Torah Insights from New York: In Memory of Rav Shlome ben Rav Yitzchok – Parshas Noach (2023)

I’m writing from New York with heartfelt words of inspiration.

This Monday marks the Shloshim (30 days) since the passing of my beloved husband, Rav Shlome ben Rav Yitzchok, a”h. I dedicate this Divrei Torah on Parshas Noach in his merit. May these words serve as an aliyah for his neshamah and a reminder of the power of good deeds, both bein adam laMakom and bein adam l’chaveiro.

Parshas Noach: A Generation Corrupted by Gezel

The Torah tells us,

“Vatimaleh ha’aretz chamas” – The earth was filled with violence and corruption (Bereishis 6:11).

Chazal explain that the final decree came due to gezel—theft and disrespect for others. Not idolatry or immorality alone, but the daily harm people inflicted on each other.

My husband, a”h, modeled a life of respect for every human being, regardless of age or background. That is the essence of Kiddush Hashem—to sanctify G-d’s name through compassion, honesty, and humility.

The Teivah: A Sanctuary of Light and Kedushah

The Teivah (ark) wasn’t just a boat—it was a spiritual shelter, likened by Chazal to the Mishkan. Inside, all was preserved in purity. No decay. No impurity.

Hashem instructed Noach to build a tzohar, a source of light. Rashi offers two interpretations:

• A window, to bring in natural light

• A radiant gem, glowing from within

The message is timeless:

Our homes must be filled with light—welcoming in spiritual purity, while also shining outward with Torah, tefillah, and emunah.

Why 40 Days of Rain? The Message of Gezel and Renewal

Chazal teach:

• The gematria of "gezel" is 40.

• It takes 40 days to form a fetus.

The Mabul wasn't just destruction—it was rebirth. A world lost to spiritual corruption needed cleansing and renewal.

The waters rose 15 amot above the mountains—symbolizing Yud (10) and Hei (5), letters of Hashem’s Name. When a man (ish) and woman (ishah) live with holiness, Hashem dwells between them. Without it, only eish—fire—remains.

My husband often taught this beautiful insight: those 15 amot represent the return of G-d’s presence to a purified world.

The Tower of Bavel: Unity Without Holiness

Later in Parshas Noach, we read about the Tower of Bavel, a society united under Nimrod, but not under truth. Their goal was human greatness—not Divine connection.

Chazal identify three moments in history where the word heichel (he began) signals spiritual decline:

1. Enosh – the beginning of idolatry

2. Noach’s vineyard – the beginning of immorality

3. Nimrod’s rebellion – the beginning of bloodshed

But not all followed Nimrod. Ashur, a righteous man, left the project and founded Ninveh—a city that later repented. The Torah script, Ketav Ashurit, is named in his merit.

The people of Bavel mourned over bricks, not human lives. Hashem didn’t destroy them, but confused their speech, teaching us:

Even rebellion in unity is punished more gently than disunity in holiness.Machlokes is worse than sin.Gadol ha’shalom—peace is the greatest value.

A Modern Story of Hashgachah and Teshuvah

During Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, an American tourist in Eretz Yisrael hired a secular Israeli driver. The tourist treated him with warmth and respect.

At a Yeshivah in Bnei Brak, a Rosh Yeshivah asked the driver to take on just one mitzvah for the month. He agreed to keep three Shabbatot.

That small act saved his life. He had planned to attend a music festival in the South but left before Simchat Torah—the morning of the October 7th attacks—because of Shabbat.

Teshuvah and one small mitzvah changed his destiny.

Parshas Noach: A Call for Unity, Kindness, and Light

The world of Noach was destroyed by corruption, but it was also rebuilt by purity, faith, and peace. Let us:

• Build homes filled with kedushah

• Honor others with dignity and empathy

• Bring light and Torah into our families

• Choose unity and peace over judgment and division

May the memory of Rav Shlome ben Rav Yitzchok, a”h, inspire us to live with more kindness, clarity, and connection to Hashem.

Wishing you a meaningful Shabbat and a week of growth, healing, and spiritual strength.

Shabbat Shalom from New York.