Noach
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the first pasuk in this week's parsha, Es Ha'Elokim Hishalech Noach, Noach walked with Hashem. Rashi on the pasuk brings a famous Chazal which contrasts Noach with Avraham. This pasuk indicates that Noach needed support since it says that Noach walked with Gd. Avraham, on the other hand, is described as (Chapter 24, Pasuk 40) Hashem Asher Hishalachti Lefanav, Gd before whom I walked. Avraham was more independent and didn't need the actual support from Hashem to go forward in life.
What is this difference between walking with the support of Hashem as opposed to walking independently?
One of the major distinctions between Noach and Avraham is their involvement with the world around them. Though Noach did engage the people of his generation in discussions about changing their ways and doing Teshuvah (see Rashi on Chapter 6, Pasuk 14), ultimately Noach was afraid to actively take on the people and was hidden away in the Teivah, in the ark. This is an expression of Noach walking together with Gd. Avraham, however, actively engaged the people and tried to reach out and bring them towards a belief in Hashem as the creator of the world. He walked before Hashem.
The Zohar HaKadosh teaches that Noach was connected to the mitzvah of Shabbos. This connection is based on the similarity between the word Noach and the word Menucha which means rest. The Sfas Emes elaborates and explains that Shabbos is described by Chazal as a "Matanah Tovah", a special gift given to us by Hashem. We didn't do anything in particular to deserve it, but nonetheless every seventh day we have a special gift of Shabbos. This parallels Noach walking with Hashem and needing His support. On Shabbos Hashem provides us with a Neshamah Yeseirah, an additional soul which allows us to be more sensitive to Hashem and serve Him better on Shabbos. This is the support we receive from Gd.
The Sfas Emes brings from his grandfather the Chidushei HaRim that the word Teivah also means a letter. Just as Gd provided shelter and protection for Noach in the Teivah, similarly we are meant to find shelter and protection in the letters of the alphabet through our learning and our davening. The words of Torah and Tefillah enable us to hide out from the negative influences of the outside world and establish a place of refuge in which we seek protection. This is the unique gift of Shabbos as well; a respite from the rigors of life during the six days of the week.
Avraham, however, represents more the notion of the festivals and Rosh Chodesh which require the active involvement of Beis Din in establishing the New Moon. As opposed to Shabbos which automatically falls out every seventh day, Keviah V'Kaymah, Yom Tov and Rosh Chodesh are determined through the active involvement of the Jewish people as represented by Beis Din. This parallels the active involvement of Avraham Avinu in reaching out to the world around him and bringing people closer to Gd.
This taking of the initiative by Avraham Avinu is ultimately expressed for us through our involvement in learning Torah. Avraham began a two thousand year period of Torah which introduced the concept of Chidush, of taking initiative and interpretation as expressed in Torah She'bealpeh. Hence Chazal teach that really the Torah should have begun with the mitzvah of Kiddush Hachodesh, Hachodesh Hazeh Lachem Rosh Chadashim. Torah is essentially about the notion of Chidush. And this is the midah of the independence of Avraham Avinu as expressed in the pasuk of him walking before Gd. This is in contradistinction to Noach who was the midah of Shabbos, resting in the shelter of Hashem being protected from the negative influences of the outside world.
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