Parshat Noach 5786
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha how Hashem saved Noach and his family from the Mabul. Though Noach was mentioned briefly at the end of parshat Bereishis, this week’s parsha begins with the words, אלה תולדות נח, נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו. The fact that he was a Tzadik gives us an explanation as to why he was worthy of being saved. The Zohar Hakadosh teaches on the word Noach, that Noach contained an aspect of Shabbos. His name Noach, suggests the word Menucha and an element of calmness, of ישוב הדעת. And since Shabbos is a day of rest and cessation from work, Noach represents Shabbos. Is there a connection between Noach’s name suggesting Shabbos, and the first pasuk telling us he was a Tzadik?
Rashi comments on this first pasuk that there is a difficulty in the simple understanding of the pasuk. The pasuk begins אלה תולדות נח, indicating we are going to read about his children. But that doesn’t happen until the next pasuk; first the pasuk tells us that Noach was a Tzadik. Why does the Torah mention he was a Tzadik after it began by suggesting it was going to list his children?
Rashi gives two answers. First, he says הואיל והזכירו ספר בשבחו, שנאמר זכר צדיק לברכה. Once the Torah mentioned Noach, it needed to immediately tell us what a Tzadik he was. Only after the Torah fulfilled that obligation did it mention his Toldot, his offspring. But according to his p’shat, his Toldot were indeed his children. The second answer is, עיקר תולדותיהם של צדיקים מעשים טובים. In fact, the real Toldot, or legacy of a person, are his good deeds and the mitzvos that he performs in this world. This is why the Torah followed the word Toldot by emphasizing his righteousness.
The Sfas Emes elaborates on this second p’shat of Rashi. He explains that every person has a light within himself, within his Neshamah, and his task in life is to take that fragment of light and make it greater. One needs to spread his light far and wide by performing mitzvos and doing acts of kindness and chesed. By spreading light wherever he goes, he is establishing his greatest legacy. This is the fundamental legacy of a person, and these were the Toldot of Noach.
There is one proviso, however, to all of this. In order to be creative in the world, one must acknowledge that all of his accomplishments are only because of Hashem; on our own we are powerless to achieve anything in this world. Everything we produce and create in this world is through a partnership with Hashem.
This is expressed by Chazal in the Gemara in Nidah 31A שלשה שותפין יש באדם; each person born has three partners, the father, the mother, and Hashem. One can’t bring children into the world without Hashem’s help. These are the Toldot in the first p’shat of Rashi. And the same is true in the second p’shat as well. Every good deed, which is the real Toldot according to this opinion, is only possible by including Hashem in his life and understanding Hashem is his Partner in all of his achievements.
This creates a certain irony. The only way one can spread his light into the world and accomplish is by stepping back as well. One must be מבטל himself; he must minimize his own significance and worth in order to be creative and innovative. He must step back in order to move forward. He must acknowledge that all comes from Hashem in order to create a legacy of good deeds.
The Sfas Emes explains that this is the meaning of Noach represents Shabbos. We read in last week’s parsha (Chapter 2, Pasuk 3), ויברך אלוקים את יום השביעי ויקדש אותו. Rashi teaches, ברכו במן וקדשו במן. Hashem sanctified Shabbos by not having the mahn fall on Shabbos, and blessed Shabbos by bringing a double portion on Erev Shabbos. The Zohar Hakadosh asks, but no mahn fell on Shabbos! How was there a bracha on Shabbos if no mahn fell on Shabbos? The double portion fell the day before!
The Zohar answers that the bracha of Shabbos stems from the fact that on Shabbos, all rest and acknowledge that Hashem created the world. Shabbos is מקור הברכה because on Shabbos we nullify all of our wants and desires to Hashem. By stepping back and returning to Hashem, we are able to receive blessing and be creative. The paradigm for this is Shabbos. The Sfas Emes adds that this is why Talmidei Chachamim have relations with their wives from Leil Shabbos to Leil Shabbos; expressing the notion that our creativity is dependent on the nullification inherent in Shabbos.
And this connects Noach to Shabbos. The pasuk says אלא תולדות נח, נח איש צדיק. Noach’s legacy was that of doing mitzvos and good deeds. But this can only be accomplished through the process of acknowledging Hashem’s role in our life and our inability to achieve anything without Him. And this is Shabbos; the bracha of the rest of the week is dependent on our total nullification of own desires to Hashem. This is the Menucha and ישוב הדעת of Shabbos. We are not in control and we put our faith in Hashem. We put our weekday life and our goals on hold and return to Hashem. Shabbos is our realization that He created the world and He runs the world, and everything we accomplish is because of Him.
Good Shabbos
Print this article