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Noach ~ reasons for the flood

(א) וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּֽי־הֵחֵ֣ל הָֽאָדָ֔ם לָרֹ֖ב עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וּבָנ֖וֹת יֻלְּד֥וּ לָהֶֽם׃ (ב) וַיִּרְא֤וּ בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹקִים֙ אֶת־בְּנ֣וֹת הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֥י טֹבֹ֖ת הֵ֑נָּה וַיִּקְח֤וּ לָהֶם֙ נָשִׁ֔ים מִכֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּחָֽרוּ׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה' לֹֽא־יָד֨וֹן רוּחִ֤י בָֽאָדָם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ם בְּשַׁגַּ֖ם ה֣וּא בָשָׂ֑ר וְהָי֣וּ יָמָ֔יו מֵאָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֖ים שָׁנָֽה׃ (ד) הַנְּפִלִ֞ים הָי֣וּ בָאָ֘רֶץ֮ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵם֒ וְגַ֣ם אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָבֹ֜אוּ בְּנֵ֤י הָֽאֱלֹקִים֙ אֶל־בְּנ֣וֹת הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְיָלְד֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם הֵ֧מָּה הַגִּבֹּרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר מֵעוֹלָ֖ם אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַשֵּֽׁם׃ {פ}
(ה) וַיַּ֣רְא ה' כִּ֥י רַבָּ֛ה רָעַ֥ת הָאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְכׇל־יֵ֙צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ רַ֥ק רַ֖ע כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ו) וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם ה' כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ה אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃ (ז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה' אֶמְחֶ֨ה אֶת־הָאָדָ֤ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֙אתִי֙ מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה מֵֽאָדָם֙ עַד־בְּהֵמָ֔ה עַד־רֶ֖מֶשׂ וְעַד־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כִּ֥י נִחַ֖מְתִּי כִּ֥י עֲשִׂיתִֽם׃ (ח) וְנֹ֕חַ מָ֥צָא חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֵ֥י ה'׃ {פ}
(ט) אֵ֚לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹקִ֖ים הִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ׃ (י) וַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים אֶת־שֵׁ֖ם אֶת־חָ֥ם וְאֶת־יָֽפֶת׃ (יא) וַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹקִ֑ים וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס׃ (יב) וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹקִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִ֧ית כׇּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר אֶת־דַּרְכּ֖וֹ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ {ס} (יג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹקִ֜ים לְנֹ֗חַ קֵ֤ץ כׇּל־בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֣א לְפָנַ֔י כִּֽי־מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֛רֶץ חָמָ֖ס מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהִנְנִ֥י מַשְׁחִיתָ֖ם אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

(1) When humans began to increase on earth and daughters were born to them, (2) the sons of El-him saw how beautiful the humans' daughters were and took wives from those that pleased them.— (3) Ad-nai said, “My breath shall not abide in the human forever, since he too is flesh; let the days allowed him be one hundred and twenty years.”— (4) The Nephilim were on the earth then and also after, when the sons of El-him came on to the humans' daughters, and they bore them offspring: they were the heroes of old, the men of renown. (5) Ad-nai saw how great was the humans’ wickedness on earth, and how every plan devised by the human mind was nothing but evil all the time. (6) And Ad-nai regretted that He had made man on earth, and His heart was saddened. (7) Ad-nai said, “I will blot out from the earth the human whom I created — from humans to beasts, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I regret that I made them.” (8) But Noah found favor with Ad-nai. (9) This is the line of Noah. — Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God. — (10) Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (11) The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with violence. (12) And God saw how corrupt the earth was, for all flesh had corrupted its ways on earth, (13) God said to Noah, “the time to end all flesh has come, for the earth is filled with violence because of them: I am about to destroy them with the earth.

The rabbis break the text on verse 8, separating the introduction of Noach from the flood.

~ What are the reasons given for the flood?

~ Besides the attribution of emotions to God, which we will see in a different session, what other problematic points do you find in these verses?

~ Does it matter whether we read El-him as God or as 'gods'? What are new problems that arise with reading the word as 'gods'?

