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Why There Will Never Be Another Flood - נח

Friday, 1 November, 2024 - 1:26 pm

Why There Will Never Be Another Flood 

After the devastating flood, G-d declared that he would never again bring a flood that would destroy all of the earth. What caused this dramatic shift? The Torah tells us that it was in response to the offerings that Noah offered after the flood: 

And the Lord smelled the pleasant aroma, and the Lord said to Himself, "I will no longer curse the earth because of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, and I will no longer smite all living things as I have done. (Genesis 8:21)

It seems that the Midrash was troubled by the question of what it was about the pleasing aroma of the offerings that caused this dramatic turnaround, the Midrash therefore suggests that the "pleasing aroma" of the offerings that Noah offered, actually represented the commitment, dedication, and readiness of the future generations to sacrifice their own life for their commitment to G-d: 

The pleasing aroma that arose when Avraham, our forefather, was in the fiery furnace…, the pleasing aroma that arose when Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were in the fiery furnace…, and the pleasing aroma of the Generation of Forced Apostasy. (Bereshis Rabbah 34:9)

The willingness to cleave to G-d despite incredible external pressure expresses the soul's unconditional, unwavering, unchanging connection to G-d. This unchanging commitment elicits the unconditional, unchanging bond between G-d and creation expressed in the Divine promise: "So long as the earth exists, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

There is a more profound point as well. 

The sacrifice and dedication that the Jewish people demonstrated during times of persecution and darkness represent a profound truth: the greatest commitment and dedication cannot be generated and mobilized in times of "light" and serenity. For the darkness itself is what causes the greatest devotion to be awakened. Just like stones and obstacles placed into a stream will increase the energy and force with which the stream flows, so too, the darkness of the world does not bring to its destruction; but rather, it inspires individuals to tap into the deepest resources of the soul, which is bound up in the essence of G-d, and find greater strength and resolve, ultimately prevailing and transforming the evil itself into positivity. 

Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Likkutei Sichos 20 Noach 3  

 

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