Torah Big Idea #13 Take Action, Don’t Wait For Permission

Shalom Friends!

I’ve always been a bit confused by the biblical character of Noah. On the one hand, he saves humanity and the animal kingdom when the rest of the world truly sinks into darkness; on the other hand, after the flood, he becomes a drunk and sexually inappropriate with his daughters. 

I always wondered what happened to him? When did he shift from being the savior of all life to a shell of a man who can’t even manage his own family? 

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l brings a Midrash (rabbinic legend) that may point to Noah’s downfall.  

The Midrash teaches that after the flood, Noah thinks to himself, “I only entered the ark when God told me to do so. Should I now leave the ark without God’s command?” 

It’s a reasonable question especially seeing how particular God is throughout the Torah – Moses is punished for striking the rock instead of speaking; Aaron’s sons are killed for making a wrong kind of sacrifice. 

But in the case of Noah, the rabbinic tradition sees his questioning as a flaw. Noah is guilty of indecision and lack of initiative. 

God answers Noah in the Midrash saying, Ok you want permission to leave the ark, here I grant you permission. 

With that reassurance, Noah walks onto the dry land. But Noah does not become a Jewish hero. His behavior from the end of the flood onwards actually keeps him outside the Jewish family. 

God waits another 10 generations before choosing Abraham as our founding Jewish father.

One of the reasons Noah is passed over, is precisely this moment in Noah’s life. He pauses, he overthinks, he doesn’t lead. Although understandable, Noah doesn’t represent the pioneering visionary God is seeking in the first Jewish leader. Especially in the face of such a destroyed world, Noah’s lack of vision is his downfall. 

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l teaches:

When it comes to rebuilding a shattered world or a broken dream, you don’t wait for permission from Heaven. Heaven is telling you to go ahead. 

Personally, I understand Noah’s hesitation. He’s legitimately traumatized, isolated and ill prepared for this new world. But Judaism has the highest expectations of its leaders especially at times of darkness. Post flood Noah misses the opportunity to take bold action and to usher in a new era of human creation. He is lacking vision and courage and therefore he fades away from our Torah’s narrative. 

May we learn from Noah’s example that we cannot rest on our laurels. One bold action – even saving humanity from destruction – doesn’t absolve us from the responsibility to keep taking bold actions in the future. It’s a high bar, certainly, but one that Judaism guides us to embrace on our spiritual journey. 

Shabbat Shalom & Love,

Rabbi Amy