Parsha No'ach: Tzaddik in peltz and The Land of Israel -  by Moshe Burt

Sometimes, it's really interesting how a Parsha HaShevua and a current event or events converge in a way of drawing parallels, analyzing contrasts and opposites and their impacts on B'nai Yisrael.   And so an email from a friend hit my log with the name of a well-known Land of Israel activist followed by the words -- "... Grave Danger, Grave Danger." 

In the week of our parsha No'ach, we find the contrast between those content to be silent, content not to soil or jeopardize themselves before Arik Sharon and his dictatorial, strong-armed lust to expel his fellow Jews from Gaza -- from Jewish land in order to serve his own interests (and those of his director -- Dov Weissglass), and the heroic efforts of this particular activist and other true Jewish zealots to fight for their brethren, for all of B'nai Yisrael, even at the cost of police political interrogations, possible political prosecution, harrassment and downright persecution.

As the old Blues Brothers song goes, "Don't know much about history, ... biology, or the French I took...", and I don't remember much from William Shakspeare either.  But I do remember this particular quote from a Shakespearian play, "Fair is foul and foul is fair, creeps from this petty pace from day to day..."  And heck, when "right", "democracy", parameters of "Freedom of Speech" are one-sidedly applied, dictated by the prevailing political agendization, it matters not that recent Holacaust comments, since repeated by major Rabbis and the words of a former Chief Rabbi who "... instructs his students who are soldiers not to fulfill orders to uproot Jews from their homes" would echo the same or similar words uttered by our current Prime Minister 10 years ago by the Oslo Accords when the words apparently fit the needs of his own political expediancy.

What a marriage of convenience there is, between the entenched left, a bunch of corrupt, non- "Profile in Courage" politicians who have sold their souls in fear of losing their seats and a Prime Minister apparently scuffling to stay out of the slammer (even at the expense of his fellow Jews) by being "a good, obediant boy" for the leftists in control of Israel's justice system as he awaits the decision of an Attorney General, which the leftists seem to own, regarding an alledged second corruption file on himself and his sons.

Against this evil array, there are Jews who stand strong and steadfast despite all of the tools at the disposal of the Socialist Totalitarian regime.  They refuse, and they refuse to permit their Jewish brethren to be led like sheep to slaughter in order that the Prime Minister can evade possible trial and also possibly turn hefty bucks in profits along with his Director, on a Casino allegedly slated to be built the backs of the sweat, toil, taxes and yes, blood of his fellow Jews in Ashkelon, Ashdod, Rechovot and beyond.

But what does all of this have to do with our parsha No'ach? 

Here is where the parallels and contrasts come in.  We read in our parsha that "These are the generations of No'ach: No'ach was a righteous man and perfect in his generations, and No'ach walked with G'd."  (Sefer Breish't, Perek 6, posuk 9.)  The Imrei Shefer comments on the Midrash regarding the words; "These are the generations of No'ach ..." that the flood was directly attributable to No'ach's behavior.  According to the Midrash, "he [No'ach]... caused the flood by not protesting against the corrupt actions of the members of his generation." (Torah Gems, Aharon Yaakov Greenberg, Sefer Breish't, page 56)

And what about the "Tzaddik in peltz?"  The Alshech refers to No'ach with the yiddish expression," 'Tzaddik in peltz' -- 'a righteous man in a fur coat.' "  He was commanded by Hashem to build an ark which he built board by board and nail by nail for 120 straight years.  It never occurred to him "... that there might be a way to avert Hashem's decree and to save the world from destruction."  (Torah Gems, Sefer Breish't, page 57)

R' Menachem Mendel of Kotzk explains the "Tzaddik in peltz" this way; "When one is cold at home, there are two ways to keep warm -- ... heat the home or get dressed in one's fur coat or other warm clothes.  The difference between the two is that in the first case the entire home is warm and everyone feels comfortable, whereas in the second case only the person wearing the coat feels warm, all the other people continue to freeze.  There is the type of righteous man who, when he sees that Jewish observance is "cold", does everything possible to warm up the entire area.  On the other hand, there is the righteous man who closes himself up within his own little space so as to ensure that at least he doesn't get swept away by the stream." (Torah Gems, Sefer Breish't, page 57)

I hold that those recently publicized and who are being subject to police harrassment and political interrogations are verbalizing views that many of us feel but have difficulty articulating, just as Rabbi Me'ir Kahane did before them.   These Land of Israel activists are fighting the tyrants for their Jewish brethren, for Kol B'nai Yisrael doing -- "...everything possible to warm up the entire area."  In turn they need the help and support of all who support Jewish survival in our divine legacy, Eretz Yisrael and who are inspired by their heroism against our generation's despotic government leaders.

May it be in this new year that our brethren in Gush Katif as well as our dear brother, Jonathan Pollard and those currently subject to police harrassment, political interogation and political persecution be central in our thoughts, prayers and actions.  May the Gezeirot Rah end, the Socialists evaporate and may we be zocha the moment when Jonathan Pollard is finally home among his brethren who care deeply about him.  May we be zocha in this coming year take giant steps toward fulfilling Hashem's blueprint of B'nai Yisrael as a Unique people -- an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with "the nations."

May we be zocha the Moshiach, the Ge'ula Shlaima, "Yom Hashem V'Kol HaGoyim", the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v'yameinu -- speedily, in our time", -- Immediately; Achshav, Chik Chuk, Meiyad, Etmol!!!

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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of the Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.

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