WE ARE
AL WAYS

Torah Portion

113C1IFIING

Following The Flood
Comes A Brave, New World

for you; you will ear the vegetables of
the field. Through the sweat of your
brow will you eat bread until you
return to the land, for from it you were
taken; because you are dust and to dust
you will return." Then, as we have seen
during the next 10 generations between
Adam and Noah, man continued to
his week's Torah portion
become more corrupt until the "world
contains the story of the
was full of violence" (Genesis 6:13).
flood and the survival of
God was ready to destroy all of creation,
mankind though Noah and
but gave mankind one last chance.
his family in the ark.
Is it possible for human beings to live
Certainly, these stories in the Torah
together in peace and harmony, mutual
(particularly at the beginning of
concern and love? Is it possi-
Genesis) are more than simply
ble for human beings to
stories reporting actual events.
exhibit the qualities of corn-
They are stories to teach us
passion for each other, lack of
about the nature of mankind,
selfishness — in other words,
God's existence and character
all of the traits at the opposite
and the relationship between
extreme of the violence and
human beings and God; in
aggression demonstrated by
short, the nature of reality.
man thus far?
God ostensibly decides to
Noah and his family lived
destroy His creation because
for a year enclosed in the
(Genesis 6:5-7), "He saw the
RABBI ELIEZER sealed ark, caring for one
abundant evil of man in the
another and for their charges,
COHEN
world. Every inclination of
the animals. The aggression
Special to the
man's heart was only evil all
and
violence displayed by
Jewish News
day long. And God regretted
mankind and the disobedi-
having made man . in the
ence displayed by Adam and
world and He was disappointed. And
Eve were replaced by a loving nurturing
God said again, 'I will wipe out this
of others; and, therefore, God saw that
that I have created from the face of the
in spite of the earlier corruption, man
earth ... because I regret that I made
was also capable of rising above self-
him. Further on, the verses reveal
interest, violence and aggression. Man's-
that man's great sin was that "the world
inclination may seem evil, but this was
was full of violence" (Genesis 6:13).
"in his youth" and not seen previously
However, even after Noah and his
as "every inclination of man's heart was
family survive the flood, the Torah tells
only evil all day long."
us (Genesis 8:21), "And God smelled the
Mankind, as a whole, can be edu-
pleasant fragrance (of the sacrifice) and
cated and trained to compassion and
God said in His heart, 'I will no longer
concern just as the infant who is total-
curse the earth because of man; because
ly selfish can become a mature, caring
the inclination of the heart of man is
adult. Thus, not only did God allow
evil from his youth, and I will no longer
mankind to continue, but also
smite all life as I have done.'" If any-
removed the original "curse of the
thing, this verse seems to repeat the very
earth." (In fact, the Torah tells us at
reason for the destruction, man's evil
the time of his birth that he was
inclination, rather than give a reason
named Noah, which means respite,
not to strike again. Also, what is the
because [Genesis 5:29], "he will com-
"curse of the earth" that is referred to?
fort us from our deeds and from the
It seems to me that it is possible to
hardship of our working for the earth
explain these verses in such a way as to
that God has cursed.")
reveal the Torah's message in the story
This "cursed," inhospitable land was
of Noah and the flood. Having created
replaced by a world symbolized by the
man with free will and the consequent
rainbow as a sign of this new covenant.
responsibility for his actions, God con-
The rainbow, a natural phenomenon, a
tinued to be disappointed. First, after
part of nature (as Nachmanides says in
the disobedience of Adam and Eve,
Genesis 9:12, "We must accept the
they were thrust into (Genesis 3:17-19)
words of the Greeks that the sunlight
" an earth cursed because of you; with
shining through the moist air produces
hardship will you eat all the days of
the rainbow") demonstrates the beauty
your life. Thorn and thistle will grow
and beneficence of the natural world.

Shabbat Noah:
Genesis 69-11:32;
Isaiah 54:1-55:5.

T

Mankind can (and will) continue to
develop through proper training and
compliance with law into the "crea-
ture" that God had envisioned at the
time of creation. This "training" is
demonstrated by the laws commanded
Noah upon his departure from the
ark. Murder is forbidden and although
man is now permitted to eat meat
(requiring the victimization of the ani-
mal), possibly as a concession to his
"violent nature," there are now laws
and restrictions (Genesis 9:17) to this
consumption, like the prohibition to
eat blood. Violence remains a norm
but mankind is shown it need not be
the absolute and, in fact, must be con-
trolled. (Animal sacrifice also can be
understood in a similar way.)
Thus, mankind has a new covenant
with God, one permeated with love
and compassion and governed by laws
and restrictions. Mankind can achieve
a society free of violence, aggression
and victimization and imbued with
mutual concern and nurturing.
Current events may make us won-
der how far along we are on this train-
ing program to real civilization, but
the ideal is ultimately attainable —
perhaps even to the extreme of the
poetic language of the prophet
describing the world at the time of
ultimate redemption (Isaiah 11:6-9):
"The wolf will dwell with the lamb
and the leopard will lie down with the
kid; and the calf and the lion and the
fatling together and a young child will
lead them. And the cow and the bear
will pasture together, their young will
lie down together; and the lion like the
cattle will eat straw. And the nursling
will play at the hole of the cobra and
the child will put his hand on the
viper's nest. They will not hurt nor
destroy in all of My holy mountain; for
the earth will be full of the knowledge
of God as the waters cover the sea." ❑

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,

Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of
Congregation Or Ch. adash.

It reflects God's concern for mankind
and his welfare and the human poten-
tial for good.

Has civilization progressed?
Are we less violent than in previ-
ous ages? How is the child
trained not to be selfish? Can
such a program work for an adult
or even a whole community?
What can we do in our own
lives, family and community to
improve the situation? How does
this optimistic view of mankind,
life and reality contrast to the
Christian view.of original sin and
the need for an intermediary for
forgiveness and redemption?

10/15
1999

Detroit Jewish News

77