Navigating an Alien World: Powerful lessons from Avraham and Lot by Rabbi Shmuel Goldin

okay first of all may this day of learning the loving memory of our mother grandmother and great grandmother Bessie leore Bas p and the donation is given by Reena and yako cman d bbor and halia Eisen we thank them very much for their generosity and as always I thank the year sponsor of our yearly sponsors of our Shor Dr manam and Mrs Marcus in honor and in memory of hilden Meer and Irma their aunts who I had the opportunity to know during my stay in in England okay today we're going to take a look at Noah and Abraham we uh are moving on from the questions that plagued us last week concerning K's changing of his mind it would seem concerning the fact that we're at a turning point where the world is about to be destroyed we dealt with various different approaches the difficult questions that are raised by those events and now we're going to take a look at we're going to start with a famous DHA and then begin to try to understand H's motivation in making the DHA and what the lessons are that we might learn from that R take a look for a moment at the very first entry on your pages a told those no these are the generations of Noah Noah was a sad a righteous man complete was he in his generations with so automatically pounds on one word what word is that right why why does it have to tell me that he was righteous in his well I think he was righteous in someone else's generation obviously he's righteous in his own generation only it's only possible to be righteous in the generation in which you so therefore what do the rabbis answer they have two interpretations who remembers one interpretation andash brings it down there are those who learn this word as an indication of Noah's his praise and there are those who learn this word Lite because it's to to to Dem Merit of Noah to to to somehow say something bad about him what what would it mean he was righteous in his generation in spite of his generation in other words in spite of the fact that everyone around him was the D nonetheless he was righteous but had he been in another generation had he been in the generation perhaps of Abraham he would have been been even what more righteous so that's on the other hand on the other hand there are those who say it to his dearit what what is boros he was righteous only when compared with his generation if he had been in the generation of Abraham he wouldn't have been considered a along comes and says the truth is that both of these interpretations are liite both of these interpretations are an indication of Noah's limitation because even the one that says Le even the one that says to his praise he was righteous in spite of his generation is saying that he wasn't totally righteous because it says if he would have been in the generation of ab he would have even been even more righteous so therefore even the interpretation that we call Le that we call to his praise is an indication of his limitations now let's stop for a moment and let's ask some questions number one why compare wait a minute we don't usually do this we don't compare Moshe to Shmo we don't compare yov to sha why are we suddenly comparing Noah to Abraham why why why why should we be making these comparisons Noah let's learn about Noah and let's learn of his righteousness or his lack of righteousness from what he does but why am I making a comparison to Abraham secondly secondly let's take a look at how the Torah introduces each of these individuals in the case of Noah the Torah says no is sadik it introduces Noah as aad does the Torah introduce abam is it no AB is suddenly sent on his way look at the first the first commandment we learn AB with total silence about what comes before why doesn't the Torah say who turns to him so we have two questions why compare no and once you're making the comparison why does sadik somehow find its way into Noah's description but not into Abraham's description yes this verse about Abraham is at the beginning of his life and this verse about Noah is at the end of his life no it's not well it's said oh it's not quite the end but it's after the FL it's it's no it's before the flood it is this is the inter toos Noah is this is the introduction to the to the whole story of Noah it comes at the very beginning already a line there's already it it in fact why it says toldos and then doesn't tell us is lineage but yeah nonetheless it is the beginning of the Noah story it's the introduction to the whole story of Noah so yes maybe Abraham it wasn't necessary because if we see his actions we see a lot of actions that he's done so that kind of defines him as a person excellent all right I'll repeat it so that everybody can hear I'll say it a little bit differently but but but n nonetheless it's exactly what you said does the Torah generally tell us about the people that populate its pages does a Torah usually tell us about their character or about their their personal image you know someone says that you can go through the entire Torah and not know whether Moshe had blue eyes right you don't know Torah does not usually the Torah allows the action of the individual to speak for themselves and therefore the Torah does not tell us is because once you read Abram's story what are you going to know that he a when it comes to Noah however you can read his entire story and you won't know that he's a s right well he does exactly what God tells him to do God tells him to build an ark he builds an ark so God says go into the ark he goes into the ark God says come out of the Ark he comes out of the Ark so therefore there is no indication of his righteousness from his actions he doesn't argue on behalf of the world the way AB argues on behalf of Sodom and Amor and therefore the Torah has to tell you yes because even