firmament of heaven.” By these last words, Scripture designates the celestial river, source of all lights, which issues from Eden, as it is written: “...And a river went forth from Eden to water the Garden.” Observe that when the light of the moon, which is the reflection of the sun, illuminates the earth, all the stars likewise show their lights; all plants and trees grow by virtue of this light; and even the waters of the Ocean move and produce the ebb and flow; and finally the fishes of the sea rejoice in this light. All are joyful, even the demons, who emerge from their torpor and roam the world. Therefore it is fitting to watch over children at this hour, lest the demons gain hold of them.
Rabbi Aha said: It is written: “And Elohim set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth.” Scripture teaches us that the conduct of the sun and the moon should serve as an example to the inhabitants of the earth. For although, at the beginning, the light of the moon was equal to that of the sun, the moon nevertheless continues to illuminate the earth joyfully, after God has diminished its light.
Rabbi Aha said: It is written: “And Elohim set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth.” Scripture teaches us that the conduct of the sun and the moon should serve as an example to the inhabitants of the earth. For although, at the beginning, the light of the moon was equal to that of the sun, the moon nevertheless continues to illuminate the earth joyfully, after God has diminished its light.
Rabbi Isaac said: It is written: “And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun; and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days.” What seven days? The seven days of creation. Rabbi Yehouda said: The seven days are those of the consecration of the Tabernacle; therefore these days are called “full” (melouïm), because at that time the world shall become perfect, and the moon shall no longer display its notched figure, the symbol of the evil serpent, of whom Scripture says: “And the great speaker divideth the Princes.” And when shall this event take place? At the time when the words of Scripture shall be fulfilled: “He shall swallow up death for ever.” At that same time shall the words of Scripture be fulfilled: “In that day the Lord shall be one; and His name one.”
It is written: “Let the waters bring forth living creatures,” and a little further on: “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind.” Rabbi Éléazar said: The lower waters bring forth beings after their kind, just as the upper waters bring forth beings after their kind. Rabbi Hiyà said: Scripture speaks of the upper waters, which brought forth the living creature. What living creature? It is the being of the first man, as it is written: “And man became a living creature.” Scripture adds: “...And birds that fly above the earth.” These are the celestial messengers who appear to men in a dream. From Scripture’s saying, “that fly above the earth,” it follows that, besides the angels who appear to men in a dream, there are others who appear to men only in reality, according to the intellectual degree of man. This is why Scripture does not use the words “after their kind” for the “birds that fly above the earth,” as it does further on, when it speaks of the “birds that God created after their kind,” since the messenger angels, who appear only in a dream, are all of but one kind, whereas the angels who appear to us in reality are of various kinds, differing one from another; and it is on their account that Scripture says: “...And from there the river divides into four channels.”
It is written: “And Elohim created the great fishes”; these are Leviathan and his female. The words “and every living thing that moveth” designate that living thing (nephesch hayah) which moveth in all four quarters of the world. And what is that living thing? It is “Lilith.” Scripture addeth: “Let the waters bring forth”; for it is the waters that nourish these living things. For when the south wind bloweth, the waters move in every direction and swell; and it is then that these beings pass, as it is written: “There go the ships; there is Leviathan, whom Thou hast made to play therein.”
“Thou didst form the Leviathan to sport therein.” The words “and every winged fowl after its kind” designate those beings of whom Scripture says: “…For a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.” Rabbi Yossé said: All these beings are furnished with six wings and show no variation; therefore Scripture says “after its kind,” which means after the kind of winged angels. They traverse the world in six flights; they go to spy out the deeds of men; and, if these are good, they cause them to ascend to Heaven. Therefore Scripture says: “Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber.”
Rabbi Hizqiya said: Why does Scripture employ the word “haromeseth” (that move), instead of “haschoretzeth” (that creep)? It is because Scripture designates “Lilith,” as has been said before. Therefore Scripture says: “It is during the night that all the beasts of the forest move (thirmos)”; these words also designate the angels, called Hayoth, who likewise rule at the hour when “Lilith” rules. They begin to sing their hymns at each of the three watches of the night, and cease not their praises until the end of the night. It is of them that Scripture says: “Those who remember the Lord keep not silence.”
