Shabbat Shalom from Cyberspace NOVEMBER 5, 2016 4 HESHVAN 5777

SHABBAT SHALOM FROM CYBERSPACE NOAH Haftarah: Yeshayahu 54:1-10 NOVEMBER 5, 2016 4 HESHVAN 5777 DEDICATION: To Serge and Nina – So Blessed to See You !

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[email protected] is rooted in his self-discipline Newsletter archives now at BenaiAsher.Org We saw that this lack of self-control was a theme extending Daily Minyan Mon – Thurs at 979 Third Avenue, 17th Floor, throughout the first portion of Bereshit. See last week’s Artistic Frame at 4:00PM – Please join us! 212-289-2100 – Mincha and Arbit – The most important tefilah of the day – article where Adam can’t wait for the Friday night wedding to marry Chava, where Even lusted for the fruit, where Give us 11 minutes and we’ll give you the World To Come! Kayin may have killed Hevel over a woman, where Lemach Editors Notes requires a second wife as an object, and where as we The Test of Man – Part 2 noted even the angels fell in more ways than one.

We begin this portion about 1500 years after Adam is Is there no one redeemable? We finally meet Noah who is created and Hashem has had it, not only with mankind, but called a Sadik and through Noah, the world will go on. with the animals as well. And the only person worth saving is Noah and his family and a pair of each species. What But is Noah perfect. In fact the Navi in the Haftarah we was the shared sin of man and animal? How is Noah read calls the flood Mei Noach, it sounds as if the Navi different? And after the portion is done, how does Noah fail blames Noah for a role in its coming. Furthermore after the and why do we need to wait for Abraham? flood, Noah sends out the raven who refuses to search for dry land and returns. The tell us he was afraid that The Torah tells us that of all the inhabitants of the planet, should he perish, he would leave his spouse alone and the only Noah was the Sadik, the righteous one. It is an species would cease to exist. The midrash goes further incredible commentary on a person that the Torah or suggesting that the raven was a product of a the pre-flood Hashem himself bestows the title of Sadik on a person. We world of evil and was afraid that Noah wanted to eliminate often relate the title Sadik to Joseph. What did Noah have Mr. Raven so that Noah would have Mrs. Raven all to in common with Joseph? himself.

As we mentioned last week, if we examine the closing And then Noah leaves the ark. He plants a vineyard. Note verses of last week’s portion, we find that man became the emphasis on planting. Noah is no longer Ish Sadik – a corrupt and G-d decides he must destroy mankind. There is righteous man. He becomes Ish HaAdamah – A man of the reference to the Benei Elokim seeing women. The Midrash earth which takes us back to Adam both in name and relates that when the generation of the Flood went astray, formation where Adam was formed from the earth itself. Hashem began to regret having created man. Then two Where the forefathers were always associated with angels, Shamchazai and Azael, came before Hashem and shepherding, Noah takes on the trade of Kayin. We see said, “Did we not warn You before You created man, that the planting and the formation of a garden of sorts saying, ‘What is man, that You should be mindful of him?’” finds its parallel in the Garden of Eden. The Midrash tells of the Satan coming to offer a miraculous fertilizer which Hashem replied: “Then what shall become of the world?” Noah accepts. The connection is reinforced by the fact that “We will suffice instead,” they replied. Hasshem answered, our Rabbis go so far as to suggest that Noah actually ate “I know that would you live on that world, the evil inclination from the self-same vine as Adam! would rule you just as much as it controls man, but you would be even worse.” But the angels persisted, saying: Then Noah eats from the fruit of his garden. By eating from “Let us descend to the world of men, and we will show You the fruit, his consciousness is altered. In his stupor he rolls how we will sanctify your name.” And Hashem said: “Go naked in his tent, reflecting the nakedness of Adam prior to down and dwell among them.” Sure enough, as soon as the Sin. Moreover, his drunken state allows him not to be the angels descended, their evil inclination overpowered ashamed (at the time at least!). Continuing, the them. When they saw the beautiful “daughters of man,” tells us that in this state, Noah enters into a homosexual they became corrupted and sinned with them. act with his son Cham, following which Cham castrates his own father. The result of the parsha is that a Curse is The Rabbis tell us that what started as private immorality issued. degenerated into public licentiousness. When one pleasure wears itself out, people seek another and the people of Parallel stories, one week later; Why? Noah's generation eventually took on the universal practice of bestiality. The Ramban writes: "The episode with Noah and the wine is written as a warning more severe than the portion of the Man, angel and animal had all failed. The practice of Nazir. (Recall that the Nazerite takes his vow after seeing restraint had ceased to exist. It was eat, drink, be merry the incident of the Sotah, an occasion where restraint was and do whatever else you want. Noah was different. He is lacking. We see here that even the perfect Sadik Noah, whose righteousness saved humanity, even he, was

