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Parsha Insights
By Rabbi Scott Kahn

“Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generation; Noah walked with G-d.” Rashi notes that this apparent description of perfection contains within it an implied rebuke: that Noah’s perfection may have been, in fact, a perfection relative to his own generation. Had Noah lived in the generation of Abraham, the latter’s overwhelming greatness would have overshadowed Noah to the degree that Noah would not have been considered anything special at all. Rashi notes that the phrase, “Noah walked with G-d” demonstrates this, as well – while the Torah tells us the Noah walked “with” G-d, the Torah states the Abraham walked “before” G-d. This implies that Noah needed G-d’s help to support him in his lonely righteousness, whereas Abraham was a stronger individual who was able to accomplish his great deeds on his own.

Why does the Torah choose to compare Noah with Abraham, rather than with any of the other great tzaddikim we learn about in Sefer Bereshit?

An answer may appear in a later comment of Rashi’s. When Noah and his family entered the Ark, the Torah tells us that they came in “because of the waters of the flood.” Rashi explains, “Noah was also among those with little faith (emunah); he [simultaneously] believed and didn’t believe that the flood would occur, and did not enter the Ark until he was pushed by the water.” Despite Noah’s willingness to perform each of G-d commands, he nevertheless lacked a full-hearted belief that G-d would actually go through with the flood. Somehow, despite his prophetic abilities, he couldn’t bring himself to believe that Hashem would actually destroy the world. Until there was physical proof, G-d’s word remained in doubt.

In contrast to Noah, Abraham was distinguished because of his unwavering belief and faith, regardless of whether he received proof of G-d’s intentions beyond G-d’s own words. In fact, the first time that the Torah uses the Hebrew root for “faith” – emunah – is in reference to Abraham’s trust in G-d’s promise. Abraham was taken outside, and was told that his offspring would be like the stars in heaven. The next verse states, “And he believed (he’emin) in Hashem,” upon which Rashi comments, “He didn’t request a sign.” In other words, Abraham’s faith did not require any external support; Abraham, accordingly, could “walk before G-d” without support. Noah, however, could not believe wholeheartedly without a sign, and is consequently described as “walking with G-d” – that is, only with G-d’s help and support.

Interestingly, the words “believe in G-d” only occur twice in the Torah: when the Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, and with regard to Abraham’s trust in Hashem’s word. Abraham is also the paradigmatic example of a gomel chesed, one who performs deeds of loving kindness. It may be that Abraham’s intense love for others, his willingness to fight for them despite their own unworthiness, is directly related to his faith in Hashem. Indeed, much of Abraham’s love for others directly follows from his concern for G-d’s own reputation. When Abraham debated G-d, pleading with Him to spare the cities of Sodom and Gemorrah, his opening argument was that the Judge of the entire world should act with justice. In other words, Abraham’s concern for the wicked people of Sodom arose out of his determination that G-d act as He is supposed to! The faith of Abraham is a faith which involves demanding that G-d act according to His own highest principles.

The word emunah is related etymologically to the word omein, to nurse and raise a child. Abraham was, so to speak, an omein for G-d’s reputation in the world. Abraham was determined to make the belief in the One G-d a universal belief, and he did every thing in his power to accomplish this goal. In this sense, Abraham was the ultimate ma’amin, for he was history’s greatest advocate of belief in G-d, and the individual who raised G-d’s reputation – as an omein raises his charges – to greatness.

Noah lacked this unusual type of faith. Noah only fully believed in G-d’s word when the waters pushed him into the Ark; until then, he was never convinced that G-d would do as He said. Because he required physical proof of G-d intentions, Noah was never able to fully dedicate himself to warning his contemporaries of the disaster to come; Noah himself wasn’t convinced, either. His lack of unwavering, unsupported faith led to a failure in his ability to perform chesed. Abraham’s powerful faith was directly related to his unmatched kindness and love for all people. The faith of Abraham reaches beyond theology, and develops the sensitivity of the believer, making him a paragon of gemilat chesed.

May we all develop the faith of Abraham within ourselves, and use it to develop a stronger relationship with G-d, as well as with all human beings.

Shabbat shalom!