Commentaire de citation sur La Genèse 18:18

איש צדיק תמים היה, “he was a perfectly righteous man.” The meaning of the expression צדיק תמים is that he was a righteous man among other righteous men, i.e. had been found righteous when coming up for judgment. When a person such as Noach is found righteous, his erstwhile sins, potential causes for punishment, are converted into righteousness. This is the meaning of the verse (Deut. 25,1) והצדיקו את הצדיק והרשיעו את הרשע, “they (the judges) will exonerate the righteous (totally) and condemn the wicked.” In the case of Avraham, of whom G’d said that He knows him to be practicing and teaching צדקה ומשפט, (Genesis 18,18) He bestowed two kinds of praise upon him, צדקה, a practicing צדיק, and משפט, the meting out of משפט by tempering it with mercy, רחמים. Ibn Ezra understands the word צדיק as referring to Noach’s deeds, and תמים as referring to his motivation. [his righteousness was not prompted by self-serving considerations. Ed.] When the Torah continues that Noach walked with G’d, ויתהלך נח את האלוקים, this means that he did not even allow himself to be guided by astrology and similar considerations, but followed directly in the paths of G’d to the extent that they had been revealed. He certainly did not practice any form of idolatry. Alternatively, the Torah describes Noach here as a prophet, seeing that the formulation אחרי ה' תלכו ואותו תיראו”follow the Lord and remain in awe of Him,” is used by the Torah to describe the prophet who distances himself from idolatry.

המתברך He who blesseth himself. This word is not like ונברכו and shall be blessed (Gen. 18:18); there is a difference between the two words.¹⁹ונברכו is the passive (Niphal), they shall be blessed; that is, they shall receive the blessing from the Almighty; מתברך is reflective (Hithpael): he who blesses himself; that is, he who believes himself blessed or wishes himself to be blessed, as I. E. himself explains below.

And it is stated with an expression of wondering: "Shall I conceal from Avraham?" And there are seven reasons for this. The first is because his children would multiply and inherit the plain and the cities, I mean to say Sodom and its satellites... And He stipulated about them that they would inherit it and dwell in it. Hence He said (Genesis 18:18), "Avraham is indeed to become a great nation." And [on account] of the destruction that He threatened about it [and he requested mercy upon it] in his prayer. And that is why He said, "and through him shall be blessed all the nations of the world." And because he was a prophet; and the merit of a prophet is great concerning the [counsels of the Holy One, blessed be He]. And because of that, He said, "For I have known him," the explanation of which is, for the times that I will know him (so is the yod vocalized, with a hiriq). And the fourth is because he fears the Lord, and the merit of those who fear the Lord is great. For 'the counsel of the Lord is to those who fear Him.' And because of this, He said, "in order that he commands." And the fifth is because he is just, and the merit of the just is great in the counsel of the Lord. It is as it is written (Proverbs 3:32), "and His counsel is with the just." And the sixth is in order to enlarge his reward because of his effort to save people and to have them repent... [He set up for them] great estimation, and it is as I am about to elucidate in, "I will now descend" (Genesis 18:21), and as we explained concerning the people of the Flood and the people of the Tower.