We can also explain that Noach found chen in Hashem's eyes because he was always calm and tranquil. The Chareidim (Mitzvas Asei 1) writes, "The Midrash explains that Noach's calm and tranquil attitude endowed him with chen. Tranquility comes from kedushah, and anger comes from tumah." The Chareidim explains that נח means calm and tranquil, without any anger. Since the Torah doesn't tell us how Noach received chen, the answer must be hinted in his name. It was this attitude that gave him chen before Hashem.
How does one attain such an exalted level of always remaining calm and tranquil and satisfied with his portion? The trick is to focus on the cup that is half full (to focus on the good you have) and not on the empty half. The wise do so. Therefore (bederech tzachus), ם"חכ is roshei teivos מלאה כוס חצי, the half full cup.
Noach was extremely wise. The Torah states (6:9) חנ ךהתהל םאלקי, and the Baal HaTurim writes that the final letters of these words spell ם"חכ, indicating Noach's wisdom. He contemplated Hashem's kindness, focusing on what he had and not on what he lacked.
Living with Emunah
The Sfas Emes (Berzhan, Noach) zt'l writes, "בידינו קבלה, 'We received [from our teachers] that Eliyahu is often in the marketplace (see Taanis 22.)... This is because people merchants have difficulty remembering that even in the marketplace, everything happens through Hashem's hashgachah. People think that טבע, nature, rules there. Eliyahu is in the marketplace to rouse people to remember that everything happens through Hashem's hashgachah."
The Gemara (Taanis 22.) states that Rav Broka Chazoa found Eliyahu HaNavi in the marketplace of Lefet and Rav Broka asked him, "Is there anyone in this market who is a הבא עולם בן?" Eliyahu showed him two people and said, "These people are הבא עולם בני!" Rav Broka Chazoa approached them and asked them what they did. They replied, "We are happy people; we make sad people happy. Also, when we see that people are in a dispute, we work with them until there is peace among them."
When we read this Gemara, we wonder why Rav Broka Chozoa wanted to know who in the marketplace was a הבא עולם בן. Was he seeking with whom to make a shidduch? Also, how could Eliyahu HaNavi tell him with certainness that these two people will merit Olam HaBa? Behold it states (Iyov 15:15) יאמין לא בקדושיו הן, "He does not believe in His holy ones." No one is guaranteed that he will receive Olam HaBa! Even if a person is righteous now, the present doesn't guarantee the future.
We can explain that Rav Broka Chozoa was asking, "Who is living in this world as if he is already living in Olam HaBa?" Eliyahu showed him two happy people and told him that these people were הבא עולם בני. They live in this world as if they are already in Olam HaBa.
The Gemara says that these two people made sad people happy and they helped people overcome machlokes and disputes. We can explain that they did so by teaching their approach on life to others. They were always happy because they lived with emunah. Although there is strife, machlokes, and disappointment in this world, when one has emunah in Hashem's hashgachah pratis, every situation is good for him. They were at peace with everyone because they understood that no one could take away from them the portion destined for them. And they taught this way of life to others. This is how they made the sad happy and taught them to avoid machlokes. They trained others to live in this world like they were already in Olam HaBa!
Noach lived with this emunah, and therefore he was always נח, at peace and tranquil. Every situation was good for him, because he knew that it was from Hashem.
