CHAPTER XXI CAIN AND ABEL [25A. i.] "BUT [ The first editions begin the chapter with the expression: “It is written.” Our MS. agrees with the Oxford MSS. here.] of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden" (Gen. 3:3). It was taught in a Baraitha, [ “A tannaite tradition not incorporated in the Mishnah,” see J.E. ii. 513. The use of the term חני (it was taught in a Baraitha) in connection with a statement by Rabbi Ẓe‘era (4th cent, C.E.) is incongruous.] Rabbi Ẓe'era said: "Of the fruit of the tree"—here "tree" only means man, who is compared to the tree, as it is said, "For man is the tree of the field" (Deut. 20:19). "Which is in the midst of the garden"—"in the midst of the garden" is here merely an euphemism. [ The first editions read here: “Just as ‘ in the middle of the body’ (has its implication, likewise), ‘in the midst of the garden’ refers to that which is in the middle of the woman, because ‘ garden’ means woman,” etc.] "Which is in the midst of the garden"—for "garden" means here merely woman, who is compared to a garden, as it is said, "A garden shut up is my sister, a bride" (Cant. 4:12). Just as with this garden whatever is sown therein, it produces and brings forth, so (with) this woman, what seed she receives, she conceives and bears [ The first editions read “from her husband.” This allegorical interpretation of the Paradise narrative is exceptionally bold. The Ẓohar, Gen. 35b, offers a parallel, having used our book as its original; see also Nachmanides, Torath Ha-Adam, 102b. The texts (Isa. 61:3, lx. 21, and xvii. 11) quoted by the Ẓohar in loc. cit. afford the scriptural basis for the interpretation in question.] through sexual intercourse.
(Sammael) riding on the serpent came to her, and she conceived; [ The first editions add “Cain.” See Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 29 and § 35, and Ẓohar, loc. cit., for the reading: “Satan riding on the serpent.” See Pal. Targ. Gen. 4 I, which has used our author. This Haggadah occurs also in the Church Father Ephraim (in Gen. vol. i. p. 35); he says that the serpent was made to crawl on its belly “for having increased the pangs of child-bearing, through the seduction of Eve”; see also Slavonic Enoch xxxi. 6. The legend was most probably known to Paul, who refers to the “serpent” as having “beguiled Eve in his craftiness”; see 2 Cor. xi. 2, 3, and cf. 1 Tim. ii. 14, 15; and Protevangelium of James, 13 (A.N.C.L. xvi. p. 8), and cf. 4 Macc. xviii. 8.] afterwards Adam came to her, and she conceived Abel, [ This agrees with Luria’s emendation, based on the Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 35, and Ẓohar, loc. cit.; see supra, p. 78.] as it is said, "And Adam knew Eve his wife" (Gen. 4:1). What is the meaning of "knew"? (He knew) that she had conceived. [ Some of the Haggadic details of this chapter appear in Josephus, Ant. i. 1. 4. For the reading of the text here see Jalḳuṭ, loc. cit.] And she saw his [ Cain’s. The Pal. Targum, Gen. 4:1, reads: “And Adam knew Eve his wife, who was pregnant by the angel Sammael, and she conceived and bare Cain; and he was like the heavenly beings, and not like the earthly beings, and she said, I have acquired a man, the angel of the Lord.” Cf. infra, pp. 158 f., and see Ẓohar, in loc., and Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 35. See also Vita Adæ et Evæ xxi. 3, in A. and P. ii. p. 138.] likeness that it was not of the earthly beings, but of the heavenly beings, and she prophesied [ The Jalḳuṭ, loc. cit., reads: “she understood.”] || and said: "I have gotten a man with the Lord" (ibid.). [ The Oxford MS. (e. 76) and the first editions insert here the following: “Rabbi Ishmael said: From Seth arose and were descended all the generations of the righteous, and from Cain arose and were descended all the generations of the wicked, who rebelled and sinned against Heaven, and said. We do not need the drops of Thy rains, as it is said, ‘Yet they said unto God, Depart from us’” (Job 21:14).]
