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Lehavas David · Parshas Noach · Maamar א

Noach the Humble: Knowing When to Stand Tall

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 6:9
אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹחַ
These are the generations of Noach. Noach was a righteous man, wholehearted in his generations; Noach walked with God.
1“These are the generations of Noach: Noach was a righteous man.”1 The Midrash comments: “Wherever it says eileh, ‘these,’ it rejects the earlier ones … Here, where it says eileh, what did it reject? The generation of the Flood.”2 The holy Ohr HaChaim finds this difficult: the verse had no need to tell us that it rejected the generation of the Flood, for that generation had already been rejected and sealed for destruction in the waters of the Flood. So the question remains: what does the verse reject by saying eileh?
אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק (ו, ט). וּבַמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה ל, ג) בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֵלֶּה פָּסַל אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְכוּ׳, כָּאן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֵלֶּה מַה פָּסַל, דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל. וּבְאוֹר הַחַיִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ הִקְשָׁה, דְּזֶה לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ הַכָּתוּב לְהוֹדִיעֵנוּ, שֶׁפָּסַל אֶת דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל, לְפִי שֶׁכְּבָר נִפְסְלוּ וְנֶחְתְּמוּ לִימְחוֹת בְּמֵי הַמַּבּוּל, וְאִם כֵּן שׁוּב צָרִיךְ תַּלְמוּד מַה פָּסַל הַכָּתוּב בְּאוֹמְרוֹ ׳אֵלֶּה׳.
  1. Bereishis 6:9. ↩
  2. Bereishis Rabbah 30:3. ↩
In shortIf eileh, “these,” rejects the generation of the Flood, the Ohr HaChaim asks, why must the verse reject a generation already condemned?
2On the words “in his generations,” Rashi cites two views of Chazal: “Some of our Rabbis expound it in his praise: all the more so, had he lived in a generation of tzaddikim, he would have been even more righteous. And some expound it to his discredit: compared with his generation he was righteous, but had he lived in Avraham's generation, he would not have been considered anything.”3 The holy sefarim Ohev Yisrael, Me'or Einayim and Tiferes Shlomo all ask: since the verse can be expounded in his praise, and above all since the Torah itself testifies, “Noach was a righteous man,” why should we expound it to his discredit?
וברש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ הֵבִיא מחז״ל (סנהדרין קח, א בראשית רבה ל, י) יֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לְשֶׁבַח, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁאִילּוּ הָיָה בְּדוֹר צַדִּיקִים הָיָה צַדִּיק יוֹתֵר, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁדּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לִגְנַאי, לְפִי דּוֹרוֹ הָיָה צַדִּיק, וְאִילּוּ הָיָה בְּדוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם לֹא הָיָה נֶחְשָׁב לִכְלוּם. וְהִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (אוהב ישראל, מאור עינים, תפארת שלמה) כֵּיוָן שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לְדָרְשׁוֹ לְשֶׁבַח, וּבְיִחוּד כַּאֲשֶׁר הַתּוֹרָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ מְעִידָה עָלָיו ״נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק״, אִם כֵּן לָמָּה לָנוּ לְדָרְשׁוֹ לִגְנַאי.
  1. Sanhedrin 108a; Bereishis Rabbah 30:9 (the sefer has 30:10). ↩
In shortWhy read “in his generations” to Noach's discredit, the holy sefarim ask, when it can be read as praise and the Torah calls him righteous?
3Chazal also say in the Gemara: “Even upon Noach the decree was sealed, except that he found favor in the eyes of Hashem, as it says, ‘I regret that I made them. But Noach found favor in the eyes of Hashem.’”4 At first glance this is puzzling: why was a decree sealed upon Noach, a righteous man, just like the decree on the generation of the Flood?
וְהִנֵּה אָמְרוּ חז״ל (סנהדרין שם) אַף עַל נֹחַ נֶחְתַּךְ גְּזַר דִּין, אֶלָּא שֶׁמָּצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה׳, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ו, ז-ח) ״נִחַמְתִּי כִּי עֲשִׂיתִים וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה׳״. וְלִכְאוֹרָה תָּמוּהַּ, מַדּוּעַ נֶחְתַּם עַל נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק גְּזַר דִּין, כִּגְזַר דִּינָם שֶׁל דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל.
  1. Sanhedrin 108a; Bereishis 6:7–8. ↩
In shortA decree was sealed even upon Noach, Chazal say, and only Hashem's favor saved him; but why, if he was righteous?
4Chazal say further, in the Midrash: “‘And Noach found favor in the eyes of Hashem’: Noach found, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not find.”5 What do these words mean?
עוֹד אָמְרוּ חז״ל (בראשית רבה כט, ג) ״וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה׳״, נֹחַ מָצָא, אֲבָל הקב״ה לֹא מָצָא. וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין כַּוָּונַת הַדְּבָרִים.
  1. Bereishis Rabbah 29:3. ↩
In shortWhat does the Midrash mean when it says that Noach found favor, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not find?
