In the Studio

“...When God was building the world
He furrowed His brow
He calculated, calculated, calculated
that is why the world is perfect
and impossible to live in…”

This is a small selection from a poem called “W pracowni” Polish for “In the Studio.” It was written by Zbigniew Herbert (1924-1998), one of the most acclaimed Polish poets of the previous century. Together with Czesław Miłosz (1911–2004), and Wisława Szymborska (1923–2012) he is one of the most powerful voices of 20th century Polish poetry and poetry in general. As opposed to Milosz and Szymborska, Herbert never received the Nobel Prize, even though he was nominated. He certainly deserved it. 

Herbert was born in Lviv (today Ukraine), and though he was born into a multicultural city which was a part of the independent Polish republic, he witnessed and experienced its Nazi and Soviet occupations, including the destruction and massacre of its Jewish population. He himself was a part of the resistance, joining the Armia Krajowa (Home Army), the main Polish resistance organization during the war.

His poetry is poetry of crisis, written from within crisis. It is a merger of philosophy, history, pain and humor. 

It seems that beauty, wisdom, and moral obligation are what carried him through the dark times in which he lived.

Our portion this week, Noach, is a portion of crisis, where a man, Noach, is chosen to sail through it, protected.

Rabbi Mordechai Leiner, the Ishbitzer Rebbe, is best known for Mei Hashiloach (Waters of Shiloach), a revolutionary collection of Hasidic teachings on the Torah. This is a quote found within his commentary.
 

"עִנְיַן הַתֵּבָה, שֶׁנָּתַן הַש״י עֵצָה וַהֲגָנָה לְנֹחַ עַד שֶׁעָבְרוּ יְמֵי הַזַּעַם, וְכֵן לְכׇל מִי שֶׁלֹּא נִזְדַּכֵּךְ לִבּוֹ עֲדַיִן יוּכַל לִלְמוֹד עֵצוֹת אֵיךְ יִסָּתֵר עַצְמוֹ וְיָגֵן בַּעֲדוֹ מִכׇּל רָע הַמִּתְרַגֵּשׁ בָּעוֹלָם"
 

“Concerning the ark, God gave Noach advice and protection until the days of wrath would pass, and similarly, all whose hearts are not yet refined can receive advice from the ark as to how to find refuge and protection from all evil that upsets the world.”

Leiner suggests that the ark represents a “box of protection” that we can live in, in order to “sail” through difficult times of crisis in our lives.

He further states:
 

״וְעִנְיַן הַתֵּבָה הוּא עַל פִּי מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא (פסחים קי״ג:) שְׁלוֹשָׁה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹהֲבָן מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ כּוֹעֵס וְאֵינוֹ מִשְׁתַּכֵּר וּמִי שֶׁמַּעֲבִיר עַל מִדּוֹתָיו, מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ כּוֹעֵס הַיְנוּ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַרְאֶה שׁוּם כַּעַס בְּפוֹעַל, וְאֵינוֹ מִשְׁתַּכֵּר הַיְנוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ יִשּׁוּב הַדַּעַת וּמַכִּיר וּמַאֲמִין בְּבוֹרֵא עוֹלָם, וּמִי שֶׁמַּעֲבִיר עַל מִדּוֹתָיו הַיְנוּ שֶׁמֵּסִיר הַכַּעַס גַּם מִלִּבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה בְּלִבּוֹ שׁוּם תַּרְעוֹמוֹת עַל חֲבֵרוֹ.״

“Advice from the ark based on what is written in the Gemara (Pesachim 113b:2):”

“There are three whom the Holy One, blessed be He, loves—one who does not get angry, one who does not get drunk, and one who forgives.

One who does not get angry is one who does not show any anger through actions. One who does not get drunk is one who possesses a settled mind, recognizing and believing in the Creator of the world. One who forgives means one who removes the anger from his heart, not leaving in his heart any grudges against his fellow man.”

Leiner is saying that in order to be able to get through times of crisis, one must do three things: control their anger, not lose their mind (think sensibly — logically), and remain open-minded. 

Leiner also uses the Torah’s text to support his commentary.
In verse 14 in our portion, God commands Noach to do the following:
 

עֲשֵׂ֤ה לְךָ֙ תֵּבַ֣ת עֲצֵי־גֹ֔פֶר קִנִּ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֶת־הַתֵּבָ֑ה וְכָֽפַרְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֛הּ מִבַּ֥יִת וּמִח֖וּץ בַּכֹּֽפֶר
 

“Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make it an ark with compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch.”

“Make yourself an ark of gopher wood;” Gopher wood comes from the word “gofrit” which indicates fire and anger. Leiner implies that we are supposed to take anger and make an ark out of it.

“Make it an ark with compartments,” Here, one must think orderly and logically, like one who has many rooms and needs to know where everything is located.

“And cover it inside and out with pitch,” The word for “pitch” in Hebrew is Kofer, כפר which shares a root with Kapara — forgiveness or atonement, like Yom Kippur. Remain open-minded, forgive, don't be petty or stubborn. Don’t hold grudges.

Now, take a second to do a mental exercise. Think about how you would apply these three suggestions in a difficult situation: be slow to anger, remain rational, and open-minded.

When we receive bad news, first, we need to control our temper; try not to act out of anger, retaliate, or say words we might regret or hurt someone. Next, we should try and think rationally, analyze the situation, figure out our next move, and think about what we can learn from the ordeal. Lastly — and this is beautiful — we should make sure that the effect of the crisis doesn’t stay with us forever. We should be open-minded, let it go, not cherish hatred or other bad feelings, perhaps even forgive.

Mei Hashilioach helps us build an ark of protection for ourselves, one that can help us sail through our own storms. He suggests that in order to sail through a flood, we must maintain a small level of acceptance of a world that often seems full of horrors. We need to recognize that, most of the time, it is also beautiful, maybe, because it is so full of mistakes.

Zbigniew Herbert, who sailed through the flood which was the 20th century, put it so beautifully in his poem:

In the Studio - Zbigniew Herbert

With a light step
he moves
from patch of color 
to patch of color
from fruit to fruit

A good gardener
propping up a flower with a stick,
a person with joy,
the sun with the color blue.

then
he adjusts glasses
puts the kettle on
murmurs
strokes the cat

When God was building the world
He furrowed His brow
Calculating, calculating, calculating—
that is why the world is perfect
and impossible to live in

but the painter's world
is good
and full of mistakes

the eye wanders
from patch of color 
to patch of color
from fruit to fruit

the eye purrs
the eye smiles
the eye reminisces

the eye says it is bearable
only if one could
enter inside
there where the painter was
without wings
in slippers that fall off
without Virgil
with a cat in the pocket
a benevolent fantasy
and a hand
that unknowingly
corrects the world