God asks why Cain is jealous, not inferior
Cain’s complaint stemmed from jealousy toward Hevel, but God’s question teaches that each person serves according to his own yearning and level, not in comparison to another—if one purifies his desire for avodah (service) without jealousy, he will be elevated to great heights. So too, teshuvah (repentance) is possible only while one still has life and vitality, for the heart's orientation held in this world remains fixed forever once that vitality departs, as seen in the fate of Korach's congregation.AI summary · anthropic/claude-sonnet-5
“[God to Cain] If you do well, will it not be raised?” (Bereshit, 4:7) The first sin emerged in the world from the power of jealousy. Even though it seems clear that Cain had a reasonable complaint, for he was the one who was first moved to bring a sacrifice. It seemed to Cain that his brother Hevel, who brought a sacrifice afterwards, was doing it only because it was expected of him. Therefore Cain had a powerful grudge against against God.
Yet in truth Hevel waited to bring his sacrifice until he understood the reason and even the secret of the avodah (service). Therefore it is not considered as if he was just bringing the sacrifice because his brother did. Therefore God appeared to Cain and asked him why he is so angry and despondent, for if Cain had no legitimate claim, God would not have appeared to him.
In other words, if you improve your heart to yearn for an accepted avodah, without any jealousy or selfish motives, then it will be raised, or rather, elevated in your levels to the highest heights. “Raise” or seit in Hebrew signifies the priesthood, as in (Vayikra 9:22), “Vayisa Aharon,” “and Aharon raised,” meaning that you will serve according to your own yearning, but not according to the level of your brother, for each man has a level unto himself.
הֲלֹא אִם תֵּיטִיב שְׂאֵת. הִנֵּה הַחֵטְא הָרִאשׁוֹן נִצְמַח בָּעוֹלָם מִכֹּחַ קִנְאָה וְאַף כִּי בֶאֱמֶת לְפִי רְאוּת עַיִן הָיָה לְקַיִן טַעֲנָה צוֹדֶקֶת כִּי הוּא הָיָה הַמַּתְחִיל לְהָעִיר רוּחוֹ לְהָבִיא קָרְבָּן וְהֶבֶל אָחִיו שֶׁהֵבִיא קָרְבָּן אח״כ הָיָה נִרְאֶה לְקַיִן כְּמִצְוַת אֲנָשִׁים מְלֻמָּדָה עַל כֵּן הָיָה לְקַיִן תַּרְעוֹמֶת גָּדוֹל נֶגֶד הַש״י, אַךְ בֶּאֱמֶת הֶבֶל לֹא הֵבִיא קָרְבָּן רַק אַחַר שֶׁבָּא מִקּוֹדֶם עַל הַטַּעַם וְסוֹד עֲבוֹדָה וְעַל כֵּן לֹא נֶחְשַׁב לְמִצְוַת אֲנָשִׁים מְלֻמָּדָה. וְלָכֵן נִגְלָה הַש״י לְקַיִן וְאָמַר אֵלָיו "לָמָּה חָרָה לָךְ וּלָמָּה נָפְלוּ פָנֶיךָ" וּבְאִם לֹא הָיָה לְקַיִן שׁוּם טַעֲנָה לֹא הָיָה נִגְלָה אֵלָיו הַש״י, וְהַיְינוּ "אִם תֵּיטִיב" לִבְּךָ לִהְיוֹת מִשְׁתּוֹקֵק לַעֲבוֹדָה רְצוּיָה בְּלִי שׁוּם קִנְאָה וּבְלִי שׁוּם נְטִיָּה, "שְׂאֵת", הַיְינוּ תִּתְנַשֵּׂא בְּמַדְרֵגוֹתֶיךָ לְמַעְלָה לְמַעְלָה וּשְׂאֵת הוּא לְשׁוֹן כְּהֻנָּה כְּמ״ש (ויקרא ט',כ״ב) "וַיִּשָּׂא אַהֲרֹן", הַיְינוּ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה עוֹבֵד כְּפִי חֶשְׁקְךָ, אֲבָל לֹא כְּפִי מַדְרֵגוֹת אָחִיךָ כִּי כָל אָדָם יֵשׁ לוֹ מַדְרֵגָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ.
“… and if you do not do well, sin crouches at the entrance.” (Bereshit, 4:7) Man can only return to God is while he is still alive, for as long as he is alive the sin is not considered permanent, and he may still return. Yet, “at the entrance,” meaning when the vitality is drained from man, then “the sin crouches,” and he can no longer get up. This is as we find in the Gemara (Baba Batra, 74a), “Now the congregation of Korach are constantly saying, ‘Moshe is true and the Torah is true,’ but it does not save them from gehinom.” Their words are not coming from the depths of their hearts, and the attitude that one has in this world stays with him forever. If in their lifetimes they had said, “Moshe is true and the Torah is true,” God would have saved them.
וְאִם לֹא תֵיטִיב לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רוֹבֵץ. הַיְינוּ שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ כִּי לֹא נִתַּן זְמַן לְאָדָם לָשׁוּב לְהַש״י רַק בְּעוֹדֶנּוּ בַּחַיִּים וְאָז אֵינוֹ נִקְבַּע הַחֵטְא וְיוּכַל לָשׁוּב. אֲבָל לַפֶּתַח הַיְינוּ כְּשֶׁאָפַס כֹּחַ חִיּוּת הָאָדָם, אָז הַחֵטְא רוֹבֵץ וְלֹא יוּכַל לָקוּם וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ (בבא בתרא ע״ד.) בַּעֲדַת קוֹרַח שֶׁתָּמִיד אוֹמְרִים מֹשֶׁה אֱמֶת וְתוֹרָתוֹ אֱמֶת וְאֵינָם נִצּוֹלִין מִגֵּיהִנֹּם כִּי אֲמִירָתָם אֵינוֹ מֵעוֹמֶק לִבָּם כִּי בְּהַדֵּעָה שֶׁהָאָדָם הוֹלֵךְ מֵעוֹלַם הַזֶּה בְּזֹאת הַדֵּעָה נִשְׁאַר לְעוֹלָם, כִּי בְאִם הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים בְּחַיֵּיהֶם מֹשֶׁה אֱמֶת וְתוֹרָתוֹ אֱמֶת הָיוּ נִצּוֹלִין.
Translation: Living waters, the Mei HaShiloach. Trans. and edited by Betsalel Philip Edwards, Jerusalem, J. Aronson 2001 [Revised digital edition, 2021]