Adam, the daughters of humanity, and the generations · Lines 1–16
Oxford Great Parchment:
ואין בין העולם הזה לימיו ובנות יולדו להם. ויראו בני האלהים את בנות האדם מדת בת קול ולא בן ואדם הוליד שידין ולילין כל מ' שנה שהיה נזוף. ודור עשירי ישובו לנח ומפלגא לאברהם ובאו למדת צדק שהיא מלכות
TranslationLineHebrew transcription
and glory. Even the human intellect was attached to those powers and to cleaving to them [?]. This is [the meaning of]: “The sons1
1
וכבוד ואפי' השכל האנושי היה אדוק בכחות ההם ולדבקם[?] וזהו ויראו בני
of God saw the daughters of humanity.” For in that generation [?] Adam sinned; therefore it says “daughters”
2
האלהים את בנות האדם כי באותו הדור[?] חטא אדם לכן אמר בנות
and not “sons.” For also [concerning] the descendants of the first Adam [there is] proof [?] from the saying [?] of the Sages, of blessed memory, that he pursued the daughters.
3
ולא בנים כי גם בני אדם הראשון ראייה[?] מא'[?] חכמים ז"ל שרדף אחרי הבנות
[Right-margin gloss:] He begot demons and lilin and ⟨spirits⟩.
4
(right-margin gloss, crop
Main_04_F, kraken 54) היה מוליד שדין ולילין ⟨ורוחין⟩ (ורוחין written above the line)In their saying, “Throughout the 130 years during which the first Adam was under ban,” the impairment [?] was in Malkhut alone—
5
באמרם כל ק"ל שנה שהיה אדם הראשון נזוף היה הפי'[?] במ' לבד
[Right-margin gloss:] Yet the verse [?] that says—
6
(right-margin gloss,
Main_06_F, kraken 55) אמנם הכתוב[?] שאמרthat is, within the Chariot. Therefore he begot demons and lilin associated [?] with that grade
7
רצוני שבמרכבה ולכן הוליד שדין ולילין המזורים[?] לאותה המדה
[Right-margin gloss:] Adam begot demons and lilin
8
(right-margin gloss,
Main_08_F, kraken 56) אדם הוליד שדין וליליןthat comes from their side. “And the tenth generation will return to Noah.” That is: the tenth generation is Adam [?],2
9
הבאה מצדם · ודור עשירי ישובו לנח · פי' דור עשירי הוא אדם[?]
[Right-margin gloss:] Throughout that year in which <…>
10
(right-margin gloss,
Main_10_F, kraken 57) כל אותה שנה ש<..>from below upward after the essential privation [?], after it returns, as when the thing is accidental [?]; and afterward
11
ממטה למעלה אחר העדר היקרי[?] אחר ישוב כאש' הדבר בהקרי[?] ואחר
And the author rejoiced [?]; he intended [?] the matter of transmigration: they gave us a received tradition. “And from Peleg to Abraham.” That is: for [?]
12
ושמח[?] המחבר כיון[?] · ענ' גילגול נתנו לנו קבלה · ומפלגא לאברהם פי' כי[?]
