The Rebel Names of Cain's Line and Lamech's Two Wives

(Genesis 4:17) "And he was building a city, and he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch." This is what Scripture says, (Psalms 49:12) "They call lands by their own names." (Genesis 4:18) "And to Enoch was born Irad," and so forth. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: All of them are expressions of rebellion. Irad: "I will tear them out [ored] of the world." Mehujael: "I will blot them out [moheh] of the world." Methushael: "I will wear them down [matishan] out of the world." Lamech: "What have I to do with Lamech and his offspring?" (Genesis 4:19) "And Lamech took for himself two wives," and so forth. Rav Azariah said in the name of Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Simon: So the men of the generation of the Flood used to do. Each one of them would take two wives, one for childbearing and one for relations. The one for childbearing would sit as though she were a widow in her own lifetime, and the one for relations he would make drink a cup of sterilizing root so that she would not bear, and she would sit beside him adorned like a harlot, as it is written, "he shepherds the barren who does not bear, and does no good to the widow." Know that this is so, for the choicest among them was Lamech, and he went and took two wives, as it is written, "And Lamech took for himself two wives. The name of one was Adah," for she was removed [adah] from him; "and the name of the second was Tzillah," for she sat in his shadow [tzel]. (Genesis 4:20) "Dwelling in tents and herding cattle." In the past they were zealous [mekanin] for the Holy One, blessed be He, in hidden ways; they turned to provoke Him to jealousy [mekanin] in the open, as it is written, (Ezekiel 8:3) "there was the seat of the image of jealousy that provokes to jealousy." (Genesis 4:21-22) "All who handle the lyre and pipe." Builders and weavers. Tubal-cain: he seasoned the craft of Cain. Cain killed but had nothing with which to kill, but this one sharpened every craftsman of bronze and iron. Naamah was the wife of Noah, and why was she called Naamah? Because her deeds were pleasing and sweet [na'im]. The Rabbis say: Naamah was another woman, and why was she called Naamah? Because she made sweet [man'emet] sounds with a drum for idolatry. (Genesis 4:23-24) "And Lamech said to his wives," and so forth. He demanded relations of them. They said, "Tomorrow the Flood comes, and shall we be fruitful and multiply for a curse?" He said to them, "For I have slain a man for my wounding, that wounds should come upon me on his account, and a child for my bruising, that bruises should come upon me on his account, I wonder! Cain killed and was given a respite of seven generations; I who did not kill, is it not right that I be given a respite of seventy-seven generations?" Rabbi says: This is an argument from the lesser to the greater that is itself in the dark; if so, from where does the Holy One, blessed be He, collect the bond of His debt? If a man, why a child, and if a child, why a man? "A man" for the limbs and "a child" for the years. They said to him, "Come, let us go to Adam." They went to Adam. He said to them, "Do your part, and the Holy One, blessed be He, does His." They said to him, "Physician, heal your own limp; have you not separated from Eve a hundred and thirty years only so as not to beget a son from her?" When he heard this, he set himself to raise offspring.