Tsila Malka

Lemech - What do I need with Lemech and his descendents? "And Lemech took for himself two wives, one was named Adah and the second was named Tzilah" (Genesis 4:19). Rabbi Azariah said in the name of Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon: this is what the men of the generation of the Flood would do: each of them would take two wives, one for procreation and one for pleasure. The one who was for procreation would sit as if she was a widow in her own lifetime (in the lifetime of her husband), and the one that was for pleasure would drink a cup for sterility so that she did not bear [children], and would sit by him adorned like a prostitute. As it is written: "He devours the barren that do not conceive, and does not do good to the widow" (Job 24:21). Know that among them the best was Lemech, and he took two wives, as it says "And Lemech took for himself two wives, one was named Adah" - because she became pregnant [adah] "and the second was named Tzilah" - because she sat in his shade [tzel].

For The name of the first-born was Mahalaleel, and the ‎second Enon, and the third Ered; and their sisters were Adah and Zillah. Those are all that were ‎born unto Cainan—five children.‎ And Lamech Methusael’s son, became the son-in-law of Cainan, taking his two daughters to ‎wives.‎ And Adah conceived and bare a son unto Lamech and she called his name Jabloh, and she ‎conceived again and bare a son and she called his name Jubal.‎ And Zillah her sister was barren in those days, she had no child as yet. For in those days the ‎sons of man began to rebel against the Lord, and transgressed the laws of God which he commanded unto them, to be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.‎ And the sons of man gave to part of their wives to drink a drink of barrenness, so that they ‎should continue in their beauty, and not lose their fine figures and looks.‎ And when the sons of man caused part of their wives to take that drink, Zillah was among ‎them.‎ And the women that bare children became abominable in the eyes of their husbands, being ‎consigned, as it were, to widowhood, though their husbands were alive, for the men were ‎attached only to their barren wives.‎

Upon returning home, Lamech said to his wives: “Let us go to bed.” They replied: “You have slain our ancestor and our son Tubal-cain; we shall no longer go to bed with you.” He retorted: “Cain received his punishment only after seven generations, surely mine should be postponed for seventy and seven generations.” “We shall not listen to you,” they insisted. “Why should we give birth to one who will be dishonored?” Thereupon, he said: “Let us go to the court for a decision.” They went to Adam, and Adah and Zillah cried out: “Oh, lord Lamech, our husband, has slain our grandfather.” Whereupon Lamech declared: “Did our grandfather kill unwittingly?” Adam replied: “Wives of Lamech, hearken to my words! Lamech says: Have I have slain a man intentionally? (Gen. 4:23). Therefore I say to you: Go and obey your husband.” They retorted: “O physician, heal your own lameness. You have not had sexual intercourse with your wife for one hundred and thirty years,⁴⁰Adam abstained from sexual intercourse in atonement for ignoring God’s command not to eat of the tree of knowledge. After their rebuke he indulged in sexual intercourse and fathered a son. yet you command us to do so.” Hence it is written in Scripture following this incident: And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years and begot his son in his own likeness (Gen. 5:3).

וצלה גם היא ילדה, “and Tzilah, she too had given birth.” The reason why the Torah introduces this statement with the word גם “also,” is that Lemech had married her only for her physical attributes. She was not intended by him to bear children. All the birth control devices she used had proved ineffective. There are bodies that are immune to such devices (as ancient man used to delay or prevent pregnancy).

She gave birth against his will, even though Tzilla was supposed to be his wife just for secual pleasures. But God wanted her to have offspring. And Lemach was not successful in his works, and all copper and iron instruments and instruments of war came out from him.

Na'amah was the wife of Noach. Why was she called Na'amah? Because her actions were pleasant.