Parshas Noach 5787
וירא אלקים את הארץ והנה נשחתה כי השחית כל בשר את דרכו על הארץ ... (ו-יב)
The city of Carlesbad, Germany, was renowned in earlier times for its spas and hot springs, which attracted countless vacationers seeking relaxation, comfort, and the healing properties of its many springs. Among those who frequented the resort were prominent Roshei Yeshivah and Chassidic Rebbes, who would spend time there to refresh their minds and find relief from various physical ailments. R’ Dovid Shapira zt”l - known affectionately as R’ Dovid’l of Dinov, author of the Tzemach Dovid - once visited Carlesbad and its famous hot springs, intending to remain there for several days and benefit from its therapeutic qualities. However, after only a short time in the city, he had seen enough. He was deeply shocked to discover that many people who had come from prominent Jewish communities throughout Europe, individuals who ordinarily led modest, spiritually fulfilling lives and were renowned in their hometowns for their righteous conduct and good deeds, had abandoned their usual restraints. At the resort, they indulged in inappropriate levity and frivolous behavior.
R’ Dovid’l could hardly believe what he was witnessing. These were respected members and leaders of Jewish communities, people who appeared to embody the highest standards of Torah observance and moral conduct back home. Yet, away from their communities and the watchful eyes of their fellow Jews, they seemed to behave as though their usual standards no longer applied. To the Rebbe, this revealed a disturbing truth: perhaps their upright behavior at home was maintained not by genuine inner conviction, but by the pressure of social expectations and the fear of public scrutiny. In their hometowns, they knew that improper conduct would be noticed and condemned. At a vacation resort, however, removed from their constituents and fellow community members, they felt free to act without restraint. Their behavior suggested that the righteousness they displayed at home had not become an integral part of their character.
R’ Dovid’l was visibly distressed by what he had seen. One of the chassidim accompanying him noticed his agitation and asked what was troubling him. “Now I truly understand,” the Rebbe replied with a sigh, “what the Gemara means when it teaches us that the hot springs found in this world are remnants of the boiling waters that burst forth from the earth’s depths during the Mabul, the great flood in the times of Noach, destroying the sinful generation.” (Sanhedrin 108b)
The chasid looked at the Rebbe in bewilderment, unable to grasp the connection between the behavior he had witnessed and the Gemara’s account of the Flood. “I will explain,” said R’ Dovid’l. “If someone were to read the story of Noach and the Mabul in a simple, straightforward manner, he might wonder whether Hashem’s punishment was excessively severe. After all, Chazal teach that gezel, robbery and theft, was the principal transgression of that generation. While theft is certainly a serious offense, one might ask whether it justified the complete destruction of an entire civilization. Why not simply punish the guilty individuals and allow the rest of humanity to continue living?”
The Rebbe looked intently at his young chasid before continuing. “This is why Hashem allowed these hot springs to remain in the world. They serve as a lasting lesson for anyone willing to observe human nature honestly. When a person sees the levity and moral carelessness that can emerge when people gather around these springs, away from the restraints of their usual surroundings, he can begin to understand the deeper meaning of the generation of the Mabul. Their wrongdoing was not merely an isolated act of theft. It reflected a profound moral corruption that had permeated their society.
“When people abandon their principles as soon as they are free from the scrutiny of others, it reveals that their apparent righteousness may be little more than an outward performance. The absence of witnesses does not make a person more virtuous; rather, it reveals the character that was there all along. It is for this reason that Hashem allowed these few hot springs to remain in the world. So that anyone who observes the קלות ראש and levity, with which people behave when in the proximity of these springs, will understand that Hashem was truly just and correct in His judgment!”