Rabbi Miasha [ Oxford MS. (e. 76) reads “Meir” (2nd cent. C.E.). Miasha lived in the 4th cent. C.E.] said: Cain was born, and his wife, [ “His wife” does not occur in the first editions.] his twin-sister, [ According to the Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 1. lxxiv., Luluwa was the twin-sister of Cain; see Schatzhöhle, p. 34, and also the Book of Jashar i. 12. Other references are given by Ginzberg, op. cit. pp. 60 f.] with him. [ The Oxford MS. (e. 76) and the printed editions add: “Abel was born, and with him his twin-sister.” Her name was Aklima (Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 1. lxxv). The first edition differs slightly in the order of the words here.] Rabbi Simeon [ According to the first editions the name is “Ishmael,” who lived c. 90–135 C.E., and was a contemporary of R. ‘Aḳiba, the teacher of R. Meir. R. Simeon (? son of Jochai) was also a disciple of R. ‘Aḳiba.] said to him: Has it not already been said, "And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a shameful thing"? [ חסר, love, permissible or shameful; see Jalḳuṭ, Ps. 89 § 839. Our MS. does not give the last few words of the quotation. In the first editions the quotation ends with the words: “his father’s daughter.” In the Oxford MS. (e. 76) the quotation ends with the words: “mother’s daughter.”] (Lev. 20:17). From these words know that there were no other women whom they could marry, and these were permitted to them, as it is said, "For I have said, The world shall be built up by love" [ The R.V. renders the passage: “Mercy shall be built up for ever.”] (Ps. 89:2). With love was the world built up before the Torah had been given. [ R. Ishmael seems to imply that, prior to the giving of the Law (Torah), the world’s law was based on the impulses of nature and therefore immoral. See the Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 11. vii., as to the marriage of Adam’s son Seth. Epiphanius, op. cit. xxxix. 5, refers to this subject.] Rabbi Joseph [ The Oxford MS. (e. 76) agrees with our MS., but the first editions read “José”—R. José bar Chalaphta was a pupil of R. ‘Akiba.] said: Cain and Abel were twins, [ See T.B. Synhedrin, 38b; Aboth d. R. Nathan (a) 1 Gen. Rab. 22:2. According to the Book of Jashar, loc. cit., “Eve bore two sons and three daughters.” According to this book the union of Adam and Eve was consummated after the expulsion from Paradise; see also Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 15 and § 35, and T.B. Jebamoth, 62a. Josephus says: “Adam and Eve had two sons… they had also daughters” (Ant. i. 2. 1).] as it is said, "And she conceived, and bare (with) Cain" (Gen. 4:1). At that hour she had an additional capacity for child-bearing (as it is said), "And she continued to bear his brother Abel" (ibid. 2). [ Our MS. agrees with Oxford MS. (e. 76), and partially with the Oxford MS. (OA. 167). The first editions read: “At that hour she was debarred from bearing,” as it is said, “And she ceased to bear.” Here “Asaph” = to cease. Our text agrees with Pal. Targ. Gen. 4:2. See Gen. Rab. 22:3, and cf. the Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 1. lxxv.]
Now Cain was a man who loved the ground in order to sow seed; and Abel was a man who loved to tend the sheep; the one gave of his produce as food for the other, and the latter gave of his produce as food for his (brother). The evening of the festival of Passover [ Our book lays stress on the Passover in contradistinction to Jubilees, which exalts Pentecost and Tabernacles. Luria argues that as there was a tradition that the world was created on the 1st of Nisan, Adam was therefore created on the 6th, and “at the end of days” (Gen. 4:3) means one week, and these numbers equal thirteen, and after this day is the 14th, which is the eve of Passover. The offering was brought on the 14th, and eaten that day at even, which is the beginning of the 15th. On the other hand, according to our book, supra, p. 52, the creation began on the 25th of Ellul, and Adam was fashioned on the 1st of Tishri; “at the end of days” would be interpreted as the change in the seasons from autumn to spring, when the first-fruits would be brought. Cf. infra, p. 236. Our text is reproduced by Pal. Targ. Gen. 4:3, and Midrash Agadah (ed. Buber), Gen. p. 10, and see ibid. note 6. According to Dr. Büchler (J.Q.R. v. 442), in the first year of the triennial cycle of reading the Torah, a Palestinian custom, on the first day of Passover, Gen. 3:22–iv. 26 was read. Now, the story of the offering of Cain and Abel occurs in Gen. 4:3 ff., and would fall in the Passover week. This explains our text, “the night of the festival of Passover arrived.” See J.E. xii. p. 256a, line 6; Gen. 3, which is quoted there, should probably be Gen. 4 Chrysostomus (about 175 C.E.) declared that it was customary to begin reading from Genesis during Lent, i.e. Nisan. This shows that the Early Church followed the old Jewish custom of commencing the reading of the Torah in Nisan, the beginning of the Jewish ecclesiastical new year; see J.E. ibid. p. 257b. For a parallel reading, with slight variants, see Midrash Haggadol, c. 106 f.] arrived. Adam called his sons and said to them: In this (night) in the future Israel will bring Paschal offerings, bring ye also (offerings) before your Creator.
