Parashat Bereshit.

In the beginning. Rabbi Isaac said: The Torah which is the Law book of Israel should have commenced with the verse (Exodus 12:2) “This month shall be unto you the first of the months” which is the first commandment given to Israel. What is the reason, then, that it commences with the account of the Creation? Because of the thought expressed in the text (Psalms 111:6) “He declared to His people the strength of His works (i.e. He gave an account of the work of Creation), in order that He might give them the heritage of the nations.” For should the peoples of the world say to Israel, “You are robbers, because you took by force the lands of the seven nations of Canaan”, Israel may reply to them, “All the earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it and gave it to whom He pleased. When He willed He gave it to them, and when He willed He took it from them and gave it to us” (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 187).

In the beginning G-d created. This verse calls aloud for explanation in the manner that our Rabbis explained it: G-d created the world for the sake of the Torah which is called (Proverbs 8:22) “The beginning (ראשית) of His (G-d’s) way”, and for the sake of Israel who are called (Jeremiah 2:3) “The beginning (ראשית) of His (G-d’s) increase”. If, however, you wish to explain it in its plain sense, explain it thus: At the beginning of the Creation of heaven and earth when the earth was without form and void and there was darkness, G-d said, “Let there be light”. The text does not intend to point out the order of the acts of Creation, to state that these (heaven and earth) were created first; for if it intended to point this out, it should have written 'בראשונה ברא את השמים וגו “At first G-d created etc.” And for this reason: Because, wherever the word ראשית occurs in Scripture, it is in the construct state. E. g., (Jeremiah 26:1) “In the beginning of (בראשית) the reign of Jehoiakim”; (Genesis 10:10) “The beginning of (ראשית) his kingdom”; (Deuteronomy 18:4) “The first fruit of (ראשית) thy corn.” Similarly here you must translate בראשית ברא אלהים as though it read בראשית ברוא, at the beginning of G-d’s creating. A similar grammatical construction (of a noun in construct followed by a verb) is: (Hosea 1:2) תחלת דבר ה' בהושע, which is as much as to say, “At the beginning of G-d’s speaking through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea.” Should you, however, insist that it does actually intend to point out that these (heaven and earth) were created first, and that the meaning is, “At the beginning of everything He created these, admitting therefore that the word בראשית is in the construct state and explaining the omission of a word signifying “everything” by saying that you have texts which are elliptical, omitting a word, as for example (Job 3:10) “Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s womb” where it does not explicitly explain who it was that closed the womb; and (Isaiah 8:4) “He shall take away the spoil of Samaria” without explaining who shall take it away; and (Amos 6:12) “Doth he plough with oxen," and it does not explicitly state, “Doth a man plough with oxen”; (Isaiah 46:10) “Declaring from the beginning the end,” and it does not explicitly state, “Declaring from the beginning of a thing the end of a thing’, if it is so (that you assert that this verse intends to point out that heaven and earth were created first), you should be astonished at yourself, because as a matter of fact the waters were created before heaven and earth, for, lo, it is written, (v. 2) “The Spirit of G-d was hovering on the face of the waters,” and Scripture had not yet disclosed when the creation of the waters took place, consequently you must learn from this that the creation of the waters preceded that of the earth. And a further proof that the heavens and earth were not the first thing created is that the heavens were created from fire (אש) and water (מים), from which it follows that fire and water were in existence before the heavens. Therefore you must admit that the text teaches nothing about the earlier or later sequence of the acts of Creation.

G-d [as judge] created. It does not state 'ברא ה “The Lord (the Merciful One) created, because at first G-d intended to create it (the world) to be placed under the attribute (rule) of strict justice, but He realised that the world could not thus endure and therefore gave precedence to Divine Mercy allying it with Divine Justice. It is to this that what is written in (Genesis 2:4) alludes, “In the day that the Lord G-d made earth and heaven”.

Desolate and void. The word תהו signifies astonishment and amazement, for a person would have been astonished and amazed at its emptiness.

. is estordison in old French.

Void. The word signifies emptiness and empty space.

On the face of the deep. i. e. the waters which were upon the earth.

And the spirit of G-d was hovering. The throne of Divine Glory was standing in space, hovering over the face of the waters by the breath of the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, and by His command, even as a dove hovers over its nest. In old French acoveter.

And G-d saw the light that it was good, and G-d caused a division. Here, also, we must depend upon the statement of the Agada: He saw that the wicked were unworthy of using it (the light); He, therefore, set it apart (ויבדל), reserving it for the righteous in the world to come (Chagigah 12a). But according to the plain sense explain it thus: He saw that it was good, and that it was not seemly that light and darkness should function together in a confused manner. He therefore limited this one’s sphere of activity to the daytime, and this one’s sphere of activity to the nighttime (see Genesis Rabbah 3:6).

The first day. (literally, one day), According to the regular mode of expression used in this chapter it should be written here “first day”, just as it is written with regard to the other days “the second”, “the third”, “the fourth”. Why, then, does it write אחד “one”? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, was then the Only One (Sole Being) in His Universe, since the angels were not created until the second day. Thus it is explained in Genesis Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah 3:8).

Be there an expanse. Let the expansion become fixed; for although the heavens were created on the first day, they were still in a fluid form, and they became solidified only on the second day at the dread command (literally, rebuke) of the Holy One, blessed be He, when he said “Let the firmament be stable” (Genesis Rabbah 4:2). It is to this that allusion is made in what is written in (Job 26:11): “The pillars of heaven were trembling” (i. e. they were unstable), this was during the whole of the first day, and on the second (Job 26:11): “they were astonished at His rebuke”, like a man who stands immovable, amazed at the rebuke of one who terrifies him.

In the midst of the waters. In the exact centre of the waters; because there is the same distance between the upper waters and the firmament as there is between the firmament and the waters that are upon the earth. Thus you may infer that they (the upper waters) are suspended in space by the command of the King (Genesis Rabbah 4:3).

וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה. לְעִנְיַין בְּרִיָּתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הֶעֱלָה הַתְּהוֹם וְהִשְׁקָה העֲנָנִים לִשְׁרוֹת הֶעָפָר וְנִבְרָא אָדָם. כְּגַבָּל זֶה שֶׁנּוֹתֵן מַיִם וְאַחַר כָּךְ לָשׁ אֶת הָעִסָּה, אַף כַּאן "וְהִשְׁקָה" וְאַחַר כָּךְ "וַיִּיצֶר".

And G-d made the expanse. He put it in proper condition in its place: this is the meaning of “making” it. Similarly (Deuteronomy 21:12) ועשתה את צפרניה “And she shall let grow (literally, make) her nails”.

Above the expanse. It is not said here על הרקיע “upon the firmament״, but מעל “hanging from above”, because they (the waters) were suspended in space (Genesis Rabbah 4:3). Why is it not stated in reference to the work of the second day “that it was good”? Because the work associated with water was not completed until the third day, He only began it on the second, and anything that is not completed is not in a state of perfection and at its best (and so cannot be termed “good”). Therefore on the third day when He completed the work associated with water and another work was commenced and finished, the words כי טוב are repeated, once in reference to the completion of the work of the second day, and again in reference to the completion of the work of that day (Genesis Rabbah 4:10).

וַיִּיצֶר. שְׁתֵּי יְצִירוֹת, יְצִירָה לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וִיצִירָה לִתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים. אֲבָל בַּבְהֵמָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ עוֹמֶדֶת לַדִּין לֹא נִכְתַּב בִּיצִירָתָהּ שְׁנֵי יוּדִי"ן.

עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה. צָבַר עֲפָרוֹ מִכָּל הָאֲדָמָה מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת, שֶׁכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁיָּמוּת – שָׁם תְּהֵא קוֹלַטְתּוֹ לִקְבוּרָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר: נָטַל עֲפָרוֹ מִמָּקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ (שמות כ,כא): "מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה תַּעֲשֶׂה לִי" – הַלְוַאי תִּהְיֶה לוֹ כַפָּרָה וְיוּכַל לַעֲמוֹד.

וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו. עֲשָׂאוֹ מִן הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים וּמִן הָעֶלְיוֹנִים: גּוף מִן הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים וּנְשָׁמָה מִן הָעֶלְיוֹנִים. לְפִי שֶׁבְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן נִבְרְאוּ שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, בַּשֵּׁנִי בָּרָא רָקִיעַ לָעֶלְיוֹנִים, בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי "תֵּרָאֶה הַיַּבָּשָׁה" לַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, בָּרְבִיעִי בָּרָא מְאוֹרוֹת לָעֶלְיוֹנִים, בַּחֲמִישִׁי "יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם" לַתַּחְתּוֹנִים – הֻזְקַק בַּשִּׁשִּׁי לִבְראוֹת בּוֹ בָעֶלְיוֹנִים וּבַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, וְאִם לַאו יֵשׁ קִנְאָה בְמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית שֶׁיִּהְיוּ אֵלּוּ רַבִּים עַל אֵלּוּ בִּבְרִיאַת יוֹם אֶחָד.

לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה. אַף בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה נִקְרְאוּ "נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה", אַךְ זוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם חַיָּה שֶׁבְּכוּלָּן, שֶׁנִּתּוֹסַף בּוֹ דֵּעָה וְדִבּוּר.

And G-d called the expanse heaven. The word “שמים”, Heaven, may be regarded as made up of שא מים “Carry water”, or שם מים “There is water”, or אש ומים “Fire and water”. He mingled fire with water and of them He made the heavens (Chagigah 12a).

The waters shall be drawn together. For they were then spread over the surface of the whole earth, and He now gathered them together into what now constitutes the Ocean, which is the largest of all seas (Genesis Rabbah 5:2).

Called he seas. But does it not form one great sea? But it speaks of seas because the taste of fish which comes up from the sea at Acco is not the same as the taste of fish which comes up from the sea at Aspamia (Genesis Rabbah 5:8).

The earth shall sprout forth sprouts, herb. דשא does not mean the same as עשב nor does עשב mean the same as דשא so that it is not a correct expression in Biblical Hebrew to say תעשיב הארץ, for the species of דשא are all different, each by itself being called this or that עשב, and it would not be linguistically correct for a speaker to say this or that דשא, for by דשא is meant that which forms the covering of the ground when it is filled with herbage.

The earth shall sprout forth [sprouts]. Let it be filled and covered with a garment of different grasses. In old French דשא is called herbaries; English herbage, meaning all species of herbs growing together collectively whilst each root by itself is called an עשב.

. מזריע זרע YIELDING SEED, that its seed should grow within itself, so that some of it may be sown in another spot.

Fruit tree. that the taste of the tree be exactly the same as that of the fruit. It did not, however, do this, but (v. 12) “the earth brought forth a tree yielding fruit” and the tree itself was not a fruit; therefore when Adam was cursed on account of his sin, it (the earth) was also visited (because of its sin) and was cursed also (Genesis Rabbah 5:9).

Whose seed is in itself. This refers to the kernels of each kind of fruit from which the tree grows when they are planted.

And the earth brought forth. etc., Although the expression למינהו according to its kind, was not used when the various kinds of herbage were bidden to come forth, they heard that the trees were so commanded and they applied to themselves the argument à fortiore (ק"ו), as it is explained in an Aggadic passage in (Chullin 60a).

Be there luminaries. They had been created on the first day, but on the fourth He commanded them to be suspended in the firmament (Chagigah 12a). Indeed, all the productions of heaven and earth were created on the first day, but each of them was put in its place on that day when it was so commanded. In reference to this it is written את השמים (v. 1) In the beginning G-d created that which was את with the heavens etc., in order to include all the productions of heaven, ואת הארץ to include all its (the earth’s) productions (Genesis Rabbah 12:4).

. The word is written without the ו after the א (so that it may be read מארת, cursed), because it is a cursed day when children are liable to suffer from croup. In reference to this we read (in Taanit 27b): On the fourth day of the week they used to fast to avert croup from the children (Yerushalmi Taanit 4:3).

To cause a division between the day and the night. This took place after the primeval (divine) light was conserved for the righteous; but during the first seven [another reading is “three”] days of Creation the primeval light and darkness functioned together both by day and by night.

And they shall be for signs. When the heavenly luminaries are eclipsed it is a sign of ill-omen for the world, as it is written, (Jeremiah 10:2) “Be not dismayed at the signs of heaven”, when you carry out the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, you need apprehend no calamity (Sukkah 29a).

And for seasons (festivals). This is written with a view to the future when Israel would receive command regarding the festivals which would be calculated from the time of the lunar conjunction (Genesis Rabbah 6:1).

And for days. The sun functions half a day and the moon the other half, together a full day.

And for years. At the end of three hundred and sixty five days [another version: 365¼] they complete their course through the twelve signs of the Zodiac that attend them, and that is one year [another version: and this makes 365¼ days]; they then begin to revolve a second time in a circle similar to their first cycle.

And let them be for lights. They shall serve also this purpose, namely, to give light to the world.

The great luminaries. They were created of equal size, but that of the moon was diminished because she complained and said, “It is impossible for two kings to make use of one crown” (Chullin 60b).

And the stars. Because He diminished the moon, He increased its attendant hosts to mollify it (Genesis Rabbah 6:4).

Living creatures. Creatures that shall have vitality.

. Every living creature that does not rise much above the ground is called שרץ, e. g., of winged creatures, flies; of abominable creatures, ants, beetles and worms; of larger creatures, the mole, snail and others of the same kind, and all fishes.

The huge creatures. the large fishes that are in the sea; and according to the statement of the Agada (Bava Batra 74b) it means here the Leviathan and its consort which He created male and female. He, however, killed the female and preserved it in salt for the benefit of the righteous in the time to come, for had they been permitted to be fruitful and to multiply the world could not have endured because of them.

. that have vitality.

And he blessed them. Because people decreased their number, hunting them and eating them, they needed a blessing (Genesis Rabbah 11:2); it is true that beasts also were in need of a blessing, but on account of the serpent that was to be cursed in the future, He did not bless them, in order that it might not be included in the blessing.

Be fruitful. פרו is of the same root as פרי, and means bring forth fruit.

And multiply. Had He said “Be fruitful” only, one creature might have brought forth a single one, and no more, therefore He added ורבו “and multiply”, implying that one should bring forth many.

The earth shall bring forth. That is what I have explained (v. 14) that all things were created on the first day, and it was only necessary to bring them forth from the ground.

. that have vitality.

. It means creeping swarms that creep low upon the ground; they appear as though they are dragged along, for how they move is not discernible. What we call רמש and שרץ in our (Hebrew) language, they call in old French mouvoir; English to move.

And he made. He formed them with their full volition and in their full stature (Chullin 60a).

We will make man. The meekness of the Holy One, blessed be He, they (the Rabbis) learned from here: because the man is in the likeness of the angels and they might envy him, therefore He took counsel with them (Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 18 and see Genesis Rabbah 8). And when He judges the kings He likewise consults His heavenly council, for thus we find in the case of Ahab to whom Micha said, (1 Kings 22:19) “I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left.” Has G-d, then, a right hand and a left hand? But it means that some stood on the right side to plead in favour of the accused and others stood on the left side to accuse; and similarly we read (Daniel 4:14), “the matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones”, here, also, He consulted His heavenly council and asked permission of them, saying to them: “There are in the heavens beings after My likeness; if there will not be on earth also beings after My likeness, there will be envy among the beings that I have created” (Sanhedrin 38b).

We will make man. Although they did not assist Him in forming him (the man) and although this use of the plural may give the heretics an occasion to rebel (i. e. to argue in favour of their own views), yet the verse does not refrain from teaching proper conduct and the virtue of humbleness, namely, that the greater should consult, and take permission from the smaller; for had it been written, “I shall make man”, we could not, then, have learned that He spoke to His judicial council but to Himself. And as a refutation of the heretics it is written immediately after this verse “And G-d created the man”, and it is not written “and they created” (Genesis Rabbah 8:9)

In our image. in our type.

After our likeness. with the power to comprehend and to discern.

And they shall have dominion over the fish … [and over the beasts]. The expression וירדו may imply dominion as well as descending, if he is worthy he dominates over the beasts and cattle, if he is not worthy he will sink lower than them, and the beast will rule over him (Genesis Rabbah 8:12).

So G-d created the man in his image. in the type that was specially made for him, for everything else was created by a creative fiat, whilst he was brought into existence by a creative act (literally, by hand), as it is said (Psalms 139:5) “And Thou hast laid thy hand upon me.” He was made by a seal as a coin that is made by a die that is called in old French coin. It is similarly said, (Job 38:14) “it is changed as clay under the seal” (Sanhedrin 38a).

In the image of G-d created he him. It explains to you that the form prepared for him was the form of the image of his Creator.

Male and female created he them. And further on (Genesis 2:21) it is said: “and He took one of his ribs etc.” (The two passages appear to be contradictory.) But according to a Midrashic explanation, He created him at first with two faces, and afterwards He divided him. But the real sense of the verse is: here it tells you that both of them were created on the sixth day, but it does not explain to you how their creation took place; this it explains to you in another place (Genesis Rabbah 8:1 and see Eruvin 18a) .

And subdue it. The word lacks a ו after the ש so that it may be read as meaning: and subdue her (i. e. the woman), thereby teaching you that the male controls the female in order that she may not become a gad-about; teaching you also that to the man, whose nature is to master, was given the Divine command to have issue, and not to the woman (Yevamot 65b).

And to every beast of the earth. Scripture places cattle and beasts on a level with them (human beings: that is, it places all alike in the same category) with regard to food, and did not permit Adam to kill any creature and eat its flesh, but all alike were to eat herbs. But when the era of the “Sons of Noah” began He permitted them to eat meat, for it is said, (Genesis 9:3) “every moving thing that lives should be for food for yourselves … “even as the herb” that I permitted to the first man, so do “I give to you everything” (Sanhedrin 59b).

The sixth day. The letter ה, the numerical value of which is 5, is added to the word ששי when the work of Creation was complete, to imply that He made a stipulation with them that it endures only upon condition that Israel should accept the five books of the Torah (Shabbat 88a). Another interpretation of יום הששי THE SIXTH DAY, The whole Creation (the Universe) stood in a state of suspense (moral imperfection) until the sixth day, that is, the sixth day of Sivan which was destined to be the day when the Torah would be given to Israel (Avodah Zara 3a).

And on the seventh day G-d finished. R. Simeon says: A human being (literally, flesh and blood) who cannot know exactly his times and moments (who cannot accurately determine the point of time that marks the division between one period and that which follows it) must needs add from the week-day and observe it as the holy day (the Sabbath), but the Holy One, blessed be He, who knows His times and moments, began it (the seventh day) to a very hair’s breadth (with extreme exactness) and it therefore appeared as though He had completed His work on that very day (Genesis Rabbah 10:9). Another explanation: What did the world lack? Rest! Sabbath came, Rest came; and the work was thus finished and completed (Genesis Rabbah 10:9)!

… ויקדש and G-d blessed … and he sanctified. He blessed it through the Manna, that on all other days of the week there should fall for them (the Israelites) an Omer for each person, whereas on the sixth day there should fall twice as much of that bread. So, too, He sanctified it through the Manna, that it should not fall at all on the Sabbath (Genesis Rabbah 11:2). This verse is written here with reference to what would happen in the future.

Which G-d in creating had made. The work which should have been done on the Sabbath He did in the double work which He executed on the sixth day, as it is explained in Genesis Rabbah 11:9.

These [are the generations]. “These” means those that are mentioned above.

‘תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם ביום עשות ה these are the productions of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day the Lord G-d made earth and heaven. The verse teaches you that all of them (the productions of heaven and earth) were created on the first day when G-d made earth and heaven. Another explanation of the word בהבראם: It may be divided as בה' בראם He created them with the letter ‘ה, as it is said, (Isaiah 26:4) כי ביה ה' צור עולמים “For in Jah, the Lord, is the rock of worlds”, which may be explained to mean (taking צור in sense of Former, Creator) “for by means of ב these two letters י ה of the Divine Name (יהוה) G-d formed the two worlds” (Menachot 29b), and this verse teaches that this world was created by means of the ‘ה, a suggestion that all created beings must descend to the nether world “to behold the pit”, the world being like this letter ‘ה , which is closed on all sides but open at the bottom, thus giving a way by which they must descend.

Was not yet in the earth. Wherever טרם occurs in the Scriptures it means “not yet” and does not mean “before”. It cannot be made into a verbal form, saying הטרים as one says הקדים (verbal form of קדם) and this passage proves that this is the meaning and not "before" as well as another (Exodus 9:30), כי טרם תראון “that ye do not yet fear the Lord”. Therefore you must explain this verse also thus: “No plant of the field was yet in the earth” at the time when the creation of the world was completed on the sixth day before man was created, and וכל עשב השדה טרם יצמח means “and every herb of the field had not yet grown”. But as regards the third day of creation about which it is written “The earth brought forth etc.” this does not signify that they came forth above the ground but that they remained at the opening of the ground (i. e. just below the surface) until the sixth day (Chullin 60a).

Because G-d had not caused it to rain. And what is the reason that G-d had not caused it to rain? כי אדם אין לעבוד את האדמה BECAUSE THERE WAS NO MAN TO TILL THE GROUND, and there was, therefore, no one to recognize the utility of rain. When Adam came (was created), however, and he realised that it was necessary for the world, he prayed for it and it fell, so that trees and verdure sprang forth.

The Lord G-d. The Lord (יהוה) is His Name, whereas אלהים signifies that He is Ruler and Judge over all. This, too, is its meaning, according to the plain sense, wherever it occurs: The Lord who is G-d (Ruler and Judge).

