Parshas Noach 5787
נח איש צדיק ... (ו-ט)
וימת תרח בחרן ... (יא-לב)
Our parsha begins with the life of Noach and closes with the beginning of Avraham Avinu’s life. Rashi on the word "בדורותיו" highlights a contrast between them. On the second of the above-quoted posukim, Rashi writes as follows: "עד אברהם היה חרון אף של מקום בעולם" - “Until Avraham there existed a measure of Hashem’s anger in the world.” Why was there this anger in the world, and what changed with the age of Avraham? It seems that plenty of evil still existed!
R’ Moshe Feinstein zt”l explains this based on a Gemara in Avodah Zara 9a. The Gemara tells us the first two thousand years of the world are referred to as "תוהו" - desolate. The second two thousand years, commencing with Avraham Avinu, are called "תורה". Asks R’ Moshe: Noach, the tzaddik, as well as Shem and Eiver, all lived before Avraham. And in Avraham’s דור there lived many רשעים. So how do we explain this sudden change from תוהו to תורה? Expounds R’ Moshe, granted there were most certainly some good people prior to אברהם. There even existed the Beis Medrash of Shem. But there were no proactive efforts to build and perpetuate Torah and אמונה בה'. Whoever wished, was able to come, enter the Beis Medrash and study. While Noach himself was a צדיק, he didn’t seek to inspire others. By contrast, Avraham Avinu, explains the Gemara, created and cultivated others: "ואת הנפש אשר עשו בחרן". That calls for the period of time to be known as a time of תורה. In our tumultuous world, we must strive to impart Hashem’s ways to the next generation; to family, to friends and even to strangers. Avraham was the quintessential pioneer in that field and was זכה וזיכה את הרבים. Thus, his generation became known as the “Years of Torah.”
The posuk (Tehillim 112) says, "אשרי איש ... במצותיו חפץ מאד ... גבור בארץ יהיה זרעו". A man is praised when his efforts in performing מצות succeed in driving others to do the same. May we, the descendants of Avraham Avinu, follow in those ways, learning and doing mitzvos in ways that exhort and inspire others to emulate us as well.