Noach - Life in the Tevah

Wednesday, October 10, 2018 · Posted in , , , ,


During the twelve months' duration of the mabul, the Heavenly planets did not operate in order. The inhabitants of the Tevah therefore could not tell from sun or moon whether it was day or night. Only the precious stones which Noach had brought into the Tevah served as an indication of the time. When they shone, the tevah's inhabitants knew it was night; when they dimmed, it was day.

The Tevah floated securely like a ship in the ocean, while the world around it was transformed into a tremendous no-man's land of water. It rained heavily for forty days. Each raindrop which Hashem sent down was previously boiled in Gehinnom. The rain was so hot that people's skin peeled on contact with it.   The drops did not consist only of water, but also of fire. In addition to the rain from above, all the wells and fountains of the earth opened up and poured forth boiling hot water. The giants of the Generation of the Flood had believed that they could prevent the wells from overflowing by merely stepping on them, but the water was so hot that this plan failed. What did this cruel generation do? They took their smallest children and put them into the opening to seal it. When the water continued to gush out, they placed one child after another at the opening of the fountain to save themselves. Where it not for the fire and water from above, they would have survived.

The water reached fifteen amot (30 feet) above the highest mountain tops, because this generation had sneered, We are giants, fifteen amot high, and if there will ever be a flood, we will stand on the mountain tops and be safe!" Now the water level was above their heads and they drowned.

The water of the mabul wore down the heaviest substances. Only the fish survived, because they had not sinned like the other creatures. Some say, the flood did not affect the sea at all. This was because G-d had given the fish a special blessing, as referred to in Bereishit so they did not die in the flood. They escaped to the depths of hte sea, where the water remained cool.

The flood did not cover Eretz Yisrael, not even in inhabited areas. The residents of the Holy Land did not die by drowning, but from the heat of the waters of the flood. The water was boiling hot; it made the entire world like a furnace, killing all air-breathing creatures. (Zevachim, loc. cit.)  G-d wrought another miracle for Noach. The waters of the flood were boiling hot, since it had been decreed that many of the sinners should be boiled alive. But in the vicinity of the Tevah, the waters were cool and pleasant. This was done for the benefit of Noach. (Pirkei Rabbi Eliezer; Zevachim 113)

Of all the creatures on earth, man died last. G-d delayed his doom as long as possible, giving him a chance to repent. (Bachya)

All human bodies totally disintegrated. Not a single bone was left intact, not even the smallest luz at the lower end of the spine (some say at the top end, depending on tradition).

The emperor Hadrian asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, "From which part of the body will G-d in future revive the dead?" "From the spinal bone luz." answered Rabbi Yehoshua. "How do you know?" he questioned. "Bring me such a bone and I shall prove it," replied Rabbi Yehoshua. When the bone Luz was brought to Rabbi Yehoshua, he demonstrated to the emperor how although he ground it in a mill, it would not be crushed. He threw it into the fire and it did not burn. Neither did it dissolve in water. Finally Rabbi Yehoshua brought a hammer and struck the bone. The hammer cracked and the bone survived. (Bereishit Rabbah)

When a man dies, his bone luz is preserved, in order to form the basis from which the body will be reconstructed at the time of Techiyat HaMetim (Resurrection of the Dead).  But the Generation of the Mabul was so wicked that not one bone of their skeleton remained, net even the bone luz. None of them will be restored to life at the time when the dead will rise from their graves. They will not even be among those who will be revived to be judged and then doomed, the memory of the Generation of the Mabul was blotted out from the world.

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Source: Midrash Says; Me'am Lo'ez


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Noach - A Tzaddik

Monday, October 8, 2018 · Posted in ,



Noach was an extraordinary man, a tzaddik whose righteousness upheld the entire world.  

"Three tzaddikim comprised the foundation of the world: Adam, Noach and Avraham."

This is to be taken in the literal sense of the word. Each of these ensured the survival of the world. If not for Noach, the world would have been annihilated.

In spite of the general laxity in moral and ethical conduct, his own record was impeccable. he did not allow himself to be influenced by his peers. He submitted to the humiliation of being ridiculed by the three generations in whose time he lived:
  1. Generation of Enosh
  2. Generation of the Deluge
  3. Generation of the Dispersal
And remained steadfast in his service of Hashem. He faithfully observed the six mitzvot which Hashem commanded to Adam. (Bereishit Rabbah 26:1)

His wife Na'amah was equally righteous. Her name Na'amah signifies that her deeds were pleasing. (Bereishit Rabbah 23:3) She gave birth to three sons, Yefet, Cham, and Shem, who all followed Hashem's ways as taught to them by their father, Noach, and grandfather, Metushelach. Of the three, Shem is listed in the Torah first because he was the greatest of them.

