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After recounting the dramatic creation of the world and man’s dismissal from the garden, the Torah records the tragic story of Kayin and Hevel.

בראשית ד

(ג) וַֽיְהִ֖י מִקֵּ֣ץ יָמִ֑ים וַיָּבֵ֨א קַ֜יִן מִפְּרִ֧י הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה מִנְחָ֖ה לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃ (ד) וְהֶ֨בֶל הֵבִ֥יא גַם־ה֛וּא מִבְּכֹר֥וֹת צֹאנ֖וֹ וּמֵֽחֶלְבֵהֶ֑ן וַיִּ֣שַׁע יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־הֶ֖בֶל וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֽוֹ׃ (ה) וְאֶל־קַ֥יִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָת֖וֹ לֹ֣א שָׁעָ֑ה וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֙יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ פָּנָֽיו׃

(3) After some time, Kayin brought an offering to Hashem from the fruit of the ground. (4) Hevel, too, brought from the firstlings of his flock and the fattest. Hashem looked favorably on Hevel and his offering, (5) but on Kayin and his offering, He did not look favorably. Kayin was very angry and his face fell.

Hevel and Kayin both bring offerings. God favors Hevel’s offering and a few verses later we read:

(ח) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל־הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יו וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּהְיוֹתָ֣ם בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיָּ֥קׇם קַ֛יִן אֶל־הֶ֥בֶל אָחִ֖יו וַיַּהַרְגֵֽהוּ׃

(8) Kayin said to his brother Hevel––.12 While they were in the field, Kayin rose up against his brother Hevel and killed him.

The takeaway from the story is often assumed to be lesson about the pitfalls of jealousy. But there are two verses in between Kayin’s depression and the murder of his brother that tell us another facet of the story.

What may sometimes be glossed over is a very important link in this chain of events. God approaches Kayin and intercedes, giving him a message, outlining for him what the רד׳׳ק calls the method of Teshuva for generations to come.

רד"ק בראשית ד:ו

ויאמר י"י – היה הדבור עמו כדי ליסרו ולהשיבו למוטב וללמדו דרך תשובה לו ולדורות הבאים כי החוטא יש לו כפרה אם ישוב בתשובה שלימה.

'ויאמר ה, the reason that God addressed him was in order to discipline him and to bring him back to a lifestyle that would endear him to God. He wanted to teach him how to repent, something of the utmost importance for subsequent generations. He taught him that there is atonement for sinners if their repentance is 100% sincere.

Here is God’s message:

(ו) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־קָ֑יִן לָ֚מָּה חָ֣רָה לָ֔ךְ וְלָ֖מָּה נָפְל֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ׃ (ז) הֲל֤וֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב לַפֶּ֖תַח חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשׇׁל־בּֽוֹ׃

(6) Hashem said to Kayin, "Why are you angry and why has your face fallen? (7) If you improve, will you not be uplifted? But if you do not improve, sin is crouching at the entrance; for you it lusts, but you may rule over it.

Onkelos adds some additional elements:

(ו) וַאֲמַר יְיָ לְקָיִן לְמָא תְּקֵיף לָךְ וּלְמָא אִתְכְּבִישׁוּ אַפָּךְ. (ז) הֲלָא אִם תּוֹטֵיב עוּבָדָךְ יִשְׁתְּבֵיק לָךְ וְאִם לָא תוֹטֵיב עוּבָדָךְ לְיוֹם דִּינָא חֶטְאָךְ נְטִיר עֲתִיד לְאִתְפְּרָעָא מִנָּךְ אִם לָא תְּתוּב וְאִם תְּתוּב יִשְׁתְּבֵיק לָךְ.

And Hashem said to Kayin, why are you so upset and why are you downcast? Is it not so that if you improve your ways you will be forgiven? And if you you do not improve your ways, your mistake will be kept until the day of judgment and punishment will be exacted if you do not return, but if you do return it will be forgiven for you.

The content of God’s message to Kayin is the first exhortation of Teshuva, often translated as return or repentance. If we improve in response to our mistakes, then we will be uplifted. If we do not improve, our mistakes will multiply. Even though our mistakes have the potential to trip us up, we can overcome them.

The Baltimore Ravens' defense is one of the best in recent history, and they still hold the single season record for the lowest points allowed per game. The old mantra of the Ravens' defense was "Bend Don't Break". While it technically refers to a 2-deep-safety or Tampa 2 coverage pattern, it also refers to a mentality. It's impossible to avoid making mistakes. But how we respond to those mistakes is paramount. One mistake is not usually what costs you the game. Letting one mistake turn into another and failing to adjust is what ultimately loses the game.

This idea is at the root of the first murder in history. While one might casually explain that Kayin killed Hevel because God paid attention to Hevel’s offering and not his, this is an oversimplification of the story. God paid plenty of attention to Kayin, giving him a personal message, outlining for him how he could correct his error. He ended up ignoring this message, and falling into a situation he later describes as גדול עוני מנשוא, a mistake that really is too much to bear.

The story of Kayin and Hevel is not just about jealousy. A careful read shows a different and fundamental message. Our mistakes do not define us. But how we respond to them does.

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