"These are the generations of Noach, Noach…" (Bereshit 6:9-10). Why does the Torah write "Noach, Noach…?" Because each calling of the tzaddik's name represents a different power of the soul that are brought together - one from this world and the other from the next world. Rashi explains that the words of the pasuk, "These are the generations of Noach," refers to the tzaddik's fulfillment of the commandments and his good deeds. Because that's what continues on after the tzaddik; through his actions he brings the spiritual power of the next world into this world. Thus, a person needs to fix his actions till he unites his two dwellings places - the one in this world and the other in the next world. And that's what it means that Noach "was pure in his generations (dorotov)." This can also be read "dirotov," "he was pure in his dwellings," each complemented the other. Because he brought together his dwelling in the next world with his dwelling in this world and thus the Torah writes: "Noach, Noach." And this is why Noach is called Shabbat, because he joined the spiritual perfection of Shabbat to the righteousness of action in this world to make himself complete (Sefat Emet 24).
Noach
Reb Shlomo Minyan HarNof
(R. Raphael, email: [email protected])
The Tzaddik And Shabbat, Resting In Hashem
The tzaddik or righteous one is yesod olam, the foundation of the world, the connection between the spiritual and the physical. This is referred to as "standing in his righteousness" because the tzaddik stands between heaven and earth, and his standing implies strength, perseverance. The Zohar calls Noach the Shabbat. And the Torah hints at it when it says that "Hashem rested (nach) on the seventh day." Because the rest we find on the Shabbat results from attaching ourselves to the spiritual root and this brings an end to the toil of the six days of the week. This is like the tzaddik who is in the world and yet stands in Hashem's presence. And one is called tzaddik precisely when there is opposition, as in a judgment where one comes out justified. This is why Noach is called the Shabbat, because he stood in connectedness in the midst of turmoil (Sefat Emet).
The Spiritual Renewal
Noach was not able to be a redeemer of his generation like Avraham. But Noach nevertheless had great merit in his own generation, attaching himself completely to Hashem in a time of corruption. This is connected to what the Torah says, that on the sixth day of creation when Hashem was putting His seal on creation. He said that it was "tov meod (very good)." This means that even in a wicked generation like Noach's, Hashem looks for some surviving aspect of good in order to give an opening for the world to continue to exist; that he would make "good" from the remainder - "mi-od." And Hashem saw in Noach the preparation for coming generations because Noach clung to righteousness. Thus, even though the effect of his holiness was constricted - Noach did not reach out to others in his service to Hashem - still he was made the beginning of the coming era of redemption. In this way Noach is likened to what it says in Pirkei Avot, that Hashem could create the whole world with one saying or even with the narrowness of Noach's righteousness. And this brings the world to Avraham, whose reach extended to the furthest depths in trying to pull people out of evil. And this is what it means that Hashem created the world with ten sayings. Because Avraham is the spreading of holiness out to the whole world and through not just in narrowness. This is why Avraham merited the reward of all the generations preceding him. He took the potential that was unrealized and gave it form through Torah and tefillah (Sefat Emet 25).
The Saving Grace Of Giving
"The end of all flesh has come before Me because the land is filled with violence." This tells us that the natural outcome of those who perpetrate violence is that they bring destruction upon themselves. Onkelus translates "chamas" (translated above as violence) as grabbing the things of others. If the punishment of a generation of takers was flood, that which could redeem was its opposite, giving. This is why Noach was occupied at all times with providing for all the animals in the ark. This aspect of giving is the sustaining spirit of the ark. It is the brightness of the "tzohar," the precious stone that provided light even in the enclosure of the teva.
But we should note that one only needs saving if he is in danger. Why couldn't Noach have escaped to the Land of Israel which was spared from the flood? (Zevachim 113b). Somehow his merit did not reach there and this is why he needed protection in the ark. This is because his giving was done out of a sense of propriety and obligation - not like the chassidut of Avraham Avinu who had a constant desire to do kindness even to the point of feeling destitute if he could not discover a new opportunity.
