Noach: Chapter 24

The sinners are destroyed from the world

Synopsis

When negative forces are abundant as a result of the collective sins of mankind, they have the power to harm even innocent people who unwittingly cross their paths. The Zohar provides us with protection as we meditate upon its words. Our intent to share this protection with others brightens the Light for the entire world.

Merit Noah Righteous Wicked Wickedness

174. Rabbi Yehuda continued: At the time that the wicked are destroyed from the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, watches the world but cannot find anyone to protect them. And you might ask, If Noah was there to protect his generation DURING THE GREAT FLOOD and was able to bring forth offspring, WHY DID HE NOT PROTECT HIS GENERATION? The verse reads: "For you have I seen righteous before Me in this generation" (Beresheet 7:1). "In this generation" is a precise term, FROM WHICH WE MAY LEARN THAT IN ANOTHER GENERATION HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED RIGHTEOUS. AND FOR THIS REASON, HIS MERIT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO PROTECT THE GENERATION OF THE FLOOD.

174. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאִתְאֲבִידוּ, אִינוּן חַיָּיבִין מֵעָלְמָא, קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִסְתַּכַּל עַל עָלְמָא, וְלָא חָמָא מַאן דְּאָגֵין עֲלֵיהּ. וְאִי תֵימָא הָא נֹחַ, דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ לְאַגָּנָא עַל דָּרֵיהּ, וּלְאֲפָקָא מִנֵּיהּ תּוֹלָדִין לְעָלְמָא, הה"ד כִּי אוֹתְךָ רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק לְפָנַי בַּדּוֹר הַזֶּה. בַּדּוֹר הַזֶּה דַּיְיקָא.

Moses Noah Righteous Sodom and Amorah (Gomorrah) Ten Wicked Wickedness

175. Rabbi Yosi said that the words "In this generation" are a tribute to Noah, who lived in such a wicked generation and nevertheless remained a righteous man and perfect. NOT ONLY IN HIS GENERATION IS HE CONSIDERED RIGHTEOUS, BUT even in the generation of Moses WOULD HE HAVE BEEN SO CONSIDERED. But he was not able to protect the world, because there were not even ten RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE in it. This was the case as described IN THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM: "perhaps ten shall be found there" (Beresheet 18:32). As not even ten were found, SODOM WAS DESTROYED. The same happened here. Ten RIGHTEOUS people were not to be found; only Noah, his three sons and their wives. Because they did not add up to ten, THEY COULD NOT PROTECT THEIR GENERATION.

175. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אֲמַר, בַּדּוֹר הַזֶּה, דָּא שִׁבְחָא דִּילֵיהּ, דַּהֲוָה בְּהַהוּא דָרָא חַיָּיבָא, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח כּוּלֵי הַאי אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים, וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּדָרָא דְמֹשֶׁה, אֲבָל לָא הֲוָה יָכִיל לְאַגָּנָא עַל עָלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ עֲשָׂרָה בְּעָלְמָא, כד"א אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם עֲשָׂרָה, וְלָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ תַּמָּן. אוּף הָכָא, לָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ עֲשָׂרָה, אֶלָא הוּא, וּתְלַת בְּנוֹי, וְנוּקְבַיְיהוּ, וְלָא הֲווֹ עֲשָׂרָה.

Ark Judgment Noah Righteous Sin Wicked Wickedness

176. Rabbi Elazar asked his father, Rabbi Shimon: We have learned that when the world is full of the sins of mankind and Judgment is pronounced, woe to the righteous man who is found in the world. For he is the first to be punished for the sins of the wicked. How did Noah escape the Flood without being punished for the sins OF HIS GENERATION? And RABBI SHIMON answered him: It is said that because the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to bring from Noah offspring into the world, HE SPARED HIM. Not only that, but Judgment could not be applied to him, because he was covered in the ark and hidden from view.

176. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שָׁאֵיל לֵיהּ לְרָבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוֹי, הָא תָּנִינָן, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְעָלְמָא אִתְמַלְיָא חוֹבֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, וְדִינָא נָפַק, וַוי לְהַהוּא זַכָּאָה דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בְּעָלְמָא, דְּאִיהוּ אִתְפַּס בְּחוֹבוֹי דְחַיָיבַיָא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא. נֹחַ אֵיךְ אִשְׁתְּזֵיב, דְּלָא אִתְפַּס בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ. אָמַר לוֹ הָא אִתְּמָר, דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא לַאֲפָקָא מִנֵּיהּ תּוֹלָדִין לְעָלְמָא מִגּוֹ תֵּיבוּתָא. וְתוּ דְּהָא דִּינָא לָא יָכְלָא לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלוֹי, בְּגִין דַּהֲוָה טָמִיר וְגָנִיז בַּתֵּיבָה, וְאִתְכַּסְיָיא מֵעֵינָא.

Ark Judgment Noah

177. Come and behold: It is written, "Seek righteousness, seek humility; it may be you shall be hidden on the day of Hashem's anger" (Tzefanyah 2:3). Noah did seek righteousness. He entered the ark and was hidden there on the day of Hashem's anger. And that is why Judgment could neither be applied to nor hurt him.

177. וְתָּא חֲזֵי כְּתִיב בַּקְשׁוּ צֶדֶק בַּקְשׁוּ עֲנָוָה אוּלַי תִּסָּתְרוּ בְּיוֹם אַף ה'. וְנֹחַ בִּקֵּשׁ צֶדֶק, וְעָאל בְּגַוָּוה דְּתֵיבוּתָא, וְאִסְתַּתַּר בְּיוֹם אַף ה'. וְעַל דָּא, דִּינָא לָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה, וּלְקַטְרְגָא לֵיהּ.

Ark Destruction Earth Hebrew Letters Wicked Wickedness

178. Here, we find a hint of the secret of the holy supernal letters, reserved for the holy supernal men to learn and know: The reverse order of the 22 Hebrew letters can bring the destruction of the wicked, and this is why it is written, "they were destroyed from the earth" (Beresheet 7:23), and "Come you and all your house into the ark."

178. הָכָא אִתְרְמִיז לְאִינוּן קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין, לְמִנְדַע בְּרָזָא דְּאַתְוָון קַדִּישִׁין עִלָּאִין, הִפּוּכָא דְּאַתְוָון כ"ב לְאִתְמְחֵי לְאִינוּן חַיָּיבַיָא. וְעַל דָּא, וַיִּמָּחוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ. וּכְתִיב, בֹּא אַתָּה וְכָל בֵּיתְךָ.

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