תלמוד על בראשית 4:30

³⁸Babli 99a, Sifry Num. 112. It is written³⁹Num. 15:31.: For he showed contempt for the Eternal’s Word. Not only if he was contemptuous of the teachings of the Torah, from where if he denied one verse, one Aramaic expression, one argument de minore ad majus? The verse says, His command he violated. One verse, Lotan’s sister was Timna`⁴⁰Gen. 36:22; cf. Gen. rabba 82(15).. One Aramaic expression, Laban called it Yegar Sahadu̅ta̅⁴¹Gen. 31:47. In Gen. rabba 72(12) the expression is characterized as Syriac.. One argument de minore ad majus: For Cain would be avenged sevenfold, etc.⁴²Gen. 4:24. While Lemekh’s song violates the formal rules of an argument de minore ad majus, the verse is Divine approval of poetry..

Rebbi Jehudah ben Pazi said, it is written: “Between their rows they make oil,¹⁰³Job 24:11. In this pornographic sermon, the rows are the female’s legs, the oil is semen.” “they to not turn to the way of vineyards¹⁰⁴Job 24:18. The evildoers are not interested in harvesting.”, that their copulation was not for children. Rebbi Simon said, it is written: “They ate and were not satiated, they whored and did not spread,¹⁰⁵Hos. 4:10. In the words of the Babli, 61b, “any intercourse not intended to spread (the human race)” is sinful.” that their copulation was not for children. It is written: “Lemekh took for himself two wives¹⁰⁶Gen. 4:19. The intimation is that Adah “the jewel” was not supposed to have children to preserve her beauty. Ṣillah “the shadow” was shadowed by her children. In Gen. rabba 23(3), the roles of Adah and Ṣillah are reversed.”, “Adah” who was beautifying her body. “Ṣillah”, who was sitting in the shadow of children.

Rebbi Onias said, Rebbi Ḥama bar Uqba raised a difficulty: If he wanted to deflect him to another subject³²⁴If R. Joshua’s intention only was to deflect R. Ismael’s inquiry there were many other questions to be asked., he should have removed him to the five indeterminate places in the Torah³²⁵In the absence of masoretic accents it may be difficult to parse a sentence. In Babli sources, this is called “verses that have no decision,” i. e., where to place the caesura. In our masoretic texts only Ex. 25:34 remains undecided in this sense. Parallel sources are Babli Yoma52a/b, Gen. rabba80(5) (Theodor-Albeck #957/958, Sokoloff Geniza Fragments p. 170), Midrash Cant. 1(18), Mekhilta dR. Ismael, Amaleq1, Mekhilta dR. Simeon ben Iohai Epstein-Melamed p. 121, Tanḥuma Bešallaḥ26.The list itself is attributed in most sources to Issy ben Jehudah. [A discussion in principle about this subject is found in ש. קוגוט, המקרא בין טעמים לפרשנות, י־ם תשנד; מ. ברויאר, מקראות שאין להם הכרע, לשוננו נח (תשנה) 189־199.], which are the following: “gift, cursed, tomorrow, almond shaped, rise”. Behold if you choose well the gift or the gift if you do not choose well³²⁶Gen.4:7. They must have read הֲלוֹא אִם־תֵּיטִ֔יב שְׂאֵ֕ת וְאִם֙ לֹא תֵיטִ֔יב but also in the masoretic text הֲלוֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת there is a stop between תֵּיטִיב֙ and שְׂאֵ֔ת.. For in their rage they killed a man and by their will castrated a cursed ox or cursed be their rage for it is strong³²⁷Gen.49:6–7. It is a question whether to read one or two sentences.. Moses said to Joshua . . go fight Amaleq tomorrow or tomorrow I shall stand on top of the hill³²⁸Ex. 17:9.. On the candelabra four cups almond shaped or almond shaped their knobs and their flowers³²⁹Ex. 25:34..The Eternal said to Moses, you will lie with your fathers and rise or rise will this people and whore³³⁰Deut. 31:16.. Rebbi Tanḥuma added the following: Jacob’s sons came from the field when they heard or when they heard the men were offended³³¹Gen. 34:7. Most translations follow the masoretic punctuation in choosing the first alternative but the German translation by Torczyner et al. (Berlin 1934) which opts for the second.. Rebbi La said, there are things about which one kisses the mouth, as it is said, may he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth³³²This answers R. Ḥama bar Uqba’s question. The verse Cant. 1:2 was chosen because its first part, quoted now, tells R. Ismael to be silent since a person who is kissed on his mouth cannot speak at that time. The first part clearly refers to a male; nevertheless R. Ismael had a point reading the second part as addressing a female since the sentence switches from third to second person, possibly indicating a change of speaker.. Rebbi Isaac said, and me did the Eternal command³³³Deut. 4:14. Here starts a rather defective Genizah fragment (Ginzberg pp. 276–277.). “Me, and me.” Things were said to me that were said to you. And things were said to me alone³³⁴Not everything has to be told to everybody..

