Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gained a male child with the help of the LORD.” She then bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil. In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil; and Abel, for his part, brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock. The LORD paid heed to Abel and his offering, but to Cain and his offering He paid no heed. Cain was much distressed and his face fell. And the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you distressed, And why is your face fallen? Surely, if you do right, There is uplift. But if you do not do right Sin couches at the door; Its urge is toward you, Yet you can be its master.” Cain said to his brother Abel … and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and killed him. The LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Then He said, “What have you done? Hark, your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground! Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. If you till the soil, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. You shall become a ceaseless wanderer on earth.” Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great to bear! .

(1) And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground (Gen. 4:3). The process of time (lit. “end of days”) may imply either the end of a year, the end of two years, after a certain number of days, or after forty years. Our sages, of blessed memory, said that Cain and Abel were forty years old when Cain brought of the fruit of the ground. What did he bring as his offering? He brought only the leftovers of his meal. However, the rabbis maintained that Cain brought flaxseed, while Abel brought firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof (ibid., v. 4). That is why it is ordained that wool and flax must not be mixed, as it is said: Thou shalt not wear mingled stuff, wool and linen together (Deut. 22:11).³¹The source of the law of shatnez, prohibiting the wearing of wool and linen together. The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: It is not fitting that a sinner’s offering and the sacrifice of a virtuous man should be coupled. Hence it is forbidden to combine them in a garment.

And Cain spoke unto Abel, his brother (Gen. 4:8). What did he say to him? He said: “Let us divide the world between us, but since I am the eldest, I shall take twice as much.” Abel replied: “Perhaps.” “If we do this,” Cain continued, “I want my share to include the place at which your sacrifice was accepted.” Abel replied: “That, you cannot have.” Thereupon, they began to quarrel, as it is said: And it came to pass while they were in the field that Cain arose (ibid.), and it says elsewhere: Zion shall be plowed as a field (Jer. 26:18).

Others contend that Cain told Abel: “Let us divide the world between us,” and Abel replied: “Certainly.” Whereupon Abel took the flocks as his share, and Cain took the land to till. They agreed that neither should take anything belonging to the other. However, after accepting the flock as his share, Abel grazed the flock upon Cain’s land. Cain pursued Abel over hill and vale, until they began wrestling with one another. At first Abel overpowered Cain and threw him to the earth. When Cain realized that he was being defeated, he pleaded: “Abel, my brother, do not harm me.” Because he was a merciful person, Abel released him. As soon as Cain arose he slew Abel, as it is said: Cain arose. The words Cain arose clearly indicate that he must have been hurled to the ground previously.