Jewish tradition grapples with this very question, comparing different eras and communities that faced divine judgment. Let's dive into some intense comparisons drawn from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis.
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana makes a pretty stark claim: that the ten tribes of Israel were even worse than the generation wiped out by the Flood. Can you imagine? The Flood narrative in Genesis is pretty devastating! He bases this on comparing verses. About the generation of the Flood, Genesis 6:5 tells us "every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the day." But Micah 2:1 says of the ten tribes, "Woe, the devisers of iniquity and the evildoers on their beds" – meaning they were plotting evil even at night! And where do we learn that they acted on these evil plans during the day? The verse continues, "They perform it at the morning light."
So, the generation of the Flood only sinned all day, whereas these tribes sinned both day and night! Yet, here’s the really perplexing part: no one survived the Flood, but a remnant of the ten tribes remained. Why?
The answer, according to Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, lies in the future. He says it's because of the merit of righteous men and women who were destined to arise from them. This is supported by Ezekiel 14:22: "But behold, a remnant has remained in it who are being taken out, sons and daughters.” Notice that the verse doesn't say "they are taking out [motziim] sons and daughters," but rather “who are being taken out [mutza’im], sons and daughters.” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana cleverly interprets mutza’im to also mean: "those who will emerge," implying that it's due to the merit of the righteous individuals who would descend from them in later generations.
Rabbi Berekhya takes a similar tack, arguing that the tribe of Judah and Benjamin were, in some ways, worse than the people of Sodom. Think about Sodom's reputation! Genesis 18:20 says "their sin because it is very grave." But Ezekiel 9:9 says of the house of Israel and Judah, "The iniquity... is very, very great!" Again, Sodom was completely destroyed, but Judah and Benjamin survived as tribes.
Why? Bereshit Rabbah suggests that Sodom was "overthrown in a moment" (Lamentations 4:6) because they didn’t extend their hands to do charitable deeds. As Rabbi Tanhum explains, citing the same verse, "Hand did not reach out [halat] to hand" to assist one another. Judah and Benjamin, on the other hand, did extend their hands to do charitable deeds, even in the most horrific circumstances. Lamentations 4:10 says, “The hands of merciful women cooked their children.” This isn’t meant to be taken literally. Instead, Rabbi Hanin interprets it to mean that these women kept food from their own children to provide first meals [havraa] for their mourning friends. What an intense picture of community solidarity!
Finally, Rabbi Hanin draws a distinction between the generation of the Flood and certain coastal cities. He points to Zephaniah 2:5, "Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, nation [goy] of the Keretites," interpreting goy to mean "a nation that was worthy of total annihilation [karet]." The difference? The generation of the Flood had Noah, who survived. So, by what merit did these coastal cities endure? Rabbi Levi offers a fascinating suggestion. He suggests it's by the merit of one God-fearing man, whom they would produce each year. Alternatively, he interprets it favorably, suggesting that they endured because they were "a nation that established [karat] a covenant," just as Nehemiah 9:8 says, "And established [vekharot] a covenant with him."
What are we to make of these comparisons? They paint a complex picture of sin, judgment, and redemption in Jewish thought. It seems that even when communities reach shocking depths of depravity, the potential for future righteousness, acts of selfless charity, and covenantal relationships can offer a path—if not to complete salvation, then at least to survival and the possibility of renewal. It makes you think about our own societies, doesn’t it? What are the seeds of destruction? And what are the seeds of hope and renewal that we can nurture, even in the darkest of times?