Vayeira – Is your service to G-d an exercise of self-righteous worship or out of true altruistic love for creation and the gift of being created in G-d’s image!

BS”D

Vayeira - comparing Abraham's service and approach to that of Lot:

Genesis Chapter 18 v1 to Ch 22 v24

This is a world of action and fulfilling commandments it is not about our own spiritual bliss and holy experiences, though most do want to experience these.  We are taught there is no greater pleasure than the light of the creator stored up for his holy ones, Abraham is given this light at the onset of this chapter, he proves to us this ultimately is not what life in this world is about – i.e. spiritual bliss, he shows us while we are here, we need to live in a world of deeds, creating and serving.   If you ever experience the light be grateful it too is a mere gift, as was and is Shabbos which is a taste of the world to come. But being visited from above however divine is not the main purpose of this world.

We often hear of people who are frustrated with life, why does G-d do this or that to me, often when they compare their situation to others who face more serious challenges, their complaints seem all the more selfish, as on introspection their life has much blessing in it, we have  it so easy in comparison. We all get challenges thrown at us all the time in different degrees, and instead of introspecting or being motivated to change for the better, change our situation if possible or move on to newer brighter paths,  we  lose faith.   Life is tough, we don’t deserve this or that happening to us.  They say the greater the individual the greater the tests to grow further – G-d only gives us challenges when he knows we have the ability to cope with them, Abraham had 10 and the last one was unthinkable to the average human mind.   I am not taking away from suffering it is real and I wish it on no one G-d forbid.  As believers though we need to ask the hard questions: why  did G-d create a world that would give rise to so many poor people, disease and injustice and war, i think it is partly a consequence of man's deeds or lack of them, and also an opportunity to realise our potential which we may miss by ignoring of our responsibility to alleviate all this suffering and thereby improve the worlds lot, to become partners in achieving Hashem's will, partnering with the Creator himself.  We need to ask how we can turn these dark moments and  also improve the lot of other people who also suffer around us and convert their life into light.   In the Parasha we see that ultimately injustice has consequences –as  we see the destruction of Sodom and Amorah (the people whose ultimate view was  -Self and care less for any one else! They held the view us and no one else counts, they even had laws against kindness to outsiders, if they caught the unwelcome outsiders, they were sodomised or worse! – These people were the antithesis of our forefather  Abraham, he was the ultimate symbol of loving kindness, he even prayed for Hashem, to seek out righteous among the Sodomites, he negotiated salvation on their behalf, in the hope there would be enough goodness found to turn their lot around. Sadly it was not meant to be.  Yet Abraham towards the end Parasha takes his son as a sacrifice, why, because G-d told him to!  He went against his natural calling and inclination, his own limited reasoning and understanding, he did not question the seeming lack of love, he did what G-d told him knowing it was important in the bigger scheme of Life, and the outcome, was a Ram is sacrificed instead of Isaac and he taught us all a lesson in faith and fear of G-d.  The Ram who's horn is the symbol of G-d moving to the attribute of Mercy on Rosh Hashona the day of judgement for the world, he remembered how Abraham did his will, and he forgives his children - us.  Now we are not on the level where we always know the will of G-d or have regular visitation and conversation - we live in a grey world, so the next best thing is to follow G-d's will as taught in the Torah and Tanach, and to ask questions of those who are learned before acting.

Back to the issue of the Akeida, what is going on here?  Abraham our forefather did not question G-d's instruction to take up his son Isaac as a sacrifice.  The message is, I think -sometimes we need to do actions because G-d tells us to not because we agree with it, not because we like the idea, we do it because it comes from the highest wisdom, in the same way way we listen to a Doctor who instructs a patient who is going to die to cut off a limb, to save himself a worse fate. He understands what is best for the body (physical world) and acts accordingly.

