Mazel Tov, TYH Nation, on this incredible milestone!!! 102 issues of Nekuda Tova!!! But wait, didn’t we just celebrate issue 100 two weeks ago? What’s so special about issue 102? The answer is quite simple — 102 is the gematria (numerical value) of the word emunah! Let’s explore the avodah of 102.
The Torah says in this week’s parsha that Noach was a big tzadik™. The meforshim discuss various aspects of Noach’s tzadik-ness, but I’d like to point out what Reb Yitzchok Vorki says. The pasuk (Bereishis 7:7) tells us: ויבא נח ובניו ואשתו ונשי בניו אתו אל התבה מפני מי המבול – “Noach, his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives came with him into the teivah because of the waters of the flood.”
Rashi explains that the words “because of the waters of the flood” mean that Noach waited until the waters literally pushed him into the teivah. In Rashi’s words, Noach was amongst “those of little faith.” The words of Rashi are: אף נח מקטני אמנה היה, מאמין ואינו מאמין שיבא המבול, ולא נכנס לתבה עד שדחקוהו המים — Noach was one of those of little faith; he believed and did not believe that the Flood would come, and he would not enter the teivah until the waters forced him to do so.
However, the heilige Vorki Rebbe explains Rashi a little differently. He reads it as follows: Of course, Noach had emunah. But he also believed in those who had a lower level of emunah than him. Therefore, he waited until the last second, giving everyone a chance to also make it into the teivah! Noach believed in the katnei emunah, waiting until the last possible second to give them a chance!
There is a machlokes (Kiddushin 36a) between Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Meir in terms of our status in Hashem’s eyes. Rabbi Yehuda says that when we are doing well and serving Hashem properly, we are considered banim, children of Hashem. However, when we are not acting properly, we are considered avadim, servants of Hashem. Rabbi Meir, on the other hand, says that no matter what, whether we are serving Hashem well or not, we are always considered banim, Hashem’s children. Many sources indicate that the “halacha” in this dispute goes according to Rabbi Meir. How beautiful is it that the gematria of the word banim — בנים — is also 102, the same as emunah! No matter what, a Yid is always connected to Hashem because we have a level of built-in emunah!
Emunah is one of those things we keep working on. The more we keep it in our minds, the more we build it up in our hearts. If you are looking for emunah, seeking to find Hashem everywhere, you are strengthening your emunah. The Kotzker Rebbe used to say, “Where is Hashem to be found? Wherever you let Him in.” All we need to do is look for Hashem, and when we do, we will start to see Him everywhere.
Even just by knowing the gematria, keeping that number 102 in our minds as a number that always links straight to Hashem, we are already thinking about the concept. And we can use that as a tool to find emunah in our day-to-day lives. When we see 102 on a license plate, or on a receipt, or in an address, we can use it to draw us back to our avodah of emunah! So keep your eyes open to find 102 anywhere and everywhere!
Most mitzvos have very clear ways of being fulfilled. If we need to shake lulav and esrog, we know what to do — once we’ve done the physical acts of shaking them, we’re yotzei. When you put money in the pushke, you have completed the mitzvah of giving tzedaka. But how does one fulfill the mitzvah of emunah? The Sabba Kadisha of Lechovitz explains the answer based on the words in Tehillim 116:10, “he’emanti ki adaber,” which can be translated as, “I believe because I speak.” The way to fulfill the mitzvah of emunah is to talk about emunah! So let us get used to discussing and talking about emunah and keep growing until the highest madreigos. And keep looking for that holy number 102, and call it out wherever you see it. Hashem, we see You hiding everywhere!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 102.
