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NOACH
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Discover Moshiach in the Weekly Torah Portion A selection from Midrashim and Talmud Published
and (c) Copyrighted 1996 PREPARING THE WORLD
POINTING TO GEULAH
THE MOSHIACH-LIKE ARK
EVEN THE LUZ
THE BRIGHTEST RAINBOW
MOSHIACH AND THE JEWS LIVE FOREVER
NOT NOW, BUT SOON
"Discover Moshiach" is available in printed format with art clipings. Ideal for use in School and Home. It is suitable for children and adults. Buy your own printed version from Rabbi Bell. |
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Insights on the Geula (Redemption) from the Weekly Torah Portion
Adapted from the teachings of
the Lubavitcher Rebbe
The Zohar (I:117a) reads this verse as an allusion for the following: corresponding to the civil year of 1840) will be opened the gates world will be prepared to enter the seventh millennium, just as man prepares on the sixth day (Friday) when the sun is about to set - to enter the Shabbat.." The "gates of wisdom above" (i.e., the "windows of heaven") refer to the wisdom of the Torah, specifically the insights of pnimiyut Hatorah (the inner, mystical teachings of the Torah), while the "fountains of wisdom below" (i.e., the "fountains of the great deep") refer to worldly wisdom and sciences. We see indeed that the date mentioned marks a period of increased manifestation of pnimiyut Hatorah, as well as the beginning of an unprecedented development of secular sciences. We can readily understand that the manifestation of pnimiyut Hatorah is a preparation to enter the seventh millennium, the Messianic age. After all, that era is marked by "The whole earth shall be filled relates to the future teachings of Moshiach. But how does this relate to the development and discoveries of secular sciences? One of the Messianic prophecies states that there will be a Divine revelation to the point that "all flesh shall see that the mouth of G-d has spoken." (Isaiah 4:50) This means that we shall then perceive a manifestation of G-dliness not only with our mental eye but also empirically, with our physical ("flesh") reality. Recent scientific inventions include items like telephone and radios. These demonstrate for us that one may stand and speak in one place, and others may be at the other end of the world, or even on the moon and still hear simultaneously all his words or even see him with all his motions. We are not discussing here some spiritual influences, but actual, physical sounds and sights! This offers empirical examples for the concept of the Divine "eye that sees, and ear that hears, and (consequently) all your deeds are recorded." Moreover the advances of science increasingly reveal the inherent unity in the universe. There used to be a belief that the various natural forces are separate elements. The advance of science, however, shows that the seeming multiplicity and divisions in the world are more apparent than real, merely external phenomena. Scientific discoveries thus help prepare the world for the Messianic age when it will become evident to all how G-d's absolute unity is inherent in, and underlies, the principle of unity in all of His creation. |
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By: Yanki Tauber Many people admit that they find it difficult to accept that we need Moshiach, and the belief that he is coming soon. Even the most observant Jews find it hard to accept and believe. Why? What about Moshiach, makes it harder a concept than Shabbos, or Kashrus, or any other Mitzvah? Anyone who has played the latest video Games or keeps up with the latest computer technology or has been in a flight stimulator knows the answer. Scientists call that virtual reality. Virtual Reality means thinking, feeling, and believing you're someplace your not. Virtual Reality is a great tool for scientists, allowing them to imagine and re-create the conditions on another planet or inside the body. Virtual Reality is a valuable training device allowing pilots and others to learn their skills, to make the mistakes necessary to learning without disastrous consequences. And virtual Reality can be great fun for the fan of video games providing an unmatched, yet safe level of excitement. But Virtual Reality isn't real. And neither is Golus exile. King David knew of virtual reality, only he called it something most of us are more familiar with a dream. "When G-d returns to Zion, we will realize we were like dreamers." Golus is a dream: Addictive, deceptive, and false. What is the nature of a dream? When were dreaming were not in touch with reality. We don't really see the true nature of everything, but only distortions, aberrations, and illusive fragments of truth. And significantly when we're asleep, lost, drowning in our dreams the last thing we want is to be awakened, especially from an apparently pleasant dream. Therefore we need Moshiach. We need the Redemption the true reality. When knowledge of G-d will fill the world like the waters cover the ocean bed. We need Moshiach to wake us up, to turn off the stimulator. To take our Virtual Reality gliders off, and show us the truth we've been to asleep to realize: that G-dliness fills the world.
