JHI Dvar Torah on Parshat Noach

This Dvar Torah was sponsored by Dr. David Broniatowski in commemoration of the 26th Yahrzeit of his grandfather Chaim Andre Broniatowski, which was on the 2nd of Tishrei.



PARSHAT NOACH – PEACE AND BROTHRHOOD

Parshat Noach describes the downfall of two different civilizations. The Bible (Parshat Noach, 6:11-12) relates that the people of Noach’s time were destroyed because robbery and ‘sins of the flesh’ were pervasive. As a result, G-d obliterated the entire generation in the Great Flood. Only Noach, his wife and children, and representatives from the animal kingdom survived aboard the ark that Noach built. The second civilization that colapsed was the society that built the Tower of Babel. They set out to build “A tower with its top in the heavens” (ibid. 11:4). The Commentary of Abarbanel explains that those people understood the rudiments of gravity. Being idolatrous, they thought that G–d was a finite being that resided in the heavens. They therefore assumed that if they could build a tower high enough, they could use it to escape gravity and jump off into space to do physical battle with The Almighty. Though the plan could have never succeeded, its intention to destroy The Divinity was nonetheless sinful. That generation was first a single unified entity. G-d’s punishment was to scatter them across the face of the earth.

The Commentary of Rashi (ibid. 11:9) raises a question. We often assume that those who lived in Noach’s time were the most evil people who ever walked the face of the Earth. Yet, the sin of the second group was seemingly far more serious. They sought to destroy The Divinity Itself. Why then was their punishment less severe than that of Noach’s era? Rashi explains that quarrelling and discord was rampant in the time of Noach. This is evident from the fact that they were stealing from each other. However, there was love and brotherhood among those who set out to build the Tower. Rashi concludes that this teaches that, “(before G-d) Quarrelling is detested and peace is great” (ibid.).

To more fully appreciate the words of Rashi, it would be helpful to first consider the following theoretical question. When a normally praiseworthy character trait is utilized to facilitate wrongdoing, should that trait be viewed (A) as something good that was unfortunately diverted to the service of wickedness, or (B) something that is entirely immoral? For example, we normally praise the trait of alacrity. As the Talmud writes, “Those who move quickly will be first in the performance of Mitzvot” (Tractate Pesachim, 4a). Consider, though, an example of a Nazi guard that pursued his mass murder with great diligence. Can this alacrity be disassociated from its context and be viewed in a positive light, or is it altogether evil?

The Midrash Rabbah (a Talmudic work) at the beginning of Parshat Pikudei in the Book of Shemot sheds light on this issue as it pertains to the trait of being generous with money. The Midrash (51:6) discusses the case of a wealthy but profligate young man who gave generously to support lewd and depraved theatre productions. Unexpectedly, he changed course and gave money to support Torah education. He then reverted to his former self and resumed his support of decadence. The Midrash (as explained by the Commentary of the Etz Yosef) indicates that the young man’s giving to the two very different types of causes emanated from two entirely different facets of his personality. In other words, there was not one trait of generosity with money that was common to both acts of giving. Rather, the financial support for licentiousness stemmed from his proclivity to depravity. The donation to support Torah, however, stemmed from his neshama - the sacred and G-dly soul. Accordingly, being generous to one of these two causes does not predispose one to support the other. Both activities involved the act of giving however they eminated from two entirely different character traits.

It would seem that the same concept probably applies to the case of the Nazi guard. His trait of diligence when killing people is a component of the profane act of killing. This trait is altogether different from the diligence that is required for a sacred task (lehavdil) such as studying Torah. Hence, alacrity when killing would not predispose one to alacrity when studying Torah or doing other good deeds - and visa-versa.

Rashi’s words now take on a deeper meaning. The people who built the Tower acted with brotherhood toward each other. But in truth, it was that very camaraderie that enabled them all to band together in a unified attempt to build the Tower in order to wage war against The Divinity - a wrongdoing that was deemed worse than the sin of Noach’s generation. If so, why were they rewarded for such brotherhood? This good will should have been viewed like the generosity of the young man giving money to support depravity or like the alacrity of the German when committing mass murder.

This teaches that the trait of being at peace with others occupies a special pedestal in the ethics of the Torah. It retains its sanctity and remains laudable, even when facilitating terribly nefarious activity.

An illustration of this concept can be seen in the sailing ships that are discovered hundreds of years after they sank. Almost everything will have been destroyed by the salt water, even the massive steel cannons. Gold, however, remains undamaged, despite being a very soft metal. So too, other normally fine human traits are poisoned when they enable wrongdoing. However, the ability to live in harmony and ‘shalom’ with others is so commendable that even when facilitating the worst of iniquities, it remains exemplary before G-d.

If living with good will toward others is so laudable even when associated with sin, friendship that is not associated with sin is altogether more praiseworthy. If so, according to the Torah, the ongoing ability to live in peace and good will with friends, co-workers, spouses, and family is among the most exalted ‘characteristics of the soul.’