Noach III | Navigating Transition
Introduction
We often hear praise for “an A for effort” – celebrating those who work hard even when their achievements fall short of other’s. It’s a comforting thought: If you can’t reach the heights, at least you tried your best.
But that’s not the message the Rebbe delivers in this sichah. The focus here isn’t on appreciating a person’s hard work despite limited success. It’s about what it takes to work hard.
Why is working hard important? Because in doing so, we are going beyond the limits of our own capacities. And the only way to surpass our natural capacities is by accessing something within ourselves that isn’t limited at all – the Divine spark of our souls. When we push past what we thought possible, we’re not just exerting more effort; we’re revealing an unlimited G-dly dimension that transcends all boundaries.
In this framework, reaching impressive heights while remaining within our comfort zone may actually be less significant than a seemingly modest accomplishment that required us to shatter our perceived limitations. The measure isn’t what we accomplished, but whether we broke through to access the infinite potential we inherently possess.
This defines the nature of our Divine service at the present time. After the peak spiritual moments of the Tishrei holidays, we cannot sit back and relax. There is always a loftier level that we can aspire to – because both G-d and the soul are unlimited.
Adapted from a sichah delivered on Shabbos Parshas Noach, 5717 (1956)
Purifying Waters
1. There exists a manuscript from the Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, on the teaching, “Rabbi Akiva declared, ‘Fortunate are you Israel – before whom do you purify yourselves, and who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven!’” The Tzemach Tzedek composed this manuscript during the months of Elul and Tishrei, and the connection of his teaching to this time of year is understood straightforwardly as the subject matter concerns the service of teshuvah, “repentance,” the theme of these months. For the same reason, the mishnah beginning, “Rabbi Akiva declared…,” was placed at the conclusion of Tractate Yoma, which describes the Divine service of Yom Kippur.
Similarly, there exists a maamar from the Rebbe Rashab beginning with the words, “Rabbi Akiva declared…,” from 50 years ago – Shabbos Parshas Noach, 5667. Since it was delivered on Parshas Noach, there is certainly a connection to this week’s Torah portion. That connection can be explained straightforwardly according to the teaching in Torah Or that the waters of the Flood parallel the purifying waters of a mikvah. (See sec. 1 of the first sichah on this Torah reading.)
The Dual Dynamic of Teshuvah
2. There are two dimensions of teshuvah: a) teshuvah in a simple sense, repentance for sin, and b) the inner content of teshuvah – “the spirit returns to G-d who gave it” – which, in Divine service, expresses the inner will of the heart that transcends reason and understanding.
The precision of the twofold question, “Before whom do you purify yourselves, and who purifies you?” is to be understood accordingly: “Before whom do you purify yourselves” refers to man’s efforts to do teshuvah, refine himself, and ascend from below – this is repentance for sin. “Who purifies you?” refers to teshuvah that is granted from Above to below, something man cannot attain on his own – in other words, it refers to his expression of the spiritual potential granted to him by G-d, as expressed by the verse, “the spirit returns to G-d who gave it.”
Based on the Baal Shem Tov’s well-known interpretation of G-d’s command to Noach, “Enter the ark (teivah),” as referring to entering and investing oneself in the words (teivos) and letters of Torah and prayer, it can be said that these two dimensions of teshuvah are also alluded to in Parshas Noach. Torah and prayer represent two opposite movements: the Torah that was given from Above to below, and prayer which represents man’s efforts to ascend from below. The letters of Torah resemble stones created by the hand of Heaven. By contrast, the letters of prayer are compared to bricks, which are counterparts to stones fashioned by human hands.
When No Limits Are Sufficient
3. The inner will of the heart and self-sacrifice that transcend reason and understanding can be manifest in different ways – in lofty forms, and also in simple, basic forms.
Self-sacrifice means surrendering one’s will. To borrow a Talmudic expression, “What difference does it make to me if he kills it entirely or kills it partially?” Applied personally, this means that whenever a Jew submits his own will to the will of G-d, breaking his ego even slightly, “killing it partially” – it is also an act of mesiras nefesh, “self-sacrifice.”
Conversely, even those of the loftiest stature should not be content with serving G-d solely as defined by their reason and understanding. They, too, must break and humble themselves with mesiras nefesh. Only then will they be able to access G-dliness, as implied by the verse, “I, who am lofty and holy, dwell [– specifically –] with those who are contrite and humble of spirit.”