MISHNAH: How does one instill fear in witnesses in criminal cases⁹⁵A criminal trial is one where the punishment is either death or flogging. Flogging is potentially life-threatening. A crime for which the punishment is a fine is tried as civil infraction under the rules of civil suits.? One brings them in and instills fear in them. Maybe you would testify by a guess, or by a rumor, or from the mouth of a witness, or you heard it from a trustworthy source⁹⁶This still is hearsay evidence which is inadmissible., or maybe you do not know that we shall examine you by cross-examination and interrogation¹Cross-examination is the interrogation of witnesses which changes from trial to trial. Investigation is the determination of answers to the obligatory questions enumerated in Mishnah 5:1.. You should know that criminal trials are not like civil trials. In civil trials a person⁹⁷On whose incorrect testimony another person was found owing money. pays money and is forgiven. In criminal trials, his blood and the blood of all his descendants hang in the balance, to the end of all generations. So we find when Cain slew his brother, it is said: The sounds of your brother’s bloods cry to me from the earth⁹⁸Gen. 4:10; cf. Gen. rabba 22(21).. It does not say your brother’s blood but your brother’s bloods, his blood and that of his descendants. Another explanation⁹⁹This is a possible correct interpretation of the verse, not to be used as sermon in court. Cf. Gen. rabba 22(22).: Your brother’s bloods, the blood was splashed on trees and stones.
Therefore man was created single in the world to teach that for anybody who destroys a single life it is counted as if he destroyed an entire world, and for anybody who preserves a single life it is counted as if he preserved an entire world. And because of peace among men, that nobody could say to another, my father was greater than your father. And that sectarians¹⁰⁴In general, מין denotes a Jewish Christian. If Jesus was identical in nature with God, he could not have been created or born. If Jesus was similar in nature to God, his creation would contradict the thesis of unique creation of man. If Jesus was simply referring to himself as God’s son in the meaning of Deut. 11:1, he is no power in Heaven. could not say, there are a plurality of powers in Heaven.
And to proclaim the greatness of the King over kings of kings, the Holy One, praise to Him. For a man coins many coins with one die; they are one like the other. But the King over kings of kings, the Holy One, praise to Him, stamps every man with the stamp of the first man, but no one is like any other. Therefore, everybody is required to say, the world was created for me.
Maybe you will say, why should we go to all this trouble? There already is written: If he is a witness, or saw, or knew¹¹²Lev. 5:1. As usual, the implication is from the part of the verse which is not quoted: If he do not tell, he has to bear his sin., etc. Maybe you will say, why should we be guilty of this man’s blood? There already is written: In destruction of evildoers is clamor¹¹³Prov. 11:10..

