Lemech and Shet

(יט) וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֥וֹ לֶ֖מֶךְ שְׁתֵּ֣י נָשִׁ֑ים שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ עָדָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית צִלָּֽה׃ (כ) וַתֵּ֥לֶד עָדָ֖ה אֶת־יָבָ֑ל ה֣וּא הָיָ֔ה אֲבִ֕י יֹשֵׁ֥ב אֹ֖הֶל וּמִקְנֶֽה׃ (כא) וְשֵׁ֥ם אָחִ֖יו יוּבָ֑ל ה֣וּא הָיָ֔ה אֲבִ֕י כׇּל־תֹּפֵ֥שׂ כִּנּ֖וֹר וְעוּגָֽב׃ (כב) וְצִלָּ֣ה גַם־הִ֗וא יָֽלְדָה֙ אֶת־תּ֣וּבַל קַ֔יִן לֹטֵ֕שׁ כׇּל־חֹרֵ֥שׁ נְחֹ֖שֶׁת וּבַרְזֶ֑ל וַֽאֲח֥וֹת תּֽוּבַל־קַ֖יִן נַֽעֲמָֽה׃

(כג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לֶ֜מֶךְ לְנָשָׁ֗יו עָדָ֤ה וְצִלָּה֙ שְׁמַ֣עַן קוֹלִ֔י נְשֵׁ֣י לֶ֔מֶךְ הַאְזֵ֖נָּה אִמְרָתִ֑י כִּ֣י אִ֤ישׁ הָרַ֙גְתִּי֙ לְפִצְעִ֔י וְיֶ֖לֶד לְחַבֻּרָתִֽי׃ (כד) כִּ֥י שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם יֻקַּם־קָ֑יִן וְלֶ֖מֶךְ שִׁבְעִ֥ים וְשִׁבְעָֽה׃

(כה) וַיֵּ֨דַע אָדָ֥ם עוֹד֙ אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שֵׁ֑ת כִּ֣י שָֽׁת־לִ֤י אֱלֹהִים֙ זֶ֣רַע אַחֵ֔ר תַּ֣חַת הֶ֔בֶל כִּ֥י הֲרָג֖וֹ קָֽיִן׃ (כו) וּלְשֵׁ֤ת גַּם־הוּא֙ יֻלַּד־בֵּ֔ן וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ אֱנ֑וֹשׁ אָ֣ז הוּחַ֔ל לִקְרֹ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם ה'׃

Genesis 4:17-26

(19) Lemech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. (20) Adah bore Yaval; he was the ancestor of those who dwell in tents and amidst herds. (21) And the name of his brother was Yuval; he was the ancestor of all who play the lyre and the pipe. (22) As for Zillah, she bore Tuval-Kayin, who forged all implements of copper and iron. And the sister of Tuval-Kayin was Naamah.

(23) And Lemech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; O wives of Lemech, give ear to my speech. I have slain a man for wounding me, And a lad for bruising me. (24) If Kayin is avenged sevenfold, Then Lemech seventy-sevenfold.”

(25) Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Shet, meaning, “God has provided me with another offspring in place of Hevel,” for Kayin had killed him. (26) And to Shet in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh. It was then that men began to invoke the LORD by name.

רש"י על בראשית ד׳:כ״ג

(א) שמען קולי. שֶׁהָיוּ פּוֹרְשׁוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ מִתַּשְׁמִישׁ, לְפִי שֶׁהָרַג אֶת קַיִן וְאֶת תּוּבַל קַיִן בְּנוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה לֶמֶךְ סוּמָא וְתוּבַל קַיִן מוֹשְׁכוֹ, וְרָאָה אֶת קַיִן וְנִדְמָה לוֹ כְּחַיָּה וְאָמַר לְאָבִיו לִמְשֹׁךְ בַּקֶּשֶׁת וַהֲרָגוֹ.

