Daf 113a (דַּף קי״ג ע״א)

And immediately, because the offering of Kayin was not accepted, “Kayin was very angry” [Bereshit 4] (וּמִיָּד דְּלָא אִתְקַבַּל קָרְבָּנָא דְקַיִן, וַיִּחַר לְקַיִן מְאֹד). And Hashem said to Kayin: Why are you angry, that your offering was not accepted? (וַיֹּאמֶר יהו״ה לְקַיִן לָמָּה חָרָה לָךְ דְּלָא מִתְקַבַּל קָרְבָּנָךְ). If you improve your deeds in Gilgul [Reincarnation], uplift for yourself in the world, and you will be accepted in repentance (אִם תֵּטִיב עוֹבָדָךְ בְּגִלְגּוּלָא, שְׂאֵת לָךְ בְּעָלְמָא, וְתִתְקַבַּל בִּתְיוּבְתָּא). But if not, “at the opening sin crouches” [Bereshit 4] (וְאִם לַאו לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רוֹבֵץ).

Rabbi El'azar said: Here there is no need to conceal the secret (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הָכָא לָא צָרִיךְ לְאִתְכַּסְיָא רָזָא). What is “se’et”? (מַאי שְׂאֵ״ת). We have not come to expound this verse except to say: “Se’et” is a burden, and by inversion of the letters, se’et is eshet (wife) (וְלָא אָתֵינָא לִדְרָשָׁא בְּהַאי קְרָא, אֶלָּא דְהָא שְׂאֵת מַשָּׂא אִיהוּ וּבְהִפּוּךְ אַתְוָון, שְׂאֵ״ת אִיהוּ אֵשֶׁ״ת). Here it hints that he transgressed what is written: “And unto your neighbor’s wife you shall not give your lying down” [Leviticus 18] (הָכָא רָמִיז דְּעָבַר עַל וְאֶל אֵשֶׁת עֲמִיתְךָ לֹא תִתֵּן שְׁכָבְתְּךָ וְגוֹ'). That he came upon the twin-sister of Hevel (דְּאָתָא עַל תְּאוֹמָתוֹ שֶׁל הֶבֶל). And this is: “And Kayin rose up against Hevel” [Bereshit 4] (וְדָא אִיהוּ וַיָּקָם קַיִן אֶל הֶבֶל). He rose against his twin-sister, and afterwards killed her husband (קָם עַל תְּאוֹמָתוֹ, וּלְבָתַר קָטִיל לְבַעֲלָהּ). In the likeness of the Egyptian (כְּגַוְונָא דְמִצְרִי). And the secret of the matter: “And he looked this way and that” [Exodus 2] (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וַיִּפֶן כֹּה וָכֹה).

And the ancients said: What is “he looked this way and that”? He saw what was done in the house and what was done in the field (וְאָמְרוּ קַדְמָאִין מַאי וַיִּפֶן כֹּה וָכֹה, אֶלָּא רָאָה מֶה עָשָׂה בְּבַיִת וּמֶה עָשָׂה בַשָּׂדֶה). And there is no “field” except woman, as it is said: “For he found her in the field” [Deuteronomy 22] (וְלֵית שָׂדֶה אֶלָּא אִשָּׁה, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר כִּי בַשָּׂדֶה מְצָאָהּ). This is what is written: “And it came to pass, when they were in the field” [Bereshit 4] (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיְהִי בִּהְיוֹתָם בַּשָּׂדֶה). “And he looked this way and that”-he examined whether there was in him from the side of good, for sometimes good is separated from evil, and from there come the converts (וַיִּפֶן כֹּה וָכֹה, אִסְתַּכַּל אִם הֲוָה בֵּיהּ מִסִּטְרָא דְטוֹב, דִּלְזִמְנִין אִתְפָּרַשׁ טוֹב מִן רָע וּמִתַּמָּן אִינוּן גֵּרִים). And because of this he looked from every side until six hundred thousand, and he did not see there a convert that would come forth from him (וּבְגִין דָּא אִסְתַּכַּל מִכָּל סִטְרָא עַד שִׁתִּין רִבּוֹא, וְלָא חָזָא תַמָּן גִּיּוֹרָא דְנָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ). And he struck the Egyptian (וַיַּךְ אֶת הַמִּצְרִי).

