A Strange Debate About the Man Who Saved the World

There is an old Jewish anecdote about the late former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (who died in Nov. 2023, aged 100), who decides to make for himself a custom-made beautiful three-piece suit of the finest material. During his next trip to Italy, he has himself measured by a world-renown designer, who subsequently gives him the material for his suit.

When he arrives in Paris and presents the material to the skilled tailor, the man measures his body and says: “Sorry, Mr. Kissinger, but a man your size needs at least another two inches of material.”

Surprised, Dr. Kissinger continues his journey to London. There, the tailor says, “I am sorry, Mr. Secretary of State, but to turn this into a suit for your physique, I need another three inches of the material.”

Disappointed, he arrives in Beijing. There the widely acclaimed Chinese tailor remarks, “I really don’t understand what you were thinking, Mr. Kissinger. Your body is far larger than this material. We need another five inches.”

An upset Dr. Kissinger arrives in Tel Aviv. He presents the material to a local Jewish tailor. The tailor measures him and says: “You actually don’t need so much material, but I will cut off some of it and will turn the remainder of it into a stunning suit.”

Kissinger is astonished. “Can you explain this to me,” he asks the tailor. “I have traveled the world, and everybody claims that I need much more material. What is going on here?”

“Oh, it’s quite simple,” the Israeli tailor responds. “In Italy, you are a big man; in Paris, you are even a bigger man; in London, you are a great man, and in Beijing, you are a giant.

“But here in Israel, you are a small man.”

The Debate on Noah’s Persona

What is nothing but a Jewish joke becomes reality when it comes to one of the most important figures in the Torah—the man who single-handedly saved civilization: Noach. What the tailor told Kissinger is what we actually did to poor Noach. We cut him down half-his-size, which is both astounding and problematic.

The Torah states in the opening of this week’s portion:

This is the history of Noach. Noach was a righteous man; he was wholesome in his generation; Noach walked with G-d.

The Talmud, and Rashi, ever sensitive to nuance, take note of the fact that the words, "in his generation" are superfluous. Obviously, Noach lived and functioned in his generation. Why could the Torah not say simply “Noach was a righteous man, wholesome he was; Noach walked with G-d?"

The Talmud offers two opposing explanations. In the words of Rashi:

Among the sages, there are those who interpret this as praise of Noach: If he was righteous in his [corrupt] generation, certainly he would have been even more righteous had he lived in a generation of righteous people. Others interpret it negatively: In relation to his wicked generation he was righteous; had he been in Abraham's generation he would not have amounted to anything.

Who was Noach? is the question. Was he really a man of extraordinary stature or just a cut above the rest? Did G-d save him because he was a “perfect tzaddik,” or there was nobody better?

Why Denigrate a Hero?

Yet there is something disturbing about this discussion. The Torah is clearly trying to highlight Noach’s virtue. “But Noach found favor in the eyes of G-d,” is how the previous portion concludes. Then, we have the above verse: “This is the history of Noach. Noach was a righteous man; he was wholesome in his generation; Noach walked with G-d.” Later in the portion G-d says to Noach: “I have found you righteous before Me in this generation.” G-d, clearly, is trying to extoll Noach. What drove some Rabbis to denigrate him and say that relative to other generations he would amount to nothing special?

Besides, when you can choose a complimentary interpretation and perspective, what drives some to choose a negative and condescending interpretation? It runs against the instructions of the Torah to give people the benefit of the doubt.

What is more, Noach is the only person in the entire Tanach who is called a Tzaddik, a perfectly righteous individual. G-d tells Noach: “I have found you to be a tzaddik before me in this generation.” And we, the Jews, say: Yes, but not really…

There are various interpretations. One of my favorite ones was presented by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in 1964. Not only were the Rabbis not trying to minimize Noach’s virtues; they actually wanted to highlight his praises even more. Equally important, they were trying to teach us all a transformative lesson.

Who Can Change the World?

What did Noach accomplish? He saved all mankind. In the absence of Noach, humanity would have become extinct soon after it has begun. Single-handedly he ensured the continuity of life on earth. He is the man who builds an ark, rescues all living organisms, and ensures our world would survive.

An achievement indeed, if there was ever one.

