בראשית רבה כ״גBereshit Rabbah 23

Section 1א׳

וַיֵּדַע קַיִן אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וגו' (בראשית ד, יז), (תהלים מט, יב): קִרְבָּם בָּתֵּימוֹ לְעוֹלָם, רַבִּי יוּדָן וְרַבִּי פִּנְחָס. רַבִּי יוּדָן אָמַר מַה סְּבוּרִין הָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁקִּרְבָּם בָּתֵּימוֹ לְעוֹלָם וגו', (תהלים מט, יב): קָרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת, טְבֶרְיָה, עַל שֵׁם טִיבִירוּאִיס, אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרִיָה, עַל שֵׁם אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרוֹס, אַנְטוֹכִיאָה, עַל שֵׁם אַנְטְיוֹכוּס. וְרַבִּי פִּנְחָס אָמַר קִרְבָּם בָּתֵּימוֹ לְעוֹלָם, לְמָחָר בָּתֵּיהֶם נַעֲשִׂים קִבְרֵיהֶם. (תהלים מט, יב): מִשְׁכְּנֹתָם לְדוֹר וָדֹר, שֶׁאֵינָן לֹא חַיִּים וְלֹא נִדּוֹנִין, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁקָּרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת, וַיְהִי בֹּנֶה עִיר וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הָעִיר כְּשֵׁם בְּנוֹ חֲנוֹךְ.

“Cain was intimate with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Ḥanokh; he was the builder of a city, and he called the name of the city after the name of his son Ḥanokh” (Genesis 4:17). “Cain was intimate with his wife.” “Their houses will endure in their midst forever” (Psalms 49:12). Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Pinḥas, Rabbi Yudan said: What do the wicked believe? “Their houses will endure in their midst forever…they name their lands after themselves” (Psalms 49:12); Tiberias after Tiberius, Alexandria after Alexander, Antioch after Antiochus. Rabbi Pinḥas said: “Their houses will endure in their midst (kirbam) forever”; tomorrow their house will become their graves (kivram). “Their abodes will remain for all generations” (Psalms 49:12), as they will neither live nor be judged [at the resurrection]. Moreover, “they name their lands after themselves” – “he was the builder of a city, and he called the name of the city after the name of his son Ḥanokh.”

Section 2ב׳

וַיִּוָּלֵד לַחֲנוֹךְ אֶת עִירָד וגו' (בראשית ד, יח), אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, כֻּלָּן לְשׁוֹן מַרְדּוּת הֵן, עִירָד, עוֹרְדָּן אֲנִי מִן הָעוֹלָם, מְחוּיָאֵל, מוֹחָן אֲנִי מִן הָעוֹלָם, מְתוּשָׁאֵל, מַתִּישָׁן אֲנִי מִן הָעוֹלָם, לֶמֶךְ, מַה לִּי לְלֶמֶךְ וּלְתוֹלְדוֹתָיו. (בראשית ד, כ): וַיִּקַּח לוֹ לֶמֶךְ שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים שֵׁם הָאַחַת עָדָה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית צִלָּה, אָמַר רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר סִימוֹן כָּךְ הָיוּ אַנְשֵׁי דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל עוֹשִׂין, הָיָה אֶחָד מֵהֶן לוֹקֵחַ לוֹ שְׁתַּיִם, אַחַת לִפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה וְאַחַת לְתַשְׁמִישׁ, זוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה לִפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה הָיְתָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת כְּאִלּוּ אַלְמָנָה בְּחַיֶּיהָ [נסח אחר: בחיי בעלה], וְזוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה לְתַשְׁמִישׁ הָיָה מַשְׁקָהּ כּוֹס שֶׁל עֲקָרִים שֶׁלֹא תֵלֵד, וְהָיְתָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת אֶצְלוֹ מְקֻשֶּׁטֶת כְּזוֹנָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (איוב כד, כא): רֹעֶה עֲקָרָה לֹא תֵלֵד וְאַלְמָנָה לֹא יְיֵטִיב, תֵּדַע לָךְ שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁהֲרֵי הַבָּרוּר שֶׁבָּהֶן הָיָה לֶמֶךְ וְלָקַח לוֹ שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיִּקַּח לוֹ לֶמֶךְ שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים, שֵׁם הָאַחַת עָדָה, דְּעָדָה מִנֵּיהּ, וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית צִלָּה, שֶׁהָיְתָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּצִלּוֹ.

