Parashat Noach: Why Did the Global Flood Not Pour Down From Heaven Upon the Holy Land?

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Parashat Noach
Why Did the Global Flood Not Pour Down From Heaven Upon the Holy Land?

Reversing the Waters of the Flood into the Waters of Wisdom 

We have returned to our daily day routine, praying for and awaiting the blessed raindrops. Rain can be so refreshing – so cleansing and satiating. The parched dry earth – having suffered the recent dry storms here in Israel, opens its cracked thirsty mouth, craving to be filled with heavenly rain. Now is high time to plant the winter crop of carrots, beets, radishes, parsley, kale, lettuce, and various greens here in Israel. In B’erot garden we have already planted most of the winter crop under the supervision of our super gardening teacher Tzvi Taylor! I hope to get help to turn the cakey soil in my own garden, so I too can plant the winter crop. The time for planting in the Land of Israel reflects our personal growth at this time. As we pray for the tender seeds to sprout forth through the coming of rain, so do we pray for renewed ways and deeper kavanot (intentions) in keeping Torah and mitzvot. This fall I hope to carve out some time from my packed schedule to return to playing my harp and to spend meaningful time with my granddaughters. As we enter the month of Cheshvan in the Land of Israel, we begin to sense the smell of rain. In the Tanach this month is called ‘בּוּל/Bul’ “And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, the House [Sanctuary] was completed...” (I Melachim 6:38). The word ‘Bul,’ derives from מַבּוּל/Mabul – ‘flood,’ for during this month rains are plentiful. An abundance of rain was decreed during Cheshvan since it marked the beginning of the Flood. The letter מ/Mem of Mabul is missing from the month’s names because actually ‘Bul’ means flood, and the letter Mem that precedes it, containing the numerical value of 40 indicates that the flood lasted for forty days, beginning on the seventeenth of Cheshvan and continuing until the twenty-seventh day of Kislev. This deep cleansing that the world experienced at this time is still available to us during the month of Cheshvan. “There is no water except for Torah” (Babylonian Talmud, Baba Kama 84a). The generation of the flood was potentially fit for the receiving of the Torah and the understanding of its deepest secrets. However, due to their sins, they transformed the blessed waters of the Torah’s wisdom and grace into the bitter water of sin. The Month of Cheshvan is the opportune time to reverse their sins and transform the waters of the Flood back to the Waters of the Wisdom of Torah! I look forward to digging deep into the soil and into the inner dimension of Torah to strengthen my roots in the Land. 

Did the Flood Affect the Land of Israel?

After the rain stopped falling, Noach opened a window in the ark, to find out whether the water had dried out from the earth. First, he sent a raven, then a dove but neither found a resting place, indicating that the entire earth was still covered by water. After waiting another seven days Noach sent the dove again and this time it found sustenance:

ספר בראשית פרק ח פסוק יא

וַתָּבֹא אֵלָיו הַיּוֹנָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב וְהִנֵּה עֲלֵה זַיִת טָרָף בְּפִיהָ וַיֵּדַע נֹחַ כִּי קַלּוּ הַמַּיִם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ:

“The dove returned to him at eventide, and behold it had plucked an olive leaf in its mouth; so Noach knew that the water had abated from upon the earth” (Bereishit 8:11). 

From where did it [the dove] bring it [the olive leaf]? It was from the branches in the Land of Israel. Rabbi Levi said: It brought it from the Mount of Olives, as the Land of Israel was not inundated during the Flood. That is what the Holy One blessed be He said to Yechezkiel: “It is a land that has not been purified, that was not rained upon on the day of fury” (Yechezkiel 22:24); (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 33:9). There are different opinions in the Talmud on whether the land of Israel was affected by the flood, and to what degree. Reish Lakish holds that the flood descended upon Eretz Yisrael, whereas according to Rabbi Yochanan, the flood did not fall upon Eretz Yisrael. Both interpreted the same verse: Yechezkiel 22:24, Reish Lakish read the end of the verse as a question. Eretz Yisrael is not Tahor! Was it not flooded?! (I.e., surely it was!). Rabbi Yochanan read the beginning of the verse as a question. “Is not Eretz Yisrael Tahor (pure)? therefore it was spared from the flood! The Ramban quotes Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer: “The waters of the flood did not come down from heaven upon the land of Israel, Instead, the waters rolled from the other lands into it…” Since the torrential rain did not fall directly upon the land of Israel, and the windows of heaven were not opened there, the trees were unharmed in Israel, whereas, in the rest of the world, they were broken and uprooted by the flood (Ramban, Bereishit 8:11). The dove bringing an olive branch from the Land of Israel was still proof that the waters had abated since the trees of Israel were also covered with the water that had rolled in from the rest of the lands. However, because the heavy rains didn’t fall directly on Israel the trees there were not destroyed. 