Eastward. In the east of Eden He planted the garden. Should you say, however, it is already written, (1:27) “and He created the man etc.”, then I say that I have seen the Baraitha of R. Eliezer the son of R. José the Galilean, dealing with the thirty two rules of interpretation according to which the Torah (Agada) can be interpreted, and the following is one of them: when a general statement of an action is followed by a detailed account of it, the latter is a particularisation of the former:, “And He created the man” is a general statement, but it does not explicitly state whence he was created and what G-d did unto him. Now it repeats it and explains these things: “And the Lord G-d formed man”, “and He made to grow for him the garden of Eden”, and He caused a deep sleep to fall upon him.” He who hears this might think that it is a different account entirely, whereas it is nothing else but the details of the former general statement. Similarly with reference to the cattle the creation of which has been mentioned above (1:27). it resumes and writes, (2:19) “and out of the ground the Lord [G-d] formed every beast of the field etc.”, for the purpose of explaining “and He brought them unto the man to give them names”, and also to state that the fowls were created from the swamps.

And he caused to grow. The verse speaks here only with reference to the garden (Genesis Rabbah 13:1)

In the midst of the garden. means in the very centre of the garden.

Pishon. This is the Nile, the River of Egypt. Because its waters grow plentiful and rise and water the land, it is called Pishon, the name being of the same root as the verb in (Habakkuk 1:8) ופשו פרשיו “and their horsemen increased”; another interpretation of the name Pishon is: it is so called because it grows flax (פשתן) (Genesis Rabbah 16:2) for it is said with reference to Egypt (Isaiah 19:9) “Moreover they that work in combed flax, shall be ashamed.”

Gichon. It is so called because it flows on with a roar, its roaring being very noisy, similar in meaning to (Exodus 21:28) וכי יגח “And if an [ox] gore”, for when it gores it rushes on roaring (Berakhot 59b.).

Tigris. It is called חדקל because its waters are pungent in taste (חד) and light in weight (קל) (Berakhot 59b).

Euphrates. It is called פרת because its waters grow (פרה) and increase and make men healthy (Berakhot 59b). כוש ואשור CUSH AND ASHUR did not then exist as countries, but Scripture writes with reference to the names which those districts would bear in the future (Ketubot 10b; Genesis Rabbah 16).

כּוּשׁ וְאַשּׁוּר. עֲדַיִין לֹא הָיוּ, וְכָתַב הַמִּקְרָא עַל שֵׁם הֶעָתִיד.

. means AT THE EAST OF ASHUR.

Is the euphrates. the most important of all, being mentioned in connection with the Land of Israel (Genesis Rabbah 16:3).

And he took. He took him with kind words and induced him to enter (Genesis Rabbah 16:5).

It is not good. etc., I shall make an help meet for him in order that people may not say that there are two Deities, the Holy One, blessed be He, the only One among the celestial Beings without a mate, and this one (Adam), the only one among the terrestrial beings, without a mate (Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer 12).

A help meet for him. (כנגדו literally, opposite, opposed to him) If he is worthy she shall be a help to him; if he is unworthy she shall be opposed to him, to fight him (Yevamot 63a).

Now out of the ground the eternal G-d had formed. The formation spoken of here is the creation mentioned above (1:25) “And G-d made the beast of the earth etc.” and this statement comes (is repeated) here to point out that the fowls were created from the swamps; for above it is said that they were created from the waters and here it states that they were created from the earth. Furthermore it teaches you here that when they were created, immediately, on the very same day, He brought them to Adam to give them names (Chullin 27b); and in the statement of the Agada (Genesis Rabbah 17:4) we are told that this expression יצירה means domination and subjugation, like (Deuteronomy 20:19) כי תצור אל עיר “when thou shalt besiege a city", for He subjugated them under the power of Adam.

. Invert it (the phrases of the sentence) and then explain it thus: every living creature to which Adam should give a name, that should remain its name forever.

עזר… ויפל ה' אלהים תרדמה for the man he had not found a help meet for him … and the eternal G-d caused an overpowering sleep to fall. When He brought them, He brought them before him male and female of each and every kind. Thereupon he said: all these have a mate, but I have no mate! Immediately He caused to fall [an overpowering sleep upon him] (Genesis Rabbah 17:4).

Of his ribs. The word means of his sides, similar to (Exodus 26:20) ולצלע המשכן “and for the second side of the tabernacle”; this has a bearing upon what they (the Sages) say, (Eruvin 18a): They were created with two faces (sides).

And he closed up. the place where it was cut (Berakhot 61b).

And he slept and. then HE TOOK in order that he should not see the piece of flesh out of which she was created, for she might be despised by him (Sanhedrin 39a).

And he formed. (literally, He built), as a structure, wide below and narrower above for bearing the child, just as a wheat-store is wide below and narrower above so that its weight should not strain the walls (Berakhot 61a).

And he made the rib into a woman. לאשה means that is should become a woman, like (Judges 8:21) “and Gideon made it לאפוד ” i. e., that it should become an ephod.

This now. This teaches that Adam endeavoured to find a companion among all cattle and beasts, but found no satisfaction except in Eve (Yevamot 63a).

This shall be called woman, because this was taken out of man. Here we have a kind of play upon words (the words אשה and איש sounding similar): hence we may learn that the language used at the time of the Creation was the Holy Tongue (Hebrew) (Genesis Rabbah 18:4).

Therefore a man leaveth. The Divine Spirit says this, thus prohibiting immoral relationship to the “Sons of Noah” also (Sanhedrin 57b).

One flesh. Both parents are united in the child.

And they were not ashamed. for they did not know what modestly meant, so as to distinguish between good and evil. Although he (Adam) had been endowed with knowledge to give names to all creatures, yet the evil inclination did not become an active principle in him until he had eaten of the tree, when it entered into him and he became aware of the difference between good and evil.

And the serpent was more subtle. What connection is there between the following narrative and the statement just made? The latter should have been followed by: “and He [the Lord G-d] made for Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them” (3:21), but Scripture informs you with what plan the serpent assailed them: he saw them naked and unashamed and he coveted her (Eve) (Genesis Rabbah 18:6).

More subtle than all. Corresponding with his subtleness and his greatness was his downfall; “more subtle than all”, “more cursed than all” (see 3:14). (Genesis Rabbah 19:1).

‘אף כי אמר וגו although G-d hath said. The meaning is, “Perhaps He has said unto you” ‘לא תאכלו מכל וגו YE SHALL NOT EAT OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN, And although he saw them eating of the other fruits yet he entered into a long conversation with her so that she should answer him, and so that he might then have an opportunity to talk about that particular tree.

Neither shall ye touch it. She added to G-d’s command (which did not forbid touching the tree, but only eating of its fruit) therefore she was led to diminish from it. It is to this that the text refers (Proverbs 30:6): “Add thou not unto His words” (Genesis Rabbah 19:3).

Ye shall not surely die. He pushed her until she touched it. He then said to her, “Just as there is no death in touching it, so there is no death in eating it” (Genesis Rabbah 19:3).

וַיִּשַׁע. וַיִּפֶן. וְכֵן (פסוק הבא): "וְאֶל מִנְחָתוֹ לֹא שָׁעָה" – לֹא פָנָה. וְכֵן (שמות ה,ט): "וְאַל יִשְׁעוּ" – אַל יִפְנוּ. וְכֵן (איוב יד,ו): "שְׁעֵה מֵעָלָיו" – פְּנֵה מֵעָלָיו.

