cain and abel by Phillip Ratner
It is with the story of the struggle between Qayin (Cain) and Hevel (Abel) that the main narrative of the Torah begins – a narrative that the works of creation in six days is only its introduction – namely the series of struggles between the brothers. Their names change from stage to stage, but they are the same people – they are us. The names of the first enemies-brothers also have gematria-geometrical significance. The name of the elder is Qayin (???), whose Gematria value is 160, like ?elem (human image), ?? (tree) and Sel?. The first two terms already appeared in the first and second Creation narratives, and we have already mentioned the edifice of the Dome of the Rock, the ceiling of which is decorated by a pattern that corresponds both to the Divine ?elem and to the ?? (Tree) of Life. Nowadays it is becoming evident that the spot of the Dome of the Rock is also “The Stone of Contention” over property that affects the whole world and is, in fact, the most likely spot for precipitating a World War.
The name of the younger brother Hevel-Abel, on the other hand, is used to denote something insubstantial, vanity and outbreath – as the opening of the book of Ecclesiastics (1:2) declares: “Havel Havalim… ha’kol Hevel” translated generally as “Vanity of vanities… all is vanity”. But the Qabbalah turns this meaning around and Hevel denotes the outbreath (Hevel haPeh), from which the letters of speech are formed, thus causing all that is accomplished by speech. The Gematria value of Hevel is 37, the same as of Ye?ida – singularity, the highest level of the soul, and of haKavod the medium in which HaShem – the Lord YHWH, but also just “The Name” – becomes visible, and of Degel – “Flag” – the visual sign that identifies a nation or group. 37 is also the value of ?okhmah – Wisdom – in “Small Gematria” (where letters get the numerical of their ordinal value from 1 to 22). The number 37 represents two geometrical patterns – of the hexagon and the hexagram – such as of “the Star of David” in the Israel Flag.[38] The number 37 is also a 3D Gnomon (completing number) that, when added as cover to a cube of 3x3x3 makes a cube of 4x4x4 (37 + 27 = 64). In as much that the surface hexagonal form of 37 is used as a three-dimensional cover completing a cube of three to a cube of four, it gives a hint to progression from three-dimensional cube to a four-dimensional hypercube.
Not only is the ancient struggle for inheritance not forgotten, but it seems to get stronger these days. In the legends of the sages the motif of struggle and envy is presented already to the first creation narrative and the competition between the sun and the moon, “the lesser light” against “the greater light”. However, in that creation narrative it is written “that it was good” (1:19). In the second, Formation (Yezirah) narrative, the struggle appears in full strength. Also the word “sin” – which is not mentioned at all in the case of eating from the Tree of Knowledge – appears explicitly in the story of Qayin and Hevel “sin crouches at the door, and to thee shall be his desire” (4:7). Sin is the offspring of desire and inclination – Ye?er. “The original sin” is not with the Tree of Knowledge but of brotherly envy and rivalry. Interestingly, the word ?atat – sacrifice to atone for Sin (?et) – will appear 32 times in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers.
What divided Qayin and Hevel? They competed on the love of God, on matters of worship and sanctity. They both asked that their offering would be accepted. God could have accepted both their offers. A possible reason for the preference of the one and the rejection of the other’s offering is hinted by the difference of the offerings. About Hevel it is written that “he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat (choice) parts thereof”, while Qayin brought just “of the fruit of the ground”. Here the offering of the firstlings gave preference to the young. Qayin, the elder brother, was prevented from bringing the firstlings of the fruit of the ground, because it was the same ground (Adamah, actually “Living Earth”) about which his father Adam was told “cursed is the ground (Adamah) for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of your life, Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee… “. The sheep were already complete and perfect, while the ground still needed much “to till it and to keep it” (2:15) from the thornes and thistles which are the firstlings of the ground.
In Midrash Tan?uma for Genesis (item 9) it is told: “And Qayin talked with Hevel his brother” (but is not written what he said). What did he tell him? Let us divide the world and I am the firstborn and will take twice the portion, Hevel told him (that) this is possible, then Qayin told him, if so I am taking as my extra portion the place where your offering was accepted, then Hevel told him, you will not take it, and it was over this matter that there issued a fight between them, as it is written “and it came to pass, when they were in the field” and else where it is written (Jeremiah 26:18), “?ion shall be plowed like a field”. Accordng to this Midrash and additional ones, the place of sacrifice of Qayin and Hevel was in ?ion at the Temple Mount – the spot that is (as already noted) the place of the severest contention till our time. According to Rabenu Ba?ayeh (for Gen. 4:14), “and from thy face I shall be hid – this can be interpreted that ‘from thy face’ means ‘from the place of Thy Dwelling (Shekhinah), namely the place where the people see the face of the Lord God of Israel, and this instructs that the first Adam dwelled at Mount Moriah and there he had his offspring”.