5It seems that we can explain this through holy words I heard in the name of my holy father and teacher, zt"l. Even when true and humble tzaddikim are privileged to accomplish great and lofty things in their avodah, he said, they always feel that they have not yet done their duty. They search and examine themselves even in their good deeds. It is well known why the Yid HaKadosh, R' Yaakov Yitzchak of Peshischa, zt"l, was called “the Yid,” the Jew. Each day, as he served his Creator, he found a new path in his avodah. He rose so high that his service of the day before, beside that day's service, seemed to him as different as a gentile from a Jew. That is why he was called “the Yid.” He was called “HaKadosh,” the holy one, because only the power of his immense holiness could have brought him to this level, where each time he rejected his earlier avodah. On this basis we can explain our verse: “Eileh, these, are the generations of Noach.” Eileh rejects the earlier toldos, the earlier “generations” or “offspring.” For, as Rashi cites, “the offspring of tzaddikim are good deeds.”6 So Noach rejected his earlier deeds, even his good ones. Those are my holy father's words. This answers the Ohr HaChaim's question.
וְנִרְאֶה לְבָאֵר עַל פִּי אִמְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתִּי בְּשֵׁם כ״ק אאמו״ר, שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ הַצַּדִּיקִים הָאֲמִיתִּיִּים וְהַשְּׁפָלִים הִיא, אֲשֶׁר אֲפִילּוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר זוֹכִים לִפְעוֹל דְּבָרִים גְּדוֹלִים וְרָמִים בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם, מִכָּל מָקוֹם מְדַמִּים בְּמַחְשַׁבְתָּם תָּמִיד שֶׁעֲדַיִין לֹא יָצְאוּ יְדֵי חוֹבָתָם, וּמְפַשְׁפְּשִׁים וּבוֹדְקִים בְּעַצְמָם אֲפִילּוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַטּוֹבִים. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁיָּדוּעַ שֶׁהַטַּעַם שֶׁנִּקְרָא הַיְּהוּדִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ זצללה״ה בְּשֵׁם ׳יְהוּדִי׳, הָיְתָה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם כַּאֲשֶׁר עָבַד אֶת בּוֹרְאוֹ, מָצָא לוֹ דֶּרֶךְ חָדָשׁ בַּעֲבוֹדָה, וְנִתְעַלָּה כָּל כָּךְ עַד כְּדֵי שֶׁנִּדְמְתָה לוֹ עֲבוֹדָתוֹ שֶׁל אֶתְמוֹל כְּנֶגֶד עֲבוֹדָתוֹ בְּזֶה הַיּוֹם, כְּמוֹ הַהֶבְדֵּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בֵּין גּוֹי לִיהוּדִי, וְעַל שֵׁם זֶה נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם ׳הַיְּהוּדִי׳. וּמַה שֶׁנִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ ׳הַקָּדוֹשׁ׳, הוּא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַשָּׂגָה וּמַדְרֵגָה זוֹ לִפְסוֹל בְּכָל פַּעַם אֶת עֲבוֹדָתוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, וַדַּאי הִשִּׂיג רַק בְּכֹחַ עוֹצֶם קְדוּשָּׁתוֹ. וְעַל פִּי זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר כָּאן, ״אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת נֹחַ״, ׳אֵלֶּה׳ פּוֹסֵל אֶת הַתּוֹלָדוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, וְהֵם תּוֹלְדוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים (כמובא ברש״י ז״ל, ועיין בראשית רבה ל, ו), הַיְינוּ שֶׁנֹּחַ פָּסַל אֶת מַעֲשָׂיו הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, אֲפִילּוּ אֶת הַמַּעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים שֶׁלּוֹ, עכד״ק.
  1. Rashi on Bereishis 6:9; see Bereishis Rabbah 30:6. ↩
In shortTrue tzaddikim, like the Yid HaKadosh, keep rejecting their past avodah; eileh means that Noach rejected even his own earlier good deeds.
6aTo understand Noach's way of avodah more fully, we may explain it like this. The foundation of all avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, is certainly that a person must always look at himself critically, examining where he stands in avodas Hashem and in learning Hashem's Torah. Yet if this is all he does, always searching himself and taking stock of himself, it can lead him to a false humility, in which his self-examination holds him back from avodas Hashem. For once he sees how much he has angered his Creator and how corrupt his deeds are, he will be afraid and ashamed to serve Hashem as he should.
וּלְהָבִין יוֹתֵר אֶת דֶּרֶךְ הָעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁל נֹחַ, יִיתָּכֵן לְפָרֵשׁ בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה, כִּי הִנֵּה וַדַּאי הַיְּסוֹד בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ הוּא, שֶׁצְּרִיכִים תָּמִיד לְבַקֵּר עַצְמוֹ וְלִבְדּוֹק וּלְחַפֵּשׂ מַה מַצָּבוֹ וּמַעֲמָדוֹ בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ וּבְלִימּוּד תּוֹרַת ה׳. אָכֵן מִכָּל מָקוֹם אִם יִתְנַהֵג רַק בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה לְחַפֵּשׂ וְלַעֲרוֹךְ תָּמִיד לְעַצְמוֹ חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנֶּפֶשׁ, יָכוֹל לָבֹא מִזֶּה לִידֵי עֲנָוָה פְּסוּלָה, שֶׁבְּכֹחַ חֶשְׁבּוֹן נַפְשׁוֹ לְמוֹנְעוֹ מֵעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שֶׁיִּרְאֶה בְּעַצְמוֹ עַד כַּמָּה הִכְעִיס אֶת בּוֹרְאוֹ, וְכַמָּה מַעֲשָׂיו מְקוּלְקָלִים, יִירָא וְיֵיבוֹשׁ מִלַּעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ כְּנִצְרָךְ.
