 Why was the rainbow chosen as a symbol of peace between G-d and mankind?
G-d said, “When I brought the flood, my bow was drawn against man.” The rainbow resembles a reverse bow, signifying that there shall be no more arrows from heaven sent to destroy humanity.
G-d commanded Noach- P’ru u’rivu – be fruitful and multiply. However, Noach was discouraged after leaving the ark and seeing the devastation. The rainbow is a reassurance along with a statement in the Shema that “you and your children will live long on the land that I swore to your fathers.” You will live long without another flood.
In the time of King Chizkiyahu and of the Men Of The Great Assembly (which includes Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai), the Jews reached a very high level of spirituality and righteousness. (In Chizkiyahu’s time, even little children were well-versed in complicated halachic matters.) These two generations did not need the reassurance of the rainbow or the covenant which it represented, since their great merits protected them.
It is a custom in Israel and in some neighborhoods in the New York area that the children carry bows on Lag Ba’omer. The reason is to commemorate Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, in whose generation, no rainbow was seen. (Note that in Hebrew the words “bow” and “rainbow” are the same – KESHET.) The positive message is that we should strive for perfection. In many communities, the Zohar is read on a person’s yartzeit. The portion in the Zohar which we read describes the death of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. It describes him passing away SHALEM whole. SHALEM and SHALOM – peace are from the same root. We pray that the deceased passed away fulfilled his whole being and peace. It’s the antithesis of the generation of the flood, where there was no peace.
It is forbidden to stare at the rainbow because G-d’s presence is in it. However, it is proper to glance at it and recite the blessing, reminding ourselves of the promise that G-d will not to bring destruction despite our sins.
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Tag Archive for Parashat Noach
Sticks and Snakes
Rabbi Oelbaum asks a question about a very famous but peculiar incident between G-d and Moshe (the greatest leader in Jewish history) in their earliest meeting:
Why did G-d ask Moshe to throw down his stick? It turned into a snake. Then He asked him to grab it by its tail, where then it turned back into a stick. What the purpose of all that? What a way to introduce yourself!
Was He training Moshe to do magic tricks? Shame there were no rabbits and a top hat around.
This was the same stick that Adam had in the garden of Eden. The stick was passed down through the generations. Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaacov all possessed it. Yaccov brought it down to Egypt who later on gave it to his son Yosef. After Yosef died, the Egyptians ransacked Yosef’s house and it ended up in in Pharoh’s palace where it made its way mysteriously to the possession of Yitro (Pharoh’s adviser). It was stuck in the ground, unattainable, in Yitro’s property until Moshe came and pulled it out. In order to understand the answer fully lets bring this example:
King Solomon, the smartest man that ever lived
Shlomo wanted to understand where the demons get their power. Through his intelligence and ingenuity he managed to capture the head demon, Ashmadai, who said “Let go of me and I’ll reveal to you my secret”. Shlomo did just that but Ashmadai proved to be too clever for the smartest man who ever lived and turned the tables on Shlomo. He over powered the king and threw him half way across the world. Demons’ powers are based on imagination. Ashmadai assumed the role, the identity of king Shlomo. When Shlomo informed people his identity they laughed. “You? The king? Ha! You’re just some homeless begger”. No one believed him. The Sages describe Shlomo’s uphill battle back to the throne. First he was “sholet al maklo”- he had control of his stick. He took small steps and slowly began to take control of his life.
When G-d approached Moshe he wanted to teach him an important lesson in life. “You, Moshe have a stick in your hand, a holy stick, one that has been passed down for generations. If you let go of the stick; if you lose control, then the stick, the holiness, the tradition, the Torah, your essence, will turn into a snake. The snake is the embodiment of evil; it’s the ultimate negative force. However, if you hold on, if you grab control of your life, you can turn a bad situation into something positive.”
We started a new year and G-d willing we should all have a happy and sweet year. We have to remember, though, life can be tough.
Tragedy can affect our behavior, our ability to function, and our overall sense of well-being. The intensity and ways we express our reactions will vary depending on our personal experience, general mental health, other stress factors in our lives, our coping style, our ability to self-monitor our emotional state, and our support network. Perhaps if we know who’s pulling the strings, if we understand we are not fully in control of our vehicle, then we will be able to cope with life.
Noach’s Ark
WHY THE DELAY IN HAVING KIDS? THIS PERIOD WAS A BABY BOOM TIME!!!
‘And Noach was five hundred years old when he gave birth to Shem. Cham and Yafet’ (Berashit 5:32) Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz quotes Rashi (main commentary on the Bible) in the Medrash (book explaining the Bible) and asks a question “Why did Noach have kids so late?” The average age in that time period to have children was at one hundred. Did he have infertility problems? Why did G-d hold back?
