PARASHAT NOACH
This week the Torah relates to us the well-known story of Noach and the Dor Ha’mabul, the generation of the flood. The Pasuk states: וירא אלוקים את הארץ והנה נשחתה כי השחית כל בשר את דרכו על הארץand Hashem saw the earth and behold it was corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. Rashi explains this corruption is referring to the degree of immorality of the people. The immorality had reached such an extent that it had even influenced the animals to be unfaithful to their own species. Interestingly the next Pasuk stated: Hashem said to Noach… for the earth is filled with robbery through them; and behold, I am about to destroy them from the earth. Rashi explains לא נחתם גזר דינם אלא על הגזל. The decree [to flood the world] was only signed due to the robbery.
This requires an explanation, for the Torah has just finished testifying to the extreme השחתה corruption of the people, and to the terrible sins they have committed. Even Rashi stated earlier that the people were involved with גלו' עריות and עבודה זרה, two of the three cardinal sins that one must give his life for before committing, and yet the Torah reveals to us, the decree to annihilate all life upon the land was signed for none other than the sin of גזל robbery, a sin that isn’t even punishable by lashes, the most lenient of all punishments administered by Bet Din.
The Maleh Haomer offers a novel insight to help reconcile this difficulty. He says the following: The Midrash in ויקרא רבה פי"ז statesאין בעל הרחמים נוגע בנפשות תחילה. The Merciful One, does not harm the person himself initially as a punishment for his sins but rather, as a result of his immense mercy. He first punished the sinner through his property and belongings. Only after that does not awaken the sinner to rectify his actions, does Hashem punish the person himself.
With this understanding a new question arises; why indeed did Hashem, The Merciful One, strike the people first before warning them by punishing them through their possessions?
With the following explanation we will address our original difficulty as well. This understanding that Hashem first punishes one by his possessions before harming the person himself is only when the possessions were acquired in an honest and just way. Only then is it a punishment to the person when Hashem confiscates those belongings, however when one’s possessions are acquired in a dishonest way, and even worse through robbery, then it is impossible for the loss of those possessions to serve as a punishment, for they do not belong to the thief in the first place.
This is what the Torah was pointing out in the verse: The decree [to flood the world] was only signed due to the robbery. Although they had committed far worse sins, Hashem would not have decreed complete destruction if it wasn’t for the גזל. Rather He would have first struck their belongings, for אין בעל הרחמים נוגע בנפשות תחילה. The Merciful One does not touch the souls initially. Since all their possessions were acquired through theft, the decree was directed towards none other than the people themselves. Thus, annihilation was decreed upon the world.
We must recognize that the Torah does not relate to us the story of the Mabul for entertainment purposes but rather to teach us lessons and to guide us. We must learn from the Dor Hamabul the extreme importance of obtaining our money and belongings in an honest way. We must understand that if the sin of גזל, taking from others in an unjust way, has the capacity to bring destruction to the entire world, surely giving to others in need has the capacity to build the entire world! This is what David Hamelech taught us when he wrote עולם חסד יבנה.
In our generation, where unfortunately there are so many people in need, we have the opportunity and the זכות to be metaken the sin of the Dor Hamabul and are obliged to lend a hand to those whom we have the ability to help.
