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Save "Noach ~ the architect and the pray-er
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Noach ~ the architect and the pray-er

(ט) אֵ֚לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ׃ (י) וַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים אֶת־שֵׁ֖ם אֶת־חָ֥ם וְאֶת־יָֽפֶת׃ (יא) וַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס׃ (יב) וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִ֧ית כׇּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר אֶת־דַּרְכּ֖וֹ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ {ס} (יג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים לְנֹ֗חַ קֵ֤ץ כׇּל־בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֣א לְפָנַ֔י כִּֽי־מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֛רֶץ חָמָ֖ס מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהִנְנִ֥י מַשְׁחִיתָ֖ם אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (יד) עֲשֵׂ֤ה לְךָ֙ תֵּבַ֣ת עֲצֵי־גֹ֔פֶר קִנִּ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֶת־הַתֵּבָ֑ה וְכָֽפַרְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֛הּ מִבַּ֥יִת וּמִח֖וּץ בַּכֹּֽפֶר׃ (טו) וְזֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֹתָ֑הּ שְׁלֹ֧שׁ מֵא֣וֹת אַמָּ֗ה אֹ֚רֶךְ הַתֵּבָ֔ה חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים אַמָּה֙ רׇחְבָּ֔הּ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה קוֹמָתָֽהּ׃ (טז) צֹ֣הַר ׀ תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה לַתֵּבָ֗ה וְאֶל־אַמָּה֙ תְּכַלֶּ֣נָּה מִלְמַ֔עְלָה וּפֶ֥תַח הַתֵּבָ֖ה בְּצִדָּ֣הּ תָּשִׂ֑ים תַּחְתִּיִּ֛ם שְׁנִיִּ֥ם וּשְׁלִשִׁ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶֽׂהָ׃ (יז) וַאֲנִ֗י הִנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶת־הַמַּבּ֥וּל מַ֙יִם֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לְשַׁחֵ֣ת כׇּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ֙ ר֣וּחַ חַיִּ֔ים מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֖רֶץ יִגְוָֽע׃ (יח) וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֔ה אַתָּ֕ה וּבָנֶ֛יךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֥ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנֶ֖יךָ אִתָּֽךְ׃ (יט) וּמִכׇּל־הָ֠חַ֠י מִֽכׇּל־בָּשָׂ֞ר שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל תָּבִ֥יא אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֖ה לְהַחֲיֹ֣ת אִתָּ֑ךְ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה יִֽהְיֽוּ׃ (כ) מֵהָע֣וֹף לְמִינֵ֗הוּ וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ מִכֹּ֛ל רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל יָבֹ֥אוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ לְהַֽחֲיֽוֹת׃ (כא) וְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־לְךָ֗ מִכׇּל־מַֽאֲכָל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל וְאָסַפְתָּ֖ אֵלֶ֑יךָ וְהָיָ֥ה לְךָ֛ וְלָהֶ֖ם לְאׇכְלָֽה׃ (כב) וַיַּ֖עַשׂ נֹ֑חַ כְּ֠כֹ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים כֵּ֥ן עָשָֽׂה׃

(9) These are the generations of Noah.—Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God.— (10) Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (11) The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with lawlessness. (12) When God saw how corrupt the earth was, for all flesh had corrupted its ways on earth, (13) God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with lawlessness because of them: I am about to destroy them with the earth. (14) Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; make it an ark with compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch. (15) This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. (16) Make an opening for daylight in the ark, and terminate it within a cubit of the top. Put the entrance to the ark in its side; make it with bottom, second, and third decks. (17) “For My part, I am about to bring the Flood—waters upon the earth—to destroy all flesh under the sky in which there is breath of life; everything on earth shall perish. (18) But I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall enter the ark, with your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives. (19) And of all that lives, of all flesh, you shall take two of each into the ark to keep alive with you; they shall be male and female. (20) From birds of every kind, cattle of every kind, every kind of creeping thing on earth, two of each shall come to you to stay alive. (21) For your part, take of everything that is eaten and store it away, to serve as food for you and for them.” (22) Noah did so; just as God commanded him, so he did.

~ What is odd about verse 9? What do we usually expect after the word "generations"?

~ What are Noach's thoughts? Do we know?

~ How does the ark look like? Based on the text alone, make your own picture.