G-d said, if Noach’s children will turn out bad then they will drown like the rest of mankind, and if they’ll be righteous then they will burden their father by building more ships. For this reason, G-d waited five hundred years for Noach to have children, preventing Shem, Cham, and Yafet from confronting that scenario.
Rav Chaim asks a very obvious question on this Medrash. It’s understandable a degenerate society can corrupt and influence. Therefore, one would not want his child to associate or ‘be around’ them. So out of protection to minimize the damage, G-d delayed the arrival of the children. However, if the children were able to be strong in their belief in G-d and persevere, why would that be a burden to build more ships? On the contrary, every father dreams and wants his child to follow in his footsteps at any cost. He should be happy that his sons want to build more ships and follow G-d’s command. Furthermore, we learn later on by Abraham how painful it was for him not to have children. So is it worth it to put someone in anguish by preventing him not to have kids just because not to burden him of building more ships?
Rav Chaim introduces us to a concept in the Torah with the help of these two examples. Elisha the prophet was Eliyahu’s student (the famous Eliyahu Hanavi who was given the power by G-d to revive the dead.) Rav Chaim points out something astonishing in which Elisha instructed Gichazi, his assistant, to take the prophet’s stick and give life to someone.
Apparently, one can transfer power to an inanimate object, and furthermore a second party can do the task.
We find Chana, the prophetess, sewed a coat for her little boy, Shmuel, which he wore all his life. He did not separate from this coat till the day of his death at old age. The sages say that the coat grew with him. What was so special about the coat?
It was essential for Shmuel the Prophet to wear this coat because it enhanced his spiritual state to great heights. Chana, his mother, who had tremendous love for G-d and the nation of Israel, sewed the coat and put her heart and soul into every stitch. These strong feelings were transferred to Shmuel by wearing the coat and enabled him to have such tremendous dedication to G-d that the scripture equates the Prophet Shmuel to Moshe and Aharon, the leaders who led us out of Egypt.
Furthermore, astonishingly, we find in the Torah (Shemot 20:23) that the altar in the temple should only be built by stone and not metal (steel) because the latter connotes weaponry. This is quite the opposite of what the Temple stands for – peace, tranquility and kindness. The altar is meant to increase one’s life and not the opposite, which metal (swords, knives) represents. When we were fortunate to have the altar in the Temple, we could use it to atone for our sins. Today the Shabbat table replaces that symbol where the kindness (inviting guests) and love (that we show to our family) atones for our sins. For this reason there are some communities that remove all utensils before one recites the bircat hamazone – grace after mealBut the question is asked, that if swords don’t kill, people do, why is the inanimate object implicated as well?
Rav Chaim seems to be implying that it goes beyond the concept of ‘association’. There are negative and positive forces that we create which penetrate the object. It is interesting to note that ‘the hot hand’ is definitely applicable today. Many years ago when I began my career in the colored stone business, my father took me on a buying trip to Bangkok, Thailand. I noticed my father buying rubies from a particular vendor even though he was more expensive than the guy down the block. I asked, “Hey Pop, why are you buying from him? He’s more expensive.” He answered, “I have a bracha with this vendor even though he’s at a higher price, I will sell it, whereas the other vendor, even though it’s a great deal, I’ll have a hard time moving it.”
Getting back to Noach, the scripture mentions ‘Noach found favor in G-d’s eyes’; that he, and only he was to be the redeemer. Although his sons might have been tzadikim in their own right, it was Noach who had the power. It was he who had to toil and work for 120 years. All his efforts will penetrate the ark and make it the vehicle to the new frontier. Rav Chaim teaches us that the concept of influencing materials in this world is not just on a physical level but on a spiritual one as well. This gives credence to the idea of a “magic wand”!!!!
The Torah hints through the scriptures that man had such an influence on nature during Noach’s time that the animals behaved in a degenerate way like humans. The animals were cross breeding with other animals similarly like man decadent lifestyle. For this reason the animals had to be destroyed along with mankind.
Why man has such an influence on the world?
G-d created the animals in one instant. In contrast mans creation was a process.
Why the difference between the creation of the two?
The first hour G-d thought about creating man; the second hour he asked the angels their opinion. We learn even though one thinks he’s the greatest, he should always ask advice. The third hour G-d gathered dirt from the four corners of the earth. The fourth hour He gathered all the materials together; The 5th hour He created the body; the 6th created a golem, a walking body; on the 7th, man was able to speak – He instilled a neshama-soul.
The way G-d created man is the way man can manipulate and influence on the world. He can take an object, a chair, a table, or an animal, and gradually elevate it to spiritual heights. We see this concept performed daily by reciting a bracha on a certain food. The piece of food is then elevated by the recitation.
