על צאצאי קין ל״וOn the Posterity of Cain and his Exile 36
א׳
1[124] The subject of Lamech and his wives and progeny has, I think, been adequately dealt with. Let us consider what may be called the new birth of the murdered Abel. “Adam,” it says, “knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare a son, and called his name Seth (saying): God hath raised up to me another seed in the place of Abel, whom Cain slew” (Gen. 4:25). “Seth” means “watering.”
ב׳
2[125] As, then, the seeds and plants in the earth, when watered, grow and sprout and are prolific in producing fruit, but, if no water be poured on them, wither away, so the soul, as is evident, when it is fostered with a fresh sweet stream of wisdom shoots up and improves.
ג׳
3[126] Watering is either the act of one watering, or the experience of one being watered. Would not everyone say that each of the senses is watered from the mind as from a spring, and that it broadens and extends their powers as water does channels? For instance, nobody of sound sense would say that eyes see, but mind by means of eyes, nor that ears hear, but mind by their agency, nor that noses smell, but the ruling faculty by using them.