וַיִּשַׁע. יָרְדָה אֵשׁ וְלִחֲכָה מִנְחָתוֹ.

For [G-d] knows. Every artisan detests his fellow-artisans (“Two of a trade never agree”). The serpent suggested to her: G-d ate of the tree and created the world (Genesis Rabbah 19:4) so if you eat ...

Ye will be as G-d. Creators of worlds.

And the woman saw. She approved the words of the serpent, they pleased her and she believed him (Genesis Rabbah 19:3).

That the tree was good. to make her become like G-d.

And that it was a delight to the eyes. even as he had said to her: “then your eyes shall be opened”.

And it was to be desired to make one wise. even as he had said to her: “knowing good and evil”.

And she gave also to her husband. so that she should not die and he remain alive to take another wife (Genesis Rabbah 19:5).

. The word גם, also, may be understood to include cattle and beasts (that is, that she gave to these and also to her husband) (Genesis Rabbah 19:5).

‘ותפקחנה וגו [and the eyes of both of them] were unclosed. Scripture speaks here with reference to intelligence (the mind’s eye) and not with reference to actual seeing; the end of the verse proves this for it states

And they knew that they were naked. Even a blind person knows when he is naked! What then does “and they knew that they were naked” signify? One charge had been entrusted to them and they now knew they had stripped themselves of it (Genesis Rabbah 19:6).

Fig leaves. This was the tree of which they had eaten; by the very thing through which their ruin had been caused was some improvement effected in their condition (Sanhedrin 70b). The other trees however prevented them from taking of their leaves. And why is not the name of the tree clearly mentioned? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, never wishes to grieve anything He has created: hence its name is not mentioned in order that it might not be put to shame by people saying, “This is the tree through which the world suffered” (Midrash R. Tanchuma 1:4:14).

And they heard. There are many Midrashic explanations and our Teachers have already collected them in their appropriate places in Genesis Rabbah and in other Midrashim. I, however, am only concerned with the plain sense of Scripture and with such Agadoth that explain the words of Scripture in a manner that fits in with them. וישמעו AND THEY HEARD, What did they hear? They heard the sound of the Holy One, blessed be He, as He walked in the garden (see Genesis Rabbah 19:12).

וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ. מַה שָּׁמְעוּ? שָׁמְעוּ אֶת קוֹל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁהָיָה מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגָּן.

In the wind of the day. (רוח is used also in the meaning of direction, north, east, etc.) in that direction to which the sun travels (באה לשם) which is the west, for towards evening the sun is in the west, and they committed the sin in the tenth hour (Sanhedrin 38b).

Where art thou. He knew where he was, but He asked this in order to open up a conversation with him that he should not become confused in his reply, if He were to pronounce punishment against him all of a sudden. Similarly in the case of Cain, He said to him, (4:9) “where is Abel thy brother?” Similarly with Balaam, (Numbers 22:9) “what men are these with thee?”, to open up a conversation with them; so, also, in the case of Hezekiah with reference to the messengers of Merodach-baladan (Isaiah 39:3).

Who told thee?. Whence has the knowledge come to you what shame there is in standing naked?

Hast thou eaten of the tree. The ' ה of the word המן expresses a question.

Whom thou gavest to be with me. Here he showed his ingratitude (Avodah Zarah 5b).

. means HE DECEIVED ME;, we find the word in the same meaning in (2 Chronicles 32:15), “Now therefore let not Hezekiah beguile you” (Genesis Rabbah 19).

Because thou hast done this. From here we infer that we should not occupy ourselves with what may be in favour of one who seduces people to idolatry, for had He asked it, “Why hast thou done this?”, it could have answered Him, “When the words of the teacher and those of the pupil are contradictory, whose orders should be obeyed?” (Sanhedrin 29a). (i. e. if You told them one thing and I another, should they not have obeyed You?).

From among. (or, MORE THAN) ALL CATTLE AND ALL THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD, If it was cursed more than the cattle whose period of gestation is longer than that of beasts does it not necessarily follow that it was cursed more than the beasts? Our Rabbis have definitely established the correctness of the following deduction in treatise Bekhorot 8a, that it (viz., the use of these apparently superfluous words “and more than all the beasts of the field”) teaches that the period of gestation of the serpent is seven years.

Upon thy belly shalt thou go. It had feet but they were cut off (Genesis Rabbah 20:5).

And i will set enmity. Your sole intention was that Adam should die by eating it first and that you should then take Eve for yourself (Genesis Rabbah 20:5), and you came to speak to Eve first only because women are easily influenced and know how to influence their husbands; therefore “I shall put enmity [between thee and the woman]”.

He will bruise. (or, POUND) THEE, Like (Deuteronomy 9:21), “And I beat in pieces” which Onkelos translates by ושפית “I pounded it.”

And thou shalt bruise his heel. As you will have no height (not stand erect) you will be able to bite him only on the heel, but even at that spot you will kill him. The word תשופנו is of the same import as the verb in (Isaiah 40:24). נשף בהם “It bloweth upon them.” When a serpent comes to bite, it blows with a kind of hissing sound. Although the words ישופך and תשופנו have different meanings, since they constitute “a play upon words” by sounding similar, they are both used here.

Thy pain. viz., the trouble of rearing children (Eruvin 100b).

And thy conception. viz., the pain of pregnancy.

In pain thou shalt bear children. This refers to the pangs of childbirth (Eruvin 100b).

וְאֶל אִישֵׁךְ תְּשׁוּקָתֵךְ. לְתַשְׁמִישׁ. וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן אֵין לָךְ מֵצַח לְתוֹבְעוֹ בַּפֶּה, אֶלָּא "הוּא יִמְשׁוֹל בָּךְ" – הַכֹּל מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא מִמֵּךְ.

Thy desire. Similar to (Isaiah 29:8), ונפשו שוקקה “and his soul hath appetite”, (desires).

Cursed be the ground for thy sake. It will produce to you cursed objects such as flies, fleas and ants; it may be compared to the case of one who gets into depraved ways, and people curse the breasts at which he was suckled (Genesis Rabbah 5:9).

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee. תצמיח has for subject the earth; when you sow it with various kinds of grain, it shall bring forth thorns and thistles, artichokes and cardoon, which are fit for food only after special preparation (Genesis Rabbah 20:10).

And thou shalt eat the herb of the field. What curse is involved here? Was he not told as a blessing, (1:29) “Behold I have given unto you every herb yielding seed”? But what is stated here at the beginning of this passage? “Cursed be the ground etc.… in toil shalt thou eat of it.” And after all your toil “thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee”. This means when you sow it with cereals and vegetables it shall bring forth for you thorns and thistles and other weeds, and you will perforce have to eat them for lack of other food (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 14).

In the sweat of thy face. after you have taken all this great trouble.

And the man called. Scripture now reverts to its previous topic (Genesis 2:20) beginning with “and the man gave names”. It broke it off (that is, interpolated the story of the serpent) only to tell you that through the giving of names Eve became his mate, as it is written (Genesis 2:20) “but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him,” and that therefore “the [Lord G-d] caused to fall a deep sleep upon him” and formed Eve. But because Scripture writes at the end of the story of creation of Eve (Genesis 2:25), “and they were both naked”, it therefore follows on with the passage dealing with the serpent, to inform you that because he saw her nakedness and that they displayed no feeling of shame in their actions, he desired her, and he came upon them with his evil plan and with deceit.

