Legends of the Jews turns to Cain's Repentance.
The texts tell us that Cain knew, deep down, that the consequences of his actions would catch up with him, specifically in the seventh generation of his line. God had decreed it. So, what does a guilty man do? He tries to create a legacy, to cheat death, in a way. Cain became a builder, a founder of cities. The first he named Enoch, after his son, because it was at Enoch’s birth that Cain finally felt a measure of peace. He went on to build six more cities.
Here's the thing: the building of these cities wasn't exactly a philanthropic endeavor. According to the texts, it was a "godless deed." He surrounded them with walls, essentially forcing his family to stay put. All his actions were considered impious. The punishment God ordained for him? It didn't exactly lead to a spiritual awakening. He kept sinning, pursuing his own pleasure, even if it meant hurting others. He grew his wealth through violence and robbery, leading others down the same wicked path.
As we find in Legends of the Jews, Cain introduced a change in the "ways of simplicity" that had existed before. He was the originator of measures and weights. And while before, people lived innocently, generously, without such artifice, he changed the world into one of "cunning craftiness." Like father, like sons. Cain's descendants followed in his footsteps, impious and godless. It was their collective wickedness that ultimately led God to resolve to destroy them.
But how did Cain actually meet his end? The Zohar tells us it was in the seventh generation, just as prophesied. And the agent of his demise? None other than his great-grandson, Lamech. Now, Lamech was blind. Blindness becomes a significant theme. He was led on hunts by his young son, who would point out the game. One day, the boy spotted something horned in the distance. Mistaking it for an animal, he told Lamech to shoot. The arrow flew, and the quarry fell.
Can you imagine the horror? When they approached, the boy cried out, "Father, you've killed something that resembles a human being, except it has a horn on its forehead!" Lamech knew instantly. He had killed his ancestor, Cain, the one marked by God with a horn. In despair, Lamech clapped his hands together, and, tragically, inadvertently killed his own son. Misfortune upon misfortune.
As Ginzberg retells in Legends of the Jews, the earth then opened up and swallowed the four generations sprung from Cain: Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, and Methushael. Lamech, being blind, was stranded beside the corpses of Cain and his son. His wives eventually found him and, upon hearing what happened, wanted to leave him, fearing the doom that awaited Cain's descendants.
But Lamech pleaded his case, arguing, "If Cain, who committed murder intentionally, was only punished in the seventh generation, then I, who killed unintentionally, may hope for mercy for seventy-seven generations." He went with his wives to Adam himself, who heard both sides and ruled in favor of Lamech.
The story doesn't end there. The corrupt state of the world, particularly the depravity of Cain's line, is further illustrated by the practice of men taking two wives. According to Midrash Rabbah, one wife was for procreation, while the other was for pleasure, often rendered sterile artificially. The men lavished attention on the barren wives, while the others lived like widows, joyless and neglected.
Lamech’s two wives, Adah and Zillah, each bore him two children. Adah had Jabal and Jubal, and Zillah had Tubal-cain and a daughter, Naamah. Jabal was said to be the first to build temples to idols, and Jubal invented the music played within them. Tubal-cain, whose name echoes that of his ancestor, continued Cain's legacy. While Cain committed murder, Tubal-cain, the first to master iron and copper, created the instruments of war. And Naamah, "the lovely," earned her name by playing sweet music on her cymbals, calling worshippers to the idols.
So, what are we left with? A story of sin, consequence, and the enduring power of legacy. A legacy that can be twisted, corrupted, but never truly erased. The descendants of Cain remind us that the choices we make, the paths we forge, echo through generations, shaping the world long after we are gone. What kind of legacy are we building?
THE DESCENDANTS OF CAIN - Cain knew only too well that his blood-guiltiness would be visited upon him in the seventh generation. Thus had God decreed against him. He endeavored, therefore, to immortalize his name by means of monuments, and he became a builder of cities. The first of them he called Enoch, after his son, because it was at the birth of Enoch that he began to enjoy a measure of rest and peace. Besides, he founded six other cities. This building of cities was a godless deed, for he surrounded them with a wall, forcing his family to remain within. All his other doings were equally impious. The punishment God had ordained for him did not effect any improvement. He sinned in order to secure his own pleasure, though his neighbors suffered injury thereby. He augmented his household substance by rapine and violence; he excited his acquaintances to procure pleasures and spoils by robbery, and he became a great leader of men into wicked courses. He also introduced a change in the ways of simplicity wherein men had lived before, and he was the author of measures and weights. And whereas men lived innocently and generously while they knew nothing of such arts, he changed the world into cunning craftiness. Like unto Cain were all his descendants, impious and godless, wherefore God resolved to destroy them. The end of Cain overtook him in the seventh generation of men, and it was inflicted upon him by the hand of his great-grandson Lamech. This Lamech was blind, and when he went a-hunting, he was led by his young son, who would apprise his father when game came in sight, and Lamech would then shoot at it with his bow and arrow. Once upon a time he and his son went on the chase, and the lad discerned something horned in the distance. He naturally took it to be a beast of one kind or another, and he told the blind Lamech to let his arrow fly. The aim was good, and the quarry dropped to the ground. When they came close to the victim, the lad exclaimed: "Father, thou hast killed something that resembles a human being in all respects, except it carries a horn on its forehead!" Lamech knew at once what had happened--he had killed his ancestor Cain, who had been marked by God with a horn. In despair he smote his hands together, inadvertently killing his son as he clasped them. Misfortune still followed upon misfortune. The earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the four generations sprung from Cain--Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, and Methushael. Lamech, sightless as he was, could not go home; he had to remain by the side of Cain's corpse and his son's. Toward evening, his wives, seeking him, found him there. When they heard what he had done, they wanted to separate from him, all the more as they knew that whoever was descended from Cain was doomed to annihilation. But Lamech argued, "If Cain, who committed murder of malice aforethought, was punished only in the seventh generation, then I, who had no intention of killing a human being, may hope that retribution will be averted for seventy and seven generations." With his wives, Lamech repaired to Adam, who heard both parties, and decided the case in favor of Lamech. The corruptness of the times, and especially the depravity of Cain's stock, appears in the fact that Lamech, as well as all the men in the generation of the deluge, married two wives, one with the purpose of rearing children, the other in order to pursue carnal indulgences, for which reason the latter was rendered sterile by artificial means. As the men of the time were intent upon pleasure rather than desirous of doing their duty to the human race, they gave all their love and attention to the barren women, while their other wives spent their days like widows, joyless and in gloom. The two wives of Lamech, Adah and Zillah, bore him each two children, Adah two sons, Jabal and Jubal, and Zillah a son, Tubal-cain, and a daughter, Naamah. Jabal was the first among men to erect temples to idols, and Jubal invented the music sung and played therein. Tubal-cain was rightly named, for he completed the work of his ancestor Cain. Cain committed murder, and Tubal-cain, the first who knew how to sharpen iron and copper, furnished the instruments used in wars and combats. Naamah, "the lovely," earned her name from the sweet sounds which she drew from her cymbals when she called the worshippers to pay homage to idols.
