B"H

Friday, Mar-Cheshvan 3, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / October 28, 2022

This week’s Parsha, Noach, begins, “These are the generations of Noach. Noach was a righteous and wholehearted man in his generations; with G-d walked Noach. Noach had three sons: Shem, Cham and Yefet.  And the earth was corrupted before G-d, and the earth was filled with robbery.  And G-d said to Noach: The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with robbery.  Behold, I will destroy them together with the earth." 

G-d commands Noach to build an ark ("Teiva").  He tells Noach to bring one pair of each species of non-kosher animals and seven of each of the kosher animals into the Ark, so they will be saved from the flood.  G-d then brought the Great Flood and it rained for 40 days and nights. The waters kept on rising for 150 days and covered the highest mountains. They all stayed in the ark for 365 days.

Q.  What did they eat for that entire year? What kept the food from rotting?

A.  G-d tells Noach to bring food into the ark. Adam, his descendants and the animals were only permitted to eat fruits and vegetables. They were prohibited from eating meat. Thus, only vegetation was the food staple for everyone in the ark. G-d made a special covenant with Noach that the food will not spoil and will last them throughout the time they will be in the ark.

After The Flood, G-d gave them all permission to eat meat (Genesis 9:3).

Q.  What was the first plant Noach planted after The Flood?

A.  A vineyard (Genesis 9:20). The Torah says, "He drank from the wine and became drunk" (Genesis 9:21). Thus, Noach was the first drunk on record.

Q.“Torah” means “teaching.” Every story in the Torah is also relevant to us today. What is the lesson of the story of the Great Flood and the ark, which happened over 4,000 years ago, to us today?

A.  The Torah refers to the ark, in which Noach and his family were saved, as, "The Teiva."  In Hebrew, "Teiva" also means a "word." Chassidic Rabbis make the following connection: Just like the ark-Teiva saved Noah and his family from drowning in the floodwaters, so too, in a spiritual sense, we have to go into the "Teiva" – the words of prayer, through which we connect to G-d.

The temptations, challenges, and problems that confront us daily, are like a Great Flood which can totally encompass and consume a person. To protect ourselves, we too, have to build and enter into the "Teiva" – our spiritual ark, which is prayer. Through prayer and the study of Torah, one connects to G-d and draws the strength to stay above water. Prayer must be a regular part of our daily life. 

SHABBAT SHALOM

Montreal Shabbat candle lighting time: 5:29 / Shabbat ends: 6:31