Noach is described by the Torah as a tzaddik, "...perfect in his generations." (Bereishit 5:9) What is the implication of this last addition? It teaches that  Noach was righteous only in relation to his own generation. Had he lived in Moshe's or Shumel's time, He would not have been considered great.  Thus Noach is termed tzaddik as compated to his wicked generation.

According to another view, however, the above verse is said in Noach's praise, implying that if he maintained his righteousness even in an immoral climate, he would have become incomparably greater had he lived in Moshe's or Shmuel's time (by learning from their examples).

How can we reconcile these contrasting views and understand Noach's personality?

It is true that by obeying all of Hashem's commandments and refraining from sin, Noach did what was expected of him. For this, the Torah calls him a tzaddik. Yet he is criticized by Chazal (our Sages) in a subtle manner for not exerting himself beyond that which was required of him. Noach should not have quietly acquiesced to the flood. He should have stormed the very gates of heaven with fasting and prayer, seeking mercy from G-d. Noach offered a sacrifice after the flood, but he really should have brought it before the catastrophe; it might have caused the decree to be revoked. 

Some say that the reason Noach did not pray for his contemporaries was not that he was neglectful, but that he could not find ten righteous people to participate with him. In Noach's family, counting both men and women, there were only eight people. Without ten righteous people, an evil decree cannot be revoked, as in the case of Sedom (Bereishit 18:32). (Bachya; Yad Yosef)

Although the generation was granted a hundred and twenty years' time to reflect upon Noach's words and repent, no one was impressed by his constant warnings. People did not fear danger because they felt secure in the knowledge of their colossal physical strength.  Besides their extraordinary bodily strength, these generations were well versed in the art of magic and therefore felt secure and unafraid.

Rabbi Yehudah said that even though Noach was righteous, it was still not worthwhile for G‑d to protect the world because of him. Come and see! Moshe did not ask for anything on the basis of his own merit. Rather, he depended on the merit of the Patriarchs. But Noach, unlike Moses, had no other person on whose merit he could depend.

The building of the tevah served not only as a reminder to the wicked but was also necessary to purify Noach himself. Through fulfilling Hashem's mitzvah of constructing the tevah despite everyone's jeering, Noach himself became spiritually elevated.


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Source: Midrash Says; Me'am Lo'ez; Chabad

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Noach - The Mabul

Sunday, October 7, 2018 · Posted in , , ,



Although mankind no longer lived in Gan Eden, their life-style before the mabul (flood) still resembled Gan Eden. (Midrash Hagadol)

Life was good. In fact, it was too good. It was a life of uninterrupted serenity and enjoyment. For example, children were conceived and born on the same day. A newborn child was immediately able to stand and walk, and also had the ability to speak. Furthermore, no child would ever die during his parents' lifetime. In fact, all parents would live to see not only their children but also their grandchildren. (Bereishit Rabbah)

  • The generation before the mabul possessed enormous physical strength, as the verse says, "There were giants on earth in those days" (Bereishit 6:14) They were able to uproot whole cedar trees and considered lions and panthers as harmless as fleas. Their strength did not diminish in old age, but, on the contrary, it grew with age. This strength only disappeared after the mabul.
  • They lived a very long life, hundreds of years. Only when they sinned did Hashem say, "and his days shall be a hundred and twenty years."
  • They knew no suffering of any kind.
  • They sowed only one every forty years and the earth produced a sufficient amount for the following forty years.
  • They did not have to endure excessive heat or cold since there were no changing seasons, but the weather was a continuous, enjoyable and mild spring climate. It was only after the mabul that Hashem said, "Seed time and harvest and cold and heat and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease."
As a result of these benefits, however, they cast off Hashem's authority, saying, "For what purpose do we still need Him? We do not even require His help to obtain water, since we need no rain. We get an abundant supply of water from difference sources; we have the streams and wells of the earth" Answered Hashem, "Is it with the very goodness that I bestowed upon you that you rebel against Me? I shall punish you with the same substance, rain water, and therefore, 'And behold I will bring the flood of water.'" (Sanhedrin 108)

What were the crimes of those generations?  They were guilty of idol worship, bloodshed, and immorality. (Bereishit Rabbah)


Idol Worship

"They said to G-d, 'Depart from us, we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. Who is the Almighty that we should serve Him? Why should we pray to Him?'" (Iyov 21:14-15).  They strengthened their independence from Hashem by acquiring expertise in witchcraft.  They forsook their Maker and served idols.


Bloodshed

They were murderers. Their depravity was similar to that later found in the wicked city of Sedom. (Yerushalmi)


Immorality

These generations ignored the commandment give to Adam (1:28), "Be fruitful and multiply." (Bereishit Rabbah) Since their goal in life was to gratify their instincts, they attempted to minimize the number of children that they had. (Midrash Hagadol) This explains the atrocities prevalent at that time.

