‘Parsha Growth Spurts’
Rabbi Dani Staum
Parshas Noach 5773
“ …Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generation, Noach walked with G-d…” (Bereishis 6:9)
The gemara (Sanhedrin 108a) notes that Noach too was implicated in the decree that the world be destroyed. He was spared only because he found favor in the eyes of Hashem (as stated in the final pasuk in Parshas Bereishis).
Similarly, in the Mussaf of Rosh Hashana we state “And also Noach, You remembered with love.”
Why did Noach find favor in the eyes of Hashem?
The gemarah Pesachim (113b) states that there are three types of people that Hashem loves: One who doesn’t become angry, one who doesn’t become intoxicated, and one who doesn’t stand on principle.
A humble person doesn’t feel a sense of entitlement, nor does he demand that everything be done his way; he is patient and tolerant of others. He is not particular about his own honor and he is quick to forgive. Noach was humble and therefore he was also patient (Avodah Zara 6b). That is how he was able to tolerate an entire year in the Ark sustaining all of the animals with complete selflessness and dedication.
Because Noach was humble and unassuming he found favor in the eyes of Hashem. Ultimately it was Noach’s sterling middos and humility which made him worthy to be saved from the ravages of the mabul.
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“The earth became corrupt before G-d…” (Bereishis 6:12)
Ateres Mordechai notes that as long as a sinner knows that he’s iniquitous there is hope that he will eventually repent. When he begins to justify his actions however, there is little chance that he will mend his ways.
This was the greatest danger of the dor hamabul. They had become so pervasively corrupt that they no longer recognized how depraved they were. The land became corrupt “before G-d” for only G-d was aware of how low they had fallen. The people had become so complacent in their sinful lifestyles that they no longer realized how sinful they were. Therefore, there was no hope of spiritual resurgence.
This is an unnerving thought for it has overtures in our time too when immoral lifestyles have become so prevalent, and much of society no longer recognizes how perverse it has become.
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“Of the tahor animals, of the animal that is not tahor… two by two they came to Noach…” (Bereishis 7:9)
The gemara (Pesachim 3b) explains that by writing that the animals were ‘not tahor’ rather than ‘tamei’ the Torah demonstrates the importance of refined speech.
If so, why do we find numerous places where the pasuk writes that animals or people are ‘tamei’, instead of ‘not tahor’?
Dubner Maggid explained with a mashal:
There once lived a poor man who people referred to as ‘Yossel Boor’ (‘Yossel the fool’). On the same block there lived a wealthy philanthropist who was a renowned talmid chochom.
One day someone knocked on the door of the wealthy man’s palatial home and explained to the butler that he was looking for a certain ‘R’ Yosef’. The butler burst into laughter. “You must be referring to ‘Yossel Boor’. He lives across the street in that dilapidated shack.”
After the visitor left the philanthropist admonished the butler. “You should be ashamed of yourself, referring to someone with a shameful nickname.”
A few days later another visitor knocked on the door and introduced himself as a shadchan. He told the philanthropist that R’ Yosef had sent him to suggest his son for the wealthy man’s daughter. The wealthy man jumped up with indignation. “Yossel Boor sent you? Leave my home immediately and never return here again!”
As soon as he left the butler asked his employer to explain his hypocrisy. The wealthy man explained, “There is a big difference between the two situations. When someone was looking for an address, that had no bearing on me and therefore it was inexcusable to utilize a derogatory nickname. When someone proposed a shidduch for my daughter however, that is a very personal matter. I needed to enure that that shadchan understood in no uncertain terms that his proposal was utterly preposterous. In this situation I could not risk being vague by using niceties.”
When the Torah informs us which animals entered the Ark it has no direct bearing on us, and therefore the Torah uses more refined terminology to teach us the importance of doing so. However, when the Torah instructs us about things that render us impure, it cannot afford to be at all vague. There the Torah must emphatically declare that such things are tamei!
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Rabbi Staum can be reached at stamtorah@gmail.com.