Musar zu Bereschit 17:1

Although Noach did not compare favourably with Abraham, it is entirely possible that, had he lived during the time of Abraham, he would have been so inspired by Abraham that he would have equalled the latter in stature. After all, also Abraham had been told by G–d: "Walk before Me and become תמים, perfect" (Genesis 17,1). The view that Noach did not compare to Moses can be explained by the statement of Rabbi Berechyah in Bereshit Rabbah 36,3 who proves that Moses was more beloved of G–d than Noach since the Torah first refers to Noach as 6,9) ,איש צדיק) and later on as 9,20) איש האדמה). In the case of Moses we find him first referred to as an Egyptian, i.e. איש מצרי (Exodus 2,19), whereas later on he is called איש האלוקים (Deut. 33,1).

We have already explained that Noach did not develop from the "bottom up," i.e. G–d did not discover that Noach had come closer to Him, but he had required an injection of Divine guidance before he walked with G–d. Abraham, on the other hand, developed from the "bottom" up, and this is why G–d said to him: "walk in front of Me and become תמים, perfect."

A great deal of attention also is paid to the meaning of the word ברא. This word with the letters reversed i.e. אבר, is considered as a limb, or better, link to what are called תולדות עליון, "developments having their root in the spiritual and abstract sphere of the heavens," such as are implied by the verse אלה תולדות השמים והארץ. When combining the word מי and the word אלה, we get the word אל-הים, or the answer to the question מי ברא אלה. Now we see how to understand the word ברא as a link, i.e. as אבר, as the "organ" that procreates or initiates creation of a physical universe. Since this process cannot continue endlessly, G–d also functions as the One who commands די, "enough." Hence one of G–d's names is שדי, "the One who says enough!" We have explained on another occasion that the emanation יסוד symbolizing the covenant מעור, is called שדי, and this is why G–d introduces Himself to Abraham when He commands him to circumcise himself as אני א-ל שדי. Coming back to the "small" letter ה in the verse אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם, which we had taken as an allusion to the world having been created for the sake of Abraham, we find that the letters ברא-אבר, when combined with the word מה, result in the word אברהם Keep in mind that the spiritual level represented by the word מי is superior to the spiritual level of the word מה; the former resulted in the attribute of G–d as אלוקים the Creator, whereas the word מה only triggered the appearance of this gigantic human figure called Abraham.