Why Noah was not the father of the Jewish people

Rabbi Eugene Korn

‘Noah was a righteous man; perfect in his generation.” As many students learn in their first Torah classes, the phrase “in his generation” gave our Rabbis license to fling open the gates of interpretation. Some saw it as additional praise for Noah, while others saw it as a criticism of his righteousness: perfect “in his generation” — but, evidently, not in the generation of Abraham or Moses. What is this rabbinic ambivalence all about?

http://www.thejewishweek.com/jewish_life/sabbath_week/perfect_imperfect_noah