Rabbi Abba asked Rabbi Simeon: “Demons die, however, like all men; why then does Noëma remain alive to this day?” Rabbi Simeon answered him: “Indeed, demons die like all men; but Lilith and Noëma, as well as Aghereth, daughter of Mahlath, who descends from the first two, remain alive until the day when the Holy One, blessed be He, shall purge the world of the impure spirit, as it is written: ‘And I will cause the spirit of impurity to disappear from off the earth.’”
Rabbi Simeon said: “Woe unto the ignorant and blind men who do not perceive the multitude of evil beings that swarm in the world; were it permitted for the eye to see them, one would be astonished that the world could exist. Observe that Noëma was the mother of demons, and that from her side issue all the demons who, awakening the concupiscence of men, cause them to suffer seminal loss. Therefore, all who have been defiled by seminal loss are obliged to purify themselves. It is not seminal loss itself that defiles, but the cause that brought it about, as has been explained by the colleagues.”
Rabbi Simeon said: “Woe unto the ignorant and blind men who do not perceive the multitude of evil beings that swarm in the world; were it permitted for the eye to see them, one would be astonished that the world could exist. Observe that Noëma was the mother of demons, and that from her side issue all the demons who, awakening the concupiscence of men, cause them to suffer seminal loss. Therefore, all who have been defiled by seminal loss are obliged to purify themselves. It is not seminal loss itself that defiles, but the cause that brought it about, as has been explained by the colleagues.”
It is written: “This is the book of the generation of Adam: In the day that God created man, God made him in His likeness.” It follows that
from this verse, that the book of Adam spoken of in Scripture concerned the image of man. Rabbi Isaac said: The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Adam the faces of the men of all the generations that would succeed one another in the world; He also showed him the faces of all the sages of the future, as well as of all the kings of the future who would reign over Israel. When He came to David, king of Israel, He foretold to him, showing him his face, that he would be born and die within a short space of time; for such was David’s destiny. Adam then said to the Holy One, blessed be He: I wish to grant David a span of seventy years from the length of my life. The Holy One, blessed be He, took seventy years from Adam’s life, which was to have been a thousand years, and granted them to David. Therefore David praised the Lord, saying: “... For Thou hast filled me with joy, O Lord, through Thy works; and I shall rejoice in beholding the works of Thy hands.” David said to God: Who was it that filled me with joy by granting me life upon the earth? And he answered himself: It is Thy works, which means: it is Adam, the first man, who is the work of the Holy One, blessed be He, and not of a man of flesh and blood. It is for the reason we have just stated that the Holy One, blessed be He, deducted seventy years from the thousand originally allotted to him. The Holy One, blessed be He, continued to show him the sages of all future generations. When He came to Rabbi Aqiba, Adam rejoiced at the sight of this master’s great learning; but he was saddened when he saw his martyrdom. Then Adam cried out: “Thine eyes saw me when I was yet unformed, and all is written in Thy book: the days each have their appointed event, and not one of them is left unrecorded therein. But I see that Thou hast honoured Thy friends in a most special manner, and their dominion has been extraordinarily established.”
