Torah talk for your Shabbos table “From every pure animal take for you seven each, male and female...” (Gen. 7:2) As the flood approached, HaShem told Noach to save a pair of each species so the world might be repopulated after the devastation. Regarding the pure animals, ones that would be Kosher and permitted to the Jews, Noach was commanded to take seven male and female. Some say this means four male and three female, but most understand this to mean seven males and seven females. Elsewhere, it refers to male and female as “zachar” and “nekaiva,” the Hebrew terms that literally mean male and female. Here, however, it refers to the male and female in terms of man and wife, connoting something more. Later, when the Torah says that HaShem ‘remembered’ Noach and the animals on the ark (8:1), Rashi asks what merit HaShem recalled in their favor. He says that it was the fact that these animals had not deviated to mate outside their species. Mankind at that time had become a cesspool of promiscuity to such an extent that even animals were influenced and became deviant. Those creatures were not allowed on the ark. The ones that were allowed to enter were ones that had not strayed. In that light, we can understand why the term “man and wife” was used. It is to convey this loyalty and faithfulness. These animals, the pure ones who had been faithful, were the ones fit to be sacrificed, brought close to G-d. Despite the fact that these animals were identified as pure, the Torah taught us this extra lesson about their behavior to remind us that though Jews are special because we are the “chosen People,” the ones HaShem saw fit to give additional responsibilities, we are not automatically “pure.” Rather, our behavior must be exemplary and not deteriorate to mimic the moral decay of those around us. Only then are we worthy of being remembered and coming close to G-d. The posuk continues, however, and adds this phrase of “man and wife” to the animals who were “not pure.” Why would it matter? The additional lesson we can learn is that appropriate behavior is not for “special” people. It’s not just for tzaddikim and sages to act properly, but each and every one of us, even if we don’t consider ourselves so holy, must do so. Not only Rabbis need to be holy, but each of us must be a light unto the nations. Often people sell themselves short and excuse their behavior by saying they are simply not that good. This is a tool of the Yetzer Hara, the evil inclination, to rationalize less-than-perfect behavior. By determining that we are a certain type of person we hold ourselves to a lower standard. This parsha teaches us that even animals know better than that.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 19:15:42 +0000
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