VOLUME 123 NUMBER 2
Cheshvan 5, 5787
October 16, 2026
Parshas Noach
Candlelighting Time 6:01
Although Noach survived the Flood, nonetheless it appears that the decree to eliminate mankind also included Noach. As Rashi cites the Midrash that Hashem ‘concurred’ with his angels that the entire world had been created ‘mistakenly.’ Nachmonides disagrees with Rashi and explains that of course perhaps Noach could have acted in a stronger fashion and convinced those around him that the end was near and they needed to repent from their evil ways. However, his lack of action should not have condemned him to the same fate of others who were obliterated in the Flood.
Rav Elya Boruch of the Mir Yeshiva explains that indeed the decree was also on Noach and his family however, they were spared since Noach gained favor in the ‘eyes’ of Hashem. Noach as great as he was didn’t reach the stature of an outright and absolute Tzadik. Perhaps even according to the opinion that Noach would have been considered a Tzadik even in the times of Avrohom, nonetheless a total Tzadik he wasn’t. So indeed, in the final analysis it was the grace that Noach found in the ‘eyes’ of Hashem that allowed him to survive the Flood that destroyed the entire world.
However, we must explore what does it mean that Noach earned favor in the ‘eyes’ of Hashem. How does one achieve that status? King Solomon in Mishlei discusses the concept of finding favor in the ‘eyes’ of Hashem. He explains that the word in Hebrew is ‘chein’ which is rooted in the idea of something being free. In other words, one who achieves this dignified eminence is one who offers his services to others for free, doing acts of kindness for others. That approach to life is very significant to Hashem and therefore, such an individual finds favor in Hashem’s ‘eyes.
Noach initially improved the farming methods and revolutionized agriculture and that certainly was an act of chesed, kindness that changed the entire world. Additionally, he spent 120 years working on the Ark and certainly engaged others in conversation about what he was doing. Perhaps he wasn’t aggressive enough in his motivation of others but clearly he attempted to alert the populace to the impending disaster. We will never know the extent of his effort but we can be assured that he did try. And that was a tremendous act of kindness that Noach was involved with for many generations. All this added to his favored status in the ‘eyes’ of Hashem. And we must realize the significance of this quality because even though he was included in the decree to eliminate mankind, he and his immediate family survived to reestablish the existence of life again after the Flood.
However, abolishing the decree against him required that Noach persist in his involvement of chesed for the entire year. The Talmud states that the punishment for that generation that was eliminated was for a whole year. Therefore, Noach wasn’t yet saved until he was involved in chesed for the entire time that he was in the Ark. Feeding the thousands of animals wasn’t just caring for them it also provided Noach with an escape from the calamity that had befallen the thousands of people who were wiped out during the Flood. The world was established initially for the trait of chesed to be its fundamental theme and when the people began to steal from one another that was the antithesis of chesed. Instead of worrying about others their concern was just for themselves and that was their eventual downfall. We can be in the center of the universe as long as we revolve around Hashem.
A BYTE FOR SHABBOS
Although Noach initially was not as involved with the people of his generations rather he isolated himself in order to elevate his connection to Hashem, after he attained a very high level of sanctity, then he began to work with people and bring them closer to Hashem. K’SAV SOFER
GOOD SHABBOS
