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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/1494-0.txt b/1494-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..65227bc --- /dev/null +++ b/1494-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11094 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Legends of the Jews, by Louis Ginzberg + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and +most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms +of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you +will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before +using this eBook. + +Title: The Legends of the Jews + Volume 2 + +Author: Louis Ginzberg + +Translator: Henrietta Szold + +Release Date: October, 1998 [eBook #1494] +[Most recently updated: February 4, 2022] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +Produced by: Charles Keller + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LEGENDS OF THE JEWS, VOLUME II *** + + + + +The Legends of the Jews + +by Louis Ginzberg + + +TRANSLATED PROM THE GERMAN MANUSCRIPT BY +HENRIETTA SZOLD + + +VOLUME II +BIBLE TIMES AND CHARACTERS +FROM JOSEPH TO THE EXODUS + + +Contents + + PREFACE + + I. JOSEPH + The Favorite Son + Joseph Hated by His Brethren + Joseph Cast into the Pit + The Sale + Joseph's Three Masters + Joseph's Coat Brought to His Father + Judah and His Sons + The Wives of the Sons of Jacob + Joseph the Slave of Potiphar + Joseph and Zuleika + Joseph Resists Temptation + Joseph in Prison + Pharaoh's Dreams + Joseph before Pharaoh + The Ruler of Egypt + Joseph's Brethren in Egypt + Joseph Meets His Brethren + The Second journey to Egypt + Joseph and Benjamin + The Thief Caught + Judah Pleads and Threatens + Joseph Makes Himself Known + Jacob Receives the Glad Tidings + Jacob Arrives in Egypt + Joseph's Kindness and Generosity + Jacob's Last Wish + The Blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh + The Blessing of the Twelve Tribes + The Death of Jacob + The Sons of Jacob at War with the Sons of Esau + Zepho King of Kittim + The Nations at War + Joseph's Magnanimity + Asenath + The Marriage of Joseph + Kind and Unkind Brethren + Treachery Punished + The Death and Burial of Joseph. + + II. THE SONS OF JACOB + Significant Names + Reuben's Testament + Simon's Admonition against Envy + The Ascension of Levi + Judah Warns against Greed and Unchastity + Issachar's Singleness of Heart + Zebulon Exhorts unto Compassion + Dan's Confession + Naphtali's Dreams of the Division of the Tribes + Gad's Hatred + Asher's Last Words + Benjamin Extols Joseph. + + III. JOB + Job and the Patriarchs + Job's Wealth and Benefactions + Satan and Job + Job's Suffering + The Four Friends + Job Restored. + + IV. MOSES IN EGYPT + The Beginning of the Egyptian Bondage + Pharaoh's Cunning + The Pious Midwives + The Three Counsellors + The Slaughter of the Innocents + The Parents of Moses + The Birth of Moses + Moses Rescued from the Water + The Infancy of Moses + Moses Rescued by Gabriel + The Youth of Moses + The Flight + The King of Ethiopia + Jethro + Moses Marries Zipporah + A Bloody Remedy + The Faithful Shepherd + The Burning Thornbush + The Ascension of Moses + Moses Visits Paradise and Hell + Moses Declines the Mission + Moses Punished for His Stubbornness + The Return to Egypt + Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh + The Suffering Increases + Measure for Measure + The Plagues Brought through Aaron + The Plagues Brought through Moses + The First Passover + The Smiting of the Firstborn + The Redemption of Israel from Egyptian Bondage + The Exodus + + + + +PREFACE + + +The arrangement and presentation of the material in this volume are the +same as in Volume I. In both my efforts have been directed to bringing +together as full as possible a collection of Jewish legends that deal +with Biblical personages and events. The sources of those legends and +explanations of some of them will be given in the last volume of the +entire work, and the numbers throughout the work refer to the notes in +the concluding volume. + +My original intention was to continue Volume II up to the death of +Moses, but the legendary material clustering around the life and death +of Moses is so abundant that practical considerations demanded the +division of this material, in order not to make the second volume too +bulky. The division chosen is a natural one. This volume closes with +the Exodus, and contains the deeds of Moses in Egypt, while the +following volume will deal with Moses in the desert. + +The fact that Job is placed between Jacob's sons and Moses may appear +strange to some readers, since in the Bible Job is one of the last +books; but "legend is above time and space," and I have, therefore, +given Job the place which legend has ascribed to him. + +LOUIS GINZBERG. + + +NEW YORK, March 28, 1910. + + + + +I +JOSEPH + + + + +THE FAVORITE SON + + +Jacob was not exempt from the lot that falls to the share of all the +pious. Whenever they expect to enjoy life in tranquillity, Satan +hinders them. He appears before God, and says: "Is it not enough that +the future world is set apart for the pious? What right have they to +enjoy this world, besides?" After the many hardships and conflicts that +had beset the path of Jacob, he thought he would be at rest at last, +and then came the loss of Joseph and inflicted the keenest suffering. +Verily, few and evil had been the days of the years of Jacob's +pilgrimage, for the time spent outside of the Holy Land had seemed +joyless to him. Only the portion of his life passed in the land of his +fathers, during which he was occupied with making proselytes, in +accordance with the example set him by Abraham and Isaac, did he +consider worth while having lived,[1] and this happy time was of short +duration. When Joseph was snatched away, but eight years had elapsed +since his return to his father's house.[2] + +And yet it was only for the sake of Joseph that Jacob had been willing +to undergo all the troubles and the adversity connected with his +sojourn in the house of Laban. Indeed, Jacob's blessing in having his +quiver full of children was due to the merits of Joseph, and likewise +the dividing of the Red Sea and of the Jordan for the Israelites was +the reward for his son's piety. For among the sons of Jacob Joseph was +the one that resembled his father most closely in appearance, and, +also, he was the one to whom Jacob transmitted the instruction and +knowledge he had received from his teachers Shem and Eber.[3] The whole +course of the son's life is but a repetition of the father's. As the +mother of Jacob remained childless for a long time after her marriage, +so also the mother of Joseph. As Rebekah had undergone severe suffering +in giving birth to Jacob, so Rachel in giving birth to Joseph. As +Jacob's mother bore two sons, so also Joseph's mother. Like Jacob, +Joseph was born circumcised. As the father was a shepherd, so the son. +As the father served for the sake of a woman, so the son served under a +woman. Like the father, the son appropriated his older brother's +birthright. The father was hated by his brother, and the son was hated +by his brethren. The father was the favorite son as compared with his +brother, so was the son as compared with his brethren. Both the father +and the son lived in the land of the stranger. The father became a +servant to a master, also the son. The master whom the father served +was blessed by God, so was the master whom the son served. The father +and the son were both accompanied by angels, and both married their +wives outside of the Holy Land. The father and the son were both +blessed with wealth. Great things were announced to the father in a +dream, so also to the son. As the father went to Egypt and put an end +to famine, so the son. As the father exacted the promise from his sons +to bury him in the Holy Land, so also the son. The father died in +Egypt, there died also the son. The body of the father was embalmed, +also the body of the son. As the father's remains were carried to the +Holy Land for interment, so also the remains of the son. Jacob the +father provided for the sustenance of his son Joseph during a period of +seventeen years, so Joseph the son provided for his father Jacob during +a period of seventeen years.[4] + +Until he was seventeen years old, Joseph frequented the Bet +ha-Midrash,[5] and he became so learned that he could impart to his +brethren the Halakot he had heard from his father, and in this way he +may be regarded as their teacher.[6] He did not stop at formal +instruction, he also tried to give them good counsel, and he became the +favorite of the sons of the handmaids, who would kiss and embrace +him.[7] + +In spite of his scholarship there was something boyish about Joseph. He +painted his eyes, dressed his hair carefully, and walked with a mincing +step. These foibles of youth were not so deplorable as his habit of +bringing evil reports of his brethren to his father. He accused them of +treating the beasts under their care with cruelty—he said that they ate +flesh torn from a living animal—and he charged them with casting their +eyes upon the daughters of the Canaanites, and giving contemptuous +treatment to the sons of the handmaids Bilhah and Zilpah, whom they +called slaves. + +For these groundless accusations Joseph had to pay dearly. He was +himself sold as a slave, because he had charged his brethren with +having called the sons of the handmaids slaves, and Potiphar's wife +cast her eyes upon Joseph, because he threw the suspicion upon his +brethren that they had cast their eyes upon the Canaanitish women. And +how little it was true that they were guilty of cruelty to animals, +appears from the fact that at the very time when they were +contemplating their crime against Joseph, they yet observed all the +rules and prescriptions of the ritual in slaughtering the kid of the +goats with the blood of which they besmeared his coat of many +colors.[8] + + + + +JOSEPH HATED BY HIS BRETHREN + + +Joseph's talebearing against his brethren made them hate him. Among all +of them Gad was particularly wrathful, and for good reason. Gad was a +very brave man, and when a beast of prey attacked the herd, over which +he kept guard at night, he would seize it by one of its legs, and whirl +it around until it was stunned, and then he would fling it away to a +distance of two stadia, and kill it thus. Once Jacob sent Joseph to +tend the flock, but he remained away only thirty days, for he was a +delicate lad and fell sick with the heat, and he hastened back to his +father. On his return he told Jacob that the sons of the handmaids were +in the habit of slaughtering the choice cattle of the herd and eating +it, without obtaining permission from Judah and Reuben. But his report +was not accurate. What he had seen was Gad slaughtering one lamb, which +he had snatched from the very jaws of a bear, and he killed it because +it could not be kept alive after its fright. Joseph's account sounded +as though the sons of the handmaids were habitually inconsiderate and +careless in wasting their father's substance.[9] + +To the resentment of the brethren was added their envy of Joseph, +because their father loved him more than all of them. Joseph's beauty +of person was equal to that of his mother Rachel, and Jacob had but to +look at him to be consoled for the death of his beloved wife. Reason +enough for distinguishing him among his children.[10] As a token of his +great love for him, Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors, so light +and delicate that it could be crushed and concealed in the closed palm +of one hand. The Hebrew name of the garment, Passim, conveys the story +of the sale of Joseph. The first letter, Pe, stands for Potiphar, his +Egyptian master; Samek stands for Soharim, the merchantmen that bought +Joseph from the company of Ishmaelites to whom his brethren had sold +him; Yod stands for these same Ishmaelites; and Mem, for the Midianites +that obtained him from the merchantmen, and then disposed of him to +Potiphar. But Passim. has yet another meaning, "clefts." His brethren +knew that the Red Sea would be cleft in twain in days to come for +Joseph's sake, and they were jealous of the glory to be conferred upon +him. Although they were filled with hatred of him, it must be said in +their favor that they were not of a sullen, spiteful nature. They did +not hide their feelings, they proclaimed their enmity openly. + +Once Joseph dreamed a dream, and he could not refrain from telling it +to his brethren. He spoke, and said: "Hear, I pray you, this dream +which I have dreamed. Behold, you gathered fruit, and so did I. Your +fruit rotted, but mine remained sound. Your seed will set up dumb +images of idols, but they will vanish at the appearance of my +descendant, the Messiah of Joseph. You will keep the truth as to my +fate from the knowledge of my father, but I will stand fast as a reward +for the self-denial of my mother, and you will prostrate yourselves +five times before me."[11] + +The brethren refused at first to listen to the dream, but when Joseph +urged them again and again, they gave heed to him, and they said, +"Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion +over us?"[12] God put an interpretation into their mouths that was to +be verified in the posterity of Joseph. Jeroboam and Jehu, two kings, +and Joshua and Gideon, two judges, have been among his descendants, +corresponding to the double and emphatic expressions used by his +brethren in interpreting the dream.[13] + +Then Joseph dreamed another dream, how the sun, the moon, and eleven +stars bowed down before him, and Jacob, to whom he told it first, was +rejoiced over it, for he understood its meaning properly.[14] He knew +that he himself was designated by the sun, the name by which God had +called him when he lodged overnight on the holy site of the Temple. He +had heard God say to the angels at that time, "The sun has come."[15] +The moon stood for Joseph's mother, and the stars for his brethren, for +the righteous are as the stars.[16] Jacob was so convinced of the truth +of the dream that he was encouraged to believe that he would live to +see the resurrection of the dead, for Rachel was dead, and her return +to earth was clearly indicated by the dream. He went astray there, for +not Joseph's own mother was referred to, but his foster-mother Bilhah, +who had raised him. + +Jacob wrote the dream in a book, recording all the circumstances, the +day, the hour, and the place, for the holy spirit cautioned him, "Take +heed, these things will surely come to pass."[17] But when Joseph +repeated his dream to his brethren, in the presence of his father, +Jacob rebuked him, saying, "I and thy brethren, that has some sense, +but I and thy mother, that is inconceivable, for thy mother is +dead."[18] These words of Jacob called forth a reproof from God. He +said, "Thus thy descendants will in time to come seek to hinder +Jeremiah in delivering his prophecies."[19] Jacob may be excused, he +had spoken in this way only in order to avert the envy and hate of his +brethren from Joseph, but they envied and hated him because they knew +that the interpretation put upon the dream by Jacob would be +realized.[20] + + + + +JOSEPH CAST INTO THE PIT + + +Once the brethren of Joseph led their father's flocks to the pastures +of Shechem, and they intended to take their ease and pleasure +there.[21] They stayed away a long time, and no tidings of them were +heard. Jacob began to be anxious about the fate of his sons. He feared +that a war had broken out between them and the people of Shechem, and +he resolved to send Joseph to them and have him bring word again, +whether it was well with his brethren.[22] Jacob desired to know also +about the flocks, for it is a duty to concern oneself about the welfare +of anything from which one derives profit. Though he knew that the +hatred of his brethren might bring on unpleasant adventures, yet +Joseph, in filial reverence, declared himself ready to go on his +father's errand. Later, whenever Jacob remembered his dear son's +willing spirit, the recollection stabbed him to the heart. He would say +to himself, "Thou didst know the hatred of thy brethren, and yet thou +didst say, Here am I."[23] + +Jacob dismissed Joseph, with the injunction that he journey only by +daylight,[24] saying furthermore, "Go now, see whether it be well with +thy brethren, and well with the flock; and send me word"—an unconscious +prophecy. He did not say that he expected to see Joseph again, but only +to have word from him.[25] Since the covenant of the pieces, God had +resolved, on account of Abraham's doubting question, that Jacob and his +family should go down into Egypt to dwell there. The preference shown +to Joseph by his father, and the envy it aroused, leading finally to +the sale of Joseph and his establishment in Egypt, were but disguised +means created by God, instead of executing His counsel directly by +carrying Jacob down into Egypt as a captive.[26] + +Joseph reached Shechem, where he expected to find his brethren. Shechem +was always a place of ill omen for Jacob and his seed—there Dinah was +dishonored, there the Ten Tribes of Israel rebelled against the house +of David while Rehoboam ruled in Jerusalem, and there Jeroboam was +installed as king.[27] Not finding his brethren and the herd in +Shechem, Joseph continued his journey in the direction of the next +pasturing place, not far from Shechem, but he lost his way in the +wilderness.[28] Gabriel in human shape appeared before him, and asked +him, saying, "What seekest thou?"[29] And he answered, "I seek my +brethren." Whereto the angel replied, "Thy brethren have given up the +Divine qualities of love and mercy.[30] Through a prophetic revelation +they learned that the Hivites were preparing to make war upon them, and +therefore they departed hence to go to Dothan. And they had to leave +this place for other reasons, too. I heard, while I was still standing +behind the curtain that veils the Divine throne, that this day the +Egyptian bondage would begin, and thou wouldst be the first to be +subjected to it."[31] Then Gabriel led Joseph to Dothan.[32] + +When his brethren saw him afar off, they conspired against him, to slay +him. Their first plan was to set dogs on him. Simon then spoke to Levi, +"Behold, the master of dreams cometh with a new dream, he whose +descendant Jeroboam will introduce the worship of Baal. Come now, +therefore, and let us slay him, that we may see what will become of his +dreams." But God spoke: "Ye say, We shall see what will become of his +dreams, and I say likewise, We shall see, and the future shall show +whose word will stand, yours or Mine."[33] + +Simon and Gad set about slaying Joseph, and he fell upon his face, and +entreated them: "Have mercy with me, my brethren, have pity on the +heart of my father Jacob. Lay not your hands upon me, to spill innocent +blood, for I have done no evil unto you. But if I have done evil unto +you, then chastise me with a chastisement, but your hands lay not upon +me, for the sake of our father Jacob." These words touched Zebulon, and +he began to lament and weep, and the wailing of Joseph rose up together +with his brother's, and when Simon and Gad raised their hands against +him to execute their evil design, Joseph took refuge behind Zebulon, +and supplicated his other brethren to have mercy upon him. Then Reuben +arose, and he said, "Brethren, let us not slay him, but let us cast him +into one of the dry pits, which our fathers dug without finding water." +That was due to the providence of God; He had hindered the water from +rising in them in order that Joseph's rescue might be accomplished, and +the pits remained dry until Joseph was safe in the hands of the +Ishmaelites.[34] + +Reuben had several reasons for interceding in behalf of Joseph. He knew +that he as the oldest of the brethren would be held responsible by +their father, if any evil befell him. Besides, Reuben was grateful to +Joseph for having reckoned him among the eleven sons of Jacob in +narrating his dream of the sun, moon, and stars. Since his +disrespectful bearing toward Jacob, he had not thought himself worthy +of being considered one of his sons.[35] First Reuben tried to restrain +his brethren from their purpose, and he addressed them in words full of +love and compassion. But when he saw that neither words nor entreaties +would change their intention, he begged them, saying: "My brethren, at +least hearken unto me in respect of this, that ye be not so wicked and +cruel as to slay him. Lay no hand upon your brother, shed no blood, +cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and let him perish +thus.[36] + +Then Reuben went away from his brethren, and he hid in the mountains, +so that he might be able to hasten back in a favorable moment and draw +Joseph forth from the pit and restore him to his father. He hoped his +reward would be pardon for the transgression he had committed against +Jacob.[37] His good intention was frustrated, yet Reuben was rewarded +by God, for God gives a recompense not only for good deeds, but for +good intentions as well.[38] As he was the first of the brethren of +Joseph to make an attempt to save him, so the city of Bezer in the +tribe of Reuben was the first of the cities of refuge appointed to +safeguard the life of the innocent that seek help.[39] Furthermore God +spake to Reuben, saying: "As thou wast the first to endeavor to restore +a child unto his father, so Hosea, one of thy descendants, shall be the +first to endeavor to lead Israel back to his heavenly Father."[40] + +The brethren accepted Reuben's proposition, and Simon seized Joseph, +and cast him into a pit swarming with snakes and scorpions, beside +which was another unused pit, filled with offal.[41] As though this +were not enough torture, Simon bade his brethren fling great stones at +Joseph. In his later dealings with this brother Simon, Joseph showed +all the forgiving charitableness of his nature. When Simon was held in +durance in Egypt as a hostage, Joseph, so far from bearing him a +grudge, ordered crammed poultry to be set before him at all his +meals.[42] + +Not satisfied with exposing Joseph to the snakes and scorpions, his +brethren had stripped him bare before they flung him into the pit. They +took off his coat of many colors, his upper garment, his breeches, and +his shirt.[43] However, the reptiles could do him no harm. God heard +his cry of distress, and kept them in hiding in the clefts and the +holes, and they could not come near him. From the depths of the pit +Joseph appealed to his brethren, saying: "O my brethren, what have I +done unto you, and what is my transgression? Why are you not afraid +before God on account of your treatment of me? Am I not flesh of your +flesh, and bone of your bone? Jacob your father, is he not also my +father? Why do you act thus toward me? And how will you be able to lift +up your countenance before Jacob? O Judah, Reuben, Simon, Levi, my +brethren, deliver me, I pray you, from the dark place into which you +have cast me. Though I committed a trespass against you, yet are ye +children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were compassionate with the +orphan, gave food to the hungry, and clothed the naked. How, then, can +ye withhold your pity from your own brother, your own flesh and bone? +And though I sinned against you, yet you will hearken unto my petition +for the sake of my father. O that my father knew what my brethren are +doing unto me, and what they spake unto me!" + +To avoid hearing Joseph's weeping and cries of distress, his brethren +passed on from the pit, and stood at a bow- shot's distance.[44] The +only one among them that manifested pity was Zebulon. For two days and +two nights no food passed his lips on account of his grief over the +fate of Joseph, who had to spend three days and three nights in the pit +before he was sold. During this period Zebulon was charged by his +brethren to keep watch at the pit. He was chosen to stand guard because +he took no part in the meals. Part of the time Judah also refrained +from eating with the rest, and took turns at watching, because he +feared Simon and Gad might jump down into the pit and put an end to +Joseph's life.[45] + +While Joseph was languishing thus, his brethren determined to kill him. +They would finish their meal first, they said, and then they would +fetch him forth and slay him. When they had done eating, they attempted +to say grace, but Judah remonstrated with them: "We are about to take +the life of a human being, and yet would bless God? That is not a +blessing, that is contemning the Lord.[46] What profit is it if we slay +our brother? Rather will the punishment of God descend upon us. I have +good counsel to give you. Yonder passeth by a travelling company of +Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt. Come and let us sell him to the +Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him. The Ishmaelites will +take him with them upon their journeyings, and he will be lost among +the peoples of the earth.[47] Let us follow the custom of former days, +for Canaan, too, the son of Ham, was made a slave for his evil deeds, +and so will we do with our brother Joseph."[48] + + + + +THE SALE + + +While the brethren of Joseph were deliberating upon his fate, seven +Midianitish merchantmen passed near the pit in which he lay. They +noticed that many birds were circling above it, whence they assumed +that there must be water therein, and, being thirsty, they made a halt +in order to refresh themselves. When they came close, they heard Joseph +screaming and wailing, and they looked down into the pit and saw a +youth of beautiful figure and comely appearance. They called to him, +saying: "Who art thou? Who brought thee hither, and who cast thee into +this pit in the wilderness?" They all joined together and dragged him +up, and took him along with them when they continued on their journey. +They had to pass his brethren, who called out to the Midianites: "Why +have you done such a thing, to steal our slave and carry him away with +you? We threw the lad into the pit, because he was disobedient. Now, +then, return our slave to us." The Midianites replied: "What, this lad, +you say, is your slave, your servant? More likely is it that you all +are slaves unto him, for in beauty of form, in pleasant looks, and fair +appearance, he excelleth you all. Why, then, will you speak lies unto +us? We will not give ear unto your words, nor believe you, for we found +the lad in the wilderness, in a pit, and we took him out, and we will +carry him away with us on our journey." But the sons of Jacob insisted, +"Restore our slave to us, lest you meet death at the edge of the +sword." + +Unaffrighted, the Midianites drew their weapons, and, amid war whoops, +they prepared to enter into a combat with the sons of Jacob. Then Simon +rose up, and with bared sword he sprang upon the Midianites, at the +same time uttering a cry that made the earth reverberate. The +Midianites fell down in great consternation, and he said: "I am Simon, +the son of the Hebrew Jacob, who destroyed the city of Shechem alone +and unaided, and together with my brethren I destroyed the cities of +the Amorites. God do so and more also, if it be not true that all the +Midianites, your brethren, united with all the Canaanite kings to fight +with me, cannot hold out against me. Now restore the boy you took from +us, else will I give your flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the +beasts of the field." + +The Midianites were greatly afraid of Simon, and, terrified and +abashed, they spake to the sons of Jacob with little courage: "Said ye +not that ye cast this lad into the pit because he was of a rebellious +spirit? What, now, will ye do with an insubordinate slave? Rather sell +him to us, we are ready to pay any price you desire." This speech was +part of the purpose of God. He had put it into the heart of the +Midianites to insist upon possessing Joseph, that he might not remain +with his brethren, and be slain by them.[49] The brethren assented, and +Joseph was sold as a slave while they sat over their meal. God spake, +saying: "Over a meal did ye sell your brother, and thus shall Ahasuerus +sell your descendants to Haman over a meal, and because ye have sold +Joseph to be a slave, therefore shall ye say year after year, Slaves +were we unto Pharaoh in Egypt."[50] + +The price paid for Joseph by the Midianites was twenty pieces of +silver, enough for a pair of shoes for each of his brethren. Thus "they +sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes." For +so handsome a youth as Joseph the sum paid was too low by far, but his +appearance had been greatly changed by the horrible anguish he bad +endured in the pit with the snakes and the scorpions. He had lost his +ruddy complexion, and he looked sallow and sickly, and the Midianites +were justified in paying a small sum for him.[51] + +The merchantmen had come upon Joseph naked in the pit, for his brethren +had stripped him of all his clothes. That he might not appear before +men in an unseemly condition, God sent Gabriel down to him, and the +angel enlarged the amulet banging from Joseph's neck until it was a +garment that covered him entirely. Joseph's brethren were looking after +him as he departed with the Midianites, and when they saw him with +clothes upon him, they cried after them, "Give us his raiment! We sold +him naked, without clothes." His owners refused to yield to their +demand, but they agreed to reimburse the brethren with four pairs of +shoes, and Joseph kept his garment, the same in which he was arrayed +when he arrived in Egypt and was sold to Potiphar, the same in which he +was locked up in prison and appeared before Pharaoh, and the same he +wore when he was ruler over Egypt.[52] + +As an atonement for the twenty pieces of silver taken by his brethren +in exchange for Joseph, God commanded that every first-born son shall +be redeemed by the priest with an equal amount, and, also, every +Israelite must pay annually to the sanctuary as much as fell to each of +the brethren as his share of the price.[53] + +The brethren of Joseph bought shoes for the money, for they said: "We +will not eat it, because it is the price for the blood of our brother, +but we will tread upon him, for that he spake, he would have dominion +over us, and we will see what will become of his dreams." And for this +reason the ordinance has been commanded, that he who refuseth to raise +up a name in Israel unto his brother that hath died without having a +son, shall have his shoe loosed from off his foot, and his face shall +be spat upon. Joseph's brethren refused to do aught to preserve his +life, and therefore the Lord loosed their shoes from off their feet, +for, when they went down to Egypt, the slaves of Joseph took their +shoes off their feet as they entered the gates, and they prostrated +themselves before Joseph as before a Pharaoh, and, as they lay +prostrate, they were spat upon, and put to shame before the +Egyptians.[54] + +The Midianites pursued their journey to Gilead, but they soon regretted +the purchase they had made. They feared that Joseph had been stolen in +the land of the Hebrews, though sold to them as a slave, and if his +kinsmen should find him with them, death would be inflicted upon them +for the abduction of a free man. The high-handed manner of the sons of +Jacob confirmed their suspicion, that they might be capable of man +theft. Their wicked deed would explain, too, why they had accepted so +small a sum in exchange for Joseph. While discussing these points, they +saw, coming their way, the travelling company of Ishmaelites that had +been observed earlier by the sons of Jacob, and they determined to +dispose of Joseph to them, that they might at least not lose the price +they had paid, and might escape the danger at the same time of being +made captives for the crime of kidnapping a man. And the Ishmaelites +bought Joseph from the Midianites, and they paid the same price as his +former owners had given for him.[55] + + + + +JOSEPH'S THREE MASTERS + + +As a rule the only merchandise with which the Ishmaelites loaded their +camels was pitch and the skins of beasts. By a providential +dispensation they carried bags of perfumery this time, instead of their +usual ill-smelling freight, that sweet fragrance might be wafted to +Joseph on his journey to Egypt.[56] These aromatic substances were well +suited to Joseph, whose body emitted a pleasant smell, so agreeable and +pervasive that the road along which he travelled was redolent thereof, +and on his arrival in Egypt the perfume from his body spread over the +whole land, and the royal princesses, following the sweet scent to +trace its source, reached the place in which Joseph was.[57] Even after +his death the same fragrance was spread abroad by his bones, enabling +Moses to distinguish Joseph's remains from all others, and keep the +oath of the children of Israel, to inter them in the Holy Land.[58] + +When Joseph learned that the Ishmaelites were carrying him to Egypt, he +began to weep bitterly at the thought of being removed so far from +Canaan and from his father. One of the Ishmaelites noticed Joseph's +weeping and crying, and thinking that he found riding uncomfortable, he +lifted him from the back of the camel, and permitted him to walk on +foot. But Joseph continued to weep and sob, crying incessantly, "O +father, father!" Another one of the caravan, tired of his lamentations, +beat him, causing only the more tears and wails, until the youth, +exhausted by his grief, was unable to move on. Now all the Ishmaelites +in the company dealt out blows to him. They treated him with relentless +cruelty, and tried to silence him by threats. God saw Joseph's +distress, and He sent darkness and terror upon the Ishmaelites, and +their hands grew rigid when they raised them to inflict a blow. +Astonished, they asked themselves why God did thus unto them upon the +road. They did not know that it was for the sake of Joseph. + +The journey was continued until they came to Ephrath, the place of +Rachel's sepulchre. Joseph hastened to his mother's grave, and throwing +himself across it, he groaned and cried, saying: "O mother, mother, +that didst bear me, arise, come forth and see how thy son hath been +sold into slavery, with none to take pity upon him. Arise, see thy son, +and weep with me over my misfortune, and observe the heartlessness of +my brethren. Awake, O mother, rouse thyself from thy sleep, rise up and +prepare for the conflict with my brethren, who stripped me even of my +shirt, and sold me as a slave to merchantmen, who in turn sold me to +others, and without mercy they tore me away from my father. Arise, +accuse my brethren before God, and see whom He will justify in the +judgment, and whom He will find guilty. Arise, O mother, awake from thy +sleep, see how my father is with me in his soul and in his spirit, and +comfort him and ease his heavy heart." + +Joseph wept and cried upon the grave of his mother, until, weary from +grief, he lay immovable as a stone. Then he heard a voice heavy with +tears speak to him from the depths, saying: "My son Joseph, my son, I +heard thy complaints and thy groans, I saw thy tears, and I knew thy +misery, my son. I am grieved for thy sake, and thy affliction is added +to the burden of my affliction. But, my son Joseph, put thy trust in +God, and wait upon Him. Fear not, for the Lord is with thee, and He +will deliver thee from all evil. Go down into Egypt with thy masters, +my son; fear naught, for the Lord is with thee, O my son." This and +much more like unto it did the voice utter, and then it was silent. +Joseph listened in great amazement at first, and then he broke out in +renewed tears. Angered thereby, one of the Ishmaelites drove him from +his mother's grave with kicks and curses. Then Joseph entreated his +masters to take him back to his father, who would give them great +riches as a reward. But they said, "Why, thou art a slave! How canst +thou know where thy father is? If thou hadst had a free man as father, +thou wouldst not have been sold twice for a petty sum." And then their +fury against him increased, they beat him and maltreated him, and he +wept bitter tears. + +Now God looked upon the distress of Joseph, and He sent darkness to +enshroud the land once more. A storm raged, the lightning flashed, and +from the thunderbolts the whole earth trembled, and the Ishmaelites +lost their way in their terror. The beasts and the camels stood still, +and, beat them as their drivers would, they refused to budge from the +spot, but crouched down upon the ground. Then the Ishmaelites spake to +one another, and said: "Why hath God brought this upon us? What are our +sins, what our trespasses, that such things befall us?" One of them +said to the others: "Peradventure this hath come upon us by reason of +the sin which we have committed against this slave. Let us beg him +earnestly to grant us forgiveness, and if then God will take pity, and +let these storms pass away from us, we shall know that we suffered harm +on account of the injury we inflicted upon this slave." + +The Ishmaelites did according to these words, and they said unto +Joseph: "We have sinned against God and against thee. Pray to thy God, +and entreat Him to take this death plague from us, for we acknowledge +that we have sinned against Him." Joseph fulfilled their wish, and God +hearkened to his petition, and the storm was assuaged. All around +became calm, the beasts arose from their recumbent position, and the +caravan could proceed upon its way. Now the Ishmaelites saw plainly +that all their trouble had come upon them for the sake of Joseph, and +they spoke one to another, saying: "We know now that all this evil hath +happened to us on account of this poor fellow, and wherefore should we +bring death upon ourselves by our own doings? Let us take counsel +together, what is to be done with the slave." One of them advised that +Joseph's wish be fulfilled, and he be taken back to his father. Then +they would be sure of receiving the money they had paid out for him. +This plan was rejected, because they had accomplished a great part of +their journey, and they were not inclined to retrace their steps. They +therefore resolved upon carrying Joseph to Egypt and selling him there. +They would rid themselves of him in this way, and also receive a great +price for him. + +They continued their journey as far as the borders of Egypt, and there +they met four men, descendants of Medan, the son of Abraham, and to +these they sold Joseph for five shekels. The two companies, the +Ishmaelites and the Medanites, arrived in Egypt upon the same day. The +latter, hearing that Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of +the guard, was seeking a good slave, repaired to him at once, to try to +dispose of Joseph to him. Potiphar was willing to pay as much as four +hundred pieces of silver, for, high as the price was, it did not seem +too great for a slave that pleased him as much as Joseph. However, he +made a condition. He said to the Medanites: "I will pay you the price +demanded, but you must bring me the person that sold the slave to you, +that I may be in a position to find out all about him, for the youth +seems to me to be neither a slave nor the son of a slave. He appears to +be of noble blood. I must convince myself that he was not stolen." The +Medanites brought the Ishmaelites to Potiphar, and they testified that +Joseph was a slave, that they had owned him, and had sold him to the +Medanites. Potiphar rested satisfied with this report, paid the price +asked for Joseph, and the Medanites and the Ishmaelites went their way. + + + + +JOSEPH'S COAT BROUGHT TO HIS FATHER + + +No sooner was the sale of Joseph an accomplished fact than the sons of +Jacob repented of their deed. They even hastened after the Midianites +to ransom Joseph, but their efforts to overtake them were vain, and +they had to accept the inevitable. Meantime Reuben had rejoined his +brethren.[59] He had been so deeply absorbed in penances, in praying +and studying the Torah, in expiation of his sin against his father, +that he had not been able to remain with his brethren and tend the +flocks, and thus it happened that he was not on the spot when Joseph +was sold.[60] His first errand was to go to the pit, in the hope of +finding Joseph there. In that case he would have carried him off and +restored him to his father clandestinely, without the knowledge of his +brethren. He stood at the opening and called again and again, "Joseph, +Joseph!" As he received no answer, he concluded that Joseph had +perished, either by reason of terror or as the result of a snake bite, +and he descended into the pit, only to find that he was not there, +either living or dead. He mounted to the top again, and rent his +clothes, and cried out, "The lad is not there, and what answer shall I +give to my father, if he be dead?" Then Reuben returned unto his +brethren, and told them that Joseph bad vanished from the pit, whereat +he was deeply grieved, because he, being the oldest of the sons, was +responsible to their father Jacob. The brethren made a clean breast of +what they had done with Joseph, and they related to him how they had +tried to make good their evil deed, and how their efforts had been +vain. + +Now there remained nothing to do but invent a plausible explanation for +their brother's disappearance to give to Jacob. First of all, however, +they took an oath not to betray to his father or any human being what +they bad actually done with Joseph. He who violated the oath would be +put to the sword by the rest. Then they took counsel together about +what to say to Jacob. It was Issachar's advice to tear Joseph's coat of +many colors, and dip it in the blood of a little kid of the goats, to +make Jacob believe that his son had been torn by a wild beast.[61] The +reason he suggested a kid was because its blood looks like human blood. +In expiation of this act of deception, it was ordained that a kid be +used as an atonement sacrifice when the Tabernacle was dedicated.[62] + +Simon opposed this suggestion. He did not want to relinquish Joseph's +coat, and he threatened to hew down any one that should attempt to +wrest it from him by force. The reason for his vehemence was that he +was very much enraged against his brethren for not having slain Joseph. +But they threatened him in turn, saying, "If thou wilt not give up the +coat, we shall say that thou didst execute the evil deed thyself." At +that Simon surrendered it,[63] and Naphtali brought it to Jacob, +handing it to him with the words: "When we were driving our herds +homeward, we found this garment covered with blood and dust on the +highway, a little beyond Shechem. Know now whether it be thy son's coat +or not." Jacob recognized Joseph's coat, and, overwhelmed by grief, he +fell prostrate, and long lay on the ground motionless, like a stone. +Then he arose, and set up a loud cry, and wept, saying, "It is my son's +coat." + +In great haste Jacob dispatched a slave to his sons, to bid them come +to him, that he might learn more about what had happened. In the +evening they all came, their garments rent, and dust strewn upon their +heads. When they confirmed all that Naphtali had told him, Jacob broke +out in mourning and lamentation: "It is my son's coat; an evil beast +hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces. I sent him +to you to see whether it was well with you, and well with the flock. He +went to do my errand, and while I thought him to be with you, the +misfortune befell." Thereto the sons of Jacob made reply: "He came to +us not at all. Since we left thee, we have not set eyes on him." + +After these words, Jacob could doubt no longer that Joseph bad been +torn by wild beasts, and he mourned for his son, saying: "O my son +Joseph, my son, I sent thee to inquire after the welfare of thy +brethren, and now thou art torn by wild beasts. It is my fault that +this evil chance hath come upon thee. I am distressed for thee, my son, +I am sorely distressed. How sweet was thy life to me, and how bitter is +thy death! Would God I had died for thee, O Joseph, my son, for now I +am distressed on thy account. O my son Joseph, where art thou, and +where is thy soul? Arise, arise from thy place, and look upon my grief +for thee. Come and count the tears that roll down my cheeks, and bring +the tale of them before God, that His wrath be turned away from me. O +Joseph, my son, how painful and appalling was thy death! None hath died +a death like thine since the world doth stand. I know well that it came +to pass by reason of my sins. O that thou wouldst return and see the +bitter sorrow thy misfortune hath brought upon me! But it is true, it +was not I that created thee, and formed thee. I gave thee neither +spirit nor soul, but God created thee. He formed thy bones, covered +them with flesh, breathed the breath of life into thy nostrils, and +then gave thee unto me. And God who gave thee unto me, He hath taken +thee from me, and from Him hath this dispensation come upon me. What +the Lord doeth is well done!" In these words and many others like them +Jacob mourned and bewailed his son, until he fell to the ground +prostrate and immovable. + +When the sons of Jacob saw the vehemence of their father's grief, they +repented of their deed, and wept bitterly. Especially Judah was +grief-stricken. He laid his father's head upon his knees, and wiped his +tears away as they flowed from his eyes, while he himself broke out in +violent weeping. The sons of Jacob and their wives all sought to +comfort their father. They arranged a great memorial service, and they +wept and mourned over Joseph's death and over their father's +sorrow.[64] But Jacob refused to be comforted. + +The tidings of his son's death caused the loss of two members of +Jacob's family. Bilhah and Dinah could not survive their grief. Bilhah +passed away the very day whereon the report reached Jacob, and Dinah +died soon after, and so he had three losses to mourn in one month. + +He received the tidings of Joseph's death in the seventh month, Tishri, +and on the tenth day of the month, and therefore the children of Israel +are bidden to weep and afflict their souls on this day. Furthermore, on +this day the sin offering of atonement shall be a kid of the goats, +because the sons of Jacob transgressed with a kid, in the blood of +which they dipped Joseph's coat, and thus they brought sorrow upon +Jacob.[65] + +When he had recovered somewhat from the stunning blow which the tidings +of his favorite son's death had dealt him, Jacob rose up from the +ground and addressed his sons, tears streaming down his cheeks all the +while. "Up," he said, "take your swords and your bows, go out in the +field, and make search, perhaps you will find the body of my son, and +you will bring it to me, so that I may bury it. Keep a lookout, too, +for beasts of prey, and catch the first you meet. Seize it and bring it +to me. It may be that God will have pity upon my sorrow, and put the +beast between your hands that hath torn my child in pieces, and I will +take my revenge upon it." + +The sons of Jacob set out on the morrow to do the bidding of their +father, while he remained at home and wept and lamented for Joseph. In +the wilderness they found a wolf, which they caught and brought to +Jacob alive, saying: "Here is the first wild beast we encountered, and +we have brought it to thee. But of thy son's corpse we saw not a +trace." Jacob seized the wolf, and, amid loud weeping, he addressed +these words to him: "Why didst thou devour my son Joseph, without any +fear of the God of the earth, and without taking any thought of the +grief thou wouldst bring down upon me? Thou didst devour my son without +reason, he was guilty of no manner of transgression, and thou didst +roll the responsibility for his death upon me. But God avengeth him +that is persecuted." + +To grant consolation to Jacob, God opened the mouth of the beast, and +he spake: "As the Lord liveth, who hath created me, and as thy soul +liveth, my lord, I have not seen thy son, and I did not rend him in +pieces. From a land afar off I came to seek mine own son, who suffered +a like fate with thine. He hath disappeared, and I know not whether he +be dead or alive, and therefore I came hither ten days ago to find him. +This day, while I was searching for him, thy sons met me, and they +seized me, and, adding more grief to my grief over my lost son, they +brought me hither to thee. This is my story, and now, O son of man, I +am in thy hands, thou canst dispose of me this day as seemeth well in +thy sight, but I swear unto thee by the God that bath created me, I +have not seen thy son, nor have I torn him in pieces, never hath the +flesh of man come into my mouth." Astonished at the speech of the wolf, +Jacob let him go, unhindered, whithersoever he would, but he mourned +his son Joseph as before.[66] + +It is a law of nature that however much one may grieve over the death +of a dear one, at the end of a year consolation finds its way to the +heart of the mourner. But the disappearance of a living man can never +be wiped out of one's memory. Therefore the fact that he was +inconsolable made Jacob suspect that Joseph was alive, and he did not +give entire credence to the report of his sons. His vague suspicion was +strengthened by something that happened to him. He went up into the +mountains, hewed twelve stones out of the quarry, and wrote the names +of his sons thereon, their constellations, and the months corresponding +to the constellations, a stone for a son, thus, "Reuben, Ram, Nisan," +and so for each of his twelve sons. Then he addressed the stones and +bade them bow down before the one marked with Reuben's name, +constellation, and month, and they did not move. He gave the same order +regarding the stone marked for Simon, and again the stones stood still. +And so he did respecting all his sons, until he reached the stone for +Joseph. When he spoke concerning this one, "I command you to fall down +before Joseph," they all prostrated themselves. He tried the same test +with other things, with trees and sheaves, and always the result was +the same, and Jacob could not but feel that his suspicion was true, +Joseph was alive.[67] + +There was a reason why God did not reveal the real fate of Joseph to +Jacob. When his brethren sold Joseph, their fear that the report of +their iniquity might reach the ears of Jacob led them to pronounce the +ban upon any that should betray the truth without the consent of all +the others. Judah advanced the objection that a ban is invalid unless +it is decreed in the presence of ten persons, and there were but nine +of them, for Reuben and Benjamin were not there when the sale of Joseph +was concluded. To evade the difficulty, the brothers counted God as the +tenth person, and therefore God felt bound to refrain from revealing +the true state of things to Jacob. He had regard, as it were, for the +ban pronounced by the brethren of Joseph.[68] And as God kept the truth +a secret from Jacob, Isaac did not feel justified in acquainting him +with his grandson's fate, which was well known to him, for he was a +prophet. Whenever he was in the company of Jacob, he mourned with him, +but as soon as he quitted him, he left off from manifesting grief, +because he knew that Joseph lived.[69] + +Jacob was thus the only one among Joseph's closest kinsmen that +remained in ignorance of his son's real fortunes, and he was the one of +them all that had the greatest reason for regretting his death. He +spoke: "The covenant that God made with me regarding the twelve tribes +is null and void now. I did strive in vain to establish the twelve +tribes, seeing that now the death of Joseph hath destroyed the +covenant. All the works of God were made to correspond to the number of +the tribes—twelve are the signs of the zodiac, twelve the months, +twelve hours hath the day, twelve the night, and twelve stones are set +in Aaron's breastplate—and now that Joseph hath departed, the covenant +of the tribes is set at naught." + +He could not replace the lost son by entering into a new marriage, for +he had made the promise to his father-in-law to take none beside his +daughters to wife, and this promise, as he interpreted it, held good +after the death of Laban's daughters as well as while they were +alive.[70] + +Beside grief over his loss and regret at the breaking of the covenant +of the tribes, Jacob had still another reason for mourning the death of +Joseph. God had said to Jacob, "If none of thy sons dies during thy +lifetime, thou mayest look upon it as a token that thou wilt not be put +in Gehenna after thy death." Thinking Joseph to be dead, Jacob had his +own fate to bewail, too, for he now believed that he was doomed to +Gehenna.[71] His mourning lasted all of twenty-two years, corresponding +to the number of the years he had dwelt apart from his parents, and had +not fulfilled the duty of a son toward them.[72] + +In his mourning Jacob put sackcloth upon his loins, and therein be +became a model for the kings and princes in Israel, for David, Ahab, +Joram, and Mordecai did likewise when a great misfortune befell the +nation.[73] + + + + +JUDAH AND HIS SONS + + +When the sons of Jacob saw how inconsolable their father was, they went +to Judah, and said to him, "This great misfortune is thy fault." Judah +replied: "It was I that asked you, What profit is it if we slay our +brother and conceal his blood? and now you say the sin lies at my +door." The brethren continued to argue: "But it was thou that didst +say, Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and we followed thy +advice. Hadst thou said, Let us restore him to his father, we had +heeded these words of thine as well." + +The brethren hereupon deprived Judah of his dignity, for hitherto he +had been their king, and they also excluded him from their fellowship, +and he had to seek his fortune alone.[74] Through the mediation of his +chief shepherd Hirah, he became acquainted with the Canaanitish king of +Adullam, Barsan by name. Though he was well aware of the corruption of +the generations of Canaan, he permitted passion to get the better of +him, and took a Canaanite to wife. The Adullamite king gave a banquet +in his honor, at which his daughter Bath-shua poured the wine, and +intoxicated by wine and passion Judah took her and married her.[75] +Judah's action may be compared to that of the lion who passes a carrion +and eats of it, though a cur preceding him on the way had refused to +touch it. Even Esau came in time to acknowledge that the daughters of +Canaan were wicked, and the lion Judah must needs take one of them to +wife.[76] The holy spirit cried out against Judah when he married the +Canaanite woman of Adullam, saying, "The glory of Israel went down in +Adullam."[77] + +The first-born son of Judah from this marriage was named Er, "the +childless," a suitable name for him that died without begetting any +issue.[78] At Judah's desire, Er married Tamar, a daughter of Aram, the +son of Shem, but because she was not a Canaanitish woman, his mother +used artifices against her, and he did not know her, and an angel of +the Lord killed him on the third day after his wedding. Then Judah gave +Tamar to his second son Onan, the marriage taking place before the week +of the wedding festivities for Er had elapsed. A whole year Onan lived +with Tamar without knowing her, and when, finally, Judah uttered +threats against him on that account, he did, indeed, have intercourse +with her, but, giving heed to the injunctions of his mother, he took +care not to beget any children with her.[79] He, too, died on account +of his iniquity, and his name Onan "mourning," was well chosen, for +very soon was his father called upon to mourn for him.[80] Now Judah +conceived the plan of marrying Tamar to his youngest son Shelah, but +his wife would not permit it. She hated Tamar because she was not of +the daughters of Canaan like herself, and while Judah was away from +home, Bath-shua chose a wife for her son Shelah from the daughters of +Canaan. Judah was very angry at Bath-shua for what she had done, and +also God poured out His wrath upon her, for on account of her +wickedness she had to die,[81] and her death happened a year after that +of her two sons. + +Now that Bath-shua was dead, Judah might have carried out his wish and +married Tamar to his youngest son. But he waited for Shelah to grow up, +because he feared for his life, seeing that Tamar had brought death to +two husbands before him. So she remained a widow in her father's house +for two years. Endowed with the gift of prophecy, Tamar knew that she +was appointed to be the ancestress of David and of the Messiah, and she +determined to venture upon an extreme measure in order to make sure of +fulfilling her destiny.[82] Accordingly, when the holy spirit revealed +to her that Judah was going up to Timnah,[83] she put off from her the +garments of her widowhood, and sat in the gate of Abraham's tent, and +there she encountered Judah.[84] All the time she lived in the house of +her father-in-law, he had never seen her face, for in her virtue and +chastity she had always kept it covered, and now when Judah met her, he +did not recognize her. It was as a reward for her modesty that God made +her to become the mother of the royal line of David, and the ancestress +of Isaiah, and his father Amoz as well, both of whom were prophets and +of royal blood.[85] + +Judah passed Tamar by without paying any attention to her, and she +raised her eyes heavenward, and said, "O Lord of the world, shall I go +forth empty from the house of this pious man?" Then God sent the angel +that is appointed over the passion of love, and he compelled Judah to +turn back.[86] With prophetic caution, Tamar demanded that, as a pledge +for the reward he promised her, he leave with her his signet, his +mantle, and his staff, the symbols of royalty, judgeship, and +Messiahship, the three distinctions of the descendants of Tamar from +her union with Judah. When Judah sent her the promised reward, a kid of +the goats, by the hand of his friend, in order to receive the pledges +from her hand, Tamar could not be found, and he feared to make further +search for her, lest he be put to shame. But Tamar, who soon discerned +that she was with child, felt very happy and proud, for she knew that +she would be the mother of kings and redeemers.[87] + +When her state became known, she was forcibly dragged before the court, +in which Isaac, Jacob, and Judah sat as judges. Judah, being the +youngest of the judges and the least considerable in dignity, was the +first to give a decision, for thus it is prescribed in criminal cases, +that the prominent judges overawe not the lesser and influence their +decisions unduly. It was the opinion of Judah that the woman was liable +to the penalty of death by burning, for she was the daughter of the +high priest Shem, and death by fire is the punishment ordained by the +law for a high priest's daughter that leads an unchaste life.[88] + +The preparations for her execution were begun. In vain Tamar searched +for the three pledges she had received from Judah, she could not find +them, and almost she lost hope that she would be able to wring a +confession from her father-in-law. She raised her eyes to God, and +prayed: "I supplicate Thy grace, O God, Thou who givest ear to the cry +of the distressed in the hour of his need, answer me, that I may be +spared to bring forth the three holy children, who will be ready to +suffer death by fire, for the sake of the glory of Thy Name." And God +granted her petition, and sent the angel Michael down to succor her. He +put the pledges in a place in which Tamar could not fail to see them, +and she took them, and threw them before the feet of the judges, with +the words: "By the man whose these are am I with child, but though I +perish in the flames, I will not betray him. I hope in the Lord of the +world, that He will turn the heart of the man, so that he will make +confession thereof." Then Judah rose up, and said: "With your +permission, my brethren, and ye men of my father's house, I make it +known that with what measure a man metes, it shall be measured unto +him, be it for good or for evil, but happy the man that acknowledgeth +his sins. Because I took the coat of Joseph, and colored it with the +blood of a kid, and then laid it at the feet of my father, saying, Know +now whether it be thy son's coat or not, therefore must I now confess, +before the court, unto whom belongeth this signet, this mantle, and +this staff. But it is better that I be put to shame in this world than +I should be put to shame in the other world, before the face of my +pious father. It is better that I should perish in a fire that can be +extinguished than I should be cast into hell fire, which devoureth +other fires. Now, then, I acknowledge that Tamar is innocent. By me is +she with child, not because she indulged in illicit passion, but +because I held back her marriage with my son Shelah." Then a heavenly +voice was heard to say: "Ye are both innocent! It was the will of God +that it should happen!"[89] + +The open confession of Judah induced his oldest brother Reuben to make +public acknowledgment of the sin he had committed against his father, +for he had kept it a secret until then.[90] + +Tamar gave birth to twin sons, Perez and Zerah, both resembling their +father in bravery and piety.[91] She called the first Perez, "mighty," +because she said, "Thou didst show thyself of great power, and it is +meet and proper that thou shouldst be strong, for thou art destined to +possess the kingdom."[92] The second son was called Zerah, because he +appeared from out of the womb before his brother, but he was forced +back again to make way for Perez.[93] These two, Perez and Zerah. were +sent out as spies by Joshua, and the line that Rahab bound in the +window of her house as a token to the army of the Israelites, she +received from Zerah. It was the scarlet thread that the midwife had +bound upon his hand, to mark him as the child that appeared first and +withdrew.[94] + + + + +THE WIVES OF THE SONS OF JACOB + + +Judah was the first of the sons of Jacob to enter wedlock. After the +sale of Joseph to the Midianites, his brethren had said to Judah, "If +conditions were as before, our father would provide wives for us now. +As it is, he is entirely absorbed by his grief for Joseph, and we must +look about for wives ourselves. Thou art our chief, and thou shouldst +marry first." + +Judah's marriage with Alit the daughter of the noble merchant Shua, +which was consummated at Adullam, the residence of his friend Hirah, +or, as he was called later, Hiram, king of Tyre, was not happy. His two +oldest sons died, and shortly thereafter his wife also. It was Judah's +punishment for having begun a good deed and left it unfinished, for "he +who begins a good deed, and does not execute it to the end, brings down +misfortune upon his own head." Judah had rescued Joseph from death, but +it was his suggestion to sell him into slavery. Had he urged them to +restore the lad to his father, his brethren would have obeyed his +words. He was lacking in constancy to persist until he had completed +the work of Joseph's deliverance, which he had begun.[95] + +In the same year, the year of Joseph's misfortune, all his other +brethren married, too. Reuben's wife was named Elyoram, the daughter of +the Canaanite Uzzi of Timnah. Simon married his sister Dinah first, and +then a second wife. When Simon and Levi massacred the men of Shechem, +Dinah refused to leave the city and follow her brethren, saying, +"Whither shall I carry my shame?" But Simon swore he would marry her, +as he did later, and when she died in Egypt, he took her body to the +Holy Land and buried it there. Dinah bore her brother a son,[96] and +from her union with Shechem, the son of Hamor, sprang a daughter, +Asenath by name, afterward the wife of Joseph. When this daughter was +born to Dinah, her brethren, the sons of Jacob, wanted to kill her, +that the finger of men might not point at the fruit of sin in their +father's house. But Jacob took a piece of tin, inscribed the Holy Name +upon it, and bound it about the neck of the girl, and he put her under +a thornbush, and abandoned her there. An angel carried the babe down to +Egypt, where Potiphar adopted her as his child, for his wife was +barren. Years thereafter, when Joseph travelled through the land as +viceroy, the maidens threw gifts at him, to make him turn his eyes in +their direction and give them the opportunity of gazing upon his +beauty. Asenath possessed nothing that would do as a present, therefore +she took off the amulet suspended from her neck, and gave it to him. +Thus Joseph became acquainted with her lineage, and he married her, +seeing that she was not an Egyptian, but one connected with the house +of Jacob through her mother.[97] + +Beside the son of Dinah, Simon had another son, whose name was Saul, by +Bunah, the damsel he had taken captive in the campaign against Shechem. + +Levi and Issachar married two daughters of Jobab, the grandson of Eber; +the wife of the former was named Adinah, the wife of the latter, +Aridah. Dan's wife was Elflalet, a daughter of the Moabite Hamudan. For +a long time their marriage remained childless, finally they had a son, +whom they called Hushim. Gad and Naphtali married women from Haran, two +sisters, daughters of Amoram, a grandson of Nahor. Naphtali's wife, +Merimit, was the older of the two, and the younger, the wife of Gad, +was named Uzit. + +Asher's first wife was Adon, the daughter of Ephlal, a grandson of +Ishmael. She died childless, and he married a second wife, Hadorah, a +daughter of Abimael, the grandson of Shem. She had been married before, +her first husband having been Malchiel, also a grandson of Shem, and +the issue of this first marriage was a daughter, Serah by name. When +Asher brought his wife to Canaan, the three year old orphan Serah came +with them. She was raised in the house of Jacob, and she walked in the +way of pious children, and God gave her beauty, wisdom, and sagacity. + +Zebulon's wife was Maroshah, the daughter of Molad, a grandson of +Midian, the son of Abraham by Keturah. + +For Benjamin, when he was but ten years old, Jacob took Mahlia to wife, +the daughter of Aram, the grandson of Terah, and she bore him five +sons. At the age of eighteen he married a second wife, Arbat, the +daughter of Zimran, a son of Abraham by Keturah, and by her also he had +five sons.[98] + + + + +JOSEPH THE SLAVE OF POTIPHAR + + +When Joseph was sold as a slave to the Ishmaelites, he kept silent out +of respect for his brethren, and did not tell his masters that he was a +son of Jacob, a great and powerful man. Even when he came to the +Midianites with the Ishmaelites, and the former asked after his +parentage, he still said he was a slave, only in order not to put his +brethren to shame. But the most distinguished of the Midianites rebuked +Joseph, saying, "Thou art no slave, thy appearance betrayeth thee," and +he threatened him with death unless he acknowledged the truth. Joseph, +however, was steadfast, he would not act treacherously toward his +brethren. + +Arrived in Egypt, the owners of Joseph could come to no agreement +regarding him. Each desired to have sole and exclusive possession of +him. They therefore decided to leave him with a shopkeeper until they +should come back to Egypt again with their merchandise. And God let +Joseph find grace in the sight of the shopkeeper. All that he had, his +whole house, he put into Joseph's hand, and therefore the Lord blessed +him with much silver and gold, and Joseph remained with him for three +months and five days. + +At that time there came from Memphis the wife of Potiphar, and she cast +her eyes upon Joseph, of whose comeliness of person she had heard from +the eunuchs. She told her husband how that a certain shopkeeper had +grown rich through a young Hebrew, and she added: "But it is said that +the youth was stolen away out of the land of Canaan. Go, therefore, and +sit in judgment upon his owner, and take the youth unto thy house, that +the God of the Hebrews may bless thee, for the grace of heaven rests +upon the youth." + +Potiphar summoned the shopkeeper, and when he appeared before him, he +spoke harshly to him, saying: "What is this I hear? that thou stealest +souls from the land of Canaan, and dost carry on traffic with them?" +The shop-keeper protested his innocence, and he could not be made to +recede from his assertion, that a company of Ishmaelites had left +Joseph in his charge temporarily, until they should return. Potiphar +had him stripped naked and beaten, but he continued to reiterate the +same statement. + +Then Potiphar summoned Joseph. The youth prostrated himself before this +chief of the eunuchs, for he was third in rank of the officers of +Pharaoh. And he addressed Joseph, and said, "Art thou a slave or a +free-born man?" and Joseph replied, "A slave." Potiphar continued to +question him, "Whose slave art thou?" Joseph: "I belong to the +Ishmaelites." Potiphar: "How wast thou made a slave?" Joseph: "They +bought me in the land of Canaan." + +But Potiphar refused to give credence to what he said, and he had also +him stripped and beaten. The wife of Potiphar, standing by the door, +saw how Joseph was abused, and she sent word to her husband, "Thy +verdict is unjust, for thou punishest the free-born youth that was +stolen away from his place as though he were the one that had committed +a crime." As Joseph held firmly to what he had said, Potiphar ordered +him to prison, until his masters should return. In her sinful longing +for him, his wife wanted to have Joseph in her own house, and she +remonstrated with her husband in these words: "Wherefore dost thou keep +the captive, nobly-born slave a prisoner? Thou shouldst rather set him +at liberty and have him serve thee." He answered, "The law of the +Egyptians does not permit us to take what belongs to another before all +titles are made clear," and Joseph stayed in prison for twenty-four +days, until the return of the Ishmaelites to Egypt. + +Meanwhile they had heard somewhere that Joseph was the son of Jacob, +and they therefore said to him: "Why didst thou pretend that thou wast +a slave? See, we have information that thou art the son of a powerful +man in Canaan, and thy father mourns for thee in sackcloth." Joseph was +on the point of divulging his secret, but he kept a check upon himself +for the sake of his brethren, and he repeated that he was a slave. + +Nevertheless the Ishmaelites decided to sell him, that he be not found +in their hands, for they feared the revenge of Jacob, who, they knew, +was in high favor with the Lord and with men. The shopkeeper begged the +Ishmaelites to rescue him from the legal prosecution of Potiphar, and +clear him of the suspicion of man theft. The Ishmaelites in turn had a +conference with Joseph, and bade him testify before Potiphar that they +had bought him for money. He did so, and then the chief of the eunuchs +liberated him from prison, and dismissed all parties concerned. + +With the permission of her husband, Potiphar's wife sent a eunuch to +the Ishmaelites, bidding him to buy Joseph, but he returned and +reported that they demanded an exorbitant price for the slave. She +dispatched a second eunuch, charging him to conclude the bargain, and +though they asked one mina of gold, or even two, he was not to be +sparing of money, he was to be sure to buy the slave and bring him to +her. The eunuch gave the Ishmaelites eighty pieces of gold for Joseph, +telling his mistress, however, that he had paid out a hundred pieces. +Joseph noticed the deception, but he kept silent, that the eunuch might +not be put to shame.[99] + +Thus Joseph became the slave of the idolatrous priest Potiphar, or +Poti-phera, as he was sometimes called.[100] He had secured possession +of the handsome youth for a lewd purpose, but the angel Gabriel +mutilated him in such manner that he could not accomplish it.[101] His +master soon had occasion to notice that Joseph was as pious as he was +beautiful, for whenever he was occupied with his ministrations, he +would whisper a prayer: "O Lord of the world, Thou art my trust, Thou +art my protection. Let me find grace and favor in Thy sight and in the +sight of all that see me, and in the sight of my master Potiphar." When +Potiphar noticed the movement of his lips, he said to Joseph, "Dost +thou purpose to cast a spell upon me?" "Nay," replied the youth, "I am +beseeching God to let me find favor in thine eyes." + +His prayer was heard. Potiphar convinced himself that God was with +Joseph. Sometimes he would make a test of Joseph's miraculous powers. +If he brought him a glass of hippocras, he would say, "I would rather +have wine mixed with absinthe," and straightway the spiced wine was +changed into bitter wine. Whatever he desired, he could be sure to get +from Joseph, and he saw clearly that God fulfilled the wishes of his +slave. Therefore he put all the keys of his house into his hand, and he +knew not aught that was with him,[102] keeping back nothing from Joseph +but his wife.[103] Seeing that the Shekinah rested upon him, Potiphar +treated Joseph not as a slave, but as a member of his family, for he +said, "This youth is not cut out for a slave's work, he is worthy of a +prince's place."[104] Accordingly, he provided instruction for him in +the arts, and ordered him to have better fare than the other +slaves.[105] + +Joseph thanked God for his new and happy state. He prayed, "Blessed art +Thou, O Lord, that Thou hast caused me to forget my father's house." +What made his present fortunes so agreeable was that he was removed +from the envy and jealousy of his brethren. He said: "When I was in my +father's house, and he gave me something pretty, my brethren begrudged +me the present, and now, O Lord, I thank Thee that I live amid plenty." +Free from anxieties, he turned his attention to his external +appearance. He painted his eyes, dressed his hair, and aimed to be +elegant in his walk. But God spake to him, saying, "Thy father is +mourning in sackcloth and ashes, while thou dost eat, drink, and dress +thy hair. Therefore I will stir up thy mistress against thee, and thou +shalt be embarrassed."[106] Thus Joseph's secret wish was fulfilled, +that he might be permitted to prove his piety under temptation, as the +piety of his fathers had been tested.[107] + + + + +JOSEPH AND ZULEIKA + + +"Throw the stick up in the air, it will always return to its original +place." Like Rachel his mother, Joseph was of ravishing beauty, and the +wife of his master was filled with invincible passion for him."[108] +Her feeling was heightened by the astrologic forecast that she was +destined to have descendants through Joseph. This was true, but not in +the sense in which she understood the prophecy. Joseph married her +daughter Asenath later on, and she bore him children, thus fulfilling +what had been read in the stars."[109] + +In the beginning she did not confess her love to Joseph. She tried +first to seduce him by artifice. On the pretext of visiting him, she +would go to him at night, and, as she had no sons, she would pretend a +desire to adopt him. Joseph then prayed to God in her behalf, and she +bore a son. However, she continued to embrace him as though he were her +own child, yet he did not notice her evil designs. Finally, when he +recognized her wanton trickery, he mourned many days, and endeavored to +turn her away from her sinful passion by the word of God. She, on her +side, often threatened him with death, and surrendered him to +castigations in order to make him amenable to her will, and when these +means had no effect upon Joseph, she sought to seduce him with +enticements. She would say, "I promise thee, thou shalt rule over me +and all I have, if thou wilt but give thyself up to me. and thou shalt +be to me the same as my lawful husband." But Joseph was mindful of the +words of his fathers, and he went into his chamber, and fasted, and +prayed to God, that He would deliver him from the toils of the Egyptian +woman. + +In spite of the mortifications he practiced, and though he gave the +poor and the sick the food apportioned to him, his master thought he +lived a luxurious life, for those that fast for the glory of God are +made beautiful of countenance. + +The wife of Potiphar would frequently speak to her husband in praise of +Joseph's chastity in order that he might conceive no suspicion of the +state of her feelings. And, again, she would encourage Joseph secretly, +telling him not to fear her husband, that he was convinced of his +purity of life, and though one should carry tales to him about Joseph +and herself, Potiphar would lend them no credence. And when she saw +that all this was ineffectual , she approached him with the request +that he teach her the word of God, saying, "If it be thy wish that I +forsake idol worship, then fulfil my desire, and I will persuade that +Egyptian husband of mine to abjure the idols, and we shall walk in the +law of thy God." Joseph replied, "The Lord desireth not that those who +fear Him shall walk in impurity, nor hath He pleasure in the +adulterer." + +Another time she came to him, and said, "If thou wilt not do my desire, +I will murder the Egyptian and wed with thee according to the law." +Whereat Joseph rent his garment, and he said, "O woman, fear the Lord, +and do not execute this evil deed, that thou mayest not bring +destruction down upon thyself, for I will proclaim thy impious purposes +to all in public." + +Again, she sent him a dish prepared with magic spells, by means of +which she hoped to get him into her power. But when the eunuch set it +before him, he saw the image of a man handing him a sword together with +the dish, and, warned by the vision, he took good care not to taste of +the food. A few days later his mistress came to him, and asked him why +he had not eaten of what she had sent him. He reproached her, saying, +"How couldst thou tell me, I do not come nigh unto the idols, but only +unto the Lord? The God of my fathers hath revealed thy iniquity to me +through an angel, but that thou mayest know that the malice of the +wicked has no power over those who fear God in purity, I shall eat thy +food before thine eyes, and the God of my fathers and the angel of +Abraham will be with me." The wife of Potiphar fell upon her face at +the feet of Joseph, and amid tears she promised not to commit this sin +again. + +But her unholy passion for Joseph did not depart from her, and her +distress over her unfulfilled wish made her look so ill that her +husband said to her, "Why is thy countenance fallen?" And she replied, +"I have a pain at my heart, and the groanings of my spirit oppress me." + +Once when she was alone with Joseph, she rushed toward him, crying, "I +will throttle myself, or I will jump into a well or a pit, if thou wilt +not yield thyself to me." Noticing her extreme agitation, Joseph +endeavored to calm her with these words, "Remember, if thou makest away +with thyself, thy husband's concubine, Asteho, thy rival, will maltreat +thy children, and extirpate thy memory from the earth." These words, +gently spoken, had the opposite effect from that intended. They only +inflamed her passion the more by feeding her hopes. She said: "There, +seest thou, thou dost love me now! It sufficeth for me that thou takest +thought for me and for the safety of my children. I expect now that my +desire will be fulfilled." She did not know that Joseph spoke as he did +for the sake of God, and not for her sake.[110] + +His mistress, or, as she was called, Zuleika, pursued him day after day +with her amorous talk and her flattery, saying: "How fair is thy +appearance, how comely thy form! Never have I seen so well-favored a +slave as thou art." Joseph would reply: "God, who formed me in my +mother's womb, hath created all men." + +Zuleika: "How beautiful are thine eyes, with which thou hast charmed +all Egyptians, both men and women!" + +Joseph: "Beautiful as they may be while I am alive, so ghastly they +will be to look upon in the grave." + +Zuleika: "How lovely and pleasant are thy words! I pray thee, take thy +harp, play and also sing, that I may hear thy words." + +Joseph: "Lovely and pleasant are my words when I proclaim the praise of +my God." + +Zuleika: "How beautiful is thy hair! Take my golden comb, and comb it." + +Joseph: "How long wilt thou continue to speak thus to me? Leave off! It +were better for thee to care for thy household." + +Zuleika: "There is nothing in my house that I care for, save thee +alone." + +But Joseph's virtue was unshaken. While she spoke thus, he did not so +much as raise his eyes to look at his mistress.[111] He remained +equally steadfast when she lavished gifts upon him, for she provided +him with garments of one kind for the morning, another for noon, and a +third kind for the evening. Nor could threats move him. She would say, +"I will bring false accusations against thee before thy master," and +Joseph would reply, "The Lord executeth judgment for the oppressed." +Or, "I will deprive thee of food;" whereupon Joseph, "The Lord giveth +food to the hungry." Or, "I will have thee thrown into prison;" +whereupon Joseph, "The Lord looseth the prisoners." Or, "I will put +heavy labor upon thee that will bend thee double;" whereupon Joseph, +"The Lord raiseth up them that are bowed down." Or, "I will blind thine +eyes;" whereupon Joseph, "The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind."[112] + +When she began to exercise her blandishments upon him, he rejected them +with the words, "I fear my master." But Zuleika would say, "I will kill +him." Joseph replied with indignation, "Not enough that thou wouldst +make an adulterer of me, thou wouldst have me be a murderer, besides?" +And he spoke furthermore, saying, "I fear the Lord my God!" + +Zuleika: "Nonsense! He is not here to see thee! + +Joseph: "Great is the Lord and highly to be praised, and His greatness +is unsearchable." + +Thereupon she took Joseph into her chamber, where an idol hung above +the bed. This she covered, that it might not be a witness of what she +was about to do. Joseph said: "Though thou coverest up the eyes of the +idol, remember, the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole +earth. Yes," continued Joseph, "I have many reasons not to do this +thing for the sake of God. Adam was banished from Paradise on account +of violating a light command; how much more should I have to fear the +punishment of God, were I to commit so grave a sin as adultery! The +Lord is in the habit of choosing a favorite member of our family as a +sacrifice unto Himself. Perhaps He desireth to make choice of me, but +if I do thy will, I make myself unfit to be a sacrifice unto God. Also +the Lord is in the habit of appearing suddenly, in visions of the +night, unto those that love Him. Thus did He appear unto Abraham, +Isaac, and Jacob, and I fear that He may appear unto me at the very +moment while I am defiling myself with thee. And as I fear God, so I +fear my father, who withdrew the birthright from his first-born son +Reuben, on account of an immoral act, and gave it to me. Were I to +fulfil thy desire, I would share the fate of my brother Reuben."[113] + +With such words, Joseph endeavored to cure the wife of his master of +the wanton passion she had conceived for him, while he took heed to +keep far from a heinous sin, not from fear of the punishment that would +follow, nor out of consideration for the opinion of men, but because he +desired to sanctify the Name of God, blessed be He, before the whole +world.[114] It was this feeling of his that Zuleika could not +comprehend, and when, finally, carried away by passion, she told him in +unmistakable language what she desired,[115] and he recoiled from her, +she said to Joseph: "Why dost thou refuse to fulfil my wish? Am I not a +married woman? None will find out what thou hast done." Joseph replied: +"If the unmarried women of the heathen are prohibited unto us, how much +more their married women?[116] As the Lord liveth, I will not commit +the crime thou biddest me do." In this Joseph followed the example of +many pious men, who utter an oath at the moment when they are in danger +of succumbing to temptation, and seek thus to gather moral courage to +control their evil instincts." + +When Zuleika could not prevail upon him, to persuade him, her desire +threw her into a grievous sickness, and all the women of Egypt came to +visit her, and they said unto her, "Why art thou so languid and wasted, +thou that lackest nothing? Is not thy husband a prince great and +esteemed in the sight of the king? Is it possible that thou canst want +aught of what thy heart desireth?" Zuleika answered them, saying, "This +day shall it be made known unto you whence cometh the state wherein you +see me." + +She commanded her maid-servants to prepare food for all the women, and +she spread a banquet before them in her house. She placed knives upon +the table to peel the oranges, and then ordered Joseph to appear, +arrayed in costly garments, and wait upon her guests. When Joseph came +in, the women could not take their eyes off him, and they all cut their +hands with the knives, and the oranges in their hands were covered with +blood, but they, not knowing what they were doing, continued to look +upon the beauty of Joseph without turning their eyes away from him. + +Then Zuleika said unto them: "What have ye done? Behold, I set oranges +before you to eat, and you have cut your hands." All the women looked +at their hands, and, lo, they were full of blood, and it flowed down +and stained their garments. They said to Zuleika, "This slave in thy +house did enchant us, and we could not turn our eyes away from him on +account of his beauty." She then said: "This happened to you that +looked upon him but a moment, and you could not refrain yourselves! +How, then, can I control myself in whose house he abideth continually, +who see him go in and out day after day? How, then, should I not waste +away, or keep from languishing on account of him!" And the women spake, +saying: "It is true, who can look upon this beauty in the house, and +refrain her feelings? But he is thy slave! Why dost thou not disclose +to him that which is in thy heart, rather than suffer thy life to +perish through this thing?" Zuleika answered them: "Daily do I endeavor +to persuade him, but he will not consent to my wishes. I promised him +everything that is fair, yet have I met with no return from him, and +therefore I am sick, as you may see." + +Her sickness increased upon her. Her husband and her household +suspected not the cause of her decline, but all the women that were her +friends knew that it was on account of the love she bore Joseph, and +they advised her all the time to try to entice the youth. On a certain +day, while Joseph was doing his master's work in the house, Zuleika +came and fell suddenly upon him, but Joseph was stronger than she, and +he pressed her down to the ground. Zuleika wept, and in a voice of +supplication, and in bitterness of soul, she said to Joseph: "Hast thou +ever known, seen, or heard of a woman my peer in beauty, let alone a +woman with beauty exceeding mine? Yet I try daily to persuade thee, I +fall into decline through love of thee, I confer all this honor upon +thee, and thou wilt not hearken unto my voice! Is it by reason of fear +of thy master, that he punish thee? As the king liveth, no harm shall +come upon thee from thy master on account of this thing. Now, +therefore, I pray thee, listen to me, and consent unto my desire for +the sake of the honor that I have conferred upon thee, and take this +death away from me. For why should I die on account of thee?" Joseph +remained as steadfast under these importunities as before. Zuleika, +however, was not discouraged; she continued her solicitations +unremittingly, day after day,[118] month after month, for a whole year, +but always without the least success, for Joseph in his chastity did +not permit himself even to look upon her, wherefore she resorted to +constraint. She had an iron shackle placed upon his chin, and he was +compelled to keep his head up and look her in the face."[119] + + + + +JOSEPH RESISTS TEMPTATION + + +Seeing that she could not attain her object by entreaties or tears, +Zuleika finally used force, when she judged that the favorable chance +had come. She did not have long to wait. When the Nile overflowed its +banks, and, according to the annual custom of the Egyptians, all +repaired to the river, men and women, people and princes, accompanied +by music, Zuleika remained at home under pretense of being sick. This +was her long-looked-for opportunity, she thought. She rose up and +ascended to the hall of state, and arrayed herself in princely +garments. She placed precious stones upon her head, onyx stones set in +silver and gold, she beautified her face and her body with all sorts of +things for the purifying of women, she perfumed the hall and the whole +house with cassia and frankincense, spread myrrh and aloes all over, +and afterward sat herself down at the entrance to the hall, in the +vestibule leading to the house, through which Joseph had to pass to his +work. + +And, behold, Joseph came from the field, and he was on the point of +entering the house to do his master's work, but when he reached the +place where Zuleika sat, and saw all she had done, he turned back. His +mistress, perceiving it, called out to him, "What aileth thee, Joseph? +Go to thy work, I will make room for thee, that thou mayest pass by to +thy seat." Joseph did as she bade him, he entered the house, took his +seat, and set about his master's work as usual. Then Zuleika stood +before him suddenly in all her beauty of person and magnificence of +raiment, and repeated the desire of her heart.[120] It was the first +and the last time that Joseph's steadfastness deserted him, but only +for an instant. When he was on the point of complying with the wish of +his mistress, the image of his mother Rachel appeared before him, and +that of his aunt Leah, and the image of his father Jacob. The last +addressed him thus: "In time to come the names of thy brethren will be +graven upon the breastplate of the high priest. Dost thou desire to +have thy name appear with theirs? Or wilt thou forfeit this honor +through sinful conduct? For know, he that keepeth company with harlots +wasteth his substance." This vision of the dead, and especially the +image of his father, brought Joseph to his senses, and his illicit +passion departed from him.[121] + +Astonished at the swift change in his countenance, Zuleika said, "My +friend and true-love, why art thou so affrighted that thou art near to +swooning? + +Joseph: "I see my father!" + +Zuleika: "Where is he? Why, there is none in the house." + +Joseph: "Thou belongest to a people that is like unto the ass, it +perceiveth nothing. But I belong to those who can see things." + +Joseph fled forth, away from the house of his mistress,[122] the same +house in which aforetime wonders had been done for Sarah kept a captive +there by Pharaoh.[123] But hardly was he outside when the sinful +passion again overwhelmed him, and he returned to Zuleika's chamber. +Then the Lord appeared unto him, holding the Eben Shetiyah[124] in His +hand, and said to him: "If thou touchest her, I will cast away this +stone upon which the earth is founded, and the world will fall to +ruin." Sobered again, Joseph started to escape from his mistress,[125] +but Zuleika caught him by his garment, and she said: "As the king +liveth, if thou wilt not fulfil my wish, thou must die," and while she +spoke thus, she drew a sword with her free hand from under her dress, +and, pressing it against Joseph's throat, she said, "Do as I bid thee, +or thou diest." Joseph ran out, leaving a piece of his garment in the +hands of Zuleika as he wrenched himself loose from the grasp of the +woman with a quick, energetic motion.[126] + +Zuleika's passion for Joseph was so violent that, in lieu of its owner, +whom she could not succeed in subduing to her will, she kissed and +caressed the fragment of cloth left in her hand.[127] At the same time +she was not slow to perceive the danger into which she had put herself, +for, she feared, Joseph might possibly betray her conduct, and she +considered ways and means of obviating the consequences of her +folly.[128] + +Meanwhile her friends returned from the Nile festival, and they came to +visit her and inquire after her health. They found her looking +wretchedly ill, on account of the excitement she had passed through and +the anxiety she was in. She confessed to the women what had happened +with Joseph, and they advised her to accuse him of immorality before +her husband, and then he would be thrown into prison. Zuleika accepted +their advice, and she begged her visitors to support her charges by +also lodging complaints against Joseph, that he had been annoying them +with improper proposals.[129] + +But Zuleika did not depend entirely upon the assistance of her friends. +She planned a ruse, besides, to be sure of convincing her husband of +Joseph's guilt. She laid aside her rich robes of state, put on her +ordinary clothes, and took to her sick-bed, in which she had been lying +when the people left to go to the festival. Also she took Joseph's torn +garment, and laid it out next to her. Then she sent a little boy to +summon some of the men of her house, and to them she told the tale of +Joseph's alleged outrage, saying: "See the Hebrew slave, whom your +master hath brought in unto my house, and who attempted to do violence +to me to-day! You had scarcely gone away to the festival when be +entered the house, and making sure that no one was here he tried to +force me to yield to his lustful desire. But I grasped his clothes, +tore them, and cried with a loud voice. When he heard that I lifted up +my voice and cried, he was seized with fear, and be fled, and got him +out, but he left his garment by me." The men of her house spake not a +word, but, in a rage against Joseph, they went to their master, and +reported to him what had come to pass.[130] In the meantime the +husbands of Zuleika's friends had also spoken to Potiphar, at the +instigation of their wives, and complained of his slave, that he +molested them.[131] + +Potiphar hastened home, and he found his wife in low spirits, and +though the cause of her dejection was chagrin at not having succeeded +in winning Joseph's love, she pretended that it was anger at the +immoral conduct of the slave. She accused him in the following words: +"O husband, mayest thou not live a day longer, if thou dost not punish +the wicked slave that hath desired to defile thy bed, that hath not +kept in mind who he was when he came to our house, to demean himself +with modesty, nor hath he been mindful of the favors he hath received +from thy bounty. He did lay a privy design to abuse thy wife, and this +at the time of observing a festival, when thou wouldst be absent."[132] +These words she spoke at the moment of conjugal intimacy with Potiphar, +when she was certain of exerting an influence upon her husband.[133] + +Potiphar gave credence to her words, and he had Joseph flogged +unmercifully. While the cruel blows fell upon him, he cried to God, "O +Lord, Thou knowest that I am innocent of these things, and why should I +die to-day on account of a false accusation by the hands of these +uncircumcised, impious men?" God opened the mouth of Zuleika's child, a +babe of but eleven months, and he spoke to the men that were beating +Joseph, saying: "What is your quarrel with this man? Why do you inflict +such evil upon him? Lies my mother doth speak, and deceit is what her +mouth uttereth. This is the true tale of that which did happen," and +the child proceeded to tell all that had passed—how Zuleika had tried +first to persuade Joseph to act wickedly, and then had tried to force +him to do her will. The people listened in great amazement. But the +report finished, the child spake no word, as before. + +Abashed by the speech of his own infant son, Potiphar commanded his +bailiffs to leave off from chastising Joseph, and the matter was +brought into court, where priests sat as judges. Joseph protested his +innocence, and related all that had happened according to the truth, +but Potiphar repeated the account his wife had given him. The judges +ordered the garment of Joseph to be brought which Zuleika had in her +possession, and they examined the tear therein. It turned out to be on +the front part of the mantle, and they came to the conclusion that +Zuleika had tried to hold him fast, and had been foiled in her attempt +by Joseph, against whom she was now lodging a trumped up charge. They +decided that Joseph had not incurred the death penalty, but they +condemned him to incarceration, because he was the cause of a stain +upon Zuleika's fair name."[134] + +Potiphar himself was convinced of Joseph's innocence, and when he cast +him into prison, he said to him, "I know that thou art not guilty of so +vile a crime, but I must put thee in durance, lest a taint cling to my +children."[135] + + + + +JOSEPH IN PRISON + + +By way of punishment for having traduced his ten brethren before his +father, Joseph had to languish for ten years in the prison to which the +wiles of traducers had in turn condemned him.[136] But, on the other +hand, as he had sanctified the Name of God before the world by his +chastity and his steadfastness, he was rewarded. The letter He, which +occurs twice in the Name of God, was added to his name. He had been +called Joseph, but now he was called also Jehoseph.[137] + +Though he was bound in prison, Joseph was not yet safe from the +machinations of his mistress, whose passion for him was in no wise +lessened. In truth it was she that had induced her husband to change +his intention regarding Joseph; she urged him to imprison the slave +rather than kill him, for she hoped that as a prisoner he could be made +amenable to her wishes more easily. She spake to her husband, saying: +"Do not destroy thy property. Cast the slave in prison and keep him +there until thou canst sell him, and receive back the money thou didst +pay out for him."[138] Thus she had the opportunity of visiting Joseph +in his cell and trying to persuade him to do her will. She would say, +"This and that outrage have I executed against thee, but, as thou +livest, I will put yet other outrages upon thee if thou dost not obey +me." But Joseph replied, "The Lord executeth judgment for the +oppressed." + +Zuleika: "I will push matters so far that all men will hate thee." + +Joseph: "The Lord loveth the righteous." + +Zuleika: "I will sell thee into a strange land." + +Joseph: "The Lord preserveth the strangers."[139] + +Then she would resort to enticements in order to obtain her desire. She +would promise to release him from prison, if he would but grant her +wish. But he would say, "Better it is to remain here than be with thee +and commit a trespass against God." These visits to Joseph in prison +Zuleika continued for a long time, but when, finally, she saw that all +her hopes were vain, she let him alone.[140] + +As the mistress persisted in her love for Joseph, so his master, her +husband, could not separate himself from his favorite slave. Though a +prisoner, Joseph continued to minister to the needs of Potiphar, and he +received permission from the keeper of the prison to spend some of his +time in his master's house.[141] In many other ways the jailer showed +himself kindly disposed toward Joseph. Seeing the youth's zeal and +conscientiousness in executing the tasks laid upon him, and under the +spell of his enchanting beauty, he made prison life as easy as possible +for his charge. He even ordered better dishes for him than the common +prison fare, and he found it superfluous caution to keep watch over +Joseph, for he could see no wrong in him, and he observed that God was +with him, in good days and in bad. He even appointed him to be the +overseer of the prison, and as Joseph commanded, so the other prisoners +were obliged to do.[142] + +For a long time the people talked of nothing but the accusation raised +against Joseph by his mistress. In order to divert the attention of the +public from him, God ordained that two high officers, the chief butler +and the chief baker, should offend their lord, the king of Egypt, and +they were put in ward in the house of the captain of the guard. Now the +people ceased their talk about Joseph, and spoke only of the scandal at +court. The charges laid at the door of the noble prisoners were that +they had attempted to do violence to the daughter of Pharaoh, and they +had conspired to poison the king himself. Besides, they had shown +themselves derelict in their service. In the wine the chief butler had +handed to the king to drink, a fly had been discovered, and the bread +set upon the royal board by the chief baker contained a little +pebble."[143] On account of all these transgressions they were +condemned to death by Pharaoh, but for the sake of Joseph it was +ordained by Divine providence that the king should first detain them in +prison before he ordered their execution. The Lord had enkindled the +wrath of the king against his servants only that the wish of Joseph for +liberty might be fulfilled, for they were the instruments of his +deliverance from prison, and though they were doomed to death, yet in +consideration of the exalted office they had held at court, the keeper +of the prison accorded them privileges, as, for instance, a man was +detailed to wait upon them, and the one appointed thereto was +Joseph.[144] 1] + +The chief butler and the chief baker had been confined in prison ten +years,[145] when they dreamed a dream, both of them, but as for the +interpretation, each dreamed only that of the other one's dream.[146] +In the morning when Joseph brought them the water for washing, he found +them sad, depressed in spirits, and, in the manner of the sages, he +asked them why they looked different on that day from other days. They +said unto him, "We have dreamed a dream this night, and our two dreams +resemble each other in certain particulars, and there is none that can +interpret them." And Joseph said unto them: "God granteth understanding +to man to interpret dreams. Tell them me, I pray you."[147] It was as a +reward for ascribing greatness and credit to Him unto whom it belongeth +that Joseph later attained to his lofty position.[148] + +The chief butler proceeded to tell his dream: "In my dream, behold, a +vine was before me; and in the vine were three branches; and it was as +though it budded, and its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof +brought forth ripe grapes; and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took +the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup +into Pharaoh's hand." The chief butler was not aware that his dream +contained a prophecy regarding the future of Israel, but Joseph +discerned the recondite meaning,[149] and he interpreted the dream +thus: The three branches are the three Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and +Jacob, whose descendants in Egypt will be redeemed by three leaders, +Moses, Aaron, and Miriam; and the cup given into the hand of Pharaoh is +the cup of wrath that he will have to drain in the end. This +interpretation of the dream Joseph kept for himself, and he told the +chief butler nothing thereof, but out of gratitude for the glad tidings +of the deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, he gave him a +favorable interpretation of his dream, and begged him to have him in +his remembrance, when it should be well with him, and liberate him from +the dungeon in which he was confined. + +When the chief baker heard the interpretation of the butler's dream, he +knew that Joseph had divined its meaning correctly, for in his own he +had seen the interpretation of his friend's dream, and he proceeded to +tell Joseph what he had dreamed in the night: "I also was in my dream, +and, behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head; and in the +uppermost basket there was of all manner of bake- meats for Pharaoh; +and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head." Also this +dream conveyed a prophecy regarding the future of Israel: The three +baskets are the three kingdoms to which Israel will be made subject, +Babylon, Media, and Greece; and the uppermost basket indicates the +wicked rule of Rome, which will extend over all the nations of the +world, until the bird shall come, who is the Messiah, and annihilate +Rome. Again Joseph kept the prophecy a secret. To the chief baker he +gave only the interpretation that had reference to his person, but it +was unfavorable to him, because through his dream Joseph had been made +acquainted with the suffering Israel would have to undergo. + +And all came to pass, as Joseph had said, on the third day.[150] The +day whereon he explained the meaning of their dreams to the two +distinguished prisoners, a son was born unto Pharaoh and to celebrate +the joyous event, the king arranged a feast for his princes and +servants that was to last eight days. He invited them and all the +people to his table, and he entertained them with royal splendor. The +feast had its beginning on the third day after the birth of the child, +and on that occasion the chief butler was restored in honor to his +butlership, and the chief baker was hanged,[151] for Pharaoh's +counsellors had discovered that it was not the butler's fault that the +fly had dropped into the king's wine, but the baker had been guilty of +carelessness in allowing the pebble to get into the bread.[152] +Likewise it appeared that the butler had had no part in the conspiracy +to poison the king, while the baker was revealed as one of the +plotters, and he had to expiate his crime with his life.[153] + + + + +PHARAOH'S DREAMS + + +Properly speaking, Joseph should have gone out free from his dungeon on +the same day as the butler. He had been there ten years by that time, +and had made amends for the slander he had uttered against his ten +brethren. However, he remained in prison two years longer. "Blessed is +the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord," but +Joseph had put his confidence in flesh and blood. He had prayed the +chief butler to have him in remembrance when it should be well with +him, and make mention of him unto Pharaoh, and the butler forgot his +promise, and therefore Joseph had to stay in prison two years more than +the years originally allotted to him there.[154] The butler had not +forgotten him intentionally, but it was ordained of God that his memory +should fail him. When he would say to himself, If thus and so happens, +I will remember the case of Joseph, the conditions he had imagined were +sure to be reversed, or if he made a knot as a reminder, an angel came +and undid the knot, and Joseph did not enter his mind.[155] + +But "the Lord setteth an end to darkness," and Joseph's liberation was +not delayed by a single moment beyond the time decreed for it. God +said, "Thou, O butler, thou didst forget Joseph, but I did not," and He +caused Pharaoh to dream a dream that was the occasion for Joseph's +release.[156] + +In his dream Pharaoh saw seven kine, well-favored and fat-fleshed, come +up out of the Nile, and they all together grazed peaceably on the brink +of the river, In years when the harvest is abundant, friendship reigns +among men, and love and brotherly harmony, and these seven fat kine +stood for seven such prosperous years. After the fat kine, seven more +came up out of the river, ill-favored and lean- fleshed, and each had +her back turned to the others, for when distress prevails, one man +turns away from the other. For a brief space Pharaoh awoke, and when he +went to sleep again, he dreamed a second dream, about seven rank and +good ears of corn, and seven ears that were thin and blasted with the +east wind,[157] the withered cars swallowing the full ears. He awoke at +once, and it was morning, and dreams dreamed in the morning are the +ones that come true.[158] + +This was not the first time Pharaoh had had these dreams. They had +visited him every night during a period of two years, and he had +forgotten them invariably in the morning. This was the first time he +remembered them, for the day had arrived for Joseph to come forth from +his prison house.[159] Pharaoh's heart beat violently when he called +his dreams to mind on awaking.[160] Especially the second one, about +the ears of corn, disquieted him. He reflected that whatever has a +mouth can eat, and therefore the dream of the seven lean kine that ate +up the seven fat kine did not appear strange to him. But the ears of +corn that swallowed up other ears of corn troubled his spirit.[161] He +therefore called for all the wise men of his land, and they endeavored +in vain to find a satisfactory interpretation. They explained that the +seven fat kine meant seven daughters to be born unto Pharaoh, and the +seven lean kine, that he would bury seven daughters; the rank ears of +corn meant that Pharaoh would conquer seven countries, and the blasted +ears, that seven provinces would rebel against him.[162] About the ears +of corn they did not all agree. Some thought the good ears stood for +seven cities to be built by Pharaoh, and the seven withered ears +indicated that these same cities would be destroyed at the end of his +reign. + +Sagacious as he was, Pharaoh knew that none of these explanations hit +the nail on the head. He issued a decree summoning all interpreters of +dreams to appear before him on pain of death, and he held out great +rewards and distinctions to the one who should succeed in finding the +true meaning of his dreams. In obedience to his summons, all the wise +men appeared, the magicians and the sacred scribes that were in +Mizraim, the city of Egypt, as well as those from Goshen, Raamses, +Zoan, and the whole country of Egypt, and with them came the princes, +officers, and servants of the king from all the cities of the land. + +To all these the king narrated his dreams, but none could interpret +them to his satisfaction. Some said that the seven fat kine were the +seven legitimate kings that would rule over Egypt, and the seven lean +kine betokened seven princes that would rise up against these seven +kings and exterminate them. The seven good ears of corn were the seven +superior princes of Egypt that would engage in a war for their +overlord, and would be defeated by as many insignificant princes, who +were betokened by the seven blasted ears. + +Another interpretation was that the seven fat kine were the seven +fortified cities of Egypt, at some future time to fall into the hands +of seven Canaanitish nations, who were foreshadowed in the seven lean +kine. According to this interpretation, the second dream supplemented +the first. It meant that the descendants of Pharaoh would regain +sovereign authority over Egypt at a subsequent period, and would subdue +the seven Canaanitish nations as well. + +There was a third interpretation, given by some: The seven fat kine are +seven women whom Pharaoh would take to wife, but they would die during +his lifetime, their loss being indicated by the seven lean kine. +Furthermore, Pharaoh would have fourteen sons, and the seven strong +ones would be conquered by the seven weaklings, as the blasted ears of +corn in his dream had swallowed up the rank ears of corn. + +And a fourth: "Thou wilt have seven sons, O Pharaoh, these are the +seven fat kine. These sons of thine will be killed by the seven +powerful rebellious princes. But then seven minor princes will come, +and they will kill the seven rebels, avenge thy descendants, and +restore the dominion to thy family." + +The king was as little pleased with these interpretations as with the +others, which he had heard before, and in his wrath he ordered the wise +men, the magicians and the scribes of Egypt, to be killed, and the +hangmen made ready to execute the royal decree. + +However, Mirod, Pharaoh's chief butler,[163] took fright, seeing that +the king was so vexed at his failure to secure an interpretation of his +dreams that he was on the point of giving up the ghost. He was alarmed +about the king's death, for it was doubtful whether the successor to +the throne would retain him in office. He resolved to do all in his +power to keep Pharaoh alive. Therefore he stepped before him, and +spake, saying, "I do remember two faults of mine this day, I showed +myself ungrateful to Joseph, in that I did not bring his request before +thee, and also I saw thee in distress by reason of thy dream, without +letting thee know that Joseph can interpret dreams.[164] When it +pleased the Lord God to make Pharaoh wroth with his servants, the king +put me in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the +chief baker.[165] And with us there was a simple young man, one of the +despised race of the Hebrews, slave to the captain of the guard, and he +interpreted our dreams to us, and it came to pass, as he interpreted to +us, so it was. Therefore, O king, stay the hand of the hangmen, let +them not execute the Egyptians. The slave I speak of is still in the +dungeon, and if the king will consent to summon him hither, he will +surely interpret thy dreams."[166] + + + + +JOSEPH BEFORE PHARAOH + + +"Accursed are the wicked that never do a wholly good deed." The chief +butler described Joseph contemptuously as a "slave" in order that it +might be impossible for him to occupy a distinguished place at court, +for it was a law upon the statute books of Egypt that a slave could +never sit upon the throne as king, nor even put his foot in the stirrup +of a horse.[167] + +Pharaoh revoked the edict of death that he had issued against the wise +men of Egypt, and he sent and called Joseph. He impressed care upon his +messengers, they were not to excite and confuse Joseph, and render him +unfit to interpret the king's dream correctly.[168] They brought him +hastily out of the dungeon, but first Joseph, out of respect for the +king, shaved himself, and put on fresh raiment, which an angel brought +him from Paradise, and then he came in unto Pharaoh.[169] + +The king was sitting upon the royal throne, arrayed in princely +garments, clad with a golden ephod upon his breast, and the fine gold +of the ephod sparkled, and the carbuncle, the ruby, and the emerald +flamed like a torch, and all the precious stones set upon the king's +head flashed like a blazing fire, and Joseph was greatly amazed at the +appearance of the king. The throne upon which he sat was covered with +gold and silver and with onyx stones, and it had seventy steps. If a +prince or other distinguished person came to have an audience with the +king, it was the custom for him to advance and mount to the +thirty-first step of the throne, and the king would descend thirty-six +steps and speak to him. But if one of the people came to have speech +with the king, he ascended only to the third step, and the king would +come down four steps from his seat, and address him thence. It was also +the custom that one who knew all the seventy languages ascended the +seventy steps of the throne to the top, but if a man knew only some of +the seventy languages, he was permitted to ascend as many steps as he +knew languages, whether they were many or, few. And another custom of +the Egyptians was that none could reign over them unless he was master +of all the seventy languages. + +When Joseph came before the king, he bowed down to the ground, and he +ascended to the third step, while the king sat upon the fourth from the +top, and spake with Joseph, saying:[170] "O young man, my servant +beareth witness concerning thee, that thou art the best and most +discerning person I can consult with. I pray thee, vouchsafe unto me +the same favors which thou didst bestow on this servant of mine, and +tell me what events they are which the visions of my dreams foreshow. I +desire thee to suppress naught out of fear, nor shalt thou flatter me +with lying words, or with words that please me. Tell me the truth, +though it be sad and alarming."[171] + +Joseph asked the king first whence he knew that the interpretation +given by the wise men of his country was not true, and Pharaoh replied, +"I saw the dream and its interpretation together, and therefore they +cannot make a fool of me."[172] In his modesty Joseph denied that he +was an adept at interpreting dreams. He said, "It is not in me; it is +in the hand of God, and if it be the wish of God, He will permit me to +announce tidings of peace to Pharaoh." And for such modesty he was +rewarded by sovereignty over Egypt, for the Lord doth honor them that +honor Him. Thus was also Daniel rewarded for his speech to +Nebuchadnezzar: + +"There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, but as for me, this +secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any +living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to +the king, and that thou mayest know the thoughts of thy heart."[173] + +Then Pharaoh began to tell his dream, only he omitted some points and +narrated others inaccurately in order that he might test the vaunted +powers of Joseph. But the youth corrected him, and pieced the dreams +together exactly as they had visited Pharaoh in the night, and the king +was greatly amazed.[174] Joseph was able to accomplish this feat, +because he had dreamed the same dream as Pharaoh, at the same time as +he.[175] Thereupon Pharaoh retold his dreams, with all details and +circumstances, and precisely as he had seen them in his sleep, except +that he left out the word Nile in the description of the seven lean +kine, because this river was worshipped by the Egyptians, and he +hesitated to say that aught that is evil had come from his god.[176] + +Now Joseph proceeded to give the king the true interpretation of the +two dreams. They were both a revelation concerning the seven good years +impending and the seven years of famine to follow them. In reality, it +had been the purpose of God to bring a famine of forty-two years' +duration upon Egypt, but only two years of this distressful period were +inflicted upon the land, for the sake of the blessing of Jacob when he +came to Egypt in the second year of the famine. The other forty years +fell upon the land at the time of the prophet Ezekiel.[177] + +Joseph did more than merely interpret the dreams. When the king gave +voice to doubts concerning the interpretation, he told him signs and +tokens. He said: "Let this be a sign to thee that my words are true, +and my advice is excellent: Thy wife, who is sitting upon the +birthstool at this moment, will bring forth a son, and thou wilt +rejoice over him, but in the midst of thy joy the sad tidings will be +told thee of the death of thine older son, who was born unto thee but +two years ago, and thou must needs find consolation for the loss of the +one in the birth of the other." + +Scarcely had Joseph withdrawn from the presence of the king, when the +report of the birth of a son was brought to Pharaoh, and soon after +also the report of the death of his first-born, who had suddenly +dropped to the floor and passed away. Thereupon he sent for all the +grandees of his realm, and all his servants, and he spake to them, +saying: "Ye have heard the words of the Hebrew, and ye have seen that +the signs which he foretold were accomplished, and I also know that he +hath interpreted the dream truly. Advise me now how the land may be +saved from the ravages of the famine. Look hither and thither whether +you can find a man of wisdom and understanding, whom I may set over the +land, for I am convinced that the land can be saved only if we heed the +counsel of the Hebrew." The grandees and the princes admitted that +safety could be secured only by adhering to the advice given by Joseph, +and they proposed that the king, in his sagacity, choose a man whom he +considered equal to the great task.[178] Thereupon Pharaoh said: "If we +traversed and searched the earth from end to end, we could find none +such as Joseph, a man in whom is the spirit of God.[179] If ye think +well thereof, I will set him over the land which he hath saved by his +wisdom."[180] + +The astrologers, who were his counsellors, demurred, saying, "A slave, +one whom his present owner hath acquired for twenty pieces of silver, +thou proposest to set over us as master?" But Pharaoh maintained that +Joseph was not only a free-born man beyond the peradventure of a doubt, +but also the scion of a noble family.[181] However, the princes of +Pharaoh were not silenced, they continued to give utterance to their +opposition to Joseph, saying: "Dost thou not remember the immutable law +of the Egyptians, that none may serve as king or as viceroy unless he +speaks all the languages of men? And this Hebrew knows none but his own +tongue, and how were it possible that a man should rule over us who +cannot even speak the language of our land? Send and have him fetched +hither, and examine him in respect to all the things a ruler should +know and have, and then decide as seemeth wise in thy sight." + +Pharaoh yielded, he promised to do as they wished, and he appointed the +following day as the time for examining Joseph, who had returned to his +prison in the meantime, for, on account of his wife, his master feared +to have him stay in his house. During the night Gabriel appeared unto +Joseph, and taught him all the seventy languages, and he acquired them +quickly after the angel had changed his name from Joseph to Jehoseph. +The next morning, when he came into the presence of Pharaoh and the +nobles of the kingdom, inasmuch as he knew every one of the seventy +languages, he mounted all the steps of the royal throne, until he +reached the seventieth, the highest, upon which sat the king, and +Pharaoh and his princes rejoiced that Joseph fulfilled all the +requirements needed by one that was to rule over Egypt. + +The king said to Joseph: "Thou didst give me the counsel to look out a +man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt, that he may +in his wisdom save the land from the famine. As God hath showed thee +all this, and as thou art master of all the languages of the world, +there is none so discreet and wise as thou. Thou shalt therefore be the +second in the land after Pharaoh, and according unto thy word shall all +my people go in and go out; my princes and my servants shall receive +their monthly appanage from thee; before thee the people shall +prostrate themselves, only in the throne will I be greater than +thou."[182] + + + + +THE RULER OF EGYPT + + +Now Joseph reaped the harvest of his virtues, and according to the +measure of his merits God granted him reward. The mouth that refused +the kiss of unlawful passion and sin received the kiss of homage from +the people; the neck that did not bow itself unto sin was adorned with +the gold chain that Pharaoh put upon it; the hands that did not touch +sin wore the signet ring that Pharaoh took from his own hand and put +upon Joseph's; the body that did not come in contact with sin was +arrayed in vestures of byssus; the feet that made no steps in the +direction of sin reposed in the royal chariot, and the thoughts that +kept themselves undefiled by sin were proclaimed as wisdom.[183] + +Joseph was installed in his high position, and invested with the +insignia of his office, with solemn ceremony. The king took off his +signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed +him in princely apparel, and set a gold crown upon his head, and laid a +gold chain about his neck. Then he commanded his servants to make +Joseph to ride in his second chariot, which went by the side of the +chariot wherein sat the king, and he also made him to ride upon a great +and strong horse of the king's horses, and his servants conducted him +through the streets of the city of Egypt. Musicians, no less than a +thousand striking cymbals and a thousand blowing flutes, and five +thousand men with drawn swords gleaming in the air formed the vanguard. +Twenty thousand of the king's grandees girt with gold-embroidered +leather belts marched at the right of Joseph, and as many at the left +of him.[184] The women and the maidens of the nobility looked out of +the windows to gaze upon Joseph's beauty, and they poured down chains +upon him, and rings and jewels, that he might but direct his eyes +toward them. Yet he did not look up, and as a reward God made him proof +against the evil eye, nor has it ever had the power of inflicting harm +upon any of his descendants.[185] Servants of the king, preceding him +and following him, burnt incense upon his path, and cassia, and all +manner of sweet spices, and strewed myrrh and aloes wherever he went. +Twenty heralds walked before him, and they proclaimed: "This is the man +whom the king bath chosen to be the second after him. All the affairs +of state will be administered by him, and whoever resisteth his +commands, or refuseth to bow down to the ground before him, he will die +the death of the rebel against the king and the king's deputy." + +Without delay the people prostrated themselves, and they cried, "Long +live the king, and long live the deputy of the king!" And Joseph, +looking down from his horse upon the people and their exultation, +exclaimed, his eyes directed heavenward: "The Lord raiseth up the poor +out of the dust, and lifteth up the needy from the dunghill. O Lord of +hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee." + +After Joseph, accompanied by Pharaoh's officers and princes, had +journeyed through the whole city of Egypt, and viewed all there was +therein, he returned to the king on the selfsame day, and the king gave +him fields and vineyards as a present, and also three thousand talents +of silver, and a thousand talents of gold, and onyx stones and +bdellium, and many other costly things. The king commanded, moreover, +that every Egyptian give Joseph a gift, else he would be put to death. +A platform was erected in the open street, and there all deposited +their presents, and among the things were many of gold and silver, as +well as precious stones, carried thither by the people and also the +grandees, for they saw that Joseph enjoyed the favor of the king. +Furthermore, Joseph received one hundred slaves from Pharaoh, and they +were to do all his bidding, and he himself acquired many more, for he +resided in a spacious palace. Three years it took to build it. Special +magnificence was lavished upon the hall of state, which was his +audience chamber, and upon the throne fashioned of gold and silver and +inlaid with precious stones, whereon there was a representation of the +whole land of Egypt and of the river Nile. And as Joseph multiplied in +riches, so he increased also in wisdom, for God added to his wisdom +that all might love and honor him.[186] Pharaoh called him +Zaphenath-paneah, he who can reveal secret things with ease, and +rejoiceth the heart of man therewith. Each letter of the name +Zaphenath-paneah has a meaning, too. The first, Zadde, stands for +Zofeh, seer; Pe for Podeh, redeemer; Nun for Nabi, prophet; Taw for +Tomek, supporter; Pe for Poter, interpreter of dreams; Ain for Arum, +clever; Nun for Nabon, discreet; and Het for Hakam, wise.[187] + +The name of Joseph's wife pointed to her history in the same way. +Asenath was the daughter of Dinah and Hamor, but she was abandoned at +the borders of Egypt, only, that people might know who she was, Jacob +engraved the story of her parentage and her birth upon a gold plate +fastened around her neck. The day on which Asenath was exposed, +Potiphar went walking with his servants near the city wall, and they +heard the voice of a child. At the captain's bidding they brought the +baby to him, and when he read her history from the gold plate, he +determined to adopt her. He took her home with him, and raised her as +his daughter. The Alef in Asenath stands for On, where Potiphar was +priest; the Samek for Setirah, Hidden, for she was kept concealed on +account of her extraordinary beauty; the Nun for Nohemet, for she wept +and entreated that she might be delivered from the house of the heathen +Potiphar; and the Taw for Tammah, the perfect one, on account of her +pious, perfect deeds.[188] + +Asenath had saved Joseph's life while she was still an infant in arms. +When Joseph was accused of immoral conduct by Potiphar's wife and the +other women, and his master was on the point of having him hanged, +Asenath approached her foster-father, and she assured him under oath +that the charge against Joseph was false. Then spake God, "As thou +livest, because thou didst try to defend Joseph, thou shalt be the +woman to bear the tribes that he is appointed to beget.[189] + +Asenath bore him two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, during the seven years +of plenty, for in the time of famine Joseph refrained from all +indulgence in the pleasures of life.[190] They were bred in chastity +and fear of God by their father, and they were wise, and +well-instructed in all knowledge and in the affairs of state, so that +they became the favorites of the court, and were educated with the +royal princes. + +Before the famine broke over the land, Joseph found an opportunity of +rendering the king a great service. He equipped an army of four +thousand six hundred men, providing all the soldiers with shields and +spears and bucklers and helmets and slings. With this army, and aided +by the servants and officers of the king, and by the people of Egypt, +he carried on a war with Tarshish in the first year after his +appointment as viceroy. The people of Tarshish had invaded the +territory of the Ishmaelites, and the latter, few in number at that +time, were sore pressed, and applied to the king of Egypt for help +against their enemies. At the head of his host of heroes, Joseph +marched to the land of Havilah, where he was joined by the Ishmaelites, +and with united forces they fought against the people of Tarshish, +routed them utterly, settled their land with the Ishmaelites, while the +defeated men took refuge with their brethren in Javan. Joseph and his +army returned to Egypt, and not a man had they lost. + +In a little while Joseph's prophecy was confirmed: that year and the +six following years were years of plenty, as he had foretold.[191] The +harvest was so ample that a single ear produced two heaps of +grain,[192] and Joseph made circumspect arrangements to provide +abundantly for the years of famine. He gathered up all the grain, and +in the city situated in the middle of each district he laid up the +produce from round about, and had ashes and earth strewn on the +garnered food from the very soil on which it had been grown;[193] also +he preserved the grain in the ear; all these being precautions taken to +guard against rot and mildew. The inhabitants of Egypt also tried, on +their own account, to put aside a portion of the superabundant harvest +of the seven fruitful years against the need of the future, but when +the grievous time of dearth came, and they went to their storehouses to +bring forth the treasured grain, behold, it had rotted, and become +unfit for food.[194] The famine broke in upon the people with such +suddenness that the bread gave out unexpectedly as they sat at their +tables, they had not even a bite of bran bread. + +Thus they were driven to apply to Joseph and beseech his help, and he +admonished them, saying, "Give up your allegiance to your deceitful +idols, and say, Blessed is He who giveth bread unto all flesh." But +they refused to deny their lying gods, and they betook themselves to +Pharaoh, only to be told by him, "Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, +do!" For this Pharaoh was rewarded. God granted him long life and a +long reign, until he became arrogant, and well-merited punishment +overtook him.[195] + +When the Egyptians approached Joseph with the petition for bread, he +spoke, saying, "I give no food to the uncircumcised. Go hence, and +circumcise yourselves, and then return hither." They entered the +presence of Pharaoh, and complained to him regarding Joseph, but he +said as before, "Go unto Joseph!" And they replied, "We come from +Joseph, and he hath spoken roughly unto us, saying, Go hence and +circumcise yourselves! We warned thee in the beginning that he is a +Hebrew, and would treat us in such wise." Pharaoh said to them: "O ye +fools, did he not prophesy through the holy spirit and proclaim to the +whole world, that there would come seven years of plenty to be followed +by seven years of dearth? Why did you not save the yield of one or two +years against the day of your need?" + +Weeping, they made reply: "The grain that we put aside during the good +years hath rotted." + +Pharaoh: "Have ye nothing over of the flour of yesterday?" + +The Egyptians: "The very bread in the basket rotted!" + +Pharaoh: "Why?" + +The Egyptians: "Because Joseph willed thus!" + +Pharaoh: "O ye fools, if his word hath power over the grain, making it +to rot when he desireth it to rot, then also must we die, if so be his +wish concerning us. Go, therefore, unto him, and do as he bids +you."[196] + + + + +JOSEPH'S BRETHREN IN EGYPT + + +The famine, which inflicted hardships first upon the wealthy among the +Egyptians, gradually extended its ravages as far as Phoenicia, Arabia, +and Palestine.[197] Though the sons of Jacob, being young men, +frequented the streets and the highways, yet they were ignorant of what +their old home-keeping father Jacob knew, that corn could be procured +in Egypt. Jacob even suspected that Joseph was in Egypt. His prophetic +spirit, which forsook him during the time of his grief for his son, yet +manifested itself now and again in dim visions, and he was resolved to +send his sons down into Egypt.[198] There was another reason. Though he +was not yet in want, he nevertheless had them go thither for food, +because he was averse from arousing the envy of the sons of Esau and +Ishmael by his comfortable state.[199] For the same reason, to avoid +friction with the surrounding peoples, he bade his sons not appear in +public with bread in their hands, or in the accoutrements of war.[200] +And as he knew that they were likely to attract attention, on account +of their heroic stature and handsome appearance, he cautioned them +against going to the city all together through the same gate, or, +indeed, showing themselves all together anywhere in public, that the +evil eye be not cast upon them.[201] + +The famine in Canaan inspired Joseph with the hope of seeing his +brethren. To make sure of their coming, he issued a decree concerning +the purchase of corn in Egypt, as follows: "By order of the king and +his deputy, and the princes of the realm, be it enacted that he who +desireth to buy grain in Egypt may not send his slave hither to do his +bidding, but he must charge his own sons therewith. An Egyptian or a +Canaanite that hath bought grain and then selleth it again shall be put +to death, for none may buy more than he requireth for the needs of his +household. Also, who cometh with two or three beasts of burden, and +loads them up with grain, shall be put to death." + +At the gates of the city of Egypt, Joseph stationed guards, whose +office was to inquire and take down the name of all that should come to +buy corn, and also the name of their father and their grandfather, and +every evening the list of names thus made was handed to Joseph. These +precautions were bound to bring Joseph's brethren down to Egypt, and +also acquaint him with their coming as soon as they entered the land. + +On their journey his brethren thought more of Joseph than of their +errand. They said to one another: "We know that Joseph was carried down +into Egypt, and we will make search for him there, and if we should +find him, we will ransom him from his master, and if his master should +refuse to sell him, we will use force, though we perish +ourselves."[202] + +At the gates of the city of Egypt, the brethren of Joseph were asked +what their names were, and the names of their father and grandfather. +The guard on duty happened to be Manasseh, the son of Joseph. The +brethren submitted to being questioned, saying "Let us go into the +town, and we shall see whether this taking down of our names be a +matter of taxes. If it be so, we shall not demur; but if it be +something else, we shall see to-morrow what can be done in the +case."[203] + +On the evening of the day they entered Egypt, Joseph discovered their +names in the list, which he was in the habit of examining daily, and he +commanded that all stations for the sale of corn be closed, except one +only. Furthermore, even at this station no sales were to be negotiated +unless the name of the would-be purchaser was first obtained. His +brethren, with whose names Joseph furnished the overseer of the place, +were to be seized and brought to him as soon as they put in appearance. + +But the first thought of the brethren was for Joseph, and their first +concern, to seek him. For three days they made search for him +everywhere, even in the most disreputable quarters of the city. +Meantime Joseph was in communication with the overseer of the station +kept open for the sale of corn, and, hearing that his brethren had not +appeared there, he dispatched some of his servants to look for them, +but they found them neither in Mizraim, the city of Egypt, nor in +Goshen, nor in Raamses. Thereupon he sent sixteen servants forth to +make a house to house search for them in the city, and they discovered +the brethren of Joseph in a place of ill-fame and haled them before +their master. + + + + +JOSEPH MEETS HIS BRETHREN + + +A large crown of gold on his head, apparelled in byssus and purple, and +surrounded by his valiant men, Joseph was seated upon his throne in his +palace. His brethren fell down before him in great admiration of his +beauty, his stately appearance, and his majesty.[204] They did not know +him, for when Joseph was sold into slavery, he was a beardless youth. +But he knew his brethren, their appearance had not changed in aught, +for they were bearded men when he was separated from them.[205] + +He was inclined to make himself known to them as their brother, but an +angel appeared unto him, the same that had brought him from Shechem to +his brethren at Dothan, and spoke, saying, "These came hither with +intent to kill thee." Later, when the brethren returned home, and gave +an account of their adventures to Jacob, they told him that a man had +accused them falsely before the ruler of Egypt, not knowing that he who +incited Joseph against them was an angel. It was in reference to this +matter, and meaning their accuser, that Jacob, when he dispatched his +sons on their second expedition to Egypt, prayed to God, "God Almighty +give you mercy before the man."[206] + +Joseph made himself strange unto his brethren, and he took his cup in +his hand, knocked against it, and said, "By this magic cup I know that +ye are spies." They replied, "Thy servants came from Canaan into Egypt +for to buy corn." + +Joseph: "If it be true that ye came hither to buy corn, why is it that +each one of you entered the city by a separate gate?"[207] + +The brethren: "We are ALL the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, +and he bade us not enter a city together by the same gate, that we +attract not the attention of the people of the place." Unconsciously +they had spoken as seers, for the word ALL included Joseph as one of +their number.[208] + +Joseph: "Verily, ye are spies! All the people that come to buy corn +return home without delay, but ye have lingered here three days, +without making any purchases, and all the time you have been gadding +about in the disreputable parts of the city, and only spies are wont to +do thus." + +The brethren: "We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of Jacob, +the son of Isaac, the son of the Hebrew Abraham. The youngest is this +day with our father in Canaan, and one hath disappeared. Him did we +look for in this land, and we looked for him even in the disreputable +houses." + +Joseph: "Have ye made search in every other place on earth, and was +Egypt the only land left? And if it be true that he is in Egypt, what +should a brother of yours be doing in a house of ill-fame, if, indeed, +ye are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?" + +The brethren: "We did hear that some Ishmaelites stole our brother, and +sold him into slavery in Egypt, and as our brother was exceeding fair +in form and face, we thought he might have been sold for illicit uses, +and therefore we searched even the disreputable houses to find him." + +Joseph: "You speak deceitful words, when you call yourselves sons of +Abraham. By the life of Pharaoh, ye are spies, and you did go from one +disreputable house to another that none might discover you."[209] + +The expression "by the life of Pharaoh" might have betrayed Joseph's +real feeling to his brethren, had they but known his habit of taking +this oath only when he meant to avoid keeping his word later.[210] + +Joseph continued to speak to his brethren: "Let us suppose you should +discover your brother serving as a slave, and his master should demand +a high sum for his ransom, would you pay it?" + +The brethren: "Yes!" + +Joseph: "But suppose his master should refuse to surrender him for any +price in the world, what would you do?" + +The brethren: "If he yields not our brother to us, we will kill the +master, and carry off our brother." + +Joseph: "Now see how true my words were, that ye are spies. By your own +admission ye have come to slay the inhabitants of the land. Report hath +told us that two of you did massacre the people of Shechem on account +of the wrong done to your sister, and now have ye come down into Egypt +to kill the Egyptians for the sake of your brother. I shall be +convinced of your innocence only if you consent to send one of your +number home and fetch your youngest brother hither." + +His brethren refused compliance, and Joseph caused them to be put into +prison by seventy of his valiant men, and there they remained for three +days.[211] God never allows the pious to languish in distress longer +than three days, and so it was a Divine dispensation that the brethren +of Joseph were released on the third day,[212] and were permitted by +Joseph to return home, on condition, however, that one of them remain +behind as hostage. + +The difference between Joseph and his brethren can be seen here. Though +he retained one of them to be bound in the prison house, he still said, +"I fear God," and dismissed the others, but when he was in their power, +they gave no thought to God.[213] At this time, to be sure, their +conduct was such as is becoming to the pious, who accept their fate +with calm resignation, and acknowledge the righteousness of God, for He +metes out reward and punishment measure for measure. They recognized +that their present punishment was in return for the heartless treatment +they had dealt out to Joseph, paying no heed to his distress, though he +fell at the feet of each of them, weeping, and entreating them not to +sell him into slavery. Reuben reminded the others that they had two +wrongs to expiate, the wrong against their brother and the wrong +against their father, who was so grieved that he exclaimed, "I will go +down to the grave to my son mourning." + +The brethren of Joseph knew not that the viceroy of Egypt understood +Hebrew, and could follow their words, for Manasseh stood and was an +interpreter between them and him.[214] + +Joseph decided to keep Simon as hostage in Egypt, for he had been one +of the two—Levi was the other—to advise that Joseph be put to death, +and only the intercession of Reuben and Judah had saved him. He did not +detain Levi, too, for he feared, if both remained behind together, +Egypt might suffer the same fate at their hands as the city of +Shechem.[215] Also, he preferred Simon to Levi, because Simon was not a +favorite among the sons of Jacob, and they would not resist his +detention in Egypt too violently, while they might annihilate Egypt, as +aforetime Shechem, if they were deprived of Levi, their wise man and +high priest.[216] Besides, it was Simon that had lowered Joseph into +the pit, wherefore he had a particular grudge against him.[217] + +When the brethren yielded to Joseph's demand, and consented to leave +their brother behind as hostage, Simon said to them, "Ye desire to do +with me as ye did with Joseph!" But they replied, in despair: "What can +we do? Our households will perish of hunger." Simon made answer, "Do as +ye will, but as for me, let me see the man that will venture to cast me +into prison." Joseph sent word to Pharaoh to let him have seventy of +his valiant men, to aid him in arresting robbers. But when the seventy +appeared upon the scene, and were about to lay hands on Simon, he +uttered a loud cry, and his assailants fell to the floor and knocked +out their teeth.[218] Pharaoh's valiant men, as well as all the people +that stood about Joseph, fled affrighted, only Joseph and his son +Manasseh remained calm and unmoved. Manasseh rose up, dealt Simon a +blow on the back of his neck, put manacles upon his hands and fetters +upon his feet, and cast him into prison. Joseph's brethren were greatly +amazed at the heroic strength of the youth, and Simon said, "This blow +was not dealt by an Egyptian, but by one belonging to our house."[219] + +He was bound and taken to prison before the eyes of the other brethren +of Joseph, but as soon as they were out of sight, Joseph ordered good +fare to be set before him, and he treated him with great kindness.[220] + +Joseph permitted his nine other brethren to depart, carrying corn with +them in abundance, but he impressed upon them that they must surely +return and bring their youngest brother with them. On the way, Levi, +who felt lonely without his constant companion Simon, opened his sack, +and he espied the money he had paid for the corn. They all trembled, +and their hearts failed them, and they said, "Where, then, is the +lovingkindness of God toward our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, +seeing that He hath delivered us into the hands of the Egyptian king, +that he may raise false accusations against us?" And Judah said, +"Verily, we are guilty concerning our brother, we have sinned against +God, in that we sold our brother, our own flesh, and why do ye ask, +Where, then, is the lovingkindness of God toward our fathers?" + +Reuben spoke in the same way: "Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin +against the child, and ye would not hear? And now the Lord doth demand +him of us. How can you say, Where, then, is the lovingkindness of God +toward our fathers, though you have sinned against Him?" + +They proceeded on their journey home, and their father met them on the +way. Jacob was astonished not to see Simon with them, and in reply to +his questions, they told him all that had befallen them in Egypt. Then +Jacob cried out: "What have ye done? I sent Joseph to you to see +whether it be well with you, and ye said, An evil beast hath devoured +him. Simon went forth with you for to buy corn, and you say, The king +of Egypt hath cast him into prison. And now ye will take Benjamin away +and kill him, too. Ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the +grave."[221] + +The words of Jacob, which he uttered, "Me have ye bereaved of my +children," were meant to intimate to his sons that he suspected them of +the death of Joseph and of Simon's disappearance as well, and their +reports concerning both he regarded as inventions.[222] What made him +inconsolable was that now, having lost two of his sons, he could not +hope to see the Divine promise fulfilled, that he should be the +ancestor of twelve tribes.[223] He was quite resolved in his mind, +therefore, not to let Benjamin go away with his brethren under any +condition whatsoever, and he vouchsafed Reuben no reply when he said, +"Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee." He considered it +beneath his dignity to give an answer to such balderdash.[224] "My +first-born son," he said to himself, "is a fool. What will it profit +me, if I slay his two sons? Does he not know that his sons are equally +mine?"[225] Judah advised his brethren to desist from urging their +father then; he would consent, he thought, to whatever expedients were +found necessary, as soon as their bread gave out, and a second journey +to Egypt became imperative.[226] + + + + +THE SECOND JOURNEY TO EGYPT + + +When the supplies bought in Egypt were eaten up, and the family of +Jacob began to suffer with hunger, the little children came to him, and +they said, "Give us bread, that we die not of hunger before thee." The +words of the little ones brought scorching tears to the eyes of Jacob, +and he summoned his sons and bade them go again down into Egypt and buy +food.[227] But Judah spake unto him, "The man did solemnly protest unto +us, saying that we should not see his face, except our brother Benjamin +be with us, and we cannot appear before him with idle pretexts." And +Jacob said, "Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me as to tell the man +whether ye had yet a brother?" It was the first and only time Jacob +indulged in empty talk, and God said, "I made it My business to raise +his son to the position of ruler of Egypt, and he complains, and says, +Wherefore dealt ye so ill with-me?" And Judah protested against the +reproach, that he had initiated the Egyptian viceroy in their family +relations, with the words: "Why, he knew the very wood of which our +baby coaches are made![228] Father," he continued, "if Benjamin goes +with us, he may, indeed, be taken from us, but also he may not. This is +a doubtful matter, but it is certain that if he does not go with us, we +shall all die of hunger. It is better not to concern thyself about what +is doubtful, and guide thy actions by what is certain.[229] The king of +Egypt is a strong and mighty king, and if we go to him without our +brother, we shall all be put to death. Dost thou not know, and hast +thou not heard, that this king is very powerful and wise, and there is +none like unto him in all the earth? We have seen all the kings of the +earth, but none like unto the king of Egypt. One would surely say that +among all the kings of the earth there is none greater than Abimelech +king of the Philistines, yet the king of Egypt is greater and mightier +than he, and Abimelech can hardly be compared with one of his officers. +Father, thou hast not seen his palace and his throne, and all his +servants standing before him. Thou hast not seen that king upon his +throne, in all his magnificence and with his royal insignia, arrayed in +his royal robes, with a large golden crown upon his head. Thou hast not +seen the honor and the glory that God hath given unto him, for there is +none like unto him in all the earth. Father, thou hast not seen the +wisdom, the understanding, and the knowledge that God has given in his +heart. We heard his sweet voice when he spake unto us. We know not, +father, who acquainted him with our names, and all that befell us. He +asked also concerning thee, saying, Is your father still alive, and is +it well with him? Thou hast not seen the affairs of the government of +Egypt regulated by him, for none asketh his lord Pharaoh about them. +Thou hast not seen the awe and the fear that he imposes upon all the +Egyptians. Even we went out from his presence threatening to do unto +Egypt as unto the cities of the Amorites, and exceedingly wroth by +reason of all his words that he spake concerning us as spies, yet when +we came again before him, his terror fell upon us all, and none of us +was able to speak a word to him, great or small. Now, therefore, +father, send the lad with us, and we will arise and go down into Egypt, +and buy food to eat, that we die not of hunger."[230] + +Judah offered his portion in the world to come as surety for Benjamin, +and thus solemnly he promised to bring him back safe and sound, and +Jacob granted his request, and permitted Benjamin to go down into Egypt +with his other sons. They also carried with them choice presents from +their father for the ruler of Egypt, things that arouse wonder outside +of Palestine, such as the murex, which is the snail that produces the +Tyrian purple, and various kinds of balm, and almond oil, and pistachio +oil, and honey as hard as stone. Furthermore, Jacob put double money in +their hand to provide against a rise in prices in the meantime. And +after all these matters were attended to, he spake to his sons, saying: +"Here is money, and here is a present, and also your brother. Is there +aught else that you need?" And they replied, Yes, we need this, +besides, that thou shouldst intercede for us with God." Then their +father prayed:[231] "O Lord, Thou who at the time of creation didst +call Enough! to heaven and earth when they stretched themselves out +further and further toward infinity, set a limit to my sufferings, too, +say unto them, Enough![232] God Almighty give you mercy before the +ruler of Egypt, that he may release unto you Joseph, Simon, and +Benjamin." + +This prayer was an intercession, not only for the sons of Jacob, but +also for their descendants—that God would deliver the Ten Tribes in +time to come, as He delivered the two, Judah and Benjamin, and after He +permitted the destruction of two Temples, He would grant endless +continuance to the third.[233] + +Jacob also put a letter addressed to the viceroy of Egypt into the +hands of his son. The letter ran thus: "From thy servant Jacob, the son +of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham, prince of God, to the mighty and +wise king Zaphenathpaneah, the ruler of Egypt, peace! I make known unto +my lord the king that the famine is sore with us in the land of Canaan, +and I have therefore sent my sons unto thee, to buy us a little food, +that we may live, and not die. My children surrounded me, and begged +for something to eat, but, alas, I am very old, and I cannot see with +mine eyes, for they are heavy with the weight of years, and also on +account of my never-ceasing tears for my son Joseph, who hath been +taken from me. I charged my sons not to pass through the gate all +together at the same time, when they arrived in the city of Egypt, in +consideration of the inhabitants of the land, that they might not take +undue notice of them. Also I bade them go up and down in the land of +Egypt and seek my son Joseph, mayhap they would find him there. + +"This did they do, but thou didst therefore account them as spies. We +have heard the report of thy wisdom and sagacity. How, then, canst thou +look upon their countenances, and yet declare them to be spies? +Especially as we have heard thou didst interpret Pharaoh's dream, and +didst foretell the coming of the famine, are we amazed that thou, in +thy discernment, couldst not distinguish whether they be spies or not. + +"And, now, O my lord king, I send unto thee my son Benjamin, as thou +didst demand of my other sons. I pray thee, take good care of him until +thou sendest him back to me in peace with his brethren. Hast thou not +heard, and dost thou not know, what our God did unto Pharaoh when he +took our mother Sarah unto himself? Or what happened unto Abimelech on +account of her? And what our father Abraham did unto the nine kings of +Elam, how he killed them and exterminated their armies, though he had +but few men with him? Or hast thou not heard what my two sons Simon and +Levi did to the eight cities of the Amorites, which they destroyed on +account of their sister Dinah? Benjamin consoled them for the loss of +Joseph. What, then, will they do unto him that stretcheth forth the +hand of power to snatch him away from them? + +"Knowest thou not, O king of Egypt, that the might of our God is with +us, and that He always hearkens unto our prayers, and never forsakes +us? Had I called upon God to rise up against thee when my sons told me +how thou didst act toward them, thou and thy people, ye all would have +been annihilated ere Benjamin could come down to thee. But I reflected +that Simon my son was abiding in thy house, and perhaps thou wast doing +kindnesses unto him, and therefore I invoked not the punishment of God +upon thee. Now my son Benjamin goeth down unto thee with my other sons. +Take heed unto thyself, keep thy eyes directed upon him, and God will +direct His eye upon all thy kingdom. + +"I have said all now that is in my heart. My sons take their youngest +brother down into Egypt with them, and do thou send them all back to me +in peace." + +This letter Jacob put into the keeping of Judah, charging him to +deliver it to the ruler of Egypt. His last words to his sons were an +admonition to take good care of Benjamin and not leave him out of their +sight, either on the journey or after their arrival in Egypt. He bade +farewell to them, and then turned in prayer to God, saying: "O Lord of +heaven and earth! Remember Thy covenant with our father Abraham. +Remember also my father Isaac, and grant grace unto my sons, and +deliver them not into the hands of the king of Egypt. O my God, do it +for the sake of Thy mercy, redeem my sons and save them from the hands +of the Egyptians, and restore their two brethren unto them." + +Also the women and the children in the house of Jacob prayed to God +amid tears, and entreated Him to redeem their husbands and their +fathers out of the hands of the king of Egypt.[234] + + + + +JOSEPH AND BENJAMIN + + +Great was the joy of Joseph when his brethren stood before him and +Benjamin was with them. In his youngest brother he saw the true +counterpart of his father.[235] He ordered his son Manasseh,[236] the +steward of his house, to bring the men into the palace, and make ready +a meal for them. But he was to take care to prepare the meat dishes in +the presence of the guests, so that they might see with their own eyes +that the cattle had been slaughtered according to the ritual +prescriptions, and the sinew of the hip which is upon the hollow of the +thigh had been removed.[237] + +The dinner to which Joseph invited his brethren was a Sabbath meal, for +he observed the seventh day even before the revelation of the law. The +sons of Jacob refused the invitation of the steward, and a scuffle +ensued. While he tried to force them into the banqueting hall, they +tried to force him out,[238] for they feared it was but a ruse to get +possession of them and their asses, on account of the money they had +found in their sacks on their return from their first journey to Egypt. +In their modesty they put the loss of their beasts upon the same level +as the loss of their personal liberty. To the average man property is +as precious as life itself.[239] + +Standing at the door of Joseph's house, they spake to the steward, and +said: "We are in badly reduced circumstances. In our country we +supported others, and now we depend upon thee to support us." After +these introductory words, they offered him the money they had found in +their sacks. The steward reassured them concerning the money, saying, +"However it may be, whether for the sake of your own merits, or for the +sake of the merits of your fathers, God hath caused you to find a +treasure, for the money ye paid for the corn came into my hand." Then +he brought Simon out to them. Their brother looked like a leather +bottle, so fat and rotund had he grown during his sojourn in +Egypt.[240] He told his brethren what kind treatment had been accorded +unto him. The very moment they left the city he had been released from +prison, and thereafter he had been entertained with splendor in the +house of the ruler of Egypt. + +When Joseph made his appearance, Judah took Benjamin by the hand, and +presented him to the viceroy, and they all bowed down themselves to him +to the earth.[241] Joseph asked them concerning the welfare of their +father and their grandfather, and they made reply, "Thy servant our +father is well; he is yet alive," and Joseph knew from their words that +his grandfather Isaac was no more.[242] He had died at the time when +Joseph was released from prison, and the joy of God in the liberation +of Joseph was overcast by His sorrow for Isaac.[243] Then Judah handed +his father's letter to Joseph, who was so moved at seeing the +well-known handwriting that he had to retire to his chamber and weep. +When he came back, he summoned Benjamin to approach close to him, and +he laid his hand upon his youngest brother's head, and blessed him with +the words, "God be gracious unto thee, my son."[244] His father had +once mentioned "the children which God hath graciously given Thy +servant," and as Benjamin was not among the children thus spoken of, +for he was born later, Joseph compensated him now by blessing him with +the grace of God.[245] + +The table was set in three divisions, for Joseph, for his brethren, and +for the Egyptians. The sons of Jacob did not venture to eat of the +dishes set before them, they were afraid they might not have been +prepared according to the ritual prescriptions—a punishment upon Joseph +for having slandered his brethren, whom he once charged with not being +punctilious in the observance of the dietary laws.[246] The Egyptians, +again, could not sit at the same table with the sons of Jacob, because +the latter ate the flesh of the animals to which the former paid divine +worship.[247] + +When all was ready, and the guests were to be seated, Joseph raised his +cup, and, pretending to inhale his knowledge from it, he said, "Judah +is king, therefore let him sit at the head of the table, and let Reuben +the first-born take the second seat," and thus he assigned places to +all his brethren corresponding to their dignity and their age.[248] +Moreover, he seated the brothers together who were the sons of the same +mother, and when he reached Benjamin, he said, "I know that the +youngest among you has no brother borne by his own mother, next to whom +he might be seated, and also I have none, therefore he may take his +place next to me." + +The brethren marvelled one with another at all this. During the meal, +Joseph took his portion, and gave it to Benjamin, and his wife Asenath +followed his example, and also Ephraim and Manasseh, so that Benjamin +had four portions in addition to that which he had received like the +other sons of Jacob.[249] + +Wine was served at the meal, and it was the first time in twenty-two +years that Joseph and his brethren tasted of it, for they had led the +life of Nazarites, his brethren because they regretted the evil they +had done to Joseph, and Joseph because he grieved over the fate of his +father.[250] + +Joseph entered into conversation with his brother Benjamin. He asked +him whether he had a brother borne by his own mother, and Benjamin +answered, "I had one, but I do not know what hath become of him." +Joseph continued his questions: "Hast thou a wife?" + +Benjamin: "Yes, I have a wife and ten sons." + +Joseph: "And what are their names? " + +Benjamin: "Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and +Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard." + +Joseph: "Why didst thou give them such peculiar names?" + +Benjamin: "In memory of my brother and his sufferings: Bela, because my +brother disappeared among the peoples; Becher, he was the first-born +son of my mother; Ashbel, he was taken away from my father; Gera, he +dwells a stranger in a strange land; Naaman, he was exceedingly lovely; +Ehi, he was my only brother by my father and my mother together; Rosh, +he was at the head of his brethren; Muppim, he was beautiful in every +respect; Huppim, he was slandered; and Ard, because he was as beautiful +as a rose."[251] + +Joseph ordered his magic astrolabe to be brought to him, whereby he +knew all things that happen, and he said unto Benjamin, "I have heard +that the Hebrews are acquainted with all wisdom, but dost thou know +aught of this?" Benjamin answered, "Thy servant also is skilled in all +wisdom, which my father hath taught me." He then looked upon the +astrolabe, and to his great astonishment he discovered by the aid of it +that he who was sitting upon the throne before him was his brother +Joseph. Noticing Benjamin's amazement, Joseph asked him, "What hast +thou seen, and why art thou astonished?" Benjamin said, "I can see by +this that Joseph my brother sitteth here before me upon the throne." +And Joseph said: "I am Joseph thy brother! Reveal not the thing unto +our brethren. I will send thee with them when they go away, and I will +command them to be brought back again into the city, and I will take +thee away from them. If they risk their lives and fight for thee, then +shall I know that they have repented of what they did unto me, and I +will make myself known unto them. But if they forsake thee, I will keep +thee, that thou shouldst remain with me. They shall go away, and I will +not make myself known unto them."[252] + +Then Joseph inquired of Benjamin what his brethren had told their +father after they had sold him into slavery, and he heard the story of +the coat dipped in the blood of a kid of the goats. "Yes, brother," +spoke Joseph, "when they had stripped me of my coat, they handed me +over to the Ishmaelites, who tied an apron around my waist, scourged +me, and bade me run off. But a lion attacked the one that beat me, and +killed him, and his companions were alarmed, and they sold me to other +people."[253] + +Dismissed by Joseph with kind words, his brethren started on their +homeward journey as soon as the morning was light, for it is a good +rule to "leave a city after sunrise, and enter a city before +sundown."[254] Besides, Joseph had a specific reason for not letting +his brethren depart from the city during the night. He feared an +encounter between them and his servants, and that his men might get the +worst of it, for the sons of Jacob were like the wild beasts, which +have the upper hand at night. + + + + +THE THIEF CAUGHT + + +They were not yet far beyond the city gates, when Joseph dispatched +Manasseh, the steward of his house, to follow after them, and look for +the silver cup that he had concealed in Benjamin's sack. He knew his +brethren well, he did not venture to let them get too far from the city +before he should attempt to force their return. He hoped that the +nearness of the city would intimidate them and make them heed his +commands. Manasseh therefore received the order to bring them to a +halt, by mild speech if he could, or by rough speech if he must, and +carry them back to the city.[255] He acted according to his +instructions. When the brethren heard the accusation of theft , they +said: "With whomsoever of thy servants the cup be found, let him die, +and we also will be my lord's bondmen." And Manasseh said, "As you say, +so were it proper to do, for if ten persons are charged with theft, and +the stolen object is found with one of them, all are held responsible. +But I will not be so hard. He with whom the cup is found shall be the +bondman, and the rest shall be blameless." + +He searched all the sacks, and in order not to excite the suspicion +that he knew where the cup was, he began at Reuben, the eldest, and +left off at Benjamin, the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's +sack. In a rage, his brethren shouted at Benjamin, "O thou thief and +son of a thief! Thy mother brought shame upon our father by her +thievery, and now thou bringest shame upon us." But he replied, "Is +this matter as evil as the matter of the kid of the goats—as the deed +of the brethren that sold their own brother into slavery?"[256] + +In their fury and vexation, the brethren rent their clothes. God paid +them in their own coin. They had caused Jacob to tear his clothes in +his grief over Joseph, and now they were made to do the same on account +of their own troubles. And as they rent their clothes for the sake of +their brother Benjamin, so Mordecai, the descendant of Benjamin, was +destined to rend his on account of his brethren, the people of Israel. +But because mortification was inflicted upon the brethren through +Manasseh, the steward of Joseph, the allotment of territory given to +the tribe of Manasseh was "torn" in two, one-half of the tribe had to +live on one side of the Jordan, the other half on the other side. And +Joseph, who had not shrunk from vexing his brethren so bitterly that +they rent their clothes in their abasement, was punished, in that his +descendant Joshua was driven to such despair after the defeat of Ai +that he, too, rent his clothes.[257] + +Convicted of theft beyond the peradventure of a doubt, the brethren of +Joseph had no choice but to comply with the steward's command and +return to the city. They accompanied him without delay. Each of them +loaded his ass himself, raising the burden with one hand from the +ground to the back of the beast, and then they retraced their steps +cityward,[258] and as they walked, they rapped Benjamin roughly on the +shoulder, saying, "O thou thief and son of a thief, thou hast brought +the same shame upon us that thy mother brought upon our father." +Benjamin bore the blows and the abusive words in patient silence, and +he was rewarded for his humility. For submitting to the blows upon his +shoulder, God appointed that His Shekinah should "dwell between his +shoulders," and He also called him "the beloved of the Lord."[259] + +Joseph's brethren returned to the city without fear. Though it was a +great metropolis, in their eyes it appeared but as a hamlet of ten +persons, which they could wipe out with a turn of the hand.[260] They +were led into the presence of Joseph, who, contrary to his usual habit, +was not holding a session of the court in the forum on that day. He +remained at home, that his brethren might not be exposed to shame in +public. They fell to the earth before him, and thus came true his dream +of the eleven stars that made obeisance to him.[261] But even while +paying homage to Joseph, Judah was boiling inwardly with suppressed +rage, and he said to his brethren, "Verily, this man hath forced me to +come back hither only that I should destroy the city on this day." + +Guarded by his valiant men on the right and on the left, Joseph +addressed his brethren, snarling, "What deed is this that ye have done, +to steal away my cup? I know well, ye took it in order to discover with +its help the whereabouts of your brother that hath disappeared."[262] +Judah was spokesman, and he replied: "What shall we say unto my lord +concerning the first money that he found in the mouth of our sacks? +What shall we speak concerning the second money that also was in our +sacks? And how shall we clear ourselves concerning the cup? We cannot +acknowledge ourselves guilty, for we know ourselves to be innocent in +all these matters. Yet we cannot avow ourselves innocent, because God +hath found out the iniquity of thy servants, like a creditor that goes +about and tries to collect a debt owing to him.[263] Two brothers take +care not to enter a house of mirth and festivity together, that they be +not exposed to the evil eye, but we all were caught together in one +place, by reason of the sin which we committed in company." + +Joseph: "But if your punishment is for selling Joseph, why should this +brother of yours suffer, the youngest, he that had no part in your +crime. + +Judah: "A thief and his companions are taken together." + +Joseph: "If you could prevail upon yourselves to report to your father +concerning a brother that had not stolen, and had brought no manner of +shame upon you, that a wild beast had torn him, you will easily +persuade yourselves to say it concerning a brother that hath stolen, +and hath brought shame upon you. Go hence, and tell your father, 'The +rope follows after the water bucket.'[264] But," continued Joseph, +shaking his purple mantle, "God forbid that I should accuse you all of +theft. Only the youth that stole the cup in order to divine his +brother's whereabouts shall remain with me as my bondman; but as for +you, get you up in peace unto your father." + +The holy spirit called out, "Great peace have they which love thy law!" + +The brethren all consented to yield Benjamin to the ruler of Egypt, +only Judah demurred, and he cried out, "Now it is all over with peace!" +and he prepared to use force, if need be, to rescue Benjamin from +slavery.[265] + + + + +JUDAH PLEADS AND THREATENS. + + +Joseph dismissed his brethren, and carried Benjamin off by main force, +and locked him up in a chamber. But Judah broke the door open and stood +before Joseph with his brethren.[266] He determined to use in turn the +three means of liberating Benjamin at his disposal. He was prepared to +convince Joseph by argument, or move him by entreaties, or resort to +force, in order to accomplish his end.[267] + +He spake: "Thou doest a wrong unto us. Thou who didst say, 'I fear +God,' thou showest thyself to be like unto Pharaoh, who hath no fear of +God. The judgments which thou dost pronounce are not in accordance with +our laws, nor are they in accordance with the laws of the nations. +According to our law, a thief must pay double the value of what he hath +stolen. Only, if he hath no money, he is sold into slavery, but if he +hath the money, he maketh double restitution. And according to the law +of the nations, the thief is deprived of all he owns. Do so, but let +him go free. If a man buys a slave, and then discovers him to be a +thief, the transaction is void. Yet thou desirest to make one a slave +whom thou chargest with being a thief. I suspect thee of wanting to +keep him in thy power for illicit purposes,[268] and in this +lustfulness thou resemblest Pharaoh. Also thou art like Pharaoh in that +thou makest a promise and keepest it not. Thou saidst unto thy +servants, Bring thy youngest brother down unto me, that I may set mine +eyes upon him. Dost thou call this setting thine eyes upon him?[269] If +thou didst desire nothing beside a slave, then wouldst thou surely +accept our offer to serve thee as bondmen instead of Benjamin. Reuben +is older than he, and I exceed him in strength. It cannot but be as I +say, thou hast a lustful purpose in mind with our brother.[270] + +"Therefore let these words of mine which I am about to speak find +entrance into thy heart: For the sake of the grandmother of this lad +were Pharaoh and his house stricken with sore plagues, because he +detained her in his palace a single night against her will. His mother +died a premature death, by reason of a curse which his father uttered +in inconsiderate haste. Take heed, then, that this man's curse strike +thee not and slay thee. Two of us destroyed the whole of a city on +account of one woman, how much more would we do it for the sake of a +man, and that man the beloved of the Lord, in whose allotment it is +appointed that God shall dwell! + +"If I but utter a sound, death-dealing pestilence will stalk through +the land as far as No. In this land Pharaoh is the first, and thou art +the second after him, but in our land my father is the first, and I am +the second. If thou wilt not comply with our demand, I will draw my +sword, and hew thee down first, and then Pharaoh." + +When Judah gave utterance to this threat, Joseph made a sign, and +Manasseh stamped his foot on the ground so that the whole palace shook. +Judah said, "Only one belonging to our family can stamp thus!" and +intimidated by this display of great strength, he moderated his tone +and manner. "From the very beginning," he continued to speak, "thou +didst resort to all sorts of pretexts in order to embarrass us. The +inhabitants of many countries came down into Egypt to buy corn, but +none of them didst thou ask questions about their family relations. In +sooth, we did not come hither to seek thy daughter in marriage, or +peradventure thou desirest an alliance with our sister? Nevertheless we +gave thee an answer unto all thy questions." + +Joseph replied: "Verily, thou canst talk glibly! Is there another +babbler like thee among thy brethren?[271] Why dost thou speak so much, +while thy brethren that are older than thou, Reuben, Simon, and Levi, +stand by silent?" + +Judah: "None of my brethren has so much at stake as I have, if Benjamin +returns not to his father. I was a surety to my father for him, saying, +If I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear +the blame forever, in this world and in the world to come.[272] + +The other brethren withheld themselves intentionally from taking part +in the dispute between Judah and Joseph, saying, "Kings are carrying on +a dispute, and it is not seemly for us to interfere between them."[273] +Even the angels descended from heaven to earth to be spectators of the +combat between Joseph the bull and Judah the lion, and they said, "It +lies in the natural course of things that the bull should fear the +lion, but here the two are engaged in equal, furious combat." + +In reply to Judah, when he explained that his great interest in +Benjamin's safety was due to the pledge he had given to his father, +Joseph spoke: "Why wast thou not a surety for thy other brother, when +ye sold him for twenty pieces of silver? Then thou didst not regard the +sorrow thou wast inflicting upon thy father, but thou didst say, A wild +beast hath devoured Joseph. And yet Joseph had done no evil, while this +Benjamin has committed theft. Therefore, go up and say unto thy father, +The rope hath followed after the water bucket." + +These words had such an effect upon Judah that he broke out in sobs, +and cried aloud, "How shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not +with me?"[274] His outcry reached to a distance of four hundred +parasangs, and when Hushim the son of Dan heard it in Canaan, he jumped +into Egypt with a single leap and joined his voice with Judah's, and +the whole land was on the point of collapsing from the great noise they +produced. Joseph's valiant men lost their teeth, and the cities of +Pithom and Raamses were destroyed, and they remained in ruins until the +Israelites built them up again under taskmasters. Also Judah's +brethren, who had kept quiet up to that moment, fell into a rage, and +stamped on the ground with their feet until it looked as though deep +furrows had been torn in it by a ploughshare.[275] And Judah addressed +his brethren, "Be brave, demean yourselves as men, and let each one of +you show his heroism, for the circumstances demand that we do our +best." + +Then they resolved to destroy Mizraim, the city of Egypt, and Judah +said, "I will raise my voice, and with it destroy Egypt." + +Reuben: "I will raise my arm, and crush it out of existence." + +Simon: "I will raise my hand, and lay waste its palaces." + +Levi: "I will draw my sword, and slay the inhabitants of Egypt." + +Issachar: "I will make the land like unto Sodom." + +Zebulon: "Like unto Gomorrah will I render it." + +Dan: "I will reduce it to a desert."[276] + +Then Judah's towering rage began to show signs of breaking out: his +right eye shed tears of blood; the hair above his heart grew so stiff +that it pierced and rent the five garments in which he was clothed; and +he took brass rods, bit them with his teeth, and spat them out as fine +powder. When Joseph observed these signs, fear befell him, and in order +to show that he, too, was a man of extraordinary strength, he pushed +with his foot against the marble pedestal upon which he sat, and it +broke into splinters. Judah exclaimed, "This one is a hero equal to +myself!" Then he tried to draw his sword from its scabbard in order to +slay Joseph, but the weapon could not be made to budge, and Judah was +convinced thereby that his adversary was a God-fearing man, and he +addressed himself to the task of begging him to let Benjamin go free, +but he remained inexorable.[277] + +Judah then said: "What shall we say unto our father, when he seeth that +our brother is not with us, and he will grieve over him?" + +Joseph: "Say that the rope hath followed after the water bucket." + +Judah: "Thou art a king, why dost thou speak in this wise, counselling +a falsehood? Woe unto the king that is like thee!" + +Joseph: "Is there a greater falsehood than that ye spake concerning +your brother Joseph, whom you sold to the Midianites for twenty pieces +of silver, telling your father, An evil beast bath devoured him?" + +Judah: "The fire of Shechem burneth in my heart, now will I burn all +thy land with fire." + +Joseph: "Surely, the fire kindled to burn Tamar, thy daughter-in-law, +who did kill thy sons, will extinguish the fire of Shechem." + +Judah: "If I pluck out a single hair from my body, I will fill the +whole of Egypt with its blood." + +Joseph: "Such is it your custom to do; thus ye did unto your brother +whom you sold, and then you dipped his coat in blood, brought it to +your father, and said, An evil beast hath devoured him, and here is his +blood." + +When Judah heard this, he was exceedingly wroth, and he took a stone +weighing four hundred shekels that was before him, cast it toward +heaven with one hand, caught it with his left hand, then sat upon it, +and the stone turned into dust. At the command of Joseph, Manasseh did +likewise with another stone, and Joseph said to Judah: "Strength hath +not been given to you alone, we also are powerful men. Why, then, will +ye all boast before us?" Then Judah sent Naphtali forth, saying, "Go +and count all the streets of the city of Egypt and come and tell me the +number," but Simon interposed, saying, "Let not this thing trouble you, +I will go to the mount, and take up one huge stone from the mount, +throw it over the whole of Mizraim, the city of Egypt, and kill all +therein." + +Hearing all these words, which they spake aloud, because they did not +know that he understood Hebrew, Joseph bade his son Manasseh make haste +and gather together all the inhabitants of Egypt, and all the valiant +men, and let them come to him on horseback and afoot. Meantime Naphtali +had gone quickly to execute Judah's bidding, for he was as swift as the +nimble hart, he could run across a field of corn without breaking an +ear. And he returned and reported that the city of Egypt was divided +into twelve quarters. Judah bade his brethren destroy the city; he +himself undertook to raze three quarters, and he assigned the nine +remaining quarters to the others, one quarter to each. + +In the meantime Manasseh had assembled a great army, five hundred +mounted men and ten thousand on foot, among them four hundred valiant +heroes, who could fight without spear or sword, using only their +strong, unarmed hands. To inspire his brethren with more terror, Joseph +ordered them to make a loud noise with all sorts of instruments, and +their appearance and the hubbub they produced did, indeed, cause fear +to fall upon some of the brethren of Joseph. Judah, however, called to +them, "Why are you terrified, seeing that God grants us His mercy?" He +drew his sword, and uttered a wild cry, which threw all the people into +consternation, and in their disordered flight many fell over each other +and perished, and Judah and his brethren followed after the fleeing +people as far as the house of Pharaoh. Returning to Joseph, Judah again +broke out in loud roars, and the reverberations caused by his cries +were so mighty that all the city walls in Egypt and in Goshen fell in +ruins, the pregnant women brought forth untimely births, and Pharaoh +was flung from his throne. Judah's cries were heard at a great +distance, as far off as Succoth. + +When Pharaoh learnt the reason of the mighty uproar, he sent word to +Joseph that he would have to concede the demands of the Hebrews, else +the land would suffer destruction. "Thou canst take thy choice," were +the words of Pharaoh, "between me and the Hebrews, between Egypt and +the land of the Hebrews. If thou wilt not heed my command, then leave +me and go with them into their land." + + + + +JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN + + +Seeing that his brethren were, indeed, on the point of destroying +Egypt, Joseph resolved to make himself known to them, and he cast +around for a proper opening, which would lead naturally to his +announcement. At his behest, Manasseh laid his hand upon Judah's +shoulder, and his touch allayed Judah's fury, for he noticed that he +was in contact with a kinsman of his, because such strength existed in +no other family. Then Joseph addressed Judah gently, saying:[278] "I +should like to know who advised him to steal the cup. Could it have +been one of you?" Benjamin replied: "Neither did they counsel theft, +nor did I touch the cup." "Take an oath upon it," demanded Joseph, and +Benjamin complied with his brother's request: "I swear that I did not +touch the cup! As true as my brother Joseph is separated from me; as +true as I had nothing to do with the darts that my brethren threw at +him; as true as I was not one of those to take off his coat; as true as +I had no part in the transaction by which he was given over to the +Ishmaelites; as true as I did not help the others dip his coat in +blood; so true is my oath, that they did not counsel theft, and that I +did not commit theft." + +Joseph: "How can I know that this oath of thine taken upon thy +brother's fate is true?" + +Benjamin: "From the names of my ten sons, which I gave them in memory +of my brother's life and trials, thou canst see how dearly I loved him. +I pray thee, therefore, do not bring down my father with sorrow to the +grave." + +Hearing these words of abiding love, Joseph could refrain himself no +longer. He could not but make himself known unto his brethren.[279] He +spake these words to them: "Ye said the brother of this lad was dead. +Did you yourselves see him dead before you?" They answered, "Yes!" + +Joseph: "Did you stand beside his grave?" + +The brethren: "Yes!" + +Joseph: "Did you throw clods of earth upon his corpse?" + +The brethren: "No." + +Then Joseph reflected, saying to himself: "My brethren are as pious as +aforetime, and they speak no lies. They said I was dead, because when +they abandoned me, I was poor, and 'a poor man is like unto a dead +man;' they stood beside my grave, that is the pit into which they cast +me; but they did not say that they had shovelled earth upon me, for +that would have been a falsehood." + +Turning to his brethren, he said: "Ye lie when ye say that your brother +is dead. He is not dead. You sold him,[280] and I did buy him. I shall +call him, and set him before your eyes," and he began to call, "Joseph, +son of Jacob, come hither! Joseph, son of Jacob, come hither! Speak to +thy brethren who did sell thee." The others turned their eyes hither +and thither, to the four corners of the house, until Joseph called to +them: "Why look ye here and there? Behold, I am Joseph your brother! +"Their souls fled away from them, and they could make no answer, but +God permitted a miracle to happen, and their souls came back to them. + +Joseph continued, "Ye see it with your own eyes, and also my brother +Benjamin seeth it with his eyes, that I speak with you in Hebrew, and I +am truly your brother." But they would not believe him. Not only had he +been transformed from a smooth-faced youth into a bearded man since +they had abandoned him, but also the forsaken youth now stood before +them the ruler of Egypt. Therefore Joseph bared his body and showed +them that he belonged to the descendants of Abraham. + +Abashed they stood there, and in their rage they desired to slay Joseph +as the author of their shame and their suffering. But an angel appeared +and flung them to the four corners of the house. Judah raised so loud +an outcry that the walls of the city of Egypt tumbled down, the women +brought forth untimely births, Joseph and Pharaoh both rolled down off +their thrones, and Joseph's three hundred heroes lost their teeth, and +their heads remained forever immobile, facing backward, as they had +turned them to discover the cause of the tumult. Yet the brethren did +not venture to approach close to Joseph, they were too greatly ashamed +of their behavior toward their brother.[281] He sought to calm them, +saying, "Now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me +hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life." + +Even such kind words of exhortation did not banish their fear, and +Joseph continued to speak, "As little as I harbor vengeful thoughts in +my heart against Benjamin, so little do I harbor them against you."And +still his brethren were ill at case, and Joseph went on, "Think you +that it is possible for me to inflict harm upon you? If the smoke of +ten candles could not extinguish one, how can one extinguish ten?" + +At last the brethren were soothed, and they went up to Joseph,[282] who +knew each by name, and, weeping, he embraced and kissed them all in +turn. The reason why he wept was that his prophetic spirit showed him +the descendants of his brethren enslaved by the nations.[283] +Especially did he weep upon Benjamin's neck, because he foresaw the +destruction decreed for the two Temples to be situated in the allotment +of Benjamin. And Benjamin also wept upon Joseph's neck, for the +sanctuary at Shiloh, in the territory of Joseph which was likewise +doomed to destruction.[284] + +Pharaoh was well pleased with the report of the reconciliation between +Joseph and the Hebrews, for he had feared that their dissensions might +cause the ruin of Egypt, and he sent his servants to Joseph, that they +take part in his joy. Also he sent word to Joseph that it would please +him well if his brethren took up their abode in Egypt, and he promised +to assign the best parts of the land to them for their +dwelling-place.[285] + +Not all the servants of Pharaoh were in agreement with their master +concerning this invitation to the Hebrews. Many among them were +disquieted, saying, "If one of the sons of Jacob came hither, and he +was advanced to a high position over our heads, what evil will happen +to us when ten more come hither?"[286] + +Joseph gave all his brethren two changes of raiment, one for use on the +ordinary days of the week and one for use on the Sabbath, for, when the +cup was found with Benjamin, they had rent their clothes, and Joseph +would not have his brethren go about in torn garments.[287] But to +Benjamin he gave five changes of raiment, though not in order to +distinguish him above his brethren. Joseph remembered only too well +what mischief his father had caused by giving him the coat of many +colors, thereby arousing the envy of his brethren. He desired only to +intimate that Mordecai, a descendant of Benjamin, would once be arrayed +in five royal garments.[288] + +Joseph presented his brethren, apparelled in their gold and silver +embroidered clothes, before Pharaoh, who was well pleased to become +acquainted with them when he saw that they were men of heroic stature +and handsome appearance.[289] He gave them wagons, to bring their +families down into Egypt, but as they were ornamented with images of +idols, Judah burnt them,[290] and Joseph replaced them with eleven +other wagons, among them the one he had ridden in at his accession to +office, to view the land of Egypt. This was to be used by his father on +his journey to Egypt. For each of his brothers' children, he sent +raiments, and also one hundred pieces of silver for each, but for each +of the children of Benjamin he sent ten changes of raiment. And for the +wives of his brethren he gave them rich garments of state, such as were +worn by the wives of the Pharaohs, and also ointments and aromatic +spices. To his sister Dinah he sent silver and gold embroidered +clothes, and myrrh, aloes, and other perfumes, and such presents he +gave also to the wife and the daughters-in-law of Benjamin. For +themselves and for their wives the brethren received all sorts of +precious stones and jewelled ornaments, like those that are worn by the +Egyptian nobility. + +Joseph accompanied his eleven brethren to the frontier, and there he +took leave of them with the wish that they and all their families come +down to Egypt,[291] and he enjoined upon them, besides, three maxims to +be observed by travellers: Do not take too large steps; do not discuss +Halakic subjects, that you lose not your way; and enter the city at the +latest with the going down of the sun.[292] + + + + +JACOB RECEIVES THE GLAD TIDINGS + + +In blithe spirits the sons of Jacob journeyed up to the land of Canaan, +but when they reached the boundary line, they said to one another, "How +shall we do? If we appear before our father and tell him that Joseph is +alive, he will be greatly frightened, and he will not be inclined to +believe us." Besides, Joseph's last injunction to them had been to take +heed and not startle their father with the tidings of joy. + +On coming close to their habitation, they caught sight of Serah, the +daughter of Asher, a very beautiful maiden, and very wise, who was +skilled in playing upon the harp. They summoned her unto them and gave +her a harp, and bade her play before Jacob and sing that which they +should tell her. She sat down before Jacob, and, with an agreeable +melody, she sang the following words, accompanying herself upon the +harp: "Joseph, my uncle, liveth, he ruleth over the whole of Egypt, he +is not dead!" She repeated these words several times, and Jacob grew +more and more pleasurably excited. His joy awakened the holy spirit in +him, and he knew that she spoke the truth.[293] The spirit of prophecy +never visits a seer when he is in a state of lassitude or in a state of +grief; it comes only together with joy. All the years of Joseph's +separation from him Jacob had had no prophetic visions, because he was +always sad, and only when Serah's words reawakened the feeling of +happiness in his heart, the prophetic spirit again took possession of +him.[294] Jacob rewarded her therefor with the words, "My daughter, may +death never have power over thee, for thou didst revive my spirit." And +so it was. Serah did not die, she entered Paradise alive. At his +bidding, she repeated the words she had sung again and again, and they +gave Jacob great joy and delight, so that the holy spirit waxed +stronger and stronger within him. + +While he was sitting thus in converse with Serah, his sons appeared +arrayed in all their magnificence, and with all the presents that +Joseph had given them, and they spake to Jacob, saying: "Glad tidings! +Joseph our brother liveth! He is ruler over the whole land of Egypt, +and he sends thee a message of joy." At first Jacob would not believe +them, but when they opened their packs, and showed him the presents +Joseph had sent to all, he could not doubt the truth of their words any +longer.[295] + +Joseph had had a premonition that his father would refuse to give his +brethren credence, because they had tried to deceive him before, and +"it is the punishment of the liar that his words are not believed even +when he speaks the truth." He had therefore said to them, "If my father +will not believe your words, tell him that when I took leave of him, to +see whether it was well with you, he had been teaching me the law of +the heifer whose neck is broken in the valley." When they repeated +this, every last vestige of Jacob's doubt disappeared, and he said: +"Great is the steadfastness of my son Joseph. In spite of all his +sufferings he has remained constant in his piety.[296] Yea, great are +the benefits that the Lord hath conferred upon me. He saved me from the +hands of Esau, and from the hands of Laban, and from the Canaanites who +pursued after me. I have tasted many joys, and I hope to see more, but +never did I hope to set eyes upon Joseph again, and now I shall go down +to him and behold him before my death."[297] + +Then Jacob and the members of his family put on the clothes Joseph had +sent, among them a turban for Jacob, and they made all preparations to +journey down into Egypt and dwell there with Joseph and his family. +Hearing of his good fortune, the kings and the grandees of Canaan came +to wait upon Jacob and express sympathy with him in his joy, and he +prepared a three days' banquet for them.[298] + +Jacob, however, would not go down into Egypt without first inquiring +whether it was the will of God that he should leave the Holy Land.[299] +He said, "How can I leave the land of my fathers, the land of my birth, +the land in which the Shekinah dwells, and go into an unclean land, +inhabited by slaves of the sons of Ham, a land wherein there is no fear +of God?"[300] Then he brought sacrifices in honor of God, in the +expectation that a Divine vision would descend upon him and instruct +him whether to go down into Egypt or have Joseph come up to Canaan. He +feared the sojourn in Egypt, for he remembered the vision he had had at +Beth-el on leaving his father's house,[301] and he said to God: "I +resemble my father. As he was greedy in filling his maw, so am I, and +therefore I would go down into Egypt in consequence of the famine. As +my father preferred one son to the other, so had I a favorite son, and +therefore I would go down into Egypt to see Joseph. But in this I do +not resemble my father, he had only himself to provide for, and my +house consists of seventy souls, and therefore am I compelled to go +down into Egypt. The blessing which my father gave me was not fulfilled +in me, but in my son Joseph, whom peoples serve, and before whom +nations bow down."[302] + +Then the Shekinah addressed Jacob, calling his name twice in token of +love,[303] and bidding him not to fear the Egyptian slavery foretold +for the descendants of Abraham, for God would have pity upon the +suffering of his children and deliver them from bondage.[304] God +furthermore said, "I will go down into Egypt with thee," and the +Shekinah accompanied Jacob thither, bringing the number of the company +with which he entered Egypt up to seventy.[305] But as Jacob +entertained fears that his descendants would stay there forever, God +gave him the assurance that He would lead him forth together with all +the pious that were like unto him.[306] And God also told Jacob that +Joseph had remained steadfast in his piety even in Egypt, and he might +dismiss all doubts from his mind on this score, for it was his anxiety +on this account that had induced Jacob to consider going down into +Egypt; he wanted only to make sure of Joseph's faithfulness, and then +return home, but God commanded him to go thither and remain there.[307] + +Before Jacob left Canaan, he went to Beer-sheba, to hew down the cedars +that Abraham had planted there, and take them with him to Egypt. For +centuries these cedar trees remained in the possession of his +descendants; they carried them with them when they left Egypt, and they +used them in building the Tabernacle.[308] + +Although Joseph had put wagons at the disposal of his brethren for the +removal of his family from Canaan to Egypt, they yet carried Jacob upon +their arms, for which purpose they divided themselves into three +divisions, one division after the other assuming the burden. As a +reward for their filial devotion, God redeemed their descendants from +Egypt.[309] + +Judah was sent on ahead by his father, to erect a dwelling in Goshen, +and also a Bet ha-Midrash, that Jacob might set about instructing his +sons at once after his arrival. He charged Judah with this honorable +task in order to compensate him for a wrong he had done him. All the +years of Joseph's absence he bad suspected Judah of having made away +with Rachel's son.[310] How little the suspicion was justified he +realized now when Judah in particular had been assiduous in securing +the safety of Benjamin, the other son of Rachel. Jacob therefore said +to Judah: "Thou hast done a pious, God-bidden deed, and hast shown +thyself to be a man capable of carrying on negotiations with Joseph. +Complete the work thou hast begun! Go to Goshen, and together with +Joseph prepare all things for our coming. Indeed," continued Jacob, +"thou wast the cause of our going down into Egypt, for it was at thy +suggestion that Joseph was sold as a slave, and, also, through thy +descendants Israel will be led forth out of Egypt."[311] + +When Joseph was informed of the approach of his father, he rejoiced +exceedingly, chiefly because his coming would stop the talk of the +Egyptians, who were constantly referring to him as the slave that had +dominion over them. "Now," thought Joseph, "they will see my father and +my brethren, and they will be convinced that I am a free-born man, of +noble stock." + +In his joy in anticipation of seeing his father, Joseph made ready his +chariot with his own hands, without waiting for his servants to +minister to him, and this loving action redounded later to the benefit +of the Israelites, for it rendered of none effect Pharaoh's zeal in +making ready his chariot himself, with his own hands, to pursue after +the Israelites.[312] + + + + +JACOB ARRIVES IN EGYPT + + +When the Egyptian nobles observed their viceroy completing his +preparations to meet his father, they did the same.[313] Indeed, Joseph +had issued a proclamation throughout the land, threatening with death +all that did not go forth to meet Jacob. The procession that +accompanied him was composed of countless men, arrayed in byssus and +purple, and marching to the sound of all sorts of musical instruments. +Even the women of Egypt had a part in the reception ceremonies. They +ascended to the roofs of the houses and the walls of the cities, ready +to greet Jacob with the music of cymbals and timbrels. + +Joseph wore the royal crown upon his head, Pharaoh had yielded it to +him for the occasion. He descended from his chariot when he was at a +distance of about fifty ells from his father, and walked the rest of +the way on foot, and his example was followed by the princes and nobles +of Egypt. When Jacob caught sight of the approaching procession, he was +rejoiced,[314] and even before he recognized Joseph, he bowed down +before him, but for permitting his father to show him this mark of +honor, punishment was visited upon Joseph. He died an untimely death, +before the years of life assigned to him had elapsed.[315] + +That no harm befall Jacob from a too sudden meeting with him, Joseph +sent his oldest son ahead with five horses, the second son following +close after him in the same way. As each son approached, Jacob thought +he beheld Joseph, and so he was prepared gradually to see him face to +face.[316] + +Meantime Jacob had espied, from where he was seated, a man in royal +robes among the Egyptians, a crown upon his head, and a purple mantle +over his shoulders, and he asked Judah who it might be. When he was +told that it was Joseph, his joy was great over the high dignity +attained by his son. + +By this time Joseph had come close to his father, and he bowed himself +before him down to the earth, and all the people with him likewise +prostrated themselves.[317] Then Joseph fell upon his father's neck, +and he wept bitterly. He was particularly grieved that he had permitted +his father to bow down before him but a little while before without +hindering it.[318] At the very moment when Joseph embraced his father, +Jacob was reciting the Shema', and he did not allow himself to be +interrupted in his prayer,[319] but then he said, "When they brought me +the report of the death of Joseph, I thought I was doomed to double +death—that I should lose this world and the world to come as well. The +Lord had promised to make me the ancestor of twelve tribes, and as the +death of my son rendered it impossible that this promise should be +realized, I feared I had incurred the doom by my own sins, and as a +sinner I could not but expect to forfeit the future world, too. But now +that I have beheld thee alive, I know that my death will be only for +the world here below."[320] + +Such was the manner of Jacob's arrival in Egypt. He came with his whole +family, sixty-nine persons they were in all, but the number was raised +to seventy by the birth of Jochebed, afterward the mother of Moses, +which took place when the cavalcade had advanced to the space between +the one and the other city wall.[321] All the males in his family were +married men; even Pallu and Hezron, the latter of whom was but one year +old at the time of their migration, and the former but two years, had +the wives with them that had been chosen for them by their +parents.[322] In general, all the sons and grandsons of Jacob had +married young, some of them had been fathers at the age of seven.[323] + +Joseph took some from among his brethren, and presented them to +Pharaoh. He chose the weakest of them, that the king might not be +tempted to retain them in his service as warriors.[324] And as he did +not desire his family to live at close quarters with the Egyptians and +perhaps amalgamate with them, he introduced them as shepherds. The +Egyptians worshipped the constellation of the rain, and paid divine +honors to animals, and they kept aloof from shepherds. Pharaoh +therefore was inclined to grant Joseph's wish, to give them the pasture +land of Goshen for their sojourning place, the land that was theirs by +right, for the Pharaoh that took Sarah away from Abraham by force had +given it to her as her irrevocable possession.[325] + +In their conversation with Pharaoh the brethren of Joseph made it plain +to the Egyptian king that it was not their intention to remain in Egypt +forever, it was to be only a temporary dwelling-place.[326] + +Then Joseph set Jacob his father before Pharaoh, and when the king saw +him, he said to Og, who happened to be with him at that moment, "Seest +thou! Thou wast wont to call Abraham a sterile mule, and here is his +grandson with a family of seventy persons!" Og would not believe his +own eyes, he thought Abraham was standing before him, so close was the +resemblance between Jacob and his progenitor. Then Pharaoh asked about +Jacob's age, to find out whether he actually was Jacob, and not +Abraham. And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my +pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years," using the word pilgrimage +in reference to life on earth, which the pious regard as a temporary +sojourn in alien lands. "Few and evil," he continued, "have been the +days of the years of my life. In my youth I had to flee to a strange +land on account of my brother Esau, and now, in my old age, I must +again go to a strange land, and my days have not attained unto the days +of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their +pilgrimage." These words sufficed to convince Pharaoh and Og that the +man standing before them was not Abraham, but his grandson.[327] + +When Jacob uttered the words, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage +have been few and evil," God said to him: "Jacob, I saved thee out of +the hands of Esau and Laban, I restored Joseph unto thee, and made him +to be a king and a ruler, and yet thou speakest of few and evil days. +Because of thy ingratitude, thou wilt not attain unto the days of the +years of the life of thy fathers," and Jacob died at an age +thirty-three years less than his father Isaac's.[328] + +On going out from the presence of Pharaoh, Jacob blessed the king with +the words, "May the years still in store for me be given unto thee, and +may the Nile overflow its banks henceforth again and water the land." +His words were fulfilled. In order to show that the pious are a +blessing for the world, God caused the Nile to rise above its bed and +fructify the land of Egypt.[329] + + + + +JOSEPH'S KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY + + +Jacob and his family now settled in the land of Goshen, and Joseph +provided them with all things needful, not only with food and drink, +but also with clothing, and in his love and kindness he entertained his +father and his brethren daily at his own table.[330] He banished the +wrong done to him by his brethren from his mind, and he besought his +father to pray to God for them, that He should forgive their great +transgression. Touched by this noble sign of love, Jacob cried out, "O +Joseph, my child, thou hast conquered the heart of thy father +Jacob."[331] + +Joseph had other virtues, besides. The title "the God- fearing one," +borne only by him, Abraham, Job, and Obadiah, he gained by reason of +his kindness of heart and his generosity. Whatever he gave his +brethren, he gave with a "good eye," a liberal spirit. If it was bread +for food, it was sure to be abundant enough, not only to satisfy the +hunger of all, but also for the children to crumble, as is their +habit.[332] + +But Joseph was more than a helper to his family. As a shepherd pastures +his flock, so he provided for the whole world during the years of +famine. The people cursed Pharaoh, who kept the stores of corn in his +treasure chambers for his own use, and they blessed Joseph, who took +thought for the famishing, and sold grain to all that came.[333] The +wealth which he acquired by these sales was lawful gain, for the prices +were raised, not by him, but by the Egyptians themselves.[334] One part +of his possessions, consisting of gold and silver and precious stones, +Joseph buried in four different places, in the desert near the Red Sea, +on the banks of the Euphrates, and in two spots in the desert in the +vicinity of Persia and Media.[335] Korah discovered one of the hiding- +places, and the Roman emperor Antoninus, the son of Severus, another. +The other two will never be found, because God has reserved the riches +they hold for the pious, to be enjoyed by them in the latter days, the +days of the Messiah.[336] The remainder of Joseph's possessions he gave +away, partly to his brethren and their families, and partly to Pharaoh, +who put them into his treasury.[337] + +The wealth of the whole world flowed into Egypt at that time, and it +remained there until the exodus of the Israelites. They took it along, +leaving Egypt like a net without fish. The Israelites kept the treasure +until the time of Rehoboam, who was deprived of it by the Egyptian king +Shishak, and he in turn had to yield it to Zerah, the king of Ethiopia. +Once more it came into possession of the Jews when King Asa conquered +Zerah, but this time they held it for only a short while, for Asa +surrendered it to the Aramean king Ben-hadad, to induce him to break +his league with Baasha, the king of the Ten Tribes. The Ammonites, in +turn, captured it from Ben-hadad, only to lose it in their war with the +Jews under Jehoshaphat. Again it remained with the Jews, until the time +of King Ahaz, who sent it to Sennacherib as tribute money. Hezekiah won +it back, but Zedekiah, the last king of the Jews, lost it to the +Chaldeans, from whom it came to Persia, thence to the Greeks, and +finally to the Romans, and with the last it remained for all time.[338] + +The people were soon left without means to purchase the corn they +needed. In a short time they had to part with their cattle, and when +the money thus secured was spent, they sold their land to Joseph, and +even their persons. Many of them would cover themselves with clay and +appear before Joseph, and say to him, "O lord king, see me and see my +possessions!" And so Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, and the +inhabitants became his tenants, and they gave a fifth of their +ingatherings unto joseph.[339] + +The only class of the people permitted to remain in possession of their +land were the priests. Joseph owed them gratitude, for they had made it +possible for him to become the ruler over Egypt. The Egyptians had +hesitated to make him their viceroy, because they shrank from choosing +a man accused of adultery for so high an office. It was the priests +that made the suggestion to examine Joseph's torn garment, which his +mistress had submitted as evidence of his guilt, and see whether the +rent was in front or in back. If it was in back, it would show his +innocence—he had turned to flee, and his temptress had clutched him so +that the garment tore. But if the tear was in front, then it would be a +proof of his guilt—he had used violence with the woman, and she had +torn the mantle in her efforts to defend her honor. The angel Gabriel +came and transferred the rent from the fore part to the back, and the +Egyptians were convinced of Joseph's innocence, and their scruples +about raising him to the kingship were removed.[340] + +As soon as the Egyptians learnt of the advantageous position of the +priests, they all tried to prove themselves members of the caste. But +Joseph investigated the lists in the archives, and determined the +estate of every citizen. + +The priests were favored in another way. Beside remaining in possession +of their land, they received daily portions from Pharaoh, wherefore God +said, "The priests that serve idols receive all they need every day, +how much more do the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are My +priests, deserve that I should give them what they need every +day."[341] + +The rest of the inhabitants of Egypt, who had to part with their land, +were not permitted to remain in their native provinces. Joseph removed +them from their own cities, and settled them in others. His purpose +herein was to prevent the Egyptians from speaking of his brethren +derogatorily as "exiles the sons of exiles"; he made them all equally +aliens.[342] For the same reason, God later, at the time of the going +forth of the Israelites from Egypt, caused all nations to change their +dwelling-places about, so that the Israelites could not be reproached +with having had to leave their home. And, finally, when Sermacherib +carried the Jews away from their land into exile, it also happened that +this king first mixed up the inhabitants of all the countries of the +world.[343] + + + + +JACOB'S LAST WISH + + +In return for the seventeen years that Jacob had devoted to the +bringing up of Joseph, he was granted seventeen years of sojourn with +his favorite son in peace and happiness. The wicked experience sorrow +after joy; the pious must suffer first, and then they are happy, for +all's well that ends well, and God permits the pious to spend the last +years of their lives in felicity.[344] + +When Jacob felt his end approach, he summoned Joseph to his bedside, +and he told him all there was in his heart. He called for Joseph rather +than one of his other sons, because he was the only one in a position +to execute his wishes. + +Jacob said to Joseph: "If I have found grace in thy sight, bury me not, +I pray thee, in Egypt. Only for thy sake did I come down into Egypt, +and for thy sake I spoke, Now I can die. Do this for me as a true +service of love, and not because thou art afraid, or because decency +demands it. And when I sleep with my fathers, thou shalt bury me in +their burying-place. Carry me out of the land of idolatry, and bury me +in the land where God hath caused His Name to dwell, and put me to rest +in the place in which four husbands and wives are to be buried, I the +last of them." + +Jacob desired not to be buried in Egypt for several reasons. He knew +that the soil of Egypt would once swarm with vermin, and it revolted +him to think of his corpse exposed to such uncleanness. He feared, +moreover, that his descendants might say, "Were Egypt not a holy land, +our father Jacob had never permitted himself to be buried there," and +they might encourage themselves with this argument to make choice of +Egypt as a permanent dwelling- place. Also, if his grave were there, +the Egyptians might resort to it when the ten plagues came upon them, +and if he were induced to pray for them to God, he would be advocating +the cause of the Lord's enemies. If, on the other hand, he did not +intercede for them, the Name of God would be profaned among the +heathen, who would say, "Jacob is a useless saint!" Besides, it was +possible that God might consider him, the "scattered sheep" of Israel, +as a sacrifice for the Egyptians, and remit their punishment. From his +knowledge of the people, another fear was justified, that his grave +would become an object of idolatrous veneration, and the same +punishment is appointed by God for the idols worshipped as for the +idolaters that worship them. + +If Jacob had good reasons for not wanting his body to rest in the soil +of Egypt, he had equally good reasons for wanting it to rest in the +Holy Land. In the Messianic time, when the dead will rise, those buried +in Palestine will awaken to new life without delay, while those buried +elsewhere will first have to roll from land to land through the earth, +hollowed out for the purpose, until they reach the Holy Land, and only +then will their resurrection take place. But over and beyond this, +Jacob had an especial reason for desiring to have his body interred in +Palestine. God had said to him at Beth-el, "The land whereon thou +liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed," and hence he made +every endeavor to "lie" in the Holy Land, to make sure it would belong +to him and his descendants.[345] Nevertheless he bade Joseph strew some +Egyptian earth over his dead body.[346] + +Jacob expressed these his last wishes three times. Such is the +requirement of good breeding in preferring a request. + +In the last period of Jacob's life, one can see how true it is that +"even a king depends upon favors in a strange land." Jacob, the man for +the sake of whose merits the whole world was created, for the sake of +whom Abraham was delivered from the fiery furnace, had to ask services +of others while he was among strangers,[347] and when Joseph promised +to do his bidding, he bowed himself before his own son, for it is a +true saying, "Bow before the fox in his day," the day of his +power.[348] + +He was not satisfied with a simple promise from Joseph, that he would +do his wish; he insisted upon his taking an oath by the sign of the +covenant of Abraham, putting a hand under his thigh in accordance with +the ceremony customary among the Patriarchs![349] But Joseph said: +"Thou treatest me like a slave. With me thou hast no need to require an +oath. Thy command sufficeth." Jacob, however, urged him, saying: "I +fear Pharaoh may command thee to bury me in the sepulchre with the +kings of Egypt. I insist that thou takest an oath, and then I will be +at peace." Joseph gave in,[350] though he would not submit to the +ceremony that Eliezer had used to confirm the oath he took at the +request of his master Abraham. The slave acted in accordance with the +rules of slavery, the free man acted in accordance with the dictates of +freedom.[351] And in a son that thing would have been unseemly which +was becoming in a slave.[352] + +When Joseph swore to bury his father in Palestine, he added the words, +"As thou commandest me to do, so also will I beg my brethren, on my +death-bed, to fulfil my last wish and carry my body from Egypt to +Palestine."[353] + +Jacob, noticing the Shekinah over the bed's head, where she always +rests in a sick room, bowed himself upon the bed's head,[354] saying, +"I thank thee, O Lord my God, that none who is unfit came forth from my +bed, but my bed was perfect."[355] He was particularly grateful for the +revelation God had vouchsafed him concerning his first-born son Reuben, +that he had repented of his trespass against his father, and atoned for +it by penance. He was thus assured that all his sons were men worthy of +being the progenitors of the twelve tribes, and he was blessed with +happiness such as neither Abraham nor Isaac had known, for both of them +had had unworthy as well as worthy sons.[356] + +Until the time of Jacob death had always come upon men suddenly, and +snatched them away before they were warned of the imminent end by +sickness. Once Jacob spoke to God, saying, "O Lord of the world, a man +dies suddenly, and he is not laid low first by sickness, and he cannot +acquaint his children with his wishes regarding all he leaves behind. +But if a man first fell sick, and felt that his end were drawing nigh, +he would have time to set his house in order." And God said, "Verily, +thy request is sensible, and thou shalt be the first to profit by the +new dispensation," and so it happened that Jacob fell sick a little +while before his death.[357] + +His sickness troubled him grievously, for he had undergone much during +his life. He had worked day and night while he was with Laban, and his +conflicts with the angel and with Esau, though he came off victor from +both, had weakened him, and he was not in a condition to endure the +hardships of disease.[358] + + + + +THE BLESSING OF EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH + + +All the years of Jacob's sojourn in Egypt, Asenath, the wife of Joseph, +was his constant nurse. When she saw his end drawing nigh, she spoke to +Joseph: "I have heard that one who is blessed by a righteous man is as +though he had been blessed by the Shekinah. Therefore, bring thy sons +hither, that Jacob give them his blessing."[359] + +Though Joseph was a devoted and loving son to his father, he was not in +constant attendance upon him, because he wanted to avoid giving him the +opportunity of inquiring into the circumstances of his coming to Egypt. +He was apprehensive that Jacob might curse his sons and bring death +upon them, if he discovered the facts connected with their treacherous +dealings with Joseph. He took good care therefore never to be alone +with his father. But as he desired to be kept informed of his welfare, +he arranged a courier service between himself and Jacob. + +Now when Joseph received the news of his father's having fallen sick, +through his messenger, as well as through Ephraim, whom Jacob was +instructing in the Torah, he hastened to the land of Goshen, taking his +two sons with him. He desired to have certainty upon five points: Would +his father bless his two sons, who were born in Egypt, and, if so, +would he appoint them to be heads of tribes? Would he assign the rights +of the first-born unto himself, and, if so, would he divest Reuben of +such rights altogether? And why had his father buried his mother Rachel +by the wayside, and not carried her body to the family tomb at +Machpelah?[360] + +Jacob had also entertained doubts on five points, when he was about to +emigrate from Canaan to Egypt: He did not know whether his descendants +would lose themselves among the people of Egypt; whether he would die +there and be buried there; and whether he would be permitted to see +Joseph and see the sons of Joseph. God gave him the assurance, saying, +"I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will surely bring thee up +again after thy death, and thy descendants also, and Joseph shall put +his hand upon thine eyes." When the time approached for the fulfilment +of the Divine promise, God appeared unto Jacob, and He said, "I +promised to fulfil thy wish, and the time of fulfilment hath come." + +The holy spirit made known to Jacob that Joseph was coming to him,[361] +and he strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed in order to pay due +respect to the representative of the government. Though Joseph was his +son, he was also viceroy, and entitled to special marks of honor. +Besides, Jacob desired to make the impression of being a man in good +health. He wanted to avoid the possibility of having his blessing of +Joseph and Joseph's sons questioned as the act of an irresponsible +person.[362] + +He strengthened himself spiritually as well as physically, by prayer to +God, in which he besought Him to let the holy spirit descend upon him +at the time of his giving the blessing to the sons of Joseph. + +When Joseph appeared in the company of his two sons, his father said to +him: "In all the seventeen years thou hast been visiting me, thou didst +never bring thy sons with thee, but now they have come, and I know the +reason. If I bless them, I shall act in opposition to the word of God, +who promised to make me the progenitor of twelve tribes, for if I adopt +them as my sons, there will be fourteen tribes. But if I do not bless +them, it will plunge thee in sorrow. So be it, I will bless them. But +think not I do it because thou didst support me all these years. There +is quite another reason.[363] When I left my father's house to go to +Haran, I offered up a prayer at Beth-el, and I promised to give unto +God the tenth of all I owned. So far as my material possessions are +concerned, I kept my vow, but I could not give the tithe of my sons, +because according to the law I had to withdraw from the reckoning the +four sons, Reuben, Joseph, Dan, and Gad, that are the first-born +children of their mothers. When I returned, God again appeared unto me +in Beth-el, and He said, Be fruitful and multiply. But after this +blessing no son was born unto me except Benjamin alone, and it cannot +be but that God meant Manasseh and Ephraim when He spoke of 'a nation +and a company of nations.' If now I have found favor in thy sight, thy +two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simon, shall be mine, +and then I shall be able to give a tenth part of my ten sons unto the +Lord, and I shall leave this world free from the sin of not keeping my +vow to the Lord concerning the tithe-giving." + +Joseph consented to do his father's will, and Jacob tithed his sons, +consecrating Levi to the Holy One, and appointing him to be the chief +of his brethren. He enjoined his sons to have a care that there should +never fail them a son of Levi in the priestly succession. And it +happened that. of all the tribes Levi was the only one that never +proved faithless to the covenant of the fathers.[364] + +Thus Jacob adopted Manasseh and Ephraim to be his own sons, even as +Reuben and Simon were his sons. They were entitled like the others to a +portion in the Holy Land, and like the others they were to bear +standards on their journey through the desert.[365] + +Satisfied as to Jacob's intentions concerning his sons, Joseph asked +his father about his mother's burial-place, and Jacob spoke, saying: +"As thou livest, thy wish to see thy mother lying by my side in the +grave doth not exceed mine own. I had joy in life only as long as she +was alive, and her death was the heaviest blow that ever fell upon me." +Joseph questioned him: "Perhaps thou didst have to bury her in the way, +because she died during the rainy season, and thou couldst not carry +her body through the rain to our family sepulchre?" "No," replied +Jacob, "she died in the spring time, when the highways are clean and +firm." Joseph: "Grant me permission to take up her body now and place +it in our family burial-place." Jacob: "No, my son, that thou mayest +not do. I was unwilling to bury her in the way, but the Lord commanded +it." The reason of the command was that God knew that the Temple would +be destroyed, and Israel would be carried away into banishment, and the +exiles would ask the Patriarchs to intercede for them with God, but God +would not hearken unto them. On their way to the land of the stranger +they would pass the grave of Rachel, and they would throw themselves +upon it, and beseech their mother to make intercession for them with +God. And Rachel would pray to God in their behalf: "O Lord of the +world, look upon my tears, and have compassion upon my children. But if +Thou wilt not take pity on them, then indemnify me for the wrong done +to me." Unto her prayer God will hearken, and He will have mercy upon +Israel. Therefore was Rachel buried in the way. + +Now Jacob desired to bless the sons of Joseph, but the holy spirit made +him to see Jeroboam, the descendant of Ephraim, and Jehu, the +descendant of Manasseh, how they would seduce Israel to idolatry, and +the Shekinah forsook him as he was about to lay his hands upon the +heads of his grandsons. He said to Joseph, "Is it possible that thou +didst not marry the mother of thy children according to the law?" +Joseph thereupon brought his wife Asenath to his father, and pointing +to her marriage contract, he said, "This one is my wife, whom I married +as is proper, with a marriage contract and due ceremony. I pray thee, +my father, bless my sons if only for the sake of this pious woman." + +Jacob bade his grandsons approach close to him, and he kissed and +embraced them, in the hope that his joy in them would lure back the +holy spirit, but his hope was vain. Joseph concluded that the time was +not favorable for blessing, and he decided to go away until a more +propitious opportunity presented itself, first, however, proving to his +father that his sons had been initiated in the covenant of Abraham. + +Outside of his father's chamber, alone with his sons, he threw himself +down before God and besought Him to show him mercy, and he bade his +sons do likewise, saying, "Be not content with your high station, for +worldly honors are but for a time. Entreat God to be merciful and let +the Shekinah descend upon my father, that he bless you both." Then +spake God to the holy spirit: "How long yet shall Joseph suffer? Reveal +thyself quickly, and enter into Jacob, that he may be able to bestow +blessings." + +In the words of Jacob, "Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simon, +shall be mine," Joseph had noticed his father's preference for his +younger son Ephraim. It made him very anxious about his older son's +birthright, and he was careful to put the two lads before his father in +such wise that Manasseh should stand opposite Jacob's right hand, and +Ephraim opposite his left hand.[366] But Ephraim, on account of his +modesty, was destined for greater things than his older brother +Manasseh, and God bade the holy spirit prompt Jacob to give the +birthright to Ephraim.[367] Now when Joseph observed his father put his +right hand upon Ephraim's head, he made an attempt to remove it unto +Manasseh's head. But Jacob warded him off, saying: "What, thou wouldst +displace my hand against my will, the hand that overcame the prince of +the angel hosts, who is as large as one-third of the world![368] I know +things not known to thee—I know what Reuben did to Bilhah, and what +Judah did to Tamar. How much more do I know things known to thee![369] +Thinkest thou I know not what thy brethren did to thee, because thou +wouldst betray nothing whenever I asked thee?[370] I know it, Manasseh +also shall become great, the judge Gideon shall descend from him, but +his younger brother will be the ancestor of Joshua, who will bring the +sun and the moon to a standstill, though they have dominion over the +whole earth from end to end." Thus did Jacob set Ephraim the younger +above Manasseh the older, and thus did it remain unto all times. In the +list of the generations, Manasseh comes after Ephraim, and so it was in +the allotment of the portions in the Holy Land, and so it was in the +placing of the camps and the standards of the tribes, and in the +dedication of the Tabernacle—everywhere Ephraim preceded Manasseh.[371] + +The blessing bestowed upon his grandchildren by Jacob was as follows: +"O that it be the will of God that ye walk in the ways of the Lord like +unto my fathers Abraham and Isaac,[372] and may the angel that hath +redeemed me from all evil give his aid unto Joshua and Gideon,[373] and +reveal himself unto them. May your names be named on Israel, and like +unto fishes may you grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth, +and as fishes are protected by the water, so may you be protected by +the merits of Joseph."[374] + +The words "like unto fishes" were used by Jacob for the purpose of +intimating the manner of death awaiting the Ephraimites, the +descendants of Joseph. As fish are caught by their mouth, so the +Ephraimites were in later days to invite their doom by their peculiar +lisp. At the same time, Jacob's words contained the prophecy that +Joshua the son of the man Nun, the "fish," would lead Israel into the +Holy Land. And in his words lay still another prophecy, with reference +to the sixty thousand men children begot in the same night as Moses, +all cast into the river with him, and saved for the sake of his merits. +The number of boys thrown to the fishes in the river that night was +equal to the number of men in Israel upon the earth.[375] + +Ephraim received a special and separate blessing from his grandfather. +Jacob said to him, "Ephraim, my son, thou art the head of the Academy, +and in the days to come my most excellent and celebrated descendants +will be called Ephrati after thee."[376] + +Joseph received two gifts from his father. The first was Shechem, the +city that Jacob had defended, with sword and bow, against the +depredations of the Amorite kings when they tried to take revenge upon +his sons for the outrage committed there. And the second gift was the +garments made by God for Adam and passed from hand to hand, until they +came into the possession of Jacob. Shechem was his reward, because, +with his chastity, he stemmed the tide of immorality that burst loose +in Shechem first of all.[377] Besides, he had a prior claim upon the +city. Shechem, son of Hamor, the master of the city, had given it to +Dinah as a present, and the wife of Joseph, Asenath, being the daughter +of Dinah, the city belonged to him by right.[378] + +Adam's clothes Jacob had received from Esau. He had not taken them from +his brother by force, but God had caused them to be given to him as a +reward for his good deeds. They had belonged to Nimrod. Once when the +mighty hunter caught Esau in his preserves, and forbade him to go on +the chase, they agreed to determine by combat what their privileges +were. Esau had taken counsel with Jacob, and he had advised him never +to fight with Nimrod while he was clothed in Adam's garments. The two +now wrestled with each other, and at the time Nimrod was not dressed in +Adam's clothes. The end was that he was slain by Esau. Thus the +garments worn by Adam fell into the hands of Esau, from him they passed +into Jacob's, and he bequeathed them to Joseph.[379] + +Jacob also taught Joseph three signs whereby to distinguish the true +redeemer, who should deliver Israel from the bondage of Egypt. He would +proclaim the Ineffable Name, appoint elders, and use the word Pakod in +addressing the people.[380] + + + + +THE BLESSING OF THE TWELVE TRIBES + + +When Joseph and his two sons left Jacob, his brethren, envious of the +bountiful blessings bestowed upon the three, said, "The whole world +loveth a favorite of fortune, and our father hath blessed Joseph thus +because he is a ruler of men." Then spoke Jacob: "They that seek the +Lord shall not want any good thing. I have blessings enough for +all."[381] + +Jacob summoned his sons from the land of Egypt, and bade them come to +him at Raamses, first, however, commanding them to make themselves +clean, that the blessing he was about to bestow might attach itself to +them. Another one of his commands was that they were to establish an +Academy, by the members of which they were to be governed. + +When his sons were brought into his presence by the angels, Jacob +spoke, saying, "Take heed that no dissensions spring up among you, for +union is the first condition of Israel's redemption," and he was on the +point of revealing the great secret to them concerning the end of time, +but while they were standing around the golden bed whereon their father +lay, the Shekinah visited him for a moment and departed as quickly, and +with her departed also all trace of the knowledge of the great mystery +from the mind of Jacob.[382] He had the same experience as his own +father Isaac, who also had loss of memory inflicted upon him by God, to +prevent him from revealing the secret at the end of time to Esau, when +he summoned him to receive his blessing. + +The accident made Jacob apprehensive that his sons were not pious +enough to be considered worthy of the revelation concerning the +Messianic era, and he said to them, "Ishmael and the sons of Keturah +were the blemished among the issue of my grandfather Abraham; my father +Isaac begot a blemished issue in Esau, and I fear now that among you, +too, there is one that harbors the intention to serve idols." The +twelve men spake, and said: "Hear, O Israel, our father, the Eternal +our God is the One Only God. As thy heart is one and united in +avouching the Holy One, blessed be He, to be thy God, so also are our +hearts one and united in avouching Him." Whereto Jacob responded, +"Praised be the Name of the glory of His majesty forever and +ever!"[383] And although the whole mystery of the Messianic time was +not communicated to the sons of Jacob, yet the blessing of each +contained some reference to the events of the future. + +These were the words addressed by Jacob to his oldest son: "Reuben, +thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength! Thy +portion should have been three crowns. Thou shouldst have had the +double heritage of thy primogeniture, and the priestly dignity, and the +royal power. But by reason of thy sin, the birthright is conferred upon +Joseph, kingship upon Judah, and the priesthood upon Levi. My son, I +know no healing remedy for thee, but the man Moses, who will ascend to +God, he will make thee whole, and God will forgive thy sin.[384] I +bless thee—may thy descendants be heroes in the Torah and heroes in +war.[385] Though thou must lose thy birthright, yet wilt thou be the +first to enter into possession of thy allotment in the Holy Land, and +in thy territory shall be the first of the cities of refuge, and always +shall thy name stand first in the list of the families of the tribes. +Yea, thou shalt also be the first whose heritage will be seized by the +enemy, and the first to be carried away into the lands of exile."[386] + +After Reuben had had his "ears pulled" thus, he retired, and Jacob +called his sons Simon and Levi to his side, and he addressed them in +these words: "Brethren ye were of Dinah, but not of Joseph, whom you +sold into slavery. The weapons of violence wherewith ye smote Shechem +were stolen weapons, for it was not seemly for you to draw the sword. +That was Esau's portion. To him was it said, By thy sword shalt thou +live. Into the council of the tribe of Simon my soul will not come when +they foregather at Shittim to do vicious deeds, and my glory will not +be united unto the assembly of Korah, the descendants of Levi. In their +anger Simon and Levi slew the prince of Shechem, and in their self-will +they sold Joseph the bull into slavery. Accursed was the city of +Shechem when they entered to destroy it. If they remain united, no +ruler will be able to stand up before them, no war will prosper against +them. Therefore will I divide and scatter their possession among the +possessions of the other tribes. The descendants of Simon will many of +them be poor men, who will wander from tribe to tribe and beg for +bread, and also Levi's tribe will gather its tithes and gifts from all +the others." + +The words of Jacob, "I will divide them in Jacob," spoken of Simon and +Levi, were fulfilled on Simon in particular. When twenty-four thousand +of Simon fell at Shittim, the widows they left behind married husbands +of all the other tribes. Nevertheless Jacob did not dismiss Simon and +Levi without blessing them; the tribe of Simon was to bring forth the +teachers and the beadles needed by all Israel, and Levi, the scholars +that would expound the Torah and render decisions according to its +teachings.