Beatus Apocalypse (Beatu's commentary on the apocalypse), 776-786 CE

~ NOAH'S ARK. Dove returning to the Ark; English Psalter illumination, c1215.

~ French Miscellany, 1277, British Library

https://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Add_MS_11639

Detail, Noah Scenes, 1250, illumination from the Morgan Library Biblical Picture Book

La Somme le Roi (A Survey for a King) was written for the children of Philip III of France (r. 1270 –1285) by by their tutor, Friar Laurent d'Orleans.

~ The Ark of Noah Drifting on the Water’, Petrus Comestors, 1372

~ Noah's Ark, Nuremberg Bible, Biblia Sacra Germanica, 1483

~ Currier & Ives (American, active New York, 1857–1907) Date: 1868–78

~ Dutch TV and theatre producer Aad Peters has this ark which goes through Europe

Ark Encounter theme park, Kentucky

~ What do you think of this desire of bringing the ark back?

(א) אלה תולדת נח נח איש צדיק. הוֹאִיל וְהִזְכִּירוֹ סִפֵּר בְּשִׁבְחוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר זֵכֶר צַדִּיק לִבְרָכָה (משלי י'). דָּבָר אַחֵר לִמֶּדְךָ שֶׁעִקַּר תּוֹלְדוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים:
(1) אלה תולדת נח נח איש צדיק THESE ARE THE PROGENY OF NOAH: NOAH WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN — Since the text mentions him it sings his praise, in accordance with what is said, (Proverbs 10:7) “The mention of the righteous shall be for a blessing.” Another explanation is: since after stating “These are the progeny of Noah”, it does not at once mention the names of his children but declares that he “was a righteous man”, Scripture thereby teaches you that the real progeny of righteous people are their good deeds (Genesis Rabbah 30:6).

~ How does Rashi explain the strangeness of the wording of verse 9?

(ב) בדרותיו. יֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לְשֶׁבַח, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן אִלּוּ הָיָה בְדוֹר צַדִּיקִים הָיָה צַדִּיק יוֹתֵר; וְיֵשׁ שֶׁדּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לִגְנַאי, לְפִי דוֹרוֹ הָיָה צַדִּיק וְאִלּוּ הָיָה בְדוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם לֹא הָיָה נֶחְשָׁב לִכְלוּם (סנה' ק"ח):
(2) בדורותיו IN HIS GENERATIONS — Some of our Rabbis explain it (this word) to his credit: he was righteous even in his generation; it follows that had he lived in a generation of righteous people he would have been even more righteous owing to the force of good example. Others, however, explain it to his discredit: in comparison with his own generation he was accounted righteous, but had he lived in the generation of Abraham he would have been accounted as of no importance (cf. Sanhedrin 108a).

~ What is Rashi hinting at?

~ What kind of righteous is Noach, in your opinion?

~ Is it harder to be righteous when everyone around you is doing wrong? What is righteousness in this case?

(ג) את האלהים התהלך נח. וּבְאַבְרָהָם הוּא אוֹמֵר אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי לְפָנָיו? (ברא' כ"ד), נֹחַ הָיָה צָרִיךְ סַעַד לְתָמְכוֹ, אֲבָל אַבְרָהָם הָיָה מִתְחַזֵּק וּמְהַלֵּךְ בְצִדְקוֹ מֵאֵלָיו:
(3) את האלהים התהלך נח NOAH WALKED WITH GOD — In the case of Abraham Scripture says, (Genesis 24:40) ‘‘[God] before whom I walked”; Noah needed God’s support to uphold him in righteousness, Abraham drew his moral strength from himself and walked in his righteousness by his own effort (Genesis Rabbah 30:10).

~ How does Rashi understand the strangely self-reflective verb? Notice what the text says regarding Avraham. How do you understand it?

~ Is it fair to compare Noach to Avraham?

בפסוק את האלהים התהלך נח (בראשית ו, ט). כלומר נח הלך עם אלהים, דהיינו שלא היה לו כח להפוך מדת הדין לרחמים אבל אצל אברהם ויצחק כתיב (בראשית מח, טו) האלהים אשר התהלכו אבותי לפניו, כלומר שהם היו לפני מדת הדין כי היה להם כח להפוך מדת הדין לרחמים ובזה הבחינה היו האבות לפני האלהים:
Going back to the line: ‎את האלוקים התהלך נח‎, “Noach ‎walked with G’d;” the emphasis in this line is on the ‎attribute for G’d used, i.e. ‎אלוקים‎, the attribute of Justice. It was ‎beyond Noach’s kind of tzidkut, righteousness, to turn the ‎attribute of Justice into an attribute of Mercy through his ‎lifestyle. In this respect he was different from Avraham and ‎Yitzchok, concerning both of whom the Torah writes that they ‎‎“walked before G’d,” not merely “with G’d.” (Compare Genesis ‎‎17,1 and 48,15) In those verses the Torah wished to alert us to ‎the patriarchs’ ability to persuade G’d to substitute the attribute ‎of Mercy for the attribute of Justice, on occasion.

