Articles with the tag: noah

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,...

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Ships Ahoy! (7:1)

Outside the ark, the violent floodwaters raged, cleansing a world that had sunk into the abyss. Within, Noach presided over a floating, miniature universe which included humans, animals and foodstuff in order *“to keep seed alive.” *
When the waters finally calmed down and receded, Noach dispatched a raven followed by three doves to see if the waters had completely subsided. Obviously, Noach was eager to rebuild, but could he act on his own? He had first entered the ark by G-d’s explicit command. It would therefore seem that as long as he did not receive instructions to the contrary, the divine injunction, * “Come into the ark” *remained in force.
Hence the question: For what purpose did Noach dispatch…

Continue reading Ships Ahoy! (7:1)

Meteorologist Airs on Torah Channel (6:22)

In Israel, the end of the holidays marks the start of the rainy season. A colleague of mine fears that the ominous storm clouds on the horizon portend more than foul weather. Indeed, at the very same time that Jews were praying for rain, fellow Jews were targeted in Taba.
But for most of us, life goes on. As long as one’s family is not directly affected, it is hard to feel the impact of what is going on in someone else’s backyard. The storm clouds on the Weather Channel, we want to believe, will not rain on *our* party. And that is exactly the way it was in Noach’s time as well. This reminds me of a movie called,...

Continue reading Meteorologist Airs on Torah Channel (6:22)

Noach's Standard (6:9)

We’ve all heard of the **Zohar**, or should I say the **Book of Splendor**, which for centuries has illuminated the Torah and the lives of our people. Commenting on the opening verse of this week’s Biblical portion, *“Noach was a righteous and perfect man in his generations”,* the Zohar says, *“In his generation, but not in others, such as those of Abraham, Moses and David.”*
While the comparison being made might an unfavorable, the very fact that the **Zohar** measures Noach’s worth in relation to these particular three giants of history implies that Noach’s life included elements that were later to comprise the uniqueness of the first Jew, the transmitter of Torah, and Israel’s first king.
Abraham was born into…

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How High Have We Gone? (11:1)

Man had fallen so low that it no longer seemed possible for punishment to serve merely as a deterrent or a warning. What evil had the human race perpetrated that it was perceived as unredeemable and thus slated for destruction? According to the Torah, *“The land was corrupted before G-d, and the land was filled with violence.”*
The word used for violence, *Chamas,* is explained by Rashi to mean * robbery*. It was on this chaos that the flood descended, laying the world bare and ready for a new beginning.
If we read further on in this week’s Biblical portion, it seems as if man had finally learned his lesson. The generation that built the Tower of Babel exemplified the…

Continue reading How High Have We Gone? (11:1)

From a Page in Noach's Diary (9:2)

Dear Diary,
Even among the ancient ones, I would be considered old.  Having now lived over 600 years, I have seen many changes, including the advent of idolatry, the invention of musical instruments, the growth of the world’s population and all the problems   associated with “progress”. I thought I had seen it all.  But this past year…with the Flood and all, you can imagine.
At my age, to be responsible for all the thousands of birds and beasts is no picnic: Each one demanding specific foods at different times.  You see this limp that I got, that’s from the lion that once kicked me when I was late with dinner.  And the stench, you wouldn’t believe it.
For the most…

Continue reading From a Page in Noach’s Diary (9:2)

The Last Lion (8:18)

It’s a wonderful Midrash; fanciful, interesting, insightful and relevant.  Noach briskly walks in to the ark at the outset of the Great Flood and one year later he slowly limps out.  The reason for the change is that one day Noach was late in delivering lunch.  The lion, not appreciating the fact, took a swipe at his benefactor and hence the unsightly disfigurement.
A question that has been raised in regard to this Midrash is why should G-d, who thrust this enormous responsibility upon Noach, have allowed this mishap to occur?  Imagine trying to feed every animal the exact type of food they require, day in and day out.  And then figure, Noach was late one afternoon.  What’s the big…

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When Obedience Is Not Enough (8:15)