[387] + +When the remaining sons of Jacob heard the rebukes dealt out by their +father to these three, they feared to hear like reproaches, and they +tried to slip away from his presence. Especially Judah was alarmed, +that his father might taunt him with his trespass touching Tamar. But +Jacob spoke thus to him: "Judah, thou dost deserve thy name. Thy mother +called thee Jehudah, because she gave praise to God at thy birth, and +so shall thy brethren praise thee, and they all will call themselves by +thy name. And as thou didst confess thy sin openly, so also thy +descendants, Achan, David, and Manasseh, will make public avowal of +their sins, and the Lord will hear their prayer. Thy hands will send +darts after the fleeing foe, and thy father's sons shall pay thee +respect. Thou hast the impudence of a dog and the bravery of a lion. +Thou didst save Joseph from death, and Tamar and her two sons from the +flames. No people and no kingdom will be able to stand up against thee. +Rulers shall not cease from the house of Judah, nor teachers of the law +from his posterity, until his descendant Messiah come, and the +obedience of all peoples be unto him. How glorious is Messiah of the +House of Judah! His loins girded, he will go out to do battle with his +enemies. No king and no ruler will prevail against him. The mountains +will be dyed red with their blood, and the garments of Messiah will be +like the garments of him that presseth wine. The eyes of Messiah will +be clearer than pure wine, for they will never behold unchastity and +bloodshed; and his teeth will be whiter than milk, for never will they +bite aught that is taken by violence."[388] + +Though Issachar was the older, Zebulon came next to be blessed, as a +reward for the sacrifice he had made for his brother's sake, for when +Issachar chose the study of the Torah as his vocation, Zebulon decided +to devote himself to business and support his brother with the profits +of his trade, that he might give himself up to the law +undisturbed.[389] His blessing was that he would conquer the seacoast +as far as Zidon.[390] + +"Issachar," said Jacob, "will take upon himself the burden of the study +of the Torah, and all the other tribes will come to him and ask him to +decide their doubts on legal questions, and his descendants will be the +members of the Sanhedrin and the scholars that will occupy themselves +with fixing the calendar." Jacob blessed Issachar also with the +blessing, that the fruits of his land should be exceedingly large, and +this brought a heavenly as well as an earthly profit in its train, for +when the heathen to whom the fruits were sold marvelled thereat, the +Jewish merchants explained that their extraordinary size was due to the +merits of the tribe of Issachar, whom God rewarded for their devotion +to the Torah, and thus many of the heathen were induced to convert to +Judaism.[391] + +In blessing Dan, Jacob's thoughts were occupied chiefly with his +descendant Samson, who, like unto God, without any manner of +assistance, conferred victory upon his people. Jacob even believed the +strong, heroic man to be the Messiah, but when Samson's death was +revealed to him, he exclaimed, "I wait for Thy salvation, O Lord, for +Thy help is unto all eternity, while Samson's help is only for a +time.[392] The redemption" continued Jacob, "will not be accomplished +by Samson the Danite, but by Elijah the Gadite, who will appear at the +end of time."[393] + +Asher's blessing was the beauty of his women, who would be sought in +marriage by kings and high priests.[394] + +In Naphtali's land all fruits would ripen quickly, and they would be +brought as presents to kings, and gain royal favor for the givers. This +blessing was fulfilled in the plain of Gennesaret.[395] At the same +time Naphtali's blessing was a prophecy concerning his descendant +Deborah, who was like a hind let loose against Sisera to conquer him, +and she gave goodly words in her song of Israel's victory.[396] +Naphtali himself deserved the description applied to Deborah, for he +was swift as a hart to do the will of God, and he was a fleet messenger +unto his father and the tribes. They sent him whithersoever they would, +and he executed their errands with dispatch.[397] He served the +brethren of Joseph as herald, to announce unto Jacob the glad tidings, +"Joseph is yet alive," and when the stricken father saw him approach, +he said, "Lo, here cometh Naphtali the lovable, who proclaimeth +peace."[398] + +Joseph's blessing exceeded the blessing of all his brethren. Jacob +spoke: "O son whom I bred up, Joseph, whom I raised, and who wast +strong to resist the enticements of sin, thou didst conquer all the +magicians and the wise men of Egypt by thy wisdom and thy pious deeds. +The daughters of princes cast their jewels before thee, to draw thine +eyes upon them when thou didst pass through the land of Egypt, but thou +didst not look their way, and therefore wast thou made the father of +two tribes. The magicians and the wise men of Egypt sought to defame +thee before Pharaoh and slander thee, but thou didst set thy hope in +the Almighty. Therefore may He who appeared unto me as El Shaddai bless +thee and grant thee fertile soil and much cattle. May the blessing thy +father giveth thee now, and the blessing that his fathers Abraham and +Isaac gave him, and that called forth the envy of the great of the +world, Ishmael, Esau, and the sons of Keturah—may all these blessings +be a crown upon the head of Joseph, and a chain upon the neck of him +that was the ruler of Egypt, and yet diminished not the honor due to +his brethren."[399] + +The slander of which Jacob spoke referred to what Potiphar had said of +Joseph before Pharaoh. He had complained, saying, "Why didst thou +appoint my slave, whom I did buy for twenty pieces of silver, to be +ruler over the Egyptians?" Joseph had then taken up his own defense, +saying: "When thou didst buy me as a slave, thou didst commit a capital +crime. Only a descendant of Canaan may be sold as a slave, and I am a +descendant of Shem, and a prince besides. If thou wilt convince thyself +of the truth of my words, do but compare me with the likeness of my +mother Sarah that Pharaoh had made of her!" They brought Sarah's +likeness, and, verily, it appeared that Joseph resembled his +ancestress, and all were convinced of his noble lineage.[400] + +The blessing that Jacob bestowed upon Benjamin contains the prophecy +that his tribe would provide Israel with his first ruler and his last +ruler, and so it was, for Saul and Esther both belonged to the tribe of +Benjamin. Likewise Benjamin's heritage in the Holy Land harbors two +extremes: Jericho ripens its fruits earlier than any other region in +Palestine, while Beth-el ripens them latest. In Benjamin's blessing, +Jacob referred also to the service in the Temple, because the Holy +Place was situated in the territory of Benjamin. And when Jacob called +his youngest son a wolf that ravineth, he was thinking of the judge +Ehud, the great scholar, a Benjamite, who conquered Eglon king of Moab, +and also he had in mind the Benjamites that captured their wives by +cunning and force.[401] + +Again, if he called Benjamin a wolf, Judah a lion, and Joseph a bull, +he wanted to point to the three kingdoms known as wolf, lion, and bull, +the doom of which was and will be sealed by the descendants of his +three sons: Babylon, the kingdom of the lion, fell through the hands of +Daniel of the tribe of Judah; Media, the wolf, found its master in the +Benjamite Mordecai; and the bull Joseph will subdue the horned beast, +the kingdom of wickedness, before the Messianic time.[402] + + + + +THE DEATH OF JACOB + + +After Jacob had blessed each of his sons separately, he addressed +himself to all of them together, saying: "According to my power did I +bless you, but in future days a prophet will arise, and this man Moses +will bless you, too, and he will continue my blessings where I left +off." He added, besides, that the blessing of each tribe should redound +to the good of all the other tribes: the tribe of Judah should have a +share in the fine wheat of the tribe of Benjamin, and Benjamin should +enjoy the goodly barley of Judah. The tribes should be mutually +helpful, one to another.[403] + +Moreover, he charged them not to be guilty of idolatry in any form or +shape and not to let blasphemous speech pass their lips, and he taught +them the order of transporting his bier,[404] thus: "Joseph, being +king, shall not help to bear it, nor shall Levi, who is destined to +carry the Ark of the Shekinah. Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon shall grasp +its front end, Reuben, Simon, and Gad its right side, Ephraim, +Manasseh, and Benjamin the hindmost end, and Dan, Asher, and Naphtali +its left side." And this was the order in which the tribes, bearing +each its standard, were to march through the desert, the Shekinah +dwelling in the midst of them.[405] + +Jacob then spake to Joseph, saying: "And thou, my son Joseph, forgive +thy brethren for their trespass against thee, forsake them not, and +grieve them not, for the Lord hath put them into thine hands, that thou +shouldst protect them all thy days against the Egyptians." + +Also he admonished his sons, saying that the Lord would be with them if +they walked in His ways, and He would redeem them from the hands of the +Egyptians. "I know," he continued, "great suffering will befall your +sons and your grandsons in this land, but if you will obey God, and +teach your sons to know Him, then He will send you a redeemer, who will +bring you forth out of Egypt and lead you into the land of your +fathers."[406] + +In resignation to the will of God,[407] Jacob awaited his end, and +death enveloped him gently. Not the Angel of Death ended his life, but +the Shekinah took his soul with a kiss. Beside the three Patriarchs, +Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, only Moses, Aaron, and Miriam breathed their +last in this manner, through the kiss of the Shekinah. And these six, +together with Benjamin, are the only ones whose corpses are not exposed +to the ravages of the worms, and they neither corrupt nor decay. + +Thus Jacob departed this world, and entered the world to come, a +foretaste of which he had enjoyed here below, like the other two +Patriarchs, and none beside among men. In another respect their life in +this world resembled their life in the world to come, the evil +inclination had no power over them, either here or there, wherein David +resembled them.[408] + +Joseph ordered his father's body to be placed upon a couch of ivory, +covered with gold, studded with gems, and hung with drapery of byssus +and purple. Fragrant wine was poured out at its side, and aromatic +spices burnt next to it. Heroes of the house of Esau, princes of the +family of Ishmael, and the lion Judah, the bravest of his sons, +surrounded the sumptuous bier of Jacob. "Come," said Judah to his +brethren, "let us plant a high cedar tree at the head of our father's +grave, its top shall reach up to the skies, its branches shall shade +all the inhabitants of the earth, and its roots shall grow down deep +into the earth, unto the abyss. For from him are sprung twelve tribes, +and from him will arise kings and rulers, chapters of priests prepared +to perform the service of the sacrifices, and companies of Levites +ready to sing psalms and play upon sweet instruments."[409] + +The sons of Jacob tore their garments and girded their loins with +sackcloth, threw themselves upon the ground, and strewed earth upon +their heads until the dust rose in a high cloud. And when Asenath, the +wife of Joseph, heard the tidings of Jacob's death, she came, and with +her came the women of Egypt, to weep and mourn over him. And the men of +Egypt that had known Jacob repaired thither, and they mourned day after +day, and also many journeyed down into Egypt from Canaan, to take part +in the seventy days' mourning made for him.[410] + +The Egyptians spake to one another, saying, "Let us lament for the +pious man Jacob, because the affliction of the famine was averted from +our land on account of his merits," for instead of ravaging the land +for forty-two years according to the decree of God, the famine had +lasted but two years, and that was due to the virtues of Jacob.[411] + +Joseph ordered the physicians to embalm the corpse. This he should have +refrained from doing, for it was displeasing to God, who spoke, saying: +"Have I not the power to preserve the corpse of this pious man from +corruption? Was it not I that spoke the reassuring words, Fear not the +worm, O Jacob, thou dead Israel?" Joseph's punishment for this useless +precaution was that he was the first of the sons of Jacob to suffer +death.[412] The Egyptians, on the other hand, who devoted forty days to +embalming the corpse and preparing it for burial, were rewarded for the +veneration they showed. Before He destroyed their city, God gave the +Ninevites a forty days' respite on account of their king, who was the +Pharaoh of Egypt. And for the three score and ten days of mourning that +the heathen made for Jacob, they were recompensed at the time of +Ahasuerus. During seventy days, from the thirteenth of Nisan, the date +of Haman's edict ordering the extermination of the Jews, until the +twenty-third of Siwan, when Mordecai recalled it, they were permitted +to enjoy absolute power over the Jews. + +When all preparations for the burial of Jacob had been completed, +Joseph asked permission of Pharaoh to carry the body up into Canaan. +But he did not himself go to put his petition before Pharaoh, for he +could not well appear before the king in the garb of a mourner, nor was +he willing to interrupt his lamentation over his father for even a +brief space and stand before Pharaoh and prefer his petition. He +requested the family of Pharaoh to intercede for him with the king for +the additional reason that he was desirous of enlisting the favor of +the king's relations, lest they advise Pharaoh not to fulfil his wish. +He acted according to the maxim, "Seek to win over the accuser, that he +cause thee no annoyance."[413] + +Joseph applied first to the queen's hairdresser, and she influenced the +queen to favor him, and then the queen put in a good word for him with +the king.[414] At first Pharaoh refused the permission craved by +Joseph, who, however, urged him to consider the solemn oath he had +given his dying father, to bury him in Canaan. Pharaoh desired him to +seek absolution from the oath. But Joseph rejoined, "Then will I apply +also for absolution from the oath I gave thee," referring to an +incident in his earlier history. The grandees of Egypt had advised +Pharaoh against appointing Joseph as viceroy, and they did not recede +from this counsel until Joseph, in his conversation with the Egyptian +king, proved himself to be master of the seventy languages of the +world, the necessary condition to be fulfilled before one could become +ruler over Egypt. But the conversation proved something else, that +Pharaoh himself was not entitled to Egyptian kingship, because he +lacked knowledge of Hebrew. He feared, if the truth became known, +Joseph would be raised to his own place, for he knew Hebrew beside all +the other tongues. In his anxiety and distress, Pharaoh made Joseph +swear an oath never to betray the king's ignorance of Hebrew. Now when +Joseph threatened to have himself absolved from this oath as well as +the one to his dying father, great terror overwhelmed him, and he +speedily granted Joseph permission to go up to Canaan and bury his +father there.[415] + +Moreover, Pharaoh issued a decree in all parts of the land menacing +those with death who would not accompany Joseph and his brethren upon +their journey to Canaan with their father's remains, and accordingly +the procession that followed the bier of Jacob was made up of the +princes and nobles of Egypt as well as the common people.[416] The bier +was borne by the sons of Jacob. In obedience to his wish not even their +children were allowed to touch it.[417] It was fashioned of pure gold, +the border thereof inlaid with onyx stones and bdellium, and the cover +was gold woven work joined to the bier with threads that were held +together with hooks of onyx stones and bdellium. Joseph placed a large +golden crown upon the head of his father, and a golden sceptre he put +in his hand, arraying him like a living king. + +The funeral cortege was arranged in this order: First came the valiant +men of Pharaoh and the valiant men of Joseph, and then the rest of the +inhabitants of Egypt. All were girt with swords and clothed in coats of +mail, and the trappings of war were upon them. The weepers and mourners +walked, crying and lamenting, at some distance from the bier, and the +rest of the people went behind it, while Joseph and his household +followed together after it, with bare feet and in tears, and Joseph's +servants were close to him, each man with his accoutrements and weapons +of war. Fifty of Jacob's servants preceded the bier, strewing myrrh +upon the road in passing, and all manner of perfumes, so that the sons +of Jacob trod upon the aromatic spices as they carried the body +forward. + +Thus the procession moved on until it reached Canaan. It halted at the +threshing-floor of Atad, and there they lamented with a very great and +sore lamentation.[418] But the greatest honor conferred upon Jacob was +the presence of the Shekinah, who accompanied the cortege.[419] + +The Canaanites had no intention at first to take part in the mourning +made for Jacob, but when they saw the honors shown him, they joined the +procession of the Egyptians,[420] loosing the girdles of their garments +as a sign of grief.[421] Also the sons of Esau, Ishmael, and Keturah +appeared, though their design in coming was to seize the opportunity +and make war upon the sons of Jacob, but when they saw Joseph's crown +suspended from the bier, the Edomite and Ishmaelite kings and princes +followed his example, and attached theirs to it, too, and it was +ornamented with thirty-six crowns. + +Nevertheless the conflict was not averted; it broke out in the end +between the sons of Jacob and Esau and his followers. When the former +were about to lower the body of their father into the Cave of +Machpelah, Esau attempted to prevent it, saying that Jacob had used his +allotted portion of the tomb for Leah, and the only space left for a +grave belonged to himself. For, continued Esau, "though I sold my +birthright unto Jacob, I yet have a portion in the tomb as a son of +Isaac." The sons of Jacob, however, were well aware of the fact that +their father had acquired Esau's share in the Cave, and they even knew +that a bill of sale existed, but Esau, assuming properly that the +document was left behind in Egypt, denied that any such had ever been +made out, and the sons of Jacob sent Naphtali, the fleet runner, back +to Egypt to fetch the bill. Meantime, while this altercation was going +on between Esau and the others, Hushim the son of Dan arose and +inquired in astonishment why they did not proceed with the burial of +Jacob, for he was deaf and had not understood the words that had passed +between the disputants. When he heard what it was all about, and that +the ceremonies were interrupted until Naphtali should return from Egypt +with the bill of sale, he exclaimed, with indignation, "My grandfather +shall lie here unburied until Naphtali comes back!" and he seized a +club and dealt Esau a vigorous blow, so that he died, and his eyes fell +out of their sockets and dropped upon Jacob's knees, and Jacob opened +his own eyes and smiled. Esau being dead, his brother's burial could +proceed without hindrance, and Joseph interred him in the Cave of +Machpelah in accordance with his wish. + +His other children had left all arrangements connected with the burial +of their father's body to their brother Joseph, for they reflected that +it was a greater honor for Jacob if a king concerned himself about his +remains rather than simple private individuals.[422] + +The head of Esau, as he lay slain by the side of Jacob's grave, rolled +down into the Cave, and fell into the lap of Isaac, who prayed to God +to have mercy upon his son, but his supplications were in vain. God +spoke, saying, "As I live, he shall not behold the majesty of the +Lord."[423] + + + + +THE SONS OF JACOB AT WAR WITH THE SONS OF ESAU + + +Jacob having been interred with royal pomp, and the seven days' period +of mourning over, the conflict between the sons of Jacob and the sons +of Esau broke out anew. In the skirmish that had ensued when Esau +advanced a claim upon a place in the Cave of Machpelah, while his +brother's remains still lay unburied, he lost forty of his men, and +after his death fortune favored his sons as little. Eighty of their +followers were slain, while of the sons of Jacob not one was lost. +Joseph succeeded in capturing Zepho the son of Eliphaz and fifty of his +men, and he clapped them in chains and carried them off to Egypt. +Thereupon the rest of the attacking army led by Eliphaz fled to Mount +Seir, taking with them the headless corpse of Esau, to bury it in his +own territory. The sons of Jacob pursued after them, but they slew +none, out of respect for the remains of Esau. + +On the third day a great army gathered together, consisting of the +inhabitants of Seir and the children of the East, and they marched down +into Egypt with the purpose of making war upon Joseph and his brethren. +In the battle that came off, this army was almost totally destroyed, +not less than six hundred thousand men were mowed down by Joseph and +his warriors, and the small remnant fled precipitately. Returned to +their own country after this fatal campaign, the sons of Esau and the +sons of Seir fell to quarrelling among themselves, and the sons of Seir +demanded that their former allies leave the place, because it was they +that had brought misfortune upon the country. + +The sons of Esau thereupon dispatched a messenger in secret to their +friend Agnias, king of Africa, begging his aid against the sons of +Seir. He granted their request, and sent them troops consisting of +foot-soldiers and mounted men. The sons of Seir, on their part, also +sought allies, and they secured the help of the children of the East, +and of the Midianites, who put warriors at their disposal. In the +encounters that ensued between the hostile forces, the sons of Esau +were defeated again and again, partly on account of treachery in their +own ranks, for their men sometimes deserted to the enemy while the +combat was on. At last, however, in the battle that took place in the +desert of Paran, the sons of Esau gained a decisive victory. They +massacred all the warriors of the sons of Seir, and the Midianites and +the children of the East were put to flight. + +Thereafter the sons of Esau returned to Seir, and they slew all the +inhabitants of the place, men, women, and children, sparing only fifty +lads and maidens. The former they used as slaves, and the latter they +took to wife. They also enriched themselves with the spoils, seizing +all the possessions of the sons of Seir, and the whole land was divided +among the five sons of Esau. Now these descendants of Esau determined +to put a king over themselves, but in consequence of the treachery +committed during the war there prevailed such hatred and bitterness +among them that they decided never to appoint a ruler from their own +people. Their choice fell upon Bela, the son of Beor, one of the +warriors sent to them by King Agnias. His peer could not be found among +the allied troops for bravery, wisdom, and handsome appearance. They +set the royal crown upon his head, built a palace for him, and gave him +gifts of silver, gold, and gems, until he lived in great opulence. He +reigned happily for thirty years, and met his death then in a war +against Joseph and his brethren. + +This war came about because the sons of Esau could not banish from +their memory the disgrace of the defeat inflicted upon them by Joseph +and his people. Having enlisted the aid of Agnias, and of the +Ishmaelites and other nations of the East, they set forth on a second +campaign against Egypt, in the hope of delivering Zepho and his +followers from the hands of Joseph. In spite of their enormous +host—they had no less than eight hundred thousand men of infantry and +cavalry—they were defeated at Raamses by Joseph and his brethren and +their little company of six hundred men. Beside their king Bela, they +left one-fourth of their army upon the field. The loss of their king +discouraged them grievously, and they took to flight, hard pressed by +Joseph, who cut down many of the fugitives. + +When he returned from the battle, Joseph ordered manacles and fetters +to be put upon Zepho and his followers, and their captivity was made +more bitter unto them than it had been before. + +The sons of Esau appointed Jobab of Bozrah to succeed their dead king +Bela. His reign lasted ten years, but they desisted from all further +attempts at waging war with the sons of Jacob. Their last experience +with them had been too painful, but the enmity they cherished against +them was all the fiercer, and their hatred never abated. + +Their third king was Husham, and he ruled over them for twenty years. +During his reign Zepho succeeded in making good his escape from Egypt. +He was received kindly by Agnias, king of Africa, and appointed +commander-in-chief of his troops. He used every means of persuasion to +induce his sovereign lord to enter into a war with Egypt, but in vain, +for Agnias was only too well acquainted with the strength and heroism +of the sons of Jacob. For many years he resisted Zepho's arguments and +blandishments. Indeed, as it was, Agnias had his hands full with other +warlike enterprises. It had happened about this time that a man of the +land of Kittim, 'Uzi by name, whom his countrymen venerated as a god, +died in the city of Pozimana, and he left behind a fair and clever +daughter. Agnias heard of Yaniah's beauty and wisdom, and he sued for +her hand, and his request was granted him by the people of Kittim. + +The messengers of Agnias were hastening away from Kittim, bearing to +their master the promise of the inhabitants that Yaniah should become +his wife, when Turnus, king of Benevento, arrived on the same errand. +His suit was rejected, for the people of Kittim were afraid-to break +the promise given to Agnias. In his anger, Turnus went to Sardinia to +make war upon King Lucus, a brother of Agnias, intending to deal with +the latter as soon as the other was rendered harmless. Hearing of the +design hatched by Turnus, Agnias hastened to Sardinia to the assistance +of his brother, and a battle took place in the Valley of Campania. +Against Turnus were arrayed Agnias, his brother Lucus, and the son of +the latter, Niblos, whom his father had appointed commander-in-chief of +the Sardinian troops. In the first encounter, Turnus was the victor, +and the Sardinians lost their general Niblos. But in the second +engagement the army of Turnus was routed completely, and he himself was +left dead on the field. His army fled, pursued closely by Agnias as far +as the cross-road between Rome and Albano. Niblos' body was put inside +of a golden statue, and his father erected a high tower over his grave, +and another over the grave of Turnus, and these two buildings, +connected by a marble pavement, stand opposite to each other, on the +cross-road at which Agnias left off from following after the fugitive +army. + +The king of Africa went on to the city of Benevento, but he took no +harsh measures against it and its inhabitants, because it belonged to +the land of Kittim at that time. Thenceforth, however, bands of +soldiers from Africa made incursions, now and again, into the land of +Kittim, under the lead of Zepho, the captain of the African army. +Agnias meantime went to Pozimana, to solemnize his marriage with +Yaniah, and he returned with her to his capital in Africa.[424] + + + + +ZEPHO KING OF KITTIM + + +All this time Zepho did not leave off urging Agnias to invade Egypt, +and he succeeded finally in persuading the king to consider his wish, +and a great army was equipped against Egypt and the sons of Jacob. +Among the shield- bearers was Balaam, the fifteen year old son of Beor, +a wise youth and an adept in magic, and the king bade him acquaint him +with the issue of the war upon which they were entering. Balaam took +wax and moulded the figures of men, to represent the army of Agnias and +the army of the Egyptians, and he plunged them into magic water and let +them swim, and it appeared that the African army was subdued by the +Egyptians. Agnias accordingly gave up the campaign, and Zepho, seeing +that his sovereign could not be persuaded into war with the sons of +Jacob, fled the country and betook himself to Kittim. + +The people of Kittim received him with great honors, and they offered +him much money to stay with them and conduct their wars. It happened +once while Zepho was in the mountains of Koptiziah, where the +inhabitants of Kittim had taken refuge before the troops of the African +king, that he had to go on a search for an ox that had strayed away, +and he discovered a cave the opening of which was barred by a great +stone. He shivered the stone in pieces, and entering the cave he saw an +animal formed like a man above and a he-goat below, and he killed the +strange beast, which was in the very act of devouring his lost ox. +There was great rejoicing among the people of Kittim, for the monster +had long been doing havoc among their cattle, and in gratitude they set +aside one day of the year, which they called by Zepho's name, in honor +of their liberator, and all the people brought him presents and offered +sacrifices to him. + +At this time it came to pass that Yaniah, the wife of King Agnias, fell +into a grievous sickness, and the physicians ascribed her illness to +the climate, and to the water of Africa, to which she, a native of the +land of Kittim, could not get accustomed, because she had been in the +habit of using the water of the river Forma, which her forefathers had +drawn to her house through a conduit. Agnias sent to the land of Kittim +and had some of the water of the Forma brought to Africa. Finding it +much lighter than the water of his own country, he built a huge canal +from the land of Kittim. to Africa, and the queen henceforth had all +the Forma water she needed. Besides, he took earth and stone from +Kittim, and built a palace for Yaniah, and she recovered from her +illness. + +Meantime Zepho had won a decisive victory over the African troops that +had made an incursion into the land of Kittim, and the people chose him +as king. His first undertaking was a campaign against the sons of Tubal +and the Islands of the Sea, and again he was successful, he subdued +them completely. On his return, the people built a great palace for +Zepho, and they renewed his kingship, and he continued until his death +to reign as king of Kittim and of Italy. + +During the first thirteen years of his reign, the Africans made no +attempt to disturb the peace of Kittim, but then they invaded the land, +only to be severely repulsed by Zepho, who pursued the troops up to the +very borders of Africa, and Agnias the king was in such consternation +that he did not venture to make reprisals for some time. When he +finally made a second attempt, his troops were annihilated by Zepho +down to the very last man. Now Agnias, in despair, assembled all the +inhabitants of Africa, as numerous as the sand on the sea-shore, and he +united his great host with the army of his brother Lucus, and thus he +made his third attempt upon Zepho and the people of the land of Kittim. + +Alarmed, Zepho wrote to his brethren in Seir, and entreated their king +Hadad to send him aid. But the people of Seir had concluded an alliance +with Agnias as far back as under their first king Bela, and they +refused Zepho's request, and the king of Kittim had to face the host of +eight hundred thousand men mustered by Agnias with his little band of +three thousand. Then the people of Kittim spake to their king Zepho, +saying: "Pray for us unto the God of thy ancestors. Peradventure He may +deliver us from the hand of Agnias and his army, for we have heard that +He is a great God, and He delivers all that trust in Him." Zepho prayed +unto the Lord, saying: "O Lord, God of Abraham and Isaac, my fathers, +this day may it be made known that Thou art a true God, and all the +gods of the nations are vain and useless. Remember now this day unto me +Thy covenant with Abraham our father, which our ancestors related unto +us, and do graciously with me this day for the sake of Abraham and +Isaac, our fathers, and save me and the sons of Kittim from the hand of +the king of Africa, who hath come against us for battle." + +God gave ear unto Zepho's prayer, and in the first day's battle +one-half of the African army fell. Agnias forthwith dispatched a decree +to his country, ordering, on penalty of death and confiscation of +property, that all the males of the land, including boys that bad +passed their tenth year, were to join the army and fight against the +people of Kittim. In spite of these new accessions, three hundred +thousand strong, Agnias was beaten again by Zepho in the second battle. +The African general Sosipater having fallen slain, the troops broke +into flight, at their head Agnias with Lucus the brother and Asdrubal +the son of Agnias. After this dire defeat the Africans made no further +attempt to disturb the peace of Kittim, and their incursions ceased +forever. + +In spite of the great victory that Zepho had won with the help of God, +the king of Kittim walked in the idolatrous ways of the people whom he +ruled, and in the ways of the sons of Esau, for, as saith the proverb +of the ancients, "Out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness," and Zepho +was not other than the rest of the sons of Esau. + +The severe defeat inflicted upon Agnias drove Balaam from Africa to +Kittim, and he was received with great honors by Zepho, who welcomed +him on account of his deep wisdom. + +Now Zepho thought the time had arrived for him to carry out his plan of +vengeance against the posterity of Jacob, all the more as in the +meantime Joseph had died, and also his brethren and the valiant men of +Pharaoh had passed away. He was joined in the enterprise by Hadad, the +king of Edom, and by the nations of the East and the Ishmaelites. The +allied army was so vast that the space it covered as it stood in rank +and file was equal to a three days' journey. It formed in battle array +in the Valley of Pathros, and it was met by three hundred thousand +Egyptians and one hundred and fifty Israelites from Goshen. But the +Egyptians did not trust the Israelites, they feared their defection to +the sons of Esau and Ishmael. They therefore made an agreement with +them that the Israelites were not to come to the help of the Egyptians +until it appeared that the enemy were getting the upper hand + +Zepho, who had a high opinion of Balaam's ability, desired him to use +his magic arts and find out what would be the outcome of the war, but +Balaam's knowledge failed him, he could not satisfy the king's wish. +The Egyptians got the worst of the first encounter between the two +hostile armies, but the aspect of things changed as soon as they +summoned the Israelites to aid them. The Israelites prayed to God to +support them with His help, and the Lord heard their prayer. Then they +threw themselves upon Zepho and his allies, and after they had cut down +several thousand men, such dismay and confusion took hold of the enemy +that they fled hastily, pursued by the Israelites as far as the +boundary of the country. The Egyptians, instead of coming to the +assistance of the Israelites, had taken to flight, leaving the small +band of their allies to dispose of the huge host of their adversaries. +Embittered by such treatment, the Israelites slew as many as two +hundred Egyptians, under the pretext that they thought they belonged to +the enemy.[425] + + + + +THE NATIONS AT WAR + + +Hadad, the king of Edom, who had failed to gain fame and honor in the +Egyptian campaign, was favored by fortune in another war, a war against +Moab. The Moabites shrank from meeting Hadad alone, and they made an +alliance with the Midianites. In the thick of the fight the Moabites +fled from the field of battle, leaving the Midianites to their fate, +and these deserted allies of theirs were cut down to a man by Hadad and +his Edomites. The Moabites saved their skins, and suffered only the +inconvenience of having to pay tribute. To avenge the faithlessness +practiced against them, the Midianites, supported by their kinsmen, the +sons of Keturah, gathered a mighty army, and attacked the Moabites the +following year. But Hadad came to their assistance, and again he +inflicted a severe defeat upon the Midianites, who had to give up their +plan of revenge against Moab. This is the beginning of the inveterate +enmity between the Moabites and the Midianites. If a single Moabite is +caught in the land of Midian, he is killed without mercy, and a +Midianite in Moab fares no better. + +After the death of Hadad, the Edomites installed Samlah of Masrekah as +their king, and he reigned eighteen years. It was his desire to take up +the cause of Agnias, the old ally of the Edomites, and chastise Zepho +for having gone to war with him, but his people, the Edomites, would +not permit him to undertake aught that was inimical to their kinsman, +and Samlah had to abandon the plan. In the fourteenth year of Samlah's +reign, Zepho died, having been king of Kittim for fifty years. His +successor was Janus, one of the people of Kittim, who enjoyed an +equally long reign. + +Balaam had made his escape to Egypt after the death of Zepho, and he +was received there with great demonstrations of honor by the king and +all the nobles, and Pharaoh appointed him to be royal counsellor, for +he had heard much about his exceeding great wisdom. + +In the Edomite kingdom, Samlah was succeeded by Saul of Pethor, a youth +of surpassing beauty, whose reign lasted forty years. His successor +upon the throne was Baal Hamon, king for thirty-eight years, during +which period the Moabites rose up against the Edomites, to whom they +had been paying tribute since the time of Hadad, and they succeeded in +throwing off the yoke of the stranger. + +The times were troubled everywhere. Agnias, the king of Africa, died, +and also the death of Janus occurred, the king of Kittim. The +successors to these two rulers, Asdrubal, the son of Agnias, and +Latinus, the king of Kittim, then entered upon a long drawn out war of +many years. At first the fortune of war favored Latinus. He sailed to +Africa in ships, and inflicted one defeat after another upon Asdrubal, +and finally this king of Africa lost his life upon the battlefield. +After destroying the canal from Kittim to Africa built many years +before by Agnias, Latinus returned to his own country, taking with him +as his wife Ushpiziwnah, the daughter of Asdrubal, who was so +wondrously beautiful that her countrymen wore her likeness upon their +garments. + +Latinus did not enjoy the fruits of his victory long. Anibal, the +younger brother of Asdrubal and his successor in the royal power, went +to Kittim in ships and carried on a series of wars lasting eighteen +years, in the course of which he killed off eighty thousand of the +people of Kittim, not sparing the princes and the nobles. At the end of +this protracted period he went back to Africa, and reigned over his +people in quiet and peace. + +The Edomites, during the forty-eight years of the reign of Hadad, the +successor of Baal Hamon, fared no better than the people of Kittim. +Hadad's first undertaking was to reduce the Moabites again under the +sovereignty of Edom, but he had to desist, because he could not offer +successful resistance to a newly chosen king of theirs, one of their +own people, who enlisted the aid of their kinsmen the Ammonites. The +allies commanded a great host, and Hadad was overwhelmed. These wars +were followed by others between Hadad of Edom. and Abimenos of Kittim. +The latter was the attacking party, and he invaded Seir with a mighty +army. The sons of Seir were defeated abjectly, their king Hadad was +taken captive, and then executed by Abimenos, and Seir was made a +province subject to Kittim and ruled by a governor. + +Thus ended the independence of the sons of Esau. Henceforth they had to +pay tribute to Kittim, over which Abimenos ruled until his death, in +the thirty-eighth year of his reign.[426] + + + + +JOSEPH'S MAGNANIMITY + + +As Joseph was returning from the burial of his father in the Cave of +Machpelah, he passed the pit into which his brethren had once cast him, +and he looked into it, and said, "Blessed be God who permitted a +miracle to come to pass for me here!" The brethren inferred from these +words of gratitude, which Joseph but uttered in compliance with the +injunctions of the law, that he cherished the recollection of the evil +they had done him, and they feared, that now their father was dead, +their brother would requite them in accordance with their deeds. They +observed, moreover, that since their father was no more, Joseph had +given up the habit of entertaining them at his table, and they +interpreted this as a sign of his hatred of them. In reality, it was +due to Joseph's respect and esteem for his brethren. "So long as my +father was alive," Joseph said to himself, "he bade me sit at the head +of the table, though Judah is king, and Reuben is the first-born. It +was my father's wish, and I complied with it. But now it is not seemly +that I should have the first seat in their presence, and yet, being +ruler of Egypt, I cannot yield my place to any other." He thought it +best therefore not to have the company of his brethren at his meals. + +But they, not fathoming his motives, sent Bilhah to him with the dying +message of their father, that he was to forgive the transgression and +the sin of his brethren. For the sake of the ways of peace they had +invented the message; Jacob had said nothing like it. Joseph, on his +part, realized that his brethren spoke thus only because they feared he +might do harm unto them, and he wept that they should put so little +trust in his affection. When they appeared, and fell down before his +face, and said, "Thou didst desire to make one of us a slave unto +thyself. Behold, we all are ready to be thy servants," he spoke to them +gently, and tried to convince them that he harbored no evil design +against them. He said: "Be not afraid, I will do you no harm, for I +fear God, and if ye think I failed to have you sit at my table because +of enmity toward you, God knows the intentions of my heart, He knows +that I acted thus out of consideration for the respect I owe to +you."[427] + +Furthermore he said: "Ye are like unto the dust of the earth, the sand +on the sea-shore, and the stars in the heavens. Can I do aught to put +these out of the world? Ten stars could effect nothing against one +star, how much less can one star effect anything against ten? Do you +believe that I have the power of acting contrary to the laws of nature? +Twelve hours hath the day, twelve hours the night, twelve months the +year, twelve constellations are in the heavens, and also there are +twelve tribes! You are the trunk and I am the head—of what use the head +without the trunk? It is to my own good that I should treat you with +fraternal affection. Before your advent, I was looked upon as a slave +in this country—you proved me a man of noble birth. Now, if I should +kill you, my claims upon an aristocratic lineage would be shown to be a +lie. The Egyptians would say, He was not their brother, they were +strangers to him, he but called them his brethren to serve his purpose, +and now he hath found a pretext to put them out of the way. Or they +would hold me to be a man of no probity. Who plays false with his own +kith and kin, how can he keep faith with others? And, in sooth, how can +I venture to lay hand upon those whom God and my father both have +blessed?"[428] + +As Joseph's dealings were kind and gentle with his brethren, so he was +the helper and counsellor of the Egyptians, and when Pharaoh departed +this life, Joseph being then a man of seventy-one years of age, the +king's last wish was that he might be a father unto his son and +successor Magron, and administer the affairs of state for him. Some of +the Egyptians desired to make Joseph king after the death of Pharaoh, +but this plan met with opposition on the part of others. They objected +to an alien on the throne, and so the royal title was left to Magron, +called Pharaoh, according to the established custom the name given to +all the Egyptian kings. But Joseph was made the actual ruler of the +land, and though he was only viceroy in Egypt, he reigned as king over +the lands outside of Egypt as far as the Euphrates, parts of which +Joseph had acquired by conquest. The inhabitants of these countries +brought their yearly tribute to him and other presents besides, and +thus did Joseph rule for forty years, beloved of all, and respected by +the Egyptians and the other nations, and during all that time his +brethren dwelt in Goshen, happy and blithe in the service of God. And +in his own family circle Joseph was happy also; he lived to act as +godfather at the circumcision of the sons of his grandson Machir. + +His end was premature as compared with that of his brethren; at his +death he was younger than any of them at their death. It is true, +"Dominion buries him that exercises it."[429] He died ten years before +his allotted time, because, without taking umbrage, he had permitted +his brethren to call his father his "servant" in his presence.[430] + + + + +ASENATH + + +God gives every man the wife he deserves,[431] and so Asenath was +worthy of being the helpmeet of Joseph the pious. Her father was +Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's magnates, ranking among the most +distinguished of them by reason of wisdom, wealth, and station. His +daughter was slender like unto Sarah, beautiful like Rebekah, and +radiant in appearance like Rachel. Noblemen and princes sued for her +hand when she was eighteen years of age. Even Pharaoh's appointed +successor, his first-born son, demanded her in marriage, but his father +refused to comply with his wish, because he did not consider her a +proper wife for one destined to sit upon the throne. The daughter of +the Moabite king, he insisted, was a more suitable match for him. But +Asenath rejected every proposal of marriage, and avoided all +intercourse with men. With seven maidens born the same day as herself, +she lived in retirement in a magnificent palace adjoining that of her +parents. + +It happened in the first of the seven years of plenty that Joseph +planned to visit the place in which Potiphar resided, and he sent word +to him that he would put up with him, at his house. Potiphar was +enchanted with the honor in prospect for him, and also with the +opportunity it would afford him of bringing about a marriage between +Asenath and Joseph. But when he disclosed his plan to his daughter, she +rejected it with indignation. "Why shouldst thou desire to see me +united with a vagabond, a slave," she cried out, "one that does not +even belong to our nation, but is the son of a Canaanitish herdsman, a +fellow that attempted to violate the honor of his mistress, and in +punishment for this misdemeanor was thrown into prison, to be liberated +thence by Pharaoh for interpreting his dream? Nay, father, never will I +become his wife. I am willing to marry the son of Pharaoh, the future +ruler and king of Egypt." + +Potiphar promised his daughter not to speak of the plan again. At that +moment Joseph's arrival was announced, and Asenath left the presence of +her parents and withdrew to her own apartments. Standing by the window, +she saw Joseph pass, and she was so transported with his divine beauty +and his indescribably noble carriage that she burst into tears, and +said: "Poor, foolish me, what shall I do? I permitted myself to be +misled by friends, who told me that Joseph was the son of a Canaanitish +shepherd. Now I behold the splendor that emanates from him like unto +the splendor of the sun, illuminating our house with his rays. In my +audacity and folly I had looked down upon him, and had spoken absurd +nonsense against him. I knew not that he was a son of God, as he must +be, for among men such beauty as his does not exist. I pray Thee, O God +of Joseph, grant me pardon! It was my ignorance that made me speak like +a fool. If my father will give me in marriage to Joseph, I will be his +forever." + +Meantime Joseph had taken his seat at Potiphar's table, and he observed +a maiden looking at him from one of the palace windows. He commanded +that she be ordered away, for he never permitted women to gaze at him +or come near to him. His supernatural beauty always fascinated the +noble Egyptian ladies, and they were untiring in the efforts they made +to approach him. But their attempts were vain. He cherished the words +of his father Jacob, who had admonished his son to keep aloof from the +women of the Gentiles. + +Potiphar explained to Joseph that the maiden at the window was his +virgin daughter, who never permitted men to abide near her; he was the +first man she had ever looked upon. The father continued and made the +request of Joseph, to allow his daughter to pay him her respects. +Joseph granted the favor he desired, and Asenath appeared and greeted +him with the words, "Peace be with thee, thou blessed of God Most +High," whereunto Joseph returned the salutation, "Be thou blessed of +the Lord, from whom flow all blessings." + +Asenath desired also to kiss Joseph, but he warded off the intimate +greeting with the words: "It is not meet that a God-fearing man, who +blesses the living God, and eats the blessed bread of life, who drinks +of the blessed cup of immortality and incorruptibility, and anoints +himself with the fragrant oil of holiness, should kiss a woman of a +strange people, who blesses dead and unprofitable idols, and eats the +putrid bread of idolatry, which chokes the soul of man, who drinks the +libations of deceit, and anoints herself with the oil of destruction." + +These words uttered by Joseph touched Asenath unto tears. Out of +compassion with her, he bestowed his blessing upon her, calling upon +God to pour out His spirit over her and make her to become a member of +His people and His inheritance, and grant her a portion in the life +eternal. + + + + +THE MARRIAGE OF JOSEPH + + +The appearance and the speech of Joseph made so deep an impression upon +Asenath that no sooner had she reached her apartment than she divested +herself of her robes of state and took off her jewels, and put on +sackcloth instead, strewed ashes upon her head, and supplicated God +amid tears to grant her pardon for her sins. In this manner she spent +seven days and seven nights in her chamber. Not even her seven +attendants were permitted to enter her presence during the time of her +penance. The morning of the eighth day an angel appeared unto her, and +bade her put away her sackcloth and ashes and array herself in state, +for this day she had been born anew, he said, to eat the blessed bread +of life, to drink of the cup of life immortal, and anoint herself with +the oil of life eternal. Asenath was about to set food and drink before +her guest, when she perceived a honeycomb of wondrous form and +fragrance. The angel explained to her that it had been produced by the +bees of Paradise, to serve as food for the angels and the elect of God. +He took a small portion of it for himself, and the rest he put into +Asenath's mouth, saying: "From this day forth thy body shall bloom like +the eternal flowers in Paradise, thy bones shall wax fat like the +cedars thereof, strength inexhaustible shall be thine, thy youth shall +never fade, and thy beauty never perish, and thou shalt be like unto a +metropolis surrounded by a wall." At the request of Asenath, the angel +blessed also her seven attendants, with the words, "May the Lord bless +you and make you to be seven pillars in the City of Refuge." + +Thereupon the angel left her, and she saw him ascend heavenward in a +chariot of fire drawn by four steeds of fire. Now she knew that she had +not been entertaining a human being, but an angel. + +The celestial messenger had scarcely departed, when a visit from Joseph +was announced, and she hastened to array and adorn herself for his +reception. When she washed her face, she caught sight of it in the +water, and saw it to be of such beauty as never before, so great had +been the transformation wrought by the angel. When Joseph came, he did +not recognize her. He asked her who she was, whereto she replied, "I am +thy maid-servant Asenath! I have cast away my idols, and this day a +visitant came to me from heaven. He gave me to eat of the bread of life +and to drink of the blessed cup, and he spake these words unto me, 'I +give thee unto Joseph as his affianced wife, that he may be thy +affianced husband forever.' And furthermore he said, 'Thy name shall +not any more be called Asenath, but thy name shall be City of Refuge, +whither the nations shall flee for safety.' And he added, 'I go to +Joseph, to tell him all these things that have reference to thee.' Now, +my lord, thou knowest whether the man was with thee and spoke to thee +in my behalf." + +Joseph confirmed all she had said, and they embraced and kissed each +other in token of their betrothal, which they celebrated by a banquet +with Potiphar and his wife. The wedding took place later in the +presence of Pharaoh, who set a golden crown upon the head of the +bridegroom and the bride, gave them his blessing, and made a seven +days' feast in their honor, to which he invited the magnates and +princes of Egypt and of other countries. And during the seven days of +the wedding festivities the people were prohibited, under penalty of +death, from doing any manner of work; they all were to join in the +celebration of Joseph's marriage. + + + + +KIND AND UNKIND BRETHREN + + +On the twenty-first day of the second month in the second of the seven +years of famine, Jacob came down to Egypt, and his daughter-in-law +Asenath visited him. She marvelled not a little at his beauty and +strength. His shoulders and his arms were like an angel's, and his +loins like a giant's. Jacob gave her his blessing, and with her husband +she returned home, accompanied by the sons of Leah, while the sons of +the handmaids, remembering the evil they had once done unto Joseph, +kept aloof. Levi in particular had conceived a fondness for Asenath. He +was especially close to the Living God, for he was a prophet and a +sage, his eyes were open, and he knew how to read the celestial books +written by the finger of God. He revealed to Asenath that he had seen +her future resting-place in heaven, and it was built upon a rock and +encompassed by a diamond wall. + +On their journey they met the son of Pharaoh, his successor to the +throne, and he was so transported with Asenath's beauty, that he made +the plan of murdering Joseph in order to secure possession of his wife. +He summoned Simon and Levi, and by blandishments and promises sought to +induce them to put Joseph out of the way. Simon was so enraged that he +would have felled him at once, had not his brother Levi, who was +endowed with the gift of prophecy, divined his purpose, and frustrated +it by stepping upon his foot, while whispering: "Why art thou so angry, +and so wroth with the man? We that fear God may not repay evil with +evil." Turning to the son of Pharaoh, he told him that nothing would +induce them to execute the wickedness he had proposed; rather he +advised him not to undertake aught against Joseph, else he would kill +him with the sword that had served him in his slaughter of the +inhabitants of Shechem. The culprit was seized with frantic alarm, and +fell down before Simon and Levi to entreat their mercy. Levi raised him +tip, saying, "Fear not, but abandon thy wicked plan, and harbor no evil +design against Joseph." + +Nevertheless the son of Pharaoh did not give up his criminal purpose. +He approached the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, and sought to accomplish +through them what had failed with Simon and Levi. He called them into +his presence, and told them of a conversation between Joseph and +Pharaoh that he had overheard. The former had said that he waited but +to learn of the death of his father Jacob in order to do away with the +sons of the handmaids, because they had been the ones to sell him into +slavery. Their wrath excited against Joseph by these words, the sons of +Bilhah and Zilpah assented to the proposition of the son of Pharaoh. It +was arranged that the latter should kill Pharaoh, the friend of Joseph, +while they would fall upon their brother, and put him out of the way. +They were furnished with six hundred able warriors and fifty spearmen +for the purpose. The first part of the plan, the murder of Pharaoh, +failed. The palace guard would not allow even the successor to the +throne to enter his father's bedchamber, and he had to depart without +having effected his object. + +Now Dan and Gad gave him the advice to take up his station with fifty +archers in a secret place that Asenath had to pass on her homeward +journey. Thence he could make a successful attack upon her suite, and +gain possession of her. Naphtali and Asher did not care to have +anything to do with this hostile enterprise against Joseph, but Dan and +Gad forced them into it, insisting that all the sons of the handmaids +must stand together as men and repel the danger that threatened them. + + + + +TREACHERY PUNISHED + + +From their ambush the forces of the son of Pharaoh fell upon Asenath +and her six hundred attendants. They succeeded in hewing down the +vanguard, and Asenath had to take to flight. To her alarm she +encountered the son of Pharaoh with fifty mounted men. Benjamin, seated +in the same chariot with her, came to her rescue, for in spite of his +youth he was exceedingly courageous. He descended from the chariot, +gathered pebbles, and, throwing them at the son of Pharaoh, struck him +on his forehead and inflicted a severe wound. The charioteer aided him +by keeping him supplied with pebbles, which he cast at the fifty riders +with such expert skill that he slew forty-eight of them with as many +missiles. Meantime the sons of Leah arrived on the spot and came to +Asenath's aid, for Levi, with his prophetic spirit, had seen what was +happening, and summoning his five brothers he had hastened thither. +These six attacked the troops in ambush and cut them down. But the +danger to Asenath was by no means removed. At this moment the sons of +the handmaids threw themselves upon her and Benjamin with drawn swords. +It was their intention to kill them both, and flee to cover in the +depths of the woods. But as soon as Asenath supplicated God for aid, +the swords dropped from the hands of her assailants, and they saw that +the Lord was on the side of Asenath. They fell at her feet and +entreated her grace. She allayed their anxiety with the words: "Be +courageous and have no fear of your brethren, the sons of Leah. They +are God-fearing men. Do but keep yourselves in hiding until their wrath +is appeased." + +When the sons of Leah appeared, Asenath fell down before them, and amid +tears she adjured them to spare the sons of the handmaids and not repay +with evil the evil they had meditated. Simon would not hear of making +concessions. He insisted that the measure of their sins was full, and +they must pay for them with their lives, for they had been the ones +that had sold Joseph into slavery, and brought down untold misfortune +upon Jacob and his sons. But Asenath did not leave off, and her urgent +petitions won the day. She succeeded in calming the anger of Simon, and +in Levi she had a secret ally, for this prophet knew the hiding-place +of the sons of the handmaids, and he did not betray it to Simon, lest +his wrath be increased at the sight of them. It was also Levi that +restrained Benjamin from giving the death blow to the heavily wounded +son of Pharaoh. So far from permitting harm to be done to him, he +washed his wounds, put him into a chariot, and took him to Pharaoh, who +thanked Levi from his heart for his services of loving- kindness. +Levi's efforts were vain, three days later the son of Pharaoh died of +the wounds inflicted by Benjamin, and from grief over the loss of his +first-born Pharaoh followed him soon after, departing this life at the +age of one hundred and seventy-seven years. His crown he left to +Joseph, who ruled over Egypt for forty-eight years thereafter. He in +turn handed the crown on to the grandchild of Pharaoh, an infant in +arms at the time of his grandfather's death, toward whom Joseph had +acted in a father's stead all his life.[432] + + + + +THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF JOSEPH + + +On his death-bed Joseph took an oath of his brethren, and he bade them +on their death-bed likewise take an oath of their sons, to carry his +bones to Palestine, when God should visit them and bring them up out of +the land of Egypt. He said: "I that am a ruler could take my father's +body up to the Holy Land while it was still intact. Of you I do but +make the request that ye carry my bones from hence, and you may inter +them in any spot in Palestine, for I know that the burial-place of the +fathers was appointed to be the tomb only of the three Patriarchs and +their three wives." + +Joseph took the oath, to carry his remains along with them when they +left Egypt, from his brethren, and not from his sons, to bury him at +once in Palestine, for he feared the Egyptians would not give the +latter permission to transport his bones even if they recalled what +Joseph had been allowed to do with his father's body. They would object +that Joseph had been the viceroy, and a wish preferred by one of so +high an estate could not be denied.[433] Furthermore, he adjured his +brethren not to leave Egypt until a redeemer should appear and announce +his message with the words, "Pakod— I have surely visited you"—a +tradition which Joseph had received from his father, who bad it from +Isaac, and Isaac in turn had beard it from Abraham.[434] And he told +them that God would redeem Israel through Moses as through the Messiah, +in this world as in the world to come, and the Egyptian redemption +would begin in Tishri, when Israel would be freed from slave labor, and +would be completed in the following Nisan, when they would leave +Egypt.[435] + +Joseph also admonished his brethren to walk in the ways of the Lord, so +that they might become worthy of His grace and help. Especially he +impressed upon his brethren and his sons the virtue of chastity and a +steadfast moral life. He told them all that had happened to him, the +hatred of his brethren, the persecutions of the wife of Potiphar, the +slander, envy, and malice of the Egyptians, to show how that those who +fear the Lord are not forsaken by Him in darkness, or bondage, or +tribulation, or distress. "I was sold into slavery," he said, "but the +Lord delivered me; I was thrown into prison, but His strong hand helped +me. I was tortured by hunger, but the Lord Himself gave me sustenance. +I was alone, and God comforted me. And as for you, if ye will walk in +the ways of chastity and purity in patience and humility of heart, the +Lord will dwell among you, for He loveth a chaste life, and if you, my +children, will observe the commandments of the Lord, He will raise you +up here, in this world, and bless you there, in the world to come. If +men seek to do evil unto you, pray for them, and you will be delivered +from all evil by the Lord. On account of my forbearing patience I +received the daughter of my master to wife, and her dowry was a hundred +talents of gold, and God gave me also beauty like the beauty of a +flower, more than all the children of Jacob, and He preserved me unto +mine old age in vigor and beauty, for in all things did I resemble +Jacob." + +Joseph continued and told them the visions he had had, in which the +future of Israel was revealed to him, and then he closed with the +words: "I know that the Egyptians will oppress you after my death, but +God will execute vengeance for your sakes, and He will lead you to the +land of promise of your fathers. But ye shall surely carry my bones +with you from hence, for if my remains are taken to Canaan, the Lord +will be with you in the light, and Behar will be with the Egyptians in +the darkness. Also take with you the bones of your mother Zilpah, and +bury them near the sepulchre of Bilhah and Rachel." + +These words ended, he stretched out his feet, and slept his last +eternal sleep, and the whole of Israel mourned him, and the whole of +Egypt was in great grief, for he had been a compassionate friend to the +Egyptians, too, and he had done good unto them, and given them wise +counsel and assistance in all their undertakings.[436] + +Joseph's wish, that his bones should rest in the Holy Land, was +fulfilled when the Israelites went forth from Egypt, and no less a +personage than Moses applied himself to its execution. Such was +Joseph's reward for the devotion he had displayed in the interment of +his father's body, for he had done all things needful himself, leaving +naught to others. Therefore so great a man as Moses busied himself with +the realization of Joseph's wish.[437] + +For three days and three nights preceding the exodus Moses hunted up +and down through the land of Egypt for Joseph's coffin, because he knew +that Israel could not leave Egypt without heeding the oath given to +Joseph. But his trouble was in vain; the coffin was nowhere to be +found. Serah, the daughter of Asher, met Moses, tired and exhausted, +and in answer to her question about the cause of his weariness, he told +her of his fruitless search. Serah took him to the Nile river, and told +him that the leaden coffin made for Joseph by the Egyptians had been +sunk there after having been scaled up on all sides. The Egyptians had +done this at the instigation and with the help of the magicians, who, +knowing that Israel could not leave the country without the coffin, had +used their arts to put it in a place whence it could not be +removed.[438] + +Moses now took Joseph's cup, and he cut four flat pieces from it, and +engraved a lion on one of them, an eagle on the second, a bull on the +third, and a human figure on the fourth. He threw the first, with the +lion, into the river, saying at the same time, "Joseph, Joseph, the +hour for the redemption of Israel hath arrived, the Shekinah lingers +here only for thy sake, the clouds of glory await thy coming. If thou +wilt show thyself, well and good; if not, then we are clear from our +oath." But the coffin did not appear. + +Then Moses threw the second plate into the water, that with the figure +of the eagle, repeating the same words, but again the coffin did not +rise from the bed of the Nile, and there it remained, too, when he +threw in the third plate bearing the figure of the bull, and called +upon Joseph a third time to come forth. But the fourth plate with the +human figure and the fourth invocation to Joseph brought the coffin to +the surface of the water. Moses seized it, and in joy he bore it +off.[439] While Israel had been busy gathering gold and silver from the +Egyptians, Moses had been thinking of nothing but Joseph's coffin, and +his happiness was great that he had been permitted to fulfil the wish +of Joseph.[440] + +During the forty years of wandering through the desert, the coffin was +in the midst of Israel, as a reward for Joseph's promise to his +brethren, "I will nourish you and take care of you." God had said, "As +thou livest, for forty years they will take care of thy bones."[441] + +All this time in the desert Israel carried two shrines with them, the +one the coffin containing the bones of the dead man Joseph, the other +the Ark containing the covenant of the Living God. The wayfarers who +saw the two receptacles wondered, and they would ask, "How doth the ark +of the dead come next to the ark of the Ever-living?" The answer was, +"The dead man enshrined in the one fulfilled the commandments enshrined +in the other. In the latter it is written, I am the Lord thy God, and +he said, Am I in the place of God? Here it is written, Thou shalt have +no other gods before My face, and he said, I fear God. Here it is +written, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, and +therefore he did not swear by God, but said, By the life of Pharaoh. +Here it is written, Remember the Sabbath day, and he said to the +overseer of his palace on Friday, Slay and make ready, meaning for the +Sabbath. Here it is written, Honor thy father and thy mother, and he +said, when his father desired to send him to his brethren, Here am I, +although he knew it was perilous for him to go. Here it is written, +Thou shalt not kill, and he refrained from murdering Potiphar when +Potiphar's wife urged him to do it. Here it is written, Thou shalt not +commit adultery, and he scorned the adulterous proposals of Potiphar's +wife. Here it is written, Thou shalt not steal, and he stole nothing +from Pharaoh, but gathered up all the money and brought it unto +Pharaoh's house. Here it is written, Thou shalt not bear false witness +against thy neighbor, and he told his father nothing of what his +brethren had done to him, though what he might have told was the truth. +Here it is written, Thou shalt not covet, and he did not covet +Potiphar's wife."[442] + +On their arrival in the Holy Land, the Israelites buried the bones of +Joseph in Shechem, for God spake to the tribes, saying, "From Shechem +did ye steal him, and unto Shechem, shall ye return him."[443] + +God, who is so solicitous about the dead bodies of the pious, is even +more solicitous about their souls, which stand before Him like angels, +and do their service ministering unto Him.[444] + + + + +II +THE SONS OF JACOB + + + + +SIGNIFICANT NAMES + + +Jacob raised all his sons in the fear of God, and taught them the ways +of a pious life, using severity when there was need to make his lessons +impressive. He reaped the fruits of his labor, for all his sons were +godly men of stainless character.[1] The ancestors of the twelve tribes +resembled their fathers in piety, and their acts were no less +significant than those of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Like these three, +they deserve to be called the Fathers of Israel.[2] God made a covenant +with them as He had made with the three Patriarchs, and to this +covenant their descendants owe their preservation.[3] + +The very names of the tribes point to the redemption of Israel. Reuben +is so called, because God "sees" the affliction of His people; Simon, +because He "hears" its groaning; Levi, He "joins" Himself unto His +people when Israel suffers; Judah, Israel will "thank" God for its +deliverance; Issachar, it will be "rewarded" for its suffering with a +recompense; Zebulon, God will have a "dwelling-place" in Israel; +Benjamin, He swore by His "right hand" to succor His people; Dan, He +will "judge" the nation that subjugates Israel; Naphtali, He bestowed +the Torah upon Israel, and she drops sweetness like the "honeycomb"; +Gad, the Lord gave manna unto Israel, and it was like "coriander" seed; +Asher, all nations will call Israel "happy"; and Joseph, because God +will "add" a second redemption of Israel to the first—redemption from +the wicked kingdom at the end as from Egypt in former times.[4] + +Not only the names of Jacob's sons are significant, but the names of +their sons as well. Thus the names of the sons of Issachar express the +activities of the tribe known for its learning above all the others. +The oldest was called Tola, "worm"; as the silk worm is distinguished +for its mouth, with which it spins, so also the men of the tribe of +Issachar for the wise words of their mouth. The second is Puah, "madder +plant"; as this plant colors all things, so the tribe of Issachar +colors the whole world with its teachings. The third is Jashub, "the +returning one," for through the teachings of Issachar Israel will be +turned back to its Heavenly Father; and Shimron, the fourth, is "the +observing one," to indicate that the tribe of Issachar observes the +Torah.[5] + +The names of the sons of Gad likewise interpret the history of the +tribe. During Israel's sojourn in Egypt, it had strayed from the right +path, but when Aaron appeared as prophet and monitor, and called unto +the Israelites to cast away the abominations of their eyes and forsake +the idols of Egypt, they hearkened unto his words. Hence the double +name Ozni and Ezbon borne by one of the sons of Gad, for this tribe +"hearkened" to the word of God, and fulfilled His "will." + +The grandsons of Asher bear the names Heber and Malchiel, because they +were the "associates" of kings, and their inheritance yielded "royal +dainties." + +Partly the history of the tribe of Benjamin can be read in the names of +its chiefs. It consisted originally of ten divisions, descended from +Benjamin's ten sons, but five of them perished in Egypt on account of +their ungodly ways, from which no admonition availed to turn them +aside. Of the five families remaining, two, the descendants of Bela and +those of Ashbel, had always been God-fearing; the others, the +Ahiramites, the Shephuphamites, and the Huphamites, repented of their +sins, and in accordance with the change in their conduct had been the +change in their names. Ehi had become Ahiram, because the breach with +the "Exalted" One was healed; Muppira was called Shephupham, because +they "afflicted" themselves in their penance; and Huppim was turned +into Hupham, to indicate that they had "cleansed" themselves from sin. +As a reward for their piety, the family springing from Bela was +permitted to have two subdivisions, the Ardites and the Naamites. Their +names point them out as men that know well how the fear of God is to be +manifested, whose deeds are exceedingly lovely. + +Naphtali was another tribe of steadfast piety, and the names of his +sons testify thereto: Jahzeel, because the tribesmen raised a +"partition wall" between God and the idols, inasmuch as they trusted in +God and contemned the idols; Guni, because God was their "protection"; +and Jezer and Shillem designate the Naphtalites as men devoted to God +with all their hearts.[6] + + + + +REUBEN'S TESTAMENT + + +Two years after the death of Joseph, Reuben fell sick. Feeling that his +end was nigh, he called together his sons, his grandsons, and his +brethren, to give them his last admonitions from out of the fulness of +his experience. He spake: "Hear, my brethren, and do ye, my children, +give ear unto Reuben your father in the commands that I enjoin upon +you. And, behold, I adjure you this day by the God of heaven that ye +walk not in the follies of youth and the fornications to which I was +addicted, and wherewith I defiled the bed of my father Jacob. For I +tell you now that for seven months the Lord afflicted my loins with a +terrible plague, and if my father Jacob had not interceded for me, the +Lord had swept me away. I was twenty years of age when I did what was +evil before the Lord, and for seven months I was sick unto death. Then +I did penance for seven years in the innermost depths of my soul. Wine +and strong drink I drank not, the flesh of animals passed not my lips, +dainties I tasted not, because I mourned over my sins, for they were +great." + +He admonished those gathered around him to beware of the seven tempter +spirits, which are the spirit of fornication, gluttony, strife, love of +admiration, arrogance, falsehood, and injustice. He cautioned them +especially against unchastity, saying: "Pay no heed to the glances of a +woman, and remain not alone with a married woman, and do not occupy +yourselves with the affairs of women. Had I not seen Bilhah bathe in a +secluded spot, I had not fallen into the great sin I committed, for +after my thoughts had once grasped the nakedness of woman, I could not +sleep until I had accomplished the abominable deed. For when our father +Jacob went to his father Isaac, while we sojourned in Eder, not far +from Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem, Bilhah was drunken with wine, and +she lay asleep, uncovered, in her bedchamber, and I entered in and saw +her nakedness and committed the sin, and I went out again, leaving her +asleep. But an angel of God revealed my impious act to my father Jacob +at once. He came back and mourned over me, and never again did he +approach Bilhah. Unto the very last day of his life, I had not the +assurance to look my father in the face or to speak to my brethren +regarding my disgrace, and even now my conscience tortures me on +account of my sin. Nevertheless my father spake words of comfort to me, +and prayed to God in my behalf, that the wrath of the Lord might depart +from me, as He showed me." + +Reuben admonished his children impressively to join themselves to Levi, +"because he will know the law of the Lord," he said, "and he will give +ordinances for judgment, and bring sacrifices for all Israel, until the +consummation of the times, as the anointed high priest of whom the Lord +spake." + +After announcing his last will to his sons, Reuben departed this life +at the age of one hundred and twenty-five years. His body was laid in a +coffin until his sons bore it away from Egypt, and carried it up to +Hebron, where they buried it in the Double Cave.[7] + + + + +SIMON'S ADMONITION AGAINST ENVY + + +As Reuben confessed his sin upon his death-bed, and warned his children +and his family to be on their guard against unchastity, the vice that +had brought about his fall, so Simon, when he was about to die, +assembled his sons around him, and confessed the sin he had committed. +He had been guilty of boundless envy of Joseph, and he spoke: "I was +the second son begotten by my father Jacob, and my mother Leah called +me Simon, because the Lord had heard her prayer. I waxed strong, and +shrank from no manner of deed, and I was afraid of naught, for my heart +was hard, and my liver unyielding, and my bowels without mercy. And in +the days of my youth I was jealous of Joseph, for our father loved him +more than all the rest of us, and I resolved to kill him. For the +prince of temptation sent the spirit of jealousy to take possession of +me, and it blinded me so that I did not consider Joseph to be my +brother, and I spared not even my father Jacob. But his God and the God +of his fathers sent His angel and saved him out of my hands. + +When I went to Shechem to fetch ointment for the herds, and Reuben was +in Dothan, where all our supplies and stores were kept, our brother +Judah sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites. On his return, when he heard what +had happened, Reuben was very sad, for he had been desirous of saving +Joseph and bringing him back to our father. But as for me, my wrath was +enkindled against Judah, that he had let him escape alive. My anger +abode with me all of five months. But the Lord restrained me from using +the power of my hands, for my right hand withered for the length of +seven days. Then I knew that what had happened was for the sake of +Joseph. I repented and prayed to God to restore my hand and withhold me +henceforth from all sorts of defilement, envy, and folly. For two years +I gave myself up to fasting and the fear of God, for I perceived that +redemption from jealousy could come only through the fear of God. + +My father, seeing me downcast, asked to know the cause of my sadness, +and I replied that I was suffering with my liver, but in truth I was +mourning more than all my brethren, seeing that I had been the cause of +Joseph's sale. And when we went down into Egypt, and Joseph bound me as +a spy, I was not grieved, for I knew in my heart that my suffering was +just retribution. But Joseph was good, the spirit of God dwelt within +him. Compassionate and merciful as he was, he bore me no resentment for +my evil deeds toward him, but he loved me with the same love he showed +the others. He paid due honor to us all, and gave us gold, and cattle, +and produce. And now, my dear children, do ye love one another, each +one his brother, with a clean heart, and remove the spirit of jealousy +from the midst of you." + +Like Reuben, so also Simon adjured his sons to beware of unchastity, +for this vice is the mother of all evil. It separates man from God, and +abandons him to Behar. These were the closing words of his exhortation: +"In the writings of Enoch I saw that your sons would be corrupted +through unchastity, and they would maltreat the sons of Levi with the +sword. But they will not be able to do aught against Levi, for the war +he will wage is the war of the Lord, and he will vanquish all your +armies. As a small remnant you will be scattered among Levi and Judah, +and none among you will rise to be a judge or a king of our people, as, +my father Jacob prophesied in his blessing." + +Having completed his admonitions to his sons, Simon passed away and was +gathered to his fathers, at the age of one hundred and twenty years. +His sons placed him in a coffin made of imperishable wood, so that they +might carry his bones to Hebron, as they did, in secret, during the war +between the Egyptians and the Canaanites. Thus did all the tribes +during the war; they took the remains each of its founder from Egypt to +Hebron. Only the bones of Joseph remained in Egypt until the Israelites +went out of the land, for the Egyptians guarded them in their royal +treasure chambers. Their magicians had warned them that whenever +Joseph's bones should be removed from Egypt, a great darkness would +envelop the whole land, and it would be a dire misfortune for the +Egyptians, for none would be able to recognize his neighbor even with +the light of a lamp.[8] + + + + +THE ASCENSION OF LEVI + + +When it was disclosed to Levi that he was about to die, he gathered all +his children around him, to tell them the story of his life, and he +also prophesied unto them what they would do, and what would happen to +them until the judgment day. He spoke: "When we were pasturing the +flocks in Abel-Meholah, the spirit of understanding of the Lord came +upon me, and I saw all mankind, how they corrupt their ways, and that +injustice builds up walls for herself, and impiety sits enthroned upon +the towers. And I fell to grieving over the generations of men, and I +prayed to the Lord to save me. Sleep enshrouded me, and I beheld a tall +mountain, and lo! the heavens opened, and an angel of God addressed me, +and said: 'Levi, enter!' + +"I entered the first heaven, and I saw a great sea hanging there, and +farther on I saw a second heaven, brighter and more resplendent than +the first. I said to the angel, 'Why is this so?' And the angel said to +me, 'Marvel not at this, for thou shalt see another heaven, brilliant +beyond compare, and when thou hast ascended thither, thou shalt stand +near the Lord, and thou shalt be His minister, and declare His +mysteries to men; and of the Lord's portion shall be thy life, and He +shall be thy field and vineyard and fruits and gold and silver.' + +"Then the angel explained the uses of the different heavens to me, and +all that happens in each, and he proclaimed the judgment day. He opened +the gates of the third heaven, where I beheld the holy Temple, and God +seated upon the Throne of Glory. The Lord spake to me: 'Levi, upon thee +have I bestowed the blessing of the priesthood, until I come and dwell +in the midst of Israel.' Then the angel carried me back to earth, and +gave me a shield and a sword, saying, 'Execute vengeance upon Shechem +for Dinah, and I will be with thee, for the Lord hath sent me.' I asked +the angel what his name was, and he replied: 'I am the angel that +intercedes for the people of Israel, that it may not be destroyed +utterly, for every evil spirit attacks it.' + +"When I awoke, I betook myself to my father, and on the way, near +Gebal, I found a brass shield, such as I had seen in my dream. Then I +advised my father and my brother Reuben to bid the sons of Hamor +circumcise themselves, for I was quivering with rage on account of the +abominable deed they had done. I slew Shechem first of all, and then +Simon slew Hamor, and all my other brothers came out and destroyed the +whole city. Our father took this in ill part, and in his blessing he +remembered our conduct. Although we did a wrong thing in acting thus +against his wishes, yet I recognized it to be the judgment of God upon +the people of Shechem on account of their sins, and I said to my +father: 'Be not wroth, my lord, for God will exterminate the Canaanites +through this, and he will give the land to thee and to thy seed after +thee. Henceforth Shechem will be called the city of imbeciles, for as a +fool is mocked at, so have we made a mockery of them.' + +"When we journeyed to Beth-lehem, and had been abiding there for +seventy days, another vision was vouchsafed me, like unto the former. I +saw seven men clad in white, and they spake to me, saying: 'Rise up, +and array thyself in the priestly garments, set the crown of +righteousness upon thy head, and put on the ephod of understanding, and +the robe of truth, and the mitre-plate of faith, and the mitre of +dignity, and the shoulderpieces of prophecy.' And each of the men +brought a garment unto me and invested me therewith, and spake: +'Henceforth be the priest of the Lord, thou and thy seed unto eternity. +And ye shall eat all that is lovely to look upon, and the table of the +Lord thy descendants will appropriate for themselves, and from them +will come high priests, judges, and scholars, for all that is holy will +be guarded by their mouth.' + +"Two days after I was visited by this dream, Judah and I repaired to +our grandfather Isaac, who blessed me in accordance with the words I +had heard. Jacob also had a vision, and he saw, too, that I was +appointed to be the priest of God, and through me he set apart a tenth +of his possessions unto the Lord. And when we established ourselves in +Hebron, the residence of Isaac, our grandfather taught me the law of +the priesthood, and admonished me to hold myself aloof from unchastity. + +At the age of twenty-eight years I took Milcah to wife, and she bore me +a son, and I named him Gershom, because we were strangers in the land. +But I perceived he would not be in the first ranks of men. My second +son was born unto me in my thirty-fifth year, and he saw the light of +the world at sunrise, and I beheld him in a vision standing among the +proud of the assembly, and therefore I gave him the name Kohath. The +third son my wife bore me in the fortieth year of my life, and I called +his name Merari, because bitter had been her travail in bearing him. My +daughter Jochebed was born in Egypt, when I was sixty-three years old, +and I called her thus because I was known honorably among my brethren +in those days. And in my ninety- fourth year, Amram took Jochebed to +wife, he that was born on the same day with her." + +Thereupon Levi admonished his children to walk in the ways of the Lord, +and fear Him with all their heart, and he told them what he had learnt +from the writings of Enoch, that his descendants would sin against the +Lord in times to come, and they would suffer the Divine punishment for +their transgression, and then God would raise up a new priest, unto +whom all the words of the Lord would be revealed. His last words were: +"And now, my children, ye have heard all I have to say. Choose, now, +light or darkness, the law of the Lord or the works of Beliar." And his +sons made answer, "Before the Lord we will walk according to His law." +Then Levi spake, "The Lord is witness and the angels are witnesses, I +am witness and ye are witnesses, concerning the word of your mouth." +And his sons replied, "We are witnesses." + +Thus Levi ceased to admonish his sons. He stretched out his feet, and +was gathered unto his fathers, at the age of one hundred and +thirty-seven years, a greater age than any of his brethren attained.[9] + + + + +JUDAH WARNS AGAINST GREED AND UNCHASTITY + + +The last words addressed by Judah to his sons were the following: "I +was the fourth son begotten by my father, and my mother called me +Judah, saying, 'I thank the Lord that He hath given me a fourth son.' I +was zealous in my youth and obedient to my father in all things. When I +grew up to manhood, he blessed me, saying, 'Thou wilt be king, and wilt +prosper in all thy ways.' The Lord granted me His grace in whatever I +undertook, in the field and in the house. I could speed as swiftly as +the hind, and overtake it, and prepare a dish of it for my father. A +deer I could catch on the run, and all the animals of the valley. A +wild mare I could outstrip, hold it, and bridle it. A lion I slew, and +snatched a kid from its jaws. A bear I caught by the paw, and flung it +adown the cliff, and it lay beneath crushed. I could keep pace with the +wild boar, and overtake it, and as I ran I seized it, and tore it to +pieces. A leopard sprang at my dog in Hebron, and I grasped its tail, +and hurled it away from me, and its body burst on the coast at Gaza. A +wild steer I found grazing in the field. I took it by its horns, swung +it round and round until it was stunned, and then I cast it to the +ground and killed it." + +Judah continued and told his children of his heroism in the wars that +the sons of Jacob had waged with the kings of Canaan and with Esau and +his family. In all these conflicts he bore a distinguished part, beyond +the achievements of the others. His father Jacob was free from all +anxiety when Judah was with his brethren in their combats, because he +had had a vision showing him an angel of strength standing at the side +of Judah on all his ways. + +Judah did not conceal his shortcomings, either. He confessed how +drunkenness and passion had betrayed him first into marriage with a +Canaanitish woman, and then into improper relations with his +daughter-in-law Tamar. He said to his children: + +"Do not walk after the desire of your hearts, and vaunt not the valiant +deeds of your youth. This, too, is evil in the eyes of the Lord. For +while I boasted that the face of a beautiful woman had never allured me +in the wars, and reviled my brother Reuben for his transgression with +Bilhah, the spirit of passion and unchastity gained possession of me, +and I took Bath-shua to wife, and trespassed with Tamar, though she was +the affianced of my son. First I said to Bath-shua's father, 'I will +take counsel with my father Jacob, to know whether I should marry thy +daughter,' but he was a king, and he showed me an untold heap of gold +accredited to his daughter, and he adorned her with the magnificence of +women, in gold and pearls, and he bade her pour the wine at the meal. +The wine turned my eyes awry, and passion darkened my heart. In mad +love for her, I violated the command of the Lord and the will of my +father, and I took her to wife. The Lord gave me a recompense according +to the counsel of my heart, for I had no joy in the sons she bore me. + +"And now, my children, I pray you, do not intoxicate yourselves with +wine, for wine twists the understanding away from the truth, and +confuses the sight of the eyes. Wine led me astray, so that I felt no +shame before the throngs of people in the city, and I turned aside and +went in to Tamar in the presence of them, and committed a great sin. +And though a man be a king, if he leads an unchaste life, he loses his +kingship. I gave Tamar my staff, which is the stay of my tribe, and my +girdle-cord, which is power, and my signet- diadem, which is the glory +of my kingdom. I did penance for all this, and unto old age I drank no +wine, and ate no flesh, and knew no sort of pleasure. Wine causes the +secret things of God and man to be revealed unto the stranger. Thus did +I disclose the commands of the Lord and the mysteries of my father +Jacob to the Canaanite woman Bath-shua, though God had forbidden me to +betray them. I also enjoin you not to love gold, and not to look upon +the beauty of women, for through money and through beauty I was led +astray to Bath-shua the Canaanite. I know that my stock will fall into +misery through these two things, for even the wise men among my sons +will be changed by them, and the consequence will be that the kingdom +of Judah will be diminished, the domain that the Lord gave me as a +reward for my obedient conduct toward my father, for never did I speak +in contradiction of him, but I did all things according to his words. +And Isaac, my father's father, blessed me with the blessing that I +should be ruler in Israel, and I know that the kingdom will arise from +me. In the books of Enoch the just I read all the evil that ye will do +in the latter days. Only beware, my children, of unchastity and greed, +for love of gold leads to idolatry, causing men to call them gods that +are none, and dethroning the reason of man. On account of gold I lost +my children, and had I not mortified my flesh, and humbled my soul, and +had not my father Jacob offered up prayers for me, I had died +childless. But the God of my fathers, the merciful and gracious One, +saw that I had acted unwittingly, for the ruler of deception had +blinded me, and I was ignorant, being flesh and blood, and corrupt +through sins, and in the moment when I considered myself invincible, I +recognized my weakness." + +Then Judah revealed to his sons, in clear, brief words, the whole +history of Israel until the advent of the Messiah, and his final speech +was: "My children, observe the whole law of the Lord; in it is hope for +all that keep His ways. I die this day at the age of one hundred and +nineteen years before your eyes. None shall bury me in a costly +garment, nor shall ye cut my body to embalm it, but ye shall carry me +to Hebron." + +Having spoken these words, Judah sank into death.[10] + + + + +ISSACHAR'S SINGLENESS OF HEART + + +When Issachar felt his end approach, he summoned his sons, and he said +to them: "Hearken, my children, unto your father Issachar, and listen +to the words of him that is beloved of the Lord. I was born unto Jacob +as his fifth son, as a reward for the dudaim. Reuben brought the dudaim +from the field. They were fragrant apples, which grew in the land of +Haran upon an eminence below a gully. Rachel met Reuben, and she took +the dudaim away from him. The lad wept, and his cries brought his +mother Leah to his side, and she addressed Rachel thus: 'Is it a small +matter that thou hast taken away my husband? and wouldst thou take away +my son's dudaim also?' And Rachel said, 'See, Jacob shall be thine +to-night for thy son's dudaim.' But Leah insisted, 'Jacob is mine, and +I am the wife of his youth,' whereupon Rachel, 'Be not boastful and +overweening. To me he was betrothed first, and for my sake he served +our father fourteen years. Thou art not his wife, thou wast taken to +him by cunning instead of me, for our father deceived me, and put me +out of the way the night of thy nuptials, so that Jacob could not see +me. Nevertheless, give me the dudaim, and thou mayest have Jacob for a +night.' + +"Then Leah bore me, and I was called Issachar, on account of the reward +Rachel had given to my mother. At that time an angel of the Lord +appeared to Jacob, and he spoke: 'Rachel will bear only two sons, for +she rejected the espousal of her husband, and chose continence! But +Leah bore six sons, for the Lord knew that she desired to be with her +husband, not because she was prompted by the evil inclination, but for +the sake of children. Rachel's prayer also was fulfilled, on account of +the dudaim, for although she desired to eat of the apples, she did not +touch them, but put them in the house of the Lord, and gave them to the +priest of the Most High that was in those days. + +"When I grew up, my children, I walked in the integrity of my heart, +and I became a husbandman, cultivating the land for my father and my +brethren, and I gathered the fruit from the fields in their due time. +My father blessed me, because he saw that I walked in singleness of +heart. I was not married to a wife until I was thirty years old, for +the hard work I did consumed my strength, and I had no desire unto +woman, but, overwhelmed by fatigue, I would sink into sleep. My father +was well pleased at all times with my rectitude. If my work was crowned +with good results, I brought the firstfruits of my labor to the priest +of the Lord, the next harvest went to my father, and then I thought of +myself. The Lord doubled the possessions in my hand, and Jacob knew +that God aided me for the sake of my singleness of heart, for in my +sincerity I gave of the produce of the land to the poor and the needy. + +"And now hearken unto me, my children, and walk in singleness of heart, +for upon it resteth the favor of the Lord at all times. The simple man +longeth not for gold, he doth not defraud his neighbor, he hath no +desire for meats and dainties of many kinds, he careth not for +sumptuous dress, he hopeth not for long life, he waiteth only upon the +will of God. The spirits of deception have no power over him, for he +looketh not upon the beauty of woman, lest he defile his understanding +with corruption. Jealousy cometh not into his thoughts, envy doth not +sear his soul, and insatiable greed doth not make him look abroad for +rich gain. Now, then, my children, observe the law of the Lord, attain +to simplicity, and walk in singleness of heart, without meddling with +the affairs of others. Love the Lord and love your neighbors, have pity +upon the poor and the feeble, bow your backs to till the ground, occupy +yourselves with work upon the land, and bring gifts unto the Lord in +gratitude. For the Lord hath blessed you with the best of the fruits of +the field, as he hath blessed all the saints from Abel down to our day. + +"Know, my children, that in the latter time your sons will abandon the +paths of probity, and will be ruled by greed. They will forsake +rectitude and practice craft, they will depart from the commands of the +Lord and follow after Beliar, they will give up husbandry and pursue +their evil plans, they will be scattered among the heathen and serve +their enemies. Tell this unto your children, so that, if they sin, they +may repent speedily, and return to the Lord, for He is merciful, and He +will take them out to bring them back unto their land. + +"I am one hundred and twenty-two years old, and I can discern no sin in +myself. Save my wife, I have known no woman. I was guilty of no +unchastity through the lifting up of eyes. I drank no wine, that I +might not be led astray, I did not covet what belonged to my neighbor, +guile had no place in my heart, lies did not pass my lips. I sighed +along with all that were heavy-laden, and to the poor I gave my bread. +I loved the Lord with all my might, and mankind I also loved. Do ye +likewise, my children, and all the spirits of Beliar will flee from +you, no deed done by the wicked will have power over you, and ye will +vanquish all the wild beasts, for ye have with you the Lord of heaven." + +And Issachar bade his children carry him up to Hebron, and bury him +there by his fathers in the Cave, and he stretched out his feet, and +fell into the sleep of eternity, full of years, healthy of limb, and in +the possession of all his faculties.[11] + + + + +ZEBULON EXHORTS UNTO COMPASSION + + +When Zebulon attained the age of one hundred and fourteen years, which +was two years after the death of Joseph, he called his sons together, +and admonished them, in these words, to lead a life of piety: "I am +Zebulon, a precious gift for my parents, for when I was born, my father +became very rich, by means of the streaked rods, in herds of sheep and +herds of cattle. I am conscious of no sin in me, and I remember no +wrong done by me, unless it be the unwitting sin committed against +Joseph, in that I did not, out of consideration for my brethren, +disclose to my father what had happened to his favorite son, though in +secret I mourned exceedingly. I feared my brethren, because they had +agreed that he who betrayed the secret should be slain with the sword. +When they planned to kill Joseph, I besought them amid tears not to sin +thus. + +"And now, my children, hearken unto me. I exhort you to observe the +commands of the Lord, and have mercy upon your neighbors, and act +compassionately, not only toward men, but also toward dumb brutes. For +on account of my mercifulness the Lord blessed me; all my brethren fell +sick at one time or another, but I escaped without any illness. Also +the sons of my brethren had to endure disease, and they were nigh unto +death for the sake of Joseph, because they had no pity in their hearts. +But my sons were preserved in perfect health, as ye well know. And when +I was in Canaan, catching fish at the shores of the sea for my father +Jacob, many were drowned in the waters of the sea, but I came away +unharmed. For ye must know that I was the first to build a boat for +rowing upon the sea, and I plied along the coasts in it, and caught +fish for my father's household, until we went down into Egypt. Out of +pity I would share my haul with the poor stranger, and if he was sick +or well on in years, I would prepare a savory dish for him, and I gave +unto each according to his needs, sympathizing with him in his distress +and having pity upon him. Therefore the Lord brought numerous fish to +my nets, for he that gives aught to his neighbor, receives it back from +the Lord with great increase. For five years I fished in the summer, +and in the winter I pastured the flocks with my brethren. + +"Now, my children, have pity and compassion on all men, that the Lord +may have pity and compassion on you, for in the measure in which man +has mercy with his fellow-men, God has mercy with him. When we came +down into Egypt, Joseph did not visit upon us the wrong he had +suffered. Take him as your model, and remember not a wrong done unto +you, else unity is rent asunder, and the bonds of kinship are torn, and +the soul is disquieted. Observe the water! If it runs on undivided, it +carries down stone, wood, and sand along with it. But if it is divided +and flows through many channels, the earth sucks it up, and it loses +its force. If you separate, one from the other, you will be like +divided waters. Be not cleft into two heads, for all that the Lord hath +made has but one head. He has given two shoulders unto his creatures, +two hands, and two feet, but all these organs obey one head." + +Zebulon ended his exhortation unto unity with an account of the +divisions in Israel, whereof he had read in the writings of the +fathers, that they would come about in future days, and bring sore +suffering upon Israel. However, he spoke encouraging words to his +children, saying: "Be not grieved over my death, and do not lose heart +at my departure from you, for I shall arise again in the midst of you, +and I shall live joyously among the people of my tribe, those who +observe the law of the Lord. As for the godless, the Lord will bring +everlasting fire down upon them, and exterminate them unto all +generations. Now I hasten hence unto my eternal rest with my fathers. +But ye, fear ye the Lord your God with all your might all the days of +your life." + +Having made an end of saying these words, he sank into the sleep of +death, and his sons put him into a coffin, wherein they carried him up +to Hebron later, to bury him there next to his fathers.[12] + + + + +DAN'S CONFESSION + + +When Dan assembled his family at the last of his life, he spake: "I +confess before you this day, my children, that I had resolved to kill +Joseph, that good and upright man, and I rejoiced over his sale, for +his father loved him more than he loved the rest of us. The spirit of +envy and boastfulness goaded me on, saying, 'Thou, too, art the son of +Jacob,' and one of the spirits of Behar stirred me up, saying, 'Take +this sword, and slay Joseph, for once he is dead thy father will love +thee.' It was the spirit of anger that was seeking to persuade me to +crush Joseph, as a leopard crunches a kid between its teeth. But the +God of our father Jacob did not deliver him into my hand, to let me +find him alone, and He did not permit me to execute this impious deed, +that two tribes in Israel might not be destroyed. + +"And now, my children, I am about to die, and I tell it unto you in +truth, if you take not heed against the spirit of lies and anger, and +if ye love not truth and generosity, you will perish. The spirit of +anger casts the net of error around its victim, and it blinds his eyes, +and the spirit of lies warps his mind, and clouds his vision. Evil is +anger, it is the grave of the soul. Desist from anger and hate lies, +that the Lord may dwell among you, and Behar flee from your presence. +Speak the truth each unto his neighbor, and you will not fall into +anger and trouble, but you will be at peace, and the Lord of peace you +will have with you, and no war will vanquish you. + +"I speak thus, for I know that in the latter days you will fall off +from God, and you will kindle the wrath of Levi, and rise in rebellion +against Judah, but you will not accomplish aught against them, for the +angel of the Lord is their guide, and Israel will perish through them. +And if you turn recreant to the Lord, you will execute every kind of +evil thing, and do the abominations of the heathen, committing +unchastity with the wives of the godless, while the tempter spirits are +at work among you. Therefore you will be carried away into captivity, +and in the lands of exile you will suffer all the plagues of Egypt and +all the tribulations of the heathen. But when you return to the Lord, +you will find mercy. He will take you into His sanctuary, and grant you +peace. + +"And now, my children, fear the Lord, and be on your guard against +Satan and his spirits. Keep aloof from every evil deed, cast anger away +from you and every sort of lie, love truth and forbearance, and what ye +have heard from your father, tell unto your children. Avoid all manner +of unrighteousness, cling to the integrity of the law of the Lord, and +bury me near my fathers." + +Having spoken these words, he kissed his children, and fell asleep.[13] + + + + +NAPHTALI'S DREAMS OF THE DIVISION OF THE TRIBES + + +In the hundred and thirty-second year of his life, Naphtali invited all +his children to a banquet. The next morning when he awoke, he told them +that he was dying, but they would not believe him. He, however, praised +the Lord, and assured them again that his death was due after the +banquet of the day before. Then he addressed his last words to his +children: + +"I was born of Bilhah, and because Rachel had acted with cunning, and +had given Jacob Bilhah instead of herself, I was called Naphtali. +Rachel loved me, for I was born upon her knees, and while I was still +very young, she was in the habit of kissing me and saying, 'O that I +had a brother unto thee from mine own body, one in thine image.' +Therefore Joseph resembled me in all respects, in accordance with +Rachel's prayer. My mother Bilhah was a daughter of Rotheus, a brother +of Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, and she was born the same day as Rachel. +As for Rotheus, he was of the family of Abraham, a Chaldean, +God-fearing, and a free man of noble birth, and when he was taken +captive, he was bought by Laban and married to his slave Aina. She bore +Rotheus a daughter, and he called her Zilpah, after the name of the +village in which he was taken captive. His second daughter he called +Bilhah, saying, 'My daughter is impetuous,' for hardly was she born +when she hastened to suckle. + +"I was fleet of foot like a deer, and my father Jacob appointed me to +be his messenger, and in his blessing he called me a hind let loose. As +the potter knows the vessel he fashions, how much it is to hold, and +uses clay accordingly, so the Lord makes the body in conformity with +the soul, and to agree with the capacity of the body He plans the soul. +The one corresponds to the other down to the third of a hair- breadth, +for the whole of creation was made by weight, and measure, and rule. +And as the potter knows the use of every vessel he fashions, so the +Lord knows the body of His creature, unto what point it will be +steadfast in the good, and at what point it will fall into evil ways. +Now, then, my children, let your conduct be well-ordered unto good in +the fear of God, do naught that is ill-regulated or untimely, for +though ye tell your eye to hear, it yet cannot, and as little can ye do +deeds of light while you abide in darkness." + +Furthermore Naphtali said unto his children: "I give you no command +concerning my silver, or my gold, or any other possession that I +bequeath to you. And what I command you is not a hard matter, which you +cannot do, but I speak unto you concerning an easy thing, which you can +execute." Then his sons answered, and said, "Speak, father, for we are +listening to thy words." Naphtali continued: "I give you no commandment +except regarding the fear of God, that you should serve Him and follow +after Him." Then the sons of Naphtali asked: "Wherefore does He require +our service?" and he replied, saying: "He needs no creature, but all +creatures need Him. Nevertheless He hath not created the world for +naught, but that men should fear Him, and none should do unto his +neighbor what he would not have others do unto him." His sons asked +again, "Father, hast thou observed that we strayed from the ways of the +Lord to the right or to the left?" Naphtali replied: "God is witness, +and so am I witness for you, that it is as you say. But I fear +regarding future times, that you may depart from the ways of the Lord, +and follow after the idols of the stranger, and walk in the statutes of +the heathen peoples, and join yourselves unto the sons of Joseph +instead of the sons of Levi and Judah." The sons of Naphtali spoke, +"What reason hast thou for commanding this thing unto us?" Naphtali: +"Because I know that the sons of Joseph will one day turn recreant to +the Lord, the God of their fathers, and it is they that will lead the +sons of Israel into sin, and cause them to be driven away from their +inheritance, their beautiful land, to a land that is not ours, even as +it was Joseph that brought the Egyptian bondage down upon us. + +"I will tell ye, my children, the vision I had while I was yet a +shepherd of flocks. I saw my brethren pasturing the herds with me, and +our father approached, and said: 'Up, my sons, each one take what he +can in my presence!' We answered, and said to him, 'What shall we take? +We see nothing but the sun, the moon, and the stars.' Then our father +said: 'These shall ye take!' Levi, hearing this, snatched up an +ox-goad, sprang up to the sun, sat upon him, and rode. Judah did +likewise. He jumped up to the moon, and rode upon her. And the other +nine tribes did the same, each rode upon his star or his planet in the +heavens. Joseph remained behind alone on the earth, and our father +Jacob said to him, 'My son, why hast thou not done like thy brethren?' +Joseph answered, 'What right have men born of woman to be in the +heavens, seeing that in the end they must stay on earth?' While Joseph +was speaking thus, a tall steer appeared before him. He had great +pinions like the wings of the stork, and his horns were as long as +those of the reem. Jacob urged his son, 'Up, Joseph, mount the steer!' +Joseph did as his father bade him, and Jacob went his way. For the +space of two hours Joseph displayed himself upon the steer, sometimes +galloping, sometimes flying, until he reached Judah. Then Joseph +unfolded the standard in his hand, and began to rain blows down upon +Judah with it, and when his brother demanded the reason for this +treatment, he said, 'Because thou hast twelve rods in thine hand, and I +have but one. Give thine to me, and peace shall prevail between us!' +But Judah refused to do his bidding, and Joseph beat him until he +dropped ten rods, and only two remained in his clutch. Joseph now +invited his brethren to abandon Judah and follow after him. They all +did thus, except Benjamin, who stayed true to Judah. Levi was grieved +over the desertion of Judah, and he descended from the sun. Toward the +end of the day a storm broke out, and it scattered the brethren, so +that no two were together. When I gave an account of my vision to my +father Jacob, he said, 'It is but a dream, it can neither help nor +harm.' + +"A short while thereafter another vision was revealed to me. I saw all +of us together with our father at the shores of the sea, and a ship +appeared in the midst of the sea, and it had neither sailors nor other +crew. Our father spake, 'Do you see what I see?' And when we answered +that we did, he commanded us to follow him. He took off his clothes, +and sprang into the sea, and we sprang after him. Levi and Judah were +the first to scale the side of the ship. Our father cried after them, +'See what is written upon the mast,' for there is no ship that does not +bear the name of the owner upon the mast. Levi and Judah scrutinized +the writing, and what they read was this, 'This ship and all the +treasures therein belong unto the son of Barachel.' Jacob thanked God +for having blessed him, not only on land, but also upon the sea, and he +said to us, 'Stretch forth your hands, and whatsoever each one seizes +shall be his!' Levi caught hold of the big mast, Judah of the second +mast, next to Levi's, and the other brethren, with the exception of +Joseph, took the oars, and Jacob himself seized the two rudders, +wherewith to guide the ship. He bade Joseph take an oar, too, but he +refused to do his father's bidding, and Jacob gave him one of the +rudders. After our father had instructed us each one in what we had to +do, he disappeared, whereupon Joseph took possession of the second +rudder, too. All went smoothly for a time, as long as Judah and Joseph +acted together in harmony with each other, and Judah kept Joseph +informed in what direction to steer. But a quarrel broke out between +them, and Joseph did not guide the vessel in the way his father had +commanded him, and Judah attempted to direct him, and the vessel was +wrecked upon a rock. Levi and Judah descended from the masts, and +likewise the other brethren left the ship and escaped to the shore. At +this moment Jacob appeared, and he found us scattered in all +directions, and we reported to him how Joseph had caused the vessel to +run aground, because he had refused, out of jealousy of Judah and Levi, +to steer it according to their instructions. Then Jacob asked us to +show him the spot where we had lost the ship, of which only the masts +were visible above the water. He emitted a whistle summoning us all, +and he swam out into the water, and raised the vessel as before. +Turning to Joseph, he spake thus, 'My son, never do that again, never +permit jealousy of thy brethren to master thee. Nearly it happened that +all thy brethren perished because of thee.' + +"When I told my father what I had seen in this vision, he clasped his +hands, and tears flowed from his eyes, and be said: 'My son, for that +the vision was doubled unto thee twice, I am dismayed, and I shudder +for my son Joseph. I loved him more than all of you, but by reason of +his perverseness ye will be carried away into captivity, and scattered +among the nations. Thy first and thy second vision had the same +meaning, the vision is one.' + +"Therefore, my sons, I command you not to join yourselves unto the sons +of Joseph, but ye shall join yourselves unto the sons of Levi and +Judah. I tell you, too, that my inheritance shall be of the best of +Palestine, the middle of the earth. You will eat, and the delectable +gifts of my portion will satisfy you. But I warn you not to kick in +your prosperity and not to become perverse, resisting the commands of +God, who satisfies you with the best of His land, and not to forget +your God, whom your father Abraham chose when the families of the earth +were divided in the days of Peleg. The Lord descended with seventy +angels, at their head Michael, and he commanded them to teach the +seventy languages unto the seventy families of Noah. The angels did +according to the behest of God, and the holy Hebrew language remained +only in the house of Shem and Eber, and in the house of their +descendant Abraham. On this day of teaching languages, Michael came to +each nation separately, and told it the message with which God had +charged him, saying: 'I know the rebellion and the confusion ye have +enacted against God. Now, make choice of him whom you will serve, and +whom will you have as your mediator in heaven?' Then spake Nimrod the +wicked, 'In my eyes there is none greater than he that taught me the +language of Cush.' The other nations also answered in words like these, +each one designated its angel. But Abraham said: 'I choose none other +than Him that spake and the world was. In Him I will have faith, and my +seed forever and ever.' Thenceforth God put every nation in the care of +its angel, but Abraham and his seed He kept for Himself. + +"Therefore I adjure you not to go astray and serve other gods beside +Him whom our fathers made choice of. You can perceive somewhat of His +power in the creation of man. From head to foot is man wonderfully +made. With his ears he hears, with his eyes he sees, with his brain he +comprehends, with his nose he smells, with the tubes of his throat he +utters sounds, with his gullet he swallows food, with his tongue he +articulates, with his mouth he forms words, with his hands he does his +work, with his heart he meditates, with his spleen he laughs, with his +liver he waxes angry, with his stomach he crushes his food, with his +feet he walks, with his lungs he breathes, and with his kidneys he +makes resolves, and none of his organs undergoes a change in function, +each performs its own. Therefore it behooves man to take to heart who +it is that hath created him, and who hath developed him from a +foul-smelling drop in the womb of woman, who hath brought him to the +light of the world, who hath given sight to his eyes, and who hath +bestowed the power of motion upon his feet, who maketh him to stand +upright, who hath infused the breath of life into him, and who hath +imparted of His own pure spirit unto him. Happy the man, therefore, +that polluteth not the holy spirit of God within him by doing evil +deeds, and well for him if he returns it to his Creator as he received +it." + +After Naphtali had charged his children thus, and with many other +lessons like these, he enjoined them to carry his remains to Hebron, to +be buried there near his fathers. Then he ate and drank with rejoicing, +covered his face, and died, and his sons did according to all that +their father Naphtali had commanded them.