We are honoured to publish the full text of The Rabbi Isaac Bernstein Memorial Lecture which was delivered on 19 October 1998 at the Finchley Synagogue, London by Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm. Rabbi Lamm, President of Yeshiva University and its affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) since 1976, is the author of ten volumes, including Torah Umadda: The encounter of Religious Learning and Worldly Wisdom in the Jewish Tradition (London: Jason Aronson, 1990). His two most recent books are The Shema: Spirituality and Law in Judaism (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1998) and The Religious Thought of Hasidism: Text and Commentary (Hoboken: Ktav, 1999). The founding editor of Tradition, he has edited some thirty volumes on Jewish themes and has been an ardent advocate of Modern Orthodoxy in the USA and throughout the world.This is a bitter-sweet occasion for me. It is bitter because it confirms for me psychologically what I already know rationally, namely, that Isaac Bernstein is no longer with us. And it is sweet because the memories are sweet and inspiring.Rabbi Bernstein was my successor at The Jewish Center in New York City. We became not only colleagues but firm friends. I was enchanted by his sparkling sense of humour, in awe of his range of knowledge and interests - from Torah, of course, to mathematics and opera - and I simply adored the man's dazzling personality. Because of this combination of talents - scholar, orator, wit, darshan -1 invited him to teach at our Stern College for Women, where he won a string of loyal students who speak of him with a reverence that survives to this day.One of his great strengths was his interpretation of the parashat hashavua, the biblical portion of the week. In deference to him, I shall present my theme as he would have done it - homiletically - by discoursing on this week's parashah, Noach, and that of last Shabbat, Bereshit.NoachThe great floods covered the face…