Noach - 5773
Bereishit 6:9 - 11:32
Noach
Genesis 6:9 - 11:32
These are the Generations of Noach (6:9)1
- Noach was a Righteous Man: A person who Acts in accordance to Ethical Standards of Divine (or Moral)
Law.
- He was Perfect in his Generations: “Tammim” or Flawless in his Thoughts, in particular as to his
generations.
- Noach Walked with G-D: He did not question G-D’s motives he was Faithful as to G-D’s supremacy.
“The Berditchiver Rebbe remarked that Righteous People are able to perceive positive qualities in even the most negative of situations. From everything that they encounter, they learn how to serve G-D better”
“Noach epitomized this ability to channel negative forces into positive forces, and we learn this from Noach’s name. In Bereishit 6:8 we learn that Noach found “chen” (favor) in the eyes of G-D. When we spell Noach’s name in reverse; nun-chet becomes chet-nun or Chen-favor”.
And Noach begot three sons (6:10)2
It is said that a Man is judged by the conduct of his children. Following this logic, when we learn that Noach was a Righteous Man, Perfect in his generation (Tammim) and that he walked with G-D; We learn through Noach’s three sons the separate attributes for which we should endeavor:
- Shem: Name, for the sake of G-D should we pursue our conduct
- Cham: Warmth, with genuine feeling should we fulfill our conduct, and not mechanically.
- Japheth: Beauty, with attention to the fine points, consideration and with beauty.
Now the earth was corrupt before G-D, and the earth became full of Robbery. And G-D saw the earth, and behold it had become corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth. (6:11-12)4
- In the Art of Amazement by Rabbi Seinfeld we are taught that G-D flows his bounty upon us like a father
doting upon his children.
- That we as G-D’s children, are receptacles of G-D’s love and bounty, like a glass is a receptacle to water.
At some point however, the glass becomes full, yet the bounty from G-D continues upon us.
- How then is our receptacle able to continue to receive of G-D’s bounty, without it’s overflowing and
drowning us?
- The key herein is our ability to bestow upon others. Bestowing upon others takes the bounty bestowed
upon us and directs it to others, through acts of kindness and love.
- Rashi (Ibid, 7:12) in his quote of the Midrash teaches us that the “Waters” which fell from Heaven, were
beneficial rains.
- This action of bestowing upon others, releases the water from our glass. The more water which we let out
… the more water which we can receive.
- In other words, by acting as a conduit of G-D’s bestowment, and bestowing upon others through our
capacity, our glass never overflows to the point of our detriment.; and since G-D’s love is an energy of
renewal which must continuously flow (rain down upon us), then we in turn must continuously channel this
energy through Mitzvoth (Good Deeds).
“Jewish tradition teaches that the Human Being is the beneficial recipient of Creation, and that it is upon him/Man, that G-D bestows all of His bounty of Creation.”
“Talmud (Sanhedrin, 37a) teaches that Man was created singly”, “One Human Being, Man, both Male and Female did He create them”. The implication herein is that “the Divine power of creation, that G-D pours into Man’s soul specifically take sthe form of the ability to create other human beings”5
Referring back to our imagery of our “cup”: “the bestowing of G-Dliness into our cup can only be bestowed upon others through the romantic relationship between males and females”
According to the Midrash (Kallah Rabbati 2:7); the sin of the generation of the flood was pouring out their seed in vain through the widespread commission of sexual offenses.
“To take only the pleasure and joy inherent in this relationship and cast aside the creation of life is an act of spiritual perversity. All of the Torah sources that associate the Flood with sexual perversity are expressing a single common thesis: that the people of the flood generation established romantic/sexual relationships solely for the intense physical/psychological gratification for which they offer.”
“As the sexual/romantic relationship became separated from the ideas of procreation and nurturing, it ceased to matter whether such relationships were heterosexual or other. Measured purely in terms of pleasure and joy there is no reason to prefer any particular romantic relationship over another. With the separation of romance from procreation, the Divine Energy contained within this bond is considered “spilled in vain”.
