Parshas Noach: Face It

These are the generations of Noach; Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations; Noach walked with Hashem. (Bereishis 6:9)

Noach’s described here as a tzaddik. Yet the pasuk before this (6:8) says, “Noach found chein, favor, in the eyes of Hashem.” How does one attain chein? Does it make one into a tzaddik?

The Ohr HaChaim explains that there are perhaps three or four mitzvos that are conduits of chein.

We’d all want to perform the mitzvos that grant us chein, but we don’t know what they are!

Some explain that the answer’s hinted in the words, “in the eyes of Hashem.”

Whether he was going through hard times or good times, Noach knew that all was “with Hashem’s eyes,” with Hashem’s Hashgachah. Because of this bitachon, he found chein in Hashem’s eyes.

The Ben Ish Chai adds that the word bitachon is comprised of two words: chein-tov. Through bitachon, one merits chein and goodness.

The Chareidim writes that Noach was always calm and tranquil and this attitude found favor with Hashem. (Rav Elimelech Biderman, Torah Wellsprings)

The app was fairly simple, and my cousin was having a grand time showing me how it worked. “See, I take any photo of my face, and then I can change it to see how I’ll look decades from now. That’s me!” She showed me the results, and we started to giggle.

I was on a recent trip to the States, and while I’d been hoping to have a more in-depth conversation with my cousin, this was still entertaining.

I wondered what I’d look like 30 years from now? For that matter, if I’d used the app 30 years ago, would it come out looking like me now?

That night I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Those two lines etched between my eyebrows were definitely not there 30 years ago. What did they symbolize? Why did I have Worry Lines when I struggle so hard to avoid that activity?