The world of Adam – where everything was put in place for him without his active involvement – did not endure, but the world of Noach, which he helped create, continues to exist.
Noach’s situation upon emerging from the ark after the flood resembled, to a large extent, that of Adam after his creation. Just as Adam and Chava entered a brand new world as its only human inhabitants with the command to procreate and fill it (1:28), similarly, Noach and his family were brought into a world where there were the only people, and were instructed by God to reproduce and reestablish human presence throughout the earth (9:1).
On the other hand, there are several important differences between the two sets of circumstances. In Adam and Chava’s case, they were newly created beings without any past upon which to reflect, or any memories that could have affected the way they functioned and handled themselves in their new reality. Noach and his family, of course, underwent the transition from one world to another. They entered a new world from an old world, and not as new creatures.
But there is also a perhaps more significant difference between the circumstances faced by Noach and those of Adam. Unlike Adam, Noach was an active participant in the creation of the world he inhabited. Adam was born into an earth that was readymade; everything he needed for his existence was put into place by God before he was created. Noach, on the other hand, was forced to work for his new reality. He was commanded to construct the protective ark, and assemble and care for representatives of all the world’s species. And upon emerging from the ark, Noach began to plant and cultivate the earth. Whereas Adam was created into an existence that had been fully prepared for him, Noach took part in building his new existence. Both Adam and Noach entered a new world, but whereas Adam had played no role in that world’s creation, Noach was an active participant in preparing his new world for renewed habitation.
This distinction between Adam and Noach is insightfully developed by Rav Yossi Stern of Yeshivat Hesder Akko (http://www.yakko.co.il/maamar.asp?id=35159), who notes that this might also explain their different positions vis-à-vis the animals. After leaving the ark, Noach is informed by God that he is permitted to eat the meat of animals (9:3). As Rashi cites from the Talmud (Sanhedrin 59b), human beings were previously barred from eating meat, and their diets were restricted to vegetation. The new terms allowing mankind to partake of the flesh of animals signifies a new, unique stature afforded to human beings after the flood. Rav Stern attributes this change to Noach’s status as a participant in the creation of his new existence. Adam was brought into the earth like the other creatures: God put the natural order into place, and then created living organisms that would be sustained by that natural order. As such, human beings were not given the license to kill other creatures for food, as they were all on equal footing, so-to-speak. Noach, on the other hand, was different than all other creatures. He was raised to the status of God’s partner in creating the earth; it was he who ensured the survival and preservation of the animal kingdom, and he therefore was given the right to use the animals for his needs.
Rav Stern concludes his discussion by noting the practical message that emerges from this distinction:
The important educational lesson that emerges from this, as parents, teachers and educators – and there is nobody who is not such – is that creating a partnership and placing responsibility are what generate a sense of identification and a desire to succeed in the task at hand. Only when one feels that he is a full partner with responsibility will he strive to succeed in the task and work with all his strength to see it through to completion.
The world of Adam – where everything was put in place for him without his active involvement – did not endure, but the world of Noach, which he helped create, continues to exist. When people are treated as partners with responsibilities, the prospects of success are higher. And thus when children and students see themselves as partners, rather than just recipients and dependents, they develop greater motivation and a greater sense of responsibility, thus increasing their chances of success.