Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
At the beginning of our parashah, we are told that Noah is a very good person. But the way the Torah tells this to us is a little confusing, because it says Noah is righteous “in his generations.”
אֵ֚לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ׃
This is the story of Noah: Noah was a righteous, pure person in his generations; Noah walked with God.
But what does it mean that Noah is a “righteous, pure person,” specifically “in his generations”?
Why is that important to say? Is it meant to increase our appreciation for Noah’s character, or is it meant as a criticism?
In the Talmud, two Sages disagree about how to understand those words.
א"ר יוֹחָנָן בְּדוֹרוֹתָיו וְלֹא בְּדוֹרוֹת אֲחֵרִים.
וְרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר בְּדוֹרוֹתָיו כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּדוֹרוֹת אֲחֵרִים.
Rabbi Yohanan said: In his generation, but not in other generations.
But Reish Lakish said: In his generation all the more so in other generations.
According to Rabbi Yohanan, this pasuk means that Noah was considered righteous only “in his generations” because the people around him were terrible, and, by comparison, Noah seemed righteous. But if Noah had lived at a time when more righteous people were alive, perhaps Noah would not have stood out as a special person. He only seemed righteous because he lived during a time when everyone else was so bad.
Reish Lakish, however, reads this verse differently, as praise for Noah. According to him, the Torah is telling us that Noah lived righteously despite living during a time of widespread wickedness. Even though Noah was surrounded by bad people, and had no one to encourage or support him, he still found a way to behave righteously without being influenced negatively by those around him.
- What evidence is there for each position in the parashah?
- How can we make sure not to be negatively affected by those around us?
- Can you describe a situation where you faced a challenge because of the way people near you were behaving?
