Chapter 06 - Rashi
(To Chumash Text)

Verse 2: The sons of rulers.

[Meaning:] the sons of princes and rulers. Another explanation of {Hebrew Ref} : They are the angels who go as messengers of G-d; they, too, intermingled with them. Whenever {Hebrew Ref} appears in Scripture it has the meaning of authority. The following is indicative: "You will be his master."321 "See that I have made you a master."322

That [they] were fair.323

R. Yudan said: It is spelled {Hebrew Ref} ,324 [meaning:] when they improved her appearance beautifying her to enter the marriage canopy, the head ruler would then enter and have relations with her first.325

From whomever they chose.

Even a married woman, even a man or an animal.326

Verse 3: My spirit will not continue to judge man.

[Meaning:] "My spirit will not be in anger and conflict because of man."

Forever.

[Meaning:] for a long time. "Behold, My spirit is contending within Me whether to destroy or whether to show mercy. This conflict will not be with Me 'forever,' i.e., for a long time."327

Since he is nothing but flesh.

This is the same as {Hebrew Ref} , that is to say, "because":328 "there is also this about him: that he is [only] flesh and, nevertheless, he does not humble himself before Me. What if he were of fire or of some hard substance?"329 Similarly: {Hebrew Ref} 330 [should be interpreted] as {Hebrew Ref} 331 Similarly: {Hebrew Ref} 332 [should be interpreted] as {Hebrew Ref} .333 So, too, {Hebrew Ref} is as {Hebrew Ref} .

His days shall be, etc.

I will delay my anger towards them up to 120 years. If they will not repent I will bring a flood upon them. Should you ask: From the birth of Yafes until the Flood there were only one hundred years;334 [note] there is no "earlier" or "later" in the Torah335 The decree had already been decreed twenty years before Noach had children. So we find in Seder Olam.336 There are many Aggadaic expositions regarding [the words,] {Hebrew Ref} , but, this is the smooth, plain, explanation.

Verse 4: Giants.

They were so called because they "fell" [ {Hebrew Ref} ] and caused the downfall337 [ {Hebrew Ref} ] of the world.338 In Hebrew it means giants.

In those days.

I.e., in the days of Enosh and sons of Kayin.339

And also later.

Though they saw the destruction of the generation of Enosh when the ocean rose and flooded a third of the world, [yet,] the generation of the Flood was not humbled to learn from them.340

When [they] came.

I.e., they [the mothers] gave birth to children like them [the fathers].341

The mightiest ones.

[They were mighty in] their rebellion against G-d.342

Men of renown.

Those who had distinctive names: Irad, Mechuyael, Mesushael, who were so called on account of their destruction for they were wiped out343 and torn out.344 An alternate explanation: "Men of devastation" -- who devastated the world.345

Verse 6: Ad-noy was comforted that He had made.

It was a comfort346 to Him that He created him [man] on earth, for had he been one of the heavenly beings he would have caused them to rebel.347

And He grieved.

The man.

In His heart.

Of G-d. [Meaning:] it entered the thought of G-d to make him grieve. This is according to the translation of Onkelos.348 An alternate explanation of {Hebrew Ref} :349 G-d's thought turned from [applying] Divine Mercy to [applying] Divine Justice. He reconsidered what to do with man that He made upon the earth. Similarly wherever the term {Hebrew Ref} appears in Scripture it means he reconsidered as to what to do. [For example:] "No man that He should reconsider."350 "And concerning His servants, may He reconsider."351 "G-d reconsidered doing the terrible things."352 "I regret that I have made him King."353 All these refer to second thoughts.

And He grieved in His heart.

[Means:] He354 mourned the destruction of His handiwork355 as [in the verse:] "The King mourned his son."356 I wrote this357 in response to heretics. A gentile358 asked R. Yehoshua b. Korcho and said to him: "Do you not agree that G-d knows the future?" He [the Rabbi] answered: "Yes." He said to him: "But, it is written, 'And it grieved His [G-d's] Heart!' "359 He [the Rabbi] responded to him, "Was a son ever born to you?" "Yes," he said. "How did you react?" he asked him. He said, "I rejoiced and made everyone joyful." So he asked him, "But, did you not realize that he would eventually die?" He [the gentile] responded, "At the time of joy let there by joy, at the time of mourning, mourning." He [the Rabbi] said to him, "So it is with acts of G-d. Though it is revealed to Him that they will eventually sin and be destroyed, [nevertheless,] He did not refrain from creating them for the sake of the righteous that were destined to descend from them.360

Verse 7: Ad-noy said, I will obliterate mankind.

"He is of dirt. I will bring water upon him and I will obliterate him.361 Therefore the term {Hebrew Ref} is used.

From man to beast.362

They, too, perverted their way.363