וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם. שָׁנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, בַּעֲוֹן זִמָּה אַנְדַּרְלָמוּסְיָא בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם וְסָפָה הַטּוֹבִים וְהָרָעִים. וְרַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה אוֹמֵר, הַכֹּל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְוַתֵּר חוּץ מִן הַזִּמָּה. רְאֵה, עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִצְטַוּוּ עָלֶיהָ מַה כְּתִיב: וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ. מַה כְּתִיב אַחֲרָיו, וַיִּנָּחֶם ה' כִּי עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ, וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶמְחֶה אֶת הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר בָּרָאתִי. וְכֵן בִּסְדוֹמִיִּים, טֶרֶם יִשְׁכָּבוּ (בראשית יט, ד), וְכָל אוֹתוֹ הָעִנְיָן. וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים אֶל לוֹט וְגוֹ' כִּי מַשְׁחִיתִים אֲנַחְנוּ אֶת הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה כִּי גָדְלָה צַעֲקָתָם אֶת פְּנֵי ה' וַיְשַׁלְּחֵנוּ ה' לְשַׁחֲתָהּ (בראשית יט, יג). לָמָּה ה' ה' שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים? אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁפָּרַעְתִּי מִזִּמְרִי וּמִשִּׁמְשׁוֹן וּמֵאַמְנוֹן, וַאֲנִי עָתִיד לָתֵת שָׂכָר טוֹב לְמִי שֶׁהוּא גוֹדֵר עַצְמוֹ מִן הָעֲבֵרָה, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לְיוֹסֵף וּלְיָעֵל וּלְפַלְטִי. And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth (Gen. 6:5). Our sages taught: As punishment for lewdness (in the world) androlepsia41Reprisal taken against all men regardless of guilt or innocence. appeared, destroying the virtuous together with the wicked. R. Azariah said: The Holy One, blessed be He, would overlook everything but lewdness. Observe that when they were immersed in lewdness, it is written in Scripture: The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took them wives, whomsoever they chose (Gen. 6:1), and after that it is said: And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth … and He said: I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the earth (ibid. 6:6–7). Likewise in reference to the Sodomites, it is said: But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, compassed the house around … and they called unto Lot … For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxed great before the Lord; the Lord hath sent us to destroy it (Gen. 19:4, 13). Why is the Lord repeated twice in this verse? The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I am He who exacted punishment upon Zimri, Samson, and Amnon, and I am He who will bestow a reward upon the one who refrains from lewdness, even as I did for Joseph, Jael, and Palti.
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, יוֹסֵף מִשֶּׁלּוֹ נָתְנוּ לוֹ, הַפֶּה שֶׁלֹּא נָשַׁק בְּזִמָּה, נֶאֱמַר לוֹ: וְעַל פִּיךָ יִשַּׁק כָּל עַמִּי (בראשית מא, מ). צַוָּאר שֶׁלֹּא הִרְכִּין לַעֲבֵרָה, וַיָּשֶׂם רְבִיד הַזָּהָב עַל צַוָּארוֹ (בראשית מא, מב). הַיָּד שֶׁלֹּא נָגְעָה בַעֲבֵרָה, וַיָּסַר פַּרְעֹה אֶת טַבַּעְתּוֹ וְגוֹ' (בראשית מא, מב). הַגּוּף שֶׁלֹּא נִדְבַּק לַעֲבֵרָה, וַיַּלְבֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ בִּגְדֵי שֵׁשׁ (בראשית מא, מב). רֶגֶל שֶׁלֹּא עָלָה עָלֶיהָ, וַיַּרְכֵּב אֹתוֹ בְּמִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה (בראשית מא, מג). הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁלֹּא חָשַׁב, נִקְרָא נָבוֹן וְחָכָם. לֵב שֶׁלֹּא הִרְהֵר, וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְפָנָיו אַבְרֵךְ וְצָפְנַת פַּעְנֵחַ. אֲבָל הַסְּדוֹמִיִּים הִמְטִיר עֲלֵיהֶן אֵשׁ וְגָפְרִית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַה' הִמְטִיר עַל סְדוֹם וְגוֹ', וַיַּהֲפֹךְ אֶת הֶעָרִים הָאֵל וְגוֹ' (בראשית יט, כד-כה). לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר כָּאן, אֶמְחֶה אֶת הָאָדָם וְגוֹ'. R. Simeon stated: Joseph was rewarded in kind for his behavior. Because his mouth had not indulged in sinful kissing, he was told: According to thy word shall all my people be kissed (i.e. ruled)(Gen. 41:40); because he had not lowered his neck to sin, He placed a gold chain about his neck (ibid., v. 42); because he had not used his hand to fondle sinfully, Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph’s hand (ibid.); because his body had not clung to another in sin, he arrayed him in garments of fine linen (ibid.); because his feet had not led him to her, He caused him to ride in the second chariot (ibid., v. 43); because he did not entertain wicked thoughts, he was called understanding and wise (ibid., v. 39); and because his heart had not reflected upon committing evil, they called before him: “Abrech”42The Targum translates Abrech as “father of the king.” and Zaphenath-paneah43Rashi translates Zaphenath-paneah as “explainer of things.” (ibid., vv. 43, 45). Upon the Sodomites, however, He rained fire and brimstone, as it is said: The Lord caused to rain upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone (ibid. 19:24), and it likewise says: I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast and creeping things, and fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them (Gen. 6:7).
