"And the sons of God saw" (Genesis 6:2). Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai called them "the sons of the judges." Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai used to curse anyone who called them "the sons of the gods." Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai taught: Any breach that does not come from the great ones is not a breach. The priests stole gods; who can swear by it, or who can offer to it? And why does Scripture call them "the sons of God"? Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish both say: Because they prolonged their days without sorrow and without suffering. Rabbi Chana in the name of Rabbi Yose said: So that they might determine the seasons and the calculations. The Rabbis say: So that they might take what was theirs and what belonged to the generations that would come after them. "That they were fair" (Genesis 6:2): Rabbi Yudan said, It is written "fair" [tovot]: when they would beautify a bride for her husband, a great one would enter and have relations with her first. This is what is written, "that they were fair": these are the virgins. "And they took for themselves wives of all whom they chose" (Genesis 6:2): these are married women. "Of all whom they chose": this refers to a male and an animal. Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi said: The generation of the flood was not blotted out of the world until they wrote marriage documents for a male and for an animal. Rabbi Simlai said: In every place where you find harlotry, mass disorder comes into the world and kills good and bad alike. Rabbi Azaryah and Rabbi Yehudah bar Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The Holy One, blessed be He, is patient over everything except harlotry. What is the reason? "And the sons of God saw" and so forth, and what is written after it? "And the LORD said, I will blot out man" (Genesis 6:7). Rabbi Yehoshua bar Levi in the name of Pedayah said: All that night Lot was seeking mercy for the people of Sodom, and they would accept it from his hand. As soon as they said to him, "Bring them out to us that we may know them" (Genesis 19:5) for intercourse, they said to him, "Whom else have you here" (Genesis 19:12) to teach a defense on their behalf? From now on you have no right to plead a defense for them.
The Sons Of God And The Daughters Of Men
Bereshit Rabbah 26:5
וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי קָרֵא לְהוֹן בְּנֵי דַיָּנַיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי מְקַלֵּל לְכָל מַאן דְּקָרֵא לְהוֹן בְּנֵי אֱלָהַיָּא, תָּנֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי כָּל פִּרְצָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ מִן הַגְּדוֹלִים אֵינָהּ פִּרְצָה, כֻּמְרַיָא גָּנְבוּ אֱלָהַיָּא מַאן מוֹמֵי בֵּיהּ אוֹ מַאן מְקָרֵב. וְלָמָּה קוֹרֵא אוֹתָן בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים, רַבִּי חֲנִינָא וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ תַּרְוֵיהוֹן אָמְרִין שֶׁהִרְבּוּ יָמִים בְּלֹא צַעַר וּבְלֹא יִסּוּרִין. רַבִּי חָנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר כְּדֵי לַעֲמֹד עַל הַתְּקוּפוֹת וְעַל הַחִשְׁבוֹנוֹת. רַבָּנָן אָמְרִין כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּטְלוּ שֶׁלָּהֶם וְשֶׁל דּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם. כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה, אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן טֹבֹת כְּתִיב, מִשֶּׁהָיוּ מְטִיבִין אִשָּׁה לְבַעֲלָהּ הָיָה גָדוֹל נִכְנַס וּבוֹעֲלָהּ תְּחִלָּה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה, אֵלּוּ הַבְּתוּלוֹת, וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ, אֵלּוּ נְשֵׁי אֲנָשִׁים. מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ, זֶה זָכָר וּבְהֵמָה. רַבִּי הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אָמַר דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל לֹא נִמּוֹחוּ מִן הָעוֹלָם עַד שֶׁכָּתְבוּ גִּמּוֹמְסִיּוֹת לְזָכָר וְלִבְהֵמָה. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׂמְלָאי בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא זְנוּת, אַנְדְּרוֹלוֹמוּסְיָא בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם וְהוֹרֶגֶת טוֹבִים וְרָעִים. רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר רַבִּי סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר עַל הַכֹּל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַאֲרִיךְ אַפּוֹ חוּץ מִן הַזְּנוּת, מַאי טַעְמָא וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וגו', וּמַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶמְחֶה אֶת הָאָדָם, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּר לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם פְּדָיָה אָמַר כָּל אוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה הָיָה לוֹט מְבַקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עַל הַסְּדוֹמִיִּים וְהָיוּ מְקַבְּלִין מִיָּדוֹ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ לוֹ הוֹצִיאֵם אֵלִינוּ וְנֵדְעָה אֹתָם לְתַשְׁמִישׁ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ עֹד מִי לְךָ פֹה לְלַמֵּד סָנֵגוֹרְיָא עֲלֵיהֶם, מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ אֵין לְךָ לְלַמֵּד עֲלֵיהֶם סָנֵגוֹרְיָא.