Scripture says: “This is the book of the generations of Adam.” These words are to be taken literally; for it was indeed a book that Adam possessed, as has already been said above. For when Adam was in the Garden of Eden, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent down to him a book by the hand of the angel Raziêl, angel of the sacred regions and chief of the supreme Mysteries. In this book was engraved the holy mystery of “Wisdom” (Hocmâ). The sacred name of seventy-two letters was explained therein by means of the six hundred and seventy mysteries it contains. In the midst of the book was engraved the mystery of “Eternal Wisdom,” by means of which one discovers the thousand five hundred keys that are entrusted to no celestial being. This mystery remained hidden from all celestial beings until the day this book came into Adam’s hands. The Angels then gathered around Adam to hear the reading of this book and thereby to come to know the mystery of “Wisdom.” The Angels cried out: “O Lord, be Thou exalted above the heavens, and let Thy glory shine forth over all the earth.” At that moment, the sacred angel named Hadraniel sent one of his subordinates to Adam, who said to him: “Adam, Adam! Be mindful of the glorious gift of which Thy Master has deemed thee worthy, and show it to no one; for none of the celestial beings is permitted to know the mystery of the Master; Thou alone possessest its secret.” Adam then hid this book, which he kept in his possession until the day he left the Garden of Eden. As long as he possessed it, he did nothing but study it with reverence, and therein he discovered mysteries unknown even to the higher angels, called “the celestial suns.” But when he sinned by transgressing the commandment of his Master, this book flew away. Adam then struck himself upon the head, wept, and sank up to his neck in the waters of the river Ghion, so that his whole body became covered with wrinkles, to the point that he was unrecognizable. The Holy One, blessed be He, then signalled to the angel Raphael, who brought the book back to him. Adam resumed studying it and bequeathed it to his son Seth, who in turn passed it on to his descendants. Thus this book came to Abraham, who, thanks to the mysteries contained in it, knew how to penetrate the glory of His Master, as has been said. Henoch, too, possessed this book, thanks to which he knew how to penetrate the glory of his Master.
It is written: “He created them male and female.” Rabbi Simeon said: These two verses at the beginning of the fifth chapter of Genesis contain great mysteries. In the words: “He created them male and female” is expressed the supreme mystery that constitutes the glory of God, which is inaccessible to human understanding and is the object of Faith. It is by this mystery that man was created. Observe that man was created by the same mystery as heaven and earth; for, in speaking of the creation of heaven and earth, Scripture uses the term: “This is the Genesis of heaven and earth,” and, in speaking of the creation of man, it employs a similar term: “This is the book of the Genesis of man.” Moreover, in speaking of the creation of heaven and earth, Scripture uses the term: “be hibaram” (when they were created); and, in speaking of the creation of man, Scripture uses an analogous term, “be iom hibaram” (in the day that they were created). Scripture says: “He created them male and female.” From this we infer that any form that does not represent the male and the female is unlike the celestial form. This mystery has already been explained. Observe that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not take up His abode where the male and the female are not united; He fills with His blessings only the place where the male and the female are united. Wherefore Scripture says: “He blessed them and gave them the name of Adam.” Thus Scripture does not say: “He blessed him and gave him the name of Adam,” because God blesses only when the male and the female are united. The male alone does not even deserve the name of “man” so long as he is not united with the female; wherefore Scripture says: “And He gave them the name of man.”
Rabbi Yehouda said: Since the day of the destruction of the Temple, the heavenly blessings no longer reach Israel; and thus all the blessings which the Holy One, blessed be He, bestows every day upon the world are lost to Israel, as it is written: “The righteous man perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart.” What is the meaning of the words: “The righteous man perisheth”? Scripture means that the heavenly blessings which rest upon him are lost, as it is written: “Blessings are upon the head of the righteous”; and as it is written: “This is a nation that hearkened not to the voice of the Lord their God, nor received instruction; faith is perished; it is cut off from their mouth.” Therefore Scripture says: “And He blessed them.” And to specify the One from Whom the blessings proceed, it adds elsewhere: “And Elohim blessed them.”
It is from Seth that all the generations and all the righteous of the world have sprung. Rabbi Yossé said: After Adam had transgressed the commandment of God, he no longer had any right to use the letters of the alphabet that had served as instruments of that same commandment. But since Adam still had something good in him, the last two letters of the alphabet remained accessible to him. He therefore used them for the name of his son Seth. When he repented and was reconciled with his Master, the letters gradually began to become accessible to him again; but they became so in reverse order: first the Thav, then the Schin, then the Resch, the Couph, and so forth. This is the reason why Adam called his son Seth, a name composed of the Schin and the Thav. From that moment, the letters remained arranged in reverse order, until the day when Israel was placed at the foot of Mount Sinai; only then were the letters once more arranged in the normal order they had had on the day of the creation of the heavens and the earth. This restoration of the letters of the alphabet to their proper order helped to embalm the world and make it firm.