Eve. חוה has the same sound as חיה (and similar meaning “life”), she was so called because she gives life (birth) to her children; the interchange of ‘י and ‘ו is similar to that in (Ecclesiastes 2:22), מה הוה לאדם “for what hath a man”, where הוה is used in the sense of היה “to be.”

Garments for the skin. There are Agadoth which say that they were smooth as fingernails, cleaving to their skin; whereas some say that they were made of material that comes from skin, as for example, the hair of hares which is soft and warm, and of this He made garments for them (Genesis Rabbah 20:12).

Is become like one of us. (or, like the Being who is One, Unique amongst us), Lo, he is unique among the terrestrial ones, even as I am unique among the celestial ones. And in what does his uniqueness consist? In knowing good and evil, which is not so in the case of cattle and beasts (Genesis Rabbah 21:5).

And now, lest he put forth his hand… [and eat and live for ever]. And if he does live forever he is likely to lead people astray, so that they may say, “He, also, is a god”; there are also Agadic Midrashim, but they are not in keeping with its (the verse’s) plain sense.

At the east of the garden of Eden. Not in the eastern part of the Garden but eastward of the garden of Eden and outside the garden.

The cherubim. Angels of destruction (Exodus Rabbah 9:11).

The sword turning itself. It was a revolving sword and consequently had a להט, a flashing flame for the purpose of frightening him so that he should not enter again into the garden. The Targum of להט, however, is שנן, like (Sanhedrin 82a) שלף שננא he drew his blade; old French lame. There are Agadic Midrashim, but I come only to explain it according to its plain sense.

. (1) והאדם ידע AND THE MAN KNEW already before the events related above took place, before he sinned and was driven out of the Garden of Eden. So, also, the conception and birth of Cain took place before this. Had it been written, וידע אדם it would imply that after he was driven out children were born to him (Genesis Rabbah 22:2).

. She called him so with reference to her use of the word.

ה‘. ;את קניתי is like ‘עם ה “with the Lord”; she meant to say: when He created me and my husband He created us by Himself, but in the case of this one we are copartners with Him (cf. Niddah 31a).

קין… את אחיו את הבל. The threefold ‘את’ signify extension of the scope of the text, teaching that a twin sister was born with Cain, and that with Abel two were born; consequently the text states ותוסף “and she bore more” than the previous time (Genesis Rabbah 22:3).

A feeder of flocks. Because the earth had been cursed he refrained from cultivating it.

Of the fruit of the ground. of the worst fruits (Genesis Rabbah 22:5); there is an Agada which says that it was linseed (Midrash Tanchuma, Bereshit 9).

If thou mendest. Its meaning is as the Targum gives it: “if thou wilt improve thy doings, thou shalt be forgiven”.

Sin croucheth at the entrance. Right up to the door of your grave (until your death) your sin will be preserved.

And unto thee is its longing. The longing of sin; it refers to the evil inclination. This is continually longing and desiring to make you sin.

Nevertheless thou mayest rule over it. If you desire to, you can gain the victory over it (Kiddushin 30b).

And cain spake to abel. He began an argument, striving and contending with him, to seek a pretext to kill him. There are Midrashic explanations of these words, but this is the plain sense of the text.

Where is abel thy brother. thus entering into a friendly conversation with him: perhaps he might repent and say, “I have killed him, and sinned against You” (Genesis Rabbah 19:11).

I know not. He became a deceiver of the Most High (i. e. he persuaded himself that he could deceive Him) (Numbers Rabbah 20:6).

Am i my brother’s keeper. This is a question. Similarly, wherever ‘ה has a חטף פתח it introduces a question.

Thy brothers blood. דמי is plural, bloods”, his blood and the blood of his possible descendants (Genesis Rabbah 22:9). Another explanation of why the plural is used: he inflicted upon him many wounds, because he knew not whence his soul would depart (i. e. which blow would prove fatal) (Sanhedrin 37b).

Cursed be thou from the ground. or, MORE THAN THE GROUND, More than the ground has already been cursed on account of its sin (cf. Rashi on Genesis 1:11): in this, too, it has again sinned

A vagabond and a wanderer. You shall not be permitted to dwell in one place.

My punishment is greater than i can bear. (literally, my sin is greater than what can be borne), This is a question: You bear the worlds above and below. and is it impossible for You to bear my sin? (Genesis Rabbah 22:11).

Verily, whosoever slayeth cain. This is one of the verses where the construction is elliptical (literally, which abbreviate their statements), which give only a suggestion and do not fully explain. “Verily, whosoever slayeth Cain” express a threat, suggesting the consequence, “thus shall be done to him”, “thus and thus shall be his punishment”, without explicitly explaining what the punishment would be.

Vengeance shall be taken sevenfold. G-d says, I do not wish to take vengeance on Cain now, but at the end of seven generations I will execute my vengeance upon him, that Lamech, one of his descendants, will arise and slay him. The end of this verse which states, “vengeance shall be taken in the seventh generation”, which is the vengeance taken on Cain for Abel, teaches us that the first part of the verse is a threat made in order that no creature might injure him. A similar elliptical expression is the following: (2 Samuel 5:8) “And David said, whosoever smiteth the Jebusites and getteth up to the gutter”, but it does not explicitly state what would be done to that person. Scripture, however, here speaks by a suggestion only, meaning, whosoever smiteth the Jebusites and getteth up to the gutter and approacheth the gate and conquereth it and the blind etc. … slaying also them (the blind and the lame) because they said, “there are the blind and the lame: David cannot come into the house”, he who smiteth these, I shall make him chief and captain. Here (in the Book of Samuel) it abridges the narrative, but in Chronicles (1 Chronicles 11:6) it explicitly states, “he shall become chief and captain.”

And the Lord set a sign for cain. He inscribed on his forehead a letter of His Divine Name (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 21). Other editions of Rashi add the following: another interpretation of “Whoever will find me will slay me”: this refers to cattle and beasts, since there were then no human beings in the world of whom he might be afraid except his father and mother, and, of course, he did not fear that they would slay him. He, therefore, said, “Until now the fear of me was upon all animals, as it is written”, (Genesis 9:2) “And the fear of you shall be upon all beasts of the field” etc., now, however, because of my sin the animals will no longer fear me and will kill me. G-d immediately set a sign for Cain, viz., he again made the animals be in fear of him.

And cain went away. He went away in pretended humility as though he would deceive the Most High (Genesis Rabbah 22:13).

In the land of nod. In the land where all exiles wander about.

On the east of Eden. Thereto his father went into exile when he was driven out from the Garden of Eden. as it is said, (3:24) “And He placed in the east of the Garden of Eden” a watch on the road that leads to the entrance of the Garden, from which one may infer that Adam was there (in the East) (Genesis Rabbah 21:9). Indeed, we find, also, that the Eastern quarter always forms a place of refuge for murderers, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 4:41) “Then Moses set aside three cities of refuge towards the place of sun-rise [that a murderer might flee thither].” Another explanation of בארץ נוד IN THE LAND OF NOD, (taking נוד in the sense of “movement”), wherever he went the earth quaked beneath him, and people said, “Turn away from him: this is the man who killed his brother” (Midrash Tanchuma, Bereshit 9).

