Parasha Noach
By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.
SAN DIEGO — Do you sing zemirot at your Shabbos meals? Sadly, I see fewer and fewer people enjoying this wonderful tradition to enhance the Shabbat experience. One song in particular is linked to this week’s parasha, Noach. No, not Yah Ribbon and Mah Yedidot Menuhatekh, but Yom Shabbaton, “The dove found a place to rest on the Sabbath (Yonah Maz’ah Bo Manoah)” written by Yehudah Halevi, the great Spanish poet of the 12th century. Admittedly, with its five stanzas, it’s one of my favorites. Read carefully, we see many references to Noach, many rhymes with his name, and filled with hope that “Thou who did calm the flood, preserve us from ill, Safe in green pastures, safe by the brook to rest…” “Ha’am asher na k’tzon ta’ah yizkor l’fokdo b’rit ushvua, l’val ya’avor bam mikreh ra’ah ka’asher nishba’ata al mei noach.” No other Shabbat song references Noach. When we slow down on Shabbat and enjoy singing zemirot at the table, particularly on this Shabbat, let’s pay attention to the words, see the parasha pop through the melody and feel, deeply, the hopeful future for our civilization.
The parasha describes Noach as an Ish Tzaddik Tamim Hayah BeDorotav, a wholehearted, righteous man, “righteous in his generation.” Rav Bahya ben Joseph ibn Pakuda, the author of Chovot Halevavot, the “Duties of the Heart,” describes the ideal of t’mimut as “…complete harmony between inner and outward actions.” We see in Psalm 15:2 that this ideal refers to someone “who lives without blame, who does what is right, and in his heart acknowledges the truth…” Perhaps singing Yom Shabbaton will help us become more mindful of this.
Look at the world Noach lived in. Greed, oppression, corruption, sexual excess and incest, violent theft, concerns about the climate and worse. Wait. What’s changed? Look at our world! How do we cope with no ark to escape into, to get away from the pandemics that flood our lives? Floods, figuratively at least, surround us. Our best response is to grow in our resilience, to build, to move forward, to be t’mimut, and to always act as menschen, filled with chesed and humility. But what about being self-confident?
Noach may have lacked self-confidence, even faith as we learn elsewhere. The midrash, according to Rashi, in Bereishis Rabbah 32, #6, tells us that Noach went into the ark during the flood waters, but not before. Why? “Mi’katnei emuna haya, ma’aimin v’eno ma’amin she’yavo ha-mabul,” perhaps, we are told, he lacked faith and did not believe that there would be a flood. This tzaddik tamim lacked emunah in Hashem? The Kedusha Levi, R’ Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev tells us that Noach lacked faith all right, but in himself. Noach was “ma’amin v’eno ma’amin” about himself.
Perhaps this is a reason why Noach did not challenge Hashem about His decree to destroy the world. According to the Kedusha Levi, Noach lacked the confidence to do anything about it.
But Noach was a man of chesed. Rav Eliahu Dessler zt”l, tells us about a midrash in which a lion was once fed late and attacked Noach who screamed “Ach!” The midrash comments, “vayishaer ach Noach,” suggesting that Noach fed the lion and other animals on time all the rest of the time. His chesed to the animals reflected the protection Noach experienced during the flood and was the ultimate spiritual dimension of the ark.
The Rambam explains, “A person should always see himself as though he is half guilty and half meritorious. If he performs one mitzvah, he is fortunate, for he has tilted himself to the side of merit. If he commits one transgression, woe unto him, because he has tilted himself to the side of guilt” (Kiddushin 40b). Only one merit more is all it takes to be seen as righteous. Shlomo HaMelech reminds us in Koheles (7:20) that even righteous people sin. It appears that what one does following a sin makes the difference. Do we give up and continue down a path of self-destruction? The righteous don’t. This is a reason Noach is considered righteous.
Noah by literal definition, was serene, calm, and though yes, he demonstrated normal doubts, nevertheless he was filled, though imperfectly, with clear-sighted F.A.I.T.H. – “Feelings Anchored in Trust and Hope.” For it is said that when we grow in emunah, then happiness, joy, health, success, and power may follow.
The people of Babel present a different narrative. No, their emunah-less desire for personal greatness, their concern with personal reputation and fame was their undoing. When they uttered, “Let us make a name for ourselves,” they sealed their fate. Unlike Noah who was free of arrogance, the tower builders were filled with one purpose – making their own name great.
The lesson is clear. Let’s seek out the righteousness of Noah, not the arrogance of Babel. Perhaps a simple song, Yom Shabbaton, at the Shabbos table can help us bring this to mind.
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Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., prepares a weekly D’var Torah for Young Israel of San Diego, where he and his family are members. They are also active members of Congregation Adat Yeshurun. He may be contacted via michael.mantell@sdjewishworld.com