וְכֵיוָן שֶׁיָּדַע שֶׁהוּא קַיִן זְקֵנוֹ הִכָּה כַּף אֶל כַּף וְסָפַק אֶת בְּנוֹ בֵינֵיהֶם וַהֲרָגוֹ, וְהָיוּ נָשָׁיו פּוֹרְשׁוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ וְהוּא מְפַיְּסָן:

(ב) שמען קולי. לְהִשָּׁמַע לִי לְתַשְׁמִישׁ, וְכִי אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הָרַגְתִּי לְפִצְעִי הוּא נֶהֱרַג, וְכִי אֲנִי פְצַעְתִּיו מֵזִיד שֶׁיְּהֵא הַפֶּצַע קָרוּי עַל שְׁמִי? וְיֶלֶד אֲשֶׁר הָרַגְתִּי, לְחַבֻּרָתִי נֶהֱרַג? כְּלוֹמַר, עַל יְדֵי חַבֻּרָתִי?

בִּתְמִיהָ, וַהֲלֹא שׁוֹגֵג אֲנִי וְלֹא מֵזִיד, לֹא זֶהוּ פִּצְעִי וְלֹא זֶהוּ חַבֻּרָתִי:

Rashi on Genesis 4:23

HEAR MY VOICE — For his wives separated from him because he had killed Kayin and Tuval-Kayin, his own son. Lemech was blind and Tuval-Kayin used to lead him. The latter saw Kayin and thought him to be an animal.

He therefore told his father to draw the bow, and thus Lemech killed him. As soon as he learned that it was his forefather Kayin, he smote his hands together, struck his son between them and so killed him too. His wives thereupon separated from him, and he endeavored to appease them,

(2) saying שמען קולי “Hear my voice”— obey me and return to me: for the man I slew — was he slain by my wounding? i.e. did I wound him with premeditation, that the wound should be called by my name (i.e. attributed to me); and the child that I slew — was it slain by my blow? (i.e. by a blow directed intentionally by me?)

Did I not act inadvertently and not with premeditation? This was not my wound, nor was this my blow!

רש"י על בראשית ד׳:כ״ד:א׳

כי שבעתים יקם קין. קַיִן שֶׁהָרַג מֵזִיד נִתְלָה לוֹ עַד שִׁבְעָה דוֹרוֹת, אֲנִי שֶׁהָרַגְתִּי שׁוֹגֵג לֹא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁיִּתָּלֶה לִי שְׁבִיעִיּוֹת הַרְבֵּה:

Rashi on Genesis 4:24:1

כי שבעתים יקם קין 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?

רש"י על בראשית ד׳:כ״ד:ב׳

שבעים ושבעה. לְשׁוֹן רִבּוּי שְׁבִיעִיּוֹת אָחַז לוֹ, כָּךְ דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא. וּמִדְרַשׁ בְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה לֹא הָרַג לֶמֶךְ כְּלוּם, וְנָשָׁיו פּוֹרְשׁוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ מִשֶּׁקִיְּמוּ פְּרִיָה וּרְבִיָּה, לְפִי שֶׁנִּגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה לְכַלּוֹת זַרְעוֹ שֶׁל קַיִן לְאַחַר שִׁבְעָה דוֹרוֹת, אָמְרוּ מָה אָנוּ יוֹלְדוֹת לַבֶּהָלָה? לְמָחָר הַמַּבּוּל בָּא וְשׁוֹטֵף אֶת הַכֹּל וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לָהֶן וְכִי אִישׁ הָרַגְתִּי לְפִצְעִי? וְכִי אֲנִי הָרַגְתִּי אֶת הֶבֶל, שֶׁהָיָה אִישׁ בְּקוֹמָה וְיֶלֶד בַּשָּׁנִים, שֶׁיְּהֵא זַרְעִי כָּלֶה בְּאוֹתוֹ עָוֹן? וּמַה קַּיִן שֶׁהָרַג נִתְלָה לוֹ שִׁבְעָה דוֹרוֹת, אֲנִי שֶׁלֹּא הָרַגְתִּי, לֹא כָּ"שֶׁ שֶׁיִּתָּלוּ לִי שְׁבִיעִיּוֹת הַרְבֵּה? וְזֶהוּ קַל וָחֹמֶר שֶׁל שְׁטוּת, אִם כֵּן אֵין הַקָּבָּ"ה גּוֹבֶה אֶת חוֹבוֹ וּמְקַיֵּם אֶת דְּבָרוֹ:

Rashi on Genesis 4:24:2

שבעים ושבעה 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 God’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.

