Noach 5767- Why an Ark?
Why did God choose to save Noach from the flood specifically by ordering him to construct an ark?
Several reasons may be given for this command that Noach build an ark:
1) The Rabbis criticize Noach for his indifference towards God's warning about the flood. When Avraham was told of God's plans to destroy the corrupt city of Sedom, he intervened on the city's behalf, pleading with God to spare its residents despite their depravity. Noach, however, offered no petition to God, nor did he go around to warn the people and to urge them to repent. The Tikkun (correction) for this flaw was the construction of the ark. This project took Noach one hundred and twenty years, during which time he was approached countless times by people inquiring as to what he was building. This forced him to speak to the people and inform them of the impending disaster, in the hope that they would repent and have the decree annulled.
2) The ark functioned as a Tikkun for Noach in another sense, as well. The Rabbis tell us that during the year that Noach spent in the ark, he never slept. He bore the responsibility of feeding all the animals, each of which, of course, has a different feeding schedule and pattern. There was no way for Noach to sleep comfortably for an extended period, as he was constantly moving from one animal to the next to ensure they were all properly fed. This experience helped Noach overcome his selfish tendencies and learn to show concern for and exert himself on behalf of others.
3) The Rabbis teach that the earth had become so corrupt during Noach's time, the moral fabric of society had deteriorated to such an extent, that even the animals began acting immorally, mating with different species. The world had reached the point where God had to start all over again, to destroy the earth in its entirety and begin anew with Noach and his family. The floodwaters functioned like the purifying waters of a Mikveh, cleansing and purifying the world from its state of impurity. It was therefore necessary for Noach to be concealed in an ark, which protected him from the contamination of the earth. Since he bore the responsibility of building a new, pure earth after the flood, he had to stay in an ark, in a hermetically sealed environment, so that no vestige of the impurities of the old world would remain and influence the new world Noach was to build.
This final point presents us with a critical lesson for our times, when we, like Noach, live in an immoral, corrupt society. Unfortunately, the spiritual ills of the society around us have penetrated into our communities, to the point where Rabbis must today speak to their congregations about issues that our grandparents would never have dreamt of having to confront. These problems did not grow within our communities; they originate from contemporary American society. It thus behooves us to protect ourselves and our children from the impurities of the outside world, so that we succeed in preserving our values and our traditions in a society whose values are so diametrically opposed to ours.