 – One day after 120 years we will get to understand, the complexity of cause and effect in this world, but until then we need to trust our loving father that everything he throws at us is in some way good for our soul and our own growth and journey on and we need to learn to accept life, please I am not negating suffering, I know good people suffer and often there is no reason we can find or see (G-d forbid there should be a need for such suffering) however unpleasant the situations are, we need to try and accept them with love, if we cannot then at least the very least ask questions how do we react to the circumstance, can our reaction help or inspire others who suffer a similar situation to us, or are there steps we can take to prevent future such suffering. Are others who are in the same situation available to learn from, what growth and light is there, and nine out f ten times - if not always you will find some light, you may even be surprised at how much and how close you can encounter the divine light, as pain brings one to run to their father in heaven. Ask how can we convert the current darkness into future light?  If someone passes away young, or old for that matter, try and live your life in memory of the person’s best deeds, the areas he was strong in, let his soul in this life be an inspiration for future goodness – bring light to the darkness, in doing so lifting yourself and the soul of the deceased.   Abraham was a special individual he was the first man who recognised what a gift life is, the ability to do for those in need, and that it was not about him alone, the kindness he gave was with a total negation of self, to see the Divine in all the people whom he met up with – there was nothing in it for him, the ending event of this Parasha is an instruction to take  up  his son as a sacrifice, this is the ultimate proof that he was 100% invested in G-d’s word  – he knew G-d on a personal level and was totally aware that he is the ultimate giver and bestower of loving kindness and whatever he requested  had the highest of purposes, he knew it was not what life can do for you, it is about what you can do about life!

Picture it Abraham is 99 years old he has had a circumcision a life threatening procedure at his age, it is the third day, he is in a lot of pain, the third day is the most painful day we learn it was on the third day that the inhabitants of Shechem, suffered the most pain after their circumcision.

Why does the Torah tell us about the heat that Abraham was sitting in at the onset of the Parasha?  Rashi says Hashem made it hot so Abraham could rest and recover, as he knew Abraham could not resist inviting in travellers and providing for their needs and sharing knowledge of G-d with them, he was trying to help Abraham but Abraham wanted to serve he did not want to rest...so...  

Abraham sits at the entrance of the tent waiting for travellers, not inside lying down  on a bed recovering, he is outside watching waiting for visitors, he does not want to relax he wants to act, to serve, to do a kindness, to create souls that will love and thank the Cause of all Causes G-d Almighty for this gift of a world.  He knows that is what this journey of Life is about.  In the first encounter with Hashem visiting him, Hashem is not speaking at all, he is standing over him it is a visitation of G-dly bliss.   I was taught by Rabbi Aurbach It is from here we learn that it is important to visit the sick around us, and when we do we don’t have to feel a need to talk, but to just be there with them, is so important.

Suddenly Hashem causes to appear to Abraham 3 travellers, astonishingly he leaves the G-dly bliss the hidden light of visitation, and goes to serve them and offers them a small meal, but ends up preparing a full menu with options nogal, between Milk and Meat courses, he makes the guests feel like they are doing him a favour read his words - what an individual.   The righteous say little and do much.  The Torah does not hold back on recalling the effort that Abraham goes to, to serve these “ordinary” travellers. On this Rabbi Aurbach taught the following, to compare this hospitality to that of Lot later, when the 2 Angels come to him, Rabbi Zweig notes the phrase "They have come to my house, and are under my protection" he sees himself as a the owner. The Torah speaks about both areas of hospitality but to Lot it says Angels came, he could tell they were people of importance, worthy guests.  When we invite a wealthy or a well respected person in, it is more often what they can do for us and our honour, it is not about serving Hashem, we see the Torah comparatively goes into very little detail over Lot’s hospitality, though he had risked his life, his means of service is not on the same level of Abraham - who actually perceives the receiver of kindness as the one giving. Think about this carefully.  Rabbi Aurbach pointed out, there was no agenda with Abraham he was doing true kindness not for himself, but because this is true service. He saw the image of G-d on every human being, so important it was to him to serve G-d, no matter what the level of the person was, he even respectfully put’s G-d himself on hold while he is being visited by seemingly nomads, who are travellers in need, he gives up the blissful feeling the self-enjoyment of G-dly bliss to him every second of service counted, we see G-d approves and waits and talks to Abraham after the encounter with the Angels.  Abraham  understood that this is a world of doing, enjoyment is ancillary to this world, it is to give us the where with all to cope but it is not the essence.  This was Abraham's greatness.  It was no about him, it was about what he could do to help, in the most altruistic way he knew how.