“Irad was born to Hanokh and Irad begot Mehuyael and Mehuyael begot Metushael and Metushael begot Lemekh” (Genesis 4:18). “Irad was born to Hanokh…” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: These are all expressions of rebellion. Irad – ‘I will expel them [ored] from the world’; Meḥuyael – ‘I will eradicate them [moḥeh] from the world’; Metushael – ‘I will uproot them [metish] from the world’; Lemekh – ‘What do I have to do with Lemekh and his offspring?’ “Lemekh took for himself two wives; the name of one was Ada, and the name of the other Tzila” (Genesis 4:20). Rabbi Azarya said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon: This is what the people of the generation of the Flood would do: Each one would take two wives for himself, one for procreation and one for intercourse. The one that was designated for procreation would sit as though she were a widow in her lifetime [variant reading: in the life of her husband]. The one that was designated for intercourse, he would give her a sterility potion so she would not bear children, and she would sit by him adorned like a harlot. That is what is written: “He consorts with the barren who will not give birth, and to the widow he will do no good” (Job 24:21). You may know that it is so, as Lemekh was the most outstanding among them and he took two wives. That is what is written: “Lemekh took for himself two wives; the name of one was Ada” – as she was removed [ada] from him; “and the name of the other Tzila” – as she was sitting in his shadow [tzilo].

Section 3ג׳

וַתֵּלֶד עָדָה אֶת יָבָל וגו' (בראשית ד, כ), לְשֶׁעָבַר הָיוּ מַקְנִין לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַטְמוֹנִיּוֹת, חָזְרוּ לִהְיוֹת מַקְנִין אוֹתוֹ בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (יחזקאל ח, ג): אֲשֶׁר שָׁם מוֹשַׁב סֵמֶל הַקִּנְאָה. (בראשית ד, כא): וְשֵׁם אָחִיו יוּבָל הוּא הָיָה אֲבִי כָּל תֹּפֵשׂ כִּנּוֹר וְעוּגָב, אַדְרִיכוֹלִין וּבוּרְבָּלִין. (בראשית ד, כב): וְצִלָּה גַּם הִוא יָלְדָה אֶת תּוּבַל קַיִן, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר, זֶה תִּבֵּל עֲבֵרָתוֹ שֶׁל קַיִן, קַיִן הָרַג וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ בַּמֶּה לַהֲרֹג, אֲבָל זֶה לֹטֵשׁ כָּל חֹרֵשׁ נְחשֶׁת וּבַרְזֶל. (בראשית ד, כב): וַאֲחוֹת תּוּבַל קַיִן נַעֲמָה, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא, נַעֲמָה אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל נֹחַ הָיְתָה, לָמָּה הָיוּ קוֹרִין אוֹתָהּ נַעֲמָה, שֶׁהָיוּ מַעֲשֶׂיהָ נְעִימִים. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי נַעֲמָה אַחֶרֶת הָיְתָה, וְלָמָּה הָיוּ קוֹרִין אוֹתָהּ נַעֲמָה, שֶׁהָיְתָה מַנְעֶמֶת בְּתֹף לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים.

“Ada bore Yaval; he was the forerunner of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock (mikneh). And the name of his brother was Yuval; he was the forerunner of all those who handle the harp and flute” (Genesis 4:20–21). “Ada bore Yaval; [he was the forerunner of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock (mikneh)]” – initially, they would infuriate (makneh) the Holy One blessed be He discreetly; then they proceeded to infuriate him publicly. That is what is written: “Where there was the seat of the infuriating (kin’a) image” (Ezekiel 8:3). “And the name of his brother was Yuval; he was the forerunner of all those who handle the harp and flute” (Genesis 4:21) – harpists and flutists. “And Tzila, too, gave birth, to Tuval Cain, a forger of every sharp instrument of bronze and iron, and the sister of Tuval Cain was Naama” (Genesis 4:22). “And Tzila, too, gave birth, to Tuval Cain.” Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: This one improved upon [tibel] Cain’s transgression; Cain killed, but he did not have an instrument with which to kill, but this one was “a forger of every sharp instrument of bronze and iron.” “And the sister of Tuval Cain was Naama.” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Naama was Noah’s wife. Why did they call her Naama? It is because her actions were pleasing [ne’imim]. The Rabbis say: Naama was someone else, [not Noah’s wife]. And why did they call her Naama? It is because she played the tambourine pleasantly [man’emet] for idol worship.