Parshas Noach 5766

Commentary by Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum

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In the succeeding generations after Adam, immorality, theft and strife became rampant throughout society. As a result of man’s degeneration, the animal life also degenerated. The corruption was so widespread that it polluted the very environment, and G-d decided that the world must be destroyed. He would send a flood to purify the whole world, destroying all the evil.

Only one righteous person existed, Noach, who deserved to be saved with his family. G-d instructed Noach to build an ark that would spare him, his family, and every species of animal from the flood. Noach was ordered to take pairs of all the different species of animals and birds into the ark to protect them from extinction.

G-d wanted Noach to involve himself in the tedious task of building a gigantic ark in order to attract the attention of others, and warn them that the world would be destroyed if they would not change their evil ways. Unfortunately, Noach did not exert much influence on his contemporaries, and nobody’s behavior changed.

It rained for forty days and nights, but the floodwaters would not allow for Noach to leave the ark for a year’s time. Throughout that time, Noach was responsible for feeding every living being. The world had been destroyed because of theft and strife, and it would now be rebuilt upon kindness. After the world was destroyed, G-d instructed Noach and the animals to be fruitful and multiply. G-d sent the rainbow as proof of a covenant that He would never again send a flood to destroy the world.

Unfortunately, the experience of the flood did not seem to have much of an effect on Noach’s grandchildren. A few generations later, the society again began to slide, albeit in a more sophisticated manner. Man began to deny G-d’s authority by building a great tower as a monument to his own strength, power, and independence.

This time too, G-d showed them the folly of their actions by thwarting their plans. Initially, all mankind had been one nation speaking the same language. He confused their communication with each other, thereby preventing them from working together. This was the source of a single society becoming fractured into different nations and languages. Because unity had been the cause of their sin, G-d caused them to become dispersed.

...because the world is full of theft … (Gen. 6:13)

The world was destroyed because of corruption by theft. The Torah leadership has always been meticulous regarding this sin. The Klausenberger Rebbe refused to take a paper towel in an office until granted explicit permission. When selling one of his books, Rav Elchanan Wasserman would leaf through every single page to make sure they were all printed properly, lest he sell a damaged copy and be guilty of theft. A visitor once left his walking stick in the yeshiva of Kelm. Thirteen years later he returned to the yeshiva, having long forgotten the incident. To his amazement, the stick was in the exact place he had left it, as no student would touch anything that did not belong to him.

Did You Know...

The rainbow represents different ideas. One the one hand, the Torah teaches that it is a reminder, as it were, that G-d not destroy the world, even if man is remiss in his behavior. Thus, the rainbow is not something to be rejoiced, and in fact one should not inform others to look at the rainbow, despite the fact that a blessing is cited over the rainbow. If he wants, however, he may signal to his friend to look at the rainbow in order to allow him to recite the blessing. The rainbow also represents G-d’s glory, as seen in Ezekiel (1:28). For that reason it is brought that one should not stare at the rainbow, much as one cannot see G-d. It is permitted to merely look at the rainbow, though.