A Beam from the Teivah?

Shalom R’ Yaakov,

I seem to have missed your email when you sent it a few months ago. I looked back at this conversation just now, after I read your fascinating articles (both) in the Yated this week.

My father is R’ Tzvi Berkowitz from Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore. Derech agav, my father was pointing out the shverkeit of the whole theory that the Teivah is so far away from Yerushalayim based on the Rambam, but the mussar point is definitely very true that if it is indeed so far away, he must have stayed focused on the real avodas Hashem. The articles were very well written. Thank you!

One question I had on the article: You pointed out that it wouldn’t be probable that the wood of the Teivah should last so many years. The Gemara in Sanhedrin 96a says that Sancheirev found a beam from the Teivah and made it an avodah zarah. Also, the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Esther 5:14) says that Haman used a beam from the Teivah for the eitz on which he planned to hang Mordechai. Would the time between the Mabul and Sancheirev or Haman be typical for wood to last, or would that be a raayah that the Teivah did have special protection?

Also, even if the formation is not the Teivah, is it possible that the Teivah sat on that spot, which would explain the interesting shape and size?

Tizku l’mitzvos,
Moshe Berkowitz

RESPONSE:

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the articles.

Regarding Sancheirev, I’m thinking a beam could have lasted b’derech teva until their time, especially up in the cold mountains and coated with pitch, and still be long gone by ours. Josephus also mentions that in his day people were still taking bits of the pitch from it. But it could also be a sign it had special protection. Hard to say.

On your second question, geologists say the formation is natural rock that folded into that shape. Plus the Teivah was apparently a box, and this has a pointed front like a ship. So I’m not sold, but who knows.

Kol tuv,
Yaakov Astor

A FOLLOW-UP FROM MOSHE BERKOWITZ:

Thank you for the response. I just wanted to clarify that the haarah I quoted from my father was questioning the entire assumption of where the harei Ararat actually are. If the article will be reprinted at some point, maybe it should be corrected. (You could preface the mussar point with this question and then continue that if it is actually the correct place, etc.)

May you be zoche to continue being marbeh kavod Shamayim with all your revelations!

Moshe Berkowitz

RESPONSE:

Thank you for clarifying, and for the bracha.

Kol tuv,
Yaakov Astor