Blessings for this new month of Marcheshvan! During this month we look forward to the beginning of the much-anticipated rainfalls of blessing in the Land of Israel.

Water is life itself, and the most basic manifestation of faith rewarded. Yet water is also the instrument of Divine retribution, and the great flood in Noah’s time began during this month of Marcheshvan. How does that work?

In this week’s Torah portion of Noach, we learn about the flood that was brought upon the earth to reset all life. Mankind’s rampant, incorrigible evil had corrupted every aspect of life on earth, and Noah was given the responsibility of saving humanity.

In this week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman examine the spiritual aspects of water and the mystique of the righteous Noah, lone hero in a world gone mad.