Parshas Noach - "When keeping it to yourself doesnt help"

הַלוֹמֵד מֵחֲבֵרוֹ פֶּרֶק אֶחָד אוֹ הֲלָכָה אֶחָת אוֹ פָּסוּק אֶחָד אוֹ דִבּוּר אֶחָד אוֹ אֲפִילוּ אוֹת אֶחָת, צָרִיךְ לִנְהָג בּוֹ כָּבוֹד

In Pirkei Avos 6:3 it says, "If you learn one chapter, or one sentence, or one word of Torah from your friend you must show him honor..." Tonight I was sitting in the Beis Medrish learning with my "Rebbe"/ Chavrusa, Effie, and I momentarily stopped learning to asked Effie if he had any divrei Torah on this weeks Parsha. He proceeded to tell me an unbelievable message which he heard from Rabbi Mordechai Willig Shlita.

The Torah seems to draw an unbelievable comparison between Noach and Moshe.

In regard to Noach:

Breishis 6:9 "These are the generations of Noach, Noach was a righteous man he was perfect in his generations; Noach walked with God."

Breishis 9:21 "And Noach began to be a master of the soil, and he planted a vineyard."

In regards to Moshe:

Shmos 2:19 "They replied, an Egyptian man saved us from from the shepherds, and he even drew water for us and watered the sheep."

Devarim 34:5 " So Moses, servant of Hashem, died there in the plains of Moav, by the mouth of Hashem"

According to the above psukim, at the beginning of Noach's life he was a Tzaddik, but at the end he was just a man of the field. Conversely, Moshe started as an Egyptian man and ended his life as a true Servent of G-d

It seems that the life of Noach regressed and that the life of Moshe progressed this is seemingly an unbelievable phenomenon?! How can this be, Rashi on this Pasuk comments that Noach was such a big tzadik that had he been in other generations he would have been a Tzaddik BiYoter?! To what can we attribute his regression?

The answer is because Noach and Moshe lived opposite lives. Although both of them were unbelievable characters in Jewish history, only one of them took on the official title of leader. By passively abstaining from associaing with people in the Dor HaMabul Noach dug himself deeper and deeper into a rut almost setting himself up for failure. Moshe on the other hand consciously made it his responsibility to caringly aid the Jewish people through there woes.

Similarly, we know that the second Beis Hamikdash was distroyed because Klal Yisroel did not say Bircas HaTorah before they started learning. What does this mean? Is it possible that one day everyone simultaneously decided that Bircas Hatorah was meaningless and from then on they continued learning without the Bracha? CAN'T BE!

The answer lies in the first line that we say after modeh ani in the morning, "Reishis Chachma Yiraas Hashem". OF COURSE Klal Yisrael continued saying bircas HaTorah before they learned! It was something that was entirely attitude based. They did not actualize there learning. It didn't become a life. When Noach was building the Teiva he didn't reach out to his fellow Jew to be mekarev him and because of this he became an Ish HaAdma his true Yiraah was lacking .7:7 "Noah, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood". Rashi comments that Noach had little faith, he did not fully believe that the flood was going to come. Only once the water had come did he enter the ark. His Yiraah was lacking! Moshe, however, consistantly made it his effort to reach out and be there for his brothers and sisters. Only later earning the worthy title of Eved Hashem.

Interestingly enough, my "Rebbe"/Roomate, Raffi, told me that the Kisvei HaAri specifically states that Moshe was a Gilgul (reincarnation) of Noach. His tafkid (duty) was to be metakein (fix) the mistakes of Noach.

Having a Fantastic Shabbos!