Rebbi Eleazar and Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina. Rebbi Eleazar said, the Sons of Noah brought well-being offerings. Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina said, the Sons of Noah brought elevation offerings⁴⁹⁹Noah certainly sacrificed elevation sacrifices (Gen. 8:20); therefore these are certainly permitted on any private altar. Well-being sacrifices can be permitted on a private altar only if they are permitted to Gentiles, the children of Noah. In order to permit well-being sacrifices on private altars one must find examples of such sacrifices from the time preceding the epiphany on Sinai. Babli Zevaḥim 116a.. Rebbi Eleazar objected to Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: Is it not written, and Abel also brought from the firstlings of his sheep and of their excellence⁵⁰⁰Gen. 4:4. In Torah law, firstlings are sacrificed as special well-being offerings.
In Lev. it is quite clear that “fat” in general is חֵלֶב ;פֶּדֶר is used only for fat destined to the altar and forbidden to humans. The suffixed form is חֶלְבְּהֶ֑ן. In Gen. the suffixed form is וּמֵֽחֶלְבֵהֶ֑ן; one has to explain חֵלֶב in 4:4 and 45:18 from Accadic ẖilibū “magnificence, splendor, excellence.” This interpretation is accepted here.. What does Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina do with this? From their luxurious ones. Rebbi Eleazar objected to Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: Is it not written, he sent the young men of Israel and they offered elevation offerings⁵⁰¹Ex. 24:5. The argument is the part of the verse which is not quoted: they sacrificed oxen as well-being sacrifices to the Eternal., etc.? What does Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina do with this? Entire in their bodies, without stripping and partitioning⁵⁰²Instead of שְׁלָמִים he reads שְׁלֵמִים. Cf. Babli Ḥagigah 6b.. Rebbi Eleazar objected to Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: [Is it not written, Jethro, Moses’s in-law, took elevation and well-being offerings for God⁵⁰³Ex. 18:12. While the corrector’s addition seems to be a logical necessity, it probably is taken from Babli Zevaḥim116a.?] What does Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina do with this? Following him who said that Jethro came after the giving of the Torah⁵⁰⁴His sacrifices followed all rules of Lev.. Rebbi Ḥuna said, Jehudah the great one and Rebbi Yannai disagreed. One said, Jethro came before the giving of the Torah; but the other one said, Jethro came after the giving of the Torah. We did not know who said what. Let us hear from the following: Jethro, the priest of Midyan, Moses’s in-law, heard⁵⁰⁵Ex. 18:1.. What did he hear? Ḥizqiah said, he heard the parting of the Reed Sea. Rebbi Joshua said, he heard the parting of the Reed Sea. [Rebbi Levi said, he heard the war of Amaleq.] The Great Jehudah said, he heard the giving of the Torah. Therefore he must be the one who said, Jethro came after the giving of the Torah. Rebbi Abba and Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan, the following supports Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: Awake North, and come South⁵⁰⁶Cant. 4:16.. Awake North refers to the elevation sacrifice which is slaughtered in the North. What means “awake”? What was sleeping⁵⁰⁷Old practices resurrected. and awoke. And come South refers to well-being sacrifices which are slaughtered in the South. What means “come”? Something new⁵⁰⁸This is R. Yose ben Ḥanina’s argument that well-being sacrifices were introduced only by the Torah.. What does Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina do with this? When the diasporas in the North awake and build the Temple in the South. Rebbi Abba the son of Rebbi Pappai, Rebbi Joshua from Sikhnin in the name of Rebbi Levi: also the following verse supports Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: This is the teaching about the elevation sacrifice⁵⁰⁹Lev. 6:2.. This is the elevation sacrifice which the Sons of Noah were sacrificing. When he comes to well-being sacrifice he says, this is the teaching about the well-being sacrifice⁵¹⁰Lev. 7:11. Again the argument is from the continuation of the verse, not quoted.. It is not written “which one brought” but shall bring from now on..

When Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai’s son died, his students came in to comfort him. Rabbi Eliezer came in and sat before him and said: My master, if you please, may I say something? He said: Speak. So he said: Adam the first person had a son who died and he accepted comfort. And how do we know that he accepted comfort? For it says (Genesis 4:25), “And Adam knew his wife again.” So you, too, should accept comfort. He replied: Is it not enough that I have my own pain but that you need to remind me of Adam’s pain as well?
Rabbi Yehoshua came in and said to him: If you please, may I say something before you? He said: Speak. So he said: Job had sons and daughters, and they all died on the same day, and he accepted comfort. So you, too, should accept comfort. And how do we know that Job accepted comfort? For it says (Job 1:21), “The Eternal has given, and the Eternal has taken away. Blessed is the name of the Eternal.” He replied: Is it not enough that I have my own pain but that you have to remind me of Job’s pain as well?
Rabbi Yosei came in and sat before him and said: My master, if you please, may I say something? He said: Speak. So he said: Aaron had two older sons and they both died on the same day, and he accepted comfort, as it says (Leviticus 10:3), “And Aaron was silent,” and silence always indicates comfort. He replied: Is it not enough that I have my own pain but that you have to remind me of Aaron’s pain as well?
Rabbi Shimon came in and said: My master, if you please, may I say something? He said: Speak. So he said: King David had a son who died, and he accepted comfort. So you, too, should accept comfort. And how do we know that David accepted comfort? For it says (II Samuel 12:24), “David comforted his wife Bath Sheba, and he came to her and lay with her, and she gave birth to another son, and called him Solomon.” So you, too, should accept comfort. He replied: Is it not enough that I have my own pain but that you have to remind me of King David’s pain as well?
Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah came in. When [Rabbi Yohanan] saw him, he said to his steward: Take this vessel, and follow me to the bathhouse, because this is a great man, and I will not be able to withstand him.¹Going to the bathhouse might indicate that Rabbi Yohanan’s mourning is about to end, as Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah will surely find a way to provide solace. So [Rabbi Elazar] came in and sat before [Rabbi Yohanan] and said: Let me give you a parable. To what can this be compared? [It can be compared] to a person to whom the king gave a deposit to hold. Every day he would cry and scream and say, Oy, when will I be free of this deposit? So it is with you, Rabbi. You had a son who read from the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings; the Mishnah; Halakhah; and Aggadah; and then was taken from the world free of sin. [Must you, then, accept consolation when you have returned a deposit whole?] He said: Rabbi Elazar, my son, you have comforted me as people are supposed to.
When they all left, Elazar said: I am going to Damasit, a beautiful place with good, sweet water. They said: We will go to Yavneh, a place where there is an abundance of scholars who love the Torah. So he went to Damasit, the beautiful place with good, sweet water, and his reputation in Torah study diminished. And they went to Yavneh, the place where there was an abundance of scholars who all loved the Torah, and their reputations in Torah study grew.

