창세기 4:8의 Musar

The lesson we have to derive from all this is that if we do perchance commit a transgression, we should repent immediately and try to repair the spiritual damage such a transgression has inflicted upon us. Failing to do so brings about the great danger that one transgression leads to another, as indicated by the verse we have just quoted. Had Cain heeded G–d's warning to mend his ways (Genesis 4,7) he would not have become the first murderer in history. Having failed once to heed G–d's advice he not only murdered but turned heretic when he responded to G–d's question: "Where is your brother Abel," with the words "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4,8-9), implying that there is neither judge nor justice in this world.

The three groups of rebels we have mentioned represented the three negative virtues of קנאה, תאוה, and כבוד, jealousy, greed, and craving for honour. These are the traits that contribute to man losing his life (both here and in the Hereafter). They are the very opposites of the good characteristics described earlier. Korach was afflicted by jealousy, Datan and Aviram were affected by greed, and the two hundred and fifty men suffered from the desire to achieve higher status. We shall now elaborate on this: Korach's jealousy was a trait due to the original serpent. The serpent had denied creation ex nihilo by holding out the hope that Eve would become like G–d, and suggesting that G–d had created the universe only after having eaten from that tree. Anyone who denies creatio ex nihilo, is in effect denying the existence of G–d and the existence of a system of justice and fairness, and therefore accountability, supervised by the Creator. When Cain had started his quarrel with Abel he had said that there was no judge, no justice, and no Hereafter, as is evident from the Targum Yonathan on Bereshit 4,8. Korach also denied the prophetic powers of Moses, that the Torah originated in Heaven and that the earth had been created because of the merit of Moses, as we have been told בראשית, בשביל משה, שנאמר וירא ראשית לו (Deut 33,21). Moses represented the very opposite of jealousy as we know from when he said to Joshua: "Are you going to practice jealousy on my behalf?" (Numbers 11,29) He was anxious that the spirit of prophecy should proliferate throughout the Jewish nation.