Genesis Rising | Rabbi Shai Finkelstein | October 21st 2025

What was the answer? We're supposed to answer after the last class about uh >> oh >> about Colette. Yeah, I said it. I was going to speak about it in one of my draw and you need to come. >> Okay. So, um first we will obviously the show is the sponsor for this entire year. David's by their families. So, okay. So, we start today, we'll start a new uh a new series and we're going to talk about Noah, Abraham and Moshe, different approaches uh towards leadership. Um so, let's uh let's uh start with obviously the first and most obvious question which obviously is related to this para which is Why was chosen? >> You look at the narrative and it says on favor in the Hashem's eyes does not say why. By the way, also with Abraham very similar, but then it says all those are codes that we have no clue what that means, right? And um it doesn't say anything that he did that was the reason for God to like him. So let's see in that was last week's para towards the end. So was 182 years and he had a baby boy and he called him more. What does it mean to tell or that it will be said in the future something about him? Right? He is going to what to comfort us from what whatever we do from the sadness that comes as a result of what we do with our hands because the land was cursed by Hashem because of Adam and obviously the curse was what and therefore is going to comfort us from what form from the sadness and from the sorrow of what we do. So no will do something that what that will comfort us from the from the curse that God cursed the land. Okay. But still we don't know yet. So what did he do? So was 500 years old. Then we see here what he did was he had good parents. >> He had good parents. >> You know sometimes sometimes parents expectations is the child's nightmare. So um so we don't know yet uh why exactly Noah was chosen. So let's see. So first and foremost, Rashi comes along and says the following. So it says meaning with you know all the rest of them hadim. Here it says viol and it seems to be that might it might be that Noah was the only child but Ben from the world live not to build. So it's not just the male versus female but rather that he was the one that the world will be built from or through. Okay. So they had a debate meaning you look at the word at the name and you have a name and you also have a midrash meaning you have what? How to interpret that name? Why? So he says like that he says you look at the name and the reason given for that name if his name was only based on the reason he should be called he we should say what does rest >> to let us rest. But it says so if it's that's the reason he should be called it should be not just okay just and so why was it called Noah [clears throat] So when Hashem created Adam and he basically allowed Adam to control the entire creation. Now how exactly to control it if you want I gave a class about it in beta vai last week ruler or a leader. Okay so you can look there. Um but he basically gave him the permission to what to be the ruler of the universe. So at the beginning when everything was in in a wonderful harmony, I will go to the field and I will go to the cow and I say cow cow please plow plow and the cow will plow and everything will be will be will be perfect and everything will be with no pain no sadness everything will exactly the way it should. Yes. >> Oh, we'll get there. One second. But there just in Hebrew is to lead. Is to leave to rest. Yeah. It's not Leave it here. When the man committed the sin, the animals rebel against Adam. So, everyone does whatever they want to do. By the way, obviously you have a hinted lesson here that whatever we do influence the nature around us. Okay. So Noah was born and everyone what? Rested. Now what does it mean rested? Was there a new harmony or they just didn't fight each other? It seems to be they just didn't fight each other. Okay. So no means what? >> Rest. So just one second. So how should we call him? >> We can't say because to comfort. We can't say because it's it's not the meaning. So is from the word comfortable, right? It's comfortable. It's fine. Meaning things are in a status quo to some extent. Okay. And how do we know that when Noah was born, everything came to some kind of a of a a standill? It says here um it says here like that it rested. When we were ordered or commanded about Shabbat, so our ox and our animals also should rest. Which means the same way that on Shabbat we are asking you to let the axe to rest. Same thing here when Noah was born everything came to what? To some kind of a rest. Okay, that's says same question meaning if you want to call him you need to give a reason of if you want to say it should be called So according to even after the flood so so wait before the flood God would bring somehow the water and it will flood the graves and you can imagine that the sight was not pleasant when Noah was born it rested it rested. It was not a comfort or that just came to a standstill. Shalom. That's what we say in a funeral. What does it mean? They will what? They will rest still uh with tranquility on their on their wherever they um whenever they are buried. Okay. So before we go on so And they both agree that the reason the