In this week’s Torah portion, we study the story of Noach. It’s a story we may feel we know well, but with a little extra attention, it reveals many lessons that we can apply in our own lives. The hero of this portion is, of course, Noach. He lived just ten generations after Adam and Eve, in a time that seemed idyllic, in a perfect world—but one that was filled with wickedness. The people of his generation were so corrupt that Noach was the only righteous person among them. For this reason, G-d spoke to Noach directly, revealing His plan: He would bring a flood so powerful that it would destroy all living things, cleansing the world of its corruption. Only Noach and his family would survive. G-d commanded Noach to build a massive ark, which would protect them throughout the flood.

The process of building the ark was slow—intentionally so. G-d gave Noach 120 years to complete the task, hoping this long period would allow the people to repent. It was their final chance to change their ways and live righteously. Noach worked diligently, and as people passed by, they would question him about his project. "The Divine is sending a flood," he would explain, "but if we change our evil ways, we can stop it." Did the people listen? We know that they did not. And so, G-d brought the flood, just as He had promised. As soon as the ark was ready, the rains began to fall—remember, this was no ordinary rain. It burned like fire, falling heavier and heavier until it consumed every living thing.

The rain continued relentlessly for forty days and forty nights. After 150 days, the ark finally settled. Noach sent out a dove to check for dry land, and it returned with an olive branch, signaling the presence of dry land. This was when Noach thanked the Creator, and G-d responded with a rainbow. The rainbow was a sign of His promise: that He would never again bring such a destruction upon the Earth. Noach’s family, along with the animals on the ark, were all that remained. From Noach’s descendants came the seventy nations. At this point, everyone spoke the same language, and they decided to build the Tower of Babel—a tower so high they believed they could reach heaven. When G-d saw this, He sabotaged their project by causing them to speak different languages, teaching them a lesson in the dangers of human arrogance and the desire to emulate G-d's power.

The story of Noach himself, however, is not one of arrogance but of humility. Noach did not fully understand why he was saved. His humility was so extreme that he failed to recognize the difference between himself and his generation. He believed that he was saved purely out of G-d’s generosity and that his own actions were irrelevant. But that wasn’t the case. Noach was actually on a much higher spiritual level than the people around him. This teaches us that while humility is a virtue, when taken to an extreme, it can prevent us from seeing the truth. It is crucial to see things clearly and make realistic assessments. Noach was saved because he was righteous, and it was his righteousness that made him the one chosen to preserve the future of humanity.

We should consider Noach’s situation: he was righteous, but surrounded by corruption. One might wonder whether Noach was righteous only in comparison to the wickedness around him. This thought leads us to consider how much more righteous he might have been if he had been surrounded by other righteous people. After all, we are influenced by the company we keep, no matter how strong we may be. This is an important reminder: who we surround ourselves with is extremely significant. Take a moment to reflect on the people around you. How do they influence your outlook on life? How do they inspire your actions? As spiritual individuals, we must be vigilant about our relationships. Unhealthy attachments in the material world can interfere with our connection to the Divine.

Some may question Noach’s integrity, asking why he didn’t plead for the lives of his generation, or why he didn’t try harder to change them. Noach didn’t have the strength to confront everyone around him, but he did his part. He warned them in the best way he knew—by setting an example through his own actions. He persevered in building the ark, he lived righteously, and he warned those who asked him. This shows us that there are many ways to influence others beyond simply imposing our thoughts on them. If you warn the wicked, you have delivered your soul, whether or not they listen. And this brings us to another important lesson: there is only so much we can do to change others. How far should we go? Noach teaches us to go as far as we can, but also to acknowledge our limitations and act with humility.

In our daily lives, thankfully, we do not face the kind of flood Noach experienced. However, don’t we all know how it feels to be flooded? To feel overwhelmed by the dilemmas and distractions of the material world? Now is the time to prepare for this. We have just finished the first month of the year—a month filled with spirituality, repentance, and celebration. Our connection to the Divine has been at the forefront of our minds. But now, the real challenge begins. Here comes the flood! When life becomes hectic, with many things demanding your attention, what will happen to all the good intentions we’ve set? What will happen to what really matters?

It’s up to us to protect our spirituality and avoid the arrogance of Noach’s generation. They foolishly believed they could handle the flood on their own; they ignored Noach’s warnings. Let’s take this as our warning as well. Now is the time for us to build our own ark, to safeguard our connection to the Divine throughout the year.