Candle lighting time for Friday, October 4, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
PARSHAT NO·AḤ/ROSH ḤODESH ḤESHVAN
1 Heshvan, 5774/October 5, 2013
Triennial Cycle Year I: Genesis 6:9-8:14
Humash Etz Hayim, p. 41.
Maftir: Numbers 28:9-15, p. 930
Haftarah: Isaiah 66, page 1219.
- (6:9-22) The earth’s corruption moves God to tell Noah that He will destroy mankind. God commands Noah to build an ark in which he and his family and the animals and birds will survive the flood.
- (7:1-10) God orders Noah and his family to enter the ark, with all the animals.
- (7:10-24) The rains begin, and continue for forty days so that the waters rise to cover the mountains. All life on earth is blotted out.
- (8:1-14) The flood ends. Noah sends out a raven and then a dove to discover if the earth has dried out. The dove returns the second time with an olive leaf in its bill.
The Generation of the Flood
By Rabbi Daniel Pressman
The Rabbis taught: The people of the generation of the flood became arrogant only because of the bounty that the Blessed Holy One lavished upon them. And this prosperity caused them to say to God (Job 21:14-15) “Leave us alone, we do not want to learn Your ways; What is Shaddai that we should serve Him? What will we gain by praying to Him?” They said: Do we need [the Almighty] for anything other than a drop of rain? We have rivers and streams from which to supply ourselves. Thereupon, the Blessed Holy One said, “With the very bounty that I lavished upon them [i.e. water], they are provoking me. With that shall I punish them!?” As it is stated (Gen. 6:17), For My part, I am about to bring the Flood. (Talmud Tractate Sanhedrin 108a)
God bestowed extraordinary prosperity on that generation, but rather than taking advantage of the bounty to devote themselves to spiritual pursuits, they overindulged in materialism and thus distanced themselves from God. (Maharal)
God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with lawlessness (ḥamas) because of them: I am about to destroy them with the earth. (Gen. 6:13)
What is hamas (lawlessness) and what is gezel (robbery)? Said R. Hanina: ’Hamas refers to what is worth less than a perutah [the smallest coin]; gezel, to what is worth a perutah. And this is what the people of the age of the Flood used to do: When a man brought out a basket full of lupines [for sale], one would come and seize less than a perutah’s worth and then everyone would come and seize less than a perutah’s worth, so that he had no redress at law. Whereupon the Blessed Holy One said: “You have acted improperly, so will I too deal with you improperly.” (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 31:5)
Each robs the other; the landowners rob the sharecroppers forcibly, while the sharecropper fobs the landowner through deceit. Thus the earth is producing all its fruit for robbers! (Sforno)
The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with lawlessness. (Gen 6:11)
The sin of the generation of the flood was that the people preferred “the earth” — their materialistic wants — to God. They made materialism the most important value and holiness secondary. (The Maggid of Mezrich)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Candle Fundraiser – Pre-order deadline is October 10th
Mitzvah a Month
Our High Holy Days Food Drive was a Big Success – We collected 3,501 lbs of food and $1,646 for 2nd Harvest. Thank you so much for being a part of this Tikkun Olam event.
Trip to Israel with Rabbi Ohriner
Minyan – Sunday 9:30 am & Monday – Thursday 7:00 p.m.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, October 4: Shabbat Mishapaha (Family) Experience and Zayin Celebration – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 6: Women’s Z’havah at CBD – 10:15 a.m.
Sunday, October 6: Men’s Club Meeting – 11:00 a.m.
Sunday, October 6: Hazak Presents: The “Art” of Travel & Family Photography – 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 8: Conversations in Jewish Learning – 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 12: Book Discussion Group – 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 13: Sunday Seminar: Pagans and Jews: The Roots of Anti-Seitism? – 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Friday, October 18: Friday Morning Talmud Study with Rabbi Pressman – 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Friday, October 18: Pirkei Avot Discussion Group: Sayings of the Fathers – 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, October 19: Mussar Matters:Building Character and Self-Mastery Through Jewish Texts – after lunch, approximately 1:15 p.m.
Thursday, October 24:Sisterhood Presents: Robin Chapman Author of California Apricots: The Lost Orchards of Silicon Valley – 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 17: Hazak Presents – Jews Were Gold Rush 49ers Too! – 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
COMMUNITY
USCJ Disaster Relief for Colorado Flood Victims
Interfaith Family Classes Starting Soon
Sunday, October 6: Klezmer and Comedy – a Chai House Fundraiser – 2:00 p.m. View/Print Flyer
Sunday, October 13: A Retrospective on Jewish Entertainers – 10:30 a.m.