Parshas Noach — by Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

The Zohar says in Parshas Noach: “Our Rabbis taught: What did Hashem answer Noach when he left the Ark, saw the whole world destroyed, began to cry over it, and said, ‘Master of the World! You are called Compassionate—You should have had compassion on Your creations!’? Hashem answered him: ‘Foolish shepherd—only now you say this? And not at the time when I spoke to you gently: “For I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation, and I—behold, I am bringing the Flood… to destroy all flesh… Make for yourself an Ark of gopher wood.” I delayed with you and spoke to you at length so that you would ask mercy for the world. But from the moment you heard that you would be saved in the Ark, the world’s suffering did not enter your heart. You built the Ark and were saved—and now, when the world has been lost, you open your mouth to speak requests before Me?!’”

Through prayer, decrees are annulled

After Noach left the Ark, he saw devastation. He saw millions of people killed, scattered over the mountains and hills. He began to cry; he began to beg for mercy. Hashem said to him, “Ra’aya shatya”—a foolish shepherd: Now you cry? Now you cry? Why didn’t you cry earlier? Why wait 120 years? The whole reason I told you that there would be a Flood in another 120 years was only so you would scream and plead for all 120 years that the decree be annulled—not so you would start building an Ark for yourself.

Noach was a “good child.” Hashem said, “I am bringing a Flood to the world,” and Noach said, “Fine, I agree—done. It’s a decree; what can we do?” Therefore some say about Noach that he was “righteous in his generations”—righteous only relative to his own generation, but not righteous compared to the Tzaddikim of other generations.

And about this the Zohar says: If Moshe Rabbeinu had been in the time of the Flood, the Flood would not have come down! If Avraham had been in the time of the Flood, the Flood would not have come down! Moshe would have cried out to Hashem, wept, and brought the entire world back in teshuvah! He would have prayed such prayers that he would have annulled the Flood! With Moshe there was no such thing as “a decree that cannot be annulled.” Through prayer, all decrees are annulled! Moshe knew that one must not give up with Hashem.

We must tear open the heavens

When a person sees such troubles, such decrees, he must engage in prayer—Hisbodedus. He also needs to learn Torah, but the main thing is prayer. We see such murders every day. Jews are abused. Jews are killed. We must tear open the heavens!

Rebbe Nachman said: Whoever does not feel the suffering of the public—this is a sign that something is missing at the root of his Jewish soul. Now we must engage in prayer, in Hisbodedus. Now we must believe only in prayer—believe that only prayer can help.

In whatever trouble he is in

“In You our fathers trusted… To You they cried out and were saved”—the miracles and wonders are according to the prayers, according to the cries, according to the outcries. Because a person’s salvation is ready at every second and every moment to come—whatever trouble he is in, whatever place he is in, even in the heart of the sea, even in the middle of the desert—wherever he may be, in whatever trouble he is in.

Hashem has aligned all the systems to help him. All the salvations he needs are already prepared. He only needs to pray. He only needs to give one cry to Hashem—one true cry.

A person can accomplish whatever he wants

Rebbe Nachman revealed that there is such a power in the world—the power of prayer. And with this power a person can accomplish whatever he wants: anything. And every Jew can come to this level—to rule through his prayer.

“And Your people are all righteous”—this applies to each and every Jew. Every Jew is a Tzaddik. Every Jew can accomplish through prayer. Every good thing a Jew wants—he can bring about in the world. Every Jew can create miracles and wonders through prayer. This is the purpose of Creation, and it is Hashem’s will that each and every person should create miracles and wonders.

If you do not pray, the miracles will not be revealed

Hashem is the Master of miracles. Hashem is the Master of wonders. He plans everything even before the Creation of the world. All miracles and salvations—Hashem prepared them before the Creation of the world. But in order to reveal them, to activate them, to bring them from concealment into revelation—prayers are needed. If you do not pray, the miracles will not be revealed.

Hashem prepared for each person endless miracles and endless wonders. Prayer is the strongest thing in the world. There is nothing stronger than prayer. No gates are locked before prayer. There is no power that can stop prayer. Prayer is like knives and swords—it cuts through all the firmaments of the heavens and all the barriers.

All your salvations are ready; everything is prepared—just ask, pray, and Hashem will hear you. Every Jew should have endless miracles—he only needs to pray and ask.

Hashem will give you everything

Hashem made a condition with all of Creation—before the world was created—that when a Jew stands in prayer, they will give him all his requests, everything he asks for.

Hashem made a condition with the sea, even before the world was created, that it would split before the Children of Israel. Hashem made a condition with the fire and said to the fire: Know that there will be Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah, and you have no permission to burn them. And when Hashem created the lions on the sixth day, He said to them: I am creating you on condition that you will not swallow Daniel, and you will not swallow any Tzaddik. He made a condition with all the lions in the world for all generations: if a Jew will stand and pray, no lion has any permission to touch him.