And afterwards what is written: “And if you do not improve” [Bereshit 4] (וּלְבָתַר מַה כְּתִיב וְאִם לֹא תֵיטִיב). Do not read “ve’im” (and if), but “ve’em” (and mother) (אַל תִּקְרֵי וְאִם אֶלָּא וְאֵם). For it is: “Excellency of dignity and excellency of power” [Bereshit 49] (דְּאִיהוּ יֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עָז). “At the opening sin crouches”-what is “crouches”? (לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ, מַאי רוֹבֵץ). But as it is written: “When you see the donkey of your enemy lying under its burden…” [Exodus 23] (אֶלָּא כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ רוֹבֵץ וְגוֹ'). This one cannot bear upon his shoulders the burden of the Orayta (דְּאִיהוּ לָא יָכִיל לְמִסְבַּל עַל כְּתֵפוֹי חֻמְרָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא). He cannot bear upon him the yoke of kingship in exile (לָא יָכִיל לְמִסְבַּל עֲלֵיהּ עוֹל מַלְכוּת בְּגָלוּתָא). “And you shall forbear to leave it” [Exodus 23] (וְחָדַלְתָּ מֵעֲזוֹב לוֹ). Here He showed Kayin that Yisrael would be in oppression in exile-poor, riding upon a donkey (הָכָא אַחֲזֵי לְקַיִן דַּעֲתִידִין לְמֶהֱוִי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּדוֹחֲקָא בְגָלוּתָא, עָנִי וְרוֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר), who would be like a donkey, bearing its load upon its shoulders, from the yoke of tax in exile and the heaviness of labor (דִּיְהוֹן כַּחֲמוֹר מַשָּׂאוֹי עַל כְּתֵפוֹי, מֵעוֹל הַמַּס בְּגָלוּתָא וּמִכּוֹבֶד הַמְּלָאכָה). And this is: “Crouches under his burden in exile” (וְדָא אִיהוּ רוֹבֵץ תַּחַת מַשָּׂאוֹי בְגָלוּתָא). And the children of Kayin were wealthy and strong like kings in great might (וּבְנוֹי דְּקַיִן דַּהֲווֹ עֲתִירִין וְתַקִּיפִין כַּמְּלָכִים בְּתוּקְפָא סַגִּיא). And because of this He said: “If you do well, se’et” [Bereshit 4] (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר הֲלֹא אִם תֵּטִיב שְׂאֵת). That is: If you do well to be a “lifting up” for the poor of Yisrael, who are burdened with a heavy load (הֲלֹא אִם תֵּטִיב לְמֶהֱוֵי שְׂאֵת לַעֲנִיֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִינוּן כְּבֵדִים בְּמַשָּׂא כָבֵד). I will bear your burden in the world and lengthen over them (אֲנָא אַסְבִּיל לִבְרִיךְ בְּעָלְמָא, וּמַאֲרִיךְ עֲלַיְיהוּ). But if not, “at the opening sin crouches” [Bereshit 4] (וְאִם לַאו, לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ): to the gate of Gehinnom it is opened, to take vengeance from you and from your seed (לְתַרְעָא דְגֵיהִנָּם אִתְפַּתְּחַת, לְנַטְלָא נוּקְמָא מִנָּךְ וּמִבְּרָךְ).

Rabbi Shimon said: Blessed is my son to Atik Yomin (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, בְּרִיךְ בְּרִי לְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין), for the holy spirit has been aroused upon you, to reveal here new insights that were not made known until now (דְּהָא רוּחַ קַדִּשָׁא אִתְעַר לְגַבָּךְ, לְגַלָּאָה הָכָא חִדּוּשִׁים דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעוּ עַד הַשְׁתָּא). He said: Surely this is that which is written: “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me” [Bereshit 4] (אָמַר וַדַּאי דָּא אִיהוּ קוֹל דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ צוֹעֲקִים אֵלַי). These are the bloods of Yisrael (אִינוּן דָּמִים דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), that the children of Kayin, the Erev rav, the wicked and the guilty, are destined to spill in exile (דַּעֲתִידִין לְמִגְזַל לוֹן בְּנוֹי דְּקַיִן עִרֶב רַב רַשִּׁיעַיָּיא חַיָּיבַיָּא בְגָלוּתָא). And this is: “For the earth is filled with violence because of them” [Bereshit 6] (וְדָא אִיהוּ כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס מִפְּנֵיהֶם). And this is the killing of Kayin to Hevel, who was a poor man considered like one dead (וְדָא הוּא קָטוֹלָא דְקַיִן לְהֶבֶל דְּעָנִי חָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת).