בראשית רבה כ״זBereshit Rabbah 27

Section 1א׳

וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם (בראשית ו, ה), כְּתִיב (קהלת ב, כא): כִּי יֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁעֲמָלוֹ בְּחָכְמָה וּבְדַעַת וּבְכִשְׁרוֹן, אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן גָּדוֹל כֹּחָן שֶׁל נְבִיאִים שֶׁמְדַמִּין צוּרָה לְיוֹצְרָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דניאל ח, טז): וָאֶשְׁמַע קוֹל אָדָם בֵּין אוּלָי. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר סִימוֹן אִית לָן קְרָיָא אוֹחֳרָן דִּמְחַוַּר יֶתֶר מִן דֵּין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל א, כו): וְעַל דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם עָלָיו מִלְּמָעְלָה. שֶׁעֲמָלוֹ בְּחָכְמָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ג, יט): ה' בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ. וּבְדַעַת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ג, כ): בְּדַעְתּוֹ תְּהוֹמוֹת נִבְקָעוּ. וּבְכִשְׁרוֹן, רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר סִימוֹן לֹא בֶעָמָל וְלֹא בִיגִיעָה בָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ, אֶלָּא (תהלים לג, ו): בִּדְבַר ה' שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ. בִּדְבַר ה' וּכְבָר שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ. (קהלת ב, כא): וּלְאָדָם שֶׁלֹא עָמַל בּוֹ יִתְּנֶנּוּ חֶלְקוֹ, זֶה דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל. (קהלת ב, כא): גַּם זֶה הֶבֶל וְרָעָה רַבָּה, וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ.

“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the day” (Genesis 6:5). “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great” – it is written: “For there is a man whose work is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with smoothness” (Ecclesiastes 2:21). Rabbi Yudan said: How great is the power of prophets, in that they can liken the creation to its Creator, as it is stated, [describing a vision of God]: “I heard the voice of a man by the Ulai” (Daniel 8:16). Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: You have another verse that is even clearer than this one, as it is stated [describing a vision of God]: “And upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness, like the appearance of a man” (Ezekiel 1:26). “Whose work is with wisdom” – as it is stated: “The Lord founded the earth with wisdom” (Proverbs 3:19). “With knowledge” – as it is stated: “With His knowledge the depths were breached” (Proverbs 3:20). “And with smoothness” – Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon: Neither with toil nor with exertion did the Holy One blessed be He create His world, but rather, “With the word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Psalms 33:6) – upon [utterance of] the word of the Lord, the heavens were already made. “But he will give it over to a man who did not toil for it to be his portion” (Ecclesiastes 2:21) – this is the generation of the Flood. “This too is futility and a great evil” (Ecclesiastes 2:21) – “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great.”

Section 2ב׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ, כְּתִיב (קהלת ב, כג): כִּי כָל יָמָיו מַכְאֹבִים וָכַעַס עִנְיָנוֹ גַּם בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא שָׁכַב לִבּוֹ גַּם זֶה הֶבֶל הוּא, כִּי כָל יָמָיו מַכְאֹבִים, זֶה דּוֹר אֱנוֹשׁ וְדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל, שֶׁהָיוּ מַכְאִיבִים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶן הָרָעִים. וְכָעַס עִנְיָנוֹ, שֶׁהָיוּ מַכְעִיסִים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶן הָרָעִים. גַּם בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא שָׁכַב לִבּוֹ, מִן הָעֲבֵרוֹת. וּמִנַּיִן אַף בַּיּוֹם, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (בראשית ו, ה): וְכָל יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבֹת לִבּוֹ רַק רַע כָּל הַיּוֹם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, גַּם בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא שָׁכַב לִבּוֹ, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מִלְּהָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם פֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת בַּיּוֹם וּפֻרְעָנֻיּוֹת בַּלַּיְלָה, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית ז, כג): וַיִּמַח אֶת כָּל הַיְקוּם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי כָּל יָמָיו מַכְאֹבִים, אֵלּוּ סְדוֹמִיִּים, שֶׁהָיוּ מַכְאִיבִים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הָרָעִים. וָכַעַס עִנְיָנוֹ, שֶׁהָיוּ מַכְעִיסִין לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הָרָעִים. גַּם בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא שָׁכַב לִבּוֹ, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מִלְּהָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם פֻּרְעָנוּת בַּיּוֹם וּפֻרְעָנוּת בַּלָּיְלָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית יט, כד): וַה' הִמְטִיר עַל סְדֹם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי כָּל יָמָיו מַכְאֹבִים, אֵלּוּ הַמִּצְרִיִּים, שֶׁהָיוּ מַכְאִיבִים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הָרָעִים. וָכַעַס עִנְיָנוֹ, שֶׁהָיוּ מַכְעִיסִים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הָרָעִים. גַּם בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא שָׁכַב לִבּוֹ, מֵאַחַר שֶׁהָיָה בֶּן יִשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹמֵר אֶת מְלַאכְתּוֹ, הָיָה אוֹמֵר לוֹ עֲדֹר לִי שְׁתֵּי עִדְרִיּוֹת, בְּקַע לִי שְׁתֵּי בִּקְעִיּוֹת. דָּבָר אַחֵר, גַּם בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא שָׁכַב לִבּוֹ, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מִלְּהָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם פֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת בַּיּוֹם וּפֻרְעָנֻיּוֹת בַּלָּיְלָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמות יב, כט): וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה, (קהלת ב, כג): וְגַם זֶה הֶבֶל הוּא.

