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GOOD MORNING! In this week's Torah portion, Noah plants a grapevine shortly after leaving the ark. At his earliest possible convenience, he makes wine and proceeds to get drunk. The Midrash tells that when one drinks one cup of wine, he becomes like a lamb, docile and peaceful. After two cups, he becomes like a lion, boastful of all the great things he believes he will accomplish. After three cups, he dances like a monkey. After four cups, he rolls in the mud like a pig.
The story is told of a man who would drink to the point of inebriation and then sleep in the gutter of the street. The children would taunt him and throw things at him. His son, a prominent member of the community, was embarrassed by his father's drinking and arranged to keep his father at home. One day the son saw another drunk lying in the gutter with kids making fun of him. Quickly, he ran home to bring his father to witness the evils of drink. The father, upon seeing the drunk in the gutter and the taunting kids, walks up to the drunk and bends down to speak with him. On the way home the son asks his father, "What did you say to the man?" The father replied, "I didn't say anything. I just asked him where he got such good liquor."
Alcohol addiction - like any addiction - is difficult to overcome. Alcoholics Anonymous have a 12 Step Plan. It is really the basis for recovery from any addiction to a desire. We think we are in control of our lives. As long as we think we are in control of our lives, it is nearly impossible to break addictions or to change our character. The essence of Alcoholic Anonymous and similar efforts is for the person to realize that he does not have ultimate control over his life and that he needs help from a Higher Power.
THE TWELVE STEPS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twersky, founder and medical director of Gateway Rehabilitation Center, an addiction recovery program, tells the story of a man who refused to be a mentor for a recovering atheist alcoholic unless he agreed to pray every day. The alcoholic professed his disbelief in God, but agreed to what he felt was a ridiculous demand. After a couple of months the recovering alcoholic told his mentor that praying made a world of difference in his recovery. Said the recovering alcoholic, "I still don't believe in God, but now I realize that I am not God!"
One person and the Almighty is a majority. Turn your problems over to the Almighty and ask for help. You have a better chance of succeeding. They don't call Him "Almighty" for nothing. He has the power to help and by your asking for help, it makes it good for you for God to help you. Our goal in life is to perfect ourselves, to emulate God - and only if we recognize His existence and His power are we able to do that. (You might consider getting Starting Over -Using Torah and the Twelve Steps of Recovery to Find Happiness by Sima Devorah Schloss, Judaica Press, available from your local Jewish book store or by calling toll-free 877-758-3242.)
Torah Portion of the Week
Noah
The story of one righteous man in an evil generation. The Almighty commands Noah to build the ark on a hill far from the water. He built it over a period of 120 years. People deride Noah and ask him, "Why are you building a boat on a hill?" Noah explains that there will be a flood if people do not correct their ways. We see from this the patience of the Almighty for people to correct their ways and the genius of arousing people's curiosity so that they will ask a question and hopefully hear the answer.
The generation does not do Teshuva, returning from their evil ways, and God brings a flood for 40 days. The water covers the earth for 150 days. The Almighty makes a covenant and makes the rainbow the sign of the covenant that He will never destroy all of life again by water (hence, James Baldwin's book, The Fire Next Time). When one sees a rainbow it is an omen to do Teshuva - to recognize the mistakes you are making in life, regret them, correct them/make restitution, and ask for forgiveness from anyone you have wronged as well as from the Almighty.
Noah plants a vineyard, gets drunk and then occurs the mysterious incident in the tent after which Noah curses his grandson Canaan. The Torah portion concludes with the story of the Tower of Babel and then a genealogy from Shem to Abram.
Dvar Torah
based on Love Your Neighbor by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
Before judging the makers of the Tower of Bavel, the Torah states:
"And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the children of man built." (Genesis 11:5)
If God is all-seeing and all-knowing, why did He come to view the city?
Rashi cites the Midrash Tanchuma which confirms that the Almighty did not actually need to come down to view the tower. He did so in order to teach judges not to condemn anyone until they investigate and understand the entire situation.
In a broad sense, there is a lesson here for everyone, not only for judges - for we are all judges of the actions of others. Let us not condemn anyone on the basis of hearsay or circumstantial evidence. We must view a person favorably unless we have carefully investigated the matter and have established beyond a doubt that he is guilty of the charges against him.
VITAL LINKS FOR ISRAEL NEWS & TO HELP ISRAEL:
Arutz 7 -- http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
CAMERA -- http://www.world.std.com/~camera
Daily Alert -- http://www.jcpa.org/daily
Jerusalem Post -- http://www.jpost.com
Jewish Telegraphic Agency -- http://www.jta.org
HonestReporting.com -- http://www.honestreporting.com
Independent Media Review and Analysis -- http://www.imra.org.il
Middle East Media Research Institute -- http://www.memri.org
Palestinian Media Watch -- http://www.pmw.org.il
Israel Insider -- http://www.israelinsider.com
CANDLE LIGHTING - October 11:
(or go to http://aish.com/candlelighting)
Jerusalem 4:37
Guatemala 5:27 Hong Kong 5:45 Honolulu 6:52
J'Burg 5:53 London 5:52 Los Angeles 6:06
Melbourne 6:15 Miami 6:39 Moscow 5:15
New York 6:04 Singapore 6:36
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
Make the mistakes of yesterday
your lessons for today.
With Thanks to
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