Rabbi Abba said: On the day Adam transgressed the commandment of his Master, the heavens and the earth desired to vanish. Why? Because they are founded only upon God’s covenant with man,
As it is written: “If the covenant of day and night had not existed, I would not have made the laws that govern them and the earth.” Now Adam broke the Covenant, as it is written: “They broke the Covenant they had made with Me, like Adam.” Had the Holy One, blessed be He, not foreseen that Israel would one day stand at the foot of Mount Sinai to accept the Covenant, the world would not have endured.
As it is written: “If the covenant of day and night had not existed, I would not have made the laws that govern them and the earth.” Now Adam broke the Covenant, as it is written: “They broke the Covenant they had made with Me, like Adam.” Had the Holy One, blessed be He, not foreseen that Israel would one day stand at the foot of Mount Sinai to accept the Covenant, the world would not have endured.
Rabbi Hizqiya said: The Holy One, blessed be He, grants remission of sins to whoever confesses them. Observe that at the same time as the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He made the Covenant upon which the world is founded. How do we know that it was so? We know it from the Scriptural term “Bereschith,” which must be interpreted thus: “Bara schith,” that is to say, “He created the foundation,” whence the blessings of heaven flow forth, and upon which the world is founded. It is this Covenant that Adam had broken, and this is why he was driven from the place he occupied. The Covenant is here symbolized by the letter Yod in the word “schith”; small though this letter be, it symbolizes the foundation of the world. When Adam had a son, he confessed his sins, and God granted him remission of them. Therefore he called his son by the name Seth, a name formed of the same letters as the word “schith,” with the exception of the letter Yod, which is missing from this name because this letter denotes the Covenant that Adam had broken. This is why the Holy One, blessed be He, established the world and caused all the generations of the righteous to descend from Seth.
Observe, moreover, that when Israel was placed at the foot of Mount Sinai, the Covenant was placed between these two letters, that is to say, between the Schin and the Thav; for the Covenant is here symbolized by the letter Beth. Thus the Covenant, symbolized by the letter Beth and placed between the letters Schin and Thav, forms the word “Sabbath” (schabath), as it is written: “Let the children of Israel observe the Sabbath, and celebrate it from generation to generation; for it is an everlasting Covenant between Me and the children of Israel, and a sign that shall endure for ever.”
Rabbi Yossé said: The two letters Schin and Thav were thus joined to the letter Beth, which proves that, when Israel was placed at the foot of Mount Sinai, they could already make use of all the letters of the alphabet, although at the time of Seth’s birth, only the two letters composing his name had been accessible to men.
Rabbi Yossé said: The two letters Schin and Thav were thus joined to the letter Beth, which proves that, when Israel was placed at the foot of Mount Sinai, they could already make use of all the letters of the alphabet, although at the time of Seth’s birth, only the two letters composing his name had been accessible to men.
Rabbi Judah said: From the birth of Seth until the event of Mount Sinai, the letters gradually became accessible to men; but it was only at Mount Sinai that the letters appeared complete and arranged in their proper order.
Rabbi Eleazar said: In the days of Enos, men were exceedingly skilled in occult science, in the art of magic, and in all the sciences suited to set supernatural forces in motion. Since Adam, who, after being driven out of Eden, also devoted himself to the study of the “leaves of the tree of Good and Evil,” no one knew the occult sciences as well as Enos. He taught them to his contemporaries, and thus they were transmitted to the generation of the Flood, who, knowing how to make use of this secret lore, defied Noah, declaring that, through their knowledge of the art of magic, they were able to avert the punishments with which God threatened them. Since it was only from the time of Enos that men began to make use of the art of magic, Scripture says: “And unto Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.”
