Of the Mabul was happy, and therefore the middas hadin had no control over them. For this reason, Hashem made preparations for the Mabul, and that was “vayisatzeiv” – He put sadness into their hearts, and then the Mabul could take control over them.
There is a profound message here. The generation of the Mabul, people who deserved to be wiped off the face of the earth, could not receive their punishment because of their simchah! It was necessary to make them sad first, and only afterward did Hashem punish them. If we want protection, if we want to sweeten things, to see yeshuos and be saved, that is the advice: to be happy.
Good Words Bring Good Things
Simchah is not something that comes on its own. One cannot be happy without a reason, and that’s why we need emunah. Emunah brings simchah. Good words bring good things. There are people who talk about all sorts of limitations they have and sins they’ve done, but we know that our job is to speak well of Am Yisrael. We have to sweeten the din and bring down good and blessing, and this is done through good words.
When Noach was born to his father Lemech, the Torah tells us (Bereishis 5:29), “And he called his name Noach, saying: He will comfort us from our labor and the soreness of our hands.” Rashi explains, “He will relieve us from the soreness of our hands. Until Noach came, they had no equipment for plowing, and he invented it for them.”
Rashbam writes that the reason he was called Noach was not that it was a prophecy for the future; it was a tefillah. They davened that this child would be a good sign. He did not start building plows immediately, but they believed that things could be better, that they wouldn’t have to work so hard. When they called him Noach, they started saying this name again and again. Every time they spoke to him or called him or spoke about him, they said “Noach,” and when you say “noach” so much, then indeed things become easier, more “noach” for you.
“And Noach found favor in the Eyes of Hashem.” It is explained that one of the reasons Noach found favor in Hashem’s Eyes was that he was indeed noach – comforting, easygoing, comfortable. That’s why he had the patience to build a teivah over such a long period of time – 120 years, and he could bear living in such cramped quarters with three floors, built for man, animals, and refuse, and remaining there for a full year. Only someone who is “noach” is capable of bearing this, because he lives with Hashem all the time.
The Mabul, which caused fear outside, did not harm him, because he was inside; he was protected. Hashem was protecting him. How is it possible that this terrible Mabul, which obliterated the entire creation, did not destroy the teivah as well? It is because of the Ribbono shel Olam’s special protection. There is no other explanation for this, and what is most calming is specifically the fact that there is no logic to it.
The Ultimate Security
Consider the mashal of a person who pays a security company once a month, and that’s how he’s confident that his house is protected. Several years pass, and one day the owner of the house decides to check and see if the security company is indeed doing its job. He sets up cameras and discovers that the company has been taking his money without providing any security at all. What does he do? First, he stops paying them. If Hakadosh Baruch Hu is watching over me without you, then I have no need for you.
This is what happened with us, the people of Eretz Yisrael. We thought that our technology was sufficiently advanced to ensure that our systems were strong and that we were fully protected. But we saw how, at the moment of truth, all these systems are no more secure than a garlic peel. The security company is not doing any work at all, and thus we understand that only He Who has protected us until now will continue to protect us. Missiles fall from all directions, and we are living on miracles. Blessed is the Protector of Yisrael! The hashgachah pratis is so obvious.
We see tangibly, without any doubt, that only Hashem protects, shields and saves us, and there is no one but Him. In fact, what is most calming is specifically the knowledge that nothing helps, because in this way we rely only on Hashem yisbarach, Who shields all those who rely on Him, and through our bitachon we draw to us the best possible protection.
The Gemara (Sotah 49b) lists the signs of the final generation before the coming of Moshiach, and it concludes: “And we have no one on whom to rely but our Father in heaven” – at that time everyone will agree that this is the only effective defense. And this is what we have merited to see happening now.
The geulah is already at our doorstep – for emunah is the geulah.
(This wonderful shiur, and all the Rav’s shiurim, can be heard on extension 23 after selecting a language, or by dialing directly: 02-301-1907.)
One of the chassidim of the Imrei Emes was a very wealthy man
He was a wheat merchant, and this gave him a respectable parnassah. He would purchase wheat from the farmers, who grew it in their fields, and he would sell it to the poritzim. If the wheat stays in storage for too long it can get worms, and therefore he would arrange for a specific date when the merchandise would be transferred to the poritzim.
