Noah and Tzedek A text sheet inspired by The Mussar Commentary

What does it mean to be צדיק - righteous?

Ramban on Genesis 6:9:2

HE WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN AND WHOLE-HEARTED. Scripture mentions that he was guiltless and perfect in his righteousness in order to inform us that he was worthy to be saved from the flood without any punishment whatever since he was whole-hearted in righteousness. For a tzadik (a righteous person) is one who is found guiltless in judgment as opposed to the wicked person.... Noah was a righteous man, meaning that he was neither a man of violence nor one who perverted his ways as did the guilty ones of his generation, it further said that he walked with the glorious Name, fearing Him alone. He was not enticed by the astrologers, enchanters and soothsayers, and surely not by idolatry, and he paid no heed to them at all; to G-d alone he did always cleave, and he walked in the way G-d chose or taught him for he was a prophet.

Sanhedrin 108a

§ With regard to the verse: “These are the generations of Noah; Noah was a righteous man, and wholehearted in his generations” (Genesis 6:9), Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Relative to the other people of his generation he was righteous and wholehearted, but not relative to those of other generations. And Reish Lakish says: In his generation he was righteous and wholehearted despite being surrounded by bad influences; all the more so would he have been considered righteous and wholehearted in other generations.

Midrash Tanchuma Noach 5:6

(6) Make yourself an ark of acacia-wood (Gen. 6:14). R. Huna said in the name of R. Yosé: The Holy One, blessed be He, forewarned the generation of the flood to repent its misdeeds for one hundred and twenty years. When they refused to repent, He commanded Noah to build an ark of acacia-wood. Then Noah arose, repented his sins, and planted cedar trees. They asked him: “What are these cedars for?” “The Holy One, blessed be He, intends to bring a flood upon the earth, and He has ordered me to build an ark so that I and my family might escape,” he replied. They laughed at him and ridiculed his words. Nevertheless, he tended the trees till they grew large. Once again they asked him: “What are you doing?” He repeated what he had told them previously, but they continued to mock him. After some time, he cut down the trees and sawed them into lumber. Again they inquired: “What are you doing?” He warned them once again as to what would happen, but they still refused to repent. Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, brought the flood upon them, as it is said: And they were blotted out from the earth (Gen. 7:23).

"Tzedek--Justice: Noah as Tzaddik" by Rabbi Andy Kahn, in

Block, Rabbi Barry. The Mussar Torah Commentary: A Spiritual Path to Living a Meaningful and Ethical Life (p. 13-14). CCAR Press.

We may compare the generation of the Flood to the rest of the world prior to Noah’s birth. Just as there was no order to agriculture, the humans of that world were depraved. Just as there were no agricultural tools, the humans of that world were impeded in accomplishing right action. In short, the people of the generation of the flood were unable to behave justly and act upon the information they were granted. When confronted with a person with clear purpose who is working toward a specific end in the name of a divine command, their only response is ridicule....

In the face of ridicule, Noah stuck to his mission and continued to do the work he knew was necessary. He used his tools to sharpen and refine his task, while those around him continued to try to undermine his confidence and his work—and, finally, once his task had been accomplished and they realized they had been mistaken, his mockers attempted to destroy him.

The many components of justice

Sanhedrin 32b:6-7

As it is taught in a baraita: When the verse states: “Justice, justice, shall you follow,” one mention of “justice” is stated with regard to judgment and one is stated with regard to compromise. How so? Where there are two boats traveling on the river and they encounter each other, if both of them attempt to pass, both of them sink, as the river is not wide enough for both to pass. If they pass one after the other, both of them pass. And similarly, where there are two camels who were ascending the ascent of Beit Ḥoron, where there is a narrow steep path, and they encounter each other, if both of them attempt to ascend, both of them fall. If they ascend one after the other, both of them ascend. How does one decide which of them should go first? If there is one boat that is laden and one boat that is not laden, the needs of the one that is not laden should be overridden due to the needs of the one that is laden. If there is one boat that is close to its destination and one boat that is not close to its destination, the needs of the one that is close should be overridden due to the needs of the one that is not close. If both of them were close to their destinations, or both of them were far from their destinations, impose a compromise between them to decide which goes first, and the owners of the boats pay a fee to one other, i.e., the owners of the first boat compensate the owner of the boat that waits, for any loss incurred.

"Tzedek--Justice: Noah as Tzaddik" by Rabbi Andy Kahn

Unbending confidence like Noah’s can be quite dangerous when taken in the wrong direction. A key element of tzedek is discernment, based on a foundational sense of justice, as well as a willingness to compromise toward the ultimate goal.... Further, as Rabbi Kaufmann Kohler wrote, “The Jewish principle of justice... includes love and mercy. . . . It claims the surplus of the rich for the poor, the help of the strong for the feeble, of the fortunate for the unfortunate, not as a mere gift of condescending charity or befriending sympathy, but as a command and a condition of a divine readjustment.”

What is the relationship between justice and compromise? Between justice and order?

"Tzedek--Justice: Noah as Tzaddik" by Rabbi Andy Kahn

The middah of tzedek, then, requires discernment from a place of compassion. We see this kind of discernment displayed in Noah’s continual willingness to ask his fellow human beings to repent and to prepare for the flood. Embodying justice, then, is not meant to be harsh or to lack empathy, but instead to move with confidence in the direction of our highest moral truths, while maintaining compassion for others. Tzedek can then be summarized as the quality of being able both to discern one’s place in the world and to act skillfully and compassionately, regardless of the popularity of one’s discernment. Tzedek is a confident sense of directed moral mission. To readdress the proverb Tzadik y’sod olam (see above), tzedek is the ability to bring into being our individual foundational truths; to manifest our individual, unique Torah in the world.

Questions for reflection, from the Mussar Torah Commentary:

1) When have you backed down from something you had determined to be right? What led you to back down? How can you prepare yourself to be more steadfast in the future?

2) When have you pushed too hard without compromise? How can you prepare yourself to be open to compromise without fully giving up on your belief?

3) In what small way can you begin to implement something you know is necessary and right today? What single steps can you take over the next days, weeks, or months to begin the process?