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Sunday, October 27, 2024

Noach's Produce

Rashi tells us that the main products of the righteous are their own good deeds. But aren't everyone's deeds their main produce?
I believe that perhaps for most people, as they build a family they change focus from their own personal growth to their children's. Their primary purpose and satisfaction often comes their growing family wo hopefully bring them nachas and pride. So their ikar toldos are the children. However, a true tzaddik continues to work on himself so that even throughout the years of raising children, his primary growth in avodas Hashem is always his own work of constant introspection. So fo a tzaddik, his ikkar toldos always remain his own massim tovim.

I just saw  that the anaf yosef on Medrash Tanchumah (Noach 3) brings in reference to this passuk, that whoever fulfills Torah truthfully, is considered as if he creates himself.


Perhaps another approach can be a bit critical. A Tzaddik is not the greatest title although I would wish to be one. But perhaps as just a Tzaddik, a Righteous person who is more meritorious than iniquitous, his main produce is just his own deeds. But a Chassid, an Oved Hashem who goes beyond the letter of the law and above his calling, has a lot more produce than just himself or even his family. Avraham had many נפש אשר עשו and was Av Hamon Goyim! So too all of our Avos and great leaders had multitudes of Peiros well beyond their own self.