מכתב מאליהו – “דור הפלגה”
How is it possible that a generation so close to the time of the flood, a generation that still had Noach and Shem living in it – reminders of the Mabul, could deny these great miracles and see them as natural occurrences? How could they possibly rebel against Hakodosh Boruch Hu? When one is completely transfixed on the here and now, they view the material world as the only reality. To them, the laws of nature are absolute, and nothing at all can change or supersede it. When something occurs that seems to contradict what they believe to know, the nature of the world they live in, they come up with various theories as to how within the nature they know it could have happened. They somehow reconcile it in their minds that it is still within the realm of the nature they know to be true. Chazal tell us that even regarding the most amazing miracles of the world, such as the Mabul and Krias Yam Suf, there were some who were able to convince themselves that it was “natural.” Everyone has Bechirah, choice. If there was absolutely no conceivable way to even say that something was natural, then that takes away one’s ability for Bechirah, for that would mean that one would have to accept that there is a Ribbono Shel Olam in the world, and He created it, and thus He can do as He desires. If one can focus on nature, and attribute great miracles, such as the Mabul to nature, then certainly the daily occurrences that they see, that which we call nature, they certainly do not see the Yad Hashem in it. The great wonders that we call nature are all the work of the Ribbono Shel Olam, but the signs are not obvious. Thus, those who are unwilling to “look” will not see them. They will have much to say, and many reasons and hypothesis as to why a given cause produces a given effect. They do not care to know that the only real cause and effect are all Hakodosh Boruch Hu’s will, and everything that occurs in this world is all a manifestation of Rotzon Hashem. If there was something that which is completely undisputed by all, that would not be called אמונה, faith. To believe that the chair you are sitting on is a chair is not belief. That is a fact. If you believe that the chair you are sitting on came to be because of Hashem, that is Emunah, belief. The first step in Emunah is to realize that the material world that we see is nothing more than a façade; it is an exterior. The interior is all designed by Hakodosh Boruch Hu, all for a purpose. The manifestation of what Hakodosh Boruch Hu creates is what we see on the outside world. It is the system that Hakodosh Boruch Hu put into place, which is called nature. He created and gives life to nature, and He can change it as He pleases. The Gemara in Brochos 59a says that thunder was created to smooth out the crooked contours of the heart. The Gemara in Eiruvin 65a says that the moon was created in order to facilitate Torah study at night. The Gemara in Kesubos 5b says that fingers are tapered at the end so that one can insert his fingers into his ears and avoid hearing evil speech. The Dor Haflagah were a generation who put all their focus on the material world around them, and that was all they saw. They did not see a need for the Ribbono Shel Olam, and thus they were rebelling against Hakodosh Boruch Hu, even after knowing about the Mabul.
Now we can understand that terrible sin of the Dor Haflagah, and why the Torah does not mention it explicitly. While the Dor Hamabul committed terrible sins, they did not outwardly challenge and rebel against Hashem. The Dor Haflagah outwardly rebelled and basically were of the opinion that they could be autonomous and had no need for the Ribbono Shel Olam. The great wonders that we call nature are all the work of the Ribbono Shel Olam, but the signs are not obvious. Thus, those who are unwilling to “look” will not see them. They will have much to say, and many reasons and hypothesis as to why a given cause produces a given effect. They do not care to know that the only real cause and effect is all Hakodosh Boruch Hu’s will, and everything that occurs in this world is all a manifestation of Rotzon Hashem. If there was something completely undisputed by all, that would not be called אמונה, faith. The Dor Haflagah had great Achdus, but it was Achdus that was not real – Achdus that had no staying power. It was not Achdus to serve Hakodosh Boruch Hu and recognizing Him, but rather it was Achdus so they would think they don’t need Him. May we be Zoche to have the proper Emunah in Hakodosh Boruch Hu, and have true Achdus in the Name of Hashem.
