Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/92

 The Book of Genesis

74

the words, "The voice of thy lirother's blood from the ground". This is additional evidence of the nomad origin and basis of the story. This practice of blood revenge our ancestors brought v^ith them But as the out of the desert into their settled life in Palestine. years passed and their civilization developed they gradually outgrew the original, cruel practice. The custom arose of imposing a fine upon the murderer or his family, and also of distinguishing very carefully between intentional and unintentional murder. Where the killing was clearly unintentional, provision was made for the slayer to flee to a city of refuge, and thus go unpunished (Numbers XXXV, 11-34; Deuteronomy XIX, 1-13). But where it could be proved through competent witnesses that the killing had been premeditated, the murderer was executed, under the supervision of the proper authorities, by the relatives of the murdered man. It can readily be seen from this what a grave and often malicious misrepresentation it is, to say that Judaism has always insisted upon This was merely the principle of eye for eye and tooth for tooth. a natural and necessary stage of moral and social evolution through which Israel, like all other peoples, once passed. Judaism, as we all know, has advanced far beyond this original principle of retri-

thought

crieth

underlying

out to

Me

Certainly every Jew should know norant and unjust charge, whenever made. bution.

how

to

refute

this

ig-

V. 11. In consequence of the curse the soil becomes immediately unproductive and ceases to respond to Cain's tillage. This is, of course, comparable to the effect of a blessing (cf. note to I, 20).

V.

14.

The Hebrew word

for

soil,

adaniah, means "tilled ground"

contrasted with the desert or the" wilderness.

as

The

question

children of the

often

is

first

if Cain and Abel were the first w^oman, why need God have placed

asked,

man and

the sign upon Cain's forehead to

warn anyone against

killing

him?

The

teacher should try to keep as far as possible from suggesting

this

difficult

question.

But

if

by chance the children should ask

it.

the teacher should be ready with the only truthful answer, that this is

merely a beautiful story, and

may

well therefore be unclear, or

The same an.'^vvcr even self-contradictory, in some of its details. may also be given to the very common and troublesome question, who were the wives of Cain and Abel? The rabbis had the tradition that each had married his twin sister, and that this was one But there is no of the causes of Cain's jealousy of his brother. Biblical basis at all

for this iradition.

Vv. 16-24 contain ancient material, for the most part genealogical