What Do Noah and the Ark Represent?

The biblical account states that the Flood came because "the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all day long." It also says that "all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth," and that "the earth was filled with violence" (Genesis 6). The sources explain that God is the general force in nature, a single force governing the entire system of natural forces. This system manages all of reality, both the part currently perceived through our five senses and the higher dimension that remains hidden due to our lack of appropriate means of perception.

Millions of years ago, scientists say, we descended from the trees and began to become human. The inner force that drove this process was the growth of the egoistic desire. The ego is what lifted humanity out of the animal kingdom, and ever since, it has continued to intensify. It awakened harmful thoughts toward others, namely how to exploit everything and everyone for personal benefit without regard for consequences.

When these egoistic thoughts reached a certain level, the delicate balance between humanity and the rest of nature was disrupted. Nature's system, which is inherently integral, had to restore itself to equilibrium. Then came the Flood. After the Flood, a new world emerged, i.e., a new relationship was established between humanity and nature, which was less direct and less powerful than before.

To elaborate, the still, vegetative, and animate levels of nature are connected to nature as though they exist in a womb. Every action they perform follows nature's commands, and every response they exhibit is precisely what nature requires. They are part of nature itself, part of the upper force, because they are governed by instincts and possess no free choice.

As the egoistic force developed within human beings, humanity became increasingly detached from nature, increasingly opposite to it, violating the laws of systemic balance. Human thoughts and desires began to diverge from nature's general intention.

At that point, humanity was required to complete a process of correction, to consciously rise above the ego awakening in the heart and mind in order to remain connected to nature as a whole. People needed to examine every thought and desire that arose within them, determining whether what they intended to do was truly necessary for survival and whether it would harm anyone or anything.

Had this occurred, humanity would have entered into the deeper layers of nature, beginning to understand nature's inner operating system, its developmental program, its direction of evolution, and the connections between all parts of reality. But humanity repeatedly failed. People exploited everything around them in the crudest possible manner until they brought upon themselves a great blow. Nature does not tolerate imbalance, and the system corrected the deviation.

The Flood symbolizes a reduction in the systemic sensitivity of nature to human actions. It is as though nature said: "Do as you wish. Your importance has been reduced a hundredfold, and therefore your influence on the overall system is now smaller. Eventually, every action will be accounted for, but for now, do as you please in the world."

The world became darkened. Humanity missed the opportunity it had been given to know nature in its full depth, to acquire an intellect and perception similar to nature’s very own, and to participate consciously in the governance of reality. Instead, it became enclosed in a narrow egoistic shell. People rush through 70 years of life, grow weary, fade away, and die without truly attaining anything substantial.

This raises a pressing question: Was what happened inevitable, or could humanity have developed without sin, without a flood, along a smooth and positive path? Apparently not. Perhaps humanity had to travel this long road because without complete separation from nature, the independence achieved afterward could never have been complete.

Either way, today the circle is closing. Thousands of years of egoistic development have brought us to a dead end, to the realization that we have no future unless we undergo a fundamental shift in perception. The world has become tightly interconnected and interdependent, and we find ourselves all sitting in the same boat. Without balance and mutual completion, we will all sink together.

This is how nature compels us to recognize the integral laws governing the system and to consciously build those principles into the relationships between individuals and society.

The imbalance caused by intensified egoism is expressed most severely in human relationships. Therefore, this is where the process of correction must focus. There exists a complete method for transforming the force of the ego so that it serves others rather than harms them. When we learn to use this method, we will become "as one man with one heart." The ego will continue to grow, but we will know how to work with it as a force that helps us advance, as a lever for increasing positive connection.

Such integral connection among us will create a common sensor capable of perceiving nature’s inner dimension, the thought and feeling that exist on the higher level of reality, which is called “the attainment of Godliness.”

In such a state, further blows from nature will no longer be necessary, and even the damage we have caused until now will begin to heal.

The key principle with this story is that the world’s condition is a reflection of the condition of human relationships. If we learn how to connect in love above the ego that separates and divides us, we will see all of nature turn its face toward us with favor.

Based on “New Life 184 – The Flood As Nature’s Balancing Act” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.