(ד) וַיְהִי כִּי הֵחֵל הָאָדָם (בראשית ו, א), אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן בִּשְׁלשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת נֶאֱמַר בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה, לְשׁוֹן מֶרֶד (בראשית ד, כו): אָז הוּחַל, וַיְהִי כִּי הֵחֵל, (בראשית י, ח): הוּא הֵחֵל לִהְיוֹת גִּבֹּר בָּאָרֶץ. אֲתִיבָן לֵיהּ וְהָכְתִיב (בראשית יא, ו): וְזֶה הַחִלָּם לַעֲשׂוֹת, אָמַר לָהֶם קִיפַּח עַל רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל נִמְרֹד וְאָמַר לָהֶם זֶה הִמְרִידָן עָלָי. (בראשית ו, א): לָרֹב עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה, שֶׁהָיוּ שׁוֹפְכִים אֶת זַרְעָם עַל הָעֵצִים וְעַל הָאֲבָנִים, וּלְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁטוּפִים בִּזְנוּת לְפִיכָךְ הִרְבָּה לָהֶם נְקֵבוֹת, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית ו, א): וַיְהִי כִּי הֵחֵל הָאָדָם, וּבָנוֹת יֻלְּדוּ לָהֶם, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַמֵּי יָלְדָה אִשְׁתּוֹ נְקֵבָה, חֲמָתֵיהּ רַבִּי חִיָּא רַבָּה אֲמַר לֵיהּ הִתְחִיל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְבָרְכֶךָ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מְנָא לָךְ הָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ דִּכְתִיב: וַיְהִי כִּי הֵחֵל הָאָדָם לָרֹב וגו', עָלָה אֵצֶל אָבִיו אָמַר לוֹ שִׂמַּחֲךָ הַבַּבְלִי, אָמַר לוֹ כֵּן וְכֵן אָמַר לִי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַף עַל פִּי כֵן צֹרֶךְ לְיַיִן וְצֹרֶךְ לְחֹמֶץ, צֹרֶךְ יַיִן יֶתֶר מִן הַחֹמֶץ. צֹרֶךְ לְחִטִּין וְצֹרֶךְ לִשְׂעוֹרִים, צֹרֶךְ לְחִטִּין יוֹתֵר מִן הַשְֹּׂעוֹרִים. מִשֶּׁהָאָדָם מֵשִׂיא אֶת בִּתּוֹ וּמוֹצִיא יְצִיאוֹתָיו הוּא אוֹמֵר לָהּ לֹא יְהִי לִיךְ מַחֲזוֹרֵי לְהָכָא. רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אַסֵּיב בְּרַתֵּיהּ, אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ אַבָּא צַלֵּי עֲלַי, אֲמַר לָהּ לָא יְהֵי לִיךְ מַחְזוֹרֵי לְהָכָא. יָלְדָה בֵּן זָכָר אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ אַבָּא צַלֵּי עֲלַי, אֲמַר לָהּ לָא יִשְׁלֵה וַוי מִפּוּמִיךְ. אָמְרָה לוֹ אַבָּא שְׁתֵּי שְׂמָחוֹת שֶׁבָּאוּ לִי אַתָּה מְקַלְּלֵנִי. אֲמַר לָהּ תַּרְתֵּיהֶן צְלָוָנָן, מִן גּוֹ דְּאַתְּ הַוְיָא שְׁלָם בְּבֵיתָךְ לָא יְהִי לִיךְ מַחֲזוֹרֵי לְהָכָא, וּמִן גּוֹ דַּהֲוֵי בְּרִיךְ קַיָּם, לָא יִשְׁלֵה וַוי מִפּוּמִיךְ, וַוי דְּלָא שָׁתֵי בְּרִי, וַוי דְּלָא אָכַל בְּרִי, וַוי דְּלָא אָזֵיל בְּרִי לְבֵי כְּנִשְׁתָּא.

(4) And it was, when men begun (Gen. 6:1) - said Rabbi Simon: In three places this language is used, and it means rebellion. "[And to Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh;] it was then that men began [to invoke Ad-nai by name.]" (Gen. 4:26); "[Cush also begot Nimrod,] he began to be [a man of might on earth.] (Gen. 10:8). They answered back to him: behold, it is written "[and Ad-nai said, 'If, as one people with one language for all] this is how they have begun to act, [then nothing that they may propose to do will be out of their reach.] (Gen. 11:6) - he answered to them: here the Holy One bent the head of Nimrod and said: ""this" [one] will make them rebel against Me." "To increase on Earth" - that they were spilling their seed on the trees and the stones, and because they were associating in depravity He increased the females for them, as it is written "and daughters were born for them" (Gen. 6:1). The wife of Rabbi Shimeon Bar Ami gave birth to a girl. His father-in-law Rabbi Chia Rabbah said to him: The Holy One of Blessing began to bless you! He asked: From where [do you derive this?] He said: "And it was, when men begun to increase, daughters were born to them". [Rabbi Shimeon] went to his father, who said to him: The Babylonian made you happy. He said: Yes, and this is what he said to me. The father said to him: Even so, there is need for wine and there is need for vinegar, the need for wine is greater than the need for vinegar; there is need for wheat and there is need for barley, the need for wheat is greater than the need for barley. From the moment a man marries his daughter away, and brings out his belongings, he says to her: 'may you never long for here [home]' Rabban Gamliel married his daughter off, she said to him: Dad, bless me. He answered: 'may you never long for here [home].' A son was born to her, she said: Dad, bless me. He said "may the word 'vay' never cease from your lips". She said to him: Dad, two happy moments I had and you gave me curses! He said to her: Both of them are blessings, if you feel content in your home you will not long for here, and if your son lives 'vay' will not cease from your lips: 'Vay, my son does not drink enough!' 'Vay, my son does not eat enough!' 'Vay, today my son didn't go to the synagogue!'

~ The continuation of the midrash with Rabbi Chia's and Rabbi Gamliel's stories dampens the obvious misogyny of the middle, but that is not what interests us today. The question is: how does this midrash depict what was going on? What is the basic transgression that causes the flood?

