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WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

Excerpted from a thought of Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky

This week’s Parsha, Noach, underscores the distinction between Noach’s approach to helping the people of his generation and Avraham’s approach. Both Noach and Avraham lived in periods of overwhelming paganism and yet Noach was unsuccessful in turning the people of his generation around while Avraham was very successful. Both Noach and Avraham addressed the foolishness of idolatry. They both explained and argued how the source of all powers originates from HaShem and all else is but an expression of HaShem’s greatness. Why did Avraham succeed and Noach failed?

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WHY WE ARE WHO WE ARE?

This week’s Parsha, Noach, presents us the personality of Noach and contrasts him with our father Avraham. Regarding Noach the Torah states that he was a perfect tzadik who walked with HaShem. Regarding Avraham HaShem instructs him “walk before Me and be perfect”. In this short contrast there are two noteworthy distinctions. The first is that Noach walks with HaShem while Avraham walks in front of HaShem. The second distinction is that Noach is perfect and Avraham is to become perfect implying that he is not yet perfect.

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BITTERSWEET; THE HEAVENLY TASTE

In this week’s Parsha, the Torah tells the story of Noach sending the dove out of the Teiva (Ark) to see if the waters of the Great Flood receded. The dove returned with an olive leaf in her beak. The Torah underscores that this olive leaf was in her beak for eating purposes. We know that the olive leaf is very bitter and Noach had prepared nutritious food for all the animals. Why did the dove pass up on the tasty food for bitter food? Our Sages teach us that “it is better to take bitter food from the hands of HaKadosh baruch Hu than take the tasty food from the hands of Man.” In other words; it is better to take a hand-out from HaShem than taking a hand-out from Man.