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Parshat Noach: Genesis 6:9-11:32;
Isaiah 54:1-55:5.

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N

u, what are you doing to
not have been considered anything [of
help?
significance]."
This week's Torah portion,
Regardless, Noah rose head and shoul-
Noach, reveals that God's decision to
ders above the others who lived in his
send the floodwaters comes because of
day.
the chamas corrupting the
Sadly, our world again is full
Earth (Genesis 6:13).
of chamas: robbery, fraud, sexual
In modern Hebrew, chamas
immorality and much violence.
means "violence The ter-
One might even argue that
rorist organization Hamas,
human civilization today is wor-
which is an Arabic acronym
thy of another reboot. But God
for "the Islamic Resistance
promised never again to flood the
Movement:' is a clear double
Earth as in Noah's time. Perhaps
entendre playing on the
that is because, rather than
Rabbi Aaron
Hebrew meaning.
solving the problem Himself by
Starr
The rabbinic commenta-
selecting one family for survival,
tors of old, however, translate
God is waiting for you and for
chamas here in Genesis as "robbery
me — for all of us — to step forward to
and fraud" (Ramban). As the Italian
eliminate injustice wherever we see it.
rabbi Ovadyah Sforno (1475-1550 C.E.)
When God looks down upon us,
teaches of Noah's period in world history, would he call any of us an ish tzadik
"Each [person] robs the other; the land-
b'dorotav? Or is God asking us, "Nu, what
owners rob the sharecroppers forcibly,
are you doing to help?"
while the sharecropper robs the land-
This Shabbat of parshat Noach, we are
owner through deceit. Thus the Earth is
called upon to follow in the footsteps of
producing all its fruit for robbers!"
Noah, who rose to God's call. But more
Couple the chamas with the rampant
than building an ark in which "just" our
sexual immorality prevalent in those
own families might find shelter, an ish
days (BT Sanhedrin 57a and 108a), and
tzadik b'dorotav today uses a hammer
God decided to reboot humanity in
and a nail to build homes, sanctuaries
order to start over again.
and institutions that work to right the
Replacing Adam as father to the
wrongs of society.
world, then, God chose Noah (along with
We must seek to partner with other
his wife, Naamah) as the progenitor of
tzadikim (righteous people) to bring tik-
this new society. The Torah, though, tells kun (repair) to our very broken world by
us little about what Noah did to earn that caring for those in need, by seeking to
title and to receive the reward of surviv-
bring peace, and by perpetuating the val-
ing the flood. The Torah simply declared
ues of justice and righteousness, mercy
that Noah was "ish tzadik tamim
and forgiveness that Jewish tradition
b'dorotav: a righteous person, perfect in
holds dear.
his generation' (Genesis 6:9).
This week of parshat Noah we too ask,
Strangely, with that expression
"Nu, what are you doing to help?" -
"b'dorotav — in his generation:' the
Rabbi Aaron Starr is the spiritual leader of
Torah seems to add a qualifying state-
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.
ment to Noah's righteousness.
The medieval commentator Rashi
(1040-1105 C.E.) explains the various
CONVERSATIONS
opinions about this qualifying term,
•Why do you think the Torah uses
writing, "There are those among our
the qualifier "b'dorotav"? With which
rabbis who expound this word (b'dorotav
of Rashi's explanations do you agree?
— in his generation) as praise — if
•In this New Year, what is one addi-
[Noah] had been in a generation of righ-
tional step you might take to allevi-
teous people he would have been even
ate suffering in this world or to right
more righteous. And there are those who
an injustice?
expound it as deprecation, [i.e.,] accord-
•With whom might you partner —
ing to [the standards of] his generation,
individuals or agencies — in order to
[Noah] was righteous, but if he had been
further the pursuit of righteousness?
in the generation of Abraham, he would

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October 15 • 2015 33