(א) וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַתַּ֙הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־ה' (ב) וַתֹּ֣סֶף לָלֶ֔דֶת אֶת־אָחִ֖יו אֶת־הָ֑בֶל וַֽיְהִי־הֶ֙בֶל֙ רֹ֣עֵה צֹ֔אן וְקַ֕יִן הָיָ֖ה עֹבֵ֥ד אֲדָמָֽה׃ (ג) וַֽיְהִ֖י מִקֵּ֣ץ יָמִ֑ים וַיָּבֵ֨א קַ֜יִן מִפְּרִ֧י הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה מִנְחָ֖ה לַֽה' (ד) וְהֶ֨בֶל הֵבִ֥יא גַם־ה֛וּא מִבְּכֹר֥וֹת צֹאנ֖וֹ וּמֵֽחֶלְבֵהֶ֑ן וַיִּ֣שַׁע ה' אֶל־הֶ֖בֶל וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֽוֹ׃ (ה) וְאֶל־קַ֥יִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָת֖וֹ לֹ֣א שָׁעָ֑ה וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֙יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ פָּנָֽיו׃ (ו) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ה' אֶל־קָ֑יִן לָ֚מָּה חָ֣רָה לָ֔ךְ וְלָ֖מָּה נָפְל֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ׃ (ז) הֲל֤וֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב לַפֶּ֖תַח חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשָׁל־בּֽוֹ׃ (ח) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל־הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יו וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּהְיוֹתָ֣ם בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיָּ֥קָם קַ֛יִן אֶל־הֶ֥בֶל אָחִ֖יו וַיַּהַרְגֵֽהוּ׃ (ט) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־קַ֔יִן אֵ֖י הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יךָ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי׃
(1) And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said: ‘I have agotten a man with the help of the LORD.’ (2) And again she bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. (3) And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. (4) 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; (5) but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (6) And the LORD said unto Cain: ‘Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? (7) If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and unto thee is its desire, but thou mayest rule over it.’ (8) And Cain spoke unto Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. (9) And the LORD said unto Cain: ‘Where is Abel thy brother?’ And he said: ‘I know not; am I my brother’s keeper?’
ואל קין ואל מנחתו לא שעה לא שעה אל קין המקריב שהיה בלתי רצוי וגם כן אל מנחתו שהיתה בלתי ראויה לרצון:
למה חרה לך. למה קנאת באחיך כדואג על שקבלתי קרבנו ברצון הנה לא היה זה רצון פשוט או שלא כדין:
ולמה נפלו פניך כי כשיש לקלקול איזו תקנה אין ראוי להצטער על מה שעבר אבל ראוי להשתדל להשיג תקון לעתיד:
הלא אם תיטיב עצמך ותשתדל להיות גם אתה לרצון:
שאת רום המעלה וההתנשא רובץ לפניך ומוכן שיהיה לך. ואם לא תיטיב לפתח חטאת רובץ. גם כן החטאת מוכן לפניך כי תוסיף על חטאתך פשע שכך דרכו של יצר הרע:
ואליך תשוקתו כי תפנה אליו למלאות תאותיו כאמרם ז''ל (סוכה פרק החליל) יצרו של אדם מתגבר עליו בכל יום:
ואתה תמשל בו בידך להתקומם עליו בצלם אלהים כאמרם שם ואלמלא הקב''ה עוזרו אינו יכול לו שנ' ה' לא יעזבנו בידו:
And to Cain and to his offering Gd did not hearken. He did not turn to Kain the offeror since he was not desirable and He also did not turn to his offering because it was not suitable to accept.
Why are you angry? Why are you jealous of your brother, lamenting that I accepted his offering, it was not an unsuitable offering.
Why is your countenance fallen? Since when there is a remedy for something wrong, it is not suitable to be distressed about the past; instead, one should attempt to achieve a remedy for the future.
If you do well, improve, and try to be desirable as well.
Will it be lifted up to a higher level that is sitting before you and ready to be for you. And if you do not do well, sin crouches at the door. Also, the sin is available for you when you add to your sin, since this is the way of the yetzer hara.
And unto you is its desire since you will turn to your desires, as it says (Sukka 52) a man's inclination grows on him each day.
And you will rule him with your hands to rise against him in the image of Gd as it says "were it not for Gd's help, one could not beat it, as it says "Gd will not foresake him in his hand..."
(17) I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: ‘Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, As a calf untrained; Turn thou me, and I shall be turned, For Thou art the LORD my God. (18) Surely after that I was turned, I [repented], And after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh; I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, Because I did bear the reproach of my youth.’ (19) Is Ephraim a darling son unto Me? Is he a child that is dandled? For as often as I speak of him, I do earnestly remember him still; Therefore My heart yearneth for him, I will surely have compassion upon him, saith the LORD.
I regretted. A notion of change of mind and regret.