The world’s first murder... Genesis 4:1-15 | א וְהָאָדָם, יָדַע אֶת-חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ; וַתַּהַר, וַתֵּלֶד אֶת-קַיִן, וַתֹּאמֶר, קָנִיתִי אִישׁ אֶת-יְהוָה. | 1 The man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said: 'I have acquired a man with the help of the LORD.' | | ב וַתֹּסֶף לָלֶדֶת, אֶת-אָחִיו אֶת-הָבֶל; וַיְהִי-הֶבֶל, רֹעֵה צֹאן, וְקַיִן, הָיָה עֹבֵד אֲדָמָה. | 2 She then bore his brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was a tiller of the ground. | | ג וַיְהִי, מִקֵּץ יָמִים; וַיָּבֵא קַיִן מִפְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה, מִנְחָה--לַיהוָה. | 3 In the course of time, Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. | | ד וְהֶבֶל הֵבִיא גַם-הוּא מִבְּכֹרוֹת צֹאנוֹ, וּמֵחֶלְבֵהֶן; וַיִּשַׁע יְהוָה, אֶל-הֶבֶל וְאֶל-מִנְחָתוֹ. | 4 Abel brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock. The LORD paid heed to Abel and to his offering; | | ה וְאֶל-קַיִן וְאֶל-מִנְחָתוֹ, לֹא שָׁעָה; וַיִּחַר לְקַיִן מְאֹד, וַיִּפְּלוּ פָּנָיו. | 5 but unto Cain and to his offering He did not pay heed. Cain was very distressed, and his face fell. | | ו וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, אֶל-קָיִן: לָמָּה חָרָה לָךְ, וְלָמָּה נָפְלוּ פָנֶיךָ. | 6 The LORD said unto Cain: 'Why are you distressed? And why has your face fallen? | | ז הֲלוֹא אִם-תֵּיטִיב, שְׂאֵת, וְאִם לֹא תֵיטִיב, לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ; וְאֵלֶיךָ, תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ, וְאַתָּה, תִּמְשָׁל-בּוֹ. | 7 Surely, if you do right, there is uplift. But if you do not do right, sin couches at the door; its urge is toward you, yet you can be its master.' | | ח וַיֹּאמֶר קַיִן, אֶל-הֶבֶל אָחִיו; וַיְהִי בִּהְיוֹתָם בַּשָּׂדֶה, וַיָּקָם קַיִן אֶל-הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיַּהַרְגֵהוּ. | 8 Cain spoke unto Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. | | ט וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-קַיִן, אֵי הֶבֶל אָחִיךָ; וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא יָדַעְתִּי, הֲשֹׁמֵר אָחִי אָנֹכִי. | 9 The LORD said unto Cain: 'Where is your brother Abel?' And he said: 'I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?' | | י וַיֹּאמֶר, מֶה עָשִׂיתָ; קוֹל דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ, צֹעֲקִים אֵלַי מִן-הָאֲדָמָה. | 10 Then He said: 'What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries unto Me from the ground. | | יא וְעַתָּה, אָרוּר אָתָּה, מִן-הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר פָּצְתָה אֶת-פִּיהָ, לָקַחַת אֶת-דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ מִיָּדֶךָ. | 11 Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground, which opened her mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. | | יב כִּי תַעֲבֹד אֶת-הָאֲדָמָה, לֹא-תֹסֵף תֵּת-כֹּחָהּ לָךְ; נָע וָנָד, תִּהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ. | 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you; a fugitive and a wanderer you shall be in the earth.' | | יג וַיֹּאמֶר קַיִן, אֶל-יְהוָה: גָּדוֹל עֲוֹנִי, מִנְּשֹׂא. | 13 Cain said unto the LORD: 'My punishment is greater than I can bear. | | יד הֵן גֵּרַשְׁתָּ אֹתִי הַיּוֹם, מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה, וּמִפָּנֶיךָ, אֶסָּתֵר; וְהָיִיתִי נָע וָנָד, בָּאָרֶץ, וְהָיָה כָל-מֹצְאִי, יַהַרְגֵנִי. | 14 Since you have banished me out this day from the face of the land, I must avoid Your presence and become a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. Whoever finds me will slay me!' | | טו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ יְהוָה, לָכֵן כָּל-הֹרֵג קַיִן, שִׁבְעָתַיִם, יֻקָּם; וַיָּשֶׂם יְהוָה לְקַיִן אוֹת, לְבִלְתִּי הַכּוֹת-אֹתוֹ כָּל-מֹצְאוֹ. | 15 The LORD said to him: 'Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.' And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who met him should kill him. | Genesis Rabbah (compiled 400-600 CE) The Lord paid heed to Abel and his offering (4:4). He accepted it. But unto Cain and his offering, He did not pay heed (4:5). He did not accept it. ... Sin couches at the door (4:7). Rabbi Akiva said: At first it is like a spider’s web, but eventually it becomes like a ship’s rope... Rabbi Tanhum b. Marion said: There are dogs in Rome that know how to deceive men. One [a dog] goes and sits down before a baker’s shop and pretends to be asleep, and when the shopkeeper dozes off he dislodges a loaf near the ground, and while the onlookers are collecting [the scattered loaves] he succeeds in snatching a loaf and making off. ... Cain spoke to Abel his brother (4:8). About what did they quarrel? ‘Come,’ said they, ‘let us divide the world.’ One took the land and the other the movables [everything that’s not attached to the ground]. The former said, ‘The land you stand on his mine,’ while the latter retorted, ‘What you are wearing is mine.’ One said ‘Strip!’ The other retorted ‘Fly [off the ground]!’ Out of this quarrel, Cain rose up against his brother Abel (4:8). Rabbi Joshua of Siknin said in Rabbi Levi’s name: Both took land and both took movables, but about what did they quarrel? One said, ‘The Temple must be built in my area,’ while the other claimed, ‘It must be built in mine!’ For thus it is written, And it came to pass, when they were in the field (4:8): field refers to nought but the Temple. ... God said to Cain: Where is your brother Abel? (4:9) This may be compared to a prefect who was walking in the middle of the road, and found a man slain and another standing over him. ‘Who killed him?’ he demanded. ‘I will ask you [that question] instead of your asking me,’ rejoined the other. ‘You have answered nothing!’ he retorted. Again, it is like the case of a man who entered a garden, and gathered mulberries and ate them. The owner of the garden pursued him, demanding, ‘What are you holding?’ ‘Nothing,’ was the reply. ‘But surely your hands are stained [with the juice]!’ Similarly, The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground (4:10). Again, it is as if a man entered a pasture ground, seized a goat, and slung it behind him. The owner of the pasture pursued him, demanding, ‘What have you in your hand?’ –‘Nothing.’ ‘But it is bleating at your back!’ exclaimed he. Similarly, The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground (4:10). R. Simeon b. Yochai said: It is difficult to say this thing, and the mouth cannot utter it plainly. Think of two athletes wrestling before the king; had the king wished, he could have separated them. But he did not so desire, and one overcame the other and killed him, he [the victim] crying out [before he died], ‘Let my cause be pleaded before the king!’ Even so, the voice of your brother’s blood cries out against me (4:10). Questions to consider:
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