Parashas Noach
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha (Chapter 6, Pasuk 12), Ki Hishchis Kal Basar Es Darko al Ha'aretz. The Torah tells us that everyone had destroyed their ways and was acting immorally. Rashi learns that the term "Kal Basar" comes to teach that not only were people acting immorally, but even the animals were mating with other species of animals. (The Ramban disagrees and explains that the Torah is referring to just mankind and the term "Kal Basar" refers specifically to humans, unless specifically indicated otherwise). According to Rashi, how can we understand that the animals were acting immorally? They don't have a yetzer hara and free will, so how are we to understand their actions?
The Ohr Gedalyahu teaches that when Hashem created man, the Torah tells us that He said (Chapter 1, Pasuk 26) Na'aseh Adam, Let us make man. He explains that these words indicate that all the created beings were involved in creating man in the sense that man contains aspects of all of the creation. All the powers of the creations of the world are contained within man. This explains why the continuation of the pasuk is,V'Yirdu Videgas Hayam U'Ve'of Hashamayim U'Vabeheimah, Man will rule over the fish, the birds, and the animals. Since man contains within him the powers of all these creations, he is able to rule over all the creations of the world.
Similarly, when man is fulfilling his role in the world and following the ways of Hashem, he is also raising up the world with him. And when he sins and lowers himself, he is effectively bringing the entire world down with him. This is taught by the Mesillas Yesharim who emphasizes that the whole purpose of the world is to serve man and enable him to serve Hashem. Therefore the world is fulfilling its purpose when it's able to facilitate man is his role. The Ohr Gedalyahu emphasizes that this truth results not only from the fact that the whole world is meant to serve man in his Avodas Hashem, but also that man is like a miniature version of the entire world and his actions, good or bad, automatically impact upon the rest of the world.
This is how it could be that the animals, though bereft of temptation and choice, acted in such a perverse manner. Since man, who has a yetzer hara and free will and chose to act in such a destructive manner, acted immorally, the rest of the world followed suit. The creations of the world contained within man were naturally affected by man's actions and his destruction brought on the animals' destruction. This is how Rashi learnsKi Hishchis Kal Basar Es Darko al Ha'aretz; Kol Basar, since man affected the animals.
This is also explains why there were animals that were saved from the flood. The Torah tells us that Noach was an Ish Tzadik Tamim Hayah B'Dorosav. The animals saved from the flood represent the righteousness of Noach. If all the animals acted immorally as a result of man's behavior, the power of the animals and the created world contained within Noach resulted in him "saving" a segment of creation. When Hashem tells Noach (Chapter 6, Pasuk 19) to take animals with him into the ark, Mikal Basar Shnayim Mikol, it is in direct contradistinction to Ki Hishchis Kal Basar Es Darko al Ha'aretz. The behavior of the animals resulted from that of man; most were destroyed like man and some were saved like Noach.
The upshot of this idea is that man contains aspect of the animals within him which can be used for good and to rule over animals. But sometimes our behavior becomes so low, it is even lower than animal behavior. Animals typically stick to their own species and yet man brought the animals down to their own level of immorality. The events of the last weeks show how low man can sink to levels lower than animals. Our job is to constantly maintain our own standards of holiness and purity. We may never lower ourselves to that of our enemies or to the immorality of their supporters and defenders. We must follow the ways of Hashem and the Torah, and only in doing so will we be able to impact upon the world and raise up creation along with ourselves.
Good Shabbos
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