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induced to sin by wine, leading him to a point of absolute Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, who also spoke at humiliation and the curse of his offspring." the event, focused on the tensions among the different movements within concerning the Noah fails in his self-control. He was a Sadik? We ask on issue of prayer at the Western Wall. that verse, would he have been a Sadik in the time of Abraham? What does Abraham have to do with it? We know that after Noah’s failure, the world will need to wait "We must find a way to recognize the differences another ten generations for Abraham who will be tested between us and respect them. Otherwise, we weaken and prove his control. the bond between us," he said.

But I believe there is much more to the comparison. I Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, a former believe Hashem saw Noah’s potential downfall and hoped MK, marveled at the fact that 26 MKs took part in the to assist him to overcome it. How? By being more like discussion. "It is very impressive," he said. Abraham. Hashem asked Noah to grow the trees, cut the wood, build the ark, gather the food, collect the animals and then care for them for a full year. Hashem was training Summary of the Perasha Noah is Chesed, in acts of kindness. He should have come out of the ark and continued to care for the animals. He Noach - The flood could have left the farming to one of the others. 1- Hashem instructs Noach to build a tevah and advises him that he plans to bring a flood that will Perhaps he wanted to fix Adam’s sin by repeating the test. destroy all man and animals And he repeats the test as we have seen, but in the end he 2- Noach brings his family and animals in the tevah. fails. The flood begins. 3- The period of the flood Abraham too faces the test. In fact he faces them again and again. He succeeds where no one else could. And 4- Rebuilding the world. Hashem tells Noach and his we’ll learn more on that next week, BH. family to have children and fill the world 5- Hashem makes a covenant to never bring another Shabbat Shalom, David mabool 6- Noach gets drunk and becomes uncovered. Noach PM Netanyahu calls on Jewish Agency to join curses Ham. The parasha lists the descendants of fight against BDS Noach. 7- Dor hahaflaga and the tower of Babel. The "Delegitimize anyone who delegitimizes us. I want to parasha tells the 10 generations between Noach and enlist you [in the fight] for the truth and for Israel's Abraham. influence in every one of your countries. ... Your actions are of the utmost importance," PM tells Board FROM THE RABBIS OF THE JERSEY SHORE of Governors in Knesset event. “Make yourself an Ark of gopher wood.” (Beresheet 6:14) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday Hashem commands Noah to build the Ark. called on the Jewish Agency to assist Israel in its Rashi asks: “Why did Hashem trouble Noah (Hashem fight to undermine the anti-Israel boycott, divestment has many ways to bring salvation)? So that the and sanctions movement. people of the generation of the flood should see him, busy with the Ark for a hundred and twenty years, Speaking to members of the agency's Board of and ask him, ‘Of what use is this to you?’ He would Governors during a gala event in the Knesset's say to them, “In the future the Holy One Blessed Be Chagall Hall, Netanyahu urged them to "delegitimize He is going to bring a flood upon the world.’ Thus, anyone who delegitimizes us. I want to enlist you [in they might repent.” the fight] for the truth and for Israel's influence in Yaakov Haber asks: If the purpose of every one of your countries. all this was to encourage people to do teshubah, would it not have been more sensible for Noah to "Israel is home for all Jews, and every Jew should build Yeshivas for Ba’alei Teshubah, or go on say, 'I would like to see more Hebrew speakers in the speaking tours? Why build a gigantic boat in the Jewish communities and more immigrants to Israel.' middle of the field? Your actions are of the utmost importance, but an The answer is that the best way to persuade emphasis must be placed on results achieved. And others to change their lifestyle for the better is by our we have an excellent opportunity to do just that own deeds, by our example. By watching Noah because Israel has never been stronger." invest 120 years in building a boat that would protect from flood waters that Hashem was readying to send, the worry became real. But that generation was so

