Luminous Light
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
Parshat Noach begins with Hashem informing Noach of His intention to destroy the world. He then instructs Noach to build an ark to save him, his family, and a sample of each species of animal from the coming deluge. The Master Architect provides all the specs for this life saving ship. And He provides for light during the term of the full year's confinement within the ark. How will this light be provided? Through a tzohar to be built near the top of the ark. The question is what is a tzohar; how will it provide light?
Our commentators agree that tzohar, related to zohar/light/brightness, is a source of light in the ark. They disagree, however, on whether the tzohar was a window that would allow light to enter or a pearl that emitted its own light. After the rains stopped and the waters subsided somewhat, the ark alighted on Mount Ararat. Noach then opened a chalon/window to send out a raven, and later a dove. Some commentators ask why tzohar instead of chalon is used earlier if the source of light was indeed the window. Rabbi Schonberg suggests that since both these interpretations are cited by Rashi, they are not two separate interpretations, but two ideas that complement each other. The Oznaim Latorah makes a very practical observation. Since the window was near the top of the ark and the ark was a full three stories high, the window could indeed illuminate the upper level. But an additional source of light was needed for the lower levels of the ark. The tzohar/gem would provide that light.
After the flood, after Hashem tells everyone to leave the ark, Hashem resolves that, "Continuously, all the days of the earth... day and night shall not cease." According to Rashi, this verse implies that throughout the days of the flood, there was no difference between day and night, the sun did not shine to give light, and so a window would be useless for light. Rather, the stone was the source of the light. [Knowing that stones, diamonds specifically, generally reflect the light from outside and become bright through faceting, I consulted Prof. Google if there was a stone that would emit its own light. Indeed, hackamite, containing titanium and other minerals, is a rock that glows, powering itself through electron transfer. Perhaps there are others as well. Rashi understood the idea, probably without knowing the specific stone, referring to it generically as a pearl. CKS]
Rabbi Cohen, in Otzrot Hatorah, cites the Sifsei Chachamim and writes that although there was no cycle of the orbit of the sun, the sun stayed in one place throughout that period. Since the ark floated unpredictably and probably turbulently upon the water, there were times they were in the sphere of this sun, and times, they weren’t. Hence the need for both the window and the stone.
Rabbi Wolfson asks how the ark was able to withstand an impossible flood. This was not an ordinary flood of torrential rain. The waters here came from above and also from the bowels of the earth below, boiling with the heat from the core and the magma. How could the ark itself retain its integrity and not fall apart? How could Noach himself not die?
Rabbi Wolfson quoting the Zohar Hakadosh notes, that just as each of the Avot represents one of the major festivals [for another discussion], so did Noach, by his very name represent Shabbat, noach=respite, calm; Shabbat menuchah=Shabbat rest. The ark itself was made of gopher wood/עצי גפר numerically equal to יום /השביעיthe seventh day, both totaling 453. Within the ark, every day was Shabbat for the full forty days to provide the aura of spiritual protection, a protection not granted to the rest of the world. This was the light emitted by the tzohar, a supernal light that Hashem sends down daily and impacts the lower world we live in. This is what we refer to in our Shabbat liturgy when we say, "You Who opens daily... the windows of the firmament." The tzohar provided general light, while the window allowed the celestial light to enter and create night and day.
If the world outside was dark, how could the raven the dove, and Noach himself see outside? The ark itself was internally illuminated with the primal light of creation, the light of Shabbat, a light that breaks all boundaries. It was this same light that blinded the Egyptians but provided light for the Israelites.
The Torah uses an unusual verb construction to tell us that Noach sent out the raven and the dove, veyeshalach. Noach opened the window and sent out these messengers together with this primal light. We have the ability to create this light in our own homes and our own lives through Shabbat. But just as the raven and the dove took that light with them when they left the ark, so must we take the spirit and sanctity of Shabbat with us as we leave our Shabbat ark and enter the rest of the week.
The ark was also a mini Beit Hamikdosh and, as in the Beit Hamikdosh, the windows widened outward, spreading the supernal light from within to the outside world.
Artscroll Midrash Insights suggests that whether one sees the source of light as a window or a pearl is an outgrowth of the earlier dispute over whether Noach was righteous compared only to his generation or would have been intrinsically righteous in any generation. If he was intrinsically righteous, he could look out of the window and witness the destruction of the world. On the other hand, if he was righteous only "in his generations," he would not be permitted to see the destruction of the less righteous. [See Lot's wife, a sinner herself, who looked back at the destruction of Sodom and was immediately turned to salt herself. CKS]
Eretz Tzvi suggests that the two sources of light represent two tactics the yetzer horo uses to entrap a person. The yetzer horo can appear as a Torah scholar, convincing one that the act one is contemplating is actually noble rather than sinful. Alternately, it can exert so much temptation that one begins rationalizing his scruples.
The Oshover Rebbe explains that there are three different levels of mental confusion that lead to sin: choshech/darkness, anan/cloudiness, blur, and arafel/impenetrable darkness. The yetzer horo uses all these tactics, from simply convincing us to go against Hashem's will, to blurring the line between right and wrong, to having us twist logic so that we believe our action is actually a mitzvah. [Have you heard people say, "I'm not going to give him tzedakah; I'm doing him a favor. He'll have to learn to become independent...," And other such reasoning. CKS]
How can we tell if a questionable act we are about to do is actually the mitzvah we tell ourselves it is? Sefer Arugot Eliezer quoting Igra Dkalla suggests that if your passion for the mitzvah matches your passion for mitzvoth in general, it is really a mitzvah. However, if your passion for this mitzvah is much stronger than for general mitzvoth, that passion probably comes from a negative source, from the yetzer horo trying to lead you astray.
Eretz Tzvi therefore explains that the window and the stone represent two powerful tools to combat the yetzer horo. The window produces no light of its own. When the yetzer horo appears as a scholar, it blocks the external light of reason from entering, as a shade would block light. But it allows the Godly light to enter. In contrast, when the yetzer horo appears as physical temptation that so fully envelops the person, he must rely on his internal light, the Torah, to counteract the lure of the yetzer horo.
Rabbi Moshe Eisenman, in Of Parents and Penguins, offers what is the best defense against the yetzer horo. Just as the music of beautiful women on an island can lure sailors to their destruction as their ship crashes against the rocks surrounding the island, so does the "music" of the yetzer horo try to lure people to self destruct. Does a parent stop up his child's ears to that music? Should the parent or teacher chain him (or his bike's wheels), coercing him to follow only the proper path, or does he provide even sweeter music to keep the child on the correct path? Make Shabbos exciting with special treats and activities that will keep it from boring your children. Create that special tzohar/light of Yiddishkeit for your children.
What did the flood accomplish? Rabbi Apfel in Mesameach Zion suggests that Hashem wanted the world to go through a process of falling and destruction that would lead to rebirth. The very cycle of the year attests to this plan. We begin on a high with all the yomim tovim. But that high is followed by a month with not a single holiday. The pattern implies that one cannot maintain that high forever, and the lulls are not falls, but a necessary pause to re-energize and to re-assess the path you are on and adjust it as necessary. We re-assess and begin anew. As Rabbi Tatz notes, we begin any project with inspiration. But that inspiration inevitably falters. Our task is not to fall into depression, but to find inspiration within ourselves, our inner light, and build from there.
The Torah says that the world was destroyed because of chamas/thievery/corruption. Why was this the ultimate sin, rather than idol worship or promiscuity, for example? As Rabbi Weiss writes in Ziv Hechochmah, this is the sin that is the basis of the breakdown of all society, for it says that everyone cares only about himself, not willing to help one another. Noach, having been surrounded by this culture, was also affected by that selfishness. Therefore, Hashem put him in the ark with all the animals, forcing him to learn humility and patience. He had to learn to care about others and to be a giver, to undo his apathy to the fate of the people of his generation who died in the flood and for whom Noach did not offer even one prayer on their behalf. He could not have felt their pain.
We are all required to feel the pain of others, to feel responsible for trying to alleviate the pain and to pray for them. A genuine cry and prayer can only arise from true empathy, from feeling the pain of the other.
The light comes from both a window and a stone to help us counter the world around us, and both give us the energy to get up and rebuild when we have fallen. The window is Hashem enlightening us, urging us on by teaching us that olam chesed yiboneh/the world is built upon chesed, kindness. Then the stone is taking that gift and internalizing it. Then, as Noach did, we can open our window and access the greatness within us and illuminate the world. We can use the lull of the month of Cheshvan to prepare us for the light of Chanukah.
Rabbi Cohen offers us a way to built a teivah around ourselves and protect ourselves. He quotes the Ba’al Shem Tov Hakodesh that teivah can also be translated as a word. If we surround ourselves with positive words, with proper and uplifting language, if we put tzohar/light into our language, if we uplift others with our words, we will be safe from the vulgar and depraved language of a society that drags us down into darkness. Positive language will keep us afloat.
Taking this idea one step further, Rav Zvi Hirsch from Riminov urges us to infuse our davening with Torah and light, even if it is just one phrase or one word. And the greatest way to infuse true meaning into our prayer is to pray for others, for that brings joy to our Father, Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Perhaps if we say, "Ve'ahavta lereiacha kamocha/Love thy neighbor as yourself," before we begin our prayers, we will infuse our prayers with the spirit of love for others that Hashem [so to speak] craves.