Parshas Noach 5786: In Broad Daylight

 Torah Parallels 

Parshas Noach 

לעילוי נשמת האדא בת מרדכי 

 

In Broad Daylight 

 

The Torah (Beraishis 7:13) describes that when Noach and his family went into the teivah (ark), it was “b’etzem hayom hazeh”. Rashi quotes the Medrash (Beraishis Rabbah 32:8) which provides a little more context around what was happening on that day, as alluded to in the Torah’s use of the extra word “b’etzem” in describing the moment that Noach and his family went into the teivah. Rashi writes that the people of Noach’s generation said, “If we see Noach enter the teivah we will smash it up and kill him”.  In response, Hashem said, ‘‘I will let him enter before the eyes of everyone and we shall see whose word prevails”. This is why the passuk uses the word “b’etzem” to convey that Noach and his family entered the teivah in broad daylight in front of everyone, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. 

 

While this is a beautiful explanation and aligns well with how Rashi explains other similar word usage in the Torah, there is a fundamental question we could ask. Why were the people of the time trying to stop Noach now from entering the teivah? Remember that Noah had been building the teivah over a span of 120 years! Rashi (6:14) comments based on the Gemara Sanhedrin (108b) that the whole process of building the teivah was specifically so the people would notice, inquire and ultimately repent. Day after day Noach would try to get them to do teshuvah, but they would respond with mockery that it was all for nothing and that they had no interest in correcting their bad ways. This wasn't a secret "build-a-teivah" project that Noach suddenly pulled out of his workshop garage. What triggered specifically now with Noach going into the teivah that was the last straw for them? And even if somehow this was the pinnacle of their tolerance, why kill Noach? They clearly didn’t take him seriously this whole time, so to really be able to “prove who was right” why not tell Noach, “You could go in but you’re never coming out. We’ll seal it from the outside! According to you, you’ll be safe and fine!”? Why wait until now and to take it to such an extreme and kill Noach for finally trying to enter the teivah? 

 

In order to answer this, we need to understand what the essence of pure evil really is all about.  

 

In a clash of good versus good, both sides seek truth with genuine intent. Being right matters, but the focus is on understanding rather than defeating the other. Even when one position is ultimately found incorrect, it is still clear that both sides were rooted in sincere truth-seeking, especially if one side humbly accepts a correct opposing view. In some cases, both positions may be valid — for example, a machlokes on a Torah/halachic topic rooted in mesorah, where it is appropriate to say “eilu v’eilu divrei Elokim chayim” (“both are the words of the living G-d"), even if mutually exclusive. A battle of good versus evil, however, is fundamentally different. Evil does not represent an alternative path to truth; it may disguise itself as such, but its goal is simply to corrupt, harm and destroy –  physically, spiritually, and emotionally. 

 

The corruption of “Chamas” (as the Torah calls it) in Noach’s generation had reached a point beyond making mistakes or seeking a different lifestyle through an alternative set of values. They had sunk to a level so low that they became committed to destroying life itself. The timing of their plan to kill Noach was deliberate; nothing new was revealed the day he entered the teivah, and a debate and gamble over who was right was irrelevant. Their goal was to eliminate the last representation of good – the tzadik. Noach had spent 120 years building the teivah, hoping the generation would do teshuvah. Yet, they waited those same 120 years before attempting to kill him, seemingly trying to first erode his spiritual self. Spiritual and emotional destruction before physical murder is the ultimate form of destruction because it not only prevents future generations but also works to challenge and deteriorate the very quality of goodness. Perhaps this is why this evil generation wasn’t focused on killing Noach until this point. Until now they were trying to kill him spiritually. Having been unsuccessful, now in the last moments they would at least attempt to kill him physically. Similarly, it wouldn’t have been relevant to challenge Noach by saying “we just won’t let you back out of the teivah alive”, because their point wasn't about proving who is right and who is wrong. Rather the objective of their evil was to simply wipe out good.  

 

Of course, history repeats itself and the concept of Chamas - pure evil -  remains just as true today. There is always a battle of evil seeking to destroy good. In our times, it often feels as if we stand on the brink of overwhelming corruption. For example, the idea that an atrocity like what happened on October 7 (spiritual, emotional, and physical murder) could occur is such an inexplicable evil itself, and the fact that there are people worldwide who express sympathy, and even support to the side of evil is completely incomprehensible on so many levels.   

 

When the mabbul was over and Noach departed the teivah, Hashem established a sign – the rainbow - as a promise never to destroy the world in this way again. But this raises a question: Why not? If evil would indeed again reach such a level as in Noach’s time, wouldn't it be appropriate to again wipe out the world?  

 

The meforshim explain that while evil remains as a part of our world, it will never again be as pervasive as it was in the time of the mabbul. Hashem’s promise assures us that although hotbeds of evil may arise – sometimes even loud and influential – the side of good will always prevail, protecting the world from total destruction. Anyone who chooses to align with the good becomes a partner with Hashem in this promise. By standing up to evil, or simply remaining consistently good, one embodies the “be’etzem hayom hazeh” - the broad daylight that exposes and ultimately eradicates evil.  

 

May we merit to witness Hashem’s miraculous intervention once again “b’etzem hayom hazeh”, speedily in our days. May it bring the world to be full of good and emes, ushering in the era of “bayom hahu yihyeh Hashem echad ushmo echad”.