The parsha of Noah, for many of us, was our first introduction to the Torah. A whimsical story about an old man who obeys G-D and builds an ark to save himself, his family and two of every animal from a great flood. Cartoon illustrations of cute animals on a big boat, doves with olive branches in their beaks and arching rainbows lured us in and held our attention while we were taught simple biblical lessons.
Only as a young adult studying the Torah did I realize the parsha of Noah had all the dramatic elements necessary to make a successful Hollywood blockbuster: There’s a vengeful antagonist, a reluctant hero, action, drama, nudity, alcoholism and finally, a resolution of conflict.
But looking deeper, there is a symbolic meaning in the parsha of Noah that speaks to me. As noted in Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, after reading Noah “the Hebrew word translated as ‘ark’ (tevah) appears in the Torah again only in connection with the rescue of baby Moses (Exod. 2:3-5). It refers to a boxlike vessel made to float on water. It has no rudder, sail, navigational device or crew.”
Say what!?! Is this the type of primitive Ark Noah built to ensure the survival of his family (and in turn all of humanity) in addition to the entire animal kingdom? A vessel with absolutely ZERO navigational capability? No way to control the direction you’re going or the speed you travel? Talk about having complete faith in G-D!
Perhaps there’s a valuable lesson to be learned from Noah. Maybe we should trust more in G-D and her/his infinite wisdom and plan for us. Not just during a natural catastrophe, but during the more mundane aspects of our lives. Do we really need to micro-manage every minute of our day? Maybe we should take a step back from our overly-scheduled, overly-planned lives and take brief moments to reflect on the teachings of the Torah and how they can enrich our lives. In other words, hand the reins over to G-D every now and then. It worked for Noah. And who knows….at the very least, maybe your life will turn out to make a great Hollywood script!
So ironic, I was just thinking today, "Hmm, I wonder why no one has made a movie of the Noah story."
ReplyDeleteGreat minds think alike!
interesting concept, about letting up on all the meticulous planning that we do in life. When my kids were unschooling (at various times in their lives), we abandoned our preconceived ideas about what we thought they "ought" to learn, and trusted them (or was it God?) to learn what was important for them to know. It was the best years of our lives, and letting go enabled them to discover their unique interests and talents. It was an amazingly peaceful experience. Now that I'm retired, I kinda feel like I'm unworking, still waiting to see what direction life (or God?) takes me.
ReplyDeleteBecky,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience of "letting go". It's certainly hard to do so, especially when it comes to our kids! But it sounds like you found the right balance of letting go, trusting in others and G-D and embracing the wonderful results :)