21 Oct NOACH- FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF NOAH AND YOSEF

Parashat Noach tells
the famous story
of Noach, the lone
righteous person
in a corrupt, sinful
generation, and who
was thus saved by the flood which G-d
brought upon the earth by constructing an
ark as G-d had commanded him.
Rav Menahem Azarya of Fano (Italy, 1548-
1620) writes that Noach’s soul later resided
within the person of Yosef. This is why both
Noach and Yosef are given the title “Sadik”
(“righteous person”). Noach is described as
an “Ish Sadik” in the first verse of Parashat
Noach, and throughout the ages, Yosef has
always been referred to as “Yosef Ha’sadik.”
Indeed, numerous parallels exist between
these two righteous figures. Most notably,
perhaps, both sustained the world during
a period of grave crisis. Noach sustained
humankind and the animal kingdom on the
ark during the flood that killed all living
creatures on earth, and Yosef, through his
prophetic insight which forewarned of an
impending famine, oversaw the storage of
grain in Egypt which sustained the ancient
world during the devastating famine which
would have otherwise caused widespread
starvation.
Noach is described as having “found favor in
G-d’s eyes” (“Masa Hen Be’eneh Hashem”
– Bereshit 6:8), just as Yosef found “favor in
the eyes” of his master, Potifar (“Va’yimsa
Yosef Hen Be’enav” – Bereshit 39:4). Noach
spent twelve months trapped in the ark, and
Yosef spent twelve years in the Egyptian
dungeon. Furthermore, our Sages teach
that the sea split for Beneh Yisrael in the
merit of Yosef, whose remains were being
transported out of Egypt for burial in Eretz
Yisrael. Just as Yosef saved Beneh Yisrael
from the waters of the sea, Noach saved the
world from the waters of the flood.
It is worth probing a bit deeper into the
fact that these two great men are both
credited with sustaining the entire world.
The Hebrew root “Z.N.” has two seemingly
unrelated meanings – sustenance (as in the
verb “Zan” – “feed”), and promiscuity (as
in “Zenut” – forbidden intimate relations).
A clear example of these two meanings is
the description of Rahab – the woman who
assisted the two spies sent by Yehoshua to
scout the city of Yericho – as an “Isha Zona”
(Yehoshua 2:1). This has been interpreted
to mean either that she had a store, selling
food to sustain the townspeople, or that

she worked as a harlot. While at first
these two meanings seem unrelated, in
truth, they are very much connected.
King Shlomo warns in the Book of
Mishleh (6:26), “Ki Be’ad Isha Zona
Ad Kikar Lahem” – “For the sake of
a harlot woman, until a loaf of bread.”
This means that a person who pursues
forbidden relationships sacrifices his
livelihood, and ends up sacrificing “a
loaf of bread” for the sake of forbidden
relations. It as though a person chooses
which “Mezonot” he will have –
sustenance, or illicit relationships.
These are the two sides of the same coin.
With this in mind, we can return to
the connection between Yosef and
Noach. They both earned the privilege
of sustaining the world because they
both withstood the formidable challenge
of temptation. Yosef, of course, was
tempted by Potifar’s wife, and he escaped
rather than succumb. And Noach lived in a
generation overrun by immorality, but with
great strength and conviction, he resisted
this influence and lived a noble, dignified
lifestyle. As both excelled in avoiding one
meaning of “Mezonot,” they were granted
the special privilege of providing the other

kind of “Mezonot” for the entire world.
Like Noach, we, too, live in a generation
which has all but eliminated even the
most basic standards of morality. And the
influence of this culture is far more pervasive
and powerful than it was in Noach’s time.
Let us follow his and Yosef’s example of
strict adherence to our values and principles
in the face of temptation, and may Hashem
reward our efforts by blessing us all with
sustenance, success and prosperity, Amen.