in the generic name, and in this [?] [is] the matter of the Binding, as it is written, “Let us build ourselves a city and a tower
13
בשם הכללי ובזה[?] ענין העקדה כמו שכתו' ונבנה לנו עיר ומגדל
with its top in heaven.” You see that their intention was to ascend above, to take refuge beneath
14
וראשו בשמים הרי לך שכוונתם להתעלות למעלה ולחסות תחת
the wings of the Shekhinah, and to repent. This is what [the author] intended by saying, “And they came to the grade [?] of the Righteous One,
15
כנפי השכינה ולחזור בתשובה ועל זה כיון באומרו ובאו למדת[?] צדיק
which is Malkhut,” to take refuge beneath the wings of the Shekhinah. Sodom and Gomorrah, however, did not
16
שהיא מלכות לחסות תחת כנפי השכינה · אמנם סדם ועמורה לא
Abraham’s mercy and the standing of penitents · Lines 17–31
Oxford Great Parchment:
ויאמר ייי' מדת חסד האף תספה צדיק עם רשע לא ידון רוחי מדת הדין בעבור אברהם אשרי העם שככה לו בשגם ונפלו בארץ בימים ההם והולידו בני האלהים מהבנות ומעולם אנשי השם למעלה מהקו האמצעי
TranslationLineHebrew transcription
do so; and Abraham, who is the man of Chesed, came to seek mercy for them. “The Lord said”—the attribute3
17
עשו כן ואברהם שהוא איש החסד בא לבקש רחמים עליהם · ויאמר השם
of mercy alone; “Will even wrath,” which is the attribute of judgment, “sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” And the
18
מדת רחמ' לבד האף שהיא מדת הדין תספה צדיק עם רשע ואמר
Lord said, “My spirit shall not abide,” which is Malkhut, on account of Abraham, the man of Chesed. Concerning this he said,
19
ה' לא ידון רוחי שהיא מ"ה בעבור אברהם איש החסד על זה אמר
“Happy is the people for whom it is thus (she-kakhah)”—“inasmuch”: that is, [shakhakhah] as in “the king’s wrath subsided,” by the merit4
20
אשרי העם שככה לו בשגם פי' כמו וחמת המלך שככה בזכות
of the righteous. And whence is its dwelling [?]? From the prince, who is Moses, alluded to by the numerical value [?]
21
הצדיק ומהיכן משכן[?] מן השר שהוא מש"ה הרמוז בגימטטור[?]
of she-kakhah and “inasmuch,” both of them; as [the Sages] [?], of blessed memory, [said], “They compare the form to its Maker.” “And they fell [?]5
22
שככה בשגם שניהם כמ'[?] ז"ל שמדמים הצורה ליוצרה · ונפלו[?]
on the earth in those days; and they begot the sons of God from the daughters, and [they were] men of renown from of old.”
23
בארץ בימים ההם והולידו את בני האלהים מהבנות ומעולם אנשי השם
[Right-margin word:] <…>
24
(right-margin word beside line 25,
Main_24_F, 2–3 letters) <..>“renown” [?] through the middle line. That is: because the human intellect pursues the earthly aspect,6
25
השם[?] בקו' האמצעי פי' בעבור שהשכל האנושי רודף בבחינת הארצי ·
there is no greater fall than this. Yet when one repents, righteousness [?] is effected in matter
26
אין נפילה גדולה מזאת אמנם כשחוזר בתשובה · נפעל צדק[?] בחמר
and form; for the form is called “the sons of God,” and the daughters [are] matter. These are called
27
וצורה כי הצורה נקראת בני האלהים ובנות החומר אילו נקראים
“men of renown,” and they ascend upward, above the bundle of life. This accords with the saying
28
אנשי השם והם מתעלים למעלה מצרור החיים מצורף אל מאמרם
of the Sages, of blessed memory: “In the place where penitents stand, the completely righteous cannot stand.”
29
ז"ל במקום שבעלי תשובה עומדים צדיקים גמורים אינם יכולים לעמוד
Concerning this [the author] said, “And also afterward, when the sons of God came to,” and so forth. And before he sinned,
30
ועל זה אמ' וגם אחרי כן אשר יבאו בני האלהים אל וכו' וקודם שחטא
he has no license to come to the daughters of humanity, for through the very thing in which a person sins
31
אין לו רשות לבוא אל בנות האדם כי במה שאדם חוטא באותו דבר
Noah’s ark, the second month, and the gates of *Binah* · Lines 32–40
Oxford Great Parchment:
ובחר בתיבה לבד בחדש השני האיר דלתות נ' שערי בינה וארובות השמים נפתחו והזר הקרב יומת
TranslationLineHebrew transcription
he himself repents. “And he chose the ark alone; in the second month, he illuminated the doors [?]—7
32
עצמו חוזר בתשובה · ובחר בתיבה לבד בחודש השני האיר דלתות[?]