6bWhat is more, there are times when a person must act in the spirit of King Yehoshafat, of whom it says, “his heart was lifted up in the ways of Hashem.”7 Then he must gird his loins like a mighty man for avodas Hashem and not be daunted by anyone. If at such a time he takes too much stock of himself, he will hold back from this middah, this character trait, of “his heart was lifted up” just when the moment calls for it. But the rule is this: humility and lowliness, and the sense that one has not yet reached perfection, belong to a person's own avodas Hashem. Where others are concerned, it is different: suppose the generation needs to hear words of Torah and mussar, moral instruction, from its leader, or the leader needs to pray for his generation. Then he must overcome his humility and also act in the spirit of “his heart was lifted up in the ways of Hashem.”
זֹאת וְעוֹד, שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים יֶשְׁנָם מַצָּבִים שֶׁצְּרִיכִים לִנְהוֹג בָּהֶם בִּבְחִינַת ״וַיִּגְבַּהּ לִבּוֹ בְּדַרְכֵי ה׳״ (דברי הימים ב יז, ו), לֶאֱזוֹר כְּגִיבּוֹר חֲלָצָיו לַעֲבוֹדַת בּוֹרְאוֹ, וְלֹא לְהִתְפַּעֵל מֵאִישׁ, וְאִם בְּשָׁעָה זוֹ יַחְשׁוֹב חֶשְׁבּוֹן נַפְשׁוֹ יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי, יִמָּנַע מִלְּהִתְנַהֵג בְּזֹאת הַמִּידָּה שֶׁל וַיִּגְבַּהּ לִיבּוֹ בְּשָׁעָה הַצְּרִיכָה לְכָךְ. אַךְ הִנֵּה הַכְּלָל בָּזֶה הוּא כָּךְ, דְּמַה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִנְהוֹג בְּמִידַּת עֲנָוָה וְשִׁפְלוּת בֵּרַךְ, וְלִהְיוֹת סָבוּר בְּדַעְתּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בָּא עַד עַתָּה לִשְׁלֵימוּת, כָּל זֶה הוּא כְּלַפֵּי עִנְיְנֵי עֲבוֹדַת ה׳ שֶׁל הָאָדָם עַצְמוֹ, אֲבָל כְּלַפֵּי אֲחֵרִים, דְּהַיְינוּ לְמָשָׁל אִם צָרִיךְ הַדּוֹר לִשְׁמוֹעַ מֵהַמַּנְהִיג דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה וּמוּסָר, אוֹ בְּאִם צָרִיךְ הַמַּנְהִיג לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל דּוֹרוֹ, בָּזֶה צָרִיךְ לְהִתְגַּבֵּר עַל מִידַּת הָעֲנָוָה, וְלִנְהוֹג גַּם בִּבְחִינַת וַיִּגְבַּהּ לִבּוֹ בְּדַרְכֵי ה׳.
  1. Divrei HaYamim II 17:6. ↩
In shortSelf-examination can breed a false humility: humility belongs to one's own avodas Hashem, but when others need him, a person must lift up his heart.
7This was Noach's way. As we cited in the name of my holy father, “eileh rejects the earlier ones”: Noach always rejected his own avodas Hashem, because he was humble and lowly. The same idea explains Chazal's words “And some expound it to his discredit.” The holy sefarim asked why anyone would expound it to his discredit when the Torah testifies that he was a righteous man. The answer is that Chazal are not the ones expounding it to his discredit; the words refer to Noach himself, who would expound himself to his own discredit. The wording hints at this: of those who expound it in his praise it says “some of our Rabbis,” but of those who expound it to his discredit it does not. Noach always felt that even after all his good deeds he had not yet reached perfection. Even after all his service, and a righteousness so great that the Torah testified of him, “a righteous man,” he expounded himself to his discredit. Such is the way of tzaddikim: they always feel that they have not yet done their duty in their lives.
