Shabbos Table

Sometimes, I spend hours writing a script only to realize that it needs more than a few edits. Sometimes I need to scrap my labor, wipe the slate clean and start all over.  

This, in a nutshell, was the dilemma God was facing in this week’s Parsha, Noach.  If for a moment, we can put aside that, in this case, wiping the slate clean meant destroying all of humanity through a flood, we may be able to take away some critical lessons for our times.

It is not difficult for us to see the pain, hurt and evil in our world today. It’s so much so that many are too pained to watch the news anymore. I, for one, can’t afford to see it as in my coaching practice, Heartbreak is all I see. Sometimes the evil we do to each other as human beings become a little too overwhelming. 

As a parent, I can only imagine how devasted I would be if I saw my children turn on each other. 

The Torah tells us that after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and Cain killed his brother Abel, the world was “corrupt” and full of “lawlessness.”  

Every manner of sin occurred, from theft to violence, immorality, and idolatry.  

At the end of Bereshit, the Parsha, which we read last week, it says, “God saw that man’s wickedness was increasing and God regretted that he had made man on earth. He was pained at his very core.”

The Parsha went on to say that God said, “I will obliterate humanity from the face of the earth.” Not just humans, but he was so angry that he threw in livestock, animals, and the birds of the skies. God decided that he would destroy his creation – his baby.

As a mother, I am often able to relate to Hashem’s frustrations with us. When my children are doing something I don’t approve of, I start counting down – 1, 2, and I pause before 3, hoping they will realize their mistakes and correct their ways before I get to the number of doom. Thankfully, to date, I never had to cause a flood. 

I cannot imagine how horrible it might have been for God to be so angry and disappointed that he would decide to wipe us out – clean the slate and start all over.   

The Torah says the concept of “Yirat Hashem,” awe of God, or the light of God was absent in the world.  

But – there was one man whose goodness and light shone so bright that it caught Hashem’s attention, and there was a spark that warmed Hashem. Hashem decided to go a little easy.

Now, he’s still really mad at us, but he’s got a different plan. 

God finds Noach, and in Pasuk 25:13, he tells him, “The end of all flesh has come before me. The world is filled with man’s crime. I will therefore destroy them with the earth.”

And before Noach gets scared, he says to Noach, “Hang on, I’m going to save you, you wife, your three sons, and their wives and two of each species of animal of the land, water, and skies. 

I think he’s still hoping to save some of the others as he has Noach publicly hammer away to build the ark. I’m guessing this looks similar to when I’m angry with the kids, stomping and collecting their iPad. My actions are saying, “hey, realize your mistakes and change your ways or else….” 

G-d instructs Noach on exactly how to build the ark. 

This is where it gets really interesting for me. What caught my attention was pasuk 25:16, where God instructs Noach to build a skylight of one cubit wide on top of the three-level ark. One cubit is a little more than 1 foot.

Was that one small window the path of light for an ark 510 feet long (300 cubits)  and 75 feet wide (50 cubits) and 45 feet high (30 cubits)? 

So, I got curious and went down a rabbit hole of learning more about the one window that Hashem seemed very keen on. 

In Bereishis 6:16, we find God saying to Noah, “Make a tzohar (light) for the tevah (ark). 

Rashi tells us that some said the tzohar was a gemstone, and some said a skylight.

Now I’m going to ask you to bear with me.  

The Hebrew word “tzohar” has two basic interpretations in the Talmud: “radiant gemstone” and “skylight,” but they both mean “a source of light.”

What is the difference between a window and a light-producing stone? A window’s light comes from outside, while a tzohar stone shines from within. Bearing in mind that the whole purpose of a Jewish person’s life is to bring and reveal divine light in the world. 

We can see how the two different interpretations of tzohar demonstrate for us the different courses a person can take in fulfilling his purpose, to serve G‑d.

You see, I believe we have two purposes here on earth.

1.      To combat the darkness and lies of the world and to bring truth into our lives.  

To become aware of the threat of lusting for worldly things. It is in lusting that we become greedy and selfish towards our fellow human beings. We darken our hearts, and that darkness blurs our vision to Hashem. We become so consumed with greed for simple pleasures that eventually, we can’t see Hashem anymore. And it won’t matter how much he calls out to us; we may be lost. 

The people of Noach’s time could not see God even as Noach built that ark. 

2.      And the second is to work harder not only to fight the darkness of the world so that godliness can shine through it but also to work harder so we can be aware of how the darkness of the world comes into us and plants seeds that grow and pulls us further away from fulfilling our purpose of shining our light into the world.  

With awareness, we can convert it into light. 

Not only to move or push it away so light can get through but to work with the darkness and reveal how the world is a holy place, a place where there is light. 

If we are to take skylight at its value, then we see a symbol of breaking through the barrier of the world and connecting to G-ds light or a window into the darkness of the world to allow truth and godliness to shine through. 

A precious stone talks about the world itself (or you) being the source of light. 

Once a person accomplishes mission number one, where the world’s darkness can no longer affect them, then the next mission is to make sure that the truth of holiness on the world is exposed. And that can only happen through your light exposing Hashem’s Devine hand in it all.

In pasuk 8: 21, it says, G-d said to himself, “Never again will I curse the soil because of man, for the inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. I will never again strike down, all like as I have just done. As long as the earth lasts, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night, shall never again cease….”

And again, in Pasuk 9: 11, he makes a covenant with Noach that he will never flood to destroy the earth again. 

As a mother, I am faced with guilt for punishing my children from time to time. I’ve made promises that I won’t be as harsh. Sometimes I wonder – man, why did I make that promise. But I am aware that while I may not always like what my children are doing, I always love them. I hope they will come back to me and way I believe is right for them.

As a mother, I never punish my children because I don’t love them. It’s done because I believe I can guide them to a happier, more peaceful and successful life. The punishment is supposed to trigger an awareness. 

I wonder when G-d looks down at us now, does he regret making that promise to not punish us that way again? 

But even more, I wonder if we can perhaps strive to shine our inner light and come together as Jews – be lights like Noach – to remind God that he didn’t make a mistake again. 

Can we be the tzohar in being our brothers’ keepers and the light that shows the world his goodness and glory?