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Parshat Noach
Earlier this week, we all panicked while living a few hours without WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. During this strange time, I realized something:
I am just like Noah!
For an entire year, Noah was in the ark. One must assume that he didn’t have any access to WhatsApp, or Instagram! And now that I think of it, he didn’t have any reception whatsoever since the flood completely destroyed all of the antennas around the globe!
Okay, jokes aside, those few hours reminded me (again) how modern life is so filled with distractions. Yes, it’s wonderful to have all those options to connect with friends and family and to know what’s happening. Still, sometimes it feels like a flood of information.
Noah didn’t like floods.
Evidently, G-d didn’t expect him to.
So He said to him: build an ark. Make yourself a space space where you can run to and feel protected,
Sounds like practical advice that can still be very useful!
Building a safe space, a place where we can disconnect from the outside and connect to our inner self and our holy soul, is a powerful idea.
Judaism provides many opportunities for such safe spaces.
Take Shabbat, for example.
For more than 24 hours, you disconnect. No electronic devices, no emails, no work – nothing. You are supposed to rest and rejuvenate your body and soul.
Prayer can also be a safe space. When used as intended, it’s an experience of us talking to G-d Himself, pouring our hearts out for all that we need and showing gratitude for all that He had given us.
And even Torah study can be an immersive experience that provides us with a feeling of safety and belonging.
So Mark Zuckerberg, thanks for the few hours of peace and quiet
Shabbat shalom
Rabbi Yossi