Rabbi Simeon arose and spoke thus: After deep meditation, I have become certain that, at the moment when the Holy One, blessed be He, willed to create man, all the worlds, above and below, were shaken. On the sixth day of creation, the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, was accomplished. The light of all lights appeared in all its splendour; it opened the gate of the East, whence the light comes; the South displayed all the magnificence of its primordial light, so that the light of the South mingled with that of the East; that of the East at once reached the North, which it flooded, and the North spread abroad the light it had received throughout the West. Thus all four cardinal points of the world were flooded with light. Then the West said to the other cardinal points: “Let us make man in our image,” which means: let him resemble us in this, that he too embraces the light from above and below, and from all four cardinal points.
The East was then united with the West; and man was begotten. This is why tradition teaches us that man was created from the earth upon which the Temple was built. According to another version, the words of Scripture, “Let us make man in Our image,” have the following meaning. The Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to those below—that is, to the angels—the mystery of the formation of the word “Adam” (man). The word אדם derives from the Mysterious One above; for, through the mystery of the letters of which it is composed, it partakes both of what is above and of what is below. It partakes of what is above through the “closed Mem” (ם), which is the one in “lemarbeh” (רב), from the verse, “His dominion shall be enlarged”; it partakes of what is below through the Daleth (ד), which is closed only on the western side. And this is how the word “man” partakes both of what is above and of what is below. Its perfection above corresponds to its perfection below. When these letters descended, they formed a harmonious whole; and man was found to be both male and female. For the woman was joined to the man until he had fallen asleep; and this was at the place where the Temple was to be raised. God then separated the woman from him. He formed her, adorned her, and led her to the man, like a bride whom they adorn and bring to the bridegroom. This is why Scripture says, “He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof.” Scripture says, “He took one of his ribs,” instead of saying, A rib of his ribs, which would be more in keeping with the genius of the Hebrew tongue; by saying only, “He took one…,” Scripture surely designates something other than a rib. I have found in an ancient book that what
God detached from Adam not a rib, but “Lilith” the primitive, who dwelt with Adam and by whom she became pregnant. It is of her that Scripture says: “But he found no help for Adam that was against him,” that is to say: God found in Lilith no help for man, seeing that she was against him. And it was then, after detaching “Lilith” from man, that God replaced the pleasure man experienced in his intercourse with her with the pleasure of the flesh. Wherefore Scripture adds: “And He put flesh in its place.” Mark that God created man here below endowed with all that is needful to supply every want that the demons hold out before his eyes; thus, when “Lilith” was detached from man, one of his ribs could take the place of the guilty pleasure he had previously experienced in dwelling with “Lilith.”
Rabbi Simeon said further: It is written: “...Before any plant of the field was in the earth, and before any herb of the field had grown: for the Lord God had not yet caused it to rain upon the earth; and there was no man to till the ground.” By the words “plants of the field,” Scripture designates the great trees that were planted later, but whose form had already been fashioned. Thus are the words of Scripture to be understood: “He created all the plants of the field before they had sprung forth from the earth,” that is to say, their form had been fashioned. Mark that Adam and Eve were originally created joined side by side. Why were they not created joined face to face? Because of the words of Scripture: “...For the Lord God had not yet caused it to rain upon the earth.” The union of man, a being superior to all the works of creation—the union, we say, of man with his wife—was to be fashioned after the pattern of nature. Thus it was only when the union of heaven and earth first took place, an union manifested by the rain, that the union of man with his wife took place face to face.
Whence do we know that the deeds of those above are formed after the pattern of those below? We know it from the Tabernacle, as it is written: “...And the Tabernacle was reared up”; now, we know by tradition that these words of Scripture refer to the celestial Tabernacle. Thus the celestial Tabernacle was not reared up until after that on earth. The same was true of the manner of union face to face between man and his wife, before God caused it to rain upon the earth. Therefore Scripture says: “...And there was no man”; by this Scripture means that so long as Eve had not yet been created, man was an incomplete being; man became complete only after the creation of Eve. This mystery is already indicated to us by the fact that, throughout the passage concerning the creation of woman, the letter “Samekh,” which signifies “support,” “aid,” “help,” does not appear. Although the colleagues have said that the word “Ezer” (help) means that woman was created to serve as a help to man, she became a “help” only from the moment when the union took place face to face. Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “They are joined one to another for all eternity; they are made according to truth and according to equity.” By the word “joined,” Scripture designates the male and the female, whose joining together in this lower world shall endure in the upper world for all eternity.
