SURVIVING WORLDWIDE DESTRUCTION
The Ramban begins his commentary on the Chumash with a discussion of which nation shall reside in which land. When a person or group proves unworthy, then Hashem will forcibly evict them. The first example is Adam ha Rishon, who proved himself unworthy of Gan Eden. The Generation of the Flood proved unworthy and their entire world was destroyed! And, nebach, Am Yisroel was sent into Golus when we proved unworthy of the Bais Hamikdosh.
This all leads to the Geula Shelemah: other nations will be ejected from the Land of Israel because they are not worthy to live here! As Hashem said to Avraham Avinu: “And the fourth generation shall return here (to Eretz Yisroel), for the iniquity of the Amorite shall not be full until then.” (Beraishis 15:16) When the iniquity of the nations reaches a certain level, Hashem ejects them. So we say to the world: do not be surprised when nations are ejected from the Holy Land in order for the Children of Israel to return!
Why are you surprised? It is all written in the Torah!
In Parshas Noach we learn that worldwide destruction occurs when the world reaches a certain level of depravity. Hashem is merciful, but there is a limit beyond which He will not tolerate rebellion. Noach labored for one hundred and twenty years on the Ark. Building this great boat in public was equivalent to announcing that the world was about to be destroyed by water, but no one paid attention; in fact, they made fun of him. But Noach was right. Nearly all life was wiped out. Mankind caused its own destruction by rejecting Hashem’s rules.
The lesson of Parshas Noach is totally contemporary. The exact causes of the Flood — moral degeneration and robbery — are repeating themselves in today’s world. “When the wicked bloom like grass and all the doers of iniquity blossom, it is only to destroy them forever!” (Tehillim 92)
Moral corruption – including “alternative lifestyles” -- has become widespread in many “civilized” countries. The Torah makes it clear that this spells doom. Hashem created man and woman. Man is not complete without woman, and vice versa. They are “basar echad…one flesh.” Through their union, life continues on earth. If mankind tries to uproot the order through which Hashem made the world, the result is not life but death. The Great Flood occurred as a result of moral degradation; as it says, “All flesh had perverted its way on the earth.” (Beraishis 6:12)
“It is taught in a Baraisa: the waters of the Flood were harsh…. Rav Chisda said, they acted corruptly and [therefore] with boiling water they were punished.” The Gemora in Sanhedrin relates this to the punishment for sexual depravity. (See Artscroll Sanhedrin 108b, footnote 8.) Rabbi Avigdor Miller zt”l noted that the “fountains of the great deep” mentioned in the account of the Flood could refer to the many volcanoes around the world, which at this very moment are extremely active. They release molten lava, which fits the description of “hot and viscous,” two of the terms used to describe the waters of the Flood. (Artscroll footnote)
The other cause of the Great Flood was robbery. “Now the earth had become corrupt before Hashem, and the earth had become filled with robbery.”
“Rabbi Yochanan said: Come and see how great is the power of robbery, for the Generation of the Flood transgressed everything, yet the decree of their punishment was not sealed upon them until they stretched forth their hands in robbery.” (Sanhedrin 108a)
Robbery erases the boundaries between people, causing universal chaos and fear. In addition to the common definition of robbery, I would like to suggest another interpretation which I believe can be applied to the current world scene, namely the attempt of the nations of the world to steal the Land of Israel from the Children of Israel, who have been given this Land by Hashem as is clearly stated in numerous passages in the Torah. For example: Hashem tells Avraham, “I will give to you and your offspring after you the land of your sojourns, the whole of the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession ….” (Beraishis 17:8)
Past a certain point, Hashem will surely not tolerate the corruption of the world He created. “In the generation that [Moshiach] the Son of Dovid will come … the entire [world] will convert to heresy …. for Rabbi Yitzchak said: [Moshiach] will not come until the entire [world] converts to heresy.” (Sanhedrin 97a)
We should not be surprised at the hatred of the nations. We should not be surprised when other nations are ejected from the Land of Israel. And we should not be surprised when those who reject Hashem’s Torah suffer punishment. Hashem has been warning the world for thousands of years!
“Fear not, Oh Israel … for I have redeemed you…. When you pass through water, I am with you …. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned …. Because you were worthy in My eyes … I loved you…. Fear not, for I am with you. From the east I will bring your offspring and from the west I wilI gather you. You are my witnesses – the words of Hashem – and My servant whom I have chosen.” (Haftaras Beraishis)
May we all soon merit to see the complete fulfillment of these great prophesies!
The earth covered by water
GLOSSARY
Am Yisroel: The Jewish People
Bais Hamikdosh: The Holy Temple
Beraishis: The Book of Genesis
Chumash: The Five Books of Moses
Gan Eden: The Garden of Eden
Geulah Shelemah: The Final Redemption
Golus: Exile
Nebach: a term indicating compassion for someone who is suffering
Parshas Noach: This week’s Torah portion, which tells of the Great Flood
Tehillim: Psalms
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