(ה) וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים (בראשית ו, ב), רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי קָרֵא לְהוֹן בְּנֵי דַיָּנַיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי מְקַלֵּל לְכָל מַאן דְּקָרֵא לְהוֹן בְּנֵי אֱלָהַיָּא, תָּנֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי כָּל פִּרְצָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ מִן הַגְּדוֹלִים אֵינָהּ פִּרְצָה, כֻּמְרַיָא גָּנְבוּ אֱלָהַיָּא מַאן מוֹמֵי בֵּיהּ אוֹ מַאן מְקָרֵב. וְלָמָּה קוֹרֵא אוֹתָן בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים, רַבִּי חֲנִינָא וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ תַּרְוֵיהוֹן אָמְרִין שֶׁהִרְבּוּ יָמִים בְּלֹא צַעַר וּבְלֹא יִסּוּרִין. רַבִּי חָנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר כְּדֵי לַעֲמֹד עַל הַתְּקוּפוֹת וְעַל הַחִשְׁבוֹנוֹת. רַבָּנָן אָמְרִין כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּטְלוּ שֶׁלָּהֶם וְשֶׁל דּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם. (בראשית ו, ב): כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה, אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן טֹבֹת כְּתִיב, מִשֶּׁהָיוּ מְטִיבִין אִשָּׁה לְבַעֲלָהּ הָיָה גָדוֹל נִכְנַס וּבוֹעֲלָהּ תְּחִלָּה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה, אֵלּוּ הַבְּתוּלוֹת, (בראשית ו, ב): וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ, אֵלּוּ נְשֵׁי אֲנָשִׁים. מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ, זֶה זָכָר וּבְהֵמָה. רַבִּי הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אָמַר דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל לֹא נִמּוֹחוּ מִן הָעוֹלָם עַד שֶׁכָּתְבוּ גִּמּוֹמְסִיּוֹת לְזָכָר וְלִבְהֵמָה. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׂמְלָאי בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא זְנוּת, אַנְדְּרוֹלוֹמוּסְיָא בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם וְהוֹרֶגֶת טוֹבִים וְרָעִים. רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר רַבִּי סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר עַל הַכֹּל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַאֲרִיךְ אַפּוֹ חוּץ מִן הַזְּנוּת, מַאי טַעְמָא וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים וגו', וּמַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ (בראשית ו, ז): וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶמְחֶה אֶת הָאָדָם ...

And the sons of El-him saw (Genesis 6:2) - Rabi Shimeon ben Yochai called them powerful ones. Rabi Shimeon ben Yochai curses everyone who would call them 'sons of divine beings'. Rabi Shimeon ben Yochai taught that any licentiousness that did not come from powerful people is not [considered complete] licentiousness. When priests steal [their] gods, is it possible to make oaths or offer sacrifices?! And why does the text call them 'sons of divine beings'? Both Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Shimeon Ben Lakish say that [these beings'] lived to ripe old age with no difficulties or punishments. Rabbi Chana in the name of Rabbi Yosi said that this was so that seasons and [astronomical] calculations should be well established. The rabbis say that this was so that [these beings] would receive their punishments and also the punishments of the generations that would come after them. 'Because they were beautiful'. Rabbi Yudan says: 'it is written 'good', and this means that when a woman was made good for a husband, the powerful one [of the place] would take her and have relations with her first. See, 'good' here means that these were virgins; 'they took wives from those who pleased them' (Gen. 6:2) means even wives already married to other men. 'from those who pleased them' also men and animals. Rabbi Huna says, in the name of Rabbi [Yehuda Hanasi] that the generation of the flood was only wiped out once they wrote marriage contracts between humans and animals. Rabbi Simlai says that any place in which sexual perversions are found, pestilence comes to the world, killing both the good [people] and the bad. Rabi Azaria and Rabi Yehuda bar Rabi Simon in the name of Rabi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The Holy One of Blessing is patient with everything but with sexual perversion. What is the reason for this? It is written 'and the sons of El-him saw' and after 'And Ad-nai said I will blot out' (Genesis 6:7). ...

~ What are the social implications of Rabbi Shimeon bar Yochai's translation of 'sons of El-him' as 'sons of the powerful'? What are the theological implications?

~ What is the position of Shimeon Ben Lakish? Why are they called 'sons of divine beings'? What is similar to divine in them?

~ What is Rabbi Yudan's understanding? What are the social implications of how he reads the verse?

~ Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi goes one step further. What is his understanding of what was so wrong that it moves God to destroy it all? What are the explanations of Rabbi Simlai and Rabbi Azaria et al. doing here?

~ In general, what are all the voices in this text agreeing on?

(א) כתיב ויחי אדם שלשים ומאת שנה ויולד בדמותו בצלמו מיכאן את למד שלא היה קין מזרעו ולא מדמותו ולא מצלמו של אדם ולא מעשיו דומים למעשה הבל אחיו עד שנולד שת שהיה מזרעו ודמותו ומעשיו דומין למעשה הבל אחיו שנאמר ויולד בדמותו כצלמו.

(ב) רבי ישמעאל אומר משת עלו ונתיחסו כל הבריות וכל דורות הצדיקים ומקין עלו ונתיחסו כל דורות הרשעים הפושעים והמורדים שמרדו במקום ואמרו אין אנו צריכין לטיפת גשמיך ולא לדעת את דרכיך שנאמ' ויאמרו לאל סור ממנו.

(ג) רבי מאיר אומר גלוי בשר ערוה היו הולכין דורות של קין האנשים והנשים כבהמה ומטמאין בכל זנות איש באמו ובבתו ובאשת אחיו גלוי ברחובות ביצר הרע ובמחשבות לבם שנאמר וירא ה' כי רבה רעת האדם בארץ.

(ד) רבי אומר ראו המלאכים שנפלו ממקום קדושתן מן השמי' את בנות קין מהלכות גלויות בשר ערווה ומכחלות עיניהן כזונות ותעו אחריהן ויקחו מהן נשים שנאמ' ויראו בני האלקים את בנות האדם וגו'.

(ה) רבי יהושע בן קרחה אומר המלאכים אש לוהטים שנאמר (תהלים קד, ד) משרתיו אש לוהט, והאש באה בבעילה בבשר ודם ואינה שורפת את הגוף אלא בשעה שנפלו מן השמים ממקום קדושתן כחן וקומתן כבני אדם ולבושן גוש עפר שנאמר (איוב ז, ה) לבש בשרי רמה וגוש עפר.

