A righteous person makes the world go around

Hi,

¹"These are the generations of Noach; Noach was a righteous man, complete"

• This is the meaning of Mishlei 10:25, "When the storm passes, and there is no wicked person, and the righteous person is an eternal foundation."
• "When the storm passes, and there is no wicked person" – This refers to the generation of the flood.
• "And the righteous person is an eternal foundation" – This refers to Noach.

• Mishlei 12:7: "Overturn the wicked and they will not exist, and the house of the righteous will stand."
• "Overturn the wicked and they will not exist" – This refers to the generation of the flood.
• "And the house of the righteous will stand" – This refers to Noach.

• Thus it says, "These are the generations [product] of Noach."

Alternatively: "These are the generations of Noach"

• Mishlei 14:11: "The house of the wicked will be destroyed, and the tent of the righteous will flower."
• "The house of the wicked will be destroyed" – This refers to the generation of the flood.
• "And the tent of the righteous will flower" – This refers to Noach.

²Alternatively: "These are the generations of Noach"

• Iyyov 24:18: "He is swift upon the face of the water, their portion is cursed in the land, he will not turn to the path of the vineyards."
• "He is swift upon the face of the water" – It was decreed that they would be destroyed with water.
• "Their portion is cursed in the land" – As if to say: "May the One who punished the generation of the flood." And why so much?
• "He will not turn to the path of the vineyards" – They intended nothing other than to plant vineyards.
• But Noach intended otherwise, only to bear fruit and multiply in the world, and to produce children, as it is written, "These are the generations [products] of Noach."

^אאלה תולדות נח נח איש צדיק תמים

• ההוא דכתיב (משלי י) כעבור סופה ואין רשע וצדיק יסוד עולם
• כעבור סופה ואין רשע, זה דור המבול
• וצדיק יסוד עולם, זה נח
• (שם יב) הפוך רשעים ואינם ובית צדיקים יעמוד
• הפוך רשעים ואינם זה דור המבול
• ובית צדיקים יעמוד, זה נח
• ההוא דכתיב אלה תולדות נח

ד"א אלה תולדות נח

• כתיב (שם יד) בית רשעים ישמד, ואהל ישרים יפריח
• בית רשעים ישמד, זה דור המבול
• ואוהל ישרים יפריח, זה נח.

^בד"א אלה תולדות נח

• כתיב (איוב כד) קל הוא על פני המים תקולל חלקתם בארץ לא יפנה דרך כרמים
• קל הוא על פני המים, גזרה שנגזרה עליהם שיאבדו במים
• תקולל חלקתם בארץ, כלומר מי שפרע מדור המבול.
• כל כך למה? לא יפנה דרך כרמים, שלא היתה כוונתן אלא למטעת כרמים
• אבל נח לא היתה כוונתו אלא להפרות ולהרבות בעולם ולהעמיד בנים שנאמר אלה תולדות נח. 

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 30:1-2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Bless the righteous

Hi,

"One who mentions a righteous person and does not bless him transgresses a biblical imperative; Proverbs 10:7 says, 'The memory of the righteous is for blessing.'"

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 49:1)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

The righteous endure

Hi,

"It is written, 'And a righteous person is the foundation of the world (Proverbs 10:25).' This teaches that even after death, a righteous person is still a foundation of the world, protecting it."

(Vilna Gaon to Proverbs 10:25)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Blessing and Cursing

Hi,

"Rabbi Yitzchak said: One who mentions a righteous person and does not bless him transgresses a commandment, as it is written (Mishlei 10:7), 'The memory of the righteous is for a blessing.' One who mentions a wicked person and does not curse him violates a prohibition, as it is written (ibid), 'The name of the wicked will rot.'"

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 49:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair did not want to eat out - Part III

Hi,

"Rebbe continued to push Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair [to come eat with him], until a mountain [miraculously] arose between them.

"Rebbe cried and said: In their lives they are so powerful [that Gd would perform miracles to satisfy their desire], how much more so in their death! For R' Chama bar Chanina taught, 'The righteous are greater in their death than in their lives, as it is written...'

"They said regarding Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair that he never broke bread belonging to another."

(Talmud, Chullin 7b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Death of the righteous

Hi,

"Rabbi Chiyya bar Gamda taught in the name of Rabbi Yosi ben Shaul: When a righteous person leaves this world, the ministering angels say before Gd, 'Master of the Universe! So-and-so the righteous person has come!'

"Gd then says, 'Let the righteous people come and greet him.' They come and say, 'May he come in peace,' and then they rest on their beds."

(Talmud, Ketuvot 104a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Righteous flourish, bear fruit and regenerate

Hi,

"Rabbi Chiyya bar Lulayni taught: What is the meaning of the verse (Psalms 92), 'A righteous person will flower like a date tree, he will grow tall like a cedar of Lebanon?' If he is comparable to a date tree, why introduce a cedar? If he is comparable to a cedar, why introduce a date tree?

"Had the verse only mentioned a cedar tree, I would have said that just as a cedar does not produce edible fruit, so a righteous person does not necessarily produce edible fruit, just as a cedar does not produce edible fruit. Therefore, the date tree is mentioned.

"Had the verse only mentioned a date tree, I would have said that a righteous person does not regrow after he falls, just as a date tree does not regenerate after it is chopped back. Therefore, the cedar is mentioned."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 80b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

When the righteous die

Hi,

"Rabbi Elazar said, citing Rabbi Chanina: A righteous person is lost [only] to his generation.

"To what may we compare it? To a person who lost a gem. Wherever the gem is located, it remains a gem; it is only lost to its owner."

(Talmud, Megilah 15a)

Have a good day,
Mordechai