Live Long and...
Torah Study 12/13 Rabbi Marder
The list of genealogy for 10 generations from Adam to Noah is written in a very significant and purposeful way.
There are many theories about the years being so long.
People tend to gloss over this list and not give it much merit other than a basic listing of names and a sense of time. However it is interesting to note that Adam was still alive through most of the 10 generations.
Richard Friedman ( of Who Wrote the Bible fame)
Book of Genologies
Reminds us that it is important to look at the Bible as a total book with a continuity and therefore this listing is important to document the total story.
The long lives are not typically as long as in other ancient cultures.
Maimonades: Only the individuals listed lived that long, everyone else lived more normal life spans.
Nachmonades: A Kabalistic view – Adam was born at a time of perfection. As time goes forward that perfection diminishes thus causing shorter lives.
Kempe: French scholar: Their lives needed to be longer because the cultural development took a long time.
Nets…. – 19th Century : looked at the juxtaposition of the numbers of life before and after children to indicate the the productive life vs the life in decline.
Enoch – 7th Generation was different. (v 21 – 24)
Enoch walked with God and it says it two times which is significant.
Enoch didn’t die, he was taken by God (parallel to Elijah)
Enoch’s lifespan was relatively short.
Different interpretations of “walked with God” and the short life of Enoch
Hassidic took a critical view that he only thought of God and not of others.
Hoshor(?) – said he died young because he was wicked.
Rashi – he died before his time. Not because of what he did. Good people die young and it isn’t connected to what he did.
It is also seen as a fragment of a longer story…
Talmud says to “cleave to God” one must:
Follow the ways of God:
1. clothe the naked
2. visit the sick
3. comfort the mourners
4. bury the dead
There are many legends about Enoch making him a mythological character.
Book: Tree of Souls
By Howard Schwartz, Caren Loebel-Fried, Elliot K. Ginsburg
He invented the solar calendar. Connected to mathematics and more…
But the key issue is that it doesn’t say that he ‘died’ it says that ‘God took him’ and thus it is said that he went directly ‘to paradise’ similar to Elijah.
There are 9 people who are attributed to have entered paradise alive…
It is noted that Methuslah was one of the longest lives and he is the son of Enoch, the shortest.
Then in Torah Study Tradition – reference to the Gershwin song:
On to Verse 28 that is much different in describing Lamech and his son Noah.
There are stylistic differences and linguistic structure differences we explored.
Bet / Nun / Tav becomes Bet / Nun / Vav / Tav
Son is constructive continuation of the parent’s work.
Reflection of the legacy from parent to son.
Verse 29 Noah – problematic in Hebrew.
‘this one will comfort us from the toil of his hands’
But the name means ‘REST’ rather than comfort in Hebrew.
Rashi interprets it as ‘rest FROM the toil of his hands’
The curse of Cain is lifted and implements of agriculture are invented.
Noah does not have children for 500 years. Much longer than others.
Theory that it is because of the impending flood and God didn’t want to destroy the direct children and the line of Noah’s children.
There is a special cantillation mark on ‘zeh’ that refers to Noah and God and adds emphasis.
Genesis 6:1 – Mysterious verses
Tells of humans multiplying, strife increases, trouble coming.
Bnei Elohim:
1. Sons of God – devine mythology – mingling of mortals and immortals – reflected in the beginning of the Book of Job.
2. Elohim not always mean God – it can mean ‘judges’.
3. Sons of the rulers – aristrocrats – married daughters of the lower class.
More to follow…
The list of genealogy for 10 generations from Adam to Noah is written in a very significant and purposeful way.
There are many theories about the years being so long.
People tend to gloss over this list and not give it much merit other than a basic listing of names and a sense of time. However it is interesting to note that Adam was still alive through most of the 10 generations.
Richard Friedman ( of Who Wrote the Bible fame)
Book of Genologies
Reminds us that it is important to look at the Bible as a total book with a continuity and therefore this listing is important to document the total story.
The long lives are not typically as long as in other ancient cultures.
Maimonades: Only the individuals listed lived that long, everyone else lived more normal life spans.
Nachmonades: A Kabalistic view – Adam was born at a time of perfection. As time goes forward that perfection diminishes thus causing shorter lives.
Kempe: French scholar: Their lives needed to be longer because the cultural development took a long time.
Nets…. – 19th Century : looked at the juxtaposition of the numbers of life before and after children to indicate the the productive life vs the life in decline.
Enoch – 7th Generation was different. (v 21 – 24)
Enoch walked with God and it says it two times which is significant.
Enoch didn’t die, he was taken by God (parallel to Elijah)
Enoch’s lifespan was relatively short.
Different interpretations of “walked with God” and the short life of Enoch
Hassidic took a critical view that he only thought of God and not of others.
Hoshor(?) – said he died young because he was wicked.
Rashi – he died before his time. Not because of what he did. Good people die young and it isn’t connected to what he did.
It is also seen as a fragment of a longer story…
Talmud says to “cleave to God” one must:
Follow the ways of God:
1. clothe the naked
2. visit the sick
3. comfort the mourners
4. bury the dead
There are many legends about Enoch making him a mythological character.
Book: Tree of Souls
By Howard Schwartz, Caren Loebel-Fried, Elliot K. Ginsburg
He invented the solar calendar. Connected to mathematics and more…
But the key issue is that it doesn’t say that he ‘died’ it says that ‘God took him’ and thus it is said that he went directly ‘to paradise’ similar to Elijah.
