Lemekh's Monologue/1/en
Lemekh's Oration
Introduction
Unexplained Excursus
After the story of Kayin's murder of Hevel, the Torah lists Kayin's descendants. Most are mentioned just by name, but when the Torah reaches the sixth generation it expounds at length about Lemekh, his wives, children, and their occupation:
(יט) וַיִּקַּח לוֹ לֶמֶךְ שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים שֵׁם הָאַחַת עָדָה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית צִלָּה. (כ) וַתֵּלֶד עָדָה אֶת יָבָל הוּא הָיָה אֲבִי יֹשֵׁב אֹהֶל וּמִקְנֶה. (כא) וְשֵׁם אָחִיו יוּבָל הוּא הָיָה אֲבִי כָּל תֹּפֵשׂ כִּנּוֹר וְעוּגָב. (כב) וְצִלָּה גַם הִוא יָלְדָה אֶת תּוּבַל קַיִן לֹטֵשׁ כָּל חֹרֵשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת וּבַרְזֶל וַאֲחוֹת תּוּבַל קַיִן נַעֲמָה.
(19) And Lemekh
What is the relevance of these facts to the reader? Why does the Torah elaborate only about Lemekh?
A Confession?
After the story of Kayin's murder of Hevel, the Torah lists Kayin's descendants, pausing at Lemekh. His biographical information is followed by a short but enigmatic poem which hints to a murder but explicates no further:
(כג) וַיֹּאמֶר לֶמֶךְ לְנָשָׁיו עָדָה וְצִלָּה שְׁמַעַן קוֹלִי נְשֵׁי לֶמֶךְ הַאְזֵנָּה אִמְרָתִי כִּי אִישׁ הָרַגְתִּי לְפִצְעִי וְיֶלֶד לְחַבֻּרָתִי. (כד) כִּי שִׁבְעָתַיִם יֻקַּם קָיִן וְלֶמֶךְ שִׁבְעִים וְשִׁבְעָה.
(23) And Lemekh
This speech appears without any context, making it difficult to decipher both the tone and meaning of Lemekh's monologue. Do his words constitute a statement or a question? What emotions lie behind them; is Lemekh upset, consoling, or boastful? Most importantly, what is it that he is trying to share with his wives? Almost every phrase that he utters is unclear:
- Who are the "אִישׁ" and "יֶלֶד" that are mentioned? Why were they killed?
- What do the words "לְפִצְעִי" and "לְחַבֻּרָתִי" come to explain? Do they reflect the motivation for the killing or the method thereof?
- What role does the comparison to Kayin play? What does the phrase "שִׁבְעָתַיִם יֻקַּם" mean?
Context and Purpose
Perhaps, one of the most troubling aspects about Lemekh's speech is its very presence in the Torah.