The Land of Israel is a Self-Cleaning Land it Needs no Flood to Purify it

According to most opinions, the effects of the flood were less severe in Eretz Yisrael. Why did Hashem spare the Land of Israel from the flood? Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (the Ba’al HaTanya) asks: Why did G-d choose to bring a flood? He could have destroyed the world in other ways. The answer is that G-d specifically brought a flood to serve as a mikvah to cleanse and purify the world from its corruption. This explains why Eretz Yisrael was spared. The Chosen Land is so intrinsically pure and holy that it is virtually impossible to defile or corrupt it. Notice that whenever the Torah talks about the cardinal sins that cause exile, it says that the Land will vomit the sinners out. Thus, the land of Israel is self-cleaning – before impurity can cause any serious damage, the Land gets rid of evil, keeping itself pure. Even if the inhabitants of the Land also had to be destroyed during the flood, the Land itself retained its intrinsic holiness and did not need to be purified by the mikvah of the flood. Therefore Hashem didn’t bring heavy rain torrents directly on Israel (Rabbi Moshe D. Lichtman, Parashat Noach). The notion that the flood didn’t inundate the Land of Israel explains why Avraham’s family wanted to move there. The very end of the parasha introduces us to Avraham’s sojourns in Eretz Yisrael. The reason that Avraham was to go specifically there is alluded to in the parasha’s first section, dealing with the flood, which the Land evaded. The fact that Israel did not require purification through the flood teaches us that it is a Land designed for living in sanctity and purity. Those who live here as well as those who visit the Holy Land get to experience a glimpse of this truth! May we all be united here in the Land protected under the wings of the Shechinah.

Maintaining Gratitude Within Grief and Terror

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Parashat Noach
Maintaining Gratitude Within Grief and Terror

How can we not be Angry at G-d for Allowing His People to Suffer in His holy Land?

How can I feel gratitude now, witnessing the greatest atrocities committed against my people? How can I be thankful when parents are burying their children, and the blood is flowing from the open wounds of our people? The other day an alumna student living outside of Israel called me crying incessantly in her inconsolable grief. She had just given birth to a stillborn daughter after 38 weeks of gestation. What can I say to comfort? How can I console the bereaved parents, the widows, and orphans? How can I feel grateful to Hashem and how can I even not be angry at G-d Who allowed all these suffering and cruel massacres to happen to His people in His holy land? “Hashem is punishing me,” cried my alumna student. “Perhaps we can view the calamities from another perspective, far from the self-blaming punishment perception,” I ventured. “You are grieving together with the bereaved parents in Israel. This is not a punishment but more likely to be an atonement to make us worthy of the final redemption. Although you have lost your beautiful baby, may her short-lived soul be considered as a sacrifice along with all the sacrifices of the murdered and the suffering our people are experiencing at this time, in the wake of the final redemption.” The challenges of these pre-messianic times that we are going through now were predicted by the rabbis of the Talmud. Ulla says: Let the Mashiach come, but after my death so that I will not see him, as I fear the suffering that will precede his coming. Likewise, Rabba says: Let the Mashiach come, but after my death, so I will not see him (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b). So, isn’t there anything we can do to end this suffering? The Talmud continues, Abaye said to Rabba: Why are you so concerned? If we say it is due to the pains preceding and accompanying the coming of the Mashiach, isn’t it taught, “What shall a person do to be spared from the pains preceding the coming of the Mashiach? Rabbi Elazar said: They shall engage in Torah study and acts of kindness” (Ibid.). You don’t have to look far to behold the great kindness with which our people are responding to calamity. Just one example that especially moves me is the tzititz the chareidi yeshiva boys are busy making for the soldiers to help protect them. As for the Torah learning, this is why we have been working night and day to get our bomb shelter, so we can do our part to raise the voice of Torah on the land.

