Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 28 Tishri, 5784
Parsha Bereshit: (Genesis 1:1 – 6:18) 
Sixth Portion: Genesis 4:23 – 5:24

What an amazing week.  With the chaos of the world around us, we are left with the peace that comes from connecting with our Neshama – the part of Hashem within us.  The New Moon is approaching on Saturday, and with it we get ready to turn the page on the month of Tishri and focus on Cheshvan.  The month/moon cycle ahead is a little “anti-climactic” given the internal work and spiritual growth of the past two cycles.  We are coming out of the significant month of Tishri – Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemeni Atzeret and Simchat Torah.  That’s A LOT!  But as Chabad writes HERE – it’s time to really go out and live with this new growth and learning.

There is EVEN a kabbalistic belief that Cheshvan will be when Moshiach comes – to establish the Third Temple – since it is wide open for new Holy Days to be added!

Regardless, we are now turning our sights ahead for the adventure to come!  Let’s dig into the Torah today!

The portion starts with this (Genesis 4:23-24):

23Now Lemech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hearken to my voice; wives of Lemech, incline your ears to my words, for I have slain a man by wounding (him) and a child by bruising (him).

24If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then for Lemech it shall be seventy seven fold.”

So Lemech seems to have killed Cain and his son.  This seems to bring to an end this part of Adam and Chavah’s family.  Because we are going to start over (Genesis 4:25-26):

25And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son, and she named him Seth, for God has given me other seed, instead of Abel, for Cain slew him.

26And to Seth also to him a son was born, and he named him Enosh; then it became common to call by the name of the Lord.

There is a Kabbalistic belief that Seth bore the good part of the soul of Abel. Later on, Kabbalah talks about the fully healed soul of Abel was passed into Moses.  The three Hebrew letters of the word MoSHeH (Hebrew for Moses) are Mosheh, SHet (Seth), and Hevel (Abel).

Something to reflect on!  Let’s keep going.

The rest of the portion is a bit of time travel BACK to Adam.  We get the family tree and account of the dudes who are the bloodline (eventually) to Noah.  We won’t get to Noah today.  But it would seem today’s portion is pointing us to the importance of Noah.  Here are the names:

When Hashem created us, He created Adam. Adam has a resemblance to God.  He created THEM (hello singular They/Them pronoun, I see you!) male AND female.  He named the ADAM on the day THEY were created.  Here’s the actual passage from the Torah:

Genesis 5:1-2:

1This is the narrative of the generations of man; on the day that God created man, in the likeness of God He created him.

2Male and female He created them, and He blessed them, and He named them man (Adam) on the day they were created.

So the word “man” was unisex in the Torah.  Remember, Chavah was created LATER after Adam.  Adam is who was created on day one. Adam was BOTH male and female.

Now let’s dig into the tree:

• 5:3 “Adam fathered a son resembling himself and with his form, and he named him Seth.” He also fathered sons and daughters (which indicates the genders were now split at this point). He died.
• Seth fathered Enosh. He also fathered sons and daughters. He died.
• Enosh fathered Kenan. He also fathered sons and daughters. He died.
• Kenan fathered Mahalalel. He also fathered sons and daughters. He died.
• Mahalalel fathered Jared (awwwwwe he went to Jared). He also fathered sons and daughters. He died.
• Jared fathered Enoch. He also fathered sons and daughters. He died.

Let’s stop for a minute before finishing up.  Curiosity keeps creeping up for me.

Why is the Torah so repetitive here? Why is Hashem telling us the ages and that each of these men ALSO fathered sons and daughters and ALSO they died? There is a pattern. Why?  I think we are about to get an answer as we close today’s portion (Genesis 5:21-24):

21And Enoch lived sixty five years, and he begot Methuselah.

22And Enoch walked with God after he had begotten Methuselah, three hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters.

23And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty five years.

24And Enoch walked with God, and he was no longer, for God had taken him.

So. Enoch breaks the pattern. What do we notice about what the Torah says about Enoch?  Let’s play the old Sesame Street game, “One of these things is NOT like the others, one of these things just doesn’t belong!”  What do we notice about Enoch?

• After having his son, Methuselah, Enoch walked with God. That is completely different than the names before Enoch. I think we need to pay attention to “Enoch walked with God.”
• Instead of saying “and he died” like every other dude in the line? INSTEAD, the Torah says “And Enoch walked with God, and he was no longer, for God had taken him.”

So what can we glean (in my opinion) as we enter into Cheshvan? If we want to live a different life? If we want to change our lives? If you are feeling stuck. If you are feeling like the cycle just keeps going and going and going?

Walk with Hashem.

Sounds simple, right? But it is not easy.  And, as I have mentioned before? Hashem is in us. Our Neshama.  And, as I have mentioned before? Hashem is love. Regardless of what “His people” are doing around the world; not all “walk with Hashem.”  Many just go about repeating a cycle again and again.  You want change?

Walk with Hashem.  Walk with Love. First, within. Then move out with it.  Walk with your Neshama. Spend time with your Neshama. Spend time with the love that is within you. Then. Allow that love to go out into the world and make a difference.

This is the path to life. This is the path AWAY from death.  Because instead of “and he died”? I don’t know about you? I want “and he was no longer, for Hashem had taken him.”  You could almost rewrite that “and he was no longer, for LOVE had taken him.”

That is what I want for me.  That is what I want for US.

Those are my thoughts.  What are yours?