INSIDE THE ARK Hashem hinted to the loneliness that the
“Small Prophecies”
A New Era
How Noach Prepared Us for Moshiach
By Rav Moshe Shternbuch
The following
was written by Rabbi
Daniel Yaakov Travis
based on a drasha
given by Rav Moshe
Shternbuch, Rosh
Av Beis Din of the
Eidah Hachareidis
of Yerushalayim.
•••••
MIRACLES WITHIN NATURE
Hashem commanded Noach to build
an ark and place within it animals from
every species in the world. Noach’s ark
measured three hundred amos in length,
fifty amos in width, and thirty amos in
hight. At first glance, this seems like a
mammoth structure capable of holding
quite a large number of animals.
Yet, if we consider just how many
kinds of animals had to be saved, it
is clear that Hashem performed many
miracles in regards to the teivah. Chazal
tell us that in Asia alone, there are one
hundred species of birds similar to the
re’eh. In practical terms, not even a frac-
tion of the world’s animal species could
fit into the ark. They also came from
all over the world. This is certainly a
great miracle.
Outside of the ark, scorching hot
air and boiling water splashing against
Page 60
its sides, causing this miraculous ves-
sel no damage at all. While the whole
world was swallowed up and destroyed,
Noach and his family lived in peace and
comfort within the ark. Why did Hashem
see fit to perform so many miracles on
their behalf?
When Noach left the ark, he found
a totally different world from the one
he used to know. Before the Mabul,
Hashem’s Presence was much easier to
perceive in the world. But after the waters
receded, the forces of nature became a
disguise for His Providence.
The time they spent in the ark was de-
signed by Hashem to prepare Noach and
his family for the new era that awaited
them. During that period, He showed
them that nature is completely subjugated
to His will. In doing so, He raised their
level of perception of the Divine Presence
in the physical world, making sure that
they would be able to see His hand even
after the flood.
So too, before Moshiach comes,
Hashem will show us open miracles
greater than those that took place when
we left Mitzrayim. Even in our days, we
have begun to witness them, as the Al-
mighty has protected Eretz Yisroel from
enemies who are bent on annihilating us.
The purpose of these miracles is to raise
our level of perception and to prepare us
for the new era we are entering.
YATED NE’EMAN
Noach had to spend a whole year with
the animals in the ark. One time, when he
was late in feeding the animals, the lion
bit him and caused a painful wound. Why
did someone who the Torah describes
as a tzaddik tomim, perfectly righteous,
deserve this suffering?
The Gemara at the end of Maseches
Kiddushim describes two types of tzad-
dikim. There is a good tzaddik, who
serves Hashem and is good to people,
and a tzaddik who is not good, who only
serves the Almighty. Chazal do not mean
to say that the tzaddik who is not good
treats others badly, for then he would not
deserve the title of tzaddik. Rather, he
keeps his righteousness to himself, and
others do not benefit from it.
These principles are our tickets to front-row
seats for the awe-inspiring miracles that will
soon be seen in this world.
The Zohar explains that Noach was
a tzaddik who was not good. Unlike Av-
rohom Avinu who went out and tried to
influence others to serve Hashem, Noach
was content being righteous by himself.
The Almighty responded to Noach by
placing him in a scenario where he would
have to serve Hashem alone for a full
year, feeding the animals in the ark.
“Make yourself an ark…that has ki-
nim (compartments)” (Bereishis 6:14).
The Medrash understands these kinim to
be a hint to the bird, also referred to as
kinim, brought by the metzorah. What
is the connection between Noach and
a metzorah?
Lashon hara often stems from a
person’s desire to show others that he is
“in the know.” In former times, if a Jew
recognized that he did not control his
mouth, the Almighty would punish him
with tzoraas, which forced him into iso-
lation, away from the rest of the Jewish
people. The Torah hopes this would teach
him to think before he speaks.
Noach and the metzorah shared a soli-
tary fate. However, their isolation is ben-
eficial to them. Loneliness taught them
that there are other people in the world
and they should consider other people’s
needs while running their own lives.
We find another connection to the
metzorah in Parshas Beha’aloscha,
relating to the Levi’im. The Torah com-
mands the Levi’im to shave their entire
bodies just like the metzorah. Rashi asks,
why did the Levi’im have to undergo
this process?
Based on the above, we can answer
Rashi’s question. Levi’im were desig-
nated for the special role of devoting
their lives to serving Hashem through
Torah learning and service in the Bais
Hamikdosh. Klal Yisroel provided them
with their physical sustenance, while the
Levi’im stood apart and concerned them-
selves with spiritual matters alone.
To be a member of the Almighty’s
“special forces” meant that one could not
take part in the same daily routines and
lifestyle as the rest of the Jewish people.
The nature of the Levi’im’s role naturally
caused some degree of isolation from the
rest of Klal Yisroel. A Levi was the “odd
one out” and did not share the “normal”
experiences of the majority of people.
Levi’im would have to endure by making
them undergo a process similar to the
metzorah. This should be a message to
Bnei Torah also today.
TESHUVAH AND MIDDOS TOVOS
The generation of the flood was evil
through and through. Theft and immo-
rality were rampant, and humanity had
sunk to the deepest depths of corrup-
tion. Hashem’s patience was wearing
thin, but He gave them one last chance
to repent.
The Almighty commanded Noach to
spend 120 years building his ark, so that
other people would see him and abandon
their evil ways. The Brisker Rov asked
that we know that teshuvah helps Klal
Yisroel return to the Almighty. Does te-
shuvah, in fact, help non-Jews as well?
The answer is that although the
non-Jews can also benefit from tes-
huvah, there is a major difference. Klal
Yisroel are Hashem’s chosen nation,
and their teshuvah is cherished by
Him. The Almighty experiences much
greater joy when His children come back
to Him.
Middos tovos, positive character de-
velopment, is one of the major themes
of Parshas Noach. Rav Chaim Vital
asks why the Torah does not spend
more time talking about this crucial
subject. Shouldn’t it be mentioned in
every parsha?
Rav Chaim Vital answers that
middos tovos are indeed the central
message of the Torah, and if one looks
below the surface, one finds that they
underpin every mitzvah in the Torah.
For example, the Torah obligates us to
wipe out the Canaanim because of their
corruption. Middos tovos are the central
point in every area of the Torah.
Learning from miracles, influ-
encing others, and positive character
development are three crucial concepts
that we must gain a deeper understand of
from Parshas Noach. As we enter the fi-
nal phase in history, we must keep these
fundamental principles in mind. These
principles are our tickets to front-row
seats for the awe-inspiring miracles that
will soon be seen in this world, those of
the days of Moshiach, which will dwarf
those that we experienced when we left
Mitzrayim.
•••••
Rav Shternbuch’s shiurim on the
parsha are being prepared to be
published by Feldheim Publishers
as a sefer entitled “Small Proph-
e c i e s .” Fo r i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t
dedication opportunities, contact
dytravis@actcom.com.
•••••
Rabbi Travis is a rosh kollel of Kol-
lel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim, and
is the author of Shaylos U’Teshuvos
Toras Chaim and “Praying With Joy - A
Daily Tefilla Companion,” a practical
daily guide to improving one’s prayers,
available from Feldheim Publishers.
For more information about his work,
contact dytravis@actcom.com.
12 Cheshvan 5770 • October 30 2009