Shalom Friends;
Our Parshat Noach vort is being sponsored by Dov and Bracha Moses of Ramat Beit Shemesh who dedicate this vort Lilui Nishmas for Dov’s Father, Avraham ben Chaim Mordechai, z”l, Lilui Nishmas Dovid ben Shlomo, z”l, Lilui Nishmas Chaya Perel bat Chayim Mordechai, z”l, and Refuah Sheima for Alta Leah bat Rivka and for Shmuel ben Rivka.as well as dedicated for the safety of the Chayalim and their return home whole physically, mentally and spiritually as well as and for the liberation of all remaining hostages and for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Moses family, many thanks for your sponsorship and your continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring (or as the case may be, co-sponsoring) a Parshat HaShavua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShavua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
Subscribe to the Israel and the Sin of Expulsion blog, to ask questions or to sponsor a Parsha Vort at: olehchadash@yahoo.com
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Early into our Parshat No’ach, Torah tells;
“Now the earth had become corrupt before Hashem; and the earth had become filled with robbery [hamas]. And Hashem saw the earth and behold it was corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon earth. Hashem said to No’ach, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with robbery through them; and behold, I am about to destroy them from the earth. Make for yourself an Ark [Teva] of gopher wood; make the Ark with compartments, and tar it inside and out with pitch.'” (Sefer Breish’t, Perek 6, posukim 11-14 as rendered to English in The Sapirstein Edition, The Torah with Rashi Commentary)
Rabbi Dovid Feinstein provides a commentary on Sefer Breish’t, Perek 6, posuk 11 in his Sefer “Kol Dodi which seems a poignant parallel with many of the events we have witnessed in current years (pages 28 – 29) :
The wording of the verse, “corrupt before Hashem,” implies that only in Hashem’s eyes was the world corrupt; in the eyes of man, seemingly, everything was proper.
The Sages taught [Rabbi Feinstein citing Sanhedrin 57a] that the root [shichat], corrupt, always refers to immorality and idolatry. In human terms, it is easy to imagine that these are not crimes at all. Who is hurt when someone worships an idol? Who is affected by the “private” lives of consenting individuals, even if they are… forbidden to each other by the Torah? Surely the people thought of these as “individual” matters which would never lead to real crime.
Hashem knows otherwise. Thus the verse continues, “and the earth became filled with violence.” In the end violence erupted into the public’s attention in a way no one could deny. Finally, it became clear that what seemed like harmless and private acts had led to a situation out of human control. The signs were present all along, but only Hashem knew what was happening.
If the sins of the generation had remained purely “private” ones, sins between man and Hashem, the world would have remained a viable place and would not have deserved the almost total destruction visited upon it. However, Hashem, in His supreme wisdom knows that such transgressions of His Law will always produce the bitter fruits of injustice and violence.
…Sins that appear to be purely “private” do not remain that way forever. Eventually, the attitude they create breaks out into the open and leads to a climate of anarchy, about which the Sages warned [Rabbi Feinstein citing Pirkei Avos 3:2], “Were it not for fear [of the government], a person would swallow his fellow alive.”
Note: Rabbi Chaim Zev Malinowitz, z”l, cited this same Pirkei Avos [in his Chovos Halevovos shiur years ago] saying:
“Chazal tell us in Pirkei Avos that if not for the fear of punishment from a governing body, civilization as we know it would collapse into chaos.”
To this author, Rabbi Feinstein’s commentary and analysis of the era in which Noach and his family found themselves rings true of our times. Below are just a few possible parallels.
Consider that the so-called liberal progressive ideology of wokeism, aka same-genderism (this suthor’s polite term for — you know what), was once shunned (adjective: avoided by people out of dislike, mistrust, disapproval, etc.),
abhorred (adjective: regarded with extreme disgust or hatred; detested; loathed), and in fact was outlawed in nations throughout the world, now is considered normal in our days. Indeed, there are even cabinet or minister-level governmental office holders throughout the nations, and in Israel too, who practice this woke, same-gender ideology. This liberal, progressive, “woke” ideology has manifested itself in the violent assassination attempts on the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of Israel, a prominent Iaraeli Cabinet Minister, as well as the assassination of an internationally renowned activist voice for young Conservatives and avid supporter of Israel.
And consider how, In Israel, those of the above ideology, both among the political and segments of the people, would refuse efforts to reform our judicial system which would have brought the judiciary to be representative of the people, more righteous in judgement rather than the current situation where unrepresentative attorneys groups appoint judges at all levels.
Consider how world-wide wokeism has connected with, and supported murderous Islamic terrorist animals by rioting, often violently against Jews and Israel in universities, in the streets and Jewish businesses throughout the world. These Islamic Jihadists violently and viciously attacked and burned hundreds of Jews while taking over 250 hostages, keeping them in the most abominable conditions while torturing and starving them.
And consider the International Red Cross, who repeated their utter neglect of the hostages, just as they lifted nary a finger to check on conditions and help Jews during the Sho’a.
Consider the disparagement, by factions of the people and their political backers, of Torah Scholars, students and their spiritual roles which contribute, on higher, spiritual levels, toward winning our Melchemet Shel Torah for the Land of Israel and more.
Israel’s current victory-oriented strategies in Gaza and attacks in Iran which demolished much of their nuclear facilities, scientists, military leadership, ballistic missiles and ballistic missile manufacturing facilities exemplify positive changes resulting from the appointments of a new defense minister and foreign minister. The pre-emptive actions against Iran are nothing short of miraculous, B’Yad Hashem.
May our government and military bring about the total and complete, Final and Decisive victory over Hamas, their 7 October so-called “civilians(sic)” collaborators and the entire terror cabal, B’Yad Hashem, and become Totally self-sufficient as to manufacture of military equipment and aircraft, weaponry, munitions — heavy munitions, as well as showing independence of actions responding to any threat, regardless of so-called “super powers.”
May we see, from here on, that border guard personnel at all points of possible danger are listened to and treated with respect and dignity. May we see our Chayalim totally eradicate Hamas, Islamic Jihad, those so-called “civilians(sic)” who collaborated on 7 October, as well as Hezbollah, the Houthies, the Mullahs of Iran and all their terror accomplices while liberating all remaining hostages, B’Yad Hashem and mandated by a government secure in it’s foremost service of, and emunah in HaKadosh Borchu, B’Ezrat Hashem! And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael. May these words come to fruition B’Esrat Hashem.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif e permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his fifth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. May the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, the recent recovery of the remains of Tzvi Feldman as well as the recovery of the remains of Oron Shaul as should the remains of the other chayal from the Gaza War of ten years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we see, in 5785, the REAL Jews from the Ukraine and Russia as well as the US and Canada, the real Jews via matrilineal descent, make Aliyah enmass — via thorough review by Misrad HaPanim. And may we soon and finally see the total end to the Communist Chinese Wuhan Lab corona virus pandemic and all like viruses and variants. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
Good Shabbos!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Moshe is available for editing of English language documents, articles, manuscripts and more. Please be in contact with him at olehchadash@yahoo.com for your English language needs.
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