in the end we see we see actions and character of Noah the would attribute to S right even we're going to get to that well said well said that at the end of his story you'll see things that that would not be considered the actions of a time yes can we say grammatically I don't know if it works but that to no is Noah that's all he produced was himself interesting he is the only story of his life she's suggesting is that it that it says and then it doesn't go into this was raised before doesn't go into who his Generations are so what you're saying is the most important thing that he produces or perhaps the only thing he produces that is critical is his own story are are are ancillary to that yes oh you mean in this story because shra later on is the Yesa that's a that's that's rash and and and and that's somewhat later correct all right so let's so let's now what we've answered is why it says by Noah and it doesn't Sayad by AB but I'd like to come back to the first question why are we making a comparison why are we comparing no what say excellent because ABR is the father of thean and Noah is the father of Ben Noah so what we're doing is we're not just comparing individuals we're comparing the progenitors of two populations and that comparison is important because that though we're going to continue the story of those populations throughout the Torah and Beyond and therefore the comparison is warranted all right two more comments and then I'll go on yes I accept that okay finish off that funneling off winning winnowing out principle that you're talking is it possible that Noah also was a potential all right wasn't quite in know words all right I'll come back to that then Noah was it potentially doesn't turn out to be like Au we'll talk about that one one one last or two last comments go ahead what seems to be happening I mean it seems to me that Noah was a very good servant okay he did what he was told that's why it says he was righteous he was blameless he did what he was told whereas abam initiated Asser I'll come back to you I'll come back to you good good excellent excellent excellent excellent yes all right just for the just for the for the for the tape the suggestion is made that Noah simply does what he's told and that makes him and and and and and AR asserts and and acts ahead if you go by Noah what he did after come out he wasn't right correct that was mentioned the fact that the actions we're going to talk about that we're going to talk about that in a moment all right what we're saying and I'm going to build off what you said right now Noah and Abraham present two different models of a relationship between God and man and those models are very very different the model of Noah is obedience I am told to do something I do it I'm told to do the next thing I do it I don't initiate I don't argue I don't complain I just Do It Let's Stay With Me Now Abraham Abraham presents a very different model of a relationship with Hashem not only is he proactive right and the Torah says that and that's by the way you see that in walked with God and when it comes to it says walk before me God says so therefore AB initiates he not only obeys but he also argues he also struggles hash turns to him and says I'm going to destroy St what would no say what would no say go do what you want to do what does abam do writes he Bargains he argues one could have suggested that the optimal choice between the two would be no one could have suggested that the the optimal religious figure is the individual who doesn't struggle with God is the individual who what obey God to the letter and does exactly what he's told Along Comes the Torah Along Comes the Torah and says no what is the motto that we are meant to follow we're meant to follow Hashem invites the struggle Hashem invites us to struggle with the questions to struggle with the issues not to be not to act in blind obedience and therefore the comparison is warranted because of the lessons that emerge it's not just that they are each progen senors of different populations but they are each different models of the worship of God and one could have argued a and the Torah tells us B and that is why I believe that rabis go out of their way to compare these two and to always have Abram come out on top because they want us to understand that that is the religious model that we are meant to follow but let's go we are me to argue with God to obey we are meant to do both we are meant to obey what God says but we're meant to struggle with it as well what we DAV we pray we we say to power change what's happening change the way things are we we don't just obey we obey but we struggle with that and we struggle with a we we turn to him we say God why is this happening why aren't we why AR why aren't we meriting XYZ and we're we're we're struggling with aish okay I I see Hands Up okay um I will I will take the moment with everybody for four questions and then move on yes but did Noah also object to right away building the T the Torah in the Torah there's no indication of any objection there is there Arash but there is no indication he waited he waited a long time till no indication doesn't say it oh he waited he waited to go in he waited to go in so God said go in he does exactly what God tells him to do without question yes I mean I just thr the the comment that we got the issue of Free Will is here then right this is this is all part this what we've been talking very good it's so the concept of Free Will comes into this the fact that we are free agents and can argue and can fight yes seems that Noah is trying to go back to the pre- eating from the tree relationship between man and God that's interesting tying in tying in our various different classes he say suggesting that Noah went goes back to the pre period before eating from the Tree of