Rabbi Eleazar said: In the days of Enos, men were exceedingly skilled in occult science, in the art of magic, and in all the sciences suited to set supernatural forces in motion. Since Adam, who, after being driven out of Eden, also devoted himself to the study of the “leaves of the tree of Good and Evil,” no one knew the occult sciences as well as Enos. He taught them to his contemporaries, and thus they were transmitted to the generation of the Flood, who, knowing how to make use of this secret lore, defied Noah, declaring that, through their knowledge of the art of magic, they were able to avert the punishments with which God threatened them. Since it was only from the time of Enos that men began to make use of the art of magic, Scripture says: “And unto Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.”
Rabbi Isaac said: All the righteous who lived after Enos strove to make their contemporaries abandon the practice of magic. Thus Jared, Mathusala, and Henoch made attempts to the same end; but they could not accomplish it. The practice of this science at length grew to such proportions that the guilty already thought of rebelling against their Master, crying: “Who is the Almighty (Schadaï) that He should compel us to serve Him? And what good shall come to us if we pray to Him?” Indeed, they were not so foolish as to believe that the Almighty could not compel them to serve Him; but, versed in occult science, they hoped to make use of it to ward off punishments from themselves.
with which they were threatened with being overwhelmed. It was then that the Holy One, blessed be He, restored the world to its primitive state; for, in the beginning, the earth was wholly covered with water, and at the time of the Flood it was the same. But after the Flood, God gave the earth back to men with the promise that the world should never again be destroyed, for He looked upon them with mercy. Therefore Scripture hath said: “The Lord made a flood to remain upon the earth.” Scripture saith “the Lord”; but it saith not “Elohim”; for “the Lord” is mercy; “Elohim” is severity. In the days of Enos, even the children knew the supreme Mysteries and were able to penetrate them. Rabbi Yessa objected: If it were so, then these men were great fools, since, notwithstanding their knowledge of the mysteries, they could not foresee that the Holy One, blessed be He, was preparing to overwhelm them with the Flood, which would be their destruction! Rabbi Isaac replied: They did indeed foresee it; but, in their blindness, they reasoned thus: We know the angel appointed over fire, and we likewise know the angel appointed over water. Moreover, we possess the power to thwart the acts of the first of these angels and to obstruct those of the second. If ever we were threatened with fire or water, we would stay the hand of the angel appointed over these calamities. But they knew not that it is the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, Who overwhelms the world with the punishments He decrees, and that the appointed angels are but the executors of these commands. They perceived this truth only on the day when the Flood destroyed the world. Before the Flood, the Holy Spirit caused the following words to resound throughout the world each day: “Let sinners and the unrighteous be blotted out from the earth, that they be no more.” The Holy One, blessed be He, prolonged His forbearance so long as the righteous Jared, Mathusala, and Henoch were in the world. But as soon as these righteous men departed from the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, overwhelmed men with the punishments wherewith He had threatened them, and they were destroyed, as it is written: “Everything perished from off the earth.”
It is written: “And Henoch walked with Elohim, and he appeared no more, because Elohim took him away.” Rabbi Yossé opened one of his discourses with the following exordium: It is written: “While the King is in His council (bimsibo), the nard that perfumed me has spread its sweet fragrance.” This verse has already been interpreted; but here is another interpretation: Observe the way of the Holy One, blessed be He. So long as man remains attached to God, He takes up His dwelling in that man. But if God foresees that a righteous man will eventually degenerate, He hastens to take him away from this world while the fragrance that issues from that man is still sweet. Such is the meaning of the verse cited above. “While the King…” designates the Holy One, blessed be He. “…Is in His council” designates the man who is attached to God and walks in the good way, the man in whom God makes His abode. “The nard that perfumed me has spread its sweet fragrance” designates the good works of man, on account of which God takes many a righteous man prematurely from this world, so that their good works may not lose their sweet fragrance through the evil deeds that would follow them, were the man to remain alive. That is why King Solomon said: “There are righteous men upon whom calamities befall, as though they had done the deeds of the wicked; and there are wicked men who live in security, as though they had done the works of the righteous.” For indeed there are righteous men who are taken prematurely from this world, as though they had done the deeds of the wicked, because the Holy One, blessed be He, foresees that, if they live, they will eventually commit evil deeds. The Holy One, blessed be He, takes these righteous men from this world before the appointed day, to spare them the punishment they would incur if they remained alive. But there are also wicked men who enjoy long life, as though they had done the works of the righteous; these are the wicked men to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, grants long life, in order to give them the opportunity to repent and be converted. Thus the righteous sometimes die prematurely, so that by their subsequent conduct they may not destroy the good works.
already accomplished; and the wicked sometimes enjoy longevity, so that by their subsequent conduct they may make amends for the evil deeds they have committed, or else that they may beget righteous children.
Observe that Henoch was righteous; but the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that he would eventually sin; He therefore took him from this world before the appointed time. Wherefore Scripture hath said: “... To gather lilies.” Scripture meaneth that the Holy One, blessed be He, taketh the righteous from this world while they are still shedding their sweet fragrance, and before it is marred. Scripture addeth: “... And he was seen no more, because Élohim took him.” By “he was seen no more,” Scripture meaneth that he died before reaching the age of the other men of his generation. Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, took him prematurely.
Rabbi Éléazar said: The Holy One, blessed be He, took Henoch from this world, raised him to the highest heavens, and entrusted to him all the celestial treasures, together with the forty-five keys to the combinations of the engraved letters, which the higher angels make use of, as hath already been said.
Observe that Henoch was righteous; but the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that he would eventually sin; He therefore took him from this world before the appointed time. Wherefore Scripture hath said: “... To gather lilies.” Scripture meaneth that the Holy One, blessed be He, taketh the righteous from this world while they are still shedding their sweet fragrance, and before it is marred. Scripture addeth: “... And he was seen no more, because Élohim took him.” By “he was seen no more,” Scripture meaneth that he died before reaching the age of the other men of his generation. Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, took him prematurely.
Rabbi Éléazar said: The Holy One, blessed be He, took Henoch from this world, raised him to the highest heavens, and entrusted to him all the celestial treasures, together with the forty-five keys to the combinations of the engraved letters, which the higher angels make use of, as hath already been said.
It is written: “And God saw that the wickedness of men who lived upon the earth was great, and that all the thoughts of their heart were at all times intent upon evil.” Rabbi Yehouda opened one of his discourses with the following exordium: Scripture says: “Thou art not a God that approveth wickedness; the evil spirit shall not dwell with Thee.” This verse has already been explained; but observe, moreover, that it follows from this verse that whosoever cleaves to the tempter spirit and lets himself be guided by it falls into such impurity that he defiles all whom he approaches, as has already been said.
Scripture says: “... The wickedness of men was great.” God exercised His long-suffering and did not wish to overwhelm the men of that generation with evils, despite their wicked deeds, until they had needlessly shed blood upon the earth—that is to say, until they had practised onanism, which is likened to murder. And who was it that incited them to practise onanism? Scripture answers: “... And the thoughts of their heart were at all times intent upon evil (ra).” Here Scripture uses the word “evil” (ra). And elsewhere it is said: “And Er, Judah’s firstborn son, did evil (ra) in the sight of God.” Now it is known that Er’s crime consisted in the practice of onanism.
Scripture says: “... The wickedness of men was great.” God exercised His long-suffering and did not wish to overwhelm the men of that generation with evils, despite their wicked deeds, until they had needlessly shed blood upon the earth—that is to say, until they had practised onanism, which is likened to murder. And who was it that incited them to practise onanism? Scripture answers: “... And the thoughts of their heart were at all times intent upon evil (ra).” Here Scripture uses the word “evil” (ra). And elsewhere it is said: “And Er, Judah’s firstborn son, did evil (ra) in the sight of God.” Now it is known that Er’s crime consisted in the practice of onanism.
