Parshas Noach: Rav Meir Shapiro Sees The Teivah In A Reform Temple
It is told that one time during Rav Meir Shapiro's travels to raise money for the Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin, he somehow ended up in a reform temple. The architecture was extravagant, but the outside looked like a church, and inside the Bimah was not in the correct place, and had musical instruments beside it.
After he left, the heads of this temple asked him what his impression was of their house of worship. He told them that in a way it was like Noach's teiva, and in a way it wasn't. By the teivah the pasuk says (6:14) "MiBayis U'MiChutz BaKofer," literally meaning it was coated outside and inside with tar. "Similarly, this house of prayer was covered outside and inside with Kofer or Kefira, denial of Hashem."
"The difference being," he continued, "was that the teivah protected its inhabitants from the Mabul outside, while this building will not protect its members from ultimately succumbing to the spirit of the time." (Peninim UParparaos Al HaTorah)
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