פרשת בראשית תשי"ז - קין והבל

... The voice of your brother’s bloods [are] screaming to me from [the surface of] the ground” [Gn 4:10]—[this means that] she (the voice of Hevel’s blood) could not go up above/l’ma`lah, for as yet no soul/n’shamah had gone up to there; and below/l’matah she could not stand (i.e., stay or sink into the ground), for as yet no adam had been buried there, and [so] “his blood was cast upon the trees and the stones.

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering;

Kayin brought. The intellectual giants of those early generations understood the real significance of the sacrifices.

as a burnt offering: [the kohen] must burn the animal with the intention that it is a burnt offering. (Torat Kohanim 1:58) a fire offering: When he slaughters [the animal], he must slaughter it with the intention [to burn it completely in] fire. Every [instance of the word] אִשֶּׁה in Scripture, is an expression related to אֵשׁ, “fire." pleasing: gives Me contentment, for I said [My commandment], and My will was fulfilled!” End quotation from Rashi. But the Rav did not explain what "for the fire" means. And in Gemara (Zevachim 46:b) they said: "To exclude unfinished burning," and he explains here that we slaughter it in order to place it over the burning wood fire upon the altar, not to place it over the coals that chill and go dim. And it seems to me that one needs to intend that the fire consume it completely, and not to roast it a little. And this relates to the rebellious son (Sanhedrin 70a): "Like midcooked thieve's meat." And in Tractate Eruvin: "Neither cooked nor consumed." (Eruvin 29b) And there are some that explain there: "To exclude unfinished burning." (Zevachim 46a) His intention was to place over wood fire, as it is written "over the fire on the wood," and not over straw fire nor kindling fire. It is like the matter we learned: "finished oven with straw and mulch." (Shabbat 36b) And behold, in this verse the reason for the sacrifices is that they are "a fire offering with a pleasing odor to the Lord." But the Rambam said in the Guide for the Perplexed (3:46) that the reason for the sacrifices was for the sake of the Egyptians and Chaldeans, in whose lands Israel used to live and dwell, who would worship the bull and the sheep. Because the Egyptians worshipped a lamb, and the Chaldeans worshipped demons that appeared to them as goats. And the people of India to this day never slaughter a cow. For this reason (God) commanded to slaughter these three species in God's name to make known that the matter which (the pagans) thought of as the ultimate sin is what (the Israelites) will sacrifice to their Creator and their sins will be attoned for. For thus are bad beliefs healed, which are ailments of the soul, since every ailment and illness is healed through its opposite. These are his words and he continues at length. This is rubbish! They have healed a great hurt and a great difficulty lightly! The table of the Eternal is made polluted. (Malachi 1:12) For they are not only to remove [false beliefs] from the hearts of the wicked and fools of the world. Doesn't Scripture say that they are "food of the gift offering, for a pleasing odor?" (Leviticus 3:16) And also due to the idiocy of the Egyptians their illness won't be healed this way. Rather it would increase suffering, because the intention of the aforementioned wicked ones was to worship the constellations of the sheep and the ox, which have power, according to their thinking. And therefore they don't eat them in deference to their power and strength. But if they are slaughtered for the Revered Name, this would be an honor for them... Since the deeds of people are determined by thought, speech and action, God, may He be blessed, commanded that when he sins, he brings a sacrifice and place his hands upon him corresponding to the deed, and confess with his mouth corresponding to the speech, and burn the innards and the kidneys, as they are the instruments of thought and desire. And the limbs [of the sacrifice] correspond to the hands and feet of a person that does all of his work. And he sprinkles the blood on the altar corresponding to the blood of his soul, so that a person think in doing all of this that he sinned to God with his body and his soul, and it is fit for him that his blood be spilled and his body burnt; were it not for the kindness of the Creator, who took an exchange and ransom from him [in] the sacrifice - that its blood be instead of his blood and its soul be instead of his soul. And the central limbs correspond to his central limbs. And the portions with which to sustain the teachers of Torah [are so] that they will pray for him. And the daily sacrifice is because there is no saving the community from always sinning. And these words are tenable [and] grab the heart, like the words of classic homiletic teachings (Shabbat 87a). And in the way of truth (mysticism), the sacrifices contain a hidden secret...

איה הבל אחיך WHERE IS ABEL THY BROTHER — thus entering into a friendly conversation with him: perhaps he might repent and say, “I have killed him, and sinned against You” (Genesis Rabbah 19:11).

גדול עוני מנשוא MY PUNISHMENT IS GREATER THAN I CAN BEAR (literally, my sin is greater than what can be borne) — This is a question: You bear the worlds above and below. and is it impossible for You to bear my sin? (Genesis Rabbah 22:11).

And Cain said unto the LORD: ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear.