AROUND THE SHABBOS TABLE\THE SAGES OF MUSSAR -L’ilu’i Nishmas Rav Faivel ben Laibel Rodin-
The
Torah (Bereishis 6:9) states: "And Noah was a righteous man." The Torah
could have simply stated "Noah was righteous." Why is it necessary for
us to be told, "Noah was a righteous man?"
Before a
person aspires to conduct himself as a tzadik, i.e., a righteous
person, in the realm of Mitzvoth between man and G-d, he must first be
a "man." That is, a compassionate, sensitive, and kind human being. A
"man" - who conducts his interpersonal relationships with warmth and
his monetary dealings with integrity.
Accordingly, our Sages
teach, "Common decency precedes Torah study." Just as a baby must crawl
before he walks, so too, a person must serve man on earth before he can
serve G-d in Heaven. In light of this, the Torah confirms that Noah was
a "man," i.e., a caring, refined, dignified human being.
A
"man" whose heart is filled with love and compassion for HaShem’s
creations, can effectively serve the Creator. Indeed, the very essence
of all Divine service is to perform the Mitzvoth in order to awaken the
goodly blessings of HaShem to descend upon all of His creations.
HaShem
selected Noah to preserve His creations, because Noah valued,
cherished, and cared about each creation that HaShem made. His
devotion, compassion, and kindness to HaShem’s creations was the very
essence of his Divine service. Accordingly, the Torah states, "Noah
found favor in the eyes of HaShem."
May we develop good
character traits and perform kindly deeds to all of HaShem’s creations,
in turn, we will "find favor in the eyes of HaShem."
[Based on the writings of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter]
TODAY:
Awaken feelings of compassion within your heart for all of HaShem’s
creations and fill your days with good deeds and acts of kindness.
Important Numbers