The contact between the chassid and the portizim included two meetings: At the first meeting the poritizim advanced part of their payments to the chassid. With this money the chassid would pay the farmers. At the second meeting, the following year, the chassid would receive the rest of the money, and the wheat would exchange hands.
In order to secure the money of the poritzim, the chassid signed a contract declaring that in case he would not deliver the merchandise on time, he was responsible to return the money he had received in advance, along with an additional fine.
One year the predetermined date for handing over the merchandise arrived. All the portizim gathered at a certain inn and waited for the Jewish merchant to come and sell them the wheat. The chassid was traveling to the inn, together with his business manager, and on the way he grabbed his head in sudden fear. “You have no idea what we forgot,” he said.
“What?” the manager asked fearfully.
“We forgot the wheat we were supposed to bring to the poritz of Kishinev! He is the biggest poritz of all, who ordered the most wheat. Do you understand what this means?! I’ll have to pay him back the money he advanced, along with a fine! The poritzim will lose their trust in me. I’ll be in debt for the rest of my life and will pass on the debts to my sons after me. At this moment my business is a disaster. I’m not happy about what I have to tell you, but I think you’ll be the first one to suffer, because I’ll have to fire you. Since there’s no more business, I have no need for a manager.”
The manager did not yet understand the severity of the situation, but as soon as the merchant finished speaking he burst into song, to the manager’s shock. He began with a slow, heartfelt tune, but then he picked up his pace until it became a happy, merry tune. As the chassid lifted his voice in song, the manager thought that perhaps the pain had caused him to lose his mind. With a smiling face and eyes shining with joy, the chassid entered the inn. Before approaching the seat of the poritizm, he asked his servant to bring them plenty of whiskey to gladden their hearts.
The poritizim were happy to meet the Jewish merchant, and he offered them all the whiskey they wanted. The poritzim, seeing that his expression was open and happy, took the bait. The whiskey flowed like water, one cup after another, until they were all drunk, their minds completely unhinged. They sang and became wild, and then they lost consciousness. In the meantime, the heavens opened and rain fell to the earth. The wheat was outside, and it became completely soaked. By the time the poritzim woke up, all the merchandise was lost.
“It’s okay,” the poritzim said, still feeling the effects of their impromptu party. “It’s not your fault. It’s our fault. We weren’t being responsible.” Then the portiz of Kishinev made a decision: “We will pay you good money. You don’t need to lose out because of our parties. I just want to remind you of one thing: Come here on this date next year, so we’ll buy our wheat from you. Friends, bring out your money please!” the poritz called out to the others, and when the poritz of Kishinev spoke, no one dared to contradict him.
The merchant and his manager went home excited, thanking the Borei Olam with all their hearts for the open miracle He had wrought for them. “Can you explain what happened here?” the manager asked. “How did this miracle happen?”
The chassid answered him: “The last time I was by my Rebbe the Imrei Emes, he told me, ‘Ki b’simchah teitzeiun – with joy, you go out – with simchah, you can leave all your difficulties behind.’ At the time I did not understand what his words were hinting to, but when we were traveling, when I realized that all hope was lost, I recalled the words of my Rebbe and I thought, How can I possibly be happy now? That’s why I started singing, until the song affected me deeply and I was filled with joy, emunah, and hope that Hashem would certainly help me, as indeed you were able to see.”
Middas Hadin Does Not Have Control Over Someone Filled with Joy
An avreich once went in to the Lev Simcha and complained about his difficult situation. He had literally reached the point of having no bread to eat. The Lev Simcha told him, “Be happy, and that is a good segulah for bountiful parnassah.”
“How could I be happy when my situation is so difficult?” the avreich asked in a tear-filled voice.
“What doesn’t one do for parnassah...?” the Rebbe responded.
What does this have to do with our situation today? There is tension, fear, the sounds of war, missiles, shooting, and sirens. The South is still bleeding the blood of the sacrifices that were offered al Kiddush Hashem, people are seeking some way out and have no idea what to do. The advice is: simchah.
Does this sound strange? It’s the truth. On the passuk (Bereishis 6:6), “And Hashem regretted that He made man...and he was sad in his heart,” the Imrei Emes explained that the generation