There are those who can legitimately claim, “Since I am among those of truly lofty stature, why is it not sufficient for me to serve G-d through reason and understanding? After all, through my service of reason and understanding, I achieve no less than what another attains through self-sacrifice.”
The answer to such a person is implied by the command to love G-d b’chol me’odecha (“with all your might”). Me’od, translated as “might,” also means “very” or “much.” In that context, loving G-d b’chol me’odecha means expressing an exceedingly great love that surpasses one’s natural limits. However, the term used by the Torah is not me’od but me’odecha, “your me’od,” suggesting that each person has his own individual limits that he must transcend. As long as he remains within the framework of his reason and understanding, he has not gone beyond his limits and, hence, is not capable of accessing G-dliness. To access G-dliness, it is necessary to go beyond one’s limits and express mesiras nefesh.
The same applies to the study of Chassidus: Even a person who studies Chassidus extensively and conducts himself according to its customs and guidelines – so much so that when he examines his surroundings and compares himself to others, he imagines that he has already reached the peak of Divine service – must be told that whatever he has achieved is not sufficient. He should not be satisfied with what he has accomplished. There is a necessity for labor, straining oneself beyond one’s limits to the extent of mesiras nefesh.
As explained in Kuntreis U’Maayan, even a person who comprehends concepts well and grasps them easily must labor in the study of Chassidus. True, he grasps immediately what requires tremendous effort for another to comprehend, but that refers only to the intellectual dimension of Chassidus. To internalize the G-dliness embedded within it, he must exert himself, for as long as he remains in the context of his limited existence, in his current state, he has no connection to G-dliness.
Gazing from the Peak of the Mountain
4. This is the allusion implied by reading Parshas Noach directly following Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and the month of Tishrei. On Yom Kippur, “the essence of the day atones,” and G-d forgives all transgressions. It is said regarding Yom Kippur that, on that day, the Jewish people are united with G-d in a singular bond – “Israel and the King are alone together.” At that point, the person’s entire existence is G-dliness.
Accordingly, he might: Why he must serve G-d with mesiras nefesh, when his entire existence is G-dliness?
Therefore, immediately after the month of Tishrei, we read Parshas Noach, wherein G-d commands, “Enter the ark.” This suggests that every person must apply himself in the two paths of teshuvah: from below to Above and from Above to below. Mesiras nefesh is necessary because, as long as one has a sense of individual identity, no matter how lofty and refined that identity is, he cannot relate to the Essence of G-d. Instead, a person must go beyond all limits of self, serving G-d specifically b’chol me’odecha.
To Start All Over Again
5. Based on this, we can also understand a story related by my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Rayatz, that once, on the day after Yom Kippur, he entered the study of his father, the Rebbe Rashab, and asked, “Father, what now?”
The Rebbe Rashab answered him, “Now, we must first begin to do teshuvah.”
On the surface, the answer is difficult to comprehend: This was after the teshuvah of Yom Kippur, when G-d had already “forgiven Israel and pardoned the tribes of Yeshurun.” Why then did the Rebbe Rashab say that it is necessary to do teshuvah?
Indeed, the Mishnah relates that, out of fear that he had sinned unknowingly, Bava ben Buta would bring a conditional guilt-offering every day except for the day after Yom Kippur, because on that day, the concept of transgression was not relevant.
This can be explained as follows: The truest form of teshuvah is expressed by the verse, “The spirit returns to G-d who gave it.” Now, G-d is unlimited. As such, the Divine service mandated by “the spirit return[ing] to G-d who gave it” is also unlimited.
Accordingly, there are no bounds to the degree of G-dly light drawn down. When a given level of encompassing lights is drawn down, those lights are internalized, and then even loftier encompassing lights are drawn down. The Divine service stemming from the inner will of the heart that transcends reason and understanding relates to these loftier levels of G-dly light.
This is the meaning of the Rebbe Rashab’s answer: “Now, we must first begin to do teshuvah.” Previously, the Jews did not have the potential to carry out the loftier level of teshuvah because they were involved with lower matters. After Yom Kippur, one must first begin to do teshuvah in its truest sense, accessing teshuvah’s inner dimension.
What Does It Mean to Carry Out G-d’s Will?
6. This is the general concept of the service of teshuvah and self-sacrifice, as reflected in our Sages’ words, “What difference does it make to me if he kills it entirely or kills it partially?”
