‘Parsha Growth Spurts’
Rabbi Dani Staum
Parshas Noach 5774
“Noach was a righteous man, complete in his generation…” (Bereishis 6:9)
Rav Samson Rafael Hirsch explains that a tzaddik is one who is always focusing on what is right and just, and does not focus on his own interests. A tamim (complete person) is one who strives to fulfill his own potential. He never rests spiritually, but is always building himself, step by step.
The Torah stresses that Noach was tamim “in his generation” because “it is incomparably more difficult to remain moral in immoral times than to remain honest in dishonest times!” The fact that Noach remained a tamim despite the moral corruption surrounding him, was a greater accomplishment than the fact that he remained a tzaddik – honest and upright, in a dishonest society.
We live in a society in which morality is under attack. Only one who strives to be a tamim can withstand the spiritual tempest.
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“Hashem said to Noach ‘the end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with robbery through them…” (Bereishis 6:13)
Rav Shmuel Berenbaum zt’l (B’korei Shemo) notes the difference between what occurred in Sefer Yonah and what happened with Noach. Hashem dispatched Yonah to warn the people of Ninveh of the impending doom that would befall them if they didn’t repent. His instruction to Noach however, was only that he construct an ark in the hope that the people would question its purpose, and then perhaps repent.
He answers that one who has negative middos and does not seek to improve himself, is virtually doomed to remain that way. He will be so dominated by his desires and emotions that he will lack the ability to exercise his free choice properly.
The people of Ninveh had committed numerous sins that made them worthy of retribution. As people however, their character traits had not become completely corrupt. Therefore Hashem sent Yonah to help them realize how iniquitous they had become. In the time of Noach however, the generation had become so corrupt that it became part of their identity. At that point there was no hope that they would do teshuva. The only hope was that seeing the ark being constructed would jolt them to want to to change themselves, in the hope of saving themselves from their dire fate.
Rav Berenbaum concludes that if negative characters are so damaging, the influence of good middos is that much greater. The only way one can work to improve his middos is by acting as a ba’al middos. Even if he has not yet reached the level where his actions are genuine, the external acts will penetrate his heart until he indeed develops into a true ba’al middos.
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“On that very day Noach came, with Shem, Cham, and Yefes, Noach’s sons… into the Ark.” (Bereishis 7:13)
Rav Avrohom Shain (Birchas Ish) points out that there is no tropp (cantellation marks) under the name ‘Shem’, causing it to be read together with the names ‘Chom’ and ‘Yefes’. This is an anomaly because there is no other place in the Torah where two names are read together with one tropp. Furthermore, in the four other instances when the names of all three of Noach’s sons are mentioned (and an additional time in Divrei Hayamim), Shem is read apart from Chom and Yefes.
Rav Shain explains that when there is a ‘rabbi in the family’, i.e. one sibling who is more devout than his siblings, the less devout siblings are likely to maintain their distance from their scholarly brother, especially if the scholarly brother chastises them for things they do wrong. However, if, G-d forbid, tragedy strikes, and natural means have failed to help the situation, the brothers will call on their more righteous sibling and seek his advice in finding a spiritual approach to overcoming the tragedy. But as soon as the situation improves they will often again recede from the connection they developed with their brother, and again maintain their distance from him.
Perhaps this is what the Torah is subtly alluding to in Parshas Noach. As a rule Cham and Yefes felt somewhat uncomfortable by their rabbinic brother’s sagacity and righteousness and maintained their distance. However, when they were about to enter the Ark and the devastation of the world was at hand, they became fearful and sought to attach themselves with Shem. Then as soon as the flood was over and they emerged from the Ark, they again distanced themselves from Shem.
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