בס"ד
When humanity thoroughly contradicts the very purpose it was created for and becomes hopelessly morally corrupt, Hashem decrees that it must go. The Torah goes to great lengths to describe the punishment of the flood and the specifics of G-d's divine judgment. For a full year the world is uninhabitable, covered in a watery blanket.
Why take an entire year? Hashem could have just wiped them out and started again in a matter of hours (or seconds for that matter) – what was so important that it take a full year?
To answer that let us remember that not everyone was killed – Hashem spared Noach and all that were in the teiva with him.
The world was going to be rebuilt and repopulated by the survivors of this horrible generation. Civilization as a whole was evil – but these refugees managed to avoid sin long enough to earn a spot in the teiva.
What would prevent mankind from deteriorating back into the same behavior patterns and impropriety? The Meshech Chochma answers that Hashem would reeducate them. And that takes a full year.
It would only take one moment for Hashem to destroy and recreate. But it takes many many months for man and animal to learn again how to be G-d fearing and upright.
It is no coincidence that this parsha follows the high holidays. After a month of intense spiritual effort we need to return to the daily and weekly routines of school and work. What can help cement the spiritual gains that we have made over this period? The knowledge that real change comes slowly. If we take our desire to hold on to the 'high' of Tishrei and lock in up in our teiva like heart – it will survive even torrents of nisyonos in the long winter ahead – and come next Tishrei – it'll even be a part of who we are.
Hatzlacha !!
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