A Tzaddik Can Atone for a Generation
Is “Doing Enough” Enough? We keep insisting Noach did enough—“Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age” (Bereishit/Genesis 6:9). But Moshe Rabbeinu shows me a different horizon: “He would have destroyed them, had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath from destroying them” (Tehillim/Psalms 106:23). And Moshe’s own prayer still trembles in my bones: “Now, if You will forgive their sin; but if not, erase me from the record which You have written” (Shemot/Exodus 32:32). The world itself leans on the hidden pillars of the tzaddik—“But the righteous is an everlasting foundation” (Mishlei/Proverbs 10:25)—and Chazal say it without blinking: “Each and every day a Divine Voice emerges from Mount Horeb and says: The entire world is sustained by the merit of Ḥanina ben Dosa, my son” (Bavli, Berakhot 17b).
The entire world endures through the merit of the Righteous Ones of each generation. “The entire world is sustained by the merit of Ḥanina ben Dosa, my son, while Ḥanina, my son, is satisfied with a kav of carobs from one Shabbat eve to the next” (Bavli, Berakhot 17b). If they do not intercede on behalf of their generation—who else will? “He would have destroyed them, had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath from destroying them” (Tehillim/Psalms 106:23). This is what we learn from Moses, our greatest teacher. He revealed to us a different kind of leadership: one grounded in humility—“Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any human being on the face of the earth” (Bamidbar/Numbers 12:3)—in selflessness—“Now, if You will forgive their sin; but if not, erase me from the record which You have written” (Shemot/Exodus 32:32)—in the spirit of Tomer Devorah—“It is fitting for a person to resemble his Creator…” (R. Moshe Cordovero, Tomer Devorah 1:1)—a path that demands risking everything for the sake of others—“Be similar, as it were, to Him… just as He is compassionate and merciful, so too should you be compassionate and merciful” (Bavli, Shabbat 133b).
It is the willingness to set aside one’s own spiritual reward in order to uplift another soul. “Now, if You will forgive their sin; but if not, erase me from the record which You have written” (Shemot/Exodus 32:32). And we saw Heaven’s answer: “And HaShem said: ‘I have pardoned according to your word’” (Bamidbar/Numbers 14:20). In this, we find a profound parallel with the offerings in the Holy Temple. “Why did you not eat the sin offering in the sacred area? For it is most holy, and it is what was given to you to remove the guilt of the community and to make expiation for them before HaShem” (Vayikra/Leviticus 10:17). The Kohen Gadol would bring atonement—not for himself alone—but for the entire nation: “And there shall be no man in the Tent of Meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, until he comes out; and he shall make atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel” (Vayikra/Leviticus 16:17). His service, his sacrifice, embodied the essence of true intercession: to stand before Heaven not for personal merit, but for the sake of all Israel—“Please, God, Your people, the house of Israel, have sinned, and done wrong, and rebelled before You” (Mishnah Yoma 6:2). And earlier in the service, he says for himself and his house: “I beg of You, HaShem, I have acted wickedly, rebelled, and sinned before You, I and my household… please forgive…” (Mishnah Yoma 3:8).
Final words: if a tzaddik carries a generation, it is only by walking as Moshe walked—humble enough to vanish for the sake of another, courageous enough to speak for all, and faithful enough to trust that HaShem still says, “I have pardoned according to your word” (Bamidbar/Numbers 14:20).
Noach was righteous; we honor and appreciate him. Were it not for him, none of us would be here today. Yet Parashat Noach teaches a powerful lesson: if the righteous of a generation do not stand up and intercede for their generation, what becomes of the rest? They are swept away by the flood. And then who is left to stand? A lone survivor, left wondering whether more could have been done. That is a heavy weight to bear.
🔹 STUDENT QUESTION:
“Why place competition between two tzadikim? What has Noach ever done to deserve that? Moshe himself would never have existed were it not for Noach. Please, consider that carefully, bevakasha — with sincerity and respect.”
🔹 MY RESPONSE:
Please forgive me. No, it’s not meant to be a competition. But the beginning teaches us something profound about our generation and our responsibility—about what we are capable of doing.
He did, indeed, do exactly as Hashem commanded him to do. That in itself is remarkable and deeply commendable. Most of us find it difficult to fulfill Hashem’s word so completely, especially when faced with such an immense and challenging task.
However, what I am saying is that the Torah also presents to us another form of leadership. We all begin as Noah—righteous and steadfast in our service—but as we grow, we are meant to become Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov… and ultimately, we evolve into the level of Moshe Rabbeinu.
At that stage, we embody within ourselves all of those holy traits. And when we reach that point, we are able to reveal something new to the world. We can help others see the divine spark within themselves—and through that, ignite a flame that spreads light to everyone around us.
🔹 STUDENT RESPONSE:
Please consider this: if Noach had acted as you praise Moshe for doing, he would have included those whom HaShem intended to remove. In doing so, would that not have placed him in opposition to HaShem’s will, making him, Heaven forbid, a rasha? Would he not, in effect, be adding to or altering HaShem’s divine intention? It is worth reflecting upon this further — and also upon Shlomo HaMelech’s conclusion, that “to everything there is a season.”
🔹 MY RESPONSE:
The remarkable thing about Moshe Rabbeinu is this: when Hashem declared His intent to remove—destroy all the peoples at Sinai and start over following the transgression of the calf, Moshe stood before Him and said, “If You do that, then erase me from Your book that You have written.” It was at that very moment—through Moshe’s selfless plea and compassion for Klal Yisrael—that Hashem revealed the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy.
Only then, when Moshe truly grasped and embodied divine compassion, did Hashem entrust him with that sacred revelation. From this we learn a powerful truth—who are we to say who should be removed, or who is unworthy? Life itself is a test, a divine unfolding.
Where we stand today is part of that same mercy that Moshe invoked. Those who might once have seemed destined for removal are here with us now, part of a great and radiant compassion that is soon to be revealed. Our hearts and minds are being refined and prepared to receive it—for the light that approaches is so brilliant, so overwhelming in its goodness, that it requires readiness to perceive and contain it.
Even the Erev Rav—those souls once seen as oppositional—were not a mistake. Their existence, too, is woven into the tapestry of divine mercy. It is through the long and painful process of exile, through generations of struggle and refinement, that the fullness of Hashem’s plan can reach its beautiful culmination in our own time.
A wondrous revelation is approaching.
To be continued…