Scripture says: “...For the Lord God had not yet caused it to rain upon the earth”; Scripture means that the perfect union between man and woman did not yet exist, because this union had not yet manifested itself in nature. And this perfect union consists in a holy coming together face to face. Therefore Scripture immediately adds thereafter: “And a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.” This is the desire which the female feels for the male; the mists first rise from the earth toward heaven; and, after forming the clouds, it is heaven that waters the earth. Observe that the same is true of the works of men. First, it is men who offer holocausts; and, after the smoke has ascended to heaven, heaven pours down upon the world below all the blessings. If the “Synod of Israel” did not begin first to offer holo
... the blessings of heaven would never reach this lower world. Rabbi Abba said: It is written: “...And the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden, and the Tree of Good and Evil...” A tradition teaches us that the Tree of Life is five hundred years’ journey in height, and that all the waters of creation flow at its foot and turn in different directions. The Tree of Life is planted exactly in the midst of the Garden, and it is at its foot that the waters take their various courses. The celestial river in which the Hayoth drink, as it is written: “...All the Hayoth drink,” comes forth from the upper world, having watered the higher beings with its fragrant and crystal-clear waters, and flows towards the Tree of Life. When they reach it, the waters of this river divide into various channels, by which they descend to this lower world. Scripture adds: “...And the Tree of Good and Evil.” Why does Scripture speak of this tree, which is not planted in the midst of the Garden? Moreover, what does the Tree of Good and Evil signify? This tree draws its substance from both sides; and, although it knows evil, it does not hesitate to take it unto itself. And it is precisely because it feeds on sweet and bitter, while knowing how to distinguish them; because it seeks to pass for pure Good, though it contains an admixture of Evil; and, finally, because it beguiles many plants which, believing it to be pure Good, follow it, that it is called the Tree of Good and Evil. But there are other higher plants which do not let themselves be beguiled by the Tree of Good and Evil; and these are called the “cedars of Lebanon.” What do the words of Scripture mean: “The trees of the field shall be abundantly nourished, as well as the cedars of Lebanon which God hath planted”? They are the six celestial days of creation, as we have explained previously. Scripture says: “...The cedars of Lebanon which God hath planted.” The word “planted” indicates that these trees are long-lasting; for, indeed, they still endure.
From the moment when the union of Adam and Eve ceased to be side by side, Scripture makes use of the letter Samekh, as it is written: “...And He put flesh in its place.” The Holy One, blessed be He, tore man from his place and transplanted him elsewhere, where Eve was no longer at his side but before him. Thus, the two beings who constitute the foundation of the world were torn from their original place and transplanted, in order to attain perfection. Rabbi Abba further said: Whence do we know that Adam and Eve had been planted? We know it because it is written: “The shoots that I have planted, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified...” Scripture says: “The work of My hands...” because man was created in such a way as not to be confused with the other creatures. And elsewhere it is written: “The day that you plant, your seed shall yield only wild fruits”; these words designate the man who committed sins on the very day he was created. We know by tradition that plants originally resembled the feelers of locusts, so indeterminate was their colour. It was only after they had been planted that they were perfected, taking on distinct hues; then they were called “cedars of Lebanon.” It was the same with Adam and Eve. So long as they had not been planted, they had neither colour nor fragrance; it was only after they had been planted that they attained perfection.
It is written: “And Jehovah Elohim gave this commandment to the man and said to him: Eat of all the trees of the Garden; but eat not of the tree of Good and Evil. For as soon as ye eat thereof ye shall die.” Tradition teaches us that the word “commandment” (tzav) designates idolatry, “Jehovah” designates blasphemy, “Elohim” designates the denial of justice, “to the man” designates murder, “and said to him” designates incest, “of all the trees of the Garden” designates theft, and “eat” designates the flesh cut from an animal while it is still alive. Now, by saying to the man: “Eat of all the trees of the Garden,” God indicated to the man that even though he should commit all the sins mentioned, he ought not despair of attaining salvation, since we see that Abraham ate thereof, and that Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets ate thereof, and yet they did not die. But at the same time He told him to beware of the tree of Death, as it is written: “…But eat not of the tree of Good and Evil,” since whoever merely tastes of it separates himself from life, because he has tasted poison. Therefore God added: “…For as soon as ye eat thereof ye shall die”; for whoever eats of this tree wreaks havoc among the plants.