midrash that given to the name does not fit right. So based on the reason he should be called or you need to change the to and they both come to a realization that the word no come to teach us what some kind that he created when he was born that it created some kind of a of a of what not comfort because then he will be called some kind of a standill come or status quo or something that will stop the tension and the animosity the rebellious whatever it is it came to some kind of a standill >> maybe I should comfort his rest >> might we will talk a little bit about that later but it seems to be that they both agreed that Noah has in a way the wrong reason for his name and it needs to be little bit something else but then they explained it in the name itself now we understand that both of this um midrashimish. We have no proof to it. Nothing. How do they know that uh water came and you know beneath the graves and flooded the the bones or how do they know that the cow didn't listen and then they start listening? So it seems to be that both of them learn it from theem from the land that was cursed by God. So you look at that and say okay what does it mean? What are the two things that you do with that's the two things that God says to Adam after the one you're going to be buried and B >> there's going to be hard to plow the field. So both of them in a way took their midrashim I wanted to share it with you just don't think that they were dreaming that in the middle of the night it just they look at the puk and they said okay how is he going to what to bring some kind of a stand still or rest or or or some kind of a status quo to the land answer is what do we have found in the land regarding okay but until now it's very magical we don't know why When Noah was born, these two things were fixed. Seems to be that it just arbitrary. You say >> arbitrary. >> Arbitrary, which means okay, Noah was born and God decided, you know what? Okay, sure. Why not? We don't see that did anything. So, take a look at Rashi. Rashi says he will what? >> He will let go of the >> sadness and the burden and the pain that we have through what we do. What does that mean? So now he says the following. They did not have the plow. And he was the first inventor of what? Of the plow. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Lemo. >> Oh. So the question is what? We always call people who are like like little lay this lay right he basically prophesies that his son is going to what to help humanity so I don't know maybe it was a wish or maybe it was some kind of a prophecy but Noah was named for something that he will do much later so he pre he invented the plow now think about it can you imagine plowing the field without a plow Wow, that's hard. And then he says, so the land would grow thorns since the curse for Adam. And after Noah was uh born, the rest the land somewhat rested. And then not only that it rested now with the plow you can also what you can really plow the field in a better in a better and nicer way not so much comfort us but rather he reads it meaning he will take away from us the burden and will give us a bit of what of a rest not a comfort but the rest. And now think about it. If I need to wake up in the morning, okay, so shah today it's it's easy, but shahad dawn was 5:35 a.m. Okay, and I need to start plowing the field with my fingers. And now I have a plow and I can do what I did in 12 hours in what in 4 hours. So this is not a comfort because I will probably continue to walk in the field until sundown. But I can I can obviously accomplished much more. So Rashi reads it as not comfort because there's no comfort in it. There is more of a rest. Yes. >> Word comfort in English could really mean both. >> The what? >> Word comfort in English could really mean both. Like the chair is comfortable. It's easier. It's nicer. It's less hard. >> Uh-huh. Ah. Okay. So, >> okay, interesting. Um, I think that in Hebrew it's more distinguished, but I I hear what you say. And then he says, "And if you're not going to what to interpret the word, as I told you, says Rashi, the reason given does not sync with the name. Now, by the way, I don't recall too many rushes that is so particular about telling you how to read it, which is very interesting. And it seems to be that there is a reason behind it. Noah is not a comforter. No did something amazing. If you are asking me based on my interpretation in Rashi for the question that we asked what was the reason that Noah was chosen, I will tell you Noah was chosen because he fought against God's curse. God does not want lawyers to tell him that he is so great. He won't would like people to fight his curses. God is not only is not upset with Noah for what? For trying to go against God's curse. He's choosing him to be the savior of humanity. Give me another reason very close to it. Very another example very close to it. Thank you. Who else tried Abraham with do not only that God did not reject Abraham for arguing with him and tell Hashem you don't know how to run the world right he invited him to that >> and later on we have Moshe and give me another one to some extent we spoke about it but someone else who is very clear about And that's what Hashem wants. He will choose him because he