(ו) רבי צדוק אומר מהם נולדו הענקים המהלכים בגובה קומה ומשלחים ידם בכל גזל וחמס ושפיכות דמים דכתיב ושם ראינו את הנפילים וגו' ואומר הנפילים היו בארץ.

(ז) אמר רבי יהושע בן קרחה ישראל נקראו בני אלקים, שנאמר ברן יחד כוכבי בקר ויריעו כל בני אלקי'. ואלו עד שהיו במקום קדושתן בשמים נקראו בני אלקים שנאמר וגם אחרי כן אשר יבאו בני האלקים.

(ח) רבי לוי אומר היו מולידים את בניהן ופרין ורבין כמין שרץ גדול ששה בכל לידה ולידה. באותה שעה היו עומדים על רגליהן ומדברים בלשון הקודש ומרקדי' לפניהם שנאמר ישלחו כצאן עויליהן.

(ט) אמר להם נח שובו מדרכיכם וממעשיכם הרעי' שלא יבוא עליכם מי המבול ויכרית כל זרע בני אדם אמרו לו הרי אנו מונעים עצמינו מפריה ורביה שלא להוציא זרע בני אדם מה היו עושין כשהן באין אצל נשותיהן היו משחיתים מקור זרעם על הארץ כדי שלא להוציא זרע בני אדם שנאמר וירא אלקים את הארץ והנה נשחת' דכל אמרו אם מי המבול יבא עלינו הרי אנו גבוהי קומה ואין המים מגיעים עד צוארינו ואם מי תהומו' מעלה עלינו הרי פרסות רגלינו לסתום את התהומו' מה היו עושין פושטין כפות רגליה' וסתמו את כל התהומות מה עשה הקב"ה הרתיח מי תהומו' והיו שולקין את בשרם ופושטין את עורן מעליהם שנאמר בעת יזורבו נצמתו בחומו נדעכו ממקומן אל תקרי בחומו אלא בחמימו'.

1 It is written, “When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he begot a son in his likeness after his image (and he named him Seth)” (Gen. 5:3). From here you learn that Cain was not of Adam’s seed, nor in his image, and his deeds were not like the deeds of Abel his brother, until Seth was born, who was of his seed and image, and whose deeds were similar to the deeds of Abel his brother “he begot a son in his likeness after his image” (ibid.).

2 Rabbi Ishmael said: From Seth all the generations of the righteous descended. From Cain all the generations of the wicked descended, the criminals and the rebels, who rebelled against the Place [of the Universe, ie, God] saying: We do not need the drops of Your rain, nor to walk in Your ways, as it is said, “They say to God, Leave us alone. (We do not want to learn Your ways)” (Job 21:14).

3 Rabbi Meir said: The descendants of Cain went about completely naked, the men and the women like beasts, and they defiled themselves with all kinds of sexual perversions: a man with his mother, or his daughter, or his brother’s wife, in public in the streets, following the evil inclination of their hearts’ intentions, as it says, “The Lord saw how great was man’s wickedness on Earth, (and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time)” (Gen. 6:5).

4 Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: The angels who fell from their holy place in heaven saw the daughters of Cain walking about naked, with their eyes made-up like whores, and they went astray after them, and took wives from among them, as it says, “the divine beings saw how beautiful the daughters of men were (and took wives from among those that pleased them)” (ibid. 2).

5 Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korchah said: The angels are fiery flames, as it is said, “fiery flames are His servants” (Ps 104: 4). Is it not possible that fire, when joined in sexual relations with flesh and blood, would burn the body? Rather, when they fell from heaven, from their holy place, their strength and stature (became) like that of humans, and they acquired the clothing of clods of earth, as it says, “My flesh is covered with maggots and clods of earth” (Job 7:5).

6 Rabbi Tzadok said: From them the giants (Anakim) were born, who walked about haughtily, and engaged in all (kinds of) robbery and violence, and bloodshed. {And how do we know that the giants were born of them}?As it says, “We saw the Nephilim there — (the Anakites are part of the Nephilim — and we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them)”(Num. 13: 33); and it says, “It was then, that the Nephilim appeared on earth…” (Gen. 6:4).

7 Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha said: |The Israelites are called “sons of God,” as it says, “You are children of the Lord your God” (Deut.14:1). The angels are called “sons of God,” as it is said, “When the morning stars sang together, and all the divine beings [Bnei Elohim] shouted for joy” ( Job 38:7); while they were still in their holy place in heaven, these were called “sons of God,” as it is said, “It was then, and later too, [that the Nephilim appeared on earth]—when the Bnei Elohim, cohabited with the daughters of men, [who bore them offspring. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown]” (Gen. 6:4).

8 Rabbi Levi said: They bore their sons and increased and multiplied like a great reptile, six children at each birth. They (their progeny) immediately stood on their feet, and spoke the holy tongue, and skipped about before them, as it says, “They let their infants run loose like sheep, And their children skip about” (Job 21:11).