Once that Hevel’s offering was accepted while Qayin’s offering was rejected, entered the envy that crouched at the opening, and this envy would still seep through history till it gets its complete rectification. Parallel to the seven stages of creating the world through divine utterances the Scriptures narrative would come in seven stages of rectification of the true Original Sin (the one for which the word ?atat – Sin – is explicitly mentioned) – which is the envy and enmity among brothers. The conclusion of the story of the Creation – Beriah (connected with the word Bri’ut, namely “Health”) – is that all humans are brothers, are Bnei Adam, “The Sons of Adam” (that is, “Sons of Man”). But we know the bitter truth how great is the envy and the enmity among the Bnei Adam – and murder of brothers, fratricide, is the clearest manifestation of it. In our subsequent survey of the Book of Genesis we shall find in it six cases of struggle between brothers are described as six stages (that are parallel to the parable of the six creation days), in which the conflict among brothers gets gradually refined (mit’?den – connected with ?den) and its dangers get mitigated, until it reaches its complete solution. We shall reach the seventh and completed stage only in the Book of Exodus (especially after the giving of the Torah and the building of the Tabernacle), which is the relationship between the brothers Moses and Aharon, who succeed in complementing each other and both serve the Holy. The six stages of rectification of the relations between brothers in the worlds of Action (?siyah) and of Formation-Inclination (Ye?irah) parallel the six Days of Creation in the world of Bri’ah, whereas the seventh stage, of the Holy Brothers, parallels the Shabat (Sabbath).
The sages too have seen the processes of corruption and rectification as seven stages, which they related to the seven heavens. Midrash Tan?uma (Naso, item 16):
“The Holy One told him (Adam), I was desirous to have a dwelling in the Lower worlds as I have in the higher worlds, and I commanded you about one thing and you did not keep it. Immediately the Holy One lifted his dwelling (Shekhinah) to the first heaven. Where is that stated? It is written “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden” (Gen. 3:8). As they transgressed the command, He lifted his Shekhinah to the first firmament. Then Qayin stood up and slew Hevel, immediately He lifted his Shekhinah to the second firmament, etc. (as related earlier for Pequde item 6). Said the Holy One, I have created seven firmaments, and till now there are evil ones to transgress. What did He do? He crumpled all the first generations and upheld Abraham. Since Abraham was upheld, he refined with good deeds, the Holy One descended from the seventh to the sixth firmament. Then came Isaac and stretched his throat over the altar, He descended from the sixth to the fifth etc. (there). Eventually Moses came and drew her (the Shekhinah) to earth, as is written “And the Lord came down upon mount Sinay” (exodus 19:20). And it is ritten, “I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride” (Canticles 5:1); when? When the Tabernacle was erected”.[39]
(By the way – from the story of Qayin it is apparent clearly that “The First Adam” of the World of Ye?irah narrative (that which started about six thousand years ago), was not the first human being. After he slew his brother, Qayin was afraid “that anyone that finds me shall slay me” (3:14), which means that there were other people around and they already knew some moral norms, and right after that it is told that Qayin had a wife and that he started to build a city. Is there a need for a whole city for one small family?)
The Sons of Qayin and birth of Technology
Lemekh (same letters as Melekh – King) was the sixth generation from Qayin, and viewed himself as much greater sinner than his forefather: “If Qayin shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lemekh seventy and sevenfold”. Lemekh is the only one whose offspring is detailed: “And Lemekh took to him two wives, the name of the one was ?da and the name of the other was ?illah. And ?da bore Yaval, he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle (in Hebrew Miqne, implying that he bought himself (Qana) the legacy that Hevel left). And his brother’s name was Yuval, he was the father of all such as handle the lyre and pipe. And ?illah, she also bore Tuval-Qayin, forger of every sharp instrument in brass and iron, and the sister of Tuval-Qayin was Na’ama” (4:19-22). The names of the sons are close to each other – Yaval, Yuval and Tuval and they appear as the makers of technology – specifically as the kinds of technologies that would have been required for the building of the desert Tabernacle, but they were apparently used in Qayin’s City and led to corruption. Interestingly, all this progeny of Lemekh is told in 36 words, perhaps paralleling those “These” – Eleh – of the formula of God-Elohim made of the lofty Mi and the lower Eleh who are liable to fall down.
