Parshat Noah: Windows & The World

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Why does God command Noah to build a “tzohar” (opening) on the ark? The tevah was meant to enclose and protect those inside so they could survive the flood. What purpose, then, would an opening serve? The interpretations of the tzohar provide a model for how we might view our own homes and places of prayer today.

The word tzohar appears only once in Tanach, making it difficult to define. Rashi, citing midrash, offers two explanations: (1) a window, or (2) a precious stone that emitted light. Both explain how Noah and his family—confined in the ark for a year—had light and could distinguish between day and night. Yet the difference is telling: a stone brings light inward but offers no view outward, while a window lets light in and allows one to look out and connect with the world beyond. Hizkuni identifies this tzohar as the very window through which Noah sent the raven, a moment marking his first reconnection with the outside world. 

Windows also carry symbolic meaning in our prayer spaces and homes. Talmud Berachot, based on Daniel, teaches that one should pray in a bayit with windows—a law later codified in halakha. Some rishonim explain that natural light or a view of the heavens enhances kavanah (concentration). Rav Kook adds that a person who has the most heartfelt  prayers, but is disconnected from the outside world is not achieving the full purpose of tefilla. By davening in a room with a view of the outside, a person will be inspired to positively influence and do good in the world s/he inhabits. 

Like Noah’s tevah, our homes and shuls are a space to protect and nurture ourselves, to build up our faith and inner light. Yet if we never look outward, our spiritual lives remain incomplete. The window reminds us that faith is not only about shelter, but about shining light into the world beyond. Shabbat Shalom -Karen Miller Jackson

Parshat Noah: Living up to Yourself

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Noah is often criticized, especially when compared with other biblical characters. The greatest disappointment however, may be that he could not fully live up to his own potential.

Noah’s beginnings are filled with hope, with word-plays on his name hinting at relief and grace: His father names him “Noah,” saying, “This one will provide us relief (yenachameinu),” though his name actually means “rest.” Noah (נח) also finds grace (חן) in God’s eyes. Living ten generations after Adam and before Abraham, he echoes Adam, who was tasked to “work and preserve the land.” Noah emerges from the ark and becomes “a man of the land.” Yet, both of them sin and are punished by God.

Noah is introduced as “a righteous man in his generation,” yet the midrash questions if this was only relative. He “walked with God,” but had he lived with Abraham—who walked “before God”—he might not have stood out. The Zohar contrasts the two sharply: Noah never prays to save others, while Abraham pleads with God on their behalf.

The midrash also compares Noah to Moshe. This at first seems far-fetched. However, their stories contain the only two mentions of a tevah (ark) in all of Tanach, both of which were built to save people’s lives. Yet, their paths diverge when it comes to their spiritual growth. Bereshit Rabbah teaches: Noah shifts from “a righteous man” to “a man of the land,” while Moshe transforms from an “Egyptian man” to “a man of God.”

Noah’s story is a poignant tale of great promise that took a tragic turn. He lacked what Abraham and Moshe possessed: optimism about humanity’s potential and faith in the Jewish people. This outlook enabled them to become their best selves and great leaders. Shabbat Shalom🇮🇱 -Karen Miller Jackson

Parshat Noah: Messages of Hope for Israel

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In parshat Noah the earth is corrupted and filled with evil. God responds by bringing the Flood, saving Noah and family in the tevah and then, the command to leave the ark. These steps resonate with the recovery process and resilience we are experiencing here in Israel.

First, the Torah alludes again and again to the language of Bereshit as creation is reversed through the Flood. The world is created in seven days. So too, God brings the flood after Noah is on the ark for seven days. In the beginning the world is “tehom” (deep waters) and the flood returns the world to “tehom rabba.” When evil is so deep-rooted and atrocious, the only response is to wipe out the sources of evil entirely. Only then, can the world be recreated again. 

Second, why a tevah? Ibn Ezra points out that an ark has no oars. Meaning, it is fully at the whim of the waters and God’s navigation. This was a period for faith-building. The Netivot Shalom writes that Noah’s tevah is a template for us for all time. It is a metaphoric place we can go to correct or refocus ourselves. When there is corruption or evil around us, we draw inward, unifying with our family and our nation – in hitachdut. We surround ourselves with goodness, with sources of strength and we overcome.

Third, when God tells Noah, “Go out of the tevah,” God speaks to Noah about the sanctity of human life. God says do not murder, and “be fruitful and multiply.” Go out, live and re-create the world. Noah does not fully live up to this mission, but after so much loss, the Torah provides this statement of hope.

Parshat Noah’s legacy for today: 1) Root out the sources of extreme evil so that it may not recur. 2) Find meaningful sources of strength through community, Torah and Jewish unity. 3) Remember even in these dark days, to have hope. Hope, writes Rabbi Sacks, “is the belief that if we work hard enough together, we can make things better.” Shabbat Shalom.  !ביחד ננצח –Karen Miller Jackson

Parshat Noah: A Window to the World

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Why does God command Noah to build a “tzohar” (opening) on the ark? The tevah was meant to enclose and protect those inside so that they could survive the floods. What purpose would an opening serve? The interpretations of the “tzohar” also provide a model for how to view our homes and places of prayer today.

The word tzohar appears only once in Tanach, making it difficult to define. Rashi, citing Bereshit Rabbah, provides two explanations: 1) Some say it was a window, 2) others say it was a precious stone which provided light. Both interpretations explain how Noah and his family, who lived on the ark for an entire year, managed to have light and differentiate between day and night. Yet, there is a difference: The precious stone would not have allowed Noah to look out to the world, only to bring light inward. A window however, has a dual purpose – to let the light in and to look out and connect with the outside world. Perhaps this is why Hizkuni teaches that the tzohar was the window through which Noah later sends out the raven, to check if the waters had dried up, reconnecting with the outside.

Windows are also an important part of our prayer spaces and homes. The Talmud Berachot, based on Daniel, states that a person should only pray in a bayit with windows (and this is codified as halacha). Why? Some rishonim explain that the light, or looking to the heavens, will help enhance our kavanah in tefillah. Rav Kook provides a different reason: A person who has the most intention-filled prayers, but is disconnected from the outside world is not achieving the full purpose of tefillah. By davening in a room with a view of the outside, a person will be inspired to positively influence and do good in the world s/he inhabits. 

Like Noah’s tevah, our homes and shuls are a space to protect and nurture ourselves, to build up our emunah and enhance our tefilla, like the stone shining inward. Yet, by staying inside, our lives are incomplete. Through gazing outside we are reminded of our responsibility to the outside world. Shabbat Shalom – Karen Miller Jackson