Download
Stream
Showing posts with label Noach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Noach. Show all posts
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Friday, October 15, 2010
Noach: The Flooding of Humanity
Apocryphal imaginations of world destruction, domination and conquest gnaw at our consciousness. Doom and apocalypse strum the emotions into a kind of shocking awe that mesmerizes with fascination of what may occur next. Scaremongers masquerading as prophets of doom capitalize on the opportunity to stand on top pedestals declaring that black clouds of peril are soon upon us.
Yet fatal diseases that ravage humanity, earthquakes that destroy cities and tsunamis that wash away large populations are difficult to wrap one’s hands around. The seeming gargantuan quirks in the natural progression of life that leave catastrophic repercussions force us to throw up our hands in utter abandon of any explanation. Such experience according to the Ramban (Iyov, Introduction) is the main cause amongst our people for abdication of religion.
Only God Himself can provide the answer as the Talmud relates, ‘This matter (destruction of the first Temple) was asked of the Sages and the Prophets yet they could not explain it until the Holy One Blessed Be Himself explained it.’(Nedarim 81a)
Therefore, when we read in this week’s portion about the drowning of humanity concomitantly we scour the text for answers. Only God can provide an explanation for this anomalous deluge.
Of course when we look at the story of that generation we see that their deeds had such a profound affect on the universe that their actions spread like a cancer beyond their own confines. As a result, the ensuing flood was a matter of consequential recourse.
The Torah states, ‘And God saw the earth and behold it was corrupted for all the flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.’(Genesis 6:12) Rashi (ad loc) explains that the reference to ‘all flesh” is also to the animal kingdom. That is to say that they too were involved in aberrant copulations. Animals of different species were mating with each other.
The Beis Halevi (ad loc) asks that this explanation poses a philosophical dilemma. It is axiomatic to Jewish belief that people have free will as the Talmud declares in Brachos (33b). The centrality of this idea is expounded upon and emphasized by all the Torah scholars especially the Rambam (Laws of Teshuva 5, 6). However, animals don’t have such capacity. They can’t build or destroy with the thrust of their volition. They act with instinct. If that is the case how can they become corrupt? They don’t choose between right and wrong.
The answer is that there are holy places in the world and irreverent places. There are venerable places such as Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. And there are disreputable places such as some cities in the shinier areas of the United States.
One with sensitivity can feel the spiritual purity of the holy sights even when they don’t come in contact with any residents. This is true in vice versa. The reason is that these areas are actually holy and the opposite. How do they become that way?
Our actions not only influence us they also affect the physical inanimate environment around us. If we act in a righteous way we uplift all those that are in the radius if our surroundings.
Therefore, the state of the generation of the flood was so depraved it caused the animal kingdom to become corrupt. Not because they have free choice but because they were soiled with the liquid of vile impunity of the depraved society around them.
Yet fatal diseases that ravage humanity, earthquakes that destroy cities and tsunamis that wash away large populations are difficult to wrap one’s hands around. The seeming gargantuan quirks in the natural progression of life that leave catastrophic repercussions force us to throw up our hands in utter abandon of any explanation. Such experience according to the Ramban (Iyov, Introduction) is the main cause amongst our people for abdication of religion.
Only God Himself can provide the answer as the Talmud relates, ‘This matter (destruction of the first Temple) was asked of the Sages and the Prophets yet they could not explain it until the Holy One Blessed Be Himself explained it.’(Nedarim 81a)
Therefore, when we read in this week’s portion about the drowning of humanity concomitantly we scour the text for answers. Only God can provide an explanation for this anomalous deluge.
Of course when we look at the story of that generation we see that their deeds had such a profound affect on the universe that their actions spread like a cancer beyond their own confines. As a result, the ensuing flood was a matter of consequential recourse.
The Torah states, ‘And God saw the earth and behold it was corrupted for all the flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.’(Genesis 6:12) Rashi (ad loc) explains that the reference to ‘all flesh” is also to the animal kingdom. That is to say that they too were involved in aberrant copulations. Animals of different species were mating with each other.
The Beis Halevi (ad loc) asks that this explanation poses a philosophical dilemma. It is axiomatic to Jewish belief that people have free will as the Talmud declares in Brachos (33b). The centrality of this idea is expounded upon and emphasized by all the Torah scholars especially the Rambam (Laws of Teshuva 5, 6). However, animals don’t have such capacity. They can’t build or destroy with the thrust of their volition. They act with instinct. If that is the case how can they become corrupt? They don’t choose between right and wrong.
The answer is that there are holy places in the world and irreverent places. There are venerable places such as Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. And there are disreputable places such as some cities in the shinier areas of the United States.
One with sensitivity can feel the spiritual purity of the holy sights even when they don’t come in contact with any residents. This is true in vice versa. The reason is that these areas are actually holy and the opposite. How do they become that way?
Our actions not only influence us they also affect the physical inanimate environment around us. If we act in a righteous way we uplift all those that are in the radius if our surroundings.
