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Share(ט) אֵ֚לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ׃
(9) This is the line of Noach.—Noach was a righteous man; he was perfect in his age; Noach walked with Hashem.—
In HIS generation?
(ב) בדרותיו יֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לְשֶׁבַח, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן אִלּוּ הָיָה בְדוֹר צַדִּיקִים הָיָה צַדִּיק יוֹתֵר; וְיֵשׁ שֶׁדּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לִגְנַאי, לְפִי דוֹרוֹ, הָיָה צַדִּיק וְאִלּוּ הָיָה בְדוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם לֹא הָיָה נֶחְשָׁב לִכְלוּם (סנה’ ק”ח):
Walking WITH or IN FRONT of?
(ג) את האלהים התהלך נח וּבְאַבְרָהָם הוּא אוֹמֵר אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי לְפָנָיו? (ברא’ כ”ד), נֹחַ הָיָה צָרִיךְ סַעַד לְתָמְכוֹ; אֲבָל אַבְרָהָם הָיָה מִתְחַזֵּק וּמְהַלֵּךְ בְצִדְקוֹ מֵאֵלָיו:
(3) את האלהים התהלך נח NOACH WALKED WITH HASHEM — In the case of Avraham the Torah says, (Genesis 24:40) ‘‘[Hashem] before whom I walked”; Noach needed Hashem’s support to uphold him in righteousness, Avraham drew his moral strength from himself and walked in his righteousness by his own effort (Genesis Rabbah 30:10).
(י) אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ (בראשית ו, ט)... רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר מָשָׁל לְשַׂר שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ שְׁנֵי בָנִים אֶחָד גָּדוֹל וְאֶחָד קָטָן אָמַר לַקָּטָן הַלֵּךְ עִמִּי וְאָמַר לַגָּדוֹל בּוֹא וְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנָי. כָּךְ אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהָיָה כֹּחוֹ יָפֶה (בראשית יז, א): הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי וֶהְיֵה תָמִים, אֲבָל נֹחַ שֶׁהָיָה כֹּחוֹ רַע, אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ.
10. Noach walked with Hashem. R. Yehudah said: This may be compared to a king who had two sons, one grown up and the other a child. To the child he said, 'Walk with me", but to the adult, 'Walk before me." Similarly, to Avraham, whose [moral] strength was great, [He said,] "Walk thou before Me"; of Noach, whose strength was feeble [it says], "Noach walked with God."
Noach's thoughts vs. Avraham's thoughts
(ד) ד דאת האלהים התהלך נח משמע דלא היה הליכתו אלא במקום שאין אדם שם כי אם אלהים לבד, והיה פורש מבני אדם לפי שהיו כולם רשעים, וירא שמא ילמד ממעשיהם הרעים, דנח לא היה צדיק כל כך אלא צריך סעד, אבל אברהם מתחזק בצדקו מאליו לפי שהיה צדיק גמור והלך בין הרשעים ומוכיחן ומגיירן, ולא היה ירא שמא ילמד ממעשיהם, לפיכך לא צריך סעד:
"Walked with Hashem", this implies that Noach did not go except in a place where there were no men since he was only with Hashem and he separated himself from mankind since they were all evil. Noach was afraid that he may learn from their bad ways. Thus, Noach was not a complete tzadik, rather, he needed support from Hashem. But Avraham, was strengthened from his own righteousness since he was a complete tzadik and he went among the evil doers to prove to them and to convert them; he was not afraid that he may learn from their ways and therefore didn't need Hashem's "support".
What are the "ways of the perfect"?
(ב) אַשְׂכִּ֤ילָה ׀ בְּדֶ֬רֶךְ תָּמִ֗ים מָ֭תַי תָּב֣וֹא אֵלָ֑י אֶתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בְּתָם־לְ֝בָבִ֗י בְּקֶ֣רֶב בֵּיתִֽי׃
(2) I will study the way of the perfect; when shall I attain it? I will live without blame within my house.
When will it come to me: The straight path, to walk upon it, and I shall walk with the integrity of my heart even within my house, in private as well as in public.
(א) אשכילה בדרך תמים, גדר התמימות הוא שיעשה מעשה הצדק שלא בעבור שום פניה חיצונית מתקות שכר ויראת עונש... רק יעשהו מצד אהבת הטוב בעבור שהוא טוב ומצד שצוה ה' עליו.
The fence of perfection is when you do something right not because of something outside of yourself such as a reward or fear of sin, rather you do it from loving good because it is good and because Hashem commanded it on you.
"בצדקו מאליו"
"Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel Pink
Motivation 1.0: Survival
Motivation 2.0: External reward and punishment
Motivation 3.0: ???
External rewards and punishments and "if thens":
1. Can hurt intrinsic intrinsic motivation - The "Late" School Fine
2. Can diminish performance and creativity - Artist experiment
3. Can cause addiction - Chores for $
How to create intrinsic motivation?
1. Autonomy - What? When? How? With Who?
A) Bar/Bat Mitzvah Project
B) Davening - Which minyan?
2. Mastery - Are you progressing? How do you know?
A) Are you improving?
B) Fail = First Attempt In Learning
C) Slow growth = real growth
3. Purpose - Why are you doing this?
A) Why?
B) Look for the bigger picture
4. Positive Judaism
A) Shabbat
B) 3 Day Yom Tov
C) Positive language and perspective - The Hurricane
D) Child-centered - Seder Night, Sukkot, Shavuot
E) Celebrate questions!
One last question to contemplate:
(ג) אַנְטִיגְנוֹס אִישׁ סוֹכוֹ קִבֵּל מִשִּׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אַל תִּהְיוּ כַעֲבָדִים הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁין אֶת הָרַב עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס, אֶלָּא הֱווּ כַעֲבָדִים הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁין אֶת הָרַב שֶׁלֹּא עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס, וִיהִי מוֹרָא שָׁמַיִם עֲלֵיכֶם:
(3) Antigonos, man of Sokho, received from Shimon the Righteous. He would say, "Do not be as servants who are serving the master in order to receive a reward, rather be as servants who are serving the master not in order to receive a reward; and may the fear of Heaven be upon you."
...דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב לעולם יעסוק אדם בתורה ומצות אף על פי שלא לשמה שמתוך שלא לשמה בא לשמה:
...as Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: A person should always engage in Torah study and performance of mitzvot, even if he does so not for their own sake, as through the performance of mitzvot not for their own sake, one gains understanding and comes to perform them for their own sake.
The father should cajole his son [to learn] with the things that children desire, so that he will go happily to study. When he is young, the father should give him nuts and honey and dates. When he grows older and rejects these small gifts, the father should give him fine clothes, and when he grows yet older and rejects these, the father should give him gifts of money. Afterwards, when he grows still older, the father should say, “Study Torah and you will become a leader and be called Rabbi.” And afterwards he should say, “With Torah you will merit paradise.” And when he becomes wise, his father should train him to learn Torah for its own sake.
