<I>Noach</I>: One Man is an Island - Judaism

Each year, there ensues a "flood" of debate about our sedra's protagonist, Noach. Was he a tzaddik or not? True, the Torah calls him righteous, even "perfect," but only in his

The Arizal sees Moshe's pro-active prayer as a tikkun.

own generation; put him among other spiritual superstars and Noach suddenly doesn't seem so grand.

The comparison is always made between Noach and Avraham, the Torah's next hero, who actually overlapped for 10 years with Noach. Avraham, unlike Noach, convinced lots of other people (at least on the surface) to accept One G-d. Avraham also cried out (though unsuccessfully) for Sodom's safety, rather than keeping quiet, a la Noach.

In a subtle indictment of Noach's behavior, the prophet Yeshayahu calls the Flood Mei Noach, the "waters of Noach."

Rabbi Ari Kahn prefers to compare Noach more with Moshe than with Avraham. In fact, he suggests, Moshe may actually be destined to rectify Noach's actions - or lack thereof. Moshe is also saved by an "ark," albeit a much tinier one. And he will live to the age of 120, the exact number of years Noach spent building the Ark, without being able to convince anyone other than his family to repent and "get on board."

And when Moshe pleads (successfully) with Hashem to spare B'nei Yisrael after the sin of the Golden Calf, he says, "M'cheini" - "Blot me out" - of Your book if the Jewish People are excised. The word m'cheini has the same Hebrew letters as Mei Noach. The Arizal sees Moshe's pro-active prayer as a tikkun (correction) for Noach's silence and lack of involvement.

Noach, surrounded as he was by water on all sides, was an absolute Island. Even before the rains started to fall, he lived in isolation. Perhaps this was his strategy for survival. He did not mingle with the other, corrupted people in his generation; he preserved his own

We often are prone to emulate Noach's style.

level of righteousness. But, at the same time, he had no influence whatsoever on his fellow human beings. That is why he is such an ambiguous and conflicted character.

In our own world, we often are prone to emulate Noach's style. We may seek to shelter ourselves behind walls, so we don't have to see - or interact - with other Jews who are "not our type." We shun them, afraid they will "infect" our kids. While insulating ourselves against "unholy influences" can certainly be justified, we will never save a world if we care only for ourselves. It's easy to practice v'ahavta l'reyacha kamocha ("love your neighbor") on a desert isle - but it's not very impressive.

"And a rock feels no pain, and an island never cries." And that - for Noach, and maybe for us, too - is a crying shame.

Judaism	4 Tammuz 5768, July 7, '08

Judaism

Noach: One Man is an Island