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Judy’s Progress
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A weekly Dvar Torah published in loving memory of Mrs Judy Feiglin A"H Nylgyyp y"n ldn[m Mjnm 'r /b h"[ hwj ltyg /rm /mvn ywl[l
Vol 2 No. 2 Shabbos 4 Cheshvan 5773 October 20 2012 Parshas Noach
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Parshas Noach
The great flood that took place in this week's Parsha destroyed every living thing from the face of the earth. Hashem commanded Noach to build an ark in order to save himself, his family and every living species so that the world could be repopulated following the flood. The Ramban explains that when the Torah says "jn Klh/h Myqwlah /a", that Noach walked with Hashem, we are being told of Noach's high level of belief in Hashem. How is this apparent? Think about the number of animals that exist in the world. And the birds. And reptiles. And insects. And every species and subspecies of living beings. If you think of merely twenty or thirty large animals, how large an area would be required to hold them? An ark measuring three hundred by fifty cubits and thirty cubits high would patently be too small to hold several dozen animals - let alone two of every single species in the world! How could such an area contain so many thousands of creatures, as well as food for all of these animals and for Noach's family for an entire year?! The Ramban explains that this was a miracle Hashem performed - that a small area was able to hold many times more than its actual capacity. Now that the Ramban arrives at this explanation that this was a miraculous occurence, an opposite question arises - why did Hashem tell Noach to build such a large structure? Allow him to build a smaller ark, and the same miracle should occur in a smaller place! The first answer provided by the Ramban is well know. Hashem wanted to create a talking point - that Noach should engage people in conversation, and inform them of the impending flood. The hope was that it would become a topic for discussion and lead to the repentance of the masses. The Ramban states a second answer. With any miraculous occurrence, Hashem obligates us to input our utmost effort - and then we will merit Hashem's miraculous assistance.
Why does Hashem act in this manner? Why must miracles
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be minimised? Wouldn't a larger miraculous event catch more attention? Rav Yechezkel Levenstein l"xz explains that all miracles are performed for the Jewish people to internalise Hashem's greatness. Furthermore, our free choice is something that cannot be taken from us. When Hashem minimised the miracle of the ark, there was still room for the naysayers to express their opinion. An obviously divine miracle would remove one's free choice - the infallibility of such an event would render free will non existent, which is not the way Hashem wants people to achieve greater heights. One must find and choose the right path and recognise even the smallest elements of life as miraculous. The way to arrive at this level is by Hashem minimising the obvious miracle and giving witnesses a chance to use their free will - to accept it as a miracle, or or shrug it off under some other pretext. This is a challenge that we face on a daily basis. When we buy a loaf of bread, do we think of it as miraculous? The same way that manna was miraculous, the loaf of bread should also be seen as a miracle. The word 'nature' is a misnomer! Bread is made from wheat, which grows from the ground. Yet is such nature not 'miraculous'? That one grain of wheat can potentially produce many hundreds and thousands more. Is that not miraculous? If we are prepared to think about small things, this is the way we can avoid the mistake of taking things for granted. Without contemplation one can easily overlook so many small miracles in 'nature' that Hashem does for us every day. This also explains why people must work for a living. If our income is predetermined on Rosh Hashanah, then why must we work? Hashem expects us to expend every possible effort before providing His assistance. Noach was not fooled by nature. He knew that all of his strength came from Hashem. Noach's unswerving adherence to Hashem's instructions showed his tremendous greatness and a special connection to Hashem.
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Vol 2 No. 2 Shabbos 4 Cheshvan 5773 October 20 2012 Parshas Noach
Judy’s Progress
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Dear Family and Friends, We hope you are enjoying the Divrei Torah every week.We hope that they bring some additional Torah thoughts to some Shabbos tables around the world! If you would like to support Torah learning in Israel in Judy's h"[ merit, we have added a "Donate" button to the blog (credit cards accepted via Google Wallet) - proceeds go directly to Kollel Zichron Pinchas Meir in Yerushalayim. Anyone who is interested in contributing/writing a Dvar Torah for a particular week or sponsoring an edition please email us at
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