This past week, my four year old nephew was having a great time at the playground when he suddenly fell and got a deep cut on his forehead. The doctors stitched it up, and he was on his way. I asked his father later that day how his little boy is doing - "is he traumatized?!" to which he responded - "He's been fine after 20 minutes or so... It's me who can't seem to calm down every time I look at at his cut…"
This is just an example of the whirlwind of daily challenges and hassles that come our way - how do we tackle them with calmness and clarity, and not get overwhelmed? Weather it is a doctor's opinion, a telephone from the bank, a traffic jam or a scolding from the boss. How do we remain calm through these challenges?
Noah, in this week's Torah portion, is an example of one who mastered this art. The whole world was drowning in a flood while he floated along peacefully with his family.
How did he do it?!
The Baal Shem Tov shared the secret to "Noah's Ark", and how it actually is a great piece of advice for life. The Hebrew word Teiva - Ark, can also be translated as "Words". G-d’s instruction of: ‘Come into the Teiva’, now means: ‘come into the words - the words of Torah and prayer'. Just open the prayer book or a Torah thought, and "enter" and be drawn into it’s words and world. With their miraculous power, they elevate us from being tossed around by the storm waters of life, to a higher, spiritual, and more peaceful world.
Now that the holidays have ended, and we have begun the Torah cycle again, It's a great opportunity to jump right in to the proverbial Noah's Ark, the serene, spiritual space of Torah and Prayer, and incorporate it into our daily or weekly routine.
For you it may be attending a weekly Torah class, committing to attend Shabbat Servicemore consistently or subscribing to a publication delivering Torah study to your home such as Chayenu Magazine. It's stormy out there, jump right in!