הַנְּפִלִים הָיוּ בָאָרֶץ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם הֵמָּה הַגִּבֹּרִים אֲשֶׁר מֵעוֹלָם אַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם, מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁהָיוּ רוֹאִין חַמָּה וּלְבָנָה וְעוֹשִׂין כְּשָׁפִים. עֲלֵיהֶם הוּא שֶׁאָמַר, הֵמָּה הָיוּ בְּמֹרְדֵי אוֹר (איוב כד, יג). הֵמָּה הַגִּבֹּרִים, שֶׁהָיוּ קָשִׁין וּמוֹרְדִין וּמְכַשְּׁפִין. וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וְדַעַת דְּרָכֶיךָ לֹא חָפַצְנוּ, מַה שַּׁדַּי כִּי נַעַבְדֶנּוּ וּמַה נּוֹעִיל כִּי נִפְגַּע בּוֹ (איוב כא, יד-טו). The Nephilim were on the earth in those days…. these were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown (Gen. 6:4). This verse informs us that the Nephilim would gaze upon the sun and the moon and perform feats of magic through them, as it is said of them: These are of them that rebel against the light (Job 24:13). The word these in both verses indicates that the Nephilim were the mighty men and were cruel and rebellious and performed acts of magic. Yet they said unto God: Depart from us, for we desire not knowledge of Thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? (Job 21:14–15).
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, לָמָּה הָיוּ מוֹרְדִין, שֶׁהָיוּ זוֹרְעִין שָׁנָה אַחַת וְעוֹשִׂין מָזוֹן לְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְכָךְ אַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים? עוֹד כָּל יְמֵי הָאָרֶץ זֶרַע וְקָצִיר. וְרַבִּי R. Yohanan explained the cause of their rebelliousness as follows: They would sow for a single year and it would produce harvests that lasted forty years.44Many passages in the Midrashim teach that an overabundance of comfort and ease result in evil consequences for mankind. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: “Is this how you act? While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease (Gen. 8:22).”
שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר, לָמָּה הָיוּ מוֹרְדִין, שֶׁהָיוּ רוֹאִין לְעַצְמָן בָּנִים וּבְנֵי בָנִים חֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁשָּׁה דוֹרוֹת וְלֹא הָיוּ מֵתִין, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְכָךְ אַתֶּן מוֹרְדִין? מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ, עֹד כָּל יְמֵי הָאָרֶץ זֶרַע וְקָצִיר, שֶׁתִּהְיוּ מוֹלִידִין וְקוֹבְרִין. וְקֹר וָחֹם, שֶׁתִּהְיוּ מִתְיַסְּרִין בַּשַּׁחֶפֶת וּבַקַּדַּחַת. וְקַיִץ וָחֹרֶף, שֶׁתִּהְיוּ מִתְקַיְּצִין וּפְנֵיכֶם מִתְחָרְפִין, וְהַיִּסּוּרִין אֵינָן פּוֹסְקִין וְתִהְיוּ מִצְטַעֲרִין בְּגוּפֵיכֶם, אֵין אַתֶּם שׁוֹבְתִין יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה, וְתִהְיוּ נִדּוֹנִין בָּאֵשׁ וּבַשָּׁלֶג. R. Samuel the son of Abba explained the cause of their rebelliousness as follows: They lived so long that they beheld the fifth and sixth generations of their descendants. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: “Since ye rebelled, seedtime and harvest means ye shall beget children and bury them, cold and heat implies that you shall be afflicted with consumption and fever; summer and winter indicates that you shall be nauseated, your faces shall turn pale, your punishment shall not cease, and you shall be afflicted in your bodies; day and night indicates that you shall have no rest by day and night, and you shall be sentenced to fire and snow.”