What Cain Said to Abel
Yael Eckstein | October 31, 2024

Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. — Genesis 4:8
Each week in synagogue, Jews read through the Torah from Genesis to Deuteronomy, and this week we begin again with the Torah portion Bereshit, which means “in the beginning,” from Genesis 1:1—6:8.
The first two siblings in history didn’t get off to a great start. One attacked the other, and we end up with the world’s first homicide. Talk about sibling rivalry!
Both Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to God. Cain’s was rejected because he brought second-rate goods, while Abel’s was accepted because he brought God the best. This upset Cain greatly, but God told him to cheer up—Cain could fix his mistake! “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:7).
The next thing we know, Cain was talking to Abel. Now, in some translations we read that Cain said: “Let’s go out into the field.” But in the original Hebrew, that sentence is missing. The verse reads: “Now Cain said to his brother Abel. While they were out in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” No wonder words were added to this verse. Without them, it makes little sense. What did Cain say to Abel? That information is missing!
And that’s just the point, say the Jewish sages.
It doesn’t matter what Cain said to Abel. He could have said nothing at all. The murder of Abel had nothing to do with the conversation he had with Cain. It had everything to do with Cain himself. Cain was upset because his sacrifice wasn’t accepted. He was angry with himself… and he took it out on his brother.
What a haunting insight into human relationships. How many fights between two people are really fights that a person is having with him or herself? When we get mad at other people, are we actually angry with ourselves?
Cain and Abel
I heard a story about a woman who came home from a long hard day of work. Her boss had hounded her all day long. At home, her husband made the mistake of asking what’s for dinner. Boy, was she ready to give it to him! But… the woman stopped to think. Had her husband done anything wrong? Was she angry at him or at her own problem?
The next day, the woman went back to work. Her boss was just as grumpy and eager to criticize. But then she had a thought: Maybe her boss was going through a tough time. Was he angry at her or at his own problem?
Sometimes we don’t see the whole picture. Sometimes, it’s buried beneath the surface of the words being spoken. So, let’s choose to be compassionate and forgiving. A wise man once said: “Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle…” including ourselves.
Your Turn:
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