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Our section begins by telling us that Noach was a 'Tzadik Tamim'; a completely righteous and holy man. Rashi explains this with two opposite opinions: 1) If Noach would have been in a better generation he would have been even more righteous 2) In the generation of Abraham Noach would be NOTHING! According to the Chassidic book "Tanya" a Tzadik is the highest level a human can attain. It means constantly feeling the Oneness of the Creator in every deed, word, thought and fiber of one's being. But only Jews can truly be Tzadkim and feel this Oneness (that is why they are called 'sons of G-d')! If so how could Noach, the prototype of a non-Jew attain such a level? Even more; how could he give it to his offspring? The general term for gentiles is 'Bnei Noach', literally 'the offspring of Noach'. So it seems logical that as their progenitor he must have passed down to them at least the potential for this level of being a Tzadik as well! If so, what is the difference between the Jews and the gentiles?! Why was Abraham called the first Jew when Noach was also a Tzadik? Another thing does not seem to make sense. If the Torah tells us Noach was a 'Tzadik Tamim' then how can one opinion say in a different environment he would be a 'NOTHING'? Even more, what possible practical benefit is there in telling us this EVEN IF IT'S TRUE? To understand all this here is story [also connected to a saying of the Baal Shem Tov: G-d's commandment to Noach (7:1): "Enter the Taeva (Ark)" means that we too must 'enter' the 'Taeva' (words) of Torah learning and prayer.] The fourth leader of Chabad; Rebbe 'Shmuel' (1839-1883) often would take mysterious carriage rides in the country. Once he told his driver to stop his carriage before an inn that he had always passed by. The Rebbe entered the inn and found it empty except for two Jewish children. He asked them why they were alone and they explained that their mother had gone shopping and their father, who owned the inn, had left that morning and was supposed to return any minute. The Rebbe asked the children if they knew how to read Torah and if he could test them. They readily agreed and ran to get their books. The older one knew how to read and explain from some of the Five Books of Moses and the younger knew only how to read Psalms. "Good!" said the Rebbe, "Let's say some Psalms together." They brought two books of Psalms and began reciting; the Rebbe led, reading each word slowly and clearly in an emotional melody and the children chimed in. Meanwhile their mother returned but when she saw the Rebbe's carriage and heard the melodies coming from inside she went around to the back door, quietly entered the kitchen and stood there listening from behind a closet. The Rebbe's voice was so plaintive and deeply touching that, not understanding why, she burst into silent, bitter tears and wept all the time they were reading. After some fifteen minutes the Rebbe closed his book, and got ready to leave the house. But as he reached the door, he stopped, thought deeply for a few seconds, returned to the children opened his book again and said, "Come let's read a bit more". After five more minutes of Psalms he again closed his book, said Shalom to the boys and left the house. Their mother then entered the room drying her eyes, moved to her very soul at what she had just heard. She asked the children if they knew who the man was and why he came but they had no idea. They were just sure that he was someone very special and couldn't wait for their father to arrive so they could tell and ask him about it. But he didn't arrive. Hours passed, the sun set, they fell asleep in their chairs waiting and waiting. What could have happened? Then, after midnight suddenly they heard a rapping at the window and their father's voice. "Let me in! Open the door!" They ran to the door and opened it; their father stumbled in and fainted on the floor! Several minutes later when he came to, his wife made him a warm cup of tea he sat down and told his story. "I went early this morning to collect a debt from one of the local farmers. He received me cordially and told me to follow him to the barn, about a ten minutes walk, where he kept his money so he could pay me. But as soon as we got there he locked the door behind us, suddenly spun around, knocked me to the ground, tied my hands and feet so I couldn't move and announced that he decided to settle the debt his own way by killing me! He was such a huge fellow that I simply had no chance against him. He then began searching for his axe to finish the job and paid no attention to me as I wept and begged for my life. But I was lucky, actually it was a miracle! He couldn't find the axe! He looked high and low and finally concluded it must be in his house. So he tied me to one of the beams, went to the door and as he was leaving, turned and said, "You can cry all day and night here Jew, no one will hear. And, oh, I'll be right back, don't go away Ha Ha!!!" And slammed the barn door behind him. But then another