In Parshat Noach, Breisheet 7:23 we
read:
All existence on earth was blotted
out- man, cattle, creeping things and birds of the sky; they were blotted out
from the earth. Only Noach was left and those with him on the ark.
Pirkei D’Rebi Eliezer points out
that the flood was universal except in the Land of Israel, upon which the water
of the flood did not descend from heaven, but the waters were gathered together
from all the lands and they entered therein as it says in Yechezkel 22:24: “Son
of man, say to her, you are a land not cleansed, not swept with rain on the day
of rage.”
In Breisheet 8:11 the dove brought
back an olive branch:
The dove came to him toward evening,
and behold, in her mouth was a torn off olive leaf. Noach knew then that the
water had subsided from the earth.
Where did the olive branch come
from?
In Breisheet Rabba 33:6 Rabbi Abba
said: She brought it from the young shoots of Eretz Yisrael. Rabbi Levi
explains where in Israel it came from: She brought it from the Mount of Oil (Olives)-
Har HaZeitim– since the Land of Israel was not inundated
by the water of the flood and therefore full trees remained there.
Ramban points out that since the
torrential rain did not come down upon the Land of Israel and the windows of
heaven were not opened there, the trees remained intact while in the
rest of the world they were broken and uprooted by the flood.
The dove specifically bringing an
olive branch which symbolizes peace shows us that even in the toughest times we
will prevail.
While we are fighting this war in
Israel, it is hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Rabbeinu Bachya (Shmot 27:20) teaches that
the mystical dimension of the story of the dove bringing back the olive branch
is that olive oil was intentionally chosen to be the only oil that was permitted
to be used to light the Menorah in the Mishkan and in the Beit HaMikdash since
the olive is a symbol of bringing light to the world.
Israel is unique as although it got
wet by the waters flowing into Israel, it was not destroyed by torrential
downpours.
Israelis are unique as even in the
toughest of times we persevere.
As we begin the rainy season in
Israel, let’s pray for constructive rain that will provide us with much needed
water and healing.
