Understanding the Verses פְּשַׁט הַפְּסוּקִים
Adam and Havah had two sons, and each brought an offering to God. Hevel sacrificed the first born and fattest of his flock. Kayin offered the fruit of the land, but it wasn’t the best. God accepted Hevel’s offering but not Kayin’s, and Kayin got angry and sad. Read what happens next:
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל־הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יו
וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּהְיוֹתָ֣ם בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה
וַיָּ֥קׇם קַ֛יִן אֶל־הֶ֥בֶל אָחִ֖יו וַיַּהַרְגֵֽהוּ׃
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יהוה אֶל־הַ֔יִן אֵ֖י הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יךָ
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי׃
Kayin said to his brother Hevel
and when they were in the field,
Kayin rose against his brother Hevel and killed him.
God said to Kayin, “Where is Hevel, your brother?”
And he said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
- Do you notice anything missing from the pesukim? What would you expect after the first line?
- What do you imagine Kayin might have said to Hevel?
- Does God not know where Hevel is? Why do you think God asks?
- What do you think of Kayin’s answer to God? Is that what brothers and sisters should say about each other? How do you think God might respond? (Try looking it up to see what happens next!)
- Are there people in your life you can look out for? How can you be a “keeper”?
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