In the Amidah  we say G-d “Gomel Chasadim Tovim” G-d bestows kindness that is good.  The word Gomel's root  is gimmel mem lamed (means to bestow), is the same root of the word Camel GAMEL and also the same root used to describe the Weaning of Isaac later on in the Parasha refer to verse in Ch 21 V 8.  Rabbi Taback spoke about the connection, to wean someone, occurs when  a person  grows up he becomes more independent, true bestowing of kindness is about empowering another so they can become independent and responsible individuals, true righteousness occurs when you lift a person to manage by themselves so they do not need your help anymore.  When we give often we do it to feel good about our self, or maybe just maybe for one's own pleasure or guilt for not doing enough, this is a lower form of giving the kindness perhaps of the type that Lot gave, as suggested by Rabbi Aurbach to invite in people of prominence from a city is not the same as to invite in a Nomad.    A Camel once it drinks enough water can walk for many days in the wilderness needing nothing to survive, it is independent. To be a Gomel (Bestower) of Chessed (kindness) is to is the truest and greatest from of service if it enable a person to grow and perfect themselves it is not about us.   Abraham was in the business of giving of his entire being for the sake of another, by bestowing on them the knowledge of the Creator, he was attaching these people to eternity (Rashi)

This is why the old saying goes give man a fish you feed him for a day, teach him to fish you feed him every day!

Sorry for the rushed entry but it is a busy time of the year for me.  My take home message – it is not about what G-d gives us in this world  it is about us bringing light into the world, not matter how dark it seems. For the sake of the world, and perfecting it. 

Rabbi Etshalom has again blown me away with this week’s Mikra entry a long and thorough  analysis of Abraham the wandering traveller  it is so good it is almost obligatory to read it.  just know you will have a new found appreciation of Mount Moriah in  Jerusalem at the end of it!!! J

From this analysis I understand Rabbi Tanchuma ‘s insight into the Parasha of Vayeira where he compares the rejuvenation of Sarah, and her ability to give birth with the rebuilding of Jerusalem Rabbi Tanchuma also sites the following extract out of Tanach

“…Jerusalem it will be resettled and the cities of Yehuda that they will be rebuilt (Yeshayohu 44 v26) 

For Hashem will have rebuilt Tzion Psalms 102 v17.

Yeshhayohu in ch 51 v2 states just as I did for Abraham and Soroh, so I will do for Jerusalem!

Now go read Rabbi Etshalom's piece it is worth it time well spent, and you will see Abraham in a new light - our forefather the wandering Traveller!

http://www.torah.org/advanced/mikra/5774/vayera.html

Have a good week, hope you find the light

G-d Bless

Michael

Parasha Lech Lecha - Breaking through boundaries becoming a star!

BS”D

Parasha Lech Lecha – Go to yourself!

Genesis ch12 v 1 to ch17 v27

G-d Tells Abram Lech Lecha literally meaning “Go to Yourself” the meaning of to yourself needs explanation, Rabbi Aurbach points out the message is Hashem saying to Abram, you need to leave your comfort zone for your own good, go out of your land your city and your home, to the place I am sending you. (note the last thing mentioned is the thing closest to us all  -it is our home, our home gives us or should give us our greatest sense of stability, however in this security and stability we often forget that we are actually all visitors on this planet with a job to do, in a limited time - according to scripture - for three score and ten years and with strength a decade or two more, and if we are really blessed 120 years!

