Second Children, Offerings and Advice

Torah Study 9/20/08 - Genesis 4: 3

Overview – R. Marder spoke about Auerbach’s comparison of the literary styles of Homer’s Odyssey to the Bible.


In the Odyssey you know the characters well while in the Bible you are ‘left to interpret and guess’ what the character’s background and detail.

Thus the Bible forces us to interpret the details.

However both Homer and the Bible were great influences on society and future literature.

What is the motive for the offerings?
One theory is that Cain was traumatized by the awareness of mortality and this is what motivated him, while Abel was motivated by pure gratitude.

Kaplan has a messianic message from this
NOTE FROM LEW who made the comment:

Aryeh Kaplan's translation of Bereshith 4:3. When I read Kaplan's comments to the group last Shabbat, I omitted the last line.

Here is the complete 4:3 footnote.
"An era ended. Literally, "It was the end of days." It is significant that this same expression is used to denote the Messianic era, when the present era will end. It possibly refers to the expulsion from Eden, whereupon a new era begins...."

East of Eden was a new era.

– “an era ended”, or “in the course of time”, or “end of days” - all reference to an ending of life.

Interesting blog on this

What is left out of the story is also important. We confront the arbitrariness of the world in how the benefits are dispensed. Used as an explanation of why some people seem to be blessed with good things and others stricken with negative issues. It seems this may be the key to “life is not fair” philosophy.

Rabbi’s analysis of the motive/intention for giving offers the moral lesson that when you give you should give the best you can and give from the heart.


Mentioned: Lord Byron’s Play from 1821, Cain

The play commences with Cain refusing to participate in his family's prayer of thanksgiving to God. Cain tells his father he has nothing to thank God for because he is fated to die. As Cain explains in an early soliloquy, he regards his mortality as an unjust punishment for Adam and Eve's transgression in the Garden of Eden, an event detailed in the Book of Genesis. Cain's anxiety over his mortality is heightened by the fact that he does not know what death is.

Theme of the Younger Child Preferred – continues through Genesis:
Message – it is not about birth order, it is about merit rather than social structure.
This ‘preference’ continues – Isaac is second son of Abraham, Jacob is second son of Isaac and Rachel is younger than Leah … etc.

A theory is that this interpretation becomes a justification for the question of ‘ownership’ in the conquest of Canaan.

Moses Mendelssohn (1729-1786) on “sin rests at the door.”
IF you wish you can rule over the impulse to to do wrong. You can help yourself.

Eli Munk (1900 – 1978)
We are given a chance for moral rehabilitation.

Good Question for next time:
After God gives Cain such good advice, why are the results so bad?