make a fire.  He not only warmed himself, but everyone else in the room too.

Noach was similar to the first person.  He was indeed righteous, but he didn't go out of his way to save the rest of his generation. He didn’t pray that G-d spare the people. He didn't do enough to prevent the disaster of the Great Flood. 

Abraham, by comparison, was much different.  When G-d wanted to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorra, Abraham prayed and begged G-d to save the people of those cities.  This is the reason the prophet calls the flood, "the waters of Noach."

Lesson: It is not enough to think only of ourselves.  We have to do our best to help others, for we are responsible for each other.

HAVE A GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & WONDERFUL CHODESH-MONTH