Genesis 6 is the prelude to the flood story. Humankindhas spread across the land and immediately turns to evil.

“The LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth,and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time”
וַיַּרְא יְהוָה כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ, וְכָל-יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבֹת לִבּוֹ רַק רַע כָּל-הַיּוֹם (Genesis 6:5)

God regrets having created man, and instead decides towipe them out. The opening verses of this chapter are difficult to understand:

“The sons of the Elohim saw how beautiful the daughtersof men were and took wives from among those that pleased them”
וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי-הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת-בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם, כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה; וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים, מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ (Genesis 6:2)

“It was then, and later too, that the Nephilim appearedon earth—when the sons of Elohim cohabited with the daughters of men, who bore them offspring. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown”
הַנְּפִלִים הָיוּ בָאָרֶץ, בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם; וְגַם-אַחֲרֵי-כֵן, אֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל-בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם, וְיָלְדוּ לָהֶם--הֵמָּה הַגִּבֹּרִים, אֲשֶׁר מֵעוֹלָם אַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם (Genesis 6:4)

What are these sons of Elohim? Until this point, thisword has only been used to refer to God. Later on in Tanach, the word almost always refers to God or gods of other nations. Using this understanding, this verse is troubling as it implies some sort of divine beings on earth cohabiting with humans reminiscent of pagan mythology. The commentators are equally disturbed by that meaning.

Some commentators refer to these sons of Elohim asmessengers divinely inspired to aid the people. This reading maintains the translation of Elohim as God but interprets the word “sons” as metaphorical. Others move even further away from the divine idea and explain that there areinstances in Tanach where this word actually refers to leaders or judges. This matches with the end of verse 4, which can be read to imply that these sons of Elohim were heroes of old and men of renown.

With both of these interpretations—divine messengers andleaders—these verses then refer to corrupt individuals using their power for sexual domination, something that is still a major issue unfortunately. The lesson we can take from this is clear: when religious leaders, authorityfigures, or famous people use their position of power to dominate and abuse others, and when they use their power to do whatever they want simply because they want to without regard for anyone else, this perverse behavior so angers God that it is the catalyst for the destruction of the world.

This week we will be reading about Noach and the flood. When reading the text, pay attention to the confusion in the story. When did Noach start building the ark? When did he enter the ark? Where did the waters come from? When did the rain start? When did it finish? The text itself seems like an amalgamation of various versions of the story. Some commentators, like Rashi, try to synthesize the mixed up versions of the story into one timeline.
We can also look at the story in a "form follows content" analysis. The story of the flood is meant to be chaotic and haphazard. The purpose is for the reader to feel like they are drowning in the waves of pesukim swirling around them.
For further reading, below is a link to the flood story from the Epic of Gilgamesh, a poem from ancient Mesopotamia. There are many overlapping facts with the story in the Torah. Some scholars try to focus this as an attack on the authorship of the Torah, but careful Torah readers know better. As noted above, the flood story in Genesis itself seems like a few versions of the story mixed together. The fact that a similar story exists in ancient cuneiform from around the same time more likely shows that a flood like event actually happened. More on the flood story tomorrow…
https://www.historywiz.com/primarysources/sumerianflood.html

“This is the book of Adam’s lineage.—When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God”זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֹת אָדָם בְּיוֹם בְּרֹא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם בִּדְמוּת אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֹתוֹ (Genesis 5:1)We are five chapters into the Torah, and it sounds like we are starting over yet again. Jumping ahead 23 books, the I Chronicles starts in a similar fashion listing the lineage of Adam. Some commentators explain that this chapter is really meant to be the start of the Torah. The previous four chapters were just prologue. Where does this idea come from? First, the opening verse begins with “this is the book (sefer) of Adam’s lineage.” The listing of lineages happens elsewhere in Tanach—e.g., Genesis 25:19:“This is the lineage of Isaac”וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יִצְחָק בֶּן־אַבְרָהָם (Genesis 25:19)—but without the word “book.”The Ramban explains that the use of the word “book” here means the whole Torah; therefore, this is the true opening verse.Ibn Ezra explains that the first verse includes “When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God”בְּיוֹם בְּרֹא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם בִּדְמוּת אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֹתוֹto explain why Adam had no parents. One would only need to include this fact again if the Torah should begin with this verse and not chapter one.Sforno explains that the grand introduction signals that this is when recorded history begins. Everything beforehand is superfluous to the story.Chizkuni does not see this as the proper beginning, but more like a reset. With the story shifting to Noah, the last birth in this chapter, the chapter must get us to Noah. This is similar, again, to Chronicles where David is the central character so all lineages there only get the reader to David. Here too, we must get to Noah so the chapter only includes the relevant relatives.The Malbim adds that we know this chapter is just about the history of mankind because Cain and Abel are not listed as sons of Adam here. That is because Cain is murdered and Abel later dies and his lineage ends with the flood.Radak disagrees that this is a book (sefer) but rather a count (the verb סֵפוֹר). This chapter is necessary to provide a timeline from creation to the flood. In Radak’s understanding, the names are not relevant. The timing is what is relevant. That is why Cain and Abel are not mentioned. Their lineages do not allow us to get from creation to the flood.We can see from this exhaustive list that everyone seems to be puzzled with this fourth go-around at the creation story. Yet, how these commentators decide to handle this confusion explains their level of comfort with this difficult question. We can split these roughly into two camps. Some commentators are fine with framing this as the true beginning with the previous four being some sort of prologue. Others seem to be more uncomfortable with the idea that the Torah would have a different starting point. They try to frame this chapter as the start of the story of Noah and the flood. This tension between looking at the Torah as an immovable text and allowing for nuance and creativity will resurface many times throughout our studies together

