Noach – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

ברך עלינו... ואת כל מיני תבואתה לטובה

Bareich aleinu… v’es kol minei sevuasah l’tovah.

In this brachah, we pray for sustenance. When one consumes food without first praying for the food, he makes the food loathsome. In his Yearos Dvash, Horav Yehonasan Eibeshutz, zl, notes that Horav Moshe Cordovero, zl, the Rmak, would not even set the table without first praying for sustenance. It is, thus, appropriate that we pray to Hashem every day; petitioning Him to help us earn an honest living. We realize the inappropriateness of eating food which is tainted with any form of wrongdoing – whether it is in the area of kashrus of the product, or kashrus in the…

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אלה תולדות נח נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5777

These are the offspring of Noach – Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. (6:9)

The phrase b’dorosav, “in his generations,” has given rise to much commentary. One is either righteous, or he is not. What does “his generations” have to do with it? Rashi cites a dispute among Chazal as to the nature of this phrase: Is it an accolade, meant to praise Noach? Or a deficiency, considering Noach to be righteous only in contrast to his generation? Some see Noach as a very righteous person who was able to withstand the extreme evil of his generation. Indeed, had he lived in the era of Avraham Avinu, Noach would have been even greater. Others…

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נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5777

Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. (6:9)

The Talmud Avodah Zarah (6a) distinguishes between the appellations tzaddik, righteous man, and tamim, perfect, in that tamim is applied to derachav, ways/demeanor, while tzaddik is used to describe maasav, deeds. Rashi supplements this, explaining that tamim b’derachav means that one is anav u’shefal ruach, low, meek, humble, while tzaddik b’maasav means that he distances himself from any form of chamas, theft. From Rashi, we derive that tzaddik is a term used to describe one who takes great pains to be careful with other people’s money. Heaven forbid that he make use of another person’s money without his permission or…

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ויאמר ד' לנח בא אתה... אל התבה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5777

Hashem said to Noach come… into the Ark. (7:1)

The Baal Shem Tov, zl, notes that the Hebrew word for “word” is teivah. Hashem’s instruction to Noach to come into the Teivah can be interpreted as: “Come into the word”; enter within the words of Torah and tefillah, Torah study and prayer. In the words, you will find refuge; you will find sanctuary within the wisdom of Torah, comfort and solace within the words of prayer. Here you will be protected from the raging floodwaters of life. An important lesson may be derived from this exposition. When Noach entered the Ark, it enveloped him. He was ensconced within the…

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ויהי הגשם על הארץ ארבעים יום וארבעים לילה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5777

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

When something happens in Thailand, does it have anything to do with us? We hear about an earthquake across the globe, does it impact us? Can we learn something from this tragedy? A Jewish businessman who lived in China took a business trip to Poland. One could not be in Poland and not take a day off to visit with the saintly Chafetz Chaim. The man rearranged his schedule so that he could detour to Radin. Perhaps he would be fortunate to receive a blessing from this saintly leader of world Jewry. The man arrived in Radin and immediately proceeded…

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בעצם היום הזה בא נח... אל התבה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5777

On that very day Noach came… into the Ark. (7:13)

Can you imagine being too lazy to repent – even when you see clearly in black and white that the punishment for your sins is imminent? This is exactly what took place when Noach entered the Teivah, Ark. Rashi quotes the Sifri (Ha’azinu, Bereishis Rabbah) that Hashem made a point to have Noach enter the Ark b’etzem hayom, in midday, in full view of everyone. Apparently, Noach’s compatriats were determined to prevent him from entering the Ark and saving himself. They declared that they would destroy the Ark and kill Noach. Hashem showed them that man is powerless before G-d….

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וישאר אך נח ואשר אתו בתבה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5776

Only Noach survived, and those with him in the Ark. (7:23)

Rashi quotes Chazal, who teach that Noach survived, but was physically spent. Alternatively, he was injured by the lion. Apparently, each animal had its individual feeding time. Noach was once late in feeding the lion, who did not take kindly to having to wait for his dinner. When Noach arrived late, the lion took out its anxiety on him with a powerful slap of the paw. Life was not easy for the human beings who comprised Noach’s passenger list. Their involvement with providing chesed, kindness, to the animals led Avraham Avinu to realize the significance of such acts of chesed….

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צא מן התבה אתה ואשתך ובניך ונשי בניך אתך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5776

“Go forth from the Ark: you and your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you.” (8:16)

Noach had been living in a sealed ark, together with thousands of animals for over a year. One would think that when the first opportunity to leave would present itself, he would run as fast as he could. Apparently, this is not what happened. After being in the Ark, slaving all day and night ceaselessly for a year, Noach was not ready to leave. It required Hashem’s command to enable Noach to set foot outside of the Ark. Why? It is not as if he were living comfortably amid luxury. What was holding him back? Perhaps he did not know…

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ויקח שם ויפת את השמלה וישימו על שכם שניהם וילכו אחרנית ויכסו את ערות אביהם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5776

And Shem and Yafes took a garment, laid it upon their shoulders, and they walked backwards, and covered their father’s nakedness. (9:23)

Rashi notes the singular term vayikach, implying that he – Shem – was the one who took the garment to fulfill the commandment of honoring his father. Because he exerted himself more than Yafes, his reward exceeded that of Yafes. Shem was blessed with the mitzvah of Tzitzis, and Yafes, who also participated in carrying out the mitzvah, was blessed with burial for his descendants. This refers to the war of Gog and Magog, during which the children of Yafes will be accorded burial in Eretz Yisrael. The commentators question the attribution of the mitzvah of Tzitzis to Shem’s noble…

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וייקץ נח מיינו וידע את אשר עשה לו בנו הקטן. – ויאמר ארור כנען

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5776

When Noach awoke from his wine, he learned what his youngest son did to him. And he said, “Cursed be Canaan.” (9:24,25)

Three sons – two acted appropriately – one did not. Noach acted in a manner unbecoming an individual of his sublime stature. It was a temporary lapse, an error in judgment, after having observed the destruction of the entire world. He did not commit an outrageous sin, but he should have acted in a more exalted manner. Vayachel Noach, “Noach debased himself” (Ibid 9:20). We see that even great people can lose control of themselves and act foolishly. The reaction of Noach’s sons defines their characters. Crisis brings out a person’s true essence. Some children are wonderful, as long as…

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ברך עלינו... ואת כל מיני תבואתה לטובה

Bareich aleinu… v’es kol minei sevuasah l’tovah.

אלה תולדות נח נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו

These are the offspring of Noach – Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. (6:9)

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו

Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. (6:9)

ויאמר ד' לנח בא אתה... אל התבה

Hashem said to Noach come… into the Ark. (7:1)

ויהי הגשם על הארץ ארבעים יום וארבעים לילה

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

בעצם היום הזה בא נח... אל התבה

On that very day Noach came… into the Ark. (7:13)

וישאר אך נח ואשר אתו בתבה

Only Noach survived, and those with him in the Ark. (7:23)

צא מן התבה אתה ואשתך ובניך ונשי בניך אתך

“Go forth from the Ark: you and your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you.” (8:16)

ויקח שם ויפת את השמלה וישימו על שכם שניהם וילכו אחרנית ויכסו את ערות אביהם

And Shem and Yafes took a garment, laid it upon their shoulders, and they walked backwards, and covered their father’s nakedness. (9:23)

וייקץ נח מיינו וידע את אשר עשה לו בנו הקטן. – ויאמר ארור כנען

When Noach awoke from his wine, he learned what his youngest son did to him. And he said, “Cursed be Canaan.” (9:24,25)

YEARS

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