Our Soldier Duty is to Carry on with our Holistic Torah for Mind, Body, and Soul

G-d commanded Noach to build an ark within which he, his family, and all living beings would be saved from the flood:

ספר בראשית פרק ז פסוק א וַיֹּאמֶר הָשֵׁם לְנֹחַ בֹּא אַתָּה וְכָל בֵּיתְךָ אֶל הַתֵּבָה כִּי אֹתְךָ רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק לְפָנַי בַּדּוֹר הַזֶּה:

“Hashem said to Noach, ‘Come into the ark, you and all your household, for it is you that I have seen as a righteous man before Me in this generation’” (Bereishit 7:1).

The aim of the Ark is to provide a safe place – during the storms of life – to make us feel supported, encouraged, and empowered to achieve our goals and aspirations in serving Hashem. Therefore, it became crystal clear to me that in these troubled times when young vulnerable women, who have recently arrived in Israel experience great anxiety, it is my job to provide them with a safe space where they can feel cradled, cared for, and as secure as possible considering the circumstances. We (my students and I) aren’t soldiers on the frontlines, yet we have our soldier duty to continue our mission as a community of holistic Torah for mind, body, and soul. Our students are stepping up to help secure the funds for our safe space that we, with Hashem’s help, were able to bring to our land. I am thankful to Hashem who gave me the strength to pull the bomb shelter project through when most of our staff were unable to work. 

From Left to Right Moshe, Rav Mechael, Meir

I’m filled with gratitude to the men in my life for their support and help with the bomb shelter project, first of all, to my dear husband Rav Dr. Mechael who laid out $25,000 without hesitation to secure the down payment for the bomb shelter, until funds can be raised to cover the heavy cost of the bomb shelter. No less thanks go to our son Mordechai Meir who spearheaded the bomb shelter project and worked tirelessly to find the only available bomb shelter in Israel. Meir coordinated all the necessary details and arrangements for the bomb shelter’s arrival.  I’m also grateful to our dorm father Moshe Rozenbaum who returned from Jerusalem where his family was taking refuge, to be the key person on campus to measure, cut branches, and more. My heart is filled with gratitude to all the donors who sent generous donations. Without all of you, we would never have been able to get a bomb shelter and start our Fall Program on time as planned according to our schedule! We still need to raise more money to cover the cost of the bomb shelter. Please keep the donations coming! Click here to Donate to our Bomb Shelter and Protect our Students.

Entering the Saferoom of Torah and Prayer

The Hebrew word for ark is תֵּבָה/tevah also means ‘word.’ The everlasting lesson of Noach’s ark is to engage in the words of Torah and prayer. Just as Hashem instructed Noach to “Go into the ark,” so must we too “go into” our words and invest our whole self in every word that emanates from our lips, in Torah learning, in prayer, and in holy speech to one another (Based on the Ba’al Shem Tov, Amud Hatefilah - The Pillar of Prayer).

ספר בראשית פרק ו פסוק טז צֹהַר תַּעֲשֶׂה לַתֵּבָה…

“You shall make a skylight for the ark…” (Bereshit 6:16)

Hashem told Noach to make a skylight in the ark. This refers to either a window or a precious stone, which would shine and give light (Rashi, Bereishit 6:16). The window allows the light from outside to enter. This corresponds to when we share Torah we have read or heard from others. We must keep absorbing words of wisdom from our elders, mentors, and teachers, becoming a vessel for their Torah to shine through us. The precious stone is a source of light itself. “From where did Avraham learn Torah? His two kidneys became like pitchers of water, from which Torah gushed forth” (Bereishit Rabbah 39:3). When we purify our character and labor hard in Torah, we may receive our own spiritual insights from within, with which we can enlighten and uplift others. Especially at this time, we are called upon to share encouraging Torah words of chizuk that will strengthen everyone’s emunah!