The message:

Go find yourself, actualize your light and its potential so you can truly earn the greatest possible blessings. This what Hashem was telling him - the move is for your benefit, if you do it you will be blessed with a good name, wealth and children.  The Kalever Rebbe insightfully pointed out this Sabbath, when a person travels to a new place they normally lose their networks their reputation – unknown to the new people and surroundings, it costs money to travel you become poorer, is it not easy to have children when you are not settled and are on the move, thus G-d promises Abram he will flourish by blessing him precisely in these areas! Ch 12 v2 reads “I will make you a great nation, I will bless you and make your name great; and you will be a blessing”.”

Sometimes we live in an environment that is not conducive to spiritual growth, we are used to the status quo we get lost in the comforts and rut of our routine.  We forget to seek out and develop the talents and G-d given gifts, and spread them throughout the world and in doing so we cheat ourselves of making the maximum impact possible in this world that we are all visiting, this is sad as we end up undervaluing ourselves.  Sometimes when we recognise greatness we need to be told to move on and out spreading goodness and also move to protect ourselves from the negative forces and obstacles that surround us. In Ohr ha Tzaddikim, the anonymous author of this classic Jewish work states when you are in an environment of sin, it rubs off on you, he explains in the gate of repentance that when you see others around you sin: the first time you see immodest or crude behaviour it makes an impression you may even be shocked, offended and disgusted, the second time it may start to be less offensive eventually it begins to rub off on you, it finally does not seem that bad, it becomes normal, you become jaded to the sin and this makes repentance that much more difficult as we no longer are as sensitive, we no longer recognise the wrong of it. Today if we look to Hollywood, the level of immodesty and violence that has become acceptable to the general population is astonishing.  Worse our news channels sometimes show real life blood and gore and people watch on eating their supper oblivious to the suffering they behold in front of them – real suffering!

That is why we need to guard ourselves from becoming immune to sin, insensitive to suffering, it is key to maintaining our humanity.

The world just before the flood the Passuk states in Genesis ch 6 v 11 “The earth was corrupt before Elokim…” the world was corrupted in G-d’s eyes, i.e. the verse is teaching us to G-d we were corrupt but not in the eyes of man, man had been so tarnished he could no longer recognise the depths of depravity to which he had fallen. 

When he arrives in Cannan he is again faced by a test a famine, and Abram needs to take refuge in Egypt. Ch12 v 11

“And it occurred, as he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, ‘See now, I have known that you are a woman of beautiful appearance.'”

How strange a comment made by Abram, that the Torah bothers to tells us about it, why is this phrase important enough to highlight that Abram saw his wife in a physical way, and G-d wanted us to read about this, just before their entry into the land of the children of Ham - Egypt ( The biblical Egyptians were from the descendants of Ham, I will try answer this, I recall hearing on a tape by the late Rabbi Goldfein ztl Cham means hot in Hebrew the root of the word also means physical or focussed on material, that is why in Hebrew a donkey is a Chamor – it is a very physical creature that is how Hashem made Donkeys.) Abram in fear that Chams’ children who were steeped in an unholy physical environment (as testified by Abram later, he feared that they would lust after Sarai and her incredible beauty, acutely aware of the dangers at play, Abram comments V12  “they will say  this is his wife. They will kill me and let you live.” (speaking of her beauty that there would be a desire take her) If our blessed holy fore father Abram was worried about the environment and its dangers how much more so us the average person on the street should guard against the dangers around us. 

Again we see the danger of the environment to one spiritual journey where In ch 13 v 10 we learn that Lot chooses to dwell near Sodom and Amorah the infamous evil society by the physically lush watered and beautiful Jordan plain.  V13 “The people of Sodom were wicked and sinful” we see what happens to Lot who in the end, father’s a child with his daughter who named her child Moav (in Hebrew translated from my father), This union ultimately give rise to the ungrateful nation of Moav, but surprisingly it is also from this root that Ruth the convert is born, who was also a person of Humanity and kindness who through this merits fathering King David but that discussion is for another time.

 

So to conclude the physical is here for us to uplift it and to enjoy it, but in a holy and beautiful way that reflects gratitude sensitivity and respect for each other, and for our Father in heaven. When we live for this world alone we face a danger of succumbing to immorality, it is when we recognise our creator the ultimate giver we start to live for the real end, one that is pure and devoted to true good, it is a wholly unselfish life it leads to the people that are truly Great.

