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| Genesis 8.11 - And the yona (dove) הַיּוֹנָה֙ returned to him... |
The weekly Torah portion, known as 'parashat hashavua,' is a longstanding Jewish tradition where a specific section of the Five Books of Moses (the Torah) is read aloud in synagogues around the world each Shabbat, following a fixed annual cycle that completes the entire Torah over the course of a year. We just finished this cycle last week. The holiday of Simchat Torah last week celebrates this completion. The Torah scrolls are rolled back to Genesis, where we hear the story of Noach.
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| Rainbow today for Parshat Noach! |
What many find profoundly "amazing"—and often described as a synchronistic or providential phenomenon—is how these ancient texts frequently appear to echo, illuminate, or even foreshadow contemporary global events, personal struggles, and societal shifts. This isn't mere coincidence to believers; it's seen as a sign of the Torah's timeless relevance, divine timing, or prophetic depth, inviting reflection on how sacred scripture speaks directly to the present moment.
This practice of reading/studying a weekly scriptural portion traces back to at least the Second Temple period (around the 2nd century BCE), when the Torah was divided into 54 portions to align with the lunar-solar calendar and Shabbat readings.
In modern times, rabbis, scholars, and even some Christian and Messianic communities have highlighted these alignments, using them for teaching, prayer, and intercession.
You can easily identity the weekly Parashat by simply doing an internet search on "this week’s torah portion." If you add the word "Chabad" you'll find many Jewish sources.
Surprisingly, the practice of reading the Torah alongside a selection from the Haftarah (collection of readings from the Books of the Prophets/Nevi'im) in the synagogue on the Sabbath is first explicitly described in the New Testament, specifically in Acts 13:14-15. This passage captures a first-century CE synagogue service in Pisidian Antioch (modern-day Turkey), where the Apostle Paul and Barnabas attend:
"But they went on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, 'Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, say it.'" Acts 13:14-15, ESV
Another and more dramatic instance, is found in Luke 4:16-30. This is actually the first documented case of reading the haftarah (a linked prophetic reading) that corresponds to the weekly Torah portion (parashat).
It's Jesus' homecoming to Nazareth, his childhood hometown in Galilee, where he reads from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue on the Sabbath. This isn't just a routine reading—it's a bold, messianic declaration that ties directly into the biblical theme of the "Day of the Lord" described in Isaiah 61:1-2 with echoes from Isaiah 58:6.
Jesus is handed the scroll of Isaiah unrolls it to a specific passage, and reads aloud Luke 4:18-19 esv:
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
The Torah portion that corresponds to Isaiah 61:1-2 is called "Nitzavim" which means "Standing" which is found at Deuteronomy 29:9:
"You are all standing this day before the Lord, your God the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel."
Studying the parsha alongside current world events can reveal layers of meaning, fostering a sense of connection between past narratives and today's chaos. As one observer noted, "it's like the Torah is unfolding in real time, guiding us through uncertainty."
This weeks Haftorah reading serves as another example of the amazing synchronicity of the scriptures. In this week's, October 24, 2025, parashat we find Noach (Genesis 6:9–11:32); the story of Noah's ark amid a cataclysmic flood sent as divine judgment on world filled with Hamas, violence and human corruption.
As much as the scripture portions relate to world events, the quiet magic of the parsha is not just a cosmic mirror. The scriptures have a personal whisper, tailored to the hidden currents of our own stories in our own individual lives. With Parashat Noach unfolding this Shabbat, the flood's roar can feel less like ancient myth and more like the chaos and deluge of private tempests in our own life.
In this video, Rabbi Dovid Vigler reads verses from Noach and illustrates the prophetic connection with Noach's Ark. Last night, Pastor Nathan Robinson at Chapel Falls church spoke of how the times we are living in relate to the prophetic "Days' of Noah." Parashat Noach this week naturally pulls us toward Jesus' words in Matthew 24:37-39 (paralleled in Luke 17:26-27).
