We know the story. The world’s gone off the rails, G-d’s had enough. Enter giant flood.
But wait, there’s a guy that G-d’s got His eye on – Noah. G-d instructs Noah to build an ark and pack it with selections of every animal on earth and use the big boat to ride out the flood.
In true style that only the Big Boss can pull off, the skies open and the rain pummels the ground for 40 days. Everything is destroyed. Yet, as the water rises, so the ark lifts off the ground, keeping its charges safe.
That’s one anxiety-inducing narrative. And the story of so many people’s lives.
How often do you find yourself fretting over what will be; what people think; what the next day, month and year are going to throw at you? It’s like you’re treading a tidal wave and it’s draining.
Or is it?
In Parashat Noah, the wild waters lift the ark, and so, too, can your monsoon of internal angst be the “lift” you’re looking for.
There’s A Word For That
Raging thoughts, torrents of torment, that inner negative voice pummelling at your soul. These are the raging waters Noah endures.
But Noah, under G-d’s instruction, builds an ark.
The Hebrew word for ark, “teivah”, also translates as “word.” So, instead of picturing Noah literally entering the vessel, what if we consider him setting sail upon words of prayer?
Is it not the perfect rescue plan? Calming, peaceful words of prayer brought this week’s leading character hope, solace and, ultimately, survival.
Doesn’t that sound blissful?
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You can take advantage of this rescue blueprint. You can enter into words of prayer. Talk to G-d. Find the comfort you need. Be uplifted.
A Rescue Blueprint For Our Lives
When you work to escape your internal tidal waves of anxiety and seek refuge in your relationship with the Divine, you’re netting a whole lot more than refuge and escape. Your prayer and connection are enriched.
When a tormented soul filled with a monsoon of anguish turns to the Creator in prayer, everything stops, if just for a moment, and G-d doesn’t just hear you, He truly listens.
None of us wants a life of “raging water,” but it’s also inevitable. The waves can crash right over you, threatening to knock the wind out of your sails. But G-d will always throw you a lifeboat to carry you above the waters and navigate your way through life’s tsunamis.
This is exactly how Noah rode the waves. He knew that the chaos in his life wasn’t some ad hoc experiment. He understood that the turbulence was designed to bring him to a better place of appreciation and deepen his connection with the Divine.
It’s this insight that brought Noah such harmony and calm. The serenity in his mind, heart and soul allowed Noah to acknowledge and trust that G-d will help him ride out life’s tsunami.
Find Peace In Calamity – Hook, Line and Sinker
There are times when life feels soul-crushing; when you want to be left alone in the quiet or perhaps you battle to find serenity.
That’s when you need to remember Noah. His entire world as he knew it was washed away, but he remained peaceful. He boarded his ark and rode the waves.
G-d has an ark for you, all you have to do is ride out the turbulence with faith.
Talk to G-d. Consider what’s expected of you at that moment, and no doubt, as long as you’re doing something, you can leave the rest to Hashem and bask in the inner peace you’ll discover.
Be more like Noah. Worry less about the results. Find your ark, crash through the storm and emerge in a peaceful paddle down the river to tranquillity.
You’ve got this.
Nachas & Drash 