Abram finds Hashem because he was the ultimate giver he loved all mankind, he taught those whom he met, it is not about me, we are all children of the one G-d, he gave us all the good in this world all that I have is from him, we need to emulate him be like him, by giving life to those around us, to those that need our help,  his message was to bring light and elevate and teach those around him, (this is why I think the concept and the eternal covenant of circumcision is given to Abraham in this Parasha – a cutting off of the foreskin, in recognition that there is something greater that makes us more complete, we need to remove the physical obstructions to reach it, to teach the understanding it is not only about me but it is about me and our Father in heaven as we are all his children we are all responsible for each other and this gift of a world he has given us.  And to recognise this and the holiness of every human being who was made in the image of the creator, we need to respect each other in a holy and appropriate way.  This world is not an end, but a means to the greatest and most wonderful light if only we recognise it is not about our physical pleasures alone, we are meant to enjoy life but not at any cost. To with caution step out of our comfort zones, to find out who we are and actualising our talents and gifts, in service to our father and bringing the world to recognise and see the ultimate and true purpose, fixing the world and helping others to find the hidden light reserved for the righteous.  To make the entire globe a place worthy of the Creator so he need no longer be hidden, to build a globe where he can dwell as he did with Adam before the sin.

An extract from the website of Ohr Somayach

http://ohr.edu/4057

Insights

An Historical Backwater

“And it was in the days of Amrafel, king of Shinar...” (14:1)

In the middle of this week’s Torah reading, the Torah seems to make a detour into the backwaters of Canaanite political history. For an entire chapter of 25 versus the Torah describes a war between the four kings and the five kings. Ostensibly, these events have little to do with the story of Avraham and the genesis of the Jewish People.

Or maybe there is more here than meets the eye.

The four kings and the five kings represent two inimical world-views.

The four kings represent a world-view where everything in creation is subsumed under the ‘forces of nature.’ This view holds that there is nothing else in this world except this world. Four always denotes ‘this-worldliness. There are four points of the compass. We speak of the ‘four winds’. The world is composed of four ‘elements’: earth, wind, fire, and water. The letter dalet which has the numerical value of four consists of two lines at right angles to each other, suggesting the four points of the compass.

You can look a this world as being no more than what can be contained within this world — within the four directions, the four winds, and the four elements. Or you can look deeper and higher and see that this world is focused on an Existence beyond this world. This is the world-view represented by the five kings.

Five in Hebrew is represented by the letter heh. If you look at the letter heh you will see that it is composed of the letter dalet (the letter which stands for four and all it signifies) plus the letter yud. Yud is a unique letter. It is the only letter that doesn’t touch the line on which you write. It is no more than the smallest of dots floating above the line. The letter heh is a pictogram of this world focused and revolving around that which is above this world — the dalet (the “four” of this world) with the yud at its axis.

Avraham fought on behalf of the five kings against the four kings. Avraham was the first person to look at this world and see that there was an Existence beyond that which is contained in this world. If there was a ‘manor’, there had to be a ‘Lord of the manor.’

After Avram fought the war against the four kings, G-d added a letter to his name. Not surprisingly, that letter was the letter heh. For Avraham represents all that the heh represents, that this world revolves around a Higher Existence.

It was also after the war against the four kings that G-d made a covenant with Avraham, the covenant of Brit Mila. Brit Mila represents the sublimation of the physical to the metaphysical. It signifies that the human body is only complete when we dedicate it to its Maker.

The natural cycle of this world is seven. There are seven days in the week, seven notes in the scale, and seven colors in the rainbow. Brit Mila is performed on the eight day because it symbolizes the dedication of the physical to that which is above the physical.

Just a little war between four kings and five kings. Just a little backwater historical chapter in the Canaanite history books.