(Cain) brought the remnants of his meal of roasted grain, (and) the seed of flax, [ In Tanchuma, Bereshith, § ix., we read: “Some sages say, The remnants of his meal; other sages say, The seed of flax.” See ‘Arukh (ed. Kohut) iv. p. 229b; and cf. Ẓohar, Lev. 87a, where flax is mentioned as the offering of Cain.] and Abel brought of the firstlings of his sheep, and of their fat, he-lambs, which had not been shorn of their wool. [ The offering was the first-fruit of the animal and the first shearing of the wool.] The offering of || Cain was precluded, [ This is also the reading of Oxford MS. (e. 76). The Oxford MS. (O.A. 167) and the first editions read “was abhorred”; cf. Prov. 28:9.] and the offering of Abel was acceptable, as it is said, "And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering" (ibid. 4).
Rabbi Joshua ben Ḳorchah said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Heaven forbid ! Never let the offerings [ Wool from Abel’s sheep and flax from Cain’s offering. The two combined would come under the prohibition of Sha’aṭneẓ (cf. Deut. 22:11). Perhaps the prohibition of Kilayim (Lev. 19:19) is also intended. This reference to Adam in connection with Sha’atnez is probably intentional, and is our author’s imitation of Jubilees, which also connects various laws with the Patriarchs. See Tanchuma, Bereshith, loc. cit., for a variant reading, and cf. ‘Arukh, loc. cit., s.v. Kilayim, and see Maimonides, Guide, iii. 37, and J.E. xi. 212 f.] of Cain and Abel be mixed up (with one another), even in the weaving of a garment, as it is said, "Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together" (Deut. 22:11). And even if it be combined [ The 1st ed. reads “embroidered.” This agrees with the Oxford MSS. The 2nd ed. reads “decomposed.”] let it not come upon thee, as it is said, "Neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together" (Lev. 19:19).
Rabbi Zadok said: A great hatred [ The Book of Jashar i. 16 says: “And Cain was jealous of his brother on this account.” Josephus. Ant., loc. cit., also agrees with this view. The first editions read: “Envy and a great hatred.” The Oxford MS. (e. 76) reads: “Envy and hatred.” Test. XII Pat., Benj. vii. 5: “Because forever those who are like unto Cain in envy and hatred of brethren, shall be punished with the same judgment.”] entered Cain's heart against his brother Abel, because his offering had been accepted. [ This agrees with Jubilees iv. 2; see also Irenæus, adv. Hær. iv. 3 (A.N.C.L. v. p. 433).] Not only (on this account), but also because Abel's twin-sister was the most beautiful of women, and he desired her in his heart. Moreover he said: I will slay Abel my brother, and I will take his twin-sister [ In Jubilees iv. 1 the wife of Cain is ’Avan, who was born after Abel. See Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 1. lxxviii.] from him, as it is said, "And it came to pass when they were in the field" (Gen. 4:8). "In the field" means woman, who is compared to a field. [ The Oxford MS. (e. 76) adds: “as it is said: ‘But if a man find the damsel that is betrothed in the field’” (Deut. 22:25). The first editions read: “as it is said: ‘For man is the tree of the field’” (Deut. 20:19). Man is the tree, woman is the field. This fine figure has a parallel in Euripides, Orestes, 552 ff. Compare our expression, “Mother Earth.”]
He took the stone and embedded it in the forehead [ The Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 1. lxxix. states: “And Cain… took a large stone and smote his brother with it upon his head.” See Pal. Targum, Gen. 4:8, which reproduces our text: “he embedded a stone in his forehead and slew him.” The Book of Jashar i. 25 speaks of “the iron part of the ploughing instrument with which he suddenly smote his brother.” See also Book of the Bee, p. 26.] of Abel, and slew him, as it is said, "And Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him" (ibid.).
