Righteousness and Rescue: Noah, Lot and the Two Stories of the Flood

In this shiur, we will take a critical look at the righteousness of Noah. We will also discuss the way Hazal and the text approach the problems of the generation and the multifaceted narrative of the flood, as we address claims of biblical criticism. An intertextual comparative approach brings us to the story of Lot's rescue from Sodom and the aftermath of that destruction, as we compare and contrast the personalities of Noah, Lot, and Avraham.  Is there something from the text that justifies the traditional relativization of Noah's righteousness as compared to Avraham's? What explanation can we offer for Noah's decline after the flood? What does Noah's righteousness consist of, and what is his response to the Divine signal that it is time to rebuild the world?

We discover different - and unequal - models of righteousness: Noah's is about survival and obedience, but Avraham's involves the important element of caring about the world.