Cain is the first farmer. He spends his days tilling thesoil—fulfilling the curse that God pronounced on Adam in chapter 3:
“Cursed be the ground because of you; By toil shall you eat of it”
כִּי אָרוּרָה הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ, בְּעִצָּבוֹן תֹּאכֲלֶנָּה (Genesis3:17)

Eve names him Cain because God has given her a male child.Cain, as Eve’s first child, was her first experience of the curse of God inchapter 3:
“In pain shall you bear children”
בְּעֶצֶב תֵּלְדִי בָנִים (Genesis 3:16)

His younger brother, Abel, is a shepherd. Abel fulfills theblessing bestowed on man in chapter one:
“God blessed them and God said to them, ‘… rule the fish of the sea, thebirds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth’”
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים... וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבְכָל־חַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל־הָאָרֶץ (Genesis1:28)

Cain presents a sacrifice from his crop and Abel presents agift of his “choicest” flock. God only accepts Abel’s. Cain is upset and Godreplies with a very bizarre statement:
“If you do right, There is uplift. But if you do not do right Sin couches atthe door; Its urge is toward you, Yet you can be its master”
הֲלוֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב שְׂאֵת וְאִם לֹא תֵיטִיב לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ וְאֵלֶיךָ תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ (Genesis4:7)

The very next verse is also odd:
“Cain said to his brother when they were in the field, Cain set upon hisbrother Abel and killed him”
וַיֹּאמֶר קַיִן אֶל־הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיְהִי בִּהְיוֹתָם בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיָּקָם קַיִן אֶל־הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיַּהַרְגֵהוּ (Genesis4:8)

What did Cain say to Abel? Why did he kill him? Why did Godfavor Abel’s sacrifice? What did God mean with his statement in verse 7?

Cain was the constant reminder of the past. He was the firstin childbirth and toils the land fulfilling the curses of his parents. He isgiven a name much like Adam named Eve after they were cursed. Abel isdifferent. He fulfills the promise of chapter one by being a shepherd. There isno reason behind his name. God turns toward Abel because he represents a breakfrom the past. When Cain is distraught, God knows what will happen. He sees inCain the ability to cause harm as a result of his anger and shame. God warnsCain to overcome his evil inclination, something his parents were unable to do.Cain gets close to this happening. He approaches his brother in the field totalk, but cannot bring himself to say anything. Perhaps being in the field, thesame field that God cursed and in which Cain toils, brings up too many badmemories. His evil inclination takes over and he kills his brother. He sins,much like his parents did. He also receives a similar punishment—that thefields will be even harder to toil and he must wander. Cain’s inability toovercome his evil inclination, despite God’s warning, foreshadows many storieslater in Tanach. This will not be the last time God warns his people to noavail and as a result must expel them.

Chapter three tells the famous story of the Garden of Eden. We also areintroduced to the first clever wordplay of Tanach. The chapter uses the Hebrewword “עָרוּם (arum)” to mean two different things in context.

“Now theserpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made. Hesaid to the woman, ‘Did God really say: You shall not eat of any tree of thegarden?’” (verse 1)
וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה אֱלֹים וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה אַף כִּי־אָמַר אֱלֹהִים לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן

The textuses the word “עָרוּם” in this verse to mean shrewd. Theword comes up again in the chapter, but in context the word is used tomean “naked.”

“Then theeyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; andthey sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths.” (verse 7)
וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה עֵינֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי עֵירֻמִּם הֵם וַיִּתְפְּרוּ עֲלֵה תְאֵנָה וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם חֲגֹרֹת

“Hereplied, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because Iwas naked, so I hid.’ Then He asked, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Did youeat of the tree from which I had forbidden you to eat?’” (verses 10–11)
וַיֹּאמֶר אֶת־קֹלְךָ שָׁמַעְתִּי בַּגָּן וָאִירָא כִּי עֵירֹם אָנֹכִי וָאֵחָבֵא׃
וַיֹּאמֶר מִי הִגִּיד לְךָ כִּי עֵירֹם אָתָּה הֲמִן־הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ לְבִלְתִּי אֲכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ אָכָלְתָּ׃

The use ofthe same word is not an accident. The snake is happy with his status as arum.He moves around without hiding himself. It is a mark of honor. When Adam andChava realize they are arum, however, they run and hide and try tocover themselves up. Nothing has changed in their appearance. Presumably theywere naked before and then became aware of the nakedness.

