From Chamas to Comfort

In

In Parshat Noach, the Torah describes a world that has become deeply corrupted.

“Vatishachet ha’aretz lifnei ha’Elokim, vatimalei ha’aretz chamas.”

“The earth was corrupt before G-d, and the earth was filled with violence.

The Torah does not only describe the corruption of humanity. It says that the earth itself was corrupted. Our Sages teach that the corruption extended even to the animal kingdom. The world that G-d had created to sustain life had become a world of chamas, of violence, robbery, and the taking of what belonged to another.

It was a society that lost its sense of responsibility, people were takers rather than givers and they exploited others. The corruption spread beyond individuals. It affected the entire world, even the land on which they lived.

And so, the flood was necessary to wash away the whole corrupted and violent world.

Noach, his family, and the animals inside the ark were preserved. They carried within them the possibility of beginning again. Noach was entrusted with the task of helping the world emerge from destruction and become a place where life could flourish once more.

There is a beautiful meaning in Noach’s name. The Torah tells us that his father, Lemech, named him Noach, saying,

 “Zeh yenachameinu”

“This one will comfort us.” 

He hoped that Noach would bring comfort from the hardship of working the cursed ground.

Noach’s mission would be the one through whom humanity would survive the flood. He would help bring comfort after devastation and make renewal possible. The world could not return to what it had been; it needed a fresh new start. 

Our tradition teaches us that the Land of Israel has a unique spiritual relationship with G-d. Its holiness is intrinsic; it is not dependent on the behavior of those who live there. The land retains intrinsic holiness.

Even when the world is filled with chamas, there are always places  and people filled with holiness. Even when corruption seems to overwhelm everything, goodness and renewal has not disappeared.

After the waters begin to recede, Noach sends out a dove. At first, it returns because it cannot find a resting place. He sends it out again, and this time, the dove returns with a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak.

After all the destruction, the violence, and the flood waters that covered the earth, there is a sign of life. The world can once again produce something green. The possibility of renewal has begun.

The olive leaf becomes a symbol of peace and hope. And the olive itself has a special place in Jewish life. Pure olive oil was used to kindle the Menorah, bringing light into the Tabernacle and, later, the Holy Temple.

Perhaps the olive leaf the dove returned with came from the Mount of Olives, Har HaZeitim, overlooking Jerusalem. The olive trees , the land of Israel, the light that can emerge after darkness and Noach are crucial for a new and better beginning.

When we see the cruelty of Hamas and the terrible violence inflicted upon Israel and the Jewish people, we are reminded of the Torah’s description of a world filled with chamas. We see how devastating it is when human beings abandon their responsibility to protect life and dignity.

The story of Noach teaches us that destruction does not have to be the final chapter.

Noach was to be a source of comfort, a bridge between the world that had been destroyed and the world that could be rebuilt. And the dove’s olive leaf teaches him and us that renewal can begin with something small but powerful: a sign that life will continue, that light can return, and that peace remains something we strive and work for.

We refuse to add to or tolerate the chamas. We must fight and combat the evil we see and experience all around the world.

We, like Noach, can become sources of comfort to those who are suffering. And we can bring light into places that have been darkened by fear and pain. 

The land of Israel continues to be a source of holiness and blessing. May the Jewish people have the strength to fight the negativity, to rebuild and renew, and may we all find ways to bring comfort to those who need it.

May we all together work towards being able to create a world filled with peace, goodness, and the light of G-d’s presence.