WRJ Voices: Noach

This week’s parashah, Noach, tells the story of Noah. Noah is considered a righteous man, for his time. There are ten generations from Adam to Noah and ten generations from Noah to Abraham.

For the first time, the women, Noah’s wife and his daughters-in-law are left unnamed. With regard to Noah being a righteous man in his time, does it mean that we should compare ourselves to those that are living in our time, and not to those who precede us? And why, at this point in Torah, are the names of the wives not listed? Yes, there are other places in the Torah that this happens, but why now, for the first time? Why is it ten generations from Adam to Noah and another ten to Abram? All interesting questions that are worthy to look at.

Then the story of the ark… Noah did listen to G-d, and to his instructions. However, the explanation that Noah would be on the ark for over a year was not relayed prior to the beginning of the flood. Noah, his family, and pairs of animals, both pure and impure. The parashah does state that male and female animals were brought aboard. Forty days did it rain, and then another year passed before Noah and his family leave the ark on dry land.

What can we learn from this? There will be signs of trying times in our lives, whether family, illness, health, flooding. We usually have some type of warning that it will happen. We may not always see the signs early. For many of the events we can prepare for the occurrences, both the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. We have family and friends around us. How do we prepare for the bad times? Whether with serious illness that takes time to recover, or nature that keeps us from our homes, time is needed afterwards. Many have seen flooding from hurricanes, I am one of them. Not this year, but eleven years ago. I know what it is to be displaced. But there is a plan that one does not see at first.

A family together surviving what appears to be to be tragedy. The family is the community. The community is the support system. The recovery is not immediate, but takes time. And we do not recover alone. We rebuild and grow stronger. We heal and grow stronger. G-d made a covenant with Noah never to destroy the world again, And Noah accepted the covenant and praised G-d. We have the capability of moving forward with our lives after our personal devastation. We are part of this covenant with G-d. We have the strength to move forward, one step at a time. Over time, each day takes us one step closer to recovery. We have our family, extended family, sisters, and as in this parashah, even our animals (pets) that are part of the covenant. May we all be for a blessing. Shabbat Shalom.

Joanne B. Fried is a WRJ Board Member and member of Gates of Prayer in Metairie, LA.