Turning the Blame Reflex into Words of Encouragement and Faith

Perhaps the tevah – ‘word’ of Noach serves as a tikkun (rectification) for the domino effect of blaming that took place in last week’s parasha. Rather than being grateful for the woman Hashem created for Adam, he avoided taking responsibility by blaming his wife, Chava. Chava in turn blamed the serpent. Since eating from the Tree of Knowledge, whenever something goes wrong people’s natural reflex goes into blaming mode. People tend to take credit for themselves when things go well in life but blame circumstances when things don’t go their way. This phenomenon is called “self-serving bias,” and nearly everyone is a culprit. Yet Noach’s Ark teaches us to pull ourselves up from naturally drowning in the flood of negativity and blame. When the war started there was blaming thrown at me for not yet having gotten a bomb shelter for the midrasha (Torah learning center). Yet, with the help of the majority of brave and positive students speaking words of encouragement, we were able to uplift the spirit of our midrasha community by learning Torah, reciting Tehillim together, and singing spirited songs. While there may still be those who blame the Israeli government for the current war etc. The people of Israel as a whole are responding with courage and faith to the suffering brought by the brutality of the inhuman savage enemy. The Jews worldwide are uniting. Those who have never said a word of praise in favor of the Israeli army are now crying with tears for G-d to protect them and keep them safe. Soldiers with uncovered heads plead for tzitzit from those who arrived to offer them sweets. Real estate agents beg families from the south to enter their empty apartments for free. Community prayers are held worldwide, and the flag of Israel is flying high with words of emunah!

    

Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Noach

• Dealing with your Anger toward G-d

When you experience intolerable hardships, pain and suffering, you may not want to admit it, but it is normal to get angry at G-d for allowing this seemingly injustice. Rebbetzin Feigi Twersky pointed out that even anger is an indication of a relationship. In a similar vein, Rabbi Zelig Pliskin said that anger toward Hashem is possible only for one with deep awareness of G-d. The Gemara (Brachot 31b–32a) tells us that a number of great individuals spoke quite harshly to Hashem, either out of their personal pain or for the sake of the Jewish people. Great Jews have sometimes expressed much pain and frustration to G-d.

Take a walk and talk to Hashem, pour out all your pain, frustration, and anger to Him. You may even punch your fists into the air or use your body in any way to express your feelings. When you are done, be still, sit down, and close your eyes. Open yourself to receive Hashem’s response to your tirade. You may feel His compassionate affection caressing you softly, or you may receive comforting words of empathy. Stay still until you feel a bit of relief and your pain has been somewhat soothed.

• Finding Relief within Suffering – Which good points can you find amid suffering?

Gratitude during suffering means looking deeper. It entails peering into the deep of your wounded soul and finding the light. It is a labor of love. It is the work of loving yourself well. It is the work of facing your life’s circumstances knowing you are held fast in the Hashem’s hug. Meditate on the points of light you experience within your fear, pain and grief.

• We are our Words – Practice turning negativity into encouraging words of Emunah

Spend three minutes writing down three examples of something that bothers you. Then spend four minutes substituting positive phrases for your negative ones. Use language that creates an entirely different mental picture of whoever or whatever constitutes the person or thing that annoys you. At first, this might seem difficult, because she/it is really annoying. Once you’ve written down your word substitutions, the odds are excellent that your negative feelings will begin to dissipate as well. Try it and see where it takes you.

• Transform Blaming Behaviors

You might start by changing your perspective to shift away from blaming external forces. Instead of focusing on what others are doing wrong, try to focus on what you could do to improve the situation. Here are some tips that may help you change your perspective. Practice gratitude: Gratitude can be a powerful tool to help you shift your focus away from blame and toward the positive aspects of your life. You might try to take time each day to reflect on what you are grateful for and focus on these things instead of what could be causing you stress or frustration. Take personal responsibility by acknowledging your role in the situation, without blaming yourself needlessly. Notice the way you are contributing to bettering the situation. Thank yourself and Hashem for empowering you with your particular contribution to better the world.

