נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו
Noah was in his generations a man righteous and whole-hearted
Genesis 6:9 בראשית
Compared to everyone else, he was righteous.
In spite of everyone else, he was righteous.
There are two possibilities as to how we can evaluate Noah. Only if one compares him with the licentiousness of his generation was he righteous; for had he lived in Avraham's times, Noah would not have been considered righteous. The other view (isn't there always another view) is that if he was able to act properly in a generation as degenerate as his, how much more so would he have been a tzadik had he lived at a time when there were others like him.
While it is interesting to see these two diametrically opposing views, are there practical lessons that we are to derive from this description/comparison of Noah and Avraham? Rabbi Joseph Lookstein a"h, venerable leader of Congregation Kehilat Jeshurun and homiletics teacher at Yeshiva University, would always point out the exact language of this quote, "some of the
rabbis see praise of Noah while
others see denigration of Noah." When it comes to praise, the Medrash says "some of the rabbis say", while when it comes to speaking negatively they are not called rabbis, merely others say. One should always strive to be "of the rabbis" and always look at others positively.
The view that Noah's designation as tzadik is only in comparison to his generations seems to be enforced by the fact that we are told Noah walked with G-d; while in regard to Abraham we are told he walked before, i.e. independently of G-d. Likewise we are told that while both Abraham and Sarah brought people "under the wings of the Shechina" and the belief in monotheism, Noah was unsuccessful in preserving other than his own family from the deluge.
Nonetheless, we wonder what happened to Abraham's "baalei teshuva"? If Avraham was successful then where are those "new believers" and their children. Apparently, they disappeared. When Yitzchak comes on the scene he is alone in society just as his father and mother were. Perhaps there is a temporary sense of success for Avraham and Sarah but it did not last. Maybe it was too dependent upon charismatic leadership, and once the leaders passed away the followers succumbed to the trends of society, which led them away from this higher degree of a moral society. There are lessons here which are quite profound in the sense that the leadership that is necessary to develop a moral society has to be a strong one, but also has to develop followers who will remain steadfast and leaders on their own, as well as creators of their own followers.
Shabbat Shalom,