If we lookbeyond this plain meaning, perhaps the text meant arum to meanthe same for Adam and Chava as it was for the snake. Now that the first man andfirst woman did something wrong and acted in a shrewd manner,they were embarrassed. They tried to run and hide from what they did because,unlike the snake, they were afraid of God and embarrassed.

Notice thatGod wants them to appear before Him and not hide. To assist in this, Hefashions them a skin covering:

“And theLORD God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”(verse 21)
וַיַּעַשׂ ה אֱלֹים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם

On the faceof it, it seems like He made them a nice leather jacket. But, if we continuewith our metaphor, maybe what God made them was a “thick skin” tobe able to face their shame and stand before God even when they realize theyhave done something wrong.

Theirpunishment is clear in the text for eating from the tree—the woman must havepainful childbirth and the man has to work the field. If God gives thesepunishments, why does He also expel them?

Perhaps Godexpels them from Eden not for what they did, but for what may happen now thatGod provided them with their thick skin. That could be why the very next verseafter God grants them a thick skin, He is concerned that they will eat from thetree of life:

“And theLORD God said, ‘Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good andbad, what if he should stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of lifeand eat, and live forever!’” (verse 22)
וַיֹּאמֶר ה אֱלֹים הֵן הָאָדָם הָיָה כְּאַחַד מִמֶּנּוּ לָדַעַת טוֹב וָרָע וְעַתָּה פֶּן־יִשְׁלַח יָדוֹ וְלָקַח גַּם מֵעֵץ הַחַיִּים וְאָכַל וָחַי לְעֹלָם

God wantedto protect man from having complete shame, but He also is concerned when manhas no shame—like the snake.

Continuing the question posed in chapter 1, chapter 2 looks like a rehashing of the creation

story. Many of the things created in chapter one, seem to be created here as well, but in

different order and with different details. If chapter one, as explained there, is the creation

of the programming, chapter two is the physical manifestation of that programming. As

opposed to chapter 1, chapter 2 is filled with actual physical verbs. In chapter one, God

creates man “And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him;

male and female He created them” (1:27). In chapter two, however, God forms man

and blows life into his nostrils: “the LORD God formed man   from the dust of the earth. He

blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.” (2:7). In chapter 1,

“And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation: seed-bearing plants, fruit trees of every

kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so” (1:11). In chapter 2, God

also plants the garden and places man into the garden: “The LORD God planted a garden

in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man whom He had formed” (2:8). In chapter one,

God says that the sky and sea should bring forth birds and fish (1:20), and the land should

bring forth animals (1:25). In chapter 2, God forms the animals and birds: “And the

LORD God formed out of the earth all the wild beasts and all the birds of the sky, and

brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each

living creature, that would be its name” (2:19). The programming that God created in

chapter one, is now physically placed into the world. The abstract has now become reality.

A short thought on Bereishit chapter one for the 929 Tanach Yomi cycle.

Genesis 1: Block Chain Creation

Bereishit barah elokim et  hashamyim v’et haaertz. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. So begins the Tanach, the Torah, and the book of Bereishit. Every kindergartener has their seven days of creation art project, but what exactly is going on in this first chapter?  big bang theory, a world millions of years old. How do these modern scientific theories fit in with a biblical narrative that recounts creation over seven days? Libraries full of books have been written on this very topic, so a short 929 post would not be remotely adequate to discuss these issues. Instead, we can use this chapter as an introduction to our 929 study, specifically a practice of careful reading of the text itself. In this first chapter there is something unique about the verbs choice: God does a lot of talking and observing.  The phrase “and God said” appears .10 times, the phrase “and God saw” appears 7 times, the phrase “and God called” appears 4 times, and the phrase “and God blessed” appears 3 times. This contrasts with the more active verbs found in chapter 2 of Genesis (more on that tomorrow). Chapter one, therefore can be read as a blueprint or coding of creation. God maps out the various pieces of creation and inputs their functions. The sky and sea are separate, the land should spring forth grass and plants, the birds are in the sky and fish in the sea, and man and animals roam the earth. These creatures are programed to procreate on their own. This seems to fit the narrative where God mostly talks, calls, and sees, but there is very little physical action. Once the computer program is cued up with the special code, we can turn to chapter 2 for the actual  physical creation. For more on the seven days of creation and modern science, I would recommend Rabbi Natan Slifkin’s book on “the Challenge of creation”. Enjoy Bereishit chapter 1.