Noah:  October 21, 2017

Why we love the Jewish Press.   The headline in the Jewish Press is; “We Love Israel and We Pray For You” Evangelicals From Around The World Show Their Support”.   This is a headline you will not find in Hamodia or Yated.  They will not even say that they love Israel and bless Israel.

My brother, Pesach, came in to visit my mother.  It’s always great seeing him.  My mother appreciates him, his stores about growing up on the West side,  our grandparents Reb Sholom and Feigel Sklar,  and his take on life.  Friday night, Pesach told  me the Orach Chaim Hakodish on Bereshis, Chapter 6 – Verse 7.    The Orach Chaim says that Noah the Tzaddick was saved not because he was a Tzaddick, but as verse 8 says:

The Orach Chaim says that the “favor in the eyes of the Lord” was what spared Noah and not that he was specifically a Tzaddick.  The Torah does not tell us what God found favor in Noah’s actions.   This is because If the  Torah revealed what it was,  people would only focus on those items and not other Mitzvos.  Meaning, Noah was a righteous man who did something that found favor in God’s eyes.  What is was, we do not know.  Please see the Orach Chaim inside.

I would like to answer as follows.

This year for the first time I realized that the corruption of the generation of the flood started as descried in Chapter 6, Verses 1, 2, and 3:

1. And it came to pass when man commenced to multiply upon the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2.  That the sons of the nobles saw the daughters of man when they were beautifying themselves, and they took for themselves wives from whomever they chose.  3.  And the Lord said, “Let My spirit not quarrel forever concerning man, because he is also flesh, and his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.”

Then it spread to thievery and on thievery was what God sealed the fate of the generation of the flow.

Clearly, the corruption of the generation of the flood began with  Aryous, promiscuity, a society that any person feels  he/she  can take any person they desire.   When leaders and then society feel that they can satisfy their  desires without regard and no consequences, then they feel they can also steal at will.    As Beth told me about the culture among the political class, politicians live in an amoral world.   You can sleep with whomever you want, there is nothing wrong with it, even if you are married.   This was the generation of the flood, an amoral society.     I would add that politicians feel they can also  lie and cheat, and ruin people’s lives  seemingly at will.

Noah was singular in his generation in not being promiscuous.  Just like Yoseph was “HaTzaddick” because he resisted the temptations of Potiphar’s wife.  Initially he was going to succumb, yet he held himself back.  So to Noah is called a Tzaddick that did not given in to his desires.    He was a leader and could have taken anyone and anything for himself,  but didn’t.  This is  why God saved Noah, this is the favor in God’s eyes.   Of course, all holy people hold themselves back from promiscuity.  However, Noah and Yoseph were especially tempted, and easily could have been corrupted.  It was there for the taking and both suppressed their desires.  This is why Yoseph is called Yoseph HaTzaddick and Noah is called a Tzaddick by the Torah.