Thus, while Noach served Hashem within the middot, doing according to the worldly portion that was measured out to him, Avraham went beyond the aspect of measure. His only consideration was to spread an awareness of the glory of Heaven. This is why Avraham merited the Land of Yisrael. For only he who is constantly giving gains the power of vision that allows him to see that Hashem is continuously pouring out kindness. When one looks from such a perspective, the flood has no reality, there is only giving regardless of the conditions. But Noach wasn't on this level and therefore he required the ark that protected from the flood and put him in a situation where he could be saved requiring of him to be constantly involved in giving. (Michtav M'Eliahu, II p. 155)
Even The Righteous Need To Go Out From Constriction
When the flood subsided, Hashem said to Noach, "Go out from the ark," free yourself from the constrictions of your soul. Because the power of speech that had been given when Hashem breathed a living (speaking - Targum) soul into man had been in exile during the time of Adam. So too, Noach did not turn to Hashem to save his generation even as the flood approached. But with Avraham, prayer became a real force in the world and with Avraham the era of Torah begins. He is the root of the revelation of speech, which is the crowning of the tzaddikim.
Before the coming of Avraham, the world was run according to a straight standard of good and evil. But in that "order," mankind had deteriorated from being most good till they became only wicked, as we see in the time of Noach. Noach withstood the influence of his time, clinging to a higher will, and because of this he is called righteous. But he lacked the aspect which is called tzaddik b'aretz, the one whose righteousness reaches out beyond himself to raise up the land. Thus, while Noach depended on Hashem's accompanying support to stay righteous, Avraham Avinu raised righteousness to its ultimate height, constantly seeking new ways of expressing the Creator's will in the world. (Sefat Emet)
Zohar On Noach
Noach was righteous before Me only relative to his generation.
We have been taught that when the world is full of sin and doomed to destruction, woe to the righteous found in it, for he is first to pay. How then was Noach saved? The doom couldn't reach him because he was securely stored in the ark and concealed from sight. "Seek righteousness, seek humility. Then it may be that you'll be hidden away in the day of the Lrd's anger" (Zephania 2:3) Because Noach sought righteousness he was permitted to enter the ark and thus be safe from the Adversary. (Zohar 67b)
"Noach and his sons went in…" "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him, says the Lrd (Jeremiah 23:24). I have created all the chasms and caverns. I have made darkness and light. How then can you think to hide yourselves from Me?" When a man sins before Hashem and uses all devices to conceal himself, Hashem chastises him openly. Should he, however, purify himself of his sins, Gd will then shield him so that he won't be visible in the day of the fierce wrath of the Lrd. (Zohar 68a)
The concept of being hidden in the teva means being totally absorbed in the spiritual source even though the whole world is destroyed. From this he receives new life from the Source of life. And this is why Noach is called Shabbat, since this is the source of our constant renewal (Sefat Emet 22).
Without proper preparation enlightenment becomes intoxication "And Noach planted a vineyard and became drunk." And the Zohar says that Noach was trying to fix the sin of Adam when he ate from the tree of knowledge. But why did Noach fail? Wasn't he called a righteous man? The Ishbitzer says that the ark that carried Noach through the flood protected him in spite of his being flawed. And we see later that Avraham indeed, achieves a radically different kind of service to Hashem. So then how could Noach be called righteous? The answer is that relative to the era which Hashem came to judge, Noach stood the test. He had reached a certain kind of perfection, guarding himself from the drunkenness of his own time. But after the flood - when the world had entered a new reality that already carried a much higher potential that was to be fulfilled by Avraham with the awakening of the voice of prayer, for this, Noach was totally unprepared. Noach knew how to keep corruption at bay. He had connected himself to the Source. But he didn't comprehend the length or breadth of the new awareness of holiness that Hashem intended for the world. When Noach awoke in the era of Avraham, when he opened his daat through the power of wine, he did not have the vessels to contain the powerful light of the era that would give birth to Avraham. He who embodied uprightness became intoxicated and the most debasing abuse was able to enter into his midst.