~ How does Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev understand the self-reflective verb?

~ What is the difference between Avraham and Yitzchak, on one side, and Noach, on the other?

(א) עשה לך תבת. הַרְבֵּה רֶוַח וְהַצָּלָה לְפָנָיו, וְלָמָּה הִטְרִיחוֹ בְּבִנְיָן זֶה? כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּרְאוּהוּ אַנְשֵׁי דוֹר הַמַּבּוּל עוֹסֵק בָּהּ ק"כ שָׁנָה, וְשׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ מַה זֹּאת לְךָ, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לָהֶם עָתִיד הַקָּבָּ"ה לְהָבִיא מַבּוּל לָעוֹלָם, אוּלַי יָשׁוּבוּ:

(1) עשה לך תבת MAKE AN ARK FOR YOU — There are numerous ways by which God could have saved Noah; why, then, did he burden him with this construction of the Ark? So that the men of the generation of the Flood might see him employed on it for 120 years and might ask him, “What do you need this for”? and so that he might answer them, “The Holy One, blessed be He, is about to bring a flood upon the world” — perhaps they might repent (Sanhedrin 108b).

~ What is the question that Rashi invites us to have, and what is the answer he gives?

(ב) עצי גופר. כָּךְ שְׁמוֹ. וְלָמָּה מִמִּין זֶה? עַל שֵׁם גָּפְרִית שֶׁנִּגְזַר עֲלֵיהֶם לִמָּחוֹת בּוֹ:
(2) (literally, return to God). עצי גופר GOPHER WOOD — Thus is its name. Why of this species (גפר)? Because of the (גפרית) “sulphur” by which it was decreed that they were to be blotted out.
על שם גפרית. ר"ל מים רותחין אינו אלא מגפרית שבארץ ועיין בפרק חלק (סנהדרין קח:) ובפ"ק דר"ה (יב.) וא"ת מנ"ל דמים חמין היו י"ל מדכתיב הכא וישוכו המים ובאחשורוש כתיב (אסתר ז י) וחמת המלך שככה מה להלן שנח מחום דהא כתיב לפניו (שם א יב) וחמתו בערה בו אף וישוכו דכתיב כאן שנחו מחמימתן ונעשו קרים:
Its name relating to sulphur. I.e., boiling water comes from the earth’s sulfur; see Sanhedrin 108b and Rosh Hashanah 12a. You might ask: How did Rashi know that the water [of the Flood] was hot? The answer is: Here (8:1) it is written וישוכו המים, and about Achashveirosh (Esther 7:10) it is written וחמת המלך שככה. There it means subsiding from a previous heat, as it said before, “His anger burnt within him” (ibid. 1:12). And here also it is written וישוכו, meaning that the water subsided from its boiling and cooled off.

~ Was it just rain, according to Rashi?

(ג) קנים. מְדוֹרִים מְדוֹרִים לְכָל בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה:
(3) קנים ROOMS — Separate cabins for each kind of cattle and beast.

~ What does the inside of the ark begin to look like?

(ד) בכפר. זֶפֶת בְלָשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי, וּמָצִינוּ בַּתַּלְמוּד כּוּפְרָא בְּתֵבָתוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ הַמַּיִם תָּשִׁים דַּיָּהּ בְּחֹמֶר מִבִּפְנִים וְזֶפֶת מִבַּחוּץ; וְעוֹד, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָרִיחַ אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק רֵיחַ רַע שֶׁל זֶפֶת, אֲבָל כָּאן מִפְּנֵי חֹזֶק הַמַּיִם זִפְּתָהּ מִבַּיִת וּמִחוּץ:
(4) בכפר WITH כפר — This is an Aramaic term for the Hebrew זפת “pitch’’, and in the Talmud (Shabbat 67a) we find the noun כופרא “pitch”. In the case of the ark (cradle) in which Moses was placed, since the waters were not rapid it sufficed that it should be daubed with slime inside and with pitch outside; and a further reason for this was that this righteous person (Moses) should not smell the bad odour of the pitch (Sotah 12a). Here, however, because of the rough waters he had to cover it with pitch inside as well as outside.