• Sources: An Historical Backwater by Rabbi Eliezer Breitowitz in the name of the Maharal of Prague as heard from Rabbi C. Z. Senter

I want to end off pointing out another verse in this weeks Parasha given over to me by Rabbi Moshe Saltzer brought down in the name of Rav Shapiro the originator of the Daf yomi programme

 

In Ch15 v 5

He (G-d) took him outside and said “look towards the heavens and count the stars if you are able to count them.”

Rav Shapiro asks a question - what this sentence is meant to mean? G-d surely knows that Abram could not count all the stars so why does the Torah teach us he said “if you are able to count the stars”,  there must be a message for us to take home, and he says G-d is telling Abraham that he and his seed ,(Abraham –  translated to English means father of the nation’s : father = Av ; am=nation) the verse is teaching us it is within us to be dedicated, to persevere to break through the boundaries of the physical to achieve the impossible!

PS we have a tradition brought down in the Oral law from Sinai and it is written in the Talmud that our Sages stated the total number of stars in the universe amount to 1 064 340 000 000 000 000. (this excludes other solar bodies that range across space) how the Talmud could have estimated there were so many at a time when only about 4500 starts could be seen to the naked eye is testimony to the divine origin of the holy books – Zamir Cohen in his book the Coming Revolution points out that with modern day technological know how, they are finding there are figures approximating the figure taught in the Talmud, Amazing!!!

Shavuah Tov have a great week, G-d Bless go and actualize your potential!

Michael.

Parallel between the Creation in Parasha Bereishis and the ‘renewed creation’ in Parasha Noach

BS”D Parallel between the Creation Bereishis and the ‘renewed creation’ in Parasha Noach

 
Courtesy of my friend Chanan new insight 2014: In the name of the Maharal:



We are taught in a Mishna that the world is sustained based on three pillars

Loving Kindness - acts between man and man, the antithesis of  this is robbery.

Service - prayer acts between man and G-d, the antithesis of this is idol worship.

Torah study - personal holiness, the antithesis of this is illicit relations.

We now understand better why the world needed to be destroyed as we are taught the generation of Noah were guilty of Idol Worship; Illicit relations and Robbery, destroying the three pillars that sustain the world.  That of Self, Between Man and Man; and between Man and G-d!

A friend of mine asked me why I thought G-d used water to destroy the generation of the flood?! My immediate thought was water purifies that which is impure. The world was in really bad shape, evil abounded, in Bereishis G-d had given man the power to dominate all living creatures, and in so doing he became the ultimate leader, you know what they say when the leaders are corrupt all and sundry follow.  The fish were saved as they lived in the depths below they were not part of the corruption they were protected in the waters, not exposed to the corruption of Man in the way all land bound creatures were.  That is why it is actually very important to surround your selves around good people and to live in a good environment to the best of one’s ability.

When a baby is born  it develops  within a body of water (40 weeks – 40 is always a time period of development in Torah terms) so it is, I think that the rebirth should had to on a mystical level be carried out via the flood water as it is and was through water that cleansing will occur, it is the means that allows for and represents rebirth.

My sons teacher Rabbi Ehrman taught him, there is an opinion, although Noah was completely righteous he did not pray for the evil people around him to repent. The Torah tells us of Abraham who tries to save Sedom and Omora and it tells us how Moshe had prayed to save Bnei Yisrael after the sin of the calf when Hashem threatened to destroy us.  Yet it is silent on Noah praying for the evildoers to abandon their ways.  This opinion says the Ark forced Noah to care for all the animals for over a year, animals could not repay the good Noah had done - this was a tikkun (a way of fixing his soul) to Noah a lesson in caring.
 