The lesson we need to take from this is that a person has to always look at himself anew; always be ready to move towards the spiritual expression that is authentically required. If he wants to rest on his laurels, even if he wants to enter the new but insists on relying on his old strengths, he can blind himself to the weaknesses he is clinging to. There is no final way to be. There is only to respond to Hashem's will, whatever it is. The light that Noach thought he could channel with his tried and tested righteousness left him in a debauched stupor. But it is this same light for which Avraham created a vessel of holiness. Avraham became a chariot, a living and fluid expression, ever offering himself anew to reveal, in this world, Hashem's limitless will.
Noach And Moshe Rabbeinu
The waters of the flood that wiped out the generation of Noach are called "Mei Noach," the waters of Noach. This name for the flood has the same letters as Moshe Rabbeinu's response when Hashem threatened to destroy the Jewish people after the sin of the Calf. Moshe said, "Yamcheni." If you would destroy B'nei Yisrael, then "blot me out!" Gd had told Moshe "Let Me alone and I will make you a great nation" (Shemot 32:10) And Moshe responded, "Shall I abandon Yisrael for myself." But Noach saved himself and his household in the ark in the face of universal destruction at the time of the flood. He did not intercede for his generation but let them perish. That is why the waters of the flood are called after Noah - "these are the waters of Noach" (Isaiah 54:9)
Thus Moshe "brought us up out of the sea" (Isaiah 63:11). He led them through the depths when the waters were split, and this achievement is ascribed to Moshe because he risked his life for Yisrael (Zohar 67b).
The Promise Of Youth
"Noach walked with Hashem." The midrash says that this means that Noach needed Hashem's help, as contrasted with Avraham who walked before Hashem. And this indicates that Avraham didn't wait for Hashem's prodding before acting. Still, we don't need to judge Noach - the creation simply wasn't ready yet for Avraham's trait of being a chassid, one who is always going beyond what is given to do more for Hashem. Noach was the tzaddik of his generation. Because the beginning is tohu - chaos - like a person's youth, when he is just starting his life. Naturally, Hashem has to defend and guard the Gdly point in each of our souls and this was like saving Noach from the degradation of his times. But once that point is firmly established, the power of soul then suffuses the entire person till he comes to traits that are like the Avot and Moshe Rabbeinu, who received the Torah (Sefat Emet 25).
Stemming The Flood Of Desire
Why did Gd punish the generation of Noach with the flood? Because they separated the lower waters from the upper waters, the desire that is strictly physical from the desire that is based on the spiritual (see Zohar 62a).
Thus the Torah says that Lemach had two wives, Adah and Tzilah (Bereshit 4:19). Rashi explains, based on the midrash, that it was the custom of the generation preceding the flood to have two wives - one strictly for procreation, the other for pleasure. The one for procreation is represented by Adah, which in Aramaic means "turned away." She experienced her marriage as neglect, widowhood. By contrast, the name Tzilah is related to "tzel," shadow - the wife for pleasure was always in Lemach's shadow or presence. While she was fed the finest foods and dressed like a bride, she was given a drink that stopped her fertility at its root. Thus, Lemach's wives represent cutting off of the upper waters (the wife that gives life) from the lower waters (the partner of pleasure), when these two aspects are meant to complement each other. The punishment that the generation suffered as a result was to be overwhelmed by the waters of desire, the boiling waters that rose from the depths below and flooded to annihilation by the waters that burst forth from their exile above.
Noach is called tzaddik because he stood fast in his principles against the evil of his time. By turning away from the practices of his generation he merited to carry on life after the flood. This is like a youth who in the throes of his maturation stays connected to essential goodness. Even though he cannot perfect himself at this time, he locks away something precious of himself which will be the seed of his later spiritual development.
A person can change his mazal, i.e., what is his portion from Heaven. Thus, while the tzaddik is one who perfects what has initially been given, devoting everything he has to Hashem, the chassid is one whose desire is to constantly expand the bounds of serving Hashem, and because of this he is granted new abilities from Heaven. This explains why Noach's being called a tzaddik can be interpreted for praise or for criticism. On one hand he took everything he had and devoted it to Hahsem, but on the other hand he lacked the middah of the chassid, whose life's purpose is always seeking new ways to give. In terms of the latter, Noach, the tzaddik, was lacking (Michtav M'Eliyahu 2:158)
Mitzvot
According to Sefer HaChinuch there are no mitzvot in parashat Noach.
At A Glance