Noach
A 4,000-Year-Old Lesson for Our Times
Dear Friend,
At a time when painful reports of fresh murderous terror attacks in Israel seem to be coming almost hourly, an ancient teaching in our Torah portion is as relevant as ever.
This week we read of a world that became corrupt and chaotic, and the resulting flood of Noah that reset it. The moral of this story is spelled out immediately: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, through man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of G‑d He made man” (Genesis 9:6). As our sages teach, humanity was given seven commandments which encompass the various aspects of morality and social order, providing us with a moral compass.
Terrorist belief systems glorify murder, while many onlookers around the world justify acts of terror on account of grievances and circumstances. Let us hope that the world at large adopts the Torah’s message: that every human life is precious, that every person has the responsibility to protect life, and that we can never allow murder to be justified or rationalized.
Together, let us pray and do good deeds for the safety of our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. May G‑d protect them.
Shmary Brownstein,
Responder for Ask the Rabbi @ Chabad.org
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A condensation of the weekly Torah portion alongside select commentaries culled from the Midrash, Talmud, Chassidic masters, and the broad corpus of Jewish scholarship.
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Chabad-run program provides crafts, conversation, companionship and more in New Jersey and elsewhere.
To be rolled out in more languages with new Torah-reading cycle.
G‑d doesn’t need you to report on the dirt in His world.
He sent you here to search out the jewels hidden in the mud, clean them and polish them until they shine.
And when you bring them to Him, the angels make a crown of them for Him, saying, “Look what Your children have made for You out of the mud!”
