© 2020 by Rabbi Zvi Aviner
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BLOODSHED-4/Cain’s Children Against Enosh’s Disciples
“And they took for themselves any woman they so desired”
BLOODSHED began with Cain killing Abel, INCREASED in the following generations, culminated in Noah’s generation and resulted with the Great Flood. After the Flood, at the Rainbow Covenant, G-d gave Noah the BLOODSHED Laws in details. Yes, you can see the Law in the Ten Commandments saying Thou Shall Not Murder, but the details are given to Noah.
This means that one can’t comprehend the BLOODSHED Laws in full, unless one comprehends the background upon which they were given. Understanding Noah and his generation is paramount, if we wish to STOP BLOODSHED and prevent another catastrophe.
What prompted the terrible BLOODSHED? Nothing else but a spiritual, religious split between two camps – the Children of Cain on one side and the Disciples of Enosh on the other side. Each camp developed its own culture, its own “religion,” and each fought the other to the death. In that sense, they continued the first murder where Cain killed Abel for religious rivalry.
Let’s start with Cain’s Children.
1: Cain’s Children of ELoKiM
Cain’s exile
Let’s repeat the story of Cain’s children. Cain himself was sentenced to exile in No Man’s Land, in the woods, where he lived alone for seven generations before he was killed in revenge for having killed Abel. He developed a “sign” in his forehead, that could be a “H Letter”, “ray of light”, or a “horn” or a “tumor” that protruded forwards an caused him to lose his mind. His only companion in the wood was a ferocious dog that barked at anyone who approached him.
Cain’s children
At the same time, his children built a city near the woods where he lived. As if to atone for their forefather crime, they adapted an extreme measure of piety, taking upon themselves to observe ELKM’s Laws in a strict way. They punished sinners with no Mercy, taking an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (something that Jewish Courts would never do.). Thus they cut hands of thieves, stoned and beheaded and hang criminals for the slightest law violation. This practice gave them the name “Children of ELKM.” It was as if they forgot about the Merciful Attribute YHVH.
Their isolation from mainstream society brought them to develop a unique culture of art and music. In the list of Cain’s Children, you see famous architects, musician, magic dancers, craftsmen and talented metal worker, the forgers of metal swords. One fear kept them nervous- the prophecy that their forefather Cain would be killed after seven generations. They went around armed to the teeth to scare people away and to prevent Cain’s demise.
Pious they were, yet their harsh ways rendered them insensitive to human suffering, a feature that would later contribute later to their spiritual downfall.
2: Enosh Disciples
The opposing camp comprised of Enosh’s Disciples. Who was Enosh?
After the murder of Abel by Cain, Adam and Eve refrained from bringing more children to the world.
Then, 130 years later, Adam “knew his wife” passionately (Midrash) and they begot a son, named Sheth, as it says
“And Adam knew his wife again,
and she bore a son, and he called his name Sheth
for ELoKiM has given me another seed instead of Abel,
whom Cain has killed,” (Genesis 4: 25.)
The name Sheth means in Hebrew ‘foundation.’ Sheth was destined to be the spiritual leader of his generation, replacing Cain. On him the verse says that “Sheth was born “in the image and form of Adam,” (Genesis 5: 3.) Since Adam himself was made “in the image and form of ELoKiM,” the verse implies that Sheth had a great soul, a pious person, a pillar of faith.
Sheth learned from his parents everything that Genesis Chapters 1-5 says. He knew about the Attributes YHVH and ELKM, how they made Adam in their Oneness, how YHVH had “came” from the Eternal Sabbath to share our world with ELKM, how Adam was made to withstand the challenge of IDOLATRY, how the PARENT YHVH ELKM had given Adam the Six Commandments in Eden, how Adam and Eve lost Eden, and how Cain killed Abel. Sheth understood that his task as a leader of Mankind was to preserve the faith and transmit it unchanged to his descendants, which he did avidly.
Adam and Eve lived a long and fruitful life, due to the brunch of the Tree of Life they had brought from Eden. When they felt their time arrived, they bequeathed the brunch to Sheth, and he too lived a long and fruitful life. Sheth begot many children; among them Enosh, the next leader of humanity.
Meet Enosh
Let’s pay attention to Enosh, since humanity is still named in Hebrew after him, as “enoshim”, Children of Enosh. On Enosh it is said:
”And to Sheth, to him too, was born a son
and he named him Enosh.
It was then that they began
calling in the name of YHVH.” (Genesis 4:25)
Enosh was raised on the laps of his father Shet, but also on the laps of his grandparents Adam and Eve, which gave him a great clout among his contemporaries. He knew well the foundation of the Torah, yet he erred. So much, that he is considered the FATHER OF IDOLATRY IN THE WORLD (Maimonides.) What did he preached, to deserve that tile?
Enosh Calling YHVH
The key is the verse saying “It was then that they began calling in the name of YHVH”.
What could be wrong in calling, praying, in the Name of YHVH?
But the Hebrew term used here for “began”, huchal, also means “PROFANED.”
Enosh profaned, desecrated YHVH’s Name by calling Her. What could he do wrong?
Enosh’s errors (for posterity)
The answer is given by Rashi and RaMBaM (Maimonides.) Enosh preached several unwarranted ideas:
1. He ‘called’ the Name of YHVH, prayed to YHVH only, ignoring ELoKiM! He breached Oneness, “separating the glued ones.”
2. He ‘called’ the Name of YHVH, named everything YHVH (Rashi).
3. He ‘called’ the Name of YHVH, encouraged Her to ‘come forwards in full into our world!
Let’s go over Enosh’s errors:
1: He overlooked ELoKiM. As a result, Enosh’s disciples feared no more ELoKiM’s retributions. They began to rape, kill and rob with no hinderance.