Rabbi Reuven ben Itzrubali would say: How can a person stay away from the Evil Urge inside of him? For the first drop that a person puts inside of a woman is the Evil Urge. The Evil Urge rules only over the doors of the heart, as it says (Genesis 4:7), “Sin crouches at the door.” From the first moment that an infant is placed in the crib, (this man) is trying to kill you. He wants to pluck you out by your hair. When an infant is placed in his crib, he will place his hand onto a snake or a scorpion’s stinger. It is the Evil Urge inside of him that causes him to do this. He will place his hand onto fiery coals and it will be burned. It is the Evil Urge inside of him that causes him to do this. (For the Evil Urge wants to throw him into the fire.) But look at a baby goat or sheep! When they see a well, they back up away from it, because there is no Evil Urge in an animal.
Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar would say: I will give you a parable. What (is [the Evil Urge] like)? The Evil Urge is like a piece of steel that they put into the fire. While it is in the fire, they can make any tool they wish from it. So it is with the Evil Urge. There is no way to fix it except with words of Torah alone ([which are like fire]), as it says (Proverbs 25:21–22), “If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread. If he is thirsty, give him water. You will be heaping fiery coals on his head, and the Eternal will reward you.” Do not read it as “reward you” (yeshalem lekha) but “give you peace” (yashlim lekha).
Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi would say: I will give you a parable: What (is [the Evil Urge] like)? The Evil Urge is like two people who go into an inn. One is captured by robbers. They say to him: Who is with you? He could easily say: No one else was with me. But he says to himself: Since I am going to be killed, my friend should be killed with me. So it is with the Evil Urge, which says: Since I will be lost in the World to Come, (I) want take the whole body with me!
Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai would say: From this you know that Israel will never see the face of Gehenna. They give a parable: To what can this be compared? [It can be compared] to a human king who had a barren field. Some people came along and rented it for a ten bundles of wheat. They fertilized it, plowed it, watered it, and harvested it, but they yielded only one bundle of wheat the whole year. The king said to them: What is this? They said: Our master the king, you know that with regard to the field you gave us, in the beginning you were not able to yield anything from it. Now we have fertilized it, harvested it, and watered it, yet we have still not been able to yield more than one bundle of wheat the whole year.¹Although the renters didn’t, as it were, keep their side of the deal, they want the king to appreciate their efforts, given the challenging circumstances. So will Israel say one day before the Holy Blessed One: You know well that the Evil Urge has tempted us, as it says (Psalms 103:14), “For He knows our urges” [lit., how we were formed].

The world was created with ten utterances. Why were all ten necessary? In order to teach you that anyone who performs one commandment, or keeps one Sabbath, or saves one life, [the Torah considers it] as if he had sustained the entire world, which was created with ten utterances. And anyone who commits one transgression, or breaks one Sabbath, or causes one life to be lost, the Torah considers it as if he had destroyed the entire world, which was created with ten utterances. For this is what we find with Cain, who killed his brother Abel, as it says (Genesis 4:10), “The voice of your brother’s bloods [cry out to Me from the ground].” It should say “blood,” but it says “bloods.” This teaches that it was also the blood of his children and his children’s children, and all his future generations, until the end of the human line, that would have one day descended from him. They all stood up and cried out before the Holy Blessed One. (So you learn from this that one person is considered as important as the entire work of Creation.)