Noach the tzaddik versus the Avos

אלה תולדות נח כו' נח הי' צריד סעד כו' ואברהם הי' מתחזק בצדקו מאליו כו'.

"These are the offspring of Noach…" (Bereishis 6:9) — Noach needed support, while Avraham strengthened himself in his righteousness on his own.

The Midrash contrasts the two tzaddikim: Noach required Divine "support" to remain righteous, whereas Avraham sustained his righteousness through his own strength.

אלו הם מיני מדרגות שקיבל העולם תקונים ע"י הצדיקים.

These are the various levels by which the world received rectifications through the tzaddikim.

These two figures represent distinct stages through which the tikkun (repair) of the world was accomplished by its righteous ones.

נח בדורו.

Noach in his generation.

Noach effected his rectification within the context of his own generation.

ואח"כ האבות והנה נח תיקן הדרך להיות צדיק ע"י עזר וסייעתא דשמיא ואח"כ באו האבות ותקנו דרכים גבוהים מזה.

And afterward the Avos; now, Noach established the path of being a tzaddik through help and siyata di-Shmaya (Heavenly assistance), and afterward the Avos came and established higher paths than this.

Noach pioneered the path of righteousness that relies on Heavenly help, and the Avos who followed forged loftier paths beyond it.

והנה עפ"י טבע צריך האדם לעזר עליון והוא מדת צדיק.

Now, according to nature, a person needs supernal help, and this is the trait of "tzaddik."

By nature every person requires Divine assistance to stay righteous — that natural reliance on help is the level of "tzaddik" that Noach embodied.

ואברהם הי' בחי' חסיד שנאמר עליו איזה חסיד המתחסד עם קונו ונכנס לפנים משורת הדין שמסר נפשו להשי"ת ונתעלה מדרך הטבע לכן נאמר שהי' מתהלך בצדקו מאליו שהוא למעלה מדרך הטבע כנ"ל.

And Avraham was the aspect of "chassid," about whom it is said, "Who is a chassid? One who acts with kindness (mis'chassed) toward his Maker," and who entered "within the line of the law" (lifnim mi-shuras ha-din), for he gave over his soul to Hashem and rose above the way of nature; therefore it is said that he walked in his righteousness on his own, which is above the way of nature, as above.

Avraham reached the higher level of "chassid" — going beyond the letter of the law and giving himself over entirely to Hashem with mesirus nefesh, thereby transcending nature itself. That is why he could sustain his righteousness "on his own," without the natural need for support.

ואיתא נח הוא שבת והוא כח הקדושה שבא מעולם העליון לעוה"ז להצדיקים והוא הסעד ונשמה יתירה [שנא' עליו ישלח עזרך מקודש] וגם היא שמירה פריסת סוכת שלום עלינו והכל עזר וסעד משמים.

And it is taught that Noach is [the aspect of] Shabbos, which is the power of holiness that comes from the upper world to this world for the tzaddikim, and it is the "support" and the neshamah yeseirah (additional soul) — about which it is said, "He will send your help from the Sanctuary" (Tehillim 20:3) — and it is also protection, the spreading of the "sukkah of peace" over us; and it is all help and support from Heaven.

Noach corresponds to Shabbos, the holiness that descends from above to assist the tzaddikim — the "support," the neshamah yeseirah, and the sheltering "sukkas shalom." All of it is Heavenly assistance granted from on high.

וכח זה השיג נח שהוא המנוחה והביטול אליו ית' ונייחא זו עביד תולדות כמ"ש בזוה"ק ובמ"א כתבנו בזה.

And this power Noach attained — which is the rest (menuchah) and the bittul (self-nullification) to Him, may He be blessed; and this rest "produces offspring" (toldos), as is stated in the Zohar, and we have written about this elsewhere.

Noach attained the Shabbos-power of menuchah and bittul to Hashem; this very state of restful self-surrender is what "begets offspring," as the Zohar teaches on "these are the toldos of Noach."

אבל האבות השיגו הימים טובים שהם המשיכו קדושות יתירות במעשיהם הטובים שהרי הימים טובים תלוין בבנ"י כמ"ש ישראל דקדשינהו לזמנים כו' כמ"ש אשר תקראו אתם כו'.

But the Avos attained the [aspect of the] Yamim Tovim (festivals), for they drew down additional holiness through their good deeds; for the Yamim Tovim depend on Bnei Yisrael, as it says, "Yisrael, who sanctify the appointed times…" and as it says, "which you shall proclaim them…" (Vayikra 23:2).

The Avos correspond to the festivals rather than Shabbos: just as the dates of Yom Tov depend on Bnei Yisrael's own sanctification, the Avos generated extra holiness through their own active avodah — a level beyond merely receiving Heavenly support.

אבל שבת קביעא וקיימא:

But Shabbos is fixed and established [on its own].

Shabbos, unlike the festivals, is set in place by Hashem regardless of human action — corresponding to Noach's level of receiving holiness from above rather than generating it.

Summary: Noach and the Avos represent two stages of rectifying the world. Noach is the level of "tzaddik," corresponding to Shabbos — the holiness, menuchah, and bittul that descend as Heavenly support, "fixed and established" on its own. Avraham and the Avos reached the higher level of "chassid," transcending nature through mesirus nefesh; they correspond to the Yamim Tovim, whose holiness is actively drawn down and sanctified by Bnei Yisrael themselves.