the fifty gates of Binah—and the windows [?] of heaven [?] were opened [?].” That is: we have already explained that the ark
33
נ' שער · בינה וארובות[?] השמים[?] נפתחו[?] · פי' כבר ביארנו כי התיבה
signifies [?] the upper world, and in it [?] the completion of the cycle is counted. He chose [?] it in the second month, because [unresolved letter: alef]
34
רומז[?] לעולם העליון ובו[?] נמנה תשלום ההקף נבחר[?] בה בחודש השני כי א
from [?] [conjectural expansion: the year / the Shekhinah] [?] we begin to count; for “Do not inquire into what is beyond you”—which is
35
מן[?] הש"ה[?] אנו מתחילין למנות · כי במופלא ממך אל תדרוש שהיא
the bride [?]—and [conjectural expansion: the year / the Shekhinah] [?] is called “head.” Noah’s wife is called “second”; and in the second month, which
36
הכלה[?] והש"ה[?] נקראת ראש · ואשת נח נקראת שנייה · ובחודש השני שהוא
alludes to Binah, he chose [?] the ark, which alludes to seven [?]. Concerning this it says “on the seven[th]”;
37
רמז אל הבינה בחר[?] בתיבה שהוא רמז לשבע[?] ועל זה אמ' בשבעה
and when it says “ten,” [the meaning is] that they are from among the ten. This is what the author intended by “he illuminated the door [?]”—the fifty
38
ומה שאמ' עשר כי הם מן העשר · ועל זה כיון המחבר האיר דלת[?] נ'
gates of Binah, alluded to by the word “second”. “The windows of heaven,” which allude to
39
שערי בינה הנרמז במלת שני · וארובות השמים שהוא רמז אל
Binah, “were opened.” Concerning this [the author] said, “The outsider who draws near shall be put to death.” The entire generation of the Flood was not
40
הבינה נפתחו · ועל זה אמ' והזר הקרב יומת כל דור המבול לא
Fifteen cubits, the straight line, and the upper world · Lines 41–55
Oxford Great Parchment:
ויכסו ההרים כי כלה מישור ומ[בי]נים הדברים העמוקים שהשיגו בעולם התחתון אבל לא העולם העליון כי עין לא ראתה וזה שאמר תחת כל השמים חמש עשרה אמה ולא אמות
TranslationLineHebrew transcription
worthy to make use of that radiance [?]. “And the mountains were covered”—[unresolved sign [?]] “all, a straight line” [alternatively: “the bride, a straight line”].8
41
היו ראויין להשתמש באותו הצוהר[?] · ויכסו ההרים ט'[?] כלה מישור
That is: Scripture [?] says [?], “The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward,” for fifteen
42
פי' הכת'[?] אומ'[?] חמש עשרה אמה מלמעלה גברו המים כי חמש עשרה
alludes to Thought, indicated by the name Yah. Therefore it says that they “prevailed upward,” for from there
43
רמז למחשבה הנרמז' בשם י"ה לכן אמ' מלמעלה גברו כי משם
everything is blessed. “The mountains were covered” [means that] the six extremities were raised into [that] stature [?]—
44
מתברך הכל · ויכסו ההרים הם השש קצוות שנתעלו בקומה[?]
