Parshat Noach; Genesis 6:9-11:32, By Rabbi Denise L. Eger
This week we read about the story of Noah, his family and the flood that God sends to destroy the earth and cleanse it of its corruption. Was it only last week that we read of the creation of the world and the story of the Garden of Eden? Now we read only a week later (although the story in the Torah tells us many, many generations have passed since Creation) God’s creation has been polluted by humanity’s evil ways. “Now the earth had become corrupt before God and the earth had become filled with robbery.”(Gen. 6:11). So much so that God feels the need to destroy the corrupt ones and leave just a remnant. That remnant will be Noah and his family and the animals that God instructs Noah to save.
Traditional Jewish sources, such as Rashi, compare Noah and Abraham who we will meet in next week’s portion-Lech Lecha. Noah was righteous says Rashi but only comparatively to those who were so evil in his generation. If he had been in the generation of Abraham he would not have stood out. While others comment that since Noah walked with God, he clearly had a special and unique relationship, an intimate relationship with the Divine One.
In an era when the world was so corrupt, Noah had the fortitude to walk a different path and more importantly to hear God’s call. Standing up for a life of sanctity and holiness in a time of chaos and evil is difficult. It takes great courage and strength to hold fast to one’s principles and to live a life of compassion, justice and hope when everyone around you is living a different way.
Even in our own day and age when the world is so chaotic it takes an equal portion of compassion, justice and hope to resist the path of distorted values that seem to rule our society. For Jews our system of mitzvot helps shape us to have that courage. Our system of caring for self, family, community and the world provides us with a strong framework for our own walk with the Divine Holy One.
God made a promise not to destroy the earth again through such a flood. This covenant with Noah was symbolized in the Rainbow that appeared. Each time we see a rainbow we are to be reminded of that promise. Yet, we Jews were given an amazing set of tools to help purify and heal the world of its corruption, violence and brutality. This gift is the Torah. When we share Torah with our children, our family and our community we help to purify and cleanse the world of its moral decay. That is why we believe that our task, the Jewish task, is to help repair the world—that which we call Tikkun Olam.
So let the Rainbows we see remind us not just of the covenant –the brit – made with Noah but of our task to help cleanse and heal the world of its evil and pain. Then we too can walk with God as Noah and as Abraham will do in next week’s portion.
Posted by Lee at October 23, 2006 08:36 AM
