So what's the most important part of this week's portion?    Building the Mythical Ark?

 

Where was all the room for FOOD for the animals (besides other questions)?  WHO BUILDS SAFE HOLY ARK SPACES TODAY?

 

 

Are we warned in the words - not to allow "Destruction of the World"? 

OIY!  Little by little - OIY! Look - What gives?

 

 

Do we do a good job of building a better world?  We don't need Bible stories, parables, or poetry - 

 just look around the world!  Read History! What did you hear?

 

 

"What could I do?"  We've heard that so many times - but how can so many people stand by and …?

 

 

 

And why does Noah get drunk in the portion - about the PAST - or about THE FUTURE?

 

 

 

And why does the portion spend the last third just reciting names and ages?

 

My theory is that 

 

we NEED TO REMEMBER WHO PUTS OUT TO SAVE THE WORLD! Noah built a safe holy space - but he blew it on WINE!

So who kept the world going after his failure?

 

In the end -of the portion - and always -

 

 it is our father ABRAHAM -

 

 who Battles Babylon (nutty Nimrod) - and Evades Egypt (see Pharaohs Fashla - Hebrew for boo boo - next week)!

 

Remember - ALL THOSE NAMES ARE PEOPLE THAT LED UP TO ABRAHAM.

 

And - all the people who came before you - each faced their own trials - and here we are with another chance to DO SOMETHING GOOD!

 

So - what's to be done? (Volunteer?  Fight Forest Fires in California?  Help Hurricane Victims in the Bahamas? 

ISRAELIS ARE DOING ALL THAT!!!)

 

SO STOP LISTENING TO THE LIES IN THE MEDIA!  Israel has its problems - 

 

BUT THE ISRAELITE HISTORY (and part of it was Noah - yes ) IS TO FIX PROBLEMS! JOIN IN!

 

 

Shabbat Shalom 

 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz