A thought on Parshas Noach
"...es kashti nosati b'anan...""...My rainbow I have set in the clouds..." (9:13)
The rainbow is a sign above and from Above to signify HaShem's pledge to humanity that never again will flood waters encompass the globe. What symbolism is associated with this rainbow?Rabbeinu Bachya observes that the bow (the Hebrew word keshes means "bow", from whence the English word "rain-bow") is a weapon of war, and it takes on the name keshes which comes from the word ka'sheh, meaning tough or taught, which is what happens to a bow string when it is tugged. The bow takes on its power only when a person tugs on the bow-string. Notice, he writes, that the rain-bow is facing Heaven, and not facing earth. The arch is aimed skyward, for otherwise, it would be pointing toward humanity as if symbolizing that Heaven was set to wage war against us.
The bow faces Heaven and has no string attached. No one can pull the bow into shooting position without that string. This signifies the important realization that when times are difficult between G-d and man that it is our own doing. HaShem does not seek to take shots at us. He does not aim to harm or harass us. Any shooting that takes place takes place only when we launch our own anger or recklessness toward Shomayim. HaShem is not a sniping force taking random acts of violence or vengeance against His creations.
When we strike out against Torah and against our Creator, we are, symbolically, attaching a string to this bow and arming it ourselves. We convert a symbol of peace into an instrument of destruction.
This is the deeper meaning of the bow in the sky. HaShem pledges that He will never take aim against people. Our relationship with Above is entirely within our hands.
Each of us needs to work on being a straight arrow.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
The rainbow is a sign above and from Above to signify HaShem's pledge to humanity that never again will flood waters encompass the globe. What symbolism is associated with this rainbow?Rabbeinu Bachya observes that the bow (the Hebrew word keshes means "bow", from whence the English word "rain-bow") is a weapon of war, and it takes on the name keshes which comes from the word ka'sheh, meaning tough or taught, which is what happens to a bow string when it is tugged. The bow takes on its power only when a person tugs on the bow-string. Notice, he writes, that the rain-bow is facing Heaven, and not facing earth. The arch is aimed skyward, for otherwise, it would be pointing toward humanity as if symbolizing that Heaven was set to wage war against us.
The bow faces Heaven and has no string attached. No one can pull the bow into shooting position without that string. This signifies the important realization that when times are difficult between G-d and man that it is our own doing. HaShem does not seek to take shots at us. He does not aim to harm or harass us. Any shooting that takes place takes place only when we launch our own anger or recklessness toward Shomayim. HaShem is not a sniping force taking random acts of violence or vengeance against His creations.
When we strike out against Torah and against our Creator, we are, symbolically, attaching a string to this bow and arming it ourselves. We convert a symbol of peace into an instrument of destruction.
This is the deeper meaning of the bow in the sky. HaShem pledges that He will never take aim against people. Our relationship with Above is entirely within our hands.
Each of us needs to work on being a straight arrow.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 12:45 PM
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