קול דַּם-אָחִיךָ צֹעֵק אֵלַי מִן-הָאֲדָמָה

“The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”

(Bereishis 4:10)

The story of Kayin and Hevel is incredibly cryptic. While is looks like a simple case of sibling rivalry gone badly wrong, this bizarre episode is truly… the story of humanity.

Beneath the surface, this event is not about a murderous brother and his victim, but about our constant struggle to integrate our hearts and minds as we travel though life.

We’re all born as Hevel. We grow into Kayin. And the key to a happy life is to find the balance between the two.

This is the story of the lifelong dance between being and doing, between intuition and intellect. And when it comes to this balance, your baby is the greatest teacher you’ll ever have .

Born as Breath

Rav Tzadok HaKohen explains that Hevel represents the pure expression of the soul – before it’s shrouded in words. Hevel is communication through utter presence, without speech. In other words, babies.

Babies doesn’t say what they need. They just are what they need. Their cries, their sighs, their cooing and giggles are their language. Their eyes meet yours, and in that moment, they teach you what trust and connection really feel like, without saying a word. This is the living archetype of Hevel: intuitive and connected to the divine within.

Sadly, as we all know, Hevel doesn’t stay forever. Kayin rises — the part of us that analyzes, structures, and defines. As we grow, life shifts from the natural rhythm of breathing to the structure of routine.

Kayin’s Ascension

The right brain (creativity, intuition, holistic thinking) is the seat of Hevel. The shepherd who walked with G-d, who understood the world through pure and unsullied connection. This is how babies operate.

The left brain (logic, reasoning, analytical thinking, decision making) is ruled by Kayin. The Maharal says Kayin represents hischalkus – the ability to divide, categorize, and structure.

Babies begin as right-brain beings — sensing, feeling and absorbing. Then Kayin appears. They notice patterns: this sound brings milk, this face brings comfort, saying “mine” means this toy won’t get taken away. Toddlers start to label, plan, and organize. They move from pure presence into definition and strategy.

Kayin isn’t bad. It allows growth, learning, and mastery. But if Kayin dominates without Hevel, life becomes rigid and disconnected. We see this in routines that ignore intuition: feeding solely by the clock instead of taking hunger cues into account, strict sleep schedules that don’t consider a baby’s demeanor, or insisting on obedience before understanding.

The City and the Field

The Medrash says Kayin built a city (a symbol of control) while Hevel lived in a field (openness and faith.)

The Torah is teaching us two ways of being. The city calculates and builds; the field trusts and grows. Both are necessary. A life spent only in the field can lack direction and expansion. A life only in the city can feel empty.

The spiritual work is to let Kayin organize – without suffocating Hevel. To use our intellect without it crushing our intuition. To let Kayin serve Hevel, by adding structure to life, without killing the soul.

Every generation carries sparks of Kayin and Hevel. Our work is to reconcile them, to bring the intellect of Kayin to serve and support Hevel’s intuition.

Blood cries from the earth

When Hashem confronted Kayin, He said, “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” (Bereishis 4:10)

Blood represents life. In Hebrew, blood (דם) shares a root with earth (אדמה), which is also related to  human (אדם). Humankind is formed from the soil of the earth and brought to life with blood.

When Hevel’s blood soaked the earth Hashem was telling Kayin that the power of Hevel cannot be destroyed. Like a seed, it will wait underground until the time is right for it to sprout and flourish, and it will grow again.

This same pattern plays out within our lives. Every time we bury our natural creativity and intuition under the force of control or logic, the Hevel within us doesn’t die. It still calls. It may be hidden, but it germinates, slowly growing bit by bit until we’re ready for it to rise again.

Hevel’s return

We see it happening: the world is slowly returning to Hevel-consciousness. Sleep is becoming less about rigid schedules and more about connection. Parents are relearning to trust their instincts. Rhythms are flexible. Bedsharing is becoming more and more popular after years of being shut down. Responsive sleep methods are on the rise, as more and more mothers choose to follow their hearts instead of Richard Ferber.

Hevel rises again. This is how the world heals- one conscious parent at a time.