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Rashi quotes the Talmud Sanhedrin 108A, which teaches that the sentence meted out to the dor ha’Mabul, generation of the Flood, was sealed on account of chamas, robbery.  The people committed many reprehensible sins. Promiscuity was a leading sin, but it was robbery that sealed their verdict.  Clearly, thievery of any sort is repugnant behavior, but should it have been the one behavior that sealed their verdict?  The Tiferes Shlomo offers a novel insight into the matter.  He begins by questioning why Hashem took umbrage over the fact that the wicked people were stealing from other wicked people.  Was it…

In the Midrash, Chazal comment regarding the word “vayochel,” which is related to “chullin” – “Nischalel v’naaseh chullin,” “he desecrated  himself  and  became  unholy.”  Why?  Because he planted a vineyard. He should have planted something else. We infer from Chazal that the actual planting of the vineyard was in itself a deficiency in Noach’s spiritual stature. His drunken stupor was the result of this deficiency, an offshoot of his previous error – planting the vineyard. We must endeavor to understand the severity of this “sin.” Wine can be–and is–used also for a more lofty purpose. Chazal say: “Ein simcha b’lo…