Parashas Noach

Hi,

The weather was slightly cold and rainy in Yerushalayim this week. I was even zocheh to make a bracha on a rainbow. Chachamim say that when a rainbow appears it is a siman that Hashem wants to destroy the world, but doesn't because of His promise. I thought, WOW, that's this week's parasha.

In parashas Noach, Hashem totally wipes out the whole world except for Noach, his family, and the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo-- or something along those lines. =)

Last week during Shabbos Mincha, we read parashas Noach, and it got me thinking. I can't believe it. It's only the second week, and already (after 10 generations) Hashem destroys the world. How is this possible?! We just came into creation not long ago, and now we are destroyed? That generation had to have been REALLY bad. A chunk of the reason was because of how they acted with one another. They had no respect for each other what-so-ever. Not helping one another, taking advantage of their friends. Very denigrating.

You know, it says that Noach was the greatest man of his generation. It didn't exactly seem like a compliment. I mean-- compared to the type of people in that generation, you would think anybody is great. And how was he saved? Hashem told him to seclude himself on a HUGE boat, until this world got purified. He was living with a bunch of animals, who ate different things at different times.

I have two kids bli ayin hara, and their sleeping and eating schedules aren't exactly on the dot. One needs to be fed, while the other needs a changing. Then when the other one is sleeping, one wakes up. It's tough. Note: this is not a complaint, Baruch Hashem, we are zocheh to have beautiful kids. I'm just pointing out the difficulty of having two kids on different schedules - can you imagine a whole flock of animals? If you think about it a little more, it was all planned out, maybe to make up for what that generation did. They were living their lives thinking about themselves only, while Noach's whole tachlis was to give, give and give some more. He didn't have much time for himself. He was too busy attending all the animals. Making sure they were happy.

So in truth, he really was a righteous man. For one year straight, his midda was doing the avodas Hashem, selflessly.

I think a lesson we should learn from this week's parasha, is that when we don't act with others the way we want to be acted, it can be deadly. V'ahavta L'areacha Kamo'cha, Zeh Klal Gadol B'Torah! Loving others like you love yourself, that is an important lesson in the Torah. We are on this world to learn and perform the mitzvos of Hashem's Torah. Without that, this world can not exist.

Another lesson is that when you see a neighbor or a friend speaking Loshon Harah, or going against Hashem's will, seclude your self from them. You don't need to be with those types of people. They can be damaging. Just like Noach was secluded from the rebels, you can do the same. You get to choose your friends, so choose the right ones.


Thanks for visiting,
Nisso