{"id":301,"date":"2026-10-13T20:40:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T20:40:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/?p=301"},"modified":"2026-10-13T20:40:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T20:40:42","slug":"rebbitzens-reflection-noach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/?p=301","title":{"rendered":"Rebbitzen\u2019s Reflection Noach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Why Are We Building?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When my children were young, our home was full of builder characters like Bob the Builder and Handy Manny because building is exciting and seems like fun. Repeatedly, to the extent that I still can hear it, the toy workbench played sage advice: <em>measure twice, cut once.<\/em> It reminded the kids to think about what they were doing and to plan carefully and accurately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parshas Noach begins with a building project and ends with another. Hashem instructs Noach to build a <em>teivah<\/em> that will protect life through the destruction of the Flood. At the end of the parsha, we read about the Tower of Bavel, where humanity comes together to build a tower that will reach the heavens. Both projects require planning, effort, and cooperation. Yet one is praised, while the other ends in confusion and dispersion. What makes the difference?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to Hashem&#8217;s instructions, Noach built the <em>teivah<\/em> to preserve life and let the next generation begin again. It was meant to protect what mattered most.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The builders of Bavel declared, &#8220;Let us make a name for ourselves.&#8221; They wanted to establish their greatness and ensure that it would endure. Their unity was powerful, but their goal was centered on themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both worked hard, and both even went so far as to produce their own building materials. Both had a vision and a willingness to see the projects to completion. Both were building something that would stand out in the world. But one set out to preserve life and follow Hashem&#8217;s plan, while the other set out to make a name for itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are all builders. We build relationships, families, careers, homes, and communities. We invest time and energy in projects, accomplishments, and goals. Ambition and the desire to achieve great things are important. The question is what we are trying to accomplish and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Are we building an environment where people feel safe and valued? Are we building a community that gives people a place to belong? Are we working to make a difference in the lives of others? Or, is our motivation personal?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parshas Noach reminds us to look at the things we are focusing on and consider the foundations beneath them. The advice from the toy workbench was right: before we build, let&#8217;s measure our purpose. In the end, we may have worked hard and have a magnificent edifice, but success is measured by what our building stands for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Reader\u2019s Reflection<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What can you think twice about this week before jumping into?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why Are We Building? When my children were young, our home was full of builder characters like Bob the Builder and Handy Manny because building is exciting and seems like fun. Repeatedly, to the extent that I still can hear it, the toy workbench played sage advice: measure twice, cut once. It reminded the kids [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44,41,40],"tags":[129,127,128,125,8,126],"class_list":["post-301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","category-machshava","category-parsha","tag-building","tag-focus","tag-foundations","tag-noach","tag-parsha","tag-work"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=301"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":302,"href":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301\/revisions\/302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yiphoenix.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}