Noach: Good Manners Count

I feel bad for my oldest son.

For the last half of sixth grade and the beginning/most of seventh grade, he barely had learning in school due to Corona.  In eighth grade, the afternoon teacher was horrific and he missed out a lot of learning in the afternoon.  Now we received an email from the yeshiva that the new semester, which began yesterday, will not begin on time, due to heavy debts.  The head of the yeshiva is running around like crazy trying to collect the money to reopen, and many of the parents are doing their best to collect additional funds as well.  It's nice to see so many letters that parents are writing praising the yeshiva and the Rosh Yeshiva, trying to do their best to secure the needed money.  It shows that the parents recognize the greatness that this particular yeshiva has.

In the meantime, he's spending the mornings with me in the kollel, learning the laws of Chanukah in depth, and will be helping in the newest round national elections in the afternoons (for the next few days at least).  At first, I was a bit hesitant about learning with him, to be honest.  I'm used to learning on my own.  But he told me that he did not want to learn with his friends from the yeshiva, since he was worried that they would not be able to actually sit and learn together.  So, how can I turn that down?  Thankfully, in the end, he's a pretty good learning partner.

If anybody has any extra tzedakah money that they would like to give to a very worthy cause (like putting 70 teenage boys back into learning full-time in a place that is geared for them), I'll be more than happy to accept it via PayPal and I will immediately forward it to the yeshiva.

The pasuk states, "And Noach found grace in the eyes of Hashem" (Bereishis 6:8).

The Ohr HaChaim explains that Noach was also condemned to die in the flood, however, he found grace in Hashem's eyes, explaining "there are certain mitzvos that can produce this grace."  While the Ohr HaChaim does not specify which mitzvos these are, Rav Yaakov Meir Shechter writes that one can see a hint by the Ohr HaChaim's concluding words: "Even Noach's name reflects this grace, for the letters Noach (nun-chet) are the same letters (but reversed) for the word "chen," grace.  And the Zohar Chadash says that Noach was gentle (chen) in his mannerisms, his thoughts and his speech.

From here, says Rav Shechter we see that proper mannerisms, in thought, speech, and action, can reverse harsh decrees, and save a person's life and those of his family.

With that, I wish you all a wonderful Shabbos!