Noah Walked With God While Abraham Walked Before Him

"Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:9). Rabbi Judah says: This is like a king who had two sons, one grown and one small. To the small one he said, "Walk with me," and to the grown one he said, "Walk before me." So Abraham, whose strength was good, was told, "Walk before Me and be perfect" (Genesis 17:1); but Noah, whose strength was weak, of him it says, "Noah walked with God." Rabbi Nehemiah says: This is like a friend of the king who was sinking in mud. The king looked out and saw him and said to him, "Rather than sinking in the mud, come and walk with me." This is what is written, "Noah walked with God." And to what is Abraham compared? To a friend of the king who saw the king walking in dark alleys and began to give him light through the window. The king said to him, "Rather than lighting for me through the window, come and give light before me." So the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham our father, "Rather than giving Me light from Spain and its environs, come and give Me light in the Land of Israel." This is what is written, "And he blessed Joseph and said, the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked" (Genesis 48:15). Rabbi Yochanan compared it to a shepherd standing and watching over his flock [God watching Noah]. Resh Lakish compared it to a prince walking with elders before him. According to Rabbi Yochanan, we need His honor; according to Resh Lakish, He needs our honor. "Noah was a righteous man, perfect" - this teaches that he was born circumcised. Why is "Noah" written three times in the verse? Because he is one of three men over whom three worlds passed; therefore Scripture pairs them: "Noah, Daniel, and Job" (Ezekiel 14:14). "And Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth" (Genesis 6:10) - it lists them by order of their wisdom, for it is written, "And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem" (Genesis 5:32). Shem was older than Japheth by two years, for it is written, "And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came" (Genesis 7:6), and it is written, "These are the generations of Shem: Shem was a hundred years old when he begot Arpachshad two years after the flood" (Genesis 11:10) - so he was a hundred and two; rather, it lists them by their wisdom. Rav Kahana said: We learn it from here, "And to Shem also were born, he the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder" (Genesis 10:21). "And the earth was corrupt" (Genesis 6:11). The school of Rabbi Ishmael taught: Wherever "corruption" is stated, it refers only to idolatry and sexual immorality. Idolatry, as it is written, "Lest you act corruptly" (Deuteronomy 4:16). Sexual immorality, as it is written, "And the earth was corrupt." "For all flesh had corrupted" (Genesis 6:12) - this teaches that they mated domestic animal with wild animal, and wild with domestic, and all with man, and man with all. Rabbi Abba said: And all of them returned to their kind except for the tushlami, which did not return. "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence" (Genesis 6:13). Rabbi Elazar said: How great is the power of robbery, for the generation of the flood transgressed everything, yet their sentence was not sealed until they stretched out their hands in robbery, as it is said, "For the earth is filled with violence," and it is written, "Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness" (Ezekiel 7:11) - this teaches that it stood itself up like a staff and stood before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said before Him, "Master of the universe, not from them and not from their wealth and not with their pleasantness." And upon Noah too the sentence was sealed, as it is said, "I regret that I made them" (Genesis 6:7) - and Noah [is named there too].