This Shabbos we discussed parsha Noah and Rav Yeager’s commentary on the parsha. David led discussion. Norm commented that Noah often gets a “bad rap”, when in fact he was the most righteous person of his era. We discussed how perhaps if we are going to Judge Noah, we should do it by comparing him to everyone else who was alive at the same time as him.
Nevertheless, we did discuss the comparison between Noah and Abraham. David offered up what his father Dr. Rabbi George Schlesinger would say - that when it is very cold Noah would put on a coat, whereas Abraham would build a fire. We discussed how Noah established a foundation, that are the basic requirements that even non-jews need to follow.
One of the interesting discussions we had this Shabbos, is why there are so many narratives in the Torah, and so much material, that does not seem to convey to us any mitzvah, commandments or halakuh at all. An example we discussed is Hashem’s creation of everything from last week's parsha. Why are the details of the first 6 days of creation provided to us at all? We discussed how it is true that this explains our observance of Shabbos. But we are later commanded to observe Shabbos anyhow.
We discussed that one of the purposes of the Torah is simply to let us know that our actions have consequences. These consequences can be either positive or negative. For example, Noah survived the flood, which was a positive consequences. But many others perished, which was a negative consequence. The Torah not only teaches us the commandments and guides us in how to use our free will, it contains a lot of narratives that drive home the point that there is judgement and justice.
We discussed specifically the consequences faced by Adam and Eve and how they were kicked out of the garden of Eden. We also discussed the consequences of those who inhabited Canaan, and how they were defeated. And although Hashem allocated the land of Israel to us, we too can be expelled as a consequence of our actions (or lack of actions).
We then discussed why we often do not see immediate consequences. For example, if I do not follow certain commandments, it is unlikely that I am going to be immediately struck by lightening. David brought up the point that if consequences were immediate in the short run, this would take away free will. And David further commented that human beings who automatically make the right choices, is not a world that maximizes morality and the opportunity to grow spiritually and get close to Hashem.
One of the interesting discussions we had this Shabbos, is why there are so many narratives in the Torah, and so much material, that does not seem to convey to us any mitzvah, commandments or halakuh at all. An example we discussed is Hashem’s creation of everything from last week's parsha. Why are the details of the first 6 days of creation provided to us at all? We discussed how it is true that this explains our observance of Shabbos. But we are later commanded to observe Shabbos anyhow.
We discussed that one of the purposes of the Torah is simply to let us know that our actions have consequences. These consequences can be either positive or negative. For example, Noah survived the flood, which was a positive consequences. But many others perished, which was a negative consequence. The Torah not only teaches us the commandments and guides us in how to use our free will, it contains a lot of narratives that drive home the point that there is judgement and justice.
We discussed specifically the consequences faced by Adam and Eve and how they were kicked out of the garden of Eden. We also discussed the consequences of those who inhabited Canaan, and how they were defeated. And although Hashem allocated the land of Israel to us, we too can be expelled as a consequence of our actions (or lack of actions).
We then discussed why we often do not see immediate consequences. For example, if I do not follow certain commandments, it is unlikely that I am going to be immediately struck by lightening. David brought up the point that if consequences were immediate in the short run, this would take away free will. And David further commented that human beings who automatically make the right choices, is not a world that maximizes morality and the opportunity to grow spiritually and get close to Hashem.
David commented on one of his father’s articles, “No peace for the wicked”, in which the wicked do not suffer immediate consequences, but in the long run they always suffer consequences. In this article, the evil dictator is unwilling to seek out medical help because of his lack of trust, and ends up suffering terrible consequences as a result. But this dictator did not suffer immediate consequences after each and every action he took during his life. But in the long run, the consequences of his choices ended up determining his faith.
Human beings seem to be the only animal that has the ability to focus on the long run. Norm commented how when training dogs, the rewards and punishments need to be immediate. David commented on one of his father's other articles, "The Child Prodigy", in which even a child is careful not to draw attention to his mother's mistakes.
Being morality means we make the right choices simply because they are the right thing to do. We realize spiritual benefit by making these right choices. And eventually in the long run, we will realize material and physical benefits as well. Ellie brought up the point that perhaps someone who is brought up in a broken home can not be expected to use his free will and discipline to the extent that someone brought up in a healthy environment is able to do. I then brought up the point that what we should do is simply the best we can, and it is true that the best that one person can do may not be as much as someone else.
This is a summary of what we discussed. No Halachic rulings are intended or should be inferred.
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