On the one hand, a person must realize that even when he is in a spiritually degraded state, every time he breaks his ego or humbles himself to G-d – even regarding a small matter – it is considered self-sacrifice, because “killing it partially” is like “killing it entirely.”
On the other hand, even those who reach lofty levels cannot fulfill their obligation through service of reason and understanding alone. Instead, self-sacrifice – “killing it entirely” – is required. Moreover, when such a person is lacking this dimension of service, it does not mean that he is missing only a specific detail – the aspect of self-sacrifice. Rather, his entire connection to G-dliness is flawed, for it is through such devotion – revealing the unlimited dimension of his soul – that he connects to G-d, who is truly unlimited. This is reflected by the verse, “I, who am lofty and holy, dwell with those who are contrite and humble of spirit,” i.e., specifically among those who have broken and humbled themselves.
This concept is reflected in a teaching of the Talmud that even one whose Divine service is motivated by love for G-d “with all your heart and with all your soul,” but lacks the love of “with all your might,” is one who “does not carry out the will of the Omnipresent.” Moreover, as one proceeds through manifold degrees of spiritual descent, it is possible that such an approach will lead to “not carrying out the will of the Omnipresent” in its literal sense.
By contrast, when the Jews serve G-d with self-sacrifice, “with all your might” – each person according to his measure – even if it is expressed in simple forms, they are deemed as “carry[ing] out the will of the Omnipresent.” The reward for such service is that “strangers will arise and pasture your flocks.” Even the strangers – the material environment in which the Jews live – will not only cease to obstruct them in their Divine service but will also assist them.
After Leaving the Ark
7. Mesiras nefesh means going beyond one’s own self, one’s sense of personal identity. However, the intention is not to experience mesiras nefesh and remain at that peak of Divine service, but that even afterward, when one returns to the ongoing realities that constitute his ordinary existence, the impact of his mesiras nefesh should continue to be felt. This resembles the concept explained regarding the superior quality of the unity of Shemini Atzeres that extends also into the weekdays that follow that holiday.
This idea is also alluded to in the narrative of the Flood. During the Flood, the entire world was inundated by water. All existence was engulfed to the extent that even the heavenly constellations did not function. All creation was nullified. Noach and his family cut off from worldly concerns. Everything was encompassed within the “ark,” within the letters of Torah and prayer.
Existence in the ark resembled the Divine service of the month of Tishrei – secluding oneself from, and elevating oneself above, the world. As clarified by the commentary of the Zohar and Likkutei Torah on the verse, “The ark rested in the seventh month,” the resting of the ark reflects the Divine service of the month of Tishrei, the seventh month from Nissan. However, the purpose of the Flood was not the seclusion brought about by the Flood, but its aftermath: What would happen when Noach and his children departed from the ark? Would they be able to then retain the same spiritual focus they had while in the ark, even as they involved themselves in worldly matters?
When One Emerges
8. This contributes an additional dimension to the connection between the waters of the Flood and the waters of a mikveh: Rambam states that a person’s purification is completed, not when he immerses in the waters of a mikveh, but when he emerges from it. In other words, when he emerges from the mikveh, it should be evident that he immersed himself in its waters.
Similarly, concerning the charge, “Enter the ark (hateivah),” the words (teivos) of Torah and prayer: The ultimate intention is not the state of bittul bemetzius (“utter and complete self-nullification”) reached during the time of prayer and Torah study, but that, after prayer and Torah study, one’s mindset should remain the same as it was during the time of prayer and Torah study.
As mentioned above, before praying, the Baal Shem Tov was not certain whether he would remain alive afterwards. He feared that the utter bittul and the intense yearning for G-d that he experienced during prayer might actually lead to his soul’s expiration. Nevertheless, afterwards, as an expression of his bond with G-d, he returned to the world because living in this world fulfills the Divine essential intent in creation.
A Turn Towards Joy
9. My revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Rayatz, once said that the week during which Parshas Noach is read is a melancholy week. But at its end, closer to Parshas Lech Lecha, it begins to become more cheerful because there it describes the birth of our Patriarch Avraham.
The connection between that Torah reading and joy is especially powerful according to the inner interpretation of the command, “Go forth... to the land that I will show you” – that it refers to the souls’ descent to this material plane. There, a true superior spiritual quality is revealed.
As we approach Parshas Lech Lecha, may G-d grant that all matters that for whatever reason are presently gloomy be transformed and become joyful, and may they be accompanied by visible and revealed goodness.
