Floods, Confusion, & Elections

Welcome to the tensest weekend of 2016 – thanks to the upcoming election (in which over 31 million people have early voted). I think the parsha for the U.S. diaspora must be feelin’ it, too, because we have two tense stories (and some genealogy) packed into Parashat Noach.

First, we read a long tale of Noah, the person G!d chose to keep enough of his animalistic creation alive to repopulate the earth after a flood intended to destroy the overwhelming disobedience/poor choices/evil (of humans). Noah obeys G!d, following his instructions to build an ark and load on the animals. After a forty day flood, the humans and animals remain on the boat until they are certain the ground has dried. Along with his family, Noah is then free to continue his life and repopulate the earth with humans. He thanks G!d (for allowing him to live, using him for a worthy purpose), who responds with a promise never to flood the whole earth again and a rainbow (Genesis 9:13). Songs have been written about this story, entire theological and scientific theories have been developed, bedtime stories rely on the wonder and amazement created by such a narrative. G!d was so unhappy with the behavior of his creation that he wiped out most of it, but then he promises never to destroy on such a scale again.

I love the unanswered questions in this story. Not knowing all the details allows a story to take root, to grow, and to adapt as I learn more about it, to ask more questions of it. The story of Noah gives me this opportunity.

After some genealogy we read the story of the Tower of Babel. I translated that story this week from the Septuagint (Greek version of the Tanakh), so the words were fresh on my mind. The people of the earth had banded together through language and decided they could reach the heavens (G!d). By confusing their language, G!d takes away this opportunity (at least for the time being). Reflecting on this story, I wonder how much our desires for greatness have changed. Babel is a reminder to realize from where my excellence should come – to give credit to a creator, motivator, sustainer.

Depending on your perception of current events, both of these stories may give you cause to trust even more in G!d – at least, I hope so. Amidst times that feel heavy, circumstances that weigh us down, and confusion about the future, we may find comfort in the fact that G!d asks us to work with him, and that he will not carry out complete destruction again. There are still many questions – about G!d, our relationship with him, our relationships with each other – but this is a week to thank G!d for everything he has done for us.