Noach – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

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 It was rescinded due to the chein, favor, Noach found before Hashem: V’Noach matzah chein b’einei Hashem, “Noach found favor in the eyes of Hashem” (Bereishis 6:8).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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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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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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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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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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נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

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

בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התבה

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

ויאמר ד' לנח בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התב

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

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)

YEARS

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