BEREISHITH 1979

One of the most perplexing stories in the Bible is the story of Cain and Abel.  On the surface, this story seems incomprehensible.  Why did G-d punish Cain for killing Abel?  After all, wasn’t G-d, Himself, the real cause for Cain’s killing Abel?  

The Bible tells us that at first Eve bore two sons - the eldest, Cain, who became a farmer -and the younger, Abel, who became a shepherd.  After a period of time both brothers prospered, and they decided to offer sacrifices to G-d.  Cain brought his offering from the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought his from the firstlings of his flock. Then a perplexing thing happened.  G-d regarded Abel’s sacrifice, and He accepted it while He did not regard Cain's sacrifice, and He did not accept it.  

Immediately the Bible goes on to tell us Cain became angry, his countenance fell, and pangs of jealousy began to tug at him.  The Bible goes on to relate how G-d tells Cain not to fear, that if he does well his countenance will be lifted up, that if he doesn't, sin lurks at his door, but even so he can overcome it.  Immediately after, the Bible relates how Cain killed Abel. True, no matter what the provocation, murder is never justified.  Cain killed Abel because he was jealous of G-d's favor to Abel.  But why did G-d stir up this jealousy? Why did G-d only accept the sacrifice of Abel and not the sacrifice of Cain?  Wasn't this capriciousness of G-d's the real reason for Abel's death?  Wasn't G-d, in the final analysis, really responsible for Abel's death? Our rabbis have long grappled with this question.  Some of them have tried to absolve G-d of any responsibility by claiming that Cain offered inferior goods as a sacrifice while Abel offered them from his best goods.  

This explanation, I feel, is lacking because nowhere in the text do we find mention of the fact that Cain brought inferior goods as a sacrifice to G-d.  True, scripture cites that Abel brought from the firstlings of his flock and their fat, which implies that his sacrifice was of the highest quality, but nowhere does it say that Cain's wasn't also.  All it says is that he brought from the fruit of the ground.

Other rabbis, looking more carefully at the text, find, in my opinion, a more significant difference between Cain and Abel's sacrifices.  In Cain's case, scripture states he brought his sacrifice and that is all, but in Abel's case, it says that Abel brought also he from the firstlings of his flocks, etc.  From this text it is clear that the words "also he" are wrong because Cain did not bring firstlings; he brought from the fruits of the ground.  

The rabbis explain that the words "also he" belong in parenthesis, that Abel brought not only from the firstlings of his flocks but also he brought himself, and that is why G-d accepted his sacrifice and not Cain's. It is not enough for a person just to give his gifts to G-d or G-d' s causes on earth (hospitals, charities, yeshivas, etc.) but a person must also give of himself.  Gifts, of course, are always welcome, but the truest gift, the most favored gift, is the gift which is also accompanied by the giver and his willing service. Our synagogue, too, needs material support, but more than material support it needs dedicated, sincere people who will not only give of their means but also of themselves.