"Hashem Chose Noach Only Because He Was Persecuted" - Words of the Righteous Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

Before you is a portion of a lesson delivered by the esteemed righteous Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a about 20 years ago, discussing the virtue of accepting humiliation.

"This is the secret of Parshat Noach, Noach merited to be, "a righteous man, perfect in his generations" (Genesis 6:9). Hashem chose Noach not because of his good deeds, but only because he was persecuted. Noach was the most persecuted and lowly person of his generation. Hashem created all the billions that were in that generation only to prepare Noach to reach this level, from which all of humanity could emerge."

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"Says the 'Yitav Lev' (Rabbi Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum zt"l, the first Rebbe of Siget) that because at every step and every word of Noach, they laughed at him, Noach was prepared to be the continuer of all generations. Due to the persecutions he endured for all 120 years (of building the ark), only because of this did he remain alive. "And Hashem seeks the pursued" (Ecclesiastes 3:15), Hashem demands the blood of the pursued from the pursuers."

"Know that all of a person's work in this world is to be only persecuted, only in this way is he prepared to continue the light of the Torah, to continue the light of Judaism like Noach. All the persecutions that Noach went through were so that he would be worthy for Avraham Avinu, Shem, and Eber to come from him, this is the reason for all the persecutions he was pursued day and night, hour by hour, second by second."