The Torah tells that after G-d commanded Noah to construct the ark, "Noah did in accordance with everything G-d had commanded him – so he did" (6:22).
The final clause – "Ken Asa" ("so he did") – seems to have been added to emphasize that Noah built the ark precisely as G-d had commanded, without deviating even one iota from the specific instructions that he had received. We all know that even the most skilled and reputable contractors usually fail to complete their projects to the customer's complete satisfaction. There is always some detail, minor or major, that is not done the way the customer wanted. Noah, however, completed his project – the ark – in precise compliance with G-d's instructions, without overlooking or disregarding even a single detail.
Intriguingly, a similar verse appears later in the Parasha, following G-d's command to Noah that he enter the ark with his family. The Torah writes, "Noah did in accordance with all that G-d had commanded him" (7:5). Rashi explains that this refers to his entering the ark. It is striking that in this context, the Torah does not add, "Ken Asa." In this instance, there is no emphasis on the fact that Noah complied precisely with G-d's instructions.
The reason is found in Rashi's startling comments two verses later (7:7). The Torah tells that Noah and his family entered the ark "because of the waters of the flood," and Rashi explains that he did not go into the ark until he was forced to by the floodwaters. Noah, Rashi writes, was ambivalent. He did not fully believe that Hashem would bring the flood, and so he did not go into the ark immediately after he was told to. He waited until the heavy rains compelled him to seek refuge in the ark.
This easily explains why the phrase "Ken Asa" is omitted in the context of Noah's entry into the ark. In this case, he did not, in fact, comply precisely with Hashem's command. Although he was, of course, a righteous man who faithfully obeyed G-d, his obedience in this instance was imperfect.
The question then becomes, why was Noah ambivalent? He spent 120 years building the ark in preparation for the flood that G-d told him would come. Did he really not believe that G-d would flood the earth?
Rav Yosef Salant (Jerusalem, 1885-1981), in his Be'er Yosef, explained that Noah of course did not question G-d's ability to bring the flood, or if He would tell the truth, but he thought that in His infinite mercy, G-d might rescind the decree. After all, G-d waited 120 years after issuing the decree, and then, as Rashi (7:4) brings from the Gemara, he waited an additional seven days so that the people could mourn the passing of Metushelah, a righteous man. Noah waited to see if G-d would further delay the flood in the hope that the people would repent.
Nevertheless, Noah acted wrongly because he was explicitly commanded to go into the ark. We are to comply with Hashem's instructions without making our own calculations. Compelling as our own reasoning might seem to us, they can never get in the way of our strict compliance with the Torah's commands. We must strive to reach the level of "Ken Asa" – where our obedience is complete, unwavering, unhesitating and uncompromised, driven by a fierce desire to faithfully serve our Creator.
