A life for a life. How can we value a life? What standard can we use? We surely must react to life and its value. When we react by valuing it, we live it, and we give life to it.
When Kayin had killed his brother Hevel he had lost the life of brotherhood. When he built a city for the sake of his child he revived the life of brotherhood. It is in a city that people can live in proximity to each other, rather than wander unto the poles, unto extremity from each other. To build a city is to meaningfully test the strength and value of life, the life of brotherhood. To have given to children the building of that city was to father the seed, to plant the seed of fruitfulness, the revival of brotherhood.
What does Scripture report of the father of Kayin and Hevel? There is not a question to Adam, 'Father, where are your children? Are you not, father, your children's guardian?'. Scripture prefers to report that Adam and Havah gave life to another child. Havah named their new child Seth, meaning 'set', Havah acknowledges G~d for setting for them, in place of lost life, new life, a revival of the life of parenthood.
Now, from what we have said above, lets look at the explanation of 'A life for a life'. A life for a life means value life and revive the living whom experience its loss. Build a city and dedicate it to brotherhood. Establish a community and augment it with brotherhood for the sake of even one child and the responsibility to educate. Renew the setting of the wedding canopy. Let man and woman know and acknowledge - that parenthood has been appointed inheritance.
'TORAH TZIVAH LANU MOSHE, MORASHAH KEHILAT YAAQOV.' - MOSHE COMMANDED US A TORAH, THE INHERITANCE OF THE COMMUNITY OF YAAQOV. DEVARIM 33.