What shall we make of Noach, one of the Bible’s more elusive characters? His introduction is full of promise: * “Noach was a righteous man, faultless in his generation. Noach walked with G-d.” * No one else in Torah receives such accolades: not Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or even Moses.
However, a mere three chapters later, the narrative records Noach’s final project. * “Noach began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard…he became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. Cham…saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Yafes took a garment…and covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see.” *
Shem…

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My Monkey, the Psychologist (6:19)

Once upon a time, and not so very long ago, many educated and worldly individuals turned to the Bible for guidance on how to live their lives. It was evident that the Scriptures were not just tales of ancient history, but paradigms of human nature. Then Freud and psychology arrived on the scene and changed where we search for answers. Now one had to plumb the subconscious for insight into the human condition. But even that is now *passe.* Recently, it has become popular to turn to our closest relatives for answers in understanding our core drives and needs.  Unfortunately, I do not mean, Grandpa Hershel with the big beard on our living room family tree, but our supposed *...

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An Open Window (6:16)

Never before had one man undertaken such a task. It seemed impossible to ask of one man that he take upon his shoulders the weight of the entire world. Yet that is precisely what G-d had commanded of Noach. This lone man, already well advanced in age, was not even allowed to share the burden of building the ark. All by himself, for what must have seemed like endless years, he labored on this monumental assignment.
The job might have been easier had Noach been a carpenter or an engineer. But Noach was none of these. And so the elderly scholar was given specific instructions on how to build the floating menagerie that would save the world. *“Three hundred were…

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Babel: on Reaching Heaven (11:4)

The story of a Tower rising in the valley of Shinar is central to the Biblical vision of what can go wrong in society. The story itself, told in a mere nine verses, is a compact masterpiece of literary and philosophical virtuosity. The first thing to note is that its historical background is exceptionally precise. The tower or ziggurat was the great symbol of the ancient Mesopotamian city states. It was here that human beings first settled, established agriculture, built cities, and invented (along with the wheel, the arch and the calendar) the ability to manufacture building materials, especially bricks. This made possible the construction of buildings on a larger scale, which came to have a profound religious significance.
Essentially…

Continue reading Babel: on Reaching Heaven (11:4)

Noach's Standard

We’ve all heard of the Zohar, or should I say the Book of Splendor, which for centuries has illuminated the Torah and the lives of our people. Commenting on the opening verse of this week’s Biblical portion, “Noach was a righteous and perfect man in his generations”, the Zohar says, “In his generation, but not in others, such as those of Abraham, Moses and David.”

While the comparison being made might an unfavorable, the very fact that the Zohar measures Noach’s worth in relation to these particular three giants of history implies that Noach’s life included elements that were later to comprise the uniqueness of the first Jew, the transmitter of Torah, and Israel’s first king.
Abraham was born into…

Continue reading Noach’s Standard

An Open Window

Never before had one man undertaken such a task. It seemed impossible to ask of one man that he take upon his shoulders the weight of the entire world. Yet that is precisely what G-d had commanded of Noach. This lone man, already well advanced in age, was not even allowed to share the burden of building the ark. All by himself, for what must have seemed like endless years, he labored on this monumental assignment.
The job might have been easier had Noach been a carpenter or an engineer. But Noach was none of these. And so the elderly scholar was given specific instructions on how to build the floating menagerie that would save the world.

“Three hundred were…

Continue reading An Open Window

My Monkey, the Psychologist

Once upon a time, and not so very long ago, many educated and worldly individuals turned to the Bible for guidance on how to live their lives. It was evident that the Scriptures were not just tales of ancient history, but paradigms of human nature. Then Freud and psychology arrived on the scene and changed where we search for answers.

Now one had to plumb the subconscious for insight into the human condition. But even that is now passe. Recently, it has become popular to turn to our closest relatives for answers in understanding our core drives and needs.  Unfortunately, I do not mean, Grandpa Hershel with the big beard on our living room family tree, but our supposed mishpocha…

Continue reading My Monkey, the Psychologist

Meteorologist Airs on the Torah Channel

In Israel, the end of the holidays marks the start of the rainy season. A colleague of mine fears that the ominous storm clouds on the horizon portend more than foul weather. Indeed, at the very same time that Jews were praying for rain, fellow Jews were targeted in Taba.
But for most of us, life goes on. As long as one’s family is not directly affected, it is hard to feel the impact of what is going on in someone else’s backyard. The storm clouds on the Weather Channel, we want to believe, will not rain on our party. And that is exactly the way it was in Noach’s time as well.
This reminds me of a movie called,...

