Why Did God Destroy the World?

Why did God destroy the world with a flood and wipe out humankind? Sure, we all know the story of the flood: People were up to no good, so God decided to destroy them all. But what about repentance? What about making improvements? Why did God all of a sudden decide that this project called Creation was a lost cause and He had to start it all over again?

In this video, Rabbi Fohrman finds an answer in – of all places – the naming of Noah. It turns out that in order to understand why the state of humanity was so problematic that God chose to bring the Flood, we need to understand the meaning of Noah’s name.

When Noah is named, his father Lemech claims that this child will provide relief for humankind – and less than ten verses later, God regrets making humans and decides to destroy the world. By comparing textual parallels in the two events, Rabbi Fohrman helps us understand Lemech's mistake. Beneath the surface of this text lies a surprising story about how we deal with loss, and about the pitfalls of seeking easy comfort in the wrong ways.