Parshat Noach
Diving Deeper: Being Righteous
Watch this video together, then read this and consider the questions below.
This week's Torah portion begins with the verse, "These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous, whole-hearted man in his generation." Genesis 5:9
What does it mean to be righteous person and what does the Torah mean when it adds the words "in his generation."
The narrator of this video suggests that there are two kinds of righteous individuals: one who follows the rules and does no more, and one who tries to do more that he or she is instructed to do. Noah followed God's instructions by building the ark and gathering all the animals to board, but what did Noah not do? Noah didn't at any time inform the people that their behavior was evil and that God planned to bring a flood. He didn't give them a chance to change and, perhaps, avert the pending flood and disaster.
The midrash (rabbinical teachings that extend the biblical stories to find meaning and lessons within) characterize Noah by using a Yiddish expression, a tzaddik im pelz. Literally this means a righteous person in a fur coat. Personally, this one of my favorite images. Imagine a freezing cold day in a time when homes where not heated. In those days there were two ways of keeping warm, wrapping yourself in fur or blankets or lighting a fire. If you take the first way, you only take care of your needs. If you pursue the second way, lighting a fire, you may not be quite as warm yourself, but you also help give warmth to others. Noah clearly seems to have taken the first way at first glance. He took care of himself and his family and the animals on the ark, but does little to help the rest of humanity.
This is in stark contrast to his descendant Abraham who, when told about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, argued with God to save the people of those cities if only 10 righteous people could be found. Abraham clearly illustrates the second kind of righteous person this midrash refers to -- someone who tries to do more and goes beyond the simple instructions.
A Jewish thinker, Martin Buber, suggests that in reality, Noah and Abraham just had different jobs. Noah was picked for survival. Abraham was picked to go on a larger mission that to introduce others to God and to the Jewish way.
Your turn: What does it take to be righteous? What motivates an individual to stand up in life-threatening circumstances and behave exceptionally? Discuss this with your family and write a summary of your discussion below. Alternatively, write a dialogue that Noah might have had with God when he first heard these instructions.
This week's Torah portion begins with the verse, "These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous, whole-hearted man in his generation." Genesis 5:9
What does it mean to be righteous person and what does the Torah mean when it adds the words "in his generation."
The narrator of this video suggests that there are two kinds of righteous individuals: one who follows the rules and does no more, and one who tries to do more that he or she is instructed to do. Noah followed God's instructions by building the ark and gathering all the animals to board, but what did Noah not do? Noah didn't at any time inform the people that their behavior was evil and that God planned to bring a flood. He didn't give them a chance to change and, perhaps, avert the pending flood and disaster.
The midrash (rabbinical teachings that extend the biblical stories to find meaning and lessons within) characterize Noah by using a Yiddish expression, a tzaddik im pelz. Literally this means a righteous person in a fur coat. Personally, this one of my favorite images. Imagine a freezing cold day in a time when homes where not heated. In those days there were two ways of keeping warm, wrapping yourself in fur or blankets or lighting a fire. If you take the first way, you only take care of your needs. If you pursue the second way, lighting a fire, you may not be quite as warm yourself, but you also help give warmth to others. Noah clearly seems to have taken the first way at first glance. He took care of himself and his family and the animals on the ark, but does little to help the rest of humanity.
This is in stark contrast to his descendant Abraham who, when told about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, argued with God to save the people of those cities if only 10 righteous people could be found. Abraham clearly illustrates the second kind of righteous person this midrash refers to -- someone who tries to do more and goes beyond the simple instructions.
A Jewish thinker, Martin Buber, suggests that in reality, Noah and Abraham just had different jobs. Noah was picked for survival. Abraham was picked to go on a larger mission that to introduce others to God and to the Jewish way.
Your turn: What does it take to be righteous? What motivates an individual to stand up in life-threatening circumstances and behave exceptionally? Discuss this with your family and write a summary of your discussion below. Alternatively, write a dialogue that Noah might have had with God when he first heard these instructions.