Midrash: The 'Original' Meaning

“And Cain spoke to Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field…” (Genesis 4:8) What were they arguing about? They said: come let’s divide up the world, one will take the land and one will take the moveable property. This one said: the ground you are standing on is mine. The other one said: what you are wearing is mine. This one said: take it off! The other one said: fly! Because of this “…Cain rose against his brother Abel and killed him.”

R’ Yehoshua of Sakhnin said in the name of R’ Levi: they both took the land and the moveable property. What were they arguing about? One said: the Holy Temple will be built in my boundary. The other said: the Holy Temple will be built in my boundary. As it says “…when they were in the field…” and the field only refers to the Holy Temple. This is what it says “…Zion shall be plowed as a field…” (Micah 3:12) Because of this “…Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”

Yehudah bar Ami said: they were arguing about the first Eve. R’ Ibo said: the first Eve returned to the dust. Then what were they arguing about? R’ Huna said: an extra twin sister was born with Abel. This one said: I will take her because I am the first born. The other one said: I will take her because she was born with me. Because of this “…Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”

A tale of Rabbi Eliezer, son of Hyrḳanos. His father had many ploughmen who were ploughing arable ground, whereas he was ploughing a stony plot; he sat down and wept. His father said to him: O my son! Why do you weep? Perhaps you are distressed because you are ploughing a stony plot? Now, plough with us arable soil. He sat down on the arable ground and wept. His father said to him: But why do you weep?... He answered him: I weep only because I desire to learn Torah. (Hyrḳanos) said to him: You are twenty-eight years old—yet you desire to learn Torah? Nay, go, take a wife and have sons and you will take them to the school. He fasted two weeks not tasting anything, until Elijah— may he be remembered for good—appeared to him and said to him: Son of Hyrḳanos! Why do you weep? He replied to him: Because I desire to learn Torah. (Elijah) said to him: If you desire to learn Torah, go to Jerusalem to Rabban Yochanan ben Ẓakkai.

He arose and went up to Jerusalem to Yochanan ben Ẓakkai and sat down and wept. (R. Jochanan) said to him: Why do you weep? He answered him: Because I wish to learn Torah. (R. Jochanan) said to him: Whose son are you? But he did not tell him. (R. Jochanan) asked him: Have you never learnt to read the Shema', or the Amida, or the Blessing after meals? He replied to him: No. He arose and (R. Jochanan) taught him all three. He sat down and wept. (R. Jochanan) said to him: My son, why do you weep? He replied: Because I desire to learn Torah. He (thereupon) taught him two rules (of the Law) every day of the week, and on the Sabbath (Eliezer) repeated them and memorised them....

THE sons of Hyrḳanos said to their father: Go to Jerusalem and disown your son Eliezer. He went up to Jerusalem to disinherit him, and it happened that a festival was being celebrated there by R. Jochanan ben Ẓakkai. All the nobility of the district were dining with him; (such as) Ben Zizith Hakkeseth, Nicodemus ben Gorion, and Ben Kalba Sabua...

The people said (to R. Jochanan): Behold, the father of R. Eliezer has arrived. He told them: Prepare a place for him, and seat him next to us. (R. Jochanan) fixed his gaze on R. Eliezer, saying to him, Tell us some words of the Torah. (R. Eliezer) answered him saying: Rabbi! I will tell you a parable. To what is the matter like? To this well which cannot yield more water than the amount which it has drawn (from the earth); likewise am I unable to speak words of the Torah in excess of what I have received from you. (R. Jochanan) said to him, I will (also) tell thee a parable. To what is the matter like? To this fountain which is bubbling and sending forth its water, and it is able to effect a discharge more powerful than what it secretes; so too are you able to speak words of the Torah in excess of what Moses received at Sinai. ... (Thereupon) R. Eliezer sat down and expounded [darash]. His face shone like the light of the sun and his radiance beamed forth like that of Moses, so that no one knew whether it was day or night. They went and said to Rabban Jochanan ben Ẓakkai: Come and see R. Eliezer sitting and expounding, his face shining like the light of the sun and his radiance like that of Moses, so that no one knows whether it be day or night. He came from (his place) behind him and kissed him on his head, saying to him: Happy are you, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because this one has come forth from your loins.

Hyrḳanos his father said: To whom does (R. Jochanan) speak thus? The people answered: To Eliezer thy son. He said to them: (R. Jochanan) should not have spoken in that manner, but actually, "Happy am I because he has come forth from my loins." Whilst R. Eliezer was sitting and expounding, his father was standing upon his feet. When (Eliezer) saw his father standing upon his feet, he became agitated and said to him: My father! be seated, for I cannot utter the words of the Torah when you are standing. (Hyrḳanos) replied to him: My son, it was not for this reason that I came, but my intention was to disinherit you. Now that I have come and I have witnessed all this praise; behold, your brothers are disinherited and their portion is given to you as a gift!

(Eliezer) replied: Verily I am not equal to one of them. If I had asked the Holy One, blessed be He, for land, it would be possible for Him to give this to me, as it is said, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof" (Ps. 24:1). Had I asked the Holy One, blessed be He, for silver and gold, He could have given them to me, as it is said, "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine" (Hag. 2:8). But I asked the Holy One, blessed be He, that I might be worthy (to learn the) Torah only, as it is said, "Therefore I esteem all precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way" (Ps. 119:128).

R. ELIEZER BEN HYRḲANOS opened (his discourse with the text), "Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord, or shew forth all his praise?" (Ps. 106:2). Is there any man who can utter the mighty acts of the Holy One, blessed be He, or who can shew forth all His praise?... Before the world was created, the Holy One, blessed be He, with His Name alone existed, and the thought arose in Him to create the world. He began to trace (the foundations of) the world before Himself, but it would not stand. They told a parable, To what is the matter like? To a king who wishes to build a palace for himself. If he had not traced in the earth its foundations, its exits and its entrances, he does not begin to build. Likewise the Holy One, blessed be He, was tracing (the plans of) the world before Himself, but it did not remain standing until He created repentance.

Seven things were created before the world was created. They are: The Torah, Gehinnom, the Garden of Eden, the Throne of Glory, the Temple, Repentance, and the Name of the Messiah.