Rabbi Yossé asked: Is “Râ” therefore synonymous with “rascha” (wicked)? Rabbi Yehouda answered him: No; these two terms are not synonymous. One is called “rascha” (wicked) merely for having raised one’s hand against one’s fellow, even though one has done him no harm, as it is written: “And he said to him that smote the other: Wicked (rascha), why smitest thou thy brother?” Scripture does not say: “Why hast thou smitten thy brother?” For had Scripture spoken thus, one might have supposed that the deed had been done, that is, that he had indeed smitten his fellow; but it says: “Why smitest thou thy brother?” which proves that the deed had not yet been completed, but that he was only about to strike; and yet Scripture calls him “rascha.”
On the other hand, the name “Râ” is applied only to him who practises onanism and thus defiles himself, as well as all the world, by lavishing his strength upon the impure spirit called by the name of “Râ.” Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “… And that every thought of their heart was devoted to ‘Râ’ (evil).” The man stained by this defilement shall never enter the celestial Palace, nor shall he ever behold the face of the Shekhinah, whom he has driven away from this world by reason of his sin.
How do we know that the Shekhinah is driven away from this world by the practice of onanism? We know it from Jacob. For when the Shekhinah withdrew from Jacob, he feared that there might be some stain among his children—that is, that through the loss of seed he might have begotten a son on the side of the demon. He feared that this sin might have given the impure spirit entrance into the world and diminished the light of the moon by imparting to it its notched form. Now, if Jacob feared that the withdrawal of the Shekhinah was caused by a mere loss of seed...
How do we know that the Shekhinah is driven away from this world by the practice of onanism? We know it from Jacob. For when the Shekhinah withdrew from Jacob, he feared that there might be some stain among his children—that is, that through the loss of seed he might have begotten a son on the side of the demon. He feared that this sin might have given the impure spirit entrance into the world and diminished the light of the moon by imparting to it its notched form. Now, if Jacob feared that the withdrawal of the Shekhinah was caused by a mere loss of seed...
Therefore, how much more would the Shekhinah not withdraw from the world as a result of the practice of masturbation, which defiles the man who indulges in it and helps strengthen the spirit of impurity. This is why he who practices masturbation is called “Râ.” Observe that every man who indulges in this vice is never visited by the Holy One, blessed be He; but, on the contrary, he is visited every day by the demon called “Râ,” as it is written: “The fear of the Lord leadeth unto life; it giveth peaceful nights, preserving one from the visitation of evil (Râ).” Scripture means that whosoever walketh in the way of good is not visited by the demon named “Râ.” Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “... And that every thought of their heart was at all times bent upon evil (Râ).” Such also is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “The evil spirit (Râ) shall not dwell near thee.” The demon by whom those who practice masturbation are possessed is called “Râ,” and not “Rascha.” What precedes also explains the words of Scripture: “Though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil (Râ), for Thou art with me.”
