What Cain and Abel Quarreled Over and the Blood Crying From the Ground

(Genesis 4:8) "And Cain said to Abel his brother." Over what were they disputing? They said: Come, let us divide the world. One took the land, and one took the movable property. This one said, "The ground you stand on is mine," and that one said, "What you wear is mine." This one said, "Strip it off," and that one said, "Fly away." Out of this, "And Cain rose up," and so forth. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi said: Both took the land and both took the movable property, so over what were they disputing? This one said, "In my territory the Temple will be built," and that one said, "In my territory it will be built," as it is said, "And it came to pass when they were in the field," and "field" means nothing but the Temple, as you say, (Micah 3:12) "Zion shall be plowed as a field." Rabbi Yehudah says: They disputed over the first Eve. Rabbi Abahu said: The first Eve had returned to her dust, so over what were they disputing? Rabbi Huna said: Over an extra twin sister born with Abel. This one said, "I will take her, for I am the firstborn," and that one said, "I will take her, for she was born with me." Out of this, "And Cain rose up." Rabbi Yohanan said: Abel was stronger than Cain, for Scripture need not say "and he rose up" except to teach that Cain had been pinned beneath him. Abel said to him, "We two are in the world; what will you go and say to our father?" Cain was filled with mercy toward him; immediately he stood over him and killed him. From there people say, "Do no good to the wicked, and evil will not reach you." "And he killed him." With what did he kill him? Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: With a reed he killed him, as it is written, "and a child for my bruising," something that makes a bruise. The Rabbis say: With a stone he killed him, as it is said, "for I have slain a man for my wounding," something that makes wounds. And some say: Cain studied closely how his father had slaughtered the bull, as it is said, (Psalms 69:32) "and it shall please the LORD more than an ox, a bull," and from there he killed him, from the neck, the place of the slaughtering signs. And who buried Abel? Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat said: The birds of heaven and the pure beasts buried him, and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them their reward in two blessings that are recited over them, one for slaughtering and one for covering the blood. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi said: It is written, "The wicked have drawn the sword" and so forth. "The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow," this is Cain; "to cast down the poor and needy, to slay the upright in way," this is Abel; "their sword shall enter their own heart," and so forth. (further, verse 12) "A fugitive and a wanderer you shall be in the earth." "Where is Abel your brother," and so forth. A parable of a prefect who was walking in the middle of the avenue. He found one slain man and another standing over him. He said to him, "Who killed him?" He said to him, "What is this, you seek him from me and I seek him from you?" He said to him, "You have said nothing." It is like one who entered a garden and gathered mulberries and ate, and the owner of the garden ran after him and said, "What is in your hand?" He said, "Nothing is in my hand." He said, "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, "O wicked one, the voice of your brother's bloods cry out to Me from the ground." A parable of one who entered a pasture and snatched a kid and slung it behind him, and the owner of the pasture ran after him and said, "What is in your hand?" He said, "Nothing is in my hand." He said, "But it is bleating after you." So "the voice of your brother's bloods." (The rest of this section is written above in remez 28.) "The voice of your brother's bloods." Capital cases are unlike monetary cases: in monetary cases a person gives money and is atoned, but in capital cases his blood and the blood of his descendants hang upon the killer until the end of the world, for so we find concerning Cain who killed his brother, as it is said, "the voice of your brother's bloods." It does not say "your brother's blood" but "your brother's bloods," his blood and the blood of his descendants. Another interpretation: "your brother's bloods," that his blood was scattered upon the trees and upon the stones. Rav Yehudah son of Rabbi Hiyya said: This teaches that Cain inflicted on Abel his brother wound upon wound and bruise upon bruise, for he did not know from where the soul departs, until he reached his neck. And from the day the earth opened and received the blood of Abel it never opened again, as it is said, (Isaiah 24:16) "From the wing of the earth we have heard songs," from the wing of the earth and not from the mouth of the earth. Hezekiah his brother raised an objection: (Numbers 16:32) "And the earth opened its mouth." He said to him: For evil it opened; for good it did not open. Rav Yehudah son of Rabbi Hiyya said: Exile atones for half. At first it is written, "a fugitive and a wanderer," and in the end it is written, "and he dwelt in the land of Nod." Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Exile atones for three things, as it is said, (Jeremiah 38:2) "Thus says the LORD, he who dwells in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence." Rabbi Yohanan said: Exile atones for everything, as it is said, "Write this man childless," and after he was exiled it is written, (1 Chronicles 3:17) "and the sons of Jeconiah, Assir, Shealtiel his son."