[14] + + + + +GAD'S HATRED + + +In the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life Gad assembled his +sons, and he spake to them: "I am the ninth son of Jacob, and I was a +valiant shepherd of the flocks. I guarded the herds, and when a lion or +any other wild beast approached, I pursued it, gripped it by the foot, +flung it a stone's throw from me, and killed it thus. Once, for a space +of thirty days, Joseph tended the flocks with us, and when he returned +to our father, he told him that the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah +slaughtered the best of the herds, and used the flesh without the +knowledge of Reuben and Judah. He had seen me snatch a lamb out of the +jaws of a bear, kill the bear, and slaughter the lamb, for it was too +badly injured to live. I was wroth with Joseph for his talebearing, +until he was sold into Egypt. I would neither look upon him nor hear +aught about him, for to our very faces he, blamed us, because we had +eaten the lamb without seeking the permission of Judah first. And +whatever Joseph told our father, he believed. + +"Now I confess my sin, that ofttimes I longed to kill him, for I hated +him from the bottom of my heart, and on account of his dreams I hated +him still more, and I desired to destroy him from off the land of the +living. But Judah sold him by stealth to the Ishmaelites. Thus the God +of our fathers saved him out of our hands, and He did not permit us to +commit an abominable outrage in Israel. + +"Hear now, my children, the words of truth, that ye may practice +justice and the whole law of the Most High, and permit yourselves not +to be tempted by the spirit of hatred. Evil is hatred, for it is the +constant companion of deception, it always contradicts the truth. A +little thing it magnifies into a great thing, light it takes for +darkness, the sweet it calls bitter, and it teaches slander, enkindles +anger, brings on war and violence, and fills the heart with devilish +poison. I tell you my own experience, my children, that ye may drive +hatred out of your hearts, and cleave to the love of the Lord. +Righteousness banishes hatred, and humility kills it, for he that fears +to give umbrage to the Lord, desires not to do wrong even in his +thoughts. This is what I recognized at the last, after I had done +penance on account of Joseph, for true atonement, pleasing to God, +enlightens the eyes, illumines the soul with knowledge, and creates a +counsel of salvation. My penance came in consequence of a sickness of +the liver that God inflicted upon me. Without the prayers of my father +Jacob, my spirit would have departed from me, for through the organ +wherewith man transgresses, he is punished. As my liver had felt no +mercy for Joseph, unmerciful suffering was caused unto me by my liver. +My judgment lasted eleven months, as long as my enmity toward Joseph. + +"And now, my children, each of you shall love his brother, and ye shall +uproot hatred from your hearts by loving one another in word and deed +and the thoughts of the soul. For I spake peaceably with Joseph in the +presence of our father, but when I went out from before him, the spirit +of hatred darkened my understanding, and stirred up my soul to murder +him. If you see one that hath more good fortune than you, do not +grieve, but pray for him, that his happiness may be perfect, and if one +of the wicked even should grow rich in substance, like Esau, my +father's brother, do not envy him. Wait for the end of the Lord. + +"This also tell unto your children, that they shall honor Judah and +Levi, for from them the Lord will cause a savior to arise unto Israel. +For I know that in the end your children will fall off from God, and +they will take part in all wickedness, malice, and corruptness, before +the Lord." + +After Gad had rested a little while, he spake again, "My children, +hearken unto your father, and bury me with my fathers." Then he drew up +his feet, and slept in peace. After five years, his sons carried his +remains to Hebron unto his fathers.[15] + + + + +ASHER'S LAST WORDS + + +In the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life, while be was still +robust in health, Asher summoned his children unto him, and admonished +them to walk in the ways of virtue and the fear of God. He spake: +"Hearken, ye sons of Asher, unto your father, and I will show you all +that is right before God. Two ways hath God put before the children of +men, and two inclinations hath He bestowed upon them, two kinds of +actions and two aims. Therefore all things are in twos, the one +opposite to the other. But ye, my children, ye shall not be double, +pursuing both goodness and wickedness. Ye shall cling only to the ways +of goodness, for the Lord taketh delight in them, and men yearn after +them. And flee from wickedness, for thus you will destroy the evil +inclination. Heed well the commands of the Lord, by following truth +with a single mind. Observe the law of the Lord, and have not the same +care for wicked things as for good things. Rather keep your eyes upon +what is truly good, and guard it through all the commands of the Lord. +The end of man, when he meets the messengers of God and of Satan, shows +whether he was righteous or unrighteous in his life. If his soul goes +out with agitation, she will be plagued by the evil spirit, whom she +served with her lusts and her evil deeds; but if she departs +tranquilly, the angel of peace will lead her to life eternal. + +"Be not like Sodom, my children, which recognized not the angels of the +Lord, that ye be not delivered into the hands of your enemies, and your +land be cursed, and your sanctuary destroyed, and you be scattered to +the four corners of the earth, and scorned in the confusion like stale +water, until the Most High shall visit the earth, and break the heads +of the dragons in the waters. Tell this, my sons, unto your children, +that they be not disobedient toward God, for I read in the tablets of +the heavens that you will be contumacious and act impiously toward Him, +in that you will have no care for the law of God, but you will heed +human laws, and they are corrupted by reason of man's godlessness. +Therefore ye will be dispersed abroad like unto Gad and Dan, my +brethren, and you will not know either your land, or your tribe, or +your tongue. Nevertheless the Lord will gather you in His faithfulness, +for the sake of His gracious mercy, and for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, +and Jacob." + +And when he had made an end of saying these words, he commanded them to +bury him in Hebron. And he sank into sweet sleep, and died. His sons +did as he had commanded, and they carried him up and buried him with +his fathers.[16] + + + + +BENJAMIN EXTOLS JOSEPH + + +Benjamin was one hundred and twenty-five years old, and he called his +children to come to him. When they appeared, he kissed them, and spake: +"As Isaac was born unto Abraham in his old age, so was I born unto +Jacob when he was stricken in years. Therefore I was called Benjamin, +'the son of days.' My mother Rachel died at my birth, and Bilhah her +slave suckled me. Rachel had no children for twelve years after bearing +Joseph. Therefore she prayed to God, and fasted twelve days, and she +conceived and bare me. Our father loved Rachel fondly, and he had +longed greatly to have two sons by her. + +"When I came down to Egypt, and my brother Joseph recognized me, he +asked me, 'What said my brethren to my father regarding me?' And I told +him that they had sent Jacob his coat stained with blood, and had said, +'Know now whether this be thy son's coat or not.' And Joseph said: +'This is what happened to me. Canaanitish merchantmen stole me away +with violence, and on the way they wanted to hide my coat, to make it +seem as though a wild beast had met me and slain me. But he who was +about to conceal it, was torn by a lion, whereupon his companions, in +great fear, sold me to the Ishmaelites. My brethren, thou seest, did +not deceive my father with a lie.' In this wise Joseph tried to keep +the deed of our brethren a secret from me. He also summoned my +brethren, and enjoined them not to make known to our father what they +had done to him, and bade them repeat the tale he had told me. + +"Now, my children, love ye the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, and +observe His commandments, taking that good and pious man Joseph as your +model. Until the day of his death he would not have divulged what his +brethren had done to him, and although God revealed their action to +Jacob, he continued to deny it. Only after many efforts, when Jacob +adjured him to confess the truth, he was induced to speak out. Even +then he besought our father Jacob to pray for our brethren, that God +account not the evil they had done to him as a sin. And Jacob +exclaimed, 'O my good child Joseph, thou hast shown thyself more +merciful than I was!' + +"My children, have you observed the mercy of the good man? Imitate it +with pure intention, that ye, too, may wear crowns of glory. A good man +has not an envious eye, he has mercy with all, even with sinners, +though their evil designs be directed against him, and by his good +deeds he conquers the evil, since it was ordained of God. If you do +good, the unclean spirits will depart from you, and even the wild +beasts will stand in fear of you. The inclination of a good man lies +not in the power of the tempter spirit Behar, for the angel of peace +guides his soul. Flee before the malice of Beliar, whose sword is drawn +to slay all that pay him obedience, and his sword is the mother of +seven evils, bloodshed, corruptness, error, captivity, hunger, panic, +and devastation. Therefore God surrendered Cain to seven punishments. +Once in a hundred years the Lord brought a castigation upon him. His +afflictions began when he was two hundred years old, and in his nine +hundredth year he was destroyed by the deluge, for having slain his +righteous brother Abel. And those who are like unto Cain will be +chastised forever with the same punishments as his. + +"Know now, my children, that I am about to die. Practice truth and +righteousness, and observe the law of the Lord and also His +commandments. This I bequeath unto you as your sole heritage, and you +shall leave it to your children as an eternal possession. Thus Abraham, +Isaac, and Jacob did, they transmitted it unto us, saying, 'Observe the +commands of God, until the Lord shall reveal His salvation in the sight +of all the heathen.' Then you will see Enoch, Noah, Shem, Abraham, +Isaac, and Jacob[17] rise up with rejoicing to new life at the right +hand of God, and we brethren, the sons of Jacob, will arise also, each +of us at the head of his tribe, and we will pay homage to the King of +the heavens." + +After Benjamin had made an end of speaking thus, he said: "I command +you, my children, to carry my bones up out of Egypt and bury me near my +fathers." + +And when he had made an end of saying these things, he fell asleep at a +good old age, and they put his body into a coffin, and in the +ninety-first year of their sojourning in Egypt, his sons and the sons +of his brethren brought up the bones of their father, in secret, and +buried them in Hebron, at the feet of their fathers. Then they returned +from the land of Canaan, and they dwelt in Egypt until the day of the +exodus from the land.[18] + + + + +III +JOB + + + + +JOB AND THE PATRIARCHS + + +Job, the most pious Gentile that ever lived,[1] one of the few to bear +the title of honor "the servant of God,"[2] was of double kin to Jacob. +He was a grandson of Jacob's brother Esau, and at the same time the +son-in-law of Jacob himself, for lie had married Dinah as his second +wife.[3] He was entirely worthy of being a member of the Patriarch's +family, for he was perfectly upright, one that feared God, and eschewed +evil. Had he not wavered in his resignation to the Divine will during +the great trial to which he was subjected, and murmured against God, +the distinction would have been conferred upon him of having his name +joined to the Name of God in prayer, and men would have called upon the +God of Job as they now call upon the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. +But he was not found steadfast like the three Fathers, and he forfeited +the honor God had intended for him. + +The Lord remonstrated with him for his lack of patience, saying: "Why +didst thou murmur when suffering came upon thee? Dost thou think +thyself of greater worth than Adam, the creation of Mine own hands, +upon whom together with his descendants I decreed death on account of a +single transgression? And yet Adam murmured not. Thou art surely not +more worthy than Abraham, whom I tempted with many trials, and when he +asked, 'Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit the land?' and I +replied, 'Know of a surety that thy seed will be a stranger in a land +that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them +four hundred years,' he yet murmured not. Thou dost not esteem thyself +more worthy than Moses, dost thou? Him I would not grant the favor of +entering the promised land, because he spake the words, 'Hear now, ye +rebels; shall we bring you forth water out of this rock?' And yet he +murmured not. Art thou more worthy than Aaron, unto whom I showed +greater honor than unto any created being, for I sent the angels +themselves out of the Holy of Holies when he entered the place? Yet +when his two sons died, he murmured not."[4] + +The contrast between Job and the Patriarchs appears from words spoken +by him and words spoken by Abraham. Addressing God, Abraham said, "That +be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with +the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked," and Job +exclaimed against God, "It is all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth +the perfect and the wicked." They both received their due recompense, +Abraham was rewarded and Job was punished.[5] + +Convinced that his suffering was undeserved and unjust, Job had the +audacity to say to God: "O Lord of the world, Thou didst create the ox +with cloven feet and the ass with unparted hoof, Thou hast created +Paradise and hell, Thou createst the righteous and also the wicked. +There is none to hinder, Thou canst do as seemeth good in Thy sight." +The friends of Job replied: "It is true, God hath created the evil +inclination, but He hath also given man the Torah as a remedy against +it. Therefore the wicked cannot roll their guilt from off their +shoulders and put it upon God." + +The reason Job did not shrink from such extravagant utterances was +because he denied the resurrection of the dead. He judged of the +prosperity of the wicked and the woes of the pious only by their +earthly fortunes. Proceeding from this false premise, he held it to be +possible that the punishment falling to his share was not at all +intended for him. God had slipped into an error, He imposed the +suffering upon him that had been appointed unto a sinner. But God spake +to him, saying: "Many hairs have I created upon the head of man, yet +each hair hath its own sac, for were two hairs to draw their +nourishment from the same sac, man would lose the sight of his eyes. It +hath never happened that a sac hath been misplaced. Should I, then, +have mistaken Job for another? I let many drops of rain descend from +the heavens, and for each drop there is a mould in the clouds, for were +two drops to issue from the same mould, the ground would be made so +miry that it could not bring forth any growth. It hath never happened +that a mould hath been misplaced. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for +another? Many thunderbolts I hurl from the skies, but each one comes +from its own path, for were two to proceed from the same path, they +would destroy the whole world. It hath never happened that a path hath +been misplaced. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another? The +gazelle gives birth to her young on the topmost point of a rock, and it +would fall into the abyss and be crushed to death, if I did not send an +eagle thither to catch it up and carry it to its mother. Were the eagle +to appear a minute earlier or later than the appointed time, the little +gazelle would perish. It hath never happened that the proper minute of +time was missed. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another? The +hind has a contracted womb, and would not be able to bring forth her +young, if I did not send a dragon to her at the right second, to nibble +at her womb and soften it, for then she can bear. Were the dragon to +come a second before or after the right time, the hind would perish. It +hath never happened that I missed the right second. Should I, then, +have mistaken Job for another?" + +Notwithstanding Job's unpardonable words, God was displeased with his +friends for passing harsh judgment upon him. "A man may not be held +responsible for what he does in his anguish," and Job's agony was +great, indeed[6] + + + + +JOB'S WEALTH AND BENEFACTIONS + + +Job was asked once what he considered the severest affliction that +could strike him, and he replied, "My enemies' joy in my misfortune,[7] +and when God demanded to know of him, after the accusations made by +Satan, what he preferred, poverty or physical suffering, he chose pain, +saying, "O Lord of the whole world, chastise my body with suffering of +all kinds, only preserve me from poverty."[8] Poverty seemed the +greater scourge, because before his trials he had occupied a brilliant +position on account of his vast wealth. God graciously granted him this +foretaste of the Messianic time. The harvest followed close upon the +ploughing of his field; no sooner were the seeds strewn in the furrows, +than they sprouted and grew and ripened produce. He was equally +successful with his cattle. His sheep killed wolves, but were +themselves never harmed by wild beasts.[9] Of sheep he had no less than +one hundred and thirty thousand, and he required eight hundred dogs to +keep guard over them, not to mention the two hundred dogs needed to +secure the safety of his house. Besides, his herds consisted of three +hundred and forty thousand asses and thirty-five hundred pairs of oxen. +All these possessions were not used for self- indulgent pleasures, but +for the good of the poor and the needy, whom he clothed, and fed, and +provided with all things necessary. To do all this, he even had to +employ ships that carried supplies to all the cities and the dwelling- +places of the destitute. His house was furnished with doors on all its +four sides, that the poor and the wayfarer might enter, no matter from +what direction they approached. At all times there were thirty tables +laden with viands ready in his house, and twelve besides for widows +only, so that all who came found what they desired. Job's consideration +for the poor was so delicate that he kept servants to wait upon them +constantly. His guests, enraptured by his charitableness, frequently +offered themselves as attendants to minister to the poor in his house, +but Job always insisted upon paying them for their services. If he was +asked for a loan of money, to be used for business purposes, and the +borrower promised to give a part of his profits to the poor, he would +demand no security beyond a mere signature. And if it happened that by +some mischance or other the debtor was not able to discharge his +obligation, Job would return the note to him, or tear it into bits in +his presence. + +He did not rest satisfied at supplying the material needs of those who +applied to him. He strove also to convey the knowledge of God to them. +After a meal he was in the habit of having music played upon +instruments, and then he would invite those present to join him in +songs of praise to God. On such occasions he did not consider himself +above playing the cithern while the musicians rested.[10] + +Most particularly Job concerned himself about the weal and woe of +widows and orphans. He was wont to pay visits to the sick, both rich +and poor, and when it was necessary, he would bring a physician along +with him. If the case turned out to be hopeless, he would sustain the +stricken family with advice and consolation. When the wife of the +incurably sick man began to grieve and weep, he would encourage her +with such words as these: "Trust always in the grace and lovingkindness +of God. He hath not abandoned thee until now, and He will not forsake +thee henceforth. Thy husband will be restored to health, and will be +able to provide for his family as heretofore. But if—which may God +forefend—thy husband should die, I call Heaven to witness that I shall +provide sustenance for thee and thy children." Having spoken thus, he +would send for a notary, and have him draw up a document, which he +signed in the presence of witnesses, binding himself to care for the +family, should it be bereaved of its head. Thus he earned for himself +the blessing of the sick man and the gratitude of the sorrowing +wife.[11] + +Sometimes, in case of necessity, Job could be severe, too, especially +when it was a question of helping a poor man obtain his due. If one of +the parties to a suit cited before his tribunal was known to be a man +of violence, he would surround himself with his army and inspire him +with fear, so that the culprit could not but show himself amenable to +his decision.[12] + +He endeavored to inculcate his benevolent ways upon his children, by +accustoming them to wait upon the poor. On the morrow after a feast he +would sacrifice bountifully to God, and together with the pieces upon +the altar his offerings would be divided among the needy. He would say: +"Take and help yourselves, and pray for my children. It may be that +they have sinned, and renounced God, saying in the presumption of their +hearts: 'We are the children of this rich man. All these things are our +possessions. Why should we be servants to the poor?' " + + + + +SATAN AND JOB + + +The happy, God-pleasing life led by Job for many years excited the +hatred of Satan, who had an old grudge against him. Near Job's house +there was an idol worshipped by the people. Suddenly doubts assailed +the heart of Job, and he asked himself: "Is this idol really the +creator of heaven and earth? How can I find out the truth about it?" In +the following night he perceived a voice calling: "Jobab! Jobab! Arise, +and I will tell thee who he is whom thou desirest to know. This one to +whom the people offer sacrifices is not God, he is the handiwork of the +tempter, wherewith he deceives men." When he heard the voice, Job threw +himself on the ground, and said: "O Lord, if this idol is the handiwork +of the tempter, then grant that I may destroy it. None can hinder me, +for I am the king of this land."[13] + +Job, or, as he is sometimes called, Jobab, was, indeed, king of Edom, +the land wherein wicked plans are concocted against God, wherefore it +is called also Uz, "counsel."[14] + +The voice continued to speak. It made itself known as that of an +archangel of God, and revealed to Job that he would bring down the +enmity of Satan upon himself by the destruction of the idol, and much +suffering with it. However, if he remained steadfast under them, God +would change his troubles into joys, his name would become celebrated +throughout the generations of mankind, and he would have a share in the +resurrection to eternal life. Job replied to the voice: "Out of love of +God I am ready to endure all things unto the day of my death. I will +shrink back from naught." Now Job arose, and accompanied by fifty men +he repaired to the idol, and destroyed it. + +Knowing that Satan would try to approach him, he ordered his guard not +to give access to any one, and then he withdrew to his chamber. He had +guessed aright. Satan appeared at once, in the guise of a beggar, and +demanded speech with Job. The guard executed his orders, and forbade +his entering. Then the mendicant asked him to intercede for him with +Job for a piece of bread. Job knew it was Satan, and he sent word to +him as follows, "Do not expect to eat of my bread, for it is prohibited +unto thee," at the same time putting a piece of burnt bread into the +hand of the guard for Satan. The servant was ashamed to give a beggar +burnt bread, and he substituted a good piece for it. Satan, however, +knowing that the servant had not executed his master's errand, told him +so to his face, and he fetched the burnt bread and handed it to him, +repeating the words of Job. Thereupon Satan returned this answer, "As +the bread is burnt, so I will disfigure thy body." Job replied: "Do as +thou desirest, and execute thy plan. As for me, I am ready to suffer +whatever thou bringest down upon me." + +Now Satan betook himself to God, and prayed Him to put Job into his +power,[15] saying: "I went to and fro in the earth, and walked up and +down in it, and I saw no man as pious as Abraham. Thou didst promise +him the whole land of Palestine, and yet he did not take it in ill part +that he had not so much as a burial-place for Sarah.[16] As for Job, it +is true, I found none that loveth Thee as he does, but if Thou wilt put +him into my hand, I shall succeed in turning his heart away from Thee." +But God spake, "Satan, Satan, what hast thou a mind to do with my +servant Job, like whom there is none in the earth?" Satan persisted in +his request touching Job, and God granted it, He gave him full power +over Job's possessions.[17] + +This day of Job's accusation was the New Year's Day, whereon the good +and the evil deeds of man are brought before God.[18] + + + + +JOB'S SUFFERING + + +Equipped with unlimited power, Satan endeavored to deprive Job of all +he owned. He burnt part of his cattle, and the other part was carried +off by enemies. What pained Job more than this was that recipients of +his bounty turned against him, and took of his belongings.[19] + +Among the adversaries that assailed him was Lilith, the queen of +Sheba.[20] She lived at a great distance from his residence, it took +her and her army three years to travel from her home to his. She fell +upon his oxen and his asses, and took possession of them, after slaying +the men to whose care Job had entrusted them. One man escaped alone. +Wounded and bruised, he had only enough life in him to tell Job the +tale of his losses, and then he fell down dead. The sheep, which had +been left unmolested by the queen of Sheba, were taken away by the +Chaldeans. Job's first intention was to go to war against these +marauders, but when he was told that some of his property had been +consumed by fire from heaven, he desisted, and said, "If the heavens +turn against me, I can do nothing."[21] + +Dissatisfied with the result, Satan disguised himself as the king of +Persia, besieged the city of Job's residence, took it, and spoke to the +inhabitants, saying: "This man Job hath appropriated all the goods in +the world, leaving naught for others, and he hath also torn down the +temple of our god, and now I will pay him back for his wicked deeds. +Come with me and let us pillage his house." At first the people refused +to hearken to the words of Satan. They feared that the sons and +daughters of Job might rise up against them later, and avenge their +father's wrongs. But after Satan had pulled down the house wherein the +children of Job were assembled, and they lay dead in the ruins, the +people did as he bade them, and sacked the house of Job. + +Seeing that neither the loss of all he had nor the death of his +children could change his pious heart, Satan appeared before God a +second time, and requested that Job himself, his very person, be put +into his hand. God granted Satan's plea, but he limited his power to +Job's body, his soul he could not touch.[22] In a sense Satan was worse +off than Job. He was in the position of the slave that has been ordered +by his master to break the pitcher and not spill the wine.[23] + +Satan now caused a terrific storm to burst over the house of Job. He +was cast from his throne by the reverberations, and he lay upon the +floor for three hours. Then Satan smote his body with leprosy from the +sole of his foot unto his crown. This plague forced Job to leave the +city, and sit down outside upon an ash-heap,[24] for his lower limbs +were covered with oozing boils, and the issue flowed out upon the +ashes. The upper part of his body was encrusted with dry boils, and to +ease the itching they caused him, he used his nails, until they dropped +off together with his fingertips, and he took him a potsherd to scrape +himself withal.[25] His body swarmed with vermin, but if one of the +little creatures attempted to crawl away from him, he forced it back, +saying, "Remain on the place whither thou wast sent, until God assigns +another unto thee."[26] His wife, fearful that he would not bear his +horrible suffering with steadfastness, advised him to pray to God for +death, that lie might be sure of going hence an upright man.[27] But he +rejected her counsel, saying, "If in the days of good fortune, which +usually tempts men to deny God, I stood firm, and did not rebel against +Him, surely I shall be able to remain steadfast under misfortune, which +compels men to be obedient to God."[28] And Job stuck to his resolve in +spite of all suffering, while his wife was not strong enough to bear +her fate with resignation to the will of God. + +Her lot was bitter, indeed, for she had had to take service as a +water-carrier with a common churl, and when her master learnt that she +shared her bread with Job, he dismissed her. To keep her husband from +starving, she cut off her hair, and purchased bread with it. It was all +she had to pay the price charged by the bread merchant, none other than +Satan himself, who wanted to put her to the test. He said to her, +"Hadst thou not deserved this great misery of thine, it had not come +upon thee." This speech was more than the poor woman could bear. Then +it was that she came to her husband, and amid tears and groans urged +him to renounce God and die. Job, however, was not perturbed by her +words, because he divined at once that Satan stood behind his wife, and +seduced her to speak thus. Turning to the tempter, he said: "Why dost +thou not meet me frankly? Give up thy underhand ways, thou wretch." +Thereupon Satan appeared before Job, admitted that he had been +vanquished, and went away abashed.[29] + + + + +THE FOUR FRIENDS + + +The friends of Job lived in different places, at intervals of three +hundred miles one from the other. Nevertheless they all were informed +of their friend's misfortune at the same time, in this way: Each one +had the pictures of the others set in his crown, and as soon as any one +of them met with reverses, it showed itself in his picture. Thus the +friends of Job learnt simultaneously of his misfortune, and they +hastened to his assistance.[30] + +The four friends were related to one another, and each one was related +to Job. Eliphaz, king of Teman, was a son of Esau;[31] Bildad, Zophar, +and Elihu were cousins, their fathers, Shuah, Naamat, and Barachel, +were the sons of Buz, who was a brother of Job and a nephew of +Abraham.[32] + +When the four friends arrived in the city in which Job lived, the +inhabitants took them outside the gates, and pointing to a figure +reclining upon an ash-heap at some distance off, they said, "Yonder is +Job." At first the friends would not give them credence, and they +decided to look more closely at the man, to make sure of his identity. +But the foul smell emanating from Job was so strong that they could not +come near to him. They ordered their armies to scatter perfumes and +aromatic substances all around. Only after this had been done for +hours, they could approach the outcast close enough to recognize him. + +Eliphaz was the first to address Job, "Art thou indeed Job, a king +equal in rank with ourselves?" And when Job said Aye, they broke out +into lamentations and bitter tears, and all together they sang an +elegy, the armies of the three kings, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, +joining in the choir. Again Eliphaz began to speak, and he bemoaned +Job's sad fortune, and depicted his friend's former glory, adding the +refrain to each sentence, "Whither hath departed the splendor of thy +throne?" + +After listening long to the wailing and lamenting of Eliphaz and his +companions, Job spake, saying: "Silence, and I will show you my throne +and the splendor of its glory. Kings will perish, rulers disappear, +their pride and lustre will pass like a shadow across a mirror, but my +kingdom will persist forever and ever, for glory and magnificence are +in the chariot of my Father." + +These words aroused the wrath of Eliphaz, and he called upon his +associates to abandon Job to his fate and go their way. But Bildad +appeased his anger, reminding him that some allowance ought to be made +for one so sorely tried as Job. Bildad put a number of questions to the +sufferer in order to establish his sanity. He wanted to elicit from Job +how it came about that God, upon whom he continued to set his hopes, +could inflict such dire suffering. Not even a king of flesh and blood +would allow a guardsman of his that had served him loyally to come to +grief. Bildad desired to have information from Job also concerning the +movements of the heavenly bodies. + +Job had but one answer to make to these questions: man cannot +comprehend Divine wisdom, whether it reveal itself in inanimate and +brute nature or in relation to human beings. "But," continued Job, "to +prove to you that I am in my right mind, listen to the question I shall +put to you. Solid food and liquids combine inside of man, and they +separate again when they leave his body. Who effects the separation?" +And when Bildad conceded that he could not answer the question, Job +said, "If thou canst not comprehend the changes in thy body, how canst +thou hope to comprehend the movements of the planets?" + +Zophar, after Job had spoken thus to Bildad, was convinced that his +suffering had had no effect upon his mind, and he asked him whether he +would permit himself to be treated by the physicians of the three +kings, his friends. But Job rejected the offer, saying, "My healing and +my restoration come from God, the Creator of all physicians." + +While the three kings were conversing thus with Job, his wife Zitidos +made her appearance clad in rags, and she threw herself at the feet of +her husband's friends, and amid tears she spoke, saying: "O Eliphaz, +and ye other friends of Job, remember what I was in other days, and how +I am now changed, coming before you in rags and tatters." The sight of +the unhappy woman touched them so deeply that they could only weep, and +not a word could they force out of their mouths. Eliphaz, however, took +his royal mantle of purple, and laid it about the shoulders of the poor +woman. Zitidos asked only one favor, that the three kings should order +their soldiers to clear away the ruins of the building under which her +children lay entombed, that she might give their remains decent burial. +The command was issued to the soldiers accordingly, but Job said, "Do +not put yourselves to trouble for naught. My children will not be +found, for they are safely bestowed with their Lord and Creator." Again +his friends were sure that Job was bereft of his senses. He arose, +however, prayed to God, and at the end of his devotions, he bade his +friends look eastward, and when they did his bidding, they beheld his +children next to the Ruler of heaven, with crowns of glory upon their +heads. Zitidos prostrated herself, and said, "Now I know that my +memorial resides with the Lord." And she returned to the house of her +master, whence she had absented herself for some time against his will. +He had forbidden her to leave it, because he had feared that the three +kings would take her with them. + +In the evening she lay down to sleep next to the manger for the cattle, +but she never rose again, she died there of exhaustion. The people of +the city made a great mourning for her, and the elegy composed in her +honor was set down in writing and recorded. + + + + +JOB RESTORED + + +More and more the friends of Job came to the conclusion that he had +incurred Divine punishment on account of his sins, and as he +asseverated his innocence again and again, they prepared angrily to +leave him to his fate. Especially Elihu was animated by Satan to speak +scurrilous words against Job, upbraiding him for his unshakable +confidence in God. Then the Lord appeared to them, first unto Job, and +revealed to him that Elihu was in the wrong, and his words were +inspired by Satan. Next he appeared unto Eliphaz, and to him He spake +thus: "Thou and thy friends Bildad and Zophar have committed a sin, for +ye did not speak the truth concerning my servant Job. Rise up and let +him bring a sin offering for you. Only for his sake do I refrain from +destroying you." + +The sacrifice offered by Job in behalf of his friends was accepted +graciously by God, and Eliphaz broke out into a hymn of thanksgiving to +the Lord for having pardoned the transgression of himself and his two +friends. At the same time he announced the damnation of Elihu, the +instrument of Satan. + +God appeared to Job once more, and gave him a girdle composed of three +ribands, and he bade him tie it around his waist. Hardly had he put it +on when all his pain disappeared, his very recollection of it vanished, +and, more than this, God made him to see all that ever was and all that +shall ever be.[33] + +After suffering sevenfold pain for seven years[34] Job was restored to +strength. With his three friends he returned to the city, and the +inhabitants made a festival in his honor and unto the glory of God. All +his former friends joined him again, and he resumed his old occupation, +the care of the poor, for which he obtained the means from the people +around. He said to them, "Give me, each one of you, a sheep for the +clothing of the poor, and four silver or gold drachmas for their other +needs." The Lord blessed Job, and in a few days his wealth had +increased to double the substance he had owned before misfortune +overtook him. Zitidos having died during the years of his trials, he +married a second wife, Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and she bore him +seven sons and three daughters.[35] He had never had more than one wife +at a time, for he was wont to say, "If it had been intended that Adam +should have ten wives, God would have given them to him. Only one wife +was bestowed upon him, whereby God indicated that he was to have but +one, and therefore one wife suffices for me, too."[36] + +When Job, after a long and happy life, felt his end approaching, he +gathered his ten children around him, and told them the tale of his +days. Having finished the narrative, he admonished them in these words: +"See, I am about to die, and you will stand in my place. Forsake not +the Lord, be generous toward the poor, treat the feeble with +consideration, and do not marry with the women of the Gentiles." + +Thereupon he divided his possessions among his sons, and to his +daughters he gave what is more precious than all earthly goods, to each +of them one riband of the celestial girdle he had received from God. +The magic virtue of these ribands was such that no sooner did their +possessors tie them around their waists than they were transformed into +higher beings, and with seraphic voices they broke out into hymns after +the manner of the angels. + +For three days Job lay upon his bed, sick though not suffering, for the +celestial girdle made him proof against pain. On the fourth day he saw +the angels descend to fetch his soul. He arose from his bed, handed a +cithern to his oldest daughter Jemimah, "Day," a censer to the second +one, Keziah, "Perfume," and a cymbal to the third, Amaltheas, "Horn," +and bade them welcome the angels with the sound of music. They played +and sang and praised the Lord in the holy tongue. Then he appeared that +sits in the great chariot, kissed Job, and rode away bearing his soul +with him eastward. None saw them depart except the three daughters of +Job. + +The grief of the people, especially the poor, the widows, and the +orphans, was exceeding great. For three days they left the corpse +unburied, because they could not entertain the thought of separating +themselves from it. + +As the name of Job will remain imperishable unto all time, by reason of +the man's piety,[37] so his three friends were recompensed by God for +their sympathy with him in his distress. Their names were preserved, +the punishment of hell was remitted unto them, and, best of all, God +poured out the holy spirit over them.[38] But Satan, the cause of Job's +anguish, the Lord cast down from heaven, for he had been vanquished by +Job, who amid his agony had thanked and praised God for all He had done +unto him.[39] + + + + +IV +MOSES IN EGYPT + + + + +THE BEGINNING OF THE EGYPTIAN BONDAGE + + +As soon as Jacob was dead, the eyes of the Israelites were closed, as +well as their hearts. They began to feel the dominion of the +stranger,[1] although real bondage did not enslave them until some time +later. While a single one of the sons of Jacob was alive, the Egyptians +did not venture to approach the Israelites with evil intent. It was +only when Levi, the last of them, had departed this life that their +suffering commenced.[2] A change in the relation of the Egyptians +toward the Israelites had, indeed, been noticeable immediately after +the death of Joseph, but they did not throw off their mask completely +until Levi was no more. Then the slavery of the Israelites supervened +in good earnest. + +The first hostile act on the part of the Egyptians was to deprive the +Israelites of their fields, their vineyards, and the gifts that Joseph +had sent to his brethren. Not content with these animosities, they +sought to do them harm in, other ways.[3] The reason for the hatred of +the Egyptians was envy and fear. The Israelites had increased to a +miraculous degree. At the death of Jacob the seventy persons he had +brought down with him bad grown to the number of six hundred +thousand,[4] and their physical strength and heroism were extraordinary +and therefore alarming to the Egyptians. There were many occasions at +that time for the display of prowess. Not long after the death of Levi +occurred that of the Egyptian king Magron, who had been bred up by +Joseph, and therefore was not wholly without grateful recollection of +what he and his family had accomplished for the welfare of Egypt. But +his son and successor Malol, together with his whole court, knew not +the sons of Jacob and their achievements, and they did not scruple to +oppress the Hebrews. + +The final breach between them and the Egyptians took place during the +wars waged by Malol against Zepho, the grandson of Esau. In the course +of it, the Israelites had saved the Egyptians from a crushing defeat, +but instead of being grateful they sought only the undoing of their +benefactors, from fear that the giant strength of the Hebrews might be +turned against them.[5] + + + + +PHARAOH'S CUNNING + + +The counsellors and elders of Egypt came to Pharaoh, and spake unto +him, saying: "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are greater +and mightier than we. Thou hast seen their strong power, which they +have inherited from their fathers, for a few of them stood up against a +people as many as the sand of the sea, and not one hath fallen. Now, +therefore, give us counsel what to do with them, until we shall +gradually destroy them from among us, lest they become too numerous in +the land, for if they multiply, and there falleth out any war, they +will also join themselves with their great strength unto our enemies, +and fight against us, destroy us from the land, and get them up out of +the land." + +The king answered the elders, saying: "This is the plan advised by me +against Israel, from which we will not depart. Behold, Pithom and +Raamses are cities not fortified against battle. It behooves us to +fortify them. Now, go ye and act cunningly against the children of +Israel, and proclaim in Egypt and in Goshen, saying: 'All ye men of +Egypt, Goshen, and Pathros! The king has commanded us to build Pithom +and Raamses and fortify them against battle. Those amongst you in all +Egypt, of the children of Israel and of all the inhabitants of the +cities, who are willing to build with us, shall have their wages given +to them daily at the king's order.' + +"Then go ye first, and begin to build Pithom and Raamses, and cause the +king's proclamation to be made daily, and when some of the children of +Israel come to build, do ye give them their wages daily, and after they +shall have built with you for their daily wages, draw yourselves away +from them day by day, and one by one, in secret. Then you shall rise up +and become their taskmasters and their officers, and you shall have +them afterward to build without wages. And should they refuse, then +force them with all your might to build. If you do this, it will go +well with us, for we shall cause our land to be fortified after this +manner, and with the children of Israel it will go ill, for they will +decrease in number on account of the work, because you will prevent +them from being with their wives." + +The elders, the counsellors, and the whole of Egypt did according to +the word of the king. For a month the servants of Pharaoh built with +Israel, then they withdrew themselves gradually, while the children of +Israel continued to work, receiving their daily wages, for some men of +Egypt were still carrying on the work with them. After a time all the +Egyptians had withdrawn, and they had turned to become the officers and +taskmasters of the Israelites. Then they refrained from giving them any +pay, and when some of the Hebrews refused to work without wages, their +taskmasters smote them, and made them return by force to labor with +their brethren. And the children of Israel were greatly afraid of the +Egyptians, and they came again and worked without pay, all except the +tribe of Levi, who were not employed in the work with their brethren. +The children of Levi knew that the proclamation of the king was made to +deceive Israel, therefore they refrained from listening to it, and the +Egyptians did not molest them later, since they had not been with their +brethren at the beginning, and though the Egyptians embittered the +lives of the other Israelites with servile labor, they did not disturb +the children of Levi. The Israelites called Malol, the king of Egypt, +Maror, "Bitterness," because in his days the Egyptians embittered their +lives with all manner of rigorous service.[6] + +But Pharaoh did not rest satisfied with his proclamation and the +affliction it imposed upon the Israelites. He suspended a brick-press +from his own neck, and himself took part in the work at Pithom and +Raamses. After this, whenever a Hebrew refused to come and help with +the building, alleging that he was not fit for such hard service, the +Egyptians would retort, saying, "Dost thou mean to make us believe thou +art more delicate than Pharaoh?" + +The king himself urged the Israelites on with gentle words, saying, "My +children, I beg you to do this work and erect these little buildings +for me. I will give you great reward therefor." By means of such +artifices and wily words the Egyptians succeeded in overmastering the +Israelites, and once they had them in their power, they treated them +with undisguised brutality. Women were forced to perform men's work, +and men women's work. + +The building of Pithom and Raamses turned out of no advantage to the +Egyptians, for scarcely were the structures completed, when they +collapsed, or they were swallowed by the earth, and the Hebrew workmen, +besides having to suffer hardships during their erection, lost their +lives by being precipitated from enormous heights, when the buildings +fell in a heap.[7] + +But the Egyptians were little concerned whether or not they derived +profit from the forced labor of the children of Israel. Their main +object was to hinder their increase, and Pharaoh therefore issued an +order, that they were not to be permitted to sleep at their own homes, +that so they might be deprived of the opportunity of having intercourse +with their wives. The officers executed the will of the king, telling +the Hebrews that the reason was the loss of too much time in going to +and fro, which would prevent them from completing the required tale of +bricks. Thus the Hebrew husbands were kept apart from their wives, and +they were compelled to sleep on the ground, away from their +habitations. + +But God spake, saying: "Unto their father Abraham I gave the promise, +that I would make his children to be as numerous as the stars in the +heavens, and you contrive plans to prevent them from multiplying. We +shall see whose word will stand, Mine or yours." And it came to pass +that the more the Egyptians afflicted them, the more they multiplied, +and the more they spread abroad.[8] And they continued to increase in +spite of Pharaoh's command, that those who did not complete the +required tale of bricks were to be immured in the buildings between the +layers of bricks, and great was the number of the Israelites that lost +their lives in this way.[9] Many of their children were, besides, +slaughtered as sacrifices to the idols of the Egyptians. For this +reason God visited retribution upon the idols at the time of the going +forth of the Israelites from Egypt. They had caused the death of the +Hebrew children, and in turn they were shattered, and they crumbled +into dust." + + + + +THE PIOUS MIDWIVES + + +When now, in spite of all their tribulations, the children of Israel +continued to multiply and spread abroad, so that the land was full of +them as with thick underbrush—for the women brought forth many children +at a birth[11]—the Egyptians appeared before Pharaoh again, and urged +him to devise some other way of ridding the land of the Hebrews, seeing +that they were increasing mightily, though they were made to toil and +labor hard. Pharaoh could invent no new design; he asked his +counsellors to give him their opinion of the thing. Then spake one of +them, Job of the land of Uz, which is in Aram-naharaim, as follows: +"The plan which the king invented, of putting a great burden of work +upon the Israelites, was good in its time, and it should be executed +henceforth, too, but to secure us against the fear that, if a war +should come to pass, they may overwhelm us by reason of their numbers, +and chase us forth out of the land, let the king issue a decree, that +every male child of the Israelites shall be killed at his birth. Then +we need not be afraid of them if we should be overtaken by war. Now let +the king summon the Hebrew midwives, that they come hither, and let him +command them in accordance with this plan." + +Job's advice found favor in the eyes of Pharaoh and the Egyptians." +They preferred to have the midwives murder the innocents, for they +feared the punishment of God if they laid hands upon them themselves. +Pharaoh cited the two midwives of the Hebrews before him, and commanded +them to slay all men children, but to save the daughters of the Hebrew +women alive," for the Egyptians were as much interested in preserving +the female children as in bringing about the death of the male +children. They were very sensual, and were desirous of having as many +women as possible at their service." + +However, the plan, even if it had been carried into execution, was not +wise, for though a man may marry many wives, each woman can marry but +one husband. Thus a diminished number of men and a corresponding +increase in the number of women did not constitute so serious a menace +to the continuance of the nation of the Israelites as the reverse case +would have been. + +The two Hebrew midwives were Jochebed, the mother of Moses, and Miriam, +his sister. When they appeared before Pharaoh, Miriam exclaimed: "Woe +be to this man when God visits retribution upon him for his evil +deeds." The king would have killed her for these audacious words, had +not Jochebed allayed his wrath by saying: "Why dost thou pay heed to +her words? She is but a child, and knows not what she speaks." Yet, +although Miriam was but five years old at the time, she nevertheless +accompanied her mother, and helped her with her offices to the Hebrew +women, giving food to the new-born babes while Jochebed washed and +bathed them. + +Pharaoh's order ran as follows: "At the birth of the child, if it be a +man child, kill it; but if it be a female child, then you need not kill +it, but you may save it alive." The midwives returned: "How are we to +know whether the child is male or female?" for the king had bidden them +kill it while it was being born. Pharaoh replied: "If the child issues +forth from the womb with its face foremost, it is a man child, for it +looks to the earth, whence man was taken; but if its feet appear first, +it is a female, for it looks up toward the rib of the mother, and from +a rib woman was made."[15] + +The king used all sorts of devices to render the midwives amenable to +his wishes. He approached them with amorous proposals, which they both +repelled, and then he threatened them with death by fire.[16] But they +said within themselves: "Our father Abraham opened an inn, that he +might feed the wayfarers, though they were heathen, and we should +neglect the children, nay, kill them? No, we shall have a care to keep +them alive." Thus they failed to execute what Pharaoh had commanded. +Instead of murdering the babes, they supplied all their needs. If a +mother that had given birth to a child lacked food and drink, the +midwives went to well-to-do women, and took up a collection, that the +infant might not suffer want. They did still more for the little ones. +They made supplication to God, praying: "Thou knowest that we are not +fulfilling the words of Pharaoh, but it is our aim to fulfil Thy words. +O that it be Thy will, our Lord, to let the child come into the world +safe and sound, lest we fall under the suspicion that we tried to slay +it, and maimed it in the attempt." The Lord hearkened to their prayer, +and no child born under the ministrations of Shiphrah and Puah, or +Jochebed and Miriam, as the midwives are also called, came into the +world lame or blind or afflicted with any other blemish.[17] + +Seeing that his command was ineffectual, he summoned the midwives a +second time, and called them to account for their disobedience. They +replied: "This nation is compared unto one animal and another, and, in +sooth, the Hebrews are like the animals. As little as the animals do +they need the offices of midwives."[18] These two God-fearing women +were rewarded in many ways for their good deeds. Not only that Pharaoh +did them no harm, but they were made the ancestors of priests and +Levites, and kings and princes. Jochebed became the mother of the +priest Aaron and of the Levite Moses, and from Miriam's union with +Caleb sprang the royal house of David. The hand of God was visible in +her married life. She contracted a grievous sickness, and though it was +thought by all that saw her that death would certainly overtake her, +she recovered, and God restored her youth, and bestowed unusual beauty +upon her, so that renewed happiness awaited her husband, who had been +deprived of the pleasures of conjugal life during her long illness. His +unexpected joys were the reward of his piety and trust in God.[19] And +another recompense was accorded to Miriam: she was privileged to bring +forth Bezalel, the builder of the Tabernacle, who was endowed with +celestial wisdom.[20] + + + + +THE THREE COUNSELLORS + + +In the one hundred and thirtieth year after Israel's going down to +Egypt Pharaoh dreamed that he was sitting upon his throne, and he +lifted up his eyes, and he beheld an old man before him with a balance +in his hand, and he saw him taking all the elders, nobles, and great +men of Egypt, tying them together, and laying them in one scale of the +balance, while he put a tender kid into the other. The kid bore down +the pan in which it lay until it hung lower than the other with the +bound Egyptians. Pharaoh arose early in the morning, and called +together all his servants and his wise men to interpret his dream, and +the men were greatly afraid on account of his vision. Balaam the son of +Beor then spake, and said: "This means nothing but that a great evil +will spring up against Egypt, for a son will be born unto Israel, who +will destroy the whole of our land and all its inhabitants, and he will +bring forth the Israelites from Egypt with a mighty hand. Now, +therefore, O king, take counsel as to this matter, that the hope of +Israel be frustrated before this evil arise against Egypt." + +The king said unto Balaam: "What shall we do unto Israel? We have tried +several devices against this people, but we could not prevail over it. +Now let me hear thy opinion." + +At Balaam's instance, the king sent for his two counsellors, Reuel the +Midianite and Job the Uzite, to hear their advice. Reuel spoke: "If it +seemeth good to the king, let him desist from the Hebrews, and let him +not stretch forth his hand against them, for the Lord chose them in +days of old, and took them as the lot of His inheritance from amongst +all the nations of the earth, and who is there that hath dared stretch +forth his hand against them with impunity, but that their God avenged +the evil done unto them?" Reuel then proceeded to enumerate some of the +mighty things God had performed for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he +closed his admonition with the words: "Verily, thy grandfather, the +Pharaoh of former days, raised Joseph the son of Jacob above all the +princes of Egypt, because he discerned his wisdom, for through his +wisdom he rescued all the inhabitants of the land from the famine, +after which he invited Jacob and his sons to come down to Egypt, that +the land of Egypt and the land of Goshen be delivered from the famine +through their virtues. Now, therefore, if it seem good in thine eyes, +leave off from destroying the children of Israel, and if it be not thy +will that they dwell in Egypt, send them forth from here, that they may +go to the land of Canaan, the land wherein their ancestors sojourned." + +When Pharaoh heard the words of Jethro-Reuel, he was exceedingly wroth +with him, and he was dismissed in disgrace from before the king, and he +went to Midian. + +The king then spoke to Job, and said: "What sayest thou, Job, and what +is thy advice respecting the Hebrews?" Job replied: "Behold, all the +inhabitants of the land are in thy power. Let the king do as seemeth +good in his eyes." + +Balaam was the last to speak at the behest of the king, and he said: +"From all that the king may devise against the Hebrews, they will be +delivered. If thou thinkest to diminish them by the flaming fire, thou +wilt not prevail over them, for their God delivered Abraham their +father from the furnace in which the Chaldeans cast him. Perhaps thou +thinkest to destroy them with a sword, but their father Isaac was +delivered from being slaughtered by the sword. And if thou thinkest to +reduce them through hard and rigorous labor, thou wilt also not +prevail, for their father Jacob served Laban in all manner of hard +work, and yet he prospered. If it please the king, let him order all +the male children that shall be born in Israel from this day forward to +be thrown into the water. Thereby canst thou wipe out their name, for +neither any of them nor any of their fathers was tried in this way.[21] + + + + +THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS + + +Balaam's advice was accepted by Pharaoh and the Egyptians. They knew +that God pays measure for measure, therefore they believed that the +drowning of the men children would be the safest means of exterminating +the Hebrews, without incurring harm themselves, for the Lord had sworn +unto Noah never again to destroy the world by water. Thus, they +assumed, they would be exempt from punishment, wherein they were wrong, +however. In the first place, though the Lord had sworn not to bring a +flood upon men, there was nothing in the way of bringing men into a +flood. Furthermore, the oath of God applied to the whole of mankind, +not to a single nation. The end of the Egyptians was that they met +their death in the billows of the Red Sea. "Measure for measure"—as +they had drowned the men children of the Israelites, so they were +drowned.[22] + +Pharaoh now took steps looking to the faithful execution of his decree. +He sent his bailiffs into the houses of the Israelites, to discover all +new-born children, wherever they might be. To make sure that the +Hebrews should not succeed in keeping the children hidden, the +Egyptians hatched a devilish plan. Their women were to take their +little ones to the houses of the Israelitish women that were suspected +of having infants. When the Egyptian children began to cry or coo, the +Hebrew children that were kept in hiding would join in, after the +manner of babies, and betray their presence, whereupon the Egyptians +would seize them and bear them off.[23] + +Furthermore, Pharaoh commanded that the Israelitish women employ none +but Egyptian midwives, who were to secure precise information as to the +time of their delivery, and were to exercise great care, and let no +male child escape their vigilance alive. If there should be parents +that evaded the command, and preserved a new-born boy in secret, they +and all belonging to them were to be killed.[24] + +Is it to be wondered at, then, that many of the Hebrews kept themselves +away from their wives? Nevertheless those who put trust in God were not +forsaken by Him. The women that remained united with their husbands +would go out into the field when their time of delivery arrived, and +give birth to their children and leave them there, while they +themselves returned home. The Lord, who had sworn unto their ancestors +to multiply them, sent one of His angels to wash the babes, anoint +them, stretch their limbs, and swathe them. Then he would give them two +smooth pebbles, from one of which they sucked milk, and from the other +honey. And God caused the hair of the infants to grow down to their +knees and serve them as a protecting garment, and then He ordered the +earth to receive the babes, that they be sheltered therein until the +time of their growing up, when it would open its mouth and vomit forth +the children, and they would sprout up like the herb of the field and +the grass of the forest. Thereafter each would return to his family and +the house of his father. + +When the Egyptians saw this, they went forth, every man to his field, +with his yoke of oxen, and they ploughed up the earth as one ploughs it +at seed time. Yet they were unable to do harm to the infants of the +children of Israel that had been swallowed up and lay in the bosom of +the earth. Thus the people of Israel increased and waxed exceedingly. +And Pharaoh ordered his officers to go to Goshen, to look for the male +babes of the children of Israel, and when they discovered one, they +tore him from his mother's breast by force, and thrust him into the +river." But no one is so valiant as to be able to foil God's purposes, +though he contrive ten thousand subtle devices unto that end. The child +foretold by Pharaoh's dreams and by his astrologers was brought up and +kept concealed from the king's spies. It came to pass after the +following manner.[26] + + + + +THE PARENTS OF MOSES + + +When Pharaoh's proclamation was issued, decreeing that the men children +of the Hebrews were to be cast into the river, Amram, who was the +president of the Sanhedrin, decided that in the circumstances it was +best for husbands to live altogether separate from their wives. He set +the example. He divorced his wife, and all the men of Israel did +likewise,[27] for he occupied a place of great consideration among his +people, one reason being that he belonged to the tribe of Levi, the +tribe that was faithful to its God even in the land of Egypt, though +the other tribes wavered in their allegiance, and attempted to ally +themselves with the Egyptians, going so far as to give up Abraham's +sign of the covenant.[28] To chastise the Hebrews for their impiety, +God turned the love of the Egyptians for them into hatred, so that they +resolved upon their destruction. Mindful of all that he and his people +owed to Joseph's wise rule, Pharaoh refused at first to entertain the +malicious plans proposed by the Egyptians against the Hebrews. He spoke +to his people, "You fools, we are indebted to these Hebrews for +whatever we enjoy, and you desire now to rise up against them?" But the +Egyptians could not be turned aside from their purpose of ruining +Israel. They deposed their king, and incarcerated him for three months, +until he declared himself ready to execute with determination what they +had resolved upon, and he sought to bring about the ruin of the +children of Israel by every conceivable means. Such was the retribution +they had drawn down upon themselves by their own acts.[29] + +As for Amram, not only did he belong to the tribe of Levi, +distinguished for its piety, but by reason of his extraordinary piety +he was prominent even among the pious of the tribe. He was one of the +four who were immaculate, untainted by sin, over whom death would have +had no power, had mortality not been decreed against every single human +being on account of the fall of the first man and woman. The other +three that led the same sinless life were Benjamin, Jesse the father of +David, and Chileab the son of David.[30] If the Shekinah was drawn +close again to the dwelling-place of mortals, it was due to Amram's +piety. Originally the real residence of the Shekinah was among men, but +when Adam committed his sin, she withdrew to heaven, at first to the +lowest of the seven heavens. Thence she was banished by Cain's crime, +and she retired to the second heaven. The sins of the generation of +Enoch removed her still farther off from men, she took up her abode in +the third heaven; then, successively, in the fourth, on account of the +malefactors in the generation of the deluge; in the fifth, during the +building of the tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues; in the +sixth, by reason of the wicked Egyptians at the time of Abraham; and, +finally, in the seventh, in consequence of the abominations of the +inhabitants of Sodom. Six righteous men, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, +Kohath, and Amram, drew the Shekinah back, one by one, from the seventh +to the first heaven, and through the seventh righteous man, Moses, she +was made to descend to the earth and abide among men as aforetime.[31] + +Amram's sagacity kept pace with his piety and his learning. The +Egyptians succeeded in enslaving the Hebrews by seductive promises. At +first they gave them a shekel for every brick they made, tempting them +to superhuman efforts by the prospect of earning much money. Later, +when the Egyptians forced them to work without wages, they insisted +upon having as many bricks as the Hebrews had made when their labor was +paid for, but they could demand only a single brick daily from Amram, +for he had been the only one whom they had not led astray by their +artifice. He had been satisfied with a single shekel daily, and had +therefore made only a single brick daily, which they had to accept +afterward as the measure of his day's work.[32] + +As his life partner, Amram chose his aunt Jochebed, who was born the +same day with him.[33] She was the daughter of Levi, and she owed her +name, "Divine Splendor," to the celestial light that radiated from her +countenance.[34] She was worthy of being her husband's helpmeet, for +she was one of the midwives that had imperilled their own lives to +rescue the little Hebrew babes. Indeed, if God had not allowed a +miracle to happen, she and her daughter Miriam would have been killed +by Pharaoh for having resisted his orders and saved the Hebrew children +alive. When the king sent his hangmen for the two women, God caused +them to become invisible, and the bailiffs bad to return without +accomplishing their errand.[35] + +The first child of the union between Amram and Jochebed, his wife, who +was one hundred and twenty-six years old at the time of her marriage, +was a girl, and the mother called her Miriam, "Bitterness," for it was +at the time of her birth that the Egyptians began to envenom the life +of the Hebrews. The second child was a boy, called Aaron, which means, +"Woe unto this pregnancy!" because Pharaoh's instructions to the +midwives, to kill the male children of the Hebrews, was proclaimed +during the months before Aaron's birth.[36] + + + + +THE BIRTH OF MOSES + + +When Amram separated from his wife on account of the edict published +against the male children of the Hebrews, and his example was followed +by all the Israelites, his daughter Miriam said to him: "Father, thy +decree is worse than Pharaoh's decree. The Egyptians aim to destroy +only the male children, but thou includest the girls as well. Pharaoh +deprives his victims of life in this world, but thou preventest +children from being born, and thus thou deprivest them of the future +life, too. He resolves destruction, but who knows whether the intention +of the wicked can persist? Thou art a righteous man, and the enactments +of the righteous are executed by God, hence thy decree will be upheld." + +Amram recognized the justice of her plea, and he repaired to the +Sanhedrin, and put the matter before this body. The members of the +court spoke, and said: "It was thou that didst separate husbands and +wives, and from thee should go forth the permission for re-marriage." +Amram then made the proposition that each of the members of the +Sanhedrin return to his wife, and wed her clandestinely, but his +colleagues repudiated the plan, saying, "And who will make it known +unto the whole of Israel? " + +Accordingly, Amram stood publicly under the wedding canopy with his +divorced wife Jochebed, while Aaron and Miriam danced about it, and the +angels proclaimed, "Let the mother of children be joyful!" His +re-marriage was solemnized with great ceremony, to the end that the men +that bad followed his example in divorcing their wives might imitate +him now in taking them again unto themselves. And so it happened.[37] + +Old as Jochebed was, she regained her youth. Her skin became soft, the +wrinkles in her face disappeared, the warm tints of maiden beauty +returned, and in a short time she became pregnant.[38] + +Amram was very uneasy about his wife's being with child; he knew not +what to do. He turned to God in prayer, and entreated Him to have +compassion upon those who had in no wise transgressed the laws of His +worship, and afford them deliverance from the misery they endured, +while He rendered abortive the hope of their enemies, who yearned for +the destruction of their nation. God had mercy on him, and He stood by +him in his sleep, and exhorted him not to despair of His future favors. +He said further, that He did not forget their piety, and He would +always reward them for it, as He had granted His favor in other days +unto their forefathers. "Know, therefore," the Lord continued to speak, +"that I shall provide for you all together what is for your good, and +for thee in particular that which shall make thee celebrated; for the +child out of dread of whose nativity the Egyptians have doomed the +Israelite children to destruction, shall be this child of thine, and be +shall remain concealed from those who watch to destroy him, and when he +has been bred up, in a miraculous way, he shall deliver the Hebrew +nation from the distress they are under by reason of the Egyptians. His +memory shall be celebrated while the world lasts, and not only among +the Hebrews, but among strangers also. And all this shall be the effect +of My favor toward thee and thy posterity. Also his brother shall be +such that he shall obtain My priesthood for himself, and for his +posterity after him, unto the end of the world." + +After he had been informed of these things by the vision, Amram awoke, +and told all unto his wife Jochebed.[39] + +His daughter Miriam likewise had a prophetic dream, and she related it +unto her parents, saying: "In this night I saw a man clothed in fine +linen. 'Tell thy father and thy mother,' he said, 'that he who shall be +born unto them, shall be cast into the waters, and through him the +waters shall become dry, and wonders and miracles shall be performed +through him, and he shall save My people Israel, and be their leader +forever.' "[40] + +During her pregnancy, Jochebed observed that the child in her womb was +destined for great things. All the time she suffered no pain, and also +she suffered none in giving birth to her son, for pious women are not +included in the curse pronounced upon Eve, decreeing sorrow in +conception and in childbearing.[41] + +At the moment of the child's appearance, the whole house was filled +with radiance equal to the splendor of the sun and the moon.[42] A +still greater miracle followed. The infant was not yet a day old when +he began to walk and speak with his parents, and as though he were an +adult, he refused to drink milk from his mother's breast.[43] + +Jochebed gave birth to the child six months after conception. The +Egyptian bailiffs, who kept strict watch over all pregnant women in +order to be on the spot in time to carry off their new-born boys, had +not expected her delivery for three months more. These three months the +parents succeeded in keeping the babe concealed, though every +Israelitish house was guarded by two Egyptian women, one stationed +within and one without.[44] At the end of this time they determined to +expose the child, for Amram was afraid that both he and his son would +be devoted to death if the secret leaked out, and he thought it better +to entrust the child's fate to Divine Providence. He was convinced that +God would protect the boy, and fulfil His word in truth.[45] + + + + +MOSES RESCUED FROM THE WATER + + +Jochebed accordingly took an ark fashioned of bulrushes, daubed it with +pitch on the outside, and lined it with clay within. The reason she +used bulrushes was because they float on the surface of the water, and +she put pitch only on the outside, to protect the child as much as +possible against the annoyance of a disagreeable odor. Over the child +as it lay in the ark she spread a tiny canopy, to shade the babe, with +the words, "Perhaps I shall not live to see him under the marriage +canopy." And then she abandoned the ark on the shores of the Red Sea. +Yet it was not left unguarded. Her daughter Miriam stayed near by, to +discover whether a prophecy she had uttered would be fulfilled. Before +the child's birth, his sister had foretold that her mother would bring +forth a son that should redeem Israel. When he was born, and the house +was filled with brilliant light, Amram kissed her on her head, but when +he was forced into the expedient of exposing the child, he beat her on +her head, saying, "My daughter, what hath become of thy prophecy?" +Therefore Miriam stayed, and strolled along the shore, to observe what +would be the fate of the babe, and what would come of her prophecy +concerning him.[46] + +The day the child was exposed was the twenty-first of the month of +Nisan, the same on which the children of Israel later, under the +leadership of Moses, sang the song of praise and gratitude to God for +the redemption from the waters of the sea. The angels appeared before +God, and spoke: "O Lord of the world, shall he that is appointed to +sing a song of praise unto Thee on this day of Nisan, to thank Thee for +rescuing him and his people from the sea, shall he find his death in +the sea to-day?" The Lord replied: "Ye know well that I see all things. +The contriving of man can do naught to change what bath been resolved +in My counsel. Those do not attain their end who use cunning and malice +to secure their own safety, and endeavor to bring ruin upon their +fellow-men. But he who trusts Me in his peril will be conveyed from +profoundest distress to unlooked-for happiness. Thus My omnipotence +will reveal itself in the fortunes of this babe.[47] + +At the time of the child's abandonment, God sent scorching heat to +plague the Egyptians, and they all suffered with leprosy and smarting +boils. Thermutis, the daughter of Pharaoh, sought relief from the +burning pain in a bath in the waters of the Nile.[48] But physical +discomfort was not her only reason for leaving her father's palace. She +was determined to cleanse herself as well of the impurity of the idol +worship that prevailed there. + +When she saw the little ark floating among the flags on the surface of +the water, she supposed it to contain one of the little children +exposed at her father's order, and she commanded her handmaids to fetch +it. But they protested, saying, "O our mistress, it happens sometimes +that a decree issued by a king is unheeded, yet it is observed at least +by his children and the members of his household, and dost thou desire +to transgress thy father's edict?" Forthwith the angel Gabriel +appeared, seized all the maids except one, whom he permitted the +princess to retain for her service, and buried them in the bowels of +the earth. + +Pharaoh's daughter now proceeded to do her own will. She stretched +forth her arm, and although the ark was swimming at a distance of sixty +ells, she succeeded in grasping it, because her arm was lengthened +miraculously. No sooner had she touched it than the leprosy afflicting +her departed from her. Her sudden restoration led her to examine the +contents of the ark,[49] and when she opened it, her amazement was +great. She beheld an exquisitely beautiful boy, for God bad fashioned +the Hebrew babe's body with peculiar care,[50] and beside it she +perceived the Shekinah. Noticing that the boy bore the sign of the +Abrahamic covenant, she knew that he was one of the Hebrew children, +and mindful of her father's decree concerning the male children of the +Israelites, she was about to abandon the babe to his fate. At that +moment the angel Gabriel came and gave the child a vigorous blow, and +he began to cry aloud, with a voice like a young man's. His vehement +weeping and the weeping of Aaron, who was lying beside him, touched the +princess, and in her pity she resolved to save him. She ordered an +Egyptian woman to be brought, to nurse the child, but the little one +refused to take milk from her breast, as he refused to take it from one +after the other of the Egyptian women fetched thither. Thus it had been +ordained by God, that none of them might boast later on, and say, "I +suckled him that holds converse now with the Shekinah." Nor was the +mouth destined to speak with God to draw nourishment from the unclean +body of an Egyptian woman. + +Now Miriam stepped into the presence of Thermutis, as though she had +been standing there by chance to look at the child,[51] and she spoke +to the princess, saying, "It is vain for thee, O queen, to call for +nurses that are in no wise of kin to the child, but if thou wilt order +a woman of the Hebrews to be brought, he may accept her breast, seeing +that she is of his own nation." Thermutis therefore bade Miriam fetch a +Hebrew woman, and with winged steps, speeding like a vigorous youth, +she hastened and brought back her own mother, the child's mother, for +she knew that none present was acquainted with her. The babe, +unresisting, took his mother's breast, and clutched it tightly.[52] The +princess committed the child to Jochebed's care, saying these words, +which contained an unconscious divination: "Here is what is thine." +Nurse the boy henceforth, and I will give thee two silver pieces as thy +wages.[54] + +The return of her son, safe and sound, after she had exposed him, was +Jochebed's reward from God for her services as one of the midwives that +had bidden defiance to Pharaoh's command and saved the Hebrew children +alive.[55] + +By exposing their son to danger, Amram and Jochebed had effected the +withdrawal of Pharaoh's command enjoining the extermination of the +Hebrew men children. The day Moses was set adrift in the little ark, +the astrologers had come to Pharaoh and told him the glad tidings, that +the danger threatening the Egyptians on account of one boy, whose doom +lay in the water, had now been averted. Thereupon Pharaoh cried a halt +to the drowning of the boys of his empire. The astrologers had seen +something, but they knew not what, and they announced a message, the +import of which they did not comprehend. Water was, indeed, the doom of +Moses, but that did not mean that he would perish in the waters of the +Nile. It had reference to the waters of Meribah, the waters of strife, +and how they would cause his death in the desert, before he had +completed his task of leading the people into the promised land. +Pharaoh, misled by the obscure vision of his astrologers, thought that +the future redeemer of Israel was to lose his life by drowning, and to +make sure that the boy whose appearance was foretold by the astrologers +might not escape his fate, he had ordered all boys, even the children +of the Egyptians, born during a period of nine months to be cast into +the water. + +On account of the merits of Moses, the six hundred thousand men +children of the Hebrews begotten in the same night with him, and thrown +into the water on the same day, were rescued miraculously together with +him, and it was therefore not an idle boast, if he said later, "The +people that went forth out of the water on account of my merits are six +hundred thousand men."[56] + + + + +THE INFANCY OF MOSES + + +For two years the child rescued by Pharaoh's daughter stayed with his +parents and kindred. They gave him various names. His father called him +Heber, because it was for this child's sake that he had been "reunited" +with his wife. His mother's name for him was Jekuthiel, "because," she +said, "I set my hope upon God, and He gave him back to me." To his +sister Miriam he was Jered, because she had "descended" to the stream +to ascertain his fate. His brother Aaron called him Abi Zanoah, because +his father, who had "cast off" his mother, had taken her back for the +sake of the child to be born. His grandfather Kohath knew him as Abi +Gedor, because the Heavenly Father had "built up" the breach in Israel, +when He rescued him, and thus restrained the Egyptians from throwing +the Hebrew men children into the water. His nurse called him Abi Soco, +because he had been kept concealed in a "tent" for three months, +escaping the pursuit of the Egyptians. And Israel called him Shemaiah +ben Nethanel, because in his day God would "hear" the sighs of the +people, and deliver them from their oppressors, and through him would +He "give" them His own law.[57] + +His kindred and all Israel knew that the child was destined for great +things, for he was barely four months old when he began to prophesy, +saying, "In days to come I shall receive the Torah from the flaming +torch."[58] + +When Jochebed took the child to the palace at the end of two years, +Pharaoh's daughter called him Moses, because she had "drawn" him out of +the water, and because he would "draw" the children of Israel out of +the land of Egypt in a day to come.[59] And this was the only name +whereby God called the son of Amram, the name conferred upon him by +Pharaoh's daughter. He said to the princess: "Moses was not thy child, +yet thou didst treat him as such. For this I will call thee My +daughter, though thou art not My daughter," and therefore the princess, +the daughter of Pharaoh, bears the name Bithiah, "the daughter of God." +She married Caleb later on, and he was a suitable husband for her. As +she stood up against her father's wicked counsels, so Caleb stood up +against the counsel of his fellow-messengers sent to spy out the land +of Canaan.[60] For rescuing Moses and for her other pious deeds, she +was permitted to enter Paradise alive.[61] + +That Moses might receive the treatment at court usually accorded to a +prince, Bithiah pretended that she was with child for some time before +she had him fetched away from his parents' house." His royal +foster-mother caressed and kissed him constantly, and on account of his +extraordinary beauty she would not permit him ever to quit the palace. +Whoever set eyes on him, could not leave off from looking at him, +wherefore Bithiah feared to allow him out of her sight.[63] + +Moses' understanding was far beyond his years; his instructors observed +that he disclosed keener comprehension than is usual at his age. All +his actions in his infancy promised greater ones after he should come +to man's estate, and when he was but three years old, God granted him +remarkable size. As for his beauty, it was so attractive that +frequently those meeting him as he was carried along on the road were +obliged to turn and stare at him. They would leave what they were +about, and stand still a great while, looking after him, for the +loveliness of the child was so wondrous that it held the gaze of the +spectator. The daughter of Pharaoh, perceiving Moses to be an +extraordinary lad, adopted him as her son, for she had no child of her +own. She informed her father of her intention concerning him, in these +words: "I have brought up a child, who is divine in form and of an +excellent mind, and as I received him through the bounty of the river +in a wonderful way, I have thought it proper to adopt him as my son and +as the heir of thy kingdom." And when she had spoken thus, she put the +infant between her father's hands, and he took him and hugged him close +to his breast.[64] + + + + +MOSES RESCUED BY GABRIEL + + +When Moses was in his third year, Pharaoh was dining one day, with the +queen Alfar'anit at his right hand, his daughter Bithiah with the +infant Moses upon her lap at his left, and Balaam the son of Beor +together with his two sons and all the princes of the realm sitting at +table in the king's presence. It happened that the infant took the +crown from off the king's head, and placed it on his own. When the king +and the princes saw this, they were terrified, and each one in turn +expressed his astonishment. The king said unto the princes, "What speak +you, and what say you, O ye princes, on this matter, and what is to be +done to this Hebrew boy on account of this act?" + +Balaam spoke, saying: "Remember now, O my lord and king, the dream +which thou didst dream many days ago, and how thy servant interpreted +it unto thee. Now this is a child of the Hebrews in whom is the spirit +of God. Let not my lord the king imagine in his heart that being a +child he did the thing without knowledge. For he is a Hebrew boy, and +wisdom and understanding are with him, although he is yet a child, and +with wisdom has he done this, and chosen unto himself the kingdom of +Egypt. For this is the manner of all the Hebrews, to deceive kings and +their magnates, to do all things cunningly in order to make the kings +of the earth and their men to stumble. + +"Surely thou knowest that Abraham their father acted thus, who made the +armies of Nimrod king of Babel and of Abimelech king of Gerar to +stumble, and he possessed himself of the land of the children of Heth +and the whole realm of Canaan. Their father Abraham went down into +Egypt, and said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister, in order to make +Egypt and its king to stumble. + +"His son Isaac did likewise when he went to Gerar, and he dwelt there, +and his strength prevailed over the army of Abimelech, and he intended +to make the kingdom of the Philistines to stumble, by saying that +Rebekah his wife was his sister. + +"Jacob also dealt treacherously with his brother, and took his +birthright and his blessing from him. Then he went to Paddan-aram, to +Laban, his mother's brother, and he obtained his daughters from him +cunningly, and also his cattle and all his belongings, and he fled away +and returned to the land of Canaan, to his father. + +"His sons sold their brother Joseph, and he went down into Egypt and +became a slave, and he was put into prison for twelve years, until the +former Pharaoh delivered him from the prison, and magnified him above +all the princes of Egypt on account of his interpreting the king's +dreams. When God caused a famine to descend upon the whole world, +Joseph sent for his father, and he brought him down into Egypt his +father, his brethren, and all his father's household, and he supplied +them with food without pay or reward, while he acquired Egypt, and made +slaves of all its inhabitants. + +"Now, therefore, my lord king, behold, this child has risen up in their +stead in Egypt, to do according to their deeds and make sport of every +man, be he king, prince, or judge. If it please the king, let us now +spill his blood upon the ground, lest he grow up and snatch the +government from thine hand, and the hope of Egypt be cut off after he +reigns. Let us, moreover, call for all the judges and the wise men of +Egypt, that we may know whether the judgment of death be due to this +child, as I have said, and then we will slay him." + +Pharaoh sent and called for all the wise men of Egypt, and they came, +and the angel Gabriel was disguised as one of them. When they were +asked their opinion in the matter, Gabriel spoke up, and said: "If it +please the king, let him place an onyx stone before the child, and a +coal of fire, and if he stretches out his hand and grasps the onyx +stone, then shall we know that the child hath done with wisdom all that +he bath done, and we will slay him. But if he stretches out his hand +and grasps the coal of fire, then shall we know that it was not with +consciousness that he did the thing, and he shall live." + +The counsel seemed good in the eyes of the king, and when they had +placed the stone and the coal before the child, Moses stretched forth +his hand toward the onyx stone and attempted to seize it, but the angel +Gabriel guided his hand away from it and placed it upon the live coal, +and the coal burnt the child's hand, and he lifted it up and touched it +to his mouth, and burnt part of his lips and part of his tongue, and +for all his life he became slow of speech and of a slow tongue. + +Seeing this, the king and the princes knew that Moses had not acted +with knowledge in taking the crown from off the king's head, and they +refrained from slaying him.[65] God Himself, who protected Moses, +turned the king's mind to grace, and his foster-mother snatched him +away, and she had him educated with great care, so that the Hebrews +depended upon him, and cherished the hope that great things would be +done by him. But the Egyptians were suspicious of what would follow +from such an education as his.[66] + +At great cost teachers were invited to come to Egypt from neighboring +lands, to educate the child Moses. Some came of their own accord, to +instruct him in the sciences and the liberal arts. By reason of his +admirable endowments of mind, he soon excelled his teachers in +knowledge. His learning seemed a process of mere recollecting, and when +there was a difference of opinion among scholars, he selected the +correct one instinctively, for his mind refused to store up anything +that was false.[67] + +But he deserves more praise for his unusual strength of will than for +his natural capacity, for he succeeded in transforming an originally +evil disposition into a noble, exalted character, a change that was +farther aided by his resolution, as he himself acknowledged later. +After the wonderful exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, a king of +Arabia sent an artist to Moses, to paint his portrait, that he might +always have the likeness of the divine man before him. The painter +returned with his handiwork, and the king assembled his wise men, those +in particular who were conversant with the science of physiognomy. He +displayed the portrait before them, and invited their judgment upon it. +The unanimous opinion was that it represented a man covetous, haughty, +sensual, in short, disfigured by all possible ugly traits. The king was +indignant that they should pretend to be masters in physiognomy, seeing +that they declared the picture of Moses, the holy, divine man, to be +the picture of a villain. They defended themselves by accusing the +painter in turn of not having produced a true portrait of Moses, else +they would not have fallen into the erroneous judgment they had +expressed. But the artist insisted that his work resembled the original +closely. + +Unable to decide who was right, the Arabian king went to see Moses, and +he could not but admit that the portrait painted for him was a +masterpiece. Moses as he beheld him in the flesh was the Moses upon the +canvas. There could be no doubt but that the highly extolled knowledge +of his physiognomy experts was empty twaddle. He told Moses what had +happened, and what he thought of it. He replied: "Thy artist and thy +experts alike are masters, each in his line. If my fine qualities were +a product of nature, I were no better than a log of wood, which remains +forever as nature produced it at the first. Unashamed I make the +confession to thee that by nature I possessed all the reprehensible +traits thy wise men read in my picture and ascribed to me, perhaps to a +greater degree even than they think. But I mastered my evil impulses +with my strong will, and the character I acquired through severe +discipline has become the opposite of the disposition with which I was +born. Through this change, wrought in me by my own efforts, I have +earned honor and commendation upon earth as well as in heaven."[68] + + + + +THE YOUTH OF MOSES + + +One day—it was after he was grown up, and had passed beyond the years +of childhood—Moses went to the land of Goshen, in which lived the +children of Israel. There he saw the burdens under which his people +were groaning, and he inquired why the heavy service had been put upon +them. The Israelites told him all that had befallen, told him of the +cruel edict Pharaoh had issued shortly before his birth, and told him +of the wicked counsels given by Balaam against themselves as well as +against his person when he was but a little boy and had set Pharaoh's +crown upon his head. The wrath of Moses was kindled against the +spiteful adviser, and he tried to think out means of rendering him +harmless. But Balaam, getting wind of his ill-feeling, fled from Egypt +with his two sons, and betook himself to the court of Kikanos king of +Ethiopia.[69] + +The sight of his enslaved people touched Moses unto tears, and he +spoke, saying: "Woe unto me for your anguish! Rather would I die than +see you suffer so grievously." He did not disdain to help his +unfortunate brethren at their heavy tasks as much as lay in his power. +He dismissed all thought of his high station at court, shouldered a +share of the burdens put upon the Israelites, and toiled in their +place. The result was that he not only gave relief to the heavily-laden +workmen, but he also gained the favor of Pharaoh, who believed that +Moses was taking part in the labor in order to promote the execution of +the royal order. And God said unto Moses: "Thou didst relinquish all +thy other occupations, and didst join thyself unto the children of +Israel, whom thou dost treat as brethren; therefore will I, too, put +aside now all heavenly and earthly affairs, and hold converse with +thee."[70] + +Moses continued to do all he could to alleviate the suffering of his +brethren to the best of his ability. He addressed encouraging words to +them, saying: "My dear brethren, bear your lot with fortitude! Do not +lose courage, and let not your spirit grow weary with the weariness of +your body. Better times will come, when tribulation shall be changed +into joy. Clouds are followed by sunshine, storms by calm, all things +in the world tend toward their opposites, and nothing is more +inconstant than the fortunes of man."[71] + +The royal favor, which the king accorded him in ever- increasing +measure, he made use of to lighten the burden laid upon the children of +Israel. One day he came into the presence of Pharaoh, and said: "O my +lord, I have a request to make of thee, and my hope is that thou wilt +not deny it." "Speak," replied the king. "It is an admitted fact," said +Moses, "that if a slave is not afforded rest at least one day in the +week, he will die of overexertion. Thy Hebrew slaves will surely +perish, unless thou accordest them a day of cessation from work." +Pharaoh fulfilled the petition preferred by Moses, and the king's edict +was published in the whole of Egypt and in Goshen, as follows: "To the +sons of Israel! Thus saith the king: Do your work and perform your +service for six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; on it ye +shall do no labor. Thus shall ye do unto all times, according to the +command of the king and the command of Moses the son of Bithiah." And +the day appointed by Moses as the day of rest was Saturday, later given +by God to the Israelites as the Sabbath day.[72] + +While Moses abode in Goshen, an incident of great importance occurred. +To superintend the service of the children of Israel, an officer from +among them was set over every ten, and ten such officers were under the +surveillance of an Egyptian taskmaster. One of these Hebrew officers, +Dathan by name, had a wife, Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the +tribe of Dan, who was of extraordinary beauty, but inclined to be very +loquacious. Whenever the Egyptian taskmaster set over her husband came +to their house on business connected with his office, she would +approach him pleasantly and enter into conversation with him. The +beautiful Israelitish woman enkindled a mad passion in his breast, and +he sought and found a cunning way of satisfying his lustful desire. One +day he appeared at break of dawn at the house of Dathan, roused him +from his sleep, and ordered him to hurry his detachment of men to their +work. The husband scarcely out of sight, he executed the villainy he +had planned, and dishonored the woman, and the fruit of this illicit +relation was the blasphemer of the Name whom Moses ordered to execution +on the march through the desert. + +At the moment when the Egyptian slipped out of Shelomith's chamber, +Dathan returned home. Vexed that his crime had come to the knowledge of +the injured husband, the taskmaster goaded him on to work with +excessive vigor, and dealt him blow after blow with the intention to +kill him.[73] Young Moses happened to visit the place at which the +much-abused and tortured Hebrew was at work. Dathan hastened toward +him, and complained of all the wrong and suffering the Egyptian had +inflicted upon him.[74] Full of wrath, Moses, whom the holy spirit had +acquainted with the injury done the Hebrew officer by the Egyptian +taskmaster, cried out to the latter, saying: "Not enough that thou hast +dishonored this man's wife, thou aimest to kill him, too?" And turning +to God, he spoke further: "What will become of Thy promise to Abraham, +that his posterity shall be as numerous as the stars, if his children +are given over to death? And what will become of the revelation on +Sinai, if the children of Israel are exterminated?" + +Moses wanted to see if someone would step forward, and, impelled by +zeal for the cause of God and for God's law, would declare himself +ready to avenge the outrage. He waited in vain. Then he determined to +act himself. Naturally enough he hesitated to take the life of a human +being. He did not know whether the evil-doer might not be brought to +repentance, and then lead a life of pious endeavor. He also considered, +that there would perhaps be some among the descendants to spring from +the Egyptian for whose sake their wicked ancestor might rightfully lay +claim to clemency. The holy spirit allayed all his doubts. He was made +to see that not the slightest hope existed that good would come either +from the malefactor himself or from any of his offspring. Then Moses +was willing to requite him for his evil deeds. Nevertheless he first +consulted the angels, to hear what they had to say, and they agreed +that the Egyptian deserved death, and Moses acted according to their +opinion. + +Neither physical strength nor a weapon was needed to carry out his +purpose. He merely pronounced the Name of God, and the Egyptian was a +corpse. To the bystanders, the Israelites, Moses said: "The Lord +compared you unto the sand of the sea-shore, and as the sand moves +noiselessly from place to place, so I pray you to keep the knowledge of +what hath happened a secret within yourselves. Let nothing be heard +concerning it." + +The wish expressed by Moses was not honored. The slaying of the +Egyptian remained no secret, and those who betrayed it were Israelites, +Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Pallu, of the tribe of Reuben, notorious +for their effrontery and contentiousness. The day after the thing with +the Egyptians happened, the two brothers began of malice aforethought +to scuffle with each other, only in order to draw Moses into the +quarrel and create an occasion for his betrayal. The plan succeeded +admirably. Seeing Dathan raise his hand against Abiram, to deal him a +blow, Moses exclaimed, "O thou art a villain, to lift up thy hand +against an Israelite, even if he is no better than thou." Dathan +replied: "Young man, who hath made thee to be a judge over us, thou +that hast not yet attained to years of maturity? We know very well that +thou art the son of Jochebed, though people call thee the son of the +princess Bithiah, and if thou shouldst attempt to play the part of our +master and judge, we will publish abroad the thing thou didst unto the +Egyptian. Or, peradventure, thou harborest the intention to slay us as +thou didst slay him, by pronouncing the Name of God?" + +Not satisfied with these taunts, the noble pair of brothers betook +themselves to Pharaoh, and spoke before him, "Moses dishonoreth thy +royal mantle and thy crown," to which Pharaoh returned, saying, "Much +good may it do him!" But they pursued the subject. "He helps thine +enemies, Pharaoh," they continued, whereupon he replied, as before, +"Much good may it do him!" Still they went on, "He is not the son of +thy daughter." These last words did not fail of making an impression +upon Pharaoh.[75] A royal command was issued for the arrest of Moses, +and he was condemned to death by the sword. + +The angels came to God, and said, "Moses, the familiar of Thine house, +is held under restraint," and God replied, "I will espouse his cause." +"But," the angels urged, "his verdict of death has been pronounced—yes, +they are leading him to execution," and again God made reply, as +before, "I will espouse his cause." + +Moses mounted the scaffold, and a sword, sharp beyond compare, was set +upon his neck ten times, but it always slipped away, because his neck +was as hard as ivory. And a still greater miracle came to pass. God +sent down the angel Michael, in the guise of a hangman, and the human +hangman charged by Pharaoh with the execution was changed into the form +of Moses. This spurious Moses the angel killed with the very sword with +which the executioner had purposed to slay the intended victim. +Meantime Moses took to flight. Pharaoh ordered his pursuit, but it was +in vain. The king's troops were partly stricken with blindness partly +with dumbness. The dumb could give no information about the +abiding-place of Moses, and the blind, though they knew where it was, +could not get to it.[76] + + + + +THE FLIGHT + + +An angel of God took Moses to a spot removed forty days' journey from +Egypt, so far off that all fear was banished from his mind.[77] Indeed, +his anxiety had never been for his own person, but only on account of +the future of Israel. The subjugation of his people had always been an +unsolved enigma to him. Why should Israel, he would ask himself, suffer +more than all the other nations? But when his personal straits +initiated him in the talebearing and back- biting that prevailed among +the Israelites, then he asked himself, Does this people deserve to be +redeemed?[78] The religious conditions among the children of Israel +were of such kind at that time as not to permit them to hope for Divine +assistance. They refused to give ear to Aaron and the five sons of +Zerah, who worked among them as prophets, and admonished them unto the +fear of God. It was on account of their impiety that the heavy hand of +Pharaoh rested upon them more and more oppressively, until God had +mercy upon them, and sent Moses to deliver them from the slavery of +Egypt.[79] + +When he succeeded in effecting his escape from the hands of the +hangman, Moses had no idea that a royal throne awaited him. It was +nevertheless so. A war broke out at this time between Ethiopia and the +nations of the East that had been subject to it until then. Kikanos, +the king, advanced against the enemy with a great army. He left Balaam +and Balaam's two sons, Jannes and Jambres, behind, to keep guard over +his capital and take charge of the people remaining at home. The +absence of the king gave Balaam the opportunity of winning his subjects +over to his side, and he was put upon the throne, and his two sons were +set over the army as generals. To cut Kikanos off from his capital, +Balaam and his sons invested the city, so that none could enter it +against their will. On two sides they made the walls higher, on the +third they dug a network of canals, into which they conducted the +waters of the river girding the whole land of Ethiopia, and on the +fourth side their magic arts collected a large swarm of snakes and +scorpions. Thus none could depart, and none could enter. + +Meantime Kikanos succeeded in subjugating the rebellious nations. When +he returned at the head of his victorious army, and espied the high +city wall from afar, he and his men said: "The inhabitants of the city, +seeing that the war detained us abroad for a long time, have raised the +walls and fortified them, that the kings of Canaan may not be able to +enter." On approaching the city gates, which were barred, they cried +out to the guards to open them, but by Balaam's instructions they were +not permitted to pass through. A skirmish ensued, in which Kikanos lost +one hundred and thirty men. On the morrow the combat was continued, the +king with his troops being stationed on the thither bank of the river. +This day he lost his thirty riders, who, mounted on their steeds, had +attempted to swim the stream. Then the king ordered rafts to be +constructed for the transporting of his men. When the vessels reached +the canals, they were submerged, and the waters, swirling round and +round as though driven by mill wheels, swept away two hundred men, +twenty from each raft. On the third day they set about assaulting the +city from the side on which the snakes and scorpions swarmed, but they +failed to reach it, and the reptiles killed one hundred and seventy +men. The king desisted from attacking the city, but for the space of +nine years he surrounded it, so that none could come out or go in. + +While the siege was in progress, Moses appeared in the king's camp on +his flight before Pharaoh, and at once found favor with Kikanos and his +whole army. He exercised an attraction upon all that saw him, for he +was slender like a palm-tree, his countenance shone as the morning sun, +and his strength was equal to a lion's. So deep was the king's +affection for him that he appointed him to be commander-in-chief of his +forces. + +At the end of the nine years Kikanos fell a prey to a mortal disease, +and he died on the seventh day of his illness. His servants embalmed +him, buried him opposite to the city gate toward the land of Egypt, and +over his grave they erected a magnificent structure, strong and high, +upon the walls whereof they engraved all the mighty deeds and battles +of the dead king. + +Now, after the death of Kikanos, his men were greatly grieved on +account of the war. One said unto the other, "Counsel us, what shall we +do at this time? We have been abiding in the wilderness, away from our +homes, for nine years. If we fight against the city, many of us will +fall dead; and if we remain here besieging it, we shall also die. For +now all the princes of Aram and of the children of the East will hear +that our king is dead, and they will attack us suddenly, and they will +fight with us until not a remnant will be left. Now, therefore, let us +go and set a king over us, and we will remain here besieging the city +until it surrenders unto us." + + + + +THE KING OF ETHIOPIA + + +They could find none except Moses fit to be their king. They hastened +and stripped off each man his upper garment, and cast them all in a +heap upon the ground, making a high place, on top of which they set +Moses. Then they blew with trumpets, and called out before him: "Long +live the king! Long live the king!" And all the people and the nobles +swore unto him to give him Adoniah for wife, the Ethiopian queen, the +widow of Kikanos. And they made Moses king over them on that day. + +They also issued a proclamation, commanding every man to give Moses of +what he possessed, and upon the high place they spread a sheet, wherein +each one cast something, this one a gold nose ring, that one a coin, +and onyx stones, bdellium, pearls, gold, and silver in great abundance. + +Moses was twenty-seven years old when he became king over Ethiopia, and +he reigned for forty years. On the seventh day of his reign, all the +people assembled and came before him, to ask his counsel as to what was +to be done to the city they were besieging. The king answered them, and +said: "If you will hearken to my words, the city will be delivered into +our hands. Proclaim with a loud voice throughout the whole camp, unto +all the people, saying: 'Thus saith the king! Go to the forest and +fetch hither of the young of the stork, each man one fledgling in his +hand. And if there be any man that transgresseth the word of the king, +not to bring a bird, he shall die, and the king shall take all +belonging to him.' And when you have brought them, they shall be in +your keeping. You shall rear them until they grow up, and you shall +teach them to fly as the hawk flieth." + +All the people did according to the word of Moses, and after the young +storks had grown to full size, he ordered them to be starved for three +days. On the third day the king said unto them, "Let every man put on +his armor and gird his sword upon him. Each one shall mount his horse, +and each shall set his stork upon his hand, and we will rise up and +fight against the city opposite to the place of the serpents." + +When they came to the appointed spot, the king said to them, "Let each +man send forth his young stork, to descend upon the serpents." Thus +they did, and the birds swooped down and devoured all the reptiles and +destroyed them. After the serpents were removed in this way, the men +fought against the city, subdued it, and killed all its inhabitants, +but of the people besieging it there died not one. + +When Balaam saw that the city had fallen into the hands of the +besiegers, he exercised his magic arts, which enabled him to fly +through the air, and he carried with him his two sons, Jannes and +Jambres, and his eight brothers, and they all took refuge in Egypt. + +Seeing that they had been saved by the king, and the city had been +taken by his good counsel, the people became more than ever attached to +him. They set the royal crown upon his head, and gave him Adoniah, the +widow of Kikanos to wife. But Moses feared the stern God of his +fathers, and he went not in unto Adoniah, nor did he turn his eyes +toward her, for he remembered how Abraham had made his servant Eliezer +swear, saying unto him, "Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the +daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell." He also remembered +what Isaac did when Jacob fled before his brother Esau, how he +commanded his son, saying, "Thou shalt not take a wife from the +daughters of Canaan, nor ally thyself by marriage with any of the +children of Ham, for the Lord our God gave Ham the son of Noah and all +his seed as slaves to the children of Shem and Japheth forever." + +At that time Aram and the children of the East heard that Kikanos the +king of Ethiopia had died, and they rose up against the Ethiopians, but +Moses went forth with a mighty army to fight against the rebellious +nations, and he subdued them, first the children of the East and then +Aram. + +Moses continued to prosper in his kingdom. He conducted the government +in justice, righteousness, and integrity, and his people loved and +feared him. + +In the fortieth year of his reign, while he was sitting upon his throne +one day, surrounded by all the nobles, Adoniah the queen, who was +seated before him, rose up, and spake: "What is this thing which you, +the people of Ethiopia, have done these many days? Surely you know that +during the forty years this man bath reigned over you, he hath not +approached me, nor hath he worshipped the gods of Ethiopia. Now, +therefore, let this man reign over you no more, for he is not of our +flesh. Behold, Monarchos my son is grown up, let him reign over you. It +is better for you to serve the son of your lord than a stranger, a +slave of the king of Egypt." + +A whole day the people and the nobles contended with one another, +whether to pay heed to the words of the queen. The officers of the army +remained faithful to Moses, but the people of the cities were in favor +of crowning the son of their former lord as king. The following morning +they rose up and made Monarchos, the son of Kikanos, king over them, +but they were afraid to stretch forth their hand against Moses, for the +Lord was with him. They also remembered the oath they had sworn unto +Moses, and therefore they did him no harm. Moreover, they gave many +presents to him, and dismissed him with great honor. + +When Moses left Ethiopia, in the sixty-seventh year of his age, it was +the time appointed by God in the days of old to bring Israel forth from +the affliction of the children of Ham. But fearing to return to Egypt +on account of Pharaoh, Moses journeyed to Midian.[80] + + + + +JETHRO + + +In the city of Midian, named thus for a son of Abraham by Keturah,[81] +the man Jethro had lived for many years, doing a priest's service +before the idols. As time went on, he grew more and more convinced of +the vanity of idol worship. His priesthood became repugnant to him, and +he resolved to give up his, charge. He stood before his townsmen, and +said, "Until now I performed your service before the idols, but I have +grown too old for the duties of the office. Choose, therefore, whomever +you would choose in my place." Speaking thus, he delivered to the +people all the paraphernalia appertaining to the idol worship, and bade +them transfer them to the one to whom in their discretion they should +entrust his position. Suspecting Jethro's hidden motives, the people +put him under the ban, and none might venture to do him the slightest +service. Not even would the shepherds pasture his flocks, and there was +nothing for him to do but impose this work upon his seven +daughters.[82] + +Jethro's transformation from an idolatrous priest into a God-fearing +man is conveyed by his seven names. He was called Jether, because the +Torah contains an "additional" section about him; Jethro, he +"overflowed" with good deeds. Hobab, "the beloved son of God"; Reuel, +"the friend of God"; Heber, "the associate of God"; Putiel, "he that +hath renounced idolatry"; and Keni, he that was "zealous" for God, and +"acquired" the Torah.[83] + +In consequence of the hostile relation between Jethro and the +inhabitants of the city, his daughters were in the habit of making +their appearance at the watering troughs before the other shepherds +came thither. But the ruse was not successful. The shepherds would +drive them away, and water their own flocks at the troughs that the +maidens had filled. When Moses arrived in Midian, it was at the well +that he made halt, and his experience was the same as Isaac's and +Jacob's. Like them he found his helpmeet there. Rebekah had been +selected by Eliezer as the wife of Isaac, while she was busy drawing +water for him; Jacob had seen Rachel first, while she was watering her +sheep, and at this well in Midian Moses met his future wife Zipporah. + +The rudeness of the shepherds reached its climax the very day of Moses' +arrival. First they deprived the maidens of the water they had drawn +for themselves, and attempted to do violence to them, and then they +threw them into the water with intent to kill them. At this moment +Moses appeared, dragged the maidens out of the water, and gave the +flocks to drink, first Jethro's and then the flocks of the shep- herds, +though the latter did not deserve his good offices. True, he did them +the service with but little trouble to himself, for he had only to draw +a bucketful, and the water flowed so copiously that it sufficed for all +the herds,[84] and it did not cease to flow until Moses withdrew from +the well,[85] —the same well at which Jacob had met Rachel, his future +wife, and the same well that God created at the beginning of the world, +the opening of which He made in the twilight of the first Sabbath +eve.[86] + +Jethro's daughters thanked Moses for the assistance he had afforded +them. But Moses warded off their gratitude, saying, "Your thanks are +due to the Egyptian I killed, on account of whom I had to flee from +Egypt. Had it not been for him, I should not be here now."[87] + + + + +MOSES MARRIES ZIPPORAH + + +One of the seven maidens whom Moses saw at the well attracted his +notice in particular on account of her modest demeanor, and he made her +a proposal of marriage. But Zipporah repulsed him, saying, "My father +has a tree in his garden with which he tests every man that expresses a +desire to marry one of his daughters, and as soon as the suitor touches +the tree, he is devoured by it." + +Moses: "Whence has he the tree?" + +Zipporah: "It is the rod that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in +the twilight of the first Sabbath eve, and gave to Adam. He transmitted +it to Enoch, from him it descended to Noah, then to Shem, and Abraham, +and Isaac, and finally to Jacob, who brought it with him to Egypt, and +gave it to his son Joseph. When Joseph died, the Egyptians pillaged his +house, and the rod, which was in their booty, they brought to Pharaoh's +palace. At that time my father was one of the most prominent of the +king's sacred scribes, and as such he had the opportunity of seeing the +rod. He felt a great desire to possess it, and he stole it and took it +to his house. On this rod the Ineffable Name is graven, and also the +ten plagues that God will cause to visit the Egyptians in a future day. +For many years it lay in my father's house. One day he was walking in +his garden carrying it, and he stuck it in the ground. When he +attempted to draw it out again, he found that it had sprouted, and was +putting forth blossoms. That is the rod with which he tries any that +desire to marry his daughters. He insists that our suitors shall +attempt to pull it out of the ground, but as soon as they touch it, it +devours them." + +Having given him this account of her father's rod, Zipporah went home, +accompanied by her sisters, and Moses followed them.[88] + +Jethro was not a little amazed to see his daughters return so soon from +the watering troughs. As a rule, the chicanery they had to suffer from +the shepherds detained them until late.[89] No sooner had he heard +their report about the wonder- working Egyptian than he exclaimed, +"Mayhap he is one of the descendants of Abraham, from whom issueth +blessing for the whole world."