In this week's parsha we read about the famous story of "Noah's Ark". Our Sages teach us that the massive Ark which Noah constructed took over a year to build. This project was undertaken in public view where everyone could see the work of Noah. The purpose was for people to inquire about the structure at which point Noah would explain to them that G-d was going to bring upon the world a flood which would destroy everything. This was supposed to arouse the people to repent for the wickedness that they constantly perpetrated. Unfortunately Noah was instead met with scorn. The people claimed that they could overcome any flood or catastrophy if the water would come from the heavens they had a plan and if the waters came from the depths of the earth they had a plan. But once G-d Decided to bring upon them the flood there was nothing they could do with their "technology or science" to stop it.

We are faced with our own modern day flood. Although it is easy to point fingers at the various government policies to blame for the pandemic and of course we need to take the appropriate precautions, we can't forget that G-d is Running the show. No matter how smart and technologically advanced we are, no matter how many companies are working on a vaccine or therapy, if we don't turn upwards and look for G-d's help then we are acting in the same way as the generation of the flood. Different people have taken different approaches but in the end of the day everyone has ended up with similar results. This reality should be tremendously humbling to us all and the appropriate reaction instead of pointing fingers at others is to look inwards and upwards.

Shabbat Shalom,

Heath