In this week’s Torah portion, we read about the building of Noah’s Ark and how Noah was commanded to bring into the Ark all the species of animals, birds and insects.  The commentators teach us that in Noah’s Ark there was a great spiritual revelation to the degree that it changed the wild and dangerous nature of the  dangerous species to become peaceful similar to the prophecy of Isaiah, that in the end of days, ” The wolf will dwell with lamb”,  This can be deduced from the fact that only a handful of people,  Noah and his family provided for the needs and food of all the species of the world, which would be impossible if the species would have retained their dangerous nature.

The Baal Shem tov teaches that the Hebrew word for ark which is Teivah also means “word” which he interpret that the holy words of our Torah and prayers act as an ark that saves us from the raging water ie. the ills of our imperfect world.  Just as the ark’s holiness changed the nature of the animals to do the words of Torah and prayer change the negative traits which we have.

May we merit the days when the whole world will be filled with the peacefulness that reigned in Noah’s ark!