Why Tzaddik V’ra Lo? Lessons from Ten Generations (Avos 5:2)
Avot5: 2
עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת מֵאָדָם וְעַד נֹחַ, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם לְפָנָיו, שֶׁכָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת הָיוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּבָאִין עַד שֶׁהֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת מֵי הַמַּבּוּל.  עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת מִנֹּחַ וְעַד אַבְרָהָם, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם לְפָנָיו, שֶׁכָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת הָיוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּבָאִין, עַד שֶׁבָּא אַבְרָהָם וְקִבֵּל [עָלָיו] שְׂכַר כֻּלָּם.
[There were] ten generations from Adam to Noah. [This is] to show how much patience [exists] before Him, for all those gen-erations angered [God] increasingly, until He brought upon them the waters of the Flood.  [There were] ten generations from Noah to Abraham. [This is] to show how much patience exists before Him, for all those generations were increasingly contemptuous [before God], until Abraham came and took upon himself the reward for them all.