Yesterday Nachum Segal was interviewing me for his radio show, JM in the AM. At one point he asked me, “What’s it like to be Noah?”
Now I can understand why he asked me that. After all, I am responsible for a collection of hundreds of creatures (though I don’t look after them myself; we have a wonderful animal care staff at the Biblical Museum of Natural History, supported by sherut leumi and dedicated volunteers). And I’m even building a huge ark, to complement our amazing collection of over 100 stunning artistic models of Noah’s Ark from around the world. Plus, just as the Midrash describes happened to Noah, I’ve been bitten by a lion (although in my case it was just a cub). And I too have very poor tolerance for alcohol.
But, reflecting later upon Nachum’s question, I feel more like Noah in some very different ways - ways that I think many readers of this blog may relate to.
Long before the Deluge began, Noah saw the whole world going to ruin around him. Corrupt people, violent people, wicked people. It must have been incredibly depressing.
I think we can relate to that. Over the last two years we’ve seen an outpouring of hatred for Israel and support for brutal terrorism. My home country of England, which proudly lent its support to the creation of Jewish homeland a century ago, is now threatened by a growing number of Islamists and a BBC which in some ways is even worse. The US is being split between an ever-radicalizing left which wants to elect an NYC mayor whose entire career of advocacy has been about attacking Israel, and an ever-radicalizing right which has started to champion malevolent antisemites (and anti-Americans) such as Tucker Qatarlson.
Meanwhile, within my own nation, while Israel is in a vastly militarily stronger position than it was in two years ago, the direction is not looking great. The societal split is vast and apparently increasing. The percentage of the population that enlists is steadily decreasing. The secular sector, even it retains a commitment to the Jewish People, does not produce enough children. The rabbinic and political leadership of the exponentially growing charedi sector refuses point blank to help in wars in any way whatsoever, and wants to drain the economy. And the religious Zionist sector is heading towards a Rome Shmome extremism that makes reckless statements and takes rash actions which will only make defending our country ever more difficult.
Of course, as someone from the north of England, having a miserable, bleak perspective is in my blood. Still, I think that objectively speaking, while the situation of the Jewish People has improved since 1948 in ways that are nothing less than miraculous, the current trajectory is deeply concerning. Like Noah, we are surrounded by a world that appears to be going to ruin.
So how do we cope with that? Well, we do as Noah did. We don’t just throw up our hands and give up. We get busy, very busy, with the task at hand of building a better future. This is even if we have to work very hard at it for years and years while people berate us. And we have hope that things can and will get better, just as miraculously happened at vastly bleaker times in the past.
And I also recommend spending time with animals, because they are so amazing!
חזק ואמץ