Parashas Noach

Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Noach.The Parsha's first verse says,'Eileh Toldot Noach Noach Ish Tzadik Tamim Hayah B'Dorotaiv Et Ha Elokim Hithalech Noach.'-'These are the offspring of Noah-Noah was a righteous man,perfect in his generations;Noah walked with G-D.'
This first verse of the Parsha says so much about how we are supposed to be and how Noach was.This verse tells us that Noach was the father of us all , for from him,all the nations and people came.This verse tells us that Noach was righteous among his generation,where his generation was evil and Noach chose to rise above all those around him and be good.While all others were stealing and murdering and killing and following the stars as deities,Noach was G-Dly.Noach had the inner strength to stand up to the evil temptations and pressures of his day and that was an amazing task,for the whole World was evil.Noach wouldn't be bullied.Noach wouldn't be persuaded toward evil.Noach loved G-D Whole-heartedly.This verse also teaches that a person who walks in G-D's Ways of good and righteousness,literally walks with G-D and has G-D at their side.This is how we are all to be.How people behave around us,should never affect what we do.This is our ultimate test.No matter what pressures are put upon us,to conform to the negativity that surrounds us,we must remain pure and Holy and righteous to HaShem.It is within us all,for Noach and his strength is within us all.It took one man - Noach to save humanity and persuade HaShem that this World is still worth saving and so each one of us can be that 'one.'Each one of us can work toward bringing others to HaShem.
The Parsha starts by saying,'Eileh Toldot Noach,' - 'These are the offspring of Noach,' for this is the start of our opportunity to build a world,an opportunity given to us by G-D through this holy Tzaddik,to correct the wrongs that the generation before the flood had committed and build a new World.When we look at the sins of that generation and we look around us today,we see that little has changed.What were the sins of this generation?Our. Sages say that the people of this generation had gone astray,having such a Blessed World that they forgot it was G-D who gave it to them and believed that their own witchcraft practices and their own physical powers was the cause of the World's abundance and blessings to them.G-D had Blessed them with beautiful fruits and food yet they thanked other celestial bodies like the sun and moon and stars (G-D's creations) for what G-D gave them.They looked to their own arrogance and put themselves up as powerfu beings that can stand without The Creator Chas Ve Shalom.When robbery became the pastime of the day,this was the final straw that caused HaShem to say 'Enough.' Robbery undermines the very moral code of a society and is an insult to HaShem for it shows that people want what G-D never gave them and take it from others (as if they know better what they need) ,this showing a complete disregard of faith in HaShem and His Wisdom in ruling the World.People would steal from others just a small amount that was just enough so as not to look like robbery but stole within the bounds of a lawless law.People would move the boundaries of their fellow just a little bit so as not to be counted as stealing according to Law.A man who would put down a basket of fruit,would suddenly have hordes of robbers and thieves coming and taking it,but each one would take just under the amount that would be considered illegal stealing.Bands of robbers would steal people's clothes from off their backs and some would walk around without clothes for fear of their clothes being stolen.When people use the Law to break the Law,then the very backbone of society no longer exists in upholding morals.It was here that G-D said ,'Enough' and came down to judge humanity.
The World was judged and G-D decided to wipe off humanity save and except for Noach and his family.
It was here where our sages feel that though Noach was righteous,it was only in his generation,for had he lived in the generation of Moshe Rabbeinu,he would not have been as righteous , for the sages teach us that where Moshe would pray for the people when hearing HaShem's judgement against them,Noach did not.He built an Ark for himself and his family.Yet,though the first verse of this Parhsa talks of Noach being an 'Ish Tzaddik' - 'Righteous Man,' they point out that he was 'Tamim Hayah B'Dorotaiv,' - 'Perfect in his generation,' as compared to the people of his day.Yet I feel that this makes him even more righteous for he stood up to everyone in his day and followed G-D's Word that Noach carries to all of us.The Parsha starts by telling us that 'These are the offspring of Noach,' to also remind us that the Laws given to him are the same Laws we are to still keep as offspring of Noach. 
