And the Lord spoke to Noah and said, "In one year, I am going to make it rain and cover the whole earth with water until all flesh is destroyed.
“But I want you to save the righteous people and two of every kind of living thing on the earth. Therefore, I am commanding you to build an Ark."
In a flash of lightening, G-d delivered the specifications for an Ark. In fear and trembling, Noah took the plans and agreed to build the Ark.
"Remember" said the Lord, "You must complete the Ark and bring everything aboard in one year.”
Exactly one year later, fierce storm cloud covered the earth and all the seas of the earth went into a tumult. The Lord saw Noah was sitting in his front yard weeping.
"Noah," He shouted. "Where is the Ark?"
"Lord, please forgive me! Cried Noah. "I did my best, but there were big problems. First, I had to get a permit for construction and your plans did not comply with the codes. I had to hire an engineering firm and redraw the plans. Then I got into a fight with OSHA over whether or not the Ark needed a fire sprinkler system and flotation devices. Then my neighbor objected, claiming I was violating zoning ordinances by building the Ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning commission.
I had problems getting enough wood for the Ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to protect the Spotted Owl. I finally convinced the US Forest Service that I needed the wood to save the owls. However, the Fish and Wildlife Service won't let me catch any owls. So, no owls.
The carpenters formed a union and went out on strike. I had to negotiate a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board before anyone would pick up a saw or a hammer. Now I have 16 carpenters on the Ark, but still no owls.
When I started rounding up the other animals, I got sued by an animal rights group. They objected to me only taking two of each kind aboard. Just when I got the suit dismissed, the EPA notified me that I could not complete the Ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn't take very kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the conduct of the Creator of the universe.
Then the Army Corp. of Engineers demanded a map of the proposed new flood plain. I sent them a globe. Right now, I am trying to resolve a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that I am practicing discrimination by not taking G-dless, unbelieving people aboard!
The IRS has seized my assets, claiming that I'm building the Ark in preparation to flee the country to avoid paying taxes. I just got a notice from the state that I owe them some kind of user tax and failed to register the Ark as a "recreational water craft."
Finally, the ACLU got the courts to issue an injunction against further construction of the Ark, saying that since G-d is flooding the earth, it is a religious event and therefore unconstitutional. I really don't think I can finish the Ark for another 5 or 6 years!"
Noah wailed.
The sky began to clear, the sun began to shine and the seas began to calm. A rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up hopefully.
"You mean you are not going to destroy the earth Lord?"
"No," said the Lord sadly. "I don't have to. The government already has."
Noah, the hero of this week’s portion, the man who saved civilization from the devastating flood which wiped out the inhabitants of our planet. At the beginning of the portion, the Torah states:
"Noah was a righteous man, Noah walked with G-d."
And thus, the Talmud remains unsure of Noah's true character. Was he really a man of stature or just a cut above the rest? And, did G-d save him because he was a righteous or was he simply the right man in the right place at the right time and there was nobody better?
Rabbi Yochanan said, Noah's integrity was merely relative to the immoral state of his society. "In relation to his wicked generation he was righteous," "but had he been in Abraham's generation he would not have amounted to anything."
However, his brother in law, the famed Reish Lakish, claimed Noah to be a man of moral standing and held him in high regard.
There is a lovely story Rabbi Aryeh Leib of Shpole, known as the Shpoler Zeide (1724-1811).
How did he receive this title? The Baal Shem Tov attended the brit of the baby.
During the ceremony, the Baal Shem Tov placed his right hand upon the baby and said, "My father once explained the whole concept of a Brit (circumcision) as entering the covenant of Avraham Avinu. It was written 'And Avraham was old - Zaken.' It also means grandfather. Our forefather Avraham became the grandfather of Klal Israel. Let it be G-d's will, that you shall be a grandfather (Zeide in Yiddish) to the Jews."
His blessing caused everyone to smile. Later, if someone chanced to meet the happy parents he would ask them how the little grandfather was coming along.
And the name Saba stuck to the boy for the rest of his life.
Yet one still wonders, what is really behind this denigration of Noah? Why go out of your way to find an interpretation that belittles Noah that he was righteous in his generation only?
One time, Rabbi Yochanan, one of the greatest Torah scholar of his age and a man of a beautiful figure—living in the third century CE—was bathing in the Jordan River. All of a sudden, another figure plunged into the water and swam to him. This was the thieve Shimon ben Lakish. When Rabbi Yochanan saw that leap, he said, "Your strength should be devoted to the Torah!"
Rabbi Yochanan was known as one of the most handsome men of his time. Shimon, quickly noticing this, responded, "Your beauty should be devoted to women!"
Rabbi Yochanan had a younger sister, whose beauty even surpassed his. She was quite a personality. Certain that his sister would see the same great qualities in Shimon as he did, Rabbi Yochanan said, "Ben Lakish, Repent! If you begin to study Torah, you can have my sister, whose beauty is even greater than mine as a wife!" (He meant with her permission of course.)
This was more than enough to draw the interest and attention of Shimon. He accepted the offer, began to study Torah, married Rabbi Yochanan's sister, and eventually became the student-colleague of his brother-in-law. Known in the Talmud as "Reish Lakish," he entered history as one of the immortal Torah giants, in scholarship and character, of the Jewish People.
From a thief and a gladiator, he transformed himself to become of the greatest giants of his time, one of the greatest Talmudic scholars of his generation.
This may be the source of their disagreement on Noah: For Reish Lakish, remembering his past, and knowing the dark side of human nature and its great potency, teaches that if Noach could succeed in his corrupt generation to live morally, certainly he would have been righteous in a more spiritual generation. Reish Lakish understood the depth of the human struggle against darkness, he understood the enormity of the challenge some people face in the face of depravity, and he could only stand in awe of Noah’s moral standing in his generation. Rabbi Yochanan, on the other hand, could not fully appreciate what Noah had to contend against.
Granted, yet we must still wonder about Rabbi Yochanan’s view. Why would he feel compelled to downsize Noah’s moral character? Granted that he unlike Reish Lakish did not appreciate the darker side of people, but why give a critical commentary of Noah when you can give a positive one?
This is the great lesson from Noah: He serves as a model for the simple person, demonstrating to us that you need not be a great man a tzaddik to save a world.
So today, decide to emulate Noah: A simple man who decided to be true to his soul. Take on a project helping people; become a partner in a noble cause; create space and time for outreach work; become a beacon of light, love and hope. Do something new. Stop giving the excuse that you are just a regular guy on the block. If Noah can build an Ark, so can you.
"I'm only one, but I am one. I can't do everything but I can do something and what I can do, I ought to do, and that by the grace of G-d I will do," Noah was one simple man. He saved the world. So can you and I impact at least one part of the world.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky
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