2:He prayed to YHVH inside everything. Since YHVH is deep inside everything, Enosh BEGAN – PROFANEND- the Name of YHVH by calling Her inside leaves, trees, stones, the Sun, Moon, and Stars. His thinking was right, but his practice brought his disciples to assume that it is OK to pray to the leaf, stone and celestial bodies; first as “Councilors” of YHV then for their own sake (Maimonides.)This is how he became known as the FATHER OF IDOLATRY.
3: He prayed to YHVH to come forwards in full into our world. He believed that the Sabbath, the Kingdom of Mercy, is coming into ELKM world right now. That was an error, since lions still pray on the sheep. When the Eternal Sabbath is here, the world we know will change. The Angel of Death will disappear. And that hasn’t happened yet.
Describing Enosh
Enosh, according to several rabbinical sources, was a giant of body and soul, a miracle of nature never to be repeated. Even at the advanced age close to a thousand years, his body was vital as of a man of thirty. He had many wives and concubines so his seed filled the Earth and everyone revered him as their father and teacher – apart from Cain’s Children who followed ELKM’s ways and overlooked the Merciful YHVH.
Enosh is described as the greatest orator Mankind would ever know. His tall, beautiful body towered over the huge crowd as he preached his massage about the forthcoming of Mercy to rule the world. His fiery worlds sounded far away, over the people’s heads, as they were watching in awe.
Enosh was fascinated by the Merciful YHVH. Himself a passionate man, full of love and compassion, he was able to excite his audience into ecstasy. You can imagine the thrill that took over the people, as he announced that soon, very soon, all sins would be forgiven, all laws would become obsolete, since under Mercy everyone is loved with endless Compassion.
The audience clapped their hand and chanted hymns with ecstasy, yet the results were catastrophic. Hearing that Mercy is about to enter soon, the disciples went out and violated any law they wished, fearing none of ELKM’s retributions. Soon they slide over the slippery slope and committed the most heinous crimes. RAPE, ADULTERY, BLOODSHEDH and ROBBERY became rampant.
Enosh and Noah
Among Enosh’s descendants, Noah is listed seven generations after him (ten generation after Adam.) despite the difference in their age, there was a special relationship between Enosh and Noah. Noah was born when Enosh was close to a thousand years old and his seeds had already filled the Earth. Yet there was one special feature in baby Noah- he was born circumcised. While everyone, including Noah parents, took this as a weird congenital blemish, Enosh’s took notice of it as an omen that the boy was destined to greatness. Adam, he knew, was also born circumcised. Would Noah become a new Adam. A new father of humanity? Enosh could not tell. But when Noah mother passed away, and his father Lemech married anther wife, Enosh adapted Noah as his own son.
Enosh connected very well with Noah, and taught him everything he knew. And young Noah proved to be a perfect student. He followed Enosh everywhere, attending his fiery sermons about the forthcoming of the Kingdom of Mercy, of YHVH. Enosh expected him to become his heir, yet when Noah was a teenager, he noticed the spiritual deterioration of Enosh’s disciples. He saw the rampant violation of the law, in particular the BLOODSHED in the streets. Gradually he realized that breaching YHVH ELKM Oneness was a grave error.
3 The spiritual downfall of the Children of ELoKiM
Let’s go back to Cain’s Children. Pious as they were, they finally decayed, as it is said
“And the Children of ELoHiM saw Adam’s daughters that they were good (pretty)
so they took for themselves women from whoever they wanted “ (Genesis 6: 2)“The Nefilim were then in the land….” (Genesis 6:4)
The Children of ELoKiM took “the daughters of Adam” as they wished, married or not; thereby violating ADULTERY.
The verse also hints that the “fell out of grace”- as the name Nefillim (fallen) infers.
Nefillim may refer to giants. It could refer to the mighty warriors- may be giants- of the Children of ELKM clan.
But Neffilim resemble “fall.” Hence the notion that the Children of ELKM fell from grace. They had been known to be so pious, and then they violated ELKM Laws, in particular sexual perversions (Rashi)
What happened?
The perpetrator of the spiritual decay of Cain’s clan was no other than Tubal Cain, the brother of Naama, Noah’s future wife. As a young genius of metal craftsmanship, Tubal Cain invented the first, ultra-strong metal sword. That invention made his clan the most powerful military force on Earth. With so much power in their hands, the Children of ELKM began to rape, murder, mug people in their homes an din the streets, “under the watching sun.” They feared no one, and no police could stop them.
We’ll return to Tubal Cian, since he was directly involved in the final demise of their forefather Cain.
4. Society divided
Hence, Noah’s society was split into two camps.
- Cain’s Children of ELKM, who worshipped ELKM and overlooked Mercy.
- Enosh’s Disciples, who worshipped YHVH and overlooked
Both parties started in piety, yet they ended up with BLOODSHED. Not only they killed for robbery, they also fought each other to the death.
Which made Noah thinking in despair- something is deeply wrong with us, Mankind. Whatever our faith is, whether we follow YHVH or ELKM< we would end up killing each other.
He also realized, that the best remedy against BLOODHSED is YHVH ELKM Oneness.
Forbidden Marriage
As it it turned out, Noah came from Enosh, while Naama from Cain. The story goes that for many generations, a ban was placed over intermarriages between Cain and Enosh clans. They noticed that all such mixed marriages had ended with bad offspring, “monsters that threatened to destroy the world.”
Noah and Naama were aware of that ancient ban, yet their love overcame their fear and they did marry each other – to our luck. Yet for long time- since Noah was four hundred years old – they refrained from procreation, till before the Flood when they begot only three sons and no more.
Their story is important, and we’ll focus on them next class.