~ What does the word "kofer" mean for Rashi? What other famous person is connected with Noach by this word?

~ Why is this being daubed inside and outside?

(א) צהר. יֵ"אֹ חַלּוֹן וְיֵ"אֹ אֶבֶן טוֹבָה הַמְּאִירָה לָהֶם (ב"ר שם):
(1) צהר A LIGHT — Some say this was a window; others say that it was a precious stone that gave light to them (Genesis Rabbah 31:11).

~ What is the difference between the two possibilities, for your own drawing of the ark?

(ב) ואל אמה תכלנה מלמעלה. כִּסּוּיָהּ מְשֻׁפָּע וְעוֹלֶה עַד שֶׁהוּא קָצָר מִלְמַעְלָה וְעוֹמֵד עַל אַמָּה כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּזוּבוּ הַמַּיִם לְמַטָּה מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן:
(2) ואל אמה תכלנה מלמעלה AND TO A CUBIT SHALT THOU FINISH IT UPWARD — Its covering (roof) slanted upwards so that it narrowed at the top to a cubit, in order that the water should run off on both sides.

~ Here comes a slanted roof.

בצדה תשים. שֶׁלֹּא יִפְּלוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים בָּהּ:
בצדה תשים THOU SHALT SET [THE DOOR] IN THE SIDE THEREOF — in order that the rain might not penetrate.
תחתים שנים ושלשים. ג' עֲלִיוֹת זוֹ עַל גַּב זוֹ, עֶלְיוֹנִים לָאָדָם, אֶמְצָעִים לְמָדוֹֹר, תַּחְתִּיִּים לְזֶבֶל (שם):
תחתים שנים ושלישים WITH LOWER, SECOND AND THIRD STORIES — Three stories one above the other: the top rooms for the human beings, the middle ones as cabins for the cattle, and the bottom was for the refuse (Sanhedrin 108b).
או יאמר, את האלהים התהלך נח, כלומר שפעל זה שהבורא ברוך הוא מתלבש את עצמו כביכול באותיות. וזהו א"ת, היינו הכ"ב אותיות מאלף ועד תי"ו. האלהים התהלך, כלומר נח פעל זה האלהים התהלך. התהלך האלהים א"ת באותיות ומי פעל זה נח:

Or it's possible to say: "E"T God walked himself Noach" that the Blessed Creator clothes Godself, as it were, with letters. And this is E"T (Alef-Tav) that is, the 22 letters from Alef to Tav. So read: God walked, that is to say, Noach enabled God to walk. That is, God walked from alef to tav through the letters, and how brought this about? Noach.

~ What does the Kedushat Levi do with the apparently unnecessary word ET?r?

צהר. יֵ"אֹ חַלּוֹן וְיֵ"אֹ אֶבֶן טוֹבָה הַמְּאִירָה לָהֶם (ב"ר שם):
צהר A LIGHT — Some say this was a window; others say that it was a precious stone that gave light to them (Genesis Rabbah 31:11).

~ How do these two possibilities for the word tzohar challenge each other?

צהר תעשה לתבה וגו'. האיר אדוני אבי זקיני [הבעל שם טוב] נ"ע, תבה מרומז על מלה, שהוא נקרא תיבה, וזהו מה שאמר צוהר תעשה לתבה, ואמר הוא ז"ל שתראה להאיר התבה היוצא מפיך וכו', תחתים שנים ושלישים תעשה, יש לומר כאן מדומז מה ששמעתי מן אא"ז נ"ע כי בכל דיבור ודיבור יש עולמות נשמות ואלהות, וזהו שמרמז כאן אצל התבה, ותיבה הוא פירוש דיבור וזהו תחתיים היינו עולמות שהוא מדרגה תחתונה, שניים הוא לשון משנה אותיות נשמה, והיינו נשמות, ושלישים היינו אלהות, על שם הכתוב (בפ' בשלח) ושלישים על כלו, שהוא על ידי שהוא מושל ומנהיג את הכל, וכל אלה, תעשה, היינו התבה והדיבור שתוציא מפיך יהיה בכוונה זו, ובמאמונה שלימה, שיש בכל דיבור תחתיים שניים ושלישים, והם עולמות ונשמות ואלהות כנ"ל, והבן:
(דגל מחנה אפרים נח, ובפ' שלח).

