What's the Spiel? - Parshat Noach

What's the Spiel?

1 Cheshvan 5785 - November 2, 2024

Parshat Noach

Rabbi's Reflections

-A Tzadik For His Time-

Parshat Noach teaches us, “Noach was a righteous man; he was blameless in his generation…” (Bereshit 6:9). Rashi, based on Chazal, picks up on the words “his generation,” and brings the following debate: “There are those among our Rabbis who expound [his generation] as praise. All the more so, if he had been in a generation of righteous people he would have been even more righteous. And there are those who expound it as deprecation. According to his generation he was righteous, but if he had been in the generation of Avraham he would not have been considered anything of significance.” This debate always seems to create teams – Team Noach and Team Avraham. Those who cheer for Team Noach hold that he was so righteous even someone like Avraham would pale in comparison. Those who root for Team Avraham hold that Noach was only considered righteous because his particular generation was so corrupt. However, if he lived in the times of Avraham, there would simply be no comparison.

While there are many ways to analyze this text, I would like to focus on the argument put forth by Team Avraham: “if [Noach] had been in the generation of Avraham he would not have been considered anything of significance.” Does Team Avraham really believe this? Noach would have been a faceless nobody? A nothing? Really?! The truth is, this debate is not presenting us with a zero-sum game. These two teams are actually not competing against one another. Rather, they cooperating with one another – helping to explain the outstanding qualities of both Noach and Avraham in their own right. According to the Gur Aryeh, the words, “in his generation come to exclude a righteous person who arises after his generation, and Avraham came after Noach.” It is true, Avraham was a great tzadik – the first Jew and ethical monotheist. Accordingly, it is possible that Noach would not have measured up to him had they been in the same era. But that is not the point. The point is that Noach was the tzadik needed for his generation. Noach did as God commanded him, he saved creation and promulgated the human race. That was his mission as a tzadik in his generation. Avraham, however, had a very different mission – his was to spread awareness of God, to model and promote compassionate righteousness and moral justice. Noach and Avraham represent two great righteous men but who had two different missions, each according to his own particular generation. Had a tzadik like Noach lived in the generation of Avraham, then yes, “he would not have been considered anything of significance” because his righteous mission was over. The spiritual gifts and strengths of Noach would not be appreciated in the time of Avraham, though they were indispensable in his own. Thus, it’s not to say that Noach would have been a man of no significance. Instead, his specific righteousness would not have been necessary or effective for the generation of Avraham.

Every generation requires its own righteous people, its own leaders and heroes to meet the needs of their specific age. The great leaders of yesterday’s fight may not be the right people for the fight of today. There is no doubt that Noach was a truly righteous man, but he was a tzadik for his time, just as Avraham was a tzadik for his own. Every generation is different, every generation has its own struggles and aspirations, thus, every generation needs its own tzadik who is uniquely qualified to help weather the storms of their day and age in order to help their people, their society, their values and morals succeed and flourish so that all that they have built may be developed further by the next generation.

Shabbat Shalom!

-Rabbi Dan

Schedule of Services at B'nai Abraham

Friday, November 1

Candle Lighting – 6:24PM

Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat - 6:20PM

Saturday, November 2

Shacharit – 9:00AM

Kid's Service – 10:30AM

Mincha – 6:15PM

Havdallah – 7:19PM

Sunday, November 3

Shacharit - 8:30AM

Monday - Wednesday

Shacharit - 7:05AM

CTI Announcements

Altman, Arthur & Barb

Carroll, Reese & Fishman-Carroll, Sherry

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Clifford, Sean & Meredith

Giberti, David

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Humble, Marshall

Iken, Daniel

Kagan, Lisa

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Kron, Jennifer

Levy, Patricia

Lonsdale, Tayler & Joe

Magill, Elon

Magill, Loretta

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Pompa, Alana

Price, Katie & Marty

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Ramon, Zvika

Reitberger, Isaac & Michelle

Robbins, Reuven & Klein-Robbins, Rosemary

Rogalski, Joshua & Toriann

Rosenberg, Joshua & Fox, Kendra

Rosenthal, Davida

Roth, Malkah Esther

Saad, Jonathan & Roni

Shaftel, Myles

Shalit, Leon & Ava

Shapira , Itamar

Shapiro, Eric & Beth

Shavit, Offer & Ilana

Skitel, Ori & Dewitt, Emmaline

Smith, Larry & Ester

Sultan, Solomon & Devorah

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Tendler, Stuart & Jennifer

Tovy, Arie & Naomi

Wallner, Gloria & Martin

Welter, Samantha

Wolfson, Jake

Woloszko, Jean & Eveline

Yeschin, Natalie & Neil

CTI thanks the incredible volunteers for the great job they did in procuring, retrieving, erecting, decorating, dismantling, and storing our amazing Sukkah:

Gary Gerstenhaber (Chair)

Arthur Altman

Ben Heyen

CTI Scholars

Elon Magill

Eric Shapiro

Josh Rogalski

Marshall Humble

Mehul Rupani

Myles Shaftel

Sal Stavchansky

Stuart Tendler

Yael Millner

Yoni Cohen

CTI also congratulates the amazing 5784 Sushi in the Sukkah team on a great job and a fun time had by all:

Sarah Swernofsky (Chair)

Arthur Altman

Davida Rosenthal

Jennifer Kron

Julie van Keer

Steven Swernofsky

Yael Millner

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Thank you Rabbi Daniel A. Septimus and Seth Halpern for sponsoring Kiddush in honor of Rabbi Dan Millner,

Dan Ledeen and CTI Leadership

Kiddish sponsorship is a great way to honor a loved one's memory or celebrate a special occasion while also giving a little back to the community. Please note that we are now reserving sponsorships for 2025! There are no available sponsorships left for this year. THANK YOU to all our generous sponsors. Look for an extensive list of donors to be published at the beginning of next year thanking all those who have contributed to a kiddush sponsorship during 2024.

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Blair Altman, Birthday November 5

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