וַיְהִי. קַיִן

And he was. Cain was, not Enoch, בונה עיר BUILDING A CITY ויקרא שם העיר AND HE CALLED THE NAME OF THE CITY (named the city) as a memorial of his son, חנוך.

בְּנוֹ חֲנוֹךְ.

And irad beget. There are passages where it says of the male הוליד, and there are places where it says ילד, because this root ילד is used in two senses: in reference to a woman giving birth to a child through the agency of a male old French naitre; English to give birth to and the act of begetting by a man old French engendrer; English engender, beget. When it says הוליד, [in the Hiphil form] it speaks of the man in his relation to the act of giving birth by the woman, this or that man caused his wife to give birth to a son or daughter; when it says ילד it refers to the act of begetting by the man himself.

And lamech took unto himself. It would not have been necessary to state all this in detail except to inform us by the conclusion of the narrative that the Holy One, blessed be He, kept the promise He made when He said, שבעתים יקם קין “vengeance shall be taken of Cain after seven generations״; for Lamech arose after he had begotten children and had raised the seventh generation and killed Cain. It is to this that the statement refers: כי איש הרגתי לפצעי וגו “for I have slain a man to my wounding etc.” (v. 23).

Two wives. This was the custom of the generation that lived before the time of the Flood; they had two wives, one for child-bearing, the other for frivolous companionship and charm; the latter was given a cup of some drug to drink in order that she might become barren, and was dressed up like a bride and fed with the best food, whilst her fellow-wife was left without her husband’s companionship and ever mourned like a widow. Job expressly mentions this (Job 24:21). “He is a companion to (or, he feedeth) the barren that beareth not, and does not good to the widow”, as it is explained in the Agada of Pereq Chelek (see also Genesis Rabbah 23:2).

Adah. She was the wife intended for propagation, and she was so named because she was repulsive to him and was kept aloof from him [other versions read “from his table “] for עדה is the Aramaic word for סורה kept aloof.”

Zillah. She was the one for companionship alone, and she was so named because she always abided in his shadow (צל means “shadow”). Thus is the statement of the Agada in Genesis Rabbah 23:2).

The father of such as abide in tents and of such that have cattle. He was the first of those who pastured cattle, and he dwelt in tents, a month here and a month there, on account of the pasture necessary for his sheep; for when the grass was finished in one place he went away and pitched his tent in another place. There is a Midrashic statement (Genesis Rabbah 23:3) that he built temples for idol worship, (for ומקנה may be read ומקנה, provoking jealousy), just as you say, (Ezekiel 8:3) "the image of jealousy which provoketh G-d to jealousy" (המקנה); similarly his brother handled the harp and guitar to make music for idol worship.

תּוֹפֵשׂ כִּנּוֹר וְעוּגָב. לְזַמֵּר לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים.

Tubal-cain. He refined Cain’s handicraft. The word תובל is connected in meaning with תבלין (spices which give a refined and improved taste to food); he refined and improved the work of Cain by providing weapons for murderers (Genesis Rabbah 23:3).

The forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron. He sharpened tools used in brass and iron work; לוטש has the some meaning as (Job 16:9) ילטוש “He sharpeneth his eye upon me.” The word חרש is not of the form פעל (a noun like אֹכֶל, אֹהֶל etc.), but of the form פועל (a participle), for it has the vowel קמץ קטן (what we term צירה) and its accent is on the last syllabic (whereas the noun form has the accent on the first syllable, and the second has a Segol, like קדש), and the meaning is that he sharpened and polished all cutting implements (כל חרש) used in work of brass and iron.

Naamah. She was Noah’s wife (Genesis Rabbah 23:3).

Hear my voice. For his wives separated from him because he had killed Cain and Tubal-Cain, his own son. Lamech was blind and Tubal-Cain used to lead him. The latter saw Cain and thought him to be an animal. He therefore told his father to draw the bow, and thus Lamech killed him. As soon as he learned that it was his forefather Cain, he smote his hands together, struck his son between them and so killed him too. His wives thereupon separated from him, and he endeavoured to appease them

If cain shall be avenged sevenfold. (according to Rashi, as previously explained, it signifies “If vengeance shall be taken on Cain after seven generations”). If in the case of Cain who killed with premeditation the punishment was suspended for him until the seventh generation, in the case of myself who slew inadvertently does it not necessarily follow that it should be suspended for me until many seven generations?

Seventy and seven. He uses a term that denotes many periods of seven generations. Thus did R. Tanchuma 1:1:11 explain this passage; but the Midrash Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah 23:4) does not mention that Lamech slew anyone at all, and only states that his wives had lived apart from him after they had born children, because G-d’s decree had been issued that Cain’s descendants should be exterminated after seven generations. They said, “Why should we bear children only to be destroyed? Soon the Flood will come and will sweep everyone away!” Lamech then said unto them, “Did ‘I’ slay a man ‘לפצע for my wounding” (i.e. that I should be wounded, punished)? Did “I” slay Abel who was a man in height but a child in years, that my descendants should be exterminated on account of this sin (the sin of Cain who killed Abel)? If Cain who did kill had his punishment suspended until the seventh generation, I who have not killed, does it not necessarily follow that my punishment) should be suspended for many seven generations? This, however, is an absurd argument a fortiori, for if so, the Holy One, blessed be He, could never exact his debt nor fulfil his word.

And Adam knew. Lamech came to Adam Harishon, complaining about his wives. He (Adam) said to them: “Is it for you to be overparticular regarding G-d’s decrees? You do your duty, and He will do His!” They replied to him: “First correct yourself: have you not lived apart from your wife these 130 years, ever since, through you, death was decreed as a punishment?” At once ‘וידע אדם עוד וגו “Adam knew his wife עוד ”, What signifies the word עוד? It is used here to teach that his love for her was now greater than before (Genesis Rabbah 23:4-5).

Then it was begun. [TO CALL etc.], The word הוחל must be connected in meaning with חולין “profane matters “) viz, calling the names of men and the names of idols after the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, making them the objects of idolatrous worship and calling them Deities (Genesis Rabbah 23:7).

This is the book of the generations of Adam. This is the record (or, enumeration) of the generations of Adam. There are however, many Midrashic observations on this verse

. ‘ביום ברא וגו IN THE DAY THAT [G-D] CREATED etc., This states that on the day when he was created he begot progeny (Genesis Rabbah 24:7).

A hundred and thirty years. Until then he lived apart from his wife (Genesis Rabbah 24:6).

וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ חֲנוֹךְ. צַדִּיק הָיָה וְקַל בְּדַעְתּוֹ לָשׁוּב לְהַרְשִׁיעַ, לְפִיכָךְ מִהֵר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְסִלְּקוֹ וֶהֱמִיתוֹ קוֹדֶם זְמַנּוֹ. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁשִּׁנָּה הַכָּתוּב בְּמִיתָתוֹ לִכְתּוֹב "וְאֵינֶנּוּ" – בָּעוֹלָם לְמַלֹּאת שְׁנוֹתָיו.

For G-d took him. before his time; a similar meaning of לקח “to take” we find in (Ezekiel 24:16), “I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes [by a plague]”.