[Right-margin gloss:] that [stature], for it is all a straight line—9
45
(right-margin gloss,
Main_45_F, kraken 47) ההיא כי כולה מישורthat [stature]—for that ascent. Noah and his sons were the channels [?], the lines [?] extending
46
ההיא · לאותו עלוי · נח ובניו היו הצנורות[?] הקוים[?] המתפשטים
[Right-margin gloss:] that is, the bride, which is Malkhut,
47
(right-margin gloss,
Main_47_F, kraken 48) ר"ל הכלה שהיא מלכותfrom Thought by means of the whole [?], called the lower world, but not in the
48
מן המחשבה באמצעות הכל[?] הנקו' עולם התחתון אבל לא בעולם
[Right-margin gloss:] ascends by way of the straight line
49
(right-margin gloss,
Main_49_F, kraken 49) מתעלה דרך קו' המישורupper world—in the fifty gates of Binah, for no eye
50
העליון בנ' שער · בינה כי עין לא (right piece of a cramped row,
Main_50_F, kraken 44)has seen [it] [?],
51
ראתה[?] (middle piece,
Main_51_F, kraken 43)and this is what it says: “under”
52
· וזה שאמ' תחת (left piece,
Main_52_F, kraken 42)[Right-margin gloss:] [illegible] [?] that [feminine referent unresolved]
53
(right-margin gloss,
Main_53_F, kraken 50) בא<..>[?] ההיא“all the heavens.” [Unresolved sign [?]] “The heavens” alludes to the luminous faces, and they apprehended only—
54
כל השמים ט[?] השמים רמז לפנים המאירים והם לא השיגו אלא
[Catchword:] [illegible; segmentation uncertain [?]; possibly “all” [?], with a flourish].
55
(catchword below the last line,
Main_55_F, kraken 52–53[?]) <..> (2–3 letters, כל[?] with a flourish) — continues on 81a.Descent, repentance, and ascent
| Passage | Function in the commentary | Source or identification (provisional) |
|---|---|---|
| Sons of God and daughters of humanity (1–16) | Human intellect descends toward material powers; Adam’s demons and the sequence of generations provide the model. | Genesis 6:1–2; b. Eruvin 18b; Oxford preserves a clearer but materially different sequence. |
| Abraham and Sodom (17–23) | Abraham as Chesed seeks mercy, while divine mercy and judgment are separated within the biblical wording. | Genesis 18:23; Genesis 6:3–4; Psalm 144:15; “thus,” “inasmuch,” and Moses each have the numerical value 345. |
| Penitents and the middle line (25–31) | The human intellect’s fall into the earthly is reversed through repentance; matter and form are raised together. | Tiferet as the middle line; b. Berakhot 34b. |
| Second month and ark (32–40) | The second month, the ark, the fifty gates, and the windows of heaven are coordinated with Binah. | Genesis 7:11; b. Hagigah 13a; several words in the lemma and its exposition remain unresolved. |
| Fifteen cubits and straight line (41–55) | Flood waters descend from Thought; the six extremities and the bride rise, while Noah and his sons become channels. | Genesis 7:19–20; Yah = 15; the bride = Malkhut; Thought is provisionally Keter. |
Notes
- Lines 1–3 continue 80a:42 without a supplied connecting clause. Genesis 6:2 supplies the sons of God and daughters of humanity. The marginal material in lines 4, 6, 8, and 10 preserves the tradition that Adam begot demons, spirits, and lilin during the 130 years when he was under ban (b. Eruvin 18b). JTS line 5 has 130, while Oxford has forty. The relation of the main text to the glosses remains uncertain. Biblical, rabbinic, and codicological note. ↩
- Image review on 27-Sep-2026 supports אדם[?] at line 9, but does not remove the uncertainty. Noah, not Adam, is the tenth generation from Adam (compare m. Avot 5:2); the exposition counts upward and discusses return, so its referent must remain open. Do not substitute Noah for the manuscript reading. The earlier review confirmed ודור עשירי ישובו לנח, ומפלגא לאברהם, and נתנו לנו קבלה; the last means “they gave us a received tradition,” not a disclaimer of tradition. The syntax of lines 11–13 remains broken. “Essential privation” is a provisional interpretation of העדר היקרי[?], not a secure expansion or correction to עיקרי. Genesis 11:4 supplies the city and tower. The unexplained “Binding” is retained although the quotation concerns Babel. Textual, comparative, and biblical note. ↩