It is written: “And God repented that He had made man upon the earth; and He was grieved to the very depths of His heart.” Rabbi Yossé opened one of his discourses with the following preamble: Scripture says: “Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope.” The words: “... That draw iniquity with cords of vanity” refer to those kinds of men who make themselves guilty before their Master every day, and in whose eyes the sins they commit seem to be of very little consequence; therefore Scripture speaks of cords, because to such people iniquity seems a sin as slight as a cord. The Holy One, blessed be He, exercises His long-suffering with such people and smites them only when they make themselves guilty of misdeeds whose gravity cannot escape even their own eyes. It is of this degree of wickedness that Scripture says: “... And sin as it were with a cart rope.” Observe that, when the Holy One, blessed be He, judges the guilty of this world, He cannot bring Himself to destroy them, although they sin against Him and provoke Him to anger every day; for, when He looks upon them, He repents of the sentence pronounced against them, because they are the work of His hands. And even when the punishment of the guilty becomes indispensable, the Holy One, blessed be He, has pity on their plight and—if it be permissible so to speak—is “grieved to the very depths of His heart.” He is grieved because they are the work of His hands, as it is written: “The King, having entered his house, went to bed without eating: no food was served at His table, and he was deprived of sleep during the night.” And elsewhere it is said: “Glory and praise are before Him; holiness and majesty shine forth in His holy place.” Rabbi Yossé said: Observe that Scripture says: “... And He was grieved to the very depths of His heart.” This verse, then, speaks only of the divine essence called “heart,” and not of the other, for the other divine essence is called “spirit,” as it is written: “And I will raise me up a faithful priest, who shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my spirit.” Rabbi Isaac said: The words “And God repented that He had made man upon the earth” have the same meaning as the words: “And God repented of the evil which He had spoken against His people.” According to Rabbi Yessa, Rabbi Isaac’s interpretation is favorable to men; according to Rabbi Hizqiya, on the contrary, it is unfavorable. According to Rabbi Yessa, Rabbi Isaac means that the words of Scripture signify that God repented of the punishments
decreed against men, who are the work of His hands. According to Rabbi Hizqiya, on the contrary, Rabbi Isaac means that the Holy One, blessed be He, was consoled for the loss of man, although he was the work of His hands, as a man consoles himself for the loss of a member of his family; in other words, the Holy One, blessed be He, resolved to make the guilty disappear from this world. Observe that, whenever a punishment is decreed against a guilty man, the Holy One, blessed be He, must console Himself before He overwhelms His own child with woes. Repentance can avert the punishment decreed, so long as the Holy One, blessed be He, has not yet consoled Himself; but if He has already done so, repentance is powerless to avert the punishment decreed. That is why Scripture first says: “And God was consoled”; and then adds: “And He was grieved to the very depths of His heart.” Thus, He was grieved only after He had been consoled; for only then had evil become inevitable, and even repentance could no longer avert it. Rabbi Hiyâ said: The words of the verse just quoted mean that the Holy One, blessed be He, was consoled for the loss of man. When the Holy One, blessed be He, created man upon the earth, He fashioned him in the image of the heavenly form; and, at the sight of the form of man, which so greatly resembled that above, all the supernal angels praised the Holy One, blessed be He, crying out:
“Thou hast made him but little lower than Elohim; Thou hast crowned him with glory and honour.” But when man had sinned, the Holy One, blessed be He, was grieved, because this sin afforded the angels an occasion to renew the reproach which they had already uttered before the creation of man. For when God desired to create man, the angels cried out: “What is man, that Thou shouldst remember him? What is man, that he should be worthy of Thy visitation?” Rabbi Yehouda said: God was grieved because He had to chastise men, as it is written: “They went before the army, and all formed one choir, singing this song: Praise the Lord, for His mercy is everlasting.” Now Rabbi Isaac asked: Why was this song not worded like the songs of the Psalms, which begin with the words: “Praise the Lord, for He is good”? But the truth is that the word “good” was not to be used on an occasion when Israel exterminated so many men who are the work of God. Likewise, when Israel crossed the Red Sea, the celestial angels came to sing a song before the Holy One, blessed be He. He said to them: What! the work of My hands is drowning in the sea, and you are preparing to sing a song! Therefore