These
Are
the
Generations
of
Noah
Article
No.
4,
1985
“These
are
the
generations
of
Noah.
Noah
was
a
righteous
man.
He
was
complete
in
his
generations.
Noah
walked
with
God.”
RASHI
interprets,
to
teach
you
that
the
generations
of
the
righteous
are
primarily
good
deeds.
RASHI
explains
why
he
says,
“These
are
the
generations
of
Noah.”
It
should
have
said
the
names
of
his
sons,
meaning
Shem,
Ham,
and
Japheth.
And
why
does
it
say,
“These
are
the
generations
of
Noah.
Noah
was
a
righteous
man?”
He
explains
that
it
is
because
the
generations
of
the
righteous
are
primarily
good
deeds.
“In
his
generations,”
since
some
of
our
sages
praise
him—that
if
he
were
in
a
generation
of
righteous,
he
would
have
been
more
righteous.
Others
condemn
him—if
he
were
in
the
generation
of
Abraham,
he
would
be
regarded
as
nothing.
“Noah
walked
with
God.”
RASHI
interprets,
with
Abraham
he
says,
“Before
whom
I
walked.”
Noah
needed
assistance
to
support
him,
but
Abraham
was
strong
and
walked
with
his
righteousness
by
himself.
To
explain
all
the
above
in
the
work,
we
should
know
that
father
and
son,
fathers
and
generations
[offspring],
mean
cause
and
consequence.
Normally,
when
a
person
does
something,
he
is
certain
that
this
act
will
engender
something.
For
example,
a
person
who
goes
to
work
in
some
factory
wants
to
beget
a
salary
through
his
actions,
so
he
can
provide
for
himself.
It
turns
out
that
the
father
is
the
labor
and
the
generation
is
the
provision.
Likewise,
when
a
person
learns
some
wisdom
he
wants
to
be
appreciated
as
wise
by
that,
meaning
that
everything
a
person
does
is
only
to
see
generations
from
his
actions.
Therefore,
when
a
person
engages
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments],
he
certainly
wants
some
generations
to
be
born
out
of
his
actions.
According
to
what
is
written
in
the
holy
Zohar
(“Introduction
of
The
Book
of
Zohar,”
item
189)
and
in
the
Sulam,
and
these
are
its
words
(in
the
Sulam,
item
190),
“Fear
is
interpreted
in
three
ways,
two
of
which
do
not
have
the
proper
root,
and
one
is
the
root
of
fear.
There
is
person
who
fears
the
Creator
so
his
sons
will
live
and
not
die,
or
fears
a
monetary
punishment.
For
this
reason,
he
always
fears
Him.
It
turns
out
that
his
fear
of
the
Creator
is
not
the
root,
since
his
own
benefit
is
the
root,
and
the
fear
is
its
consequence
[generation].
And
there
is
a
person
who
fears
the
Creator
because
he
fears
the
punishment
of
that
world,
and
the
punishment
of
hell.
Those
two
fears—fear
of
punishment
in
this
world
and
fear
of
punishment
in
the
next
world—are
not
the
essence
of
the
fear
and
its
root.”
(In
item
191)
“Fear,
which
is
the
essence,
is
that
one
should
fear
one’s
Master
because
He
is
great
and
ruling,
the
essence
and
root
of
all
the
worlds,
and
everything
is
regarded
as
nothing
compared
to
Him.”
It
follows
from
the
above
that
from
the
work
in
which
a
person
labors,
which
is
called
the
“father,”
he
wants
to
see
generations
from
his
work,
which
is
called
the
“fruit
of
his
work.”
There
are
three
types
of
generations
we
should
see
here.
1)
Reward
in
this
world,
meaning
that
his
sons
will
live
and
he
will
succeed
in
provision,
etc.
2)
Reward
in
the
next
world.
3)
Because
He
is
great
and
ruling.
This
means
that
all
the
generations
he
aspires
for
are
to
be
able
to
bestow
contentment
upon
the
Creator.
It
follows
from
the
above
that
there
is
the
matter
of
generations
which
are
called
“good
deeds,”
and
good
means
bestowing
upon
the
Creator,
as
it
is
written
(Psalms
45),
“My
heart
overflows
with
a
good
thing.
I
say,
‘My
work
is
for
the
King.’”
This
means
that
he
wants
all
of
his
actions
to
be
for
the
Creator,
and
this
is
called
“good
deeds.”
For
his
own
benefit
he
wants
no
reward,
and
all
the
reward
he
hopes
for
is
to
be
able
to
do
things
that
bring
contentment
to
the
Creator
without
any
reward
for
his
own
labor.
This
means
that
his
reward
is
that
he
will
be
given
that
gift
of
being
able
to
do
things
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
without
any
mixture
of
intention
to
benefit
himself.
