Parashat Noah

I would like to say just a few words about Parashat Noah and what we can learn from the parasha about the concept of community. The people in Noah's generation were totally corrupt and committed every sin in the book, but the Torah states specifically that of all the sins, the straw that broke the camel's back, and the reason that God ultimately decided to destroy the world and start again, was the sin of 'hamas' - robbery. The complete lack of community, of caring and of respect for their fellow men reflected the total corruption and selfishness of an entire generation.

The decision to destroy the world by flood and to use the ark as the vessel in which mankind was to be saved was not incidental. In Parasha upishra, it is suggested that the ark served not only as a lifeboat, but also as a kind of experimental laboratory, testing Noah, his family and the animals to see whether they could learn to live and work together Living n such a close space, they had to learn to function as a community and to relearn the values that had been lost . According to the Midrash, Noah more than passed the test and justified God's faith in him. For the entire time he was on the ark, Noah never slept. He and his family were busy caring for the animals 24 hours a day - they fed each animal at the time to which the animal was accustomed, running back and forth from morning til night.

And so in a world of darkness Noah and his little community lived together and helping each other as they waited for the waters to recede.

After the flood, says Nehama Leibowitz, the parasha describes the successive stages of Divine mercy renewing life on earth. The light that had become reduced to nothing more than a tiny dot in a world of darkness now shines brighter and brighter, till it once again illuminates the whole of our canvas. Now we are shown a tranquil world adorned with the rainbow, reflecting its spectrum of color, through the clouds, as a sign and surety of life and peace for the coming generations.

It was a new world, a fresh start, a world where the concept of community could flourish.

And we can testify to the fact that the caring and community that Noah brought back to the world are alive and well and flourishing here in Rehovot and in the Sykes-Garfinkel clan. A year ago I felt that darkness had descended on our family, and that the light in my own life had become reduced to nothing more than a tiny dot - but not for long. As God renewed life on earth, you- our family and friends, through your love and support, illuminated our world. Through your love and caring, we have had the rare privilege to see and feel how truly blessed we are.