Finding sanctuary in the storm

Wow, coming off the high of the high holy days and the events of the past few weeks, how do we ensure that we don’t come down crashing and burning now that we return to routine? 

When everything feels overwhelming, where do you turn to for refuge? 

In this week’s parsha, Noach, we read the words “Bo el haTeivah” (Come into the ark.) G-d calls to Noach, inviting him and his family to enter the teivah to be saved from the flood that was about to cover the earth. 

At first glance, it may sound like just another moment in the Torah’s ancient narrative, a story of a man, an ark, and a flood. But the Torah isn’t a storybook. It’s a guide for life. Every word, every phrase, every letter is a message that speaks to each of us, in every generation. Wherever you might be in your life, whatever you might be experiencing, the Torah is written for you, in that moment. 

Chassidic teachings explain that the word “teivah” (ark) also means “word”. G-d’s instruction to Noach, “Bo el haTeivah”, can also be read as “Come into the words.” The words of Torah. The words of tefillah. 

When the floodwaters of life threaten to overwhelm us, when the world feels chaotic, when the news is heavy, when our personal challenges seem too much to bear, G-d is telling us to find sanctuary in the words of Torah and prayer. 

We have witnessed this truth vividly over the past year. Our beloved brothers and sisters who endured the unimaginable, the hostages held captive in Gaza, have shared how they held onto words of emunah (faith) and tefillah (prayer) in the darkest moments of their lives. They whispered “Shema Yisrael”. They repeated tehillim. They clung to the teivah, to the holy words that became their ark, their protection, even in the hellish tunnels of Hamas. 

Some freed hostages have even described their efforts to recreate the connection they felt to G-d while praying in captivity. 

Their strength is a reminder to us all: no matter where we are, no matter what we face, the words of Torah and prayer have the power to sustain us. 

As we begin this new year and strive to capture the inspiration of the past month, it’s worth pausing to think about what it means to “enter the ark” in our own lives. We’re so blessed to live in a time and in a community where Torah learning is more accessible than ever before. From in-person classes and shiurim, to online resources and podcasts, to daily WhatsApp Torah messages, the teivah is open and waiting for you to enter. 

May we each hear G-d’s call, Bo el haTeivah, and find our own personal entry into the holy words of Torah and tefillah. In doing so, may we seize the energy and power of the present moment to fuel the way forward.