08 How God Remembers
בייה
Study Partners in (Genesis 8.1) some translations begin with the Words, ‘God Remembered Noah.’ That is true. However, that does NOT adequately express what Ha Torah is communicating.
(Genesis 8.1) says, ‘And He, God, Remembered Noach entirely.’ and entirely all the living, and entirely all the cattle [animals] that were together with him through [the flood].’ God’s Spirit was upon the earth, and the waters subsided. The worldwide flood as described in (Genesis 7.17 – 24), was over.
וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת־נֹחַ וְאֵת כָּל־הַחַיָּה וְאֶת־כָּל־הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ בַּתֵּבָה וַיַּעֲבֵר אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ עַל־הָאָרֶץ וַיָּשֹׁכּוּ הַמָּיִם: ס
The intention of (Genesis 8.1) is to express the great extent that God had with those in the Tava / Ark when it rocked from Starboard [a ship’s right side] to the Portal [a ship’s left side] and when the bow [forward part] of the Tava plunged into the recess of a wave while the stern [the end] rose above the waters.
I vividly remember what it was like to pass through four Typhoons / Hurricanes at sea. It was horrifying even though we believed in God and frequently prayed throughout the storms. It was challenging! It felt like our ship would break apart. To study in greater depth, please read Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk’s, My Bible Journal (Cedar Hill, Missouri – B’nai Noach Torah Institute, LLC Publishers, 2013) p 50, The History of The Flood.
When God Makes a promise, He is Faithful to Keep His Promise. Let’s go a little deeper. There were no rescue vessels at the time of the flood. Their food supply was limited. All life in the Tava was dependent upon The Lord God. Who among us has experienced what Noach and the residents of the Tava did?
When we arise from sleeping, we should say Modeh Ani as a declaration that exclaims God is Faithful to us. God Remembers us every second of every minute of every hour throughout the day, throughout the night, throughout the year. When God Makes a promise, He is Faithful to Keep His promise. Let’s go a little deeper.
When Holy Scripture Informs us that God Remembered Noach, The Torah is speaking to each of us, especially those who feel frightened and tormented on every side. The Lord God is Reminding us that regardless of our situation. He is Understanding and Remembers everything. The storms that threatened us will calm and eventually settle down. God is Faithful! The key is for us to have faith in God like Noach did. I have faced collisions at sea, fires at sea, and the captain’s order to abandon ship. Like any normal person, I was traumatized by these life-changing events. I relive them! Those horrifying memories revisit from time to time.
Thank God that The Torah of The Lord helps calm life’s ruff experiences. Ha Torah can calm and restore us from every event we face in life. Thank God for Ha Torah!! Thank God for medical professionals that care about our well-being, and for medicine that helps calm and relaxes us.
Genesis 8.4 Informs us that the Tava rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. Mount Ararat is in eastern Turkey on the Armenian border. Jerusalem, The Holy City, is about 700 miles away.
After the water diminished from the earth, eventually, the ground was dry. Noach and his sons settled in the area near Jerusalem. That is crucial because Noach, his sons, and their wives left the Tava behind. They traveled to the place where The Holy Altar would be in the future. Genesis 8.20 Says, ‘Noach built an altar to The Lord; and took of every clean beast, and every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on The Altar.’ Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan states that Adam was created from the dust of the ground in The Place, where The Holy Temple would eventually stand. After Adam and Chavah sinned, Adam returned to where they were created and built an altar of atonement. He offered matzoh for a sacrifice. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem the Eye of the Universe, {New York, N.Y. Publishers: National Conference of Synagogue Youth / Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, 2002} pp. 13,14.
According to tradition, here is where Cain and Abel offered their tribute, Abraham offered Isaac, and David and Solomon offered sacrifices. Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz and Rabbi Nosson Scherman, The Artscroll Tanach Series – Bereishis Vol. I(a) (Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah Publications, Ltd. 3rd Impression, 1989), p 278.
What is the point? Throughout our history, when we fail, we right ourselves by returning to The Holy Altar’s location and offering a tribute or an atonement offering. The point is that all of the residents of the Tava traveled with Noach to the place of atonement. Noach was guided to this location by Ruach Ha Kodesh. There Noach, the king and priest of the world at that time, built / restored The Holy Altar and offered atonement for everyone. Our Sages teach that we should face the east towards our Holy Altar and Holy Temple when we pray. Anytime that we feel terrified, frightened, or insecure, we can offer a prayer in our hearts.
The message in Genesis 8.1 is resonating. May we stay within Ha Torah’s guidelines, may we help others, may we bring peace and healing to our world, and may this coming Sabbath and every Sabbath be a blessed day of renewal, restoration, rest, and learning.
Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk
