Emotions and Intellect

Rabbi Twerski addressed the Rashi that said that Noach may not have been the great Tzaddik, he was made out to be. Rashi pointed out that Noach entered the ark, מפני מי המבול, because of the waters of the flood.

This meant that נח was lacking in faith, and only after the rains became strong did he enter. But how is this possible when our hero is still described as being righteous.

Rabbi Twerski makes a major distinction between intellectual knowledge (שכל), and emotional knowledge (רגש). On an intellectual level, Noach believed wholeheartedly that there would be a flood. But on an emotional level, he still had some doubts.

This explains why it’s difficult to break addictions or even stop oneself from intermarrying. On an intellectual level, it is known what the right thing is to do. However, on an emotional level, one is unable to overcome these emotions, and do the right thing.

This has a great deal to do with what we call, מלחמת היצר, the war with our evil inclination. We must work on ourselves to be certain that the שכל will win against the רגש.