Chasidut for Genesis 4:11
וְעַתָּ֖ה אָר֣וּר אָ֑תָּה מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּצְתָ֣ה אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ לָקַ֛חַת אֶת־דְּמֵ֥י אָחִ֖יךָ מִיָּדֶֽךָ׃
And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.
Kedushat Levi
The author of Or Hachayim questions a Midrash according to which the sea at first refused to wash up these bodies on the shores of the sea, until being given a hint by the Creator Himself to accept these bodies.
I believe that with G’d’s help I have been enabled to understand the reason for the sea’s initial reluctance to “vomit” these bodies on the shore. Death itself was introduced to earth only through Adam having eaten from the tree of knowledge in defiance of G’d’s warning not to do so on pain of his becoming mortal. Seeing that the oceans had no part in that sin, they naturally resented being associated with death, as dead bodies reflect negatively on the one assisting in their concealment, as we know from the earth being cursed for having hidden Hevel’s body. (Genesis 4,11)
The ocean not having been part of Adam’s sin at all, resulted in it experiencing a sense of revulsion at the sight of dead bodies. The definition of דבר מת, is: “something that had been alive but has ceased to be so.” The wicked do not feel revulsion when coming into contact with dead bodies, as they themselves are considered as “dead” even while walking around on earth. (Compare B’rachot 18) The visible unnatural and painful death of the wicked affords their souls a certain spiritual elevation, as the manner in which their bodies had died confirmed the surviving G’d fearing people in their belief that G’d is alive and reigns in this universe.
I believe that with G’d’s help I have been enabled to understand the reason for the sea’s initial reluctance to “vomit” these bodies on the shore. Death itself was introduced to earth only through Adam having eaten from the tree of knowledge in defiance of G’d’s warning not to do so on pain of his becoming mortal. Seeing that the oceans had no part in that sin, they naturally resented being associated with death, as dead bodies reflect negatively on the one assisting in their concealment, as we know from the earth being cursed for having hidden Hevel’s body. (Genesis 4,11)
The ocean not having been part of Adam’s sin at all, resulted in it experiencing a sense of revulsion at the sight of dead bodies. The definition of דבר מת, is: “something that had been alive but has ceased to be so.” The wicked do not feel revulsion when coming into contact with dead bodies, as they themselves are considered as “dead” even while walking around on earth. (Compare B’rachot 18) The visible unnatural and painful death of the wicked affords their souls a certain spiritual elevation, as the manner in which their bodies had died confirmed the surviving G’d fearing people in their belief that G’d is alive and reigns in this universe.
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