Kayin's Sacrifice Rejected/1/en
Kayin's Sacrifice Rejected
Introduction
Unexplained Rejection
Rebuke?
In the continuation of the story Hashem appears to reprove Kayin, suggesting that he has room to improve:
(ו) וַיֹּאמֶר י״י אֶל קָיִן לָמָּה חָרָה לָךְ וְלָמָּה נָפְלוּ פָנֶיךָ. (ז) הֲלוֹא אִם תֵּיטִיב שְׂאֵת וְאִם לֹא תֵיטִיב לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ וְאֵלֶיךָ תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ וְאַתָּה תִּמְשׇׁל בּוֹ.
(6) Hashem said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? (7) If you do well, will you not be uplifted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you shall rule over it.”
This rebuke, though, is replete with both lexical and syntactic ambiguities, leaving the reader once again unclear as to Hashem's message. Where do the different clauses of verse 7 begin and end? What does the word "שְׂאֵת" mean? How should we interpret the phrase "לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ"? Is Hashem telling Kayin to improve his actions or his sacrifice? How do Hashem's words relate to His previous rejection of the offering?
