This isn't just my proclamation about human nature; it's God's voice in our parashah this week. Both stories found in Parashat Noach, Genesis 6:9–11:32, reflect God's frustration with humanity. The beings created in last week's Torah portion are made in God's image.
Yet, what does God see in Noach's generation? Individuals who fall short of their potential. They embody cruelty and greed, viewing the
world merely as a means to their own ends. The earth was "filled with" violence. The narratives of Noach and his family and the Tower of Babel reveal humanity's failure to meet divine expectations, prompting God to seek a reboot—a humanity 2.0.
God understands us in this section of the Torah. Like God, we survey our beautiful planet and see the disappointments of humanity. Our behavior can be appalling. We lie, steal, kill, covet, gossip, and disrespect our elders. Surveying our world, many may feel a sense of hopelessness, especially with the pressing political divisions in our society. A significant portion of our populace embraces values that our Jewish tradition deems troubling, behaviors that could lead to downfall. And yet we do not seek the destruction of our society or humanity. We do not believe this is our fate at human beings.
Why did God choose to destroy the generation of Noach and the Tower of Babel? In both scenarios, humanity misused free will and cooperative spirit, crafting systems that inflicted grave cruelty.
In the Noach story, God observes the earth filled with violence and selects Noach and his family as the sole survivors of this destruction.
Here, God identifies a builder—someone prepared to engage, to get their hands dirty. Noach is described as "simple" in this parashah, a term reminiscent of the simple child at Passover. Noach's simplicity underscores a worldview unclouded by greed and the desire for power. He and his family become the last and the first humans in a world reborn post-flood.
In the Tower of Babel tale, humanity unites to create something grand. All humanity speaks the same language at this time. Here the humans aspire to build a tower aiming for the heavens. Yet their pride in their abilities leads to the project's importance outweighing human life itself. The Midrash recounts how the builders hardly noticed their fellow workers falling to their deaths as they concentrated on building higher. The endeavor became their God; the end overshadowed the means.
In both narratives, God takes action. In Noach, the majority of humanity faces destruction. In Babel, the tower and the ease of communication are lost. Such divine interventions compel humanity to strive harder to build a new civilization. Again and again. Working harder to get it right each time.
The focus of this Torah portion revolves around humanity's shortcomings juxtaposed with God's reconsideration of our value on this planet.
Today, many view our world through tear-filled eyes, mirroring God's disappointment. Humanity holds immense potential, yet our capacity for destruction often overshadows our ability to heal. We, too, feel disillusioned, expressing frustration and anger.
However, this week's lesson is not about human evil. It's a testament to our adaptability. We possess the ability to evolve, change, and strive for betterment.
Both stories highlight human beings as builders and designers of reality. God identified flawed designs and addressed human shortcomings with resolve.
As modern individuals and followers of timeless Jewish traditions, we too are called to critique humanity's actions. It is our responsibility to recognize bad design and intentions, correcting the world where needed. The rainbow symbolizes God's assurance not to destroy the world again, compelling humanity to hold itself accountable. We must combat greed, violence, and theft.
Let the rainbow serve as a reminder of our responsibility to engineer a better civilization. Our hands and hearts are instrumental in shaping our reality. We can embody the simplicity of Noach, continually working in behalf of the Source of All Goodness and Compassion.
Let our differences in communication inspire us to use language to cultivate goodness in this world. Every word we speak and every piece we write should uplift divine values: compassion, patience, and love.
God saw a world in distress and took action. We, too, are called to mirror this divine impulse. We have the power to design our way toward a brighter future.
* The future does not need to suck.
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