Regarding this week’s parsha, parshas Noach, it is fitting that we present to our royal audience a precious gem from the incredible teachings of the divine kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, ztz”l. In his commentary on the Zohar hakadosh, Ohr Yakar, he draws our attention to three “Teivos” (arks or enclosures) that altered human history both materially and spiritually.
The first was “teivas Noach”—the ark that saved Noach, his entire family, and the animals that he took with him, from the treacherous, deadly waters of the mabul. As the passuk states in our parsha (Bereishis 6, 13): "ויאמר אלקים לנח קץ כל בשר בא לפני כי מלאה הארץ חמס מפניהם והנני משחיתם את הארץ, עשה לך תיבת עצי גופר קינים תעשה את התיבה וכפרת אותה מבית ומחוץ בכופר". G-d said to Noach, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with robbery through them; and behold, I am about to destroy them from the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make the ark with compartments and caulk it inside and out with tar.”
The second was “teivas Moshe,” which Yocheved made to save her son’s life in Mitzrayim. As it is written (Shemos 2, 2): "ותהר האשה ותלד בן ותרא אותו כי טוב הוא ותצפנהו שלשה ירחים, ולא יכלה עוד הצפינו ותקח לו תיבת גומא ותחמרה בחמר ובזפת ותשם בה את הילד ותשם בסוף על שפת היאור". The woman conceived and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was good, and she hid him for three months. She could not hide him any longer, so she took for him a wicker basket and smeared it with clay and tar; she placed the child into it and placed it among the reeds at the bank of the river. Rashi explains that she smeared the basket with tar on the outside and clay on the inside, so that that tzaddik (Moshe) would not smell the foul odor of tar.
The third was “teivas haAron” that HKB”H commanded to be fashioned for the Mishkan. It housed the two luchos of the covenant upon which the Aseres HaDibros were inscribed. As it is written (ibid. 25, 10): "ועשו ארון עצי שטים אמתים וחצי ארכו ואמה וחצי רחבו ואמה וחצי קומתו, וצפית אותו זהב טהור מבית ומחוץ תצפנו ועשית עליו זר זהב סביב"—they shall make an Aron of shittim wood, two and a half cubits its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall cover it with pure gold, from inside and from outside you shall cover it; and you shall make on it a golden crown all around.
The Ramak points out that the three “Teivos” under discussion were covered in significantly different ways. Whereas “teivas Noach” was covered with tar both inside and outside, Moshe’s “teivah” was covered with clay on the inside and tar on the outside. In contrast to both of those “Teivos,” the “teivah” of the Aron was covered both inside and outside with pure gold.
In his unique, sacred way, the Ramak explains the connection between these three “Teivos” based on secrets of the Torah of mysticism. Notwithstanding, as a loyal servant in the presence of his master, I will follow his lead and clarify the matter in terms of the revealed Torah, as well, in a manner that will be relevant to each and every one of us. To understand the amazing connection between these three “Teivos,” we will introduce precious sources from our esteemed Rabbis that will illuminate this fascinating subject for us. May Hashem guide us on the path of “emes”!
“Teivas Noach” Was a Sort of Beis HaMikdash that Miraculously Housed All of the Creatures
We will begin to shed some light on the subject with the comments of the Ramban. He discusses the fact that the dimensions of Noach’s “teivah” were too small to house Noach, his entire family, myriads of wild and domestic animals, birds, and crawling creatures. As the Torah teaches us, the dimensions of his ark were (Bereishis 6, 15): "שלש מאות אמה אורך התיבה, חמישים אמה רחבה, ושלשים אמה קומתה"—three hundred cubits the length of the “teivah”; fifty cubits its width; and thirty cubits its height. Hence, the Ramban contends that it was supernatural for Noach’s “teivah” to house all of the aforementioned people and creatures.
Let us embellish this idea. How, indeed, did the “teivah” miraculously have enough room for all of the living creatures that survived the mabul? Let us refer to a tremendous chiddush from Chazal. In the Midrash, they refer to “teivas Noach” as the “House of Hashem” (B.R. 26, 2): It is written (Tehillim 92, 14): “Planted in the House of Hashem, in the courtyards of our G-d, they will flourish.” This refers to Noach, whom HKB”H planted in the “teivah.”
The Nezer HaKodesh on the Midrash comments: For he was truly planted in the House of Hashem, since HKB”H planted him in the “teivah,” which is called the House of Hashem, and as the Zohar explains at the beginning of parshas Noach (page 59b) . . . He is referring to the Zohar that teaches that the “teivah” refers to the Aron HaBris (the Ark of the Covenant).
Thus, we learn an incredible chiddush. “Teivas Noach” is called the House of Hashem, because it possessed a kedushah similar to that of the Beis HaMikdash. And not just any part of the Beis HaMikdash but the Kodesh HaKodashim, where the Aron containing the luchos was located. This is also evident from an additional teaching in the Midrash (ibid. 31, 11): It (the “teivah”) also helped itself to be built. The Matnos Kehunah explains that it built itself in a similar fashion to what they taught concerning the construction of the Mishkan, the Mikdash and the Menorah.
For, concerning the construction of the Beis HaMikdash, it says (Melachim 1 6, 7): "והבית בהבנותו"—when the Bayis was being built. According to the Zohar hakadosh (Noach 74a), the Beis HaMikdash built itself under the direction of HKB”H. It only appeared as if the craftsmen brought by Shlomo HaMelech were building it. The same was true here. Noach was instructed to build the “teivah,” but in reality, it built itself, since it was the House of Hashem, a sort of miniature Mikdash.
This explains the comments of the Ramban very nicely. A miracle transpired in the “teivah”—a relatively small space was able to house a large number of creatures. This was similar to the situation in the Beis HaMikdash, as we have learned in the Mishnah (Avos 5, 5): "עשרה ניסים נעשו לאבותינו בבית המקדש"—ten miracles were performed for our forefathers in the Beis HaMikdash. Among the miracles enumerated was: "עומדים צפופים ומשתחווים רווחים"—the people stood crowded together, yet prostrated themselves with ample space. Additionally: "ולא אמר אדם לחבירו צר לי המקום שאלין בירושלים"—nor did any man say to his fellow, “The space is insufficient for me to stay overnight in Yerushalayim.”
Furthermore, as mentioned, the Zohar hakadosh associates “teivas Noach” with the Aron HaBris—the Ark of the Covenan; and regarding the Aron, we have learned in the Gemara (Yoma 21b): "מקום הארון אינו מן המדה"—the Aron did not take up any space. Due to its immense kedushah, it defied the physical laws of nature. In similar fashion, the “teivah,” which was like the Aron, defied the laws of nature. Despite its inadequate size, it housed Noach, his entire family, and all of the creatures brought into the “teivah.”