I found a great piece of Torah analysis on Torah.org a piece by Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom where he gives a very deep insight into how the Flood ran in a parallel way to the actual creation of the world as described in Parasha Bereishis, it highlights a number of very interesting insights into patterns and interprets what it feels the message is.  I am not going to spoil the message in its entirety for you, but will highlight some very interesting patterns and insights mentioned in the article, this should create enough interest for you all to look up and click on the link to get the suggested deeper message, what I loved about his words some included below is these hints are all sourced in the wonderfully coded scripture for the Torah scholars’ pleasure – how kind is our creator, how special and holy is our Torah with thousands upon thousands layers of hidden divine messages. For a link to the actual article click on the below url, the article itself is lengthy and has been placed in a section for advanced Torah, but I really loved it so go ahead and try it out yourself, I have extracted directly from the article and publish the below with the websites and authors permission and blessing and I thank him dearly for it – amazing insight! :

http://www.torah.org/advanced/mikra/5774/noach.html

Quote by Author:

For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, says Hashem, so shall your seed and your name remain. (Yeshaya 66:22)

He goes on to cite the following parallels between the two Parashot from within Genesis – The creation of the World and the Rebirth of the World after the generation of the Flood:

	Bereishis at Creation	Noach - the Flood
Day 1	"...and a wind from G-d moved upon the face of the waters" (1:2)	"G-d made a wind to pass over the earth" (8:1)
Day 2	'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters' " (1:6)	"The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained" (8:2)
Day 3	" '...let the waters under the heaven be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear...' " (1:9) *********************************** 'Let the earth bring forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth...' " (1:11)	"...in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen." (8:5)   ****************************************** "And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off; so Noach knew that the waters were abated from off the earth." (8:11)
Day 4	'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years...' " (1:14)	'While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.' " (8:22) - [note also that in 8:12, the dove comes to Noach "in the evening", the first mention of any distinct time of day after the flood; evidently, night and day were blurred during the entire cataclysm]
Day 5	Let the waters be filled with many kinds of living creatures, and birds that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.' " (1:20)	"And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which did not return back to him any more" (8:12 - i.e. the dove returned to its earlier station as a "bird that flies above the earth"
Day 6	'Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind; and it was so...let us make man in our image, after our likeness...'...and G-d blessed them, and G-d said to them, 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.' " (1:24,26,28)   "And G-d saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." (1:31)	'Go out from the ark, you, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you, of all flesh, both of bird, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.' " (8:16-17)           And the L-rd smelled the pleasing odour; and the L-rd said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing, as I have done." (8:21

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To quote from the article Rabbi Etshalom points out the order of Divine blessing has changed::

“In the first narrative, the Divine affirmation of Creation comes after His blessing to Mankind (1:28); after the flood, G-d takes pleasure [After Noah’s offering to G-d] and then "removes the curse" from the earth - and only after that blesses Mankind: "And G-d blessed Noach and his sons, and said to them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." (9:1) (note the strong similarity between this blessing and that given to Adam in 1:28).

… we see that it is Man's role in the creation - which comes along with the first covenant (9:9-17) - which is cause for his blessing. Unlike the first creation, where blessings were part and parcel of the Divine mandate and were, perforce, unearned by the recipient of that blessing, the antediluvian world is built on a covenanted relationship where Man "earns" G-d's favor and blessing.”

And Noach built an altar to Hashem; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar." (8:20)

Noach's response to salvation was bringing offerings to G-d. Although Kayyin and Hevel already offered up sacrifices, this is the first instance where an offering is presented as emblematic of a relationship that the Makriv (one bringing the offering) has with G-d. Noach's reaction to being saved, to weathering the ordeal of the flood and to being given a second chance was to offer up some of his bounty to G-d.

This offering motivated G-d's blessing for Noach, his descendants and his new world:

"And Hashem smelled the pleasing odour; and Hashem said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for Man's sake; for the imagination of Man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing, as I have done." (8:21)

Since Noach has assumed a measure of responsibility for his relationship with G-d, there is now room for a covenant - which "obligates" G-d to maintain the world, its seasons and its inhabitants.

