In this parshah we learn about the mabul, the flood. The most important person in the story of the flood is Noach, and the parshah begins by telling us about him and his family.

As soon as the passuk mentions Noach's name, it also tells us some very nice things about him, saying that Noach was a tzaddik - a righteous man who served HaShem with his whole heart.

Do you wonder why the Torah praises Noach and tells us about him here? After all, we already learned about Noach at the end of last week's parshah. We know that his father, Lemech, named him Noach because that name hints to "comfort." Noach's good deeds and righteousness would be a comfort in a generation that was very wicked. The last passuk in Parshas Bereishis tells us that "Noach found favor in the eyes of HaShem."

If the Torah only wanted to praise Noach, why weren't all these nice things written about him when he was first mentioned in Parshas Bereishis?

Let's think for a moment. How do you feel when people say nice things about you? Many times, praising people actually helps them do an activity even better than they did it before.

For example, while Shoshi was working on her needlepoint, her aunt praised her: "You pull the threads so evenly, Shoshi, that your needlepoint looks almost like a painting!" After that praise, Shoshi paid even more attention to the fine threads, and her needlepoint stitches came out even nicer than before. And Yanki found that he was writing much more neatly after his teacher praised him for good penmanship.

We have just seen how praising a person brings out the best in him. In the same way, when the Torah praises Noach in our parshah, it encourages him in his service of HaShem. Praising him for his avodah would keep it to become even better and more complete.

Now we can also understand why the Torah praises Noach here and not at the end of the last parshah. Since the praise is to help him in his service of HaShem, this is the right place for it because here is where Noach is putting great effort into serving HaShem.

But wasn't Noach serving HaShem before?

Of course he was, but then his service was different. The passuk at the end of Parshas Bereishis says, "And Noach found favor in the eyes of HaShem." Sometimes we find things without even looking for them. At that time, Noach served HaShem with "found" strength. HaShem gave him gifts of righteousness and goodness; they did not come from his own avodah.

In this week's parshah, Noach began working on himself and carrying out his avodah on his own. That is why the Torah calls him both a tzaddik and a tamim. The praise worked - it brought out the strength and energy Noach needed in order to fulfill the important task which HaShem commanded him to do.

(Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. V, p. 46)