In this week's Parsha, Parshas Noach, Rashi quotes the words, “Noach Eish Tzaddik haya b’dorosav- That Noach was a Tzaddik in his genertions”. He then comments that there are Chachamim that understand these words as complimentary. Had he been in the generation of the righteous he would have been an even greater Tzaddik. Rashi also comments that there are those that Chachamim understand that he was a Tzaddik only relative to his generation, but had he lived in the generation of Avraham he would have not been considered a Tzaddik.
The Rebbe asks, how can the Chachamim learn the second interpretation? We know the Torah is careful to speak only positive even about animals, so how could the Torah be speaking about Noach in such a way?
In order to better understand, the Rebbe teaches us the meaning of the Teivah and the Mabul according to Chassidus. The Mabul represents all of the challenges and tests of make a living, the vicissitudes of life that confront us each day. The Baal Shem Tov says that the Teiva represents the words of Torah and davening that lift up the soul above these challenges.
In these times when we speak about davening and learning Chassidus on the level that is needed, there are those who ask; the Chassidim of yesteryear didn’t have our disturbances and therefore they were able to reach these levels. But today’s generation, what can you possibly expect with all the distractions within which we are enveloped? This is similar to the way we compare Noach to Avraham according to the second opinion of Rashi. In HIS generations, when he had pressures, he did his best. Eventhough in the generation of Avraham he would not have been considered noteworthy. Nevertheless Noach built the Teiva, brought the animals and in this zchus we are here today. Because of his actions we got a new world, and mankind was rebuilt. So too today we find ourselves after Gimmel Tammuz at a time when the previous generations of Chassidim are not here. A person can think that he is a nobody, and that his avodah is worthless in comparison. He has to know that he has a Neshama. He also needs to know that on a certain level, relative to his generation, in certain aspects that he is a tzaddik in comparison. His avodah is desperately needed and he needs to demand of himself to do his best. He needs to build a teiva, a warm Jewish home filled with Torah and davening. He needs to raise his family surrounded by Torah and Mitzvos and effect those around him continuously until Moshiach arrives, and then we will experience a whole new world.
Rabbi Shalom Ber Gordon had a Talmud Torah. He brought two young bar mitzvah boys to the Rebbe for Yechidus. The Rebbe asked each one of them if they will continue to learn in the Talmud Torah after their bar-mitzvah. They answered no. The Rebbe asked, “why?” The boy answered because his friends that lived on his block were not going to continue, so he wouldn’t either. The Rebbe asked what he was learning in Talmud Torah. He answered that it was parshas Noach, where the Torah speaks about how Noach saved the world by building the teiva. He asked the second boy what he was learning. The second boy answered that he is learning the parsha about how Avraham broke all the statues and only served Hashem. The Rebbe looked at them and said that if Avraham or Noach would have listened to the kids on their block then we wouldn’t be here today. The Rebbe blessed them that they should have the strength to continue with their Torah study and Mitzvos after their bar mitzvos.