Continuing to the Act of Theft: We find that the Talmud (Sanhedrin, 108a) stating that the final edict promulgating the flood; was Theft, in the total lack of appreciation of the sanctity of that which belongs to another.”
“Harnessing the happiness afforded by romantic relationships to produce more human beings is the spiritual equivalent of reciting a blessing.”
“The consumption of romantic relationships in the way that G-D intended has the marvelous effect of converting human pleasure into a source of divine blessing.”
“Taking enjoyment from pouring out one’s seed is the exact reverse. The person who takes pleasure offered and uses it merely to stimulate themselves, stops the flow of Divine Energy. They extinguish life by engaging in the very activity designed to produce life - He spills the seed of life out of the cup that was designed to hold it at the very second that the precious fuel of life is poured.”
“This is the most serious form of theft, because it deprives both G-D and Mankind. It deprives G-D the ability to exert His attribute of Benevolence; and it deprives Man of the increased happiness available through intensifying the flow of Divine Blessing”
Make for yourself an Ark of Gopher Wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and you shall caulk it both inside and outside with pitch. (6:14)
Clean and Not Clean (7:2)3
- In describing the “clean” and the “not clean” animals; the words “not clean” are utilized instead of
“unclean or dirty” because we are being taught to use only positive descriptions which allows the object or
person being described, and ourselves, to realize that we can always rise from our state of “not being clean”
to one of being “Clean”.
- If however, we had characterized someone or something as unclean, then that would have been an
indication of its natural state, from which one cannot rise.
- Therefore it is proper, when describing a person or object to denote them as either having a positive quality
or of having as of yet attained this positive quality.
- Therefore we always seek to find the Goodness with our fellow Man, and speak upon such.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thank You Again to Rabbi Noson Weisz for the interpretation for the sins committed by the Generation of the Flood.
Genesis 6:9 - 11:32
These are the Generations of Noach (6:9)1
- Noach was a Righteous Man: A person who Acts in accordance to Ethical Standards of Divine (or Moral)
Law.
- He was Perfect in his Generations: “Tammim” or Flawless in his Thoughts, in particular as to his
generations.
- Noach Walked with G-D: He did not question G-D’s motives he was Faithful as to G-D’s supremacy.
“The Berditchiver Rebbe remarked that Righteous People are able to perceive positive qualities in even the most negative of situations. From everything that they encounter, they learn how to serve G-D better”
“Noach epitomized this ability to channel negative forces into positive forces, and we learn this from Noach’s name. In Bereishit 6:8 we learn that Noach found “chen” (favor) in the eyes of G-D. When we spell Noach’s name in reverse; nun-chet becomes chet-nun or Chen-favor”.
And Noach begot three sons (6:10)2
It is said that a Man is judged by the conduct of his children. Following this logic, when we learn that Noach was a Righteous Man, Perfect in his generation (Tammim) and that he walked with G-D; We learn through Noach’s three sons the separate attributes for which we should endeavor:
- Shem: Name, for the sake of G-D should we pursue our conduct
- Cham: Warmth, with genuine feeling should we fulfill our conduct, and not mechanically.
- Japheth: Beauty, with attention to the fine points, consideration and with beauty.
Now the earth was corrupt before G-D, and the earth became full of Robbery. And G-D saw the earth, and behold it had become corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth. (6:11-12)4
- In the Art of Amazement by Rabbi Seinfeld we are taught that G-D flows his bounty upon us like a father
doting upon his children.
- That we as G-D’s children, are receptacles of G-D’s love and bounty, like a glass is a receptacle to water.
At some point however, the glass becomes full, yet the bounty from G-D continues upon us.
- How then is our receptacle able to continue to receive of G-D’s bounty, without it’s overflowing and
drowning us?
- The key herein is our ability to bestow upon others. Bestowing upon others takes the bounty bestowed
upon us and directs it to others, through acts of kindness and love.
