Published November 08, 2009
Parshat No’ach is, in part, the story of civilization’s decline. And how, one asks, did a generation that produced Enoch - “who walked with G-d”- now foster a world described as Earth, “corrupt before G-d… for all flesh had corrupted its way upon Earth”?
The Chassidic masters offer interesting insights as to what led to a world so evil that petty theft and perverted sexual relationships became the accepted norm. For now, only “before G-d” was morality turned asunder.
First - like so many of our oppressors - the people justified their deviant behavior as being, “for the sake of Heaven” (‘before G-d’). Then, becoming more lax in their relation- ship with G-d (Bein Adam LaMakom), the loose habits transferred themselves to social behaviors (Bein Adam L’chavero), until, ultimately, only abnormal “earthly” behaviors were extant.
The Koznitcher Rebbe explains: The three essentially human, destructive elements had now surfaced in society, namely, “Jealousy” (Kayin’s murder of Hevel), “Lust” (the generation of the Flood), and “Pride” (the Tower of Bavel). These selfserving behaviors were the epitome of “Chamas”, the derogatory term that described the people then - and, unfortunately, still describe elements of our current reality.
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