Shalom Friends;
Our Parshat No’ach vort is being sponsored by Matt and Ilana Bornstein and family of Ramat Beit Shemesh who dedicate this vort.in honor Rav David shlit”a for all of his tefillos and drashos over all of Ellul and Tishrei. Also in honor of our beloved Kohein, Moshe Burt, in appreciation of his commitment to limud Torah and for the safety of the Chayalim, as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Bornstein 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 Hershel Reichman cites Shem Mishmuel in his Sefer, “Living the Chassidic Legacy: Lessons Based on Shem Mishmuel” (pages 19 – 22) :
he Midrash [Shemot Rabba 30] expounds:
“A king establishes a just society” — this refers to Israel, as the verse states, “You shall be a kingdom of priests.” [Rabbi Reichman citing Shemot, Perek 19, posuk 6] “The haughty person destroys it” — this refers to the Generation of the Mabul [Flood].
Said Rav Acha: Hashem wanted to give four things to the Generation of the Mabul: 1) Torah, 2) yisurim — suffering, 3) avodat hakorbanot — the service of offerings, and 4) tefillah — prayer. But they did not want them, and this is why they were destroyed.
The Shem Mishmuel explains this Midrash based upon the writings of the Ari HaKodesh, the father of modern Kabbalah. The original sin of Adam and Chava contained within it the souls of all people who were destined to live on the earth. Their universal soul had a pure character and was meant to produce people of the same kind — pure of spirit. But when Adam and Chava ate from the Eitz Hada’at, the tree that mixes good and evil together, this universal soul lost its fundamental purity and unity. The fruit of the Eitz Hada’at introduced a mixture of good and evil into their soul. Hashem wanted humanity to be pure; when Hashem created people, He wanted life to be simple, not full of conflicting impulses and temptations. But as a result of the sin of Adam and Chava, impulses that drive a person into internal conflict became an integral part of the human experience.
As a result of Adam’s and Chava’s sin, the impulses and temptations which Rabbi Reichman cites from the Shem Mishmuel, as explained above, took hold in man in extreme ways, such that Hashem had to take action.
Returning to Rabbi Reichman (ibid) :
Had Adam and Chava not sinned, the purpose of the world would have been different. And in the future, when Moshiach comes, Hashem will cleanse people of their evil side, and we will go back to serving him as originally intended in Gan Eden. Until then, life is a mortal struggle between good and evil sides.
The four gifts that Hashem offered to the Generation of the Mabul [Torah, suffering, the service of offerings, and prayer] are the means of achieving the purification and rectification of humanity. These gifts help mankind regain the purity of their souls.
But once they refused the gifts, their evil side overrode their good side to such an extent that Hashem had to destroy them and the world.
No’ach was a Tzaddik [Rabbi Reichman citing Sefer Breish’t, Perek 6, posuk 9]. However, he was not enough of a tzadddik to save the world; he alone was spared. Hashem wanted him [No’ach] to start humanity anew, and he would father a new mankind that would start again, and Hashem would see if mankind could purge itself of the Eitz Hada’at. This was the opportunity of the generations after the Mabul.
Rabbi Shmuel Goldin asks these pertinent questions in our Parshat No’ach in his Sefer, “Unlocking the Torah Text” (pages 37 – 39) :
How are we to understand the concept of trial and error as applied to Hashem’s Creation of the world? Why does a perfect Supreme Being create two societies that He then felt compelled to destroy? How could Hashem regret the creation of man when He knew from the outset that man was destined to sin?
Hashem creates a world based on free will, and the existence of free will is predicated on the possibility of human failure. Hashem knows from the very beginning that man will sin, but He does not interfere. He, instead, retreats to allow man room to succeed or fail on his own.
Granted free will, civilization, in its infancy, stumbles and falls.
While the generation of the flood was, according to tradition. guilty of a multitude of heinous crimes [Rabbi Goldin citing Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 108a], the sin that actually sealed the fate of that society was hamas, violent theft. [Rabbi Goldin citing Sefer Breish’t, Perek 6, posuk 13]
Rabbi Dovid Feinstein. z”l provides additional commentary on Sefer Breish’t, Perek 6, posuk 11 in his Sefer “Kol Dodi (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.” [Rabbi Feinstein rendering to English Sefer Breish’t, Perek 6, posuk 11] 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 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.”