Scripture says: “So that the two armies could not approach one another throughout the night.” The same is true whenever a guilty man is exterminated in this world; the Holy One, blessed be He, is grieved. Rabbi Abba said: The Holy One, blessed be He, is not grieved at the moment when the guilty man is exterminated, but at the moment when he sins and transgresses his Master’s commandment. When Adam sinned, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Woe unto thee, for thou hast weakened the strength above and extinguished the celestial light! And straightway He drove him out of the Garden of Eden. The Holy One, blessed be He, further said to Adam: I had caused thee to ascend into the Garden of Eden so that thou mightest offer sacrifices there, whereas thou hast profaned the altar; therefore I decree that henceforth thou shalt be reduced to tilling the earth. Thereafter, the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed the death of man. Yet, before Adam’s death, the Holy One, blessed be He, had pity on him and allowed him to be buried near the Garden of Eden; for Adam made a cave near the Garden of Eden and hid therein with his wife until the day of their death. How could Adam know that this cave was near the Garden of Eden? He saw a ray of light coming from the neighbourhood and entering his cave, and he at once recognized that this light came from Eden, whence he had just been driven out. Note that no man leaves this world without seeing, immediately after his death,
Adam, the first man. He asked him what was the cause of His death and in what moral state He had left the world. The man who had just died then said to Adam: “Woe unto thee, for Thou wast the cause of my death!” But Adam answered him: “I transgressed but one commandment and suffered such a punishment; consider, then, what Thy punishment must be, Thou who hast transgressed so many commandments and rendered thyself guilty of so many misdeeds!”
Rabbi Hiyâ said: Adam sees the patriarchs every day, on two separate occasions; he confesses his sin to them and shows them the place where he once enjoyed celestial glory. Adam also sees there all the righteous and all the zealous who have sprung from him and who have received this reward, to enjoy celestial glory in the Garden of Eden. All the patriarchs then praise God, crying out: “How great is Thy grace, O Lord, Who shelterest the children of Adam beneath Thy wings.”
Rabbi Hiyâ said: Adam sees the patriarchs every day, on two separate occasions; he confesses his sin to them and shows them the place where he once enjoyed celestial glory. Adam also sees there all the righteous and all the zealous who have sprung from him and who have received this reward, to enjoy celestial glory in the Garden of Eden. All the patriarchs then praise God, crying out: “How great is Thy grace, O Lord, Who shelterest the children of Adam beneath Thy wings.”
Rabbi Yessa said: At the moment of leaving the world, all men see Adam, so that each may be compelled to acknowledge that he died for his own sin, and not only on account of Adam’s sin. The foregoing accords with the tradition which teaches us that no man dies without sin, save three men, whose death was due only to the evil counsel of the first serpent; these three men are Amram, Levi, and Benjamin; according to some, Jesse must be added to them. These men committed no sin deserving death, and they left this world only as a result of the counsel of the evil serpent, as we have said.
Observe that all the generations in the time of Noah committed their sins in the sight of all the world. Rabbi Simeon, walking one day at the gate of the city of Tiberias, saw men casting slingshots at earthen vessels, that is, practicing onanism. Rabbi Simeon cried out: “What! These criminals dare to provoke their Master in public!” He cast a glance upon the guilty men, and they were cast into the sea and perished there.
Observe that all the generations in the time of Noah committed their sins in the sight of all the world. Rabbi Simeon, walking one day at the gate of the city of Tiberias, saw men casting slingshots at earthen vessels, that is, practicing onanism. Rabbi Simeon cried out: “What! These criminals dare to provoke their Master in public!” He cast a glance upon the guilty men, and they were cast into the sea and perished there.
Note that every sin committed publicly drives the Shekhinah away from the earth and causes the Shekhinah to depart from Her dwelling in this world. The generation of Noah’s time sinned brazenly and committed crimes in full view of all; thus it drove the Shekhinah away from the world, with the result that the Holy One, blessed be He, rejected Her and drove Her away from Him; wherefore Scripture says: “Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a most pure vessel. Take away wickedness from before the King, and His throne shall be established by righteousness.”
It is written: “And Elohim said: My spirit shall not abide forever with man, because he is flesh.”
It is written: “And Elohim said: My spirit shall not abide forever with man, because he is flesh.”