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corrupted, that it was able to push the worry transgressions. Why did theft play such a critical role completely out of mind. in their fate? Furthermore, it is a well-established To see something is greater than words. maxim that Hashem does not exact punishment on a Rabbi Dovid Kaplan illustrates this with a story. person's body until He has exhausted all other Rudy’s constant hacking cough was driving avenues of punishment. We see that the individual his wife Francine crazy, as well as causing her a lot who is guilty of behavior which brings on the onset of of worry. At just under two packs a day, Rudy was sara’at, spiritual leprosy, first notices the plague on considered a heavy smoker. “I’m fine,” Rudy would his house and his possessions before Hashem assure her any time she suggested a visit to a doctor, strikes him personally on his body. Hashem gives which was every hour or so. Finally, after a ten him various hints concerning his deficient behavior, minute coughing fit one day, which included a little various opportunities to repent and change his ways, blood, he agreed to go. thereby circumventing the sara’at that affects his “Here are the results,” the doctor said, as he body. Why, then, did the dor hamabul not receive handed Rudy his lung X-ray across the table. Hashem's message enacted on their possessions “They overexposed the film, huh?” Rudy prior to receiving the ultimate punishment? commented as all he could see was a black mass. The Maharam Schick, zl, explains that it is “Uh, no, Rudy, they did not overexpose the only when one obtains his possessions through film,” the doctor said. “That black mass is not the appropriate means that they can save him, that they result of overexposure of the film, it’s the serve as a medium for delaying his personal overexposure of your lungs to cigarette smoke, tar, punishment. If, however, his material belongings and nicotine.” have found their way into his possession through Rudy stopped smoking. Rabbi Reuven illegal avenues, then they are not really his. That Semah which is not his cannot protect him. Thus, if one steals, his possessions do not protect him, because We are all familiar with the story of the they are not his. This is the meaning of the idea that mabul, the flood which Hashem brought in the the fate of the dor hamabul was sealed as a result of time of Noah. Because of the wickedness of the theft. Their possessions could not protect them, people, Hashem wanted to destroy the world and because they had been obtained illegally. commanded Noah to build an Ark, which ultimately This is a powerful message to those who feel saved him and his family and all different species of that they can "have their cake and eat it too." One animals, birds, etc. who obtains money through means that are less than We are under the impression that what saved honest loses the protective coating that his Noah and his family was the fact that they were in the possessions could potentially avail him. Not only is Ark, “protected” from the elements outside. Over the he a thief, but he will pay dearly with his health and last many months, we have seen that even a strong welfare for his corruption. house can be meaningless in the face of a storm, let In an alternative exposition, the Tiferet alone a wooden Ark of Noah. The Rabbis tell us that Shlomo explains that "The earth had become filled what protected him was the hesed, kindness, which with robbery," was actually a measure for measure he performed in the Tebah. For one full year he was payback for the way the people of that generation running around with his family to provide different were treating one another. He begins by asking how food for every type of creature at different feeding theft could have such a powerful condemning effect times. The world was being destroyed because of that the entire generation was wiped out as a result of corruption which is based on selfishness. The this form of corruption. Animals steal from one salvation came about through kindness which is another all of the time. So, these people had based on selflessness. descended to the level of animals. Does this behavior In times of trouble and especially in the days mandate such severe punishment? leading to Mashiah, hesed, kindness, and He quotes the Midrash that relates that selflessness will be the attributes which will save us Abraham Abinu met Shem ben Noah and asked him from the floods of the world. Rabbi Shmuel Choueka in what merit his family had been spared from the effects of the Flood. Shem replied that he did not Stolen Goods know, other than the fact that they had devoted “And the earth had become filled with robbery.” themselves for an entire year, day and night, to (Beresheet 6:13) serving the needs of all the creatures on board the Rashi explains that the fate of the people of Ark. Perhaps, in this merit, Hashem had spared that generation was sealed as a result of theft. The them. members of the dor hamabul, generation of the As a result of their incredible compassion for Flood, were guilty of many other and more egregious the creatures in their charge, Hashem repaid them

