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Jewish World Review Oct. 30, 2008 / 2 Mar-Cheshvan 5769 Our Immutable Noble Essence By Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz Noah and us “Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generations ... ”                         —   Genesis 6:9 This week's Torah reading states that Noah was a perfect tzaddik, a truly righteous man. Why, then, does the previous verse say he found favor — chein — in the Divine's eyes, implying that he needed special compassion and mercy from Above to survive the flood? The commentator Sforno (ibid. 6:8) answers that the Divine's "favor" was required, not to save Noah himself, but rather to save Noah's sons and daughters-in-law, because Noah's own righteousness was insufficient to save them. Why? Where was Noah lacking? The Sforno explains that although Noah rebuked his generation for their misdeeds he did not teach them to "know" the Divine, i.e., to understand G-d's kindness, mercy, and goodness and to follow His ways. The Sforno continues: A truly righteous man such as Noah, who perfects only himself, can merit saving only himself. Others like Abraham, Moses, or Samuel, who reach out to others to perfect them as well, can save others through their own merit. Since there is hope that they will bring their generation back to the Divine in teshuvah, repentance, the entire generation deserves to be saved. Imagine yourself in noah's position. You live in an immoral society that has become so debased and corrupt that even the animals, even the earth itself, have broken all barriers of decency (Bereishis Rabbah 28:8). Thievery is the norm — employers rob workers, workers cheat their employers (Sforno 6:13). You proceed to build an ark, on Divine command, for 120 years. As people ask why, you tell them that their terrible sins have brought about their imminent destruction. They ignore you; they jeer and ridicule you (Bereishis Rabbah 30:7). Would you think that these immoral, vulgar, and shameless people could have an appreciation for the lofty concepts of the Divine's kindness and compassion? Could these wicked people, who ignored Noah's repeated, direct rebuke and refused to repent when faced with doom — could they be inspired by the greatness and beauty of the Divine's attributes and eventually mend their ways? A human being, no matter how low he has sunk into the filth of immorality and corruption, still retains his noble essence. Buried under the layers of sin and rationalization is a receptivity, an appreciation for the splendor and glory of the Divine's infinite kindness. Man can be motivated by this appreciation — even when all rebuke has failed — to raise himself from the abyss of sin and return to the Divine. Noah failed to teach these lessons, did not reach for the greatness within his fellow man, and therefore lacked the merit to save his children. Only through the Lord's mercy were they saved. In our generation, so many of our brethren have been led astray by the indecent and corrupt influences of our society. We look at these tragic victims in despair and resign ourselves to their loss. "How can we reach them?" we question. "Surely, they have no appreciation for the ethical and moral beauty of the Torah [Bible]." Nothing could be further from the truth. They can and do respond to the grandeur of Biblical morality. We need only teach it to them to reach the magnificence that lies within their souls. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes inspiring articles. Sign up for our daily update. It's free. Just click here. INSPIRED BY THIS ARTICLE? BUY THE BOOK ... at a discount by clicking HERE . Comment by clicking here. One of America's senior Torah sages, Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz has been the dean of the Rabbinical Seminary of America, in Queens, New York for more than 50 years. The institution has branches and affiliates all across North America and Israel. This article was prepared by two of the sage's disciples, Rabbi Aryeh Striks and Rabbi Shimon Zehnwirth, and excerpted from the just released book, "Pinnacle of Creation: Torah insights into human nature". Previously: The 'living dead' are all around us We have the power to alter another's destiny — use it well The Crowning Glory of Creation The Divine's eternal, unconditional love Perverting sincerity Do 'clothes make the man'? Divine vindictiveness? © 2007, Mesorah Publications, Ltd.