* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
This week’s Torah portion concerns Noah and the ark. Humanity had lost its way and become completely corrupt so God brought a flood to wash away the world’s evil. Only Noah and his family were saved. In his book “Netivot Shalom” (Paths of Peace), Rabbi Noah Berzofsky explains how we are to escape the flood of troubles that inundate construction our own “Noah’s Ark”:
"Even when flood waters are raging all around us and everything looks bleak, there is a 'Noah's ark' to save us. When someone feels low and downcast, the best advice is: 'Find yourself an ark.' Each person has a divine spark from which extraordinary powers derive, providing the strength to rise above and navigate the raging waters: This is the Noah’s ark that can save them from the flood.
Our generation has three Noah's arks: Torah, Shabbat and Jewish unity. These are strong forces for good that enable us to prevail over the evil that surrounds us. This parasha does not belong to any single generation. It is for every generation to study, until the end of time. Whatever the situation may be, including the worst possible scenario, we can always escape and cleave to what is good."
He writes here about three arks of Noah that one can enter and draw from them peace and strength - Torah study, Shabbat observance, and unity. Other commentators suggest additional "Noah ark" and call upon us to find such a protected place in a turbulent world. What is your “Noah’s ark”?
