Doreish Tov on Medrash Rabbah Parashas Noach 5769 (1)

Doreish Tov on Medrash Rabbah

Parashas Noach 5769

30:1 The Medrash states that it is said (Bereishis) eileh toldos Noach Noach ish tzaddik tamim, these are the offspring of Noach – Noach was a righteous man, perfect…. This is what is said (Mishlei 10:25) kaavor sufah viain rasha vitzaddik yesod olam, when the storm passes a wicked one is no more, but a righteous one is the foundation of the world. Kaavor sufah viain rasha refers to the Generation of the Flood and vitzaddik yesod olam refers to Noach. Another verse states (Ibid 12:7) hafoch reshaim viainam ubais tzaddikim yaamod, the wicked are overturned and are no more, but the house of the righteous will endure. Hafoch reshaim viainam refers to the Generation of the Flood, and bais tzaddikim yaamod refers to Noach, as it is said eileh toldos Noach. Alternatively, it is said eileh toldos Noach. It is said (Ibid 14:11) bais reshaim yishameid viohel yesharim yafriach, the house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the just will blossom. Bais reshaim yaamod refers to the Generation of the Flood, and ohel yesharim yafriach refers to Noach. One must wonder what the Medrash is teaching us by citing these verses from Mishlei. Is it not obvious from reading Parashas Noach that the Generation of the Flood was wicked and they were destroyed, whereas Noach was righteous and he survived? Perhaps the answer to this question is that the Medrash was bothered by the first words in the parashah that states eileh toldos Noach. Why did the Torah see a need to commence the narrative of the Flood with these words and what is their association to the subsequent words that state that Noach was righteous and perfect? The Medrash therefore cites verses which demonstrate that the wicked can act in the most corrupted manner possible, but the righteous are still the foundation of the world. How is this so? The Gemara (Sanhedrin 108b) states that the Generation of the Flood acted corruptly with a boiling substance, i.e. by engaging in immorality, and they were thus punished with boiling water. The Sefarim write that tzaddik yesod olam alludes to the idea that the righteous person is shomer habris, in that he resists the temptation of immorality. Thus, the Medrash is teaching us that when it is said that these are the offspring of Noach, the Torah means that the wicked engaged in immorality, which causes the destruction of the world. Noach, however, was tzaddik yesod olam, so he endured. It is interesting to note that the Sefarim write that the Ultimate Redemption will arrive through shemiras habris, resisting temptation of immorality. In a world surrounded by decadence and depravity, it is incumbent upon us, Hashem’s Chosen People, to resist the blandishments of the Evil Inclination and remain pure and holy. [After writing this HaShem allowed me to come across the Shelah in Hagahos to Sefer Bereishis-Noach Torah Ohr §1 who writes the same idea regarding Noach being tzaddik yesod olam.]