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with exceedingly great compassion. The members of person puts on a fur coat to stay warm, and the other the dor hamabul, however, were thieves who did not raises the thermostat so that everyone in the room care for one another. Another person's feelings would be comfortable. meant nothing to them. If they would have exhibited compassion to others, Hashem would have had Noah was a “fur coat Sadik”. He kept himself and his compassion on them and not sent the waters of the family safe from the sinfulness and corruption that Flood. When the members of a generation are swept the world at the time, but he did not work to steeped in hamas, theft, when they show no feeling help the other people of his generation. Noah spent towards others, then they deserve none for 120 years building the ark, and yet not one person themselves. Hashem has rahmanut, compassion, for changed during that period; not one more passenger those who manifest compassion towards others. was added to the ark. Noah did not get involved (Peninim on the Torah) trying to teach and improve the people, and he did not pray to God to annul the decree. He saved RABBI ELI MANSOUR himself and his family, but nobody else. The "Fur Coat" Sadik Abraham Abinu was different. The Torah (Bereshit The first verse of Parashat Noah describes Noah as 12:5) speaks of the people whom Abraham and Sara an “Ish Sadik”– a righteous man. Rashi, surprisingly, “made” (“Ve’et Ha’nefesh Asher Asu Be’Haran”). cites the Rabbis of the Midrash who claim that They expended great efforts to disseminate the truth although Noah was a Sadik, he was a Sadik only in about God, to bring people to the recognition of the relation to the sinful people of his time. Had he lived one true Creator. In a pagan world, Abraham did not in the time of Abraham Abinu, he would not have isolate himself. He went out to teach and instruct. been regarded as much of a Sadik. And he also prayed on the people’s behalf. Had he lived in Noah’s time, he would have worked to teach These comments seem strange. We are not, and the people to change their conduct. And if God had should not be, in the business of comparing Sadikim. appeared to him and told him of His plans to destroy There is no sense in comparing Torah leaders with the earth, Abraham would have prayed – just as he one another to determine who is better than whom. prayed on behalf of the condemned city of Sedom. All Sadikim are outstanding individuals with their own uniquely exceptional qualities. Why, then, did the And this is why specifically Abraham was chosen to Sages find it necessary to bring Abraham Abinu into be the father of God’s special nation – because he the Torah’s discussion of Noah? The Torah called not only built himself, but also worked to build those Noah a Sadik. Why should we start comparing him around him. He did not seclude himself in the Bet to next week’s protagonist, Abraham? Midrash without concern for the world around him. He felt a responsibility for not only himself and his The answer is that the Midrash seeks to answer a family, but for the entire world. And this drove him to fundamental question. Why didn’t Am Yisrael begin work tirelessly to help the people of his time grow and with Noah? Why was it only Abraham who was improve. chosen to establish a special nation? If Noah was a Sadik, then why wasn’t he worthy of being our This is the quality that Noah lacked. When Noah patriarch, of being the one from whom God’s special heard of God’s decree to destroy the earth, he nation would descend? obediently constructed an ark, but he did not try to avert the disaster by reaching out to the people or by The Midrash answers by clarifying that although praying to God. And for this reason, God forced him Noah was a Sadik, he paled in comparison with to spend the months of the flood in an ark together Abraham Abinu. He was a Sadik in his time, but with all the animals, bearing the unfathomable burden would not be considered much of a Sadik in of caring for and feeding them all. He needed to Abraham’s time. learn this lesson of looking beyond himself and working on behalf of others. What is the precise difference between Abraham and Noah? What quality did Abraham possess that Noah The Mishna in Pirkeh Abot teaches, “Im Lamadeta did not, on account of which Abraham was chosen to Torah Harbeh Al Tahazik Toba Le’asmecha, Ki father God’s special nation, but not Noah? Lechach Nosarta.” This is commonly translated as, “If you studied a lot of Torah, do not pride yourself, for The difference between Abraham and Noah is the this is why you were created”. But this passage may difference between two people’s reactions to also be read to mean, “If you studied a lot of Torah, uncomfortably cold temperatures in a room: one do not retain the goodness for yourself – for this is

