“When will I ever catch a break? When will the day arrive that I can go to bed, sleep through the night, wake up in the morning without mishap, and just have a normal day without any crises or misery? When will I get a chance to simply breathe without feeling like my soul is being crushed yet again?”

Do any of these questions sound familiar?

If not, congratulations, you’re a hero! But if anything in that rant sounds like something you may have said one day or another, well, then, you need answers.

Noah—yes, the man who survived the flood—will be today’s responder.

A Man of Rest?

Parshat Noach tells the dramatic story of the Great Flood, in which G‑d wiped out most of the world in a deluge that only Noah and his family survived while sailing in the world’s largest seacraft.

It’s quite a story, with remarkable visuals, but have you ever thought about the name of our Parshah’s titular character, Noah? The original Hebrew, Noach, means “rest,” which hardly seems like an appropriate name for a man whose life was upended by a flood that submerged the entire world. For someone with a life as tumultuous and earth-shattering as Noah’s, his name almost seems like a joke. His life was the furthest thing from restful! How did he wind up with such a wildly off-mark name?

Yes, a Man of Rest

Let’s take a moment to think a bit deeper into Noah’s life. At the age of 600, G‑d tells him that in a year’s time He is going to destroy the corrupt world He regrets making. Noah has exactly a year to build a ship that will spare his immediate family, and he also has to gather every animal on the globe into his safe haven.

Sure enough, at the designated date, the skies open up and the world is thrown into utter chaos. Everything is obliterated, and Noah is left stranded—literally alone in the world.

We won’t go through the rest of the story, but that alone is already more than enough to bring the average person to a frightening mental breakdown—and Noah didn’t have a therapist aboard the ark!

So how did Noah survive such a chaotic life? How did he manage to “swim among the sharks” and remain sane?

The answer is that Noah knew a critical thing. He knew that the chaos of his life wasn’t just a random experiment wrought by a G‑d with a cruel sense of humor. He knew that the turbulence and destruction were obviously a means to bring his life to a better place, to make him appreciate new horizons, and to deepen his connection to himself and his Creator.

Noah understood that when G‑d threw him a literal lifeboat that would enable him to ride the waves of the largest flood to ever visit this world, it wasn’t just a boat. He understood that whenever there are tidal waves in this game we call life, G‑d provides a lifeboat that enables us not only to survive but to ride the waves and end up on top.

And so, yes, Noah was a “restful” man, a person at peace and harmony with himself and his world. Because a feeling of calm and serenity has less to do with the events going on in life, and much more to do with whatever is going on inside your mind, heart, and soul. When you are tethered to a G‑d who runs the world, you will find the lifeboat to ride out the tsunami of life.

That a man who led arguably the most chaotic life in history was named “rest,” teaches us that rest is something from within—not without.

When Life Crushes Your Soul

So when life feels so soul-crushing that you want to scream, “Just leave me alone and give me a moment’s rest!” think about Noah. His whole world was washed away into oblivion, yet he was peaceful. He found his ark and rode the wave.

You, too, can find your ark. G‑d is always there to call upon, and the only question you really need to answer in life is, “What does G‑d want from me now?” As long as whatever you’re doing is some sort of answer, you can be at peace and rest well. You’re doing what you can, and G‑d will help you with the rest.

So many make the mistake that “one day,” they will get somewhere, some place that will finally equal inner peace. They’ll move to this quiet suburb, they’ll send their last kid off to college, or sell off their last time share. As soon as this, that, and the other thing is done, as soon as these items are checked off on their list, they will finally be able to let out a huge sigh of relief. “Ah… now I can relax.”

But of course, what happens next?

We all know the script. As soon as the last item on the checklist is cleared, a new crisis arises; an unexpected curveball comes crashing through your living room window, and you’re anxious all over again. You’re back to screaming at the wind, “Leave me alone!”

That’s the thing. Peace comes from within. You’re G‑d’s servant and you do what you can to answer His call. That alone should provide you with peace. Your process is great, so worry less about the results.

G‑d gives each one of us an ark. So go ahead and find it and paddle down the river to serenity.1