רש"י על בראשית ד׳:כ״ו:א׳

אז הוחל. לְשׁוֹן חֻלִּין, לִקְרֹא אֶת שְׁמוֹת הָאָדָם וְאֶת שְׁמוֹת הָעֲצַבִּים בִּשְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה לַעֲשׂוֹתָן עֲ"זָ וְלִקְרוֹתָן אֱלֹהוּת:

Rashi on Genesis 4:26:1

אז הוחל 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).

אבן עזרא על בראשית ד׳:כ״ו:א׳

(א) ודקדוק הוחל. מפעלי הכפל ולולי היות החי"ת מהגרון היה נדגש והוא מגזרת תחלה והטעם שהחלו להתפלל. ואלו היה מחילול היה השם סמוך אל המלה:

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 4:26:1

(1) [BEGAN TO CALL.] Huchal (began) belongs to those verbs whose second and third root letters are identical. If the chet were not a guttural, it would receive a dagesh. Huchal comes from the same root as techil’ah (first). The meaning of the clause then began (huchal) men to call upon the name of the Lord is: then men first started praying. If huchal were derived from chillul (profane), then the name of the Lord would follow profane.

Sforno on Genesis 4:26:1

At that time the righteous people of the earth began to preach monotheism to the public. The meaning is similar to Genesis 21,33 ויקרא שם בשם ה' א-ל עולם, “Avraham proclaimed there the name of the Lord, the Lord of the universe.” The time had come to publicly confront and refute the arguments of the idolaters in that period.

Gur Aryeh on Bereishit 4:26:1

Then men began to call upon the name. This cannot mean that at that time they began calling upon Hashem, because earlier generations had done so as well. For this reason the Sages interpret this statement negatively.

Radak on Genesis 4:26:2

'אז הוחל לקרא בשם ה, some commentators understand the word הוחל in the sense of חלול, desecrating, profaning.

Others, including Rashi understand it in the sense of התחלה, beginning.

In Onkelos we find two versions. According to one version, people became lax in worshipping God in the days of Enosh; according to the other version of Onkelos, in Enosh’s days people began to proclaim the name of God, [i.e. what had been something natural up until then had to be reintroduced as it had become practically extinct. Ed.]

If the second interpretation is correct, the decline of religious observance was arrested for the first time in the days of Enosh when people found it necessary to pray to God when they found themselves in trouble. Up until that time they had not even thought that prayer could be helpful in affecting their fate on earth. They considered God’s decree as irreversible under any circumstances.

According to what we have seen in the writings of our sages, (Shabbat 118) and according to the understanding of most people, that idolatry was widespread in the days of Enosh, the meaning of the verse before must be that that in Enosh’s time many people began to look upon the celestial phenomena as deities and address them and worship them as gods. They did so because they considered these phenomena as intermediaries between them and the invisible God. Seeing that these phenomena had been appointed by God to run the terrestrial part of the universe on His behalf, they considered these forces as capable of bestowing favors on those worshipping them.

Gradually, such initial errors spread until most forms of idolatry nowadays are totally devoid of any rationale. In people’s minds natural forces are perceived as competing with each other and possessing overlapping domains, so that unless one worships at least several of them one would arouse the jealousy of the one ignored. The matter has become so grotesque that man made statues that neither see, hear, etc., are credited with being able to influence the lives of intelligent human beings.