Rabbi Yehouda asked Rabbi Siméon: What is the meaning of the words of the tradition, according to which Adam protrahebat virgam virilem suam, sive cutem quae supra glandem est? Rabbi Siméon answered him: It is because Adam had separated himself from the sacred Covenant that the tradition says of him: “Protrahebat virgam virilem suam”; since he had abandoned the salvation of the Covenant and attached himself to carnal practices, he was seduced by the serpent’s word. It is written: “…But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the Garden, God hath commanded us not to eat.” The “fruit of the tree” signifies the woman. God commanded that it be not eaten, because of the words of Scripture: “Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.” It is a wholesome fruit when plucked from one tree, and deadly when plucked from another tree; now the fruit of which Eve spoke was precisely the fruit of the tree of Death, as we have said before; and it is of such a kind of fruit that Scripture says: “Her feet go down to death.”
It is written: “And the serpent was the craftiest of all the beasts that the Lord God had formed upon the earth.” Rabbi Yossé said: The tree of which we speak was nourished by the celestial lights; from these it acquired such power and such charm, as it is written: “And a river goeth forth from Eden to water the Garden.” “The Garden” signifies the woman. Before the sin, this river entered into the woman and watered her with its waters. When men attain to this degree of holiness, unity is perfect; of such a unity the Scripture hath said: “The Lord is one, and His name is one.” But above this degree division beginneth; wherefore the Scripture addeth: “…And from thence this river is divided.”
Rabbi Isaac saith: The “serpent” of which Scripture speaketh signifieth the tempting Spirit. Rabbi Yehouda saith: It signifieth the “serpent” itself. They went unto Rabbi Siméon to ask him which of the two interpretations was the more exact. He answered them: Both interpretations come to the same; Samaël had appeared upon a “serpent”; and when he appeareth in this form, he is called “Satan”; but all these designations signify the same Spirit of Evil. We know by tradition that, at the moment when he had seduced Eve, Samaël descended from Heaven mounted upon the serpent’s back; all creatures fled at the sight of this figure. Then he came unto the woman, and brought death into the world by his word. Verily, it was by means of “Wisdom” (Hocmâ) that Samaël brought the curse into the world and destroyed the primordial tree which the Holy One, blessed be He, created in the world. Thus the Word was upon Samaël until the coming of the other sacred tree, which was Jacob; he also seized by means of “Wisdom” the paternal blessings, so that Samaël should not be blessed above, nor Esau below. For Jacob was prefigured by the first man. Thus, in like manner
Just as Samaël strove to deprive the world of the blessings of the first tree, so Jacob strove to deprive Samaël of the heavenly blessings and of the blessings here below, which emanate from the tree that has the form of a man. This is why Scripture says: “And there appeared at the same time a man who wrestled with him.” It is written: “And the serpent was the most subtle of all the animals”; these words designate the tempting spirit, the Angel of Death; and because he is called the Angel of Death, he brought death into the world. This mystery is expressed in the words of Scripture: “The end of all flesh is determined,” that is to say: the Angel of Death having slain all souls, only flesh remained in the world; this is why God said: “The end of all flesh is determined.” It is written: “…And he said to the woman: Is it also (aph) of the other trees of the Garden that Elohim has forbidden you to eat?” Rabbi Yossé said: The serpent began his speech with “aph” (is it also), and he cast “aph,” the divine wrath, into the world. He said to the woman: It was with the help of this tree that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world; eat of it also, and you shall be like Elohim, knowing Good and Evil. Is not the name Elohim given to God on account of the tree of Good and Evil? Therefore, by eating of this tree and knowing Good and Evil, you shall be like Elohim. Rabbi Yehouda said: The serpent did not speak thus; for had he said that it was by this tree that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, he would have spoken correctly; for then the tree would have served God only as an instrument, like an axe in the hands of a craftsman. But in truth, the serpent had said to Eve: The Holy One, blessed be He, ate of this tree, and only thus was He able to create the world. Now, one craftsman is as good as another; eat of this tree also, and you shall know how to create worlds. And since Elohim knows that on the day you eat of it you shall be His equals, this is why He forbade it to you.