So Hashem made conditions before the Creation of the world: whatever a person asks, whatever he prays for—Hashem will give him. Anything. You want an apartment, wealth, healing, children? Hashem will give everything—just pray. Open your mouth; everything is guaranteed to you.

Even before Hashem created you, He already prepared everything for you—all the miracles, all the salvations. Only the pipeline is prayer; the vessel is prayer.

All the animals cry to Hashem

Every day Hashem gives a person a new delay, a new problem: the child, Heaven forbid, is sick; the wife is sick; there is no livelihood. All of this is only so that a person will come to pray—and through this there will be a miracle, and another miracle. For this Hashem created the world.

The avodah of every Jew is to be completely nullified to Hashem. That is why it is hard for a person to pray—because it is hard for him to nullify himself to Hashem; it is hard for him to humble himself before Hashem. A person thinks: What will Hashem help me with? He’ll give me a livelihood? I’ll manage on my own. I have a mind, I have two hands, I have two legs—do I need Hashem? Woe to us!

About this the curse was said: “A snake—dust is its bread.” Because the snake does not need to pray and does not need to ask—and that itself is the snake’s punishment: wherever it goes it finds food; food is available to it like dust, and it does not need to pray, because Hashem does not want to hear it.

All the animals cry to Hashem: “As a deer longs by streams of water”—the deer cries to Hashem; the deer searches for streams of water, asks for water, and so it cries to Hashem. “Like a horse, like a crane, so I chirp”—the horse chirps to Hashem. All the animals cry to Hashem. The only creature that does not cry to Hashem is the snake.

If a person does not cry to Hashem, does not pray properly—he knows how to manage on his own; he does not need Hashem’s help—then Hashem should have mercy, this is the snake’s curse.

Say the words slowly

A person prays three prayers a day—he stands for Minchah two minutes, and Ma’ariv five minutes, and that’s it. He goes home, and suddenly he sees the child is sick, the wife is sick, there is no livelihood. Then he asks: Why is my wife sick? Why do I have no livelihood? הרי I have peyos and a beard, etc. But everything depends on prayer! What about the prayer? Where is the prayer?

Did you ask Hashem “Heal us”? Did you say “Bless for us” slowly? Start opening your mouth. Say the words slowly. Don’t rush. Don’t run.

For every Jew, all the miracles and wonders are prepared—he only needs to begin asking; he should not look for the shortest minyan and then run home: “My wife is waiting for me; I must run.” In the end, when he gets home, his wife is sick, Heaven forbid.

Stand for Shemoneh Esrei slowly. Pray at length. You will come home and find a healthy wife, healthy children—you will see miracles and wonders.

Don’t worry: If He gives you, nothing will be lacking for Him!

Rebbe Nachman said: With Hashem it is forbidden to give up! Cry out! Beg! Ask for great and awesome things! Ask for wonders of wonders! Ask for everything! Whoever “gives up” with Hashem—let him give up, but he should know: it is at his own personal expense.

You want to give up? Fine—no one forces anyone to pray and ask for everything he needs. But why give up? Rebbe Nachman says it is forbidden to give up. Why give up? Hashem has everything. He has—and He gives. And it is possible to draw from Him, to “press out” from Him everything that is needed. Why should you give up with Him? What—will something be missing for Him? Don’t worry: If He gives you, nothing will be lacking for Him. You don’t need to “have pity” on Him. Don’t worry—it will not be hard for Him to give you.

So if He will give you everything and nothing will be lacking for Him—why give up?

Only what happens is: we are polite people; we are refined people. We are used to not asking for too much, used to not troubling too much. This nature, this habit—we need it toward human beings. With all our strength we must behave with derech eretz, with gentleness toward people. One must not trouble; one must not ask for too much.

But toward Hashem—however much you trouble, however much you ask, you will merit more miracles, more salvations.

One month to live

It is told about the Rebbe’s grandfather, Rabbi Nachman of Horodenka: The Baal Shem Tov suggested to him a match with the sister of Rabbi Yitzchak of Trovitz. Rabbi Nachman of Horodenka asked the holy Baal Shem Tov what would happen after the wedding. The Baal Shem Tov said with Ruach HaKodesh: You will have a son, and your wife must depart from the world. Ask her if she agrees to marry on that condition.

They told her the story, and she answered: Yes, I agree on that condition.

When the child was born, Rabbi Nachman stood behind the door and heard his wife praying and begging Hashem to give her one month to live, in order to see the child. Then he said: Oy, oy—this was a time of favor, and she could have asked for her whole life to see the child. She could have annulled the decree entirely—not only for one month.

Only Hashem can help me

True humility is: only Hashem. Humility is knowing that only Hashem can help me.

If a person would know how great Hashem is, how infinite Hashem is, how much He can help him—he would pray to Hashem and accomplish anything in the world. With the three daily prayers one can accomplish everything. And one must ask for all the wishes, all the things needed in life.

Pray. Ask. Don’t have pity on Hashem. Don’t have pity on Him! Hashem wants you to ask for all the requests in the world—and you have pity on Him?!

A person asks: “Give me one month to live,” “Give me a little livelihood.” No! Ask for everything. Ask for all that is needed. For your wife, for your children, for shidduchim, for livelihood—ask for everything; pray. Do wonders! Because Hashem created the world only so that there will be miracles and wonders.

There is a law—use the law!

A person must get used to asking for everything—to ask for every single thing he needs in life. Never to be busy with small things. The desire must always be infinite; the requests must be infinite.

King David revealed a certain clause in the laws Above… He discovered a law that one can ask Hashem for whatever one wants. There is a law Above: whoever comes, prays, and asks—he is given. Use this law! It is a law with Hashem!

Don’t ask questions of “why” and “what for.” There is a law—use the law. What are you afraid of, to use this law? It is written in this law that you are a son of Hashem—you are sons of Hashem!

And if you say: What kind of sons are we, what kind of children are we—we don’t deserve it; we break everything in Father’s house, we turn the house upside down, we ruin everything—know that another clause is written in this law: “You are My son; today I have begotten you” (Tehillim 2). David revealed another hidden clause: each person is called a son of Hashem, and each person is born at this very moment. Know: today you were born! Who remembers what was yesterday? Who remembers what was a moment ago?

A person thinks: I sinned, I transgressed—Hashem doesn’t look at me; He won’t accept my prayers. And Hashem says to him: Ask—request the whole world! “Ask of Me and I will give nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession” (Tehillim 2:8).

Therefore Rebbe Nachman says: One must come to pray, to ask, to cry out—not to leave Hashem, and not to give up with Him.

Like King David

If a person will pray to Hashem and trust in Hashem, he will see such miracles and such wonders that it is impossible to describe them. This is what is written: “In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them… To You they cried out and were saved; in You they trusted and were not ashamed” (Tehillim 22:5–6).

One must begin to ask for wonders of wonders—to ask Hashem to be like the holy Avos. “Wonders of wonders” means to merit being like the holy Avos: not to give up with Hashem; to ask to be like Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov; like King David; like all the great Tzaddikim.

I did not pray with intention

Usually a person is far from praying with kavanah, and therefore he does not receive what he wants. Then the yetzer hara comes and says: You see—you prayed and you didn’t receive!

A person must make a cheshbon hanefesh: Why didn’t I receive? Because I did not pray with kavanah. But the yetzer hara blurs the blame and wants a person to place the blame on Hashem—like it is written: “A man’s folly distorts his way, and his heart rages against Hashem.” The foolishness in a person, the lack of Emunah in him, distorts his path; it delays his salvation.

If a person would examine himself, he would see that everything he did not receive was because he did not pray with kavanah and with mesirus nefesh.

Pray with kavanah—word by word, letter by letter—sit quietly

In truth, mesirus nefesh is needed until one enters the avodah of prayer. One needs mesirus nefesh simply to disconnect from thoughts.

All day a person thinks about money, about the house, about the children, about what he will do in an hour, where he will go. His mind runs a million thoughts a minute. How do you disconnect from those million thoughts? For that one needs mesirus nefesh for Kiddush Hashem.

At the time of prayer one must agree to “die”—at that moment of prayer one must know that Hashem runs the world. He is the King of the world. He does everything. Let Him run the world. Don’t help Him!

A person, with his thoughts and his plans, wants to “help” Hashem run the world. You—just pray with kavanah, word by word, letter by letter. Sit quietly. Let Him run the world by Himself.

All things are drawn from Hashem; all things are drawn from the Infinite. A person must be connected to the Or Ein Sof—connected to Hashem.

Hashem hints to a person every second with endless hints. When Jews are being killed everywhere, on every corner, and all of Israel is in terrible fear, and no one knows what will be with him, what will be with his household—these are hints from Hashem!

Now we have reached the worst situation that has ever been among the Jewish people: missiles are flying; people run to shelters; murders; killings, רחמנא ליצלן. No one knows what will be in another second. The Jewish people see that nothing can protect them.

Truly, everything is drawn from Hashem. All of it is hints from Hashem so that we return in teshuvah, so that we pray. We have reached a state where everyone already wants to do teshuvah.

Every day Hashem hints to us through speech, thought, and action. Every day Hashem constricts His Godliness and hints to us that we should awaken in teshuvah.

And Hashem does all this to us out of great love, because He loves us. He can no longer tolerate immorality. Hashem can no longer tolerate lashon hara, Shabbos desecration. He wants the Jewish people to return in teshuvah.

Prayer

Master of the World, grant me the merit that my prayer be in complete perfection—pure, clear, correct, and fluent upon my lips—in such a way that You will use it and accept our prayers, our supplications, and our requests. And may we merit to rule through our prayers, so that they accomplish whatever we desire—even to change nature—and may You fulfill every wish of our hearts for good, with compassion.

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