Continue reading Meteorologist Airs on the Torah Channel

Ships Ahoy!

Outside the ark, the violent floodwaters raged, cleansing a world that had sunk into the abyss. Within, Noach presided over a floating, miniature universe which included humans, animals and conceivable foodstuff in order “to keep seed alive.”

When the waters finally calmed down and receded, Noach dispatched a raven followed by three doves to see if the waters had completely subsided. Obviously, Noach was eager to rebuild, but could he act on his own? He had first entered the ark by G-d’s explicit command. It would therefore seem that as long as he did not receive instructions to the contrary, the divine injunction, “Come into the ark” remained in force.
Hence the question: For what purpose did Noach dispatch his…

Continue reading Ships Ahoy!

The Last Lion

It’s a wonderful Midrash; fanciful, interesting, insightful and relevant.  Noach briskly walks in to the ark at the outset of the Great Flood and one year later he slowly limps out.  The reason for the change is that one day Noach was late in delivering lunch.  The lion, not appreciating the fact, took a swipe at his benefactor and hence the unsightly disfigurement.

A question that has been raised in regard to this Midrash is why should G-d, who thrust this enormous responsibility upon Noach, have allowed this mishap to occur?  Imagine trying to feed every animal the exact type of food they require, day in and day out.  And then figure, Noach was late one afternoon.  What’s the big…

Continue reading The Last Lion

From a Page in Noach's Diary

Dear Diary,

Even among the ancient ones, I would be considered old.  Having now lived over 600 years, I have seen many changes, including the advent of idolatry, the invention of musical instruments, the growth of the world’s population and all the problems   associated with “progress”. I thought I had seen it all.  But this past year…with the Flood and all, you can imagine.

At my age, to be responsible for all the thousands of birds and beasts is no picnic: Each one demanding specific foods at different times.  You see this limp that I got, that’s from the lion that once kicked me when I was late with dinner.  And the stench, you wouldn’t believe it.

For the most…

Continue reading From a Page in Noach’s Diary

When Obedience Is Not Enough

What shall we make of Noach, one of the Bible’s more elusive characters? His introduction is full of promise: “Noach was a righteous man, faultless in his generation. Noach walked with G-d.” No one else in Torah receives such accolades: not Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or even Moses.

However, a mere three chapters later, the narrative records Noach’s final project.  “Noach began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard…he became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. Cham…saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Yafes took a garment…and covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see.”

Shem and Yafes may have…

Continue reading When Obedience Is Not Enough

How High Have We Gone

Man had fallen so low that it no longer seemed possible for punishment to serve merely as a deterrent or a warning. What evil had the human race perpetrated that it was perceived as unredeemable and thus slated for destruction? According to the Torah, “the land was corrupted before G-d, and the land was filled with violence.”

The word used for violence, Chamas, is explained by Rashi to mean robbery. It was on this chaos that the flood descended, laying the world bare and ready for a new beginning.

If we read further on in this week’s Biblical portion, it seems as if man had finally learned his lesson. The generation that built the Tower of Babel exemplified the opposite…

Continue reading How High Have We Gone

Babel: on Reaching Heaven

The story of a Tower rising in the valley of Shinar is central to the Biblical vision of what can go wrong in society. The story itself, told in a mere nine verses, is a compact masterpiece of literary and philosophical virtuosity. The first thing to note is that its historical background is exceptionally precise. The tower or ziggurat was the great symbol of the ancient Mesopotamian city states.

It was here that human beings first settled, established agriculture, built cities, and invented (along with the wheel, the arch and the calendar) the ability to manufacture building materials, especially bricks. This made possible the construction of buildings on a larger scale, which came to have a profound religious significance.

Essentially…

Continue reading Babel: on Reaching Heaven