went against God's curse. He began, he initiated the return to Ganedan. And this is the reason why Noah was chosen. It's not about bringing comfort. It's not that he talked to the people and tell and gave them a mash telling them everything will be fine. That's also will be nice but he will not be chosen for that. He was chosen because he invented the plow. Okay. >> Why he went to the car after? >> Oh later on. Oh I can. This is the question was so why at the end of his life he went to uh drink wine. So, A, we will never be able to understand the trauma he went through. >> No question. B, I'm not sure he wanted to be chosen. I don't know if he wanted to continue to carry on that tremendous burden of being the savior of humanity. Not true at all. See, after being with 150 days with the animals, I think I will need a glass of wine as well. I mean, think about his life. >> Yes. >> Wondering that he didn't have any children till he was 500 years old because he saw what was going on in the world and he just did not want to continue the race of men. there there are some interpretations very similar to what you said because he's probably one of the oldest people to have children starting at 500 years old. Um I guess it's never late but the the thing is is what is that some people said that he basically said why should we it's all going to go kaput and by the way the one who probably didn't even have had a wife was Elohim. Okay. Yes. >> And I have been had no relationship with anybody. Sat there for how many years people he was isolationist. >> That was from 500 and more. What did he do from zero to 500? That I don't know. He did invented the plow. So it took him 500 years. I mean it's not exactly a startup but yeah I mean I know what you are saying it's true from 500 years and he got 120 years something to build the ark so he can inspire people and he didn't do it. That's one of the reasons why he's when he comparing to other all of those things that we know. But what he did what did he do until 500 years old? He invented the plow. He went to an uh what do you call it? What do you call what do you call it? Like a school that they teach me. >> Vocation. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's what he did. By the way, just as a side note, who was No's grandfather's grandfather? >> Huh? No, no, no. >> If I'm not mistaken, if I remember it correctly, I came after another class, so I might think about a different class. But um I think it's who was or something like that. Um sorry was No's wife. Nama was No's wife. So that's I'm just saying that. I'm not saying that that's true or not. It's just But she was in a family of what? of iron. >> No, not musician. That was Yuval. The other guy was mater. He was um >> what do you call him? >> Iron M. Okay. Iron Mer. Okay. So, she was in an iron maker. So, maybe Noah had the brain and she had the talent and somehow they did it together or she came up with a plan and he just what? He just followed the orders and then it was called on him. It might be also whatever it was, but Noah invented the plow. Okay. says Rashbam Rash's grandson. So he reads it the following. It's not it's not prophecy. It's just what a wish. What does that mean? like Rashi which means the father no not this Noah's father I guess it reached a point when all humanity were exhausted just exhausted I mean again just imagine plow a field with your fingers and nails it's just like it's it's tough So basically his father wished maybe maybe my son will be the one that will able to make our lives a bit easier. And now he just wanted I guess to focus the fact that what that Noah's father was not a Nav'i was not a prophet because you don't want to uh you know to um to associate Noah's father as because he's definitely not. Okay. Now we move forward to the Malim. The Malim says the following. So I already explained in my uh commentary on basically when I say to someone I tell him what switch gears right change your mindset. So when we go to be what do we ask the a to do to be so we always thought about what comforting him right oh your dear one was so beautiful and you are so great and blah blah blah that's also true but we also try to what to tell him what change your mindset And also the word it's also associated with the word regrets. He says he is going to what to which means what? So he wanted to claim the following. He says now maybe he will be able to also switch our mind from only immersing in what? In hard work and to think about what are we going to do tomorrow for food or for work. we will be able to to switch gears and not to think only about what the field harvest and walk but we can think about things that are a little bit more elevated. Just want to say so that in a way that he will help us spiritually to lead us to what to something that it's a bit more spiritual. Now think about it and this is something interesting. When was the mal beam? >> 19th century. What do we know about the mal beam? >> Anyone? >> You know what you're going to tell us now? >> The what? >> I'm going to hear when you tell us. >> Oh, okay. No one knows anything about the >> mountain cler. >> He's very original. That's very good. >> He was divorced. >> He was >> divorced. >> Divorced. >> That I'm not sure but I