Noah

This is the Line of Noah – Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God

6:9

(We learn) that a person cannot be considered as righteous until he has walked in integrity when serving the Lord. What is this “integrity” which (we learn)? It means that one performs God’s commandments because of love and reverence for Him, not because one hopes to benefit by this in the eyes of one’s peers…The Torah reports that Noach had attained the three levels of moral achievements progressively until he had qualified for the description “Noach walked with God.”

Rabbeinu Bachya (13^th Century)

Noah needed support but Abraham strengthened himself and walked in his righteousness by himself.

Rashi (13^th Century)

“He walked with God” means that he incorporated all the virtues that indicate that man has been created in the image of god. His righteousness was not confined to matters of money etc. but encompassed all parts of his personality. The difference between Abraham and Noach lay in the fact that the circumcision enabled Abraham to become “Tamim” perfect, and to walk “before” God.

Akedat Yitzchak (15^th Century)

The rabbis in the Midrash pointed out that Abraham was on a higher spiritual niveau than Noah. Whereas Noah walked with god, Abraham walked before Him, ahead of Him. “Walk before Me and be perfect.”

Rab Abraham Isaac Kook (20^th Century)

How apt is the parable used by our Sages. One who is sinking in the mire wishes to extricate himself, but cannot on his own. Noah possessed the will to extricate himself from the corruption of his generation. Because he possessed the initial desire to do so, the Almighty came to his aid, saying: come and walk with Me…But Abraham needed no help…Noah was not charged with the same Divine mission to spread the word of God as Abraham, since he only possessed the capacity to save himself, but not others…Noah was singled for survival, Abraham for a mission.

Nechama Leibowitz (20^th Century)

Who was Noah? Noah was a man who was both pious and naïve. The Torah adds the pregnant word “in his generation.” Had Noah lived in the generation of Abraham, he might not have been considered righteous. A man who is both naïve and spiritually second rate is hopelessly unqualified for a Divine challenge. And what a challenge it was.

Robert Pilavin (Contemporary)