 

THE ARTICLE FURTHER POINTS OUT ON THE ORDER OF THE FLOOD

– Also runs in an interesting pattern and the days, we see within it a process of going into and then a similar pattern of coming out the other side of:

A (7 days): " 'Come you and all your house into the ark; for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Of every clean beast you shall take to you seven pairs, the male and his female; and of beasts that are not clean one pair, the male and his female. Of birds also of the air by seven pairs, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. For in another seven days I will cause it to rain upon the earth.' " (7:1-4,10)

B (40 days): "And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." (7:12)

C (150 days): "And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days." (7:24)

C' (150 days): "And the waters returned from off the earth continually; and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated." (8:3)

B' (40 days): "And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noach opened the window of the ark which he had made" (8:6)

A' (7 days): "And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which did not return back to him anymore. And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth; and Noach removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. And in the second month, on the twenty seventh day of the month, was the earth dried. And G-d spoke to Noach, saying, 'Go out from the ark, you, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons' wives with you.' " (8:12-16)

(I am interrupting the article extract to give you another interesting piece of analysis brought down by Rashi ZTL, we see when Noah is instructed to enter the Ark he is told to enter Him his son’s and their wives (Men separate from the Women) later when leaving the ark Noah is told to leave: himself with his wife, Rashi learns a hint  that during the destruction inter marital relations where forbidden thus the instruction for the men to enter separately from the women only once the world had been cleansed was Noah permitted to be with his wife and to be blessed to be fruitful and multiply. It would not be appropriate to have relations when all around outside was being destroyed.

Back to extract from the article by Rabbi Etshalom

 "...Hashem closed him in" (7:16), in the aftermath of the flood we read: "...and Noach removed the covering of the ark..." (8:13). Noach, who had entered the Ark not of his own volition (see Rashi at 7:8) and who was sealed in by G-d, suddenly becomes an active participant in his own rescue, opening the cover of the Ark.

He cites the following marvellous insight

“One of the significant differences between the "old world" and the post-flood world is the introduction of a covenant - Adam had no covenantal relationship with his Creator. G-d blessed Man, provided him with all of his needs, commanded, chastised, punished and exiled him - but, at no point, was Adam a "covenantal partner" with G-d. Indeed, there is very little (aside from naming animals and starting the next generation) that Adam "does" which is productive. Adam is presented in the Torah chiefly as the passive recipient of Divine favor.

I loved the piece,  please read the original article it brings a lot more than I have summarised and extracted, it speaks of the importance of the sacrifice and offerings brought down by Noah, and how this parallels new libations and offerings added after the Sin of the golden calf to allow redemption, and the importance of man’s duty in fulfilling the covenant in partnership with G-d. An insight for mankind that post the flood we are saved through service to our creator, giving back for the wrongs we do, being a rectifier of all that is wrong and unholy, as a result of this we are forgiven to some degree, through this is the blessing that our holy actions as Man ensure that we will never again be destroyed in our entirety – but we have a job to do mankind through Noah entered a covenant with the Cause of all Causes G-d almighty – a call to action!

Last Tid bit

Our one Rabbi, Rabbi Taback spoke this Shabbos  on the symbolic relationship between the Ark levels,

There is a parallel between the Ark itself to the human body and soul

The top level - housed the human beings (the ability to choose good over Evil // the human mind) the brain or Neshama; like a candle flame that represents the spiritual and creative ability that enables human service of the Almighty blessed is he.

In the middle - the animals (the physical part of the body the drives for survival // the human torso and liver) Nefesh like a candle wick that draws the oil up. This represents the survival aspect of the world, getting by as animals do.

Lower level - the refuse and excrement ( The lowest and most base of the human // lower organs) Ruach like the vessel base that contains the oil (when the animal dominates and baseness reigns the physical is destroyed this is why before the flood all the creatures subject to the base choices of man had to also be destroyed and renewed by Water which is purity similar to how a Mikvah purifies. 

Lastly I would like to also say Baruch Dayan Emet and wish the mourners of the Late Rav Ovadia Yosef Zecher Tzaddik Livrokcha  comfort among the mourners of Jerusalem we have lost a great and learned leader and Torah Giant, amazing over 800 000 Jews flocked to Jerusalem to his funeral to pay honour and respect to one of the greatest leaders and scholars of Torah of the generation may his dear soul rest in peace! Kol Ha Kavod Klal Yisrael!

Shavuah Tov have a great week, G-d Bless

Michael.