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ברך עלינו... ואת כל מיני תבואתה לטובה

Roberto Szerer
In Noach, 5778

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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Home -> 5778 -> Noach

ויאמר ד' לנח בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התב

Roberto Szerer
In Noach, 5778

Then Hashem said to Noach, “Come to the Ark, you and all your household.” (7:1)

The Zohar HaKadosh asks, “Could Hashem not have secured Noach in a corner of the world, safe from the raging waters of the mabul, flood?” He could have transported Noach to Eretz Yisrael, which was left unscathed, and have him remain there throughout the deluge. Rabbi Shimon explains that Hashem wanted Noach to experience the flood, to see its massive destruction. Why did Hashem want Noach to be in the Ark, within the floodwaters, surrounded by death? Horav Chaim Zaitchick, zl, explains that it was important for Noach to see and feel, to see the dead and dying, to feel…

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Home -> 5778 -> Noach

בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התבה

Roberto Szerer
In Noach, 5778

Come to the Ark, you and all your household. (7:1)

A teivah is an Ark, a container, a box which holds an object within its confines. Teivah is also a word. The Chassidic Masters, notably the Baal Shem Tov, zl, render Hashem’s command to Noach to “Come into the Teivah” homiletically. Hashem is also saying: “Enter into the words of prayer and Torah study; there you will find a sanctuary of wisdom, meaning and holiness amidst the raging flood waters of life.” The various commentators expound on this play-on-word translation. Perhaps we can focus on the meaning of teivah/word as the reason for the disaster that befell that generation, and…

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Home -> 5778 -> Noach

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

Roberto Szerer
In Noach, 5778

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

The Talmud Sanhedrin 108b relates that actually the decree to annihilate the dor haMabul, generation of the Flood, had originally applied to Noach as well. It was rescinded due to the chein, favor, Noach found before Hashem: V’Noach matzah chein b’einei Hashem, “Noach found favor in the eyes of Hashem” (Bereishis 6:8). The question which confronts the reader is whether or not Noach was worthy of reprieve. If he was not, why should “favor” alter his sentence? Since when does favor determine one’s worthiness? Our sages debate the integrity of Noach’s virtue:  Did it stand on its own accord, or…

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Home -> 5778 -> Noach

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו

Roberto Szerer
In Noach, 5778

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

We do not find another leader treated as negatively and judged as harshly as Noach. The Torah writes, Tamim hayah b’dorosav; “Perfect in his generations.” Chazal interpret, “in his generations” in two ways. Some maintain this to be praiseworthy. Noach was righteous and perfect, even though he lived in a generation that was so corrupt that it had to be wiped out. Others counter that this statement is far from laudatory. Indeed, it implies that Noach’s righteousness was viewed relative to his community. They were so evil that they made him look good! The issue is not whether Noach was…

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