בס"ד קול תורה Parashat Noach 5 Cheshvan 5781 October 23, 2020 Vol. 30 No. 6 Noach’s Ark and the Ark of the Covenant “VeAsu Li Mikdash VeShachanti BeTocham,” “And make for me a Mikdash and I will dwell in them” (Shemot By Rabbi Yosef Adler 25:8). Shlomo HaMelech is puzzled as to how HaKadosh Parashat Noach begins with a detailed Baruch Hu can be contained in this world, let alone in a description of the crafting of the Teivah. Its length is to building. However, Chazal state that Hashem engaged be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its in the Middah of Tzimtzum, contraction. He contracts to height thirty cubits. The only other structure which the meet mankind. Similarly, Noah’s ark is designed as a Torah describes in such detail is the Mishkan and its meeting place between man and the divine. utensils. The Aron Kodesh was to be two and a half Nevertheless, it is man here who contracts to meet the cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a divine. half high. An additional comparison exists by the phrase Ideally, it is man who spreads out over the four MiBayit U’MiChutz, from inside and out., which corners of the world and does not limit himself to an describes how these instruments were covered; the Ark. Therefore, Noah’s ark has a door to let people in Teivah with pitch and the Aron Kodesh with gold. Even and out so that this small sample of humanity will soon the word VeChafarta, and you shall cover, is found in populate the entire world. Contrastingly, the Aron both locations. Moreover, both the Teivah and the Aron Kodesh was to house the Luchot, the word of Hashem, Kodesh are covered with unique structures. The Teivah which is to never be removed. had a window or a diamond as a cover (see Rashi During these difficult times, we see ourselves BeReishit 6:16 s.v. Tzohar for both possibilities), and the locked up in our own ark. Through our commitment to Aron Kodesh has the two cherubs placed on its cover. Torah and Chesed, we hope that our ark represents not Likewise, both structures are made of Atzei, wood, the ark of Noah but rather the holy ark of the Mishkan. which is a word that is only used to describe the Teivah and the Aron Kodesh. Furthermore, the rain during the MiMaamakim We Must Call out By Ezra Luber (’21) Mabul fell for forty days and nights just as Moshe Rabbeinu remained on the mountain for forty days and One of the most well known commentaries of nights prior to beginning the construction of the Rashi is found on the first Pasuk of this week's Parashah. Mishkan. Thus there is a clear comparison between the The Pasuk states ‘’Eileh Toledot Noach, Noach Ish Tzaddik Teivah and the Aron Kodesh; however, one is left to Tamim Hayah BeDorotav’’, ‘’This is the line of Noah.— wonder how this parallel can be explained. Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; I would like to share with you an idea developed Noah walked with God’’ (BeReishit 6:9). Rashi asks what by Rav Amnon Bazak, one of Yeshivat Gush Etzion’s it means in stating “Dorotav?” He cites two approaches Tanach “gurus.” He argues that the Teivah and Aron to answer this question: First, he states that due to the Kodesh share the characteristic of being a meeting place fact that Noach's generation was so bad, if he were in between Hashem and man. Avraham's generation he would have been an even The Torah writes on the building of the Mishkan, better individual. However, Rashi presents a second opinion that if Noach had been in a better generation like Avraham's he would have been just an average Kol Torah is a community wide publication that relies on person, and nothing special. generous donations from our friends and family in the community for its continuous existence. To sponsor an issue in Rav Yosef Yozel Horwitz, the Alter of Novardok, memory of a loved one, in honor of a joyous occasion, or for a has a beautiful interpretation of this Rashi. He explains Refu’ah Sheleimah, please contact: [email protected] that what propelled Noach to be great is the fact that he K saw all of the people in his generation being so The Normal Force weak, so it changed him to be great, but if he By Asher Rauzman (’21) O would have been in Avraham's generation he L would have been satisfied with being average. In this week's Parashah, after the devastating flood, we This can also explain what happens to Noach at the learn of Hashem's promise to Himself and Noach that end of the Parashah. The Pasuk records that Noach He will never again bring a flood like the one He just T had three sons, and they branched out throughout brought: “Ad Kol Yemei HaAretz Zera VeKatzir VeKor the world. ThenNoach built a vineyard, and VeCham VeKayitz VeChoref VeYom VeLaila VeLo Yishbotu” - O became intoxicated. “So long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, R People often get drunk in a group setting, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall and if not in a group setting drinking is often an not cease” (BeReishit 8:22). On the surface, this Pasuk A escape from one’s troubles, or of one’s current seems to state that as long as the earth does its job, which situation. Perhaps Rav Horwitz’s answer can it previously failed to do, everything shall remain H explain Noach’s actions. Noach became intoxicated normal. Logically, if the only way for the earth to remain after the world branched out from him. It is normal, and have things like the summer and the winter, possible that Noach drank to intoxication because it is only if people do their jobs. Since the flood was P he saw the world around him developing and brought, we can understand that people were not doing A improving, and he thought he was no longer of their jobs. Therefore, this Pasuk seems to imply that, up worth or importance. This sobering thought could until now, the earth was not functioning correctly. R have led him to look for an outlet from this reality, Seforno subscribes to this approach. He writes A planting the vineyard, and leading to his excessive that up until the flood, nature was not “normal”. In fact, drinking. the populated places on the earth had only one season: S Noach was looking for an outlet from the Spring. It was never too cold, nor too hot. He also writes new world in which he lived, and like some, he that age expectancy was entirely different at the time. H looked for that outlet in alcohol, rather than And while Sforno does not address how aging worked, A incorporating Hashem in his life. While there is no he notes that, at the time, someone who died after (only) doubt that Noach followed God, and was a faithful a hundred years was considered an adolescent. Rashi T servant of Hashem, he was not on the level of focuses on a different aspect of this. He writes that Avraham or our other forefathers. Noach lacked during the flood itself, the earth itself was so the ability to go out of his way to find Hashem. overwhelmed with extra water, that it could not operate N When others were committing awful acts (e.g. normally. We learned previously that “VeArubot stealing and Arayot) it was easy for Noach to see HaShamayim Niftachu”- “the floodgates of heaven were O that it was not right, and not to follow them. opened” (BeReishit 7:11). Because of the vast quantities A However when it became less clear what people of water on the planet, Rashi writes that night and day were doing wrong, it became harder for Noach to were indistinguishable. Therefore, according to both C cling to Hashem, and, instead, he looked for other opinions, Hashem did need to specify that if the earth H means of self gratification and activity. and the people in it did what they were supposed to, This could be why Noach is not a nature would function normally. forefather. We must turn to Hashem when we are The Da`at Zekeinim writes that from Hashem's facing difficult situations. Although it is sometimes promise and on, the earth will become more or less easier to turn to alcohol or other bad habits to hide predictable. Single annual seasons will no longer exist, our problems, ultimately the best and most but a gradual change in temperature and weather across rewarding this to do is turn to Hashem and rely on the globe will replace them. Night and day will also be Him, thereby fostering a relationship with Him in known and defined, give or take a few hours. He writes all times and circumstances. that the people of the world before the flood undoubtedly did not recognize their blessings. They did not realize that there could come a day when they would need to bundle up in coats and scarves, had they been Lechi in a Reshut HaYachid ק alive. The concern is that the eaves create Halachic In late February, if someone would have told me walls through the concept of Pi Tikra Yoreid ו that I would not be able to see anyone's mouth in school, VeSoteim, that the lip of the roof (in our case, the as it would be covered in a light blue mask, or that it eaves) extends to the ground and creates a halachic ל would be significantly more difficult for teachers to wall.