Seder Yomi

Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה

In this aliyah, the Torah continues tracing the generations of Kayin, focusing on his descendant Lamech and the family he built. We learn about the two wives Lamech took, Adah and Zillah, and the specific roles and lifestyles that their children introduced to the world.

The pesukim describe how Lamech's sons became the pioneers of various worldly occupations and crafts. From nomadic herding and music to the forging of metal weapons and tools, this section outlines the early development of human civilization and technology through Kayin's lineage.

All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.

פָּסוּק א

Pasuk 1

וַיִּקַּחAnd tookלוֹfor himselfלֶמֶךְLamechשְׁתֵּיtwoנָשִׁיםwivesשֵׁםthe name ofהָאַחַתthe oneעָדָהAdahוְשֵׁםand the name ofהַשֵּׁנִיתthe secondצִלָּה׃Zillah

רַשִׁ״י

ויקחAnd tookלוfor himselfלמך.Lamechלֹאnotהָיָהwasלוֹto himלְפָרֵשׁto explainכָּלallזֶה,thisאֶלָּאexceptלְלַמְּדֵנוּto teach usמִסּוֹףfrom the endהָעִנְיָן,of the matterשֶׁקִּיֵּםthat fulfilledהַקָּבָּ"הthe Holy One blessed be HeהַבְטָחָתוֹHis promiseשֶׁאָמַרthat He saidשִׁבְעָתַיִםsevenfoldיֻקַּםshall be avengedקָיִן,Cainעָמַדstood upלֶמֶךְLamechלְאַחַרafterשֶׁהוֹלִידthat he begotבָּנִיםchildrenוְעָשָׂהand madeדּוֹרgenerationשְׁבִיעִיseventhוְהָרַגand killedאֶת—קַיִן,Cainזֶהוּthis isשֶׁאָמַרwhat he saidכִּיforאִישׁa manהָרַגְתִּיI have slainלְפִצְעִיto my woundingוְגוֹמֵר:etcetera

רַשִׁ״י

שתיTwoנשים.wivesכָּךְsoהָיָהwasדַּרְכָּןtheir customשֶׁלofדּוֹרthe generation ofהַמַּבּוּלthe Floodאַחַתoneלִפְרִיָּהfor fruitfulnessוּרְבִיָּהand multiplicationוְאַחַתand oneלְתַשְׁמִישׁ,for companionshipזוֹthis oneשֶׁהִיאwho isלְתַשְׁמִישׁfor companionshipמַשְׁקָהּhe would make her drinkכּוֹסa cupשֶׁלofעִקָּרִיןsterilizing potionכְּדֵיin orderשֶׁתֵּעָקֵרthat she become barrenוּמְקֻשֶּׁטֶתand she was adornedכְּכַלָּהlike a brideוּמַאֲכִילָהּand he would feed herמַעֲדַנִּים,delicaciesוַחֲבֶרְתָּהּand her companionנְזוּפָהwas neglectedוַאֲבֵלָהand mourningכְּאַלְמָנָה,like a widowוְזֶהוּand this isשֶׁפֵּרֵשׁwhat was explainedאִיּוֹבby IyovרֹעֶהHe associates withעֲקָרָהthe barren womanלֹאwho does notתֵלֵדgive birthוְאַלְמָנָהand to the widowלֹאhe does notיְיֵטִיבdo goodאיובIyovכ"ד24,כְּמוֹjust asשֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁit is explainedבְּאַגָּדַתin the Agadah ofחֵלֶקChelekוּבִבְ"רַand in Bereishis Rabbah:

רַשִׁ״י

עדה.Adahהִיאshe wasשֶׁלforפְּרִיָּהfruitfulnessוּרְבִיָּהand multiplicationעַלonשֵׁםaccount ofשֶׁמְּגֻנָּהthat she was repulsiveעָלָיוto himוּמוּסֶרֶתand removedמֵאֶצְלוֹ,from beside himעָדָהadahתַּרְגּוּםis the translationשֶׁלofסוּרָה:turn aside

רַשִׁ״י

צלה.Zillahהִיאsheשֶׁלwas ofתַּשְׁמִישׁ,companionshipעַלonשֵׁםaccount ofשֶׁיּוֹשֶׁבֶתthat she sitsתָּמִידalwaysבְּצִלּוֹ,in his shadowדִּבְרֵיthe words ofאַגָּדָהAgadahהֵםthey areבִּבְ"רַ:in Bereishis Rabbah

פָּסוּק ב

Pasuk 2

וַתֵּלֶדAnd she boreעָדָהAdahאֶת—יָבָלJabalהוּאheהָיָהwasאֲבִיthe father ofיֹשֵׁבthose who dwell inאֹהֶלtentsוּמִקְנֶה׃and herds

