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Nearly 1,000 years after the flood, the location of Noach’s Ark was still common knowledge—a proof to the world that the great flood did indeed take place.
A few years back, archeologists identified a giant shape in the Turkish mountains using advanced 3D scans. Located on what is believed to be Mount Ararat, the ancient mountain on which Noach’s ark rested after the great flood, the length of the depression is 150 meters – the recorded dimensions of the ark. Whilst geologists argue that this could be a natural formation, the Talmud does tell us that G-d purposely preserved the Ark as a reminder to all humanity of the flood He brought on the world in the days of Noach.
In fact, the last biblical reference we have to the ark’s existence comes from the Purim story, which took place some 2,500 years ago. The Yalkut Shimoni tells us that when Haman was intent on hanging Mordechai, he searched for a beam that was 50 cubits in length, yet he could not find one. Eventually, he went to his son Parshandasa, who was a governor in Turkey. Parshandasa gave him a beam that he had in his possession. He had taken it from the remains of Noach’s ark, which measured 50 cubits in width. Nearly 1000 years after the event, the location of the Ark’s resting place was still common knowledge; proof to the world that the Mabul, the great flood, did indeed take place.
G-d brought the great flood upon the world in response to the rampant wickedness that personified the generations of Noach’s time. Seeing no hope for humanity, He destroyed the entire world, save for the righteous Noach and his family.
On the 17th of this month, in the year 1656 from the creation of the world, G-d opened the floodgates of the skies, and for 40 days and nights, the rain pounded the earth. This rain was a deluge, a maelstrom, that lasted for 40 days and nights. Underground boiling springs and every body of water combined with it, completely burying the world and all life beneath a great sea.
Yet for all the rain’s destruction, the Medrash tells us that when it began to fall, it was just regular rain. If the people had repented, even at that last minute, it would have turned into gishmei beracha - rain which is a blessing, rain which nourishes and replenishes. Yet they did not repent, and instead the rain turned into the great flood.
It was not the rain that was intrinsically bad, it was the people who were bad. Rain is a natural phenomenon. The people of that generation had a chance to direct this natural event into blessing for good, but in their wickedness, they chose instead to rebel against G-d, thus turning a blessing into a curse.
Every event that happens in the world can turn out for either the bad or the good. Nowadays, we seem to live in heightened times. World events seem to be taking place under magnifying glass; actions carry enormous potential and often have significant impacts. Sometimes, especially in the last few months, we feel like we are in a pendulum – swinging from triumph to disaster, from good to bad, and back again. How do such massive shifts happen?
The answer is us. We are the players at the center of the pendulum, directing which way things will turn. Events happen, and they are intrinsically neither good nor bad. The way they impact us is down to us, and how we behave. How faithful we are, how righteous we are. We are the directors of the world.
We are told that there are three times in the Torah that people said they would prevent something from happening, and each time they were powerless to stop it. The first of these times happened in Noach, this week’s parsha. Hashem told Noach to build an ark, so that he and his family could escape the flood. The people laughed at him and proclaimed,
‘If we see him enter the Ark, we will smash it up and kill him. G-d thereupon said, ‘I will let him enter before the eyes of everyone and we shall see whose word prevails.’ When the flood started, Hashem surrounded the ark with lions and bears, who kept the people away from Noach and his family as they entered the ark to safety.
Because when God wants to protect us, nothing and nobody can hurt us. We have seen that miracle not once but many times just in recent history. Iran’s missiles and Hezbollah’s threats have no power over a nation who prays, a nation who cares for one another, a nation who trusts in G-d.
Natural disasters occur. Missiles are fired. Presidents get elected. Enemies arise. But none of those events are intrinsically harmful to us. When we are living the lives we should be living, staying true to our faith, and looking after each other, then nothing and nobody can touch us, and events can only bring blessing and goodness to our lives.