Hirsch on Independent Life

Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch on independent life without G-d

Bereishit 4:16 וַיֵּצֵא קַיִן מִלִּפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֶרֶץ נוֹד קִדְמַת עֵדֶן

And Cain went forth from before the Lord, and he dwelt in the land of the wanderers, to the east of Eden.

According to our Sages (Bereishit Rabbah 22:28) Kayin not only left the place of G-d’s Presence, but abandoned the whole relationship with G-d and turned his back on G-d’s Word.  Banished from man and earth, he sought to build for himself an independent life. Although man was banished from Paradise, he still stood לפני הי, before Him.  Kayin, however, because of his crime and subsequent behavior, left this relationship and went fort הי מִלִּפְנֵי.

Earlier it says that Shechinah departed from man, to the west.  In this verse, Kayin withdraws to the east, קִדְמַת עֵדֶן, in ever-increasing alienation from G-d.  This was man’s first attempt to establish his life on the basis of his own strength – without G-d.