A thought on פרשת נח
"...tzadik tamim haya b'dorosav...""...a purely righteous man in his generations..." (6:9)
There are some well known interpretations of the term here "in his generations." We know that Noach was regarded as a great and righteous man and the ambiguous form of the word "b'dorosav" can imply different nuances.
The Ralbag interprets the word quite literally: Noach's life spanned many generations! He lived during the antedeluvian period, survived the deluge, witnessed the scattering of civilization and in that sense, he was a man who lived during a number of historical eras. The Torah asserts that his righteousness was apparent during each one of those generations. He was a tzadik in all of his generations.
The Ralbag's commentary analyzes and defines words, and it also examines the episodes and events in each parsha. One area of focus he takes is in deriving concepts as well as lessons to improve our understanding and our conduct as we struggle at our own level with the challenges which faced our ancestors and patriarchs.
What are we to derive, queries the Ralbag, from the incident after the flood, when Noach became intoxicated and defiled? What happened to the notion of him being a pure and righteous man? How could he fall so low and end up in such a vile and tragic predicament?
The lesson the Ralbag sees here is that even when a person is great enough to save, literally, an entire planet, his righteousness may not suffice to protect and save him from his own devices. The effect of wine on him led to deep personal shame, and had a lasting impact on some of his descendants. His righteousness did not suffice to inhibit the effects of intoxication.
How are we to understand this? Of course, one sobering message here speaks to the risks of addictive substances. The Ralbag takes us further. It is accurate to say that Noach was a righteous man, and that he had influence on people who lived during his long lifetime. The key is that he was a "role model" for others. As for himself, he had no role model! He outlived his peers and was truly alone among the righteous during much of his life. The Ralbag observes that it is very difficult for one to step outside of himself and become self-aware, self-monitoring, if there is no one in his life from whom to obtain guidance and musar. Noach had no one to look up to, no one to learn from. He could influence others but did not succeed in influencing himself. (He became "under the influence!")
Each of us has an obligation to set a healthy example for others. That is the Torah way. Yet, each of us also has an obligation to abide with consistency by our own healthy values, and for that, one must find a wholesome peer group, a caring mentor, and an attitude of integrity so as to seek and accept emes. I am responsible for others. I am responsible for myself.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
There are some well known interpretations of the term here "in his generations." We know that Noach was regarded as a great and righteous man and the ambiguous form of the word "b'dorosav" can imply different nuances.
The Ralbag interprets the word quite literally: Noach's life spanned many generations! He lived during the antedeluvian period, survived the deluge, witnessed the scattering of civilization and in that sense, he was a man who lived during a number of historical eras. The Torah asserts that his righteousness was apparent during each one of those generations. He was a tzadik in all of his generations.
The Ralbag's commentary analyzes and defines words, and it also examines the episodes and events in each parsha. One area of focus he takes is in deriving concepts as well as lessons to improve our understanding and our conduct as we struggle at our own level with the challenges which faced our ancestors and patriarchs.
What are we to derive, queries the Ralbag, from the incident after the flood, when Noach became intoxicated and defiled? What happened to the notion of him being a pure and righteous man? How could he fall so low and end up in such a vile and tragic predicament?
The lesson the Ralbag sees here is that even when a person is great enough to save, literally, an entire planet, his righteousness may not suffice to protect and save him from his own devices. The effect of wine on him led to deep personal shame, and had a lasting impact on some of his descendants. His righteousness did not suffice to inhibit the effects of intoxication.
How are we to understand this? Of course, one sobering message here speaks to the risks of addictive substances. The Ralbag takes us further. It is accurate to say that Noach was a righteous man, and that he had influence on people who lived during his long lifetime. The key is that he was a "role model" for others. As for himself, he had no role model! He outlived his peers and was truly alone among the righteous during much of his life. The Ralbag observes that it is very difficult for one to step outside of himself and become self-aware, self-monitoring, if there is no one in his life from whom to obtain guidance and musar. Noach had no one to look up to, no one to learn from. He could influence others but did not succeed in influencing himself. (He became "under the influence!")
Each of us has an obligation to set a healthy example for others. That is the Torah way. Yet, each of us also has an obligation to abide with consistency by our own healthy values, and for that, one must find a wholesome peer group, a caring mentor, and an attitude of integrity so as to seek and accept emes. I am responsible for others. I am responsible for myself.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 11:23 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home