[90] He rebuked his daughters for not +having invited the stranger that had done them so valuable a service to +come into their house, and he ordered them to fetch him, in the hope +that he would take one of his daughters to wife.[91] + +Moses had been standing without all this time, and had allowed Jethro's +daughters to describe him as an Egyptian, without protesting and +asserting his Hebrew birth. For this God punished him by causing him to +die outside of the promised land. Joseph, who had proclaimed in public +that he was a Hebrew, found his last resting-place in the land of the +Hebrews, and Moses, who apparently had no objection to being considered +an Egyptian, had to live and die outside of that land.[92] + +Zipporah hastened forth to execute her father's wish, and no sooner had +she ushered him in[93] than Moses requested her hand in marriage. +Jethro replied, "If thou canst bring me the rod in my garden, I will +give her to thee." Moses went out,[94] found the sapphire rod that God +had bestowed upon Adam when he was driven forth from Paradise, the rod +that had reached Jethro after manifold vicissitudes, and which he had +planted in the garden. Moses uprooted it and carried it to Jethro,[95] +who conceived the idea at once that he was the prophet in Israel +concerning whom all the wise men of Egypt had foretold that he would +destroy their land and its inhabitants. As soon as this thought struck +him, he seized Moses, and threw him into a pit, in the expectation that +he would meet with death there. + +And, indeed, he would have perished, if Zipporah had not devised a +stratagem to save his life. She said to her father: "Would it were thy +will to hearken unto my counsel. Thou hast no wife, but only seven +daughters. Dost thou desire my six sisters to preside over thy +household? Then shall I go abroad with the sheep. If not, let my +sisters tend the flocks, and I shall take care of the house." Her +father said: "Thou hast spoken well. Thy six sisters shall go forth +with the sheep, and thou shalt abide in the house and take care of it, +and all that belongeth to me therein." + +Now Zipporah could provide Moses with all sorts of dainties as he lay +in the pit, and she did it for the space of seven years. At the +expiration of this period, she said to her father: "I recollect that +once upon a time thou didst cast into yonder pit a man that had fetched +thy rod from the garden for thee, and thou didst commit a great +trespass thereby. If it seemeth well to thee, uncover the pit and look +into it. If the man is dead, throw his corpse away, lest it fill the +house with stench. But should he be alive, then thou oughtest to be +convinced that he is one of those who are wholly pious, else he had +died of hunger." + +The reply of Jethro was: "Thou hast spoken wisely. Dost thou remember +his name?" And Zipporah rejoined, "I remember he called himself Moses +the son of Amram." Jethro lost no time, he opened the pit, and called +out, "Moses! Moses!" Moses replied, and said: "Here am I!" Jethro drew +him up out of the pit, kissed him, and said: "Blessed be God, who +guarded thee for seven years in the pit. I acknowledge that He slayeth +and reviveth, that thou art one of the wholly pious, that through thee +God will destroy Egypt in time to come, lead His people out of the +land, and drown Pharaoh and his whole army in the sea."[96] + +Thereupon Jethro gave much money to Moses, and he bestowed his daughter +Zipporah upon him as wife, giving her to him under the condition that +the children born of the marriage in Jethro's house should be divided +into two equal classes, the one to be Israelitish, the other Egyptian. +When Zipporah bore him a son, Moses circumcised him,[97] and called him +Gershom, as a memorial of the wonder God had done for him, for although +he lived in a "strange" land, the Lord had not refused him aid even +"there."[98] + +Zipporah nursed her first child for two years, and in the third year +she bore a second son. Remembering his compact with Jethro, Moses +realized that his father-in-law would not permit him to circumcise this +one, too, and he determined to return to Egypt, that he might have the +opportunity of bringing up his second son as an Israelite. On the +journey thither, Satan appeared to him in the guise of a serpent, and +swallowed Moses down to his extremities. Zipporah knew by this token +that the thing had happened because her second son had not been +circumcised, and she hastened to make good the omission. As soon as she +sprinkled the blood of the circumcision on her husband's feet, a +heavenly voice was heard to cry to the serpent, commanding him, "Spew +him out!" and Moses came forth and stood upon his feet. Thus Zipporah +saved Moses' life twice, first from the pit and then from the +serpent.[99] + +When Moses arrived in Egypt, he was approached by Dathan and Abiram, +the leaders of the Israelites, and they spake: "Comest thou hither to +slay us, or dost thou purpose to do the same with us as thou didst with +the Egyptian?" This drove Moses straightway back to Midian, and there +he remained two years more, until God revealed Himself at Horeb, and +said to him, "Go and bring forth My children out of the land of +Egypt.[100] + + + + +A BLOODY REMEDY + + +The latter years of Israel's bondage in Egypt were the worst. To punish +Pharaoh for his cruelty toward the children of Israel, God afflicted +him with a plague of leprosy, which covered his whole body, from the +crown of his bead to the soles of his feet. Instead of being chastened +by his disease, Pharaoh remained stiffnecked, and he tried to restore +his health by murdering Israelitish children. He took counsel with his +three advisers, Balaam, Jethro, and Job, how he might be healed of the +awful malady that had seized upon him. Balaam spoke, saying, "Thou +canst regain thy health only if thou wilt slaughter Israelitish +children and bathe in their blood." Jethro, averse from having a share +in such an atrocity, left the king and fled to Midian. Job, on the +other hand, though he also disapproved of Balaam's counsel, kept +silence, and in no wise protested against it,[101] wherefor God +punished him with a year's suffering.[102] But afterward He loaded him +down with all the felicities of this life, and granted him many years, +so that this pious Gentile might be rewarded in this world for his good +deeds and not have the right to urge a claim upon the beatitude of the +future life.[103] + +In pursuance of the sanguinary advice given by Balaam, Pharaoh had his +bailiffs snatch Israelitish babes from their mothers' breasts, and +slaughter them, and in the blood of these innocents he bathed. His +disease afflicted him for ten years, and every day an Israelitish child +was killed for him. It was all in vain; indeed, at the end of the time +his leprosy changed into boils, and he suffered more than before. + +While he was in this agony, the report was brought to him that the +children of Israel in Goshen were careless and idle in their forced +labor. The news aggravated his suffering, and he said: "Now that I am +ill, they turn and scoff at me. Harness my chariot, and I will betake +myself to Goshen, and see the derision wherewith the children of Israel +deride me." And they took and put him upon a horse, for he was not able +to mount it himself. When he and his men had come to the border between +Egypt and Goshen, the king's steed passed into a narrow place. The +other horses, running rapidly through the pass, pressed upon each other +until the king's horse fell while he sate upon it, and when it fell, +the chariot turned over on his face, and also the horse lay upon him. +The king's flesh was torn from him, for this thing was from the Lord, +He had heard the cries of His people and their affliction. The king's +servants carried him upon their shoulders, brought him back to Egypt, +and placed him on his bed. + +He knew that his end was come to die, and the queen Alfar'anit and his +nobles gathered about his bed, and they wept a great weeping with him. + +The princes and his counsellors advised the king to make choice of a +successor, to reign in his stead, whomsoever he would choose from among +his sons. He had three sons and two daughters by the queen Alfar'anit, +beside children from concubines. The name of his first-born was Atro, +the name of the second Adikam, and of the third Moryon. The name of the +older daughter was Bithiah, and of the other, Akuzit. The first-born of +the sons of the king was an idiot, precipitate and heedless in all his +actions. Adikam, the second son, was a cunning and clever man, and +versed in all the wisdom of Egypt, but ungainly in appearance, fleshy +and short of stature; his height was a cubit and a space, and his beard +flowed down to his ankles. + +The king resolved that Adikam should reign in his stead after his +death. When this second son of his was but ten years old, he had given +him Gedidah, the daughter of Abilat, to wife, and she bore him four +sons. Afterward Adikam went and took three other wives, and begot eight +sons and three daughters. + +The king's malady increased upon him greatly, and his flesh emitted a +stench like a carcass cast into the field in summer time in the heat of +the sun. When he saw that his disorder bad seized upon him with a +strong grip, he commanded his son Adikam to be brought to him, and they +made him king over the land in his place. + +At the end of three years the old king died in shame and disgrace, a +loathing to all that saw him, and they buried him in the sepulchre of +the kings of Egypt in Zoan, but they did not embalm him, as was usual +with kings, for his flesh was putrid, and they could not approach his +body on account of the stench, and they buried him in haste. Thus the +Lord requited him with evil for the evil he had done in his days to +Israel, and he died in terror and shame after having reigned +ninety-four years. + +Adikam was twenty years old when he succeeded his father, and he +reigned four years. The people of Egypt called him Pharaoh, as was +their custom with all their kings, but his wise men called him Akuz, +for Akuz is the word for "short" in the Egyptian language, and Adikam +was exceedingly awkward and undersized. The new Pharaoh surpassed his +father Malol and all the former kings in wickedness, and he made +heavier the yoke upon the children of Israel. He went to Goshen with +his servants, and increased their labor, and he said unto them, +"Complete your work, each day's task, and let not your hands slacken +from the work from this day forward, as you did in the day of my +father." He placed officers over them from amongst the children of +Israel, and over these officers he placed taskmasters from amongst his +servants. And he put before them a measure for bricks, according to the +number they were to make day by day, and whenever any deficiency was +discovered in the measure of their daily bricks, the taskmasters of +Pharaoh would go to the women of the children of Israel, and take their +infants from them, as many as the number of bricks lacking in the +measure, and these babes they put into the building instead of the +missing bricks. The taskmasters forced each man of the Israelites to +put his own child in the building. The father would place his son in +the wall, and cover him over with mortar, all the while weeping, his +tears running down upon his child. + +The children of Israel sighed every day on account of their dire +suffering, for they had thought that after Pharaoh's death his son +would lighten their toil, but the new king was worse than his father. +And God saw the burden of the children of Israel, and their heavy work, +and He determined to deliver them.[104] + +However, it was not for their own sake that God resolved upon the +deliverance of the children of Israel, for they were empty of good +deeds, and the Lord foreknew that, once they were redeemed, they would +rise up against Him, and even worship the golden calf. Yet He took +mercy upon them, for He remembered His covenant with the Fathers, and +He looked upon their repentance for their sins, and accepted their +promise, to fulfil the word of God after their going forth from Egypt +even before they should hear it.[105] + +After all, the children of Israel were not wholly without merits. In a +high degree they possessed qualities of extraordinary excellence. There +were no incestuous relations among them, they were not evil-tongued, +they did not change their names, they clung to the Hebrew language, +never giving it up,[106] and great fraternal affection prevailed among +them. If one happened to finish the tale of his bricks before his +neighbors, he was in the habit of helping the others. Therefore God +spake, "They deserve that I should have mercy upon them, for if a man +shows mercy unto another, I have mercy upon him."[107] + + + + +THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD + + +When Jethro bestowed his daughter Zipporah upon Moses as his wife, he +said to his future son-in-law: "I know that thy father Jacob took his +wives, the daughters of Laban, and went away with them against their +father's will. Now take an oath that thou wilt not do the same unto +me," and Moses swore not to leave him without his consent,[108] and he +remained with Jethro, who made him the shepherd of his flocks. By the +way he tended the sheep, God saw his fitness to be the shepherd of His +people, for God never gives an exalted office to a man until He has +tested him in little things. Thus Moses and David were tried as +shepherds of flocks, and only after they had proved their ability as +such, He gave them dominion over men. + +Moses watched over the flocks with loving care. He led the young +animals to pasture first, that they might have the tender, juicy grass +for their food; the somewhat older animals he led forth next, and +allowed them to graze off the herbs suitable for them; and finally came +the vigorous ones that had attained their full growth, and to them he +gave the hard grass that was left, which the others could not eat, but +which afforded good food for them. Then spake God, "He that +understandeth how to pasture sheep, providing for each what is good for +it, he shall pasture My people." + +Once a kid escaped from the flock, and when Moses followed it, he saw +how it stopped at all the water courses, and he said to it: "Poor kid, +I knew not that thou wast thirsty, and wast running after water! Thou +art weary, I ween," and he carried it back to the herd on his shoulder. +Then said God: "Thou hast compassion with a flock belonging to a man of +flesh and blood! As thou livest, thou shalt pasture Israel, My +flock."[109] + +Not only did Moses take heed that no harm should come to the herds +under his charge, but he was also careful that they cause no injury to +men. He always chose an open meadow as his pasturing place, to prevent +his sheep from grazing in private estates.[110] + +Jethro had no reason to be dissatisfied with the services rendered to +him by his son-in-law. During the forty years Moses acted as his +shepherd not one sheep was attacked by wild beasts, and the herds +multiplied to an incredible degree.[111] Once he drove the sheep about +in the desert for forty days, without finding a pasturing place for +them. Nevertheless he did not lose a single sheep. + +Moses' longing for the desert was irresistible. His prophetic spirit +caused him to foresee that his own greatness and the greatness of +Israel would manifest themselves there. In the desert God's wonders +would appear, though it would be at the same time the grave of the +human herd to be entrusted to him in the future, and also his own last +resting- place. Thus he had a presentiment at the very beginning of his +career that the desert would be the scene of his activity, which not +only came true in the present order of things, but also will be true in +the latter days, when he will appear in the desert again, to lead into +the promised land the generation, arisen from their graves, that he +brought forth from Egyptian bondage.[112] + +Wandering through the desert, he reached Mount Horeb, which is called +by six names, each conveying one of its distinctions. It is "the +mountain of God," wherein the Lord revealed His law; "Basban," for God +"came there"; "a mountain of humps," for the Lord declared all the +other mountains unfit for the revelation, as "crookbackt" animals are +declared unfit for sacrifices; "mountain of abode," because it is the +mountain that God desired for His "abode"; Sinai, because the "hatred" +of God against the heathen began at the time when Israel received the +law thereon; and Horeb, "sword," because there the sword of the law was +drawn upon the sinners.[113] + + + + +THE BURNING THORN-BUSH + + +When Moses drew near to Mount Horeb, he was aware at once that it was a +holy place, for he noticed that passing birds did not alight upon it. +At his approach the mountain began to move, as though to go forward and +meet him, and it settled back into quietude only when his foot rested +upon it.[114] The first thing Moses noticed was the wonderful burning +bush, the upper part of which was a blazing flame, neither consuming +the bush, nor preventing it from bearing blossoms as it burnt, for the +celestial fire has three peculiar qualities: it produces blossoms, it +does not consume the object around which it plays, and it is black of +color. The fire that Moses saw in the bush was the appearance of the +angel Michael, who had descended as the forerunner of the Shekinah +herself to come down presently. It was the wish of God to hold converse +with Moses, who, however, was not inclined to permit any interruption +of the work under his charge. Therefore God startled him with the +wonderful phenomenon of the burning thorn-bush. That brought Moses to a +stop, and then God spoke with him. + +There were good reasons for selecting the thorn-bush as the vessel for +a Divine vision. It was "clean," for the heathen could not use it to +make idols. God's choosing to dwell in the stunted thorn-bush conveyed +the knowledge to Moses that He suffers along with Israel. Furthermore, +Moses was taught that there is nothing in nature, not even the +insignificant thorn-bush, that can exist without the presence of the +Shekinah. Besides, the thorn-bush may be taken as the symbol for Israel +in several respects. As the thorn- bush is the lowliest of all species +of trees, so the condition of Israel in the exile is the lowliest as +compared with that of all the other nations, but as the thorn-bush +releases no bird that alights upon it without lacerating its wings, so +the nations that subjugate Israel will be punished. Also, as a garden +hedge is made of the thorn-bush, so Israel forms the hedge for the +world, the garden of God, for without Israel the world could not +endure. Furthermore, as the thorn- bush bears thorns and roses alike, +so Israel has pious and impious members, and as the thorn-bush requires +ample water for its growth, so Israel can prosper only through the +Torah, the celestial water. And the thorn-bush, the leaf of which +consists of five leaflets, was to indicate to Moses that God had +resolved to redeem Israel only for the sake of the merits of five pious +men, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Aaron, and Moses. The numbers represented +by the letters composing the Hebrew word for thorn-bush, Seneh, add up +to one hundred and twenty, to convey that Moses would reach the age of +one hundred and twenty years, and that the Shekinah would rest on Mount +Horeb for one hundred and twenty days. Finally, in order to give Moses +an illustration of His modesty, God descended from the exalted heavens +and spake to him from a lowly thorn-bush instead of the summit of a +lofty mountain or the top of a stately cedar tree.[115] + + + + +THE ASCENSION OF MOSES + + +The vision of the burning bush appeared to Moses alone; the other +shepherds with him saw nothing of it. He took five steps in the +direction of the bush, to view it at close range, and when God beheld +the countenance of Moses distorted by grief and anxiety over Israel's +suffering, He spake, "This one is worthy of the office of pasturing My +people."[116] + +Moses was still a novice in prophecy, therefore God said to Himself, +"If I reveal Myself to him in loud tones, I shall alarm him, but if I +reveal Myself with a subdued voice, he will hold prophecy in low +esteem," whereupon he addressed him in his father Amram's voice. Moses +was overjoyed to hear his father speak, for it gave him the assurance +that. he was still alive. The voice called his name twice, and he +answered, "Here am I! What is my father's wish?" God replied, saying, +"I am not thy father. I but desired to refrain from terrifying thee, +therefore I spoke with thy father's voice. I am the God of thy father, +the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." These +words rejoiced Moses greatly, for not only was his father Amram's name +pronounced in the same breath with the names of the three Patriarchs, +but it came before theirs, as though he ranked higher than they. + +Moses said not a word. In silent reverence before the Divine vision he +covered his face, and when God disclosed the mission with which He +charged him, of bringing the Israelites forth from the land of Egypt, +he answered with humility, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, +and bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" Thereupon spake +God, "Moses, thou art meek, and I will reward thee for thy modesty. I +will deliver the whole land of Egypt into thine hand, and, besides, I +will let thee ascend unto the throne of My glory, and look upon all the +angels of the heavens." + +Hereupon God commanded Metatron, the Angel of the Face, to conduct +Moses to the celestial regions amid the sound of music and song, and He +commanded him furthermore to summon thirty thousand angels, to serve as +his body-guard, fifteen thousand to right of him and fifteen thousand +to left of him. In abject terror Moses asked Metatron, "Who art thou?" +and the angel replied, "I am Enoch, the son of Jared, thy ancestor, and +God has charged me to accompany thee to His throne." But Moses +demurred, saying, "I am but flesh and blood, and I cannot look upon the +countenance of an angel," whereupon Metatron changed Moses' flesh into +torches of fire, his eyes into Merkabah wheels, his strength into an +angel's, and his tongue into a flame, and he took him to heaven with a +retinue of thirty thousand angels, one half moving to right of them and +one half to left of them. + +In the first heaven Moses saw streams upon streams of water, and he +observed that the whole heaven consisted of windows, at each of which +angels were stationed. Metatron named and pointed out all the windows +of heaven to him: the window of prayer and the window of supplication; +of weeping and of joy; plenitude and starvation; wealth and poverty; +war and peace; conception and birth; showers and soft rains; sin and +repentance; life and death; pestilence and healing; sickness and +health; and many windows more. + +In the second heaven Moses saw the angel Nuriel, standing three hundred +parasangs high, with his retinue of fifty myriads of angels, all +fashioned out of water and fire, and all keeping their faces turned +toward the Shekinah while they sang a song of praise to God. Metatron +explained to Moses, that these were the angels set over the clouds, the +winds, and the rains, who return speedily, as soon as they have +executed the will of their Creator, to their station in the second of +the heavens, there to proclaim the praise of God. + +In the third heaven Moses saw an angel, so tall it would take a human +being five hundred years to climb to his height. He had seventy +thousand heads, each head having as many mouths, each mouth as many +tongues, and each tongue as many sayings, and he together with his +suite of seventy thousand myriads of angels made of white fire praised +and extolled the Lord. "These," said Metatron to Moses, "are called +Erelim, and they are appointed over the grass, the trees, the fruits, +and the grain, but as soon as they have done the will of their Creator, +they return to the place assigned to them, and praise God." + +In the fourth heaven Moses saw a Temple, the pillars thereof made of +red fire, the staves of green fire, the thresholds of white fire, the +boards and clasps of flaming fire, the gates of carbuncles, and the +pinnacles of rubies. Angels were entering the Temple and giving praise +to God there. In response to a question from Moses Metatron told him +that they presided over the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, and +the other celestial bodies. and all of them intone songs before God. In +this heaven Moses noticed also the two great planets, Venus and Mars, +each as large as the whole earth, and concerning these he asked unto +what purpose they had been created. Metatron explained thereupon, that +Venus lies upon the sun to cool him off in summer, else he would scorch +the earth, and Mars lies upon the moon, to impart warmth to her, lest +she freeze the earth. + +Arrived in the fifth heaven, Moses saw hosts of angels, whose nether +parts were of snow and their upper parts of fire, and yet the snow did +not melt nor was the fire extinguished, for God had established perfect +harmony between the two elements. These angels, called Ishim, have had +nothing to do since the day of their creation but praise and extol the +Lord. + +In the sixth of the heavens were millions and myriads of angels +praising God, they were called 'Irin and kadishim, "Watchers" and "Holy +Ones," and their chief was made of hail, and he was so tall, it would +take five hundred years to walk a distance equal to his height. + +In the last heaven Moses saw two angels, each five hundred parasangs in +height, forged out of chains of black fire and red fire, the angels Af, +"Anger," and Hemah, "Wrath," whom God created at the beginning of the +world, to execute His will. Moses was disquieted when he looked upon +them, but Metatron embraced him, and said, "Moses, Moses, thou favorite +of God, fear not, and be not terrified," and Moses became calm. There +was another angel in the seventh heaven, different in appearance from +all the others, and of frightful mien. His height was so great, it +would have taken five hundred years to cover a distance equal to it, +and from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet he was studded +with glaring eyes, at the sight of which the beholder fell prostrate in +awe. "This one," said Metatron, addressing Moses, "is Samael, who takes +the soul away from man." "Whither goes he now?" asked Moses, and +Metatron replied, "To fetch the soul of Job the pious." Thereupon Moses +prayed to God in these words, "O may it be Thy will, my God and the God +of my fathers, not to let me fall into the hands of this angel." + +Here, in the highest heaven, he saw also the seraphim with their six +wings. With two they cover their face, that they gaze not upon the +Shekinah; and with two their feet, which, being like a calf's feet, +they hide, to keep secret Israel's transgression of the golden calf. +With the third pair of wings they fly and do the service of the Lord, +all the while exclaiming, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the +whole earth is full of His glory." The wings of these angels are of +prodigious size, it would take a man five hundred years to traverse +their length and their breadth, as from one end of the earth to the +other. + +And Moses saw in the seventh heaven the holy Hayyot, which support the +throne of God; and he beheld also the angel Zagzagel, the prince of the +Torah and of wisdom, who teaches the Torah in seventy languages to the +souls of men, and thereafter they cherish the precepts contained +therein as laws revealed by God to Moses on Sinai. From this angel with +the horns of glory Moses himself learnt all the ten mysteries." + +Having seen what there is in the seven heavens, he spoke to God, +saying, "I will not leave the heavens unless Thou grantest me a gift," +and God replied, "I will give thee the Torah, and men shall call it the +Law of Moses."[117] + + + + +MOSES VISITS PARADISE AND HELL + + +When Moses was on the point of departing from heaven, a celestial voice +announced: "Moses, thou camest hither, and thou didst see the throne of +My glory. Now thou shalt see also Paradise and hell," and God +dispatched Gabriel on the errand of showing hell to him. Terrified by +its fires, when he caught sight of them as he entered the portals of +hell, Moses refused to go farther. But the angel encouraged him, +saying, "There is a fire that not only burns but also consumes, and +that fire will protect thee against hell fire, so that thou canst step +upon it, and yet thou wilt not be seared." + +As Moses entered hell, the fire withdrew a distance of five hundred +parasangs, and the Angel of Hell, Nasargiel, asked him, "Who art thou?" +and he answered, "I am Moses, the son of Amram." + +Nasargiel: "This is not thy place, thou belongest in Paradise." + +Moses: "I came hither to see the manifestation of the power of God." + +Then said God to the Angel of Hell, "Go and show hell unto Moses, and +how the wicked are treated there." Immediately he went with Moses, +walking before him like a pupil before his master, and thus they +entered hell together, and Moses saw men undergoing torture by the +Angels of Destruction: some of the sinners were suspended by their +eyelids, some by their ears, some by their hands, and some by their +tongues, and they cried bitterly. And women were suspended by their +hair and by their breasts, and in other ways, all on chains of fire. +Nasargiel explained: "These hang by their eyes, because they looked +lustfully upon the wives of their neighbors, and with a covetous eye +upon the possessions of their fellow-men. These hang by their ears +because they listened to empty and vain speech, and turned their ear +away from hearing the Torah. These hang by their tongues, because they +talked slander, and accustomed their tongue to foolish babbling. These +hang by their feet, because they walked with them in order to spy upon +their fellow-men, but they walked not to the synagogue, to offer prayer +unto their Creator. These hang by their hands, because with them they +robbed their neighbors of their possessions, and committed murder. +These women hang by their hair and their breasts, because they +uncovered them in the presence of young men, so that they conceived +desire unto them, and fell into sin." + +Moses heard hell cry with a loud and a bitter cry, saying to Nasargiel: +"Give me something to eat, I am hungry."— Nasargiel: "What shall I give +thee?"—Hell: "Give me the souls of the pious."—Nasargiel: "The Holy +One, blessed be He, will not deliver the souls of the pious unto thee." + +Moses saw the place called Alukah, where sinners were suspended by +their feet, their heads downward, and their bodies covered with black +worms, each five hundred parasangs long. They lamented, and cried: "Woe +unto us for the punishment of hell. Give us death, that we may die!" +Nasargiel explained: "These are the sinners that swore falsely, +profaned the Sabbath and the holy days, despised the sages, called +their neighbors by unseemly nicknames, wronged the orphan and the +widow, and bore false witness. Therefore bath God delivered them to +these worms." + +Moses went thence to another place, and there he saw sinners prone on +their faces, with two thousand scorpions lashing, stinging, and +tormenting them, while the tortured victims cried bitterly. Each of the +scorpions had seventy thousand heads, each head seventy thousand +mouths, each mouth seventy thousand stings, and each sting seventy +thousand pouches of poison and venom, which the sinners are forced to +drink down, although the anguish is so racking that their eyes melt in +their sockets. Nasargiel explained: "These are the sinners who caused +the Israelites to lose their money, who exalted themselves above the +community, who put their neighbors to shame in public, who delivered +their fellow-Israelites into the hands of the Gentiles, who denied the +Torah of Moses, and who maintained that God is not the Creator of the +world." + +Then Moses saw the place called Tit ba-Yawen, in which the sinners +stand in mud up to their navels, while the Angels of Destruction lash +them with fiery chains, and break their teeth with fiery stones, from +morning until evening, and during the night they make their teeth grow +again, to the length of a parasang, only to break them anew the next +morning. Nasargiel explained: "These are the sinners who ate carrion +and forbidden flesh, who lent their money at usury, who wrote the Name +of God on amulets for Gentiles, who used false weights, who stole money +from their fellow-Israelites, who ate on the Day of Atonement, who ate +forbidden fat, and animals and reptiles that are an abomination, and +who drank blood." + +Then Nasargiel said to Moses: "Come and see how the sinners are burnt +in hell," and Moses answered, "I cannot go there," but Nasargiel +replied, "Let the light of the Shekinah precede thee, and the fire of +hell will have no power over thee." Moses yielded, and he saw how the +sinners were burnt, one half of their bodies being immersed in fire and +the other half in snow, while worms bred in their own flesh crawled +over them, and the Angels of Destruction beat them incessantly. +Nasargiel explained: "These are the sinners who committed incest, +murder, and idolatry, who cursed their parents and their teachers, and +who, like Nimrod and others, called themselves gods." In this place, +which is called Abaddon, he saw the sinners taking snow by stealth and +putting it in their armpits, to relieve the pain inflicted by the +scorching fire, and he was convinced that the saying was true, "The +wicked mend not their ways even at the gate of hell." + +As Moses departed from hell, he prayed to God, "May it be Thy will, O +Lord my God and God of my fathers, to save me and the people of Israel +from the places I have seen in hell." But God answered him, and said, +"Moses, before Me there is no respecting of persons and no taking of +gifts. Whoever doeth good deeds entereth Paradise, and he that doeth +evil must go to hell." + +At the command of God, Gabriel now led Moses to Paradise. As he +entered, two angels came toward him, and they said to him, "Thy time is +not yet arrived to leave the world," and Moses made answer, "What ye +say is true, but I have come to see the reward of the pious in +Paradise." Then the angels extolled Moses, saying: "Hail, Moses, +servant of God! Hail, Moses, born of woman, that hast been found worthy +to ascend to the seven heavens! Hail to the nation to which thou +belongest!" + +Under the tree of life Moses saw the angel Shamshiel, the prince of +Paradise, who led him through it, and showed him all there is therein. +He saw seventy thrones made of precious stones, standing on feet of +fine gold, each throne surrounded by seventy angels. But one of them +was larger than all the others, and it was encircled by one hundred and +twenty angels. This was the throne of Abraham, and when Abraham beheld +Moses, and heard who he was, and what his purpose was in visiting +Paradise, he exclaimed, "Praise ye the Lord, for He is good, for His +mercy endureth forever." + +Moses asked Shamshiel about the size of Paradise, but not even he who +is the prince thereof could answer the question, for there is none that +can gauge it. It can neither be measured nor fathomed nor numbered. But +Shamshiel explained to Moses about the thrones, that they were +different one from the other, some being of silver, some of gold, some +of precious stones and pearls and rubies and carbuncles. The thrones +made of pearls are for the scholars that study the Torah day and night +for her own sake; those of precious stones are for the pious, those of +rubies for the just, those of gold for the repentant sinners, and those +of silver for the righteous proselytes. "The greatest of them all," +continued Shamshiel, "is the throne of Abraham, the next in size the +thrones of Isaac and Jacob, then come the thrones of the prophets, the +saints, and the righteous, each in accordance with a man's worth, and +his rank, and the good deeds he has performed in his lifetime." Moses +asked then for whom the throne of copper was intended, and the angel +answered, "For the sinner that has a pious son. Through the merits of +his son he receives it as his share." + +Again Moses looked, and he beheld a spring of living water welling up +from under the tree of life and dividing into four streams, which +passed under the throne of glory, and thence encompassed Paradise from +end to end. He also saw four rivers flowing under each of the thrones +of the pious, one of honey, the second of milk, the third of wine, and +the fourth of pure balsam. + +Beholding all these desirable and pleasant things, Moses felt great +joy, and he said, "Oh, how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid +up for them that fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for them that put +their trust in Thee, before the sons of men!" And Moses left Paradise, +and returned to the earth. + +At the moment of his departure, a heavenly voice cried aloud: "Moses, +servant of the Lord, thou that art faithful in His house, even as thou +hast seen the reward that is laid up for the pious in the world to +come, so also thou wilt be worthy of seeing the life of the world that +shall be in the future time. Thou and all Israel, ye shall see the +rebuilding of the Temple and the advent of the Messiah, behold the +beauty of the Lord, and meditate in His Temple."[118] + +In the world to come Moses, beside sharing the joys of Israel, will +continue his activity as the teacher of Israel, for the people will go +before Abraham and request him to instruct them in the Torah. He will +send them to Isaac, saying, "Go to Isaac, he hath studied more of the +Torah than ever I studied," but Isaac, in turn, will send them to +Jacob, saying, "Go to Jacob, he hath had more converse with the sages +than ever I had." And Jacob will send them to Moses, saying, "Go to +Moses, he was instructed in the Torah by God Himself."[119] + +In the Messianic time, Moses will be one of the seven shepherds that +shall be the leaders of Israel with the Messiah.[120] + + + + +MOSES DECLINES THE MISSION + + +When Moses turned aside to see the great sight, that the bush was not +consumed, he heard a voice calling to him, "Draw not nigh hither." +These words were to convey that the dignity to be conferred upon him +God intended for Moses personally, not for his descendants, and further +he was warned not to arrogate honors appointed for others, as the +priesthood, which was to belong to Aaron and Aaron's descendants, or +royalty, which was to appertain to David and the house of David.[121] + +Again the voice spake: "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the +place whereon thou standest is holy ground." These words conveyed the +desire of God that he cut asunder every bond uniting him with earthly +concerns, he was even to give up his conjugal life. Hereupon the angel +Michael spoke to God: "O Lord of the world, can it be Thy purpose to +destroy mankind? Blessing can prevail only if male and female are +united, and yet Thou biddest Moses separate from his wife." God +answered, saying, "Moses has begot children, he has done his duty +toward the world. I desire him to unite himself now with the Shekinah, +that she may descend upon earth for his sake."[122] + +God spake furthermore, addressing Moses, "Thou seest only what is to +happen in the near future, that Israel is to receive the Torah on Mount +Sinai, but I behold what cometh after, bow the people will worship the +steer, the figure of which they will see upon My chariot, even while My +revelation will be made on Sinai. Thus they will excite My wrath. +Nevertheless, though I know all the perverseness of their hearts, +wherein they will rebel against Me in the desert, I will redeem them +now, for I accord unto man the treatment he merits for his present +actions, not what he will deserve in the future. I promised their +father Jacob, 'I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will also +surely bring thee up again,' and now I will betake myself thither, to +bring Israel up in accordance with My words unto Jacob, and bear them +to the land I swore unto their fathers, that their seed should inherit +it. So long as the time of affliction that I had appointed unto his +seed in My revelation to Abraham was not past, I hearkened not to the +supplication and the groaning of his children, but now the end hath +come. Therefore, go before Pharaoh, that he dismiss My people. If thou +dost not bring about the redemption, none other will, for there is none +other that can do it. In thee doth Israel hope, and upon thee doth +Israel wait. The matter lieth in thine hands alone." + +Moses, however, refused to take the mission upon himself. He said to +God, "Thy promise unto Jacob was, 'I will surely bring thee up again +out of Egypt.' Thou didst undertake to do it Thyself, and now it is Thy +purpose to send me thither. And how, indeed, were it possible for me to +accomplish this great matter, to bring the children of Israel up out of +Egypt? How could I provide them with food and drink? Many are the women +in childbirth among them, many are the pregnant women and the little +children. Whence shall I procure dainties for those who have borne +babes, whence sweetmeats for the pregnant, and whence tidbits for the +little ones? And how may I venture to go among the Egyptian brigands +and murderers? for Thou art bidding me to go to mine enemies, to those +who lie in wait to take my life. Why should I risk the safety of my +person, seeing that I know not whether Israel possesses merits making +them worthy of redemption?' I have reckoned up the years with care, and +I have found that but two hundred and ten have elapsed since the +covenant of the pieces made with Abraham, and at that time Thou didst +ordain four hundred years of oppression for his seed."[124] + +But God overturned all his objections. He spake to Moses, saying: "I +will be with thee. Whatever thou desirest I will do, so that the +redemption will in very truth be realized through Me, in accordance +with My promise to Jacob. The little ones that Israel will carry up out +of Egypt I will provide with food for thirty days. This shall prove to +thee in what manner I will supply the needs of all. And as I will be at +thy side, thou hast no need to fear any man. Respecting thy doubt, +whether Israel deserves to be redeemed, this is My answer: they will be +permitted to go forth from Egypt on account of the merits they will +acquire at this mountain, whereon they will receive the Torah through +thee.[125] And thy reckoning of the end is not correct, for the four +hundred years of bondage began with the birth of Isaac, not with the +going down of Jacob into Egypt. Therefore the appointed end hath +come."[126] + +Persuaded now of God's unalterable resolve to use him as His instrument +in the redemption of Israel from Egypt, Moses entreated God to impart +to him the knowledge of His Great Name, that he be not confounded if +the children of Israel ask for it. God answered, saying: "Thou desirest +to know My Name? My Name is according to My acts. When I judge My +creatures, I am called Elohim, "judge"; when I rise up to do battle +against the sinners, I am Lord Zebaot, "the Lord of hosts"; when I wait +with longsuffering patience for the improvement of the sinner, My name +is El Shaddai; when I have mercy upon the world, I am Adonai. But unto +the children of Israel shalt thou say that I am He that was, that is, +and that ever will be, and I am He that is with them in their bondage +now, and He that shall be with them in the bondage of the time to +come." + +In reply to the latter words of God, Moses said, "Sufficient unto the +day is the evil thereof," and God assented thereto. He admitted that it +was not proper to force the knowledge of future suffering upon Israel +in a present that was itself full of evil and sorrow. And the Lord said +to Moses: "My words about the future were meant for thee alone, not +also for them. Tell the children of Israel, besides, that at My behest +an angel can stretch his hand from heaven and touch the earth with it, +and three angels can find room under one tree, and My majesty can fill +the whole world, for when it was My will, it appeared to Job in his +hair, and, again, when I willed otherwise, it appeared in a +thorn-bush."[127] + +But the most important communication from God to Moses concerning the +Divine Names were the words to follow: "In mercy I created the world; +in mercy I guide it; and with mercies I will return to Jerusalem. But +unto the children of Israel thou shalt say that My mercy upon them is +for the sake of the merits of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." + +When Moses heard these words, he spoke to God, saying, "Are there men +that transgress after death?" and when God assured him that it was not +possible for the dead to sin, Moses asked again, "Why, then, is it that +Thou didst reveal Thyself to me at the first as the God of my father, +and now Thou passest him over?" Whereupon God said, "In the beginning +it was My purpose to address thee with flattering words, but now thou +hearest the whole and exact truth, I am only the God of Abraham, the +God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."[128] + +Moses prayed to God, entreating Him to reveal His Great and Holy Name +unto him, so that he might call upon Him with it and secure the +fulfilment of all his wishes. The Lord granted the prayer of Moses, and +when the celestials knew that He had revealed the secret of the +Ineffable Name, they cried out, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord, gracious +Giver of knowledge!"[129] + +God is always regardful of the honor of the elders of a people, and He +bade Moses assemble those of Israel and announce the approaching +redemption to them. And as God knew beforehand how Pharaoh's obduracy +would display itself, He made it known to Moses at once, lest he +reproach God later with the Egyptian king's frowardness.[130] + + + + +MOSES PUNISHED FOR HIS STUBBORNNESS + + +In spite of all these safeguards, Moses was not yet ready to accept the +mission God wished to impose upon him. He persisted in urging his +fears, saying: "But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto +my voice, for they will say, 'The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.[] +And the Lord said unto him, "What is that in thine hand?" And he said, +"A rod." And the Lord said: "Thou deservest to be castigated with it. +If thou didst not intend to take My mission upon thyself, thou shouldst +have said so in the beginning. Instead, thou didst hold back with thy +refusal, until I revealed to thee the great secret of the Ineffable +Name, that thou mightest know it if the children of Israel should ask +thee concerning it. And now thou sayest, I will not go. Now, therefore, +if thou wilt not execute My charge to thee, it will be executed by this +rod. It was My wish to distinguish thee and make thee My instrument for +doing many miracles.[131] But thou deservest a punishment for having +suspected My children of lack of faith. The children of Israel are +believers and sons of believers, but thou wilt show thyself of little +faith in thy career, and as thou followest the example of the +slanderous serpent, so shalt thou be punished with leprosy, wherewith +the serpent was punished." + +The Lord now bade Moses put his hand into his bosom and take it out +again, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white +as snow. And God bade him put his hand into his bosom again, and it +turned again as his other flesh. Beside being a chastisement for his +hasty words, the plague on his hand was to teach him that as the leper +defiles, so the Egyptians defiled Israel, and as Moses was healed of +his uncleanness, so God would cleanse the children of Israel of the +pollution the Egyptians had brought upon them. + +The second wonder connected with the rod of Moses likewise conveyed a +double meaning, in that it pointed to the coming redemption of Israel, +and taught Moses a specific lesson. At the bidding of God, Moses cast +his rod on the ground, and it became a serpent, to show him that when +he traduced Israel, he was following the example of the abusive +serpent, and also to show him that the great dragon that lieth in the +midst of the rivers of Egypt, though he was now hacking into Israel +with his teeth, would be rendered harmless like the rod of wood, which +has no power to bite. + +And, again, through the third miracle he was bidden to perform, God +conveyed to Moses what would happen in the latter years of his own +life. The sign He gave him was to make known to him that, before the +water came, blood would flow from the rock at Meribah, when Moses +should strike it after uttering the hasty, impatient words that were +destined to bring death down upon him.[132] + +For seven days God urged Moses to undertake the mission He desired him +to execute. He resorted to persuasion, that the heathen might not say, +that He abused His power as the Ruler of the world, forcing men to do +His service against their will. But Moses remained obdurate, he could +not be won over.[133] He said: "Thou doest a wrong unto me in sending +me to Pharaoh. In the palace of the Egyptian king there are persons +that know how to speak the seventy languages of the world. No matter +what language a man may use, there is someone that understands him. If +I should come as Thy representative, and they should discover that I am +not able to converse in the seventy languages, they will mock at me, +and say, 'Behold this man, he pretends to be the ambassador of the +Creator of the world, and he cannot speak the seventy languages.' " To +this God made reply, as follows: "Adam, who was taught by none, could +give names to the beasts in the seventy languages. Was it not I that +made him to speak?"[134] + +Moses was not yet satisfied, he continued to urge objections, and he +said: "O Lord of the world, Thou wouldst charge me with the task of +chastising Egypt and redeeming Israel, and I am ready to be Thy +messenger. But is it seemly that a man should execute two errands at +once? Nay, my Lord, for this two men are needed." God made answer, and +said, "Moses, I know well whom thou hast in mind with thy request, to +be thy companion in the mission I assign to thee. Know, therefore, that +the holy spirit hath already come upon thy brother Aaron, and even now +he is awaiting thee on the way of Egypt, and when his eyes rest upon +thee he will rejoice." + +Furthermore God spake to Moses, saying, "When I appeared unto thee the +first time, thou wast meek, and didst hide thy face, not to see the +vision. Whence cometh now this effrontery of thine, that thou +addressest Me as a servant his master? Thou speakest too many words by +far. Perchance thou thinkest I have no messengers, hosts, seraphim, +ofanim, ministering angels, and Merkabah wheels, to send to Egypt, to +bring My children thence, that thou sayest, 'Send by the hand of him +whom Thou wilt send.' In sooth, thou deservest severe chastisement. But +what can I do, seeing that I am the Master of mercy? If thou escapest +unpunished, thou owest it to thy father Amram, who rendered great +services in behalf of the preservation of the Israelitish people in +Egypt." + +But Moses replied: "O Lord of the world, I a prophet and the son of a +prophet obeyed Thy words only after much hesitation, and I cannot +expect Pharaoh, a wicked man and the son of a wicked man, and the +Egyptians, a disobedient people and the sons of a disobedient people, +to give ear to my words. O Lord of the world, Thou dost send me to +Egypt to redeem sixty myriads of Thy people from the oppression of the +Egyptians. If it were a question of delivering a couple of hundred men, +it were a sufficiently difficult enterprise. How much severer is the +task of freeing sixty myriads from the dominion of Pharaoh! If Thou +hadst called upon the Egyptians to give up their evil ways soon after +they began to enslave Israel, they might have heeded Thy admonitions. +But if I should go and speak to them now, after they have been ruling +over Israel these two hundred and ten years, Pharaoh would say, 'If a +slave has served his master for ten years, and no protest has made +itself heard from any quarter, how can a man conceive the idea suddenly +of having him set at liberty?' Verily, O Lord of the world, the task +Thou puttest upon me is too heavy for my strength."[135] + +Moses said furthermore: "I am not an eloquent man, nor can I see of +what avail words can be in this matter. Thou art sending me to one that +is himself a slave, to Pharaoh of the tribe of Ham, and a slave will +not be corrected by words. I consent to go on Thy errand only if Thou +wilt invest me with the power of chastising Pharaoh with brute force." +To these words spoken by Moses, God made reply: "Let it not fret thee +that thou art not an eloquent speaker. It is I that made the mouth of +all that speak, and I that made men dumb. One I make to see, another I +make blind; one I make to hear, another I make deaf. Had I willed it +so, thou hadst been a man of ready speech. But I desired to show a +wonder through thee. Whenever I will it, the words I cast into thy +mouth shall come forth without hesitation. But what thou sayest about a +slave, that he cannot be corrected by words, is true, and therefore I +give thee My rod for Pharaoh's castigation." + +But Moses still stood his ground. He raised other objections. "His +grandchild," he said, "is closer to a man than his nephew. Nevertheless +when Lot was taken captive, Thou didst send angels to the aid of +Abraham's nephew. But now, when the life of sixty myriads of Abraham's +lineal descendants is at stake, Thou sendest me, and not the angels. +When the Egyptian bondwoman Hagar was in distress, Thou didst dispatch +five angels to stand by her, and to redeem sixty myriads of the +children of Sarah Thou dost dispatch me.[136] O Lord, send, I pray +Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send in days to come." To this +God answered, saying, "I said not that I would send thee to Israel, but +to Pharaoh, and that one whom thou madest mention of, I will send to +Israel at the end of days—Elijah will appear to them before the great +and terrible day."[137] + +If Moses refused to do the errand of the Lord, there was a reason. God +had revealed to him the treasures of the Torah, of wisdom, and of +knowledge, and the whole world's future. Now he beheld in the inner +chamber of God rows of scholars and judges interpreting the Torah in +forty- nine different ways as they sat in the court of hewn stones; and +he saw, besides, Rabbi Akiba explaining the meaning of the crowns upon +the letters. Then said Moses: "I do not care to be God's messenger. Let +Him rather send one of these great scholars." Then God ordered the +Angel of Wisdom to carry Moses to a place of myriads of scholars, all +interpreting the Torah, and all making use of the formula: This is a +Halakah revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. Now Moses recognized that +even the greatest scholars of future generations would be dependent +upon him, and then, at last, he was ready to execute the mission God +desired to lay upon him.[138] + +But Moses had to pay dear for having hesitated in the execution of the +Divine bidding. God said to him: "It was appointed that thou shouldst +be priest, and Aaron should be the Levite. Because thou hast refused to +execute My will, thou shalt be the Levite, and Aaron shall be +priest,"—a punishment that did not fall upon Moses personally, but only +upon his descendants, all of whom are Levites. As for himself, he +performed a priest's service in the Tabernacle.[139] + +Moses had said to God, "Thou hast been speaking to me now these many +days, nevertheless I am still slow of speech and of a slow tongue." For +this he received another punishment. God said to him: "I might change +thee into a new man, and heal thee of thy imperfect speech, but because +thou hast uttered such words, I refrain from curing thee."[140] + + + + +THE RETURN TO EGYPT + + +When Moses finally gave in, and declared himself ready to go to Egypt +as God's messenger, his acceptance was still conditional upon the +promise of God to fulfil all his wishes, and God granted whatsoever he +desired, except immortality and entering the Holy Land.[141] God also +allayed his fears regarding the danger that threatened him from his +whilom enemies Dathan and Abiram, on account of whom he had had to flee +from Egypt. He told him that they had sunk to the estate of poor and +insignificant men, bereft of the power of doing him harm.[142] + +Moses was loyal to the oath he had given his father-in-law Jethro, +never to return to Egypt without securing his consent. His first +concern therefore was to go back to Midian and obtain his permission, +which Jethro gave freely. Then Moses could set out on his journey. He +tarried only to take his wife and his children with him, which made his +father- in-law say, "Those who are in Egypt are to leave it, and thou +desirest to take more thither?" Moses replied: "Very soon the slaves +held in bondage in Egypt will be redeemed, and they will go forth from +the land, and gather at Mount Sinai, and hear the words, 'I am the Lord +thy God,' and should my sons not be present there?" Jethro acknowledged +the justice of Moses' words, and he said to him, "Go in peace, enter +Egypt in peace, and leave the land in peace."[143] + +At last Moses sallied forth upon his journey to Egypt, accompanied by +his wife and his children. He was mounted upon the very ass that had +borne Abraham to the Akedah on Mount Moriah, the ass upon which the +Messiah will appear riding at the end of days.[144] Even now, his +journey begun, Moses was but half-hearted about his mission. He +travelled leisurely, thinking: "When I arrive in Egypt and announce to +the children of Israel that the end of the term of Egyptian slavery has +come, they will say, 'We know very well that our bondage must last four +hundred years, and the end is not yet,' but if I were to put this +objection before God, He would break out in wrath against me. It is +best for me to consume as much time as possible on the way thither." + +God was ill pleased with Moses for this artifice, and He spake to him, +saying, "Joseph prophesied long ago that the oppression of Egypt would +endure only two hundred and ten years." For his lack of faith Moses was +punished while he was on the road to Egypt.[145] The angels Af and +Hemah appeared and swallowed his whole body down to his feet,[146] and +they gave him up only after Zipporah, nimble as a "bird,"[147] +circumcised her son Gershom, and touched the feet of her husband with +the blood of the circumcision. The reason why their son had remained +uncircumcised until then was that Jethro had made the condition, when +he consented to the marriage of his daughter with Moses, that the first +son of their union should be brought up as a Gentile.[148] + +When Moses was released by the angels, he attacked them, and he slew +Hemah, whose host of angels, however, held their own before the +assailant.[149] + +The Divine voice heard by Moses in Midian telling him to return to his +brethren in Egypt fell at the same time upon the ear of Aaron, dwelling +in Egypt, and it bade him "go into the wilderness to meet Moses." God +speaketh marvellously with His voice, and therefore the same revelation +could be understood one way in Midian and another way in Egypt. + +The greeting of the two brothers was very cordial. Envy and jealousy +bad no place between them. Aaron was rejoiced that God had chosen his +younger brother to be the redeemer of Israel, and Moses was rejoiced +that his older brother had been divinely appointed the high priest in +Israel. God knew their hearts, for at the time when He charged him with +the Egyptian mission, Moses had said, "All these years Aaron has been +active as a prophet in Israel, and should I now encroach upon his +province and cause him vexation?" But God reassured him, saying, +"Moses, thy brother Aaron will surely not be vexed, he will rather +rejoice at thy mission, yea, he will come forth and meet thee." + +Aaron showed his joy freely at seeing his brother once more, after +their separation of many years. As for his joy in the distinction +accorded to Moses, it was too great to be expressed in all its depth +and extent. For his kind, generous spirit, he received a reward from +God, in that he was permitted to bear the Urim and Thummim upon his +heart, "for," God said, "the heart that rejoiced at the exalting of a +brother shall wear the Urim and Thummim."[150] + +Aaron ran to meet his brother, and embraced him, and asked where he had +spent all the years of their separation. When he was told in Midian, he +continued to question him, saying, "Who are these that are travelling +with thee?" + +Moses: "My wife and my sons." + +Aaron: "Whither goest thou with them?" + +Moses: "To Egypt." + +Aaron: "What! Great enough is our sorrow through those who have been in +Egypt from the beginning, and thou takest more to the land?" + +Moses recognized that Aaron was right, and he sent his wife and his +sons back to his father-in-law Jethro.[151] + +He was no less magnanimous than Aaron. If the elder brother felt no +envy on account of the younger brother's dignity, the younger brother +did not withhold from the other the teachings and revelations he had +received. Immediately after meeting with Aaron, Moses told him all that +God had taught him, even the awful secret of the Ineffable Name +communicated to him on Mount Horeb.[152] + +In obedience to the command of God, the elders of the people were +assembled, and before them Moses performed the wonders that were to be +his credentials as the redeemer sent to deliver the people. +Nevertheless, the deeds he did were not so potent in convincing them of +the reality of the mission as the words wherein God had announced the +approaching redemption to him, which he repeated in their ears. The +elders knew that Jacob had imparted to Joseph the secret mark +designating the redeemer, and Joseph had in turn confided it to his +brethren before his death. The last surviving one of the brethren, +Asher, had revealed it to his daughter Serah, in the following words: +"He that will come and proclaim the redemption with the words of God, +'I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in +Egypt,' he is the true redeemer." Serah was still alive at Moses' +return, and the elders betook themselves to her, and told her the words +of Moses announcing the redemption. When she heard that his words had +been the same as those Asher had quoted, she knew that he was the +promised redeemer, and all the people believed in him. + +Thereupon Moses invited the elders to go to Pharaoh with him, but they +lacked the courage to appear before the king. Though they started out +with Moses, they dropped off stealthily on the way, one by one, and +when Moses and Aaron stood in the presence of the king, they found +themselves alone, deserted by all the others. The elders did not go out +free. Their punishment was that God did not permit them to ascend the +holy mountain with Moses. They durst accompany him on the way to God +only as far as they had accompanied him on the way to Pharaoh, and then +they had to tarry until he came again.[153] + + + + +MOSES AND AARON BEFORE PHARAOH + + +The day Moses and Aaron made their appearance before Pharaoh happened +to be the anniversary of his birth, and he was surrounded by many +kings, for he was the ruler of the whole world, and this was the +occasion on which the kings of the earth came to do him homage. When +the attendants announced Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh inquired whether the +two old men had brought him crowns, and, receiving a negative reply, he +ordered that they were not to be admitted to his presence, until he had +seen and dismissed all the others desirous of paying him their +respects.[154] + +Pharaoh's palace was surrounded by a vast army. It was built with four +hundred entrances, one hundred on each side, and each of them guarded +by sixty thousand soldiers. Moses and Aaron were overawed by this +display of power, and they were afraid. But the angel Gabriel appeared, +and he led them into the palace, observed by none of the guards, and +Pharaoh decreed severe punishment upon the inattentive sentinels for +having admitted the old men without his permission. They were +dismissed, and others put in their places. But the same thing happened +the next day. Moses and Aaron were within the palace, and the new guard +had not been able to hinder their passing. Pharaoh questioned his +servants, how it had been possible for the two old men to enter, and +they said: "We know it not! Through the doors they did not come. +Surely, they must be magicians."[155] + +Not enough that the palace was guarded by a host, at each entrance two +lions were stationed, and in terror of being torn to pieces none dared +approach the doors, and none could go within until the lion tamer came +and led the beasts away. Now Balaam and all the other sacred scribes of +Egypt advised that the keepers loose the lions at the approach of Moses +and Aaron. But their advice availed naught. Moses had but to raise his +rod, and the lions bounded toward him joyously, and followed at his +feet, gambolling like dogs before their master on his return home.[156] + +Within the palace, Moses and Aaron found seventy secretaries busy with +Pharaoh's correspondence, which was carried on in seventy languages. At +the sight of the messengers of Israel, they started up in great awe, +for the two men resembled angels. In stature they were as the cedars of +Lebanon, their countenances radiated splendor like the sun, the pupils +of their eyes were like the sphere of the morning star, their beards +like palm branches, and their mouths emitted flames when they opened +them for speech. In their terror, the secretaries flung down pen and +paper, and prostrated themselves before Moses and Aaron. + +Now the two representatives of the children of Israel stepped before +Pharaoh, and they spake, "The God of the Hebrews hath met with us; let +us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and +sacrifice unto the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence +or with the sword." But Pharaoh answered, saying: "What is the name of +your God? Wherein doth His strength consist, and His power? How many +countries, how many provinces, how many cities hath He under His +dominion? In how many campaigns was He victorious? How many lands did +He make subject to Himself? How many cities did He capture? When He +goeth to war, how many warriors, riders, chariots, and charioteers doth +He lead forth?" Whereto Moses and Aaron replied: "His strength and His +power fill the whole world. His voice heweth out flames of fire; His +words break mountains in pieces. The heaven is His throne, and the +earth His footstool. His bow is fire, His arrows are flames, His spears +torches, His shield clouds, and His sword lightning flashes. He created +the mountains and the valleys, He brought forth spirits and souls, He +stretched out the earth by a word, He made the mountains with His +wisdom, He forms the embryo in the womb of the mother, He covers the +heavens with clouds, at His word the dew and the rain descend +earthward, He causes plants to grow from the ground, He nourishes and +sustains the whole world, from the horns upon the rem down to the eggs +of vermin. Every day He causes men to die, and every day He calls men +into life." + +Pharaoh answered, and said: "I have no need of Him. I have created +myself, and if ye say that He causes dew and rain to descend, I have +the Nile, the river that hath its source under the tree of life, and +the ground impregnated by its waters bears fruit so huge that it takes +two asses to carry it. and it is palatable beyond description, for it +has three hundred different tastes."[157] + +Then Pharaoh sent to fetch the books of the chronicles of his kingdom +from his archives, wherein are recorded the names of the gods of all +the nations, to see whether the name of the God of the Hebrews was +among them. He read off: "The gods of Moab, the gods of Ammon, the gods +of Zidon—I do not find your God inscribed in the archives!" Moses and +Aaron exclaimed: "O thou fool! Thou seekest the Living in the graves of +the dead. These which thou didst read are the names of dumb idols, but +our God is the God of life and the King of eternal life."[158] + +When Pharaoh said the words, "I know not the Lord," God Himself made +answer, saying: "O thou rascal! Thou sayest to My ambassadors, 'I know +not the strength and the power of your God'? Lo, I will make thee to +stand, for to show thee My power, and that My Name may be declared +throughout all the earth."[159] + +Having searched his list of the gods of the nations in vain for a +mention of the God of the Hebrews, Pharaoh cited before him the wise +men of Egypt, and he said to them: "Have ye ever heard the name of the +God of these people?" They replied, "We have been told that He is a son +of the wise, the son of ancient kings." Then spake God, saying, "O ye +fools! Ye call yourselves wise men, but Me ye call only the son of the +wise. Verily, I will set at naught all your wisdom and your +understanding."[160] + +Pharaoh persisted in his obduracy, even after Moses and Aaron had +performed the miracle of the rod. At the time when the two Hebrews +succeeded in entering the palace, guarded as it was by lions, Pharaoh +had sent for his magicians, at their head Balaam and his two sons +Jannes and Jambres, and when they appeared before him, he told them of +the extraordinary incident, how the lions had followed the two old men +like dogs, and fawned upon them. It was Balaam's opinion that they were +simply magicians like himself and his companions, and he prayed the +king to have them come before him together with themselves, to test who +were the master magicians, the Egyptians or the Hebrews. + +Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and he said to them: "Who will +believe you when you say that you are the ambassadors of God, as you +pretend to be, if you do not convince men by performing wonders?" +Thereupon Aaron cast his rod to the ground, and it became a +serpent.[161] Pharaoh laughed aloud. "What," he exclaimed, "is this all +your God can do? It is the way of merchants to carry merchandise to a +place if there is none of it there, but would anyone take brine to +Spain or fish to Accho? It seems you do not know that I am an adept in +all sorts of magic!" He ordered little school children to be brought, +and they repeated the wonder done by Moses and Aaron; indeed, Pharaoh's +own wife performed it. Jannes and Jambres, the sons of Balaam, derided +Moses, saying, "Ye carry straw to Ephrain!"[162] whereto Moses +answered, "To the place of many vegetables, thither carry vegetables." + +To show the Egyptians that Aaron could do something with his rod that +their magicians could not imitate, God caused the serpent into which +His rod had been changed to swallow up all the rods of the magicians. +But Balaam and his associates said: "There is nothing marvellous or +astonishing in this feat. Your serpent has but devoured our serpents, +which is in accordance with a law of nature, one living being devours +another. If thou wishest us to acknowledge that the spirit of God +worketh in thee, then cast thy rod to the earth, and if, being wood, it +swallows up our rods of wood, then we shall acknowledge that the spirit +of God is in thee." Aaron stood the test. After his rod had resumed its +original form, it swallowed up the rods of the Egyptians,[163] and yet +its bulk showed no increase. This caused Pharaoh to reflect, whether +this wonderful rod of Aaron might not swallow up also him and his +throne. Nevertheless he refused to obey the behest of God, to let +Israel go, saying, "Had I Jacob-Israel himself here before me, I should +put trowel and bucket on his shoulder." And to Moses and Aaron, he +said, "Because ye, like all the rest of the tribe of Levi, are not +compelled to labor, therefore do ye speak, 'Let us go and sacrifice to +the Lord.' If you had asked for a thousand people, or two thousand, I +should have fulfilled your request, but never will I consent to let six +hundred thousand men go away." + + + + +THE SUFFERING INCREASES + + +Beside refusing to dismiss the children of Israel, he ordered, on the +very day of Moses and Aaron's audience with him, that the people be +required to deliver the prescribed tale of bricks, though the +taskmasters were not as heretofore to give them straw to make brick. +Another decree was, that the children of Israel were not to be +permitted to rest on the Sabbath, for Pharaoh knew that they used the +leisure for reading the rolls that described their redemption. All this +was a part of God's plan, the oppression of Israel was to be increased +the closer the end approached. As they wandered up and down the land of +Egypt gathering the straw they needed for the due tale of bricks, they +were maltreated by the Egyptians if they caught them on their fields. +Such unkind acts perpetrated by the whole people made it impossible for +them to cast the entire blame for the bondage of Israel upon Pharaoh. +All the Egyptians showed cruelty to the Israelites on their straw +foraging expeditions, and therefore the Divine punishment descended +upon all alike. + +This frightful time of Israel's extreme suffering lasted six months. +Meantime Moses went to Midian, leaving Aaron alone in Egypt. When Moses +returned at the end of the reign of terror, two of the Israelitish +officers accosted him and Aaron, and heaped abuse upon them for having +increased the woes of their people rather than diminished them. They +spake, saying, "If ye are truly the ambassadors of God, then may He +judge between us and Pharaoh. But if you are seeking to bring about the +redemption of Israel on your own account, then may God judge between +you and Israel. You are responsible for the widespread stench now +issuing from the Israelitish corpses used as bricks for building when +our tale was not complete. The Egyptians had but a faint suspicion that +we were waiting for our redemption. It is your fault if they are fully +conscious of it now. We are in the quandary of the poor sheep that has +been dragged away by a wolf. The shepherd pursues the robber, catches +up with him, and tries to snatch the sheep from his jaws, and the +wretched victim, pulled this way by the wolf and that way by the +shepherd, is torn to pieces. Thus Israel fares between you and +Pharaoh." + +The two officers that spake these stinging words were Dathan and +Abiram, and it was neither the first nor the last time they inflicted +an injury upon Moses. The other Israelitish officers were gentle and +kind; they permitted themselves to be beaten by the taskmasters rather +than prod the laborers of their own people put under their +surveillance. + +The cruel suffering to which his people was exposed caused Moses to +speak to God thus: "I have read the book of Genesis through, and I +found the doom in it pronounced upon the generation of the deluge. It +was a just judgment. I found also the punishments decreed against the +generation of the confusion of tongues, and against the inhabitants of +Sodom. These, too, were just. But what hath this nation of Israel done +unto Thee, that it is oppressed more than any other nation in history? +Is it because Abraham said, 'Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit +the land?' and Thou didst rebuke him for his small faith, saying, 'Know +of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not +theirs'? Why, then, are not the descendants of Esau and Ishmael held in +bondage, too? Are they not likewise of the seed of Abraham? But if Thou +wilt say, 'What concern is it of mine?' then I ask Thee, Why didst Thou +send me hither as Thy messenger? Thy great, exalted, and terrible Name +is feared in all the earth, yet Pharaoh heard me pronounce it, and he +refuses obedience. I know Thou wilt redeem Israel in Thine own good +time, and it is of little moment to Thee that now they are immuring +living Israelites in these buildings." + +Were He a God of justice only, the Lord would have slain Moses for the +audacity of his last words, but in view of his having spoken as he had +only out of compassion with Israel, the Lord dealt graciously with him. +He answered Moses, saying, "Thou shalt see what I will do to Pharaoh," +words conveying to Moses, that although he would be witness to the +chastisement of Pharaoh, he would not be present at that of the +thirty-one kings of Canaan. Thus he was rebuked for the unbecoming +language he had used in addressing God.[164] At the same time God's +words were a rejoinder to another speech by Moses. He had said: "O Lord +of the world, I know well that Thou wilt bring Thy children forth from +Egypt. O that Thou wouldst make use of another instrument, for I am not +worthy of being the redeemer of Thy children." God made answer thereto: +"Yes, Moses, thou art worthy thereof. Through thee My children will be +brought forth out of Egypt. Thou shalt see what I will do to +Pharaoh."[165] + +At the same time God called him to account for having so little faith. +He said: "O for the departed, their like cannot be found any more! I +appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as El Shaddai, God Almighty, +but I was not known to them by My name Adonai, God All-Merciful, as I +appeared unto thee. Nevertheless they did not cast aspersions upon My +acts. I spake to Abraham, 'Unto thee will I give the land,' but when he +was about to bury Sarah, he had to pay out silver and buy a +resting-place for her body; and yet he did not find fault with Me. I +spake to Isaac, 'Unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these +lands,' but when he desired water to drink, he had to strive with the +herdsmen of Gerar; and yet he did not find fault with Me. I spake to +Jacob, 'The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy +seed,' but when he wanted to spread his tent, he had to acquire a +parcel of ground for an hundred pieces of money; and yet he did not +find fault with Me. None of them asked to know My Name. But thou didst +demand to know it at the very first, when I desired to send thee down +into Egypt, and after I revealed it to thee, thou didst speak, saying, +'Thou didst tell me that Thou art called Compassionate and Gracious, +Longsuffering and Merciful, but as soon as I pronounced this Name +before Pharaoh, misfortune descended upon the people of Israel.' Now I +desire to fulfil My covenant with the three Patriarchs, and give their +posterity the promised land, as a reward for the unquestioning faith of +the Fathers, and also as a reward to the people, who, in spite of their +suffering, did not find fault with My deeds. For this will I give them +the land, which they do not deserve to possess for other reasons. I +swear that I will do thus!" God pronounced this oath, to banish all +fear from the mind of Moses, that He might act only in accordance with +His attribute of justice, and thus delay the redemption of Israel for a +time, on account of the sins of the people.[166] + +Now the redemption of Israel was a settled fact. But before Moses and +Aaron could start on the work of delivering their people, God called +various points to their attention, which He bade them consider in their +undertaking. He spake to them, saying: "My children are perverse, +passionate, and troublesome. You must be prepared to stand their abuse, +to the length of being pelted with stones by them. I send you to +Pharaoh, and although I will punish him according to his deserts, yet +you must not fail in the respect due to him as a ruler. Furthermore, be +careful to take the elders of the people into your counsel,[167] and +let your first step toward redemption be to make the people give up the +worship of idols." + +The last was a most difficult task, and the words of God concerning it +wrung the exclamation from Moses: "See, the children of Israel will not +hearken unto me. How, then, should Pharaoh hearken unto me?"[168] It +was the third time Moses declined to go on the errand of God. Now the +Divine patience was exhausted, and Moses was subjected to punishment. +At first God had revealed Himself only to Moses, and the original +intention had been that he alone was to perform all the miracles, but +henceforth the word of God was addressed to Aaron as well, and he was +given a share in doing the wonders.[169] + + + + +MEASURE FOR MEASURE + + +God divided the ten punishments decreed for Egypt into four parts, +three of the plagues He committed to Aaron, three to Moses, one to the +two brothers together, and three He reserved for Himself. Aaron was +charged with those, that proceeded from the earth and the water, the +elements that are composed of more or less solid parts, from which are +fashioned all the corporeal, distinctive entities, while the three +entrusted to Moses were those that proceeded from the air and the fire, +the elements that are most prolific of life.[170] + +The Lord is a man of war, and as a king of flesh and blood devises +various stratagems against his enemy, so God attacked the Egyptians in +various ways. He brought ten plagues down upon them. When a province +rises up in rebellion, its sovereign lord first sends his army against +it, to surround it and cut off the water supply. If the people are +contrite, well and good; if not, he brings noise makers into the field +against them. If the people are contrite, well and good; if not, he +orders darts to be discharged against them. If the people are contrite, +well and good; if not, he orders his legions to assault them. If the +people are contrite, well and good; if not, he causes bloodshed and +carnage among them. If the people are contrite, well and good; if not, +he directs a stream of hot naphtha upon them. If the people are +contrite, well and good; if not, he hurls projectiles at them from his +ballistae. If the people are contrite, well and good; if not, he has +scaling-ladders set up against their walls. If the people are contrite, +well and good; if not, he casts them into dungeons. If the people are +contrite, well and good; if not, he slays their magnates. + +Thus did God proceed against the Egyptians. First He cut off their +water supply by turning their rivers into blood. They refused to let +the Israelites go, and He sent the noisy, croaking frogs into their +entrails. They refused to let the Israelites go, and He brought lice +against them, which pierced their flesh like darts. They refused to let +the Israelites go, and He sent barbarian legions against them, mixed +hordes of wild beasts. They refused to let the Israelites go, and He +brought slaughter upon them, a very grievous pestilence. They refused +to let the Israelites go, and He poured out naphtha over them, burning +blains. They refused to let the Israelites go, and He caused His +projectiles, the hail, to descend upon them. They refused to let the +Israelites go, and He placed scaling-ladders against the wall for the +locusts, which climbed them like men of war. They refused to let the +Israelites go, and He cast them into dungeon darkness. They refused to +let the Israelites go, and He slew their magnates, their first-born +sons.[171] + +The plagues that God sent upon the Egyptians corresponded to the deeds +they bad perpetrated against the children of Israel. Because they +forced the Israelites to draw water for them, and also hindered them +from the use of the ritual baths, He changed their water into blood. + +Because they had said to the Israelites, "Go and catch fish for us," He +brought frogs up against them, making them to swarm in their +kneading-troughs and their bed- chambers and hop around croaking in +their entrails. It was the severest of all the ten plagues. + +Because they had said to the Israelites, "Go and sweep and clean our +houses, our courtyards, and our streets," He changed the dust of the +air into lice, so that the vermin lay piled up in heaps an ell high, +and when the Egyptians put on fresh garments, they were at once +infested with the insects. + +The fourth plague was an invasion of the land by hordes of all sorts of +wild animals, lions, wolves, panthers, bears, and others. They overran +the houses of the Egyptians, and when they closed their doors to keep +them out, God caused a little animal to come forth from the ground, and +it got in through the windows, and split open the doors, and made a way +for the bears, panthers, lions, and wolves, which swarmed in and +devoured the people down to the infants in their cradles. If an +Egyptian entrusted his ten children to an Israelite, to take a walk +with them, a lion would come and snatch away one of the children, a +bear would carry off the second, a serpent the third, and so on, and in +the end the Israelite returned home alone. This plague was brought upon +them because they were in the habit of bidding the Israelites go and +catch wolves and lions for their circuses, and they sent them on such +errands, to make them take up their abode in distant deserts, where +they would be separated from their wives, and could not propagate their +race. + +Then God brought a grievous murrain upon their cattle, because they had +pressed the Israelites into their service as shepherds, and assigned +remote pasturing places to them, to keep them away from their wives. +Therefore the murrain came and carried off all the cattle in the flocks +the Israelites were tending. + +The sixth plague was a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and +upon beast. This was the punishment of the Egyptians, because they +would say to the children of Israel, "Go and prepare a bath for us unto +the delight of our flesh and our bones." Therefore they were doomed to +suffer with boils that inflamed their flesh, and on account of the itch +they could not leave off scratching. While the Egyptians suffered thus, +the children of Israel used their baths. + +Because they had sent the Israelites forth into the fields, to plough +and sow, hail was sent down upon them, and their trees and crops were +destroyed. + +They had been in the habit of saying to the Israelites, "Go forth, +plant ye trees for us, and guard the fruit thereon." Therefore God +brought the locusts into the Egyptian border, to eat the residue of +that which was escaped, which remained unto them from the hail, for the +teeth of the locust are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the jaw teeth +of a great lion. + +Because they would throw the Israelites into dungeons, God brought +darkness upon them, the darkness of hell, so that they had to grope +their way. He that sat could not rise up on his feet, and he that stood +could not sit down. The infliction of darkness served another purpose. +Among the Israelites there were many wicked men, who refused to leave +Egypt, and God determined to put them out of the way. But that the +Egyptians might not say they had succumbed to the plague like +themselves, God slew them under cover of the darkness, and in the +darkness they were buried by their fellow-Israelites, and the Egyptians +knew nothing of what had happened. But the number of these wicked men +had been very great, and the children of Israel spared to leave Egypt +were but a small fraction of the original Israelitish population. + +The tenth plague was the slaying of the first-born, and it came upon +the Egyptians because of their intention to murder the men children of +the Israelites at their birth, and, finally, Pharaoh and his host were +drowned in the Red Sea, because the Egyptians had caused the men +children of the Israelites to be exposed in the water.[172] + +Each, of the plagues inflicted upon Egypt had another parallel in the +cruel treatment accorded to the Israelites. The first was a punishment +for the arrogant words spoken by Pharaoh, "My Nile river is mine own, +and I have made it for myself." + +The plague of the frogs God brought down upon the Egyptians, "because," +He said, "the frogs, which sometimes inhabit the water, shall take +vengeance upon the Egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation +destined to be the bearers of the Torah, and the Torah is likened unto +water." + +God sent vermin upon them, saying, "Let the lice made of the dust of +the earth take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having desired to +destroy the nation whose seed is like unto the dust of the earth." + +Hordes of beasts, lions and wolves and swarms of serpents, came down +upon them, "because," God said, "these animals shall take vengeance +upon the Egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation that is +likened unto lions, wolves, and serpents." + +A fatal pestilence was brought upon them, "because," God said, "death +shall take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having desired to destroy +the nation that faces death for the glorification of the Name of God." + +They were made to suffer with burning blains, "because," God said, "the +boils coming from the ashes of the furnace shall take vengeance upon +the Egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation whose ancestor +Abraham walked into the fiery furnace for the glorification of the Name +of God." + +He made hail to descend upon them, "because," He said, "the white hail +shall take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having desired to destroy a +nation whose sins shall be white." + +The locusts came upon them, "because," God said, "the locusts, which +are My great army, shall take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having +desired to destroy the nation that is called My hosts." + +"Darkness," said God, "which is divided from the light, shall come and +take vengeance upon the Egyptians for desiring to destroy the nation +upon which shineth the light of the Lord, while gross darkness covers +the other peoples." + +The tenth plague, the slaying of the first-born, God inflicted, saying, +"I will take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having desired to destroy +the nation that is My first- born. As the night divided itself for +Abraham, that his enemies might be vanquished, so I will pass through +Egypt in the middle of the night, and as Abraham was proved by ten +temptations, so I will send ten plagues upon Egypt, the enemy of his +children."[173] + + + + +THE PLAGUES BROUGHT THROUGH AARON + + +From the infliction of the first of the plagues until the passing of +the last, after which the Egyptians yielded all that Moses and Aaron +demanded, there elapsed a whole year, for twelve months is the term set +by God for the expiation of sins. The deluge lasted one year; Job +suffered one year; sinners must endure hell tortures for one year, and +the judgment upon Gog at the end of time will be executed for the +length of one year.[174] + +Moses announced the first plague to Pharaoh one morning when the king +was walking by the river's brink. This morning walk enabled him to +practice a deception. He called himself a god, and pretended that he +felt no human needs. To keep up the illusion, he would repair to the +edge of the river every morning, and ease nature there while alone and +unobserved. At such a time it was that Moses appeared before him, and +called out to him, "Is there a god that hath human needs?" "Verily, I +am no god," replied Pharaoh, "I only pretend to be one before the +Egyptians, who are such idiots, one should consider them asses rather +than human beings."[175] + +Then Moses made known to him that God would turn the water into blood, +if he refused to let Israel go. In the warning we can discern the +difference between God and man. When a mortal harbors the intention to +do an injury to an enemy, he lies in wait for the moment when he can +strike an unexpected blow. But God is outspoken. He warned Pharaoh and +the Egyptians in public whenever a plague was about to descend, and +each warning was repeated by Moses for a period of three weeks, +although the plague itself endured but a single week. + +As Pharaoh would not lay the warning to heart, the plague announced by +Moses was let loose upon him and his people—the waters were turned into +blood. It is a well- known proverb, "Beat the idols, and the priests +are in terror." God smote the river Nile, which the Egyptians +worshipped as their god, in order to terrify Pharaoh and his people and +force them to do the Divine will. + +To produce the plague, Aaron took his rod, and stretched out his hand +over the waters of Egypt. Moses had no part in performing the miracle, +for God had said to him, "The water that watched over thy safety when +thou wast exposed in the Nile, shall not suffer harm through thee." + +Aaron had scarcely executed the Divine bidding, when all the water of +Egypt became blood, even such as was kept in vessels of wood and in +vessels of stone. The very spittle of an Egyptian turned into blood no +sooner had he ejected it from his mouth,[176] and blood dripped also +from the idols of the Egyptians.[177] + +The transformation of the waters into blood was intended mainly as a +punishment for the oppressors, but it was at the same time a source of +profit for the oppressed. It gave the Israelites the opportunity of +amassing great wealth. The Egyptians paid them large sums for their +water, for if an Egyptian and an Israelite drew water from the same +trough, the portion carried off by the Egyptian was bound to be +useless, it turned into blood. To be sure, nothing helped the Egyptians +in their distress, for though they drank water from the same cup as an +Israelite, it became blood in their mouth. + +However, this plague did not impress Pharaoh as a punishment inflicted +in the name of God, because with the help of the Angels of Destruction +the magicians of Egypt produced the same phenomenon of changing water +into blood. Therefore he hearkened not unto the words of Moses.[178] + +The next was the plague of the frogs, and again it was Aaron that +performed the wonder. He stretched forth his hand with his rod over the +rivers, and caused frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. Moses, +whose life had been preserved by the water, was kept from poisoning his +savior with the reptiles. At first only a single frog appeared, but he +began to croak, summoning so many companions that the whole land of +Egypt swarmed with them. Wherever an Egyptian took up his stand, frogs +appeared, and in some mysterious way they were able to pierce the +hardest of metals, and even the marble palaces of the Egyptian nobles +afforded no protection against them. If a frog came close to them, the +walls split asunder immediately. "Make way," the frogs would call out +to the stone, "that I may do the will of my Creator," and at once the +marble showed a rift, through which the frogs entered, and then they +attacked the Egyptians bodily, and mutilated and overwhelmed them. In +their ardor to fulfil the behest of God, the frogs cast themselves into +the red-hot flames of the bake-ovens and devoured the bread. Centuries +later, the three holy children, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were +ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to pay worship to his idols on penalty of +death in the burning furnace, and they said, "If the frogs, which were +under no obligation to glorify the Name of God, nevertheless threw +themselves into the fire in order to execute the Divine will concerning +the punishment of the Egyptians, how much more should we be ready to +expose our lives to the fire for the greater glory of His Name!"[179] +And the zealous frogs were not permitted to go unrewarded. While the +others were destroyed from Pharaoh and the Egyptian houses at the +moment appointed as the last of the plague, God saved those in the +bake-ovens alive, the fire had no power to do them the least harm.[180] + +Now, although the Egyptian magicians also brought up frogs upon the +land of Egypt through the help of demons, Pharaoh nevertheless declared +himself ready to let the people go, to sacrifice unto the Lord. The +difference between this plague and the first was, that water turned +into blood had not caused him any personal inconvenience, while the +swarms of frogs inflicted physical suffering, and he gave the promise +to Moses to let Israel go, in the hope of ridding himself of the pain +he experienced. And Moses in turn promised to entreat God for him on +the following day. It could not be done at once, because the seven +days' term had not yet elapsed. The prayer offered by Moses in behalf +of Pharaoh was granted, all the frogs perished, and their destruction +was too swift for them to retire to the water. Consequently the whole +land was filled with the stench from the decaying frogs, for they had +been so numerous that every man of the Egyptians gathered together four +heaps of them.[181] Although the frogs had filled all the market-places +and stables and dwellings, they retreated before the Hebrews as if they +had been able to distinguish between the two nations, and had known +which of them it was proper to abuse, and which to treat with +consideration.[182] Beside sparing the Hebrews in the land of Egypt, +the frogs kept within the limits of the land, in no wise trenching upon +the territory of the neighboring nations. Indeed, they were the means +of settling peaceably an old boundary dispute between Egypt and +Ethiopia. Wherever they appeared, so far extended the Egyptian domain; +all beyond their line belonged to Ethiopia. + +Pharaoh was like the wicked that cry to God in their distress, and when +their fortunes prosper slide back into their old, impious ways. No +sooner had the frogs departed from him, his houses, his servants, and +his people, than he hardened his heart again, and refused to let Israel +go. Thereupon God sent the plague of the lice, the last of those +brought upon Egypt through the mediation of Aaron. Moses could have no +part in it, "for," said God, "the earth that afforded thee protection +when she permitted thee to hide the slain Egyptian, shall not suffer +through thine hand."[183] + +The Egyptian magicians having boasted that they were able to produce +the first two plagues,—an empty boast it was, for they did not bring +them about with their enchantments, but only because Moses willed them +to do it,—God put them to shame with the third plague. They tried in +vain to imitate it.[184] The demons could not aid them, for their power +is limited to the production of things larger than a barley grain, and +lice are smaller. The magicians had to admit, "This is the finger of +God." Their failure put an end once for all to their attempts to do as +Moses did. + +But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and God spake to Moses, saying, "This +wicked fellow remains hard of heart, in spite of the three plagues. The +fourth shall be much worse than those which have preceded it. Go to +him, therefore, and warn him, it would be well for him to let My people +go, that the plague come not upon him."[185] + + + + +THE PLAGUES BROUGHT THROUGH MOSES + + +The fourth plague was also announced to the king early in the morning +by the river's brink. Pharaoh went thither regularly, for he was one of +the magi, who need water for their enchantments.[186] Moses' daily +morning visits were beginning to annoy him, and he left the house +early, in the hope of circumventing his monitor. But God, who knows the +thoughts of man, sent Moses to Pharaoh at the very moment of his going +forth. + +The warning of the plague that was imminent not having had any effect +upon Pharaoh, God sent the fourth plague upon Egypt,[187] a mixed horde +of wild animals, lions, bears, wolves, and panthers, and so many birds +of prey of different kinds that the light of the sun and the moon was +darkened as they circled through the air. These beasts came upon the +Egyptians as a punishment for desiring to force the seed of Abraham to +amalgamate with the other nations. God retaliated by bringing a mixture +upon them that cost them their life.[188] + +As Pharaoh had been the first of the Egyptians to lay evil plans +against the children of Israel, so he was the first upon whom descended +punishment. Into his house the mixed horde of beasts came first of all, +and then into the houses of the rest of the Egyptians. Goshen, the land +inhabited by the Israelites, was spared entirely, for God put a +division between the two peoples. It is true, the Israelites had +committed sins enough to deserve punishment, but the Holy One, blessed +be He, permitted the Egyptians to act as a ransom for Israel. + +Again Pharaoh expressed his willingness to let the children of Israel +sacrifice unto their God, but they were to stay in the land and do it, +not go outside, into the wilderness. Moses pointed out to Pharaoh how +unbecoming it would be for the Israelites to sacrifice, before the very +eyes of his people, the animals that the Egyptians worshipped as gods. +Then Pharaoh consented to let them go beyond the borders of his land, +only they were not to go very far away, and Moses, to mislead him, +asked for a three days' journey into the wilderness. But, again, when +Moses had entreated God on Pharaoh's behalf, and the horde of wild +beasts had vanished, the king hardened his heart, and did not let the +people go. + +The cessation of the fourth plague was as miraculous as the plague +itself. The very animals that had been slain by the Egyptians in +self-defense returned to life and departed from the land with the rest. +This was ordained to prevent the wicked oppressors from profiting by +the punishment even so much as the value of the hides and the flesh of +the dead animals. It had not been so with the useless frogs, they had +died on the spot, and their carcasses had remained where they +fell.[189] + +The fifth plague inflicted by God upon the Egyptians was a grievous +pestilence, which mowed down the cattle and beasts chiefly, yet it did +not spare men altogether. This pestilence was a distinct plague, but it +also accompanied all the other plagues, and the death of many Egyptians +was due to it.[190] The Israelites again came off unscathed. Indeed, if +an Israelite had a just claim upon a beast held by an Egyptian, it, +too, was spared, and the same good fortune waited upon such cattle as +was the common property of Israelites and Egyptians. + +The sixth plague, the plague of boils, was produced by Moses and Aaron +together in a miraculous way. Each took a handful of ashes of the +furnace, then Moses held the contents of the two heaps in the hollow of +one of his hands, and sprinkled the ashes tip toward the heaven, and it +flew so high that it reached the Divine throne. Returning earthward, it +scattered over the whole land of Egypt, a space equal to four hundred +square parasangs. The small dust of the ashes produced leprosy upon the +skin of the Egyptians,[191] and blains of a peculiar kind, soft within +and dry on top.[192] + +The first five plagues the magicians had tried to imitate, and partly +they had succeeded. But in this sixth plague they could not stand +before Moses, and thenceforth they gave up the attempt to do as he did. +Their craft had all along been harmful to themselves. Although they +could produce the plagues, they could not imitate Moses in causing them +to disappear. They would put their hands into their bosom, and draw +them out white with leprosy, exactly like Moses, but their flesh +remained leprous until the day of their death. And the same happened +with all the other plagues that they imitated: until their dying day +they were afflicted with the ills they produced.[193] + +As Pharaoh had wittingly hardened his heart with each of the first five +plagues, and refused to turn from his sinful purpose, God punished him +thereafter in such wise that he could not mend his ways if he would. +God said, "Even though he should desire to do penance now, I will +harden his heart until he pays off the whole of his debt." + +Pharaoh had observed that whenever he walked on the brink of the Nile, +Moses would intercept him. He therefore gave up his morning walk. But +God bade Moses seek the king in his palace in the early hours of the +day and urge him to repent of his evil ways. Therefore Moses spake to +him as follows, in the name of God: "O thou villain! Thou thinkest that +I cannot destroy thee from the world. Consider, if I had desired it, +instead of smiting the cattle, I might have smitten thee and thy people +with the pestilence, and thou wouldst have been cut off from the earth. +I inflicted the plague only in such degree as was necessary to show +thee My power, and that My Name may be declared throughout all the +earth. But thou dost not leave off treading My people underfoot. +Behold, to-morrow when the sun passes this point,"—whereat Moses made a +stroke upon the wall— "I will cause a very grievous hail to pour down, +such as will be only once more, when I annihilate Gog with hail, fire, +and brimstone." + +But God's lovingkindness is so great that even in His wrath He has +mercy upon the wicked, and as His chief object was not to injure men +and beasts, but to damage the vegetation in the fields of the +Egyptians, He bade Moses admonish Pharaoh to send and hasten in his +cattle and all that he had in the field. But the warning fell on +heedless ears. Job was the only one to take it to heart, while Pharaoh +and his people regarded not the word of the Lord. Therefore the Lord +let the hail smite both man and beast, instead of confining it to the +herbs and the trees of the field, as He had intended from the first. + +As a rule, fire and water are elements at war with each other, but in +the hailstones that smote the land of Egypt they were reconciled. A +fire rested in the hailstones as the burning wick swims in the oil of a +lamp; the surrounding fluid cannot extinguish the flame. The Egyptians +were smitten either by the hail or by the fire. In the one case as the +other their flesh was seared, and the bodies of the many that were +slain by the hail were consumed by the fire. The hailstones heaped +themselves up like a wall, so that the carcasses of the slain beasts +could not be removed, and if the people succeeded in dividing the dead +animals and carrying their flesh off, the birds of prey would attack +them on their way home, and snatch their prize away. But the vegetation +in the field suffered even more than man and beast, for the hail came +down like an axe upon the trees and broke them. That the wheat and the +spelt were not crushed was a miracle. + +Now, at last, Pharaoh acknowledged, and said, "The Lord is righteous, +and I and my people are wicked. He was righteous when He bade us hasten +in our cattle from before the hail, and I and my people were wicked, +for we heeded not His warning, and men and beasts were found in the +field by the hail, and slain." Again he begged Moses to supplicate God +in his behalf, that He turn the plague away, and he promised to let the +children of Israel go. Moses consented to do his will, saying, however: +"Think not that I do not know what will happen after the plague is +stayed. I know that thou and thy servants, ye will fear the Lord God, +once His punishment is removed, as little as ye feared Him before. But +to show His greatness, I will pray to Him to make the hail to cease." + +Moses went a short distance out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread +abroad his hands unto the Lord, for he did not desire to pray to God +within, where there were many idols and images. At once the hail +remained suspended in the air. Part of it dropped down while Joshua was +engaged in battle with the Amorites, and the rest God will send down in +His fury against Gog. Also the thunders ceased at Moses' intercession, +and were stored up for a later time, for they were the noise which the +Lord made the host of the Syrians to hear at the siege of Samaria, +wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight.[194] + +As Moses had foreseen, so it happened. No sooner had the hail stopped +than Pharaoh abandoned his resolve, and refused to let Israel go. Moses +lost no time in announcing the eighth plague to him, the plague of the +locusts. Observing that his words had made an impression upon the +king's counsellors, he turned and went out from Pharaoh, to give them +the opportunity of discussing the matter among themselves. And, indeed, +his servants urged Pharaoh to let the Israelites go and serve the Lord +their God. But, again, when Moses insisted that the whole people must +go, the young and the old, the sons and the daughters, Pharaoh +demurred, saying, "I know it to be customary for young men and old men +to take part in sacrifices, but surely not little children, and when +you demand their presence, too, you betray your evil purpose. It is but +a pretense, your saying that you will go a three days' journey into the +wilderness, and then return. You mean to escape and never come back. I +will have nothing more to do with the matter.[195] My god Baal-zephon +will oppose you in the way, and hinder you on your journey." Pharaoh's +last words were a dim presentiment. As a magician he foresaw that on +their going forth from Egypt the children of Israel would find +themselves in desperate straits before the sanctuary of +Baal-zephon.[196] + +Pharaoh was not content with merely denying the request preferred by +Moses and Aaron. He ordered them to be forcibly expelled from the +palace. Then God sent the plague of the locusts announced by Moses +before. They ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees +that the hail had left, and there remained not any green thing. And +again Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, to ask their forgiveness, both +for his sin against the Lord God, in not having hearkened unto His +word, and for his sin against them, in having chased them forth and +intended to curse them. Moses, as before, prayed to God in Pharaoh's +behalf, and his petition was granted, the plague was taken away, and in +a rather surprising manner. When the swarms of locusts began to darken +the land, the Egyptians caught them and preserved them in brine as a +dainty to be eaten. Now the Lord turned an exceeding strong west wind, +which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea. Even those +they were keeping in their pots flew up and away, and they had none of +the expected profit.[197] + +The last plague but one, like those which had preceded it, endured +seven days. All the time the land was enveloped in darkness, only it +was not always of the same degree of density. During the first three +days, it was not so thick but that the Egyptians could change their +posture when they desired to do so. If they were sitting down, they +could rise up, and if they were standing, they could sit down. On the +fourth, fifth, and sixth days, the darkness was so dense that they +could not stir from their place. They either sat the whole time, or +stood; as they were at the beginning, so they remained until the end. +The last day of darkness overtook the Egyptians, not in their own land, +but at the Red Sea, on their pursuit of Israel. The darkness was not of +the ordinary, earthly kind; it came from hell, and it could be felt. It +was as thick as a dinar, and all the time it prevailed a celestial +light brightened the dwellings of the children of Israel, whereby they +could see what the Egyptians were doing under cover of the darkness. +This was of great advantage to them, for when they were about to go +forth from the land, and they asked their neighbors to lend them +raiment, and jewels of gold and jewels of silver, for the journey, the +Egyptians tried to deny having any in their possession. But the +children of Israel, having spied out all their treasures during the +days of darkness, could describe the objects they needed with accuracy, +and designate their hiding-places. The Egyptians reasoned that the +words of the Israelites could be taken implicitly as they spoke them, +for if they had had any idea of deceiving them, asking for a loan when +they intended to keep what they laid hands on, they might have taken +unobserved during the days of darkness whatever: they desired. Hence +the Egyptians felt no hesitation in lending the children of Israel all +the treasures they asked for.[198] + +The darkness was of such a nature that it could not be dispelled by +artificial means. The light of the fire kindled for household uses was +either extinguished by the violence of the storm, or else it was made +invisible and swallowed up in the density of the darkness. Sight, that +most indispensable of all the external senses, though unimpaired, was +deprived of its office, for nothing could be discerned, and all the +other senses were overthrown like subjects whose leader has fallen. +None was able to speak or to hear, nor could anyone venture to take +food, but they lay themselves down in quiet and hunger, their outward +senses in a trance. Thus they remained, overwhelmed by the affliction, +until Moses had compassion on them again, and besought God in their +behalf, who granted him the power of restoring fine weather, light +instead of darkness and day instead of night.[199] + +Intimidated by this affliction, Pharaoh permitted the people to go, the +little ones as well as the men and the women, only he asked that they +let their flocks and their herds be stayed. But Moses said: "As thou +livest, our cattle also shall go with us. Yea, if but the hoof of an +animal belongs to an Israelite, the beast shall not be left behind in +Egypt." This speech exasperated Pharaoh to such a degree that he +threatened Moses with death in the day he should see his face again. + +At this very moment the Lord appeared unto Moses, and bade him inform +Pharaoh of the infliction of the last plague, the slaying of the +first-born. It was the first and the last time that God revealed +Himself in the royal palace. He chose the residence of Pharaoh on this +occasion that Moses might not be branded as a liar, for he had replied +to Pharaoh's threat of killing him if he saw his face again, with the +words, "Thou hast spoken well; I will see thy face again no more." + +With a loud voice Moses proclaimed the last plague, closing his +announcement with the words: "And all these thy servants shall come +down unto me and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out: and +all the people that follow thee; and after that I will go out." Moses +knew well enough that Pharaoh himself would come and urge him to lead +Israel forth with as great haste as possible, but he mentioned only the +servants of the king, and not the king himself, because he never forgot +the respect due to a ruler.[200] + + + + +THE FIRST PASSOVER + + +When the time approached in which, according to the promise made to +Abraham, his children would be redeemed, it was seen that they had no +pious deeds to their credit for the sake of which they deserved release +from bondage. God therefore gave them two commandments, one bidding +them to sacrifice the paschal lamb and one to circumcise their +sons.[201] Along with the first they received the calendar in use among +the Jews, for the Passover feast is to be celebrated on the fifteenth +day of the month of Nisan, and with this month the year is to begin. +But the computations for the calendar are so involved that Moses could +not understand them until God showed him the movements of the moon +plainly. There were three other things equally difficult, which Moses +could comprehend only after God made him to see them plainly. They were +the compounding of the holy anointing oil, the construction of the +candlestick in the Tabernacle, and the animals the flesh of which is +permitted or prohibited.[202] Also the determination of the new moon +was the subject of special Divine teaching. That Moses might know the +exact procedure, God appeared to him in a garment with fringes upon its +corners, bade Moses stand at His right hand and Aaron at His left, and +then, citing Michael and Gabriel as witnesses, He addressed searching +questions to the angels as to how the new moon had seemed to them. Then +the Lord addressed Moses and Aaron, saying, "Thus shall My children +proclaim the new moon, on the testimony of two witnesses and through +the president of the court.[203] + +When Moses appeared before the children of Israel and delivered the +Divine message to them, telling them that their redemption would come +about in this month of Nisan, they said: "How is it possible that we +should be redeemed? Is not the whole of Egypt full of our idols? And we +have no pious deeds to show making us worthy of redemption." Moses made +reply, and said: "As God desires your redemption, He pays no heed to +your idols; He passes them by. Nor does He look upon your evil deeds, +but only upon the good deeds of the pious among you."[204] + +God would not, indeed, have delivered Israel if they had not abandoned +their idol worship. Unto this purpose He commanded them to sacrifice +the paschal lamb. Thus they were to show that they had given up the +idolatry of the Egyptians, consisting in the worship of the ram.[205] +The early law was different from the practice of later times, for they +were bidden to select their sacrificial animal four days before the day +appointed for the offering, and to designate it publicly as such, to +show that they did not stand in awe of the Egyptians. + +With a heavy heart the Egyptians watched the preparations of the +Israelites for sacrificing the animals they worshipped. Yet they did +not dare interpose an objection, and when the time came for the +offering to be made, the children of Israel could perform the +ceremonies without a tremor, seeing that they knew, through many days' +experience, that the Egyptians feared to approach them with hostile +intent. There was another practice connected with the slaughter of the +paschal lamb that was to show the Egyptians how little the Israelites +feared them. They took of the blood of the animal, and openly put it on +the two side posts and on the lintel of the doors of their houses.[206] + +Moses communicated the laws regulating the Passover sacrifice to the +elders, and they in turn made them known to the people at large. The +elders were commended for having supported the leader at his first +appearance, for their faith in Moses caused the whole people to adhere +to him at once. Therefore God spake, saying: "I will reward the elders +for inspiring the people with confidence in Moses. They shall have the +honor of delivering Israel. They shall lead the people to the Passover +sacrifice, and through this the redemption will be brought about."[207] + +The ceremonies connected with the Passover sacrifice had the purpose of +conveying instruction to Israel about the past and the future alike. +The blood put on the two side posts and on the lintel of their doors +was to remind them of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and the bunch of +hyssop for sprinkling the blood on the doors was to imply that, +although Israel's position among the peoples of the earth is as lowly +as that of the hyssop among the plants, yet this little nation is bound +together like the bunch of hyssop, for it is God's peculiar +treasure.