These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Series on the weekly portion: #1353 – Uniqueness of the Hebrew Language Good Shabbos!

In connection with Migdal Bavel, the pasuk says that from among the nations of the world who existed at that time “…Ashur departed and built (his own cities)…” (Bereshis 10:11). The Medrash Rabbah in Parshas Noach explains that Ashur left the Migdal Bavel building project because he opposed their plan. Once he saw that the intention was to wage war against the Ribono shel Olam, Ashur said “I don’t want any part of this.” So, he left his homeland. The Medrash says that the Ribono shel Olam commented to Ashur, “You left these other four people because you didn’t want to do battle with Me, I swear that I will reward you and give you four (cities).” Concerning this, the pasuk notes that Ashur built “Ninveh, Rechovos Ir, Kalach, and Resen” (Bereshis 10:11-12).

The Chizkuni quotes a Medrash that says that Ashur’s zechus (merit) lasted for hundreds of years. We know from Sefer Yona that Ninveh became a corrupt and terrible city, where theft and violence were rampant. The city was deserving of destruction and indeed it had been decreed that they should suffer Divine punishment. And yet, the Ribono shel Olam sent them a Jewish navi (prophet) to urge the population to repent and avoid this fate. Why did this city deserve such treatment? The Chizkuni says in the name of the Medrash that it was in the zechus of their founding father, Ashur, from hundreds of years earlier.

(As an aside, the city of Ninveh became familiar to the world in recent times. The city of Mosul in Iraq is the ancient city of Ninveh. It is located in a province that is still named Ninveh to this very day. This city was originally built by this fellow Ashur, who is mentioned at the end of this week’s parsha. Ashur did this brave and heroic act of refusing to participate in the building of Migdal Bavel.)

As a result of Yonah’s message to the people of Ninveh, the city did teshuva (repentance). The Yalkut Shimoni in Sefer Yonah writes that their teshuva was so overwhelming that not only did they cease to engage in theft and corruption, but from that point forward, they even made great efforts to return lost objects to their original owners. They went far beyond the letter of the law to make amends for past actions in their return of all stolen property.

From where did such a strong spiritual reaction come? It came from Ashur!

However, the Medrash then continues that ultimately the nation of Ashur (Assyria) did not remain so righteous. Later on in history, Ashur’s descendants ganged up on Klal Yisrael. “Even Assyria joined with them, they became the strong arm of Lot’s sons, Selah.” (Tehillim 83:9). This same nation of Ashur, whose great-great-grandfather departed from the others who were planning to build Midgal Bavel, later, “went off the derech” and sided with the people who wanted to destroy Klal Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael.

The Medrash comments on this: “Esmol efroach, v’ha’yom beitza” (Yesterday you were a baby chick and today you are an egg). What does that mean? A talmid of Rav Aryeh Leib Bakst (1915-2003), the Rosh Yeshiva, z”l, of Detroit, wrote a sefer in which he explains that this statement is telling Ashur that they regressed. At one time you were a distinguished individual who acted heroically; but look what happened to you! Previously, you were a living entity (a chick); now you are just an inanimate object (an egg). Rav Aryeh Leib Bakst points out that regression is one of the worst things that can happen to a human being. A human being must always keep on growing.

As we get older, it is harder and harder to grow. Typically, we stagnate, which is arguably the equivalent to going the other way. We were put on this earth to grow, not to stagnate and decline. The author wrote something that Rav Bakst once told him that Rav Chaim Ozer said about the Chofetz Chaim.

Rav Chaim Ozer visited the Chofetz Chaim when the latter was already an old man. Rav Chaim commented “This old one, I don’t recognize him from when I saw him last year. How much he has grown!” The Chofetz Chaim, at this time, was in his late eighties or early nineties. When someone sends away his ninth grader to Yeshiva and the son comes back six months later, it is understandable to be able to marvel “Look how much he has matured; look how much he has grown in his Torah learning!” That is all fine for someone who is in his teens or twenties. But when someone reaches his fifties, sixties, seventies, and beyond, continued growth becomes a challenging task. It is not easy to keep on growing and surpassing our — by then — considerable accomplishments from year to year. However, that is our goal — to keep on growing, despite our age.

Noach Found “Chein” in the Eyes of Hashem

The Ohr Hachaim points out (as do others) that Noach was not saved based on his good deeds. Even though the Torah says about Noach, “Tzadik tamim b’dorosav; es ha-Elokim his’halech Noach” (completely righteous; walking with Hashem), that would not have been enough to save him. What did save him? chenNoach was saved because “Noach matza chein b’einei Hashem” (Noach found “grace” in the eyes of Hashem).

There is something called “chein,” which is an attribute with which the Ribono shel Olam gifts people. Chein is often translated as “grace,” but that is a very inadequate definition. Whatever it is, “chein” saved Noach. Rav Chatzkel Levenstein once said that if we look back at what happened during the Holocaust – there were totally righteous individuals, kedoshim, who did not survive. That is because when the Ribono shel Olam brings such a plague to the world, He does not distinguish between a tzadik and a rasha. Likewise, righteousness alone would not have saved the day for Noach. His special “chein” did the trick.