Back to Rabbi Reichman (“Living the Chassidic Legacy: Lessons Based on Shem Mishmuel,” pages 19 – 22) :
After the Mabul, Hashem gave humanity a tremendous capacity to build. This led to the project of Migdal Bavel, the Tower of Babel. Together and united, many people participated in this building. They wanted to build up to the sky, into the heavens. Unfortunately, they used this building for wickedness. When people gather together in one area and pool their strengths and talents, they possess a powerful potential — for good or for evil. Even though they had a great reservoir for goodness, they refused to access it. Hashem stopped their project [which] became the Dor Haflagah, the Generation of Dispersion, and He dispersed them to the four corners of the earth. [Rabbi Reichman citing Sefer Breish’t, Perek 10, posuk 9]
Torah relates:
“Hashem descended to see the city and tower which the sons of man had built, and Hashem said; ‘Behold, one people, and there is one language for all of them, and this they begin to do? And now, should it not be withheld from them all they proposed to do? Come, let us descend and there confuse their language, that they would not understand each other’s language.'” [Sefer Breish’t, Perek 11, posukim 3 – 7 as rendered to English in The Sapirstein Edition, The Torah with Rashi Commentary]
Referring back to Rabbi Goldin’s Sefer, “Unlocking the Torah Text” (pages 39 – 41) :
Many suggest that the tower was built as a direct attack upon Hashem’s authority. [Rabbi Goldin citing Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 109a; Rashi on Sefer Breish’t, Perek 11, posuk 1] Others maintain that the sin of the generation lay in their attempt to stay together in one place as one people instead of populating the world in fulfillment of Hashem’s command. [Rabbi Goldin citing Rabbeinu Bachya on Sefer Breish’t, Perek 11, posuk 4; Ohr HaChaim on Sefer Breish’t, Perek 11, posuk 1] …Others suggest that the people of the time were simply trying to protect themselves from a calamity similar to the flood of No’ach’s era [believing that once every 1656 years, Hashem would again visit destruction upon the world]. According to this interpretation, the builders of the tower ignored the moral lessons of the flood. (Rabbi Goldin citing Midrash Rabbah Breish’t 38:6; Rashi on on Sefer Breish’t, Perek 11, posuk 1)
The ultimate punishments inflicted by Hashem upon each of these generations perfectly fit their crimes. The generation of No’ach, which was marked by individual greed and corruption, could only be addressed through total destruction [of all, but No’ach and his family].
When it came to the builders of Migdal Bavel, the problem was with society, not the individuals, In this case, only the society was destroyed [by way of confusing their language and dispersing the people over the earth].
To this author, these commentaries and analysis of the era of Noach and his family and the Mabul, as well as the era of Migdal Bavel seem poignant parallels with many of the events we have witnessed in current years. Below are just a few possible parallels.
Consider that the so-called liberal progressive ideology of wokeism, aka same-genderism (this author’s polite term for — you know what), which was once both shunned (adjective: avoided by people out of dislike, mistrust, disapproval, etc.), abhorred (adjective: regarded with extreme disgust or hatred; detested; loathed), and in fact, outlawed in nations throughout the world. Now it 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 same-gender ideology. This liberal, progressive, “woke” ideology has manifested itself in the violent assassination attempts on the President of the United States, foiled attempts on the Prime Minister of Israel and 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 we see a number of former American “conservative” commentators, now flush with Qatarian funding, turned isolationist, and blood-libelist anti-semites.
And consider how, in Israel, those of the liberal, progressive ideology, both among the factional political leaders and segments of the people, who nix 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. And then there are certain factional secular political parties and segments of the people who cling to ideology of a “PA state” in Biblical Israel (read: Yehuda, the Shomron, etc.), and who, even after seventy-eight years, still see the religious, as well as all who cleave to Eretz Yisrael, as usurpers, dating back to sinking of the Altalena.
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. Not to mention the major bank-rollers of terror — The Ayatolah/IRGC of Iran who have slaughtered 100,000 Iranian protestors according to a recent disclosure by President Trump.
Consider the disparagement and harassment by factions of the people and their political backers here in Israel, as well as arrests by liberal, progressive, secular military high command echelons, regarding the draft of religious young men, while deliberately putting those who do enlist in Halachic improper mixed-gender situations. Torah Scholars — students whose spiritual roles contribute, on higher, spiritual levels, just as Chayalim, toward winning our Melchemet Shel Torah for the Land of Israel.
May we see that our government and military bring about the total and complete, Final and Decisive victory over Hamas, their 7 October so-called “civilians(sic)” collaborators, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the entire Islamic terror cabal in Iran, B’Yad Hashem, and to 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 it be in the coming year, and always thereafter, that our leadership — governing, judiciary and IDF high command echelons, as well as kol Am Yisrael be devoid of false, fraudulent conceptions and ideologies, as well as political agendas, and endeavor to achieve a faithfulness and consistency in our avodah — both V’Ahavtah L’Arecha Kamocha, as One, and in our Service of Hashem, B’Ezrat Hashem
May we see in the coming year, and always thereafter, a government of Israel, military high echelons, judiciary, as well as Kol Am Yisrael 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’Ezrat Hashem.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be 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 sixth 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. Baruch Hashem that another of the MIAs have been liberated 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 recoveries of the remains of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin from the Gaza War of ten years ago, and now, Yehuda Katz. There is still one MIA to be recovered, Ron Arad. 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 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!!!
Chodesh Tov and 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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