miracle happened! A minute later the door opened again and the farmer's wife entered! She had just finished some work in the field and had no idea of what had just transpired. But as soon she saw me tied up and crying she understood that it was her husband's doing. At first she was afraid, saying that if she untied me her husband would kill her for sure. But finally when I told her she could go back to the field and when she saw her husband leave the house she could come to meet him as though for the first time, she listened to reason and set me free. She then told me not to run far from the barn because her husband might notice me but rather to hide in one of the piles of hay nearby and then leave late at night when no one would notice. We both ran outside, she back to the field and I to the nearest haystack where I buried myself as deeply as possible and waited and prayed. Just minutes later I heard the barn door open and then a flurry of furious curses. The ogre came running outside like a madman and was standing just several feet from me yelling and striking at the hay and everything around him with his axe but he didn't notice me. Thank G-d! I've been hiding in that haystack till just an hour ago. I ran here without stopping. It's a pure miracle that I'm alive!" When his wife and children told him about the 'mysterious visitor' that came earlier in the day he understood that must have been was the Lubavitcher Rebbe. And then they realized that the two sets of Psalms they read was what saved him first in the barn and then later in the haystack. Somehow the Rebbe sensed his danger and even more incredibly, went out of his way to save his life. This explains our questions. Noach was truly a Tzadik. Therefore his offspring, if they walk in his path and do the seven Noahide Commandments (because they were commanded to Moses), have a place in the world to come (i.e. the Raising of the Dead) along with the righteous of the Jewish people. (See Maimonides Hil, M'lachim 8:11 and Sanhedren chap. 10 mishnas 1,2) And what it says in the Tanya about gentiles is referring to those gentiles that do not do the Noahide commandments. But nevertheless Noach was not a Jew. And that is what Rashi is referring to in his second explanation; that Noach would be 'NOTHING' in the generation of Abraham. He's not coming to belittle the gentiles but rather to teach a very practical lesson. True, Noach wasn't affected by his generation, but he didn't affect them either; he built an ark to save whoever wanted to enter. Something like the farmer's wife in our story, he did what he was told. But Abraham (like the Rebbe in our story) did MORE than he was told. He didn't think of himself, even of his spiritual self but went OUT of his way to try to teach the entire world how to serve the Creator alone. In other words, he was connected to G-d's REASON for creation; to change the world. That is why he was the first Jew: Abraham tried to change his generation while Noach did NOTHING. This is an important lesson to us this week as we listen to the story of how Noach entered a totally new, improved world after the flood. The Lubavitcher Rebbe said that now we too are entering a totally new changed world; we are entering the age of Moshiach! An age when there will be no war, strife, pain or disease, where everyone will feel the Oneness of G-d. But it's up to us to make it happen. Like Noach
we must not pay attention to things that hold us back and like Abraham
we must 'open our eyes' and do all Rabbi Tuvia Bolton This week we read the strange story of the flood. The Torah tells us that after the flood G-d put a rainbow in the sky as a sign that He would never destroy the world's population again. At first glance this is not understood. First: the rainbow is a natural phenomenon. It occurs every time light is refracted through water vapor in the sky. What has it got to do with a heavenly covenant? Secondly: Why did G-d chose a rainbow? Why does it symbolize His decision to not destroy the world? To understand this here is a story. Little Shlomo was ten years old but he wasn't afraid, or at least that's what he kept telling himself. He sat in warm sun on the ship's deck, feeling the breeze on his cheeks, reading the small book of T'hillim (Psalms) that he brought along and tried to take his mind off the long trip that remained ahead of him. It was two weeks between Morocco where his parents sent him to learn Torah and his home town in Madrid Spain. Once a year before Passover, he would return home and now he was in the middle of his journey. The other passengers, non-Jewish merchants and travelers, rarely spoke to the boy but the few times they did the conversation got around to what god he believes in. It seems that all traveling merchants carry some sort of statue or good-luck charm in their pockets or around their necks which they pray and make vows to in time of need. And comparing 'gods' was a common pastime. But when little Shlomo answered that his G-d is invisible and rules the heavens and earth they snickered, winked at