This week, Jewish Addiction Community Services of Vancouver (JACS) is speaking across the community at various synagogues to help spread the word of how we can help those struggling with a substance use disorder. The talk centres around the weekly Torah portion, Noah, and what we can learn from it.<\/p>\n
Who doesn\u2019t know the story of Noah and the ark? Animals two by two, Noah saves the world.<\/p>\n
The parashah<\/em> (Torah portion) opens with: \u201cNoah was a righteous man. He was perfect in his generation. Noah walked with God.\u201d No wonder, then, that when God saw all the evil and sin and decided to \u201creboot\u201d the system, He chose Noah as his agent on the ground.<\/p>\n But, there is a darker side to Noah\u2019s personal story. The man we find at the end of the parashah is not the \u201cperfect\u201d man introduced to us at the outset.<\/p>\n The parashah tells us that, after the waters recede, the very first thing Noah does upon leaving the ark is plant a vineyard. And immediately thereafter: \u201cHe drank the wine and became drunk, and he uncovered himself in his tent.\u201d<\/p>\n A casual read might lend itself to a wisecrack: after being cooped up with animals and no shower for so long, who wouldn\u2019t crave a drink? We might chalk it up to a one-time overindulgence. But the rabbis tell us otherwise, that this digression from the central plot line is no accident. The parashah is drawing our attention to Noah\u2019s misplaced priorities: instead of turning his energy to rebuilding and repopulating the world, his first priority was getting drunk. Thus, the rabbis consider Noah one of the first Jewish alcoholics.<\/p>\n And the story gets more distressing. Ham, Noah\u2019s son, discovers his father passed out, and brings his two brothers into the mix as well, to cover their father\u2019s naked body. The brothers are embarrassed, if not ashamed, to find their father in such a state. And, when Noah wakes up from his drunken stupor and pieces it all together, he is mortified. But instead of engaging in a moment of self-reflection, Noah channels his feelings into a rage and curses Ham and his descendants. In short, family chaos reigns, and shalom bayit<\/em> (peace of the home) couldn\u2019t be further from the truth.<\/p>\n This, then, is one of the earliest stories that gives rise to the saying that \u201caddiction is a family disease\u201d \u2013 it wreaks havoc on everyone. Through this lens, we might be tempted to judge Noah harshly for this significant failing. \u201cHow could he do such a thing?\u201d \u201cDid he not think of the consequences?\u201d And, perhaps worst of all, \u201cinstead of taking responsibility for his actions he lashes out at his family? This is not OK!\u201d At the extreme, in today\u2019s world of uber political correctness, where cancel culture reigns, some might even be tempted to write off Noah altogether.<\/p>\n That said, yielding to the temptation to judge Noah would be missing the central point of the story. To be sure, Noah does not deserve a \u201cfree pass\u201d on his behaviour, but questioning \u201chow did this happen?\u201d or \u201cto what extent should we hold Noah accountable?\u201d is of secondary importance. Far more important than \u201cwhy did he do it\u201d is \u201cwhy are we surprised that he did?\u201d<\/p>\n Noah was tasked by God with the responsibility for saving all species during the flood, and then repopulating the world thereafter. Is it any wonder he felt intense pressure? Let alone the significant possibility that, mixed with immense relief at being alive, Noah may have also suffered from a significant dose of survivor\u2019s guilt.<\/p>\n We know that different people handle stress differently, and some end up resorting to coping mechanisms that are hugely self-destructive. Noah was in that camp. To be sure, he made some choices that ultimately led to his alcohol dependency, but, unfortunate as that may be, he was probably not the first to do so, and most certainly not the last.<\/p>\n At a Friday night service at Temple Sholom, Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, as part of his sermon, asked for a show of hands: how many in the sanctuary have been touched (self or a loved one) by substance abuse? The majority of hands went up. In short, our Jewish community is no different from any other subset of our world: far too many are afflicted by a substance use disorder.<\/p>\n This fact led to the formation a few years ago of JACS Vancouver. JACS\u2019s mission is twofold.<\/p>\n First and foremost, JACS\u2019s professional team helps individuals and their loved ones find a path to sustained recovery from substance abuse. If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse, JACS is here for you \u2013 no judgment, just support and a helping hand to navigate the system and get the resources you need to get better.<\/p>\n Second, JACS is dedicated to community awareness and education, striving to reframe the conversation around substance abuse disorders from judgment to compassion and support. To be clear, substance abuse disorder is a disease, not a choice: nobody sets out with intention to become drug- or alcohol-dependent. Yes, the individual\u2019s path to acquiring a substance use disorder probably included some bad personal choices along the way, but how is that any different from a heart attack victim whose daily commute included hitting the Tim Hortons drive-through? Why do we judge the former, but organize meals and visits for the latter? And, of course, fear of being judged is a huge deterrent to reaching out for help.<\/p>\n Returning to Noah, the parashah is providing fair warning that none of us, not even the \u201ca righteous man who walked with God\u201d is guaranteed a smooth sailing through life (pun intended).<\/p>\n The Talmud teaches that \u201cwhoever saves one life saves the world entire.\u201d What the parashah tells us is that Noah saved the world. What it teaches us is that it is our job by reaching out with compassion and understanding to help people save themselves.<\/p>\n