B"H

Tuesday, Mar-Cheshvan 2, 5784 / October 17, 2023

In this week's Parsha, Noach (Noah), we read the story of Noach (Noah) and the Great Flood. The Parsha begins, "…Noach was a righteous man and wholehearted in his generation; With G-d walked Noach. And Noach had three sons: Shem, Cham and Yefet. And the earth was corrupted before G-d, and the earth was filled with violence (Hamas). And G-d saw the earth and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.  G-d said to Noach: 'The end of all flesh has come before me, for it is filled with violence. I will destroy them together with the earth..."

Note: The Torah describes the reason why He will bring the Great Flood and wipe everything of the face of the earth is because, “It was filled with HAMAS!” (do I need to say more?). May they too be wiped off the face of the earth.

G-d commands Noach to build an ark for his wife, his three sons and their wives. G-d then tells Noach to bring two of each species of non-kosher animals and seven of each kind of kosher animals into The Ark to save them from the flood.

Noach spent 120 years building The Ark.On the 17th day of the Hebrew month Cheshvan, the Mabul (Great Flood) began. They spent one year in the ark and on the twenty seventh of Cheshvan, one year later, G-d told Noach to emerge from The Ark.

Although the people committed the greatest sins which included idol worshipping and adultery etc., as Rashi explains, "The divine decree was sealed only because of robbery." In other words, G-d tolerated sins committed against Him, but brought the greatest disaster against all of man-kind for sins committed against each other.

Q.    Why were they punished through water?

A.   Here is one explanation:  In the beginning of creation, we find that the earth was completely covered with water.  On the third day of creation, G-d said, "Let the waters be gathered together unto one place and let the dry land appear and it was so."   The Midrash tells us that G-d said to the water, "I will put sand around the oceans to prevent you from flooding the earth".

The particles of sand were afraid of this tremendous responsibility, "How will we be able to accomplish this important task?  Even the smallest wind can blow us away!  How can we hold back the sea?" 

"Don't worry!" G-d assured the sand. "It is true that you are tiny and light and each one of you on his own has no might.  But, if you stick together and stay united, your power will be enormous that even the mighty sea you will hold back!" 

In contrast to the unity of the sand which hold back the sea, the divisiveness of the people in the time of Noach, brought about that the waters again flooded the world and brought great destruction with it. For there is no greater force to prevent disaster and bring good to the world than peace and unity.         

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

WITH SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL