D’var Torah: Parshat Noach
The Torah tells us that Noach was אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו (ish tzaddik tamim hayah b’dorotav), “a righteous man, perfect in his generations.” But right away, the commentators disagree about what that praise really means. Rashi explains that some interpret it לְשֶׁבַח (l’shevach, as praise): if Noach was righteous in a generation full of wrongdoing, imagine how great he would have been in a generation of tzaddikim. Others interpret it לִגְנַאי (lignai, as criticism): Noach was only righteous compared to the people around him, and next to someone like אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ (Avraham Avinu), he wouldn’t have stood out at all.
Either way, one thing is clear: Noach did the right thing when no one else did. He built the תֵּבָה (teivah, ark) while the world around him carried on as usual. According to tradition, it took many years, and people watched and probably laughed. Noach didn’t give a big speech or start a movement. He just kept building. The Torah says אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ (et haElokim hithalech Noach), “Noach walked with God,” steadily, one step at a time.
That’s a challenge for us, too. We don’t usually face a flood, but we do face smaller moments: a group laughing at someone behind their back, a mean comment in a group chat, a friend pressuring us to go along. In those moments, it’s easy to think, “Everyone else is doing it, so it must be okay,” or “If I say something, I’ll be the next target.”
The Torah shows us that being a צַדִּיק(tzaddik) in your generation doesn’t always mean doing something dramatic. Sometimes it means quietly choosing not to join in, stepping away, or being kind to the person everyone else is ignoring. Even a small act can be a kind of teivah, a protected space where something good survives.
And here’s something extra: the word תֵּבָה(teivah) also means “word.” Sometimes the teivah we build is a kind word, or the decision not to say an unkind one. That’s the heart of שְׁמִירַת הַלָּשׁוֹן (shmirat halashon, guarding our speech).
Maybe the debate about Noach teaches us something too. Whether he was great or just good for his time, he still chose to build. We don’t have to be perfect to start doing the right thing.
Question to think about:
What is one teivah you can build this week, one small, quiet choice to do the right thing even if no one else around you is doing it?
Quick glossary
- צַדִּיק (tzaddik): a righteous person
- תָּמִים (tamim): wholehearted, complete
- בְּדֹרֹתָיו (b’dorotav): in his generations
- תֵּבָה (teivah): ark; also “word”
- שְׁמִירַת הַלָּשׁוֹן (shmirat halashon): guarding one’s speech
Rabbi Dr. David Bauman
