Beraishis 5785

When Adam sins by eating from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Hashem does not immediately punish him. Instead, He asks Adam, “Where are you?” (Beraishis 3:9). Similarly, when Cain murders Abel his brother, Hashem asks him: “Where is Abel your brother?” (4:9). Since Hashem is omniscient, Hashem knew where Adam and Abel were. So why did Hashem ask them a question when He already knew the answer?  

Furthermore, Hashem had already warned Adam about the consequences of eating from the Tree: “for on the day you eat of it, you shall surely die.” (2:17). He also warned Cain before he killed Abel, “Surely if you improve yourself, you will be forgiven. But if you do not improve yourself, sin rests at the door.” (4:7). Yet, after both sinned, why did Hashem not immediately punish Adam or Cain?

Rashi (3:9) explains that of course Hashem knew where Adam was and He knew that Abel was dead. But in both cases Hashem spoke gently in order to enter into conversations with Adam and Cain, desiring that they would admit their wrongdoings. Rashi specifies that with Cain, Hashem desired that “he would repent and say, ‘I killed him and I have sinned to You.’” (4:9). Rashi is telling us that Hashem did not desire to punish Adam or Cain. Instead, it appears that Hashem would have reduced or even abstained from meting out punishment if either had repented and admitted wrongdoing.

Unfortunately, not only did Adam and Cain not show any remorse for their actions, but they both responded in any even worse manner. Adam replied: “The woman that You gave to be with me – she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” ((3:12). Adam not only blamed his wife for his actions, but also implicitly blamed Hashem because of the “woman that You gave to me.” Similarly, Cain responded with the infamous words, “I do not know [where my brother is]. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain also appears to be blaming Hashem for Abel’s death. He implicitly said to Hashem: “I am not my brother’s keeper – you are the Master of the Universe. It is Your fault that he is dead.”

Hashem punished both Adam and Cain only after each of them rebuffed His attempt to solicit their repentance.  Both Adam and Cain not only denied any responsibility for their actions but further had the audacity to blame Hashem for their actions. Hashem recognizes that man is imperfect and will at times succumb to his evil inclination. However, Hashem demands that we must take responsibility for our actions. It is man’s tendency to blame others and not accept responsibility that distresses Hashem. Conversely, we also see from here that Hashem is pleased when we do accept responsibility for our actions. President Harry Truman was famous for the sign that he placed on his desk: “The Buck Stops Here,” reflecting the idea that he accepted responsibility for the actions of his administration. We should work on developing the capability to recognize when we are wrong and be accountable for our actions. When we do that, we not only receive Hashem’s blessing for ourselves, but also help build the foundation for a better world.