[208] + +The paschal sacrifice afforded Moses the opportunity for inducing the +children of Israel to submit themselves to circumcision, which many had +refused to do until then in spite of his urgent appeals. But God has +means of persuasion. He caused a wind to blow that wafted the sweet +scents of Paradise toward Moses' paschal lamb, and the fragrance +penetrated to all parts of Egypt, to the distance of a forty days' +journey. The people were attracted in crowds to Moses' lamb, and +desired to partake of it. But he said, "This is the command of God, 'No +uncircumcised person shall eat thereof,' " and they all decided to +undergo circumcision. When the Lord passed through the land of Egypt, +He blessed every Israelite for his fulfilment of the two commands, the +command of the paschal sacrifice and the command regarding +circumcision." + +The Lord performed a great miracle for the Israelites. As no sacrifice +may be eaten beyond the borders of the Holy Land, all the children of +Israel were transported thither on clouds, and after they had eaten of +the sacrifice, they were carried back to Egypt in the same way.[210] + + + + +THE SMITING OF THE FIRST-BORN + + +When Moses announced the slaying of the first-born, the designated +victims all repaired to their fathers, and said: "Whatever Moses hath +foretold has been fulfilled. Let the Hebrews go, else we shall all +die." But the fathers replied, "It is better for one of every ten of us +to die, than the Hebrews should execute their purpose." Then the +first-born repaired to Pharaoh, to induce him to dismiss the children +of Israel. So far from granting their wish, he ordered his servants to +fall upon the first-born and beat them, to punish them for their +presumptuous demand. Seeing that they could not accomplish their end by +gentle means, they attempted to bring it about by force.[211] + +Pharaoh and all that opposed the wishes of the first-born were of the +opinion that the loss of so inconsiderable a percentage of the +population was a matter of small moment. They were mistaken in their +calculation, for the Divine decree included not only the first-born +sons, but also the first-born daughters, and not only the first-born of +the marriages then existing, but also the first-born issuing from +previous alliances of the fathers and the mothers, and as the Egyptians +led dissolute lives, it happened not rarely that each of the ten +children of one woman was the first-born of its father. Finally, God +decreed that death should smite the oldest member of every household, +whether or not he was the first-born of his parents.[212] What God +resolves is executed. At the exact instant marking the middle of the +night, so precise that only God Himself could determine and discern it, +He appeared in Egypt, attended by nine thousand myriads of the Angels +of Destruction who are fashioned some of hail and some of flames, and +whose glances drive terror and trembling to the heart of the beholder. +These angels were about to precipitate themselves into the work of +annihilation, but God restrained them, saying, "My wrath will not be +appeased until I Myself execute vengeance upon the enemies of +Israel."[213] + +Those among the Egyptians who gave credence to Moses' words, and tried +to shield their first-born children from death, sent them to their +Hebrew neighbors, to spend the fateful night with them, in the hope +that God would exempt the houses of the children of Israel from the +plague. But in the morning, when the Israelites arose from their sleep, +they found the corpses of the Egyptian fugitives next to them.[214] +That was the night in which the Israelites prayed before lying down to +sleep: "Cause us, O Lord our God, to lie down in peace, remove Satan +from before us and from behind us, and guard our going out and our +coming in unto life and unto peace,"[215] for it was Satan that had +caused frightful bloodshed among the Egyptians.[216] + +Among the slain there were, beside the Egyptian first- born, also the +first-born of other nationalities residing in Egypt, as well as the +Egyptian first-born dwelling outside of their own land.[217] Even the +long dead of the first-born were not spared. The dogs dragged their +corpses out of their graves in the houses, for it was the Egyptian +custom to inter the dead at home. At the appalling sight the Egyptians +mourned as though the bereavement had befallen them but recently. The +very monuments and statues erected to the memory of the first-born dead +were changed into dust, which was scattered and flew out of sight. +Moreover, their slaves had to share the fate of the Egyptians, and no +less the first- born of the captive that was in the dungeon, for none +was so low but he hated the Hebrews, and rejoiced when the Egyptians +decreed their persecution.[218] The female slaves that ground corn +between mill-stones were in the habit of saying, "We do not regret our +servitude, if only the Israelites are gagged, too.[219] + +In dealing out punishment to these aliens in the land of Egypt, God +showed that He was at once the Master of the land and the Lord over all +the gods of the nations, for if the slaves and the captives of war had +not been smitten, they would have said, "Mighty is our god, who helped +us in this plague."[220] For the same reason all the idols of the +Egyptians were swept out of existence in that night. The stone idols +were ground into dust, the wooden idols rotted, and those made of metal +melted away,[221] and so the Egyptians were kept from ascribing their +chastisement to the wrath of their own gods. Likewise the Lord God slew +the first-born of the cattle, for the Egyptians paid worship to +animals, and they would have attributed their misfortunes to them. In +all these ways the Lord showed them that their gods were but vanity. + + + + +THE REDEMPTION OF ISRAEL FROM EGYPTIAN BONDAGE + + +Pharaoh rose up in the night of the smiting of the first- born. He +waited not for the third hour of the morning, when kings usually arise, +nor did he wait to be awakened, but he himself roused his slaves from +their slumber, and all the other Egyptians, and together they went +forth to seek Moses and Aaron.[222] He knew that Moses had never spoken +an untruth, and as he had said, "I will see thy face again no more," he +could not count upon Moses' coming to him. There remained nothing for +him to do but go in search of the Israelitish leader.[223] He did not +know where Moses lived, and he had great difficulty and lost much time +in looking for his house, for the Hebrew lads of whom he made inquiries +when he met them in the street played practical jokes on him, +misdirected him, and led him astray. Thus he wandered about a long +time.[224] all the while weeping and crying out, "O my friend Moses, +pray for me to God!" + +Meanwhile Moses and Aaron and all Israel beside were at the paschal +meal, drinking wine as they sat and leaned to one side, and singing +songs in praise of God, the Hallel, which they were the first to +recite. When Pharaoh finally reached the door of the house wherein +Moses abode, he called to him, and from Moses the question came back, +"Who art thou, and what is thy name?"—"I am Pharaoh, who stands here +humiliated."—Moses asked again: "Why dost thou come to me thyself? Is +it the custom of kings to linger at the doors of common folk?"—"I pray +thee, my lord," returned Pharaoh, "come forth and intercede for us, +else there will not remain a single being in Egypt."—"I may not come +forth, for God bath commanded us, 'None of you shall go out of the door +of his house until the morning.' " —But Pharaoh continued to plead: "Do +but step to the window, and speak with me," and when Moses yielded to +his importunities, and appeared at the window, the king addressed these +words to him: "Thou didst say yesterday, 'All the first-born in the +land of Egypt will die,' but now as many as nine-tenths of the +inhabitants have perished."[225] + +Pharaoh was accompanied by his daughter Bithiah, Moses' foster-mother. +She reproached him with ingratitude, in having brought down evil upon +her and her countrymen. And Moses answered, and said: "Ten plagues the +Lord brought upon Egypt. Hath evil accrued to thee from any of them? +Did one of them affect thee?" And when Bithiah acknowledged that no +harm had touched her, Moses continued to speak, "Although thou art thy +mother's first- born, thou shalt not die, and no evil shall reach thee +in the midst of Egypt." But Bithiah said, "Of what advantage is my +security to me, when I see the king, my brother, and all his household, +and his servants in this evil plight, and look upon their first-born +perishing with all the first-born of Egypt?" And Moses returned, +"Verily, thy brother and his household and the other Egyptians would +not hearken to the words of the Lord, therefore did this evil come upon +them.[226] + +Turning to Pharaoh, Moses said: "In spite of all that hath happened, I +will teach thee something, if thou desirest to learn, and thou wilt be +spared, and thou wilt not die. Raise thy voice, and say: 'Ye children +of Israel, ye are your own masters. Prepare for your journey, and +depart from among my people. Hitherto ye were the slaves of Pharaoh, +but henceforward ye are under the authority of God. Serve the Lord your +God!' " Moses made him say these words three times,[227] and God caused +Pharaoh's voice to be heard throughout the land of Egypt, so that all +the inhabitants, the home-born and the aliens, knew that Pharaoh had +released the children of Israel from the bondage in which they had +languished. And all Israel sang, "Hallelujah, praise, O ye servants of +the Lord, praise the Name of the Lord," for they belonged to the Lord, +and no more were the servants of Pharaoh.[228] + +Now the king of Egypt insisted upon their leaving the land without +delay. But Moses objected, and said: "Are we thieves, that we should +slink away under cover of the night? Wait until morning." Pharaoh, +however, urged and begged Moses to depart, confessing that he was +anxious about his own person, for he was a first-born son, and he was +terrified that death would strike him down, too. Moses dissipated his +alarm, though he substituted a new horror, with the words, "Fear not, +there is worse in store for thee!" Dread seized upon the whole people; +every one of the Egyptians was afraid of losing his life, and they all +united their prayers with Pharaoh's, and begged Moses to take the +Israelites hence. And God spake, Ye shall all find your end, not here, +but in the Red Sea!"[229] + + + + +THE EXODUS + + +Pharaoh and the Egyptians let their dead lie unburied, while they +hastened to help the Israelites load their possessions on wagons, to +get them out of the land with as little delay as possible. When they +left, they took with them, beside their own cattle, the sheep and the +oxen that Pharaoh had ordered his nobles to give them as presents. The +king also forced his magnates to beg pardon of the Israelites for all +they had suffered, knowing as he did that God forgives an injury done +by man to his fellow only after the wrong- doer has recovered the +good-will of his victim by confessing and regretting his fault.[230] +"Now, depart!" said Pharaoh to the Israelites, "I want nothing from you +but that you should pray to God for me, that I may be saved from +death."[231] + +The hatred of the Egyptians toward the Israelites changed now into its +opposite. They conceived affection and friendship for them, and fairly +forced raiment upon them, and jewels of silver and jewels of gold, to +take along with them on their journey, although the children of Israel +had not yet returned the articles they had borrowed from their +neighbors at an earlier time. This action is in part to be explained by +the vanity of Pharaoh and his people. They desired to pretend before +the world that they were vastly rich, as everybody would conclude when +this wealth of their mere slaves was displayed to observers. Indeed, +the Israelites bore so much away from Egypt that one of them alone +might have defrayed the expense of building and furnishing the +Tabernacle. + +On their leaving the land only the private wealth of the Egyptians was +in their hands, but when they arrived at the Red Sea they came into +possession of the public treasure, too, for Pharaoh, like all kings, +carried the moneys of the state with him on his campaigns, in order to +be prepared to hire a relay of mercenaries in case of defeat. Great as +the other treasure was, the booty captured at the sea far exceeded +it.[232] + +But if the Israelites loaded themselves down with goods and jewels and +money, it was not to gratify love of riches, or, as any usurer might +say, because they coveted their neighbors' possessions. In the first +place they could look upon their plunder as wages due to them from +those they had long served, and, secondly, they were entitled to +retaliate on those at whose hands they had suffered wrong. Even then +they were requiting them with an affliction far slighter than any one +of all they had endured themselves.[233] + +The plagues did not stay the cruelty of the Egyptian oppressors toward +the Hebrews. It continued unabated until the very end of their sojourn +in the land. On the day of the exodus, Rachel the daughter of Shuthelah +gave birth to a child, while she and her husband together were treading +the clay for bricks. The babe dropped from her womb into the clay and +sank out of sight. Gabriel appeared, moulded a brick out of the clay +containing the child, and carried it to the highest of the heavens, +where he made it a footstool before the Divine throne. In that night it +was that God looked upon the suffering of Israel, and smote the +first-born of the Egyptians,[234] and it is one of the four nights that +God has inscribed in the Book of Memorial. The first of the four is +that in which God appeared to create the world; all was waste and void, +and darkness brooded over the abyss, until the Lord came and spread +light round about by His word. The second night is that in which God +appeared unto Abraham at the covenant of the pieces. In the third night +He appeared in Egypt, slaying the first-born of the Egyptians with His +right hand, and protecting the first-born of the Israelites with His +left. The fourth night recorded will be that in which the end of the +redemption will be accomplished, when the iron yoke of the wicked +kingdom will be broken, and the evil-doers will be destroyed. Then will +Moses come from the desert, and the Messiah from Rome, each at the head +of his flock, and the word of God will mediate between them, causing +both to walk with one accord in the same direction. + +Israel's redemption in future days will happen on the fifteenth of +Nisan, the night of Israel's redemption from Egypt, for thus did Moses +say, "In this night God protected Israel against the Angels of +Destruction, and in this night He will also redeem the generations of +the future."[235] + +Though the actual deliverance from Egypt took place in that night, the +Hebrews did not leave the land until the following day.[236] + +During the same night God requited the Egyptians for their evil deeds +in the sight of all the people, the night being as bright as day at the +time of the summer solstice. Not one could escape the general +chastisement, for by Divine dispensation none was absent from home at +the time, so that none could fail to see the chastisement.[237] + +The angels in heaven learnt what was happening on earth. When they were +about to begin their song of praise to God, He silenced them with the +words, "My children on earth are singing now," and the celestial hosts +had to stop and listen to the song of Israel.[238] + +Great as the joy of the Hebrews was at their deliverance from the +Egyptian bondage, it was exceeded by that of Pharaoh's people at seeing +their slaves depart, for with them went the dread of death that had +obsessed them. They were like the portly gentleman riding an ass. The +rider feels uncomfortable and longs for the moment of alighting, but +his longing cannot compare in intensity with that of the ass groaning +under the corpulent burden, and when their journey's end is reached, +the ass rejoices more than his master. So the Egyptians were happier to +be rid of the Hebrews than these were to be free.[239] + +In general, the Israelites were not in a joyous mood. The strength of +men is readily exhausted, mentally and physically, by the strain of a +sudden change from slavery to freedom. They did not recover vigor and +force until they heard the angel hosts sing songs of praise and joy +over the redemption of Israel and the redemption of the Shekinah, for +so long as the chosen people is in exile, the Shekinah, who dwells +among Israel, is also, as it were, in exile. At the same time, God +caused the earth to exhale and send aloft a healing fragrance, which +cured them of all their diseases.[240] + +The exodus of the Israelites began at Raamses, and although the +distance from there to the city of Mizraim, where Moses abode, was a +forty days' journey, yet they heard the voice of their leader urging +them to leave the land. They covered the distance from Raamses to +Succoth, a three days' march, in an instant. In Succoth God enveloped +them in seven clouds of glory, four hovering in front, behind, and at +the two sides of them, one suspended above them, to keep off rain, +hail, and the rays of the sun, and one under them to protect them +against thorns and snakes. The seventh cloud preceded them, and +prepared the way for them, exalting the valleys and making low every +mountain and hill.[241] Thus they wandered through the wilderness for +forty years. In all that time no artificial lighting was needed; a beam +from the celestial cloud followed them into the darkest of chambers, +and if one of the people had to go outside of the camp, even thither he +was accompanied by a fold of the cloud, covering and protecting +him.[242] Only, that a difference might be made between day and night, +a pillar of fire took the place of the cloud in the evening.[243] Never +for an instant were the people without the one or the other to guide +them: the pillar of fire glowed in front of them before the pillar of +cloud retired, and in the morning the cloud was there before the fire +vanished.[244] The clouds of glory and the pillar of fire were sent for +the protection of Israel alone, for none beside, not for the heathen +and not for the mixed multitude that went up with them; these had to +walk outside of the cloud enclosure.[245] + +The cavalcade consisted of six hundred thousand heads of families +afoot, each accompanied by five children on horseback, and to these +must be added the mixed multitude, exceeding the Hebrews vastly in +number.[246] + +So profound was Israel's trust in the Lord, that they followed Moses +unmurmuringly into the wilderness, without supplying themselves with +provisions.[247] The only edibles they took were the remains of the +unleavened bread and the bitter herbs, and these not to satisfy their +hunger, but because they were unwilling to separate themselves from +what they had prepared lovingly at the command of God. These +possessions were so dear to them that they would not entrust them to +the beasts of burden, they carried them on their own shoulders.[248] + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LEGENDS OF THE JEWS, VOLUME II *** + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will +be renamed. + +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the +United States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part +of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +concept and trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms +of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online +at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you +are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the +country where you are located before using this eBook. +</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Legends of the Jews<br /> + Volume 2</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Louis Ginzberg</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Translator: Henrietta Szold</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: October, 1998 [eBook #1494]<br /> +[Most recently updated: February 4, 2022]</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Charles Keller</div> +<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LEGENDS OF THE JEWS, VOLUME II ***</div> + +<h1>The Legends of the Jews</h1> + +<h2 class="no-break">by Louis Ginzberg</h2> + +<h3>TRANSLATED PROM THE GERMAN MANUSCRIPT BY<br/> +HENRIETTA SZOLD<br/><br/><br/><br/></h3> + +<h4>VOLUME II<br/> +BIBLE TIMES AND CHARACTERS<br/> +FROM JOSEPH TO THE EXODUS</h4> + +<hr /> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2>Contents</h2> + +<table summary="" style=""> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#pref01"><b>PREFACE</b></a><br /><br /></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#book01"><b>I. JOSEPH</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap01">The Favorite Son</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap02">Joseph Hated by His Brethren</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap03">Joseph Cast into the Pit</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap04">The Sale</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap05">Joseph's Three Masters</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap06">Joseph's Coat Brought to His Father</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap07">Judah and His Sons</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap08">The Wives of the Sons of Jacob</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap09">Joseph the Slave of Potiphar</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap10">Joseph and Zuleika</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap11">Joseph Resists Temptation</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap12">Joseph in Prison</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap13">Pharaoh's Dreams</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap14">Joseph before Pharaoh</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap15">The Ruler of Egypt</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap16">Joseph's Brethren in Egypt</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap17">Joseph Meets His Brethren</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap18">The Second journey to Egypt</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap19">Joseph and Benjamin</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap20">The Thief Caught</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap21">Judah Pleads and Threatens</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap22">Joseph Makes Himself Known</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap23">Jacob Receives the Glad Tidings</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap24">Jacob Arrives in Egypt</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap25">Joseph's Kindness and Generosity</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap26">Jacob's Last Wish</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap27">The Blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap28">The Blessing of the Twelve Tribes</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap29">The Death of Jacob</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap30">The Sons of Jacob at War with the Sons of Esau</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap31">Zepho King of Kittim</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap32">The Nations at War</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap33">Joseph's Magnanimity </a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap34">Asenath</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap35">The Marriage of Joseph</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap36">Kind and Unkind Brethren</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap37">Treachery Punished</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap38">The Death and Burial of Joseph.</a><br /><br /></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#book02"><b>II. THE SONS OF JACOB</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap39">Significant Names</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap40">Reuben's Testament</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap41">Simon's Admonition against Envy</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap42">The Ascension of Levi</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap43">Judah Warns against Greed and Unchastity</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap44">Issachar's Singleness of Heart</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap45">Zebulon Exhorts unto Compassion</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap46">Dan's Confession</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap47">Naphtali's Dreams of the Division of the Tribes</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap48">Gad's Hatred</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap49">Asher's Last Words</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap50">Benjamin Extols Joseph.</a><br /><br /></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#book03"><b>III. JOB</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap51">Job and the Patriarchs</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap52">Job's Wealth and Benefactions</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap53">Satan and Job</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap54">Job's Suffering</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap55">The Four Friends</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap56">Job Restored.</a><br /><br /></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#book04"><b>IV. MOSES IN EGYPT</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap57">The Beginning of the Egyptian Bondage</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap58">Pharaoh's Cunning</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap59">The Pious Midwives</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap60">The Three Counsellors</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap61">The Slaughter of the Innocents</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap62">The Parents of Moses</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap63">The Birth of Moses</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap64">Moses Rescued from the Water</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap65">The Infancy of Moses</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap66">Moses Rescued by Gabriel</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap67">The Youth of Moses</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap68">The Flight</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap69">The King of Ethiopia</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap70">Jethro</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap71">Moses Marries Zipporah</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap72">A Bloody Remedy</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap73">The Faithful Shepherd</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap74">The Burning Thornbush</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap75">The Ascension of Moses</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap76">Moses Visits Paradise and Hell</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap77">Moses Declines the Mission</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap78">Moses Punished for His Stubbornness</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap79">The Return to Egypt</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap80">Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap81">The Suffering Increases</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap82">Measure for Measure</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap83">The Plagues Brought through Aaron</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap84">The Plagues Brought through Moses</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap85">The First Passover</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap86">The Smiting of the Firstborn</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap87">The Redemption of Israel from Egyptian Bondage</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap88">The Exodus</a></td> +</tr> + +</table> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="pref01"></a>PREFACE</h2> + +<p> +The arrangement and presentation of the material in this volume are the same as +in Volume I. In both my efforts have been directed to bringing together as full +as possible a collection of Jewish legends that deal with Biblical personages +and events. The sources of those legends and explanations of some of them will +be given in the last volume of the entire work, and the numbers throughout the +work refer to the notes in the concluding volume. +</p> + +<p> +My original intention was to continue Volume II up to the death of Moses, but +the legendary material clustering around the life and death of Moses is so +abundant that practical considerations demanded the division of this material, +in order not to make the second volume too bulky. The division chosen is a +natural one. This volume closes with the Exodus, and contains the deeds of +Moses in Egypt, while the following volume will deal with Moses in the desert. +</p> + +<p> +The fact that Job is placed between Jacob's sons and Moses may appear strange +to some readers, since in the Bible Job is one of the last books; but "legend +is above time and space," and I have, therefore, given Job the place which +legend has ascribed to him. +</p> + +<p class="right"> +LOUIS GINZBERG. +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +NEW YORK, March 28, 1910. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="book01"></a>I<br/> +JOSEPH</h2> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap01"></a>THE FAVORITE SON</h2> + +<p> +Jacob was not exempt from the lot that falls to the share of all the pious. +Whenever they expect to enjoy life in tranquillity, Satan hinders them. He +appears before God, and says: "Is it not enough that the future world is set +apart for the pious? What right have they to enjoy this world, besides?" After +the many hardships and conflicts that had beset the path of Jacob, he thought +he would be at rest at last, and then came the loss of Joseph and inflicted the +keenest suffering. Verily, few and evil had been the days of the years of +Jacob's pilgrimage, for the time spent outside of the Holy Land had seemed +joyless to him. Only the portion of his life passed in the land of his fathers, +during which he was occupied with making proselytes, in accordance with the +example set him by Abraham and Isaac, did he consider worth while having +lived,[1] and this happy time was of short duration. When Joseph was snatched +away, but eight years had elapsed since his return to his father's house.[2] +</p> + +<p> +And yet it was only for the sake of Joseph that Jacob had been willing to +undergo all the troubles and the adversity connected with his sojourn in the +house of Laban. Indeed, Jacob's blessing in having his quiver full of children +was due to the merits of Joseph, and likewise the dividing of the Red Sea and +of the Jordan for the Israelites was the reward for his son's piety. For among +the sons of Jacob Joseph was the one that resembled his father most closely in +appearance, and, also, he was the one to whom Jacob transmitted the instruction +and knowledge he had received from his teachers Shem and Eber.[3] The whole +course of the son's life is but a repetition of the father's. As the mother of +Jacob remained childless for a long time after her marriage, so also the mother +of Joseph. As Rebekah had undergone severe suffering in giving birth to Jacob, +so Rachel in giving birth to Joseph. As Jacob's mother bore two sons, so also +Joseph's mother. Like Jacob, Joseph was born circumcised. As the father was a +shepherd, so the son. As the father served for the sake of a woman, so the son +served under a woman. Like the father, the son appropriated his older brother's +birthright. The father was hated by his brother, and the son was hated by his +brethren. The father was the favorite son as compared with his brother, so was +the son as compared with his brethren. Both the father and the son lived in the +land of the stranger. The father became a servant to a master, also the son. +The master whom the father served was blessed by God, so was the master whom +the son served. The father and the son were both accompanied by angels, and +both married their wives outside of the Holy Land. The father and the son were +both blessed with wealth. Great things were announced to the father in a dream, +so also to the son. As the father went to Egypt and put an end to famine, so +the son. As the father exacted the promise from his sons to bury him in the +Holy Land, so also the son. The father died in Egypt, there died also the son. +The body of the father was embalmed, also the body of the son. As the father's +remains were carried to the Holy Land for interment, so also the remains of the +son. Jacob the father provided for the sustenance of his son Joseph during a +period of seventeen years, so Joseph the son provided for his father Jacob +during a period of seventeen years.[4] +</p> + +<p> +Until he was seventeen years old, Joseph frequented the Bet ha-Midrash,[5] and +he became so learned that he could impart to his brethren the Halakot he had +heard from his father, and in this way he may be regarded as their teacher.[6] +He did not stop at formal instruction, he also tried to give them good counsel, +and he became the favorite of the sons of the handmaids, who would kiss and +embrace him.[7] +</p> + +<p> +In spite of his scholarship there was something boyish about Joseph. He painted +his eyes, dressed his hair carefully, and walked with a mincing step. These +foibles of youth were not so deplorable as his habit of bringing evil reports +of his brethren to his father. He accused them of treating the beasts under +their care with cruelty—he said that they ate flesh torn from a living +animal—and he charged them with casting their eyes upon the daughters of the +Canaanites, and giving contemptuous treatment to the sons of the handmaids +Bilhah and Zilpah, whom they called slaves. +</p> + +<p> +For these groundless accusations Joseph had to pay dearly. He was himself sold +as a slave, because he had charged his brethren with having called the sons of +the handmaids slaves, and Potiphar's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, because he +threw the suspicion upon his brethren that they had cast their eyes upon the +Canaanitish women. And how little it was true that they were guilty of cruelty +to animals, appears from the fact that at the very time when they were +contemplating their crime against Joseph, they yet observed all the rules and +prescriptions of the ritual in slaughtering the kid of the goats with the blood +of which they besmeared his coat of many colors.[8] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap02"></a>JOSEPH HATED BY HIS BRETHREN</h2> + +<p> +Joseph's talebearing against his brethren made them hate him. Among all of them +Gad was particularly wrathful, and for good reason. Gad was a very brave man, +and when a beast of prey attacked the herd, over which he kept guard at night, +he would seize it by one of its legs, and whirl it around until it was stunned, +and then he would fling it away to a distance of two stadia, and kill it thus. +Once Jacob sent Joseph to tend the flock, but he remained away only thirty +days, for he was a delicate lad and fell sick with the heat, and he hastened +back to his father. On his return he told Jacob that the sons of the handmaids +were in the habit of slaughtering the choice cattle of the herd and eating it, +without obtaining permission from Judah and Reuben. But his report was not +accurate. What he had seen was Gad slaughtering one lamb, which he had snatched +from the very jaws of a bear, and he killed it because it could not be kept +alive after its fright. Joseph's account sounded as though the sons of the +handmaids were habitually inconsiderate and careless in wasting their father's +substance.[9] +</p> + +<p> +To the resentment of the brethren was added their envy of Joseph, because their +father loved him more than all of them. Joseph's beauty of person was equal to +that of his mother Rachel, and Jacob had but to look at him to be consoled for +the death of his beloved wife. Reason enough for distinguishing him among his +children.[10] As a token of his great love for him, Jacob gave Joseph a coat of +many colors, so light and delicate that it could be crushed and concealed in +the closed palm of one hand. The Hebrew name of the garment, Passim, conveys +the story of the sale of Joseph. The first letter, Pe, stands for Potiphar, his +Egyptian master; Samek stands for Soharim, the merchantmen that bought Joseph +from the company of Ishmaelites to whom his brethren had sold him; Yod stands +for these same Ishmaelites; and Mem, for the Midianites that obtained him from +the merchantmen, and then disposed of him to Potiphar. But Passim. has yet +another meaning, "clefts." His brethren knew that the Red Sea would be cleft in +twain in days to come for Joseph's sake, and they were jealous of the glory to +be conferred upon him. Although they were filled with hatred of him, it must be +said in their favor that they were not of a sullen, spiteful nature. They did +not hide their feelings, they proclaimed their enmity openly. +</p> + +<p> +Once Joseph dreamed a dream, and he could not refrain from telling it to his +brethren. He spoke, and said: "Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have +dreamed. Behold, you gathered fruit, and so did I. Your fruit rotted, but mine +remained sound. Your seed will set up dumb images of idols, but they will +vanish at the appearance of my descendant, the Messiah of Joseph. You will keep +the truth as to my fate from the knowledge of my father, but I will stand fast +as a reward for the self-denial of my mother, and you will prostrate yourselves +five times before me."[11] +</p> + +<p> +The brethren refused at first to listen to the dream, but when Joseph urged +them again and again, they gave heed to him, and they said, "Shalt thou indeed +reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?"[12] God put an +interpretation into their mouths that was to be verified in the posterity of +Joseph. Jeroboam and Jehu, two kings, and Joshua and Gideon, two judges, have +been among his descendants, corresponding to the double and emphatic +expressions used by his brethren in interpreting the dream.[13] +</p> + +<p> +Then Joseph dreamed another dream, how the sun, the moon, and eleven stars +bowed down before him, and Jacob, to whom he told it first, was rejoiced over +it, for he understood its meaning properly.[14] He knew that he himself was +designated by the sun, the name by which God had called him when he lodged +overnight on the holy site of the Temple. He had heard God say to the angels at +that time, "The sun has come."[15] The moon stood for Joseph's mother, and the +stars for his brethren, for the righteous are as the stars.[16] Jacob was so +convinced of the truth of the dream that he was encouraged to believe that he +would live to see the resurrection of the dead, for Rachel was dead, and her +return to earth was clearly indicated by the dream. He went astray there, for +not Joseph's own mother was referred to, but his foster-mother Bilhah, who had +raised him. +</p> + +<p> +Jacob wrote the dream in a book, recording all the circumstances, the day, the +hour, and the place, for the holy spirit cautioned him, "Take heed, these +things will surely come to pass."[17] But when Joseph repeated his dream to his +brethren, in the presence of his father, Jacob rebuked him, saying, "I and thy +brethren, that has some sense, but I and thy mother, that is inconceivable, for +thy mother is dead."[18] These words of Jacob called forth a reproof from God. +He said, "Thus thy descendants will in time to come seek to hinder Jeremiah in +delivering his prophecies."[19] Jacob may be excused, he had spoken in this way +only in order to avert the envy and hate of his brethren from Joseph, but they +envied and hated him because they knew that the interpretation put upon the +dream by Jacob would be realized.[20] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap03"></a>JOSEPH CAST INTO THE PIT</h2> + +<p> +Once the brethren of Joseph led their father's flocks to the pastures of +Shechem, and they intended to take their ease and pleasure there.[21] They +stayed away a long time, and no tidings of them were heard. Jacob began to be +anxious about the fate of his sons. He feared that a war had broken out between +them and the people of Shechem, and he resolved to send Joseph to them and have +him bring word again, whether it was well with his brethren.[22] Jacob desired +to know also about the flocks, for it is a duty to concern oneself about the +welfare of anything from which one derives profit. Though he knew that the +hatred of his brethren might bring on unpleasant adventures, yet Joseph, in +filial reverence, declared himself ready to go on his father's errand. Later, +whenever Jacob remembered his dear son's willing spirit, the recollection +stabbed him to the heart. He would say to himself, "Thou didst know the hatred +of thy brethren, and yet thou didst say, Here am I."[23] +</p> + +<p> +Jacob dismissed Joseph, with the injunction that he journey only by +daylight,[24] saying furthermore, "Go now, see whether it be well with thy +brethren, and well with the flock; and send me word"—an unconscious prophecy. +He did not say that he expected to see Joseph again, but only to have word from +him.[25] Since the covenant of the pieces, God had resolved, on account of +Abraham's doubting question, that Jacob and his family should go down into +Egypt to dwell there. The preference shown to Joseph by his father, and the +envy it aroused, leading finally to the sale of Joseph and his establishment in +Egypt, were but disguised means created by God, instead of executing His +counsel directly by carrying Jacob down into Egypt as a captive.[26] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph reached Shechem, where he expected to find his brethren. Shechem was +always a place of ill omen for Jacob and his seed—there Dinah was dishonored, +there the Ten Tribes of Israel rebelled against the house of David while +Rehoboam ruled in Jerusalem, and there Jeroboam was installed as king.[27] Not +finding his brethren and the herd in Shechem, Joseph continued his journey in +the direction of the next pasturing place, not far from Shechem, but he lost +his way in the wilderness.[28] Gabriel in human shape appeared before him, and +asked him, saying, "What seekest thou?"[29] And he answered, "I seek my +brethren." Whereto the angel replied, "Thy brethren have given up the Divine +qualities of love and mercy.[30] Through a prophetic revelation they learned +that the Hivites were preparing to make war upon them, and therefore they +departed hence to go to Dothan. And they had to leave this place for other +reasons, too. I heard, while I was still standing behind the curtain that veils +the Divine throne, that this day the Egyptian bondage would begin, and thou +wouldst be the first to be subjected to it."[31] Then Gabriel led Joseph to +Dothan.[32] +</p> + +<p> +When his brethren saw him afar off, they conspired against him, to slay him. +Their first plan was to set dogs on him. Simon then spoke to Levi, "Behold, the +master of dreams cometh with a new dream, he whose descendant Jeroboam will +introduce the worship of Baal. Come now, therefore, and let us slay him, that +we may see what will become of his dreams." But God spoke: "Ye say, We shall +see what will become of his dreams, and I say likewise, We shall see, and the +future shall show whose word will stand, yours or Mine."[33] +</p> + +<p> +Simon and Gad set about slaying Joseph, and he fell upon his face, and +entreated them: "Have mercy with me, my brethren, have pity on the heart of my +father Jacob. Lay not your hands upon me, to spill innocent blood, for I have +done no evil unto you. But if I have done evil unto you, then chastise me with +a chastisement, but your hands lay not upon me, for the sake of our father +Jacob." These words touched Zebulon, and he began to lament and weep, and the +wailing of Joseph rose up together with his brother's, and when Simon and Gad +raised their hands against him to execute their evil design, Joseph took refuge +behind Zebulon, and supplicated his other brethren to have mercy upon him. Then +Reuben arose, and he said, "Brethren, let us not slay him, but let us cast him +into one of the dry pits, which our fathers dug without finding water." That +was due to the providence of God; He had hindered the water from rising in them +in order that Joseph's rescue might be accomplished, and the pits remained dry +until Joseph was safe in the hands of the Ishmaelites.[34] +</p> + +<p> +Reuben had several reasons for interceding in behalf of Joseph. He knew that he +as the oldest of the brethren would be held responsible by their father, if any +evil befell him. Besides, Reuben was grateful to Joseph for having reckoned him +among the eleven sons of Jacob in narrating his dream of the sun, moon, and +stars. Since his disrespectful bearing toward Jacob, he had not thought himself +worthy of being considered one of his sons.[35] First Reuben tried to restrain +his brethren from their purpose, and he addressed them in words full of love +and compassion. But when he saw that neither words nor entreaties would change +their intention, he begged them, saying: "My brethren, at least hearken unto me +in respect of this, that ye be not so wicked and cruel as to slay him. Lay no +hand upon your brother, shed no blood, cast him into this pit that is in the +wilderness, and let him perish thus.[36] +</p> + +<p> +Then Reuben went away from his brethren, and he hid in the mountains, so that +he might be able to hasten back in a favorable moment and draw Joseph forth +from the pit and restore him to his father. He hoped his reward would be pardon +for the transgression he had committed against Jacob.[37] His good intention +was frustrated, yet Reuben was rewarded by God, for God gives a recompense not +only for good deeds, but for good intentions as well.[38] As he was the first +of the brethren of Joseph to make an attempt to save him, so the city of Bezer +in the tribe of Reuben was the first of the cities of refuge appointed to +safeguard the life of the innocent that seek help.[39] Furthermore God spake to +Reuben, saying: "As thou wast the first to endeavor to restore a child unto his +father, so Hosea, one of thy descendants, shall be the first to endeavor to +lead Israel back to his heavenly Father."[40] +</p> + +<p> +The brethren accepted Reuben's proposition, and Simon seized Joseph, and cast +him into a pit swarming with snakes and scorpions, beside which was another +unused pit, filled with offal.[41] As though this were not enough torture, +Simon bade his brethren fling great stones at Joseph. In his later dealings +with this brother Simon, Joseph showed all the forgiving charitableness of his +nature. When Simon was held in durance in Egypt as a hostage, Joseph, so far +from bearing him a grudge, ordered crammed poultry to be set before him at all +his meals.[42] +</p> + +<p> +Not satisfied with exposing Joseph to the snakes and scorpions, his brethren +had stripped him bare before they flung him into the pit. They took off his +coat of many colors, his upper garment, his breeches, and his shirt.[43] +However, the reptiles could do him no harm. God heard his cry of distress, and +kept them in hiding in the clefts and the holes, and they could not come near +him. From the depths of the pit Joseph appealed to his brethren, saying: "O my +brethren, what have I done unto you, and what is my transgression? Why are you +not afraid before God on account of your treatment of me? Am I not flesh of +your flesh, and bone of your bone? Jacob your father, is he not also my father? +Why do you act thus toward me? And how will you be able to lift up your +countenance before Jacob? O Judah, Reuben, Simon, Levi, my brethren, deliver +me, I pray you, from the dark place into which you have cast me. Though I +committed a trespass against you, yet are ye children of Abraham, Isaac, and +Jacob, who were compassionate with the orphan, gave food to the hungry, and +clothed the naked. How, then, can ye withhold your pity from your own brother, +your own flesh and bone? And though I sinned against you, yet you will hearken +unto my petition for the sake of my father. O that my father knew what my +brethren are doing unto me, and what they spake unto me!" +</p> + +<p> +To avoid hearing Joseph's weeping and cries of distress, his brethren passed on +from the pit, and stood at a bow- shot's distance.[44] The only one among them +that manifested pity was Zebulon. For two days and two nights no food passed +his lips on account of his grief over the fate of Joseph, who had to spend +three days and three nights in the pit before he was sold. During this period +Zebulon was charged by his brethren to keep watch at the pit. He was chosen to +stand guard because he took no part in the meals. Part of the time Judah also +refrained from eating with the rest, and took turns at watching, because he +feared Simon and Gad might jump down into the pit and put an end to Joseph's +life.[45] +</p> + +<p> +While Joseph was languishing thus, his brethren determined to kill him. They +would finish their meal first, they said, and then they would fetch him forth +and slay him. When they had done eating, they attempted to say grace, but Judah +remonstrated with them: "We are about to take the life of a human being, and +yet would bless God? That is not a blessing, that is contemning the Lord.[46] +What profit is it if we slay our brother? Rather will the punishment of God +descend upon us. I have good counsel to give you. Yonder passeth by a +travelling company of Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt. Come and let us sell +him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him. The Ishmaelites will +take him with them upon their journeyings, and he will be lost among the +peoples of the earth.[47] Let us follow the custom of former days, for Canaan, +too, the son of Ham, was made a slave for his evil deeds, and so will we do +with our brother Joseph."[48] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap04"></a>THE SALE</h2> + +<p> +While the brethren of Joseph were deliberating upon his fate, seven Midianitish +merchantmen passed near the pit in which he lay. They noticed that many birds +were circling above it, whence they assumed that there must be water therein, +and, being thirsty, they made a halt in order to refresh themselves. When they +came close, they heard Joseph screaming and wailing, and they looked down into +the pit and saw a youth of beautiful figure and comely appearance. They called +to him, saying: "Who art thou? Who brought thee hither, and who cast thee into +this pit in the wilderness?" They all joined together and dragged him up, and +took him along with them when they continued on their journey. They had to pass +his brethren, who called out to the Midianites: "Why have you done such a +thing, to steal our slave and carry him away with you? We threw the lad into +the pit, because he was disobedient. Now, then, return our slave to us." The +Midianites replied: "What, this lad, you say, is your slave, your servant? More +likely is it that you all are slaves unto him, for in beauty of form, in +pleasant looks, and fair appearance, he excelleth you all. Why, then, will you +speak lies unto us? We will not give ear unto your words, nor believe you, for +we found the lad in the wilderness, in a pit, and we took him out, and we will +carry him away with us on our journey." But the sons of Jacob insisted, +"Restore our slave to us, lest you meet death at the edge of the sword." +</p> + +<p> +Unaffrighted, the Midianites drew their weapons, and, amid war whoops, they +prepared to enter into a combat with the sons of Jacob. Then Simon rose up, and +with bared sword he sprang upon the Midianites, at the same time uttering a cry +that made the earth reverberate. The Midianites fell down in great +consternation, and he said: "I am Simon, the son of the Hebrew Jacob, who +destroyed the city of Shechem alone and unaided, and together with my brethren +I destroyed the cities of the Amorites. God do so and more also, if it be not +true that all the Midianites, your brethren, united with all the Canaanite +kings to fight with me, cannot hold out against me. Now restore the boy you +took from us, else will I give your flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the +beasts of the field." +</p> + +<p> +The Midianites were greatly afraid of Simon, and, terrified and abashed, they +spake to the sons of Jacob with little courage: "Said ye not that ye cast this +lad into the pit because he was of a rebellious spirit? What, now, will ye do +with an insubordinate slave? Rather sell him to us, we are ready to pay any +price you desire." This speech was part of the purpose of God. He had put it +into the heart of the Midianites to insist upon possessing Joseph, that he +might not remain with his brethren, and be slain by them.[49] The brethren +assented, and Joseph was sold as a slave while they sat over their meal. God +spake, saying: "Over a meal did ye sell your brother, and thus shall Ahasuerus +sell your descendants to Haman over a meal, and because ye have sold Joseph to +be a slave, therefore shall ye say year after year, Slaves were we unto Pharaoh +in Egypt."[50] +</p> + +<p> +The price paid for Joseph by the Midianites was twenty pieces of silver, enough +for a pair of shoes for each of his brethren. Thus "they sold the righteous for +silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes." For so handsome a youth as Joseph +the sum paid was too low by far, but his appearance had been greatly changed by +the horrible anguish he bad endured in the pit with the snakes and the +scorpions. He had lost his ruddy complexion, and he looked sallow and sickly, +and the Midianites were justified in paying a small sum for him.[51] +</p> + +<p> +The merchantmen had come upon Joseph naked in the pit, for his brethren had +stripped him of all his clothes. That he might not appear before men in an +unseemly condition, God sent Gabriel down to him, and the angel enlarged the +amulet banging from Joseph's neck until it was a garment that covered him +entirely. Joseph's brethren were looking after him as he departed with the +Midianites, and when they saw him with clothes upon him, they cried after them, +"Give us his raiment! We sold him naked, without clothes." His owners refused +to yield to their demand, but they agreed to reimburse the brethren with four +pairs of shoes, and Joseph kept his garment, the same in which he was arrayed +when he arrived in Egypt and was sold to Potiphar, the same in which he was +locked up in prison and appeared before Pharaoh, and the same he wore when he +was ruler over Egypt.[52] +</p> + +<p> +As an atonement for the twenty pieces of silver taken by his brethren in +exchange for Joseph, God commanded that every first-born son shall be redeemed +by the priest with an equal amount, and, also, every Israelite must pay +annually to the sanctuary as much as fell to each of the brethren as his share +of the price.[53] +</p> + +<p> +The brethren of Joseph bought shoes for the money, for they said: "We will not +eat it, because it is the price for the blood of our brother, but we will tread +upon him, for that he spake, he would have dominion over us, and we will see +what will become of his dreams." And for this reason the ordinance has been +commanded, that he who refuseth to raise up a name in Israel unto his brother +that hath died without having a son, shall have his shoe loosed from off his +foot, and his face shall be spat upon. Joseph's brethren refused to do aught to +preserve his life, and therefore the Lord loosed their shoes from off their +feet, for, when they went down to Egypt, the slaves of Joseph took their shoes +off their feet as they entered the gates, and they prostrated themselves before +Joseph as before a Pharaoh, and, as they lay prostrate, they were spat upon, +and put to shame before the Egyptians.[54] +</p> + +<p> +The Midianites pursued their journey to Gilead, but they soon regretted the +purchase they had made. They feared that Joseph had been stolen in the land of +the Hebrews, though sold to them as a slave, and if his kinsmen should find him +with them, death would be inflicted upon them for the abduction of a free man. +The high-handed manner of the sons of Jacob confirmed their suspicion, that +they might be capable of man theft. Their wicked deed would explain, too, why +they had accepted so small a sum in exchange for Joseph. While discussing these +points, they saw, coming their way, the travelling company of Ishmaelites that +had been observed earlier by the sons of Jacob, and they determined to dispose +of Joseph to them, that they might at least not lose the price they had paid, +and might escape the danger at the same time of being made captives for the +crime of kidnapping a man. And the Ishmaelites bought Joseph from the +Midianites, and they paid the same price as his former owners had given for +him.[55] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap05"></a>JOSEPH'S THREE MASTERS</h2> + +<p> +As a rule the only merchandise with which the Ishmaelites loaded their camels +was pitch and the skins of beasts. By a providential dispensation they carried +bags of perfumery this time, instead of their usual ill-smelling freight, that +sweet fragrance might be wafted to Joseph on his journey to Egypt.[56] These +aromatic substances were well suited to Joseph, whose body emitted a pleasant +smell, so agreeable and pervasive that the road along which he travelled was +redolent thereof, and on his arrival in Egypt the perfume from his body spread +over the whole land, and the royal princesses, following the sweet scent to +trace its source, reached the place in which Joseph was.[57] Even after his +death the same fragrance was spread abroad by his bones, enabling Moses to +distinguish Joseph's remains from all others, and keep the oath of the children +of Israel, to inter them in the Holy Land.[58] +</p> + +<p> +When Joseph learned that the Ishmaelites were carrying him to Egypt, he began +to weep bitterly at the thought of being removed so far from Canaan and from +his father. One of the Ishmaelites noticed Joseph's weeping and crying, and +thinking that he found riding uncomfortable, he lifted him from the back of the +camel, and permitted him to walk on foot. But Joseph continued to weep and sob, +crying incessantly, "O father, father!" Another one of the caravan, tired of +his lamentations, beat him, causing only the more tears and wails, until the +youth, exhausted by his grief, was unable to move on. Now all the Ishmaelites +in the company dealt out blows to him. They treated him with relentless +cruelty, and tried to silence him by threats. God saw Joseph's distress, and He +sent darkness and terror upon the Ishmaelites, and their hands grew rigid when +they raised them to inflict a blow. Astonished, they asked themselves why God +did thus unto them upon the road. They did not know that it was for the sake of +Joseph. +</p> + +<p> +The journey was continued until they came to Ephrath, the place of Rachel's +sepulchre. Joseph hastened to his mother's grave, and throwing himself across +it, he groaned and cried, saying: "O mother, mother, that didst bear me, arise, +come forth and see how thy son hath been sold into slavery, with none to take +pity upon him. Arise, see thy son, and weep with me over my misfortune, and +observe the heartlessness of my brethren. Awake, O mother, rouse thyself from +thy sleep, rise up and prepare for the conflict with my brethren, who stripped +me even of my shirt, and sold me as a slave to merchantmen, who in turn sold me +to others, and without mercy they tore me away from my father. Arise, accuse my +brethren before God, and see whom He will justify in the judgment, and whom He +will find guilty. Arise, O mother, awake from thy sleep, see how my father is +with me in his soul and in his spirit, and comfort him and ease his heavy +heart." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph wept and cried upon the grave of his mother, until, weary from grief, he +lay immovable as a stone. Then he heard a voice heavy with tears speak to him +from the depths, saying: "My son Joseph, my son, I heard thy complaints and thy +groans, I saw thy tears, and I knew thy misery, my son. I am grieved for thy +sake, and thy affliction is added to the burden of my affliction. But, my son +Joseph, put thy trust in God, and wait upon Him. Fear not, for the Lord is with +thee, and He will deliver thee from all evil. Go down into Egypt with thy +masters, my son; fear naught, for the Lord is with thee, O my son." This and +much more like unto it did the voice utter, and then it was silent. Joseph +listened in great amazement at first, and then he broke out in renewed tears. +Angered thereby, one of the Ishmaelites drove him from his mother's grave with +kicks and curses. Then Joseph entreated his masters to take him back to his +father, who would give them great riches as a reward. But they said, "Why, thou +art a slave! How canst thou know where thy father is? If thou hadst had a free +man as father, thou wouldst not have been sold twice for a petty sum." And then +their fury against him increased, they beat him and maltreated him, and he wept +bitter tears. +</p> + +<p> +Now God looked upon the distress of Joseph, and He sent darkness to enshroud +the land once more. A storm raged, the lightning flashed, and from the +thunderbolts the whole earth trembled, and the Ishmaelites lost their way in +their terror. The beasts and the camels stood still, and, beat them as their +drivers would, they refused to budge from the spot, but crouched down upon the +ground. Then the Ishmaelites spake to one another, and said: "Why hath God +brought this upon us? What are our sins, what our trespasses, that such things +befall us?" One of them said to the others: "Peradventure this hath come upon +us by reason of the sin which we have committed against this slave. Let us beg +him earnestly to grant us forgiveness, and if then God will take pity, and let +these storms pass away from us, we shall know that we suffered harm on account +of the injury we inflicted upon this slave." +</p> + +<p> +The Ishmaelites did according to these words, and they said unto Joseph: "We +have sinned against God and against thee. Pray to thy God, and entreat Him to +take this death plague from us, for we acknowledge that we have sinned against +Him." Joseph fulfilled their wish, and God hearkened to his petition, and the +storm was assuaged. All around became calm, the beasts arose from their +recumbent position, and the caravan could proceed upon its way. Now the +Ishmaelites saw plainly that all their trouble had come upon them for the sake +of Joseph, and they spoke one to another, saying: "We know now that all this +evil hath happened to us on account of this poor fellow, and wherefore should +we bring death upon ourselves by our own doings? Let us take counsel together, +what is to be done with the slave." One of them advised that Joseph's wish be +fulfilled, and he be taken back to his father. Then they would be sure of +receiving the money they had paid out for him. This plan was rejected, because +they had accomplished a great part of their journey, and they were not inclined +to retrace their steps. They therefore resolved upon carrying Joseph to Egypt +and selling him there. They would rid themselves of him in this way, and also +receive a great price for him. +</p> + +<p> +They continued their journey as far as the borders of Egypt, and there they met +four men, descendants of Medan, the son of Abraham, and to these they sold +Joseph for five shekels. The two companies, the Ishmaelites and the Medanites, +arrived in Egypt upon the same day. The latter, hearing that Potiphar, an +officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, was seeking a good slave, +repaired to him at once, to try to dispose of Joseph to him. Potiphar was +willing to pay as much as four hundred pieces of silver, for, high as the price +was, it did not seem too great for a slave that pleased him as much as Joseph. +However, he made a condition. He said to the Medanites: "I will pay you the +price demanded, but you must bring me the person that sold the slave to you, +that I may be in a position to find out all about him, for the youth seems to +me to be neither a slave nor the son of a slave. He appears to be of noble +blood. I must convince myself that he was not stolen." The Medanites brought +the Ishmaelites to Potiphar, and they testified that Joseph was a slave, that +they had owned him, and had sold him to the Medanites. Potiphar rested +satisfied with this report, paid the price asked for Joseph, and the Medanites +and the Ishmaelites went their way. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap06"></a>JOSEPH'S COAT BROUGHT TO HIS FATHER</h2> + +<p> +No sooner was the sale of Joseph an accomplished fact than the sons of Jacob +repented of their deed. They even hastened after the Midianites to ransom +Joseph, but their efforts to overtake them were vain, and they had to accept +the inevitable. Meantime Reuben had rejoined his brethren.[59] He had been so +deeply absorbed in penances, in praying and studying the Torah, in expiation of +his sin against his father, that he had not been able to remain with his +brethren and tend the flocks, and thus it happened that he was not on the spot +when Joseph was sold.[60] His first errand was to go to the pit, in the hope of +finding Joseph there. In that case he would have carried him off and restored +him to his father clandestinely, without the knowledge of his brethren. He +stood at the opening and called again and again, "Joseph, Joseph!" As he +received no answer, he concluded that Joseph had perished, either by reason of +terror or as the result of a snake bite, and he descended into the pit, only to +find that he was not there, either living or dead. He mounted to the top again, +and rent his clothes, and cried out, "The lad is not there, and what answer +shall I give to my father, if he be dead?" Then Reuben returned unto his +brethren, and told them that Joseph bad vanished from the pit, whereat he was +deeply grieved, because he, being the oldest of the sons, was responsible to +their father Jacob. The brethren made a clean breast of what they had done with +Joseph, and they related to him how they had tried to make good their evil +deed, and how their efforts had been vain. +</p> + +<p> +Now there remained nothing to do but invent a plausible explanation for their +brother's disappearance to give to Jacob. First of all, however, they took an +oath not to betray to his father or any human being what they bad actually done +with Joseph. He who violated the oath would be put to the sword by the rest. +Then they took counsel together about what to say to Jacob. It was Issachar's +advice to tear Joseph's coat of many colors, and dip it in the blood of a +little kid of the goats, to make Jacob believe that his son had been torn by a +wild beast.[61] The reason he suggested a kid was because its blood looks like +human blood. In expiation of this act of deception, it was ordained that a kid +be used as an atonement sacrifice when the Tabernacle was dedicated.[62] +</p> + +<p> +Simon opposed this suggestion. He did not want to relinquish Joseph's coat, and +he threatened to hew down any one that should attempt to wrest it from him by +force. The reason for his vehemence was that he was very much enraged against +his brethren for not having slain Joseph. But they threatened him in turn, +saying, "If thou wilt not give up the coat, we shall say that thou didst +execute the evil deed thyself." At that Simon surrendered it,[63] and Naphtali +brought it to Jacob, handing it to him with the words: "When we were driving +our herds homeward, we found this garment covered with blood and dust on the +highway, a little beyond Shechem. Know now whether it be thy son's coat or +not." Jacob recognized Joseph's coat, and, overwhelmed by grief, he fell +prostrate, and long lay on the ground motionless, like a stone. Then he arose, +and set up a loud cry, and wept, saying, "It is my son's coat." +</p> + +<p> +In great haste Jacob dispatched a slave to his sons, to bid them come to him, +that he might learn more about what had happened. In the evening they all came, +their garments rent, and dust strewn upon their heads. When they confirmed all +that Naphtali had told him, Jacob broke out in mourning and lamentation: "It is +my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in +pieces. I sent him to you to see whether it was well with you, and well with +the flock. He went to do my errand, and while I thought him to be with you, the +misfortune befell." Thereto the sons of Jacob made reply: "He came to us not at +all. Since we left thee, we have not set eyes on him." +</p> + +<p> +After these words, Jacob could doubt no longer that Joseph bad been torn by +wild beasts, and he mourned for his son, saying: "O my son Joseph, my son, I +sent thee to inquire after the welfare of thy brethren, and now thou art torn +by wild beasts. It is my fault that this evil chance hath come upon thee. I am +distressed for thee, my son, I am sorely distressed. How sweet was thy life to +me, and how bitter is thy death! Would God I had died for thee, O Joseph, my +son, for now I am distressed on thy account. O my son Joseph, where art thou, +and where is thy soul? Arise, arise from thy place, and look upon my grief for +thee. Come and count the tears that roll down my cheeks, and bring the tale of +them before God, that His wrath be turned away from me. O Joseph, my son, how +painful and appalling was thy death! None hath died a death like thine since +the world doth stand. I know well that it came to pass by reason of my sins. O +that thou wouldst return and see the bitter sorrow thy misfortune hath brought +upon me! But it is true, it was not I that created thee, and formed thee. I +gave thee neither spirit nor soul, but God created thee. He formed thy bones, +covered them with flesh, breathed the breath of life into thy nostrils, and +then gave thee unto me. And God who gave thee unto me, He hath taken thee from +me, and from Him hath this dispensation come upon me. What the Lord doeth is +well done!" In these words and many others like them Jacob mourned and bewailed +his son, until he fell to the ground prostrate and immovable. +</p> + +<p> +When the sons of Jacob saw the vehemence of their father's grief, they repented +of their deed, and wept bitterly. Especially Judah was grief-stricken. He laid +his father's head upon his knees, and wiped his tears away as they flowed from +his eyes, while he himself broke out in violent weeping. The sons of Jacob and +their wives all sought to comfort their father. They arranged a great memorial +service, and they wept and mourned over Joseph's death and over their father's +sorrow.[64] But Jacob refused to be comforted. +</p> + +<p> +The tidings of his son's death caused the loss of two members of Jacob's +family. Bilhah and Dinah could not survive their grief. Bilhah passed away the +very day whereon the report reached Jacob, and Dinah died soon after, and so he +had three losses to mourn in one month. +</p> + +<p> +He received the tidings of Joseph's death in the seventh month, Tishri, and on +the tenth day of the month, and therefore the children of Israel are bidden to +weep and afflict their souls on this day. Furthermore, on this day the sin +offering of atonement shall be a kid of the goats, because the sons of Jacob +transgressed with a kid, in the blood of which they dipped Joseph's coat, and +thus they brought sorrow upon Jacob.[65] +</p> + +<p> +When he had recovered somewhat from the stunning blow which the tidings of his +favorite son's death had dealt him, Jacob rose up from the ground and addressed +his sons, tears streaming down his cheeks all the while. "Up," he said, "take +your swords and your bows, go out in the field, and make search, perhaps you +will find the body of my son, and you will bring it to me, so that I may bury +it. Keep a lookout, too, for beasts of prey, and catch the first you meet. +Seize it and bring it to me. It may be that God will have pity upon my sorrow, +and put the beast between your hands that hath torn my child in pieces, and I +will take my revenge upon it." +</p> + +<p> +The sons of Jacob set out on the morrow to do the bidding of their father, +while he remained at home and wept and lamented for Joseph. In the wilderness +they found a wolf, which they caught and brought to Jacob alive, saying: "Here +is the first wild beast we encountered, and we have brought it to thee. But of +thy son's corpse we saw not a trace." Jacob seized the wolf, and, amid loud +weeping, he addressed these words to him: "Why didst thou devour my son Joseph, +without any fear of the God of the earth, and without taking any thought of the +grief thou wouldst bring down upon me? Thou didst devour my son without reason, +he was guilty of no manner of transgression, and thou didst roll the +responsibility for his death upon me. But God avengeth him that is persecuted." +</p> + +<p> +To grant consolation to Jacob, God opened the mouth of the beast, and he spake: +"As the Lord liveth, who hath created me, and as thy soul liveth, my lord, I +have not seen thy son, and I did not rend him in pieces. From a land afar off I +came to seek mine own son, who suffered a like fate with thine. He hath +disappeared, and I know not whether he be dead or alive, and therefore I came +hither ten days ago to find him. This day, while I was searching for him, thy +sons met me, and they seized me, and, adding more grief to my grief over my +lost son, they brought me hither to thee. This is my story, and now, O son of +man, I am in thy hands, thou canst dispose of me this day as seemeth well in +thy sight, but I swear unto thee by the God that bath created me, I have not +seen thy son, nor have I torn him in pieces, never hath the flesh of man come +into my mouth." Astonished at the speech of the wolf, Jacob let him go, +unhindered, whithersoever he would, but he mourned his son Joseph as +before.[66] +</p> + +<p> +It is a law of nature that however much one may grieve over the death of a dear +one, at the end of a year consolation finds its way to the heart of the +mourner. But the disappearance of a living man can never be wiped out of one's +memory. Therefore the fact that he was inconsolable made Jacob suspect that +Joseph was alive, and he did not give entire credence to the report of his +sons. His vague suspicion was strengthened by something that happened to him. +He went up into the mountains, hewed twelve stones out of the quarry, and wrote +the names of his sons thereon, their constellations, and the months +corresponding to the constellations, a stone for a son, thus, "Reuben, Ram, +Nisan," and so for each of his twelve sons. Then he addressed the stones and +bade them bow down before the one marked with Reuben's name, constellation, and +month, and they did not move. He gave the same order regarding the stone marked +for Simon, and again the stones stood still. And so he did respecting all his +sons, until he reached the stone for Joseph. When he spoke concerning this one, +"I command you to fall down before Joseph," they all prostrated themselves. He +tried the same test with other things, with trees and sheaves, and always the +result was the same, and Jacob could not but feel that his suspicion was true, +Joseph was alive.[67] +</p> + +<p> +There was a reason why God did not reveal the real fate of Joseph to Jacob. +When his brethren sold Joseph, their fear that the report of their iniquity +might reach the ears of Jacob led them to pronounce the ban upon any that +should betray the truth without the consent of all the others. Judah advanced +the objection that a ban is invalid unless it is decreed in the presence of ten +persons, and there were but nine of them, for Reuben and Benjamin were not +there when the sale of Joseph was concluded. To evade the difficulty, the +brothers counted God as the tenth person, and therefore God felt bound to +refrain from revealing the true state of things to Jacob. He had regard, as it +were, for the ban pronounced by the brethren of Joseph.[68] And as God kept the +truth a secret from Jacob, Isaac did not feel justified in acquainting him with +his grandson's fate, which was well known to him, for he was a prophet. +Whenever he was in the company of Jacob, he mourned with him, but as soon as he +quitted him, he left off from manifesting grief, because he knew that Joseph +lived.[69] +</p> + +<p> +Jacob was thus the only one among Joseph's closest kinsmen that remained in +ignorance of his son's real fortunes, and he was the one of them all that had +the greatest reason for regretting his death. He spoke: "The covenant that God +made with me regarding the twelve tribes is null and void now. I did strive in +vain to establish the twelve tribes, seeing that now the death of Joseph hath +destroyed the covenant. All the works of God were made to correspond to the +number of the tribes—twelve are the signs of the zodiac, twelve the months, +twelve hours hath the day, twelve the night, and twelve stones are set in +Aaron's breastplate—and now that Joseph hath departed, the covenant of the +tribes is set at naught." +</p> + +<p> +He could not replace the lost son by entering into a new marriage, for he had +made the promise to his father-in-law to take none beside his daughters to +wife, and this promise, as he interpreted it, held good after the death of +Laban's daughters as well as while they were alive.[70] +</p> + +<p> +Beside grief over his loss and regret at the breaking of the covenant of the +tribes, Jacob had still another reason for mourning the death of Joseph. God +had said to Jacob, "If none of thy sons dies during thy lifetime, thou mayest +look upon it as a token that thou wilt not be put in Gehenna after thy death." +Thinking Joseph to be dead, Jacob had his own fate to bewail, too, for he now +believed that he was doomed to Gehenna.[71] His mourning lasted all of +twenty-two years, corresponding to the number of the years he had dwelt apart +from his parents, and had not fulfilled the duty of a son toward them.[72] +</p> + +<p> +In his mourning Jacob put sackcloth upon his loins, and therein be became a +model for the kings and princes in Israel, for David, Ahab, Joram, and Mordecai +did likewise when a great misfortune befell the nation.[73] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap07"></a>JUDAH AND HIS SONS</h2> + +<p> +When the sons of Jacob saw how inconsolable their father was, they went to +Judah, and said to him, "This great misfortune is thy fault." Judah replied: +"It was I that asked you, What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal +his blood? and now you say the sin lies at my door." The brethren continued to +argue: "But it was thou that didst say, Come and let us sell him to the +Ishmaelites, and we followed thy advice. Hadst thou said, Let us restore him to +his father, we had heeded these words of thine as well." +</p> + +<p> +The brethren hereupon deprived Judah of his dignity, for hitherto he had been +their king, and they also excluded him from their fellowship, and he had to +seek his fortune alone.[74] Through the mediation of his chief shepherd Hirah, +he became acquainted with the Canaanitish king of Adullam, Barsan by name. +Though he was well aware of the corruption of the generations of Canaan, he +permitted passion to get the better of him, and took a Canaanite to wife. The +Adullamite king gave a banquet in his honor, at which his daughter Bath-shua +poured the wine, and intoxicated by wine and passion Judah took her and married +her.[75] Judah's action may be compared to that of the lion who passes a +carrion and eats of it, though a cur preceding him on the way had refused to +touch it. Even Esau came in time to acknowledge that the daughters of Canaan +were wicked, and the lion Judah must needs take one of them to wife.[76] The +holy spirit cried out against Judah when he married the Canaanite woman of +Adullam, saying, "The glory of Israel went down in Adullam."[77] +</p> + +<p> +The first-born son of Judah from this marriage was named Er, "the childless," a +suitable name for him that died without begetting any issue.[78] At Judah's +desire, Er married Tamar, a daughter of Aram, the son of Shem, but because she +was not a Canaanitish woman, his mother used artifices against her, and he did +not know her, and an angel of the Lord killed him on the third day after his +wedding. Then Judah gave Tamar to his second son Onan, the marriage taking +place before the week of the wedding festivities for Er had elapsed. A whole +year Onan lived with Tamar without knowing her, and when, finally, Judah +uttered threats against him on that account, he did, indeed, have intercourse +with her, but, giving heed to the injunctions of his mother, he took care not +to beget any children with her.[79] He, too, died on account of his iniquity, +and his name Onan "mourning," was well chosen, for very soon was his father +called upon to mourn for him.[80] Now Judah conceived the plan of marrying +Tamar to his youngest son Shelah, but his wife would not permit it. She hated +Tamar because she was not of the daughters of Canaan like herself, and while +Judah was away from home, Bath-shua chose a wife for her son Shelah from the +daughters of Canaan. Judah was very angry at Bath-shua for what she had done, +and also God poured out His wrath upon her, for on account of her wickedness +she had to die,[81] and her death happened a year after that of her two sons. +</p> + +<p> +Now that Bath-shua was dead, Judah might have carried out his wish and married +Tamar to his youngest son. But he waited for Shelah to grow up, because he +feared for his life, seeing that Tamar had brought death to two husbands before +him. So she remained a widow in her father's house for two years. Endowed with +the gift of prophecy, Tamar knew that she was appointed to be the ancestress of +David and of the Messiah, and she determined to venture upon an extreme measure +in order to make sure of fulfilling her destiny.[82] Accordingly, when the holy +spirit revealed to her that Judah was going up to Timnah,[83] she put off from +her the garments of her widowhood, and sat in the gate of Abraham's tent, and +there she encountered Judah.[84] All the time she lived in the house of her +father-in-law, he had never seen her face, for in her virtue and chastity she +had always kept it covered, and now when Judah met her, he did not recognize +her. It was as a reward for her modesty that God made her to become the mother +of the royal line of David, and the ancestress of Isaiah, and his father Amoz +as well, both of whom were prophets and of royal blood.[85] +</p> + +<p> +Judah passed Tamar by without paying any attention to her, and she raised her +eyes heavenward, and said, "O Lord of the world, shall I go forth empty from +the house of this pious man?" Then God sent the angel that is appointed over +the passion of love, and he compelled Judah to turn back.[86] With prophetic +caution, Tamar demanded that, as a pledge for the reward he promised her, he +leave with her his signet, his mantle, and his staff, the symbols of royalty, +judgeship, and Messiahship, the three distinctions of the descendants of Tamar +from her union with Judah. When Judah sent her the promised reward, a kid of +the goats, by the hand of his friend, in order to receive the pledges from her +hand, Tamar could not be found, and he feared to make further search for her, +lest he be put to shame. But Tamar, who soon discerned that she was with child, +felt very happy and proud, for she knew that she would be the mother of kings +and redeemers.[87] +</p> + +<p> +When her state became known, she was forcibly dragged before the court, in +which Isaac, Jacob, and Judah sat as judges. Judah, being the youngest of the +judges and the least considerable in dignity, was the first to give a decision, +for thus it is prescribed in criminal cases, that the prominent judges overawe +not the lesser and influence their decisions unduly. It was the opinion of +Judah that the woman was liable to the penalty of death by burning, for she was +the daughter of the high priest Shem, and death by fire is the punishment +ordained by the law for a high priest's daughter that leads an unchaste +life.[88] +</p> + +<p> +The preparations for her execution were begun. In vain Tamar searched for the +three pledges she had received from Judah, she could not find them, and almost +she lost hope that she would be able to wring a confession from her +father-in-law. She raised her eyes to God, and prayed: "I supplicate Thy grace, +O God, Thou who givest ear to the cry of the distressed in the hour of his +need, answer me, that I may be spared to bring forth the three holy children, +who will be ready to suffer death by fire, for the sake of the glory of Thy +Name." And God granted her petition, and sent the angel Michael down to succor +her. He put the pledges in a place in which Tamar could not fail to see them, +and she took them, and threw them before the feet of the judges, with the +words: "By the man whose these are am I with child, but though I perish in the +flames, I will not betray him. I hope in the Lord of the world, that He will +turn the heart of the man, so that he will make confession thereof." Then Judah +rose up, and said: "With your permission, my brethren, and ye men of my +father's house, I make it known that with what measure a man metes, it shall be +measured unto him, be it for good or for evil, but happy the man that +acknowledgeth his sins. Because I took the coat of Joseph, and colored it with +the blood of a kid, and then laid it at the feet of my father, saying, Know now +whether it be thy son's coat or not, therefore must I now confess, before the +court, unto whom belongeth this signet, this mantle, and this staff. But it is +better that I be put to shame in this world than I should be put to shame in +the other world, before the face of my pious father. It is better that I should +perish in a fire that can be extinguished than I should be cast into hell fire, +which devoureth other fires. Now, then, I acknowledge that Tamar is innocent. +By me is she with child, not because she indulged in illicit passion, but +because I held back her marriage with my son Shelah." Then a heavenly voice was +heard to say: "Ye are both innocent! It was the will of God that it should +happen!"[89] +</p> + +<p> +The open confession of Judah induced his oldest brother Reuben to make public +acknowledgment of the sin he had committed against his father, for he had kept +it a secret until then.[90] +</p> + +<p> +Tamar gave birth to twin sons, Perez and Zerah, both resembling their father in +bravery and piety.[91] She called the first Perez, "mighty," because she said, +"Thou didst show thyself of great power, and it is meet and proper that thou +shouldst be strong, for thou art destined to possess the kingdom."[92] The +second son was called Zerah, because he appeared from out of the womb before +his brother, but he was forced back again to make way for Perez.[93] These two, +Perez and Zerah. were sent out as spies by Joshua, and the line that Rahab +bound in the window of her house as a token to the army of the Israelites, she +received from Zerah. It was the scarlet thread that the midwife had bound upon +his hand, to mark him as the child that appeared first and withdrew.[94] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap08"></a>THE WIVES OF THE SONS OF JACOB</h2> + +<p> +Judah was the first of the sons of Jacob to enter wedlock. After the sale of +Joseph to the Midianites, his brethren had said to Judah, "If conditions were +as before, our father would provide wives for us now. As it is, he is entirely +absorbed by his grief for Joseph, and we must look about for wives ourselves. +Thou art our chief, and thou shouldst marry first." +</p> + +<p> +Judah's marriage with Alit the daughter of the noble merchant Shua, which was +consummated at Adullam, the residence of his friend Hirah, or, as he was called +later, Hiram, king of Tyre, was not happy. His two oldest sons died, and +shortly thereafter his wife also. It was Judah's punishment for having begun a +good deed and left it unfinished, for "he who begins a good deed, and does not +execute it to the end, brings down misfortune upon his own head." Judah had +rescued Joseph from death, but it was his suggestion to sell him into slavery. +Had he urged them to restore the lad to his father, his brethren would have +obeyed his words. He was lacking in constancy to persist until he had completed +the work of Joseph's deliverance, which he had begun.[95] +</p> + +<p> +In the same year, the year of Joseph's misfortune, all his other brethren +married, too. Reuben's wife was named Elyoram, the daughter of the Canaanite +Uzzi of Timnah. Simon married his sister Dinah first, and then a second wife. +When Simon and Levi massacred the men of Shechem, Dinah refused to leave the +city and follow her brethren, saying, "Whither shall I carry my shame?" But +Simon swore he would marry her, as he did later, and when she died in Egypt, he +took her body to the Holy Land and buried it there. Dinah bore her brother a +son,[96] and from her union with Shechem, the son of Hamor, sprang a daughter, +Asenath by name, afterward the wife of Joseph. When this daughter was born to +Dinah, her brethren, the sons of Jacob, wanted to kill her, that the finger of +men might not point at the fruit of sin in their father's house. But Jacob took +a piece of tin, inscribed the Holy Name upon it, and bound it about the neck of +the girl, and he put her under a thornbush, and abandoned her there. An angel +carried the babe down to Egypt, where Potiphar adopted her as his child, for +his wife was barren. Years thereafter, when Joseph travelled through the land +as viceroy, the maidens threw gifts at him, to make him turn his eyes in their +direction and give them the opportunity of gazing upon his beauty. Asenath +possessed nothing that would do as a present, therefore she took off the amulet +suspended from her neck, and gave it to him. Thus Joseph became acquainted with +her lineage, and he married her, seeing that she was not an Egyptian, but one +connected with the house of Jacob through her mother.[97] +</p> + +<p> +Beside the son of Dinah, Simon had another son, whose name was Saul, by Bunah, +the damsel he had taken captive in the campaign against Shechem. +</p> + +<p> +Levi and Issachar married two daughters of Jobab, the grandson of Eber; the +wife of the former was named Adinah, the wife of the latter, Aridah. Dan's wife +was Elflalet, a daughter of the Moabite Hamudan. For a long time their marriage +remained childless, finally they had a son, whom they called Hushim. Gad and +Naphtali married women from Haran, two sisters, daughters of Amoram, a grandson +of Nahor. Naphtali's wife, Merimit, was the older of the two, and the younger, +the wife of Gad, was named Uzit. +</p> + +<p> +Asher's first wife was Adon, the daughter of Ephlal, a grandson of Ishmael. She +died childless, and he married a second wife, Hadorah, a daughter of Abimael, +the grandson of Shem. She had been married before, her first husband having +been Malchiel, also a grandson of Shem, and the issue of this first marriage +was a daughter, Serah by name. When Asher brought his wife to Canaan, the three +year old orphan Serah came with them. She was raised in the house of Jacob, and +she walked in the way of pious children, and God gave her beauty, wisdom, and +sagacity. +</p> + +<p> +Zebulon's wife was Maroshah, the daughter of Molad, a grandson of Midian, the +son of Abraham by Keturah. +</p> + +<p> +For Benjamin, when he was but ten years old, Jacob took Mahlia to wife, the +daughter of Aram, the grandson of Terah, and she bore him five sons. At the age +of eighteen he married a second wife, Arbat, the daughter of Zimran, a son of +Abraham by Keturah, and by her also he had five sons.[98] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap09"></a>JOSEPH THE SLAVE OF POTIPHAR</h2> + +<p> +When Joseph was sold as a slave to the Ishmaelites, he kept silent out of +respect for his brethren, and did not tell his masters that he was a son of +Jacob, a great and powerful man. Even when he came to the Midianites with the +Ishmaelites, and the former asked after his parentage, he still said he was a +slave, only in order not to put his brethren to shame. But the most +distinguished of the Midianites rebuked Joseph, saying, "Thou art no slave, thy +appearance betrayeth thee," and he threatened him with death unless he +acknowledged the truth. Joseph, however, was steadfast, he would not act +treacherously toward his brethren. +</p> + +<p> +Arrived in Egypt, the owners of Joseph could come to no agreement regarding +him. Each desired to have sole and exclusive possession of him. They therefore +decided to leave him with a shopkeeper until they should come back to Egypt +again with their merchandise. And God let Joseph find grace in the sight of the +shopkeeper. All that he had, his whole house, he put into Joseph's hand, and +therefore the Lord blessed him with much silver and gold, and Joseph remained +with him for three months and five days. +</p> + +<p> +At that time there came from Memphis the wife of Potiphar, and she cast her +eyes upon Joseph, of whose comeliness of person she had heard from the eunuchs. +She told her husband how that a certain shopkeeper had grown rich through a +young Hebrew, and she added: "But it is said that the youth was stolen away out +of the land of Canaan. Go, therefore, and sit in judgment upon his owner, and +take the youth unto thy house, that the God of the Hebrews may bless thee, for +the grace of heaven rests upon the youth." +</p> + +<p> +Potiphar summoned the shopkeeper, and when he appeared before him, he spoke +harshly to him, saying: "What is this I hear? that thou stealest souls from the +land of Canaan, and dost carry on traffic with them?" The shop-keeper protested +his innocence, and he could not be made to recede from his assertion, that a +company of Ishmaelites had left Joseph in his charge temporarily, until they +should return. Potiphar had him stripped naked and beaten, but he continued to +reiterate the same statement. +</p> + +<p> +Then Potiphar summoned Joseph. The youth prostrated himself before this chief +of the eunuchs, for he was third in rank of the officers of Pharaoh. And he +addressed Joseph, and said, "Art thou a slave or a free-born man?" and Joseph +replied, "A slave." Potiphar continued to question him, "Whose slave art thou?" +Joseph: "I belong to the Ishmaelites." Potiphar: "How wast thou made a slave?" +Joseph: "They bought me in the land of Canaan." +</p> + +<p> +But Potiphar refused to give credence to what he said, and he had also him +stripped and beaten. The wife of Potiphar, standing by the door, saw how Joseph +was abused, and she sent word to her husband, "Thy verdict is unjust, for thou +punishest the free-born youth that was stolen away from his place as though he +were the one that had committed a crime." As Joseph held firmly to what he had +said, Potiphar ordered him to prison, until his masters should return. In her +sinful longing for him, his wife wanted to have Joseph in her own house, and +she remonstrated with her husband in these words: "Wherefore dost thou keep the +captive, nobly-born slave a prisoner? Thou shouldst rather set him at liberty +and have him serve thee." He answered, "The law of the Egyptians does not +permit us to take what belongs to another before all titles are made clear," +and Joseph stayed in prison for twenty-four days, until the return of the +Ishmaelites to Egypt. +</p> + +<p> +Meanwhile they had heard somewhere that Joseph was the son of Jacob, and they +therefore said to him: "Why didst thou pretend that thou wast a slave? See, we +have information that thou art the son of a powerful man in Canaan, and thy +father mourns for thee in sackcloth." Joseph was on the point of divulging his +secret, but he kept a check upon himself for the sake of his brethren, and he +repeated that he was a slave. +</p> + +<p> +Nevertheless the Ishmaelites decided to sell him, that he be not found in their +hands, for they feared the revenge of Jacob, who, they knew, was in high favor +with the Lord and with men. The shopkeeper begged the Ishmaelites to rescue him +from the legal prosecution of Potiphar, and clear him of the suspicion of man +theft. The Ishmaelites in turn had a conference with Joseph, and bade him +testify before Potiphar that they had bought him for money. He did so, and then +the chief of the eunuchs liberated him from prison, and dismissed all parties +concerned. +</p> + +<p> +With the permission of her husband, Potiphar's wife sent a eunuch to the +Ishmaelites, bidding him to buy Joseph, but he returned and reported that they +demanded an exorbitant price for the slave. She dispatched a second eunuch, +charging him to conclude the bargain, and though they asked one mina of gold, +or even two, he was not to be sparing of money, he was to be sure to buy the +slave and bring him to her. The eunuch gave the Ishmaelites eighty pieces of +gold for Joseph, telling his mistress, however, that he had paid out a hundred +pieces. Joseph noticed the deception, but he kept silent, that the eunuch might +not be put to shame.[99] +</p> + +<p> +Thus Joseph became the slave of the idolatrous priest Potiphar, or Poti-phera, +as he was sometimes called.[100] He had secured possession of the handsome +youth for a lewd purpose, but the angel Gabriel mutilated him in such manner +that he could not accomplish it.[101] His master soon had occasion to notice +that Joseph was as pious as he was beautiful, for whenever he was occupied with +his ministrations, he would whisper a prayer: "O Lord of the world, Thou art my +trust, Thou art my protection. Let me find grace and favor in Thy sight and in +the sight of all that see me, and in the sight of my master Potiphar." When +Potiphar noticed the movement of his lips, he said to Joseph, "Dost thou +purpose to cast a spell upon me?" "Nay," replied the youth, "I am beseeching +God to let me find favor in thine eyes." +</p> + +<p> +His prayer was heard. Potiphar convinced himself that God was with Joseph. +Sometimes he would make a test of Joseph's miraculous powers. If he brought him +a glass of hippocras, he would say, "I would rather have wine mixed with +absinthe," and straightway the spiced wine was changed into bitter wine. +Whatever he desired, he could be sure to get from Joseph, and he saw clearly +that God fulfilled the wishes of his slave. Therefore he put all the keys of +his house into his hand, and he knew not aught that was with him,[102] keeping +back nothing from Joseph but his wife.[103] Seeing that the Shekinah rested +upon him, Potiphar treated Joseph not as a slave, but as a member of his +family, for he said, "This youth is not cut out for a slave's work, he is +worthy of a prince's place."[104] Accordingly, he provided instruction for him +in the arts, and ordered him to have better fare than the other slaves.[105] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph thanked God for his new and happy state. He prayed, "Blessed art Thou, O +Lord, that Thou hast caused me to forget my father's house." What made his +present fortunes so agreeable was that he was removed from the envy and +jealousy of his brethren. He said: "When I was in my father's house, and he +gave me something pretty, my brethren begrudged me the present, and now, O +Lord, I thank Thee that I live amid plenty." Free from anxieties, he turned his +attention to his external appearance. He painted his eyes, dressed his hair, +and aimed to be elegant in his walk. But God spake to him, saying, "Thy father +is mourning in sackcloth and ashes, while thou dost eat, drink, and dress thy +hair. Therefore I will stir up thy mistress against thee, and thou shalt be +embarrassed."[106] Thus Joseph's secret wish was fulfilled, that he might be +permitted to prove his piety under temptation, as the piety of his fathers had +been tested.[107] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap10"></a>JOSEPH AND ZULEIKA</h2> + +<p> +"Throw the stick up in the air, it will always return to its original place." +Like Rachel his mother, Joseph was of ravishing beauty, and the wife of his +master was filled with invincible passion for him."[108] Her feeling was +heightened by the astrologic forecast that she was destined to have descendants +through Joseph. This was true, but not in the sense in which she understood the +prophecy. Joseph married her daughter Asenath later on, and she bore him +children, thus fulfilling what had been read in the stars."[109] +</p> + +<p> +In the beginning she did not confess her love to Joseph. She tried first to +seduce him by artifice. On the pretext of visiting him, she would go to him at +night, and, as she had no sons, she would pretend a desire to adopt him. Joseph +then prayed to God in her behalf, and she bore a son. However, she continued to +embrace him as though he were her own child, yet he did not notice her evil +designs. Finally, when he recognized her wanton trickery, he mourned many days, +and endeavored to turn her away from her sinful passion by the word of God. +She, on her side, often threatened him with death, and surrendered him to +castigations in order to make him amenable to her will, and when these means +had no effect upon Joseph, she sought to seduce him with enticements. She would +say, "I promise thee, thou shalt rule over me and all I have, if thou wilt but +give thyself up to me. and thou shalt be to me the same as my lawful husband." +But Joseph was mindful of the words of his fathers, and he went into his +chamber, and fasted, and prayed to God, that He would deliver him from the +toils of the Egyptian woman. +</p> + +<p> +In spite of the mortifications he practiced, and though he gave the poor and +the sick the food apportioned to him, his master thought he lived a luxurious +life, for those that fast for the glory of God are made beautiful of +countenance. +</p> + +<p> +The wife of Potiphar would frequently speak to her husband in praise of +Joseph's chastity in order that he might conceive no suspicion of the state of +her feelings. And, again, she would encourage Joseph secretly, telling him not +to fear her husband, that he was convinced of his purity of life, and though +one should carry tales to him about Joseph and herself, Potiphar would lend +them no credence. And when she saw that all this was ineffectual , she +approached him with the request that he teach her the word of God, saying, "If +it be thy wish that I forsake idol worship, then fulfil my desire, and I will +persuade that Egyptian husband of mine to abjure the idols, and we shall walk +in the law of thy God." Joseph replied, "The Lord desireth not that those who +fear Him shall walk in impurity, nor hath He pleasure in the adulterer." +</p> + +<p> +Another time she came to him, and said, "If thou wilt not do my desire, I will +murder the Egyptian and wed with thee according to the law." Whereat Joseph +rent his garment, and he said, "O woman, fear the Lord, and do not execute this +evil deed, that thou mayest not bring destruction down upon thyself, for I will +proclaim thy impious purposes to all in public." +</p> + +<p> +Again, she sent him a dish prepared with magic spells, by means of which she +hoped to get him into her power. But when the eunuch set it before him, he saw +the image of a man handing him a sword together with the dish, and, warned by +the vision, he took good care not to taste of the food. A few days later his +mistress came to him, and asked him why he had not eaten of what she had sent +him. He reproached her, saying, "How couldst thou tell me, I do not come nigh +unto the idols, but only unto the Lord? The God of my fathers hath revealed thy +iniquity to me through an angel, but that thou mayest know that the malice of +the wicked has no power over those who fear God in purity, I shall eat thy food +before thine eyes, and the God of my fathers and the angel of Abraham will be +with me." The wife of Potiphar fell upon her face at the feet of Joseph, and +amid tears she promised not to commit this sin again. +</p> + +<p> +But her unholy passion for Joseph did not depart from her, and her distress +over her unfulfilled wish made her look so ill that her husband said to her, +"Why is thy countenance fallen?" And she replied, "I have a pain at my heart, +and the groanings of my spirit oppress me." +</p> + +<p> +Once when she was alone with Joseph, she rushed toward him, crying, "I will +throttle myself, or I will jump into a well or a pit, if thou wilt not yield +thyself to me." Noticing her extreme agitation, Joseph endeavored to calm her +with these words, "Remember, if thou makest away with thyself, thy husband's +concubine, Asteho, thy rival, will maltreat thy children, and extirpate thy +memory from the earth." These words, gently spoken, had the opposite effect +from that intended. They only inflamed her passion the more by feeding her +hopes. She said: "There, seest thou, thou dost love me now! It sufficeth for me +that thou takest thought for me and for the safety of my children. I expect now +that my desire will be fulfilled." She did not know that Joseph spoke as he did +for the sake of God, and not for her sake.[110] +</p> + +<p> +His mistress, or, as she was called, Zuleika, pursued him day after day with +her amorous talk and her flattery, saying: "How fair is thy appearance, how +comely thy form! Never have I seen so well-favored a slave as thou art." Joseph +would reply: "God, who formed me in my mother's womb, hath created all men." +</p> + +<p> +Zuleika: "How beautiful are thine eyes, with which thou hast charmed all +Egyptians, both men and women!" +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Beautiful as they may be while I am alive, so ghastly they will be to +look upon in the grave." +</p> + +<p> +Zuleika: "How lovely and pleasant are thy words! I pray thee, take thy harp, +play and also sing, that I may hear thy words." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Lovely and pleasant are my words when I proclaim the praise of my +God." +</p> + +<p> +Zuleika: "How beautiful is thy hair! Take my golden comb, and comb it." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "How long wilt thou continue to speak thus to me? Leave off! It were +better for thee to care for thy household." +</p> + +<p> +Zuleika: "There is nothing in my house that I care for, save thee alone." +</p> + +<p> +But Joseph's virtue was unshaken. While she spoke thus, he did not so much as +raise his eyes to look at his mistress.[111] He remained equally steadfast when +she lavished gifts upon him, for she provided him with garments of one kind for +the morning, another for noon, and a third kind for the evening. Nor could +threats move him. She would say, "I will bring false accusations against thee +before thy master," and Joseph would reply, "The Lord executeth judgment for +the oppressed." Or, "I will deprive thee of food;" whereupon Joseph, "The Lord +giveth food to the hungry." Or, "I will have thee thrown into prison;" +whereupon Joseph, "The Lord looseth the prisoners." Or, "I will put heavy labor +upon thee that will bend thee double;" whereupon Joseph, "The Lord raiseth up +them that are bowed down." Or, "I will blind thine eyes;" whereupon Joseph, +"The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind."[112] +</p> + +<p> +When she began to exercise her blandishments upon him, he rejected them with +the words, "I fear my master." But Zuleika would say, "I will kill him." Joseph +replied with indignation, "Not enough that thou wouldst make an adulterer of +me, thou wouldst have me be a murderer, besides?" And he spoke furthermore, +saying, "I fear the Lord my God!" +</p> + +<p> +Zuleika: "Nonsense! He is not here to see thee! +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Great is the Lord and highly to be praised, and His greatness is +unsearchable." +</p> + +<p> +Thereupon she took Joseph into her chamber, where an idol hung above the bed. +This she covered, that it might not be a witness of what she was about to do. +Joseph said: "Though thou coverest up the eyes of the idol, remember, the eyes +of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth. Yes," continued Joseph, "I +have many reasons not to do this thing for the sake of God. Adam was banished +from Paradise on account of violating a light command; how much more should I +have to fear the punishment of God, were I to commit so grave a sin as +adultery! The Lord is in the habit of choosing a favorite member of our family +as a sacrifice unto Himself. Perhaps He desireth to make choice of me, but if I +do thy will, I make myself unfit to be a sacrifice unto God. Also the Lord is +in the habit of appearing suddenly, in visions of the night, unto those that +love Him. Thus did He appear unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I fear that He +may appear unto me at the very moment while I am defiling myself with thee. And +as I fear God, so I fear my father, who withdrew the birthright from his +first-born son Reuben, on account of an immoral act, and gave it to me. Were I +to fulfil thy desire, I would share the fate of my brother Reuben."[113] +</p> + +<p> +With such words, Joseph endeavored to cure the wife of his master of the wanton +passion she had conceived for him, while he took heed to keep far from a +heinous sin, not from fear of the punishment that would follow, nor out of +consideration for the opinion of men, but because he desired to sanctify the +Name of God, blessed be He, before the whole world.[114] It was this feeling of +his that Zuleika could not comprehend, and when, finally, carried away by +passion, she told him in unmistakable language what she desired,[115] and he +recoiled from her, she said to Joseph: "Why dost thou refuse to fulfil my wish? +Am I not a married woman? None will find out what thou hast done." Joseph +replied: "If the unmarried women of the heathen are prohibited unto us, how +much more their married women?[116] As the Lord liveth, I will not commit the +crime thou biddest me do." In this Joseph followed the example of many pious +men, who utter an oath at the moment when they are in danger of succumbing to +temptation, and seek thus to gather moral courage to control their evil +instincts." +</p> + +<p> +When Zuleika could not prevail upon him, to persuade him, her desire threw her +into a grievous sickness, and all the women of Egypt came to visit her, and +they said unto her, "Why art thou so languid and wasted, thou that lackest +nothing? Is not thy husband a prince great and esteemed in the sight of the +king? Is it possible that thou canst want aught of what thy heart desireth?" +Zuleika answered them, saying, "This day shall it be made known unto you whence +cometh the state wherein you see me." +</p> + +<p> +She commanded her maid-servants to prepare food for all the women, and she +spread a banquet before them in her house. She placed knives upon the table to +peel the oranges, and then ordered Joseph to appear, arrayed in costly +garments, and wait upon her guests. When Joseph came in, the women could not +take their eyes off him, and they all cut their hands with the knives, and the +oranges in their hands were covered with blood, but they, not knowing what they +were doing, continued to look upon the beauty of Joseph without turning their +eyes away from him. +</p> + +<p> +Then Zuleika said unto them: "What have ye done? Behold, I set oranges before +you to eat, and you have cut your hands." All the women looked at their hands, +and, lo, they were full of blood, and it flowed down and stained their +garments. They said to Zuleika, "This slave in thy house did enchant us, and we +could not turn our eyes away from him on account of his beauty." She then said: +"This happened to you that looked upon him but a moment, and you could not +refrain yourselves! How, then, can I control myself in whose house he abideth +continually, who see him go in and out day after day? How, then, should I not +waste away, or keep from languishing on account of him!" And the women spake, +saying: "It is true, who can look upon this beauty in the house, and refrain +her feelings? But he is thy slave! Why dost thou not disclose to him that which +is in thy heart, rather than suffer thy life to perish through this thing?" +Zuleika answered them: "Daily do I endeavor to persuade him, but he will not +consent to my wishes. I promised him everything that is fair, yet have I met +with no return from him, and therefore I am sick, as you may see." +</p> + +<p> +Her sickness increased upon her. Her husband and her household suspected not +the cause of her decline, but all the women that were her friends knew that it +was on account of the love she bore Joseph, and they advised her all the time +to try to entice the youth. On a certain day, while Joseph was doing his +master's work in the house, Zuleika came and fell suddenly upon him, but Joseph +was stronger than she, and he pressed her down to the ground. Zuleika wept, and +in a voice of supplication, and in bitterness of soul, she said to Joseph: +"Hast thou ever known, seen, or heard of a woman my peer in beauty, let alone a +woman with beauty exceeding mine? Yet I try daily to persuade thee, I fall into +decline through love of thee, I confer all this honor upon thee, and thou wilt +not hearken unto my voice! Is it by reason of fear of thy master, that he +punish thee? As the king liveth, no harm shall come upon thee from thy master +on account of this thing. Now, therefore, I pray thee, listen to me, and +consent unto my desire for the sake of the honor that I have conferred upon +thee, and take this death away from me. For why should I die on account of +thee?" Joseph remained as steadfast under these importunities as before. +Zuleika, however, was not discouraged; she continued her solicitations +unremittingly, day after day,[118] month after month, for a whole year, but +always without the least success, for Joseph in his chastity did not permit +himself even to look upon her, wherefore she resorted to constraint. She had an +iron shackle placed upon his chin, and he was compelled to keep his head up and +look her in the face."[119] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap11"></a>JOSEPH RESISTS TEMPTATION</h2> + +<p> +Seeing that she could not attain her object by entreaties or tears, Zuleika +finally used force, when she judged that the favorable chance had come. She did +not have long to wait. When the Nile overflowed its banks, and, according to +the annual custom of the Egyptians, all repaired to the river, men and women, +people and princes, accompanied by music, Zuleika remained at home under +pretense of being sick. This was her long-looked-for opportunity, she thought. +She rose up and ascended to the hall of state, and arrayed herself in princely +garments. She placed precious stones upon her head, onyx stones set in silver +and gold, she beautified her face and her body with all sorts of things for the +purifying of women, she perfumed the hall and the whole house with cassia and +frankincense, spread myrrh and aloes all over, and afterward sat herself down +at the entrance to the hall, in the vestibule leading to the house, through +which Joseph had to pass to his work. +</p> + +<p> +And, behold, Joseph came from the field, and he was on the point of entering +the house to do his master's work, but when he reached the place where Zuleika +sat, and saw all she had done, he turned back. His mistress, perceiving it, +called out to him, "What aileth thee, Joseph? Go to thy work, I will make room +for thee, that thou mayest pass by to thy seat." Joseph did as she bade him, he +entered the house, took his seat, and set about his master's work as usual. +Then Zuleika stood before him suddenly in all her beauty of person and +magnificence of raiment, and repeated the desire of her heart.[120] It was the +first and the last time that Joseph's steadfastness deserted him, but only for +an instant. When he was on the point of complying with the wish of his +mistress, the image of his mother Rachel appeared before him, and that of his +aunt Leah, and the image of his father Jacob. The last addressed him thus: "In +time to come the names of thy brethren will be graven upon the breastplate of +the high priest. Dost thou desire to have thy name appear with theirs? Or wilt +thou forfeit this honor through sinful conduct? For know, he that keepeth +company with harlots wasteth his substance." This vision of the dead, and +especially the image of his father, brought Joseph to his senses, and his +illicit passion departed from him.[121] +</p> + +<p> +Astonished at the swift change in his countenance, Zuleika said, "My friend and +true-love, why art thou so affrighted that thou art near to swooning? +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "I see my father!" +</p> + +<p> +Zuleika: "Where is he? Why, there is none in the house." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Thou belongest to a people that is like unto the ass, it perceiveth +nothing. But I belong to those who can see things." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph fled forth, away from the house of his mistress,[122] the same house in +which aforetime wonders had been done for Sarah kept a captive there by +Pharaoh.[123] But hardly was he outside when the sinful passion again +overwhelmed him, and he returned to Zuleika's chamber. Then the Lord appeared +unto him, holding the Eben Shetiyah[124] in His hand, and said to him: "If thou +touchest her, I will cast away this stone upon which the earth is founded, and +the world will fall to ruin." Sobered again, Joseph started to escape from his +mistress,[125] but Zuleika caught him by his garment, and she said: "As the +king liveth, if thou wilt not fulfil my wish, thou must die," and while she +spoke thus, she drew a sword with her free hand from under her dress, and, +pressing it against Joseph's throat, she said, "Do as I bid thee, or thou +diest." Joseph ran out, leaving a piece of his garment in the hands of Zuleika +as he wrenched himself loose from the grasp of the woman with a quick, +energetic motion.[126] +</p> + +<p> +Zuleika's passion for Joseph was so violent that, in lieu of its owner, whom +she could not succeed in subduing to her will, she kissed and caressed the +fragment of cloth left in her hand.