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Noach
Genesis 6:9-11:32
This week’s Torah portion contains one of the most famous and universal stories that we find in the Bible — that of Noah and his ark, which have made their way into so many cultures in manifold media.
Jewish tradition has also incorporated Noah as a hero, as evidenced by the Rosh Hashanah service in which we appeal to God to have mercy and remember us the way that He remembered Noah and the animals that were with him. (See the Rosh Hashanah Musaf in the Zichronot section.)
Ironically, the sages of old are not all convinced that Noah is our exemplar of a real mensch.
The Talmud (Tractate Sanhedrin 108A) relates a debate between Reish Lakish and Rabbi Yochanan. The Torah states clearly, “Noah was a pure righteous man in his generations.” (Genesis 6:9)
Reish Lakish takes a literal perspective. Noah was so righteous in his own generation — while being surrounded by people who were blatantly wicked — that clearly he would have been even more noble if he lived in times of other righteous people, like Abraham, for example.
Rabbi Yochanan argues that he was only considered a pure, righteous man relative to his generation. We know that the generation in which he lived was completely evil, so much so that God decided that it was irredeemable and brought a flood upon the Earth. To be considered a tzadik (righteous person) in such a generation is not really an accolade.
What prompts Rabbi Yochanan to take such a cynical view of our hero?
Rashi, the foremost medieval commentator from 11th-century France, sheds some insight. He quotes the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 30) to suggest there is an allusion in the same verse of the parashah that describes Noah’s righteousness.
The verse continues “… with God did Noah walk.”
That also sounds like a pretty big compliment. He managed to walk with God, which implies that he went in the direction that God wished and followed Him completely.
However, there is another perspective here, as well. The Midrash contrasts Noah’s walking with God with the description of Abraham later in the Torah (Genesis 17:1). “Walk before Me,” God tells Abraham. In a later verse, Abraham himself says, “The God that I walked before.” It seems that God pushes Abraham to walk in front of Him.
What is the difference between the two positions?
When one walks with someone, they are there as a support. To put someone in front of you implies that you trust that they will be able to manage, and you are there just as a backstop or precaution. It demonstrates a trust in the other’s ability to forge his or her own path forward.
God had full confidence in Abraham, and therefore told him to walk in front of Him.
Noah, on the other hand, walked with God. There is a clear sense of relationship that is positive, but not on the same level as with Abraham. This could be the explanation for Rabbi Yochanan’s opinion that Noah does not measure up to Abraham.
If we look at the storyline of both characters, we also see a significant divergence. Noah was told to build an ark and save his family along with the animals. We do not see any attempt to affect his society and exert influence over them.
Abraham, on the other hand, was all about trying to bring people closer to God and ethical monotheism. From the very introduction of Abraham, we are told that he took “the souls that he made in Charan” with him when he left for Canaan. (Genesis 12:5)
Rashi’s take on that verse is that Abraham brought their souls “under the wings of the Divine Presence.” He put effort into influencing others in a positive way. We see similar notions in the later episodes, with his welcoming of guests into his tent. He was a person who felt responsible for the well-being of a much broader community.
Exemplary character is not something that one can cherish only for themselves. If someone really wants to serve God, they need to be prepared to share that with those around them.
It does not mean that one has to spend their time preaching and admonishing others. It does mean that one has to take the opportunities as they present themselves to discuss issues of ethics and morality — and not shy away from such conversations. Abraham should be an example for all of us as we try to improve our own characters.