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.