one another and said " The Jew is too cheap to buy and idol." Well, as fate would have it on that very day a storm broke out. Shlomo sensed that something was wrong. Early in the morning the sky and sea had been unusually beautiful and placid the sailors were scurrying about securing everything on the deck that moved and lowering all the sails and a tension filled the air. Suddenly the skies became frighteningly dark and cold winds began churning the sea into white foam. Waves began splashing across the deck of the ship and within minutes howling winds and roaring waves were smashing and tossing the ship in all directions as though there was no up or down, the sea and the sky had melted together in a wicked, black explosion of raw destruction and it seemed certain that the helpless ship and everyone on it was doomed. Poor Shlomo wedged himself into some corner between two railings on the deck, grabbed onto a beam for dear life while the rain and wind battered and drenched him to the bone, closed his eyes and cried. Suddenly he felt something tug at his pants. He opened his eyes and saw several of the other passengers. They had somehow managed to crawl over to him and were desperate. One put his mouth next to the boy's ear and screamed over the howling storm. "Pray!!! Pray!!!!" All of them were pointing to heaven and shouting the same thing "Pray!!! To your G-d!!! Save us!!!" Little Shlomo understood what they meant. They probably had tried to pray to their gods, obviously with no success, and now they were desperately turning to him. He pulled himself up by the pole he was hugging, the merchants tried to hold him up as they could while trying to keep themselves from being washed away and the boy prayed. "G-d!! Save us!! Do a miracle!!! Show these people that You are the King of the Universe!! I'm scared!! I want to go home!!" And he fell back down to his place weeping. Now, usually when G-d answers prayers it takes a while, sometimes even years.. But not this time. In five minutes the huge waves stopped. Shortly thereafter the sea became calm and the clouds began parting. And in twenty minutes the sun was shining as though nothing had happened. If it weren't for the puddles of water on deck and the two broken masts one could think that it all had been a terrible dream. The other passengers realized what had happened and they were quick to show their appreciation. They took little Shlomo on their shoulders and began to sing and dance with joy. But the ship had been seriously damaged and the Captain announced, to the relief of the passengers, that they would stop for repairs at a nearby island where everyone could get off onto dry land until they resumed the journey in a day or two. The ship reached port and the passengers eagerly filed off the ship. But as they were all on the dock suddenly someone yelled out. "Hey! Where's the boy?" "Yes" someone else asked aloud, "Where is he? Did anyone see him leave the ship." After a few seconds they decided to go back and see what happened to little Shlomo. Maybe he didn't have money. Maybe he was asleep and didn't know they left. In any case they would fix it up. But as they returned to the ship they saw him just sitting there in his usual place on the deck reading. "Excuse us, my little friend" said one of the merchants, "Why are you sitting here? Why don't you get off the ship and see the island? Didn't you hear the captain say that it's okay to leave the ship? We'll be here for two days. Why not get off?" Shlomo just looked up at the people and said. "Thank you for being so kind, but to tell you the truth . I'm afraid. After all, I'm all alone and I'm weak. I'm not big and strong like you. So I think I'll just stay here." The passengers looked incredulously at one another then back at Shlomo and said. "What! What did you say?! YOU are alone and weak?? "Why, You are NEVER alone. Wherever you go your G-d is with you! And your G-d rules the whole world, He even stopped the storm! There is nothing stronger than that. If there is anyone that is alone and weak it's US!! And they escorted him to the island. This answers our question. But before we continue let's just ask one more question. Why did G-d decide to kill everyone just because they were having a good time? What is the Torah telling us here? The answer is it's telling us that the world was created (and is continually created) for a REASON and a GOAL; G-d wants to be revealed here. And when everyone did the opposite there was no reason to keep them alive. (But nowadays it's different; G-d promised Noach that He wouldn't do it again.) Now we can understand the rainbow. The Ramban writes that the rainbow was an indication of how much this goal; how much is G-d being revealed in the world, is being accomplished. Therefore, he says, before the flood there was no rainbow! The world was so evil and coarse (something like the merchants in the beginning of our story), that there was no possibility that the revelation of the Creator could permeate. But after G-d purified the world with the flood, and 