Parashat Noah- Malala Yousafzai One Year Later- Pure and Righteous in her Generation

…Noah ish tzadik tamim haya bidorotav et haEhlohim hithalech Noah.

Noah was a pure, righteous man in his generation; Noah walked with God. (Breishit 6:9)

Commentators on parashat Noach question the meaning of tzadik tamim haya bidorotav, a pure, righteous man in his generation. They wonder if Noah was only righteous and pure when compared to the others of his generation. Would Noah, placed in another generation, be a pure, righteous man? Or is it only in comparison to the evil of his generation that he can be called a tzadik? I posit another scenario. Tzadik tamim haya bidorotav, a pure, righteous man in his generation- what is the meaning of “in his generation?” When we are surrounded by general goodness, raised with respect, and taught love rather than hate, it is easy to be a Tzadik. It is easy to speak out against immorality and prejudice when those around you provide support. But in his generation, to speak out was to risk his life and the lives of those he loved.

One year ago I wrote about 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai. Malala was shot during the week of parashat Noach by a Taliban gunman for being an advocate for girls’ education. The Taliban failed to kill Malala. They failed to silence her voice, which continued to be heard as she struggled to recuperate, and continues to be heard. On July 12 Malala delivered a speech before the UN Youth Assembly. The day was declared Malala Day by the UN in honor of this inspirational young girl and in order to commemorate her 16th birthday.

The website Policymic.com lists ways that Malala has changed the world. Here they are:

1.     She has sparked a dialogue about children's education throughout the world--There are 57 million children worldwide who have no access to education. In response to Malala’s speech, Vuk Jeremic, president of the UN General Assembly, said, "Today we stand united with young people from nearly one hundred countries in seeking to ensure that no child is barred from attending school - convinced that factors like geography, gender, disability, language, wealth, and ethnicity, should not be seen as impediments to this achievement." 

2.     Three million people have signed the Malala Petition--Malala has managed to encourage people to stand together behind a common cause, urging the United Nations to recommit to the goal of universal primary education for children around the world.

3.     Her ability to be fearless is inspiring beyond measure—At only 11 years old Malala wrote her diary under a pseudonym, in which she discussed life (specifically education) under the Taliban. Knowing her life would be in grave danger if discovered, she has showed us all that we should never give up on a cause in which we believe. 

4.     She created the Malala Fund to ensure that beyond the words of her speech, tangible results are reached in the fight for access to education. 

5.     She has taught the world about forgiveness-- In her speech Malala said, "I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me. I would not shoot him."

6.     She has shown us that there is no age limit to stand up against injustice-- Malala began sharing her diaries at age 11, and nothing has stopped her since, not even Taliban bullets.

7.     Her story reminds us all not to take anything for granted—Every day so many of us take the simple action of going to school for granted. Malala's story and her fight to attend school remind us not to take anything for granted in our lives.

8.     She has challenged us all to wage a war against illiteracy and terrorism by "picking up our books and pens."

9.     She has illustrated the importance of peaceful conflict resolution-- Inspired by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Malala seeks peaceful solutions to tackle the issues of girls' education and the equality of women.

Like Noah, Malala chose to be righteous in her generation. In a generation when the easy thing would be to close her eyes and stay quiet to preserve her life, Malala chose to stand, not on the sidelines, but in the centre ring to make sure her voice would be heard on behalf of those who cannot be heard.