- Abraham intercedes for Sodom in Genesis 18:23. The commentary separates mercy from judgment by reading האף as “even wrath,” rather than the biblical interrogative “will you indeed?” In line 19 it identifies “my spirit” (Genesis 6:3) with Malkhut; Oxford instead says “the attribute of judgment.” These are distinct witness formulations. Biblical and comparative note. ↩
- Psalm 144:15, “Happy is the people for whom it is thus,” supplies שככה; Esther 7:10, “the king’s wrath subsided,” supplies the same consonants with a different sense. The lemma keeps the Psalm’s sense (“for whom it is thus”); the exposition rereads the same consonants as shakhakhah, “subsided,” so that [the wrath] subsides by the merit of the righteous. The transliteration marks the wordplay. Main_20_L reads וחמת המלך שככה, replacing the draft ויתמר[?] המלך שככה on 27-Sep-2026. The numerical equations are שככה = 300 + 20 + 20 + 5 = 345; בשגם = 2 + 300 + 3 + 40 = 345; משה = 40 + 300 + 5 = 345. B. Hullin 139b connects בשגם with Moses; it does not supply the full three-word equation. Biblical wordplay, image review, and gematria. ↩
- “They compare the form to its Maker” echoes Genesis Rabbah 27:1. The abbreviation כמ'[?] in line 22 remains uncertain; “[the Sages]” supplies syntax, not a reconstructed Hebrew reading. In line 23 JTS reads והולידו את בני האלהים מהבנות: את makes “the sons of God” the object. Oxford lacks את, and Genesis 6:4 makes the sons of God the subject. The English keeps the JTS construction and its unusual “they fell” in line 22. Rabbinic and syntactic note. ↩
- JTS has “through the middle line,” where Oxford has “above the middle line.” The fragment השם[?] is translated only as “renown,” without repeating the unsupported “men of.” In lines 28–29 the penitents rise above the bundle of life; compare b. Berakhot 34b on the place where penitents stand. The Hebrew “before he sinned” in line 30 has no explicit noun as subject. Comparative and rabbinic note. ↩
- Genesis 7:11 links the second month and the opening of heaven’s windows. Rechecked crops on 27-Sep-2026 read ובחר (“he chose”), not ונח[?] (“and Noah”), at line 32, and והזר הקרב יומת (“the outsider who draws near shall be put to death”; Numbers 1:51 and parallels), not ויהי[?] הקרב ומר[?], at line 40. Line 33 provisionally reads וארובות[?] השמים[?] נפתחו[?]; each compressed group remains uncertain. Oxford agrees with these lemmata. The plural דלתות[?] in line 32 and the draft singular דלת[?] in the exposition at line 38 remain distinct. “Do not inquire into what is beyond you” is cited in b. Hagigah 13a. Lines 37–38 split שבעה עשר into “seven” and “ten”; the unresolved abbreviations in 35–36 are not securely “year” or “Shekhinah.” Image review, biblical, rabbinic, and textual note. ↩
- JTS line 41 has an unresolved sign before כלה מישור; Oxford reads כי כלה מישור, while the JTS margin has כי כולה מישור (45). The same consonants support “all” and “bride,” and line 47 explicitly gives the latter. The English preserves both possibilities and consistently renders מישור as “straight line.” The image check did not settle the isolated sign. Genesis 7:19–20 supplies the covered mountains and fifteen cubits. יה = 10 + 5 = 15. The commentary associates that number with Thought; identifying Thought specifically as Keter is provisional. Biblical, numerical, and lexical note. ↩
- The margin in lines 45, 47, 49, and 53 explains the bride as Malkhut rising along the straight line. It stays at its physical line positions; the repeated “that [stature]” in 45–46 reflects the separate marginal and main-text wording. “No eye has seen” recalls Isaiah 64:3, and “under all the heavens” returns to Genesis 7:19. The uncertainty in ראתה[?] is retained despite the familiar source. The last sentence continues into 81a. The catchword’s reading and segmentation remain uncertain; both editorial uncertainties are visible in line 55. Codicological and biblical note. ↩