The Torah as translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan in Breishit/Genesis Ch. 6 states:
| 6:5 | God saw that man’s wickedness on earth was increasing. Every impulse of his innermost thought was only for evil, all day long. |
| 6:6 | God regretted that He had made man on earth, and He was pained to His very core. |
| 6:7 | God said, ‘I will obliterate humanity that I have created from the face of the earth – man, livestock, land animals, and birds of the sky. I regret that I created them.’ |
| 6:8 | But Noah found favor in God’s eyes. |
Noah was a Descendant of Seth (Sheit) As Spelled Out in Breishit /Genesis Ch. 5
The Torah informs us that Adam lived 130 years, and he had a son in his likeness and form. He named him Seth. The Torah also informs us that Noah was a descendant of Seth. It was a rebuke that led to the birth of Seth which ultimately led to the birth of Noah, the righteous foundation of the world following the Biblical flood.
What Rebuke Led to the Birth of Seth?
The book of Breishit / Genesis Ch. 4 relates the following incident.
| 4:19 | Lemekh married two women. The first one’s name was Adah, and the second one’s name was Tzillah. |
| 4:20 | Adah gave birth to Yaval. He was the ancestor of all those who live in tents and keep herds. |
| 4:21 | His brother’s name was Yuval. He was the ancestor of all who play the harp and flute. |
| 4:22 | Tzillah also had a son, Tuval Cain, a maker of all copper and iron implements. Tuval Cain’s sister was Naamah. |
| 4:23 | Lemekh said to his wives, ‘Adah and Tzillah, hear my voice; wives of Lemekh, listen to my speech. I have killed a man by wounding [him], and a child by bruising [him]. |
| 4:24 | If Cain shall be revenged seven times, then for Lemekh it shall be seventy-seven times.’ |
| 4:25 | Adam knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth – ‘Because God has granted (shath) me other offspring in place of Abel, whom Cain had killed.’ |
According to Rashi the events in verses 19 to 24 led to the events of verse 25.
How is there a connection between verses 19 to 24 and verse 25 ?
Rashi in his commentary to 4:25 explains that the wives of Lemekh refused to have additional children with Lemekh because they were convinced their seed would be destroyed, either because Lemekh had killed Cain by an accident or because a decree had been issued that Cain’s descendants should be exterminated after seven generations. They said, “Why should we bear children only to be destroyed? Soon the Flood will come and will sweep everyone away!”
Lemekh went and complained to Adam about his wives refusal to have further children. Adam said to those 2 wives of Lemekh: “Is it for you to be overparticular regarding God’s decrees? You do your duty, and He will do His!”
They replied to him: “First correct yourself: have you not lived apart from your wife these 130 years, ever since, through you, death was decreed as a punishment?”
Adam immediately accepted their rebuke and took his wife Chava (Eve) back, which led to the birth of Seth. Through Noah the descendant of Seth mankind continued. So it turns out one rebuke produced the man that had the merit to survive the flood.