MHA-FYOS Dean's Blog

This week’s parasha , Parashat Noach, presents the personage of Noach - the link between the antediluvian and post-deluge worlds – the link between Adam and Avraham. At the end of last week’s parasha , before introducing us to Noach, the Torah explains that Hashem will destroy the world because all of man’s inclinations were evil and his society had become corrupt. The world had been created for man’s benefit, yet man distorted and perverted its purpose – necessitating its destruction. Hashem commits to destroying the world. However, Hashem, in His infinite wisdom, chooses Noach as the vessel through which the world would maintain continuity with its beginnings. After the deluge, Noach emerges from the ark and builds an altar to Hashem – upon which Noach offers animals as a sacrifice. Hashem accepts Noach’s sacrifice and commits to Himself to never again destroy the land and all living things. The Torah provides the rationale for Hashem’s commitment – because man’s inclinations are ev...

At the end of this week’s parasha, Beresheit, the Torah describes the generations that descended from Adam; naming his descendants and their children. The list concludes with Noach and his three children Shem, Cham and Yefet. In the beginning of next week’s parasha, Noach, the Torah reintroduces us to Noach – a tzaddik , a perfect individual and a man who walks with Hashem. The Torah then repeats that Noach fathered three sons – Shem, Cham and Yefet. We already know that Noach has three sons! Why does the Torah find it necessary to repeat itself? The commentator Radak addresses this question. Noach merited to be saved from the flood because he walked with Hashem – in the face of the wicked people of his generation, Noach was only involved with serving Hashem. Just as Noach walked with Hashem, he taught his children to turn away from their wicked generation and to only serve Hashem and to cleave only to Him. Based on a verse in the book of Yechezkel, Radak explains that if Noach’s c...

We are all dismayed by the daily reports of random violence against Israeli citizens and military personnel and concerned about the victims and their families. Let us continue to pray for the speedy recovery of these victims and for the end to these heinous acts. This week’s parsha is Noach. The sedra opens with, “these are the generations of Noach. Noach was a perfectly righteous man in his generation. Noach walked with Hashem”. Rashi seems to be bothered an apparent redundancy – the Torah had already introduced us to Noach and his children in last week’s parsha . In fact, last week’s sedra concludes with the pasuk , “and Noach found favor in Hashem’s eyes”. Why does the Torah find it necessary to reintroduce us to Noach’s offspring and say, “These are the generations of Noach”? Our Rabbis teach that the good deeds of righteous people are considered their offspring. Rashi explains that the generations of Noach referred to in this week’s parsha are not his children but rather h...