And who is the individual who achieves this feat? A person called by the Torah “a man of the earth.” The only story the Torah tells us about Noach, outside of constructing the Ark and spending a year in it during the Great Flood, is that he was a farmer; he planted a vineyard, became intoxicated, and exposed himself. That’s all. The last thing we hear about him is that he lay there in his tent, drunk and bare.

The Rabbis deduce from the text that “Noach, also, was of those people who were wanting in faith: he believed and he did not believe that the Flood would come, and he would not enter the Ark until the waters forced him to do so.”

Noach was a fine man, who lived a decent, moral life, and tried to do what G-d wanted, but was not without his flaws, doubts, and struggles. Compared to Abraham he would not amount to much.

But look what this simple fellow achieved! In a society dripping with greed and temptation, Noach held to his morals, walked with G-d, and swam against the tide, saving the planet from destruction. Civilization survived not because of a towering, titanic figure; but because of a simple man who had the courage to live morally when everyone around him behaved despicably.

Remarkably, by degrading Noach and stating that in other generations Noach would be eclipsed, the Rabbis turned him into the most inspiring figure, someone who serves as a model for all of us ordinary men and women. Noach is my hero, the hero of the ordinary cut-of-the-mill individual who is no great thinker, warrior, leader, or man of transcendence. By explaining the biblical text the way they did, the Sages turned Noach into a symbol for us ordinary people, who appreciate a fine cup of wine and a little schnaps, how we can make a difference in people’s lives.

The message of Noach is life-changing. You don’t need to be Abraham or Moses to transform the world. Noach was just another kid on the block, but look what he did! With your own courage not to toe the line of corruption, fakeness, and falsehood, with a little gentleness, friendliness, compassion, kindness, and goodness you can save lives, ignite sparks, and create an “ark” of sanity amidst a raging flood.

Noach was not a saint? Thank goodness. I have heard enough about saints in my life; now tell me about real people, who struggle with fear, doubt, and pain. Tell me about the guy whose IQ was not 180; he was not valedictorian of his school; he did not get a full scholarship to Oxford; he was not a tycoon or bestselling author. He was not a guru or a holy man. He was not the greatest warrior, thinker, artist, or leader. He was just a guy trying to do the right thing when everyone around him descended to greed and apathy. And look what he accomplished.

In the presence of great moral giants, he might be eclipsed, the Talmud says. Standing near Abraham he would appear insignificant. And that is exactly what made him so significant! He set a standard for those of us who appear in our own eyes as insignificant.

Uniform Biographies

Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner, dean of Yeshiva Rabanu Chaim Berlin and author of Pachad Yitzchak, laments in a letter about biographies published on the lives of Jewish leaders and rabbis. They are “cookie cutter” biographies, in which every one of them was born a holy genius. At the age of six, he knew the entire Tanach by heart, and at the age of twelve he mastered the Talmud, and his mother had to force him to eat. There is almost no trace of struggle, failure, crisis, doubt, anxiety, temptation, confusion, adversity, and the winding viscidities of the path toward individual self-discovery. Besides it being a dishonest portrayal, it deprives the biographies of having educational value. How can I try to emulate a flawless and brilliant saint?

It is an educational mistake to see spiritual success in the absence of struggle and the repression of authentic emotions. Look at Noach. He was a flawed man, and he saved the world!

One day, an old man was walking along a beach that was littered with thousands of starfish that had been washed ashore by the high tide. As he walked, he came upon a young girl who was eagerly throwing the starfish back into the ocean, one by one.

Puzzled, the man looked at the girl and asked what she was doing. Without looking up from his task, the girl simply replied, ‘I’m saving these starfish, Sir.’

The old man chuckled aloud, ‘Young woman, there are tens of thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?’

The girl picked up a starfish, gently tossed it into the water, and turning to the man, said, “It made a difference to that one!’”

So today, decide to emulate Noach: A simple man who was true to his soul and his G-d. In your own way, stand up to lies, greed, and promiscuity. Become a beacon of light, love, and hope. Construct an ark where others can find shelter from a flood of pain and insanity. Stop giving the excuse that you are just a regular guy, minding your own business. All of us can be Noach’s.

"I'm only one, but I am one. I can't do everything but I can do something, and what I can do, I ought to do.”