A Tale of Two Birds

Whoever authored the statement, “Birds of a feather flock together,” was surely not referring to the raven and the dove. Though given the same task by the Biblical Noah, their paths never converged, not then - not now.
Let us travel back in time to the beginning of this strange ‘bird’ story. In the year 2105 BCE, the entire human race (a party of four men and four women) shared a boat riding out the Great Flood. That’s only one more person than the shipwrecked castaways of Gilligan’s Island. There are two major differences between these “Survivor” sagas. One was a comedic, TV fantasy, the other was an all-too-real-life-drama; the first troupe spent their time in leisure worrying about themselves, the second group labored day and night feeding and caring for every single animal left in the world.

One would imagine that the wild beasts, even more than man, would be itching to get out of their cramped quarters in this bizarre floating zoo. Hence it was not a human that first ventured forth to scout out the ‘New World’, it was a bird. The first winged messenger dispatched from the Ark was the raven. (Genesis 8:1) The Midrash (a collection of ethical teachings on the Torah compiled close to 2000 years ago) shares the following insights.
Noah was well aware that the raven was by nature a cruel bird. In fact, one reason the raven is deemed un-kosher (Leviticus 11:15) is because instead of carrying out its assigned mission, the raven searched for a floating carcass to satisfy its appetite. Imagine everyone in the ark anxiously awaiting the raven which was busy stuffing itself with the flesh of flood victims. Consequently, the raven became the symbol of selfishness. This negative aura has followed the raven throughout the western world and many other cultures. They are the universal harbinger of evil tidings. Remember Edgar Allan Poe’s classic poem, The Raven: “This ebony bird…By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore…Ghastly grim…gaunt, and ominous bird of yore…His eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s…And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor.”

According to tradition, the raven actually never returned to the temporary refuge that was the Ark. It abandoned all its former shipmates for a rotting piece of carrion.  Noah acknowledged the raven’s betrayal and another bird was chosen. This time Noah was more selective, choosing a dove. The first time it left the ship, the dove, “found no resting place for the sole of its foot” and returned to the ark. Another week passed and on the 301st day of the great Flood, the dove left the boat for a 2nd time returning with an olive leaf in her mouth. (Genesis 8:11) King Solomon utilized the vision of a dove to create the imagery of a faithful people: Just like a dove once she meets her mate never leaves him for another…just as a dove whose fledglings are taken from her nest still doesn’t abandon her nest…so are the Jewish people faithful to G-d. Though the dove possesses other associations (in 1782 a dove was suggested as part of the design for the Great Seal), its primary connotation is one of loving peace.

Noah, we are informed, not only tended to all the animals, he spoke and understood all their languages. Noah was surely aware that the raven’s croaking call and spectral presence cloaked a heartless and untrustworthy creature.  On the other extreme, Noah certainly knew that the white-hued dove signified tenderness, loyalty, and kindness. So why send the raven in the first place? And why was the dove only deputized after the raven failed?
In the writings of Jewish Kabbala, the raven represents the mystical attributes of Gevurah - unsympathetic aggression, stern judgment, and harsh discipline. In contrast, the dove embodies the qualities of Chesed - loving kindness, thoughtful tenderness, and compassionate empathy. (Sefer Halikutim, Tzemach Tzedek) After man’s colossal failure, Noah felt that society had forfeited its right to any mercy; only severe discipline could properly govern. In other words, since “the inclination of man’s heart is evil,” (Noah 8:21), only the raven’s approach of aggressive justice would ensure that civilization did not revert again to chaos.

But Noah was wrong. It was not the belligerent raven but the peaceful dove that discovered the dry land, demonstrating that even after the great crimes and corruption of the flood generation, we should not give up on man. Even after disappointment and destruction we should not become bitter and hardened. The primary force in life must be love and compassion. Discipline is necessary, but only as a sub-set of love. 
Noah was not alone in his attitude. Many who have experienced a “flood” in one form or another, who have undergone turmoil and pain, often feel that the only way to build a new life is by adopting the mindset of the raven. They develop a rough shell and a harsh disposition. They become cynical and suspicious; their hearts shut down.

But Noah discovered that with a raven you can’t rebuild a world. The raven is good to be, “kept going and returning until the waters dried.” (Noah 8:21) The raven is important for setting limits. Which qualities, however, can actually reconstruct a shattered civilization? Love, loyalty, and compassion - the characteristics of the dove.

During the past six decades the Jewish people have been recovering from a ‘flood’ that destroyed over one million children and a third of our nation. Understandably, Jewish hearts swelled with bitterness and profound pain. They could have easily turned into ‘ravens’, projecting cynicism to the succeeding generations. But learning from Noah, they replaced the raven with the dove.

The survivors, for the part, built families and showered their children with love, confidence, and hope. True, many children of survivors suffered from the paralyzing silence that pervaded their homes. But most of those who escaped death gave their loved ones the desire and strength to celebrate life.
We, the recipients of that courageous choice, can adequately thank them if we continue being guided by the dove; giving love, confidence, and hope to the people around us. Each of us has disappointments in life, perhaps let down by those who were supposed to care for us most. We can understand developing a ‘raven’ attitude in order to protect ourselves in the future; even Noah himself did just that. Yet the human soul dare not allow life’s pain to deprive it of its greatest power - its ability to love. So the next time you encounter disappointment,  hatred, or corruption and wonder whether you can ever overcome life’s challenge, visualize the dove with an olive leaf bringing tidings of better days to come.