TORAH/תורה

בְּרֵאשִׁית/Bereshit 4

1

וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַתַּ֙הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה׃

And the man had known Chavah his wife and she had conceived and had borne [(even before the episode of the tree of knowledge)], [a twin girl] with Kayin. And she said: "I have acquired [(kanithi, like "Kayin")] a man with the L-rd" [(my husband and I being "partners" with Him in the creation of Kayin)].

2

וַתֹּ֣סֶף לָלֶ֔דֶת אֶת־אָחִ֖יו אֶת־הָ֑בֶל וַֽיְהִי־הֶ֙בֶל֙ רֹ֣עֵה צֹ֔אן וְקַ֕יִן הָיָ֖ה עֹבֵ֥ד אֲדָמָֽה׃

And she bore again [(a twin sister)] with his brother, with [(i.e., another twin sister, with)] Havel. And Havel was a shepherd, and Kayin was a tiller of the soil.

3

וַֽיְהִ֖י מִקֵּ֣ץ יָמִ֑ים וַיָּבֵ֨א קַ֜יִן מִפְּרִ֧י הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה מִנְחָ֖ה לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃

And it was, after some time, that Kayin brought of the fruits [(of the poorest of them)] of the ground, a gift to the L-rd.

4

וְהֶ֨בֶל הֵבִ֥יא גַם־ה֛וּא מִבְּכֹר֥וֹת צֹאנ֖וֹ וּמֵֽחֶלְבֵהֶ֑ן וַיִּ֣שַׁע יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־הֶ֖בֶל וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֽוֹ׃

And Havel brought — he, too — of the first-born of his flock and of their fats. And the L-rd turned to Havel and to his gift.

(To Havel and to his offering. Hashem was pleased with both Havel himself as well as with his offering.)

5

וְאֶל־קַ֥יִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָת֖וֹ לֹ֣א שָׁעָ֑ה וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֙יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ פָּנָֽיו׃

And to Kayin and to his gift He did not turn. And Kayin was sorely wroth, and his face fell.

6

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־קָ֑יִן לָ֚מָּה חָ֣רָה לָ֔ךְ וְלָ֖מָּה נָפְל֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ׃

And the L-rd said to Kayin: Why are you wroth, and why is your face fallen?

7

הֲל֤וֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב לַפֶּ֖תַח חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשׇׁל־בּֽוֹ׃

If you make amends, will you not be forgiven? And if you do not make amends, at the opening [of your grave] your sin lies [i.e., is preserved], and to you is its [the evil inclination's] desire [to lead you astray]; but you can rule over it.

(ואם לא תיטיב לפתח חטאת רובץ, however, sin is also lying in wait for you if you will add further intentional sin to the already performed unintentional sin. This is the way of the evil urge, that once you give into it, it will forever be ready to tempt you again.)

8

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל־הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יו וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּהְיוֹתָ֣ם בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיָּ֥קׇם קַ֛יִן אֶל־הֶ֥בֶל אָחִ֖יו וַיַּהַרְגֵֽהוּ׃

And Kayin spoke to Havel, [contentiously, seeking a pretext to kill him], and it was, when they were in the field, that Kayin rose up against Havel his brother and killed him.