knowledge and he's going back to the period where everything is Ms for where trying to fix it right interesting interesting interesting last comment yes um in terms of what we just talking about before the question um aren't we supposed to believe that everything does is for the good it's a much bigger picture than we can each see and we just have a little piece of the jiga puzzle and so then why would you argue number one and and and you know how could you say oh well the war is terrible Hashem could you please stop this okay killing and and our people are getting I got it I got it the question is aren't we supposed to believe that everything is for the better that who does everything the way it's supposed to be done and we're not supposed to argue we're not supposed to say Hashem end the war so first of all there's a whole spectrum of approach within Judaism as to that issue but even those who believe believe that everything Hashem does is for the good nonetheless pray for things that they perceive to be good and nonetheless say even if this is the road that that let it be a road with as little pain as possible let it be a road where where where where we're not we're not suffering let it be a road where there are innocent deaths and and these are things that we will struggle with and those are the Lo that we give as opposed to simply saying I'm going to sit in my corner and let bar take care of it it also isn't the the issue of changing things it also is initiation we're supposed to initiate things we're supposed to not wait for ourish baru to act we're supposed to act ourselves and initiate this so the these are all things that indicate that I'm not just sitting and waiting for aage baru to do but I am doing my part as well you have to do your his right you have to do I see you're wearing a mask so I'm going to tell you a story story is the height of Co you're going to a someone goes to a FR doctor and this was repeated to me and he went to the from Doctor without and I was from and he went somebody from a very from background and he went without a mask and he said why aren't you wearing a mask he says too much all right I rely on a too much of my own right now if you were saying should do whatever he'll do it's always for the good don't wear a Mas right but you're doing your part so that's that's being on AB you're doing your part you're do you're you're you're you're taking the fade into your hands now to that's what Hashem expects us to do correct that's right that's what expects us to do that's the point the point is that sh expects us to be an A and not an no now let's go on okay again I I I welcome the questions oh I'm sorry you had your right yes so many interpretations one of the things that to me maybe there two ways part of this was said another Abraham is obvious you know they but maybe you're also a you negative behavior a negative behavior and you don't do it that makes you also so you're suggesting that you're suggesting I I'm suggesting that there are two two different models and you're saying that each of those models are correct it's it's a longer discussion a longer discussion I think you're suggesting my my argument would be that no is limited because he does not he doesn't act he doesn't act to save his his world he doesn't act to change now you're saying maybe that same model that's good that's right no theic because because in in his way but just told us that he's that everyone agrees that he's limited that he's not totally a no T says he's says that the rabbis who argue about his situs are both diminishing his all right now stay with me there is one time there is one time in the story of Noah where Noah does not do what Hashem tells him to do and let's take a look at and to to find that moment you have to see a pattern in the text that's that's very nuanced and and fascinating fascinating let's go to page two page two Noah is coming into the table no and his sons and his wife and the wives of his sons Noah and his sons and his wife and his son's Wives come into the T because of the what strikes you about that sentence wife right exactly it should have said Noah and his wife right and his sons and their wives why is it going from Noah to vov and then his wife and their wives all right so the long come the rabbis and the rabbis explain it they say that a flood is about to destroy the world tragedy is going to surround the table when tragedy surrounds the table and death and destruction is raining down on the world they are not meant to be together to live together to enjoy the companionship that one would normally have as a husband and wife that the mutual that their relations are excluded as long as this tragedy surrounds them they're not to live as a married couple so therefore the Torah goes out to say that that doesn't mean they can't be together and spend time together but they're not to physically be together they're not to engage in sexual acts now it's time to come out of the table God turns to Noah and says what come out of the table you and your wife and your children and their wives with you so what is hasem saying time to start time to build time to rebuild come back all right now can you imagine look at look here the Torah imagine how exacting the Tor is in its language these sentences are not one right after the other these sentences are are are far part in the text so you pick up the pattern you have to back up and you have to see the pattern that emerges right but what happens here's where Noah does not listen to Hashem here what does he do he goes out with his sons and the wives are separate right and what let's take let's now before we talk about why he does that let's see a little bit more God then turns to Noah right he turns to and to his sons and what does he say to them be fruitful and multiply build the