The Zohar says we are movers and shakers; we are constantly increasing and decreasing spirituality around us. Unfortunatly the opposite holds true as well. We have the power to infuse the world with kedusha, and Tumah (evil) as well.
Road Rage
This past year, there were 1500 injuries and 400 serious injuries from road rage; some of which caused fatalities. It’s strange, but it seems like no one is immune to this increasing phenomena; even yours truly. I remember one morning last summer, while I was driving, a speeding vehicle buzzed past my car and the driver screamed, ‘Jew!!’ It was unexpected, so I jumped. Obviously, the driver’s intention was to purely shock and agitate me, and he accomplished his mission. What was surprising about the incident was my reaction. Instinctively, I was about to press on the acceleration pedal and ram my old jalopy 1996 Toyota Camry into him. Those brief moments were filled with all the emotions of startled surprise to rage. All I could think was “How dare you!!”. Seconds later, I came to my senses realizing I have a kippa on my head and I have to live up to a certain dignified standard. Also, why would I want this low-life in my life for any extended period; the few seconds that he was in view was enough. I hope with G-d’s help to never see him again. Lastly, I have a busy life as is, so I don’t need the headaches.
But to think, the scariest and most disappointing notion is that for those few seconds, I was tempted to violently react in the most horrific way. I was going to use the car, a vehicle that has helped transport my family and I to many productive functions, as a weapon of destruction. For those brief moments, I was not in control. I can’t help but think that if the scenario was slightly different and he would have agitated me a bit longer or if I had a rough morning before, would I have acted on those initial impulses?
What is it about driving that transforms mild-mannered, nice people into rash road-rage racers? I know many of these people. In real life, they are courteous, responsible and family oriented, I guess like myself! On the road they mutate into monsters. How? I think it has to do with the feeling of control. Take the wheel and you assume control. You direct and your car obeys. You choose the route, destination, travel time, speed and driving style. This is your journey. What you haven’t necessarily considered is that you don’t control the traffic volumes, the red lights, the drivers next to you or ahead of you. You actually control very little of the journey. When it doesn’t go as expected, you get upset, angry or even aggressive. And all because you thought you were in control. Interesting insight into life, this road rage is. Believe you’re in control and you’re bound to be frustrated; perhaps pseudo-control is the best description. Accept that there will always be variables outside of your control, and that your job is to know how to respond to them, and you will remain calm…and happy.
USE THE KIPPA AS A TOOL TO HELP ONE NOT TO OVER REACT OR……
Understandably, a kippa, which I obviously wore at the road rage incident, is a tool. It reminds oneself about the pride of being a Jewish mench (odam) and the ability we possess for self-restrain. With it, we have to adhere to a higher standard of behavior. We won’t let our emotions get the better of us. After all, this is one of the primary lessons we learn in Yeshiva – control your mind over emotions. I know many who take off their kippa’s in order to not have to live up to those standards. They want to behave in a decadent way, at least for the evening night out. “I’m on vacation from being civil”.
Although wearing a kippa brings out the best behavior in an individual, at times it can put us in a difficult predicament. Let’s take our example; when one wears a kippa and as a result is being singled out because of his “Jewishness”, does he fight back against anti-Semitism? What about protecting our pride and the pride of our people? Should we just be a bunch of wimps and not react?
We asked Dr. Goldman, a Psychologist at Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, on how he explains road rage. He says we first have to understand what makes us so defensive and tempted to react. The doctor explains that the anger reaction stems from pride; the ego has been hurt. We have to learn from King David. When David ran away, Shimi ben Gera insulted him and he did not react right away. David didn’t allow “road rage” to take the better of him. This is a person who was able to control himself while in the moment. He didn’t give an immediate irrational response. Apparently, it was very difficult for him to control himself, but, because he represented G-d, he did.
Dr. Goldman said that one has to believe and say “I can take these insults. I’m okay. I’m not less of a person than I was before the insults.” It would be a sign of insecurity if one would let it get to him. Ah, but the kids are watching as I’m being insulted and I shouldn’t react? The good doctor says one should handle the insults with dignity, then the kids will respect you. You’re not a baby. Don’t let it bother you. If they see that you are not bothered and affected by those insults, they will respect you more. The notion of the ‘American cowboy’, to take care of him at the ‘OK coral’ is nonsense. One has to understand, one can lose everything in one moment. Is it worth it?
We see control is something one has to master. Interestingly the kippa and the car, in our story, were two tools that could have been used to benefit us or to hurt us. It’s up to us how we use them; they can be weapons or peacekeeper; that depends on us.
This is best illustrated by Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz famous discourse on parshat Noach titled ” Noach’s Arc”. Rav Chaim takes the concept of “the tools of life” to a different level.