This week, I noticed a sefer containing a collection of shmoozin from Rav Elya Svei, zt”l. He writes of the incredible power of a person who possesses the attribute of “chein.” Chein serves as a protective shield. He quotes a very interesting teaching of the Chasam Sofer. The Chasam Sofer asks how could it be that Dena, the daughter of Yaakov Avinu, was violated by Shechem? How did such a thing happen in such a family? Chazal say in Bereshis Rabbah that the reason it happened to Dena is because when Yaakov met Eisav (at the beginning of Parshas Vayishlach), he didn’t want Eisav to look at Dena, so Yaakov hid her in a box. According to the Medrash, that is the reason that this happened to Dena.

The question is, was it wrong to hide Dena? Why would the act of hiding her cause what happened? The Chasam Sofer says an incredible thing: When Eisav met Yaakov and asked, “Who are all these children?” Yaakov responded, “The children, asher chanan Elokim es avdecha” (these are the children with whom Elokim blessed me) (Bereshis 33:5). The Chasam Sofer says that all the children who were standing there at that moment were blessed with the blessing of “chein.” But Dena was in the box, so she never merited this bracha of chein. Therefore, Dena was left unprotected. Noach was protected because he had the attribute of “chein.” Dena did not have that attribute, so she remained unprotected from danger.

The pasuk says about Yosef Hatzadik in the dungeon that Hashem granted him chein in the eyes of the officer of the dungeon. (Bereshis 39:21) Chein protects. A lack of chein is a lack of protection. Chein can even save a person from horrific and terrible tragedies.

So how is a person zoche to chein? Rav Elya Svei says there is a pasuk that says how a person is zoche to chein. The pasuk says: “Chein will be given to the humble.” (Mishlei 3:34). Chein is a gift from the Ribono shel Olam that is given to those who are modest. That doesn’t mean that everyone who is humble will automatically be zoche to chein. Modesty is a prerequisite, but there is no guarantee. However, people who are not humble will never be zoche to the incredible bracha of chein.

Rav Elya .quotes the same idea from the Chazon Ish. The Chazon Ish said that while it is true that Hakadosh Boruch Hu is the one who makes zivugim (matches), how do the couples figure out when a prospective match is the right shidduch for them? The Chazon Ish says that the key is chein. Hashem causes the chosson to sense the attribute of chein in his kallah, and causes the kallah to sense the attribute of chein in her chosson. When the couple feels in one another that mutual sense of “chein,” they know that it is a good shidduch.

Transcribed by David Twersky; Jerusalem [email protected]

Edited by Dovid Hoffman; Baltimore, MD [email protected]

This week’s write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissochar Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Series on the weekly Torah portion. A listing of the halachic portions for Parshas Noach is provided below:

• # 027 – The Abortion Controversy
• # 069 – Ma’ariv and Mitzvos in the Land of Midnight Sun
• # 118 – Suicide: Is it Ever Permitted?
• # 165 – Euthanasia
• # 211 – Animal Experimentation
• # 255 – Preventing a Suicide
• # 301 – Teaching Torah to Non-Jews
• # 345 – Milah for Non-Jews: Is it Permitted
• # 389 – Abortion to Save a Baby?
• # 433 – Assisting in a Suicide
• # 477 – Tzedakah and Non-Jews
• # 521 – The Ben Noach & the Nectarine
• # 565 – The Golam
• # 609 – Cosmetic Surgery
• # 653 – The Har Habayis — The Temple Mount in Halacha and Hashkafa
• # 697 – The Case of the Fascinating Ger
• # 741 – Your Wife’s Medical Bills: Who Pays?
• # 785 – Spreading Bad News
• # 829 – Bending the Truth of the Torah
• # 873 – Stem Cell Research
• # 917 – Did Shimshon Commit Suicide?
• # 960 – Geshem Reigns — Mashiv Haruach U’moreed Hageshem? Hagoshem?
• #1004 – Shinui Hashem: Changing the Name of a Choleh
• #1048 – Zichrono Le’vracha: On A Living Person?
• #1091 – V’Sain Tal U’Matar – Starting Too Early?
• #1134 – Are Non-Jews Only Obligated in “The Seven Mitzvos”?
• #1177 – Teaching Torah To A Potential Convert?
• #1221 – Plastic Surgery for Shidduchim Purposes
• #1265 – All You Ever Wanted to Know About the Bracha on a Rainbow
• #1309 – Dilemma of Day School Rebbi: A Non-Jewish Child in His Class – Can He Teach Him?
• #1353 – The Uniqueness of the Hebrew Language
• #1397 – Must One Eat Meat on Shabbos?
• #1441 – Backing Out of a Purchase Agreement – What Are the Consequences?
• #1485 – I just saw a Rainbow – Shall I tell my neighbor?
• #1529 – Teaching Torah to a Potential Convert – Is There a Problem?
• (2022) – Changing the Name of a Choleh – How Does it Help?

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