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Noah Because He Studies Torah in Yeshiva, They Can Also Be Favorably with Holiness and Purity

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Noah Because He Studies Torah in Yeshiva, They Can Also Be Favorably with Holiness and Purity THE INFLUENCE OF TORAH STUDY AND PRAYER EVEN EXTENDS TO OTHERS (BY RABBI DAVID HANANIA PINTO SHLITA) rom the verse, “For it is you that I have seen to be had no other way of showing his devotion that he brought righteous before Me” (Genesis 7:1), we learn of the an offering. As we know, the offerings actually symbolize a greatness of the tzaddikim and those who study Torah. person giving up his soul, for in bringing an offering, a person When they study, others see them and do the same, pictures himself as being the one who really should have been and they are also elevated in the service of Hashem. offered on the altar. FSimilarly, when people see how someone continues to be upright The Sages explain just to what extent the ark provided Noah because he studies Torah in yeshiva, they can also be favorably with holiness and purity. They say that when Noah emerged influenced and want to partake of the Torah. They will then merit from the ark and saw that the world had been destroyed, he seeing the light of Torah for themselves, a light that will extinguish cried out to Hashem: “You should have shown compassion the darkness within them. They will return to the right path, and for Your creation.” Hashem replied, “Now you say this? Why Hashem’s Name will be sanctified as a result. In fact Noah had didn’t you say this when I told you that you would be safe in considerable merit of his own, for the environment in which he lived the ark? You didn’t even bother to intercede for others! Yet NOAH and worked was filled with evil, and moreover everyone scorned now you open your mouth and pray?” (See Zohar Hashmatot, him. There was but a step between remaining a believer and being Bereshith 254b.) influenced by his environment, for Noah was an innocent man (ibid. 205 6:9), and the innocent usually believe what people tell them. The The reason why Noah only prayed after emerging from th Holy One, blessed be He, was therefore concerned that because the ark was because he did not understand the tremendous October 13 07 of Noah’s innocence, he would be influenced by crafty people and power of prayer. He did not realize that if he had prayed, it 1st Heshvan 5768 ensnared in their sins. Hashem therefore occupied Noah with would have be possible to save his entire generation, just as building the ark. For seven days prior to the flood, people were Abraham prayed for Sodom. Although Abraham’s prayer was Publication mourning the death of Methuselah. Because of their grief, during not answered in that case, he still did what he could. It was, HEVRAT PINTO these seven days people began to consider all the warnings that moreover, his prayer that saved Lot and his daughters, from Under Aegis of Noah had given them over the previous 120 years, which resulted whom the kingship of the house of David emerged. Even if RABBI DAVID HANANIA in a small degree of teshuvah. Noah would not have been able to save his generation had PINTO CHLITA he prayed, he still would have suffered less by knowing that This is why Hashem warned Noah: Know that there will be a 11, rue du plateau he had done all he could to save them, even if trying was 75019 PARIS flood in seven days, and therefore you must wait and draw closer pointless. Thus even if Noah could not have saved his entire Tel: +331 42 08 25 40 to them until these days of mourning end. If they truly improve their generation, he could have possibly saved a few individuals, Fax +331 42 08 50 85 ways, the coming downpour will become a rain of blessing, and and even if he had been unable to save a few, he would www.hevratpinto.org you can then come into contact with them. If they do not improve have at least known that he did all he could. Yet that never their ways, then the downpour will become a flood, and happened, for he only prayed after the flood, since it was then you will never be able to come into contact with them. that he experienced tremendous sorrow. When Noah realized that he would only be saved from One Who Guards His Tongue Thus Noah understood why Hashem had told him to build Will Experience Great Material the flood if he distanced himself from the unhealthy envi- ronment of the people living at the time, he went to hide in an ark. The ark (i.e., Torah and prayer) is what saves a per- Blessings the teva (“ark”), a word that has the same numerical value son from the tribulations of his time. As long as we are not within the ark (i.e., a yeshiva), it is impossible to understand “If you listen to me,” said the Chafetz (142) as yeshiva. Noah sought to increase the satisfaction that he brought to his Creator, and in the ark he studied the power that hides within the walls of the Beit Midrash. It Chaim, “then I definitely advise to you guard is impossible to know what we can obtain and how much yourself from this sin [Lashon Harah] with Torah and engaged in deeds of kindness, which helped him to survive while living there, since he was not tempted we can grow by taking advantage of each moment that we great vigilance, even more than in causing to stray. We see that Noah studied Torah while in the ark, are there. someone actual harm, such as by theft, vio- for it was to Noah that the Sages applied the passage: Similarly, the faith of a yeshiva student, who is constantly lence, material damage, and the like. [Note: “His desire is in the Torah of the L-RD” (Psalms 1:2) – a studying Torah, is not the same as that of a person who does These are obviously major factors in losing reference to the seven mitzvot that Noah received; “and in not study in a yeshiva, for the latter’s faith is far weaker. one’s possessions and becoming poor, as His Torah he mediates day and night” (ibid.) – deriving one Although he may perform mitzvot, pray in synagogue, and we read in the booklet Sefat Tamim and ac- thing from another; “he shall be like a tree deeply rooted listen to Torah lectures, when he leaves the Beit Midrash we cording to many teachings of the Sages.] alongside brooks of water” (v.3), for Hashem planted him see that he hasn’t changed at all. We see that he conducts Thus it is certain that your possessions will in the ark. This also proves that on account of his Torah himself as before, seemingly without any spiritual elevation. be more greatly blessed than by any other study, Noah was knowledgeable in the laws of shechita That being the case, such a person cannot exert a good and everything that concerned offerings. Similarly, when segula As we know, every curse [arur] began influence on others. Noah emerged from the ark he understand that to truly with a blessing, as for example: ‘ “Blessed As for someone who “kills himself” in studying Torah – as serve Hashem with devotion, holiness and purity, a be he who does not strike his fellow in se- it written, “a man that dies in a tent” (Numbers 19:14) – and person must sacrifice himself for Hashem’s sake, as it who fulfills the verse, “Because for Your sake we are killed cret.” And all the people shall say Amen’ [see is written: “And Noah built an altar” (Genesis 8:20). The all the time” (Psalms 44:23), since he never stops elevating Rashi on Deuteronomy 27:12; ibid. 27:24]. word vayeven (“and he built”) also designates havanah himself in the service of Hashem, such a person can influence Such a blessing will certainly be fulfilled, as (“understanding”). Thus Noah understood that it was others through his Torah study and prayer. This is because it is written: ‘It is the blessing of the L-RD solely by studying Torah with tremendous effort that one people will see and emulate him, and as such he can save that enriches’ [Proverbs 10:22]. However the can achieve complete devotion in the service of Hashem. many from a disastrous spiritual fall. He can elevate them to evil inclination blinds a person and prevents This is why he was ready to give up his life in order to the heights, to the King of the universe, for that is the main him from seeing the truth.” sanctify Hashem’s Name, and it was only because he thing, the most important thing of all. The answer is that the generation of the dispersion demonstrated unity only in a superficial way, for they were not really sincere with one another. The attention they paid to mitzvot between man and his fellowman did not stem Kindness and Compassion from a sincere love for the other. Instead it resulted from their realization that what condemned the generation of the flood – what brought about their terrible It is written, “G-d remembered Noah, and every living thing…with him on punishment – was the sin of theft, a sin between man and his fellowman. the ark” (Genesis 8:1). Hence the Creator punished the generation of the dispersion measure for One year during the sounding of the Shofar, a large crowd gathered in the measure: Because they spoke the same language only superficially, Hashem Beit Midrash of the Chozeh of Lublin.
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