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Noach

These are the children of Noach, Noach was a righteous man

"The main children of the tzaddikim are their good deeds." (Rashi) To understand the concept of good deeds being called children, we will first explain the passuk in our parshah (6:13): " ..because the earth was filled with corruption (chamas)." - Their final judgment was only sealed because of robbery. (Rashi) The idea that the world's judgment to be destroyed was only finalized by g-d because of robbery must also be understood. Now, a person must be cautious and concentrate his heart in all the good deeds he performs, to protect them from all outside impurities that may try to seize them. This is the intention of the passuk in Tehillim (119:122) guarantee good for your servant; do not let the wicked oppress me. This is also the concept of a mitzvah that has come through an aveira (mitzvah haba b'aveira), meaning; the mitzvah has come into the hands of aveira and the forces of evil. With this we can explain the mishnas term (succah 3:1)A stolen lulav, to mean that the mitzvah of lulav was stolen by the outside forces. It is known that the mitzvah of tallis is compared to a surrounding light which can protect one from outside influence. In the prayer said before donning the tallis we say: "... it shall protect my soul from the outside forces and the tallis should spread its wings on them like the eagle (nesher) stirs her nest (kee-no), above her young (gozlav) she hovers (ye-racheff)." Eagle/nesher: the word nesher represents the first letters of "nun (fifty) sha'arei (gates) rachamim (of mercy). Nest/kee-no: The letters of kee-no have the same numerical value as the name Yoseph (156).

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Her young/goz-lav: Goz-lav can also mean that which was stolen, referring to good deeds that are stolen by the outside forces. She hovers/ye-racheff: Rachef has the numerical value of 288, hinting to the 288 sparks of holiness which fell at the time of creation that need to be raised to the "yud"(its source of holiness). We can also understand the following passuk in shemos (23:1) in a similar vane: "You shall not utter a false report (shema shav); do not place your hand with the wicked to be a corrupt (chamas) witness." ...a false report /shema shav: Shema/report can refer to the reading of the shema. Meaning, even when reading the shema, which in itself is a great protection from the outside forces, one must be careful that it not be stolen thereby becoming a "false" shema. to be a corrupt (chamas) witness (eid): The word eid is spelled with the letters ayin and daled, this refers to the shema which is written in the torah with the ayin of the word shema and the daled of the word echad enlarged. Meaning, when one has the wicked together with his hand in his actions, even his shema will become corrupt (chamas). The generation of the flood had become so corrupt that even the good deeds and merit they had were blemished by outside forces. This is what is meant by the passukbecause the earth was filled with corruption (chamas) through them, meaning, all their actions have become corrupt through the opposing forces. Therefore, their final judgment to be destroyed was a result of the robbery and corruption of their deeds. The tzaddik, however, is called complete. This is because all of his good deeds ascend in completion without blemish. Not only is the tzaddik successful in protecting his deeds from any outside influence, the tzaddik is even successful at rescuing that which has already been stolen by the outside forces. This is alluded to in the passuk (B'reishis 8:11): "And the dove came to him in the evening time; and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked (taraf) olive-leaf." And the dove came to him: The holy shechina is referred to as a dove (yonah). ...in the evening time: In the evening, the shechina comes to the tzaddik and accepts all of his good deeds that were done during the daytime. ...a freshly plucked (taraf) olive-leaf: Meaning, even the taraf, whose numerical value symbolizes the 288 sparks of holiness that are possessed by the outside forces, are in its mouth. The tzaddik, through his perfection, is able to draw goodness to the world. This is alluded to in the verses where g-d commands Noach regarding the animals that were to be brought into the teiva (B'reishis 6:19).

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"And of every living thing of all flesh, bring two of each kind into the teiva, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female." ...two of each kind: This refers to the tzaddik who has a double portion in his ability to bestow both livelihood and holiness to B'nei Yisrael. ...to keep them alive: Through the drawing down of these blessings, the tzaddik is called the one who gives life to all. ...they shall be male and female: This is a reference to the supernal union of the male and female aspects of the sefiros. It is through this union that the tzaddik draws down his blessings and the blessings are therefore considered as the children of this union. This is what is meant by our original term; "The main children of the tzaddikim are their good deeds." Meaning, through the good deeds that the tzaddikim perform in perfection, they are able to bring blessings into the world.

Noach was a righteous man, he was complete, in his generation

"There are those that expound this for the good and those that expound for the bad....had he been in the generation of Avraham he would not have been considered as anything." (Rashi) We must understand how it is possible to expound the passuk to be belittling Noach. After all, Noach was a Tzaddik as stated clearly in the passuk. Is there a universal measurement given to all tzaddikim? However, the ways of the tzaddikim are to always be considered in their own eyes as nothing. Of g-d it is said; "wherever you find his greatness, there you will find his humbleness". Therefore, when the tzaddikim are attached to g-d, they share the same quality. Although the tzaddikim are aware of all the good deeds that they have done, they still do not consider themselves as anything. This concept can be learned from Avraham, who said to g-d; (B'reishis 18:27) "Behold, I have taken it upon myself to speak, who am I but dust and ashes." Meaning, although I am able to speak with g-d directly, I still consider myself to be nothing. This is also hinted to Avraham in g-d's promise following the akeida; (B'reishis 22:27)"I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore." Meaning, even when they will be as great and high as the stars, they will still consider themselves as worthless as the sand on the seashore. Similarly, when Haman was informed regarding the Jews; When they ascend, they ascend to the heavens and when they fall, they fall to the earth. Meaning, even when the Jews ascend to the greatest heights, they consider themselves to be as low as the earth.

