Impact of Society

Rabbi Yochanan says that if Noach had lived in the generation of Avraham, he would not have counted for anything. Yet the Torah calls him a tzaddik. How can a man called righteous be dismissed like that, and how can Reish Lakish read the same words as praise? The Gemara in Sanhedrin records the argument, and the Zichron Meir finds a surprising point the two sides share. It speaks to anyone who works to hold their ground in a difficult crowd. A merchant of precious stones gets one chance, with only twenty seconds to decide.