B"H
130 years after the creation of Adam (HaRishon), Seth (Shet) was born. With Seth, the second generation came into existence. At the age of 105, he begot Enosh. According to the famous Kabbalist, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (1534 – 1572), Enosh was a Gilgul (reincarnation) of Abel (Hevel). However, the reincarnation came from the negative side of Hevel. Nevertheless, Enosh, as well as his father Shet, were created in the image of Adam HaRishon and, therefore, didn’t look like animals.
The generation of Enosh made a vital mistake: The people (including Enosh) used to say that G – d had created the planets and star constellations in order to reign over our planet. G – d Himself had a kind of vanished and now the planets would be in charge of everything. With this belief, the generation started to bring sacrifices to the other planets.
The Rambam (Maimonides) in his “Mishna Torah” describes the sins of Enosh’s generation. Their deeds were nothing but the first idol – worship taking place in the world. However, the people didn’t rebel against G – d (see Ramban and Rashi). The Midrash (Lech Lecha), on the other hand, states that the people did rebel against G – d and this is why G – d decided to punish them. The oceans swallowed one – third of the land. The former land became sea (see Rabbeinu Bachya).
In the days of Enosh, it was quite popular praying to the sun. Still in Gan Eden (Paradise), Adam had learnt the language of the trees but he never really used his skill. Enosh did the opposite and actively used the language of the tree for the negative.
The two Talmud Tractates Sukkah 28a and Bava Batra 134a explain the “Language of the Trees”: It is not a language with whom the trees communicate with each other but what people say about the trees. King Salomon (Shlomo HaMelech), for instance, used natural healing and this is what the language of the trees stands for. Using natural healing remedies from plants.
Shet and Enosh were created in the image of Adam HaRishon (Zelem E – lo – him) but this would change in the future. G – d also punished the generation of Enosh by making their faces look like apes. Have you ever asked youself where the Neanderthals came from ? Here is you answer: It was a G – dly punishment for the generation and not in order to justify Darwin.
Africa and Europe once used to be one continent but G – d made the oceans swallow a big portion of land (see Talmud Shekalim 17a). The G – dly plan was that mankind should do Teshuva but no one understood the message. There are commentators claiming that Enosh only began his idol – worship practises when Adam died. However, Bialik’s Aggadah is listing another reason for G – d’s punishment:
1. It was hard working the land, as stones were everywhere.
2. The “Nefillim” fell from the sky and were walking around on earth until the Flood came (see “Pirkei Eliezer”, Chap. 7).
3. The descendants of Shet got too much involved with the descendants of Cain. The result was that the so – called “Anakim – Giants” were born (see Sefer Seder HaDorot).
Remark: Please note that the NEFILLIM as well as the ANAKIM need further explanation and not everything should be taken literally ! Were the NEFILLIM really fallen angels or just a concept for something else ? I will look into some commentaries as well as into kabbalistic sources and write a separate article.
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