There are 9 people who are attributed to have entered paradise alive…
Enoch, Eliezer, Abraham's servant, Serah, the daughter of Asher (Soṭah 13a), Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh (I Chron. iv. 18), Hiram, King of Tyre, Elijah, Messiah, Ebed-melech the Ethiopian (Jer. xxxviii. 12), and Jabez b. Judah ha-Nasi (probably an error; should be Jabez the Judahite, mentioned ib. iv. 10). Others substitute Joshua b. Levi for Hiram, King of Tyre (Derek Ereẓ Zuṭa i., end; Yalḳ., Gen. 42). Joshua thus became the hero of nearly all the paradise legends. He often met Elijah before the gates of paradise (Sanh. 98a; see "'En Ya'aḳob" ad loc.); and he obtained permission from the angel of death to visit paradise before his death and to inspect his assigned place. He reported the result of his investigation to Rabban Gamaliel ("Seder ha-Dorot," ed. Warsaw, 1893, ii. 191). Probably the original accounts are in the Zohar, which contains all the elements in fragmentary documents (Zohar, Bereshit, 38a-39b, 41a, and Leka 81a, b). One of these accounts is credited to Enoch. Midrash Konen is probably the first compilation and elaboration of these fragments; it reads as follows:
"The Gan 'Eden at the east measures 800,000 years (at ten miles per day or 3,650 miles per year). There are five chambers for various classes of the righteous. The first is built of cedar, with a ceiling of transparent crystal. This is the habitation of non-Jews who become true and devoted converts to Judaism. They are headed by Obadiah the prophet and Onḳelos the proselyte, who teach them the Law. The second is built of cedar, with a ceiling of fine silver. This is the habitation of the penitents, headed by Manasseh, King of Israel, who teaches them the Law.
In another reference I found these names: Enoch, Elijah, Jonah, Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher [that is, Elisha], and Akiba
It is noted that Methuslah was one of the longest lives and he is the son of Enoch, the shortest.
Then in Torah Study Tradition – reference to the Gershwin song:
It ain't necessarily so
It ain't necessarily so
The t'ings dat yo' li'ble
To read in de Bible,
It ain't necessarily so.
Li'l David was small, but oh my !
Li'l David was small, but oh my !
He fought Big Goliath
Who lay down an' dieth !
Li'l David was small, but oh my !
Wadoo, zim bam boddle-oo,
Hoodle ah da wa da,
Scatty wah !
Oh yeah !...
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale,
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale,
Fo' he made his home in
Dat fish's abdomen.
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale.
Li'l Moses was found in a stream.
Li'l Moses was found in a stream.
He floated on water
Till Ol' Pharaoh's daughter,
She fished him, she said, from dat stream.
Wadoo ...
Well, it ain't necessarily so
Well, it ain't necessarily so
Dey tells all you chillun
De debble's a villun,
But it ain't necessarily so !
To get into Hebben
Don' snap for a sebben !
Live clean ! Don' have no fault !
Oh, I takes dat gospel
Whenever it's pos'ble,
But wid a grain of salt.
Methus'lah lived nine hundred years,
Methus'lah lived nine hundred years,
But who calls dat livin'
When no gal will give in
To no man what's nine hundred years ?
I'm preachin' dis sermon to show,
It ain't nece-ain't nece
Ain't nece-ain't nece
Ain't necessarily ... so !
It ain't necessarily so
The t'ings dat yo' li'ble
To read in de Bible,
It ain't necessarily so.
Li'l David was small, but oh my !
Li'l David was small, but oh my !
He fought Big Goliath
Who lay down an' dieth !
Li'l David was small, but oh my !
Wadoo, zim bam boddle-oo,
Hoodle ah da wa da,
Scatty wah !
Oh yeah !...
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale,
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale,
Fo' he made his home in
Dat fish's abdomen.
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale.
Li'l Moses was found in a stream.
Li'l Moses was found in a stream.
He floated on water
Till Ol' Pharaoh's daughter,
She fished him, she said, from dat stream.
Wadoo ...
Well, it ain't necessarily so
Well, it ain't necessarily so
Dey tells all you chillun
De debble's a villun,
But it ain't necessarily so !
To get into Hebben
Don' snap for a sebben !
Live clean ! Don' have no fault !
Oh, I takes dat gospel
Whenever it's pos'ble,
But wid a grain of salt.
Methus'lah lived nine hundred years,
Methus'lah lived nine hundred years,
But who calls dat livin'
When no gal will give in
To no man what's nine hundred years ?
I'm preachin' dis sermon to show,
It ain't nece-ain't nece
Ain't nece-ain't nece
Ain't necessarily ... so !
On to Verse 28 that is much different in describing Lamech and his son Noah.
There are stylistic differences and linguistic structure differences we explored.
Bet / Nun / Tav becomes Bet / Nun / Vav / Tav
Son is constructive continuation of the parent’s work.
Reflection of the legacy from parent to son.
Verse 29 Noah – problematic in Hebrew.
‘this one will comfort us from the toil of his hands’
But the name means ‘REST’ rather than comfort in Hebrew.
Rashi interprets it as ‘rest FROM the toil of his hands’
The curse of Cain is lifted and implements of agriculture are invented.
Noah does not have children for 500 years. Much longer than others.
Theory that it is because of the impending flood and God didn’t want to destroy the direct children and the line of Noah’s children.
There is a special cantillation mark on ‘zeh’ that refers to Noah and God and adds emphasis.
Genesis 6:1 – Mysterious verses
Tells of humans multiplying, strife increases, trouble coming.
Bnei Elohim:
1. Sons of God – devine mythology – mingling of mortals and immortals – reflected in the beginning of the Book of Job.
2. Elohim not always mean God – it can mean ‘judges’.
3. Sons of the rulers – aristrocrats – married daughters of the lower class.
More to follow…
posted by Chavarah @ 10:06 PM
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