world and your fear will be and here we find a variety of different things in this paragraph we find number one the seeds of the seeds of no laws murder is is prohibited here um other things are prohibited beginning if you read into the text what what is allowed for the first time meat for the first time man is allowed to eat meat why why do you think God for bad moam and hav to eat meat and then allows Noah to eat meat what nothing grew during the flood excellent all right nothing grew but nothing grew so he doesn't have to maybe that's that's an interesting one okay all right very practical well right so in other words right he's underscoring the levels that we are above the animals at part of the problem before the flood was that man treated the animals on level with them and I'll come back back to that yes two reasons there's no food available right and number two um having a senior oh yes all the care of the days in during the ark turned that right okay so uh two answers that she's suggesting one was already suggested that there's no other food available the other is that he earned the right to eat because he took care of the animals during the flood and that that care allows but many will say that What's Happening Here is a recognition of human failure that we that's a recognition that the real ideal is not to eat meat the real ideal is not to kill animals however in the world as it emerges from Noah's world you have to be able to eat meat because you have to distinguish between man and the animal and that was was not done before the flood think for example and I'll give you two examples think for example of the Nazi yakam guards who cared for their dogs who cared for their animals and were willing to do what they did to human beings a fascinating discussion took place years ago concerning the implantation of a pig's heart into a human being and the question became are you allowed to take the heart of an animal and and sacrifice the animal for the human being and one of the one of the arguments was yes you can and why because man is intellectually Superior and therefore we should we should Mark it by and Rabbi tendler Z said wait a minute it's not just that man is intellectually Superior let's and it wasn't a heart of a pig so heart of an ape will make more sense why because what let's say for example that you're dealing with a human being who is severely severely impaired thank you and so impaired that the ape can do more than the human does that mean you can take the human's heart and put it into the ape says r tendler no there is a distinction between man and the be that's not defined by intellect it's defined by the being itself and therefore there's a recognition that man and animal are distinct and you have to and therefore to maintain that distinction we are allowed to eat meat there are carnivorous animals correct there are carnivorous animals is real but the fact that we are allowed to eat meat indicates that we are superior to the animals and that that indication now so we go through this paragraph and then what is repeated at the end of the paragraph So what do I have I have a repetition of what ofu why is God repeating puru why is he why is he saying it twice he said it at the beginning of the paragraph he's saying it again now it's because they clearly need encouragement it's because who sees that and when they came out of the Ark they came out separately that they are not ready to replenish the world and therefore is repeating twice true Oru this is what I want from you what happens you and I know the story turn to the next page no the tiller of the soil was the first to plant a Vineyard he drank of the wine and became drunk and he uncovered himself within his what is going on here why why is the Torah telling me this what what is what is what's happening he returned to a P that he saw before the FL he returned to a pattern that he saw Before the Flood but he's doing something else what's he trying to do re his reaction to trauma he is Noah is the first Survivor Noah comes out into a world that's destroyed Noah sees total Destruction total devastation he's paralyzed he refuses es to replenish the world he refuses and he escapes he escapes that's what's happening here and Noah therefore is a flawed figure because he is unable to move past the trauma and it's understandable it's human but he's unable to move past the trauma and he's unable to survive and this should bring to life the tremendous law that we should have of the survivors towards the survivors in our own lives that generation that emerged after the shaah that generation that emerged after the shaah where their families were decimated their past was destroyed it is amazing it is amazing that they had the courage and the capability and the wherewith all to go on and to create new beginnings and to create families it is amazing and what we owe the debt that we owe to that generation for doing so and yes were were did they suffer and yes did they did they sometimes act out in different ways of course of course there was a woman who lived across the street from us who was a very very quiet woman she was a survivor of aitz and other places and at one point in the Seder she used to be on she was always quiet in the S and at one point she said I never go two nights without a nightmare imagine imagine and yet these were people who somehow found the wherewithal to go on Noah emerges as someone who can't that's right therefore if you look at Noah again his sidus is is limited when compared to AB all right now let's take a look what about what's going on now what's going on now what's going on now we will we will see what it means in terms of our surviving and our like ability to go on will traumatic we will see that correct lot of people now being treated for PTSD yes yes right exctly