Martin H. van den Bergh

It always strikes me that, after a major disaster, people declare, “This must never happen again!” Yet by then the horse has already bolted, often because too little was done to prevent the disaster in the first place.

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This may also illustrate the difference between doing good and stopping evil. Doing good—or, in Jewish terms, performing a mitzvah—creates a positive atmosphere in which people feel valued and connected. Stopping evil, by contrast, is often a response after harm has occurred.

We can see this distinction in the accounts of Noah and Abraham. Both were righteous men whose missions arose from disaster. Noah dealt with the aftermath of the Flood, brought about by evils that Rashi identifies as sexual debauchery, idolatry, theft, and utter wickedness. Abraham’s mission followed the building of the Tower of Babel.

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Both faced disaster, but they responded differently. Noah spent 150 years building an Ark to preserve a remnant of living creatures while the rest perished in the Flood. When it was ready, he welcomed the animals and, of course, his own family, who had heeded the warnings of destruction.

Abraham, by contrast, went out to persuade people of the folly of idolatry and to help others. He was not a pacifist; he fought when necessary. Yet he demonstrated the Torah’s path: building meaningful lives.

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Alas, evil abounds today, yet we still have not learned these lessons. Although the UN was established to prevent another world war, the world seems intent on continuing a policy of appeasement. By contrast, little Israel follows Abraham’s example: even while defending itself, it is among the first countries to support nations struck by disaster, even those unfriendly toward Israel.