Noach
By Judy Weintraub, October 13, 2018
The Window- TSOhar- 6:16 The word for window, Chalon, is attested 31 times in the TANACH. TSOHAR? EXACTLY 1 time
In fact a few chapters later the word chalon is mentioned in reference to letting out the raven
Baal Shem Tov: no sun and no moon… there was no external light! This opening then, must be referring to a different kind of light – a spiritual light
Each of us to Hashem we must take that step –in all 3 situations- (PS 118 Min HaMetzr) Karati Ya
Our light upward… Hashem’s light down to us
Each of us to community
Our light to each other as individuals. Allowing our light to shine
Our light to our community… Our communities light to us
SOS program Rabbi .Efrem Goldberg Sr Rabbi at Boca Raton synag, FL believes so much in Community and Clal Yisrael that he has a full-time Rabbi doing outreach work through various projects one of those projects – Share One Shabbos. In this program members are asked to open their homes to people they don’t know or they don’t know well twice a year. There is no better way to build community than to share a meal in a warm and welcoming home
Each of us to the world beyond our comfort zone-universality of R Kook, amodel for us – didn’t just see those with similar beliefs, supported Zionists, felt they had a very important function as part of the whole
SPECIFICATIONS – God gives explicit instructions-details are not random
Mishkan—-Beit Hamigdash—-TEIVA
Rabbi Avraham IBN Ezra-12th cent Spanish philosopher, biblical commentator poet: Place where the LIGHT comes from -a ladder was needed to reach it- not so readily accessible- beyond automatic reach- need to expend energy —but always open-
Opening in the shape of a triangle- 1 measure wide on the top and 6 measures wide on the bottom. A triangle with a solid base- where else do we see that triangle- the Mogen David- with the midrash of humanity striving upward to know God by doing Mitzvot
Here to complete CREATION- but can’t do that w/o light that comes from TZOHAR.
RASHI: Tsohar= WINDOW & PRECIOUS STONE RADIATING- access to the light coming in to us- our openness to sending our light outside
LIGHT within LIGHT LIGHT within DARK
Is it more challenging to see the light when times are blessed- to keep in mind the source of the blessing to remain grateful and humble- to understand the connectedness of humanity and to share the blessings with others
And let’s look at the DARK
RABBI ELIE MINK: Call of the Torah comb classic commentary, Kabbalistic thought and his own insights.- offers his own thoughts
USING THE LIGHT FROM WITHIN TO ILLUMINATE THE DARKNESS
Another twist: Seeing the light and being open to it uplifting you—EMUNAH=faith
REB NACHMAN of Bretzlov, Aleph Bet Book—SEFER HAMIDOT
A14: Gazing at the sky when it is clear and bright will bring you to faith in the Rabbis (as the Rabbis)
REMEMBER: The window is the opening from the narrow space to the BIG space
Aviva Zornberg describes the Ark as a small enclosed safe space – Why a window if heading into a huge storm-Why do we need that window?
Window allows light to come in us and for light to go out and for us to see out and interpret – a communication between the internal and external world
Midrash Tanhuma:
Noach’s prayer was release my soul from enclosure: our souls can be caught in all kinds of enclosures
WE NEED THAT WINDOW! We need to find, as Zornburg says, our OBJECTIVE reality and our optimal place within it.
REB Nachman of Bretslov offers this beautiful drash on the opening-
Our Bodies- our souls- our essence within our dwellings-within our TEIVAH- we have the challenge of constructing our lives- we are challenged to create a WINDOW for our ark- to allow light in –to let ours flow thru- to make a space for our dove to fly out – to maintain a flow of communication between ourselves and with God, with those we love, with our community, & with the world – to use OUR TSOhar- our precious stone – OUR source of LIGHT-
The window is not just there, but ours to CREATE- it is part of our free will to do it or not- it doesn’t just happen passively- From the Torah we are given the wisdom- TSOHAR TA’ASEH L’TEVAH–AN OPENING shall you create-may we all create our tsohar – our window- our precious stone that RADIATES LIGHT and may we use it well