Noah 5784 ~ Oct. 20, 2023

Noah 5784 ~ Oct. 20, 2023

This Shabbat we read the story of Noah. As the portion begins, we read:

This is the line of Noah.—Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God. Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with lawlessness.

As a friend pointed out to me the Hebrew word in this sentence for lawlessness is חָמָֽס, which transliterated is HAMAS.

The commentary Ibn Ezra states that Hamas is: “VIOLENCE. Theft, oppression and taking women against their will.” And the commentary Chizkuni suggests: “some commentators understand the word חמס (Hamas) as applying to shedding innocent blood, basing itself on Joel 4,19: מ “from the חמס (Hamas) of the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Yehudah who spilled innocent blood in their land.”

Could it be that the Torah had predicted this horrific and tragic accost of Israel that we as Jews are experiencing, not only by Hamas, but also by the news reporters who were quick to blame Israel for an action, that the Israeli military has proven to be mistaken?

I pray that it was not a prediction, but a warning…. Unfortunately, the Torah’s statements ring as true at this moment as they did just prior to the Biblical Flood.

As I shared with some in discussion, one of the tragedies is that our world has forgotten the Holocaust and how evil, and evil people, decimated the Jewish people in Europe. Without remaining witnesses to the atrocities of the Shoah, deniers and anti-Semites have once again been able to convince the world of their evil and misguided thoughts. It is one reason that anti-Semitism has once again wreaked its ugly head throughout the world and has allowed for anti-Zionism to gain momentum. Unfortunately, the world had to witness the latest Hamas atrocities, and the lies of Iran and its terrorists, to once again understand the evil and the violence perpetrated by generations of Jew haters that continues today.

There are no words at this moment that can take away the sting of grief, the pain, the anguish, the trauma, the disillusionment,… And yet, in Israel every night at 7:30 p.m., those who are not standing near the Gaza border prepared to enter on the command of their leaders to put an end both to this hamas as stated in the Torah, and Hamas, may their names beblotted out, join together in the singing of the Shema.  Doing so they have faith in what we as Jews believe in.  We gain strength and determination through that belief and the utterance of those words.

Let me share with you a couple of posts that I have received this past couple of days that provide me with hope. The first came from my niece, who is head of consumables for Walmart (national). She shared this post:

The second was posted on Facebook.  EDIT POST: UPDATE! In less than 12 hours, out of thousands of letters, the mother of this little girl contacted me - Tamar Rund! Jewish geography at its finest! Let's bring some light into this darkness and find her beautiful sister a husband! If you know of anyone - reach out to Tamar Rund.

For everyone who needs a laugh. My brother-in-law, Yair was called up. His unit received cookies and a letter from a little girl, looking for a husband for her aunt.

Translation:

"Thank you to our brave soldiers who are protecting us.

Just so you know, I have an aunt that hasn't found a husband.

She has green eyes and is about...30.

If you know of a soldier that hasn't found a bride - call my mom! (Phone number of mother here.)

Oh, and her name is ___!"

Al Kol Elah, for all of these things, please dear God, shamor, please preserve and protect. And may the hostages be returned safely soon. May our soldiers not only set out in battle to secure Eretz Yisrael, but may they return home in peace, as well too. May Israel return to the day where the people live in peace and security, without the fear of another attack. May Hamas be destroyed in the land. And may those who have the inclination find the way to once again be able to travel to Israel in a show of solidarity, when that Hamas is routed out of the land.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Shabbat shalom.

Rabbi K