Reclaiming Our Personal, Spiritual Ark

Parashat Noach

Reclaiming Our Personal, Spiritual Ark

Seeking Refuge in the Ark of Torah

We all know how Noach, his three sons, their wives and the selected animals were saved in the ark during the grand flood as it states, 

ספר בראשית פרק ו פסוק יב וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה נִשְׁחָתָה כִּי הִשְׁחִית כָּל בָּשָׂר אֶת דַּרְכּוֹ עַל הָאָרֶץ:

 (יג) וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לְנֹחַ קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס מִפְּנֵיהֶם וְהִנְנִי מַשְׁחִיתָם אֶת הָאָרֶץ:

 (יד) עֲשֵׂה לְךָ תֵּבַת עֲצֵי גֹפֶר קִנִּים תַּעֲשֶׂה אֶת הַתֵּבָה וְכָפַרְתָּ אֹתָהּ מִבַּיִת וּמִחוּץ בַּכֹּפֶר:

“G-d saw the earth, and behold it had become corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth. Then G-d said to Noach, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth has become full of robbery because of them, and behold I am destroying them from the earth. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and you shall seal it both inside and outside with pitch’” (Bereishit 6:12-14). 

The word for ark תֵּבָה/teivah can also mean ‘word’ (Klein Dictionary). When threatened by the floods of today, we like Noach can seek refuge in the ‘word.’ Not any word but the healing word of truth. The Ba’al Shem Tov comforts us saying, when life seems unmanageable, “Come into the word of Torah and Tefilah” – and you will be able to recharge and realign yourself until you are ready to reenter the challenging world (Based on Sefer Ba’al Shem Tov on the Torah, Parashat Noach). We may often feel that we are drowning in the cruel world, that we don’t know how to deal with the challenges and people in our lives, or that the world is flooding us with the confusion of information overload. Actually, the word for ‘flood’ מַּבּוּל/mabul is etymologically linked to the word בִּלְבּוּל/bilbul – ‘confusion.’ In our modern world we are inundated with so many confusing streams of choices which often disconnect us from our core. This is when we need to take time out to realign ourselves in the תֵּבָה/teivah – ‘word’ of Torah and Tefilah.

Receiving Your Particular Therapeutic Torah

In EmunaHealing we facilitate finding your personal Torah that speaks to you. It could be a particular book, just a chapter or even a page. It may be new and stimulating learning or reviewing Torah principles that strengthen your emunah. This all depends on the nature of the flood in your particular life, at any given time. It could be beneficial to learn on your own, or with a chavruta (study partner). Remember Noach was far from alone in the ark. Since Hashem created the world through the Torah, we can all receive healing from words of Torah according to our level of holiness. “Great is Torah, for it gives life to its observers in this world, and in the coming world. As it states, 'For they are life to he who finds them, and a healing to all his flesh’ (Mishlei 4:22). And it says ‘It [the Torah] shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones’ (ibid. 3:8);” (Pirkei Avot 6:7). It is taught in the Zohar that the Torah is compared to a tree that has branches, fruit, leaves, bark, and a trunk which are all connected. So, too, Torah gives sustenance and life to all that is created. The לָשׁוֹן/lashon – ‘language’ of the tree of life (Torah) heals, literally, it heals the tongue. Moshe translated the Torah into 70 languages to widen the light of the Torah into the outer coverings so that all would draw closer to the inner essence, and thus the inner wellspring would open up more. Therefore, words of Torah in any language are healing (Based on Sefat Emet, Devarim 3:2, Year 5634). At Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin, I have seen such healing and growth on all levels in my students who truly immerse themselves in the wellspring of Torah.

Entering Your Personal Prayer Sanctuary

Our word of Torah and tefilah must shine, as it states, 

ספר בראשית פרק ו פסוק טז

צֹהַר תַּעֲשֶׂה לַתֵּבָה וְאֶל אַמָּה תְּכַלֶּנָּה מִלְמַעְלָה וּפֶתַח הַתֵּבָה בְּצִדָּהּ תָּשִׂים תַּחְתִּיִּם שְׁנִיִּם וּשְׁלִשִׁים תַּעֲשֶׂהָ:

“You shall make a skylight for the ark, and to a cubit you shall finish it to the top, and the entrance of the ark you shall place in its side…” (Bereishit 6:16). 