וְזֶה הָיָה הָעִנְיָן אֵצֶל נֹחַ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֵבֵאנוּ לְעֵיל בְּשֵׁם כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה, אֵלֶּה פּוֹסֵל אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, שֶׁנֹּחַ פָּסַל תָּמִיד אֶת עֲבוֹדַת ה׳ שֶׁלּוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה עָנָיו וּשְׁפַל בֵּרַךְ. וְזֶה גַּם הַפֵּירוּשׁ בַּמֶּה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל יֵשׁ שֶׁדּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לִגְנַאי, שֶׁהֵבֵאנוּ קוּשְׁיַית הספה״ק לָמָּה לְדָרְשׁוֹ לִגְנַאי אַחַר שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה מְעִידָה עָלָיו שֶׁהָיָה אִישׁ צַדִּיק. אַךְ הַבֵּיאוּר בָּזֶה הוּא, שֶׁאֵין הַכַּוָּונָה שחז״ל דְּרָשׁוּהוּ לִגְנַאי, אֶלָּא הַכַּוָּונָה עַל נֹחַ עַצְמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה דּוֹרֵשׁ אֶת עַצְמוֹ לִגְנַאי, וּמְרוּמָּז זֶה בְּכָךְ שֶׁבַּדּוֹרְשִׁים לִגְנַאי לֹא נִזְכַּר ׳יֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ׳ כְּמוֹ בְּהַדּוֹרְשִׁים לְשֶׁבַח, וְהָיָה מְדַמֶּה תָּמִיד בְּמַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ שֶׁאַף אַחַר כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו הַטּוֹבִים עֲדַיִין לֹא בָּא אֶל הַשְּׁלֵימוּת. דְּאַף אַחַר כָּל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ וְגוֹדֶל צִדְקָתוֹ, כַּאֲשֶׁר מָצִינוּ שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה הֵעִידָה עָלָיו ׳אִישׁ צַדִּיק׳, הָיָה דּוֹרֵשׁ אֶת עַצְמוֹ לִגְנַאי כְּדַרְכָּם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לְדַמּוֹת תָּמִיד בְּעַצְמָם שֶׁלֹּא יָצְאוּ יְדֵי חוֹבָתָם בְּעוֹלָמָם.
In short“Some expound it to his discredit” is not Chazal's judgment of Noach but Noach's judgment of himself, as the missing “of our Rabbis” hints.
8It seems that this also explains a remark of the Baal HaTurim, R' Yaakov ben Asher, in his commentary on the Torah. In the words “Noach walked with God,” he notes, the last letters spell chacham, “wise.”8 What does he mean? At first glance the holy Torah calls Noach only “a righteous man” and nowhere says that he was also wise.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה נִרְאֶה לְפָרֵשׁ אֶת מַה שֶׁכָּתַב בַּעַל הַטּוּרִים ז״ל, ״אֶת הָאֱלֹקִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ״ סוֹפֵי תֵּיבוֹת חָכָם, דְּצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר הַכַּוָּונָה בָּזֶה, דַּהֲרֵי לִכְאוֹרָה מָצִינוּ שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה אָמְרָה עָלָיו רַק שֶׁהָיָה ״אִישׁ צַדִּיק״ וְלֹא נִזְכַּר שֶׁהָיָה גַּם חָכָם.
  1. Baal HaTurim on Bereishis 6:9. The last letters of ha'Elokim hishalech Noach (האלקים התהלך נח), read in reverse, are ches, chaf and mem: חכם. ↩
In shortThe Baal HaTurim finds the word chacham, “wise,” hinted in Noach's verse, though the Torah calls Noach righteous, not wise.
9Consider the verse “The wise man's eyes are in his head.”9 The holy Zohar, and Chazal in the Midrash and the Yerushalmi, asked: are a fool's eyes, then, in his feet?10 Why count it as the wise man's virtue that his eyes are in his head? We may say that the meaning is the one given by the Chida, R' Chaim Yosef David Azulai, in his Yosef Tehillos, and by R' Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchak of Alexander in his Yismach Yisrael.11 Each year on Simchas Torah we finish the Torah with its last words, “before the eyes of all Israel,”12 and at once read “Bereishis,” beginning again from the start. The reason is that this is the goal we must aim for: even when we have been privileged to engage in Torah and mitzvos, we must always know that we still stand at the start, at the very beginning of our avodah. So even when we complete the whole Torah, we start over from Bereishis, to show that after all our service we truly know we are still at the beginning of the road in avodas Hashem. This is the meaning of “The wise man's eyes are b'rosho”: the wise man always pictures himself standing at the rosh, the head and the beginning. That is b'rosho, “at his beginning.”
אַךְ הִנֵּה כְּתִיב (קוהלת ב, יד) ״הֶחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ״, וּכְבָר הִקְשׁוּ בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (ח״ג קפז, א) ובחז״ל (קוהלת רבה ב, יד, ירושלמי סוטה ח, י) וְכִי הַכְּסִיל עֵינָיו בְּרַגְלָיו, וּמָה הַכַּוָּונָה בָּזֶה שֶׁמַּעֲלַת הֶחָכָם הוּא שֶׁעֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ. אַךְ יֵשׁ לוֹמַר שֶׁהַכַּוָּונָה הִיא כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּירְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (חיד״א ביוסף תהילות תהלים יב, ישמח ישראל בראשית), שֶׁלְּכָךְ קוֹרְאִים וּמַסְמִיכִין ״לְעֵינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל״ לְ״בְּרֵאשִׁית״, שֶׁתֵּיכֶף אַחַר שֶׁמְּסַיְּימִים הַתּוֹרָה מַתְחִילִין וְקוֹרִין אוֹתָהּ מִתְּחִילָּתָהּ, הוּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַתַּכְלִית הַנִּרְצֶה הִיא, אֲשֶׁר אֲפִילּוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר כְּבָר זוֹכִים לַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹות, עִם כָּל זֹאת צְרִיכִים לָדַעַת תָּמִיד שֶׁעֲדַיִין אָנוּ עוֹמְדִים בְּרֵאשִׁית וּבְהַתְחָלַת הָעֲבוֹדָה, וְלָכֵן אֲפִילּוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר זוֹכִים לְסַיֵּים הַתּוֹרָה, שׁוּב מַתְחִילִין מִבְּרֵאשִׁית, בִּכְדֵי לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁאַחַר כָּל עֲבוֹדָתֵינוּ יוֹדְעִים אָנוּ נֶאֱמָנָה שֶׁאָנוּ עוֹד בְּרֵאשִׁית וּבִתְחִילַּת הַדֶּרֶךְ לַעֲבוֹדַת ה׳. וְזֶה כַּוָּונַת הַכָּתוּב ״הֶחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ״, פֵּירוּשׁ דְּהֶחָכָם מְדַמֶּה בְּמַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ תָּמִיד שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד בָּרֹאשׁ וּבַהַתְחָלָה, וְזֶהוּ ׳בְּרֹאשׁוֹ׳.