Another matter: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth” – it is written: “For all his days are pains, and anger is his concern; even at night his heart does not rest. This too is futility” (Ecclesiastes 2:23). “For all his days are pains” – this is the generation of Enosh and the generation of the Flood, who would pain the Holy One blessed be He with their wicked deeds. “And anger is his concern” – as they would anger the Holy One blessed be He with their wicked deeds. “Even at night his heart does not rest” – from transgressions. And from where is it derived that [they sinned] during the day as well? The verse states: “And every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the day.” Another matter: “Even at night his heart does not rest” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, [who did not rest] from bringing punishment upon them during the day and punishment during the night, as it is written: “He obliterated all existence” (Genesis 7:23). Another matter, “for all his days are pains” – these are the people of Sodom, who would pain the Holy One blessed be He with their wicked deeds. “And anger is his concern” – as they would anger the Holy One blessed be He with their wicked deeds. “Even at night his heart does not rest” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, [who did not rest] from bringing punishment upon them during the day and punishment during the night, that is what is written: “The Lord rained upon Sodom” (Genesis 19:24). Another matter, “for all his days are pains” – these are the Egyptians, who would pain the Holy One blessed be He with their wicked deeds. “And anger is his concern” – as they would anger the Holy One blessed be He with their wicked deeds. “Even at night his heart does not rest” – when an Israelite would finish his labor [at the end of the day, his Egyptian master] would say to him: Hoe two furrows for me, chop two logs for me. Another matter: “Even at night his heart does not rest” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, [who did not rest] from bringing punishment upon them during the day and punishment during the night; that is what is written: “It was at midnight” (Exodus 12:29). “This too is futility” (Ecclesiastes 2:23).

Section 3ג׳

וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי רַבָּה וְגו' (בראשית ו, ה), רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אָמַר רָבָה וְהוֹלֶכֶת. רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר שָׁמַעְנוּ בְּדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל שֶׁנִּדּוֹנוּ בְּמַיִם וְהַסְּדוֹמִים שֶׁנִּדּוֹנוּ בְּאֵשׁ, וּמִנַּיִן לִתֵּן אֶת הָאָמוּר כָּאן לְהַלָּן וְאֶת הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן כָּאן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר רַבָּה רַבָּה לִגְזֵרָה שָׁוָה. וְכָל יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבוֹת לִבּוֹ רַק רַע כָּל הַיּוֹם, מִשֶּׁהָיְתָה חַמָּה זוֹרַחַת וְעַד שֶׁהָיְתָה שׁוֹקַעַת לֹא הָיְתָה בָּהֶם תּוֹחֶלֶת, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (איוב כד, יד): לָאוֹר יָקוּם רוֹצֵחַ יִקְטָל עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן וּבַלַיְּלָה יְהִי כַגַּנָּב, וְהָא כְתִיב (איוב כד, טז): חָתַר בַּחשֶׁךְ בָּתִּים, לָמָּה שֶׁיּוֹמָם חִתְּמוּ לָמוֹ, מָה הָיוּ עוֹשִׂים, הָיוּ מְבִיאִים אַפּוֹפוֹלְסִימוֹן וְשָׁף בְּאֶבֶן, וּבָאִים בַּלַּיְלָה וּמְרִיחִים וְחוֹתְרִים, כָּךְ דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בְּצִיפּוֹרִין, אִתְעֲבֵיד הַהוּא לֵילְיָא תְּלַת מֵאָה חֻתְרִין, הֲוָה לְהוֹן אַפּוֹפוֹלְסִימוֹן, מָה הֲווֹן צִפּוֹרָאֵי עָבְדִּין, בִּתְמִיהָה.

“The Lord saw that [the wickedness of man] was great [raba]” (Genesis 6:5) – Rabbi Ḥanina said: It was constantly increasing [rava]. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: We are informed that the generation of the Flood was punished with water and that the people of Sodom were punished with fire. From where can we learn to apply what is stated here to there, and what is stated there to here? The verse states: Raba [here and] raba [there] for a verbal analogy. “And every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the day” – from when the sun would rise until it would set there was no hope for them. That is what is written: “The murderer rises in daylight, kills the poor and indigent, and at night is like a thief” (Job 24:14). But is it not written: “In the dark they burrow under houses; during the day they remain sealed at home”? (Job 24:16). What would they do? They would bring balsam oil and smear it on a stone [of the house they wished to rob] and come at night, smell it, and break in. Rabbi Ḥanina once expounded this interpretation [at a lecture] in Tzippori. That night, three hundred break-ins occurred. Imagine if they had had balsam oil – what would the Tzipporians have done then!