Noah was "A Tzaddik in Peltz" - a saintly and righteous person in a warm, fur coat. This is a popular way of describing the type of Tzaddik Noah was, whose story we read about in this week's Torah portion. There are various ways to warm oneself when in a cold room. One way is to bundle oneself up warmly in a warm fur coat. Another method is to build a fire (or turn on a heater).
If one just wraps himself up all cosily and snug, he is the only one who gets warm and benefits. On the other hand, if he builds a fire, the entire room becomes warm and all of those around him benefit as well.
The Zohar explains that one of Noah's greatest faults was that, although his own behaviour was righteous, he did not care to influence others. He just selfishly minded his own business. In Noah's generation, everyone except his own family, was totally immoral. G-d informed Noah that He would destroy the entire world with a flood, saving only Noah's family. Yet, Noah did not plead with G-d as Abraham did in a later generation when G-d informed him of the pending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Instead, he withdrew into his own little world, building and curling himself up cosily in his own safe refuge of the ark while continuing on with his own personal and righteous endeavours. Only when people approached and asked what he was doing, did he tell them about the impending disaster.
For these reasons, the flood is referred to in the Bible as the "Waters of Noah." Noah could have averted the disaster if he had reached out to his fellow man. But instead he chose the path of the secluded hermit, unconcerned with the bitter "cold" from which his generation suffered.
As beautifully described in the Slice of Life editorial, so many individuals are now doing all they can, each in their own little way to reach out and help our brethren and fellow soldiers in Israel who are literally risking and sacrificing their lives in the face of such grave danger. They have fortunately role modelled for us how we must not remain complacent and just wrap ourselves in the furs of our comfortable life, as we live so far away in a land that is free from war and strife, but to do all we can to reach out and bring warmth and support to those in desperate need of it now.
Let us hope and pray this war ends with a swift and painless victory for Israel but only after it fully achieves its aim and purpose of ridding the Middle East and by extension the entire world of all evil and terrorism. May Israel not repeat the mistakes it made during the past wars in leaving a job unfinished due to world pressure and opinion. By properly completing their objective once and for all, in fully uprooting Hamas, we won't have to repeat this painful operation again in the future and the entire world will be a happier and safer place not just for the Israelis but also for all the other nations and especially those dwelling in Gaza.