And he begot a son. (בן “son”, connected with the root בנה “to build”), from whom the world was built up (peopled) (Tanchuma 1:1:11)

This will comfort us. He will ease from off us (ינחמנו) the toil of our hands. For until Noah came people had no agricultural instruments and he prepared such for them. The earth had brought forth thorns and thistles when they sowed wheat in consequence of the curse imposed upon Adam Harishon: in the days of Noah, however, this ceased (Tanchuma 1:1:11). This is what is meant by the word ינחמנו (viz., ינח מנו). If, however, you do not explain it in this manner, but from the root נחם “to comfort”, then the meaning you give to this expression (connecting it with the idea of “comfort”) will have no application to the name נח, and you would have to call him מנחם “Comforter”.

Five hundred years old. R. Judan said: “How is it that all the previous generations had children at the age of hundred years and this one (Noah) at the age of 500 years? The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “If they (Noah’s children) be wicked, they will perish by the water of the Flood and it will grieve this righteous man; if they be righteous, I shall have to trouble him to construct several arks.” He therefore restrained him from having children until he was 500 years old, in order that Japhet, the oldest of his sons (cf. Rashi on Genesis 10:21) should not reach the punishable age before the Flood. For it is written (Isaiah 65:20), “For as a lad shall one die when he is one hundred years old”, meaning, that in the future time, he will only then be of punishable age, and this was so, too, before the giving of the Torah (Genesis Rabbah 26:2) .

Shem, ham and japheth. But was not Japheth the eldest? But you naturally first interest yourself in Shem who was a righteous man, who was born circumcised (a sign of righteousness) and from whom Abraham was to descend (Genesis Rabbah 26:3).

The sons of elohim. The sons of princes and rulers (Genesis Rabbah 26:15). Another explanation of בני האלהים is that these were princely angels who came as messengers from G-d: they, too, intermingled with them (the daughters of men). Wherever the word אלהים occurs in the Scriptures it signifies authority, and the following passages prove this: (Exodus 4:16) “and thou shalt be his (אלהים) master”, and (Exodus 7:1) “See, I have made the (אלהים) a master.”

That they were fair. Rabbi Judan said, “It is written here טבת, for when they were being made to appear “good” by being decked out to be taken beneath the marriage canopy one of the lords would come and carry her off first (Genesis Rabbah 26:5).

Of all whom they choose. even if it were a married woman or a man or an animal (Genesis Rabbah 26:5).

My spirit shall not strive against man. My Spirit shall not be in a state of discontent and shall not strive with Myself because of man.

Always. for a long time. Behold, My Spirit has been contending within Me whether to destroy or whether to show mercy: such contending (deliberation) shall not be forever, meaning, for a long time.

For that he also is flesh. This is the same as בְּשָׁגַּם, that is to say: because this quality is also in him viz., that he is only flesh, and yet he does not humble himself before Me; what would he do if he were of fire or of some other resisting matter! Similarly we find שַׁ for שָׁ, (Judges 5:7) עד שַׁקמתי דבורה “Until I Deborah arose”, where it is the same as שָׁקמתי; so also (Judges 6:17) שַׁאתה מדבר עמי “that it is thou who talkest with me”, where it is the same as שָׁאתה, so also here.

Therefore his days shall be. etc., For 120 years I will be long-suffering with them, and if they repent not I shall bring a flood upon them. If, now, you object, saying that from the birth of Japheth until the Flood there were only 100 years, remember that there is no “earlier” or “later” in the Torah (events are not always related in chronological order) (Pesachim 6b): the decree (regarding the Flood) was issued twenty years before Noah had any children, so we find in Seder Olam. There are many Midrashic explanations of the words לא ידון but this is transparently its plain sense.

The giants. Thy were called נפילים because they fell (נפלו) and caused the downfall of (הפילו) the world (Genesis Rabbah 26:7).

. In Hebrew the giants are usually called בימים ההם .ענקים IN THOSE DAYS, In the days of the generations of Enosh and the sons of Cain (Genesis Rabbah 26:7).

And also after that. Although they witnessed the destruction of the generation of Enosh when the Ocean rose and flooded a third part of the world, yet the generation of the Flood did not humble itself and take a lesson from them (Genesis Rabbah 26).

When. [THE SONS OF G-D] CAME IN, they (the women) bore children, giants like them (the fathers) (Genesis Rabbah 26:7).

Mighty. in rebellion against G-d.

Men of renown. (literally, men of name), Men who bore distinctive names: עירד, מחויאל, מתושאל being so named because these names have reference to their destruction, for they were wiped out and torn out from the world (מחוי-אל would signify “wiped-out-by-G-d”, מתושאל “Torn-out-by-G-d). Another explanation is that they were men of devastation (אנשי שם-מון), who devastated the world (Genesis Rabbah 26:7).

And the Lord repented that he had made. (The first word is connected with that which means “comfort”) It was a consolation to Him that He had created man on earth, for had he been one of the heavenly beings he would have incited them also to rebel against G-d (Genesis Rabbah 27:4).

Grieved him. means, in the mind of G-d man became an object to be troubled (punished): it entered G-d’s heart to grieve him. This is how the Targum of Onkelos understands the verse. Another explanation of verse 6: וינחם AND [THE LORD] REPENTED, The thoughts of G-d turned from Divine mercy to Divine justice: He considered what to do with man whom He had made on the earth. Wherever this term is used in the Scripture it means “considering what to do”. Examples are: (Numbers 23:19) “nor the son of man that He should consider (ויתנחם)”; (Deuteronomy 32:36) “and reconsider (ויתנחם) regarding His servants”; (Exodus 32:14) “and the Lord reconsidered (וינחם) regarding the evil”; (1 Samuel 15:11) “I am reconsidering (נחמתי) that I have set up Saul to be king”, all these passages denote a change of mind.

And it grieved him at his heart. He mourned at the failure of His handiwork. Similarly (2 Samuel 19:3) ‘The king grieved (נעצב) for his son”. (Similarly here: G-d grieved for his (man’s) heart: that it had changed from good to bad). The following extract from the Midrash Rabbah I am writing in order that you may know how to refute the arguments of certain heretics: A gentile once asked Rabbi Joshua, the son of Korcha, saying to him, “Do you not admit that the Holy One, blessed be He, knows what is to happen in the future?” He replied, “Yes.” The gentile retorted, “But is it not written ‘and He was grieved in His heart’?” He answered: “Have you ever had a son born to you?” The reply was “Yes.” He asked (the gentile): “And what did you do?” He replied: “I rejoiced and I made others rejoice also.” The Rabbi asked him: “But did you not know that he must die?” The heathen replied: “At the time of joy, let there be joy, at the time of mourning let there be mourning”. The Rabbi then said: “Such, too, is the way of the Holy One, blessed be He: although it was clear to Him that in the end men would sin and would be destroyed, He did not refrain from creating them for the sake of the righteous men who were to issue from them” (Genesis Rabbah 27:4).

And G-d said i will blot out the man. He is dust and I shall bring water upon him and blot him out: that is why this root מחה is used (it expresses the idea of sponging out by means of wet or dampness) (Genesis Rabbah 28:2).

. FROM MAN, TO BEAST, These also corrupted their way (Genesis Rabbah 28:8). Another explanation is: All things were created on man’s account; when he ceases to be, what need of them? (Sanhedrin 108a)

. means for I have thought out what to do because I have made them. (Cf. this with Rashi’s second explanation of וינחם 5:6).