Following the devastation of the Mabul, the Torah tells us that the waters “blotted out all beings that were upon the face of the earth, from man to animal ... and only Noach and those with him in the Teivah survived.”
If everything else was blotted out, asks the Ben Ish Chai, why does the passuk need to tell us that “only” Noach and his family survived — is that not obvious?
The Ben Ish Chai answers by citing the first passuk in this week’s parshah: “These are the generations of Noach, Noach...” The repetition of his name, he writes, teaches us that Noach’s tzidkus protected not only his family but also his entire generation. Similarly, he adds, Hashem’s repetitions of “Avraham, Avraham” and “Moshe, Moshe” reveal that aside from acting as protectors for their families, both Avraham and Moshe protected the entire Jewish People.
After the Mabul, however, Noach only had his family left to care for. From then onward he was no longer able to protect his generation.
Not everyone has the ability to act as a protector for the wider community, but protecting one’s family is the basic duty of every person. Those who have a wider influence (which is a wonderful gift) need a great deal of discernment to know when choices must be made and whom to prioritize when that happens.
It should be obvious, but isn’t always, that one’s immediate family comes first. Who will stick up for a child who feels victimized by his teacher if not his parents? Who will protect one spouse from an unfair work situation if not the other spouse? While we may prefer not to take sides, or to sometimes even side with the other party for whatever reason, the Torah teaches us that family comes first.
