Daf 112b (דַּף קי״ב ע״ב)

Rabbi El'azar said to him: Since with it the flesh of nakedness was covered, it is good (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, דְּאִתְכַּסִּי בֵּיהּ בְּשַׂר עִרְוָה טַב אִיהוּ). He said to him: My son, not all nakednesses are the same (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי לַאו כָּל עֲרָיוֹת שָׁוִין). This one did not bring this offering except to bring near his nakedness to Hashem (הַאי לָא קְרִיב קָרְבָּנָא דָא אֶלָּא לְקָרְבָא עִרְוָה דִילֵיהּ לַה׳). As it is said: “None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover nakedness; I am YHVH” [Leviticus 18] (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ אִישׁ אִישׁ אֶל כָּל שְׁאֵר בְּשָׂרוֹ לֹא תִקְרְבוּ לְגַלּוֹת עִרְוָה אֲנִי יהו״ה). And what is his nakedness? The evil pollution, the foreskin, the female of the foreskin (וּמַאי עִרְוָה דִילֵיהּ זוּהֲמָא בִּישָׁא עָרְלָה, נוּקְבָא דְעָרְלָה). That of which it is said: Adam the first man would draw his foreskin (הַהִיא דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן מוֹשֵׁךְ בְּעָרְלָתוֹ הֲוָה).

And what is this? The mother of evil mixture, the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (וּמַאי נִיהִי אִימָּא דְעִרְבוּבְיָא בִּישָׁא, אִיבָּא דְאִילָנָא דְטוֹב וָרָע). Of which it is said: “She took of its fruit and gave also to her husband with her” [Bereshit 3] (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וַתִּקַּח מִפִּרְיוֹ וַתִּתֵּן גַּם לְאִישָׁהּ עִמָּהּ). And what is this? Lilith (וּמַאי נִיהִי לִילִית). From there come the Erev rav, who are intermixed with Yisrael (מִתַּמָּן קָא אַתְיָין עִרֶב רַב דְּאִנּוּן מְעוּרָבִין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). Of them it is said: “Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that deal corruptly” [Isaiah 1] (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן הוֹי גּוֹי חוֹטֵא, דְאִינוּן זֶרַע מְרֵעִים בָּנִים מַשְׁחִיתִים וְגוֹ'). And they said: “These are your gods, O Yisrael, to the calf” [Exodus 32] (וְאָמְרוּ אֵלֶּה אלהי״ך יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעִגְלָא). And because of this: “And unto Kayin and unto his offering He did not turn” [Bereshit 4] (וּבְגִין דָּא וְאֶל קַיִן וְאֶל מִנְחָתוֹ לֹא שָׁעָה). But behold, concerning Kudsha Berikh Hu it is said: “And His mercies are over all His works” [Psalms 145] (וְהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְרַחֲמָיו עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו). And it is said of Him: “For I have no pleasure in the death of the one that dies” [Ezekiel 18] (וְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ כִּי לֹא אֶחְפּוֹץ בְּמוֹת הַמֵּת). And He accepted them, all the more so the offering of Kayin (וְקַבִּיל לוֹן, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן לְקָרְבָּנָא דְקַיִן). Except that his will was evil, as it is said (אֶלָּא דַהֲוָה רְעוּתֵיהּ לְבִישׁ כְּמָה דְאִתְּמַר). But Hevel-his will was in his offering, to bring the Shekhinta near to that of which it is said: “The Ancient of Days sat, His raiment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool” [Daniel 7] (אֲבָל הֶבֶל הֲוָה רְעוּתֵיהּ בְּקָרְבָּנָא דִילֵיהּ, לְקָרְבָא שְׁכִינְתָּא לְהַהוּא דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין יְתִיב לְבוּשֵׁיהּ כִּתְלָג חִוָּור וּשְׂעַר רֵישֵׁיהּ כַּעֲמַר נְקֵי). With what? With that which he brought from the firstlings of his flock and from their fat (בְּמַאי, בְּהַהוּא דְקָרִיב מִבְּכוֹרוֹת צֹאנוֹ וּמֵחֶלְבֵהֶן). And because of this: “And YHVH had regard to Hevel” [Bereshit 4] (וּבְגִין דָּא וַיִּשַׁע יהו״ה אֶל הֶבֶל). And behold, it is said (וְהָא אִתְּמַר).