“All beings that moved on the earth died: birds, animals, beasts, and all creeping critters that creep on the earth and all men. Anything that has a spirit in it – everything on the dry land, died.” (Bereshis 7:21-22)
– but the fish did not die (Rashi)

Last year I wrote about this verse and Rashi’s comment. I stated all of the animals died because they were influenced by watching the human’s behavior. This influence made the animals act improperly and therefore only two of each species were allowed to remain alive. The fish, though, could not see the human’s behavior (since they are underwater) and were not influenced. Therefore, Rashi points out the fish survived the flood. From here, we see the power of influence. I would like to continue on this subject this year.

A few years ago, I dropped off my daughter at her friend’s house in Miami Beach and was driving home to North Miami Beach. I was driving on an overpass with about five or six other cars and came around a curve. There were two lanes of traffic and in each of the lanes there was a car in front of me and one behind me. Suddenly, in front of me, I noticed a person standing in the middle of the road, so I began to slow down, as did the other cars around me. As we got closer, I realized it was a police officer and one of them pointed at my car and asked me to pull over. I was thinking that they must be randomly pulling people to make sure they were not driving drunk or something like that. How surprised I was when the police officer told me I was speeding at 15 miles per hour over the limit. This was the first time (and bli ayin hara, the only time) I have ever been pulled over. I am not a person that likes to speed and if I go over the limit, I never go 15 miles per hour over the limit. I was shocked I was going so fast.

As I drove home, it occurred to me what happened. I was surrounded by the other cars, which were doing the evil act of speeding. I did not even realize that I was doing something wrong. This is exactly why we need to avoid evil people — they will have a negative influence on us without us even realizing.

All of the animals were destroyed during the flood because they took part in immoral behavior. The fish, though, survived, because they were not influenced by the evil behaviors man displayed. People certainly need to be very careful about who and what they watch, listen, and associate with, so they do not fall victim from bad influences. If a person follows good, righteous people, they will affect him in a positive way and he will, in the end, turn out to be a good person. So choose your environment carefully.

Good Shabbos!
-yes
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