Rabbi Isaac saith: All the words of the serpent were false. First, he had said: “Hath Elohim also forbidden you to eat of the other trees of the Garden?” Yet he knew well that God had said unto man: “Eat of all the trees of the Garden.” Rabbi Yossé saith: Tradition teacheth us that the Holy One, blessed be He, had prescribed unto Adam the laws concerning idolatry, designated by the word “commandment”; blasphemy, designated by the word “Jehovah”; denial of justice, designated by the word “Elohim”; murder, designated by the words “unto man”; and incest, designated by the words “and said unto him.” Were there, then, so many men in the world that God needed to give these ordinances unto Adam? But, in truth, all these prohibitions are implied in the tree of Good and Evil; for this tree containeth all these commandments within itself; whosoever eateth thereof becometh guilty of all the negative precepts, and thus joineth himself unto the legions that this tree nourisheth here below. Whosoever eateth thereof becometh guilty of idolatry, murder, and incest: he becometh guilty of idolatry, because he denieth the superiority of the Master who is above this tree; he becometh guilty of murder, because he shorteneth the life of all those beings that hang upon this tree, placed on the side of the Sephirah Geburah, under the dominion of Samaël; and, lastly, he committeth incest, because this tree is the female principle, and for this reason is called “woman.” It is known that, according to the law, it is forbidden to remain alone with a woman, without the presence of her husband, lest one be suspected of adultery; now, whosoever eateth of this tree becometh guilty of a like sin. This is why tradition saith that God gave Adam all these commandments, since, by forbidding him the tree of Good and Evil, He preserved him from all the crimes and sins contained therein. Rabbi Yehouda saith: Indeed, whosoever eateth
It is written: “...And she took of its fruits and ate.” Scripture does not say “and she took thereof,” but “she took of its fruits.” Thus did she attach herself to the place whence death emanates; and she brought death into the world. Thus she made a division between life and death. As a consequence of this sin, the woman was chastised with menstruation, which compels her to live apart from her husband. By separating life from death, Eve separated the “Voice” from the “Word,” which must never be separated. Whoever separates the “Voice” from the “Word” shall become dumb and shall no longer know how to speak; and when he shall no longer know how to speak, he shall return to the earth. Rabbi Simeon said: It is written: “I became dumb and silent, that I might not even speak good things; and my sorrow was renewed.” “I became dumb and silent” is the exclamation of the “Synod of Israel” in captivity. Why has Israel become silent? Because it is the “Voice” that speaks of the “Word.” Now, since Israel has been in captivity, the “Voice” has been separated from it; therefore it does not hear the “Word.” That is why it cries out: “I became dumb and silent”; why is it silent? Scripture answers: “Because I am deprived of good things,” that is, of the “Voice,” which is no longer in Israel; and Israel says: “It is fitting for you to remain silent and not sing praises, for Elohim is in Sion.” Scripture means that it is no longer fitting for Israel to sing the hymns of David, since it is in captivity and deprived of the “Voice.” Rabbi Isaac said: The words of Scripture are an exclamation that Israel addresses to the “Voice”; for “lakh” (it is to you) means “it is through you.” Israel says to the “Voice”: It is because of you, because you have separated yourself from me, that I am silent.