Rabbi Jochanan said: Cain did not know that the secrets are revealed before the Holy One, blessed be He. [ Jubilees (iv. 6) states, in connection with Cain’s crime, that “we announce when we come before the Lord our God, all the sin which is committed in heaven and on earth, and in light and in darkness, and everywhere. The 1st eds., Oxford MS. (e. 76) and Gaster MS. add: “What did he do?”] He took the corpse of his brother Abel and hid it in the field. [ The Oxford MS. (e. 76) reads: “he dug in the earth and hid (or buried) it.” The first editions have almost the same reading. According to our book there was apparently no actual burial by Cain, this was done by Adam and Eve; see infra in this chapter. See Tanchuma, loc. cit., and Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 38. Our Midrash was known to Jerome, Ep. ad Dam. 125. See Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan), loc. cit. According to the Book of Jashar, loc. cit., “Cain rose up and dug a hole in the field, wherein he put the body of his brother, and he turned the dust over him.” Ginzberg, op. cit. p. 66, note 2, deals with this theme; see also Grünbaum, op. cit. pp. 83 f.] The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Where is Abel thy brother?" (ibid. 9). He replied to Him: Sovereign of the world ! A keeper of vineyard and field hast Thou made me. [ Abel’s flocks would not be in the fields or vineyards of Cain, and therefore, in the ordinary course of events, he would not have known the whereabouts of his brother.] A keeper of my brother Thou hast not made me; as it is said, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (ibid.). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: || "Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?" [ “Hast thou taken possession” of thy brother? (i.e. his wife and his flock). The later editions read: “I have also heard.”] (1 Kings 21:19). "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground" (Gen. 4:10). When Cain heard this word [ See T.B. Synhedrin, 37a, b.] he was confused. And He cursed him, that he became [ The first editions read: “that he should be.”] a wanderer on the earth because of the shedding of the blood, [ Almost a literal quotation from Jubilees iv. 4, surely this must be something more than a mere coincidence.] and because of the evil death.
Cain spake before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all the worlds ! "My sin is too great to be borne" (ibid. 13), for it has no atonement. [ Luria suggests that the last words might be read as a question: “Is there no atonement for it?”] This utterance was reckoned to him as repentance, [ Cf. T.B. Synhedrin, 101b, and Lev. Rab. 10:5.] as it is said, "And Cain said unto the Lord, My sin is too great to be borne" (ibid.); further, Cain said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Now will a certain righteous one [ See Jalḳuṭ, Gen., loc. cit., and Jalḳuṭ Makhiri, Ps. 147 pp. 143a, b.] arise on the earth and mention Thy great Name against me and slay me. [ By mentioning God’s name, see J.Q.R. v. p. 409, and cf. infra, p. 379.] What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He took one letter from the twenty-two letters, [ The first editions add: “which are in the Torah and wrote (it).” See Ẓohar, Gen. 36b. Most of this chapter has close parallels in the Ẓohar. See also Pal. Targum, in loc.] and put (it) upon Cain's arm [ In Pal. Targum, in loc., “Upon the face of Cain” is the reading. The sign of the Tephillin is placed on the forehead and on the left arm. See also Ezek. 9:4, 6, and Othijoth de R. ‘Aḳiba, ch. i. Cf. Rashi on Gen. 4:15, and Midrash Agadah, Gen. p. 12.] that he should not be killed, as it is said, "And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain" (ibid. 15). The dog [ See Job 30:1. A parallel text occurs in Midrash Haggadol, c. 116 f.] which was guarding Abel's flock also guarded [ This contradicts the earlier story of Abel being buried by Cain.] his corpse [ Jubilees iv. 7 says: “Adam and his wife mourned for Abel.”] from all the beasts of the field and all the fowl of the heavens. [ See Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 11. i.] Adam and his helpmate were sitting and weeping and mourning [ For the phraseology see Neh. 1:4. The legend occurs also in the Koran, Sura v.] for him, and they did not know what to do (with Abel), for they were unaccustomed to burial. A raven [ Tanchuma, loc. cit., reads: “Two clean birds”; cf. Gen. Rab. 22:8. See Midrash Haggadol, c. 116.] (came), one of its fellow birds was dead (at its side). (The raven) said: I will teach this man what to do. It took its fellow and dug in the earth, hid it and buried it before them. Adam said: Like this raven will I act. He took || the corpse of Abel and dug in the earth and buried it. The Holy One, blessed be He, gave a good reward to the ravens in this world. What reward did He give them? When they bear their young and see that they are white [ See Jalḳuṭ to Job, § 925; cf. T.B. Kethuboth, 49b.] they fly from them, thinking that they are the offspring of a serpent, and the Holy One, blessed be He, gives them their sustenance [ See Tanchuma, ‘Eḳeb, § ii. In the first editions the quotation from Job is not given.] without lack, as it is said, "Who provideth for the raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God, and wander for lack of meat" (Job 38:41). Moreover, that rain should be given [ The first editions read: “they cry that rain should be given.”] upon the earth (for their sakes), and the Holy One, blessed be He, answers them, as it is said, "He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry" (Ps. 147:9). [ The previous verse of the Psalm speaks of rain. See also Jalḳuṭ Makhiri, in loc., p. 143b. The Midrash Haggadol, c. 117, gives this verse as Ps. 144:9. This is a printer’s error for Ps. 147:9. It adds Job 38:41.]