Noah was a righteous man, but his quality is qualified. “In his generation, he was above reproach.” (Genesis 6:9) This is to say that Noah was not absolutely righteous, but rather only within his time—that is, relatively righteous. Something was missing in his character.
Many have noticed that when Noah hears the news of earth’s impending destruction, he does not try to dissuade God. Unlike Abraham, who bargains on behalf of the good, Noah sets about making plans for his own salvation. This seems to be Noah’s fault: he is blind to the suffering of others. David Jaffe, who becomes bar mitzvah this Shabbat, studied the construction plans for the ark and noticed that it had no windows. Content with the rescue of his own family and the (sizeable!) tasks at hand, Noah was unable to see the pain around him. When each of us sees only our own needs, then, surely, society is doomed. When we reach out to each other with compassion, then we are saved.
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