As we begin learning Parshas Noach “Noach tzadik tomim hoyo be’dorosov”, Noach was a perfect tzadik in his generation, we see the well-known Rashi that many of Chazal interpreted this l’shvach, as kudos and many interpreted this l’gnai, as denigration. Had Noach been in a generation of greater tzadikim he would have grown greater. Or alternatively, had he been in a generation of greater tzadikim he would not have been noticed at all. At the end of the posuk it says “es Elokim his’halech Noach”, Noach walked in the path of Elokim. Rashi comments that when talking about Avrohom the Torah places Avrohom before Elokim, but when talking about Noach the Torah places him after Elokim. Rashi says that Noach required succor and strong support from Hashem to be a tzadik whereas Avrohom was able to do it all on his own.
The Sfas Emes in 5639 comments that “be’vadai”, surely if the Torah states that he was a tzadik, Chazal are not trying to demean his stature. Rather, the Sfas Emes states as a seminal concept, this is the way things work out in the passing of generations. The world first required a limited type of tzadik who required G-dly support, such as Noach, before being able to live with an exalted tzadik such as Avrohom who did not need Heavenly support. Creation was not ready for the leadership of Avrohom until it had gone through a tzadik like Noach.
In other words, humanity could not grow spiritually on its own until Avrohom. Humanity as restarted by Noach required Heavenly support to grow spiritually. Avrohom was able to institute and establish the ability of humanity to not only grow but to become causal effectors of spirituality throughout Creation, as evidenced by his children Yitzchok and Yakov. Along with Avrohom they are called Ovos, Founders. The question then presents itself, why? Why couldn’t humanity, as founded by Noach, grow spiritually without G-d’s support? Stick around.
Hashem created the universe along three fundamental categories or principles, Olam, Shonoh, Nefesh: World or Humanity in general, Year or Time in general, and Soul or individuals. The general underlying principles guiding these three categories are similar within each category. So too is the concept that these categories are guiding principles within each individual of Klal Yisroel. An individual begins life as a small baby and then child, along the lines of how Creation began, “sohu” chaos, no ability to function on its own. The child requires constant supervision and support from its parents.
The next phase of Creation was the generations from Noach to Avrohom. This phase required the support of Hashem in order for them to grow spiritually, much like the adolescent who requires the support of an education system. During this period in an individual’s life Hashem closely watches the spiritual internal holy core, the pintele yid, of a person. From this pintele yid the person grows into his phase of adulthood, analogous to the phase of Creation after Avrohom, that of the Ovos or Founding Fathers of Klal Yisroel. In this phase the individual is able to grow on his own, developing his midos character traits as a foundation for Torah, as it says in Pirkei Ovos, derech eretz kodmoh l’Torah, exemplary character traits are required as a foundation for Torah. Then the individual can enter the final phase of Creation, Torah, as Klal Yisroel did after the founding efforts of the Ovos and the 12 Shfotim.
Now we can understand why Creation required the initial efforts of a tzadik as Noach who required the support of Hashem and then Avrohom who was able to become a Founder of an integral part of Creation, Klal Yisroel. Just as in Creation there was the primeval chaos followed by human endeavors, albeit falling apart and destroyed, and then Noach who with heavenly support grew and finally the Ovos and the beginning of Klal Yisroel. And going along further in the developing life of an individual; the initial phase as a child and later a young adult, and finally a mature adult. The world could not function spiritually with an Avrohom type of tzadik in its young state. First the world needed a Noach type of tzadik, with heavenly support, as the young child has parental and then educational support in its growth.
What can we learn from this? My readers are mature adults, who expect to be in their final phase of development. Yet throughout an individual’s life the person can somehow find themselves in a period of “sohu” spiritual chaos. The Torah teaches us don’t worry. Raise your head and open your spiritual eyes towards Hashem and look to Him for support. Start again and persist forward. Relook at your character, your daily life. And through Torah learning and Torah living you’ll again get back on the right path and the spiritual growth of the mature adult, the final Torah phase of Creation.
