This sign was one of the twenty-two letters of the Torah, and God set it upon him to protect him.’ R. Judah said: ‘Cain rose up against Abel and killed him because he inherited his nature from the side of Samael, who brought death into the world. He was jealous of Abel on account of his female, as indicated by the words, “and it came to pass when they were in the field”, the word “field” signifying woman.’ On R. Hiya objecting that, according to the text, Cain was wroth because his offering was not accepted, R. Judah answered that this was a further reason.
R. Judah further expounded the words, “If thou doest well, shall there not be an uplifting?” ‘The word “uplifting”,’ he said, ‘means the dignity which is due to a first-born, provided his actions warrant it.
וַיָּשֶׂם ה' לְקַיִן אוֹת לְבִלְתִּי וְגו'. מַאי אוֹת. אוֹת אֶחָד מֵעֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין אַתְוָון דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יָהַב עֲלֵיהּ לַאֲגָנָא עֲלֵיהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַאי דִכְתִיב וַיְהִי בִּהְיוֹתָם בַּשָּׂדֶה. מַאי בַּשָּׂדֶה. דָּא אִתְּתָא. וְעַל דָּא קָם וּקְטִיל לֵיהּ. דְּהָא מִסִּטְרָא דָא יָרִית לְקַטְלָא מִסִּטְרָא דִסמא"ל דְּגָרִים מוֹתָא לְכָל עַלְמָא. וְקַנֵּי קַיִן לְהֶבֶל עַל נוּקְבֵיהּ. רַבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר הָא חֲזִינָן דִּכְתִיב וַיִּחַר לְקַיִן מְאֹד וַיִּפְּלוּ פָנָיו עַל דְּלָא אִתְקַבִּיל קָרְבָּנֵיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ הָכִי הוּא וְכֹלָּא הֲוָה לָקָבְלֵיהּ.
This sign was one of the twenty-two letters of the Torah, and God set it upon him to protect him.’ R. Judah said: ‘Cain rose up against Abel and killed him because he inherited his nature from the side of Samael, who brought death into the world. He was jealous of Abel on account of his female, as indicated by the words, “and it came to pass when they were in the field”, the word “field” signifying woman.’ On R. Hiya objecting that, according to the text, Cain was wroth because his offering was not accepted, R. Judah answered that this was a further reason.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַאי דִכְתִיב הֲלא אִם תֵּיטִיב שְׂאֵת וְאִם לֹא תֵיטִיב לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רוֹבֵץ. אֶלָּא הָכִי קָאֲמַר הֲלא אִם תֵּיטִיב עוֹבָדָךְ שְׂאֵת. מַאי שְׂאֵת. כְּדִכְתִיב (בראשית מ״ט:ג׳) יֶתֶר שְׂאֵת דְּהָא בּוּכְרָא שְׁבָחָא אִית לֵיהּ בְּכֹלָּא תָּדִּיר. וְתַלְיָיא בְּעוֹבָדוֹהִי. וְעַל דָּא אִם תֵּיטִיב שְׂאֵת. וְאִם לא תֵיטִיב לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רוֹבֵץ.
R. Judah further expounded the words, “If thou doest well, shall there not be an uplifting?” ‘The word “uplifting”,’ he said, ‘means the dignity which is due to a first-born, provided his actions warrant it.