Community Magazine October 2014

22 Community magazine world. He wants the tzadikim to be involved and engaged with the people so they could inspire and teach them. For this reason, Noah’s grandfather, Hanoch, was taken alive from the world (Beresheet 5:24). Hanoch was a righteous man who had nothing to do with his contemporaries, who withdrew from other people so he could work on himself. Gd does not want such tzadikim , and thus He took Hanoch from the world before his time. Tzadikim are not to look upon the ordinary people around them and conclude that they have no hope for spiritual elevation. There is always hope, and it is specifically the tzadikim who are to find the dormant spark of holiness within every person and try to ignite it in order to inspire positive change. On this basis, Rav Meir Shapiro of Lublin arrived at a deeper explanation of the significance of the rainbow. As the dark, dreary rainclouds begin to dissipate, the sky becomes filled with brilliant colors. Following the stormy, tumultuous period of darkness and gloom, a bright, colorful light begins to shine. The rainbow symbolizes the ever present prospect of change, how even the most dreadful times can ultimately transform into the magnificent light of blessing. This was the message that Gd wanted to convey to Noah – and to anyone who begins to feel helpless upon seeing widespread corruption and sin. We must not despair. Just as the storm passes and gives way to a spectacular array of bright colors, the dark clouds of sin can always be changed into a brilliant light. The Jewish outlook is one of hope and optimism, not gloom. This is the covenant of the rainbow. Don’t Keep it to Yourself! With this in mind, we must sharpen our understanding of the other covenant – the covenant of Torah. It is not Torah study alone which protects the generation, but Torah study that leads to Torah dissemination. The pasuk says in Iyov (5:7), “ Adam le’amal yulad – A person is born to work hard.” The word “ le’amal ” may be read as an acrostic for “ lilmod al menat lelamed – to learn in order to teach.” We are here not simply to amass Torah knowledge, but to spread Torah knowledge. We protect the world not just by learning – but by learning with the objective to then “spread the wealth” and inspire others with the wisdom and sanctity of the Torah. The Mishnah in Pirkeh Avot exhorts, “ Im lamadeta Torah harbeh al tahazik tovah le’atzmecha ki lechach notzarta – If you’ve learned much Torah, do not pride yourself, because for this purpose you were created.” The simple meaning of the Mishnah is that one who attained Torah scholarship should not consider himself especially accomplished, because he was created for this very purpose – to study to the best of his ability. However, the Shem Mi’shmuel offered a deeper explanation: one who studied Torah should not hold the “ tovah ” – the “goodness” which he has acquired – for himself, because he was created precisely “ le’amal ” – to disseminate Torah knowledge. It would be a grave mistake for a scholar to keep his knowledge contained inside his mind. Scholarship imposes responsibility, & 718.382.8419 1.800.SLEEP.56 MATTRESSES SANDRA MANSOUR for less IN STOCK - Full line of Hotel Linens. Many colors to choose from. All weight and sizes down comforters.