G-d told Cain “If you improve, you will be forgiven” Genesis 4:7. Cain’s true failure was that he didn’t learn from G-d’s positive response to Abel, who had offered up the choicest of his animals. Had Cain presented a second offering, this time from the choicest of his crop, G-d would have forgiven him and accepted it. G-d here tried to teach him that if an individual learns from his errors, his slate can be wiped clean. However, Cain refused to admit his error. Convinced of the rightness of his action, he felt that if Abel were eliminated, Cain’s own view would necessarily prevail. Our challenge, as well, is to learn from our failures, rather than to stubbornly refuse to admit them and even rationalize them. By learning from our failures, we can transform every one of them into an impetus for further spiritual growth. ~ Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l