1. After a full week without holidays - Shabbat arrived. The Torah portion this past Shabbat was Parashat Noah, the second parsha in the Torah, after Parashat Bereishit. The parsha features the famous story of the Great Flood that God brought upon the world after humanity corrupted its way. Only those who were inside Noah's ark were saved from it.
2. And God said to Noah: "Come into the ark, you and your whole household." Sometimes, when there's a flood, you need to gather inside, into an ark. Our commentators explain that this is a call to each of us: What is your Noah’s ark? In an era of temptations, distractions, and busyness, in a feeling that sometimes the world is one big flood, what gives us anchor and resilience? What is the source of our peace and strength? Many commentators note that Shabbat is the Noah’s ark of our times. And later in the portion - you also need to know when to leave the ark for the world. At the end of the flood, God says to Noah: "Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives with you." This is a delicate balance between gathering inward and going outward.
3. Many think the portion deals only with the flood, but that's not true. Later in the portion the story of the Tower of Babel appears. It’s a story about humanity that tried to reach the heavens and seemingly reach "up to God," and ultimately was scattered across the earth.
4. At the end of the portion, Avraham our patriarch is mentioned, and next week in Parashat "Lech Lecha" he will take the stage of history and teach us how to act within the framework of a nation. The Jewish people will be born.
5. After reading the parsha, we read the Haftarah, from the words of the prophets. Here is one moving verse from this week's Haftarah, about the great kindness that still awaits us: "For a small moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, says your Redeemer, the Lord."
May we merit this. Shavua tov!
