After the Storm - CHRONICLE Online/The WORD 10/23/25

Weekly On-line Rabbi's D'var-Torah

October 23, 2025

3 Cheshvan 5786

Parashat Noach

So, the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seems to be holding. It’s not exactly peace, but it’s not war either. It reminds me of the end of the Great Flood about which we read in this week’s Torah portion. After 150 days on the Ark, God took note of Noah and all the creatures with him. And then the Torah tells us that “the waters subsided (Gen. 8:1).” The earth was still covered in water, everyone was still stuck on the Ark, but there was calm. It was the calm AFTER the storm.

The question is – what do we humans do with such a calm? We will see if Israel and the Palestinians take advantage of this calm to establish a real peace. We know that Hamas is already acting to undermine that effort, but hopefully a coalition of Muslim countries and Israel’s presence along the Yellow Line will lead to the marginalization of Hamas.

In a very different way, the Jewish world is experiencing the calm after the storm. Today is the first day of the Hebrew month of Heshvan. In the month of Tishri, which just concluded, we celebrated the High Holidays, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. In the month of Heshvan, there are NO holidays – it’s the calm after the storm.

So, what will we do with it? After the flood, Noah built an altar and offered a sacrifice to God. He then learned how to till the land and plant a vineyard. He filled the calm with meaning and productivity.

Similarly, here at Ohr Shalom, we’ll fill our days with meaningful programming. Our education programs are experiencing their first full week of school. Our adult ed classes are back on schedule. We have a book drive and a lecture about artificial intelligence. We have a parlor concert and a Tot Shabbat. We have a joint Men’s Club / Women’s Group evening of Scotch, wine and learning. And we have an informational meeting about our trip to Israel next summer. The calm did not last very long.

So, take a good look at all of the programs that are coming up and join us for the ones that speak to you. After the storm and the calm comes community.

Shalom,

RAF