This sheet on Genesis 8 was written by Jonathan Sacks for 929 and can also be found here
The dove returns with the branch in its beak and Noah realizes the time to exit and the Ark, and restart humanity, is eminent. An extraordinary midrash comments on God’s words to Noah “‘Come out of the ark’” (Gen. 8:16). The Midrash says: “Noah said to himself, since I only entered the ark with permission (from God), shall I leave without permission? The Holy One blessed be He said, to him: Are you looking for permission? In that case I give you permission, as it says, ‘Then God said to Noah, Come out of the ark.’”
The Midrash then adds: “Said Rabbi Judah bar Ilai, If I had been there I would have smashed down [the doors of] the ark and taken myself out of it.” A significant part of what faith is in Judaism is to have the courage to pioneer, to do something new, to venture out into the unknown. That is what Abraham and Sarah had done when they left their land, their home and their father’s house. It is what the Israelites did in the days of Moses when they journeyed forth into the wilderness, guided only by a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.
Rabbi Dr Nachum Rabinovitch, one of the great rabbinic scholars of our time, drew a possible – indeed the only one possible – was that when it comes to rebuilding a shattered world, you do not wait for permission. God gives us permission. He expects us to go on ahead.
Excerpted from: http://rabbisacks.org/noach-5777
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"k (1948-2020) was the former Chief Rabbi of the Commonwealth, and the International 929 president.
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