During the time of Noah, it really was that bad. The world, as the Torah describes, was filled with chamas, violence and destruction. So much so that the only thing God deemed worth saving was one single human family and a collection of innocent animals.
In our time, we often look at the events of the day and wonder if we are heading in a similar direction. Politics, pandemic, and general overload, can cover up any good we may be experiencing at the same time. But, hopefully, a kind action or comforting word by someone in our immediate circle, will allow us to have a change of heart, to think differently about the way we view the world around us. Staying away from the news altogether can also have a similar effect.
In Noah’s time, we have to wonder if it really was as bad as the Torah describes? At the very least, why didn’t Noah do more to find out if there were any others who also could have been saved? This is what Abraham does later in Genesis when Sodom and Gomorrah are threatened with destruction, bargaining with God to save the city if even ten righteous exist within it. But, Noah just proceeds ahead with ark building, leaving the rest of humanity to fend for itself.
We must keep this in mind, especially as we head toward the Presidential election, a time that is always rife with heightened anxiety in our country, but all the more so this year. Let us do what Noah refused to, and find goodness even in the opposite political party, even in places where others have told us it does not exist. As we sail forward on our Covid ark, we must try harder to be as expansive as possible, so that it has space for more than just one human family, but for the breadth and depth that this world has to offer.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
P.S. – if you feel overwhelmed by the times we are living, please feel free to give me a call. Your Shir Shalom family is here to support you.
Last Updated on 11/11/2020 by Marc Slonim