Based on Bereishit Rabbah 31:11, Rashi explains, that צֹהַר/tzohar, literally means light. Some say [that it was] a window, and some say [that it was] a precious stone, which gave them light. The word צֹהַר/tzohar can also mean ‘portal’ (Reverso Hebrew/English Translation). Prayer is an opening and doorway to the divine dimension, illuminating our lives. Ba’al Shem Tov explains that every letter of our tefilah is connected to numerous worlds, souls and divinity. Each letter connects and unifies with each other and with the Divine before it becomes a word. צֹהַר/tzohar is connected to the word  זֹהַר/zohar – ‘shine.’ Kavanah (intention) in tefilah is what makes our prayers shine. We, women have the privilege to pick and choose our prayers, to pray and talk to Hashem in our own words, and to cry out to Him in heartfelt supplication. 

Prayer is the Core of Spiritual Healing

Tefilah is an essential part of EmunaHealing. Since all healing ultimately emanates from Hashem, and the healer is only a channel for Divine healing, spiritual healing is wrapped in tefilah. We start with a special prayer for opening the channels of receiving Hashem’s healing. We continue to pray for Hashem to shine His unconditional love, acceptance and infinite light upon each layer of emotional or spiritual blocks we encounter within ourselves and the people we treat.  

ספר לקוטי עצות - ערך רפואה יב אמירת תהלים מסוגל מאד לרפואת החולה. וצריך שיהיה לו בטחון חזק על זה, ועל ידי זה יושיעו השם ויתרפא ויקום מחליו:

Reciting Tehillim is very helpful for the sick. One needs to trust strongly in this. By means of this Hashem will save him, and he will be healed and recover from his illness (Rebbe Nachman, The Book of Straight Advice, Healing 12).   

In EmunaHealing we learn to open our intuition to tune into which chapter in Tehillim relates specifically to the person we treat, and will be most healing for her particular challenges, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. We give the person in treatment the assignment to recite this chapter of Tehillim daily for a certain amount of time, a week, a month or more. Sometimes we recite it for her or with her. When I receive the particular suitable Tehillim to recite, I am always amazed by how its message relates perfectly to what the person I treat is going through. 

Returning to Hashem by Detaching Ourselves from the Heavy Material

MAKE FOR YOURSELF AN ARK OF GOPHER WOOD - The ark in which Noach and his family floated upon the waters that annihilated the old world is a metaphor for the renewed world which would develop after the flood. While the coarse material dominated the spiritual features of the old world, the new world would be similar to gopher wood, which is light enough to float due to the fact that its arial parts are greater than its heavy coarse matter. This alludes to the fact that in the new world the spiritual aspects would dominate the heavy earthy material (Malbim, Bereishit 6:14). Spiritual healing helps elevate us from being entrenched in dark, heavy blocks. It facilitates us to access the spiritual dimension and make us feel lighter. When we learn to let go of attachments, we can change our lives for the better easier. 

Noach was told to seal the ark inside and out with כֹּפֶר/kofer – ‘pitch.’ This alludes to the power of teshuva (repentance), as the word בַּכֹּפֶר/bakofer – ‘with pitch’ has the gematria (numerical value) of 302 which equals the word שָׁב/shav – ‘return’ or ‘repent.’ The ultimate goal of EmunaHealing for both the healer and the person in treatment is to disentangle ourselves from old stories, patterns and emotional blocks, so we can fully return to Hashem.

Prayer for Staying Safe and at Peace with our Loved Ones During Stressful Quarantine

Parashat Noach

Prayer for Staying Safe and at Peace with our Loved Ones

During Stressful Quarantine

Hashem, allow the purifying waters to wash me clean, 

 so I can emerge healthy from this lengthy quarantine.

Please provide my family and me with Your light,

to keep together while distinguishing wrong from right.

Keeping apart causes much tension and stress,

strengthen me to be able to clean up all this mess!