Therefore, the state of the generation of the flood was so depraved it caused the animal kingdom to become corrupt. Not because they have free choice but because they were soiled with the liquid of vile impunity of the depraved society around them.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Noach-Serving Hashem with Unity in Context
Rabbi Channina the deputy High Priest said, “Entreat for the welfare of the government because if it were not for its fear, people would swallow each other alive.” (Avos 3:2)
R’ Hirsh explains the motivation behind the juxtaposition of this avowal to the previous mishnah.
It states: “Akavia ben be Mahalalel said, consider three things and you will not approach transgression. Know from where you came, where you are going and before whom you will face judgment and reckoning” (Avos 3:1).
R’ Channina is teaching us that the optimal devout state is to be cognizant of G-d. However, most of us lack such towering devotion. Therefore, one should supplicate the Almighty that at the very least the fear of the government should swathe them.
R’ Hirsh’s revelation that the correlation between these two mishnayos is intentional sheds light upon the commentary of Rabbeinu Yonah (ad locum) on this mishnah. He understands that when a building is destroyed in New York, a tsunami originates in the Indian Ocean, or an earthquake hits in Haiti, one’s consciousness needs to be saturated with concern for the plight of others. The righteous must feels their pain and rejoice in their triumph. Therefore, the mishnah mandates prayer for peace.
What is the connection to the previous mishnah of Akavia’s statement that one must be attentive of G-d’s presence? The answer is that certainly peace should be our priority.
However, it must be within the context of G-d’s existence in the world.
Peace is an ideal which can yield beautiful results provided it is utilized appropriately. For example, the generation of dispersion achieved peace for the purpose of rebellion by building the tower of Babylon G-d (Rashi, Genesis 11:9).
On the other hand, the Jews achieved peace amongst each other to leave Egypt (Aznaim LeTorah, Exodus 12:17) and to receive the Torah (Rashi, Ibid 19:2).
To illustrate the point, the same principle applies to character traits such as stubbornness and love. Rabbi Yosef Zevin (LeTorah U’LeMoadim, 10:1) writes that love is not inherently evil or good. One can love one’s neighbor as oneself (Leviticus 19:18) or love G-d (Deuteronomy 6:5). However, one can also love evil more than good. (Psalms 52:5)
One can be born with a proclivity to see blood. Nevertheless, they can choose to be a doctor, a ritual slaughterer, a circumciser or a murderer (Shabbos 156a).
Hashem provided people with a box full of tools such as love, peace, strength and courage. They encounter constant opportunities to use these tools to grow or to regress.
When presented with the challenge of how to use our tools, how will we respond?
Thursday, Feb. 18
R’ Hirsh explains the motivation behind the juxtaposition of this avowal to the previous mishnah.
It states: “Akavia ben be Mahalalel said, consider three things and you will not approach transgression. Know from where you came, where you are going and before whom you will face judgment and reckoning” (Avos 3:1).
R’ Channina is teaching us that the optimal devout state is to be cognizant of G-d. However, most of us lack such towering devotion. Therefore, one should supplicate the Almighty that at the very least the fear of the government should swathe them.
R’ Hirsh’s revelation that the correlation between these two mishnayos is intentional sheds light upon the commentary of Rabbeinu Yonah (ad locum) on this mishnah. He understands that when a building is destroyed in New York, a tsunami originates in the Indian Ocean, or an earthquake hits in Haiti, one’s consciousness needs to be saturated with concern for the plight of others. The righteous must feels their pain and rejoice in their triumph. Therefore, the mishnah mandates prayer for peace.
What is the connection to the previous mishnah of Akavia’s statement that one must be attentive of G-d’s presence? The answer is that certainly peace should be our priority.
However, it must be within the context of G-d’s existence in the world.
Peace is an ideal which can yield beautiful results provided it is utilized appropriately. For example, the generation of dispersion achieved peace for the purpose of rebellion by building the tower of Babylon G-d (Rashi, Genesis 11:9).
On the other hand, the Jews achieved peace amongst each other to leave Egypt (Aznaim LeTorah, Exodus 12:17) and to receive the Torah (Rashi, Ibid 19:2).
To illustrate the point, the same principle applies to character traits such as stubbornness and love. Rabbi Yosef Zevin (LeTorah U’LeMoadim, 10:1) writes that love is not inherently evil or good. One can love one’s neighbor as oneself (Leviticus 19:18) or love G-d (Deuteronomy 6:5). However, one can also love evil more than good. (Psalms 52:5)
One can be born with a proclivity to see blood. Nevertheless, they can choose to be a doctor, a ritual slaughterer, a circumciser or a murderer (Shabbos 156a).
Hashem provided people with a box full of tools such as love, peace, strength and courage. They encounter constant opportunities to use these tools to grow or to regress.
When presented with the challenge of how to use our tools, how will we respond?
Thursday, Feb. 18
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)