This
is
the
reward
for
which
he
engages
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
For
such
good
deeds
he
hopes
to
attain
this
by
his
labor.
It
was
said
about
this
(Kidushin
30):
“I
have
created
the
evil
inclination;
I
have
created
for
it
the
Torah
as
a
spice.”
Accordingly,
what
are
the
generations
of
the
righteous?
Only
good
deeds,
meaning
the
result
that
stems
from
the
reason,
and
the
reason
is
the
labor
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
For
the
rest
of
the
people,
the
results
of
the
reason
are
reward
in
this
world
or
reward
in
the
next
world.
But
to
the
righteous,
their
result
from
the
reason
is
that
their
father,
who
begets
generations,
is
only
good
deeds.
This
is
the
only
reward
they
hope
for—to
be
able
to
bring
contentment
to
the
Creator.
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
RASHI
interprets,
“That
the
generations
of
the
righteous
is
primarily
good
deeds.”
This
is
regarded
as
all
their
actions
being
only
to
bestow
contentment
upon
the
Creator.
However,
we
should
understand
what
RASHI
interprets
about
the
essence
of
the
generations
of
the
righteous,
and
what
they
consider
secondary,
which
they
do
not
regard
as
the
essence.
It
is
known
that
there
are
actions
and
there
is
understanding
and
knowing.
That
is,
that
which
is
within
reason
is
called
understanding
and
knowing,
meaning
that
the
body,
too,
agrees
that
we
should
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
since
once
a
person
has
achieved
the
degree
of
Lishma
[for
Her
sake],
he
is
rewarded
with
the
light
of
life,
which
is
found
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
It
is
as
it
is
written
(Psalms
19),
“More
desirable
than
gold,
then
much
fine
gold,
and
sweeter
than
honey
and
the
honeycomb.”
This
is
called
“understanding,”
where
the
body,
too,
understands
that
it
is
worthwhile
to
be
a
servant
of
the
Creator.
Rabbi
Meir
says
(Avot,
Chapter
6),
“Anyone
who
engages
in
Torah
Lishma
is
rewarded
with
many
things.
Moreover,
the
whole
world
is
worthwhile
for
him,
and
the
secrets
of
Torah
are
revealed
to
him.”
To
the
righteous,
all
these
things
attained
by
engaging
in
Lishma
are
not
regarded
as
the
essence.
That
is,
this
is
not
their
intention
in
the
work
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
Rather,
what
is
most
important
for
them
is
good
deeds,
meaning
to
bestow
contentment
upon
the
Creator.
It
is
in
that
regard
that
they
expected
to
achieve
a
degree
of
deeds
above
reason.
Their
intention
was
not
to
have
generations
of
understanding
and
knowing,
but
rather,
their
intention
was
only
the
actions.
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
RASHI
explained,
“To
teach
you
that
the
generations
of
the
righteous
are
primarily
good
deeds.”
According
to
the
above,
we
can
interpret
what
RASHI
explains
about,
“in
his
generations.”
“Some
of
our
sages
praise
him:
Moreover,
if
he
were
in
a
generation
of
righteous,
he
would
have
been
more
righteous.
Others
condemn
him:
If
he
were
in
Abraham’s
generation,
he
would
be
regarded
as
nothing.”
In
his
generations
means
his
two
generations,
because
two
is
plural.
But
concerning
the
work,
each
and
every
state
is
called
a
“generation.”
This
is
the
meaning
of,
“One
generation
shall
praise
your
work
to
another.”
It
means
that
whether
a
person
is
in
a
generation
of
wicked,
meaning
if
a
person
has
thoughts
and
desires
of
the
wicked,
at
which
time
a
person
has
great
exertion
to
be
able
to
overcome
the
arguments
of
the
wicked,
which
peck
his
mind
and
thought
with
the
questions
of
who
and
what.
At
that
time,
he
cannot
overcome
them
unless
with
the
power
of
faith
above
reason.
This
is
regarded
as
subduing
the
arguments
of
the
wicked
not
with
answers
within
reason,
but
rather
only
with
the
power
of
faith
above
reason
can
he
defeat
them.
This
is
called
an
“act,”
meaning
without
intellect,
and
this
is
called,
“If
he
has
performed
one
Mitzva
[commandment]
he
is
happy,
for
he
has
sentenced
himself
and
the
entire
world
to
a
scale
of
merit,”
for
only
with
an
act
can
we
defeat
the
argument
of
the
wicked,
and
not
with
intellect
and
reason.
Accordingly,
we
should
say
that
Noah’s
generation
refers
to
a
generation
of
wicked.
He
should
be
praised
because
then
he
has
the
primary
hard
work.
But
he
should
be
condemned
because
in
the
end,
he
is
in
a
generation
of
wicked,
meaning
he
has
foreign
thoughts,
and
it
is
unbecoming
of
a
servant
of
the
Creator
to
have
such
wickedness
in
his
mind
and
heart.
