Parshat Noah

The rabbinic commentators didn't all agree that Noah was great.  Some make the argument that he wasn't that big a deal, just born at the right place at the right time.  This insult is rooted in the text.

When we open this week's portion, Noah, we read in Genesis 6:9  "And Noah was a righteous man blameless in his generation."

The rabbis jump all over the words "in his generation."  They are split. Some say this is to diminish his greatness, the Torah says in his generation to suggest he was only considered good, as compared to a generation so bad that God had to destroy humanity with the flood.  This is pretty harsh treatment, they suggest that if he lived in the time of Abraham we wouldn't even know his name.

Others rabbis come to Noah's defense and say that this qualifier "in his generation," make him seem even greater.  They emphasize how difficult it is to be great when everyone around you is so bad.  It would have been easier, they teach, to have simply gone along with the crowd.

I have played both sides in this argument during my studies, but I have to say, today more than ever, I would argue that Noah is more remarkable for being righteous in his generation.  You see Noah is amazing because he was willing to stand apart and be good even when it was an impossible position to take.

This weekend, I will be visiting the Jewish community of Sao Paulo, Brazil representing USY for a conference of  Noam Olami, the Global Conservative Youth Movement leaders .  I am thinking of Noah as I prepare to meet the participants.  These young people represent thousands, who in different cultures and different lands are willing to stand apart from everyday young people to commit to what they believe in.  In each of the countries represented these teens take risks standing up and being counted as Jewish, supportive of Israel, a Jewish sense of Social Justice and proud to be Masorti or Conservative.  It's not always easy or popular to take these stands and I applaud all of the teens around the world who make this commitment everyday.  I think you are great in this generation and your commitments will have an impact for generations to come.