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why you were created”. We must not keep our carry-on to my situation on the plane, a young man, a accomplishments in Torah to ourselves. Certainly, former student of mine in my yeshiva in Monsey – he we need to spend time in Yeshiva studying, growing, is now the head of a very successful “American” accumulating knowledge, and fortifying ourselves yeshiva in , appeared before my eyes. We spiritually. But then, “Al Tahazik Toba Le’asmecha”– exchanged warm greetings and he informed me that we mustn’t keep it to ourselves. We were created to somehow he had a seat in the first class section of advance the world, not just ourselves. And we the airplane due to his many frequent flyer miles and therefore bear the responsibility to “share the wealth” he insisted that I exchange seats with him. and work to disseminate the Torah we have studied, rather than feel content with what we ourselves have I at first demurred – it is not my nature to sit in seats achieved. that I have not paid for one way or another – but he was persistent. He pointed out to me that he was Every knowledgeable Jew can and must get involved younger, thinner and more agile than I am currently in outreach. We all have Torah knowledge and and so I agreed and ended up in a much more values to share. Rather than cloister ourselves in an comfortable seat in the first class section of the ark like Noah, we must follow the example of airplane. Abraham and work to spread Torah. Needless to say, we must put in the time to develop ourselves. But There are a number of important life lessons that I this is not where it ends. The more we develop have learned from this seemingly innocuous and ourselves, the more we are able and obliged to work mundane incident. Firstly, first class is distinctly to develop others, doing our share and fulfilling our better than business class. Whether it is worth the obligation as the descendants of Abraham Abinu to extra fare is debatable, according to an individual’s make the world a better and more Godly place. wallet and travel tastes, but when offered a free upgrade to first class one should take advantage of it. VICTOR BIBI I imagine that there is a first class seating section in SOD HAPARASHA the immortal world as well. We should all try to earn Will be distributed under a separate list that upgrade. If you want to receive this article every week, please let us know and we will add you to that list I visited with my benefactor while he was languishing in my old business class seat and he assured that he Rabbi Wein was perfectly comfortable with his seat and situation. A TALE OF TWO SEATS Secondly, I was reminded how careful and positive one should be with one’s students, especially in the I recently flew to the United States from Israel. For formative high school years. I don’t know how many various undoubtedly good and sundry reasons that I of his family and peers would have predicted when was unaware of – though many of my fellow he was in ninth grade that someday he would head a passengers who “know” everything about everything yeshiva in Jerusalem, or that he would help his old had various and conflicting stories as to the cause – teacher with a gesture of generosity that surpasses El Al was flying a Portuguese airplane and crew on any material gift. Because of him, I spent a long and this flight. The airplane was not the one I was familiar otherwise very boring flight in pleasant reminiscences with and my seat though being in business class, no and with the feeling of accomplishment that often is longer a luxury for me at my age, felt less than the so rarely present in our lives. usual comfort level that I was accustomed to. A third lesson that I learned is that one has to feel It was undoubtedly me and my mood that made for that one really belongs in first class in order to truly my feelings of discontent rather than the dimensions enjoy being seated in that section of the airplane. The of the seat itself, of which I am certain, were no stewardess had to get special permission from the different than the business class seat on El Al to purser in order to serve me the first class meal which I was accustomed. Nevertheless, beginning a instead of the business class meal ordered for me. twelve-hour flight sitting in a seat that one feels She did so in a loud enough voice so that the other vaguely uncomfortable about is not a harbinger of joy passengers in the first class section all realized that I about the forthcoming flight itself. was an interloper, sitting where I really did not belong. I was comforted with the realization that But I convinced myself that I should stop kvetching some of my companions in the first class section of about nonsensical matters such as my seat on a the airplane were there only because of upgrades Portuguese airline’s airplane and just get on with it. and not because they actually paid the outrageous As I finally adjusted myself, my hat, my jacket and my fare for the seat.