9 Noah said to them: Turn from your evil ways and deeds, so that He (God) might not bring upon you the Flood waters, and destroy all the seed of mankind. They said to him: Behold, we will prevent ourselves from multiplying and increasing, so as not to produce the seed of mankind. What did they do? When they came to their wives they spilled (mashḥitim) the source of their seed upon the earth so as not to produce the seed of mankind, as it is said, “When God saw how corrupt (nishḥata) the earth was…” (Gen.6: 12). They said: If He brings the Flood waters upon us (from the sky), behold, we are tall, and the waters will not reach up to our necks; and if He brings the waters of the depths against us, behold, the soles of our feet can stop up all the depths. What did they do? They put forth the soles of their feet, and closed up all the depths. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He caused the waters of the deep to boil, and they scalded their flesh, and stripped their skin from off them, as it says, “But when they melt, they disappear; in the heat [be-ḥumo], they vanish from their place” (Job 6:17). Do not read “in the heat” [be-ḥumo], but (read) “in his hot waters” (be-ḥamimo).

~ Who could be Kayin's father?

~ Can you identify four types of transgressions?

~ How do Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha read "sons of El-him"?

~ Why are those voices problematic, as Jewish history moves forward?

~ What are the possible translations of 'sons of El-him', according to this Rabbinic text?

~ Note that for Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi good looks are contrasted with bad morals.

~ Talmudic Israel/Babylon, c.630 - c.1030 CE

ברייתא אל תכשל בעיניך שאין מכשול אלא בעינים: [גמ׳] שכן אתה מוצא עזה ועזאל לא נכשלו אלא בעיניהם שנאמר ויראו בני האלהים את בנות האדם מאי עובדיהו אמרי מעיקרא קמי רחמנא (היינו דאמרי) מה אנוש כי תזכרנו א״ל קודשא בריך הוא השתא חזיתון דאטעתון יתר מנהון. אשלט בהון יצרא בישא ונחיתו וכי הוו להו יצרא בישא מאי קא מתהני בדביקה אי הכי האי דכתיב וילדו להם [וגו׳] כיון דמדבקי בהו ומבעלי לגברייהו מדמי בנייהו למלאכי:
BARAITHA. Do not stumble through your eyes, for stumbling is only due to the eyes.
GEMARA. For so you find that ‘Azza and ‘Azza’el stumbled through their eyes; as it is stated, The sons of God saw the daughters of men. What did they do? At the Creation they spoke before the All-merciful, ‘What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?’ The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, ‘You will see that you will err more than they’. He caused the evil inclination to hold sway over them and they descended [to earth]. And what if they were possessed of the evil inclination, what benefit did they derive from their association [with the daughters of men]? If you argue thus, how will you explain what is written And they bore children to them? Since [the minds of the women] were concentrated on the angels when they cohabited with their husbands, the result was that their children resembled angels.

~ Kallah Rabbati goes so far as to name the "angels". Two possibilities are presented. What are they?

~ How does this text understand "benei hael-him"?

~ Talmudic Israel/Babylon, c.100 BCE - c.900 CE

מפרשת פרה מעשה היה בר' מתיא בר חרש, שהיה עשיר, וירא שמים, ובעל מדות טוובות, ורודף מצוה וצדקה, ומהנה תלמידי חכמים מנכסיו, והיו יתומים ואלמנות מצויין על שלחנו תמיד, וכל ארחותיו ביושר, וכל ימיו עוסק בתורה, כר' מאיר רבו, והיה זיו פניו מבהיק כזוהר השמש, ואמרו עליו שמימיו לא הסתכל באשת איש ולא באשה אחרת, פעם אחת היה יושב ועוסק בתורה, ועבר השטן וראהו ונתקנא בו, אמר אפשר צדיק בלא חטא בעולם, מיד עלה למרום ועמד לפני הקב"ה ואמר רבש"ע מתיא בן חרש מהו לפניך, אמר לו צדיק גמור, אמר לן לי רשות ואנסנו, נתן לו רשות, מיד הלך ומצאו יושב ועוסק בתורה, נדמה לו כאשר יפה אשלא היה כיופיה מימות נעמה אחות תובל קין, שטעו בה מלאכי השרת, שנאמר ויראו בני האלקים את בנות האדם כי טובות הנה (בראשית ו ב), כיון שראה אותה הפך פניו לאחוירו, חזר השטן והלך כנגד פניו, החזיר פניו לצד אחר והשטן כנגד פניו, כיון שראה שמתהפכת לכל הצדדים, אמר בלבו מתיירא אני שמא ישלוט בי יצר הרע, ומה עשה אותו צדיק, קרא לאחד מתלמידיו שהיה משמשו, ואמר לו בני לך והביא לי אש ומסמרים, כיון שהביאם הבעירם באש, ונעץ אותם בעיניו, וכיון שראה השטן כך, נבהל ונרתת והלך מעליו, ועלה למרום, ואמר רבש"ע כך וכך היה המעשה, מיד קרא הקב"ה לרפאל שר של רפואות, ואמר לו לך ורפא עיני מתיא בן חרש, הלך רפאל המלאך ועמד בו, אמר ר' מתיא מי את, אמר לו אני רפאל המלאך שלוחו של הקב"ה ששלחני לרפאות את עיניך, השיבו איני רוצה מה שהיה היה, חזר רפאל לפני הקב"ה ואמר לו כך וכך אמר לי מתיא בן חרש, אמר לו הקב"ה לך אמור לו מהיום ואילך אל תירא, אני ערב לך בדבר זה שלא ישלוט בך יצה"ר כל ימי חייך, כיון ששמע מפי המלאך קבל רפואתו ונתרפא, מכאן אמרו חכמים כל מי שאינו מסתכל באשה אחרת, אין יצה"ר שולט בו, ולעתיד לבא הקב"ה מסיר יצה"ר ממנו, ויתן בקרבנו רוח קדשו, שנאמר והסירותיאת לב האבן מבשרכם ואת רוחי אתן בקרבכם (יחזקאל לו כו).