For me personally, the day my son was born 39 years ago this week, the Haftorah portion being read that day was "The Book of Jonah." The story of Jonah speaks to me on a profoundly person level. Most who like to at least "check in" to the parashat for the week, find that we can almost always make a either a worldly or personal connection between the scriptures and the times.
This coming December, at the annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County, for which I have served as Vice President for several terms, I will be doing the traditional "D'Var" for the 5th year in a row. A "D'Var" is a brief word (a short talk) about the coinciding Torah (or Haftarah) portion.
Last year I dedicated my D'Var to my 93 year old father who had passed away the month earlier. Each Torah portion has a title based on the first words in the related scriptures. That week's portion was called "And He Left" which is based on Genesis 28:10-22. It was a perfect timing.
This year the portion that coincides with the D'Var I will be doing is called "Vayishlach," which means "And he sent." It is found in Genesis 32. Its no coincidence as I see it. But that is another story.
In conclusion, Hebrews 4:12 tells us:
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
The bible isn't just ink on ancient scrolls or in a prayer book. It is breath, fire, and has a pulse that syncs with our own. The bible has the power to reshape us. In the Noach swirl of global events and personal floods, one can find a private ark. Scripture doesn't just console—it confronts, convicts, and commissions, turning passive reading into holy collision. Scripture doesn't just demand more of us; it does a work in us.
Epilogue:
I did some research on verse 8.11, which I chose to base my post graphic on. Here is what I found:
The specification of "eventide" (or "evening," from the Hebrew *lə‘ēt ‘erev*) in Genesis 8:11 serves multiple layers of purpose in the text, blending practical observation, narrative craft, and deeper symbolic resonance. Here's a breakdown based on biblical exegesis and tradition:
A practical and observational take on the verse: Doves, as birds of habit, typically forage and explore during daylight hours before returning to a safe roost at dusk for rest, food, and companionship. This second release of the dove (after a seven-day interval) implies it had been out for a full day—longer than its initial quick return in verse 9—scouting for dry land. The evening arrival thus reflects natural avian behavior: having found no permanent resting place but discovering the olive leaf as evidence of receding waters, it naturally headed back to the ark at the close of the day.
This timing underscores the leaf's significance as a hard-won sign after extended effort, not an immediate or casual find.
From a narrative and literary perspective, the Hebrew phrasing "lə‘ēt ‘erev" (literally "at the time of evening") is a rare construction in the Bible, appearing only five times total, which draws attention to the moment's drama.
It builds suspense in the story: Noah waits, the dove departs (presumably at morning, echoing the creation rhythm of Genesis 1), and its return at evening mirrors the "evening and morning" structure of the world's original days. This frames the flood's resolution as a cosmic renewal, transitioning from watery chaos back toward ordered creation. The exclamation *hinnēh* ("behold" or "lo") immediately follows, heightening the revelation of the leaf like a punchline after a day's buildup—emphasizing Noah's dawning hope at dusk.
Jewish kabbalistic tradition (drawing from the Zohar), provided deeper symbolic and theological meanings.
The evening return allegorizes a shadowed era of partial redemption amid ongoing trial. The dove represents the soul of Israel in exile; its homecoming "toward evening" evokes the Greek (Hellenistic) period after the Babylonian exile—a time of waning light, persecution, and murdered righteous ones, where relief flickered dimly rather than in full dawn.
The olive leaf, plucked amid this "twilight," signals survival through divine sparks (like the priests' Menorah lit with olive oil), but not yet full restoration. Christian readings often extend this to the dove as a type of the Holy Spirit, with evening hinting at eschatological hope: the "last days" before ultimate renewal, where signs of peace emerge just as darkness falls.
In essence, "eventide" isn't incidental—it's a pivot point, marking the flood's turning from judgment to mercy, grounded in the dove's real-world rhythms but elevated to evoke transition, endurance, and God's subtle faithfulness in the gathering gloom.
