Kayin – Intentional or Unintentional Murderer/1/he

קין – רוצח במזיד או בשוגג?

הקדמה

Examining the Evidence

הפסוק החידתי בבראשית ד':ח' מדווח על הרצח והמוות הראשונים בהיסטוריה: 

וַיֹּאמֶר קַיִן אֶל הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיְהִי בִּהְיוֹתָם בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיָּקָם קַיִן אֶל הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיַּהַרְגֵהוּ

מאחר ואירוע זה התרחש הישר לאחר וויכוח חריף בין קין להבל, סביר להניח כי מדובר כאן ברצח שתוכנן מראש. אולם, לפני קפיצה למסקנה הזו, כדאי לעיין בראיות הטקסטואליות הנוגעות לעונש שניתן לקין על ידי ה', לתחינתו של קין לה' בדבר הקלה בעונשו, למוטיבציה של קין לבצע את המעשה, וכן ליכולתו לתכנן מעשה זה מראש.

האם עונש תואם לעבירה?

Intentional murder is a capital crime, and thus, if Kayin deliberately killed Hevel, one might have expected Hashem to administer the death penalty. Yet, Kayin is spared such a sentence, and is instead informed that he will be cursed from the land and forced to live the life of a wanderer. This punishment is very reminiscent of that given to the inadvertent killer who is exiled from his home. Did Kayin receive this less severe penalty because of technical reasons, or were there fundamental mitigating circumstances which made his act more similar to that of an unintentional murderer?

Reaction to Sentencing

After receiving his sentence, Kayin responds to Hashem:

(יג) וַיֹּאמֶר קַיִן אֶל ה' גָּדוֹל עֲוֹנִי מִנְּשֹׂא. (יד) הֵן גֵּרַשְׁתָּ אֹתִי הַיּוֹם מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה וּמִפָּנֶיךָ אֶסָּתֵר וְהָיִיתִי נָע וָנָד בָּאָרֶץ וְהָיָה כָל מֹצְאִי יַהַרְגֵנִי. (טו) וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ ה' לָכֵן כָּל הֹרֵג קַיִן שִׁבְעָתַיִם יֻקָּם וַיָּשֶׂם ה' לְקַיִן אוֹת לְבִלְתִּי הַכּוֹת אֹתוֹ כָּל מֹצְאוֹ.

Though Kayin's words are open to interpretation, his reaction seems somewhat surprising. If Kayin was an intentional murderer deserving of death, how does he have the temerity to protest that his punishment was overly severe and might bring about his death? And if Kayin's complaint had no merit, why does Hashem feel compelled to address his grievance by providing Kayin with a special protective sign?

Context and Motivation

Finally, the Torah gives no indication that Kayin killed Hevel in the heat of the moment, as an immediate response to Hashem's rejection of his sacrifice. To the contrary, in the interim, Hashem first speaks to Kayin, Kayin speaks to Hevel, and they go out to the field together. Did their discussion in the field begin innocently, but somehow escalate into a murderous brawl or, alternatively, was the conversation part of Kayin's premeditated plot to catch his brother by surprise?  Would it not be odd that Kayin's first action, immediately after being chastised by Hashem, would be to orchestrate the murder of his brother? Did he really think that doing so would achieve his goal of ingratiating himself with Hashem?