  1. Koheles 2:14. ↩
  2. Zohar III 187a; Koheles Rabbah 2:14; Yerushalmi Sotah 8:10. ↩
  3. Yosef Tehillos, Tehillim 12; Yismach Yisrael, Bereishis. ↩
  4. Devarim 34:12. ↩
In short“The wise man's eyes are b'rosho”: the wise man always sees himself at the beginning, as we restart Bereishis on finishing the Torah.
10Perhaps this is what the Baal HaTurim means. After the Torah says, “Noach was a righteous man,” the rest of the verse hints at the level of his righteousness. Beyond all the great virtues for which the Torah called him “a righteous man,” he also reached the level of chacham, a wise man. He always saw himself as if he were still standing at the beginning, in the spirit of “the wise man's eyes are b'rosho,” and he always found shortcomings in himself and in his good deeds. [See the Tanya: wisdom is self-nullification and humility, the quality called ko'ach mah.13]
וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁזּוֹ הִיא כַּוָּונַת בַּעַל הַטּוּרִים ז״ל, שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה אָמְרָה ״נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק״, רָמַז לְפָרֵשׁ מַדְרֵגַת צִדְקוּתוֹ, שֶׁאַף אַחַר גּוֹדֶל מַעֲלוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר הַתּוֹרָה קָרְאָה עָלָיו ״אִישׁ צַדִּיק״ הִגִּיעַ גַּם לְמַדְרֵגַת ׳חָכָם׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁרָאָה עַצְמוֹ תָּמִיד כְּאִילּוּ הוּא עוֹמֵד עֲדַיִין בַּהַתְחָלָה, בִּבְחִינַת ׳הֶחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ׳ כַּנִּזְכָּר, וְתָמִיד מָצָא חֶסְרוֹנוֹת בְּעַצְמוֹ וּבְמַעֲשָׂיו הַטּוֹבִים. [יְעוּיַּין בְּתַנְיָא (פרק יט) שֶׁבְּחִינַת הַחָכְמָה הִיא עִנְיַן בִּיטּוּל וַעֲנָוָה, בְּחִינַת כ״ח מ״ה].
  1. Tanya, ch. 19. The letters of chochmah (חכמה) rearranged spell ko'ach mah (כח מה), “the power of ‘what?’”: wisdom that sees itself as nothing. ↩
In shortNoach was “wise” because, though truly righteous, he always saw himself as just beginning and found shortcomings even in his good deeds.
11aIn this way we can also explain the words “a righteous man,” ish tzaddik. At first glance the word ish, “man,” is superfluous; “righteous” alone would have been enough. But it seems we can explain it through what the sefer Divrei Yechezkel, by R' Yechezkel of Shinova, says on the verse about Yaakov Avinu, “And Yaakov was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents.”14 The word ish, he explains, means one who is master of something and rules over it, as in “a man of war.”15 Yaakov was called “a wholesome man” because he was master and ruler over his wholesomeness. For there are times when one should not act with wholesomeness. When one must fight the wicked, for example, one has to know how to fight them with cunning and understanding. But Yaakov Avinu was master over his wholesomeness: he knew when to use it and when not.
וּבָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ גַּם מַה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״אִישׁ צַדִּיק״, וְלִכְאוֹרָה תֵּיבַת ׳אִישׁ׳ הוּא לְמוֹתָר וְהָיָה דַּי לוֹמַר ׳צַדִּיק׳ וְלֹא יוֹתֵר. אַךְ הַנִּרְאֶה, עַל פִּי מַה דְּאִיתָא בְּסֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי יְחֶזְקֵאל עַל מַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב אֵצֶל יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ ע״ה (בראשית כה, כז) ״וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יוֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים״, וּפֵירֵשׁ בָּזֶה דְּתֵיבַת ׳אִישׁ׳ מוֹרֶה עַל בְּחִינַת מוֹשֵׁל וְשׁוֹלֵט עַל הַדָּבָר כְּמוֹ ׳אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה׳, וְעַל כֵּן נִקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ ׳אִישׁ תָּם׳, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהָיָה בַּעַל הַבַּיִת וּמוֹשֵׁל עַל מִידַּת הַתְּמִימוּת. כִּי יֶשְׁנָם פְּעָמִים שֶׁאֵין צְרִיכִים לְהִתְנַהֵג בְּמִידַּת הַתְּמִימוּת, וּכְמוֹ בִּזְמַן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְהִלָּחֵם עִם רְשָׁעִים, וְצָרִיךְ לָדַעַת הַאֵיךְ לִלְחוֹם עִמָּהֶם בְּעָרְמָה וּבְהַשְׂכֵּל. אַךְ יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ הָיָה בַּעַל הַבַּיִת עַל הַתְּמִימוּת, הַיְינוּ שֶׁיָּדַע מָתַי לְהִתְנַהֵג בְּמִידַּת הַתְּמִימוּת וּמָתַי לֹא.
  1. Bereishis 25:27. ↩
  2. Shemos 15:3. ↩
11bIn the same way we can explain “Noach was a righteous man”: he was master and ruler over his righteousness. He knew how to act at times in the way of “some expound it to his discredit,” rejecting his earlier deeds and seeing himself as no tzaddik at all, as one still standing at the beginning even after all his deeds. At other times he used the way of “his heart was lifted up in the ways of Hashem.” For, as we said of humility and the lifted-up heart, one must discern each time which way the moment calls for. That is what it means to be master over the middah of righteousness.
וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ ״נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק״, פֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁהָיָה בַּעַל הַבַּיִת וּמוֹשֵׁל עַל צִדְקוּתוֹ, כִּי יוֹדֵעַ הָיָה לְהִתְנַהֵג פְּעָמִים בְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁל דּוֹרְשִׁים לִגְנַאי, לִפְסוֹל מַעֲשָׂיו הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְלִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּמִי שֶׁהוּא אֵינוֹ צַדִּיק, וְאַף אַחַר כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו לִרְאוֹת שֶׁעֲדַיִין הוּא עוֹמֵד בַּהַתְחָלָה, וְלִפְעָמִים הִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁל ״וַיִּגְבַּהּ לִיבּוֹ בְּדַרְכֵי ה׳״, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְהַבְחִין בְּכָל פַּעַם בְּאֵיזֶה דֶּרֶךְ צָרִיךְ לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ עַתָּה, וְזֶה הַפֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁהָיָה בַּעַל הַבַּיִת עַל מִידַּת הַצִּדְקוּת.
In shortIsh means mastery: Noach ruled over his righteousness, knowing when to see himself as lowly and when to lift up his heart in Hashem's ways.
12We can now understand the saying of Chazal that puzzled us: “‘And Noach found favor in the eyes of Hashem’: Noach found, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not find.” Hashem left Noach as the one survivor of his whole generation, and Noach credited this only to chein, favor: purely to Hashem's kindness in giving freely, not to the merit of his own good deeds. As Chazal said, “Even though tzaddikim could rely on their good deeds, they ask of the Omnipresent only a free gift.”16 In the same way, Noach considered that on his own account he did not deserve to survive out of his whole generation, and that only a free gift could save him. Yet the holy Torah testifies that he did earn it by his own merit. That is the meaning of the words “did not find favor”: Hashem did not credit Noach's rescue to favor and a free gift, but to his good deeds, as it is written, “Noach was a righteous man, wholehearted in his generations.”
וּבָזֶה יוּבָן מַאֲמָרָם ז״ל וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה׳ אֲבָל הקב״ה לֹא מָצָא, הַיְינוּ שֶׁנֹּחַ תָּלָה אֶת סִיבַּת מַה שֶׁהוֹתִירוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לִפְלֵיטָה מִכָּל דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁהָיָה רַק מִשּׁוּם בְּחִינַת ׳חֵן׳, הַיְינוּ אַךְ וְרַק מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ הוּא חוֹנֵן וְנוֹתֵן, וְלֹא תָּלָה הַצָּלָתוֹ בִּזְכוּת מַעֲשָׂיו הַטּוֹבִים. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רז״ל (ספרי דברים ג, כג ע״ש, וברש״י ז״ל שם), אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם לַצַּדִּיקִים לִתְלוֹת בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַטּוֹבִים אֵין מְבַקְּשִׁים מֵאֵת הַמָּקוֹם אֶלָּא מַתְּנַת חִינָּם, כֵּן נֹחַ דִּימָּה בְּנַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁמֵּחֲמַת עַצְמוֹ אֵינוֹ רָאוּי לְהִשָּׁאֵר לִפְלֵיטָה מִכָּל דּוֹרוֹ, רַק בְּכֹחַ מַתְּנַת חִינָּם. אָכֵן הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה מְעִידָה שֶׁכֵּן בִּזְכוּת עַצְמוֹ זָכָה לְכָךְ, וְזֶהוּ ׳אֲבָל הקב״ה לֹא מָצָא חֵן׳, הַיְינוּ שהקב״ה לֹא תָּלָה הַזְּכוּת מִצַּד חֵן וּמַתְּנַת חִינָּם, אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי מַעֲשָׂיו הַטּוֹבִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב ״נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדוֹרוֹתָיו״.