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Now, this quality that the Jewish nation possesses was handed down to us by our father Avraham. This is what the passuk is hinting to (Yeshaya 41:8); The offspring (zera) of Avraham who loved g-d, the sons of Yaakov your chosen ones. Meaning, Avraham showed his love by planting (mazria) his good qualities into the children of Yaakov your chosen ones. Returning to our passuk Noach was a tzaddik. The midrash tells us that Noach was aware of the fact that he was a tzaddik. Therefore, that which Noach considered himself a tzaddik is in itself a reason to diminish Noachs greatness, for had he been living in the generation of Avraham he would have learned from his qualities. This is the meaning of the Rashi; had he been in the generation of Avraham he would not have been considered as anything." Meaning, he would have been considered as nothing in his own eyes, like Avraham who said who am I but dust and ashes.

because the earth was filled with corruption

"Their final judgment was only sealed because of robbery." (Rashi) How do we understand the severity of the robbery amongst the generation of the flood? Are the lives and possessions of the wicked so precious to g-d? Why should they be considered worse then the beasts in the forest who are constantly tearing at each other and are not considered as sinners? The Midrash tells us, that when Avraham met Shem the son of Noach, he asked him; "How is it that you were saved from the waters of the flood and the great wrath of g-d that was present at that time?" Shem replied; "I know of no reason other then that which we were merciful with the birds, animals and beasts. All our days in the teiva we were occupied with the needs of each and every one of them." Now, Shem was telling Avraham, that through their merciful actions that they were constantly occupied with in the teiva, they were influencing the heavenly attribute of mercy to be drawn onto themselves. This is as we say; "Man and animal are saved by g-d." Meaning; man, in the merit of the animals, was saved. The same merit that had protected Noach and his family would have been able to save the entire generation. That is, had the generation of the flood only been compassionate with one another, they would have inspired the heavens to be merciful with them. However, since the world was filled with corruption, they lacked the necessary compassion to be saved from the wrath of g-d. Hence, their final judgment to be destroyed was only because of robbery, as Rashi states.

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Make a window (tzohar) for the teiva

The letters of the Torah were given to us with the ability to reconfigure the letters of its words. It is said about Betzalel's wisdom that he had the knowledge to combine the letters. The tzaddikim are able to use this wisdom to convert words with negative connotations into words of will and blessings. Words like negga (spelled "nun/gimmel/ayin"), meaning plague, can become oneg, which means pleasure. The word tzarra (spelled "tzaddi/reish/heh"), meaning tragedy, can also spell the word r'tzei, which means desire. It is for this reason that we insert the additional prayer for fast days before the blessing of r'tzei in the silent shmoneh esrei. The last word of the additional prayer is tzarra and we immediately continue with the word r'tzei. Now in regard to Noach, although he himself was saved from the flood, he did not have the ability to turn the entire generation's tragedy into desire (tzarra to r'tzei). Therefore, he made a tzohar (spelled tzaddi/heh/reish), a window that can shine into the teiva for himself but not outwards to the rest of the world.

And Noach went in, and his sons, and his wife
"Even Noach was amongst those who were lacking faith (emana)." (Rashi) It is very difficult to understand how Noach was considered as someone whose faith was lacking. The Torah itself testifies that g-d had spoken to Noach on many occasions. However, it is known that Noach was mistaken in that he did not attempt to pray on behalf of his generation. Had Noach pleaded with g-d on the worlds behalf, he might have been able to save them from destruction. The source of Noach's error was that he considered himself to be small in the eyes of g-d. Noach did not believe that g-d desired his prayers and did not believe in his ability to change that which has already been decreed by g-d. Furthermore, Noach thought that it would be against the will of g-d to nullify his decree. Now, the truth is, g-d desires very strongly for the tzaddikim to nullify all bad decrees. Avraham demonstrated this when he attempted to save Sedom. Moshe also pleaded with g-d not to punish the Jewish people after serving the golden calf. In fact, this has been done since the very creation of the world, as we are taught; (Rashi, B'reishis 1:1) "Originally it arose in his thought to create the world with the attribute of judgment. When he saw that the world would not survive, he started the world with the attribute of mercy and later partnered it with the attribute of judgment." The tzaddikim are called partners in the creation of the world. This is because the world would not have been able to exist with the attribute of judgment alone and the tzaddik is constantly

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awakening and restoring the attribute of mercy in heaven. This is why only the name Elokim is used during the creation of the world. The name associated with g-d's mercy is only used after the Torah hints to Avraham by stating; "These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created (b'hebaram=Avraham)". Therefore, the midrash means to say that g-d, who created the world with judgment, partnered with the tzaddikim who are always awakening the attribute of mercy to save the world from harsh judgments. The word for complete faith is emunah, spelled "alef/mem/vav/nun/heh". The rearranging of these letters can also spell "amen, vav/heh". The word amen has the numerical value of YHVH and ADONAI. Meaning, true faith is to believe in the union of g-d's names. The letters vav/heh also represents g-d's union. The holy Zohar says that Yaakov and Yoseph are called two vavs because the vav symbolizes the tzaddik. When the Torah mentions Avraham's faith, it says "and he believed (v'he'emin) in god". The word v'he'emin is complete with all the letters of emunah to symbolize Avraham's complete faith. Regarding Noach however, Rashi tells us that he was lacking in his faith, faith written as "emana", missing the vav. Since Noach did not believe in the power of the tzaddikim to nullify g-d's decrees, the vav was missing from his faith. We can now understand why it is written regarding Noach; "Elokim guided Noach". Meaning, Noach walked together with g-d without objection. However, regarding Avraham it is written "Walk before me..". Meaning, Avraham knew of his power as a tzaddik to decree and to nullify decrees.

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