A 4,000-year hack for a calmer life

We live in a know-it-all generation.

This isn’t meant sarcastically; I truly believe it. If you think about it, our generation may possess more knowledge than any other in history.

A hundred years ago, people knew what was happening in their neighborhoods. Reading the newspaper gave them a glimpse of events around the world. If they were fortunate, they owned a few treasured books.

And today? Spend five minutes on your smartphone, and you’ll have access to more information than you could imagine. You’ll learn about the accident a few blocks away this morning, a second cousin’s new baby, the latest controversy involving a politician from a town you’ve never heard of, and of course, all the national news.

When it comes to knowledge, nothing is off-limits. A few taps can uncover facts about almost anything. (For example, today I learned that, according to AI analysis, if you sniff an apple for 14 years straight, it will disappear. I have no idea what to do with this information, but I’m definitely wiser.)

However, as we all know, our vast knowledge doesn’t necessarily translate into a happier life. Sometimes, the opposite is true. With so much information, we can feel overwhelmed.

Some might suggest reducing the amount of information we are exposed to. They might be right. Some might say we should get rid of our smartphones altogether, and if you use a flip phone, all power to you. But for the rest of us, we need something else to protect us from the flood of information.

Oh, a flood of information! This is it! This is where I can find the solution: learning from great people who survived floods.

Noah, I am looking at you.

The first-ever recorded flood happened in the Torah (in this week’s Torah portion), and Noah and his family were the sole survivors of this great flood. His secret? He built a big ark that protected them. And just as the “floodgate” was about to open, G-d told him to go into the ark and save their lives.

We, too, need an ark. Not an ark made of wood and tar, but an ark made out of positive and holy words that will give our souls the peace we are seeking.

As Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov teaches, the Hebrew word for “ark” is “teivah,” which also means “word.” This teaches us something profound: just as Noah’s ark shielded him from the flood, the words of Torah and prayer can serve as a spiritual ark, offering us protection from the chaos around us.

The key word here is to enter, to engage deeply with the words of Torah and prayer. Words can be just words, but when we connect deeply and experience them, the holy words surround us and create a protective place.

Take prayers, for example. We can quickly say the prayer from the siddur, or we can read it carefully, paying attention to the fact that when we pray, we are speaking directly to G-d. How awesome is that!

When we learn Torah, we can treat it as knowledge, or remind ourselves that we have a chance to study and connect with divine wisdom. Our learning would then be done with joy and great pleasure and provide us with a sense of peace.

If we feel flooded with anything — information, worries, or challenges — let’s open a siddur or a Torah book and immerse in its holy words. Just as the ark lifted Noah above the floodwaters, these sacred words will lift our spirits above the chaos of our modern world.

Mendy Kaminker is the rabbi of Chabad of Hackensack and an editorial member of Chabad.org. He welcomes your comments at rabbi@ChabadHackensack.com

Opinion