Surrounding Noah’s Ark was the flood. In order to protect Noah, his family, and all who entered the Ark, it was necessary to have a teivah (ark) to shield them from the waters of the flood. This was the outer reason for the need of an ark in the generation of the Flood. Similarly, in our generation, one must build a personal ark to protect oneself from the spiritual flood that surrounds us.
However, on an inner level, “Therefore man was created alone” (Yalkut Shimoni, Bereishis §15). For this reason, a person must build an inner world for himself. To do so, he must, at least metaphorically, spend a year like Noah in the Ark—or something similar—to construct his own inner world: his personal domain, pure and unmixed with others’ influences. Only afterward should his mind and spirit engage with others—and from time to time he must return to his ark, so as not to lose his private, inner world.
Practical Application:
Each day, withdraw for a few minutes from everything around you—enter your own private ark—and sense your true self.
