Noah Noah and the Meaning of a Doubled Name

Portion of Noah. "These are the generations of Noah, Noah" (Genesis 6:9). Everyone whose name is doubled has a portion in this world and a portion in the world to come. They objected: but is it not written, "And these are the generations of Terah" (Genesis 11:27) — does Terah have a portion in this world and a portion in the world to come? This too is no refutation, for it is written, "And you shall come to your fathers in peace" (Genesis 15:15) — He brought him [Abraham] the tidings that his father has a share in the world to come; "you shall be buried in a good old age" — He brought him the tidings that Ishmael would repent. "These are the generations of Noah, Noah" — this is astonishing; the verse needed only to say "These are the generations of Noah, Shem." Rather, comfort (nayicha) to him, comfort to the world, comfort to the fathers, comfort to the children, comfort to the upper beings, comfort to the lower beings, comfort in this world, comfort in the world to come. "These are the generations of Noah; Noah was a righteous man" — this is what is written, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life" (Proverbs 11:30). The righteous one — what are his fruits? Commandments and good deeds. "And he who wins souls is wise" — that he sustained and provided for all the creatures twelve months in the ark. After all this praise, "Behold, the righteous shall be requited in the earth" (Proverbs 11:31) — he came out and was requited; this is astonishing. For Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yose the Galilean: when Noah came out of the ark, a lion struck him and maimed him, and he was not fit to offer sacrifice, so Shem his son offered in his place. "How much more the wicked and the sinner" — this is the flood generation. "A man" — wherever it says "a righteous man," he is expert: that for all of a hundred and twenty years he would plant cedars and cut them down. They said to him: why thus? He said to them: thus the Master of the world told me, that He is bringing a flood upon the world. They said: if a flood comes, it will come only upon that man's house. When Methuselah died, they said to him: behold, the flood will come only upon that man's house. "Perfect (tamim)" — everyone of whom it says "perfect" completed his years to the measure of a week [of years]. "Was (hayah)" — everyone of whom it says "was" is righteous from his beginning to his end. They objected: but is it not written, "Abraham was one" (Ezekiel 33:24)? He said to them: this too is no refutation, for Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Yochanan both say: at forty-eight years Abraham recognized his Creator; Resh Lakish said: at three years, as it is said, "because (ekev) Abraham obeyed My voice" (Genesis 26:5) — the numerical value of ekev [is one hundred seventy-two, his years minus three]. And how do I uphold "was"? That he was prepared to guide the whole world in repentance. "Behold, the man was" (Genesis 3:22) — prepared for death; "and the serpent was" (Genesis 3:1) — prepared for punishment; "Cain was" (Genesis 4:2) — prepared for exile; "Moses was" (Exodus 3:1) — prepared to be redeemer; "Mordechai was" (Esther 2:5) — prepared for redemption; "Job was" — prepared for sufferings; Noah was — prepared for a miracle. Rabbi Levi and the Rabbis: Rabbi Levi said: everyone of whom it says "was" saw a new world.