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Eliyahu Was Taught A Lesson By The Ravens
The rains finally stopped and the waters began to recede. Noach wanted to
assess the situation so he sent out the raven to seek out dry land. The Medrash
states that the reason why Noach chose the raven was because the raven seemed to
be a species of minimal value: "What does the world need you for? You are not
fit either for eating or for a sacrificial offering."
In fact, the Medrash indicates that Noach was angry at the raven and sending
him on this mission was somewhat of a "punishment". The raven was the only
occupant of the Teyva [Ark] to mate during the flood. Both humans and animals
were warned not to have relations with their mates during the time in the Teyva.
The raven violated this prohibition. In fact, the raven's mate was now pregnant,
so Noach felt that he would not be violating his mandate of saving all species
by risking the life of the 'father' raven at this juncture.
However, the Medrash says that G-d told Noach to accept the raven back into
the Teyva because in the future the world would need his services. There would
come a time when a righteous person would make the land dry (Eliyahu the
prophet). There would be a tremendous famine in the land and the ravens would
bring him food and meat (from the house of Ahab, King of Israel).
There is a fascinating Baal HaTurim that reads an allusion to this Medrash
into a pasuk in our Parsha [8:7] "And he sent out the raven and it went back and
forth until the water dried up [ad yevoshes hamayim] from upon the land". The
Baal HaTurim points out that the word yevoshes [dried up] has the same letters
as the word 'Tishbi' which refers to Eliyahu who was known as the 'Tishbi'. This
allusion hints at G-d's admonition to Noach not to be so hard on the raven,
since the raven will be needed when there is a drought in the time of Eliyahu
the Tishbi.
However, the question needs to be asked -- why did G-d chose the ravens from
among all other birds or creatures to sustain Eliyahu? If, in fact, ravens have
a reputation of being cruel creatures, and if, in fact, the raven was the only
creature to violate the rule of no relations during the time in the Teyva, why
were the ravens specifically chosen to be the 'angels of mercy' for Eliyahu?
The Succas Dovid answers that G-d was trying to teach a lesson to Eliyahu by
specifically using this 'delivery service'. The lesson was that good things can
even come out of ravens, and so too good things may even emerge out of wicked
people. Eliyahu the prophet was the penultimate zealot (kanai). He railed
against the Jewish people and declared them to be worthless "for they have
nullified Thy Covenant" [Melachim I 19:10]. Eliyahu said that they were beyond
redemption and they should all die. G-d is hinting to Eliyahu that it this not
true. They are not that bad. Even from the wicked amongst them, good things
happen.
We know that at every Bris (Circumcision) there is an area set aside as the
"Chair of Eliyahu". Eliyahu is, as it were, the honored guest who appears at
every Bris Milah. The Shalo"h sees this symbolism as a form of "punishment" for
Eliyahu. Since he uttered the words "they have abandoned Thy Covenant (azvu
Bris-cha), he is summoned to appear at every Bris in the future to witness the
fact that he was wrong -- that Jews are still keeping the Covenant! His stinging
and ringing indictment that the Jews nullified the Covenant was uncalled for!
This was the message of the ravens delivering Eliyahu his food. No wicked
individual is beyond hope. He can always come back and prove himself a
worthwhile member of society -- even the raven! This especially applies to the
Jewish people. They may have done terrible things, they may have worshipped
idolatry in the time of Ahab, but do not write them off.
Where Does It Say I Must Arrive On Time?
Upon emerging from the Teyva after the flood, Noach planted a vineyard. The
Torah uses the words "VaYachel Noach" [9:20], which is commonly translated as
"Noach began". However, Rashi comments that the word VaYachel alludes to the
fact that Noach debased himself -- he made himself profane (chullin) -- by
planting the vineyard immediately upon leaving the Teyva. This very same Noach,
who at the beginning of the parsha is described as righteous and perfect
(Tzadik, Tamim), experienced a spiritual descent and is described as "a man of
the earth". Wine should not have been the first crop that he planted. It marked
an inauspicious beginning to life back on dry land.
The Seforno explains that there was no crime in planting a vineyard; it just
was not the most appropriate thing for a person such as Noach to do. The
descent, from the spiritual heights of a "Tzadik, Tamim", to the mundane level
of a common man, often starts just this way. It does not begin with a dramatic
action that throws away every value he has ever stood for. It begins with an act
which is merely not esthetically appealing ('nisht shein' in Yiddish) for a
person of his caliber.
Rav Henoch Leibowitz references a famous comment of the Maggid Mishneh. The
Maggid Mishneh comments that the mitzvah "You shall do that which is right and
proper (haYashar v'haTov)" [Devorim 6:18] is a mandate to act 'properly'.
Sometimes, when a person is told that the Torah requires him to act in a
certain fashion, his response is "Where does it say so?" Where does the Torah
say that one is not allowed to do such and such? Where is it recorded in
Shulchan Aruch that this is forbidden? The answer to that question is this very
pasuk [verse]: "You shall do that which is right and proper". The Maggid Mishneh
explains that the Torah can not explain the details, says. The definition of
what is correct and proper can change. The Torah was given for all times and all
places. The details of "haYashar v'HaTov" can change from time to time and from
place to place. There is no one finite way of being a 'mensch' (a person who
behaves morally and ethically), but the obligation to be a 'mensch' is constant.
It is a positive Biblical command.
Planting a vineyard at this particular point in history was not specifically
a crime, but it was certainly not the right and proper activity for Noach to
begin with immediately upon descending from the Teyva.
A dental hygienist recently told me: "I have many religious patients. They
make appointments and then they just stroll in here whenever they want. Fifteen
minutes late, twenty minutes late. I only allot a half-hour per patient. If a
patient comes in twenty minutes late, it ruins the entire day's schedule and I
suffer for it the whole day."
Where does it state in Shulchan Aruch that one must be on time to his
appointment with the dental hygienist? It is not mentioned in Shulchan Aruch.
Why is it not mentioned in Shulchan Aruch? It is not mentioned because it is an
explicit Biblical command! There are many things not mentioned in Shulchan Aruch
because they are explicitly mentioned in the Torah. The mitzvah is "You shall do
that which is right and proper". The mitzvah is colloquially called "Be a
mensch!" A mensch does not come 20 minutes late to an appointment, without
apologizing, as if nothing happened!
This is the meaning of the Maggid Mishneh's comment. People did not go to
dental hygienists in the time of the Maggid Mishneh. Therefore the Torah could
not say and the Shulchan Aruch could not legislate that there is a positive
command to appear promptly for your appointment with the dental hygienist. The
details of the mitzvah change. But one thing does not change -- one needs to be
a mensch! This is constant.
Rabbi Frand on Parshas Noach
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi
Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 345,
Milah For Non-Jew: Is it permitted?
Good Shabbos!
This write-up was adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tape series on the weekly Torah portion. The complete list of halachic topics covered in this series for Parshas Noach are provided below:
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