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humankind. There is no Flood – God had, in any I have never in my life neither been a social climber case, sworn that He would never again punish nor attempted to project myself unto a stage where I humanity in such a way (“Never again will I curse the was not invited and did not belong. So my joy at soil because of man, for the inclination of man’s heart being seated in first class was certainly tempered by is evil from his youth. I will never again strike down all my realization of how I had gotten to sit there. life as I have just done”, 8:21). But it is clear that after Anyway, I will be happy when El Al stops flying Babel, God comes to the conclusion that there must Portuguese airplanes on its routes. be another and different way for humans to live.

Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks Both the Flood and the Tower of Babel are rooted in Individual and Collective Responsibility actual historical events, even if the narrative is not couched in the language of descriptive history. I once had the opportunity to ask the Catholic writer Mesopotamia had many flood myths, all of which Paul Johnson what had struck him most about testify to the memory of disastrous inundations, Judaism during the long period he spent researching especially on the flat lands of the Tigris-Euphrates it for his masterly A History of the Jews? He replied in valley (See Commentary of R. David Zvi Hoffman to roughly these words: “There have been, in the course Genesis 6 [Hebrew, 140] who suggests that the of history, societies that emphasised the individual – Flood may have been limited to centres of human like the secular West today. And there have been habitation, rather than covering the whole earth). others that placed weight on the collective – Excavations at Shurrupak, Kish, Uruk and Ur – communist Russia or China, for example.” Abraham’s birthplace – reveal evidence of clay flood deposits. Likewise the Tower of Babel was a Judaism, he continued, was the most successful historical reality. Herodotus tells of the sacred example he knew of that managed the delicate enclosure of Babylon, at the centre of which was a balance between both – giving equal weight to ziqqurat or tower of seven stories, 300 feet high. The individual and collective responsibility. Judaism was a remains of more than thirty such towers have been religion of strong individuals and strong communities. discovered, mainly in lower Mesopotamia, and many This, he said, was very rare and difficult, and references have been found in the literature of the constituted one of our greatest achievements. time that speak of such towers “reaching heaven”.

It was a wise and subtle observation. Without However, the stories of the Flood and Babel are not knowing it, he had in effect paraphrased Hillel’s merely historical, because the Torah is not history but aphorism: “If I am not for myself, who will be “teaching, instruction.” They are there because they (individual responsibility)? But if I am only for myself, represent a profound moral-social-political-spiritual what am I (collective responsibility)?” This insight truth about the human situation as the Torah sees it. allows us to see the argument of Parshat Noach in a They represent, respectively, precisely the failures way that might not have been obvious otherwise. intimated by Paul Johnson. The Flood tells us what happens to civilisation when individuals rule and The parsha begins and ends with two great events, there is no collective. Babel tells us what happens the Flood on the one hand, Babel and its tower on when the collective rules and individuals are the other. On the face of it they have nothing in sacrificed to it. common. The failings of the generation of the Flood are explicit. “The world was corrupt before God, and It was Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), the thinker who the land was filled with violence. God saw the world, laid the foundations of modern politics in his classic and it was corrupted. All flesh had perverted its way Leviathan (1651), who – without referring to the Flood on the earth” (Gen. 6:11-12). Wickedness, violence, – gave it its best interpretation. Before there were corruption, perversion: this is the language of political institutions, said Hobbes, human beings were systemic moral failure. in a “state of nature”. They were individuals, packs, bands. Lacking a stable ruler, an effective Babel by contrast seems almost idyllic. “The entire government and enforceable laws, people would be earth had one language and a common speech” in a state of permanent and violent chaos – “a war of (11:1). The builders are bent on construction, not every man against every man” – as they competed destruction. It is far from clear what their sin was. Yet for scarce resources. There would be “continual fear, from the Torah’s point of view Babel represents and danger of violent death; and the life of man, another serious wrong turn, because immediately solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Such thereafter God summons Abraham to begin an situations exist today in a whole series of failed or entirely new chapter in the religious story of failing states. That is precisely the Torah’s description

