In Parashat Noach, Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk redefines what it means to be a righteous person. The Torah says Noah was "a righteous person, complete in his generations" (Genesis 6:9). Most commentators debate whether this is praise or criticism. Rebbe Elimelech takes it somewhere else entirely.
A person who serves God in every aspect of life—even in physical acts like eating and drinking, sanctifying them by separating the spiritual from the material—that person moves through distinct spiritual stages. Each stage is like a "generation." When the person rises to a new level, the previous stage passes away ("a generation goes") and a new one begins ("a generation comes"). This is the deeper meaning of (Ecclesiastes 1:4).
The key, though, is that the body—the artziut, the earthiness—must not be abandoned. It must be sanctified. "The land stands forever" means that physical reality endures precisely so it can be elevated. A person who does not engage the physical world in holiness never progresses through these stages at all. They remain spiritually static.
This is what the Torah means by "Noah was righteous and perfect in his generations"—plural. In every stage, in every spiritual iteration, Noah maintained his righteousness. And the reason? "Noah walked with God." Every single one of his actions, physical and spiritual, served a single purpose.
Rebbe Elimelech adds a practical insight. The verse "the ark rested in the seventh month" (Genesis 8:4) hints that a person should repair their deeds during Tishrei, the seventh month. During the Ten Days of Repentance, holiness is more accessible than at any other time of year—as the sages taught, "Seek God where He can be found" (Tanchuma, Ha'azinu 4:10).