English: “In his generations” — what does “in his generations” mean? R’ Yochanan said: in his generations, but not in other generations. Reish Lakish said: in his generations, and all the more so in other generations.
On the daf / in context: The qualifier “be-dorotav” is the subject of a classic dispute. R’ Yochanan reads it restrictively (Noach was righteous only relative to his corrupt age). Reish Lakish reads it expansively (if he was righteous even in that generation, how much more so would he have been among the righteous).
Type of Learning
Custom (dispute over the force of a limiting or expansive qualifier attached to the praise of a righteous person).
What Is Learned
The phrase “in his generations” either limits Noach’s righteousness to the standard of his own age (R’ Yochanan) or intensifies it (Reish Lakish). Both readings are preserved by Chazal.