Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: It is written, “The wicked draw their swords [and stretch their bows to topple the poor and the needy, to slaughter those who are upright in conduct]” (Psalms 37:14). “The wicked draw their swords and stretch their bows” – this is Cain. “To topple the poor and the needy, to slaughter those who are upright in conduct” – this is Abel. “Their swords will come into their own hearts” (Psalms 37:15) – “restless and itinerant you shall be on the earth” (Genesis 4:12).
“The Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). “The Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother?” This is analogous to a governor who was walking in the middle of a highway.
He found a slain corpse with someone standing over him. He said to him: ‘Who killed him?’ He said to him: ‘I am inquiring about him from you, and you are inquiring about him from me?’39You are responsible for the welfare of the people in your realm, not I. I should be questioning you, not you me. He said to him: ‘What you have said is of no consequence.’40My question was not to elicit information from you; it was rhetorical.
I know that you must have killed him. “He said: What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). This is analogous to one who entered a garden, picked berries, and ate them.
The owner of the garden pursued him. He said: ‘What is in your hand?’ He said to him: ‘There is nothing in my hand.’ He said to him: ‘But your hands are stained.’
So, Cain said to the Holy One blessed be He: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Wicked one, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out…”’ (Genesis 4:10). This is analogous to one who entered a pasture, abducted a goat, and held it behind him. The owner of the pasture pursued him.
He said to him: ‘What is in your hand?’ He said: ‘There is nothing in my hand.’ He said to him: ‘But it is bleating behind you.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Cain: “The voice of your brother’s blood…” Rabbi Yudan, Rabbi Huna, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yudan says: “Your brother’s blood [dam]”41Singular. is not written here, but rather, “Your brother’s bloods [damim]” – his blood and the blood of his potential descendants.
Rabbi Huna said: “The bloods [demei] of Navot” (II Kings 9:26). “The blood of Navot and the blood of his sons” is not written here, but rather, “the bloods [demei] of Navot and the bloods [demei] of his sons” – his blood and the blood of his potential descendants. The Rabbis say: “For the blood of [the sons of] Yehoyada…he died” (II Chronicles 24:25) is not written here, but rather, “the bloods of Yehoyada” – his blood and the blood of his potential descendants.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: It is difficult to say it, and it is impossible for the mouth to enunciate it: This is analogous to two athletes who were standing and wrestling before the king. Had the king wished, he could have separated them, but the king did not wish to separate them. One overpowered his counterpart and killed him. He [the victim] was screaming and saying: ‘Who will demand justice for me before the king?’42The king is responsible for my death because he did not separate us.
So, “the voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground.” It [Abel’s soul] could not ascend On High because no soul had ever ascended to there yet. And it could not go down [into the ground] and remain there, as no man had ever been buried there, so his blood was cast upon the trees and upon the stones.43Thus it is stated “from the ground,” as opposed to “from beneath the ground.”