Picture this – Your parents tell you to do your chores, and of course you really don’t want to do because you are in the middle of a really good episode of Grey’s Anatomy. So, while you’re sitting, watching Grey’s Anatomy, you are purposefully not obeying your parents wishes because you simply don’t want to and feel that your comfort is more important.

Well, in this week’s parsha, Parshas Noach, Noah does just the opposite. Noah is chosen by G-d to build an Ark, G-d tells Noah that the earth had been corrupted and that he is going to destroy it and start it over. The Ark was for Noah’s family and a pair of each animal. After G-d speaks to Noah, the Torah says:

“וַיַּ֖עַשׂ נֹ֑חַ כְּ֠כֹ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים כֵּ֥ן עָשָֽׂה”

“And Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.”

When Noah was commanded by G-d to build the Ark, he didn’t argue or complain to G-d.  He could’ve, but he didn’t. He did exactly what he was told. For Noah, the commandment by G-d, wasn’t a question of no or yes, he just did. That was a lot of responsibility for Noah to take on, but he knew that he would have G-d’s help, so he didn’t dilly-dally and continue watching that really good Grey’s Anatomy episode. No, he got to building.

This is one major lesson to learn from Noah.  During those times that we don’t want to do something, perhaps it takes us away from our day, maybe we are faced with tasks that kind of scare us, we must know that if it is the right thing to do, we should take the task head on and get it done.  Particularly with parents, we should stop to realize appreciate that our parents do so much for us, similar to what G-d did for Noah, and still does for the Jewish people and the entire world.   We should appreciate what they do, like putting a roof over our head and dealing with our mood swings.

One take home lesson from Noah is: instead of ignoring the tasks we, just take them head on.

Shabbat Shalom!

Sara Greene

NCSY West Coast Regional Board Member,

Seattle Chapter NCSY