In Parshat Noach, the Ma’or Va-Shemesh teaches that there are two kinds of tzaddikim.
One serves Hashem in simple innocence – walking in purity, praying and learning with sincerity, but remaining apart from people lest they distract him.
The other serves with wisdom and devekut, fulfilling “בכל דרכיך דעהו,” finding God in every path, even while engaging the world.
Before building the Ark, Noach was a tzaddik tamim, a man of holiness and solitude. But when God commanded him to build the teivah for 120 years so that others might see and repent, Noach had to step into the world. He learned to serve God not only in isolation but in relationship, to walk among people without losing his connection Above. That shift raised him from simple faith to wise faith; from tamim to tzaddik.
The Ma’or Va-Shemesh contrasts this with Avraham: Noach’s awakening came from above, grace found him; whereas Avraham’s came from below, from his own yearning and love. Noach received light; Avraham generated it.
And when Hashem said, “צֹהַר תַּעֲשֶׂה לַתֵּבָה,” it was a hint that the righteous can turn צָרָה (trouble) into צֹהַר (light), transforming judgment into mercy through teshuvah.
Each generation’s Noach must learn this secret: to bring light from within the flood, to turn faith into action, and isolation into service of the world.
Use this source sheet, complete with footnoted sources and a concise, footnoted bio of R. Kalonymus Kalman Epstein (Ma’or Va-Shemesh) to enjoy this teaching at your own pace, perfect for self-learners.
Prepared by Rabbi Shalom (Saul) Orbach
The Ma’or Va-Shemesh is a classic Hasidic commentary on the weekly portions and festivals by R. Kalonymus Kalman Epstein of Kraków (1751-1823). A foremost later disciple, and for years the Shamash, of R. Elimelech of Lizhensk, he emerged after his rebbe’s passing as a leading figure in the fourth generation of Chassidut and of Polish Hasidism. His Torah blends close reading of the Psukim with mystical depth, emphasizing Dvekut, heartfelt prayer, joy, and sanctifying the everyday, with a hallmark leadership ethic: the tzaddik sweetens judgment into mercy and draws people close.