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Parshat Noach
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

וישלח את היונה

“Confident am I with these [thirteen attributes of mercy] and with the merit of the three Patriarchs...’  (Selichot)

As we return to our regular routine after the holidays, we continue and strengthen our confidence mustered through the prayers of the thirteen attributes of mercy of the holidays, and with the merit of the Patriarchs. Our Sages teach that confidence in HaShem is not only a mitzvah but it is also beneficial in achieving what one hopes for, working in a similar fashion as prayer. One of the verses that illustrates the trust in HaShem is ‘cast your bread upon the waters for after numbers of days you will find it’ (Eccl. 11). One of the interpretations of this verse by our Sages is that if one trusts God and gives his ‘bread’, i.e financial support, to Torah study, which is likened to ‘water’, then he will be rewarded in the end by Divine aid in his financial endeavors - ‘after numbers of days you will find it’.

The great Amoraic Master Rabbi Yohanan taught that even what is written in Scripture must be hinted as well in the Pentateuch. Therefore, we may say that this image of sustenance upon waters may be hinted to by Noah’s sending off the dove, by which Noah and all inhabitants of the Ark were dependent on for their sustenance, upon the waters of the Flood. If we imagine ourselves in Noah’s predicament we realize how great was Noah’s trust in God’s promise to end the Flood, using such a small and vulnerable creature to ‘check the waters’ in hope for salvation.

Just as we can find parallels between the verse in Ecclesiastes and Noah’s dove, so too we can find a parallel between the dove sent after the 40 days of Deluge and the messengers sent by Joshua, to conquer the Land of Israel generally and the city of Jericho specifically, after 40 years in the Wilderness, which corresponded to 40 days of the spies journey to the Land. We may say that what Noah’s spirit of trust did in regard to the dove he sent, Hebron did for Kaleb sent first by Moshe and then by Joshua.

Hebron reminded Kaleb and reminds us of our true home, Palace of the King of Kings, instilling us with the confidence and trust in God our King to move forward towards our redemption. Today we bear witness to the great trust in God of Hebron’s residents, who bravely paved our People’s way to Hebron even when matters seemed ‘flooded’ with difficulty. Indeed, as the years pass, just as Noah trusted God and thereby discovered dry land, so too as our people greaten their commitment, trust, and courage in regard to Hebron, Hebron’s spiritual and archaeological secrets are unraveled before our eyes. Soon may we all visit the newest archaeological excavations in Tel Hebron (The Hebron Mound) next to the Admot Yishai neighborhood in Hebron, along with discovering the spiritual secrets of this holy city along with our entire Holy Land - ‘Discover the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land!’

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #239

‘I finished my shopping at a supermarket, but when I got to the cashiers I realized that the lines were very long. Therefore, I decided to go to an empty cashier table where there was no one to check out my items and then pray to HaShem that someone would come to this cashier. So I did, and about five seconds after praying a worker came to open this cashier to operate...’ I.G 

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