Parashat Shemot
December 21, 2021
Rabbi Rachmiel Gurwitz, Middle School Rabbi-in-Residence
Is Moshe the reincarnation of Noah? If you’ve never thought about this before, there are elements of their stories that are strikingly similar. They both were saved by an ark/boat (called a teiva in both stories), the boat/float were both sealed with pitch, Noah spent 40 days and nights in the ark as the rain poured down, Moshe spent 40 days and nights atop Mount Sinai receiving the Torah, and they both were tasked with leading their generation — to name a few similarities. It’s a comparison that the midrash discusses at length, often comparing their leadership and decisions.
Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, an eighteenth-century Hasidic rebbe, goes even further, writing in the name of the great Tzfat kabbalist, Rabbi Yitzhak Luria (The Arizal), that Moshe is indeed the reincarnation of Noah. It was Noah’s failures as a leader that, according to the Arizal, necessitated his reincarnation as Moshe. As Moshe, he would have the opportunity to fix his mistakes (Kedushat Levi, Parashat Noach 1). Some may find the idea of reincarnation strange or abstract, but there is an aspect to the cyclical nature of existence that resonates in our own reality.
In our lives we often find ourselves in recurring situations that challenge us. Whether it is making daily parenting decisions or navigating a challenging dynamic at work or with a friend, when we make mistakes or handle a situation poorly, we often have the very next moment, day, or meeting to do things differently.
Rambam writes that the final step in the process of change, or teshuva, is to make a mistake and then be put in the exact same situation again and act differently. We can only really grow from facing similar situations again and responding differently. The midrash picks up on this: “Rabbi Berechya said: ‘Moshe is favored more than Noah. Noah moved from the status of “a righteous man” (Bereshit 6:9) to “a man of the earth,” (9:20) whereas Moshe began as an “Egyptian man” (Ex. 2:19) and progressed to become “A man of God.”‘ (Deut. 33:1) (Bereshit Rabbah 36:3).
The midrash picks up on the subtle way the Torah refers to Noah before and after the flood and Moshe at the beginning of his story and towards the end. What changed? Why did Noah regress and Moshe rise? When it came to a near identical situation in their lives — a monumental proposal by God — they couldn’t have responded more differently.
When it becomes clear that Noah’s generation is corrupt, God says, “I am about to bring the Flood . . . to destroy all flesh under the sky. . . . But I will establish my covenant with you [Noah]” (Bereshit 6:17-18). When Moshe returns from the top of Mount Sinai and to his horror sees that the Israelites are worshiping the golden calf, God responds, “Now, allow me to let my anger blaze forth against them and destroy them and I will make for you a[nother] great nation” (Exodus 32:10).
Noah and Moshe each were offered a fresh start with a new world and a new nation, yet everyone would perish. Noah responded by beginning to build his future without the rest of the world as he constructed the ark, but Moshe pleaded and begged to save the Israelites from destruction. Ultimately, Moshe (also known as Noah reincarnated) was a true leader, who repaired the mistake of Noah. It was a near identical situation, yet Moshe corrected history. He wouldn’t be the leader that left the world to perish, but the leader who fought until the end for them to live.
Shabbat Shalom!
In our lives we often find ourselves in recurring situations that challenge us. Whether it is making daily parenting decisions or navigating a challenging dynamic at work or with a friend, when we make mistakes or handle a situation poorly, we often have the very next moment, day, or meeting to do things differently.
Rambam writes that the final step in the process of change, or teshuva, is to make a mistake and then be put in the exact same situation again and act differently. We can only really grow from facing similar situations again and responding differently. The midrash picks up on this: “Rabbi Berechya said: ‘Moshe is favored more than Noah. Noah moved from the status of “a righteous man” (Bereshit 6:9) to “a man of the earth,” (9:20) whereas Moshe began as an “Egyptian man” (Ex. 2:19) and progressed to become “A man of God.”‘ (Deut. 33:1) (Bereshit Rabbah 36:3).
The midrash picks up on the subtle way the Torah refers to Noah before and after the flood and Moshe at the beginning of his story and towards the end. What changed? Why did Noah regress and Moshe rise? When it came to a near identical situation in their lives — a monumental proposal by God — they couldn’t have responded more differently.
When it becomes clear that Noah’s generation is corrupt, God says, “I am about to bring the Flood . . . to destroy all flesh under the sky. . . . But I will establish my covenant with you [Noah]” (Bereshit 6:17-18). When Moshe returns from the top of Mount Sinai and to his horror sees that the Israelites are worshiping the golden calf, God responds, “Now, allow me to let my anger blaze forth against them and destroy them and I will make for you a[nother] great nation” (Exodus 32:10).
Noah and Moshe each were offered a fresh start with a new world and a new nation, yet everyone would perish. Noah responded by beginning to build his future without the rest of the world as he constructed the ark, but Moshe pleaded and begged to save the Israelites from destruction. Ultimately, Moshe (also known as Noah reincarnated) was a true leader, who repaired the mistake of Noah. It was a near identical situation, yet Moshe corrected history. He wouldn’t be the leader that left the world to perish, but the leader who fought until the end for them to live.
Shabbat Shalom!