Noah, theobedientandunquestioning servant of the Creator, had carried out His instructions with great diligence and survived the catastrophe that befell the world as he knew it. Now that the ark had come to settle on a stable mooring, he eagerly awaited further divine guidance. However, the voice that he had heeded for so long and that had brought about his extraordinary salvation was now strangely silent. As he sensed the increasing stability of the ark, he realized the waters were receding, but he did not know what to do. How much longer would he have to wait before it was safe to leave the ark? And if he left, where would he go? Where was he relative to his point of origin? But what difference would it make if he knew? Surely there was nothing left of his homeland. Having demonstrated exceptional patience and fortitude in preparing the ark, a task that endured for many years, Noah now became restless. Harboring in the ark after the destruction was completed felt anticlimactic and frustrating. No longer a vessel of salvation, the ark began to seem more like a place of confinement. The Noahides were also unquestionably anxious to leave the ark and thereby rid themselves of the need to care for the horde of creatures on board.
Each day that passed must have seemed an eternity. We may assume that a growing impatience overtook Noah and his household, his family incessantly probing whether he had once more heard the voice that spoke to him alone and registering their disappointment when told that he had not. Noah
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