don't know. Oh, he wrote tremendous commentary on unlike many other. Okay, what else do we know? A little bit about 19th century his time. >> Industrial revolution. >> There is enlightenment. There is industrial revolution. Okay. Why do I care? Oh, A because I like it. B the industrial revolution did something very similar to what >> to what Noah did. But bad but bad but bad but bad but bad but bad but bad but bad but bad but bad but but Let's now I need a really honest answer. >> Do you think your our lives now are easier than the lives that were 100 years ago? >> We're supposed to say yes, but probably not. >> In some ways, yes, some ways. >> Okay. So, the sign ways yes is that we don't need to take a chicken to the house. I remember my grandmother. Okay. the fish and they put them in a bath and then we bang them. I remember that and I'm not that ancient. Okay. And uh and you know and you know we don't need to take water from the well. We have it from the faucet. Right. Okay. >> Said that you be able to do a lot of things but you would still not have a lot of time. >> Okay. But despite the fact that things takes for us half of the time or even more than just half of the time we have zero time right >> now even if I don't waste time we don't have time now that's interesting [clears throat] the Minim says with the industrial revolution for example what do you have you have definitely more time what do you do with more time now the Malbim he's talking unlike Rashi or Rashbam who writes their per on the malb gives a drasha to whom and he needs to give them a lesson he needs to give them a message and he basically says to them what this all this technical advancement and scientific advancement it's for you not to be more immersed in walk but rather >> find more time to focus on something that it's important >> elevate yourself spiritually learn more Torah take the time that it took you once to print a page in the 14th century will take you a day and now you just click and you have whatever you want take this hour and do something spiritual let's call it like that and I think what the Malim says basically Noah just imagine the world without I'm not saying that he said that he invented the plow but I'm just saying imagine the world without a plow everyone needs to what to earn something there's no marketplace everyone has a little land and he needs to what to basically create from his own land whatever he can and then they will probably do some exchange that will be my guess how do they survive there's no man okay there's no Slav they need to survive so basically you can imagine that their entire entire day was only about what? >> How am I going to have a meal today and definitely feed all those children that they had? So now when you have the plow and you can cut the walk day in half if not more, do something also spiritual. >> Okay. Someone No. Okay. What the word that's used afterwards is the same word with heed or he changed his perspective on creating man. What is the exact that it says afterwards before he brought the flesh? >> Yeah. But >> did he use the word? >> Well, but >> because they didn't use their time wisely. But which means even though God was so upset with human beings and he decided to bring him a bull, he decided to what? >> To save humanity again. >> No. >> And to create a new humanity, >> right? >> And it's the same people. So why did he do that? Because he still had faith in us. The question is, do we have not in him in us? Okay. And then he says, Which means that will help us to what to have a little bit more time for spirituality and then if we will be influenced by that we will be able to turn the kala into what into braha and from this hard work by the way someone who understood it very very well that if you don't work too hard, you have too much time on your hand and you can god forbid become becoming a little bit more spiritual was par when comes along and start talking about spiritual journey says what you have too much time on your hands. You have too much time on your hands. It's not good. Work harder. Okay. By the way, just as a side note, Mash's side note, but communism also in its core basically thought that we should enslave the people to work very very hard and then they don't have time to what to think. They don't have time to focus on anything spiritual to what >> to revolve. to revolve. We all always I mean that's I think the only word that everyone knows in Russian reota which means what? >> Work. Okay. AOD avod. Okay. There's even an Israeli song about it. Um so the idea is is that busier you are with work, you will not have time to think about other things. Okay. says they are the page two. You see by the way the obsession of all the interp all the commentators with this like they saw that the reason does not sync with the name. So something needs to something needs to be interpreted here. So translated it as really which means what? Condolences like so. But then he will need to be called what? And rejected and says it doesn't sink with the reason. And therefore, therefore explained it from the word. But Rashi explained says really we need to examine each one of those interpretations. saysim is something that happened evil that happened to you in the past and you