  1. Sifrei on Devarim 3:23, see there; Rashi there. ↩
In shortNoach credited his rescue to Hashem's free gift, so he “found favor”; Hashem credited it to Noach's deeds, so He “did not find favor.”
13aYet Noach's humility held him back from praying for his generation. On the verse “the waters of Noach,” Chazal say in the Zohar that the Flood is called by Noach's name because he did not pray for his generation and did not bring them back to the right path.17 Why did he not pray for them? Because he counted himself as nothing: he held on to humility and thought himself unworthy and unfit to pray for his generation. But here his humility was false. As we said, where others are concerned a person must act in the spirit of “his heart was lifted up,” and Noach should have understood that now Hashem wanted him to pray for his generation. That is why Chazal said that even upon Noach the decree was sealed, for they also teach, “Whoever is able to ask for mercy for his fellow and does not ask is called a sinner.”18 This answers our question about the decree on Noach.
אָמְנָם מִדַּת הָעֲנָוָה שֶׁהָיְתָה לְנֹחַ, מָנְעָה אוֹתוֹ מִלְּהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל דּוֹרוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (זוהר ח״א סז, ב) עַל הַכָּתוּב ״מֵי נֹחַ״ (ישעיהו נד, ט) שֶׁהַטַּעַם שֶׁנִּקְרָא הַמַּבּוּל עַל שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל נֹחַ הוּא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁלֹּא הִתְפַּלֵּל וְלֹא הֶחֱזִיר לַמּוּטָב אֶת דּוֹרוֹ. וְהַטַּעַם שֶׁלֹּא הִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם הָיָה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁלֹּא הֶחֱשִׁיב עַצְמוֹ לִכְלוּם, וְהֶחֱזִיק בְּמִדַּת הָעֲנָוָה, וְחָשַׁב שֶׁאֵינוֹ כְּדַאי וְהָגוּן לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל דּוֹרוֹ. וְאוּלָם כָּאן הָיְתָה זוֹ עֲנָוָה פְּסוּלָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ שֶׁבָּזֶה צָרִיךְ לִנְהוֹג בִּבְחִינַת ׳וַיִּגְבַּהּ לִבּוֹ׳, וְהָיָה לוֹ לְהָבִין שֶׁעַתָּה רְצוֹן הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ הוּא שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל עַל דּוֹרוֹ. וְעַל כֵּן אָמְרוּ חז״ל שֶׁאַף עַל נֹחַ נֶחְתַּךְ גְּזַר דִּין, וְהוּא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (ברכות יב, ב) כָּל שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לְבַקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עַל חֲבֵירוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מְבַקֵּשׁ, נִקְרָא חוֹטֵא.
  1. Zohar I 67b; Yeshayahu 54:9. ↩
  2. Berachos 12b. ↩
13b[We also find that a person who could have done a mitzvah and failed to do it is punished at a time of wrath.19 Noach lived at such a time, when the attribute of judgment was at its most severe, and only great merits could save a person. So even for this sin Noach could be included in the decree.]
[וּמָצִינוּ שֶׁעַל חֶסְרוֹן מִצְוָה שֶׁיָּכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ, מַעֲנִישִׁין בְּעִידָּנָא דְּרִיתְחָא (מנחות מא, א), וְכֵיוָן שֶׁאָז הָיָה זְמַן שֶׁמִּידַּת הַדִּין הָיְתָה מְתוּחָה בְּיוֹתֵר וְהָיָה צָרִיךְ זְכוּיוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת לְהִנָּצֵל, לָכֵן אֲפִילּוּ עַל חֵטְא זֶה הָיָה יָכוֹל נֹחַ לְהִכָּלֵל בִּכְלַל גְּזַר הַדִּין].
  1. Menachos 41a. ↩
In shortNoach's false humility kept him from praying for his generation; one who can pray for others and does not is a sinner, so the decree reached him too.
14aMy holy great-grandfather of Biala, zt"l, wrote in the same spirit in his Divrei Binah, on the verse “You shall surely rebuke your fellow, and you shall not bear sin because of him.”20 [These are his holy words: “This is one of the yetzer hara's enticements. A person sees his fellow committing a sin and keeps silent, saying in his heart, ‘How am I fit to rebuke him? Let me first correct myself!’ But really he should pay this no attention. One may put it in a parable. Suppose a person were told that his friend's house was on fire. Would he say at that moment that he will not go to put it out until he has dressed his hair and straightened his clothes, since it is beneath his dignity to go out like this? There could be no greater fool! So too, the moment he sees his fellow committing a sin, it must burn in his heart like fire, so that he cannot think about himself at all. This is ‘You shall surely rebuke your fellow, and you shall not bear sin because of him.’ Do not let the yetzer hara provoke you, saying, ‘Have you not sinned yourself, and not yet corrected yourself? How can you rebuke him?’ About this it says, ‘and you shall not bear sin.’” Those are his holy words.]
