Parshas Noach 5787
צא מן התבה אתה ואשתך ובניך ונשי בניך אתך ... (ח-טז)
MASHAL: A man went on a hunting trip into the woods, but somehow lost his way. For days he wandered in the forest, disorientated and confused, desperately trying to find his way out. After some time, he saw another man approaching in the distance. At last, he thought to himself, another human being who probably knows how to get out of this forest.
When they met, he asked the man, “My friend, can you tell me the way out of this forest? I have been wandering for days, but have been unable to find my way out.”
The other fellow answered, “I do not know the way out either. I, too, have been wandering about these woods for days. Let us journey on together. Perhaps, side by side, we can figure a way out.” The man was no longer hopeless.
As they were walking, they suddenly spotted a large grizzly bear off in the distance, heading their way. One man took off his pack, pulled out a pair of running shoes, and started to put them on. The other frantically said, “What are you doing? You can’t outrun that bear. He will surely catch you.”
The other man calmly replied, “I don’t need to outrun the bear. I only need to outrun you!”
NIMSHAL: After completing his ark, Noach set out on his journey - a voyage that Hashem commanded him to undertake. But dealing with animals all day, every day, was tremendously stressful and somewhat lonely for a human being. His family was onboard and that eased the pain. Companionship makes our suffering tolerable. However, as the two men running from the bear realized, whether in love, friendship, or business, always choose your companions wisely....