(1) Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gained a male child with the help of the L-RD.”
She then bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil.
In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to the L-RD from the fruit of the soil;
and Abel, for his part, brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock. The L-RD paid heed to Abel and his offering,
And the L-RD said to Cain, “Why are you distressed, And why is your face fallen?
Cain said to the L-RD, “My punishment is too great to bear!
The L-RD said to him, “I promise, if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be taken on him.” And the L-RD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who met him should kill him.
(ה) וַיָּבֵא קַיִן מִפְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה מִנְחָה לַה' (בראשית ד, ג), מִן הַפְּסוֹלֶת, לְאָרִיס רַע שֶׁהָיָה אוֹכֵל אֶת הַבַּכּוּרוֹת, וּמְכַבֵּד לְבַעַל הַשָּׂדֶה אֶת הַסְּיָיפוֹת. (בראשית ד, ד): וְהֶבֶל הֵבִיא גַּם הוּא מִבְּכֹוֹרוֹת צֹאנוֹ וּמֵחֶלְבֵיהֶן,
And Kayin brought from the fruit of the land an offering [mincha] to G-d (Gen. 4:3) - from the leftovers, [similar to] the evil tenant that eats the first fruits and gives to the owner of the field the stunted ones. "And Hevel brought, also he, from the first born of his sheep, and their fat" (Gen. 4:4)
(ג) וַתֹּסֶף לָלֶדֶת אֶת אָחִיו אֶת הָבֶל (בראשית ד, ב), הֲדָא מְסַיְּעָא לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קָרְחָה דְּאָמַר עָלוּ לַמִּטָּה שְׁנַיִם וְיָרְדוּ שִׁבְעָה. וַתּוֹסֶף לָלֶדֶת, תּוֹסֶפֶת לַלֵּדָה וְלֹא תוֹסֶפֶת לָעִבּוּר.
וַיְהִי הֶבֶל רֹעֵה צֹאן וְקַיִּן הָיָה עֹבֵד אֲדָמָה, שְׁלשָׁה הֵן שֶׁהָיוּ לְהוּטִים אַחַר הָאֲדָמָה, וְלֹא נִמְצָא בָם תּוֹעֶלֶת, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: קַיִן, עוֹבֵד אֲדָמָה, נֹחַ (בראשית ט, כ): וַיָּחֶל נֹחַ אִישׁ הָאֲדָמָה. עֻזִּיָּהוּ (דברי הימים ב כו, י): אִכָּרִים וְכֹרְמִים בֶּהָרִים וּבַכַּרְמֶל כִּי אֹהֵב אֲדָמָה הָיָה.
And she then bore his brother, Hevel (Gen. 4:2) - this helps Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha, who said: "Two went up to the bed, and seven came down from it." [It is written] 'she then bore', and not 'and she conceived and bore.' Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil - there were three who were excited about the land to no benefit: Kayin, tiller of the soil, Noach [and King Uziahu/Uzziah]. [Noach] Noah, the tiller of the soil [was the first to plant a vineyard.](Gen 9:20); Uziahu: [He built towers in the wilderness and hewed out many cisterns, for he had much cattle,] and farmers in the foothills and on the plain, and vine dressers in the mountains and on the fertile lands, for he loved the soil (II Chron. 26:10).
(יג) וַיֵּצֵא קַיִן מִלִּפְנֵי ה' (בראשית ד, טז), מֵהֵיכָן יָצָא, רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַיְבוּ אָמַר הִפְשִׁיל דְּבָרִים לַאֲחוֹרָיו וְיָצָא, כְּגוֹנֵב דַּעַת הָעֶלְיוֹנָה. רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, יָצָא כְּמַפְרִיס וְכִמְרַמֶּה בְּבוֹרְאוֹ. רַבִּי חָמָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, יָצָא שָׂמֵחַ, הֵיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (שמות ד, יד): הִנֵּה הוּא יֹצֵא לִקְרָאתֶךָ וגו', פָּגַע בּוֹ אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן אָמַר לוֹ מַה נַּעֲשָׂה בְּדִינְךָ, אָמַר לוֹ עָשִׂיתִי תְּשׁוּבָה וְנִתְפַּשַּׁרְתִּי. הִתְחִיל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן מְטַפֵּחַ עַל פָּנָיו, אָמַר, כָּךְ הִיא כֹּחָהּ שֶׁל תְּשׁוּבָה וַאֲנִי לֹא הָיִיתִי יוֹדֵעַ, מִיָּד עָמַד אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְאָמַר (תהלים צב, א): מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת וגו'. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי הַמִּזְמוֹר הַזֶּה אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲמָרוֹ וְנִשְׁתַּכַּח מִדּוֹרוֹ וּבָא משֶׁה וְחִדְּשׁוֹ עַל שְׁמוֹ, מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת טוֹב לְהוֹדוֹת לַה' וגו'.
'And Kayin went out from the presence of Ad-nai' (Gen. 4:16) - from where did he go?!
Rabbi Chama in the name of Rabbi Chanina bar Rabbi Yitzchak said: he went out happy, as you read "behold he comes out to greet you [and when he sees you he'll be glad in his heart]" (Ex. 4:14). Adam met him and said: 'how did your judgement go?' and he answered: 'I repented [did teshuvah] and I am reconciled.' Adam began to hide his face [crying] and said: this is the power of teshuvah [repentance] and I did not know. Immediately Adam rose and said: 'A Psalm of Shabbat etc.' (Ps. 92) Said Rabbi Levi: this mizmor was said by the first Adam and it was forgotten in his generation, and came Moshe and renewed it under his name, 'it is a good thing to thank Ad-nai' (Ps. 92:1-2).
(7) “And Cain spoke to Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field…” (Genesis 4:8) What were they arguing about? They said: come let’s divide up the world, one will take the land and one will take the moveable property. This one said: the ground you are standing on is mine. The other one said: what you are wearing is mine. This one said: take it off! The other one said: fly! Because of this “…Cain rose against his brother Abel and killed him.” (ibid.) R’ Yehoshua of Sakhnin said in the name of R’ Levi: they both took the land and the moveable property. What were they arguing about? One said: the Holy Temple will be built in my boundary. The other said: the Holy Temple will be built in my boundary. As it says “…when they were in the field…” (ibid.) and the field only refers to the Holy Temple. This is what it says “…Zion shall be plowed as a field…” (Micah 3:12) Because of this “…Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him.” Yehudah bar Ami said: they were arguing about the first Eve. R’ Ibo said: the first Eve returned to the dust. Then what were they arguing about? R’ Huna said: an extra twin sister was born with Abel. This one said: I will take her because I am the first born. The other one said: I will take her because she was born with me. Because of this “…Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him.”
According to our sages Cain represented the spirit of impurity and evil whereas Abel represented good. Abel's soul is supposed to have been reincarnated in the body of Moses
(29) Rejoice not, all Philistia, Because the staff of him that beat you is broken. For from the stock of a snake there sprouts an asp, A flying seraph branches out from it.
He who loves money will not be sated with money, and he who 9 loves wealth will have no crop. This, too, is mere breath.