Shabbos Parashas Noach - 5777

Shabbos Parashas Noach - 5777

Rabbi Hal Miller

Thus they that came, came male and female of all flesh, as G-d had commanded

him, and Hashem shut it on his behalf. [Bereishis 7:16]

What did G-d shut on Noach's behalf? Why? Further on we read, [8:6] "And it came to

pass at the end of forty days, that Noach opened the window of the Ark which he had

made." Seven verses on, [8:13], "And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year,

in the first month on the first of the month, the waters dried from on the earth, and Noach

removed the covering of the Ark and looked, and behold the surface of the ground had

dried." It seems that Noach was able to open the window, and later "the covering". What

was the purpose of G-d shutting something on Noach's behalf?

It is easy for us to picture G-d having closed the doors and windows. In fact, Radak says,

"He protected him against the chance of even a small hole opening in the ark as a result of

the powerful rains which continued for forty days," which seems to follow that picture.

Abarbanel follows Radak, writing that "so much water came down that they were no longer

able to come and go from it", meaning not that G-d closed the door, but that He prevented

them from going out due to the deluge. But if Noach was able to open the window and door

later, why couldn't he have closed them himself before the storm began?

In Bereishis Rabbah [7:16], we see, "And the L-rd shut him in. R'Levi said, this may be

compared to a king who decreed a general execution in a country, but took his friend,

placed him in prison, and set his seal upon him (so he would be spared). Even so, And

the L-rd shut him in." This is further proof to the idea that Noach could not be the one to

close up, as it was not a simple door that was closed, but some kind of protective shield.

Rav Hirsch "opens a door" for us when he writes, "They were only allowed to enter because

they came male and female, two by two. Although Noach had done everything, the rescue

was not assured thereby, he had done all that he had been commanded to do, but it was

Hashem, G-d's intention of preservation of life for the future, that protected him." What Rav

Hirsch is telling us is that Noach did not have the capability of doing all G-d needed done.

But, at the same time, our verse is proof that we need to do our hishtadlus--we need to act

as though the world DOES depend on us, even as we believe that all depends solely on

G-d doing His part.

We can see this a few verses later. In [8:13], Noach opened the door, but didn't do anything

further. In [8:15-16], the Torah tells us, "And G-d spoke to Noach, saying, "Go forth from the

Ark, you and your wife, your sons and your sons' wives with you." Noach did all that he was

told to do, but still had to wait for G-d to clear the way for whatever was to come next. Even

when we cannot complete the task, we are required to do all that we can do in that effort.

When we do, G-d will supply the rest.