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of life before the Flood. When there is no rule of law state of affairs but restoring the old. to constrain individuals, the world is filled with violence. Interpreted thus, the story of Babel is a critique of the power of the collective when it crushes individuality – Babel is the opposite, and we now have important the individuality of the seventy cultures described in historical evidence as to exactly what was meant by Genesis 10. (A personal note: I had the privilege of the sentence, “The entire land had one language and addressing 2,000 leaders from all the world’s faiths at a common speech.” This may not refer to primal the Millennium Peace Summit in the United Nations humanity before the division of languages. In fact in in August 2000. It turned out that there were exactly the previous chapter the Torah has already stated, 70 traditions – each with their subdivisions and sects “From these the maritime peoples spread out into – represented. So it seems there still are seventy their lands in their clans within their nations, each basic cultures). When the rule of law is used to with its own language” (Gen. 10:5. The Talmud suppress individuals and their distinctive languages Yerushalmi, Megillah 1:11, 71b, records a dispute and traditions, this too is wrong. The miracle of between R. Eliezer and R. Johanan, one of whom monotheism is that Unity in Heaven creates diversity holds that the division of humanity into seventy on earth, and God asks us (with obvious conditions) languages occurred before the Flood). to respect that diversity.

The reference seems to be to the imperial practice of So the Flood and the Tower of Babel, though polar the neo-Assyrians, of imposing their own language opposites, are linked, and the entire parsha of Noach on the peoples they conquered. One inscription of the is a brilliant study in the human condition. There are time records that Ashurbanipal II “made the totality of individualistic cultures and there are collectivist ones, all peoples speak one speech.” A cylinder inscription and both fail, the former because they lead to of Sargon II says, “Populations of the four quarters of anarchy and violence, the latter because they lead to the world with strange tongues and incompatible oppression and tyranny. speech . . . whom I had taken as booty at the command of Ashur my lord by the might of my So Paul Johnson’s insight turns out to be both deep sceptre, I caused to accept a single voice.” The neo- and true. After the two great failures of the Flood and Assyrians asserted their supremacy by insisting that Babel, Abraham was called on to create a new form their language was the only one to be used by the of social order that would give equal honour to the nations and populations they had defeated. On this individual and the collective, personal responsibility reading, Babel is a critique of imperialism. and the common good. That remains the special gift of Jews and Judaism to the world. There is even a hint of this in the parallelism of language between the builders of Babel and the AS HEARD FROM RABBI AVIGDOR MILLER Z'TL Egyptian Pharaoh who enslaved the Israelites. In The "Fur Coat" Sadik Babel they said, “Come, [hava] let us build ourselves a city and a tower . . . lest [pen] we be scattered over The first verse of Parashat Noah describes Noah as the face of the earth” (Gen. 11:4). In Egypt Pharaoh an “Ish Sadik”– a righteous man. Rashi, surprisingly, said, “Come, [hava] let us deal wisely with them, lest cites the Rabbis of the Midrash who claim that [pen] they increase so much . . .” (Ex. 1:10). The although Noah was a Sadik, he was a Sadik only in repeated “Come, let us … lest” is too pronounced to relation to the sinful people of his time. Had he lived be accidental. Babel, like Egypt, represents an in the time of Abraham Abinu, he would not have empire that subjugates entire populations, riding been regarded as much of a Sadik. roughshod over their identities and freedoms. These comments seem strange. We are not, and If this is so, we will have to re-read the entire Babel should not be, in the business of comparing Sadikim. story in a way that makes it much more convincing. There is no sense in comparing Torah leaders with The sequence is this: Genesis 10 describes the one another to determine who is better than whom. division of humanity into seventy nations and seventy All Sadikim are outstanding individuals with their own languages. Genesis 11 tells of how one imperial uniquely exceptional qualities. Why, then, did the power conquered smaller nations and imposed its Sages find it necessary to bring Abraham Abinu into language and culture on them, thus directly the Torah’s discussion of Noah? The Torah called contravening God’s wish that humans should respect Noah a Sadik. Why should we start comparing him the integrity of each nation and each individual. When to next week’s protagonist, Abraham? at the end of the Babel story God “confuses the language” of the builders, He is not creating a new

