Back in 1996, Rabbi Finman was asked to speak to the niece of one of his students. After spending many hours answering her questions, the woman gave Rabbi Finman her e-mail address. Rabbi Finman wrote the woman a note and included in it a short insight into that week's Parsha and a short Chasidic story.
Realizing that this was something no one was yet doing,, Rabbi Finman sent the missive to his mailing list of about 30 people. Requests from recipients friends came pouring in. The next week Rabbi Finman sent the e-Parsha to 100 people. Within a year more than 2000 people were receiving it. Today, more than 14,000 receive the e-Parsha weekly and the requests keep coming in.
Noach 5787
Nitzavim Vayelech 5786
Ki Savo 5786
Ki Teitsei 5786
Shoftim 5786
Noach 5787
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YouParsha Ki Savo https://youtu.be/rr7a3v8V2_w First Fruit and Breaking a Calf's Neck.
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This week we continue with the story of Noah and the flood, Genesis 6:9 - 11:32. It is explained in Chassidus that the flood was not a punishment, but rather a purification process. It rained 40 days and 40 nights, corresponding to the 40 seahs (minimal requirement) of a mikveh. The earth had become so disgusting that it required a ritual immersion in a mikveh. That is why the flood is called in Hebrew, may noach - the waters of nachas (a pleasure).
The stories in the Bible are not meant to entertain but, rather to teach valuable lessons. We undergo a daily flood, our worries. The verse states that even though there are great flood waters (worries), the love a Jew has for the Almighty can never be extinguished.. The mikveh is an experience in self abnegation. As one loses total weight in a mikveh, physically, so one loses one’s ego, spiritually. The Hebrew word for immerse is Tovel and contains the same letters as the word bitul, self abnegation. That a person is able to dissolve their ego allows them to achieve higher levels in holiness.
This is also true with worry, especially about money. When a person worries, it causes them to feel broken and eventually rely upon the Almighty. Having trust that Hashem provides all of our needs is central in Judaism. (After all, our needs have been met for the last 3000 years.) Since the intention of being put into these worrisome situations is not for a punishment, G’d forbid, but rather to wash away bad character traits, it is simply understood that this can be accomplished in one minute. So why worry?!
It was brought to my attention that Noah’s ark landed on Mount Ararat in Turkey and Noah, immediately upon his departure from the ark, offered sacrifices on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. How did he get there so fast? One answer is that it could have been months between the end of the flood and the actual sacrificing. This doesn’t wash (especially after the flood) that Noah would have waited months to offer sacrifices, which convinced Hashem not to destroy the world.
The answer can be illustrated by way of a story.
The Rebbe Maharash, fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, once awoke his father’s secretary Laibel and asked him where he was the preceding night. The man could not answer.
This is what happened:
The week before, there had been a certain urgent matter requiring the Tzemach Tzedek’s (third Lubavitcher Rebbe) attention in Vitebsk. The rains had fallen steadily and left the road from Lubavitch to Vitebsk virtually impassable.
That Saturday night, the Rebbe called his servant into his room and offered him several l’chaims. After the servant was well inebriated, the Rebbe put a belt around his waist, put a letter in it and pointed him in the direction of Vitebsk and said, "Go."
In a short while the servant was standing at the door of the head of the Vitebsk Jewish community. The city leader opened the door and assumed that Laibel had been in Vitebsk for Shabbos. Vitebsk is 75 viorsts from Lubavitch. The leader read the letter, composed a reply, struck it in the belt of Reb Laibel and pointed him back in the direction of Lubavitch. In minutes, Laibel was at the door of the Tzemach Tzedek. Too drunk to remember anything, Reb Laibel tottered into bed and fell asleep.
This story soon became publicized in the entire Vitebsk region. When the Tzemach Tzedek was quizzed as to the apparent miracle , He replied, " What miracle, I just told him to go to Vitebsk."
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