בס”ד

This D’var Torah should be a Zechus L’Ilui Nishmas my sister, Kayla Rus Bas Bunim Tuvia A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my paternal grandfather Moshe Ben Yosef A”H, my paternal grandmother Channah Freidel Bas Avraham A”H, my uncle Reuven Nachum Ben Moshe & my great aunt Rivkah Sorah Bas Zev Yehuda HaKohein,

It should also be in Zechus L’Refuah Shileimah for:

-My father Bunim Tuvia Ben Channa Freidel

-My grandmother Shulamis Bas Etta

-MY BROTHER: MENACHEM MENDEL SHLOMO BEN CHAYA ROCHEL

-HaRav Shlomo Ben Shayna Zelda

-Mordechai Shlomo Ben Sarah Tili

-Noam Shmuel Ben Simcha

_R’ Simcha Yitzchak Ben Mirela Yudka

-Chaya Rochel Ettel Bas Shulamis

-And all of the Cholei Yisrael, especially those suffering from COVID-19 and the Meiron tragedy.

-It should also be a Z’chus for an Aliyah of the holy Neshamos of HaRav HaGa’on V’Sar HaTorah Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Ben HaRav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky A”H, Dovid Avraham Ben Chiya Kehas—R’ Dovid Winiarz ZT”L, Miriam Liba Bas Aharon—Rebbetzin Weiss A”H, as well as the Neshamos of those whose lives were taken by terrorists (Hashem Yikom Damam), COVID-19, and the Meiron tragedy.

-It should also be a Z’chus for success for Tzaha”l as well as the rest of Am Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael and in the Galus.

 

פרשת נח

Lasting Friendship

 

פַּרָשַׁת נֹחַ teaches us about two generations of people, the Generation of the Flood (דוֹר הַמַבּוּל) and the Generation of the Scattered (דוֹר הַפְּלָגָה).

The first group committed many sins, especially robbery. But, the second group gathered together and built a tower to challenge Hashem’s authority over the world.

Hashem was not happy with either group. However, Hashem only destroyed the first group. The second group were permitted to live. Their only consequence was that Hashem mixed up their languages and spread them throughout the earth.

 

Question: Why did Hashem only destroy the first group and not the tower builders? (Even though Hashem promised to never flood the entire world again, He could have still found another way to kill the tower builders, right?)

Answer: Our חָכָמִים (sages of blessed memory) teach us that the reason the tower builders were not destroyed was because there was at least friendship between them. Because they knew how to get along with each other, Hashem did not want to destroy them. This shows us how much Hashem loves friendship!

 

Follow-up Question: But, if it is true that Hashem loves friendship, then why did Hashem spread tower builders out and interrupt their friendship?

Answer: It must be that these friends weren’t such good friends. They were a bad influence on one another, encouraging each other to challenge Hashem.

Friendship is powerful. That is why it is so important to find a good friend and to be a good friend. פַּרָשַׁת נֹחַ teaches us that only good friendships will last forever. We should all be blessed with good friendships. Have a wonderful שבת!

Rabbi Eisenberg, Grade 3