The month of MarCheshvan is characterized by rain. The name MarCheshvan refers to the dripping of rain, and the Gemara refers to Rosh Chodesh MarCheshvan as “the beginning of the rain season.” On Shemini Atzeret we daven that Hashem should give us “rain of blessing”—for blessing, life, and sustenance. We need to specify that we request rain of blessing because it’s possible to have the opposite type of rain, namely flooding, which causes destruction. [In fact, the greatest flood ever (the mabul) began in the month of MarCheshvan.]
The Elevating Waters
The truth is that even the mabul had positive results, as anything purely negative wouldn’t be mentioned in the Torah. It rained for 40 days straight, corresponding to the 40 se’ah of water needed to make a mikvah. Flooding the world cleansed it from its impurities. (In Yechezkel, Hashem refers to Jerusalem as “the unpurified land” because it was not affected by the mabul.)
Not only did the mabul repair the damage wrought by those who were around at the time, it elevated the world and made it greater than before. The Alter Rebbe compares the water of the flood to the “overwhelming waters” of financial strain. “[Even] the tremendous waters cannot extinguish the [flame of a Jew’s] love [of Hashem, nor of His reciprocal love for us].” On the contrary, we attain a greater love of Hashem when challenged. Precisely because of the pressure of monetary worries, we reach even higher.
This is analogous to the difference between tzaddikim and ba’alei teshuvah. The tzaddik never sinned even inadvertently, and certainly not intentionally. The ba’al teshuvah is motivated by his past wrongdoings to make sure to go to the other extreme, attaining a level that is even higher than that of a tzaddik.
The Rainbow
Based on the parallel that the Alter Rebbe draws between the mabul and economic hardship, the flood must have had an overall positive effect on the world. This change is demonstrated in the rainbow appearing for the first time only after the mabul. Until then, the clouds were too thick to allow direct sunlight to light up the world. Once the flood purified the world, even the clouds were “refined,” to the point that sunlight shone through.
Eating Meat
Additionally, until the mabul, it was forbidden to eat meat. Spiritually refining meat is more difficult than vegetables, and it was therefore beyond the reach of the people of that time. Through the flood and its effect on the world, the world was cleansed enough that we can elevate the meat through eating it with the right intentions.
Adapted from a talk of the Rebbe, Shabbat Parshat Bereishit 5725. Source: Derher
The Ark, the Rainbow and Moshiach
On the ark were lions, tigers, and other predators, and yet they dwelt in peace with the other animals, anticipating the fulfillment of the prophecy: “The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat.” Our Torah portion foreshadows the repose and satisfaction that mankind will be granted with Moshiach.
By following the footsteps of Avraham, spreading kindness and love, we can help precipitate the coming of that age. And then, like Noach and his family, we will merit the shining of the rainbow. As the Zohar states: “The rainbow reflects spiritual secrets.... When you see the rainbow shining with bright colors, wait for Moshiach’s coming.”
based on the teachings of the Rebbe, from In the Garden of the Torah, reprinted with permission from Sichos in English
