Not Perfect? That's okay!

“Noach was a complete Tzaddik (righteous man) in his generation,” says the opening verse of this week’s Torah portion.  Note the words “in his generation,” which begs the question, why qualify it?  Was he actually a Tzaddik or were the people of his times just that bad?    

Our Sages discussed this question in the Talmud, and gave two distinct answers.  One opinion says that the Torah is extolling Noach’s greatness.  Even in his generation, when the entire world was corrupt, as the Torah states “Vatimalle Ha’aretz Chamas” – the world was filled with robbery and mayhem, Noach remained a Tzaddik.  Imagine if he were living in a great generation, how much greater would he be!

The second opinion takes a different approach.  In his generation, compared to the corrupt people in the world, he was a Tzaddik.  If he had lived alongside Avraham, however, he would not have been considered righteous.

Why?  Why disparage Noach?  There is an old saying:  If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.  Our Sages say: Judge every person positively.  If the Torah says something derogatory about someone it is to teach us something.  

When Hashem tells Noach to bring the animals into the Ark, He says: “[Take seven pairs] of the pure (meaning kosher) animals, and [one pair] of the animals that are not pure.”  The Torah does not use the word “impure”, because the Torah does not speak derogatorily even about unkosher animals.  So why would the Sages look down on Noach and throw cold water on his righteousness when the words can be interpreted as praiseworthy?

The sages are sending us a powerful message, one that I think is very relevant in the current darkness and pain, as we see Hamas bringing death and destruction while their supporters around the world add salt to the wound: You don’t have to be perfect to save the world. 

Noach had his issues. The first thing he did when he came out of the Ark was to plant a vineyard and get drunk. Some considered him a little lacking in faith before the flood. Compared to Avraham he may not have been such a perfect man. But nevertheless he stepped up and saved the entire world, all of humanity and animal life. 

What can I do in such a dark world, we ask. There are great leaders, military and political leaders who can do something. Great holy righteous people who can pray and inspire. But who am I and what can I do?  So we fall into the trap of the press and social media, eyes glued to our screens, blood pressure racing and depression setting in. 

Well, let’s learn from Noach. Yes you can make a difference. I may not be perfect but I can do my part. From time immemorial we have turned to light in the face of darkness. As we pray for Hashem to protect our soldiers and to give them and the people of Israel the courage and strength to protect our people, we can each do practical things to bring light to the world. 

I encourage you to consider cutting back on what you watch and read in the news and on social media, and rather to really plug in to increasing practical Mitzvot and combating evil with goodness. Here is a website that gives many choices for real down to earth actions that we can all do. https://onemitzvah.org/israel/chabad-palo-alto. 

Join hundreds of thousands around the world in a campaign for goodness. Keep positive thoughts to encourage the troops and the people of Israel. I know it’s not easy, but it’s what our people and the world needs. Yes, you and I can make a difference.