Zealous Hatred
In the Cain and Abel story, there is a moment in the Hebrew text where the dialogue goes silent. וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל־הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יו וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּהְיוֹתָ֣ם בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיָּ֥קׇם קַ֛יִן אֶל־הֶ֥בֶל אָחִ֖יו וַיַּהַרְגֵֽהוּ׃ “And Cain said to his brother… when they were in the field, Cain rose up against him and killed him.” We don’t actually know what Cain said. The Septuagint fills in the silence by saying διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον, “let us go out to the field.” Though the Greek is trying to help us, I think it misses the mark. One interpretation is that Cain is so immersed in his anger that he can’t even produce words. The silence in the dialogue allows us to envision the scene and state of mind of Cain; the absence is also a technique we see elsewhere in Biblical Hebrew prose, and it shouldn’t be assumed to be a scribal omission of Cain’s dialogue.
It is telling that both Cain and Abel are able to engage with G-d, but they are not able to communicate with each other. Moreover, Cain’s inability to speak is a reflection of his inability to hear G-d’s warning to him before he kills his brother. Murdering one’s brother because of a religious conflict (in this case, a difference in interpretation as to what G-d wants of us and our offerings), rage where one is unable to either listen or speak, is not all that far from the worst of the human religious experience today. We should be aware of the Cain’s that walk among us, so zealous that they are unable to heed what G-d asks.
May we merit the ability to listen to both G-d and our fellow man. Moreover, may we have the strength to find patience.
Addendum:
If two pilots could be seen as brothers, where just a little more than a week ago one rose up to kill the other (blinded by hatred of those entrusted into his care), then perhaps the string of miracles that saved everyone onboard was only possible because of listening and communication. From the woman taking her child to the bathroom that hears a fight in the cockpit, to the injured pilot managing to open the door, and the plumber and dentist (among other Israelis) nearby and ready to react.
