What do you know about Noah? Most of us know that he built and lived in a floating ark while floodwaters raged all around. What gets overlooked is what Noah did after the flood.

After a year of feeding and caring for his floating menagerie, Noah and his family left the ark. The world did not look anything like he had left it. Gone were the cities, gone were the people, gone were the familiar landmarks. Even most of the animals were gone. All Noah had were his own two hands and a vision. He saw the world that could be rebuilt. And so, he set to work. One seed at a time. One brick at a time. One moment at a time.

Let us take a lesson from Noah. No matter what we lose, no matter where life takes us, we can always rebuild. Noah’s loss must have been devastating, as ours sometimes are. In the words of the wise King Solomon, “There is a time to weep,” but as Solomon also says, there is “a time to plant.” And just like Noah’s seeds grew and flourished, so can ours.

Menachem Posner,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team