From which of Adam's sons are we all descended?
The obvious answer is, Sheis. People assume that Kayin's line was wiped out, and that we're all from Sheis only, but that's not necessarily true. According to Rashi, we are descended from Kayin just as much as we are descended from Sheis.
Na'ama was Noach's wife. According to Rashi, this Naama was a descendant of Kayin: she was the daughter of Lamech, son of Mesusha'eil, son of Mechuya'eil, son of Chanoch, son of Kayin.
Others (see Mei'am Lo'ez Breishis page 107,) though, say that Noach's Naama was not the one referred to as Kayin's descendant, it was some other Na'ama that was descended from Sheis.
But going with Rashi, and assuming that the three sons of Noach were all from his wife Na'ama, they, and we, may all be 50% descended from Kayin.
I don't know who Kayin's sons married. Maybe they married descendants of Sheis. But if Kayin's family only married Kayin descendants up till Noach, that means that our mitochondrial DNA is all Kayin-ish, assuming, again, that Kayin married his own twin.
I don't know who Kayin's sons married. Maybe they married descendants of Sheis. But if Kayin's family only married Kayin descendants up till Noach, that means that our mitochondrial DNA is all Kayin-ish, assuming, again, that Kayin married his own twin.
(Since Og was king of the Emori, I assume that he was not from Kayin.)
A great addition from R Avrohom Wagner:
This certainly would have made it easier to pick names for the kids if not for the fact that they generally made up new names.
A great observation from R Micha Berger:
I replied,
A great addition from R Avrohom Wagner:
Also interesting to note (as featured at my Shabbos table every Shabbos Bereishis) is that Noach was the first person (that we know of) to have his father and father-in-law share a name - they were both called Lemech.So their family lines were Noach, ben Lamech ben Mesushelach ben Chanoch ben ben ben Keinan , and Naama was bas Lemech ben Mesusha'eil ben Mechuya'eil ben Chanoch ben Kayin.
This certainly would have made it easier to pick names for the kids if not for the fact that they generally made up new names.
A great observation from R Micha Berger:
Notice also that it's Qayin's kids who develop cities, metalurgy, music, .... It's like Noach's side is credited for its moral message, and he marries someone from the line that started developing the tools with which we can better implement that morality.
I replied,
Fascinating. More prosaically,the doers come from Kayin and the dreamers from Sheis.
Also interesting to note (as featured at my Shabbos table every Shabbos Bereishis) is that Noach was the first person (that we know of) to have his father and father-in-law share a name - they were both called Lemech.
ReplyDeleteGreat question for chidon hatanach!
DeleteI would think this means that "Lemech" is a concept that described the generation. Either what it was, or in contrast, what it needed.
DeleteWere I derushically inclined, I might muse that Lemech has the letters of melech transposed, and the sin of that generation was the extreme breakdown of social order. All in all, I think it's better for all of us that I am not so inclined :)
DeleteMicha, I don't know what you mean. Could you please explain it? Thank you.
DeleteNo, I can't. We don't really know what Lemech means; the \למכ\ shoresh isn't used anywhere. Bereishis Rabba (23:2; Yalqut Shim'oni 4:38), which lists Chanokh's descendants arguing that all their names mean rebellion, very "helpfully" uses it in its own explanation, "למך, מה לי ללמך ולתולדותיו?" (Compare to his father, "מתושאל, מתישן אני מן העולם.") In his commentary, R SR Hirsch admits not knowing a meaning.
DeleteBut I can hand-wave in different words, and hope you get what I am aiming at.
Two to four people living in a certain generation pick the same name for their kid. Or maybe it's the nickname HQBH wants us to remember. If the former, it might have been fashion, "Lemech" was to that generation what "Sophia" was to 2016 America. But all these names have meaning, so that's out. Which means that "Lemekh", whatever it might mean, really captured that generation. "Lemekh" summed it up; there weren't multiple aspects about it that Qayin's line and Sheis's line participated in.
Notice also that it's Qayin's kids who develop cities, metalurgy, music, .... It's like Noach's side is credited for its moral message, and he marries someone from the line that started developing the tools with which we can better implement that morality.
ReplyDeleteFascinating. More prosaically,the doers come from Kayin and the dreamers from Sheis.
DeleteToo, the Malbim's comment that two of Noach's sons were good and the third not good, in consonance with Chazal's note that most sons are similar to the mother's brothers, and two of Naama's brothers were good (according to one peshat in Rashi) and the third not good.
Delete