Perashat Noah 5787/ 2026

Obviously, the-- Noah is commanded to build a tebah because of the immorality of the nation, of the generation.

And after the Mabul is all done after a year, Noah exits from the tebah, him and his children and his family, and it says in the Pasuk, he brings korbanot.

:"Vayarah Hashem et rayach hanichach" And Bore Olam smells the smell of this korban.

"Vayomer Hashem el libo" And Hashem says, "Le'osif lekallel od et ha'adama ba'abur ha'adam" I will no longer punish the ground because of the sins of humans.

Why? "Ki yeser lev ha'adam ra min ne'urav" Because it is the nature of human beings to be bad, to be wicked.

And just because they sin doesn't mean I have to punish the ground every single time.

I did it one time.

Therefore, Bore Olam promised, you see a rainbow in the sky, understand that I was very angry at the world, but I will not annihilate and get rid of every person alive because I promised I will not do that anymore.

Let's take this Pasuk and explain it exactly how Bore Olam runs his world.

We start off with a Midrash in Bereshit Rabba all the way in the beginning, Parasha Bet.

Says the Midrash, "Ve'ha'aretz hayet tohu va'bohu" And the land was desolate, it was void.

Says the Midrash, what is this Pasuk referring to? "Elu ma'asehem shel resha'im" The ways of the wicked people is empty, it's void, it's in vain, there's nothing there.

"Vayomer Elohim yehi or" And Bore Olam says, "Let there be light." Says the Midrash, what is this Pasuk referring to? "Elu ma'asehem shel tzadikim" The righteous people, they bring light into the world.

So when the Pasuk says, "And Hashem said, 'Let there be light,'" that means Bore Olam saw the actions of the ma'asim of the tzadikim, and he says, "Because of their light that is coming to the world, I created light." Says the Midrash, and on this we have a question.

Says the Midrash, "Aval ani yodea me'ezeh mehem hafet" But I do not know which ways are better or which ways Bore Olam chooses.

Does Bore Olam choose the ways of the wicked or does Bore Olam choose the ways of the righteous? "Im bema'aseh elu o bema'aseh elu" What appeases God, the ways of the wicked or the ways of the righteous? "Kevan dechtiv, Vayar Elohim et ha'or ki tov" But when the Pasuk continues and it says that God saw the light and he was satisfied with the light, "Have bema'asehem shel tzadikim hafet.

De'ein no hafet bema'asehem shel resha'im" From here, the Midrash proves that Hashem is appeased.

Hashem wants the ways of the righteous, and he does not want the ways of the wicked.

Obviously, we have a question.

What does that mean? The Midrash is asking, "I'm not sure which ways are better.

Is it the ways of the righteous that are better or the ways of the wicked that are better? Which one pleases God more?" Why would you even think that the ways of the wicked please God? Bore Olam despises be-- people that, uh, do chet and resha and are wicked and evil.

So how can the Midrash even have, as they say in Gemara language, have a amena, mean even have a thought to say that Bore Olam is satisfied with the ways of the wicked.

So we'll explain Be'ezrat Hashem.