Noach's Biggest Test

What’s said in this shiur

The opening of this shiur, in Shtark Tank’s own words — taken from the captions, so names and Hebrew terms may be approximate.

The bracha of Zichronos, what is it What is it all about? Well, let's clarify what Zichronos is not. I often forget to do various tasks that my wife asks of me. I need to be reminded. This is a result of human fallibility. But Hashem doesn't forget like that. Rather, Rosh Hashanah is a day of judgment. We hope and pray that during this crucial time we will be judged favorably. We aren't asking for a free pass or an unnecessary pardon. Rather, we are asking that the focus be on the good things that we have done. Now, let's go back to Noach. The simplest read of the Noach story is that he was good and the generation was bad. The flood wiped out all the bad guys while the good guys waited things out in the teivah. The pasuk that opens Zichronos comes after 40 years of flooding and 150 days of additional destruction. Now, was Noach the subject of divine judgment? Certainly. While the rest of the world was found guilty, Noach was worthy to survive the flood and restart humanity. But, if this is true, Noah was judged before the flood. Therefore, we might expect to find the pasuk God remembering Noah before he commands him to build the ark. But, the pasuk that we actually have in the Chumash, which we say in the Zichronot, comes in the middle of the flood. All of the people and animals left on the earth have already been wiped out. Noah and his families are waiting things out in the teivah. And then, Hashem remembers. What was God remembering at this point in the story? This brings us to the second test.

Jump to a moment

1. 1:00The bracha of Zichronos, what is it What is it all about? Well, let's clarify what…
2. 1:30Now, let's go back to Noach. The simplest read of the Noach story is that he…
3. 2:00But, if this is true, Noah was judged before the flood. Therefore, we might expect to…
4. 2:32Maybe this pasuk, Vayizkor Elohim et Noach, is teaching us that there is another layer to…
5. 3:03The rebbe swiveled his head 180°. Barked something impatiently at his son. Then returned his focus…
6. 3:35as a righteous man. But, did that really reflect sufficient inner purity? The time in the…
7. 4:06being watched and judged. If this was actually a judgment, there must have been alternative endings…
8. 4:38In the lead-up to the flood, Hashem never says that humanity would restart with Noah as…
9. 5:11That was only decided during the flood, when God saw how Noah behaved in isolation. This…
10. 5:42The second is that the fruit of the Tevah would not get moldy. But the Ramban…

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