Parshas Noach - Environmentalism Revisited

Parshas Noach:
Environmentalism Revisited:

“And G-d saw the earth and behold it was corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.” (Genesis 6:12)

What does it mean to be rotten to the core? In this week’s Parsha we are treated to whole new level of rottenness. Rashi quotes the Talmud (Sanhedrin 108a) that the term “all flesh” includes the animal kingdom as having been guilty of degeneration by mating with other species. This means that the animals dug their own pit to be guilty of destruction.
How is it possible for animals to have degenerated to such a level of debasement? Furthermore, why would animals get punished for such actions if it lacks free-will?

Rabbi Eliyohu Lopian (1872-1970), in his magnum opus Lev Eliyohu relates that in the city of Lomza, Poland there was a hospital built from wood which was had seen the passage of time. Unfortunately, long-term patients would oftentimes contract new and more severe illnesses during their stay in the hospital. It reached such a proportion that experts from Warsaw were brought in for consultation. After a lengthy visit they concluded that the hospital building itself was the cause for the disease. It seems that the germs had become so suffused into the building that the only solution was to burn down the hospital building, thereby enabling a new one to be rebuilt.

In another remarkable incident, the famed European Torah scholar, Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman (1875-1941), visited New York in the dawn preceding the holocaust. As he sat in the back of a car with his head firmly embedded in his Torah studies, he suddenly jumped up and proclaimed “get me out of here, I feel the impurity.” It turned out that his driver took a shortcut through Times Square and 42nd Street which was notorious for its spiritual depravity.

Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (1820-1892), in his work Beis Halevi elaborates on this theme. Environment is the key to spirituality. If somebody succumbs to a sinful desire, that desire is now more implanted into the physical world. Osmosis occurs in the spiritual realm as well. Therefore the debauched actions of the generation of the Great Deluge not only impacted themselves, it changed the very nature of all mankind, the animal kingdom, and even the very earth (as the Midrash has it). Noah only had the advantage that he was intrinsically righteous, but even he would have been affected by his surroundings had it not been for G-d’s protection. (Midrash) Everybody is influenced by their environment. The experts visiting the Lomza Hospital and Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman were keenly aware of this. That is why the only solution to the anarchy of Noah’s generation was total and utter destruction. This was not only a punishment; it was the sole means of regenerating a pristine and moral world.

The Dove holding the olive branch therefore was chosen to herald the new post-flood beginning. A dove mates exclusively with doves, and the olive tree rejects grafting. They were setting the new standard for the survivors in the new world.

We pray every morning to have good neighbors and good friends. This is no mere prayer for convenience sake. This is a spiritual request in the highest level. We are directly influenced by our environment as our sages in Pikei Avos, Ethics from our Fathers inform us. We therefore beseech G-d to grant us the company of people who will increase our connection to G-d.

May we all merit to choose a positive environment, and to only impart positive spiritual environmental emissions.