Was Noah a Tzaddik?
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
"Noah was a righteous man (tzaddik), wholehearted in his time." (Gen. 6:9)
The Torah states that Noah was a righteous man (tzaddik) "in his time." This is an interesting statement made by the Torah. What can we make of this?
Noah was a great tzaddik in his generation, in his time and place; but he was an imperfect tzaddik, and in a greater, more righteous generation, he would not have even been considered a holy tzaddik at all, but rather, perhaps a benoni, an intermediate soul, neither righteous nor wicked. He is a “tzaddik” in comparison to his generation of the wicked, or evildoers, not in a generation of righteous and holy ones, or souls of a higher grade. Thus, indeed, he becomes drunk, falls into sin and does not resemble the truly great tzaddikim that will come after him, not even close!
Consider Abraham and Sarah, the grandfather and grandmother of all of us – spiritual humanity; Noah and his wife does not hold this place, but they do, the first true tzaddik and shechinah consort. Abraham guards the sign of the covenant, entertains archangels, and when he is informed of the impending heavenly decree or judgment against the cities of the wicked, he prays and speaks with God, invoking mercy and compassion, seeking to nullify the heavenly decree. Noah, however, does not guard the sign of the covenant, nor entertain archangels, nor plead for mercy or do anything to try to nullify the heavenly decree – truly he was not a tzaddik, a righteous and holy one of God.
From the patriarchs, to Moses and the great prophets, we see an evolution of holy tzaddikim of greater and greater gradations of spiritual realization, Mochin d’Gadlut and Chabad, and in between these progressions there are regressions, though not as severe as with the generation of Noah and the flood. If Noah was a “tzaddik” of his generation, then clearly we understand the need for a purging and a complete restart!
Consider Abraham and Sarah, the grandfather and grandmother of all of us – spiritual humanity; Noah and his wife does not hold this place, but they do, the first true tzaddik and shechinah consort. Abraham guards the sign of the covenant, entertains archangels, and when he is informed of the impending heavenly decree or judgment against the cities of the wicked, he prays and speaks with God, invoking mercy and compassion, seeking to nullify the heavenly decree. Noah, however, does not guard the sign of the covenant, nor entertain archangels, nor plead for mercy or do anything to try to nullify the heavenly decree – truly he was not a tzaddik, a righteous and holy one of God.
From the patriarchs, to Moses and the great prophets, we see an evolution of holy tzaddikim of greater and greater gradations of spiritual realization, Mochin d’Gadlut and Chabad, and in between these progressions there are regressions, though not as severe as with the generation of Noah and the flood. If Noah was a “tzaddik” of his generation, then clearly we understand the need for a purging and a complete restart!
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