All the generations from Noach came down to us.We are are each a child of Noach that HaShem G-D instructs to follow G-D's path.
HaShem told Noach to build an Ark.This Command of HaShem goes further for HaShem wants us all to also build an Ark within ourselves so HaShem can dwell within us.
The Ark took 120 years to build and this was to give the generation time to change their minds.Yet they continued to mock Noach.The trees for the Ark were grown to the exact size the Ark would need,without having to cut them,as HaShem had taught Noach how to do.The animals would come in pairs and the Kosher animals would come in pairs of seven.The animals came themselves and any animal that had commited perversions with humans were denied entry into the Ark.The fish remained as before for they had not committed perversion with humans.
When the time came,Noach tried to delay for seven days hoping the Mabul,the flood would not come, but it did.G-D had previously sent many warnings to get the people to repent,like making the Sun rise and set in the opposite directions from which it normally does and also harsh rains as well as other physical calamities in the hopes that people would change but they did not.The people tried to stop Noach from entering the Ark , but HaShem sent lions to surround the Ark and protect him.The Giant named Og was also saved and he was put on a little platform outside the Ark.Noach would feed him through a hole.
The people said that nothing would overcome their strength and if rain would fall,they would simply climb the mountains or stop the water from beneath , from coming up , by standing on the holes.It was for this reason that HaShem caused the water to rise many amos above the mountain tops and heated water to come from the deep.When boiling water started to come up from the deep,people tried plugging them with their children.Nothing helped and all humanity perished besides those on the Ark.As a reminder of the hot water from the deep,HaShem let 3 of these hotsprings remain till today,one being in Tiberius.HaShem constantly gives us opportunites to correct things if only we would listen.
It was for fear of another Mabul that the later generations who built the tower of Bavel made sure this time to built a very high tower thinking they could overcome G-D.But G-D knows all and though this time humanity worked together,even to do something wrong,HaShem was more lenient because of their togetherness and so confounded their language.The different sects of humanity at the time that had different intentions for building the Tower,were punished with different punishments,some being destroyed,others being turned into monkeys and the rest finding they couldn't understand each other's new language.Yet,there was one man who stood out among the rest ,who walked past the building operations every day while the people tried to get him involved,but he continued to refuse,for he was a man who was called the 'Ivri' the 'Man on the other side of the negativities of the World,a man who stood with G-D.This man was Avram from Ur Kasdim.Here again , we have the idea of one righteous man who carries humanity and does what G-D wants,no matter what that may be,not what he wants.Here again is Righteousness that stands alone with G-D and carries the World as a hope to HaShem that there is still hope for this World.
G-D asks of each and every one of us to stand with Him against all negativity,rising above it as the purified waters rose higher and higher to clear out all impurity.G-D asks of each and every one of us to let shine the part of HaShem that is within us all to purify the World and keep it as HaShem intended.To have the courage to those around us to stand up and do the right thing and make this entire World,a place for G-D to dwell.Each of us can be that 'one' that is HaShem's sweet hope for this World to make this World into what HaShem intends it to be.Within our heart,G-D wrote His Law and if we let the heart G-D gave us,shine forth,this World according to G-D's Laws,will be a World of Heaven.A World that is according to G-D,is a World that can fulfill the last part of the first verse in this Parsha which says ,' Et Elokim Hit'Halech Noach,' - 'With HaShem walked Noach,' for fulfilling HaShem's Wish and Laws,will have the sweetest reward of all,to walk with G-D.To walk with G-D is the ultimate calm holy comfort and this is what Noach's name means for the root of the word 'Nach,' means 'to settle,stay,rest,console and be in comfort,' for when Noach was born,HaShem lifted his proclamation on the Earth that he had told Adam when Adam was told that through his own sweat he would get food,for HaShem Blessed the World with abundance in Noach's time.So,will we be Blessed with comfort and rest and Blessings with HaShem if we follow HaShem Whole-Heartedly for we too,will have the ultimate Blessing,to walk with HaShem.
With sweet love to HaShem,I wish HaShem with love,a Sweet Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with love and to all,a sweet beautiful sweet Shabbos Kodesh with love.