The portion of Noah begins by declaring that the hero of the Great Flood, Noah, was “righteous” and “perfect”, or possibly even “perfectly righteous”. But Rashi immediately throws a spanner in the works by reproducing the words of the Talmudic sages who appear to have a rather more jaundiced view of Noah’s so-called righteousness.

So which is it? Was Noah actually righteous, or is there some other way of understanding why the Torah would refer to him as a “tzadik” who walked with God?

Rabbi Dunner delves into the sources offering a variety of explanations and interpretations, solving some of the mysteries and puzzles surrounding the inclusion of the Great Flood and its protagonist Noah in the Holy Scriptures.