From the parashah of the <Red> Heifer: There was a story about R. Matya bar Heresh. Now he was wealthy, feared Heaven, practiced virtuous beneficence, pursued good deeds of charity, and entertained the disciples of the sages from his own assets. Moreover, orphans and widows were always found at his table. All his paths were in uprightness, and like his master, R. Meir, he was occupied with the Torah all his days. So the radiance of his countenance shone like the brightness of the sun; and they said of him that at no time in his life had he ever looked at anyone's wife or at any other woman. On one occasion he was sitting and occupied with the Torah, when Satan passed by. Upon seeing him, [Satan] was envious of him. He said: Is it possible for a righteous person to exist in the world without sin! Immediately he went up on high, where he stood before the Holy One and said: Sovereign of the World, how does Matya ben Heresh stand before you? He said to him: Completely righteous. He said to him: Give me permission to test him. He gave him permission. Immediately [Satan] went and found him sitting and occupied with the Torah. [Satan] became a beautiful woman, whose beauty had not been equalled since the the days of Naamah, the sister of Tubal Cain (of Gen. 4:22), through whom the ministering angels went astray. It is so stated (in Gen. 6:2): THE SONS OF GOD SAW HOW BEAUTIFUL THE HUMAN DAUGHTERS WERE <AND TOOK WHOMEVER THEY CHOSE AS THEIR WIVES>. When [Matya ben Heresh] saw her, he turned his face away. Again Satan went opposite his face. He turned his face to another side, but Satan was opposite his face. When he saw that she was turning to face him on all sides, [Matya ben Heresh] said in his heart: I am afraid that the evil drive may prevail against me. So what did that righteous man do? He called one of his students to attend him. He said to him: Go, my son, and get me fire and pins! When he had brought them, he ignited the pins in the fire and stuck them in his eyes. When Satan saw that, he trembled in dismay. So he went away from him, ascended on high, where he said: Sovereign of the World, thus and such happened. Immediately the Holy One called Raphael (rt.: RPh'), Prince of the Healing Arts (rt.: RPh') and said to him: Go and heal (rt.: RPh') the eyes of Matya ben Heresh. The angel Raphael went and stood by him. R. Matya ben Heresh said: Who are you? He said to him: I am Raphael, the angel of the table of the Holy One, who has sent me to heal (rt.: RPh') your eyes. He answered him: I do not want healing; what happened happened. Raphael returned to the Holy One and said to him: Matya ben Heresh told me thus and such. The Holy One said to him: Go, say to him: From this day on do not fear. I am standing surety for you in this matter, that the evil drive will never prevail against you all the days of your life. When he heard this from the mouth of the angel, he accepted his healing and was not afraid. Here is the origin of what the sages have said: Whoever does not look at another woman will not have the evil drive prevailing against him. Moreover, in the world to come the Holy One will remove the evil drive from us and set his Holy Spirit within us. It is so stated (in Ezek. 36:26–27): THEN I WILL REMOVE THE HEART OF STONE FROM YOUR FLESH AND GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH, AND I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU.

~ How is this story connected to our text?

~ What other connection does this story make about Na'amah?

~ How does this midrash reread the text? Who are the "sons of gods"?

~Talmudic Israel/Babylon, c.150 - c.750 CE

“Tanchuma Buber” refers to a version of Midrash Tanchuma published by Solomon Buber in 1885, based primarily on a manuscript that he discovered.

בני האלהים. בְּנֵי הַשָּׂרִים וְהַשּׁוֹפְטִים. דָּבָר אַחֵר בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים, הֵם הַשָּׂרִים הַהוֹלְכִים בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, אַף הֵם הָיוּ מִתְעָרְבִים בָּהֶם; כָּל אֱלֹהִים שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא לְשׁוֹן מָרוּת, וְזֶה יוֹכִיחַ וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לּוֹ לֵאלֹהִים (שמות ד'), רְאֵה נְתַתִּיךָ אֱלֹהִים (שם ז'):

בני האלהים THE SONS OF ELOHIM — The sons of princes and rulers (Genesis Rabbah 26:15). Another explanation of bnei elohim is that these were princes who do the bidding of the Place: they, too, intermingled with them. Wherever the word elohim 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.”

כי טבת הנה. אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן טבת כְּתִיב, כְּשֶׁהָיוּ מְטִיבִין אוֹתָהּ מְקֻשֶּׁטֶת לִכָּנֵס לַחֻפָּה, הָיָה גָּדוֹל נִכְנָס וּבוֹעֲלָהּ תְּחִלָּה (בראשית רבה):
כי טבת הנה 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).
מכל אשר בחרו. אַף בְּעוּלַת בַּעַל, אַף הַזָּכָר וְהַבְּהֵמָה:
מכל אשר בחרו OF ALL WHOM THEY CHOOSE — even if it were a married woman or a man or an animal (Genesis Rabbah 26:5).

~ Which possibilities are brought by Rashi, and how does he describe them? Does he ever use the word angel?

~ Do you think that Rashi's historical context (a Christian France), influenced his thought? We can safely assume that Rashi knew all the previous texts, with a possible exception of Tanchuma Buber.