[127] At the same time she was not slow to +perceive the danger into which she had put herself, for, she feared, Joseph +might possibly betray her conduct, and she considered ways and means of +obviating the consequences of her folly.[128] +</p> + +<p> +Meanwhile her friends returned from the Nile festival, and they came to visit +her and inquire after her health. They found her looking wretchedly ill, on +account of the excitement she had passed through and the anxiety she was in. +She confessed to the women what had happened with Joseph, and they advised her +to accuse him of immorality before her husband, and then he would be thrown +into prison. Zuleika accepted their advice, and she begged her visitors to +support her charges by also lodging complaints against Joseph, that he had been +annoying them with improper proposals.[129] +</p> + +<p> +But Zuleika did not depend entirely upon the assistance of her friends. She +planned a ruse, besides, to be sure of convincing her husband of Joseph's +guilt. She laid aside her rich robes of state, put on her ordinary clothes, and +took to her sick-bed, in which she had been lying when the people left to go to +the festival. Also she took Joseph's torn garment, and laid it out next to her. +Then she sent a little boy to summon some of the men of her house, and to them +she told the tale of Joseph's alleged outrage, saying: "See the Hebrew slave, +whom your master hath brought in unto my house, and who attempted to do +violence to me to-day! You had scarcely gone away to the festival when be +entered the house, and making sure that no one was here he tried to force me to +yield to his lustful desire. But I grasped his clothes, tore them, and cried +with a loud voice. When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he was +seized with fear, and be fled, and got him out, but he left his garment by me." +The men of her house spake not a word, but, in a rage against Joseph, they went +to their master, and reported to him what had come to pass.[130] In the +meantime the husbands of Zuleika's friends had also spoken to Potiphar, at the +instigation of their wives, and complained of his slave, that he molested +them.[131] +</p> + +<p> +Potiphar hastened home, and he found his wife in low spirits, and though the +cause of her dejection was chagrin at not having succeeded in winning Joseph's +love, she pretended that it was anger at the immoral conduct of the slave. She +accused him in the following words: "O husband, mayest thou not live a day +longer, if thou dost not punish the wicked slave that hath desired to defile +thy bed, that hath not kept in mind who he was when he came to our house, to +demean himself with modesty, nor hath he been mindful of the favors he hath +received from thy bounty. He did lay a privy design to abuse thy wife, and this +at the time of observing a festival, when thou wouldst be absent."[132] These +words she spoke at the moment of conjugal intimacy with Potiphar, when she was +certain of exerting an influence upon her husband.[133] +</p> + +<p> +Potiphar gave credence to her words, and he had Joseph flogged unmercifully. +While the cruel blows fell upon him, he cried to God, "O Lord, Thou knowest +that I am innocent of these things, and why should I die to-day on account of a +false accusation by the hands of these uncircumcised, impious men?" God opened +the mouth of Zuleika's child, a babe of but eleven months, and he spoke to the +men that were beating Joseph, saying: "What is your quarrel with this man? Why +do you inflict such evil upon him? Lies my mother doth speak, and deceit is +what her mouth uttereth. This is the true tale of that which did happen," and +the child proceeded to tell all that had passed—how Zuleika had tried first to +persuade Joseph to act wickedly, and then had tried to force him to do her +will. The people listened in great amazement. But the report finished, the +child spake no word, as before. +</p> + +<p> +Abashed by the speech of his own infant son, Potiphar commanded his bailiffs to +leave off from chastising Joseph, and the matter was brought into court, where +priests sat as judges. Joseph protested his innocence, and related all that had +happened according to the truth, but Potiphar repeated the account his wife had +given him. The judges ordered the garment of Joseph to be brought which Zuleika +had in her possession, and they examined the tear therein. It turned out to be +on the front part of the mantle, and they came to the conclusion that Zuleika +had tried to hold him fast, and had been foiled in her attempt by Joseph, +against whom she was now lodging a trumped up charge. They decided that Joseph +had not incurred the death penalty, but they condemned him to incarceration, +because he was the cause of a stain upon Zuleika's fair name."[134] +</p> + +<p> +Potiphar himself was convinced of Joseph's innocence, and when he cast him into +prison, he said to him, "I know that thou art not guilty of so vile a crime, +but I must put thee in durance, lest a taint cling to my children."[135] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap12"></a>JOSEPH IN PRISON</h2> + +<p> +By way of punishment for having traduced his ten brethren before his father, +Joseph had to languish for ten years in the prison to which the wiles of +traducers had in turn condemned him.[136] But, on the other hand, as he had +sanctified the Name of God before the world by his chastity and his +steadfastness, he was rewarded. The letter He, which occurs twice in the Name +of God, was added to his name. He had been called Joseph, but now he was called +also Jehoseph.[137] +</p> + +<p> +Though he was bound in prison, Joseph was not yet safe from the machinations of +his mistress, whose passion for him was in no wise lessened. In truth it was +she that had induced her husband to change his intention regarding Joseph; she +urged him to imprison the slave rather than kill him, for she hoped that as a +prisoner he could be made amenable to her wishes more easily. She spake to her +husband, saying: "Do not destroy thy property. Cast the slave in prison and +keep him there until thou canst sell him, and receive back the money thou didst +pay out for him."[138] Thus she had the opportunity of visiting Joseph in his +cell and trying to persuade him to do her will. She would say, "This and that +outrage have I executed against thee, but, as thou livest, I will put yet other +outrages upon thee if thou dost not obey me." But Joseph replied, "The Lord +executeth judgment for the oppressed." +</p> + +<p> +Zuleika: "I will push matters so far that all men will hate thee." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "The Lord loveth the righteous." +</p> + +<p> +Zuleika: "I will sell thee into a strange land." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "The Lord preserveth the strangers."[139] +</p> + +<p> +Then she would resort to enticements in order to obtain her desire. She would +promise to release him from prison, if he would but grant her wish. But he +would say, "Better it is to remain here than be with thee and commit a trespass +against God." These visits to Joseph in prison Zuleika continued for a long +time, but when, finally, she saw that all her hopes were vain, she let him +alone.[140] +</p> + +<p> +As the mistress persisted in her love for Joseph, so his master, her husband, +could not separate himself from his favorite slave. Though a prisoner, Joseph +continued to minister to the needs of Potiphar, and he received permission from +the keeper of the prison to spend some of his time in his master's house.[141] +In many other ways the jailer showed himself kindly disposed toward Joseph. +Seeing the youth's zeal and conscientiousness in executing the tasks laid upon +him, and under the spell of his enchanting beauty, he made prison life as easy +as possible for his charge. He even ordered better dishes for him than the +common prison fare, and he found it superfluous caution to keep watch over +Joseph, for he could see no wrong in him, and he observed that God was with +him, in good days and in bad. He even appointed him to be the overseer of the +prison, and as Joseph commanded, so the other prisoners were obliged to +do.[142] +</p> + +<p> +For a long time the people talked of nothing but the accusation raised against +Joseph by his mistress. In order to divert the attention of the public from +him, God ordained that two high officers, the chief butler and the chief baker, +should offend their lord, the king of Egypt, and they were put in ward in the +house of the captain of the guard. Now the people ceased their talk about +Joseph, and spoke only of the scandal at court. The charges laid at the door of +the noble prisoners were that they had attempted to do violence to the daughter +of Pharaoh, and they had conspired to poison the king himself. Besides, they +had shown themselves derelict in their service. In the wine the chief butler +had handed to the king to drink, a fly had been discovered, and the bread set +upon the royal board by the chief baker contained a little pebble."[143] On +account of all these transgressions they were condemned to death by Pharaoh, +but for the sake of Joseph it was ordained by Divine providence that the king +should first detain them in prison before he ordered their execution. The Lord +had enkindled the wrath of the king against his servants only that the wish of +Joseph for liberty might be fulfilled, for they were the instruments of his +deliverance from prison, and though they were doomed to death, yet in +consideration of the exalted office they had held at court, the keeper of the +prison accorded them privileges, as, for instance, a man was detailed to wait +upon them, and the one appointed thereto was Joseph.[144] 1] +</p> + +<p> +The chief butler and the chief baker had been confined in prison ten +years,[145] when they dreamed a dream, both of them, but as for the +interpretation, each dreamed only that of the other one's dream.[146] In the +morning when Joseph brought them the water for washing, he found them sad, +depressed in spirits, and, in the manner of the sages, he asked them why they +looked different on that day from other days. They said unto him, "We have +dreamed a dream this night, and our two dreams resemble each other in certain +particulars, and there is none that can interpret them." And Joseph said unto +them: "God granteth understanding to man to interpret dreams. Tell them me, I +pray you."[147] It was as a reward for ascribing greatness and credit to Him +unto whom it belongeth that Joseph later attained to his lofty position.[148] +</p> + +<p> +The chief butler proceeded to tell his dream: "In my dream, behold, a vine was +before me; and in the vine were three branches; and it was as though it budded, +and its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe +grapes; and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed +them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand." The chief +butler was not aware that his dream contained a prophecy regarding the future +of Israel, but Joseph discerned the recondite meaning,[149] and he interpreted +the dream thus: The three branches are the three Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and +Jacob, whose descendants in Egypt will be redeemed by three leaders, Moses, +Aaron, and Miriam; and the cup given into the hand of Pharaoh is the cup of +wrath that he will have to drain in the end. This interpretation of the dream +Joseph kept for himself, and he told the chief butler nothing thereof, but out +of gratitude for the glad tidings of the deliverance of Israel from the bondage +of Egypt, he gave him a favorable interpretation of his dream, and begged him +to have him in his remembrance, when it should be well with him, and liberate +him from the dungeon in which he was confined. +</p> + +<p> +When the chief baker heard the interpretation of the butler's dream, he knew +that Joseph had divined its meaning correctly, for in his own he had seen the +interpretation of his friend's dream, and he proceeded to tell Joseph what he +had dreamed in the night: "I also was in my dream, and, behold, three baskets +of white bread were on my head; and in the uppermost basket there was of all +manner of bake- meats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket +upon my head." Also this dream conveyed a prophecy regarding the future of +Israel: The three baskets are the three kingdoms to which Israel will be made +subject, Babylon, Media, and Greece; and the uppermost basket indicates the +wicked rule of Rome, which will extend over all the nations of the world, until +the bird shall come, who is the Messiah, and annihilate Rome. Again Joseph kept +the prophecy a secret. To the chief baker he gave only the interpretation that +had reference to his person, but it was unfavorable to him, because through his +dream Joseph had been made acquainted with the suffering Israel would have to +undergo. +</p> + +<p> +And all came to pass, as Joseph had said, on the third day.[150] The day +whereon he explained the meaning of their dreams to the two distinguished +prisoners, a son was born unto Pharaoh and to celebrate the joyous event, the +king arranged a feast for his princes and servants that was to last eight days. +He invited them and all the people to his table, and he entertained them with +royal splendor. The feast had its beginning on the third day after the birth of +the child, and on that occasion the chief butler was restored in honor to his +butlership, and the chief baker was hanged,[151] for Pharaoh's counsellors had +discovered that it was not the butler's fault that the fly had dropped into the +king's wine, but the baker had been guilty of carelessness in allowing the +pebble to get into the bread.[152] Likewise it appeared that the butler had had +no part in the conspiracy to poison the king, while the baker was revealed as +one of the plotters, and he had to expiate his crime with his life.[153] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap13"></a>PHARAOH'S DREAMS</h2> + +<p> +Properly speaking, Joseph should have gone out free from his dungeon on the +same day as the butler. He had been there ten years by that time, and had made +amends for the slander he had uttered against his ten brethren. However, he +remained in prison two years longer. "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the +Lord, and whose hope is the Lord," but Joseph had put his confidence in flesh +and blood. He had prayed the chief butler to have him in remembrance when it +should be well with him, and make mention of him unto Pharaoh, and the butler +forgot his promise, and therefore Joseph had to stay in prison two years more +than the years originally allotted to him there.[154] The butler had not +forgotten him intentionally, but it was ordained of God that his memory should +fail him. When he would say to himself, If thus and so happens, I will remember +the case of Joseph, the conditions he had imagined were sure to be reversed, or +if he made a knot as a reminder, an angel came and undid the knot, and Joseph +did not enter his mind.[155] +</p> + +<p> +But "the Lord setteth an end to darkness," and Joseph's liberation was not +delayed by a single moment beyond the time decreed for it. God said, "Thou, O +butler, thou didst forget Joseph, but I did not," and He caused Pharaoh to +dream a dream that was the occasion for Joseph's release.[156] +</p> + +<p> +In his dream Pharaoh saw seven kine, well-favored and fat-fleshed, come up out +of the Nile, and they all together grazed peaceably on the brink of the river, +In years when the harvest is abundant, friendship reigns among men, and love +and brotherly harmony, and these seven fat kine stood for seven such prosperous +years. After the fat kine, seven more came up out of the river, ill-favored and +lean- fleshed, and each had her back turned to the others, for when distress +prevails, one man turns away from the other. For a brief space Pharaoh awoke, +and when he went to sleep again, he dreamed a second dream, about seven rank +and good ears of corn, and seven ears that were thin and blasted with the east +wind,[157] the withered cars swallowing the full ears. He awoke at once, and it +was morning, and dreams dreamed in the morning are the ones that come +true.[158] +</p> + +<p> +This was not the first time Pharaoh had had these dreams. They had visited him +every night during a period of two years, and he had forgotten them invariably +in the morning. This was the first time he remembered them, for the day had +arrived for Joseph to come forth from his prison house.[159] Pharaoh's heart +beat violently when he called his dreams to mind on awaking.[160] Especially +the second one, about the ears of corn, disquieted him. He reflected that +whatever has a mouth can eat, and therefore the dream of the seven lean kine +that ate up the seven fat kine did not appear strange to him. But the ears of +corn that swallowed up other ears of corn troubled his spirit.[161] He +therefore called for all the wise men of his land, and they endeavored in vain +to find a satisfactory interpretation. They explained that the seven fat kine +meant seven daughters to be born unto Pharaoh, and the seven lean kine, that he +would bury seven daughters; the rank ears of corn meant that Pharaoh would +conquer seven countries, and the blasted ears, that seven provinces would rebel +against him.[162] About the ears of corn they did not all agree. Some thought +the good ears stood for seven cities to be built by Pharaoh, and the seven +withered ears indicated that these same cities would be destroyed at the end of +his reign. +</p> + +<p> +Sagacious as he was, Pharaoh knew that none of these explanations hit the nail +on the head. He issued a decree summoning all interpreters of dreams to appear +before him on pain of death, and he held out great rewards and distinctions to +the one who should succeed in finding the true meaning of his dreams. In +obedience to his summons, all the wise men appeared, the magicians and the +sacred scribes that were in Mizraim, the city of Egypt, as well as those from +Goshen, Raamses, Zoan, and the whole country of Egypt, and with them came the +princes, officers, and servants of the king from all the cities of the land. +</p> + +<p> +To all these the king narrated his dreams, but none could interpret them to his +satisfaction. Some said that the seven fat kine were the seven legitimate kings +that would rule over Egypt, and the seven lean kine betokened seven princes +that would rise up against these seven kings and exterminate them. The seven +good ears of corn were the seven superior princes of Egypt that would engage in +a war for their overlord, and would be defeated by as many insignificant +princes, who were betokened by the seven blasted ears. +</p> + +<p> +Another interpretation was that the seven fat kine were the seven fortified +cities of Egypt, at some future time to fall into the hands of seven +Canaanitish nations, who were foreshadowed in the seven lean kine. According to +this interpretation, the second dream supplemented the first. It meant that the +descendants of Pharaoh would regain sovereign authority over Egypt at a +subsequent period, and would subdue the seven Canaanitish nations as well. +</p> + +<p> +There was a third interpretation, given by some: The seven fat kine are seven +women whom Pharaoh would take to wife, but they would die during his lifetime, +their loss being indicated by the seven lean kine. Furthermore, Pharaoh would +have fourteen sons, and the seven strong ones would be conquered by the seven +weaklings, as the blasted ears of corn in his dream had swallowed up the rank +ears of corn. +</p> + +<p> +And a fourth: "Thou wilt have seven sons, O Pharaoh, these are the seven fat +kine. These sons of thine will be killed by the seven powerful rebellious +princes. But then seven minor princes will come, and they will kill the seven +rebels, avenge thy descendants, and restore the dominion to thy family." +</p> + +<p> +The king was as little pleased with these interpretations as with the others, +which he had heard before, and in his wrath he ordered the wise men, the +magicians and the scribes of Egypt, to be killed, and the hangmen made ready to +execute the royal decree. +</p> + +<p> +However, Mirod, Pharaoh's chief butler,[163] took fright, seeing that the king +was so vexed at his failure to secure an interpretation of his dreams that he +was on the point of giving up the ghost. He was alarmed about the king's death, +for it was doubtful whether the successor to the throne would retain him in +office. He resolved to do all in his power to keep Pharaoh alive. Therefore he +stepped before him, and spake, saying, "I do remember two faults of mine this +day, I showed myself ungrateful to Joseph, in that I did not bring his request +before thee, and also I saw thee in distress by reason of thy dream, without +letting thee know that Joseph can interpret dreams.[164] When it pleased the +Lord God to make Pharaoh wroth with his servants, the king put me in ward in +the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker.[165] And with us +there was a simple young man, one of the despised race of the Hebrews, slave to +the captain of the guard, and he interpreted our dreams to us, and it came to +pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was. Therefore, O king, stay the hand of +the hangmen, let them not execute the Egyptians. The slave I speak of is still +in the dungeon, and if the king will consent to summon him hither, he will +surely interpret thy dreams."[166] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap14"></a>JOSEPH BEFORE PHARAOH</h2> + +<p> +"Accursed are the wicked that never do a wholly good deed." The chief butler +described Joseph contemptuously as a "slave" in order that it might be +impossible for him to occupy a distinguished place at court, for it was a law +upon the statute books of Egypt that a slave could never sit upon the throne as +king, nor even put his foot in the stirrup of a horse.[167] +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh revoked the edict of death that he had issued against the wise men of +Egypt, and he sent and called Joseph. He impressed care upon his messengers, +they were not to excite and confuse Joseph, and render him unfit to interpret +the king's dream correctly.[168] They brought him hastily out of the dungeon, +but first Joseph, out of respect for the king, shaved himself, and put on fresh +raiment, which an angel brought him from Paradise, and then he came in unto +Pharaoh.[169] +</p> + +<p> +The king was sitting upon the royal throne, arrayed in princely garments, clad +with a golden ephod upon his breast, and the fine gold of the ephod sparkled, +and the carbuncle, the ruby, and the emerald flamed like a torch, and all the +precious stones set upon the king's head flashed like a blazing fire, and +Joseph was greatly amazed at the appearance of the king. The throne upon which +he sat was covered with gold and silver and with onyx stones, and it had +seventy steps. If a prince or other distinguished person came to have an +audience with the king, it was the custom for him to advance and mount to the +thirty-first step of the throne, and the king would descend thirty-six steps +and speak to him. But if one of the people came to have speech with the king, +he ascended only to the third step, and the king would come down four steps +from his seat, and address him thence. It was also the custom that one who knew +all the seventy languages ascended the seventy steps of the throne to the top, +but if a man knew only some of the seventy languages, he was permitted to +ascend as many steps as he knew languages, whether they were many or, few. And +another custom of the Egyptians was that none could reign over them unless he +was master of all the seventy languages. +</p> + +<p> +When Joseph came before the king, he bowed down to the ground, and he ascended +to the third step, while the king sat upon the fourth from the top, and spake +with Joseph, saying:[170] "O young man, my servant beareth witness concerning +thee, that thou art the best and most discerning person I can consult with. I +pray thee, vouchsafe unto me the same favors which thou didst bestow on this +servant of mine, and tell me what events they are which the visions of my +dreams foreshow. I desire thee to suppress naught out of fear, nor shalt thou +flatter me with lying words, or with words that please me. Tell me the truth, +though it be sad and alarming."[171] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph asked the king first whence he knew that the interpretation given by the +wise men of his country was not true, and Pharaoh replied, "I saw the dream and +its interpretation together, and therefore they cannot make a fool of me."[172] +In his modesty Joseph denied that he was an adept at interpreting dreams. He +said, "It is not in me; it is in the hand of God, and if it be the wish of God, +He will permit me to announce tidings of peace to Pharaoh." And for such +modesty he was rewarded by sovereignty over Egypt, for the Lord doth honor them +that honor Him. Thus was also Daniel rewarded for his speech to Nebuchadnezzar: +</p> + +<p> +"There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, but as for me, this secret is +not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the +intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou +mayest know the thoughts of thy heart."[173] +</p> + +<p> +Then Pharaoh began to tell his dream, only he omitted some points and narrated +others inaccurately in order that he might test the vaunted powers of Joseph. +But the youth corrected him, and pieced the dreams together exactly as they had +visited Pharaoh in the night, and the king was greatly amazed.[174] Joseph was +able to accomplish this feat, because he had dreamed the same dream as Pharaoh, +at the same time as he.[175] Thereupon Pharaoh retold his dreams, with all +details and circumstances, and precisely as he had seen them in his sleep, +except that he left out the word Nile in the description of the seven lean +kine, because this river was worshipped by the Egyptians, and he hesitated to +say that aught that is evil had come from his god.[176] +</p> + +<p> +Now Joseph proceeded to give the king the true interpretation of the two +dreams. They were both a revelation concerning the seven good years impending +and the seven years of famine to follow them. In reality, it had been the +purpose of God to bring a famine of forty-two years' duration upon Egypt, but +only two years of this distressful period were inflicted upon the land, for the +sake of the blessing of Jacob when he came to Egypt in the second year of the +famine. The other forty years fell upon the land at the time of the prophet +Ezekiel.[177] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph did more than merely interpret the dreams. When the king gave voice to +doubts concerning the interpretation, he told him signs and tokens. He said: +"Let this be a sign to thee that my words are true, and my advice is excellent: +Thy wife, who is sitting upon the birthstool at this moment, will bring forth a +son, and thou wilt rejoice over him, but in the midst of thy joy the sad +tidings will be told thee of the death of thine older son, who was born unto +thee but two years ago, and thou must needs find consolation for the loss of +the one in the birth of the other." +</p> + +<p> +Scarcely had Joseph withdrawn from the presence of the king, when the report of +the birth of a son was brought to Pharaoh, and soon after also the report of +the death of his first-born, who had suddenly dropped to the floor and passed +away. Thereupon he sent for all the grandees of his realm, and all his +servants, and he spake to them, saying: "Ye have heard the words of the Hebrew, +and ye have seen that the signs which he foretold were accomplished, and I also +know that he hath interpreted the dream truly. Advise me now how the land may +be saved from the ravages of the famine. Look hither and thither whether you +can find a man of wisdom and understanding, whom I may set over the land, for I +am convinced that the land can be saved only if we heed the counsel of the +Hebrew." The grandees and the princes admitted that safety could be secured +only by adhering to the advice given by Joseph, and they proposed that the +king, in his sagacity, choose a man whom he considered equal to the great +task.[178] Thereupon Pharaoh said: "If we traversed and searched the earth from +end to end, we could find none such as Joseph, a man in whom is the spirit of +God.[179] If ye think well thereof, I will set him over the land which he hath +saved by his wisdom."[180] +</p> + +<p> +The astrologers, who were his counsellors, demurred, saying, "A slave, one whom +his present owner hath acquired for twenty pieces of silver, thou proposest to +set over us as master?" But Pharaoh maintained that Joseph was not only a +free-born man beyond the peradventure of a doubt, but also the scion of a noble +family.[181] However, the princes of Pharaoh were not silenced, they continued +to give utterance to their opposition to Joseph, saying: "Dost thou not +remember the immutable law of the Egyptians, that none may serve as king or as +viceroy unless he speaks all the languages of men? And this Hebrew knows none +but his own tongue, and how were it possible that a man should rule over us who +cannot even speak the language of our land? Send and have him fetched hither, +and examine him in respect to all the things a ruler should know and have, and +then decide as seemeth wise in thy sight." +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh yielded, he promised to do as they wished, and he appointed the +following day as the time for examining Joseph, who had returned to his prison +in the meantime, for, on account of his wife, his master feared to have him +stay in his house. During the night Gabriel appeared unto Joseph, and taught +him all the seventy languages, and he acquired them quickly after the angel had +changed his name from Joseph to Jehoseph. The next morning, when he came into +the presence of Pharaoh and the nobles of the kingdom, inasmuch as he knew +every one of the seventy languages, he mounted all the steps of the royal +throne, until he reached the seventieth, the highest, upon which sat the king, +and Pharaoh and his princes rejoiced that Joseph fulfilled all the requirements +needed by one that was to rule over Egypt. +</p> + +<p> +The king said to Joseph: "Thou didst give me the counsel to look out a man +discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt, that he may in his +wisdom save the land from the famine. As God hath showed thee all this, and as +thou art master of all the languages of the world, there is none so discreet +and wise as thou. Thou shalt therefore be the second in the land after Pharaoh, +and according unto thy word shall all my people go in and go out; my princes +and my servants shall receive their monthly appanage from thee; before thee the +people shall prostrate themselves, only in the throne will I be greater than +thou."[182] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap15"></a>THE RULER OF EGYPT</h2> + +<p> +Now Joseph reaped the harvest of his virtues, and according to the measure of +his merits God granted him reward. The mouth that refused the kiss of unlawful +passion and sin received the kiss of homage from the people; the neck that did +not bow itself unto sin was adorned with the gold chain that Pharaoh put upon +it; the hands that did not touch sin wore the signet ring that Pharaoh took +from his own hand and put upon Joseph's; the body that did not come in contact +with sin was arrayed in vestures of byssus; the feet that made no steps in the +direction of sin reposed in the royal chariot, and the thoughts that kept +themselves undefiled by sin were proclaimed as wisdom.[183] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph was installed in his high position, and invested with the insignia of +his office, with solemn ceremony. The king took off his signet ring from his +hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in princely apparel, and +set a gold crown upon his head, and laid a gold chain about his neck. Then he +commanded his servants to make Joseph to ride in his second chariot, which went +by the side of the chariot wherein sat the king, and he also made him to ride +upon a great and strong horse of the king's horses, and his servants conducted +him through the streets of the city of Egypt. Musicians, no less than a +thousand striking cymbals and a thousand blowing flutes, and five thousand men +with drawn swords gleaming in the air formed the vanguard. Twenty thousand of +the king's grandees girt with gold-embroidered leather belts marched at the +right of Joseph, and as many at the left of him.[184] The women and the maidens +of the nobility looked out of the windows to gaze upon Joseph's beauty, and +they poured down chains upon him, and rings and jewels, that he might but +direct his eyes toward them. Yet he did not look up, and as a reward God made +him proof against the evil eye, nor has it ever had the power of inflicting +harm upon any of his descendants.[185] Servants of the king, preceding him and +following him, burnt incense upon his path, and cassia, and all manner of sweet +spices, and strewed myrrh and aloes wherever he went. Twenty heralds walked +before him, and they proclaimed: "This is the man whom the king bath chosen to +be the second after him. All the affairs of state will be administered by him, +and whoever resisteth his commands, or refuseth to bow down to the ground +before him, he will die the death of the rebel against the king and the king's +deputy." +</p> + +<p> +Without delay the people prostrated themselves, and they cried, "Long live the +king, and long live the deputy of the king!" And Joseph, looking down from his +horse upon the people and their exultation, exclaimed, his eyes directed +heavenward: "The Lord raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the +needy from the dunghill. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in +Thee." +</p> + +<p> +After Joseph, accompanied by Pharaoh's officers and princes, had journeyed +through the whole city of Egypt, and viewed all there was therein, he returned +to the king on the selfsame day, and the king gave him fields and vineyards as +a present, and also three thousand talents of silver, and a thousand talents of +gold, and onyx stones and bdellium, and many other costly things. The king +commanded, moreover, that every Egyptian give Joseph a gift, else he would be +put to death. A platform was erected in the open street, and there all +deposited their presents, and among the things were many of gold and silver, as +well as precious stones, carried thither by the people and also the grandees, +for they saw that Joseph enjoyed the favor of the king. Furthermore, Joseph +received one hundred slaves from Pharaoh, and they were to do all his bidding, +and he himself acquired many more, for he resided in a spacious palace. Three +years it took to build it. Special magnificence was lavished upon the hall of +state, which was his audience chamber, and upon the throne fashioned of gold +and silver and inlaid with precious stones, whereon there was a representation +of the whole land of Egypt and of the river Nile. And as Joseph multiplied in +riches, so he increased also in wisdom, for God added to his wisdom that all +might love and honor him.[186] Pharaoh called him Zaphenath-paneah, he who can +reveal secret things with ease, and rejoiceth the heart of man therewith. Each +letter of the name Zaphenath-paneah has a meaning, too. The first, Zadde, +stands for Zofeh, seer; Pe for Podeh, redeemer; Nun for Nabi, prophet; Taw for +Tomek, supporter; Pe for Poter, interpreter of dreams; Ain for Arum, clever; +Nun for Nabon, discreet; and Het for Hakam, wise.[187] +</p> + +<p> +The name of Joseph's wife pointed to her history in the same way. Asenath was +the daughter of Dinah and Hamor, but she was abandoned at the borders of Egypt, +only, that people might know who she was, Jacob engraved the story of her +parentage and her birth upon a gold plate fastened around her neck. The day on +which Asenath was exposed, Potiphar went walking with his servants near the +city wall, and they heard the voice of a child. At the captain's bidding they +brought the baby to him, and when he read her history from the gold plate, he +determined to adopt her. He took her home with him, and raised her as his +daughter. The Alef in Asenath stands for On, where Potiphar was priest; the +Samek for Setirah, Hidden, for she was kept concealed on account of her +extraordinary beauty; the Nun for Nohemet, for she wept and entreated that she +might be delivered from the house of the heathen Potiphar; and the Taw for +Tammah, the perfect one, on account of her pious, perfect deeds.[188] +</p> + +<p> +Asenath had saved Joseph's life while she was still an infant in arms. When +Joseph was accused of immoral conduct by Potiphar's wife and the other women, +and his master was on the point of having him hanged, Asenath approached her +foster-father, and she assured him under oath that the charge against Joseph +was false. Then spake God, "As thou livest, because thou didst try to defend +Joseph, thou shalt be the woman to bear the tribes that he is appointed to +beget.[189] +</p> + +<p> +Asenath bore him two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, during the seven years of +plenty, for in the time of famine Joseph refrained from all indulgence in the +pleasures of life.[190] They were bred in chastity and fear of God by their +father, and they were wise, and well-instructed in all knowledge and in the +affairs of state, so that they became the favorites of the court, and were +educated with the royal princes. +</p> + +<p> +Before the famine broke over the land, Joseph found an opportunity of rendering +the king a great service. He equipped an army of four thousand six hundred men, +providing all the soldiers with shields and spears and bucklers and helmets and +slings. With this army, and aided by the servants and officers of the king, and +by the people of Egypt, he carried on a war with Tarshish in the first year +after his appointment as viceroy. The people of Tarshish had invaded the +territory of the Ishmaelites, and the latter, few in number at that time, were +sore pressed, and applied to the king of Egypt for help against their enemies. +At the head of his host of heroes, Joseph marched to the land of Havilah, where +he was joined by the Ishmaelites, and with united forces they fought against +the people of Tarshish, routed them utterly, settled their land with the +Ishmaelites, while the defeated men took refuge with their brethren in Javan. +Joseph and his army returned to Egypt, and not a man had they lost. +</p> + +<p> +In a little while Joseph's prophecy was confirmed: that year and the six +following years were years of plenty, as he had foretold.[191] The harvest was +so ample that a single ear produced two heaps of grain,[192] and Joseph made +circumspect arrangements to provide abundantly for the years of famine. He +gathered up all the grain, and in the city situated in the middle of each +district he laid up the produce from round about, and had ashes and earth +strewn on the garnered food from the very soil on which it had been grown;[193] +also he preserved the grain in the ear; all these being precautions taken to +guard against rot and mildew. The inhabitants of Egypt also tried, on their own +account, to put aside a portion of the superabundant harvest of the seven +fruitful years against the need of the future, but when the grievous time of +dearth came, and they went to their storehouses to bring forth the treasured +grain, behold, it had rotted, and become unfit for food.[194] The famine broke +in upon the people with such suddenness that the bread gave out unexpectedly as +they sat at their tables, they had not even a bite of bran bread. +</p> + +<p> +Thus they were driven to apply to Joseph and beseech his help, and he +admonished them, saying, "Give up your allegiance to your deceitful idols, and +say, Blessed is He who giveth bread unto all flesh." But they refused to deny +their lying gods, and they betook themselves to Pharaoh, only to be told by +him, "Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do!" For this Pharaoh was rewarded. +God granted him long life and a long reign, until he became arrogant, and +well-merited punishment overtook him.[195] +</p> + +<p> +When the Egyptians approached Joseph with the petition for bread, he spoke, +saying, "I give no food to the uncircumcised. Go hence, and circumcise +yourselves, and then return hither." They entered the presence of Pharaoh, and +complained to him regarding Joseph, but he said as before, "Go unto Joseph!" +And they replied, "We come from Joseph, and he hath spoken roughly unto us, +saying, Go hence and circumcise yourselves! We warned thee in the beginning +that he is a Hebrew, and would treat us in such wise." Pharaoh said to them: "O +ye fools, did he not prophesy through the holy spirit and proclaim to the whole +world, that there would come seven years of plenty to be followed by seven +years of dearth? Why did you not save the yield of one or two years against the +day of your need?" +</p> + +<p> +Weeping, they made reply: "The grain that we put aside during the good years +hath rotted." +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh: "Have ye nothing over of the flour of yesterday?" +</p> + +<p> +The Egyptians: "The very bread in the basket rotted!" +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh: "Why?" +</p> + +<p> +The Egyptians: "Because Joseph willed thus!" +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh: "O ye fools, if his word hath power over the grain, making it to rot +when he desireth it to rot, then also must we die, if so be his wish concerning +us. Go, therefore, unto him, and do as he bids you."[196] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap16"></a>JOSEPH'S BRETHREN IN EGYPT</h2> + +<p> +The famine, which inflicted hardships first upon the wealthy among the +Egyptians, gradually extended its ravages as far as Phoenicia, Arabia, and +Palestine.[197] Though the sons of Jacob, being young men, frequented the +streets and the highways, yet they were ignorant of what their old home-keeping +father Jacob knew, that corn could be procured in Egypt. Jacob even suspected +that Joseph was in Egypt. His prophetic spirit, which forsook him during the +time of his grief for his son, yet manifested itself now and again in dim +visions, and he was resolved to send his sons down into Egypt.[198] There was +another reason. Though he was not yet in want, he nevertheless had them go +thither for food, because he was averse from arousing the envy of the sons of +Esau and Ishmael by his comfortable state.[199] For the same reason, to avoid +friction with the surrounding peoples, he bade his sons not appear in public +with bread in their hands, or in the accoutrements of war.[200] And as he knew +that they were likely to attract attention, on account of their heroic stature +and handsome appearance, he cautioned them against going to the city all +together through the same gate, or, indeed, showing themselves all together +anywhere in public, that the evil eye be not cast upon them.[201] +</p> + +<p> +The famine in Canaan inspired Joseph with the hope of seeing his brethren. To +make sure of their coming, he issued a decree concerning the purchase of corn +in Egypt, as follows: "By order of the king and his deputy, and the princes of +the realm, be it enacted that he who desireth to buy grain in Egypt may not +send his slave hither to do his bidding, but he must charge his own sons +therewith. An Egyptian or a Canaanite that hath bought grain and then selleth +it again shall be put to death, for none may buy more than he requireth for the +needs of his household. Also, who cometh with two or three beasts of burden, +and loads them up with grain, shall be put to death." +</p> + +<p> +At the gates of the city of Egypt, Joseph stationed guards, whose office was to +inquire and take down the name of all that should come to buy corn, and also +the name of their father and their grandfather, and every evening the list of +names thus made was handed to Joseph. These precautions were bound to bring +Joseph's brethren down to Egypt, and also acquaint him with their coming as +soon as they entered the land. +</p> + +<p> +On their journey his brethren thought more of Joseph than of their errand. They +said to one another: "We know that Joseph was carried down into Egypt, and we +will make search for him there, and if we should find him, we will ransom him +from his master, and if his master should refuse to sell him, we will use +force, though we perish ourselves."[202] +</p> + +<p> +At the gates of the city of Egypt, the brethren of Joseph were asked what their +names were, and the names of their father and grandfather. The guard on duty +happened to be Manasseh, the son of Joseph. The brethren submitted to being +questioned, saying "Let us go into the town, and we shall see whether this +taking down of our names be a matter of taxes. If it be so, we shall not demur; +but if it be something else, we shall see to-morrow what can be done in the +case."[203] +</p> + +<p> +On the evening of the day they entered Egypt, Joseph discovered their names in +the list, which he was in the habit of examining daily, and he commanded that +all stations for the sale of corn be closed, except one only. Furthermore, even +at this station no sales were to be negotiated unless the name of the would-be +purchaser was first obtained. His brethren, with whose names Joseph furnished +the overseer of the place, were to be seized and brought to him as soon as they +put in appearance. +</p> + +<p> +But the first thought of the brethren was for Joseph, and their first concern, +to seek him. For three days they made search for him everywhere, even in the +most disreputable quarters of the city. Meantime Joseph was in communication +with the overseer of the station kept open for the sale of corn, and, hearing +that his brethren had not appeared there, he dispatched some of his servants to +look for them, but they found them neither in Mizraim, the city of Egypt, nor +in Goshen, nor in Raamses. Thereupon he sent sixteen servants forth to make a +house to house search for them in the city, and they discovered the brethren of +Joseph in a place of ill-fame and haled them before their master. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap17"></a>JOSEPH MEETS HIS BRETHREN</h2> + +<p> +A large crown of gold on his head, apparelled in byssus and purple, and +surrounded by his valiant men, Joseph was seated upon his throne in his palace. +His brethren fell down before him in great admiration of his beauty, his +stately appearance, and his majesty.[204] They did not know him, for when +Joseph was sold into slavery, he was a beardless youth. But he knew his +brethren, their appearance had not changed in aught, for they were bearded men +when he was separated from them.[205] +</p> + +<p> +He was inclined to make himself known to them as their brother, but an angel +appeared unto him, the same that had brought him from Shechem to his brethren +at Dothan, and spoke, saying, "These came hither with intent to kill thee." +Later, when the brethren returned home, and gave an account of their adventures +to Jacob, they told him that a man had accused them falsely before the ruler of +Egypt, not knowing that he who incited Joseph against them was an angel. It was +in reference to this matter, and meaning their accuser, that Jacob, when he +dispatched his sons on their second expedition to Egypt, prayed to God, "God +Almighty give you mercy before the man."[206] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph made himself strange unto his brethren, and he took his cup in his hand, +knocked against it, and said, "By this magic cup I know that ye are spies." +They replied, "Thy servants came from Canaan into Egypt for to buy corn." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "If it be true that ye came hither to buy corn, why is it that each one +of you entered the city by a separate gate?"[207] +</p> + +<p> +The brethren: "We are ALL the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and he +bade us not enter a city together by the same gate, that we attract not the +attention of the people of the place." Unconsciously they had spoken as seers, +for the word ALL included Joseph as one of their number.[208] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Verily, ye are spies! All the people that come to buy corn return home +without delay, but ye have lingered here three days, without making any +purchases, and all the time you have been gadding about in the disreputable +parts of the city, and only spies are wont to do thus." +</p> + +<p> +The brethren: "We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of Jacob, the son +of Isaac, the son of the Hebrew Abraham. The youngest is this day with our +father in Canaan, and one hath disappeared. Him did we look for in this land, +and we looked for him even in the disreputable houses." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Have ye made search in every other place on earth, and was Egypt the +only land left? And if it be true that he is in Egypt, what should a brother of +yours be doing in a house of ill-fame, if, indeed, ye are the descendants of +Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?" +</p> + +<p> +The brethren: "We did hear that some Ishmaelites stole our brother, and sold +him into slavery in Egypt, and as our brother was exceeding fair in form and +face, we thought he might have been sold for illicit uses, and therefore we +searched even the disreputable houses to find him." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "You speak deceitful words, when you call yourselves sons of Abraham. +By the life of Pharaoh, ye are spies, and you did go from one disreputable +house to another that none might discover you."[209] +</p> + +<p> +The expression "by the life of Pharaoh" might have betrayed Joseph's real +feeling to his brethren, had they but known his habit of taking this oath only +when he meant to avoid keeping his word later.[210] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph continued to speak to his brethren: "Let us suppose you should discover +your brother serving as a slave, and his master should demand a high sum for +his ransom, would you pay it?" +</p> + +<p> +The brethren: "Yes!" +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "But suppose his master should refuse to surrender him for any price in +the world, what would you do?" +</p> + +<p> +The brethren: "If he yields not our brother to us, we will kill the master, and +carry off our brother." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Now see how true my words were, that ye are spies. By your own +admission ye have come to slay the inhabitants of the land. Report hath told us +that two of you did massacre the people of Shechem on account of the wrong done +to your sister, and now have ye come down into Egypt to kill the Egyptians for +the sake of your brother. I shall be convinced of your innocence only if you +consent to send one of your number home and fetch your youngest brother +hither." +</p> + +<p> +His brethren refused compliance, and Joseph caused them to be put into prison +by seventy of his valiant men, and there they remained for three days.[211] God +never allows the pious to languish in distress longer than three days, and so +it was a Divine dispensation that the brethren of Joseph were released on the +third day,[212] and were permitted by Joseph to return home, on condition, +however, that one of them remain behind as hostage. +</p> + +<p> +The difference between Joseph and his brethren can be seen here. Though he +retained one of them to be bound in the prison house, he still said, "I fear +God," and dismissed the others, but when he was in their power, they gave no +thought to God.[213] At this time, to be sure, their conduct was such as is +becoming to the pious, who accept their fate with calm resignation, and +acknowledge the righteousness of God, for He metes out reward and punishment +measure for measure. They recognized that their present punishment was in +return for the heartless treatment they had dealt out to Joseph, paying no heed +to his distress, though he fell at the feet of each of them, weeping, and +entreating them not to sell him into slavery. Reuben reminded the others that +they had two wrongs to expiate, the wrong against their brother and the wrong +against their father, who was so grieved that he exclaimed, "I will go down to +the grave to my son mourning." +</p> + +<p> +The brethren of Joseph knew not that the viceroy of Egypt understood Hebrew, +and could follow their words, for Manasseh stood and was an interpreter between +them and him.[214] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph decided to keep Simon as hostage in Egypt, for he had been one of the +two—Levi was the other—to advise that Joseph be put to death, and only the +intercession of Reuben and Judah had saved him. He did not detain Levi, too, +for he feared, if both remained behind together, Egypt might suffer the same +fate at their hands as the city of Shechem.[215] Also, he preferred Simon to +Levi, because Simon was not a favorite among the sons of Jacob, and they would +not resist his detention in Egypt too violently, while they might annihilate +Egypt, as aforetime Shechem, if they were deprived of Levi, their wise man and +high priest.[216] Besides, it was Simon that had lowered Joseph into the pit, +wherefore he had a particular grudge against him.[217] +</p> + +<p> +When the brethren yielded to Joseph's demand, and consented to leave their +brother behind as hostage, Simon said to them, "Ye desire to do with me as ye +did with Joseph!" But they replied, in despair: "What can we do? Our households +will perish of hunger." Simon made answer, "Do as ye will, but as for me, let +me see the man that will venture to cast me into prison." Joseph sent word to +Pharaoh to let him have seventy of his valiant men, to aid him in arresting +robbers. But when the seventy appeared upon the scene, and were about to lay +hands on Simon, he uttered a loud cry, and his assailants fell to the floor and +knocked out their teeth.[218] Pharaoh's valiant men, as well as all the people +that stood about Joseph, fled affrighted, only Joseph and his son Manasseh +remained calm and unmoved. Manasseh rose up, dealt Simon a blow on the back of +his neck, put manacles upon his hands and fetters upon his feet, and cast him +into prison. Joseph's brethren were greatly amazed at the heroic strength of +the youth, and Simon said, "This blow was not dealt by an Egyptian, but by one +belonging to our house."[219] +</p> + +<p> +He was bound and taken to prison before the eyes of the other brethren of +Joseph, but as soon as they were out of sight, Joseph ordered good fare to be +set before him, and he treated him with great kindness.[220] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph permitted his nine other brethren to depart, carrying corn with them in +abundance, but he impressed upon them that they must surely return and bring +their youngest brother with them. On the way, Levi, who felt lonely without his +constant companion Simon, opened his sack, and he espied the money he had paid +for the corn. They all trembled, and their hearts failed them, and they said, +"Where, then, is the lovingkindness of God toward our fathers Abraham, Isaac, +and Jacob, seeing that He hath delivered us into the hands of the Egyptian +king, that he may raise false accusations against us?" And Judah said, "Verily, +we are guilty concerning our brother, we have sinned against God, in that we +sold our brother, our own flesh, and why do ye ask, Where, then, is the +lovingkindness of God toward our fathers?" +</p> + +<p> +Reuben spoke in the same way: "Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against +the child, and ye would not hear? And now the Lord doth demand him of us. How +can you say, Where, then, is the lovingkindness of God toward our fathers, +though you have sinned against Him?" +</p> + +<p> +They proceeded on their journey home, and their father met them on the way. +Jacob was astonished not to see Simon with them, and in reply to his questions, +they told him all that had befallen them in Egypt. Then Jacob cried out: "What +have ye done? I sent Joseph to you to see whether it be well with you, and ye +said, An evil beast hath devoured him. Simon went forth with you for to buy +corn, and you say, The king of Egypt hath cast him into prison. And now ye will +take Benjamin away and kill him, too. Ye will bring down my gray hairs with +sorrow to the grave."[221] +</p> + +<p> +The words of Jacob, which he uttered, "Me have ye bereaved of my children," +were meant to intimate to his sons that he suspected them of the death of +Joseph and of Simon's disappearance as well, and their reports concerning both +he regarded as inventions.[222] What made him inconsolable was that now, having +lost two of his sons, he could not hope to see the Divine promise fulfilled, +that he should be the ancestor of twelve tribes.[223] He was quite resolved in +his mind, therefore, not to let Benjamin go away with his brethren under any +condition whatsoever, and he vouchsafed Reuben no reply when he said, "Slay my +two sons, if I bring him not to thee." He considered it beneath his dignity to +give an answer to such balderdash.[224] "My first-born son," he said to +himself, "is a fool. What will it profit me, if I slay his two sons? Does he +not know that his sons are equally mine?"[225] Judah advised his brethren to +desist from urging their father then; he would consent, he thought, to whatever +expedients were found necessary, as soon as their bread gave out, and a second +journey to Egypt became imperative.[226] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap18"></a>THE SECOND JOURNEY TO EGYPT</h2> + +<p> +When the supplies bought in Egypt were eaten up, and the family of Jacob began +to suffer with hunger, the little children came to him, and they said, "Give us +bread, that we die not of hunger before thee." The words of the little ones +brought scorching tears to the eyes of Jacob, and he summoned his sons and bade +them go again down into Egypt and buy food.[227] But Judah spake unto him, "The +man did solemnly protest unto us, saying that we should not see his face, +except our brother Benjamin be with us, and we cannot appear before him with +idle pretexts." And Jacob said, "Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me as to tell +the man whether ye had yet a brother?" It was the first and only time Jacob +indulged in empty talk, and God said, "I made it My business to raise his son +to the position of ruler of Egypt, and he complains, and says, Wherefore dealt +ye so ill with-me?" And Judah protested against the reproach, that he had +initiated the Egyptian viceroy in their family relations, with the words: "Why, +he knew the very wood of which our baby coaches are made![228] Father," he +continued, "if Benjamin goes with us, he may, indeed, be taken from us, but +also he may not. This is a doubtful matter, but it is certain that if he does +not go with us, we shall all die of hunger. It is better not to concern thyself +about what is doubtful, and guide thy actions by what is certain.[229] The king +of Egypt is a strong and mighty king, and if we go to him without our brother, +we shall all be put to death. Dost thou not know, and hast thou not heard, that +this king is very powerful and wise, and there is none like unto him in all the +earth? We have seen all the kings of the earth, but none like unto the king of +Egypt. One would surely say that among all the kings of the earth there is none +greater than Abimelech king of the Philistines, yet the king of Egypt is +greater and mightier than he, and Abimelech can hardly be compared with one of +his officers. Father, thou hast not seen his palace and his throne, and all his +servants standing before him. Thou hast not seen that king upon his throne, in +all his magnificence and with his royal insignia, arrayed in his royal robes, +with a large golden crown upon his head. Thou hast not seen the honor and the +glory that God hath given unto him, for there is none like unto him in all the +earth. Father, thou hast not seen the wisdom, the understanding, and the +knowledge that God has given in his heart. We heard his sweet voice when he +spake unto us. We know not, father, who acquainted him with our names, and all +that befell us. He asked also concerning thee, saying, Is your father still +alive, and is it well with him? Thou hast not seen the affairs of the +government of Egypt regulated by him, for none asketh his lord Pharaoh about +them. Thou hast not seen the awe and the fear that he imposes upon all the +Egyptians. Even we went out from his presence threatening to do unto Egypt as +unto the cities of the Amorites, and exceedingly wroth by reason of all his +words that he spake concerning us as spies, yet when we came again before him, +his terror fell upon us all, and none of us was able to speak a word to him, +great or small. Now, therefore, father, send the lad with us, and we will arise +and go down into Egypt, and buy food to eat, that we die not of hunger."[230] +</p> + +<p> +Judah offered his portion in the world to come as surety for Benjamin, and thus +solemnly he promised to bring him back safe and sound, and Jacob granted his +request, and permitted Benjamin to go down into Egypt with his other sons. They +also carried with them choice presents from their father for the ruler of +Egypt, things that arouse wonder outside of Palestine, such as the murex, which +is the snail that produces the Tyrian purple, and various kinds of balm, and +almond oil, and pistachio oil, and honey as hard as stone. Furthermore, Jacob +put double money in their hand to provide against a rise in prices in the +meantime. And after all these matters were attended to, he spake to his sons, +saying: "Here is money, and here is a present, and also your brother. Is there +aught else that you need?" And they replied, Yes, we need this, besides, that +thou shouldst intercede for us with God." Then their father prayed:[231] "O +Lord, Thou who at the time of creation didst call Enough! to heaven and earth +when they stretched themselves out further and further toward infinity, set a +limit to my sufferings, too, say unto them, Enough![232] God Almighty give you +mercy before the ruler of Egypt, that he may release unto you Joseph, Simon, +and Benjamin." +</p> + +<p> +This prayer was an intercession, not only for the sons of Jacob, but also for +their descendants—that God would deliver the Ten Tribes in time to come, as He +delivered the two, Judah and Benjamin, and after He permitted the destruction +of two Temples, He would grant endless continuance to the third.[233] +</p> + +<p> +Jacob also put a letter addressed to the viceroy of Egypt into the hands of his +son. The letter ran thus: "From thy servant Jacob, the son of Isaac, the +grandson of Abraham, prince of God, to the mighty and wise king +Zaphenathpaneah, the ruler of Egypt, peace! I make known unto my lord the king +that the famine is sore with us in the land of Canaan, and I have therefore +sent my sons unto thee, to buy us a little food, that we may live, and not die. +My children surrounded me, and begged for something to eat, but, alas, I am +very old, and I cannot see with mine eyes, for they are heavy with the weight +of years, and also on account of my never-ceasing tears for my son Joseph, who +hath been taken from me. I charged my sons not to pass through the gate all +together at the same time, when they arrived in the city of Egypt, in +consideration of the inhabitants of the land, that they might not take undue +notice of them. Also I bade them go up and down in the land of Egypt and seek +my son Joseph, mayhap they would find him there. +</p> + +<p> +"This did they do, but thou didst therefore account them as spies. We have +heard the report of thy wisdom and sagacity. How, then, canst thou look upon +their countenances, and yet declare them to be spies? Especially as we have +heard thou didst interpret Pharaoh's dream, and didst foretell the coming of +the famine, are we amazed that thou, in thy discernment, couldst not +distinguish whether they be spies or not. +</p> + +<p> +"And, now, O my lord king, I send unto thee my son Benjamin, as thou didst +demand of my other sons. I pray thee, take good care of him until thou sendest +him back to me in peace with his brethren. Hast thou not heard, and dost thou +not know, what our God did unto Pharaoh when he took our mother Sarah unto +himself? Or what happened unto Abimelech on account of her? And what our father +Abraham did unto the nine kings of Elam, how he killed them and exterminated +their armies, though he had but few men with him? Or hast thou not heard what +my two sons Simon and Levi did to the eight cities of the Amorites, which they +destroyed on account of their sister Dinah? Benjamin consoled them for the loss +of Joseph. What, then, will they do unto him that stretcheth forth the hand of +power to snatch him away from them? +</p> + +<p> +"Knowest thou not, O king of Egypt, that the might of our God is with us, and +that He always hearkens unto our prayers, and never forsakes us? Had I called +upon God to rise up against thee when my sons told me how thou didst act toward +them, thou and thy people, ye all would have been annihilated ere Benjamin +could come down to thee. But I reflected that Simon my son was abiding in thy +house, and perhaps thou wast doing kindnesses unto him, and therefore I invoked +not the punishment of God upon thee. Now my son Benjamin goeth down unto thee +with my other sons. Take heed unto thyself, keep thy eyes directed upon him, +and God will direct His eye upon all thy kingdom. +</p> + +<p> +"I have said all now that is in my heart. My sons take their youngest brother +down into Egypt with them, and do thou send them all back to me in peace." +</p> + +<p> +This letter Jacob put into the keeping of Judah, charging him to deliver it to +the ruler of Egypt. His last words to his sons were an admonition to take good +care of Benjamin and not leave him out of their sight, either on the journey or +after their arrival in Egypt. He bade farewell to them, and then turned in +prayer to God, saying: "O Lord of heaven and earth! Remember Thy covenant with +our father Abraham. Remember also my father Isaac, and grant grace unto my +sons, and deliver them not into the hands of the king of Egypt. O my God, do it +for the sake of Thy mercy, redeem my sons and save them from the hands of the +Egyptians, and restore their two brethren unto them." +</p> + +<p> +Also the women and the children in the house of Jacob prayed to God amid tears, +and entreated Him to redeem their husbands and their fathers out of the hands +of the king of Egypt.[234] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap19"></a>JOSEPH AND BENJAMIN</h2> + +<p> +Great was the joy of Joseph when his brethren stood before him and Benjamin was +with them. In his youngest brother he saw the true counterpart of his +father.[235] He ordered his son Manasseh,[236] the steward of his house, to +bring the men into the palace, and make ready a meal for them. But he was to +take care to prepare the meat dishes in the presence of the guests, so that +they might see with their own eyes that the cattle had been slaughtered +according to the ritual prescriptions, and the sinew of the hip which is upon +the hollow of the thigh had been removed.[237] +</p> + +<p> +The dinner to which Joseph invited his brethren was a Sabbath meal, for he +observed the seventh day even before the revelation of the law. The sons of +Jacob refused the invitation of the steward, and a scuffle ensued. While he +tried to force them into the banqueting hall, they tried to force him out,[238] +for they feared it was but a ruse to get possession of them and their asses, on +account of the money they had found in their sacks on their return from their +first journey to Egypt. In their modesty they put the loss of their beasts upon +the same level as the loss of their personal liberty. To the average man +property is as precious as life itself.[239] +</p> + +<p> +Standing at the door of Joseph's house, they spake to the steward, and said: +"We are in badly reduced circumstances. In our country we supported others, and +now we depend upon thee to support us." After these introductory words, they +offered him the money they had found in their sacks. The steward reassured them +concerning the money, saying, "However it may be, whether for the sake of your +own merits, or for the sake of the merits of your fathers, God hath caused you +to find a treasure, for the money ye paid for the corn came into my hand." Then +he brought Simon out to them. Their brother looked like a leather bottle, so +fat and rotund had he grown during his sojourn in Egypt.[240] He told his +brethren what kind treatment had been accorded unto him. The very moment they +left the city he had been released from prison, and thereafter he had been +entertained with splendor in the house of the ruler of Egypt. +</p> + +<p> +When Joseph made his appearance, Judah took Benjamin by the hand, and presented +him to the viceroy, and they all bowed down themselves to him to the +earth.[241] Joseph asked them concerning the welfare of their father and their +grandfather, and they made reply, "Thy servant our father is well; he is yet +alive," and Joseph knew from their words that his grandfather Isaac was no +more.[242] He had died at the time when Joseph was released from prison, and +the joy of God in the liberation of Joseph was overcast by His sorrow for +Isaac.[243] Then Judah handed his father's letter to Joseph, who was so moved +at seeing the well-known handwriting that he had to retire to his chamber and +weep. When he came back, he summoned Benjamin to approach close to him, and he +laid his hand upon his youngest brother's head, and blessed him with the words, +"God be gracious unto thee, my son."[244] His father had once mentioned "the +children which God hath graciously given Thy servant," and as Benjamin was not +among the children thus spoken of, for he was born later, Joseph compensated +him now by blessing him with the grace of God.[245] +</p> + +<p> +The table was set in three divisions, for Joseph, for his brethren, and for the +Egyptians. The sons of Jacob did not venture to eat of the dishes set before +them, they were afraid they might not have been prepared according to the +ritual prescriptions—a punishment upon Joseph for having slandered his +brethren, whom he once charged with not being punctilious in the observance of +the dietary laws.[246] The Egyptians, again, could not sit at the same table +with the sons of Jacob, because the latter ate the flesh of the animals to +which the former paid divine worship.[247] +</p> + +<p> +When all was ready, and the guests were to be seated, Joseph raised his cup, +and, pretending to inhale his knowledge from it, he said, "Judah is king, +therefore let him sit at the head of the table, and let Reuben the first-born +take the second seat," and thus he assigned places to all his brethren +corresponding to their dignity and their age.[248] Moreover, he seated the +brothers together who were the sons of the same mother, and when he reached +Benjamin, he said, "I know that the youngest among you has no brother borne by +his own mother, next to whom he might be seated, and also I have none, +therefore he may take his place next to me." +</p> + +<p> +The brethren marvelled one with another at all this. During the meal, Joseph +took his portion, and gave it to Benjamin, and his wife Asenath followed his +example, and also Ephraim and Manasseh, so that Benjamin had four portions in +addition to that which he had received like the other sons of Jacob.[249] +</p> + +<p> +Wine was served at the meal, and it was the first time in twenty-two years that +Joseph and his brethren tasted of it, for they had led the life of Nazarites, +his brethren because they regretted the evil they had done to Joseph, and +Joseph because he grieved over the fate of his father.[250] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph entered into conversation with his brother Benjamin. He asked him +whether he had a brother borne by his own mother, and Benjamin answered, "I had +one, but I do not know what hath become of him." Joseph continued his +questions: "Hast thou a wife?" +</p> + +<p> +Benjamin: "Yes, I have a wife and ten sons." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "And what are their names? " +</p> + +<p> +Benjamin: "Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, +Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Why didst thou give them such peculiar names?" +</p> + +<p> +Benjamin: "In memory of my brother and his sufferings: Bela, because my brother +disappeared among the peoples; Becher, he was the first-born son of my mother; +Ashbel, he was taken away from my father; Gera, he dwells a stranger in a +strange land; Naaman, he was exceedingly lovely; Ehi, he was my only brother by +my father and my mother together; Rosh, he was at the head of his brethren; +Muppim, he was beautiful in every respect; Huppim, he was slandered; and Ard, +because he was as beautiful as a rose."[251] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph ordered his magic astrolabe to be brought to him, whereby he knew all +things that happen, and he said unto Benjamin, "I have heard that the Hebrews +are acquainted with all wisdom, but dost thou know aught of this?" Benjamin +answered, "Thy servant also is skilled in all wisdom, which my father hath +taught me." He then looked upon the astrolabe, and to his great astonishment he +discovered by the aid of it that he who was sitting upon the throne before him +was his brother Joseph. Noticing Benjamin's amazement, Joseph asked him, "What +hast thou seen, and why art thou astonished?" Benjamin said, "I can see by this +that Joseph my brother sitteth here before me upon the throne." And Joseph +said: "I am Joseph thy brother! Reveal not the thing unto our brethren. I will +send thee with them when they go away, and I will command them to be brought +back again into the city, and I will take thee away from them. If they risk +their lives and fight for thee, then shall I know that they have repented of +what they did unto me, and I will make myself known unto them. But if they +forsake thee, I will keep thee, that thou shouldst remain with me. They shall +go away, and I will not make myself known unto them."[252] +</p> + +<p> +Then Joseph inquired of Benjamin what his brethren had told their father after +they had sold him into slavery, and he heard the story of the coat dipped in +the blood of a kid of the goats. "Yes, brother," spoke Joseph, "when they had +stripped me of my coat, they handed me over to the Ishmaelites, who tied an +apron around my waist, scourged me, and bade me run off. But a lion attacked +the one that beat me, and killed him, and his companions were alarmed, and they +sold me to other people."[253] +</p> + +<p> +Dismissed by Joseph with kind words, his brethren started on their homeward +journey as soon as the morning was light, for it is a good rule to "leave a +city after sunrise, and enter a city before sundown."[254] Besides, Joseph had +a specific reason for not letting his brethren depart from the city during the +night. He feared an encounter between them and his servants, and that his men +might get the worst of it, for the sons of Jacob were like the wild beasts, +which have the upper hand at night. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap20"></a>THE THIEF CAUGHT</h2> + +<p> +They were not yet far beyond the city gates, when Joseph dispatched Manasseh, +the steward of his house, to follow after them, and look for the silver cup +that he had concealed in Benjamin's sack. He knew his brethren well, he did not +venture to let them get too far from the city before he should attempt to force +their return. He hoped that the nearness of the city would intimidate them and +make them heed his commands. Manasseh therefore received the order to bring +them to a halt, by mild speech if he could, or by rough speech if he must, and +carry them back to the city.[255] He acted according to his instructions. When +the brethren heard the accusation of theft , they said: "With whomsoever of thy +servants the cup be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen." +And Manasseh said, "As you say, so were it proper to do, for if ten persons are +charged with theft, and the stolen object is found with one of them, all are +held responsible. But I will not be so hard. He with whom the cup is found +shall be the bondman, and the rest shall be blameless." +</p> + +<p> +He searched all the sacks, and in order not to excite the suspicion that he +knew where the cup was, he began at Reuben, the eldest, and left off at +Benjamin, the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. In a rage, +his brethren shouted at Benjamin, "O thou thief and son of a thief! Thy mother +brought shame upon our father by her thievery, and now thou bringest shame upon +us." But he replied, "Is this matter as evil as the matter of the kid of the +goats—as the deed of the brethren that sold their own brother into +slavery?"[256] +</p> + +<p> +In their fury and vexation, the brethren rent their clothes. God paid them in +their own coin. They had caused Jacob to tear his clothes in his grief over +Joseph, and now they were made to do the same on account of their own troubles. +And as they rent their clothes for the sake of their brother Benjamin, so +Mordecai, the descendant of Benjamin, was destined to rend his on account of +his brethren, the people of Israel. But because mortification was inflicted +upon the brethren through Manasseh, the steward of Joseph, the allotment of +territory given to the tribe of Manasseh was "torn" in two, one-half of the +tribe had to live on one side of the Jordan, the other half on the other side. +And Joseph, who had not shrunk from vexing his brethren so bitterly that they +rent their clothes in their abasement, was punished, in that his descendant +Joshua was driven to such despair after the defeat of Ai that he, too, rent his +clothes.[257] +</p> + +<p> +Convicted of theft beyond the peradventure of a doubt, the brethren of Joseph +had no choice but to comply with the steward's command and return to the city. +They accompanied him without delay. Each of them loaded his ass himself, +raising the burden with one hand from the ground to the back of the beast, and +then they retraced their steps cityward,[258] and as they walked, they rapped +Benjamin roughly on the shoulder, saying, "O thou thief and son of a thief, +thou hast brought the same shame upon us that thy mother brought upon our +father." Benjamin bore the blows and the abusive words in patient silence, and +he was rewarded for his humility. For submitting to the blows upon his +shoulder, God appointed that His Shekinah should "dwell between his shoulders," +and He also called him "the beloved of the Lord."[259] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph's brethren returned to the city without fear. Though it was a great +metropolis, in their eyes it appeared but as a hamlet of ten persons, which +they could wipe out with a turn of the hand.[260] They were led into the +presence of Joseph, who, contrary to his usual habit, was not holding a session +of the court in the forum on that day. He remained at home, that his brethren +might not be exposed to shame in public. They fell to the earth before him, and +thus came true his dream of the eleven stars that made obeisance to him.[261] +But even while paying homage to Joseph, Judah was boiling inwardly with +suppressed rage, and he said to his brethren, "Verily, this man hath forced me +to come back hither only that I should destroy the city on this day." +</p> + +<p> +Guarded by his valiant men on the right and on the left, Joseph addressed his +brethren, snarling, "What deed is this that ye have done, to steal away my cup? +I know well, ye took it in order to discover with its help the whereabouts of +your brother that hath disappeared."[262] Judah was spokesman, and he replied: +"What shall we say unto my lord concerning the first money that he found in the +mouth of our sacks? What shall we speak concerning the second money that also +was in our sacks? And how shall we clear ourselves concerning the cup? We +cannot acknowledge ourselves guilty, for we know ourselves to be innocent in +all these matters. Yet we cannot avow ourselves innocent, because God hath +found out the iniquity of thy servants, like a creditor that goes about and +tries to collect a debt owing to him.[263] Two brothers take care not to enter +a house of mirth and festivity together, that they be not exposed to the evil +eye, but we all were caught together in one place, by reason of the sin which +we committed in company." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "But if your punishment is for selling Joseph, why should this brother +of yours suffer, the youngest, he that had no part in your crime. +</p> + +<p> +Judah: "A thief and his companions are taken together." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "If you could prevail upon yourselves to report to your father +concerning a brother that had not stolen, and had brought no manner of shame +upon you, that a wild beast had torn him, you will easily persuade yourselves +to say it concerning a brother that hath stolen, and hath brought shame upon +you. Go hence, and tell your father, 'The rope follows after the water +bucket.'[264] But," continued Joseph, shaking his purple mantle, "God forbid +that I should accuse you all of theft. Only the youth that stole the cup in +order to divine his brother's whereabouts shall remain with me as my bondman; +but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father." +</p> + +<p> +The holy spirit called out, "Great peace have they which love thy law!" +</p> + +<p> +The brethren all consented to yield Benjamin to the ruler of Egypt, only Judah +demurred, and he cried out, "Now it is all over with peace!" and he prepared to +use force, if need be, to rescue Benjamin from slavery.[265] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap21"></a>JUDAH PLEADS AND THREATENS.</h2> + +<p> +Joseph dismissed his brethren, and carried Benjamin off by main force, and +locked him up in a chamber. But Judah broke the door open and stood before +Joseph with his brethren.[266] He determined to use in turn the three means of +liberating Benjamin at his disposal. He was prepared to convince Joseph by +argument, or move him by entreaties, or resort to force, in order to accomplish +his end.[267] +</p> + +<p> +He spake: "Thou doest a wrong unto us. Thou who didst say, 'I fear God,' thou +showest thyself to be like unto Pharaoh, who hath no fear of God. The judgments +which thou dost pronounce are not in accordance with our laws, nor are they in +accordance with the laws of the nations. According to our law, a thief must pay +double the value of what he hath stolen. Only, if he hath no money, he is sold +into slavery, but if he hath the money, he maketh double restitution. And +according to the law of the nations, the thief is deprived of all he owns. Do +so, but let him go free. If a man buys a slave, and then discovers him to be a +thief, the transaction is void. Yet thou desirest to make one a slave whom thou +chargest with being a thief. I suspect thee of wanting to keep him in thy power +for illicit purposes,[268] and in this lustfulness thou resemblest Pharaoh. +Also thou art like Pharaoh in that thou makest a promise and keepest it not. +Thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring thy youngest brother down unto me, that I +may set mine eyes upon him. Dost thou call this setting thine eyes upon +him?[269] If thou didst desire nothing beside a slave, then wouldst thou surely +accept our offer to serve thee as bondmen instead of Benjamin. Reuben is older +than he, and I exceed him in strength. It cannot but be as I say, thou hast a +lustful purpose in mind with our brother.[270] +</p> + +<p> +"Therefore let these words of mine which I am about to speak find entrance into +thy heart: For the sake of the grandmother of this lad were Pharaoh and his +house stricken with sore plagues, because he detained her in his palace a +single night against her will. His mother died a premature death, by reason of +a curse which his father uttered in inconsiderate haste. Take heed, then, that +this man's curse strike thee not and slay thee. Two of us destroyed the whole +of a city on account of one woman, how much more would we do it for the sake of +a man, and that man the beloved of the Lord, in whose allotment it is appointed +that God shall dwell! +</p> + +<p> +"If I but utter a sound, death-dealing pestilence will stalk through the land +as far as No. In this land Pharaoh is the first, and thou art the second after +him, but in our land my father is the first, and I am the second. If thou wilt +not comply with our demand, I will draw my sword, and hew thee down first, and +then Pharaoh." +</p> + +<p> +When Judah gave utterance to this threat, Joseph made a sign, and Manasseh +stamped his foot on the ground so that the whole palace shook. Judah said, +"Only one belonging to our family can stamp thus!" and intimidated by this +display of great strength, he moderated his tone and manner. "From the very +beginning," he continued to speak, "thou didst resort to all sorts of pretexts +in order to embarrass us. The inhabitants of many countries came down into +Egypt to buy corn, but none of them didst thou ask questions about their family +relations. In sooth, we did not come hither to seek thy daughter in marriage, +or peradventure thou desirest an alliance with our sister? Nevertheless we gave +thee an answer unto all thy questions." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph replied: "Verily, thou canst talk glibly! Is there another babbler like +thee among thy brethren?[271] Why dost thou speak so much, while thy brethren +that are older than thou, Reuben, Simon, and Levi, stand by silent?" +</p> + +<p> +Judah: "None of my brethren has so much at stake as I have, if Benjamin returns +not to his father. I was a surety to my father for him, saying, If I bring him +not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever, in +this world and in the world to come.[272] +</p> + +<p> +The other brethren withheld themselves intentionally from taking part in the +dispute between Judah and Joseph, saying, "Kings are carrying on a dispute, and +it is not seemly for us to interfere between them."[273] Even the angels +descended from heaven to earth to be spectators of the combat between Joseph +the bull and Judah the lion, and they said, "It lies in the natural course of +things that the bull should fear the lion, but here the two are engaged in +equal, furious combat." +</p> + +<p> +In reply to Judah, when he explained that his great interest in Benjamin's +safety was due to the pledge he had given to his father, Joseph spoke: "Why +wast thou not a surety for thy other brother, when ye sold him for twenty +pieces of silver? Then thou didst not regard the sorrow thou wast inflicting +upon thy father, but thou didst say, A wild beast hath devoured Joseph. And yet +Joseph had done no evil, while this Benjamin has committed theft. Therefore, go +up and say unto thy father, The rope hath followed after the water bucket." +</p> + +<p> +These words had such an effect upon Judah that he broke out in sobs, and cried +aloud, "How shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me?"[274] His +outcry reached to a distance of four hundred parasangs, and when Hushim the son +of Dan heard it in Canaan, he jumped into Egypt with a single leap and joined +his voice with Judah's, and the whole land was on the point of collapsing from +the great noise they produced. Joseph's valiant men lost their teeth, and the +cities of Pithom and Raamses were destroyed, and they remained in ruins until +the Israelites built them up again under taskmasters. Also Judah's brethren, +who had kept quiet up to that moment, fell into a rage, and stamped on the +ground with their feet until it looked as though deep furrows had been torn in +it by a ploughshare.[275] And Judah addressed his brethren, "Be brave, demean +yourselves as men, and let each one of you show his heroism, for the +circumstances demand that we do our best." +</p> + +<p> +Then they resolved to destroy Mizraim, the city of Egypt, and Judah said, "I +will raise my voice, and with it destroy Egypt." +</p> + +<p> +Reuben: "I will raise my arm, and crush it out of existence." +</p> + +<p> +Simon: "I will raise my hand, and lay waste its palaces." +</p> + +<p> +Levi: "I will draw my sword, and slay the inhabitants of Egypt." +</p> + +<p> +Issachar: "I will make the land like unto Sodom." +</p> + +<p> +Zebulon: "Like unto Gomorrah will I render it." +</p> + +<p> +Dan: "I will reduce it to a desert."[276] +</p> + +<p> +Then Judah's towering rage began to show signs of breaking out: his right eye +shed tears of blood; the hair above his heart grew so stiff that it pierced and +rent the five garments in which he was clothed; and he took brass rods, bit +them with his teeth, and spat them out as fine powder. When Joseph observed +these signs, fear befell him, and in order to show that he, too, was a man of +extraordinary strength, he pushed with his foot against the marble pedestal +upon which he sat, and it broke into splinters. Judah exclaimed, "This one is a +hero equal to myself!" Then he tried to draw his sword from its scabbard in +order to slay Joseph, but the weapon could not be made to budge, and Judah was +convinced thereby that his adversary was a God-fearing man, and he addressed +himself to the task of begging him to let Benjamin go free, but he remained +inexorable.[277] +</p> + +<p> +Judah then said: "What shall we say unto our father, when he seeth that our +brother is not with us, and he will grieve over him?" +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Say that the rope hath followed after the water bucket." +</p> + +<p> +Judah: "Thou art a king, why dost thou speak in this wise, counselling a +falsehood? Woe unto the king that is like thee!" +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Is there a greater falsehood than that ye spake concerning your +brother Joseph, whom you sold to the Midianites for twenty pieces of silver, +telling your father, An evil beast bath devoured him?" +</p> + +<p> +Judah: "The fire of Shechem burneth in my heart, now will I burn all thy land +with fire." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Surely, the fire kindled to burn Tamar, thy daughter-in-law, who did +kill thy sons, will extinguish the fire of Shechem." +</p> + +<p> +Judah: "If I pluck out a single hair from my body, I will fill the whole of +Egypt with its blood." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Such is it your custom to do; thus ye did unto your brother whom you +sold, and then you dipped his coat in blood, brought it to your father, and +said, An evil beast hath devoured him, and here is his blood." +</p> + +<p> +When Judah heard this, he was exceedingly wroth, and he took a stone weighing +four hundred shekels that was before him, cast it toward heaven with one hand, +caught it with his left hand, then sat upon it, and the stone turned into dust. +At the command of Joseph, Manasseh did likewise with another stone, and Joseph +said to Judah: "Strength hath not been given to you alone, we also are powerful +men. Why, then, will ye all boast before us?" Then Judah sent Naphtali forth, +saying, "Go and count all the streets of the city of Egypt and come and tell me +the number," but Simon interposed, saying, "Let not this thing trouble you, I +will go to the mount, and take up one huge stone from the mount, throw it over +the whole of Mizraim, the city of Egypt, and kill all therein." +</p> + +<p> +Hearing all these words, which they spake aloud, because they did not know that +he understood Hebrew, Joseph bade his son Manasseh make haste and gather +together all the inhabitants of Egypt, and all the valiant men, and let them +come to him on horseback and afoot. Meantime Naphtali had gone quickly to +execute Judah's bidding, for he was as swift as the nimble hart, he could run +across a field of corn without breaking an ear. And he returned and reported +that the city of Egypt was divided into twelve quarters. Judah bade his +brethren destroy the city; he himself undertook to raze three quarters, and he +assigned the nine remaining quarters to the others, one quarter to each. +</p> + +<p> +In the meantime Manasseh had assembled a great army, five hundred mounted men +and ten thousand on foot, among them four hundred valiant heroes, who could +fight without spear or sword, using only their strong, unarmed hands. To +inspire his brethren with more terror, Joseph ordered them to make a loud noise +with all sorts of instruments, and their appearance and the hubbub they +produced did, indeed, cause fear to fall upon some of the brethren of Joseph. +Judah, however, called to them, "Why are you terrified, seeing that God grants +us His mercy?" He drew his sword, and uttered a wild cry, which threw all the +people into consternation, and in their disordered flight many fell over each +other and perished, and Judah and his brethren followed after the fleeing +people as far as the house of Pharaoh. Returning to Joseph, Judah again broke +out in loud roars, and the reverberations caused by his cries were so mighty +that all the city walls in Egypt and in Goshen fell in ruins, the pregnant +women brought forth untimely births, and Pharaoh was flung from his throne. +Judah's cries were heard at a great distance, as far off as Succoth. +</p> + +<p> +When Pharaoh learnt the reason of the mighty uproar, he sent word to Joseph +that he would have to concede the demands of the Hebrews, else the land would +suffer destruction. "Thou canst take thy choice," were the words of Pharaoh, +"between me and the Hebrews, between Egypt and the land of the Hebrews. If thou +wilt not heed my command, then leave me and go with them into their land." +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap22"></a>JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN</h2> + +<p> +Seeing that his brethren were, indeed, on the point of destroying Egypt, Joseph +resolved to make himself known to them, and he cast around for a proper +opening, which would lead naturally to his announcement. At his behest, +Manasseh laid his hand upon Judah's shoulder, and his touch allayed Judah's +fury, for he noticed that he was in contact with a kinsman of his, because such +strength existed in no other family. Then Joseph addressed Judah gently, +saying:[278] "I should like to know who advised him to steal the cup. Could it +have been one of you?" Benjamin replied: "Neither did they counsel theft, nor +did I touch the cup." "Take an oath upon it," demanded Joseph, and Benjamin +complied with his brother's request: "I swear that I did not touch the cup! As +true as my brother Joseph is separated from me; as true as I had nothing to do +with the darts that my brethren threw at him; as true as I was not one of those +to take off his coat; as true as I had no part in the transaction by which he +was given over to the Ishmaelites; as true as I did not help the others dip his +coat in blood; so true is my oath, that they did not counsel theft, and that I +did not commit theft." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "How can I know that this oath of thine taken upon thy brother's fate +is true?" +</p> + +<p> +Benjamin: "From the names of my ten sons, which I gave them in memory of my +brother's life and trials, thou canst see how dearly I loved him. I pray thee, +therefore, do not bring down my father with sorrow to the grave." +</p> + +<p> +Hearing these words of abiding love, Joseph could refrain himself no longer. He +could not but make himself known unto his brethren.[279] He spake these words +to them: "Ye said the brother of this lad was dead. Did you yourselves see him +dead before you?" They answered, "Yes!" +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Did you stand beside his grave?" +</p> + +<p> +The brethren: "Yes!" +</p> + +<p> +Joseph: "Did you throw clods of earth upon his corpse?" +</p> + +<p> +The brethren: "No." +</p> + +<p> +Then Joseph reflected, saying to himself: "My brethren are as pious as +aforetime, and they speak no lies. They said I was dead, because when they +abandoned me, I was poor, and 'a poor man is like unto a dead man;' they stood +beside my grave, that is the pit into which they cast me; but they did not say +that they had shovelled earth upon me, for that would have been a falsehood." +</p> + +<p> +Turning to his brethren, he said: "Ye lie when ye say that your brother is +dead. He is not dead. You sold him,[280] and I did buy him. I shall call him, +and set him before your eyes," and he began to call, "Joseph, son of Jacob, +come hither! Joseph, son of Jacob, come hither! Speak to thy brethren who did +sell thee." The others turned their eyes hither and thither, to the four +corners of the house, until Joseph called to them: "Why look ye here and there? +Behold, I am Joseph your brother! "Their souls fled away from them, and they +could make no answer, but God permitted a miracle to happen, and their souls +came back to them. +</p> + +<p> +Joseph continued, "Ye see it with your own eyes, and also my brother Benjamin +seeth it with his eyes, that I speak with you in Hebrew, and I am truly your +brother." But they would not believe him. Not only had he been transformed from +a smooth-faced youth into a bearded man since they had abandoned him, but also +the forsaken youth now stood before them the ruler of Egypt. Therefore Joseph +bared his body and showed them that he belonged to the descendants of Abraham. +</p> + +<p> +Abashed they stood there, and in their rage they desired to slay Joseph as the +author of their shame and their suffering. But an angel appeared and flung them +to the four corners of the house. Judah raised so loud an outcry that the walls +of the city of Egypt tumbled down, the women brought forth untimely births, +Joseph and Pharaoh both rolled down off their thrones, and Joseph's three +hundred heroes lost their teeth, and their heads remained forever immobile, +facing backward, as they had turned them to discover the cause of the tumult. +Yet the brethren did not venture to approach close to Joseph, they were too +greatly ashamed of their behavior toward their brother.[281] He sought to calm +them, saying, "Now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me +hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life." +</p> + +<p> +Even such kind words of exhortation did not banish their fear, and Joseph +continued to speak, "As little as I harbor vengeful thoughts in my heart +against Benjamin, so little do I harbor them against you."And still his +brethren were ill at case, and Joseph went on, "Think you that it is possible +for me to inflict harm upon you? If the smoke of ten candles could not +extinguish one, how can one extinguish ten?" +</p> + +<p> +At last the brethren were soothed, and they went up to Joseph,[282] who knew +each by name, and, weeping, he embraced and kissed them all in turn. The reason +why he wept was that his prophetic spirit showed him the descendants of his +brethren enslaved by the nations.[283] Especially did he weep upon Benjamin's +neck, because he foresaw the destruction decreed for the two Temples to be +situated in the allotment of Benjamin. And Benjamin also wept upon Joseph's +neck, for the sanctuary at Shiloh, in the territory of Joseph which was +likewise doomed to destruction.[284] +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh was well pleased with the report of the reconciliation between Joseph +and the Hebrews, for he had feared that their dissensions might cause the ruin +of Egypt, and he sent his servants to Joseph, that they take part in his joy. +Also he sent word to Joseph that it would please him well if his brethren took +up their abode in Egypt, and he promised to assign the best parts of the land +to them for their dwelling-place.[285] +</p> + +<p> +Not all the servants of Pharaoh were in agreement with their master concerning +this invitation to the Hebrews. Many among them were disquieted, saying, "If +one of the sons of Jacob came hither, and he was advanced to a high position +over our heads, what evil will happen to us when ten more come hither?"[286] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph gave all his brethren two changes of raiment, one for use on the +ordinary days of the week and one for use on the Sabbath, for, when the cup was +found with Benjamin, they had rent their clothes, and Joseph would not have his +brethren go about in torn garments.[287] But to Benjamin he gave five changes +of raiment, though not in order to distinguish him above his brethren. Joseph +remembered only too well what mischief his father had caused by giving him the +coat of many colors, thereby arousing the envy of his brethren. He desired only +to intimate that Mordecai, a descendant of Benjamin, would once be arrayed in +five royal garments.[288] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph presented his brethren, apparelled in their gold and silver embroidered +clothes, before Pharaoh, who was well pleased to become acquainted with them +when he saw that they were men of heroic stature and handsome appearance.[289] +He gave them wagons, to bring their families down into Egypt, but as they were +ornamented with images of idols, Judah burnt them,[290] and Joseph replaced +them with eleven other wagons, among them the one he had ridden in at his +accession to office, to view the land of Egypt. This was to be used by his +father on his journey to Egypt. For each of his brothers' children, he sent +raiments, and also one hundred pieces of silver for each, but for each of the +children of Benjamin he sent ten changes of raiment. And for the wives of his +brethren he gave them rich garments of state, such as were worn by the wives of +the Pharaohs, and also ointments and aromatic spices. To his sister Dinah he +sent silver and gold embroidered clothes, and myrrh, aloes, and other perfumes, +and such presents he gave also to the wife and the daughters-in-law of +Benjamin. For themselves and for their wives the brethren received all sorts of +precious stones and jewelled ornaments, like those that are worn by the +Egyptian nobility. +</p> + +<p> +Joseph accompanied his eleven brethren to the frontier, and there he took leave +of them with the wish that they and all their families come down to Egypt,[291] +and he enjoined upon them, besides, three maxims to be observed by travellers: +Do not take too large steps; do not discuss Halakic subjects, that you lose not +your way; and enter the city at the latest with the going down of the sun.[292] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap23"></a>JACOB RECEIVES THE GLAD TIDINGS</h2> + +<p> +In blithe spirits the sons of Jacob journeyed up to the land of Canaan, but +when they reached the boundary line, they said to one another, "How shall we +do? If we appear before our father and tell him that Joseph is alive, he will +be greatly frightened, and he will not be inclined to believe us." Besides, +Joseph's last injunction to them had been to take heed and not startle their +father with the tidings of joy. +</p> + +<p> +On coming close to their habitation, they caught sight of Serah, the daughter +of Asher, a very beautiful maiden, and very wise, who was skilled in playing +upon the harp. They summoned her unto them and gave her a harp, and bade her +play before Jacob and sing that which they should tell her. She sat down before +Jacob, and, with an agreeable melody, she sang the following words, +accompanying herself upon the harp: "Joseph, my uncle, liveth, he ruleth over +the whole of Egypt, he is not dead!" She repeated these words several times, +and Jacob grew more and more pleasurably excited. His joy awakened the holy +spirit in him, and he knew that she spoke the truth.[293] The spirit of +prophecy never visits a seer when he is in a state of lassitude or in a state +of grief; it comes only together with joy. All the years of Joseph's separation +from him Jacob had had no prophetic visions, because he was always sad, and +only when Serah's words reawakened the feeling of happiness in his heart, the +prophetic spirit again took possession of him.[294] Jacob rewarded her therefor +with the words, "My daughter, may death never have power over thee, for thou +didst revive my spirit." And so it was. Serah did not die, she entered Paradise +alive. At his bidding, she repeated the words she had sung again and again, and +they gave Jacob great joy and delight, so that the holy spirit waxed stronger +and stronger within him. +</p> + +<p> +While he was sitting thus in converse with Serah, his sons appeared arrayed in +all their magnificence, and with all the presents that Joseph had given them, +and they spake to Jacob, saying: "Glad tidings! Joseph our brother liveth! He +is ruler over the whole land of Egypt, and he sends thee a message of joy." At +first Jacob would not believe them, but when they opened their packs, and +showed him the presents Joseph had sent to all, he could not doubt the truth of +their words any longer.[295] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph had had a premonition that his father would refuse to give his brethren +credence, because they had tried to deceive him before, and "it is the +punishment of the liar that his words are not believed even when he speaks the +truth." He had therefore said to them, "If my father will not believe your +words, tell him that when I took leave of him, to see whether it was well with +you, he had been teaching me the law of the heifer whose neck is broken in the +valley." When they repeated this, every last vestige of Jacob's doubt +disappeared, and he said: "Great is the steadfastness of my son Joseph. In +spite of all his sufferings he has remained constant in his piety.[296] Yea, +great are the benefits that the Lord hath conferred upon me. He saved me from +the hands of Esau, and from the hands of Laban, and from the Canaanites who +pursued after me. I have tasted many joys, and I hope to see more, but never +did I hope to set eyes upon Joseph again, and now I shall go down to him and +behold him before my death."[297] +</p> + +<p> +Then Jacob and the members of his family put on the clothes Joseph had sent, +among them a turban for Jacob, and they made all preparations to journey down +into Egypt and dwell there with Joseph and his family. Hearing of his good +fortune, the kings and the grandees of Canaan came to wait upon Jacob and +express sympathy with him in his joy, and he prepared a three days' banquet for +them.[298] +</p> + +<p> +Jacob, however, would not go down into Egypt without first inquiring whether it +was the will of God that he should leave the Holy Land.[299] He said, "How can +I leave the land of my fathers, the land of my birth, the land in which the +Shekinah dwells, and go into an unclean land, inhabited by slaves of the sons +of Ham, a land wherein there is no fear of God?"[300] Then he brought +sacrifices in honor of God, in the expectation that a Divine vision would +descend upon him and instruct him whether to go down into Egypt or have Joseph +come up to Canaan. He feared the sojourn in Egypt, for he remembered the vision +he had had at Beth-el on leaving his father's house,[301] and he said to God: +"I resemble my father. As he was greedy in filling his maw, so am I, and +therefore I would go down into Egypt in consequence of the famine. As my father +preferred one son to the other, so had I a favorite son, and therefore I would +go down into Egypt to see Joseph. But in this I do not resemble my father, he +had only himself to provide for, and my house consists of seventy souls, and +therefore am I compelled to go down into Egypt. The blessing which my father +gave me was not fulfilled in me, but in my son Joseph, whom peoples serve, and +before whom nations bow down."[302] +</p> + +<p> +Then the Shekinah addressed Jacob, calling his name twice in token of +love,[303] and bidding him not to fear the Egyptian slavery foretold for the +descendants of Abraham, for God would have pity upon the suffering of his +children and deliver them from bondage.[304] God furthermore said, "I will go +down into Egypt with thee," and the Shekinah accompanied Jacob thither, +bringing the number of the company with which he entered Egypt up to +seventy.[305] But as Jacob entertained fears that his descendants would stay +there forever, God gave him the assurance that He would lead him forth together +with all the pious that were like unto him.[306] And God also told Jacob that +Joseph had remained steadfast in his piety even in Egypt, and he might dismiss +all doubts from his mind on this score, for it was his anxiety on this account +that had induced Jacob to consider going down into Egypt; he wanted only to +make sure of Joseph's faithfulness, and then return home, but God commanded him +to go thither and remain there.[307] +</p> + +<p> +Before Jacob left Canaan, he went to Beer-sheba, to hew down the cedars that +Abraham had planted there, and take them with him to Egypt. For centuries these +cedar trees remained in the possession of his descendants; they carried them +with them when they left Egypt, and they used them in building the +Tabernacle.[308] +</p> + +<p> +Although Joseph had put wagons at the disposal of his brethren for the removal +of his family from Canaan to Egypt, they yet carried Jacob upon their arms, for +which purpose they divided themselves into three divisions, one division after +the other assuming the burden. As a reward for their filial devotion, God +redeemed their descendants from Egypt.[309] +</p> + +<p> +Judah was sent on ahead by his father, to erect a dwelling in Goshen, and also +a Bet ha-Midrash, that Jacob might set about instructing his sons at once after +his arrival. He charged Judah with this honorable task in order to compensate +him for a wrong he had done him. All the years of Joseph's absence he bad +suspected Judah of having made away with Rachel's son.[310] How little the +suspicion was justified he realized now when Judah in particular had been +assiduous in securing the safety of Benjamin, the other son of Rachel. Jacob +therefore said to Judah: "Thou hast done a pious, God-bidden deed, and hast +shown thyself to be a man capable of carrying on negotiations with Joseph. +Complete the work thou hast begun! Go to Goshen, and together with Joseph +prepare all things for our coming. Indeed," continued Jacob, "thou wast the +cause of our going down into Egypt, for it was at thy suggestion that Joseph +was sold as a slave, and, also, through thy descendants Israel will be led +forth out of Egypt."[311] +</p> + +<p> +When Joseph was informed of the approach of his father, he rejoiced +exceedingly, chiefly because his coming would stop the talk of the Egyptians, +who were constantly referring to him as the slave that had dominion over them. +"Now," thought Joseph, "they will see my father and my brethren, and they will +be convinced that I am a free-born man, of noble stock." +</p> + +<p> +In his joy in anticipation of seeing his father, Joseph made ready his chariot +with his own hands, without waiting for his servants to minister to him, and +this loving action redounded later to the benefit of the Israelites, for it +rendered of none effect Pharaoh's zeal in making ready his chariot himself, +with his own hands, to pursue after the Israelites.[312] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap24"></a>JACOB ARRIVES IN EGYPT</h2> + +<p> +When the Egyptian nobles observed their viceroy completing his preparations to +meet his father, they did the same.[313] Indeed, Joseph had issued a +proclamation throughout the land, threatening with death all that did not go +forth to meet Jacob. The procession that accompanied him was composed of +countless men, arrayed in byssus and purple, and marching to the sound of all +sorts of musical instruments. Even the women of Egypt had a part in the +reception ceremonies. They ascended to the roofs of the houses and the walls of +the cities, ready to greet Jacob with the music of cymbals and timbrels. +</p> + +<p> +Joseph wore the royal crown upon his head, Pharaoh had yielded it to him for +the occasion. He descended from his chariot when he was at a distance of about +fifty ells from his father, and walked the rest of the way on foot, and his +example was followed by the princes and nobles of Egypt. When Jacob caught +sight of the approaching procession, he was rejoiced,[314] and even before he +recognized Joseph, he bowed down before him, but for permitting his father to +show him this mark of honor, punishment was visited upon Joseph. He died an +untimely death, before the years of life assigned to him had elapsed.[315] +</p> + +<p> +That no harm befall Jacob from a too sudden meeting with him, Joseph sent his +oldest son ahead with five horses, the second son following close after him in +the same way. As each son approached, Jacob thought he beheld Joseph, and so he +was prepared gradually to see him face to face.[316] +</p> + +<p> +Meantime Jacob had espied, from where he was seated, a man in royal robes among +the Egyptians, a crown upon his head, and a purple mantle over his shoulders, +and he asked Judah who it might be. When he was told that it was Joseph, his +joy was great over the high dignity attained by his son. +</p> + +<p> +By this time Joseph had come close to his father, and he bowed himself before +him down to the earth, and all the people with him likewise prostrated +themselves.[317] Then Joseph fell upon his father's neck, and he wept bitterly. +He was particularly grieved that he had permitted his father to bow down before +him but a little while before without hindering it.[318] At the very moment +when Joseph embraced his father, Jacob was reciting the Shema', and he did not +allow himself to be interrupted in his prayer,[319] but then he said, "When +they brought me the report of the death of Joseph, I thought I was doomed to +double death—that I should lose this world and the world to come as well. The +Lord had promised to make me the ancestor of twelve tribes, and as the death of +my son rendered it impossible that this promise should be realized, I feared I +had incurred the doom by my own sins, and as a sinner I could not but expect to +forfeit the future world, too. But now that I have beheld thee alive, I know +that my death will be only for the world here below."[320] +</p> + +<p> +Such was the manner of Jacob's arrival in Egypt. He came with his whole family, +sixty-nine persons they were in all, but the number was raised to seventy by +the birth of Jochebed, afterward the mother of Moses, which took place when the +cavalcade had advanced to the space between the one and the other city +wall.[321] All the males in his family were married men; even Pallu and Hezron, +the latter of whom was but one year old at the time of their migration, and the +former but two years, had the wives with them that had been chosen for them by +their parents.[322] In general, all the sons and grandsons of Jacob had married +young, some of them had been fathers at the age of seven.[323] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph took some from among his brethren, and presented them to Pharaoh. He +chose the weakest of them, that the king might not be tempted to retain them in +his service as warriors.[324] And as he did not desire his family to live at +close quarters with the Egyptians and perhaps amalgamate with them, he +introduced them as shepherds. The Egyptians worshipped the constellation of the +rain, and paid divine honors to animals, and they kept aloof from shepherds. +Pharaoh therefore was inclined to grant Joseph's wish, to give them the pasture +land of Goshen for their sojourning place, the land that was theirs by right, +for the Pharaoh that took Sarah away from Abraham by force had given it to her +as her irrevocable possession.[325] +</p> + +<p> +In their conversation with Pharaoh the brethren of Joseph made it plain to the +Egyptian king that it was not their intention to remain in Egypt forever, it +was to be only a temporary dwelling-place.[326] +</p> + +<p> +Then Joseph set Jacob his father before Pharaoh, and when the king saw him, he +said to Og, who happened to be with him at that moment, "Seest thou! Thou wast +wont to call Abraham a sterile mule, and here is his grandson with a family of +seventy persons!" Og would not believe his own eyes, he thought Abraham was +standing before him, so close was the resemblance between Jacob and his +progenitor. Then Pharaoh asked about Jacob's age, to find out whether he +actually was Jacob, and not Abraham. And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, "The days of +the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years," using the word +pilgrimage in reference to life on earth, which the pious regard as a temporary +sojourn in alien lands. "Few and evil," he continued, "have been the days of +the years of my life. In my youth I had to flee to a strange land on account of +my brother Esau, and now, in my old age, I must again go to a strange land, and +my days have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers +in the days of their pilgrimage." These words sufficed to convince Pharaoh and +Og that the man standing before them was not Abraham, but his grandson.[327] +</p> + +<p> +When Jacob uttered the words, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage have been +few and evil," God said to him: "Jacob, I saved thee out of the hands of Esau +and Laban, I restored Joseph unto thee, and made him to be a king and a ruler, +and yet thou speakest of few and evil days. Because of thy ingratitude, thou +wilt not attain unto the days of the years of the life of thy fathers," and +Jacob died at an age thirty-three years less than his father Isaac's.[328] +</p> + +<p> +On going out from the presence of Pharaoh, Jacob blessed the king with the +words, "May the years still in store for me be given unto thee, and may the +Nile overflow its banks henceforth again and water the land." His words were +fulfilled. In order to show that the pious are a blessing for the world, God +caused the Nile to rise above its bed and fructify the land of Egypt.[329] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap25"></a>JOSEPH'S KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY</h2> + +<p> +Jacob and his family now settled in the land of Goshen, and Joseph provided +them with all things needful, not only with food and drink, but also with +clothing, and in his love and kindness he entertained his father and his +brethren daily at his own table.