by Rabbi Avi Billet
When we are
introduced to Noach at the beginning of the parsha, Rashi notes that his being
called a “tzaddik” (righteous man) – “in his generation” could be interpreted
either positively or negatively. Positively, had Noach lived in another
generation, he’d have been even greater. Negatively, only because he was
compared to such terrible people was Noach considered great in his day.
But honestly, I don’t understand
the question. The Torah does say in the first verse of Chapter 7, “And God said
to Noach, ‘Come with your family to the Ark, because I see you to be a tzaddik
before Me in this generation.’”
Perhaps this verse can also be
read both ways, but I think the more correct reading is “You are unique in your
time.” But not in a different generation.
Why is this language used?
The Or HaChaim explains that
Noach needed to be reminded that he was the tzaddik in comparison to the people
of his generation, because maybe Noach would think to bring a whole bunch of
people on board – people he felt were not deserving of punishment, when indeed
they were not innocent.
Don’t we all have friends we’d
want to save if we were making a boat big enough to hold dozens of people, if
not more?
This is why, Or HaChaim
suggests, Noach needed to be told to bring his family. Even they were unworthy
of being saved. They were only brought on board because they were his family.
“Because you are the (only) tzaddik I see in this generation.”
The midrash (which Rashi also
quotes) goes in a different direction when it claims this is a demonstration of
God not saying Noach’s complete praise in front of him (earlier he was called a
“tzaddik tamim” – a perfect righteous man – when the Torah introduced him, but
he was not being personally addressed).
Kli Yakar raises a different
possibility, that two events transpired which brought God to say this to Noach.
Firstly, after 120 years of Ark construction, it was apparent that no one was
repenting. Secondly, there had been one other righteous person, Noach’s
grandfather Metushelach (Methuselah), who passed away right before God’s
declaration to Noach that he is the only righteous person alive today. Kli
Yakar even suggests the declaration came after Noach’s 7 days of mourning (his
father had died 5 years earlier, leaving him as the sole mourner for his
grandfather), because there was a thought that people who witnessed the death
and mourning over the righteous Metushelach would be inspired to return to God.
Of course, this didn’t happen.
Kli Yakar returns to his interpretation from the end of Chapter 6, that Noach was immune to the temptation of robbery, which is what the Torah claims brought about the flood.
And while this is certainly an
admirable trait of Noach – perhaps even a divine trait in his day – this is the
type of thing that is no outstanding accomplishment in a world where people
understand that what is mine is mine and what is your is yours until currency
and therefore ownership exchanges hands.
It is certainly possible that
had Noach lived in another time he would have been an amazing man. But the
focus in our verse (7:1) seems to pinpoint his specific generation. And if
indeed he had no friends worthy of being saved, and not even his family to save
were it not for his own merit, then he was unique in his own time.
Was there ever a time when there
were bad people when there were not good people as well? Was there ever a time
when there was only one person who lived in a moral high ground?
God has the right to judge all
the persons of the world. He made them. They owe their lives to him. But we who
all sin through the year, who all experience Yom Kippur, are not Noachs, not in
our generation nor in any generation.
Kohelet (7:20) said, “There is
no human tzaddik in the land who does good but does not sin.” It seems in this
sense, that Noach was very unique. We have the benefit of thousands of years of
distance, tradition, and commentary to look at Noach however we want to. We can
read the verses one way and say he never sinned. We can read them another way
and say he was nothing to write home about.
In our generation, obviously,
sins, in the eyes of man, are by degree. Some are the type people shrug off,
some merely raise eyebrows, and some are viewed as heinous and despicable.
Opinions are always going to be formed about the actions of others. But before
we publish our opinions or scream from the top of the mountain, we need to ask
ourselves how self-righteous we really are.
“I may not be perfect but I’m
better than that person.” I don’t defend sins of a religious nature, and
certainly not of a criminal nature. But I wonder how many people who rush to
defame sinners would stand the Noach test – Noach who had not a single friend
or family member who merited to be saved from the flood, were it not for his
merit in his generation.
No comments:
Post a Comment