Saturday, October 27, 2012
Living for Others
12:29 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
Types of greatness
“Noach
was a righteous man” (6:9).
Rashi quotes the gemoro (Sanhedrin
108a) that some people interpret this phrase as a tribute to Noach, and in a
generation of righteous people he would have been on an even higher level
whereas others argue that it is derogatory, because in the generation of
Avrohom he would not have been considered righteous. Since the Torah testifies again
below that Hashem said: "For you I have seen righteous before me in this
generation” (7:1) how can we understand the view which maintains that the
phrase at the beginning of the parsha is derogatory contrary both to its
plain meaning and that possuk below?
In truth, according to
both opinions Noach was righteous because he withstood trials on a daily basis
surrounded as he was everywhere only by wicked people, and this alone entitled him
to be awarded the title of a righteous person, and if he would have had the
opportunity to engage in avodas Hashem in a generation which did not
require him to constantly withstand tests, he would have been even more
righteous, whereas those who say that he would not have been considered to be a
person of stature had he lived in the generation of Avrohom contend that
although he was righteous in his generation specifically because he exercised tremendous
dedication, determination and self-discipline by refraining from sinning in
such a challenging environment, if he would not have had to face such
challenges he may not have attained such high levels. It therefore turns out
that both opinions praise Noach for his actual behavior during his lifetime.
Moreover, according to
the latter opinion, since Noach did not engage in chesed with his fellow
human beings by beseeching Hashem to save them (see more on this below), he
would not have been considered of any importance in the generation of Avrohom,
who dedicated himself to the spiritual and material well-being of the members
of his generation. We conclude the first brocho of the shmona esrei with mogen Avrohom,
in order to emphasize the fundamental importance of this trait, and that when we excel in it, we are entitled to ask
Hashem to reciprocate by activating His middo of chesed in our favor.
Outreach candidates
“Noach
walked with Hashem” (ibid).
Rashi: Noach required Hashem’s support to uphold him, but Avrohom strengthened
himself and walked in his righteousness by himself
Noach
may have required Hashem’s support because he was only righteous for himself,
and did not get involved in the affairs of his fellow human beings, as opposed
to Avrohom, who attained his faith through intellectual enquiry. Although
Noach’s righteousness prevented him from becoming enticed into participating in
the wicked deeds of his contemporaries, it was not sufficient to attract them
to follow the righteous path. Avrohom, on the other hand, who understood the
internal wisdom of the Torah was capable of influencing others to follow his
path.
We
have often emphasized the importance of simple unquestioning faith, but someone
who has a thorough grasp of the fundamental principles of Judaism, having
delved and enquired into them, and who possesses the talent for disseminating them,
may be more successful in doing outreach work. A person who combines a deep
inner faith independent of intellectual enquiries, who has nevertheless
undertaken such studies, would make the ideal candidate for outreach work.
the power of REPENTANCE
“And
the rain was upon the earth for forty days and forty nights” (7:12). Rashi:
He brought them down with mercy, so that if they would repent, they would be
rains of blessing
Noach’s
contemporaries committed all the cardinal sins, and (unlike the generation that
built the migdal Bovel) even their character traits were totally corrupt,
and yet Hashem still waited 120 years to see if they would repent. Had they
done so, they would have been forgiven, and the rains would also have turned
into rains of blessing, even though the repentance would only have been motivated
by fear of an impending deluge. How much more so is the power of teshuva
me’ahavo, when a person repents out of love of Hashem and a desire to do
His will. When that happens Hashem showers us with unlimited blessings.
Noach’s ATonement
“Come
out of the ark” (8:16)
The
Zohar contrasts Noach’s conduct with that of Moshe Rabbeinu, who asked Hashem to delete him from His Book
rather than found a new great nation. Noach too after having been
told about the forthcoming mabul should have pleaded for his
contemporaries to remain alive until they repent, instead of thinking only of
himself and his family.
Hashem could have found another way to keep the
animal world alive other than the ark, but it was a way for Noach to achieve atonement for his sinful conduct
in the period leading up to the mabul.
Hashem was telling Noach: “You wanted to live a solitary life, and did
not care enough for your fellow men, now you will be forced to live for an
extended period on your own with your family in ‘solitary confinement’ from the
rest of the world. Moreover, you refused to act with kindness to your fellow
men, now you will be forced to perform ceaseless acts of chesed for an
entire year for all the animals”.
Noach
suffered terribly in the ark, from the stifling heat (the water outside was boiling
and there was no ventilation inside the ark), from the stench emanating from
the animals, from the attack by the lion and so on. This suffering facilitated
the process of atonement. However, since the period he was to spend inside the
ark was a punishment to atone for his previous behaviour, Noach was not permitted
to leave it until commanded to do so, so that he could be sure that his sin had
been forgiven.
UNJUSTIFIED MOdestY
“And
he took of all the clean animals and of all the clean fowl and brought up burnt
offerings [olos] on the mizbeach” (8:20)
Once
he had left the ark, Noach offered up olo offerings. This type of korbon atones for sinful thoughts, and in this
case Noach, after having witnessed all the destruction, regretted not having
prayed for his generation, having deemed himself to be unworthy of affecting
the divine decree. Modesty in and of itself is one of the most important
character traits to develop, but we see here the disastrous effects of failing
to act or to pray on behalf of others due to unwarranted modesty. Only once it
was too late did Noach realize his mistaken attitude, and wished to atone for
it through these korbonos.
FAith
“But
your blood, of your souls, I will demand” (9:5)
It is
forbidden to murder someone else in order to shorten their suffering or even to
commit suicide in order to shorten one's own suffering.
In the Warsaw ghetto the rabbonim
that still remained issued a proclamation that our wicked
enemies had made us despise this world, but they could not deprive us of the
world to come, and someone who committed suicide would not have a share in the
world to come. According to reliable witnesses the vast majority, being imbued
with complete faith, withstood the test and did not commit suicide.
Rav
Yaakov Yechiel Weinberg, the Seridei Esh zt”l, told Rav Sternbuch that it was a common
phenomenon in the Warsaw ghetto for people to get married in the afternoon, in
the full knowledge that they might be taken to their deaths before the day was
over. They refused to let their circumstances deter them from performing mitzvos as much as they could.
The emuno of those people, who
almost went out of their minds due to the suffering they had to endure, was astounding,
all the more so since these events took place not many centuries ago, but very
close to our own times. May they inspire us to withstand the more mundane trials
of our own generation.
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