Wednesday, October 26, 2011

From G-d's Perspective

by Devora Gila Berkowitz

Parshat Noah


What is your preference in your relationships?

You prefer:

1) to take control
2) to defer control
3) interdependence


Noah is the third kind of person. Not interested in co-dependence, his "walking with" G-d speaks of a mutually responsibility in his relationship with G-d. He builds, G-d saves.


World flood?  No problem.  He doesn't argue with G-d to manipulate Him into changing His mind.  In fact, he does everything that G-d commands him to.  Easily, without complaint. It's almost spooky.


Does that make him Mr. Doormat, Personality #2?
Not a chance.  He walks "with" G-d so compatibly that the Torah even emphasizes: "so he did."


Noah has chosen an interdependent relationship with the Divine. He's not interested in controlling the Divine. He also doesn't blindly follow. The added "so he did" hints at his free choice in an interdependent relationship with G-d.


Noah's no dummy.  He knows what's going on in the world. Because he walks with G-d he is open to seeing through G-d's perspective -- as best as a human can, of course. And from there he makes the choice to build. And "so he did." 

How would life be different if we walked with G-d and tried to see it from His perspective?


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