Acknowledging our Grandparents
We tend to look to the Avot and Imahot - Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Sara, Rivka, Rachel, and Leah - as our significant ancestors, which is perfectly true when we ponder our identities as Jews, members of Klal Yisrael. [The name YISRAEL symbolically makes that point, being the initial letters of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs- YUD Yitzchak, Yaakov; SIN Sara; REISH Rivka, Rachel; ALEF Avraham; LAMED Leah.]

We tend to forget or at least bypass our older ancestors, whom we should recognize as our Grandparents in our identities as human beings. Not only do we sometimes ignore Adam, No'ach, Sheim, and Eiver (and others), but we also tend to forget that a Jew is a human being, member in good standing of the human race, even though others throughout our history have attempted to de- humanize us. And, differently, we ourselves too often ignore this aspect of our identity.

There is plenty of time from Lech Lecha onward, that we see ourselves in an "us and them" situation. At least in the weeks of B'reishit and No'ach, we should relate to the Family of Man (and Woman) as active, caring members.

The ZICHRONOT bracha of the Rosh Ha- Shana Musaf includes a pasuk and passage relating to G-d's remembering No'ach and all with him in the TEIVA. Earlier in the Amida there is reference not only to the People of Israel, but to all those created by G-d. This is not just because we view RH as a Judgment Day for all people, it is also because we are part of "all people".

Floods especially be they Biblical or contemporary, tend to put all of us in the same boat (so to speak). Parshat No'ach gives us a glimpse of our origins. Not just theirs.

But just as we are introduced to Avram and Sarai at the end of the sedra, we must always be aware of our special challenges as Jews to rise to higher and higher levels of Kedusha.