Parshas Bereishit (5780)
The Torah records the following conversation between Cain and G-d, after Cain killed his brother Abel: “Cain said to G-d, ‘Is my iniquity too great to be borne? Behold, You have banished me from the face of the earth – can I be hidden from Your presence? I must become a vagrant and a wanderer on earth; whoever meets me will kill me!’ G-d said to him, ‘Therefore, whoever slays Cain, before seven generations have passed he will be punished.’ And G-d set a sign for Cain, so that none that meet him might kill himâ€(Genesis 4:13-15).
Now it is not clear from the Torah text what is the exact nature of the ‘sign’ that G-d set for Cain in order to protect him from harm. Here are some of the interpretations suggested by the various Bible commentators:
Rashi cites Targum Yonasan who writes that the ‘sign’ was a letter of G-d’s Holy Name that He set on Cain’s forehead. According to another interpretation: Since Cain sinned, he feared the wild beasts. G-d therefore set a sign for Cain, i.e. He made the animals fear him again.
Nachmanides explains that G-d gave Cain some sort of permanent sign. Wherever Cain wandered he had a sign from G-d indicating the safe way to go, and by that he knew that no misfortune would overtake him on his perilous road. [Sounds to me like some kind of ancient GPS navigator …]
The Midrash Rabbah (22:12) teaches that after Cain killed his brother Abel, he was afraid that he might be killed by murderers or wild animals as a punishment for his sin. G-d therefore assigned a dog to accompany Cain on his travels and to protect him.
I guess you could say that, according to the Midrash, “Cain’s canine†was history’s first recorded pet!
[Most people don’t know this, but the Midrash Tehillim (22:1) teaches that each and every Jewish family had a dog with them during the exodus from Egypt! Some commentators suggest that just as Cain’s dog protected him from harm, so, too, did the Jewish people leaving Egypt also have dogs with them to protect them from their Egyptian oppressors who were running after them!]
The Chofetz Chaim offers a beautiful explanation as to why a dog was chosen as the sign for Cain. In the animal kingdom dogs epitomize loyalty. They are “man’s best friendâ€, displaying gratitude and obedience to the master who treats them well. The Midrash relates that Abel was stronger than Cain, and initially had his brother pinned beneath him. But Cain begged for mercy, saying: “We are the only two in the world. What will you tell our father if you kill me?†Abel was filled with compassion, and released his hold. Nevertheless, instead of feeling gratitude towards Abel, Cain rose up and killed him (see Genesis 4:8). G-d therefore assigned to Cain a dog – the symbol of gratitude and loyalty – as a constant reminder of the gravity of Cain’s sin of ingratitude.
We find another mention of the dog’s loyalty and gratitude to its master - and its message for us humans - at the very end of Perek Shirah.
Perek Shirah (Hebrew פרק שירה, lit. "Chapter of Song") is an ancient, sacred work that has become increasingly popular in recent years. It contains 85 sections, in each of which elements of creation, beginning with the celestial and ending with dogs, use biblical verses in order to sing God's praises.
Some sources ascribe Perek Shirah to King David, who was inspired to compose it after being told by a frog, as it were, that its “song†to G-d was loftier than David’s own Book of Psalms. Others credit its authorship to King Solomon, whose wisdom was so all-encompassing that he understood the “speech†of all components of the world – animal, vegetable or mineral. Still others suggest that it was compiled by the great sages of the Mishnah: Rabbi Yishmael, Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Nechunia ben Hakanah, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurkenos. Whoever its author, Perek Shirah has a place of honor in Jewish liturgy, and many great people recited it every day. Indeed, the Sages promise abundant blessing to those who do so.
As the commentators on the book point out, the song of each creature relates not only to itself, but to man as well. And the message of Perek Shirah is that every part of the universe has its task in creation, that it carries out its ordained function, and that its “song†speaks to man, instructing him and exhorting him to heed its message.
Which brings us back to our canine friends. At the end of Perek Shirah we find the “song†of the dogs. The dogs say: “Come! Let us prostrate ourselves and bow, let us kneel before G-d, our Maker†(Psalms 95:6).
This song truly befits “man’s best friendâ€, who knows his maker and shows his appreciation for all that his maker has done for him. And it is also a great example for man himself to show gratitude to his Maker Who gives him everything: life, health, resources, potential, and the ability to grow and contribute and come close to G-d and earn eternal reward.
[Sources: Perek Shirah: The Song of the Universe; Translation and Insights by Rabbi Nosson Scherman; Artscroll Mesorah Publications]
http://www.torchweb.org/torah_detail.php?id=587