THREE LEVELS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

When Noah is described at the beginning of this week’s parasha as “a righteous man, perfect in his generation”, Rashi famously comments that there were those who sought to qualify this accolade.

Yes, in his generation he was regarded as righteous, but had he been living at the same time as Abraham, he would not have been extraordinary.

What is the difference between the greatness of Noah and that of Abraham?

Noah was righteous enough to save himself and his family. It did not extend to him being able to influence his generation.

Yiddish culture has a pithy way of describing the personality of Noach: “A tzaddik in pelz,” meaning “a righteous man in a fur coat.” If the weather turns cold, there are two ways of dealing with the situation. You can either make a fire or put on a warm coat. The result for the individual is the same. He remains warm and can continue to function. The difference is the effect it will have on others. Making a fire extends the warmth to others. Wearing a fur coat just keeps the individual warm. For all Noah’s personal righteousness, he was unable to include others in his growth.

Abraham, on the other hand, reached out to impact his generation. The Midrash describes Abraham and Sarah’s success in converting their entourage to belief in  one G-d. When G-d told Abraham of His plan to destroy Sodom because of their wickedness, he remonstrated with G-d on their behalf. As a result, G-d conceded that if there were ten righteous people in Sodom, he would not destroy it.

Could there be a level of righteousness beyond that of Abraham?

The late Rav Adin Steinsaltz suggests that there is. There was Moses. When G-d told Moses that He would destroy the Jewish people because they had worshipped the golden calf, Moses, like Abraham before him, began to plead on their behalf. G-d responded that the people no longer deserved to live. He would destroy them and start afresh with Moses. Moses could not accept that. “Erase me from Your Torah!” (Shemot 32:32) Moses’ concern for his people went beyond praying for them – he was not prepared to live without them. If G-d would not forgive the entire generation, then Moses was prepared to renounce the entire relationship he had built with G-d! What a remarkable level of selflessness and concern for others.

Three levels of righteousness:

Noah – was able to save oneself

Abraham – was capable of reaching out and save others as well.

Moses – was prepared to sacrifice himself to save his people.