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Latest Comments:
Thank you Rabbi Bell. Your point is well taken. I suppose I could add that Noah was born a tzaddik, while Abraham was not. This would mean that Abraham must have faced challenges that Noah did not, such as the binding of Isaac, and thus must have had experiences with the mitzvah of teshuva, challenges that he passed and thus found a greater favour in G-d's Eyes, as you suggest.
Thanks again for dealing with this lesson.
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I beleive that the years of construction of the ark were not wasted on selfish purposes, rather, they were years of outreach as the motive of such a big innovation in construction cannot be hidden from a proclaimed wicked generation. Noah must have exhusted those years in much talking that fell on deaf ears.
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Thank you for your comment.
The point that was discussed (based on the Zohar) is not designed as a "put down" of Noah. Nobody denies that the Torah calls Noah a tzadik; as you point out, he listened to G-d and resisted the scoffers for all those years.
But the point is that -- in spite of his righteousness -- we should seek to emulate Abraham's example. He, like Noah, was not COMMANDED to go out of his way to reach out to others. But his inner desire to publicize G-d and His teachings drove him to reach out to others.
And that is the lesson to be derived from Abraham. As long as there is someone willing to listen, we should use the opportunity to share our knowledge of G-d and His Torah. And with G-d's help (along with our love and careful choice of words), we will be able to draw people close, and not, G-d forbid, upset or distance them.
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"21. and he drank the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent."
Why did he drink wine? maybe he was too hard on himself... thinking, saying, was there not at least one who could be saved!
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Rabbi,it will be very good if you support your comments with scriptural verses cos i understand that men can be wrong even in their best intentions.
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Although your interpretation is the widely held one about the work of Abraham going out to spread the good word and Noah being passive, I do not agree. The generation that Noah lived with were coarse giants, blasphemers, idolators, sexual deviants and all things horrid and filthy. Abraham did not live with such lowly creatures. I accept the sublime chesed of Abraham, one of our three Patriarchs. I do not accept the put down of Noah. G-d gives all of us challenges. The challenges are within our ability to overcome. I interpret that G-d did not challenge Noah to go out to these lawless brutes. Instead, Noah was to be a beacon to these mamsers over a period of ark building, 128 years ! Whoever asked about the ark and was told about the Flood from G-d, scoffed at Noah, treating him like a loser.
Perhaps my lack of Torah leads me to this defense of Noah. I am willing to speak about my faith with interested parties, and set an example. I am not willing to upset and distance people.
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