ויראו בני האלהים. ידוע בקורות העמים הקדמונים שהיו מאמינים שבני אלהים חושקים את בנות האדם, והיו מהבילים שכשהאשה טובה תמצא חן בעיני בני אלהים ויבאו אליהן וילדו להם וכמו שיפרש בפסוק ד', וספר שכפי מחשבת הדור ההוא והבליהם אמרו שבני אלהים הם רואים את בנות האדם כשהם טובות, אז ימצאו חן בעיניהם ויקחו להם נשים שבאופן זה זנו הנשים מתחת בעליהם עם אנשים שההבילו עליהם שהם בני אלהים, וחושקים בהן ויקחו אותן לנשים, וכמו שיבאר בפסוק ד':

And the sons of El-him saw ~ It is known that older peoples believed that the sons of El-him craved for the Human's daughters and emptly thought that when the beautiful woman attracted them, they would come onto the women and the women would give birth for them, as explained in verse 4. And the text tells us that according to the empty thoughts of that generation they said that the sons of gods saw the human daughters when they were good [to look at], and then they were attracted to them and took them as wives, that in this sense the women cheated on their husbands, with men they all emptly thought were sons of gods, and those craved the women and took them as wives, and so its explained on verse 4.

~ How does the Malbim explain the text? Are those really sons of gods? What does he not impute on the scene?

~ Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser, better known as the Malbim, was a rabbi, master of Hebrew grammar, and Bible commentator. Born: March 7, 1809, Volochys'k, Ukraine and died on September 18, 1879, Kyiv, Ukraine

From Umberto Cassuto's Commentary to the Book of Genesis (pp. 291-300):

The sons of God [ bene ha’elohim] / All the expositions, both ancient and modern, that regard the sons of God as a distinct group of human beings are unsatisfactory. Several commentators have already noted:

(1) That the expression the sons of God is used here in contradistinction to the daughters of men, and these words—daughters and men—cannot be understood in this verse in a different sense from that which they have in v. 1, which definitely refers to the human species as a whole; hence ‘the sons of God’ must be entities existing outside the sphere of humankind.

(2) That wherever the terms bene (ba)elohim or bene’elim [‘sons of God’ or ‘the mighty’] occur, the reference is definitely to angels, (Psa. xxix 1; lxxxix 6 [Hebrew,v. 7]; Job i 6; ii 1; xxxviii 7; so, too, Deut. xxxii 8, according to the reading of the Septuagint). Consequently, it appears more correct to explain these expressions to mean angels or the like. The interpretation in the sense of angels is the oldest in the history of exegesis to which approximate the views of most contemporary scholars, who hold that we have here a mythological narrative, a kind of relic of the ancient mythological sagas, which was preserved as an alien element in the Book of Genesis ...

There are, however, three objections to this interpretation. The first is that the episode recorded here is not consonant with the character of the angels who are mentioned in other sections of the Book of Genesis. Elsewhere they are depicted as pure and exalted beings, who represent the Lord, speak in His name and carry out His mission; but here we are confronted by personalities that act on their account, and not necessarily with overmuch purity.

The second problem is this: if the text refers specifically to angels, why does it not use the normal terms for them, mal’ăkhe ’Elohim [literally, ‘messengers of God’] or [‘messengers of the Lord’].

The third is that the Torah, as we have seen in many instances in the previous chapters, is systematically opposed to any kind of mythology; how then can we presume that our passage is connected with a mythological legend?

But all these difficulties can be explained. With regard to the first objection, we must consider the origin and development of the expressions bene (ha)elohim and bene ’elim. It is not sufficient to state that just as the expression bene hannebhi’im [‘sons of the prophets’] signifies the men belonging to the prophetic class, so the phrase beneha’ elohim denotes the entities appertaining to the Divine sphere. Since the Hebrew linguistic and literary tradition is but a continuation of the linguistic and literary tradition of the Canaanites, we must make the latter our starting point.

In the Ugaritic writings the term bn ’il (i.e. sons of IL [‘god’]) indicates the gods collectively and the phrase mphrt bn il or phr bn ’ilm ( bene’elim) connotes the congregation and assembly of the gods. In a Phoenician inscription we read: mphrt ’l gbl qdšm, that is, ‘the congregation of the holy gods of Byblus’. On the other hand, the theology of the Israelites, which recognizes only one God, concentrates in the Lord or in His messengers all the forces and tasks that the pagan peoples used to attribute to the various deities, as, for example, the administration of the heavenly hosts or the other phenomena of nature. Hebrew religious doctrine attributes them to the Lord Himself, if they are matters befitting the Divine glory, and if not, it transfers them to His envoys and angels. Since the angels, accordingly, take the place of the Canaanite deities, the terms that formerly denoted the collectivity of gods and their congregational assembly changed their meaning in conformity with this trend. The expressions bene ’elim or bene(ha)elohimso, too, ‘ădhath ’el [‘Divine council’], qedhošim [‘holy ones’], [‘council of the holy ones’]—became in the Bible designations for the heavenly household, the angel congregation standing before the Lord to serve Him. This explains why in Job xxxviii 7 the words the sons of God bene ’elohim form a parallel to the morning stars; the stars, which were deities in the idolatrous cult, were transformed into servants of the Lord in Israel’s religion (likewise in Ugaritic, the phrase phr kbkbm, that is, congregation of the stars, corresponds to bn ’il [‘sons of God’]; and the assembly of the sons of God that came to present themselves before the Lord in Job i 6 and ii 1 is paralleled by the gathering of the host of heaven in i Kings xxii 19. Similarly we find in Psa. ciii 20–21: Bless the Lord, O you His ANGELS … Bless the Lord, all His HOSTS! ; and ibid. cxlviii 2: Praise Him all His ANGELS, praise Him all His HOSTS!