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The answer is that the Midrash seeks to answer a family, but for the entire world. And this drove him to fundamental question. Why didn’t Am Yisrael begin work tirelessly to help the people of his time grow and with Noah? Why was it only Abraham who was improve. chosen to establish a special nation? If Noah was a Sadik, then why wasn’t he worthy of being our This is the quality that Noah lacked. When Noah patriarch, of being the one from whom God’s special heard of God’s decree to destroy the earth, he nation would descend? obediently constructed an ark, but he did not try to avert the disaster by reaching out to the people or by The Midrash answers by clarifying that although praying to God. And for this reason, God forced him Noah was a Sadik, he paled in comparison with to spend the months of the flood in an ark together Abraham Abinu. He was a Sadik in his time, but with all the animals, bearing the unfathomable burden would not be considered much of a Sadik in of caring for and feeding them all. He needed to Abraham’s time. learn this lesson of looking beyond himself and working on behalf of others. What is the precise difference between Abraham and Noah? What quality did Abraham possess that Noah The Mishna in Pirkeh Abot teaches, “Im Lamadeta did not, on account of which Abraham was chosen to Torah Harbeh Al Tahazik Toba Le’asmecha, Ki father God’s special nation, but not Noah? Lechach Nosarta.” This is commonly translated as, “If you studied a lot of Torah, do not pride yourself, for The difference between Abraham and Noah is the this is why you were created”. But this passage may difference between two people’s reactions to also be read to mean, “If you studied a lot of Torah, uncomfortably cold temperatures in a room: one do not retain the goodness for yourself – for this is person puts on a fur coat to stay warm, and the other why you were created”. We must not keep our raises the thermostat so that everyone in the room accomplishments in Torah to ourselves. Certainly, would be comfortable. we need to spend time in Yeshiva studying, growing, accumulating knowledge, and fortifying ourselves Noah was a “fur coat Sadik”. He kept himself and his spiritually. But then, “Al Tahazik Toba Le’asmecha”– family safe from the sinfulness and corruption that we mustn’t keep it to ourselves. We were created to swept the world at the time, but he did not work to advance the world, not just ourselves. And we help the other people of his generation. Noah spent therefore bear the responsibility to “share the wealth” 120 years building the ark, and yet not one person and work to disseminate the Torah we have studied, changed during that period; not one more passenger rather than feel content with what we ourselves have was added to the ark. Noah did not get involved achieved. trying to teach and improve the people, and he did not pray to God to annul the decree. He saved Every knowledgeable Jew can and must get involved himself and his family, but nobody else. in outreach. We all have Torah knowledge and values to share. Rather than cloister ourselves in an Abraham Abinu was different. The Torah (Bereshit ark like Noah, we must follow the example of 12:5) speaks of the people whom Abraham and Sara Abraham and work to spread Torah. Needless to say, “made” (“Ve’et Ha’nefesh Asher Asu Be’Haran”). we must put in the time to develop ourselves. But They expended great efforts to disseminate the truth this is not where it ends. The more we develop about God, to bring people to the recognition of the ourselves, the more we are able and obliged to work one true Creator. In a pagan world, Abraham did not to develop others, doing our share and fulfilling our isolate himself. He went out to teach and instruct. obligation as the descendants of Abraham Abinu to And he also prayed on the people’s behalf. Had he make the world a better and more Godly place. lived in Noah’s time, he would have worked to teach the people to change their conduct. And if God had Parts of this newsletter are courtesy of Project Genesis: Torah on appeared to him and told him of His plans to destroy the Information Superhighway. Permission is granted to redistribute, but please give proper attribution and copyright to the the earth, Abraham would have prayed – just as he author and Project Genesis, and refer to [email protected] and prayed on behalf of the condemned city of Sedom. http://www.torah.org/ . Both the authors and Project Genesis reserve certain rights. For full information on copyrights, send And this is why specifically Abraham was chosen to email to [email protected]. be the father of God’s special nation – because he Shabbat Shalom From Cyberspace E Mail Edition is published not only built himself, but also worked to build those each week since 1995 and is distributed to 18,000 readers. Our around him. He did not seclude himself in the Bet goal is to spread torah knowledge. Articles are downloaded from Midrash without concern for the world around him. sites and from e-mail forwarded to us. We encourage you to reprint the newsletter and distribute it to co-workers, friends and He felt a responsibility for not only himself and his family. You can retransmit copies by fax, mail or by hand.

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