When sterilizing and pouring boiling water on every fork and spoon,

we need Your blessing to overcome masked tension and stay in tune.

When separated from the entire world together with those we love,

we need more than ever to learn how to be at peace like the dove.

Please Hashem remove the bickering and the irritable heart.

Let us get out of the vicious circle of tearing each other apart.

Please do not let the lion hurt or maim me in any way.

Let us just show respect and keep the rules of the day.

Please allow the cleansing waters to enter my innards and remove the pain,

so we can support each other through this hurdle and unify once again.

Give me strength to serve You and those dependent on my loving care.

Let me help them, cook, rinse and chop, even if they are unable to share.

Keep me safe from any droplets, cough, and sneeze.

Let’s open the window and bring in a little breeze.

Thank You for Your grace, allowing me this window,

through which I can connect with the world when I’m low.

By communicating from the window, I can come out of my shell.

Still, Hashem, let me feel Your love, please raise me up to stay well.

Thanks for the means to shine Your words from afar,

without having to go out anywhere or drive a car.

I have found protected safety in the sealed ark of my room,

whether by reciting Tehillim, learning Torah, or teaching on Zoom.

Based On Bereishit (Genesis) Chapter six and seven: 

ספר בראשית פרק ו פסוק טז

:צֹהַר תַּעֲשֶׂה לַתֵּבָה וְאֶל אַמָּה תְּכַלֶּנָּה מִלְמַעְלָה וּפֶתַח הַתֵּבָה בְּצִדָּהּ תָּשִׂים תַּחְתִּיִּם שְׁנִיִּם וּשְׁלִשִׁים תַּעֲשֶׂהָ

“You shall make a skylight for the ark, and to a cubit you shall finish it to the top, and the entrance of the ark you shall place in its side; you shall make it with bottom [compartments], second story [compartments], and third story [compartments]” (Bereishit 6:16).

Rashi: A skylight: Heb. צֹהַר/tzohar, lit. light. Some say [that it was] a window, and some say [that it was] a precious stone, which gave them light  [Bereishit Rabbah 31:11]. 

A window allows light in from the outside whereas the light of a gem comes from within, from the very essence of the stone.

We can have different approaches to our daily tasks and our role in the world. Undoubtedly, we often need external help to educate, to further our development, and to energize ourselves. This is the ‘making a window,’ getting some light from outside. It also entails looking out, ‘through the window,’ acknowledging what is going on around us and realizing that nothing is arbitrary, that everything is part of the greater scheme of things.

Once we begin this process, we should not satisfy ourselves with merely letting in some light from the outside, like a window. Our goal should be to reveal the essence, to make the gem shine on its own, without relying on assistance.

:ספר בראשית פרק ז פסוק ז וַיָּבֹא נֹחַ וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וּנְשֵׁי בָנָיו אִתּוֹ אֶל הַתֵּבָה מִפְּנֵי מֵי הַמַּבּוּל

“Then Noach went in and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him into the ark because of the floodwaters” (Bereishit 7:7).

Rashi: And Noach…and his sons: The men separately and the women separately, because they were prohibited from engaging in marital relations since the world was steeped in pain [Tan. Noach 11].

ספר בראשית פרק ז פסוק כג וַיִּמַח אֶת כָּל הַיְקוּם אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה מֵאָדָם עַד בְּהֵמָה עַד רֶמֶשׂ וְעַד עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיִּמָּחוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ וַיִּשָּׁאֶר אַךְ נֹחַ וַאֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ בַּתֵּבָה:ה

“It [the Flood] blotted out all beings that were upon the face of the earth, from man to animal to creeping thing and to the fowl of the heavens, and they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noach and those with him in the ark survived” (Bereishit 7:23).

Rashi: אַךְ/ach – “and only Noach,” This is its simple meaning, but the Midrash Aggadah (Tan. Noach 9) [states]: He was groaning and spitting blood because of the burden [of caring for] the cattle and the beasts, and some say that he delayed feeding the lion, and it struck him, and concerning him, it is said (Mishlei 11:31): “Behold a righteous man is requited [for his sins] in this world” - [Tan. Noach 9].