According to the Israelite conception, the angels are, of course, divided into different ranks: there are higher and lower angels; some angels are close to the Lord, like those who were called in a later epoch ‘ministering angels’, and there are others that were termed ‘demons’ or ‘destroying angels’ (‘demons’ denote the gentile gods in Deut. xxxii 17, Psa. Cvi 37). Although Scripture has no elaborate angelology like that which developed at a subsequent period, yet it is clear that already in Biblical times categories similar to those we have mentioned were distinguished. In our paragraph, it is apparent from the context that not angels sublime and pure, but those of a degraded type, are referred to. The Talmudic sages also held (B. Hagiga 16a), that, although the ministering angels do not beget offspring, the demons do procreate.

Hence (and this resolves the second problem) the text does not employ the word angels * (malakhim), which throughout the Book of Genesis denotes the high-ranking angels, who represent the glory of the Divine Presence, but prefers the general term beneha’elohim, since it is common to all the Lord’s ministers, the superior and the inferior, the good and the evil, including also demons and destroying angels. In the Book of Job even Satan is counted among bene ha’elohim. So, too, in Deut. xxxii 8, according to the Septuagint reading, the expression bene ’el or bene ha’elohim simply means the guardian angels of the seventy nations.

And they took them wives, etc.] According to the traditional rabbinic interpretation as well as the view of most modern exegetes, the Torah refers here to grave offences, or opposition to the world order approved by the Lord; and this was the reason for the punishment meted out to the generation of the Flood. But this exposition does not appear to fit the language of the text. And they took them wives is simply the usual expression for legal marriage. The passage contains not a single word, either here or in the Lord’s speech in v. 3, alluding to rape or adultery or to any act against the Lord’s will. And even if we concede that the sons of God sinned, why should the sons of men suffer retribution? According to the plain meaning of the text, it would seem that proper, honourable wedlock is intended. The sons of God mentioned here do not belong to the group of ministering angels, who do not propagate their species, but resemble in this respect human beings. It is not surprising, therefore, that they took wives unto themselves.

With regard to the internal structure of the paragraph, the chiastic parallels between its opening and close should be noted. At the beginning the wording is: were born to them … the sons of God; the daughters of men; and at the end: the sons of God to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.

Among the ancient peoples, as we know, various myths were current telling of sexual relations between gods and daughters of men, and of the children born from these unions, who were regarded as half-gods or were raised to the full status of deities. Also among the Canaanites, who were closest to the Israelites, there existed legends of this kind, as the Ugaritic inscriptions testify. Although the Ugaritic poems on the pleasant and beautiful gods are not clear in detail, yet this at least is certain, that they refer to the father of the gods, El, as having married two daughters of men and begotten from them two sons, šhr and šlm, who both became divinities. An obscure allusion to a similar topic is found in the work of Philo of Byblus (see Clemen, op. cit., pp. 21–22, 44–45). The Torah, in the paragraph under consideration, takes up an attitude towards these myths and the concepts flowing from them. The reader who has come thus far might ask: I have now learnt how the human families, the offspring of Adam and Eve by the natural process of procreation, were born and multiplied and became ramified; but I know that in the past there lived upon earth giants, men of far greater stature and strength than ordinary people, and we have a tradition from our forbears that when they entered the Land they still found there some of the surviving giants. What was their origin, seeing that they did not resemble human beings like ourselves? To this question, which might arise in the reader’s mind, the Torah proceeds to give an answer in our paragraph.

The explanation it offers contradicts the gentile legends we have mentioned. Following its usual practice, Scripture does not engage in any polemic or argument here; it merely explains, in harmony with its outlook, the origin of the titans, and from the affirmations one may deduce the negations.

These colossi are in no way related—Heaven forfend!—to the Deity, but only to ‘the sons of God’, that is, to the members of the Divine household, to God’s ministers, more particularly to the lowest orders among them. The subject is treated with extreme brevity. Of set purpose, the Torah compresses its words into a few sentences, as though it wished to convey that it finds the entire topic wholly uncongenial, and that the subject is mentioned not for its own sake but in order to disabuse the reader ’s mind of certain notions. The declaration in v. 3, My spirit shall not abide in man, etc. implies: Do not believe the heathen tales about human beings of divine origin, who were rendered immortal; this is untrue, for in the end every man must die, in as much as he, too, is flesh. The sons that were born from the intercourse of the sons of God with the daughters of men were, in truth, gigantic and mighty, yet they did not live for ever [ leolam], but had long ago [ me’olam] become extinct. And when they lived, it is on the earth that they lived; even before their descent to Sheol, they were only on the earth, and were never translated to heaven. They were the men of renown; indeed, men of renown, but even so they were men, not more than men. Thus we see that we have not here, as is generally supposed today, a surviving fragment from the mythological sagas of the peoples of the ancient East, which has been preserved in the Book of Genesis as a misplaced anachronism. On the contrary, the Torah’s intention is to counteract the pagan legends and to reduce to a minimum the content of the ancient traditions concerning the giants.

Of that content only so much was retained as was innocuous to Israel’s monotheistic faith, and did not in the least detract from the glory of God, or even the dignity of His closest ministers.

~ Umberto Cassuto takes a different approach to the text. What is it? How does he explain the presence of the text in this specific place? Is it connected at all with the flood? How does he explain "sons of gods"?

~ Umberto Cassuto, also known as Moshe David Cassuto (16 September 1883 – 19 December 1951), was an Italian historian, a rabbi, and a scholar of the Hebrew Bible and Ugaritic literature, in the University of Florence, then at the University of Rome La Sapienza. When the 1938 anti-Semitic Italian racial laws forced him from this position, he moved to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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