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שבת שלום - פרשת נח
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Video Shiur
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Click play to watch the video shiur by
Rabbi Scott Kahn about ברכת החמה |
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News and Notes
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This Shabbat is an
in-Shabbat, hosted by
Rav Pesach Wolicki and
his family.
Apart with
the beautiful davening
and delicious meals,
Rav Wolicki will be teaching
several shiurim, including
"Wine is Good, Wine is
Evil", and "Dor HaMabul
v'Dor HaPalagah: Parts
I and II". Daniel and
Lori Esses will be hosting
the oneg Shabbat at Shimon
23 in the Sheinfeld neighborhood
of Beit Shemesh; if you
are in town, please join
us!
On Wednesday,
the shana alef and shana
bet students will learn
more about the rich history
of the area in which
they are living this
year on our annual Beit
Shemesh tiyul. They
will be visiting Tel
Azeka (where David and
Goliath fought their
famous battle), the Bell
Caves at Luzit, the Bar
Kochva Caves, and the
Stalactite Cave.
We
wish mazal tov to Dovi
Muchnick, who made a
siyum on Nashim and Nezikin
on Thursday night before
mishmar. Dovi completed
these two sedarim in
twelve days, after making
a siyum on Moed on Simchat
Torah.
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The Rainbow's Rebuke
By Rabbi Pesach Wolicki
"I have placed My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the land... And I will recall My covenant that is between me and you and all living things in all flesh; and there will be no more flood of water to destroy all flesh." (Bereshit 9:13,15)
The rainbow is G-d's symbol that he will never again destroy all living beings through flood. As beautiful as rainbows are, the rainbow is understood by our sages to bear a negative connotation. If the rainbow is a reminder that G-d will not destroy the world because of His covenant, the implication of a rainbow in the sky is that there is just cause for G-d to destroy the world and that He is holding back only because of this promise. In other words, a rainbow is a sign that G-d is angry with the world. It is as though G-d uses the rainbow to say to us, "I would be destroying all life if not for my covenant." (see Bereshit Rabbah 35:3, T.B. & Chagiga 16a)
Why a rainbow? Why a bow? Why was this symbol chosen?
Ramban explains that the rainbow is referred to in the verse as "My bow". The bow and arrow is the tool used to attack an enemy who is distant. When an archer is aiming at a target, the curve of the boy faces the target, while the ends of the bow face the archer. If G-d were, so to speak, going to attack the earth with His bow, the curve would be facing toward the target. Ramban goes on to explain that in ancient times reversing one's bow was a sign of coming in peace - of ceasing fire. This is similar to the symbolism of dropping one's gun or the common practice of handing a knife with the blade pointed away from the receiver.
The message, then, is that G-d has reversed his bow. He comes in peace. He will not attack.
The other main characteristic of a rainbow is the spectrum of colors of light. Rav Elya Meir Bloch, the Rosh Yeshiva of Telz in the middle of the 20th century, offered a powerful answer.
The spectrum of light is visible when white light is refracted or bent. Given a perfectly clear and straight lens, the light would remain white and clear. A rainbow is produced when the light of the sun is refracted because it is passing through moisture and being refracted by the water.
The symbolism, explains Rav Bloch, is that G-d is telling us that while His light is trying to shine on the world, it is being obstructed and corrupted. It is not coming down straight and clear. There is a barrier between heaven and earth that is causing the light of heaven to be crooked.
The fact that the rainbow is a bow reminds us that, although we are distant, G-d comes in peace. The spectrum of colors reminds us that we must remove the barriers between us and G-d and not corrupt and obstruct the flow of His light into the world.
G-d loves us. He wants what is best for us and for His world. Through His rainbow He reminds us that we must make every effort to allow His light to shine on the world unobstructed by the barriers that obscure and corrupt the clarity and radiance of His message.
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