Weekly Dvar Torah: Mixed Emotions

The Alter Rebbe taught that when we learn the weekly and daily Parsha, we must not only learn it, but we must also ‘live’ it.

This means that we must connect what we experience in our daily life with what we learn in the Parsha. So that when we learn the Parsha of Noach and the flood, we look to find direction and hope in our current horrendous experience that has engulfed the Jewish people.

In the Parsha, G-d is preparing for total annihilation, by releasing a flood that will drown everything on this earth. On the one hand, He is so angry with the world, that He finds no justification for its continued existence. The world is filled with Khamas.

On the other hand, G-d instructs Noach to build an Ark to save his family, and to save and preserve every single species, so that the world can start anew after the flood. What is Hashem’s intention, destruction or renewal?

Once the flood is over, G-d takes an oath that He will never again make a flood, “because the evil heart of the person exists from a very young age.” So, why is man blamed, when it’s not really his fault? And in order to remember this oath, G-d hangs a rainbow in the sky, that whenever He gets angry at creation, He will remember not to destroy them because of this rationale and oath.

Before the flood, G-d used the same rationale as to why He decided to destroy the world. “Man, and his heart is pure evil all the time, therefore, I will blot them out, for I regret that I made them.”

So which one is it, is G-d so angry at humanity that can only think of evil, and therefore He has no use for them. Or is it that because they are evil by nature, therefore there is no point in destroying them again?

The answer is, that since G-d is the infinite Supreme-Being, He is not limited by our restricted rationality, and the same reasoning can go both ways. Two opposites can coexist at the same time.

Parshas Noach 2023. The Jewish people are at war, we have witnessed the most brutal attack against the Jewish people, accompanied by the most barbaric murder of men, women and children. Our hearts are crying and completely shattered. This is not about anything related to a perceived occupation somewhere in the middle east, but Jews wherever they are, are subjected to the threat of the same barbarians and their supporters. G-d will surely protect us, but the fear is real.

At the same time, while we are instructed to cry out to Hashem, and we demand that He end this monstrosity once and for all, we are expected to serve Hashem with joy, and to trust in Him with full confidence, that He will protect us and bring salvation to the Jewish people and the entire world, and peace will reign supreme.

When one pays attention to the response of Jews in general, and the soldiers on the frontlines in particular, you see them going to war marching with confidence and trust in Hashem that they will succeed and return home safely, and they do so with song and dance.

Instead of being angry at G-d, the victims are highlighting the miracles of Hashem, and they see G-d’s hand at every move they have made, and are making. The drive to do more Mitzvos and to spread Torah light, is astonishing. The acts of kindness and the spread of love, are occupying the minds, hearts and actions of all Jews in Israel and elsewhere.

The pen is too poor to be able to describe the amazingly inspirational sentiments, and actions of love, of the Jewish people in Israel and the world over.

We are experiencing the coexistence of two opposite emotions. How is this possible?

There is only one answer to this question. A Jew has in him a Neshama, a G-dly soul, a spark of G-d, and therefore, naturally, a Jew possesses the G-dly quality to be able to rise above the limitations of nature.

The way to bring out even more the glow and shine of the G-dly soul, is by heeding the call of Racheli from Ofakim, who by baking them cookies, she managed to survive a 20-hour ordeal with the terrorists and came out alive. Her only message to us is; continue to spread light by making sure that every Jewish woman and girl, light Shabbos candles. This will set the world ablaze, and burn down the walls of this bitter Golus, and spread the G-dly light. And don’t forget to use Racheli’s recipe, the cookies are delicious.

The Yalkut Shimoni says: אם שמרתם נרות של שבת אני מראה לכם נרות של ציון = If you keep the candles of Shabbos, I will show you the candles of Zion.

Join the Shabbos candle lighting campaign, and you will light up the way for all our soldiers to return home safely after a full victory for all the Jewish people in Israel and all over the world.

May our cry to Hashem of Ad Mosai (until when will this Golus continue) be answered with the coming of Moshiach and the era of true peace.

Have a lit up and peaceful Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Yosef Katzman