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The Torah introduces Noah as an “Eish Tzaddik Ta’mim Ha’yah B’dorotov/Righteous person in his generation (Gen.6:9).” The reader is informed that the God of creation has lost patience with the corrupt nature of humankind. So much so that God will bring a flood upon earth to destroy all living creatures. . . and then start over! Noah is chosen to build an ark to preserve at least a remnant of God’s initial creation.
What makes Noah so special? As noted above, he is described as a righteous person, but then, again, only in his generation implying that in other generations he may be considered otherwise! Rabbi Lawrence Kushner notes, “unlike Abraham and Moses, Noah never protested God’s harsh decree-not so much as even one peep. How righteous could a man be who watched the destruction of an entire generation in silence?”
When God vowed to destroy the population of Sodom and Gomorroh, Abraham argued for the lives of the innocent people who lived there. When the ancient Israelites built their golden calf at Mt. Sinai, Moses argued against God’s decision to destroy this evil people. When God reveals to Noah his plan to destroy humankind, Noah agrees to build an ark and save himself! The Hasidic tradition disdainfully calls Noah a tzaddik im pelz/a righteous person in a fur coat!
Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev (1740-1809) tries to understand Noah’s character by suggesting there are two kinds of tzadikim/righteous people: 1) The “run-of-the-mill” righteous person who can usually be depended upon to do the right thing, and 2) the righteous person who possesses the moral fiber to go “above-and-beyond” the mere requirements of the moment. Kushner concludes, “What enables a true tzaddik to rise in the defense of the world-even when that world is uniformly and unrepentantly evil-is an expression of one’s own self-worth.”
Noah adhered to God’s command and did what he was asked. Levi Yitzhak suggests what held Noah back was his humility. . . “Who am I to disagree with God?!” Lawrence Kushner adds, “Every real tzaddik, sooner or later, needs a little bit of arrogance.” There are moments in life when one is called to abandon even the attribute of humility in the interest of saving lives physically, and metaphysically. Noah’s level of righteousness is worthy of mention, but not celebration!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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