"Make an opening (tzohar) in the ark (teivah)" (Genesis 6:16) - My father, the Baal Shem Tov, may he rest in Eden, illuminated this passage. He said that teivah actually means 'word', and the meaning of making an opening for the word is that one should be careful to bring light into the words that come from your lips. The verse continues: "Make bottom and second and third floors." This seems to be what my father related to me, saying that in every word are worlds, souls, and divinities. This is what is meant by teivah, speech, which also has at its most basic level worlds. The second level is also known as mishneh, secondary, which has the same letters as neshamah, soul - this is the level of souls. And the third level (shelishim) is divinities, which is hinted at in the verse (Exodus 14:7), "Officers (shalishim) [ruling] over all of them," like the Divine who rules over all things. All of these levels you should "Make" - the speech and the word coming out of your mouth should have this intention and be in complete faithfulness, knowing that in each act of speech there are bottom and second and third levels, the worlds, souls and divinities - Be attentive to this!

~ The ark becomes the word spoken, in this case, in prayer. How can this change the way one approaches prayer?

~ How does this understanding impact words we speak? What is hidden behind each encounter?

הבעל שם טוב זי"ע פירש, צוהר תעשה לתבה, צוהר לשון אורה, ותיבה לשון דיבור, פירוש כשאיש ישראל רוצה לדבר דיבור צריך לראות שהמחשבה תאיר בהדיבור בתחלה, כי מחשבה אותיות חשב מה:
(תולדות יצחק פ' נח)
The Baal Shem Tov, may his memory guard us, would explain the verse (Genesis 6:16) "Make an opening (tzohar) for the ark (teivah)." Tzohar actually means light, and teivah actually means speech. This means that when a Jew wants to speak, they must make sure that one's thought illuminates the words first, because thought (machshavah) is the same letters and connected to chashav mah, 'think of the object'.

~ How does the Baal Shem Tov understand the messages of the ark?

וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ: (בראשית ו׳:ט״ז) צֹהַר תַּעֲשֶׂה לַתֵּבָה, פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים חַלּוֹן, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים אֶבֶן טוֹב. וְהַחִלּוּק שֶׁבֵּין חַלּוֹן לְאֶבֶן טוֹב – כִּי הַחַלּוֹן אֵין לוֹ אוֹר בְּעַצְמוֹ, אֶלָּא דֶּרֶךְ שָׁם נִכְנָס הָאוֹר, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁאֵין אוֹר, אֵין מֵאִיר; אֲבָל אֶבֶן טוֹב, אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁאֵין אוֹר מִבַּחוּץ, הוּא מֵאִיר בְּעַצְמוֹ. כֵּן יֵשׁ בְּנֵי־אָדָם, שֶׁדִּבּוּרָם הוּא חַלּוֹן, וְאֵין כֹּחַ לְהָאִיר לָהֶם בְּעַצְמָם. וְזֶה: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, וַאֲמִירָתָם נַעֲשֶׂה חַלּוֹן; וְיֵשׁ, שֶׁאֲמִירָתָם נַעֲשֶׂה אֶבֶן טוֹב וּמֵאִיר:

“God said to Noach: ‘Make for yourself a teivah (an ark/a word)…. Make a light for the ark/word’” (Genesis 6:14-17). This is the explanation of, “Make a light for the ark.” Rashi explains: “some say a window, and some say a precious jewel.” The difference between a window and a precious jewel is that a window has no light of its own. It is simply [a medium] for the light to enter through. But when there is no light, the window does not give light. With a precious jewel, however, even when there is no outside light the jewel shines of itself. So, too, there are people whose words are [like] a window, incapable of giving them light on their own. This is [what Rashi means by] “some say.” Their “saying” becomes a window. And there are some whose “saying” becomes a precious jewel and [their words] radiate.

~ When do words become windows, and when do they become jewels?

וזהו הרמז בפסוק ונתנו איש כופר נפשו לה', כופר לשון דביקות מלשון (בראשית ו, ד) וכפרת אותו מבית ומחוץ בכופר אימתי הוא דבוק בה' בפקוד אותם, כשיודע האדם החסרון שלו אז הוא דבוק בה':

... And this is the hint in our verse "Every person will give kofer nafsho, a ransom for one's soul" (Exodus 30:12)
The word ‎כופר‎ kofer in our verse, translated as “ransom,” also ‎appears in different meanings, one that is familiar being in ‎Genesis 6:14: ‎וכפרת אותו מבית ומחוץ בכופר‎; “smear it from the inside and ‎the outside with ‎כופר‎, kofer, awareness which is clinging to God, when God counts them, that is, when a person knows her shortcomings then she can actually cling to God.

