לזכות רפואה שלימה אחינו כל בית ישראל הנתונים בצרה ובשביה
We have just passed over the Jewish calendar’s anniversary of last year’s tragic massacre of so many of our fellow Jews; as of this writing, although Hamas has been decimated, and Yayeh Sinwar has been eliminated, the plight of the hostages still rages on in our hearts and souls, and we pray for their wellbeing. I can recall vividly this time last year noticing the following words in the Torah [Bereishit 6’ 13’]:
God said to Noah, “The end of all existence has come before me, for the land is filled with violence and extortion; and I will destroy all existence from the face of the earth.”
Those who read the Torah will notice that the Hebrew word for “violence and extortion” is “Chamas;” hence, when we read the Torah last year, the message seemed to be glaring–the Hamas hordes that descended like a tsunami [they actually named their massacre “Al-Aqsa Flood”] on Israel were bent on wiping Jewish existence from the face of the earth, and their actions seemed to directly parallel the opening Pesukim of Parshat Noach. However, in hindsight, although painful losses are still being felt, it is clear that the tide of the war has turned, and instead of reading the Verse as pointing to the barbarism of the Hamas beasts, the Possuk can be said to alluding to how, ultimately, G-d will destroy those who preach “violence and extortion.” Ergo, we can interpret the Possuk as detailing how those who live their lives as an embodiment of the term “Chamas\extreme violence”--can expect to be wiped off the face of the earth by G-d and his people. May Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and ultimately Iran, learn this lesson quickly, so we can merit to see their evil tyrannies destroyed.
The early Torah Commentator, Rabbi Yosef Bechor Shor [circa 1150] offers another insight into the above Verse, which also correlates with much of what we see today. Bechor Shor comments that the Possuk is highlighting that the Generation of Noach had no moral clarity—rather, whoever had the capability to make the most “noise” spoke the loudest, no matter the merits [or lack thereof] of their perspective. One can clearly see echoes of this in our times, where students and professors on college campuses can spout the most anti-Semitic vitriol, and receive no pushback or penalties from their attending institution; meanwhile, those who strive to defend our ancient Homeland are met with violence and intimidation.
[Just recently, Columbia University’s lone {as far as the author is aware} pro-Israel professor Shai Davidai was suspended and disallowed from Columbia’s campus for documenting some of the Anti-Semitic behaviors exhibited by staff members of Columbia. The unfortunate irony on display is glaring—notice that the actual anti-Semitic displays are met with no resistance.]
One obvious insight to be drawn from the Pesukim in Parshat Noach is offered by Rashi [Bereishit 6’ 13’]:
“FOR THE EARTH IS FILLED WITH VIOLENCE AND EXTORTION— Their fate was sealed only on account of their sin of robbery (Sanhedrin 108a).”
Rashi informs us that despite all the evil actions detailed in the Pesukim in the beginning of Parshat Noach [including idolatry], G-d felt that the world deserved to be destroyed only on account of the appalling acts of robbery. This sentiment is echoed much later on in the Torah as well, where Rashi comments [Vayikra 19’ 18’]:
“THOU SHALT LOVE THY FELLOW MAN AS THYSELF —Rabbi Akiba said: “This is the fundamental principle of the Torah” (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 12; Talmud Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:3).”
It seems that the theme of these observations of Rashi is that G-d can be said to be willing to forgo His honor; it is only when interpersonal relationships break down and antisocial behaviors reign supreme that G-d feels that the fabric of society and creation is being torn down. Further evidence for this point can be found in the following Midrash [Bamidbar Rabbah Chapter 19]:
“During the generation of Dovid Hamelech, the youngest of schoolchildren were fully knowledgeable in all of Torah, and yet Dovid lost soldiers in battle; in contrast, the generation of Achav [a later king of Israel] was entirely engaged in idolatry, and yet Achav did not lose ANY soldiers in battle. What was the reason for this discrepancy? Achav and his followers did not engage in evil speech and slander, while Dovid Hamelech had followers who were guilty of those sins.”
May all of Am Yisrael heed the lesson from these sources, and may we merit to see the return of the scion of the House of King David, the Moshiach, speedily in our days!
Dedicated in memory of all those who have perished and sacrificed for Am Yisrael.
Have a Great Shabbas.