174. Rabbi Yehuda continued: At the time that the wicked are destroyed from the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, watches the world but cannot find anyone to protect them. And you might ask, If Noah was there to protect his generation DURING THE GREAT FLOOD and was able to bring forth offspring, WHY DID HE NOT PROTECT HIS GENERATION? The verse reads: "For you have I seen righteous before Me in this generation" (Beresheet 7:1). "In this generation" is a precise term, FROM WHICH WE MAY LEARN THAT IN ANOTHER GENERATION HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED RIGHTEOUS. AND FOR THIS REASON, HIS MERIT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO PROTECT THE GENERATION OF THE FLOOD.
175. Rabbi Yosi said that the words "In this generation" are a tribute to Noah, who lived in such a wicked generation and nevertheless remained a righteous man and perfect. NOT ONLY IN HIS GENERATION IS HE CONSIDERED RIGHTEOUS, BUT even in the generation of Moses WOULD HE HAVE BEEN SO CONSIDERED. But he was not able to protect the world, because there were not even ten RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE in it. This was the case as described IN THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM: "perhaps ten shall be found there" (Beresheet 18:32). As not even ten were found, SODOM WAS DESTROYED. The same happened here. Ten RIGHTEOUS people were not to be found; only Noah, his three sons and their wives. Because they did not add up to ten, THEY COULD NOT PROTECT THEIR GENERATION.
176. Rabbi Elazar asked his father, Rabbi Shimon: We have learned that when the world is full of the sins of mankind and Judgment is pronounced, woe to the righteous man who is found in the world. For he is the first to be punished for the sins of the wicked. How did Noah escape the Flood without being punished for the sins OF HIS GENERATION? And RABBI SHIMON answered him: It is said that because the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to bring from Noah offspring into the world, HE SPARED HIM. Not only that, but Judgment could not be applied to him, because he was covered in the ark and hidden from view.
177. Come and behold: It is written, "Seek righteousness, seek humility; it may be you shall be hidden on the day of Hashem's anger" (Tzefanyah 2:3). Noah did seek righteousness. He entered the ark and was hidden there on the day of Hashem's anger. And that is why Judgment could neither be applied to nor hurt him.
178. Here, we find a hint of the secret of the holy supernal letters, reserved for the holy supernal men to learn and know: The reverse order of the 22 Hebrew letters can bring the destruction of the wicked, and this is why it is written, "they were destroyed from the earth" (Beresheet 7:23), and "Come you and all your house into the ark."