Parshat Noach

Rabbi Chaim Landau

Associate Member, Young Israel Council of Rabbis

6 Cheshvan 5760

October 16, 1999

Daf Yomi: Moed Katan 9

The one word sticking out like a sore thumb in the description of Noach’s righteousness, b’dorotav, in his generation, has led many commentators to be critical of this righteous individual (see Rashi, Parshat Noach, Pasuk 9).

So, let us attempt to balance the picture. First of all, let us understand that, as stated in the Talmud of Shabbat, the rabbis didn’t see anything bad even in the animals. So how is it that, regarding Noach, there is a school of Rabbis who view his righteousness as derogatory (g’nai), limiting, and of no great consequence when compared to Abraham?

Let us begin with the commentary of the Ohr HaChaim, because he balances out, more than anyone else, the lower standing of Noach made in comparison to Avraham Avinu. To be more specific, when Noach was told the world was to be destroyed, he offered no prayer, no words in defense of the world; however when Avraham Avinu was told of the impending destruction of Sodom, he immediately prayed, at least until he reached 10 possible righteous people whose existence might have saved that city.

The truth of the matter was that the description of the coming destruction of the world was presented to Noach in a manner much different than the promise to destroy Sodom that was given to Avraham. Look at the text very carefully: to Noach, HaShem said, “the end of all flesh has come before Me.”

It’s a fait accompli! G-d is going to destroy the world - and nothing Noach can say will dent G-d’s sentence. Not even prayer will help. But when Avraham Avinu was presented with the plan for Sodom’s destruction, G-d is not so final. Rather, He says, “I will descend and see.” In fact, I will go down , take a look, decide, and well, perhaps, destroy. Avraham was given a pitchon peh, the possibility, to intercede. Noach wasn’t.

Next, says the Ohr HaChaim, Avraham learned a lesson from Noach, for Avraham could well have asked himself the following: Why is HaShem telling me about His decision to destroy Sodom. After all, does G-d have to tell me everything He’s about to do? And if He sees the need to share such information with me, it must be for one particular purpose - pray!! Intercede!! See if you can make a difference. And that’s exactly what he did.

The lesson he learned from Noach was that he didn’t pray for Sodom once he reached a number under 10, for those saved in the ark of Noach made up a grand total of under 10. So, for less that 10 righteous individuals in a city, one does not pray to stop HaShem from destroying that city.

And when Noach was told the end of the world was nigh and pre-ordained, he did the one thing that was to be expected: save his family, build an ark, include animals - a complete litany of responsibilities, that kept him occupied to the next 120 years!

So in the comparison between Noach and Avraham, any criticism of either is really unwarranted. Both were presented with completely different situations from HaShem and each reacted accordingly and correctly: one had to deal with a certainty: the other, with a possibility.

It is worth mentioning the Maharal of Prague, who in his Gur Aryeh commentary on the Rashi comparing Noach’s righteousness with Avraham’s, concludes that, in fact, everyone agrees about the righteousness of both heroes. Noach is judged qualitatively, Avraham quantitatively. For his generation, given what he had to face, Noach was the most righteous, and deserved being saved by HaShem - he didn’t need to be the most righteous ever, only the best of his times - that is sufficient for HaShem to save him. Surely Avraham may have been a greater figure, but different times demand different responses.

And so, in the comparison of Noach to Avraham, there really isn’t any: both dealt with impending disasters correctly in ways that really do not detract from the righteousness of either, for both understood what they had to do at that particular moment.

Hopefully, our righteousness, too will also be deemed worthy of Divine miracles on our behalf as we, faced with unenviable choices, will also be able to act at those crucial moments, in ways that keep our righteousness intact.

NCYI's Weekly Divrei Torah Bulletin is sponsored by the Henry, Bertha and Edward Rothman Foundation - Rochester, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Circleville, Ohio

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