In Parashat Noach, the reading moves from the corruption of mankind to the mercy of divine preservation. Amidst a world consumed by violence and moral decay, Noah stands as a righteous man, “perfect in his generations,” who “walked with God.” Through him, Mar-Yah provides a remnant, preserving life within the ark while the waters of judgment cleanse the earth. The flood becomes both a symbol of divine justice and a revelation of divine mercy—judgment upon wickedness, yet grace upon those who trust in the covenant. When the waters subside, the rainbow appears—a sign that Alaha’s wrath is not arbitrary but tempered by steadfast love, His promise enduring across generations. “Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood.”

The Haftarah in Isaiah continues this theme of covenantal assurance. Speaking to a people who have known exile and desolation, the prophet speaks of Mar-Yah’s unchanging compassion. “For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee” (Isaiah 54:9). Though the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, Alaha’s kindness and covenant of peace shall not be shaken. The rainbow’s promise thus becomes a figure of divine fidelity that transcends time—a reminder that judgment is never the final word, for mercy endures.

In the New Covenant, this same divine pattern of judgment and grace finds its perfection in Yeshua Mshikha. As the Apostle Peter teaches, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us … by the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah” (1 Peter 3:21). Just as Noah and his family were brought safely through the waters into a renewed creation, so too are the faithful brought through the waters of baptism into new life, sealed within the covenant of grace. The ark prefigures the salvation found in the Messiah Himself—the place of refuge from the storm of sin, wherein humanity is restored and made whole.

Our Torah portion calls us to remember both the seriousness of divine righteousness and the constancy of divine mercy. In every era, Alaha provides an ark for those who walk with Him, a refuge not of wood and pitch but of grace and truth revealed in Yeshua. The rainbow still shines as a token of that everlasting covenant—a reminder that beyond every flood of trial, the faithfulness of Mar-Yah Alaha remains, unbroken and eternal.

(Matt.)