Parshas Noach 5781- Do It For You

This week's parsha starts off with the famous passuk that creates the famous question- if the passuk tells us that we will be hearing about the lineage of Noach, why put in the fact that he was a tzaddik? Why not switch around the order, or separate the two?

Rashi teaches us that as important as children are, a tzaddik's "children" are his maasim tovim. Why? What about these maasim tovim are so special? Yes, it's important to do mitzvos and chessed and be righteous, but why does that overtake children? To find an answer, let's turn to another parsha in Sefer Beraishis.

In this parsha, Yaakov Avinu has left his father's home in Beer Sheva and is heading to his Uncle Lavan's house to stay there while Esav's anger subsides. The question is asked, though: if Yaakov is going to Charan, isn't it obvious that he's left Beer Sheva? We know that every letter in the Torah is accounted for, so why take the time to state this seemingly obvious point? The answer lies in the Rashi on this passuk.

These seemingly extra 4 words teach us an invaluable lesson- our actions have ripple effects, at times without us even knowing. Just by being in a city, a tzaddik brings tremendous bracha, and just by leaving, he takes that bracha away. Our actions have tremendous, far reaching effects, and those effects live on far longer than the person themselves. We have an obligation to know this, and to consider it when we act.
I heard the most incredible quote from my teacher, R' Beinish Ginsburg. He said that the passuk reads, "Eileh toldos Noach, Noach," to teach us that you are your most important descendent! Before you can raise children and grandchildren, you need to raise yourself, work on yourself. That's what the passuk is teaching us. The more you work on yourself, the more you'll be able to help your children and family as you get older. By treating yourself as your most important descendent, you can work on yourself, and the spiritual growth that you have will then impact all of your descendants, leaving tremendously positive ripple effects.
The Chiddushei HaRim, the first Gerrer Rebbe, is quoted as saying- "We say השמים שמים לה והארץ נתן לבני אדם, that the heavens are God's and the Earth He gave to man- He gave the earth to man so that man should make it heavenly." We have an obligation to leave behind Torah and kedusha, and the best way for us to do that is through our actions. When we work on ourselves and improve our actions, it will inspire many people. We will inspire ourselves to keep working, our children to emulate us, their friends to emulate them, and so on and so forth.
People know that they want to leave a legacy, for their children, family, and their communities. That legacy needs to start with you! So the more you work on yourself, the more that work will trickle down for generations to come. To quote R' Ginsburg quoting R' Avigdor Miller- there is no small step forward in ruchniyus, because ruchniyus lasts forever.
Start small. Take on one thing and make it a part of your essence, something that will make an impression on your family and children, your friends and your community. You'll be surprised at who you might inspire.