The Torah relates that Noah was: “A righteous man; he was faultless in his generations” (Genesis 6:9). What is the verse emphasizing? The Talmud cites a dispute with regard to this question.

“This is the legacy of Noah. Noah was a righteous man; he was faultless in his generations” (6:9). Rabbi Yohanan says: He was righteous relative to his generation, but not relative to other generations. And Reish Lakish says: He was righteous relative to his generation; all the more so relative to other generations. Rabbi Hanina says: A parable for the explanation of Rabbi Yohanan; to what is this matter comparable? To a barrel of wine that was placed in a cellar of vinegar; in its place, near vinegar, its fragrance diffuses,(Sanhedrin 108a)