'light' was able to shine through (like our passengers after the storm) the rainbow appeared. So that is the connection of the rainbow to G-d's covenant with Noach. It shows that the purpose of creation is being carried out, if not by man then by HaShem Himself, and therefore He will not destroy the world no matter how bad it is. But there is a second level of rainbow. The Talmud (Ketuvot 77b) tells us that in the generation of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochi (the author of the mystical masterpiece The Zohar) there also was no rainbow. But then it was because Rabbi Shimon HIMSELF was like the rainbow. He was G-d's sign in the world that the world is being purified. And there is yet a third level. The Zohar (1:72b) says "When you see the rainbow in exceptional brilliance then the Moshiach is near." Noach's and Rabbi Shimon's rainbow represents how G-dly light permeates the creation. But Moshiach's rainbow represents how it permeates even the evil sinners. And nothing is as pleasing to G-d as the repentance (or 'return' as it is called in Judaism) of sinners As it says elsewhere in the Zohar that the Moshiach will cause EVERYONE to return.. (in fact even the most righteous will see that they have to return.) Then there will be a different
type of flood; the the entire world will
be filled with the knowledge of HaShem like water fills the sea. Then
this physical world will shine with the infinite splendor and joy
of a
new rainbow.... Rabbi Tuvia Bolton Torah Online Site: http://www.ohrtmimim.org/torah The Torah is a book of lessons. In fact the word "Torah" means "teaching", but this week's Torah story about the flood seems to pose a big question: The obvious lesson that the Torah is teaching us here, is that G-d rewards whoever fulfills, and punishes whoever disregards His commandments (613 for the Jews and seven for the rest of the world). So why did G-d drown all the animals? (Except the ones which Noach took into his Ark) What can we learn from that? Animals don't have commandments! To understand this I want to bring three short stories about animals. The first story is about lions. Over 2,500 years ago in Babylon a "Tzadik" (very holy man) called Daniel was thrown into a pit of hungry lions by the king of Babylon. The pit was sealed, he remained there for an entire night, and when it was opened in the morning there he was miraculously untouched. When Daniel's enemies suggested that perhaps the lions were simply not hungry and it was no miracle at all, the wise king disproved their theory, by the simple method of throwing them into the same pit and observing them being totally devoured by the ravished beasts. Interestingly enough Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, over 2,000 years later in his masterpiece "The Tanya", says that it really was NOT a miracle! Animals, he says, are NATURALLY afraid of anyone who bears the spiritual form of "man" i.e. Tzadikim. Daniel, because he was devoted to the Creator, was such a person. But his enemies were not, and so they were devoured. Lesson: Animals are changed by the people around them. The second story is about an
ox.
Once there was a Jew, who, one Friday afternoon, sold his ox to his gentile neighbor. The ox was young, strong, and healthy, so the Jew was surprised when early the next afternoon as he was sitting with his family enjoying his Shabbat meal, and he heard an irate pounding on his door. Upon opening it he saw his neighbor angrily demanding his money back. "What happened?" asked the Jew. "What happened!?" replied
his fuming neighbor, "NOTHING HAPPENED! The Jew stood up from his meal, accompanied his neighbor to his neighbor's barn where the ox was laying, and when he saw that the beast won't move, he bent down and said into its ear: "Ox! Listen! You are no longer my property. All the time you were mine it was forbidden for you to work on Shabbat, but now you aren't mine any more, you belong to this non-Jew, and you must do what he says." Before their eyes the ox dutifully rose and walked over to the plow indicating he was ready to be harnessed. When the neighbor saw this he began to think. "This ox does what is says in the Torah and I don't?!" It wasn't long before he converted to Judaism, and devoted his life to learning Torah. His name became Rabbi Yochanan ben Torta ("Tor" means "ox") and he is mentioned in the Talmud. Lesson: Animals are changed by people even when the people are not around them. The final story is about Rabbi Pinchas Ben Yair's donkey about 1, 800 years ago. Rabbi Pinchas, a relative of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai (The author of the Zohar), was a very holy man, and devoted totally to the service of G-d. The Talmud tells us that once his donkey was stolen, and it was returned several days later by the thieves themselves. It seems that the entire time the donkey was with them, it refused to eat. They gave it the best grains possible, but he would just not open his mouth. Finally when the poor thing got thinner and weaker and they were afraid that it would