Noah 1
Build a What...?!
(based on Iyunei Shabbat - Thoughts for Shabbat - Parashat Noah - 5758)
The story of the flood is encapsulated by the following two verses of the narrative: "And God said to Noah: Come into the ark you and all your household, because I have seen you stand before me as a righteous person in this generation" (Genesis 7:1); and "Go forth from the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives with you" (Genesis 8:16).
It was Noah's building the ark, entering the ark, and finally coming out of the ark - all at the behest of God - that saved humanity from total extinction during the days of the flood.
The Hebrew word for ark, tevah, also means "word".
Sensing the tremendous spiritual treasure embodied in an alternate interpretation of what it was that Noah built in order to survive the flood, The Baal Shem Tov said the following: "Come, you and your household, into the ark (tevah), implies that a person must delve into the meaning of every word of the words of the Torah and of the prayers, with all one's strength...and spiritual dedication." (Iturei Torah, Volume 1, p. 67)
Seen in this light, the ark is not merely the physical vessel which Noah built, but it also represents the spiritual space which we are commanded to construct for ourselves in all our generations, day by day, hour after hour.
Although we are commanded to come into the ark, to study Torah, to pray and to immerse ourselves in the important teachings of our holy literature, it is equally important that we remember to go forth from the ark at the appropriate moment in time.
Entry into the world of Torah and prayer does not ensrue one's spirtual perfection. In fact, for one who considers himself righteous by virtue of study and prayer and not in need of spiritual growth and self improvement, entry into the spiritual ark may sometimes even become a serious impediment.
In the Baal Shem Tov's book on the Torah (Parashat Bereishit, 155) he tells of a man who occupied himself with Torah and mitzvot (commandments) all his life. When the man fell ill, he prayed to God for mercy, citing this fact in his prayer. But, precisely these actions vitiated his prayer. The man had been so certain that his study and deeds were good that he had never once questioned his own actions and had never once repented of anything.
Entry into the spiritual ark is essential for the continuation of life, just as entry into the pysical ark was essential for the continuation of life in Noah's time. But going forth from the ark is no less essential. "Go forth from the ark" means that we must build a solid spiritual ark as a basis for our lives but we must not allow ourselves to be imprisoned by it! Our task is to craft a healthy connection between our spiritual ark and our complex reality.
God called Noah "righteous" and told him to build an ark and to come into it. But, Noah, like every other person, was also required to venture out of the ark and to participate in the building of the world.
May we, too, find th way to enter the ark and to go forth from the ark with renewed hope of building a better world.