Peace Prize Winner Navi Pillay’s Long Record of Anti-Israel Hatred
The Torah describes Noah as, "A righteous man, perfect in his generations.” Rashi cites two explanations of the emphasis “in his generations”:
Some expound [this word] as praise. Had he been in a righteous generation, he would have been even more righteous. And there are those who expound it to his deprecation. According to the [wicked standards] of his generation, he was righteous. But if he had been in the generation of Abraham, he would not have been considered anything [of significance].1
Why did the second opinion interpret the expression “in his generations” to Noah’s denigration? The Torah itself testifies that “Noah found favor in God’s eyes,” implying that he was indeed a tzaddik, a righteous person, in whose merit life on earth endured. Would it not then be more reasonable to judge him favorably, and presume that in a righteous generation, Noah would have risen to even greater heights?
Furthermore, why does the first opinion compare Noah to a generation of “tzaddikim” – righteous people – in a general sense, whereas the second opinion compares him specifically to Abraham? What as unique about Abraham that made Noah pale in comparison?
The prophet Isaiah called the great Flood “the Waters of Noah,”2 implying that Noah was in some way responsible for them. The Zohar in fact says so explicitly: God told Noah that He would protect him in the ark, as it is written, “Behold, I am about to bring the Floodwaters …” and “I will blot out all existence I have made from upon the face of the ground, but I will establish My covenant … and you shall enter the ark.” When Hashem told Noah that he and his sons would survive, Noah failed to pray on behalf of the world, and everything was destroyed as a result. For this reason, the Floodwaters were called by his name, as it is written, “For they are the Waters of Noah before Me, and I have sworn never again to bring the Waters of Noah.”3
Although Noach was perfectly righteous in his own affairs, he was called to account for failing to pray on behalf of the sinners of his generation, that they might be forgiven and spared from destruction. Those who explain the expression “righteous in his generation” to demonstrate Noah’s sole fault compare him to Abraham, who prayed on behalf of the wicked sinners of Sodom, that they might be saved despite their many iniquities.
The Zohar states as follows: R’ Yochanan said: Come and see the difference between Noah and the tzaddikim that arose in Israel after him. Noah did not defend his generation, nor pray on their behalf as did Abraham. When God informed Abraham that He intended to destroy Sodom, Abraham immediately approached Him in prayer. He continued to beseech Him, until God ensured that if only ten righteous people were to be found in Sodom, He would spare the entire city on their behalf. Abraham assumed that including Lot and his family, God would certainly find ten. Therefore he concluded his prayers. Had he realized that there were not even ten, he would have prayed that Sodom be spared in the merit of even fewer.4
Someone who inadvertently kills another person is exiled to a city of refuge (ir miklat), where he must remain until the death of the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. The Kohen Gadol’s mother would often send food packages to the exiles, to forestall them from praying for the death of her son. Although the Torah assures us that “As a bird that wanders off, so an unwarranted curse will not arrive,”5 the prayers of the exiles were not considered “unwarranted curses,” since the Kohen Gadol was held responsible for their predicament. Had he prayed sufficiently for peace, the tragedies would never have occurred, and they would never have been forced into exile.6
From all these sources we draw an important conclusion. Torah leaders are responsible for the physical and spiritual welfare of their entire generation, even for the sinners among us. They must pray on our behalf, even when we prove unworthy. Noah’s failure to do so left a blemish on his reputation, despite his perfect righteousness in all other matters.