what he needed that's correct being treated for PTSD all right now now let's turn let's turn from and and this the shear was titled if I remember Transitions and tales so we're moving now to the transition from Ab from Noah to AB and the beginning of the story of the patriarchal and matriarchal ER and let's take a look at the very first commandment that that AB receives the typing is off here start with that go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from the home of your father to the land that I will show you so what do you see there in that first sentence that's strange do tell them to go doesn't tell them where to go correct doesn't tell them where to go and we're going to see that that mystery is going to deepen in just a few moments all right he also tells him in a strange order reverse the reverse order of his physical leaving right leave your land your birthplace in the home of your father well what am I going to leave first then I'm going to leave birthplace then I'm going to leave land why is it telling me this why is it telling it to me in this reverse order e ah because what it's talking about is not a physical leaving it's talking about a philosophical and emotional and conceptual to leave to leave behind what's the easiest to leave behind my land the second to leave behind my birthplace the third and most difficult to leave behind the home of my father and therefore the order in which the Torah says it the order in which Hashem says it to Abraham underscores the difficulty and underscores the fact that that is the the leaving that is required of him it's not just a physical departure but he has to leave the past behind yes also the order in which the contexts in which we are influenced okay it's that's correct good it's order the order and the context in which we are influenced good all right and I'm going to make you a great nation and then it says and they go and where do they go what's your problem when did Hashem say Hashem didn't tell him where to go how does he know that he's supposed to go to em says he could have struck in any direction right he's striking off towards Canan and waving ver him to say okay when he gets there so therefore the mystery is how does Abraham know how does Abraham know where he's supposed to go well there are those who suggest that Canan had a particular reputation that reputation was one of somehow being a land that was somehow spiritually superior but it's not clear and one would argue that the kites clearly were not considered the paragons of so where does where does he know this already on his whoa excellent not many people know that I'll repeat it look at the next sentence on the page number four this is before before it what does it say Terra was already on the way right in other words abam knew where to go because Terra so Terra who we see by the way in in medic literature and the stories we learned in school ter is the idolator ter is negative somehow ter may not have been so bad maybe ter was a Seeker as well so he was maybe he was doing Chua maybe he was seeking a truth he was going to Canan but he never finishes the Jour and thus the difference between Abraham and ter is whether you finish the J whether or not you take you go that last step and that last step is Abraham's greatness and for those of us who who are living in Israel now we've taken that step there are so many who have not and will not and and one wonders when a is going to come and tell us all to take that last step so Terra was was on the journey and somehow he emerges that all right now for the last thing that we'll do in this class we've done a lot so far we've we've spoken about Noah we've spoken about the comparison between Noah and abam we' spoken about where Noah doesn't doesn't listen to a spoken about his failure we spoken a bit about Abraham I want to stop for a moment and return to the very first question that Rashi asks on the totem does anyone know what that very first question is why do we start with why do we start with Abraham Why not start with whates why don't we start with the first Mitzvah given to the Jewish Nation now let's understand when does Jewish history begin when does Jewish if I were to say to you when does Jewish history begin with Abraham the answer is it begins twice it begins two times it begins with Abraham and goes through the stories of the Patriarchs and matriarchs and then it starts again with the birth of the Jewish Nation with the birth of the Jewish Nation so there are two Beginnings to our story one is the story of the others and the other is the story of and which is the birth of the which is rashi's question why start with these stories Why not start with the birth of our nation Why not start with the first mids forgiven at to our why not begin with National History so he's raising a very interesting question why do you need all these stories for why does why do you need the Patriarchs and matriarchs in the Torah why not just begin with we are born as a nation in two steps we need okay good I that's one answer I'll come back to you in a minute all right not going to tell you yet all right okay the the so so rashi rashi answers his own question and says the reason that a who starts with the stories of and the Garden of Eden and and the STS of abam and and Sarah and Rifka yit etc etc Rashi says it's because Hashem created the world Hashem gives the lands to the people he wants to give them to and has that right and Hashem gave us ER is and therefore this should serve as a as a clear as a clear indication that the land of Israel belongs to us very very relevant for our for our time very relevant for now but I would argue that there are three overarching reasons for the inclusion of the patriarchal and matriarchal era in the to the first is something we spoke about last the importance