bring him but you can bring on something that what that still exist. Okay. And he says also the word that he will give them and rest. We also know even after the flood still the curse of and everything continued. So therefore he says says we probably need to intertwine these two roots and to say So he says that's why we don't write with because then it will be more of what of from the word and not give me a proof from that with is really to rest only rest >> from the >> that's a song that's nice but it's a not man I'm talking about really the word no >> before the question They rested from their enemies. Not it's not not comfort. Now why we need all of that? We will get there. He says that father saw all the wickedness that is going on in the world and it was very hard for him but he couldn't do anything. The rashbam says no. The nativ says yes. And what was his that in Noah's time they will stop doing those evil things. But the problem is that they didn't. This is the generation of the flood. They were the worst. Okay. So it's still hard to understand what he's saying. So the nativ I guess did not like the confrontation between and so he tried to bring them together and it's wonderful. The problem is it does not work. >> Yes in the club. If he was alive, he died. Yeah. Meaning that sounds like if he was alive at the time of the flood, he died in the flood because the only people who survived was Noah Noah, his wife, his three children, his daughter-in-laws, and >> and the animals and >> Og. You remember OG the giant? Okay. Vava palit the midra says that what did he do? >> He basically jumped on thea from the outside and he was holding on. The problem with the holding on >> the water covered everything. Unless you want to tell me that he is like a fish that can breathe under underwater or he had a snorkel. You know that that schno thing that reached 15 am I don't get it how exactly og survived this thing >> also hot water >> the what >> maybe he invented the snorkel >> maybe he invented the snorkel right or maybe it was like a submarine you know when they have this thing that goes up whatever it's called I mean you understand that the word palit the most that the simple understanding of the word palit is a refugee okay there was a war between the four kings the five kings and number he was able to to escape But why kazal want to what to bring og to the time of what of the mabul to probably make a connection between what I spoke about last night guess no one was there last night on zoom what did I speak about I spoke about those giants and there were giants Okay. So the association is war those forms from before the flood. But if you tell me that the entire societ the entire humanity was destroyed. So then we don't have nephilim. So you need to have the what that was a palit that there was some kind of a person who was able to what to survive. >> He died at 777 and 500 years before he was already. >> Okay. So, he was going or maybe that's why he's called lay. >> Yeah. Such a good son can save him and he's a lame and he dies before. No, maybe. By the way, you know what? We don't have a we just finished it. I'll give you some homework after that for two things in one why we call a guy who is like a >> lay and also why >> was one of the why do we call someone who is clumsy we call him a >> yeah but if Like why clumsy? A clown is a schlum, right? I'm not talking about a schlamazle is not mentioned in talking about a well. You know what's the difference between schlamaz and >> yeah that's one >> drops you. >> But what's the difference between the andaz? >> The one drops whenever and the other one falls on him. The schlamas is the one that falls on. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know what you're saying. I heard something else, but whatever. Okay. >> What did you hear? >> Leave it alone. This is >> I think what I heard is that the schllemazo pulls the the soup on the says, "What kind of soup is that?" >> Okay. >> The what? >> Ken. You see nine nine big brothers being killed. You're still waiting around. You're like get out of state. Okay. So, we're going to conclude just with this part. He says, "Ah, I agree. The land continued remained to be cursed even after the flood. They had some kind of comfort." So he wanted to claim that what that was still there but there what was invented was that that can be something better and it based on what on maenu that's what basically changed after after the flood According to the Nativ, I will say that this interpretation of the Nativ is very original, very nice but little complicated, a little challenging when you read Absukim. I think Rashi Rasham Malim is more um in sync with with the narrative itself. So if that's true, oh, and we need to stop. Okay, if that's true, what we will do next week, Batm will try to understand. So now we know why he was chosen. But now after we understand why was he chosen, the question is what went wrong. After he was chosen, he was dropped or he dropped himself. That was the question of the wine and everything. So we'll need to try to understand the approach towards leadership that Noah had that Hashem did not exactly like and then we went through another 10 generations until we got to whom to Abraham. >> Thank you.