46 | OCTOBER 27 • 2022 

K

ing Solomon famously 
said: “There is a season for 
everything, and there is a time 
for everything under the heaven.” 
(Kohelet 3:1). Sometimes we need time 
to introspect, reflect and 
draw inner strength. And 
sometimes we need to go 
out and engage and make an 
impact on the world.
This need to find a balance 
between our inward and 
outward selves is a lesson we 
can derive from this week’s 
Torah portion, the parshah of Noach 
(Noah).
The big question is: Why did God 
command Noah to build an Ark? Of 
course, the Ark saved Noah and his 
family, and all the species of animal 
life, from the great flood. But, think 
about it — God had all means at His 
disposal to achieve this; why did He 
specifically want Noah to construct an 

elaborate ship that took 120 years to 
build? Furthermore, as the Ramban 
points out, despite its size, the fact 
that representatives of the entire 
animal kingdom could fit in the Ark 
was a major miracle. Since God was 
performing miracles anyway, why 
did He want Noah to go to all of this 
trouble?
Rashi cites the Midrash Tanchuma, 
which explains that God chose this 
method to preserve humanity because 
He wanted to give everybody else 
a chance to repent and reverse the 
destruction. Of course, the 120 years it 
took to build the Ark gave people ample 
time to turn things around, but apart 
from this, the building of the Ark was 
a giant, eye-catching spectacle — and 
therefore an immediate conversation 
starter. It was something that might 
prompt all kinds of questions from 
people everywhere — the most obvious 
being: “Noah, what are you doing and 

why are you doing it?” 
And so the Ark was an elaborate 
communications platform from which 
Noah could engage with the world 
around him, encouraging people to 
return to their best selves and to mend 
a society that had become shockingly 
violent and corrupt. In the end, society 
remained as it was and people did not 
grasp the opportunity the Ark provided.
The Dubna Maggid amplifies our 
question by addressing another one. 
If the purpose of the Ark was solely 
to save Noah and his family and the 
animals, why did God give specific 
instructions about when to enter and 
exit the Ark? Once the waters had 
subsided, and it was clear the flood 
was over and it was safe to venture 
out, why did God have to tell them to 
leave? Surely, by that point, the Ark 
had served its purpose and no further 
instruction was necessary? Says the 
Dubna Maggid, this indicates that the 
Ark had a higher purpose beyond the 
mere practical function of preserving 
the lives of its inhabitants.

A HIGHER PURPOSE
What was that higher purpose? Rav 
Mordechai Gifter has a possible answer. 

SPIRIT
A WORD OF TORAH

Chief Rabbi 
Warren 
Goldstein 

Do You Want to 
 Build an Ark?

