“The children of the great men [benei haelohim] saw the daughters of man, that they were fair, and they took for themselves wives, from whomever they chose” (Genesis 6:2). “The children of the great men [benei haelohim] saw,” Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai called them [when translating this verse into Aramaic] “the children of judges.” Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai used to curse anyone who would call them [translating the words literally, as] “children of god.”26In Hebrew Elohim can mean either “God” or “judge” (Exodus 22:8), but in Aramaic Elohaya can only mean “God,” so translating the word in this manner would be blasphemous.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: Any breach [in morals] that is not [begun] by prominent men is not a breach.27The common people follow the example of their leaders. [The saying goes:] If the priests steal the idols, who will ever take an oath in their names, or who will ever sacrifice to them?28By stealing the idols, the priests, through their actions, prove the powerlessness of those gods, so naturally all its worshippers will no longer take it seriously.
Why are these [great men] referred to as benei haelohim? Rabbi Ḥanina and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, both of them say: It is because they lived long lives without pain and without suffering.29As if they were divine beings. [And why were they granted such extraordinarily long lives?] Rabbi Ḥana said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: In order to track astronomical phenomena and [make the relevant] calculations.30The cycles of some heavenly bodies are many years long.
Only if someone lives a very long life can they note this and make astronomical calculations. The Rabbis say: So that they would receive theirs and that of the coming generations.31During their lengthy lives they had a chance to accumulate much liability for punishment, to the extent that God had to bring the Flood. The future generations would then look back on the Flood and learn not to be as sinful as their forebears.
“That they were fair [tovot]” – Rabbi Yudan said: The word is written tovot [without vavs].32With this spelling, the word indicates “beautification.” When they would adorn a woman for her [marriage to her] husband, the prominent man would enter and consort with her first, [before her husband]. That is what is written: “That they were fair [tovot]” – these are the unmarried girls.33Who were violated just prior to their weddings.
“They took for themselves wives from whomever they chose”34The words “from whomever they chose” should be omitted (Radal). – these are married women. “From whomever they chose” – these are males and animals.35They sinned also through homosexuality and bestiality. Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi: The generation of the Flood was not obliterated from the world until they wrote marriage contracts for males and animals.36That is, they made such unions official and legal.
Rabbi Simlai said: Anywhere sexual immorality is found, a chaotic catastrophe comes to the world, which kills the righteous along with the wicked.37As with the Flood, which killed everyone on earth except Noah and his family. Rabbi Azarya and Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: The Holy One blessed be He is slow to anger regarding everything except for sexual immorality.
What is the source? “The children of the great men [benei haelohim] saw….” What is written [immediately] thereafter? “The Lord said: I will obliterate man” (Genesis 6:7).
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said in the name of bar Pedaya [regarding Lot and the people of Sodom]: All night long, Lot was begging [the angels] for mercy for the people of Sodom, and they were receptive to him. [But] once they [the people of Sodom] said: “Bring them out to us, that we may know them” (Genesis 19:5), meaning, by sexual relations, they [the angels] said to him: “Whom else do you have [here] [po]” (Genesis 19:12), [meaning, what else can there possibly be in your mouth [peh]] to plea in their favor?’ From here on, it is impossible for you to plea in their favor.