Earlier this week, we cited a famous comment in the Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 36:6) contrasting Noach with Moshe. Whereas Noach is initially introduced as a "righteous man" (6:9) and later described somewhat disparagingly as a "man of the field" (9:20), Moshe begins as an "Egyptian man" (Shemot 2:19) and is later referred to as "the man of God" (Devarim 33:1). As we saw, the Meshekh Chokhma explained the Midrash's comment to mean that Noach, who secluded himself from his contemporaries and never assumed any leadership role, experienced a spiritual decline, whereas Moshe grew over the course of his career in leadership, to the point where he is called "man of God." This Midrash thus teaches that contrary to what one would instinctively think, communal involvement and leadership enhances, rather than diminishes from, one's religious growth and development.
Rav Dov Weinberger, in his work Shemen Ha-tov, suggests a slightly different reading of this Midrash, though one that yields a very similar message. The description of Moshe as "an Egyptian man" alludes to the fact that Moshe did not carry himself with distinction or insist upon displays of honor and prestige. He was outwardly indistinguishable from the masses, because, despite his stature, he conducted himself as one of them, with a humble, down-to-earth simplicity. This quality of simplicity is what enabled him to reach the great heights that he achieved as an eved Hashem. Noach, by contrast, conducted himself as an ish tzadik, a "righteous man," living on his own plane, separate and above his contemporaries. His lifestyle of isolation had the effect of not only failing to positively impact upon the sinners of the time, who viewed him as aberrant and peculiar, but also stifling his own religious growth. Therefore, Moshe, the ish Mitzri, the man who worked and interacted with the people, ultimately grew to become an ish Elokim, whereas Noach, who conducted himself as an ish tzadik, distant and disengaged from the people, declined to the lowly level of an ish ha-adama.