It is written: “And she took of its fruit and ate, and gave some to her husband, who ate of it also.” We know by tradition that Eve pressed grapes and gave some to her husband, who…
who brought death upon all the inhabitants of the world. For death is attached to that tree, and its power is manifested during the night; and when its power is manifested, all the children of the world taste death. But the children who are filled with faith forestall the danger and entrust their souls to God. And because they entrust their souls to God, these return to their place; therefore Scripture says: “... And Thy faithfulness during the night.” It is written: “... And the eyes of them both were opened.” Rabbi Hiyâ said: Their eyes were opened to all the evils of the world, which they had not known before; but, as soon as they were able to see evil, they perceived that they were naked, for they had lost that celestial splendour which had covered them before. Scripture adds: “And they plaited fig leaves together, and made themselves coverings.” They endeavoured to cover themselves with the leaves of the same tree of which they had eaten; and by “fig leaves,” Scripture means those demons called “leaves of the tree.” Scripture uses the word “hagoroth,” girdles, a term which expresses strength. Rabbi Yossé said: As soon as they had eaten of the tree, they knew all the secrets of this lower world, to which they became attached; and since they saw that, in this lower world, it is the “leaves of the tree” that please most, they endeavoured to acquire strength in this lower world by means of these “leaves.” Therefore they girded themselves with the “leaves of the tree,” that these might serve them as a shield against the weapons they foresaw were directed against them. Rabbi Yehouda said: Thus, this tree was the cause of the damnation of three beings, as well as of the curse that came into this lower world, from which it could not be freed until the day when Israel was placed at Mount Sinai; then Israel was purified of the serpent’s defilement. Afterwards the Holy One, blessed be He, clothed Adam and Eve in garments which the flesh alone enjoys, but not the soul, as it is written: “And the Lord God made coats of skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” Before this, they possessed garments of light, by means of which they were exalted above the highest angels, who came to them to enjoy the light; therefore Scripture says: “Thou hast made him but a little lower than Elohim, and hast crowned him with glory and splendour.” But after they had sinned, God clothed them in garments of skins, that is to say, garments which the skin alone enjoys, but not the soul. After the sin, Adam and Eve brought forth their first son, who was defiled by the serpent. Eve had lain with two beings and had begotten two sons, each of whom took a different path; one took his path on one side, and the other took his on the other side; and the descendants of each resemble their respective forefather. Cain had for descendants all the evil spirits, all the demons, all the devils, and all the wicked beings. Abel had for descendants both good beings and wicked beings; for, though he was superior to Cain, he did not attain perfection. It was only with the coming of Seth that perfection was attained and the generation of the righteous began, continuing throughout the world. From Cain descend all the shameless, the impious, and the guilty of this world. Rabbi Éléazar said: When Cain had sinned, he was seized with fear, because he saw legions of armed angels coming to kill him. But when he had repented, he said: “Thou drivest me out this day; and I shall go and hide myself from before Thy face.” What do the words “I shall go and hide myself from before Thy face” mean? My own deeds cover me and hide the sight of Thy face from me. Rabbi Abba said: These words have the same meaning as those of Scripture: “... And he hath not turned away His face from me”; and elsewhere: “... And Moses hid his face.” Cain therefore meant: I shall be hidden from before Thy face, that is, Thou wilt no longer look upon me; and it will follow that whosoever findeth me will slay me.
It is written: “And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any who found him should slay him.” What mark? God engraved upon Cain one of the twenty-two letters of the Scripture, that it might protect him.
Rabbi Yehouda said: What is the meaning of the words: “And when they were in the field, Cain fell upon his brother Abel and slew him”? The word “field” signifies the woman; “he slew Abel,” because he was on the side of Samael, who had brought death into the world; and since Samael is the female principle, it follows that Cain slew Abel because of a woman. Rabbi Hiyâ objected to him: Yet it is written that Cain was exceedingly wroth and cast down because the Lord did not accept his offerings. Rabbi Yehouda answered him: Indeed, all these things were linked together, and one was the consequence of another.
Rabbi Yehouda said: What is the meaning of the words: “And when they were in the field, Cain fell upon his brother Abel and slew him”? The word “field” signifies the woman; “he slew Abel,” because he was on the side of Samael, who had brought death into the world; and since Samael is the female principle, it follows that Cain slew Abel because of a woman. Rabbi Hiyâ objected to him: Yet it is written that Cain was exceedingly wroth and cast down because the Lord did not accept his offerings. Rabbi Yehouda answered him: Indeed, all these things were linked together, and one was the consequence of another.
Rabbi Yehouda further said: What do the words mean: “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be rewarded (seeth)? And if thou doest ill, shalt thou not straightway bear the penalty of thy sin?” God said unto Cain: “If thy works be good, thou shalt be favored.” What meaneth the word “favored”? This word designateth the double portion that falleth to the eldest son in the inheritance of his fathers, as it is written: “Thou shouldest have been the most favored in gifts.” Therefore God said unto Cain: “If thy works be good, thou shalt be rewarded with a double portion; and if they be not good, thou shalt bear the penalty that lieth at the door.” What meaneth the word “door”? It is that door above whence issue the rigors and punishments for those who do evil deeds. It is likewise of this “door” that the Psalmist saith: “Open unto me the gates of righteousness.” Now, before this “door” croucheth sin, that is, the Angel of death. God therefore said unto Cain: “This is he who shall chastise thee.”