Parshat Noach: The Multi-Faceted Message of the Rainbow

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October 23 2009
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When Noach and his family finally took their first steps on dry land they must have been filled with mixed emotions. On the one hand they would have been overjoyed and grateful for their salvation and yet, at the same time, it could not have been easy to witness the utter devastation and mass destruction wrought by the flood waters. In fact, a number of commentators suggest that they were scared and dispirited. What point is there to leave the ark, they wondered, and what purpose is there to have children, they questioned, if God may cause another flood and destroy the world yet again at some future time (see, for example, the comments of the Radak 8:18 and Gur Aryeh 7:7). 


Against this backdrop and, presumably, to allay these fears, Hashem makes an everlasting covenant with Noach and his descendants (9:9-11), promising that “never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”  


Hakadosh Baruch Hu then offers an “os bris,” a sign concretizing this new covenant: “es kashti nasati be’anan,” the rainbow is an everlasting symbol of God’s commitment to never destroy mankind again. 


On the level of visual contrast, the choice of the rainbow is poignant and powerful. As opposed to the darkness and gloom of the destruction, the promise of a better future is represented by the beauty and tranquility of the rainbow.  


A number of commentators suggest, however, that the rainbow was chosen to communicate deeper, more spiritual lessons to Noach and future generations.  


Rav Ahron Soloveichik (The Warmth and the Light) points out that we must be cognizant of how the various colors of the rainbow are created. A rainbow is the refraction of the sun’s rays. Through this process a single white light is divided into its components and the entire spectrum of colors becomes visible. This process, suggests Rav Ahron, symbolizes the essential diversity of mankind. For while it is true that every person is created with a neshama tehora, a pure “white light,” the unique life experiences of every person tease out our natural differences, serving to refract the white light into its component colors. 


The beauty of the keshes and, in truth, the beauty of life, is found in its multiplicity of colors. The answer to the dullness of uniformity is the splendor of diversity. While there are essential tenants of faith and canons of law which bind us together, within that common ground there is much room for individual expression. This awareness is an essential component to mitzvos bein adam le’chavero. It is sometimes tempting to look down on people who look or act differently than us. However we must remember that not only do we all come from the same white light, but that the Hashem chose to establish covenant with, of all things, a keshes, a multicolored rainbow. 


Aside from its dizzying array of colors, the rainbow is also characterized by its semicircular shape. Reb Yehoshua MiKutna (Yeshuos Malko) focuses on this aspect of the rainbow in explaining why it was chosen to represent God’s new relationship with mankind.     


He posits that before the flood man had complete and total free will to the point that Hakadosh Barcuh Hu would not impede any of man’s decisions. But after seeing how immoral mankind became, He realized that this system was untenable and decided, therefore, to destroy the world and start over. But this time Hakadosh Baruch Hu made one critical change and created the world with a “limitation” on how bad man could choose to be. No longer would man have unfettered license; from now on there would limits on man’s behavior. This new phenomenon, explains Reb Yehoshua MiKutna, was symbolized by the semicircular arch of the rainbow. Whereas in a complete circle it is possible to revolve without stop, in a semicircle a limit is imposed.  


Much of our relationship with God – as established by the mitzvos bein adam le’makom – is predicated on the idea of limits. In fact, Rashi (Vayikra 19:2) famously explains “kedoshim tihiyu,” the call to a life of holiness, as, essentially, the demand for self-control and rigorously observed limits. 


And finally, in addition to diversity and self-control, the rainbow symbolized a third critical message as well. Rav Meir Shapiro (Imrei Da’as) points out that we never observe a rainbow on a perfectly sunny day, rather it is only visible after the rain and through the clouds. The very existence of the rainbow is indicative of the fact that rays of sunlight can penetrate even the thickest and darkest of clouds.  


Perhaps the deeper lesson we can take from this is that no matter how difficult a situation may be or no matter how many times we may have faltered, we must never give up hope in the possibility of a brighter future. An essential ingredient in Avodas Hashem is the self confidence that, with enough effort and commitment, the true light of our souls can pierce though whatever clouds may have formed in our lives. This is a crucial ingredient of what the is referred to as “bein adam le’atzmo,” our inner, private religious life. 


Hashem’s promise of an eternal covenant, thus, embodies three components that represent the full range of Avodas Hashem: bein adam le’chavero, respecting people’s differences; bein adam le’makom, accepting limits and boundaries; and bein adam le’atzmo, having confidence in our potential to improve any situation. 


Understood in this light, perhaps we can suggest that the rainbow wasn’t just a symbol of God’s promise to never destroy the world, but was also a blue print for mankind, instructing us on how to live life in a way so that that this is the kind of world that Hashem will never want to destroy. By dedicating ourselves to these lessons and aspiring to excellence in all areas of religious life we can create a world that is far more beautiful than any rainbow.

Parsha:
Noach 

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    Learning on the Marcos and Adina Katz YUTorah site is sponsored today by Judy & Mark Frankel & family l'ilui nishmos מרדכי בן הרב משה יהודה ע"ה and משה יהודה ז"ל בן מאיר אליהו ויהודית and by the Polinsky Family to commemorate the 5th Yahrzeit of Gil Polinsky, Gedalyahu Gootmun Chaim ben Yaakov Dov