If kofer means awareness, what does this mean in our dealings with people, and our words to them?

קינים תעשה את התיבה (בראשית ו, יד). קינים לשון ק"ן ציפור לשון דירה. כלומר שתהיה מדובק ומקושר בתוך התיבה היינו הדיבור כאשר תדבר בעבדות הבורא יתברך בתורה ובתפילה:

‎Genesis 6,14. “you are to construct ‎compartments in the ark.” The word ‎קנים‎ kanim is the plural mode of ‎the word ‎קן‎, ken, “nest,” as in “bird’s nest.” The ‎word ‎תיבה‎ does not only mean “ark,” but also means: “word.” That is to say that you need to be aware and connected inside the ark, that is, speech, when you speak in service to the Holy One, in Torah and prayer.

~ By calling our attention to the word nest, inside the word for "compartment", what does the Kedushat Levi do to the act of prayer?

התפלה מבקשת מהנשמה את תפקידה. כשעברו ימים ושנים בלא תפלה בכונה, מתקבצים בלב אבני־נגף רבים, שמרגישים על ידם כבדות־רוח פנימית. וכשרוח הטוב חוזר, ומתנת התפלה נתנת ממרומים, הולכים בכל תפלה ומתפנים אותם המכשולים, והסיכורים הרבים, אשר נקבצו בנחל הנובע של נשמת החיים העליונה, הולכים וסרים. ועם אותה העליה הנשמתית, שהיא עולה בכל תפלה ביחש לערך זמנה, אחוזים ידועים באים בתור מרפא את חסרון העבר; אמנם לא בבת אחת נמנה החסרון, אבל הולך הוא ומתמלא, והצוהר של התפלה הולך ומגלה את אורותיו.

Prayer asks that the neshama fulfill her role. When days and years pass without properly aligned prayer, battering-stones accumulate around the heart, through which we feel an inner spiritual lethargy. And when the good spirit returns, and the gift of prayer is given from above, we move forward with each prayer, removing the obstacles, and the many blockages which have gathered in the flowing river of the highest soul of life begin to clear. And with that neshama elevation gained through each prayer, relative to the value of its time, come known achievements as cures for the deficiencies of the past. Indeed, the lack is not filled all at once, but rather step by step, and the brilliance of prayer progressively reveals its lights.

~ What is the function of prayer, for Rav Kook?

ריב"ש אמר אדם שהוא קורא בתורה, ורואה האורות של האותיות שבתורה, אף על פי שאינו מבין הטעמים כראוי, כיון שהוא קורא באהבה גדולה ובהתלהבות, אין השם יתברך מדקדק עמו אף שאין אומרם כראוי, משל לתינוק שאביו אוהבו מאוד ומבקש דבר מאביו, אף על פי שהוא מגמגם ואינו אומר כראוי, אביו נהנה מאוד, לכן כשאדם אומר דברי תורה באהבה, השם יתברך אוהבו מאוד ואין מדקדק אחריו אם אומרם כראוי, כמו שדרשו רבותינו ז"ל (במדרש שיר השירים פרשה ב') ודגלו עלי אהבה אל תקרי ודגלו אלא ולגלוגו עלי אהבה:
(ליקוטים יקרים דף א', ועיין לקמן פ' ואתחנן אות כ"ב)
The Baal Shem Tov said that one who reads from the Torah and sees the light of the letters in the Torah -- if even they didn't understand the cantillation correctly, since they had read with great love and passion, the Holy One is not exacting with the reader, even though the words weren't read correctly. This can be compared to a young child beloved by her father. When she asks for something from her father, even if she stutters and makes mistakes, the father has great joy. Therefore, when one says words of Torah with love, the Holy One has much love towards them and isn't exacting as to whether they spoke correctly, as our rabbis of blessed memory taught (Song of Songs 2:4) "His banner (diglo) of love is over me." - don't read this word as diglo, but as ligluglo, His mockery of love is over me.

~ Does every word we say need to be exact?

~ How does this approach understand those who have difficulties speaking and expressing themselves?

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