- Rashi (Ibid, 7:12) in his quote of the Midrash teaches us that the “Waters” which fell from Heaven, were
beneficial rains.
- This action of bestowing upon others, releases the water from our glass. The more water which we let out
… the more water which we can receive.
- In other words, by acting as a conduit of G-D’s bestowment, and bestowing upon others through our
capacity, our glass never overflows to the point of our detriment.; and since G-D’s love is an energy of
renewal which must continuously flow (rain down upon us), then we in turn must continuously channel this
energy through Mitzvoth (Good Deeds).
“Jewish tradition teaches that the Human Being is the beneficial recipient of Creation, and that it is upon him/Man, that G-D bestows all of His bounty of Creation.”
“Talmud (Sanhedrin, 37a) teaches that Man was created singly”, “One Human Being, Man, both Male and Female did He create them”. The implication herein is that “the Divine power of creation, that G-D pours into Man’s soul specifically take sthe form of the ability to create other human beings”5
Referring back to our imagery of our “cup”: “the bestowing of G-Dliness into our cup can only be bestowed upon others through the romantic relationship between males and females”
According to the Midrash (Kallah Rabbati 2:7); the sin of the generation of the flood was pouring out their seed in vain through the widespread commission of sexual offenses.
“To take only the pleasure and joy inherent in this relationship and cast aside the creation of life is an act of spiritual perversity. All of the Torah sources that associate the Flood with sexual perversity are expressing a single common thesis: that the people of the flood generation established romantic/sexual relationships solely for the intense physical/psychological gratification for which they offer.”
“As the sexual/romantic relationship became separated from the ideas of procreation and nurturing, it ceased to matter whether such relationships were heterosexual or other. Measured purely in terms of pleasure and joy there is no reason to prefer any particular romantic relationship over another. With the separation of romance from procreation, the Divine Energy contained within this bond is considered “spilled in vain”.
Continuing to the Act of Theft: We find that the Talmud (Sanhedrin, 108a) stating that the final edict promulgating the flood; was Theft, in the total lack of appreciation of the sanctity of that which belongs to another.”
“Harnessing the happiness afforded by romantic relationships to produce more human beings is the spiritual equivalent of reciting a blessing.”
“The consumption of romantic relationships in the way that G-D intended has the marvelous effect of converting human pleasure into a source of divine blessing.”
“Taking enjoyment from pouring out one’s seed is the exact reverse. The person who takes pleasure offered and uses it merely to stimulate themselves, stops the flow of Divine Energy. They extinguish life by engaging in the very activity designed to produce life - He spills the seed of life out of the cup that was designed to hold it at the very second that the precious fuel of life is poured.”
“This is the most serious form of theft, because it deprives both G-D and Mankind. It deprives G-D the ability to exert His attribute of Benevolence; and it deprives Man of the increased happiness available through intensifying the flow of Divine Blessing”
Make for yourself an Ark of Gopher Wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and you shall caulk it both inside and outside with pitch. (6:14)
Clean and Not Clean (7:2)3
- In describing the “clean” and the “not clean” animals; the words “not clean” are utilized instead of
“unclean or dirty” because we are being taught to use only positive descriptions which allows the object or
person being described, and ourselves, to realize that we can always rise from our state of “not being clean”
to one of being “Clean”.
- If however, we had characterized someone or something as unclean, then that would have been an
indication of its natural state, from which one cannot rise.
- Therefore it is proper, when describing a person or object to denote them as either having a positive quality
or of having as of yet attained this positive quality.
- Therefore we always seek to find the Goodness with our fellow Man, and speak upon such.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- 1 The Weekly Midrash, Artscroll, p.48
- 2 www.aish.com/tp/b/lp/48955856.html
- 3 The Weekly Midrash, Artscroll, p.50
- 4 The Art of Amazement, Rabbi Seinfeld
- 5 www.aish.com/tp/i/m/48909627.html; Mayanot, Rabbi Noson Weisz
Thank You Again to Rabbi Noson Weisz for the interpretation for the sins committed by the Generation of the Flood.