of the Y the importance of the individual as a balance to the importance of the society God wanted there to be a time when the totality of the Jewish story was contained in the lives of Abraham and s tained in the lives of ypu and RI he wanted there to be a time when the Y Rose to power and that had to occur before we became a nation so that we would know even once we are born as a nation the is important remember last week we spoke about that balance we spoke about the fact that the the tower the two generations the dul and the D what were unable to achieve the proper balance between individual and community well God wants to make sure that we maintain that balance and therefore before he allows us to become aor before he allows us to become a community he insists that we what become individuals and he insists that we understand the importance of individuality that's number one number two and now we'll come to what you said God wants us to understand that before we were a nation we were a family family we are a family we are not just a nation and that the most important single institution in the perpetuation of our tradition is the more important and I say this as a rub who served for over 40 years in in in the ravenet more important than the school more important than the SCH children learn in children learn in the family and therefore what he does is he orchestrates the birth of the Jewish nation in a way that we are a family before we become a nation and he will underscore this importance over and over again for example let's go to the moment of our nation's the first step of our nation's birth The Exodus see MIT right go back to the night before youat MIT now this is a night where right the it's the eve of our birth as a nation does God tell us to have constitutional conventions does he say to have Declarations of Independence does he tell us to have committee meetings thank God no because we we had committee meetings would still be in Egypt right what does God tell us to do to go back where into our homes and have a family meal the carbon PES what was the carbon PES it was a family meal Cate and therefore you were to to create a kab centering around the family and then if the family needed help consuming that said they were to turn to their neighbors etc etc but the seminal unit the the the basic unit is the unit of the family he will again underscore this according to at the time of Revelation he turns to Moshe and says thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and speak to the children of Israel and say one b Co refers to the women and benel refers to the men but another another answer is what no basov refers to the bias the family and what Hashem is saying to Isel as we become a nation don't forget that you are first defend don't forget that you have to that you have to underscore that and that that will perpetuate your tradition so that's the second reason and the third reason I believe that NE there is a necessity for the patriarchal and matriarchal family or story is that so when we are born as a nation we already have a living Legacy we already have a pre-existing Legacy at the moment of our nation birth so that when Hashem says go you're going to go to the land of Israel that's that's a place we're already familiar with because we've heard of it no other nation has that gift no other nation has the gift of being born with an already existing Legacy that will inform its National steps and therefore a who has the patriarchal and matriarchal era recorded before the birth of the nation so that we can have that pre-existing Legacy so I believe that those are three reasons why it's important to have the the of theot three reasons being the importance of the the importance of the family and the gift of a pre-existing Legacy that lends additional significance to the steps we are about to take as a nation so let's review we spoke first about the the contrast between y Noak and ab and why khazal might have insisted on the on on on making that contrast we spoke about the two models that emerge from that contrast we spoke about the one time that Noah doesn't listen to Hashem and fails and fails in terms of rebuilding the world and emerges to a devastated world and it's paralyzed and canle we spoke about the initial stages of of aram's Journey and some of the lessons that emerged from there and we've spoken about the importance of the matriarchal patriarchal and matriarchal um era and why a KES baru had to begin with those with those ER with that era and with those stories hey are there any comments or questions before we go yes question since the beginning you have a question since the beginning and you kept it to yourself until now that's that is Monumental patient how come there is a p called Noah and no I mean the whole but how how come there is a para called No and there's not a para called and the answer is that the titles of parot are technical they are based upon the first unusual word that appears in the text so is because that's the first unusual word to no so too we're already going to have somewhere so who we have to go to right no what bolock right B beny por it's the first unusual word so the the titles are not indicative of the importance of it of the of the exact word but it's the first unusual word in the text and that's that's how the titles emerge yes but it does seem to me that the Torah here it says right here then the the toos of Noah what it the Torah does delineate the pedig je people and although Noah had trouble starting off creating a family PTSD and trouble we are also introduced to the concept of the pedigree I mean the whole Torah correct okay correct I'll to right question okay yes I just want to say that I think you have an extraordinary gift of getting over Tor I want to thank you i' I've been hearing Cor