We
should
also
say,
that
in
the
generation
of
Abraham,
meaning
in
a
generation
where
there
are
righteous,
namely
when
he
has
good
thoughts,
of
righteous,
it
is
when
there
only
one
desire
is
in
his
mind
and
heart—to
bring
contentment
to
the
Creator—and
thoughts
and
desires
of
the
wicked
never
crossed
his
mind
or
heart.
Such
a
person
is
in
a
generation
of
righteous.
Others
praise,
for
if
Noah
had
been
in
the
state
of
righteous,
meaning
if
he
had
equalized
the
powers
of
overcoming
that
he
had
in
the
generation
of
the
wicked,
what
would
he
have
felt
then
compared
to
the
feeling
he
has
now,
which
is
the
pleasantness
and
sweetness
of
the
Torah?
Certainly,
the
time
of
Noah’s
generation,
which
was
called
a
“generation
of
wicked,”
that
time
was
regarded
as
nothing,
for
then
he
still
did
not
feel
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
he
feels
in
a
generation
of
righteous.
But
with
respect
to
the
work,
the
time
when
he
was
in
a
generation
of
wicked
was
a
place
for
work.
It
turns
out
that
Noah’s
generation
is
more
important
because
he
has
what
to
do,
for
the
generations
of
the
righteous
are
primarily
good
deeds.
“Noah
walked
with
God.”
RASHI
interprets
that
with
Abraham
he
says,
“Before
whom
I
walked.”
Noah
needed
assistance
to
support
him,
but
Abraham
was
strong
and
walked
by
his
righteousness.
This
means
that
there
are
two
types
of
forces
in
a
person,
which
are
called
“vessels
of
reception”
and
“vessels
of
bestowal.”
Vessels
of
bestowal
relate
to
the
Creator,
as
the
Creator
is
the
giver,
and
vessels
of
reception
relate
to
the
creature,
who
is
the
receiver.
The
vessels
of
reception.
which
relate
to
the
receiver,
come
before
the
vessels
of
bestowal.
In
the
words
of
Kabbalah,
the
vessels
of
bestowal
are
called
Keter,
Hochma,
and
Gar
de
Bina,
and
below
them
are
the
vessels
of
reception,
which
are
Zat
de
Bina,
Zeir
Anpin,
and
Malchut.
Accordingly,
the
vessels
of
bestowal
are
called,
“God
walked
with
Noah,”
meaning
that
in
a
place
of
vessels
of
bestowal,
it
was
possible
to
walk
in
holiness,
meaning
vessels
of
bestowal
that
relate
to
the
Creator,
which
are
vessels
of
bestowal.
This
is
called,
“Noah
needed
assistance
to
support
him,”
since
the
upper
one
gives
the
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
is
regarded
as
Noah
needing
assistance
to
support
him.
This
means
that
the
upper
one
awakens
him
to
work,
called
“awakening
from
above,”
as
it
is
written
in
The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot
(part
9,
p
735,
item
6,
and
in
Ohr
Pnimi):
“However,
in
the
beginning,
in
the
first
time,
the
MAN
that
were
not
by
ZON
in
AVI
went
up,
and
then
the
ZON
were
made
of
those
MAN.
After
ZON
were
established,
they
raised
MAN
a
second
time.
Once
he
has
the
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
he
acquired
through
awakening
from
above,
which
is
called,
‘Noah
needed
assistance
to
support
him,’
which
comes
from
the
upper
one,
and
this
was
the
degree
of
Noah.”
But
Abraham
did
not
need
assistance
to
support
him.
RASHI
makes
that
precision
from
the
words,
“Before
whom
I
walked.”
It
means,
that
he
walked
with
vessels
of
reception,
which
stand
before
the
vessels
of
bestowal.
The
vessels
of
bestowal—which
are
Keter,
Hochma,
and
Gar
de
Bina—stand
above,
and
below
them
stand
the
vessels
of
reception,
which
are
Zat
de
Bina
and
ZON.
Since
Abraham
walked
with
vessels
that
are
before
him,
before
the
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
relate
to
the
Creator,
and
we
relate
the
vessels
of
reception
to
the
receivers,
this
is
why
using
the
vessels
of
reception
is
called
“awakening
from
below,”
which
is
attributed
to
the
lower
one.
This
is
the
meaning
of
Abraham
not
needing
assistance
to
support
him
because
he
walked
with
vessels
of
reception.
With
those
Kelim
[vessels]
he
was
serving
the
Creator.
But
the
words,
“God
walked
with
Noah,”
mean
the
Kelim
that
are
attributed
to
God,
which
are
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
are
vessels
of
the
Creator,
and
those
Kelim
the
Creator
gives.