וּכְפִי שֶׁכָּתַב כ״ק זְקֵנִי מִבְּיָאלָא זצללה״ה (דברי בינה שופטים אות יא) עַל הַכָּתוּב (ויקרא יט, יז) ״הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ וְלֹא תִשָּׂא עָלָיו חֵטְא״, [וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ, דְּהִנֵּה זֶה הוּא מִפִּיתּוּיֵי הַיֵּצֶר, אִם רוֹאֶה חֲבֵרוֹ עוֹבֵר עֲבֵירָה, שׁוֹתֵק לוֹ, וְאוֹמֵר בְּלִבּוֹ הַאֵיךְ אֲנִי רָאוּי לְהוֹכִיחוֹ, הֲלֹא אֲתַקֵּן אֶת עַצְמִי תְּחִילָּה, וּבֶאֱמֶת לֹא יַשְׁגִּיחַ ע״ז. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, כְּמוֹ אִם מְעוֹרְרִים לְאָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ שְׂרֵיפָה אֵצֶל חֲבֵרוֹ, הֲכִי יֹאמַר בָּעֵת הַהוּא שֶׁבַּל יֵלֵךְ לְכַבּוֹת אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן יְתַקֵּן שְׂעָרוֹ וּמַלְבּוּשָׁיו, שֶׁאֵין כְּבוֹדוֹ לֵילֵךְ כָּךְ, הֲלֹא אֵין לְךָ טִיפֵּשׁ גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה. כָּךְ בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁרוֹאֶה חֲבֵרוֹ עוֹבֵר עֲבֵירָה, צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת בּוֹעֵר בְּלִבּוֹ כְּמוֹ אֵשׁ, שֶׁאֵין הָאָדָם יָכוֹל אָז לַחְשׁוֹב עַל עַצְמוֹ כְּלָל, וְזֶה ״הוֹכֵיחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ וְלֹא תִשָּׂא עָלָיו חֵטְא״, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְגָּרֶה בְּךָ הַיֵּצֶר הֲלֹא אַתָּה חָטָאתָ בְּעַצְמְךָ וְלֹא תִּקַּנְתָּ עַצְמְךָ עֲדַיִין, וְהֵיאַךְ תּוּכַל לְהוֹכִיחוֹ, עַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר ״וְלֹא תִשָּׂא״, עכל״ק].
  1. Divrei Binah, Shoftim §11; Vayikra 19:17. The first Biala Rebbe, author of Divrei Binah, the Rebbe's great-grandfather. ↩
14bThis fits what we have said. A person should not hold back from rebuking his fellow and praying for him because he feels unworthy, and he should not carry humility too far.
וְהוּא כִּדְבָרֵינוּ, שֶׁלֹּא יִמָּנַע מִלְּהוֹכִיחַ אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ וּלְהִתְפַּלֵּל עָלָיו, בְּאָמְרוֹ שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי, וְאַל יִתְנַהֵג בְּמִדַּת הָעֲנָוָה יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי.
In shortAs no one stops to dress his hair before putting out a friend's fire, feeling unworthy is no excuse for silence when a fellow Jew sins.
15We pray before the Master of all that He graciously grant us the understanding to know when to act with humility and when to act in the spirit of “his heart was lifted up,” as in the parable of putting out the fire. For knowing this is “a difficult service in the Beis HaMikdash.”21 May Hashem help us in this. May He grant that we serve Him wholeheartedly and be in the spirit of an ish tzaddik, “a righteous man” who is master of his righteousness, and in this merit may we bring the redemption closer. Amen, may it be His will.
תְּפִלָּתֵנוּ לִפְנֵי אֲדוֹן הַכֹּל, שֶׁיְּחוֹנֵן אוֹתָנוּ דַּעַת, אֵימָתַי צְרִיכִים אָנוּ לִנְהוֹג בְּמִידַּת הָעֲנָוָה, וְאֵימָתַי צְרִיכִים אָנוּ לִנְהוֹג בִּבְחִינַת וַיִּגְבַּהּ לִבּוֹ, כִּמְשַׁל כִּיבּוּי הַשְּׂרֵיפָה, כִּי זֶה עֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה שֶׁבַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ יַעַזְרֵנוּ בָּזֶה, וְיִתֵּן ה׳ שֶׁנּוּכַל לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ בִּתְמִימוּת, וְלִהְיוֹת בִּבְחִינַת אִישׁ צַדִּיק, וּבִזְכוּת זֶה נְקָרֵב אֶת הַגְּאוּלָּה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
  1. Menachos 11a. Chazal use this phrase for kemitzah, the taking of a fistful of flour from a meal offering, one of the hardest services in the Beis HaMikdash. It became a saying for any very demanding service. ↩
In shortMay Hashem grant us the understanding to know when to be humble and when to lift up our hearts, and so may we hasten the redemption.
Takeaway

Like Noach, a true tzaddik always sees himself at the beginning and finds something to improve even in his good deeds, and this humility is true wisdom. But humility belongs to our own avodas Hashem: when others need our rebuke, our teaching or our prayers, feeling unworthy is no excuse, just as no one stops to dress his hair before putting out a friend's fire. We ask Hashem for the understanding to know which of the two each moment calls for.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

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