רַשִׁ״י

אביThe father ofישבsuch as abide inאהלtentsומקנה.and of cattleהוּאheהָיָהwasהָרִאשׁוֹןthe firstלְרוֹעֵיof those who pastureבְהֵמוֹתanimalsבַּמִּדְבָּרוֹת,in the wildernessesיוֹשֵׁבdwelling inאֹהָלִיםtentsחֹדֶשׁa monthכָּאןhereוְחֹדֶשׁand a monthכָּאןhereבִּשְׁבִילfor the sake ofמִרְעֵהthe pasture ofצֹאנוֹ,his sheepוּכְשֶׁכָּלֶהand when is finishedהַמִּרְעֶהthe pastureבְּמָקוֹםin a placeזֶהthisהוֹלֵךְhe goesוְתוֹקֵעַand pitchesאָהֳלוֹhis tentבְּמָקוֹםin a placeאַחֵר.anotherוּמִדְרַשׁAnd the MidrashאַגָּדָהAggadahבּוֹנֶהhe builtבָתִּיםhousesלַעֲ"זָ,for idol worshipכְּמָהjust asדְּאַתְּthat youאָמַרsayסֵמֶלthe image ofהַקִּנְאָהjealousyהַמַּקְנֶהwhich provoketh jealousyיחזקאלEzekielח'chapter 8,וְכֵןand likewiseאָחִיוhis brotherתּוֹפֵשׂhandledכִּנּוֹרharpוְעוּגָבand guitarלְזַמֵּרto make musicלַעֲ"זָ:for idol worship

פָּסוּק ג

Pasuk 3

וְשֵׁםand the name ofאָחִיוhis brotherיוּבָלYubalהוּאheהָיָהwasאֲבִיthe father ofכָּלallתֹּפֵשׂwho graspכִּנּוֹרharpוְעוּגָב׃and flute

פָּסוּק ד

Pasuk 4

וְצִלָּהAnd Zillahגַםalsoהִואsheיָלְדָהboreאֶת—תּוּבַלTubalקַיִןCainלֹטֵשׁwho sharpenedכָּלeveryחֹרֵשׁcutting instrument ofנְחֹשֶׁתcopperוּבַרְזֶלand ironוַאֲחוֹתand the sister ofתּוּבַלTubalקַיִןCainנַעֲמָה׃was Naamah

רַשִׁ״י

תובלTubalקין.Cainתּוֹבֵלhe refinedאֻמָּנֻתוֹthe handicraftשֶׁלofקַיִן,CainתּוּבָלTubalלְשׁוֹןis an expression ofתַּבְלִין,spicesתִּבֵּלhe spicedוְהִתְקִיןand improvedאֻמָּנוּתוֹthe handicraftשֶׁלofקַיִןCainלַעֲשׂוֹתto makeכְּלֵיweaponsזַיִןof armamentsלָרוֹצְחִים:for murderers

רַשִׁ״י

לטשsharpener ofכלeveryחרשcraftsman ofנחשתcopperוברזל.and ironמְחַדֵּדhe sharpensאֻמָּנוּתthe craft ofנְחֹשֶׁתcopperוּבַרְזֶלand ironכְּמוֹlikeיִלְטֹשׁhe sharpensעֵינָיוhis eyesלִיat meאיובIyovט"זsixteen.חוֹרֵשׁchoreshאֵינוֹis notלְשׁוֹןa noun form ofפֹּעֶלpo'elאֶלָּאbut ratherלְשׁוֹןa participle form ofפּוֹעֵל,po'elשֶׁהֲרֵיfor beholdנָקוּדit is vocalized withקָמָץkamatzקָטָןkatanוְטַעְמוֹand its accent isלְמַטָּה,belowכְּלוֹמַר,meaning to sayמְחַדֵּדhe sharpensוּמְצַחְצֵחַand polishesכָּלallכְּלֵיvessels ofאֻמָּנוּתthe craft ofנְחֹשֶׁתcopperוּבַרְזֶל:and iron

רַשִׁ״י

נעמה.Naamahהִיאsheאִשְׁתּוֹthe wife ofשֶׁל·נֹחַ:Noach

Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם

The aliyah details how Lamech married Adah and Zillah, and goes on to list the accomplishments of their children. Adah gave birth to Jabal, the father of tent-dwellers and cattle herders, and Jubal, the ancestor of harp and pipe musicians. Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, who sharpened and forged copper and iron implements, and his sister Naamah.

לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home

The Torah is telling us about the children of Lamech, the very first people to build the foundations of human civilization. One son, Jabal, starts building tents and raising cattle. His brother, Jubal, invents musical instruments. Their half-brother, Tubal-cain, becomes the first to forge copper and iron. Lichoira, we are looking at a list of impressive, world-changing accomplishments. These brothers literally built the physical, cultural, and technological world we live in today.

But if you look closely at the pesukim, there is a deep kasha here. The Torah calls them the "father" of these crafts, yet we know that the entire generation of Lamech was completely wiped out in the Mabul. Not a single physical structure they built, not a single instrument they fashioned, and not a single iron tool they forged survived the flood. Mimeila, what was the point of all their building and inventing if it was all destined to be washed away? What is the Torah coming to teach us by recording their achievements for eternity?

The chiddush here is a powerful yesod for our own avodah. The Torah is showing us that when a person puts their heart and soul into developing a talent, an art, or a technology, they are creating a pathway in the world. Even though the physical tents and the physical harps of Lamech's sons were destroyed, the spiritual reality of their innovation remained. They opened up the potential for these concepts in the briah, and that potential survived the flood. The question for us is never whether our physical accomplishments will last forever, but rather: what are we using our talents to build? Are we using our skills to build "tents" of Torah and "music" that brings us closer to Hashem, or are we just building for our own temporary honor?

Today, take one talent, skill, or professional tool that you use in your daily life, and consciously dedicate its use for a mitzvah or to help another Yid, elevating a temporary worldly craft into something eternal.