Fruits of the Righteous Are a Tree of Life

Bereshit Rabbah turns to Fruits of the Righteous Are a Tree of Life.

What are the fruits of the righteous? According to the Bereshit Rabbah, they are mitzvot (commandments) and good deeds. Noah was righteous, and that righteousness bore fruit in his actions – specifically, in the incredible feat of saving not just his family, but all those animals.

The verse in Proverbs continues, "and he who gathers souls is wise." And that's exactly what Noah did. He gathered souls, the animals. And sustained them. Think about the sheer logistics! The Bereshit Rabbah emphasizes that he fed and sustained these creatures for twelve whole months in the ark. That's a long time to be cooped up with a bunch of animals!

Here's where it gets interesting, even a little unsettling. After all that praise, after being called righteous and wise, the Bereshit Rabbah points to another part of (Proverbs 11:31): "Behold, retribution is made to the righteous on the earth." Wait, what? Retribution? What did Noah do wrong?

The Rabbis aren't saying Noah was a bad person, but rather, that even the righteous face consequences. Even they are held accountable. And in Noah's case, that accountability came swiftly.

Rav Huna, quoting Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili, shares a startling tradition: as Noah was emerging from the ark, a lion bit him, maiming him. Ouch! This wasn't just a random accident. The injury rendered Noah unfit to offer a sacrifice. In his place, his son Shem had to step in.

Why this harsh turn of events? The Bereshit Rabbah doesn't explicitly say, but the implication is powerful. Even after such a monumental act of righteousness, Noah wasn't exempt from the trials and tribulations of earthly existence. Perhaps it was a reminder that even the most righteous among us are still human, still fallible.

And the verse concludes with an a fortiori argument – a "how much more so" conclusion: "all the more so, the wicked and the sinner." If even Noah, the righteous Noah, faced retribution, then imagine what awaits the truly wicked, like the generation of the Flood.

It's a sobering thought, isn't it? The Bereshit Rabbah uses Noah's story not to diminish his righteousness, but to highlight the complexities of justice and accountability. It reminds us that even when we strive to do good, we are still subject to the imperfections and challenges of this world. And that, perhaps, is a lesson we can all take to heart.

“These are the offspring of Noah” – that is what is written: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life” (Proverbs 11:30). What are the fruits of the righteous? They are mitzvot and good deeds.6And this is why it states, “These are the offspring of Noah; Noah was a righteous man.” “And he who gathers souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30) – as, [in his wisdom,] he fed and sustained7The animals that he had gathered. all twelve months in the ark. [Yet] after all this praise, “behold, retribution is made to the righteous on the earth” (Proverbs 11:31) – when he came to exit [the ark], retribution was exacted from him. This is an astonishing statement! It is as Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili: As Noah was emerging from the ark, a lion bit him and maimed him. He was thus rendered unfit to sacrifice, and his son Shem sacrificed in his stead. [The verse continues with] an a fortiori conclusion: “all the more so, the wicked and the sinner” (Proverbs 11:31) – this is the generation of the Flood.