  • A man would take two wives, one for the purpose of childbearing, and the other for his pleasure.
  • They exchanged wives.
  • They arranged "marriage contracts" between men and beast, thus legalizing forbidden relationships.
  • The judges themselves were corrupt.*
Even the animals imitated their corrupt ways; the dog associated with the wolf and the rooster with the duck.

However, Hashem would have spared even these wicked generations, had they sinned unknowingly. But they had been taught the six mitzvot commanded to Adam which included the prohibition against idolatry, murder, and adultery. They were punished because they chose to ignore Hashem's commandments. Nevertheless Hashem would have continued to exercise patience and restraint if not for the additional crime of robbery.

*The source of corruption in all generations to this day is the court of law itself. Legislation that is lenient and judges who are "liberal-minded" are responsible for the destruction of the country.


Robbery

Hashem said, "The end of all flesh has come before Me" (6:13). "The accusation of their thievery has come before Me, and therefore I can no longer delay their punishment!" (Sanhedrin 108)

What were the habits of the Generation of the Flood? If a man brought out a basket full of peas, he would soon be surrounded by a mob snatching them away. Each one cleverly took a small amount worth less than a pruta (small coin). The man's basket was soon empty. Yet the victim was unable to present the matter to a judge because each culprit could claim that he had stolen an amount so minute that he was not liable to punishment by law.  (Bereishit Rabbah)

It was among the practices of that generation to move their neighbors' landmarks in order to extend their property. They also commonly stole sheep from each other. If someone saw an ox or donkey in the hands of a helpless orphan or widow, he took it away. People, afraid that the clothes they wore would be stolen from their bodies decided that was safer to walk around naked. 

Why was their guilty verdict finalized for the sin of theft more than for the crimes of idol worship, bloodshed or immorality? The answer is that robbery undermines the basis of all civilization. it is common sense that another person's property may not be stolen. (Ramban) Whenever Hashem sits in judgment over a person guilty of several crimes, there is one crime that accuses him above all others - the sin of robbery. (Vayikra Rabbah)


Chronology of the Mabul

Day of Flood /  Hebrew Date / Civil Date

0 / 17 Cheshvan / October 27 - Flood begins
40 / 29 Kislev / December 8 - Forty-day rains ends; torrents begin
190 / 29 Iyar / May 6 - 150 day period of torrents ends
191 / 1 Sivan  May 7 - Water begins to recede
207 / 17 Sivan / May 23 - Tevah (Ark) rests on Mt. Ararat
250 / 1 Av / July 5 - Mountaintops are visible
290 / 10 Elul / August 13 Raven sent out
296 / 16 Elul / August 19 - Dove sent out
303 / 23 Elul / August 26 - Dove brings olive leaf
310 / 1 Tishrei / September 2 - Dove does not return. Water is gone and earth begins to dry.
365 / 27 Cheshvan / October 27 - Earth completely dry


The Flood was a reversion to the initial state of creation, in which the earth was physically submerged under water and spiritually submerged in Divine awareness.

At the very beginning of creation, all was water because dry land did not yet exist. On the spiritual level, this means that the world was filled with Divine awareness because dry land, which represents the facade of a self-sustained world independent of G‑d, did not yet exist.

G‑d's ultimate desire, however, is that Divine awareness permeate even a world with "dry land," i.e., self-awareness. Indeed, this will be the state of the world in the messianic age, when "the world will be filled with the knowledge of G‑d like water covers the seabed" (Yeshayahu 11:9). At that time, even though the world will not be covered by water and we will still be in a state of self-awareness, we will nevertheless enjoy the Divine awareness normally associated with submersion under water, i.e., self-nullification.

However, for the earth to reach this stage, it first had to have been immersed in the waters of the Flood, which "destroyed the earth," i.e., which nullified the earth's sense of self. This one-time experience conditioned the earth to be able to later attain Divine awareness — even after the waters receded and the earth reverted to dry land. The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 7:4) therefore compares the messianic age to the days of Noach, since the Flood initiated the process of conditioning the world for its ultimate state — Divine awareness despite the presence of self — which it will attain in the messianic age.

Once this conditioning occurred, G‑d promised never to Flood the earth again, in keeping with His original intention for the world to exist in its "natural" state and still be a vessel for Divine awareness.

In fulfilling our own Divine mission on earth, we also experience a period of immersion in the waters of Divine awareness: the High Holy Days of the month of Tishrei. Our challenge is to successfully experience Divine awareness even after Tishrei, when the "waters have receded" and our "dry" self has emerged.

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Source: Midrash Says; Me'am Lo'ez; Chabad

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