The "Righteous" Noah

Noach 5784 - A true tzadik is someone who actually cares about the wellbeing of the world around them

Lecha Dodi (Hachamah) - Rabbi Josh Warshawsky and the Chaverai Nevarech Band

The world is a scary place, filled with lawlessness and terror, and sometimes it feels like too much to bear. The Hebrew word for lawlessness, which appears twice in this week’s Torah portion, is Hamas: וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָס׃ “The world was filled with lawlessness (Gen. 6:11). In the face of terror, what are we to do? What is our response? 

We learn in the first verse of this portion that Noah is called righteous:

אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹחַ׃ 

This is the line of Noah.—Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God.— (Gen. 6:9)

But by the end of this story, our rabbis notice something important:

וַיִּמַח אֶת־כּל־הַיְקוּם  אֲשֶׁר  עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה מֵאָדָם עַד־בְּהֵמָה עַד־רֶמֶשׂ וְעַד־עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיִּמָּחוּ מִן־הָאָרֶץ וַיִּשָּׁאֶר אַךְ־נֹחַ וַאֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ בַּתֵּבָה׃ 

All existence on earth was blotted out—humans, cattle, creeping things, and birds of the sky; they were blotted out from the earth. Just Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. (Gen. 7:23)

“Just Noah” is left. Rav Pinchas of Koretz asks why he is “just” Noah? He answers that in the beginning Noah was righteous, but a righteous person stands up and acts for the sake of their community, and Noah did not. 

In the beginning he was a tzadik, but what does a real tzadik, a real righteous person, do? They act and pray on behalf of their community, even those who have made mistakes, and try to avert the evil decree of destruction. They try to make a change. What did Noah do? He found out that he would be saved on the ark and therefore he didn’t bother to work to save the rest of the people.

A true tzadik is someone who actually cares not just about themselves and their own wellbeing, but about what happens in the world and to the community around them too. We are currently living in a world where hundreds of innocent Jews have been murdered, and where innocent civilians in Israel and Gaza have been killed. It is even more important than ever for us to stand up and support our family and community in Israel, and to pray for order, for calm, for the safe return of those who are in captivity. 

Lecha Dodi is a prayer of connection and love, but also a prayer that asks us to rise up and engage and remember those whom we love. Me’afar kumi - Rise up from the dust. Lo teivoshi v’lo tikalmi - don’t be ashamed, don’t give up. Shelter those in need and rebuild. Bo’i b’shalom, gam b’simcha. Come in peace, come in joy…

Living so far away could lull us into a false sense of disengagement and helplessness, but now more than ever our voices, our resources, our connections, our presence matters. This Shabbat as we sing and come together, may we continue to learn from Noah’s negative example, and instead rise to the occasion to engage with and care for our community, Israel, and goodness in the world.

Shabbat Shalom,

Josh

p.s. This concludes a whole year of commentary and music on the parsha. I have never had a consistent writing practice before, and I have loved getting to write and share these with all of you. Has this been meaningful for you as well? Let me know what you think and if I should continue this journey in the next year as well. Thanks for reading and being on this journey with me.