die and smell up their hiding place, they had no choice but to return it. "You are Jewish, right?" Rabbi Pinchas asked the thieves. "Not only are we Jewish" they replied "we once learned in your school when we were children." "Then that explains it," he continued. "You probably fed him grain that had not been tithed according to Torah law. Right?" (Produce cannot be eaten without first separating off small percentages of it called "Truma and Maaser" to be given to the Priests and Levites). If you are Jewish you had to tithe it. "Yes," they replied. "We know that! We might be thieves, but we aren't ignoramuses. But Rabbi, you taught us that it's permissible to give untithed grains to one's animals. Only people are forbidden to eat it." "Yes" answered the Rabbi "That is true. But my donkey is very strict on himself." >From this comes the later saying of the Talmud: "If the preceding generations were compared to angels, then we are men. But if they were men, then we are like donkeys. But not the donkey of Rav Pinchas ben Yair." The common factor of all these stories, is that animals can be affected to their very essence by people. And that is the reason that the animals were wiped out in the flood. The generation of the flood was so bad, that it actually affected the entire world for bad. Even the animals. Animals have no free will; they cannot change themselves, and they cannot chose to serve G-d. But how man acts does permanently affect them, because THE WORLD WAS PUT INTO THE HANDS OF MAN. That is why Moshiach will be a man. And why his job will be change the nature of all mankind; that they all should be more like the above-mentioned Tzadikim, and less like the generation of the flood. (As we say in detail thrice daily in the second paragraph of the Alenu prayer "All the evil will turn to HaShem" etc.) This is also why the prophet Isaiah
(11:6) says that at the time of Moshiach the "Wolf will lie with
the lamb" etc. Not that it is important to us what wolves will
do, but to tell us that our good actions will affect the world, to
the point that even the animals of prey will desire So we see that in the long run, it is not bombs or weapons that will transform the evil (as the Rambam points out in Laws of Kings Chapt. 12 that the transformed wolves refer to the enemies of the Jewish people) but rather our good deeds, words, and even thoughts that we do now, because it is all in our hands to change the world and bring… Moshiach NOW! Rabbi Tuvia Bolton This week's section tells us of
the most awesome and tragic example of G-d actually annihilated everyone
in the entire world because they got so Now the casual reader will probably
be completely turned off by this It's gruesome because it seems
that G-d really over-reacted, and obsolete, In fact, all we have to do is
look around us and see that today is pretty One explanation I think can be illustrated by another, more recent story. Once, in Russia just after the
revolution, there was a young Chabad Chassid His father begged him to change
his ways or at least to go see the At first the young man scoffed
at these old-world suggestions but after Several days later he and his
friends were entering, half drunk, giggling, The young men looked at each other
incredulously; quickly backed out of the Two years passed and our young
hero rose higher and higher in the communist Until one black day his balloon
was abruptly punctured. Suddenly he was on the wanted
list! He had seen it happen to others but He paced back and forth in his
room like a trapped animal, it was no For months he wandered from town
to town like a hunted animal sleeping in One day when he was sitting in
the corner of an old restaurant sipping a cup He tried to look down at the table,
but from the corner of his eye he saw Our hero was trying not to look
up but it was obvious that he reached the Suddenly the door burst open again
and a high-ranking police officer entered "No no, commander!!"
they tried to whisper as they held up the picture for The commander snatched the picture
from their hands, took one look at our It was a miracle! And the Rebbe
had foreseen it, or perhaps he caused it, Like the generation of the flood
the Communists (the Zionists, Bundists etc. But these very pleasures, these
very waters, can also drown and destroy Like in our story, the same Communists
that caused him to sin eventually G-d purposely made this world
into a very luring and confusing place, so The job of the Tzadik, the Noach
in every generation, is to ride above the The 'Noach' of our story was the Rebbe RshaB. What this all has to do with us
today is; This is the message of the Noach
of our generation the Lubavitcher Rebbe: It is the unique job of our generation,
the generation of Moshiach, to What does the Rebbe say to do? Second, to help and encourage
every Jew to live according to the laws of the Then, there will be a different
type of flood; a holy flood. As the Rambam Moshiach NOW!! Rabbi Tuvia Bolton |
PARSHA
MOSHIACH
IN THE PARSHA
WEEKLY
MESSAGE
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