[330] He banished the wrong done to him by his +brethren from his mind, and he besought his father to pray to God for them, +that He should forgive their great transgression. Touched by this noble sign of +love, Jacob cried out, "O Joseph, my child, thou hast conquered the heart of +thy father Jacob."[331] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph had other virtues, besides. The title "the God- fearing one," borne only +by him, Abraham, Job, and Obadiah, he gained by reason of his kindness of heart +and his generosity. Whatever he gave his brethren, he gave with a "good eye," a +liberal spirit. If it was bread for food, it was sure to be abundant enough, +not only to satisfy the hunger of all, but also for the children to crumble, as +is their habit.[332] +</p> + +<p> +But Joseph was more than a helper to his family. As a shepherd pastures his +flock, so he provided for the whole world during the years of famine. The +people cursed Pharaoh, who kept the stores of corn in his treasure chambers for +his own use, and they blessed Joseph, who took thought for the famishing, and +sold grain to all that came.[333] The wealth which he acquired by these sales +was lawful gain, for the prices were raised, not by him, but by the Egyptians +themselves.[334] One part of his possessions, consisting of gold and silver and +precious stones, Joseph buried in four different places, in the desert near the +Red Sea, on the banks of the Euphrates, and in two spots in the desert in the +vicinity of Persia and Media.[335] Korah discovered one of the hiding- places, +and the Roman emperor Antoninus, the son of Severus, another. The other two +will never be found, because God has reserved the riches they hold for the +pious, to be enjoyed by them in the latter days, the days of the Messiah.[336] +The remainder of Joseph's possessions he gave away, partly to his brethren and +their families, and partly to Pharaoh, who put them into his treasury.[337] +</p> + +<p> +The wealth of the whole world flowed into Egypt at that time, and it remained +there until the exodus of the Israelites. They took it along, leaving Egypt +like a net without fish. The Israelites kept the treasure until the time of +Rehoboam, who was deprived of it by the Egyptian king Shishak, and he in turn +had to yield it to Zerah, the king of Ethiopia. Once more it came into +possession of the Jews when King Asa conquered Zerah, but this time they held +it for only a short while, for Asa surrendered it to the Aramean king +Ben-hadad, to induce him to break his league with Baasha, the king of the Ten +Tribes. The Ammonites, in turn, captured it from Ben-hadad, only to lose it in +their war with the Jews under Jehoshaphat. Again it remained with the Jews, +until the time of King Ahaz, who sent it to Sennacherib as tribute money. +Hezekiah won it back, but Zedekiah, the last king of the Jews, lost it to the +Chaldeans, from whom it came to Persia, thence to the Greeks, and finally to +the Romans, and with the last it remained for all time.[338] +</p> + +<p> +The people were soon left without means to purchase the corn they needed. In a +short time they had to part with their cattle, and when the money thus secured +was spent, they sold their land to Joseph, and even their persons. Many of them +would cover themselves with clay and appear before Joseph, and say to him, "O +lord king, see me and see my possessions!" And so Joseph bought all the land of +Egypt, and the inhabitants became his tenants, and they gave a fifth of their +ingatherings unto joseph.[339] +</p> + +<p> +The only class of the people permitted to remain in possession of their land +were the priests. Joseph owed them gratitude, for they had made it possible for +him to become the ruler over Egypt. The Egyptians had hesitated to make him +their viceroy, because they shrank from choosing a man accused of adultery for +so high an office. It was the priests that made the suggestion to examine +Joseph's torn garment, which his mistress had submitted as evidence of his +guilt, and see whether the rent was in front or in back. If it was in back, it +would show his innocence—he had turned to flee, and his temptress had clutched +him so that the garment tore. But if the tear was in front, then it would be a +proof of his guilt—he had used violence with the woman, and she had torn the +mantle in her efforts to defend her honor. The angel Gabriel came and +transferred the rent from the fore part to the back, and the Egyptians were +convinced of Joseph's innocence, and their scruples about raising him to the +kingship were removed.[340] +</p> + +<p> +As soon as the Egyptians learnt of the advantageous position of the priests, +they all tried to prove themselves members of the caste. But Joseph +investigated the lists in the archives, and determined the estate of every +citizen. +</p> + +<p> +The priests were favored in another way. Beside remaining in possession of +their land, they received daily portions from Pharaoh, wherefore God said, "The +priests that serve idols receive all they need every day, how much more do the +sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are My priests, deserve that I should +give them what they need every day."[341] +</p> + +<p> +The rest of the inhabitants of Egypt, who had to part with their land, were not +permitted to remain in their native provinces. Joseph removed them from their +own cities, and settled them in others. His purpose herein was to prevent the +Egyptians from speaking of his brethren derogatorily as "exiles the sons of +exiles"; he made them all equally aliens.[342] For the same reason, God later, +at the time of the going forth of the Israelites from Egypt, caused all nations +to change their dwelling-places about, so that the Israelites could not be +reproached with having had to leave their home. And, finally, when Sermacherib +carried the Jews away from their land into exile, it also happened that this +king first mixed up the inhabitants of all the countries of the world.[343] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap26"></a>JACOB'S LAST WISH</h2> + +<p> +In return for the seventeen years that Jacob had devoted to the bringing up of +Joseph, he was granted seventeen years of sojourn with his favorite son in +peace and happiness. The wicked experience sorrow after joy; the pious must +suffer first, and then they are happy, for all's well that ends well, and God +permits the pious to spend the last years of their lives in felicity.[344] +</p> + +<p> +When Jacob felt his end approach, he summoned Joseph to his bedside, and he +told him all there was in his heart. He called for Joseph rather than one of +his other sons, because he was the only one in a position to execute his +wishes. +</p> + +<p> +Jacob said to Joseph: "If I have found grace in thy sight, bury me not, I pray +thee, in Egypt. Only for thy sake did I come down into Egypt, and for thy sake +I spoke, Now I can die. Do this for me as a true service of love, and not +because thou art afraid, or because decency demands it. And when I sleep with +my fathers, thou shalt bury me in their burying-place. Carry me out of the land +of idolatry, and bury me in the land where God hath caused His Name to dwell, +and put me to rest in the place in which four husbands and wives are to be +buried, I the last of them." +</p> + +<p> +Jacob desired not to be buried in Egypt for several reasons. He knew that the +soil of Egypt would once swarm with vermin, and it revolted him to think of his +corpse exposed to such uncleanness. He feared, moreover, that his descendants +might say, "Were Egypt not a holy land, our father Jacob had never permitted +himself to be buried there," and they might encourage themselves with this +argument to make choice of Egypt as a permanent dwelling- place. Also, if his +grave were there, the Egyptians might resort to it when the ten plagues came +upon them, and if he were induced to pray for them to God, he would be +advocating the cause of the Lord's enemies. If, on the other hand, he did not +intercede for them, the Name of God would be profaned among the heathen, who +would say, "Jacob is a useless saint!" Besides, it was possible that God might +consider him, the "scattered sheep" of Israel, as a sacrifice for the +Egyptians, and remit their punishment. From his knowledge of the people, +another fear was justified, that his grave would become an object of idolatrous +veneration, and the same punishment is appointed by God for the idols +worshipped as for the idolaters that worship them. +</p> + +<p> +If Jacob had good reasons for not wanting his body to rest in the soil of +Egypt, he had equally good reasons for wanting it to rest in the Holy Land. In +the Messianic time, when the dead will rise, those buried in Palestine will +awaken to new life without delay, while those buried elsewhere will first have +to roll from land to land through the earth, hollowed out for the purpose, +until they reach the Holy Land, and only then will their resurrection take +place. But over and beyond this, Jacob had an especial reason for desiring to +have his body interred in Palestine. God had said to him at Beth-el, "The land +whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed," and hence he made +every endeavor to "lie" in the Holy Land, to make sure it would belong to him +and his descendants.[345] Nevertheless he bade Joseph strew some Egyptian earth +over his dead body.[346] +</p> + +<p> +Jacob expressed these his last wishes three times. Such is the requirement of +good breeding in preferring a request. +</p> + +<p> +In the last period of Jacob's life, one can see how true it is that "even a +king depends upon favors in a strange land." Jacob, the man for the sake of +whose merits the whole world was created, for the sake of whom Abraham was +delivered from the fiery furnace, had to ask services of others while he was +among strangers,[347] and when Joseph promised to do his bidding, he bowed +himself before his own son, for it is a true saying, "Bow before the fox in his +day," the day of his power.[348] +</p> + +<p> +He was not satisfied with a simple promise from Joseph, that he would do his +wish; he insisted upon his taking an oath by the sign of the covenant of +Abraham, putting a hand under his thigh in accordance with the ceremony +customary among the Patriarchs![349] But Joseph said: "Thou treatest me like a +slave. With me thou hast no need to require an oath. Thy command sufficeth." +Jacob, however, urged him, saying: "I fear Pharaoh may command thee to bury me +in the sepulchre with the kings of Egypt. I insist that thou takest an oath, +and then I will be at peace." Joseph gave in,[350] though he would not submit +to the ceremony that Eliezer had used to confirm the oath he took at the +request of his master Abraham. The slave acted in accordance with the rules of +slavery, the free man acted in accordance with the dictates of freedom.[351] +And in a son that thing would have been unseemly which was becoming in a +slave.[352] +</p> + +<p> +When Joseph swore to bury his father in Palestine, he added the words, "As thou +commandest me to do, so also will I beg my brethren, on my death-bed, to fulfil +my last wish and carry my body from Egypt to Palestine."[353] +</p> + +<p> +Jacob, noticing the Shekinah over the bed's head, where she always rests in a +sick room, bowed himself upon the bed's head,[354] saying, "I thank thee, O +Lord my God, that none who is unfit came forth from my bed, but my bed was +perfect."[355] He was particularly grateful for the revelation God had +vouchsafed him concerning his first-born son Reuben, that he had repented of +his trespass against his father, and atoned for it by penance. He was thus +assured that all his sons were men worthy of being the progenitors of the +twelve tribes, and he was blessed with happiness such as neither Abraham nor +Isaac had known, for both of them had had unworthy as well as worthy sons.[356] +</p> + +<p> +Until the time of Jacob death had always come upon men suddenly, and snatched +them away before they were warned of the imminent end by sickness. Once Jacob +spoke to God, saying, "O Lord of the world, a man dies suddenly, and he is not +laid low first by sickness, and he cannot acquaint his children with his wishes +regarding all he leaves behind. But if a man first fell sick, and felt that his +end were drawing nigh, he would have time to set his house in order." And God +said, "Verily, thy request is sensible, and thou shalt be the first to profit +by the new dispensation," and so it happened that Jacob fell sick a little +while before his death.[357] +</p> + +<p> +His sickness troubled him grievously, for he had undergone much during his +life. He had worked day and night while he was with Laban, and his conflicts +with the angel and with Esau, though he came off victor from both, had weakened +him, and he was not in a condition to endure the hardships of disease.[358] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap27"></a>THE BLESSING OF EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH</h2> + +<p> +All the years of Jacob's sojourn in Egypt, Asenath, the wife of Joseph, was his +constant nurse. When she saw his end drawing nigh, she spoke to Joseph: "I have +heard that one who is blessed by a righteous man is as though he had been +blessed by the Shekinah. Therefore, bring thy sons hither, that Jacob give them +his blessing."[359] +</p> + +<p> +Though Joseph was a devoted and loving son to his father, he was not in +constant attendance upon him, because he wanted to avoid giving him the +opportunity of inquiring into the circumstances of his coming to Egypt. He was +apprehensive that Jacob might curse his sons and bring death upon them, if he +discovered the facts connected with their treacherous dealings with Joseph. He +took good care therefore never to be alone with his father. But as he desired +to be kept informed of his welfare, he arranged a courier service between +himself and Jacob. +</p> + +<p> +Now when Joseph received the news of his father's having fallen sick, through +his messenger, as well as through Ephraim, whom Jacob was instructing in the +Torah, he hastened to the land of Goshen, taking his two sons with him. He +desired to have certainty upon five points: Would his father bless his two +sons, who were born in Egypt, and, if so, would he appoint them to be heads of +tribes? Would he assign the rights of the first-born unto himself, and, if so, +would he divest Reuben of such rights altogether? And why had his father buried +his mother Rachel by the wayside, and not carried her body to the family tomb +at Machpelah?[360] +</p> + +<p> +Jacob had also entertained doubts on five points, when he was about to emigrate +from Canaan to Egypt: He did not know whether his descendants would lose +themselves among the people of Egypt; whether he would die there and be buried +there; and whether he would be permitted to see Joseph and see the sons of +Joseph. God gave him the assurance, saying, "I will go down with thee into +Egypt, and I will surely bring thee up again after thy death, and thy +descendants also, and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes." When the time +approached for the fulfilment of the Divine promise, God appeared unto Jacob, +and He said, "I promised to fulfil thy wish, and the time of fulfilment hath +come." +</p> + +<p> +The holy spirit made known to Jacob that Joseph was coming to him,[361] and he +strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed in order to pay due respect to the +representative of the government. Though Joseph was his son, he was also +viceroy, and entitled to special marks of honor. Besides, Jacob desired to make +the impression of being a man in good health. He wanted to avoid the +possibility of having his blessing of Joseph and Joseph's sons questioned as +the act of an irresponsible person.[362] +</p> + +<p> +He strengthened himself spiritually as well as physically, by prayer to God, in +which he besought Him to let the holy spirit descend upon him at the time of +his giving the blessing to the sons of Joseph. +</p> + +<p> +When Joseph appeared in the company of his two sons, his father said to him: +"In all the seventeen years thou hast been visiting me, thou didst never bring +thy sons with thee, but now they have come, and I know the reason. If I bless +them, I shall act in opposition to the word of God, who promised to make me the +progenitor of twelve tribes, for if I adopt them as my sons, there will be +fourteen tribes. But if I do not bless them, it will plunge thee in sorrow. So +be it, I will bless them. But think not I do it because thou didst support me +all these years. There is quite another reason.[363] When I left my father's +house to go to Haran, I offered up a prayer at Beth-el, and I promised to give +unto God the tenth of all I owned. So far as my material possessions are +concerned, I kept my vow, but I could not give the tithe of my sons, because +according to the law I had to withdraw from the reckoning the four sons, +Reuben, Joseph, Dan, and Gad, that are the first-born children of their +mothers. When I returned, God again appeared unto me in Beth-el, and He said, +Be fruitful and multiply. But after this blessing no son was born unto me +except Benjamin alone, and it cannot be but that God meant Manasseh and Ephraim +when He spoke of 'a nation and a company of nations.' If now I have found favor +in thy sight, thy two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simon, +shall be mine, and then I shall be able to give a tenth part of my ten sons +unto the Lord, and I shall leave this world free from the sin of not keeping my +vow to the Lord concerning the tithe-giving." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph consented to do his father's will, and Jacob tithed his sons, +consecrating Levi to the Holy One, and appointing him to be the chief of his +brethren. He enjoined his sons to have a care that there should never fail them +a son of Levi in the priestly succession. And it happened that. of all the +tribes Levi was the only one that never proved faithless to the covenant of the +fathers.[364] +</p> + +<p> +Thus Jacob adopted Manasseh and Ephraim to be his own sons, even as Reuben and +Simon were his sons. They were entitled like the others to a portion in the +Holy Land, and like the others they were to bear standards on their journey +through the desert.[365] +</p> + +<p> +Satisfied as to Jacob's intentions concerning his sons, Joseph asked his father +about his mother's burial-place, and Jacob spoke, saying: "As thou livest, thy +wish to see thy mother lying by my side in the grave doth not exceed mine own. +I had joy in life only as long as she was alive, and her death was the heaviest +blow that ever fell upon me." Joseph questioned him: "Perhaps thou didst have +to bury her in the way, because she died during the rainy season, and thou +couldst not carry her body through the rain to our family sepulchre?" "No," +replied Jacob, "she died in the spring time, when the highways are clean and +firm." Joseph: "Grant me permission to take up her body now and place it in our +family burial-place." Jacob: "No, my son, that thou mayest not do. I was +unwilling to bury her in the way, but the Lord commanded it." The reason of the +command was that God knew that the Temple would be destroyed, and Israel would +be carried away into banishment, and the exiles would ask the Patriarchs to +intercede for them with God, but God would not hearken unto them. On their way +to the land of the stranger they would pass the grave of Rachel, and they would +throw themselves upon it, and beseech their mother to make intercession for +them with God. And Rachel would pray to God in their behalf: "O Lord of the +world, look upon my tears, and have compassion upon my children. But if Thou +wilt not take pity on them, then indemnify me for the wrong done to me." Unto +her prayer God will hearken, and He will have mercy upon Israel. Therefore was +Rachel buried in the way. +</p> + +<p> +Now Jacob desired to bless the sons of Joseph, but the holy spirit made him to +see Jeroboam, the descendant of Ephraim, and Jehu, the descendant of Manasseh, +how they would seduce Israel to idolatry, and the Shekinah forsook him as he +was about to lay his hands upon the heads of his grandsons. He said to Joseph, +"Is it possible that thou didst not marry the mother of thy children according +to the law?" Joseph thereupon brought his wife Asenath to his father, and +pointing to her marriage contract, he said, "This one is my wife, whom I +married as is proper, with a marriage contract and due ceremony. I pray thee, +my father, bless my sons if only for the sake of this pious woman." +</p> + +<p> +Jacob bade his grandsons approach close to him, and he kissed and embraced +them, in the hope that his joy in them would lure back the holy spirit, but his +hope was vain. Joseph concluded that the time was not favorable for blessing, +and he decided to go away until a more propitious opportunity presented itself, +first, however, proving to his father that his sons had been initiated in the +covenant of Abraham. +</p> + +<p> +Outside of his father's chamber, alone with his sons, he threw himself down +before God and besought Him to show him mercy, and he bade his sons do +likewise, saying, "Be not content with your high station, for worldly honors +are but for a time. Entreat God to be merciful and let the Shekinah descend +upon my father, that he bless you both." Then spake God to the holy spirit: +"How long yet shall Joseph suffer? Reveal thyself quickly, and enter into +Jacob, that he may be able to bestow blessings." +</p> + +<p> +In the words of Jacob, "Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simon, shall +be mine," Joseph had noticed his father's preference for his younger son +Ephraim. It made him very anxious about his older son's birthright, and he was +careful to put the two lads before his father in such wise that Manasseh should +stand opposite Jacob's right hand, and Ephraim opposite his left hand.[366] But +Ephraim, on account of his modesty, was destined for greater things than his +older brother Manasseh, and God bade the holy spirit prompt Jacob to give the +birthright to Ephraim.[367] Now when Joseph observed his father put his right +hand upon Ephraim's head, he made an attempt to remove it unto Manasseh's head. +But Jacob warded him off, saying: "What, thou wouldst displace my hand against +my will, the hand that overcame the prince of the angel hosts, who is as large +as one-third of the world![368] I know things not known to thee—I know what +Reuben did to Bilhah, and what Judah did to Tamar. How much more do I know +things known to thee![369] Thinkest thou I know not what thy brethren did to +thee, because thou wouldst betray nothing whenever I asked thee?[370] I know +it, Manasseh also shall become great, the judge Gideon shall descend from him, +but his younger brother will be the ancestor of Joshua, who will bring the sun +and the moon to a standstill, though they have dominion over the whole earth +from end to end." Thus did Jacob set Ephraim the younger above Manasseh the +older, and thus did it remain unto all times. In the list of the generations, +Manasseh comes after Ephraim, and so it was in the allotment of the portions in +the Holy Land, and so it was in the placing of the camps and the standards of +the tribes, and in the dedication of the Tabernacle—everywhere Ephraim preceded +Manasseh.[371] +</p> + +<p> +The blessing bestowed upon his grandchildren by Jacob was as follows: "O that +it be the will of God that ye walk in the ways of the Lord like unto my fathers +Abraham and Isaac,[372] and may the angel that hath redeemed me from all evil +give his aid unto Joshua and Gideon,[373] and reveal himself unto them. May +your names be named on Israel, and like unto fishes may you grow into a +multitude in the midst of the earth, and as fishes are protected by the water, +so may you be protected by the merits of Joseph."[374] +</p> + +<p> +The words "like unto fishes" were used by Jacob for the purpose of intimating +the manner of death awaiting the Ephraimites, the descendants of Joseph. As +fish are caught by their mouth, so the Ephraimites were in later days to invite +their doom by their peculiar lisp. At the same time, Jacob's words contained +the prophecy that Joshua the son of the man Nun, the "fish," would lead Israel +into the Holy Land. And in his words lay still another prophecy, with reference +to the sixty thousand men children begot in the same night as Moses, all cast +into the river with him, and saved for the sake of his merits. The number of +boys thrown to the fishes in the river that night was equal to the number of +men in Israel upon the earth.[375] +</p> + +<p> +Ephraim received a special and separate blessing from his grandfather. Jacob +said to him, "Ephraim, my son, thou art the head of the Academy, and in the +days to come my most excellent and celebrated descendants will be called +Ephrati after thee."[376] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph received two gifts from his father. The first was Shechem, the city that +Jacob had defended, with sword and bow, against the depredations of the Amorite +kings when they tried to take revenge upon his sons for the outrage committed +there. And the second gift was the garments made by God for Adam and passed +from hand to hand, until they came into the possession of Jacob. Shechem was +his reward, because, with his chastity, he stemmed the tide of immorality that +burst loose in Shechem first of all.[377] Besides, he had a prior claim upon +the city. Shechem, son of Hamor, the master of the city, had given it to Dinah +as a present, and the wife of Joseph, Asenath, being the daughter of Dinah, the +city belonged to him by right.[378] +</p> + +<p> +Adam's clothes Jacob had received from Esau. He had not taken them from his +brother by force, but God had caused them to be given to him as a reward for +his good deeds. They had belonged to Nimrod. Once when the mighty hunter caught +Esau in his preserves, and forbade him to go on the chase, they agreed to +determine by combat what their privileges were. Esau had taken counsel with +Jacob, and he had advised him never to fight with Nimrod while he was clothed +in Adam's garments. The two now wrestled with each other, and at the time +Nimrod was not dressed in Adam's clothes. The end was that he was slain by +Esau. Thus the garments worn by Adam fell into the hands of Esau, from him they +passed into Jacob's, and he bequeathed them to Joseph.[379] +</p> + +<p> +Jacob also taught Joseph three signs whereby to distinguish the true redeemer, +who should deliver Israel from the bondage of Egypt. He would proclaim the +Ineffable Name, appoint elders, and use the word Pakod in addressing the +people.[380] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap28"></a>THE BLESSING OF THE TWELVE TRIBES</h2> + +<p> +When Joseph and his two sons left Jacob, his brethren, envious of the bountiful +blessings bestowed upon the three, said, "The whole world loveth a favorite of +fortune, and our father hath blessed Joseph thus because he is a ruler of men." +Then spoke Jacob: "They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. I +have blessings enough for all."[381] +</p> + +<p> +Jacob summoned his sons from the land of Egypt, and bade them come to him at +Raamses, first, however, commanding them to make themselves clean, that the +blessing he was about to bestow might attach itself to them. Another one of his +commands was that they were to establish an Academy, by the members of which +they were to be governed. +</p> + +<p> +When his sons were brought into his presence by the angels, Jacob spoke, +saying, "Take heed that no dissensions spring up among you, for union is the +first condition of Israel's redemption," and he was on the point of revealing +the great secret to them concerning the end of time, but while they were +standing around the golden bed whereon their father lay, the Shekinah visited +him for a moment and departed as quickly, and with her departed also all trace +of the knowledge of the great mystery from the mind of Jacob.[382] He had the +same experience as his own father Isaac, who also had loss of memory inflicted +upon him by God, to prevent him from revealing the secret at the end of time to +Esau, when he summoned him to receive his blessing. +</p> + +<p> +The accident made Jacob apprehensive that his sons were not pious enough to be +considered worthy of the revelation concerning the Messianic era, and he said +to them, "Ishmael and the sons of Keturah were the blemished among the issue of +my grandfather Abraham; my father Isaac begot a blemished issue in Esau, and I +fear now that among you, too, there is one that harbors the intention to serve +idols." The twelve men spake, and said: "Hear, O Israel, our father, the +Eternal our God is the One Only God. As thy heart is one and united in +avouching the Holy One, blessed be He, to be thy God, so also are our hearts +one and united in avouching Him." Whereto Jacob responded, "Praised be the Name +of the glory of His majesty forever and ever!"[383] And although the whole +mystery of the Messianic time was not communicated to the sons of Jacob, yet +the blessing of each contained some reference to the events of the future. +</p> + +<p> +These were the words addressed by Jacob to his oldest son: "Reuben, thou art my +first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength! Thy portion should have +been three crowns. Thou shouldst have had the double heritage of thy +primogeniture, and the priestly dignity, and the royal power. But by reason of +thy sin, the birthright is conferred upon Joseph, kingship upon Judah, and the +priesthood upon Levi. My son, I know no healing remedy for thee, but the man +Moses, who will ascend to God, he will make thee whole, and God will forgive +thy sin.[384] I bless thee—may thy descendants be heroes in the Torah and +heroes in war.[385] Though thou must lose thy birthright, yet wilt thou be the +first to enter into possession of thy allotment in the Holy Land, and in thy +territory shall be the first of the cities of refuge, and always shall thy name +stand first in the list of the families of the tribes. Yea, thou shalt also be +the first whose heritage will be seized by the enemy, and the first to be +carried away into the lands of exile."[386] +</p> + +<p> +After Reuben had had his "ears pulled" thus, he retired, and Jacob called his +sons Simon and Levi to his side, and he addressed them in these words: +"Brethren ye were of Dinah, but not of Joseph, whom you sold into slavery. The +weapons of violence wherewith ye smote Shechem were stolen weapons, for it was +not seemly for you to draw the sword. That was Esau's portion. To him was it +said, By thy sword shalt thou live. Into the council of the tribe of Simon my +soul will not come when they foregather at Shittim to do vicious deeds, and my +glory will not be united unto the assembly of Korah, the descendants of Levi. +In their anger Simon and Levi slew the prince of Shechem, and in their +self-will they sold Joseph the bull into slavery. Accursed was the city of +Shechem when they entered to destroy it. If they remain united, no ruler will +be able to stand up before them, no war will prosper against them. Therefore +will I divide and scatter their possession among the possessions of the other +tribes. The descendants of Simon will many of them be poor men, who will wander +from tribe to tribe and beg for bread, and also Levi's tribe will gather its +tithes and gifts from all the others." +</p> + +<p> +The words of Jacob, "I will divide them in Jacob," spoken of Simon and Levi, +were fulfilled on Simon in particular. When twenty-four thousand of Simon fell +at Shittim, the widows they left behind married husbands of all the other +tribes. Nevertheless Jacob did not dismiss Simon and Levi without blessing +them; the tribe of Simon was to bring forth the teachers and the beadles needed +by all Israel, and Levi, the scholars that would expound the Torah and render +decisions according to its teachings.[387] +</p> + +<p> +When the remaining sons of Jacob heard the rebukes dealt out by their father to +these three, they feared to hear like reproaches, and they tried to slip away +from his presence. Especially Judah was alarmed, that his father might taunt +him with his trespass touching Tamar. But Jacob spoke thus to him: "Judah, thou +dost deserve thy name. Thy mother called thee Jehudah, because she gave praise +to God at thy birth, and so shall thy brethren praise thee, and they all will +call themselves by thy name. And as thou didst confess thy sin openly, so also +thy descendants, Achan, David, and Manasseh, will make public avowal of their +sins, and the Lord will hear their prayer. Thy hands will send darts after the +fleeing foe, and thy father's sons shall pay thee respect. Thou hast the +impudence of a dog and the bravery of a lion. Thou didst save Joseph from +death, and Tamar and her two sons from the flames. No people and no kingdom +will be able to stand up against thee. Rulers shall not cease from the house of +Judah, nor teachers of the law from his posterity, until his descendant Messiah +come, and the obedience of all peoples be unto him. How glorious is Messiah of +the House of Judah! His loins girded, he will go out to do battle with his +enemies. No king and no ruler will prevail against him. The mountains will be +dyed red with their blood, and the garments of Messiah will be like the +garments of him that presseth wine. The eyes of Messiah will be clearer than +pure wine, for they will never behold unchastity and bloodshed; and his teeth +will be whiter than milk, for never will they bite aught that is taken by +violence."[388] +</p> + +<p> +Though Issachar was the older, Zebulon came next to be blessed, as a reward for +the sacrifice he had made for his brother's sake, for when Issachar chose the +study of the Torah as his vocation, Zebulon decided to devote himself to +business and support his brother with the profits of his trade, that he might +give himself up to the law undisturbed.[389] His blessing was that he would +conquer the seacoast as far as Zidon.[390] +</p> + +<p> +"Issachar," said Jacob, "will take upon himself the burden of the study of the +Torah, and all the other tribes will come to him and ask him to decide their +doubts on legal questions, and his descendants will be the members of the +Sanhedrin and the scholars that will occupy themselves with fixing the +calendar." Jacob blessed Issachar also with the blessing, that the fruits of +his land should be exceedingly large, and this brought a heavenly as well as an +earthly profit in its train, for when the heathen to whom the fruits were sold +marvelled thereat, the Jewish merchants explained that their extraordinary size +was due to the merits of the tribe of Issachar, whom God rewarded for their +devotion to the Torah, and thus many of the heathen were induced to convert to +Judaism.[391] +</p> + +<p> +In blessing Dan, Jacob's thoughts were occupied chiefly with his descendant +Samson, who, like unto God, without any manner of assistance, conferred victory +upon his people. Jacob even believed the strong, heroic man to be the Messiah, +but when Samson's death was revealed to him, he exclaimed, "I wait for Thy +salvation, O Lord, for Thy help is unto all eternity, while Samson's help is +only for a time.[392] The redemption" continued Jacob, "will not be +accomplished by Samson the Danite, but by Elijah the Gadite, who will appear at +the end of time."[393] +</p> + +<p> +Asher's blessing was the beauty of his women, who would be sought in marriage +by kings and high priests.[394] +</p> + +<p> +In Naphtali's land all fruits would ripen quickly, and they would be brought as +presents to kings, and gain royal favor for the givers. This blessing was +fulfilled in the plain of Gennesaret.[395] At the same time Naphtali's blessing +was a prophecy concerning his descendant Deborah, who was like a hind let loose +against Sisera to conquer him, and she gave goodly words in her song of +Israel's victory.[396] Naphtali himself deserved the description applied to +Deborah, for he was swift as a hart to do the will of God, and he was a fleet +messenger unto his father and the tribes. They sent him whithersoever they +would, and he executed their errands with dispatch.[397] He served the brethren +of Joseph as herald, to announce unto Jacob the glad tidings, "Joseph is yet +alive," and when the stricken father saw him approach, he said, "Lo, here +cometh Naphtali the lovable, who proclaimeth peace."[398] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph's blessing exceeded the blessing of all his brethren. Jacob spoke: "O +son whom I bred up, Joseph, whom I raised, and who wast strong to resist the +enticements of sin, thou didst conquer all the magicians and the wise men of +Egypt by thy wisdom and thy pious deeds. The daughters of princes cast their +jewels before thee, to draw thine eyes upon them when thou didst pass through +the land of Egypt, but thou didst not look their way, and therefore wast thou +made the father of two tribes. The magicians and the wise men of Egypt sought +to defame thee before Pharaoh and slander thee, but thou didst set thy hope in +the Almighty. Therefore may He who appeared unto me as El Shaddai bless thee +and grant thee fertile soil and much cattle. May the blessing thy father giveth +thee now, and the blessing that his fathers Abraham and Isaac gave him, and +that called forth the envy of the great of the world, Ishmael, Esau, and the +sons of Keturah—may all these blessings be a crown upon the head of Joseph, and +a chain upon the neck of him that was the ruler of Egypt, and yet diminished +not the honor due to his brethren."[399] +</p> + +<p> +The slander of which Jacob spoke referred to what Potiphar had said of Joseph +before Pharaoh. He had complained, saying, "Why didst thou appoint my slave, +whom I did buy for twenty pieces of silver, to be ruler over the Egyptians?" +Joseph had then taken up his own defense, saying: "When thou didst buy me as a +slave, thou didst commit a capital crime. Only a descendant of Canaan may be +sold as a slave, and I am a descendant of Shem, and a prince besides. If thou +wilt convince thyself of the truth of my words, do but compare me with the +likeness of my mother Sarah that Pharaoh had made of her!" They brought Sarah's +likeness, and, verily, it appeared that Joseph resembled his ancestress, and +all were convinced of his noble lineage.[400] +</p> + +<p> +The blessing that Jacob bestowed upon Benjamin contains the prophecy that his +tribe would provide Israel with his first ruler and his last ruler, and so it +was, for Saul and Esther both belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. Likewise +Benjamin's heritage in the Holy Land harbors two extremes: Jericho ripens its +fruits earlier than any other region in Palestine, while Beth-el ripens them +latest. In Benjamin's blessing, Jacob referred also to the service in the +Temple, because the Holy Place was situated in the territory of Benjamin. And +when Jacob called his youngest son a wolf that ravineth, he was thinking of the +judge Ehud, the great scholar, a Benjamite, who conquered Eglon king of Moab, +and also he had in mind the Benjamites that captured their wives by cunning and +force.[401] +</p> + +<p> +Again, if he called Benjamin a wolf, Judah a lion, and Joseph a bull, he wanted +to point to the three kingdoms known as wolf, lion, and bull, the doom of which +was and will be sealed by the descendants of his three sons: Babylon, the +kingdom of the lion, fell through the hands of Daniel of the tribe of Judah; +Media, the wolf, found its master in the Benjamite Mordecai; and the bull +Joseph will subdue the horned beast, the kingdom of wickedness, before the +Messianic time.[402] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap29"></a>THE DEATH OF JACOB</h2> + +<p> +After Jacob had blessed each of his sons separately, he addressed himself to +all of them together, saying: "According to my power did I bless you, but in +future days a prophet will arise, and this man Moses will bless you, too, and +he will continue my blessings where I left off." He added, besides, that the +blessing of each tribe should redound to the good of all the other tribes: the +tribe of Judah should have a share in the fine wheat of the tribe of Benjamin, +and Benjamin should enjoy the goodly barley of Judah. The tribes should be +mutually helpful, one to another.[403] +</p> + +<p> +Moreover, he charged them not to be guilty of idolatry in any form or shape and +not to let blasphemous speech pass their lips, and he taught them the order of +transporting his bier,[404] thus: "Joseph, being king, shall not help to bear +it, nor shall Levi, who is destined to carry the Ark of the Shekinah. Judah, +Issachar, and Zebulon shall grasp its front end, Reuben, Simon, and Gad its +right side, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin the hindmost end, and Dan, Asher, +and Naphtali its left side." And this was the order in which the tribes, +bearing each its standard, were to march through the desert, the Shekinah +dwelling in the midst of them.[405] +</p> + +<p> +Jacob then spake to Joseph, saying: "And thou, my son Joseph, forgive thy +brethren for their trespass against thee, forsake them not, and grieve them +not, for the Lord hath put them into thine hands, that thou shouldst protect +them all thy days against the Egyptians." +</p> + +<p> +Also he admonished his sons, saying that the Lord would be with them if they +walked in His ways, and He would redeem them from the hands of the Egyptians. +"I know," he continued, "great suffering will befall your sons and your +grandsons in this land, but if you will obey God, and teach your sons to know +Him, then He will send you a redeemer, who will bring you forth out of Egypt +and lead you into the land of your fathers."[406] +</p> + +<p> +In resignation to the will of God,[407] Jacob awaited his end, and death +enveloped him gently. Not the Angel of Death ended his life, but the Shekinah +took his soul with a kiss. Beside the three Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and +Jacob, only Moses, Aaron, and Miriam breathed their last in this manner, +through the kiss of the Shekinah. And these six, together with Benjamin, are +the only ones whose corpses are not exposed to the ravages of the worms, and +they neither corrupt nor decay. +</p> + +<p> +Thus Jacob departed this world, and entered the world to come, a foretaste of +which he had enjoyed here below, like the other two Patriarchs, and none beside +among men. In another respect their life in this world resembled their life in +the world to come, the evil inclination had no power over them, either here or +there, wherein David resembled them.[408] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph ordered his father's body to be placed upon a couch of ivory, covered +with gold, studded with gems, and hung with drapery of byssus and purple. +Fragrant wine was poured out at its side, and aromatic spices burnt next to it. +Heroes of the house of Esau, princes of the family of Ishmael, and the lion +Judah, the bravest of his sons, surrounded the sumptuous bier of Jacob. "Come," +said Judah to his brethren, "let us plant a high cedar tree at the head of our +father's grave, its top shall reach up to the skies, its branches shall shade +all the inhabitants of the earth, and its roots shall grow down deep into the +earth, unto the abyss. For from him are sprung twelve tribes, and from him will +arise kings and rulers, chapters of priests prepared to perform the service of +the sacrifices, and companies of Levites ready to sing psalms and play upon +sweet instruments."[409] +</p> + +<p> +The sons of Jacob tore their garments and girded their loins with sackcloth, +threw themselves upon the ground, and strewed earth upon their heads until the +dust rose in a high cloud. And when Asenath, the wife of Joseph, heard the +tidings of Jacob's death, she came, and with her came the women of Egypt, to +weep and mourn over him. And the men of Egypt that had known Jacob repaired +thither, and they mourned day after day, and also many journeyed down into +Egypt from Canaan, to take part in the seventy days' mourning made for +him.[410] +</p> + +<p> +The Egyptians spake to one another, saying, "Let us lament for the pious man +Jacob, because the affliction of the famine was averted from our land on +account of his merits," for instead of ravaging the land for forty-two years +according to the decree of God, the famine had lasted but two years, and that +was due to the virtues of Jacob.[411] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph ordered the physicians to embalm the corpse. This he should have +refrained from doing, for it was displeasing to God, who spoke, saying: "Have I +not the power to preserve the corpse of this pious man from corruption? Was it +not I that spoke the reassuring words, Fear not the worm, O Jacob, thou dead +Israel?" Joseph's punishment for this useless precaution was that he was the +first of the sons of Jacob to suffer death.[412] The Egyptians, on the other +hand, who devoted forty days to embalming the corpse and preparing it for +burial, were rewarded for the veneration they showed. Before He destroyed their +city, God gave the Ninevites a forty days' respite on account of their king, +who was the Pharaoh of Egypt. And for the three score and ten days of mourning +that the heathen made for Jacob, they were recompensed at the time of +Ahasuerus. During seventy days, from the thirteenth of Nisan, the date of +Haman's edict ordering the extermination of the Jews, until the twenty-third of +Siwan, when Mordecai recalled it, they were permitted to enjoy absolute power +over the Jews. +</p> + +<p> +When all preparations for the burial of Jacob had been completed, Joseph asked +permission of Pharaoh to carry the body up into Canaan. But he did not himself +go to put his petition before Pharaoh, for he could not well appear before the +king in the garb of a mourner, nor was he willing to interrupt his lamentation +over his father for even a brief space and stand before Pharaoh and prefer his +petition. He requested the family of Pharaoh to intercede for him with the king +for the additional reason that he was desirous of enlisting the favor of the +king's relations, lest they advise Pharaoh not to fulfil his wish. He acted +according to the maxim, "Seek to win over the accuser, that he cause thee no +annoyance."[413] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph applied first to the queen's hairdresser, and she influenced the queen +to favor him, and then the queen put in a good word for him with the king.[414] +At first Pharaoh refused the permission craved by Joseph, who, however, urged +him to consider the solemn oath he had given his dying father, to bury him in +Canaan. Pharaoh desired him to seek absolution from the oath. But Joseph +rejoined, "Then will I apply also for absolution from the oath I gave thee," +referring to an incident in his earlier history. The grandees of Egypt had +advised Pharaoh against appointing Joseph as viceroy, and they did not recede +from this counsel until Joseph, in his conversation with the Egyptian king, +proved himself to be master of the seventy languages of the world, the +necessary condition to be fulfilled before one could become ruler over Egypt. +But the conversation proved something else, that Pharaoh himself was not +entitled to Egyptian kingship, because he lacked knowledge of Hebrew. He +feared, if the truth became known, Joseph would be raised to his own place, for +he knew Hebrew beside all the other tongues. In his anxiety and distress, +Pharaoh made Joseph swear an oath never to betray the king's ignorance of +Hebrew. Now when Joseph threatened to have himself absolved from this oath as +well as the one to his dying father, great terror overwhelmed him, and he +speedily granted Joseph permission to go up to Canaan and bury his father +there.[415] +</p> + +<p> +Moreover, Pharaoh issued a decree in all parts of the land menacing those with +death who would not accompany Joseph and his brethren upon their journey to +Canaan with their father's remains, and accordingly the procession that +followed the bier of Jacob was made up of the princes and nobles of Egypt as +well as the common people.[416] The bier was borne by the sons of Jacob. In +obedience to his wish not even their children were allowed to touch it.[417] It +was fashioned of pure gold, the border thereof inlaid with onyx stones and +bdellium, and the cover was gold woven work joined to the bier with threads +that were held together with hooks of onyx stones and bdellium. Joseph placed a +large golden crown upon the head of his father, and a golden sceptre he put in +his hand, arraying him like a living king. +</p> + +<p> +The funeral cortege was arranged in this order: First came the valiant men of +Pharaoh and the valiant men of Joseph, and then the rest of the inhabitants of +Egypt. All were girt with swords and clothed in coats of mail, and the +trappings of war were upon them. The weepers and mourners walked, crying and +lamenting, at some distance from the bier, and the rest of the people went +behind it, while Joseph and his household followed together after it, with bare +feet and in tears, and Joseph's servants were close to him, each man with his +accoutrements and weapons of war. Fifty of Jacob's servants preceded the bier, +strewing myrrh upon the road in passing, and all manner of perfumes, so that +the sons of Jacob trod upon the aromatic spices as they carried the body +forward. +</p> + +<p> +Thus the procession moved on until it reached Canaan. It halted at the +threshing-floor of Atad, and there they lamented with a very great and sore +lamentation.[418] But the greatest honor conferred upon Jacob was the presence +of the Shekinah, who accompanied the cortege.[419] +</p> + +<p> +The Canaanites had no intention at first to take part in the mourning made for +Jacob, but when they saw the honors shown him, they joined the procession of +the Egyptians,[420] loosing the girdles of their garments as a sign of +grief.[421] Also the sons of Esau, Ishmael, and Keturah appeared, though their +design in coming was to seize the opportunity and make war upon the sons of +Jacob, but when they saw Joseph's crown suspended from the bier, the Edomite +and Ishmaelite kings and princes followed his example, and attached theirs to +it, too, and it was ornamented with thirty-six crowns. +</p> + +<p> +Nevertheless the conflict was not averted; it broke out in the end between the +sons of Jacob and Esau and his followers. When the former were about to lower +the body of their father into the Cave of Machpelah, Esau attempted to prevent +it, saying that Jacob had used his allotted portion of the tomb for Leah, and +the only space left for a grave belonged to himself. For, continued Esau, +"though I sold my birthright unto Jacob, I yet have a portion in the tomb as a +son of Isaac." The sons of Jacob, however, were well aware of the fact that +their father had acquired Esau's share in the Cave, and they even knew that a +bill of sale existed, but Esau, assuming properly that the document was left +behind in Egypt, denied that any such had ever been made out, and the sons of +Jacob sent Naphtali, the fleet runner, back to Egypt to fetch the bill. +Meantime, while this altercation was going on between Esau and the others, +Hushim the son of Dan arose and inquired in astonishment why they did not +proceed with the burial of Jacob, for he was deaf and had not understood the +words that had passed between the disputants. When he heard what it was all +about, and that the ceremonies were interrupted until Naphtali should return +from Egypt with the bill of sale, he exclaimed, with indignation, "My +grandfather shall lie here unburied until Naphtali comes back!" and he seized a +club and dealt Esau a vigorous blow, so that he died, and his eyes fell out of +their sockets and dropped upon Jacob's knees, and Jacob opened his own eyes and +smiled. Esau being dead, his brother's burial could proceed without hindrance, +and Joseph interred him in the Cave of Machpelah in accordance with his wish. +</p> + +<p> +His other children had left all arrangements connected with the burial of their +father's body to their brother Joseph, for they reflected that it was a greater +honor for Jacob if a king concerned himself about his remains rather than +simple private individuals.[422] +</p> + +<p> +The head of Esau, as he lay slain by the side of Jacob's grave, rolled down +into the Cave, and fell into the lap of Isaac, who prayed to God to have mercy +upon his son, but his supplications were in vain. God spoke, saying, "As I +live, he shall not behold the majesty of the Lord."[423] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap30"></a>THE SONS OF JACOB AT WAR WITH THE SONS OF ESAU</h2> + +<p> +Jacob having been interred with royal pomp, and the seven days' period of +mourning over, the conflict between the sons of Jacob and the sons of Esau +broke out anew. In the skirmish that had ensued when Esau advanced a claim upon +a place in the Cave of Machpelah, while his brother's remains still lay +unburied, he lost forty of his men, and after his death fortune favored his +sons as little. Eighty of their followers were slain, while of the sons of +Jacob not one was lost. Joseph succeeded in capturing Zepho the son of Eliphaz +and fifty of his men, and he clapped them in chains and carried them off to +Egypt. Thereupon the rest of the attacking army led by Eliphaz fled to Mount +Seir, taking with them the headless corpse of Esau, to bury it in his own +territory. The sons of Jacob pursued after them, but they slew none, out of +respect for the remains of Esau. +</p> + +<p> +On the third day a great army gathered together, consisting of the inhabitants +of Seir and the children of the East, and they marched down into Egypt with the +purpose of making war upon Joseph and his brethren. In the battle that came +off, this army was almost totally destroyed, not less than six hundred thousand +men were mowed down by Joseph and his warriors, and the small remnant fled +precipitately. Returned to their own country after this fatal campaign, the +sons of Esau and the sons of Seir fell to quarrelling among themselves, and the +sons of Seir demanded that their former allies leave the place, because it was +they that had brought misfortune upon the country. +</p> + +<p> +The sons of Esau thereupon dispatched a messenger in secret to their friend +Agnias, king of Africa, begging his aid against the sons of Seir. He granted +their request, and sent them troops consisting of foot-soldiers and mounted +men. The sons of Seir, on their part, also sought allies, and they secured the +help of the children of the East, and of the Midianites, who put warriors at +their disposal. In the encounters that ensued between the hostile forces, the +sons of Esau were defeated again and again, partly on account of treachery in +their own ranks, for their men sometimes deserted to the enemy while the combat +was on. At last, however, in the battle that took place in the desert of Paran, +the sons of Esau gained a decisive victory. They massacred all the warriors of +the sons of Seir, and the Midianites and the children of the East were put to +flight. +</p> + +<p> +Thereafter the sons of Esau returned to Seir, and they slew all the inhabitants +of the place, men, women, and children, sparing only fifty lads and maidens. +The former they used as slaves, and the latter they took to wife. They also +enriched themselves with the spoils, seizing all the possessions of the sons of +Seir, and the whole land was divided among the five sons of Esau. Now these +descendants of Esau determined to put a king over themselves, but in +consequence of the treachery committed during the war there prevailed such +hatred and bitterness among them that they decided never to appoint a ruler +from their own people. Their choice fell upon Bela, the son of Beor, one of the +warriors sent to them by King Agnias. His peer could not be found among the +allied troops for bravery, wisdom, and handsome appearance. They set the royal +crown upon his head, built a palace for him, and gave him gifts of silver, +gold, and gems, until he lived in great opulence. He reigned happily for thirty +years, and met his death then in a war against Joseph and his brethren. +</p> + +<p> +This war came about because the sons of Esau could not banish from their memory +the disgrace of the defeat inflicted upon them by Joseph and his people. Having +enlisted the aid of Agnias, and of the Ishmaelites and other nations of the +East, they set forth on a second campaign against Egypt, in the hope of +delivering Zepho and his followers from the hands of Joseph. In spite of their +enormous host—they had no less than eight hundred thousand men of infantry and +cavalry—they were defeated at Raamses by Joseph and his brethren and their +little company of six hundred men. Beside their king Bela, they left one-fourth +of their army upon the field. The loss of their king discouraged them +grievously, and they took to flight, hard pressed by Joseph, who cut down many +of the fugitives. +</p> + +<p> +When he returned from the battle, Joseph ordered manacles and fetters to be put +upon Zepho and his followers, and their captivity was made more bitter unto +them than it had been before. +</p> + +<p> +The sons of Esau appointed Jobab of Bozrah to succeed their dead king Bela. His +reign lasted ten years, but they desisted from all further attempts at waging +war with the sons of Jacob. Their last experience with them had been too +painful, but the enmity they cherished against them was all the fiercer, and +their hatred never abated. +</p> + +<p> +Their third king was Husham, and he ruled over them for twenty years. During +his reign Zepho succeeded in making good his escape from Egypt. He was received +kindly by Agnias, king of Africa, and appointed commander-in-chief of his +troops. He used every means of persuasion to induce his sovereign lord to enter +into a war with Egypt, but in vain, for Agnias was only too well acquainted +with the strength and heroism of the sons of Jacob. For many years he resisted +Zepho's arguments and blandishments. Indeed, as it was, Agnias had his hands +full with other warlike enterprises. It had happened about this time that a man +of the land of Kittim, 'Uzi by name, whom his countrymen venerated as a god, +died in the city of Pozimana, and he left behind a fair and clever daughter. +Agnias heard of Yaniah's beauty and wisdom, and he sued for her hand, and his +request was granted him by the people of Kittim. +</p> + +<p> +The messengers of Agnias were hastening away from Kittim, bearing to their +master the promise of the inhabitants that Yaniah should become his wife, when +Turnus, king of Benevento, arrived on the same errand. His suit was rejected, +for the people of Kittim were afraid-to break the promise given to Agnias. In +his anger, Turnus went to Sardinia to make war upon King Lucus, a brother of +Agnias, intending to deal with the latter as soon as the other was rendered +harmless. Hearing of the design hatched by Turnus, Agnias hastened to Sardinia +to the assistance of his brother, and a battle took place in the Valley of +Campania. Against Turnus were arrayed Agnias, his brother Lucus, and the son of +the latter, Niblos, whom his father had appointed commander-in-chief of the +Sardinian troops. In the first encounter, Turnus was the victor, and the +Sardinians lost their general Niblos. But in the second engagement the army of +Turnus was routed completely, and he himself was left dead on the field. His +army fled, pursued closely by Agnias as far as the cross-road between Rome and +Albano. Niblos' body was put inside of a golden statue, and his father erected +a high tower over his grave, and another over the grave of Turnus, and these +two buildings, connected by a marble pavement, stand opposite to each other, on +the cross-road at which Agnias left off from following after the fugitive army. +</p> + +<p> +The king of Africa went on to the city of Benevento, but he took no harsh +measures against it and its inhabitants, because it belonged to the land of +Kittim at that time. Thenceforth, however, bands of soldiers from Africa made +incursions, now and again, into the land of Kittim, under the lead of Zepho, +the captain of the African army. Agnias meantime went to Pozimana, to solemnize +his marriage with Yaniah, and he returned with her to his capital in +Africa.[424] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap31"></a>ZEPHO KING OF KITTIM</h2> + +<p> +All this time Zepho did not leave off urging Agnias to invade Egypt, and he +succeeded finally in persuading the king to consider his wish, and a great army +was equipped against Egypt and the sons of Jacob. Among the shield- bearers was +Balaam, the fifteen year old son of Beor, a wise youth and an adept in magic, +and the king bade him acquaint him with the issue of the war upon which they +were entering. Balaam took wax and moulded the figures of men, to represent the +army of Agnias and the army of the Egyptians, and he plunged them into magic +water and let them swim, and it appeared that the African army was subdued by +the Egyptians. Agnias accordingly gave up the campaign, and Zepho, seeing that +his sovereign could not be persuaded into war with the sons of Jacob, fled the +country and betook himself to Kittim. +</p> + +<p> +The people of Kittim received him with great honors, and they offered him much +money to stay with them and conduct their wars. It happened once while Zepho +was in the mountains of Koptiziah, where the inhabitants of Kittim had taken +refuge before the troops of the African king, that he had to go on a search for +an ox that had strayed away, and he discovered a cave the opening of which was +barred by a great stone. He shivered the stone in pieces, and entering the cave +he saw an animal formed like a man above and a he-goat below, and he killed the +strange beast, which was in the very act of devouring his lost ox. There was +great rejoicing among the people of Kittim, for the monster had long been doing +havoc among their cattle, and in gratitude they set aside one day of the year, +which they called by Zepho's name, in honor of their liberator, and all the +people brought him presents and offered sacrifices to him. +</p> + +<p> +At this time it came to pass that Yaniah, the wife of King Agnias, fell into a +grievous sickness, and the physicians ascribed her illness to the climate, and +to the water of Africa, to which she, a native of the land of Kittim, could not +get accustomed, because she had been in the habit of using the water of the +river Forma, which her forefathers had drawn to her house through a conduit. +Agnias sent to the land of Kittim and had some of the water of the Forma +brought to Africa. Finding it much lighter than the water of his own country, +he built a huge canal from the land of Kittim. to Africa, and the queen +henceforth had all the Forma water she needed. Besides, he took earth and stone +from Kittim, and built a palace for Yaniah, and she recovered from her illness. +</p> + +<p> +Meantime Zepho had won a decisive victory over the African troops that had made +an incursion into the land of Kittim, and the people chose him as king. His +first undertaking was a campaign against the sons of Tubal and the Islands of +the Sea, and again he was successful, he subdued them completely. On his +return, the people built a great palace for Zepho, and they renewed his +kingship, and he continued until his death to reign as king of Kittim and of +Italy. +</p> + +<p> +During the first thirteen years of his reign, the Africans made no attempt to +disturb the peace of Kittim, but then they invaded the land, only to be +severely repulsed by Zepho, who pursued the troops up to the very borders of +Africa, and Agnias the king was in such consternation that he did not venture +to make reprisals for some time. When he finally made a second attempt, his +troops were annihilated by Zepho down to the very last man. Now Agnias, in +despair, assembled all the inhabitants of Africa, as numerous as the sand on +the sea-shore, and he united his great host with the army of his brother Lucus, +and thus he made his third attempt upon Zepho and the people of the land of +Kittim. +</p> + +<p> +Alarmed, Zepho wrote to his brethren in Seir, and entreated their king Hadad to +send him aid. But the people of Seir had concluded an alliance with Agnias as +far back as under their first king Bela, and they refused Zepho's request, and +the king of Kittim had to face the host of eight hundred thousand men mustered +by Agnias with his little band of three thousand. Then the people of Kittim +spake to their king Zepho, saying: "Pray for us unto the God of thy ancestors. +Peradventure He may deliver us from the hand of Agnias and his army, for we +have heard that He is a great God, and He delivers all that trust in Him." +Zepho prayed unto the Lord, saying: "O Lord, God of Abraham and Isaac, my +fathers, this day may it be made known that Thou art a true God, and all the +gods of the nations are vain and useless. Remember now this day unto me Thy +covenant with Abraham our father, which our ancestors related unto us, and do +graciously with me this day for the sake of Abraham and Isaac, our fathers, and +save me and the sons of Kittim from the hand of the king of Africa, who hath +come against us for battle." +</p> + +<p> +God gave ear unto Zepho's prayer, and in the first day's battle one-half of the +African army fell. Agnias forthwith dispatched a decree to his country, +ordering, on penalty of death and confiscation of property, that all the males +of the land, including boys that bad passed their tenth year, were to join the +army and fight against the people of Kittim. In spite of these new accessions, +three hundred thousand strong, Agnias was beaten again by Zepho in the second +battle. The African general Sosipater having fallen slain, the troops broke +into flight, at their head Agnias with Lucus the brother and Asdrubal the son +of Agnias. After this dire defeat the Africans made no further attempt to +disturb the peace of Kittim, and their incursions ceased forever. +</p> + +<p> +In spite of the great victory that Zepho had won with the help of God, the king +of Kittim walked in the idolatrous ways of the people whom he ruled, and in the +ways of the sons of Esau, for, as saith the proverb of the ancients, "Out of +the wicked cometh forth wickedness," and Zepho was not other than the rest of +the sons of Esau. +</p> + +<p> +The severe defeat inflicted upon Agnias drove Balaam from Africa to Kittim, and +he was received with great honors by Zepho, who welcomed him on account of his +deep wisdom. +</p> + +<p> +Now Zepho thought the time had arrived for him to carry out his plan of +vengeance against the posterity of Jacob, all the more as in the meantime +Joseph had died, and also his brethren and the valiant men of Pharaoh had +passed away. He was joined in the enterprise by Hadad, the king of Edom, and by +the nations of the East and the Ishmaelites. The allied army was so vast that +the space it covered as it stood in rank and file was equal to a three days' +journey. It formed in battle array in the Valley of Pathros, and it was met by +three hundred thousand Egyptians and one hundred and fifty Israelites from +Goshen. But the Egyptians did not trust the Israelites, they feared their +defection to the sons of Esau and Ishmael. They therefore made an agreement +with them that the Israelites were not to come to the help of the Egyptians +until it appeared that the enemy were getting the upper hand +</p> + +<p> +Zepho, who had a high opinion of Balaam's ability, desired him to use his magic +arts and find out what would be the outcome of the war, but Balaam's knowledge +failed him, he could not satisfy the king's wish. The Egyptians got the worst +of the first encounter between the two hostile armies, but the aspect of things +changed as soon as they summoned the Israelites to aid them. The Israelites +prayed to God to support them with His help, and the Lord heard their prayer. +Then they threw themselves upon Zepho and his allies, and after they had cut +down several thousand men, such dismay and confusion took hold of the enemy +that they fled hastily, pursued by the Israelites as far as the boundary of the +country. The Egyptians, instead of coming to the assistance of the Israelites, +had taken to flight, leaving the small band of their allies to dispose of the +huge host of their adversaries. Embittered by such treatment, the Israelites +slew as many as two hundred Egyptians, under the pretext that they thought they +belonged to the enemy.[425] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap32"></a>THE NATIONS AT WAR</h2> + +<p> +Hadad, the king of Edom, who had failed to gain fame and honor in the Egyptian +campaign, was favored by fortune in another war, a war against Moab. The +Moabites shrank from meeting Hadad alone, and they made an alliance with the +Midianites. In the thick of the fight the Moabites fled from the field of +battle, leaving the Midianites to their fate, and these deserted allies of +theirs were cut down to a man by Hadad and his Edomites. The Moabites saved +their skins, and suffered only the inconvenience of having to pay tribute. To +avenge the faithlessness practiced against them, the Midianites, supported by +their kinsmen, the sons of Keturah, gathered a mighty army, and attacked the +Moabites the following year. But Hadad came to their assistance, and again he +inflicted a severe defeat upon the Midianites, who had to give up their plan of +revenge against Moab. This is the beginning of the inveterate enmity between +the Moabites and the Midianites. If a single Moabite is caught in the land of +Midian, he is killed without mercy, and a Midianite in Moab fares no better. +</p> + +<p> +After the death of Hadad, the Edomites installed Samlah of Masrekah as their +king, and he reigned eighteen years. It was his desire to take up the cause of +Agnias, the old ally of the Edomites, and chastise Zepho for having gone to war +with him, but his people, the Edomites, would not permit him to undertake aught +that was inimical to their kinsman, and Samlah had to abandon the plan. In the +fourteenth year of Samlah's reign, Zepho died, having been king of Kittim for +fifty years. His successor was Janus, one of the people of Kittim, who enjoyed +an equally long reign. +</p> + +<p> +Balaam had made his escape to Egypt after the death of Zepho, and he was +received there with great demonstrations of honor by the king and all the +nobles, and Pharaoh appointed him to be royal counsellor, for he had heard much +about his exceeding great wisdom. +</p> + +<p> +In the Edomite kingdom, Samlah was succeeded by Saul of Pethor, a youth of +surpassing beauty, whose reign lasted forty years. His successor upon the +throne was Baal Hamon, king for thirty-eight years, during which period the +Moabites rose up against the Edomites, to whom they had been paying tribute +since the time of Hadad, and they succeeded in throwing off the yoke of the +stranger. +</p> + +<p> +The times were troubled everywhere. Agnias, the king of Africa, died, and also +the death of Janus occurred, the king of Kittim. The successors to these two +rulers, Asdrubal, the son of Agnias, and Latinus, the king of Kittim, then +entered upon a long drawn out war of many years. At first the fortune of war +favored Latinus. He sailed to Africa in ships, and inflicted one defeat after +another upon Asdrubal, and finally this king of Africa lost his life upon the +battlefield. After destroying the canal from Kittim to Africa built many years +before by Agnias, Latinus returned to his own country, taking with him as his +wife Ushpiziwnah, the daughter of Asdrubal, who was so wondrously beautiful +that her countrymen wore her likeness upon their garments. +</p> + +<p> +Latinus did not enjoy the fruits of his victory long. Anibal, the younger +brother of Asdrubal and his successor in the royal power, went to Kittim in +ships and carried on a series of wars lasting eighteen years, in the course of +which he killed off eighty thousand of the people of Kittim, not sparing the +princes and the nobles. At the end of this protracted period he went back to +Africa, and reigned over his people in quiet and peace. +</p> + +<p> +The Edomites, during the forty-eight years of the reign of Hadad, the successor +of Baal Hamon, fared no better than the people of Kittim. Hadad's first +undertaking was to reduce the Moabites again under the sovereignty of Edom, but +he had to desist, because he could not offer successful resistance to a newly +chosen king of theirs, one of their own people, who enlisted the aid of their +kinsmen the Ammonites. The allies commanded a great host, and Hadad was +overwhelmed. These wars were followed by others between Hadad of Edom. and +Abimenos of Kittim. The latter was the attacking party, and he invaded Seir +with a mighty army. The sons of Seir were defeated abjectly, their king Hadad +was taken captive, and then executed by Abimenos, and Seir was made a province +subject to Kittim and ruled by a governor. +</p> + +<p> +Thus ended the independence of the sons of Esau. Henceforth they had to pay +tribute to Kittim, over which Abimenos ruled until his death, in the +thirty-eighth year of his reign.[426] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap33"></a>JOSEPH'S MAGNANIMITY</h2> + +<p> +As Joseph was returning from the burial of his father in the Cave of Machpelah, +he passed the pit into which his brethren had once cast him, and he looked into +it, and said, "Blessed be God who permitted a miracle to come to pass for me +here!" The brethren inferred from these words of gratitude, which Joseph but +uttered in compliance with the injunctions of the law, that he cherished the +recollection of the evil they had done him, and they feared, that now their +father was dead, their brother would requite them in accordance with their +deeds. They observed, moreover, that since their father was no more, Joseph had +given up the habit of entertaining them at his table, and they interpreted this +as a sign of his hatred of them. In reality, it was due to Joseph's respect and +esteem for his brethren. "So long as my father was alive," Joseph said to +himself, "he bade me sit at the head of the table, though Judah is king, and +Reuben is the first-born. It was my father's wish, and I complied with it. But +now it is not seemly that I should have the first seat in their presence, and +yet, being ruler of Egypt, I cannot yield my place to any other." He thought it +best therefore not to have the company of his brethren at his meals. +</p> + +<p> +But they, not fathoming his motives, sent Bilhah to him with the dying message +of their father, that he was to forgive the transgression and the sin of his +brethren. For the sake of the ways of peace they had invented the message; +Jacob had said nothing like it. Joseph, on his part, realized that his brethren +spoke thus only because they feared he might do harm unto them, and he wept +that they should put so little trust in his affection. When they appeared, and +fell down before his face, and said, "Thou didst desire to make one of us a +slave unto thyself. Behold, we all are ready to be thy servants," he spoke to +them gently, and tried to convince them that he harbored no evil design against +them. He said: "Be not afraid, I will do you no harm, for I fear God, and if ye +think I failed to have you sit at my table because of enmity toward you, God +knows the intentions of my heart, He knows that I acted thus out of +consideration for the respect I owe to you."[427] +</p> + +<p> +Furthermore he said: "Ye are like unto the dust of the earth, the sand on the +sea-shore, and the stars in the heavens. Can I do aught to put these out of the +world? Ten stars could effect nothing against one star, how much less can one +star effect anything against ten? Do you believe that I have the power of +acting contrary to the laws of nature? Twelve hours hath the day, twelve hours +the night, twelve months the year, twelve constellations are in the heavens, +and also there are twelve tribes! You are the trunk and I am the head—of what +use the head without the trunk? It is to my own good that I should treat you +with fraternal affection. Before your advent, I was looked upon as a slave in +this country—you proved me a man of noble birth. Now, if I should kill you, my +claims upon an aristocratic lineage would be shown to be a lie. The Egyptians +would say, He was not their brother, they were strangers to him, he but called +them his brethren to serve his purpose, and now he hath found a pretext to put +them out of the way. Or they would hold me to be a man of no probity. Who plays +false with his own kith and kin, how can he keep faith with others? And, in +sooth, how can I venture to lay hand upon those whom God and my father both +have blessed?"[428] +</p> + +<p> +As Joseph's dealings were kind and gentle with his brethren, so he was the +helper and counsellor of the Egyptians, and when Pharaoh departed this life, +Joseph being then a man of seventy-one years of age, the king's last wish was +that he might be a father unto his son and successor Magron, and administer the +affairs of state for him. Some of the Egyptians desired to make Joseph king +after the death of Pharaoh, but this plan met with opposition on the part of +others. They objected to an alien on the throne, and so the royal title was +left to Magron, called Pharaoh, according to the established custom the name +given to all the Egyptian kings. But Joseph was made the actual ruler of the +land, and though he was only viceroy in Egypt, he reigned as king over the +lands outside of Egypt as far as the Euphrates, parts of which Joseph had +acquired by conquest. The inhabitants of these countries brought their yearly +tribute to him and other presents besides, and thus did Joseph rule for forty +years, beloved of all, and respected by the Egyptians and the other nations, +and during all that time his brethren dwelt in Goshen, happy and blithe in the +service of God. And in his own family circle Joseph was happy also; he lived to +act as godfather at the circumcision of the sons of his grandson Machir. +</p> + +<p> +His end was premature as compared with that of his brethren; at his death he +was younger than any of them at their death. It is true, "Dominion buries him +that exercises it."[429] He died ten years before his allotted time, because, +without taking umbrage, he had permitted his brethren to call his father his +"servant" in his presence.[430] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap34"></a>ASENATH</h2> + +<p> +God gives every man the wife he deserves,[431] and so Asenath was worthy of +being the helpmeet of Joseph the pious. Her father was Potiphar, one of +Pharaoh's magnates, ranking among the most distinguished of them by reason of +wisdom, wealth, and station. His daughter was slender like unto Sarah, +beautiful like Rebekah, and radiant in appearance like Rachel. Noblemen and +princes sued for her hand when she was eighteen years of age. Even Pharaoh's +appointed successor, his first-born son, demanded her in marriage, but his +father refused to comply with his wish, because he did not consider her a +proper wife for one destined to sit upon the throne. The daughter of the +Moabite king, he insisted, was a more suitable match for him. But Asenath +rejected every proposal of marriage, and avoided all intercourse with men. With +seven maidens born the same day as herself, she lived in retirement in a +magnificent palace adjoining that of her parents. +</p> + +<p> +It happened in the first of the seven years of plenty that Joseph planned to +visit the place in which Potiphar resided, and he sent word to him that he +would put up with him, at his house. Potiphar was enchanted with the honor in +prospect for him, and also with the opportunity it would afford him of bringing +about a marriage between Asenath and Joseph. But when he disclosed his plan to +his daughter, she rejected it with indignation. "Why shouldst thou desire to +see me united with a vagabond, a slave," she cried out, "one that does not even +belong to our nation, but is the son of a Canaanitish herdsman, a fellow that +attempted to violate the honor of his mistress, and in punishment for this +misdemeanor was thrown into prison, to be liberated thence by Pharaoh for +interpreting his dream? Nay, father, never will I become his wife. I am willing +to marry the son of Pharaoh, the future ruler and king of Egypt." +</p> + +<p> +Potiphar promised his daughter not to speak of the plan again. At that moment +Joseph's arrival was announced, and Asenath left the presence of her parents +and withdrew to her own apartments. Standing by the window, she saw Joseph +pass, and she was so transported with his divine beauty and his indescribably +noble carriage that she burst into tears, and said: "Poor, foolish me, what +shall I do? I permitted myself to be misled by friends, who told me that Joseph +was the son of a Canaanitish shepherd. Now I behold the splendor that emanates +from him like unto the splendor of the sun, illuminating our house with his +rays. In my audacity and folly I had looked down upon him, and had spoken +absurd nonsense against him. I knew not that he was a son of God, as he must +be, for among men such beauty as his does not exist. I pray Thee, O God of +Joseph, grant me pardon! It was my ignorance that made me speak like a fool. If +my father will give me in marriage to Joseph, I will be his forever." +</p> + +<p> +Meantime Joseph had taken his seat at Potiphar's table, and he observed a +maiden looking at him from one of the palace windows. He commanded that she be +ordered away, for he never permitted women to gaze at him or come near to him. +His supernatural beauty always fascinated the noble Egyptian ladies, and they +were untiring in the efforts they made to approach him. But their attempts were +vain. He cherished the words of his father Jacob, who had admonished his son to +keep aloof from the women of the Gentiles. +</p> + +<p> +Potiphar explained to Joseph that the maiden at the window was his virgin +daughter, who never permitted men to abide near her; he was the first man she +had ever looked upon. The father continued and made the request of Joseph, to +allow his daughter to pay him her respects. Joseph granted the favor he +desired, and Asenath appeared and greeted him with the words, "Peace be with +thee, thou blessed of God Most High," whereunto Joseph returned the salutation, +"Be thou blessed of the Lord, from whom flow all blessings." +</p> + +<p> +Asenath desired also to kiss Joseph, but he warded off the intimate greeting +with the words: "It is not meet that a God-fearing man, who blesses the living +God, and eats the blessed bread of life, who drinks of the blessed cup of +immortality and incorruptibility, and anoints himself with the fragrant oil of +holiness, should kiss a woman of a strange people, who blesses dead and +unprofitable idols, and eats the putrid bread of idolatry, which chokes the +soul of man, who drinks the libations of deceit, and anoints herself with the +oil of destruction." +</p> + +<p> +These words uttered by Joseph touched Asenath unto tears. Out of compassion +with her, he bestowed his blessing upon her, calling upon God to pour out His +spirit over her and make her to become a member of His people and His +inheritance, and grant her a portion in the life eternal. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap35"></a>THE MARRIAGE OF JOSEPH</h2> + +<p> +The appearance and the speech of Joseph made so deep an impression upon Asenath +that no sooner had she reached her apartment than she divested herself of her +robes of state and took off her jewels, and put on sackcloth instead, strewed +ashes upon her head, and supplicated God amid tears to grant her pardon for her +sins. In this manner she spent seven days and seven nights in her chamber. Not +even her seven attendants were permitted to enter her presence during the time +of her penance. The morning of the eighth day an angel appeared unto her, and +bade her put away her sackcloth and ashes and array herself in state, for this +day she had been born anew, he said, to eat the blessed bread of life, to drink +of the cup of life immortal, and anoint herself with the oil of life eternal. +Asenath was about to set food and drink before her guest, when she perceived a +honeycomb of wondrous form and fragrance. The angel explained to her that it +had been produced by the bees of Paradise, to serve as food for the angels and +the elect of God. He took a small portion of it for himself, and the rest he +put into Asenath's mouth, saying: "From this day forth thy body shall bloom +like the eternal flowers in Paradise, thy bones shall wax fat like the cedars +thereof, strength inexhaustible shall be thine, thy youth shall never fade, and +thy beauty never perish, and thou shalt be like unto a metropolis surrounded by +a wall." At the request of Asenath, the angel blessed also her seven +attendants, with the words, "May the Lord bless you and make you to be seven +pillars in the City of Refuge." +</p> + +<p> +Thereupon the angel left her, and she saw him ascend heavenward in a chariot of +fire drawn by four steeds of fire. Now she knew that she had not been +entertaining a human being, but an angel. +</p> + +<p> +The celestial messenger had scarcely departed, when a visit from Joseph was +announced, and she hastened to array and adorn herself for his reception. When +she washed her face, she caught sight of it in the water, and saw it to be of +such beauty as never before, so great had been the transformation wrought by +the angel. When Joseph came, he did not recognize her. He asked her who she +was, whereto she replied, "I am thy maid-servant Asenath! I have cast away my +idols, and this day a visitant came to me from heaven. He gave me to eat of the +bread of life and to drink of the blessed cup, and he spake these words unto +me, 'I give thee unto Joseph as his affianced wife, that he may be thy +affianced husband forever.' And furthermore he said, 'Thy name shall not any +more be called Asenath, but thy name shall be City of Refuge, whither the +nations shall flee for safety.' And he added, 'I go to Joseph, to tell him all +these things that have reference to thee.' Now, my lord, thou knowest whether +the man was with thee and spoke to thee in my behalf." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph confirmed all she had said, and they embraced and kissed each other in +token of their betrothal, which they celebrated by a banquet with Potiphar and +his wife. The wedding took place later in the presence of Pharaoh, who set a +golden crown upon the head of the bridegroom and the bride, gave them his +blessing, and made a seven days' feast in their honor, to which he invited the +magnates and princes of Egypt and of other countries. And during the seven days +of the wedding festivities the people were prohibited, under penalty of death, +from doing any manner of work; they all were to join in the celebration of +Joseph's marriage. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap36"></a>KIND AND UNKIND BRETHREN</h2> + +<p> +On the twenty-first day of the second month in the second of the seven years of +famine, Jacob came down to Egypt, and his daughter-in-law Asenath visited him. +She marvelled not a little at his beauty and strength. His shoulders and his +arms were like an angel's, and his loins like a giant's. Jacob gave her his +blessing, and with her husband she returned home, accompanied by the sons of +Leah, while the sons of the handmaids, remembering the evil they had once done +unto Joseph, kept aloof. Levi in particular had conceived a fondness for +Asenath. He was especially close to the Living God, for he was a prophet and a +sage, his eyes were open, and he knew how to read the celestial books written +by the finger of God. He revealed to Asenath that he had seen her future +resting-place in heaven, and it was built upon a rock and encompassed by a +diamond wall. +</p> + +<p> +On their journey they met the son of Pharaoh, his successor to the throne, and +he was so transported with Asenath's beauty, that he made the plan of murdering +Joseph in order to secure possession of his wife. He summoned Simon and Levi, +and by blandishments and promises sought to induce them to put Joseph out of +the way. Simon was so enraged that he would have felled him at once, had not +his brother Levi, who was endowed with the gift of prophecy, divined his +purpose, and frustrated it by stepping upon his foot, while whispering: "Why +art thou so angry, and so wroth with the man? We that fear God may not repay +evil with evil." Turning to the son of Pharaoh, he told him that nothing would +induce them to execute the wickedness he had proposed; rather he advised him +not to undertake aught against Joseph, else he would kill him with the sword +that had served him in his slaughter of the inhabitants of Shechem. The culprit +was seized with frantic alarm, and fell down before Simon and Levi to entreat +their mercy. Levi raised him tip, saying, "Fear not, but abandon thy wicked +plan, and harbor no evil design against Joseph." +</p> + +<p> +Nevertheless the son of Pharaoh did not give up his criminal purpose. He +approached the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, and sought to accomplish through them +what had failed with Simon and Levi. He called them into his presence, and told +them of a conversation between Joseph and Pharaoh that he had overheard. The +former had said that he waited but to learn of the death of his father Jacob in +order to do away with the sons of the handmaids, because they had been the ones +to sell him into slavery. Their wrath excited against Joseph by these words, +the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah assented to the proposition of the son of +Pharaoh. It was arranged that the latter should kill Pharaoh, the friend of +Joseph, while they would fall upon their brother, and put him out of the way. +They were furnished with six hundred able warriors and fifty spearmen for the +purpose. The first part of the plan, the murder of Pharaoh, failed. The palace +guard would not allow even the successor to the throne to enter his father's +bedchamber, and he had to depart without having effected his object. +</p> + +<p> +Now Dan and Gad gave him the advice to take up his station with fifty archers +in a secret place that Asenath had to pass on her homeward journey. Thence he +could make a successful attack upon her suite, and gain possession of her. +Naphtali and Asher did not care to have anything to do with this hostile +enterprise against Joseph, but Dan and Gad forced them into it, insisting that +all the sons of the handmaids must stand together as men and repel the danger +that threatened them. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap37"></a>TREACHERY PUNISHED</h2> + +<p> +From their ambush the forces of the son of Pharaoh fell upon Asenath and her +six hundred attendants. They succeeded in hewing down the vanguard, and Asenath +had to take to flight. To her alarm she encountered the son of Pharaoh with +fifty mounted men. Benjamin, seated in the same chariot with her, came to her +rescue, for in spite of his youth he was exceedingly courageous. He descended +from the chariot, gathered pebbles, and, throwing them at the son of Pharaoh, +struck him on his forehead and inflicted a severe wound. The charioteer aided +him by keeping him supplied with pebbles, which he cast at the fifty riders +with such expert skill that he slew forty-eight of them with as many missiles. +Meantime the sons of Leah arrived on the spot and came to Asenath's aid, for +Levi, with his prophetic spirit, had seen what was happening, and summoning his +five brothers he had hastened thither. These six attacked the troops in ambush +and cut them down. But the danger to Asenath was by no means removed. At this +moment the sons of the handmaids threw themselves upon her and Benjamin with +drawn swords. It was their intention to kill them both, and flee to cover in +the depths of the woods. But as soon as Asenath supplicated God for aid, the +swords dropped from the hands of her assailants, and they saw that the Lord was +on the side of Asenath. They fell at her feet and entreated her grace. She +allayed their anxiety with the words: "Be courageous and have no fear of your +brethren, the sons of Leah. They are God-fearing men. Do but keep yourselves in +hiding until their wrath is appeased." +</p> + +<p> +When the sons of Leah appeared, Asenath fell down before them, and amid tears +she adjured them to spare the sons of the handmaids and not repay with evil the +evil they had meditated. Simon would not hear of making concessions. He +insisted that the measure of their sins was full, and they must pay for them +with their lives, for they had been the ones that had sold Joseph into slavery, +and brought down untold misfortune upon Jacob and his sons. But Asenath did not +leave off, and her urgent petitions won the day. She succeeded in calming the +anger of Simon, and in Levi she had a secret ally, for this prophet knew the +hiding-place of the sons of the handmaids, and he did not betray it to Simon, +lest his wrath be increased at the sight of them. It was also Levi that +restrained Benjamin from giving the death blow to the heavily wounded son of +Pharaoh. So far from permitting harm to be done to him, he washed his wounds, +put him into a chariot, and took him to Pharaoh, who thanked Levi from his +heart for his services of loving- kindness. Levi's efforts were vain, three +days later the son of Pharaoh died of the wounds inflicted by Benjamin, and +from grief over the loss of his first-born Pharaoh followed him soon after, +departing this life at the age of one hundred and seventy-seven years. His +crown he left to Joseph, who ruled over Egypt for forty-eight years thereafter. +He in turn handed the crown on to the grandchild of Pharaoh, an infant in arms +at the time of his grandfather's death, toward whom Joseph had acted in a +father's stead all his life.[432] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap38"></a>THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF JOSEPH</h2> + +<p> +On his death-bed Joseph took an oath of his brethren, and he bade them on their +death-bed likewise take an oath of their sons, to carry his bones to Palestine, +when God should visit them and bring them up out of the land of Egypt. He said: +"I that am a ruler could take my father's body up to the Holy Land while it was +still intact. Of you I do but make the request that ye carry my bones from +hence, and you may inter them in any spot in Palestine, for I know that the +burial-place of the fathers was appointed to be the tomb only of the three +Patriarchs and their three wives." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph took the oath, to carry his remains along with them when they left +Egypt, from his brethren, and not from his sons, to bury him at once in +Palestine, for he feared the Egyptians would not give the latter permission to +transport his bones even if they recalled what Joseph had been allowed to do +with his father's body. They would object that Joseph had been the viceroy, and +a wish preferred by one of so high an estate could not be denied.[433] +Furthermore, he adjured his brethren not to leave Egypt until a redeemer should +appear and announce his message with the words, "Pakod— I have surely visited +you"—a tradition which Joseph had received from his father, who bad it from +Isaac, and Isaac in turn had beard it from Abraham.[434] And he told them that +God would redeem Israel through Moses as through the Messiah, in this world as +in the world to come, and the Egyptian redemption would begin in Tishri, when +Israel would be freed from slave labor, and would be completed in the following +Nisan, when they would leave Egypt.[435] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph also admonished his brethren to walk in the ways of the Lord, so that +they might become worthy of His grace and help. Especially he impressed upon +his brethren and his sons the virtue of chastity and a steadfast moral life. He +told them all that had happened to him, the hatred of his brethren, the +persecutions of the wife of Potiphar, the slander, envy, and malice of the +Egyptians, to show how that those who fear the Lord are not forsaken by Him in +darkness, or bondage, or tribulation, or distress. "I was sold into slavery," +he said, "but the Lord delivered me; I was thrown into prison, but His strong +hand helped me. I was tortured by hunger, but the Lord Himself gave me +sustenance. I was alone, and God comforted me. And as for you, if ye will walk +in the ways of chastity and purity in patience and humility of heart, the Lord +will dwell among you, for He loveth a chaste life, and if you, my children, +will observe the commandments of the Lord, He will raise you up here, in this +world, and bless you there, in the world to come. If men seek to do evil unto +you, pray for them, and you will be delivered from all evil by the Lord. On +account of my forbearing patience I received the daughter of my master to wife, +and her dowry was a hundred talents of gold, and God gave me also beauty like +the beauty of a flower, more than all the children of Jacob, and He preserved +me unto mine old age in vigor and beauty, for in all things did I resemble +Jacob." +</p> + +<p> +Joseph continued and told them the visions he had had, in which the future of +Israel was revealed to him, and then he closed with the words: "I know that the +Egyptians will oppress you after my death, but God will execute vengeance for +your sakes, and He will lead you to the land of promise of your fathers. But ye +shall surely carry my bones with you from hence, for if my remains are taken to +Canaan, the Lord will be with you in the light, and Behar will be with the +Egyptians in the darkness. Also take with you the bones of your mother Zilpah, +and bury them near the sepulchre of Bilhah and Rachel." +</p> + +<p> +These words ended, he stretched out his feet, and slept his last eternal sleep, +and the whole of Israel mourned him, and the whole of Egypt was in great grief, +for he had been a compassionate friend to the Egyptians, too, and he had done +good unto them, and given them wise counsel and assistance in all their +undertakings.[436] +</p> + +<p> +Joseph's wish, that his bones should rest in the Holy Land, was fulfilled when +the Israelites went forth from Egypt, and no less a personage than Moses +applied himself to its execution. Such was Joseph's reward for the devotion he +had displayed in the interment of his father's body, for he had done all things +needful himself, leaving naught to others. Therefore so great a man as Moses +busied himself with the realization of Joseph's wish.[437] +</p> + +<p> +For three days and three nights preceding the exodus Moses hunted up and down +through the land of Egypt for Joseph's coffin, because he knew that Israel +could not leave Egypt without heeding the oath given to Joseph. But his trouble +was in vain; the coffin was nowhere to be found. Serah, the daughter of Asher, +met Moses, tired and exhausted, and in answer to her question about the cause +of his weariness, he told her of his fruitless search. Serah took him to the +Nile river, and told him that the leaden coffin made for Joseph by the +Egyptians had been sunk there after having been scaled up on all sides. The +Egyptians had done this at the instigation and with the help of the magicians, +who, knowing that Israel could not leave the country without the coffin, had +used their arts to put it in a place whence it could not be removed.[438] +</p> + +<p> +Moses now took Joseph's cup, and he cut four flat pieces from it, and engraved +a lion on one of them, an eagle on the second, a bull on the third, and a human +figure on the fourth. He threw the first, with the lion, into the river, saying +at the same time, "Joseph, Joseph, the hour for the redemption of Israel hath +arrived, the Shekinah lingers here only for thy sake, the clouds of glory await +thy coming. If thou wilt show thyself, well and good; if not, then we are clear +from our oath." But the coffin did not appear. +</p> + +<p> +Then Moses threw the second plate into the water, that with the figure of the +eagle, repeating the same words, but again the coffin did not rise from the bed +of the Nile, and there it remained, too, when he threw in the third plate +bearing the figure of the bull, and called upon Joseph a third time to come +forth. But the fourth plate with the human figure and the fourth invocation to +Joseph brought the coffin to the surface of the water. Moses seized it, and in +joy he bore it off.[439] While Israel had been busy gathering gold and silver +from the Egyptians, Moses had been thinking of nothing but Joseph's coffin, and +his happiness was great that he had been permitted to fulfil the wish of +Joseph.[440] +</p> + +<p> +During the forty years of wandering through the desert, the coffin was in the +midst of Israel, as a reward for Joseph's promise to his brethren, "I will +nourish you and take care of you." God had said, "As thou livest, for forty +years they will take care of thy bones."[441] +</p> + +<p> +All this time in the desert Israel carried two shrines with them, the one the +coffin containing the bones of the dead man Joseph, the other the Ark +containing the covenant of the Living God. The wayfarers who saw the two +receptacles wondered, and they would ask, "How doth the ark of the dead come +next to the ark of the Ever-living?" The answer was, "The dead man enshrined in +the one fulfilled the commandments enshrined in the other. In the latter it is +written, I am the Lord thy God, and he said, Am I in the place of God? Here it +is written, Thou shalt have no other gods before My face, and he said, I fear +God. Here it is written, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in +vain, and therefore he did not swear by God, but said, By the life of Pharaoh. +Here it is written, Remember the Sabbath day, and he said to the overseer of +his palace on Friday, Slay and make ready, meaning for the Sabbath. Here it is +written, Honor thy father and thy mother, and he said, when his father desired +to send him to his brethren, Here am I, although he knew it was perilous for +him to go. Here it is written, Thou shalt not kill, and he refrained from +murdering Potiphar when Potiphar's wife urged him to do it. Here it is written, +Thou shalt not commit adultery, and he scorned the adulterous proposals of +Potiphar's wife. Here it is written, Thou shalt not steal, and he stole nothing +from Pharaoh, but gathered up all the money and brought it unto Pharaoh's +house. Here it is written, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy +neighbor, and he told his father nothing of what his brethren had done to him, +though what he might have told was the truth. Here it is written, Thou shalt +not covet, and he did not covet Potiphar's wife."[442] +</p> + +<p> +On their arrival in the Holy Land, the Israelites buried the bones of Joseph in +Shechem, for God spake to the tribes, saying, "From Shechem did ye steal him, +and unto Shechem, shall ye return him."[443] +</p> + +<p> +God, who is so solicitous about the dead bodies of the pious, is even more +solicitous about their souls, which stand before Him like angels, and do their +service ministering unto Him.[444] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="book02"></a>II<br/> +THE SONS OF JACOB</h2> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap39"></a>SIGNIFICANT NAMES</h2> + +<p> +Jacob raised all his sons in the fear of God, and taught them the ways of a +pious life, using severity when there was need to make his lessons impressive. +He reaped the fruits of his labor, for all his sons were godly men of stainless +character.[1] The ancestors of the twelve tribes resembled their fathers in +piety, and their acts were no less significant than those of Abraham, Isaac, +and Jacob. Like these three, they deserve to be called the Fathers of +Israel.[2] God made a covenant with them as He had made with the three +Patriarchs, and to this covenant their descendants owe their preservation.[3] +</p> + +<p> +The very names of the tribes point to the redemption of Israel. Reuben is so +called, because God "sees" the affliction of His people; Simon, because He +"hears" its groaning; Levi, He "joins" Himself unto His people when Israel +suffers; Judah, Israel will "thank" God for its deliverance; Issachar, it will +be "rewarded" for its suffering with a recompense; Zebulon, God will have a +"dwelling-place" in Israel; Benjamin, He swore by His "right hand" to succor +His people; Dan, He will "judge" the nation that subjugates Israel; Naphtali, +He bestowed the Torah upon Israel, and she drops sweetness like the +"honeycomb"; Gad, the Lord gave manna unto Israel, and it was like "coriander" +seed; Asher, all nations will call Israel "happy"; and Joseph, because God will +"add" a second redemption of Israel to the first—redemption from the wicked +kingdom at the end as from Egypt in former times.[4] +</p> + +<p> +Not only the names of Jacob's sons are significant, but the names of their sons +as well. Thus the names of the sons of Issachar express the activities of the +tribe known for its learning above all the others. The oldest was called Tola, +"worm"; as the silk worm is distinguished for its mouth, with which it spins, +so also the men of the tribe of Issachar for the wise words of their mouth. The +second is Puah, "madder plant"; as this plant colors all things, so the tribe +of Issachar colors the whole world with its teachings. The third is Jashub, +"the returning one," for through the teachings of Issachar Israel will be +turned back to its Heavenly Father; and Shimron, the fourth, is "the observing +one," to indicate that the tribe of Issachar observes the Torah.[5] +</p> + +<p> +The names of the sons of Gad likewise interpret the history of the tribe. +During Israel's sojourn in Egypt, it had strayed from the right path, but when +Aaron appeared as prophet and monitor, and called unto the Israelites to cast +away the abominations of their eyes and forsake the idols of Egypt, they +hearkened unto his words. Hence the double name Ozni and Ezbon borne by one of +the sons of Gad, for this tribe "hearkened" to the word of God, and fulfilled +His "will." +</p> + +<p> +The grandsons of Asher bear the names Heber and Malchiel, because they were the +"associates" of kings, and their inheritance yielded "royal dainties." +</p> + +<p> +Partly the history of the tribe of Benjamin can be read in the names of its +chiefs. It consisted originally of ten divisions, descended from Benjamin's ten +sons, but five of them perished in Egypt on account of their ungodly ways, from +which no admonition availed to turn them aside. Of the five families remaining, +two, the descendants of Bela and those of Ashbel, had always been God-fearing; +the others, the Ahiramites, the Shephuphamites, and the Huphamites, repented of +their sins, and in accordance with the change in their conduct had been the +change in their names. Ehi had become Ahiram, because the breach with the +"Exalted" One was healed; Muppira was called Shephupham, because they +"afflicted" themselves in their penance; and Huppim was turned into Hupham, to +indicate that they had "cleansed" themselves from sin. As a reward for their +piety, the family springing from Bela was permitted to have two subdivisions, +the Ardites and the Naamites. Their names point them out as men that know well +how the fear of God is to be manifested, whose deeds are exceedingly lovely. +</p> + +<p> +Naphtali was another tribe of steadfast piety, and the names of his sons +testify thereto: Jahzeel, because the tribesmen raised a "partition wall" +between God and the idols, inasmuch as they trusted in God and contemned the +idols; Guni, because God was their "protection"; and Jezer and Shillem +designate the Naphtalites as men devoted to God with all their hearts.[6] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap40"></a>REUBEN'S TESTAMENT</h2> + +<p> +Two years after the death of Joseph, Reuben fell sick. Feeling that his end was +nigh, he called together his sons, his grandsons, and his brethren, to give +them his last admonitions from out of the fulness of his experience. He spake: +"Hear, my brethren, and do ye, my children, give ear unto Reuben your father in +the commands that I enjoin upon you. And, behold, I adjure you this day by the +God of heaven that ye walk not in the follies of youth and the fornications to +which I was addicted, and wherewith I defiled the bed of my father Jacob. For I +tell you now that for seven months the Lord afflicted my loins with a terrible +plague, and if my father Jacob had not interceded for me, the Lord had swept me +away. I was twenty years of age when I did what was evil before the Lord, and +for seven months I was sick unto death. Then I did penance for seven years in +the innermost depths of my soul. Wine and strong drink I drank not, the flesh +of animals passed not my lips, dainties I tasted not, because I mourned over my +sins, for they were great." +</p> + +<p> +He admonished those gathered around him to beware of the seven tempter spirits, +which are the spirit of fornication, gluttony, strife, love of admiration, +arrogance, falsehood, and injustice. He cautioned them especially against +unchastity, saying: "Pay no heed to the glances of a woman, and remain not +alone with a married woman, and do not occupy yourselves with the affairs of +women. Had I not seen Bilhah bathe in a secluded spot, I had not fallen into +the great sin I committed, for after my thoughts had once grasped the nakedness +of woman, I could not sleep until I had accomplished the abominable deed. For +when our father Jacob went to his father Isaac, while we sojourned in Eder, not +far from Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem, Bilhah was drunken with wine, and she +lay asleep, uncovered, in her bedchamber, and I entered in and saw her +nakedness and committed the sin, and I went out again, leaving her asleep. But +an angel of God revealed my impious act to my father Jacob at once. He came +back and mourned over me, and never again did he approach Bilhah. Unto the very +last day of his life, I had not the assurance to look my father in the face or +to speak to my brethren regarding my disgrace, and even now my conscience +tortures me on account of my sin. Nevertheless my father spake words of comfort +to me, and prayed to God in my behalf, that the wrath of the Lord might depart +from me, as He showed me." +</p> + +<p> +Reuben admonished his children impressively to join themselves to Levi, +"because he will know the law of the Lord," he said, "and he will give +ordinances for judgment, and bring sacrifices for all Israel, until the +consummation of the times, as the anointed high priest of whom the Lord spake." +</p> + +<p> +After announcing his last will to his sons, Reuben departed this life at the +age of one hundred and twenty-five years. His body was laid in a coffin until +his sons bore it away from Egypt, and carried it up to Hebron, where they +buried it in the Double Cave.[7] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap41"></a>SIMON'S ADMONITION AGAINST ENVY</h2> + +<p> +As Reuben confessed his sin upon his death-bed, and warned his children and his +family to be on their guard against unchastity, the vice that had brought about +his fall, so Simon, when he was about to die, assembled his sons around him, +and confessed the sin he had committed. He had been guilty of boundless envy of +Joseph, and he spoke: "I was the second son begotten by my father Jacob, and my +mother Leah called me Simon, because the Lord had heard her prayer. I waxed +strong, and shrank from no manner of deed, and I was afraid of naught, for my +heart was hard, and my liver unyielding, and my bowels without mercy. And in +the days of my youth I was jealous of Joseph, for our father loved him more +than all the rest of us, and I resolved to kill him. For the prince of +temptation sent the spirit of jealousy to take possession of me, and it blinded +me so that I did not consider Joseph to be my brother, and I spared not even my +father Jacob. But his God and the God of his fathers sent His angel and saved +him out of my hands. +</p> + +<p> +When I went to Shechem to fetch ointment for the herds, and Reuben was in +Dothan, where all our supplies and stores were kept, our brother Judah sold +Joseph to the Ishmaelites. On his return, when he heard what had happened, +Reuben was very sad, for he had been desirous of saving Joseph and bringing him +back to our father. But as for me, my wrath was enkindled against Judah, that +he had let him escape alive. My anger abode with me all of five months. But the +Lord restrained me from using the power of my hands, for my right hand withered +for the length of seven days. Then I knew that what had happened was for the +sake of Joseph. I repented and prayed to God to restore my hand and withhold me +henceforth from all sorts of defilement, envy, and folly. For two years I gave +myself up to fasting and the fear of God, for I perceived that redemption from +jealousy could come only through the fear of God. +</p> + +<p> +My father, seeing me downcast, asked to know the cause of my sadness, and I +replied that I was suffering with my liver, but in truth I was mourning more +than all my brethren, seeing that I had been the cause of Joseph's sale. And +when we went down into Egypt, and Joseph bound me as a spy, I was not grieved, +for I knew in my heart that my suffering was just retribution. But Joseph was +good, the spirit of God dwelt within him. Compassionate and merciful as he was, +he bore me no resentment for my evil deeds toward him, but he loved me with the +same love he showed the others. He paid due honor to us all, and gave us gold, +and cattle, and produce. And now, my dear children, do ye love one another, +each one his brother, with a clean heart, and remove the spirit of jealousy +from the midst of you." +</p> + +<p> +Like Reuben, so also Simon adjured his sons to beware of unchastity, for this +vice is the mother of all evil. It separates man from God, and abandons him to +Behar. These were the closing words of his exhortation: "In the writings of +Enoch I saw that your sons would be corrupted through unchastity, and they +would maltreat the sons of Levi with the sword. But they will not be able to do +aught against Levi, for the war he will wage is the war of the Lord, and he +will vanquish all your armies. As a small remnant you will be scattered among +Levi and Judah, and none among you will rise to be a judge or a king of our +people, as, my father Jacob prophesied in his blessing." +</p> + +<p> +Having completed his admonitions to his sons, Simon passed away and was +gathered to his fathers, at the age of one hundred and twenty years. His sons +placed him in a coffin made of imperishable wood, so that they might carry his +bones to Hebron, as they did, in secret, during the war between the Egyptians +and the Canaanites. Thus did all the tribes during the war; they took the +remains each of its founder from Egypt to Hebron. Only the bones of Joseph +remained in Egypt until the Israelites went out of the land, for the Egyptians +guarded them in their royal treasure chambers. Their magicians had warned them +that whenever Joseph's bones should be removed from Egypt, a great darkness +would envelop the whole land, and it would be a dire misfortune for the +Egyptians, for none would be able to recognize his neighbor even with the light +of a lamp.[8] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap42"></a>THE ASCENSION OF LEVI</h2> + +<p> +When it was disclosed to Levi that he was about to die, he gathered all his +children around him, to tell them the story of his life, and he also prophesied +unto them what they would do, and what would happen to them until the judgment +day. He spoke: "When we were pasturing the flocks in Abel-Meholah, the spirit +of understanding of the Lord came upon me, and I saw all mankind, how they +corrupt their ways, and that injustice builds up walls for herself, and impiety +sits enthroned upon the towers. And I fell to grieving over the generations of +men, and I prayed to the Lord to save me. Sleep enshrouded me, and I beheld a +tall mountain, and lo! the heavens opened, and an angel of God addressed me, +and said: 'Levi, enter!' +</p> + +<p> +"I entered the first heaven, and I saw a great sea hanging there, and farther +on I saw a second heaven, brighter and more resplendent than the first. I said +to the angel, 'Why is this so?' And the angel said to me, 'Marvel not at this, +for thou shalt see another heaven, brilliant beyond compare, and when thou hast +ascended thither, thou shalt stand near the Lord, and thou shalt be His +minister, and declare His mysteries to men; and of the Lord's portion shall be +thy life, and He shall be thy field and vineyard and fruits and gold and +silver.' +</p> + +<p> +"Then the angel explained the uses of the different heavens to me, and all that +happens in each, and he proclaimed the judgment day. He opened the gates of the +third heaven, where I beheld the holy Temple, and God seated upon the Throne of +Glory. The Lord spake to me: 'Levi, upon thee have I bestowed the blessing of +the priesthood, until I come and dwell in the midst of Israel.' Then the angel +carried me back to earth, and gave me a shield and a sword, saying, 'Execute +vengeance upon Shechem for Dinah, and I will be with thee, for the Lord hath +sent me.' I asked the angel what his name was, and he replied: 'I am the angel +that intercedes for the people of Israel, that it may not be destroyed utterly, +for every evil spirit attacks it.' +</p> + +<p> +"When I awoke, I betook myself to my father, and on the way, near Gebal, I +found a brass shield, such as I had seen in my dream. Then I advised my father +and my brother Reuben to bid the sons of Hamor circumcise themselves, for I was +quivering with rage on account of the abominable deed they had done. I slew +Shechem first of all, and then Simon slew Hamor, and all my other brothers came +out and destroyed the whole city. Our father took this in ill part, and in his +blessing he remembered our conduct. Although we did a wrong thing in acting +thus against his wishes, yet I recognized it to be the judgment of God upon the +people of Shechem on account of their sins, and I said to my father: 'Be not +wroth, my lord, for God will exterminate the Canaanites through this, and he +will give the land to thee and to thy seed after thee. Henceforth Shechem will +be called the city of imbeciles, for as a fool is mocked at, so have we made a +mockery of them.' +</p> + +<p> +"When we journeyed to Beth-lehem, and had been abiding there for seventy days, +another vision was vouchsafed me, like unto the former. I saw seven men clad in +white, and they spake to me, saying: 'Rise up, and array thyself in the +priestly garments, set the crown of righteousness upon thy head, and put on the +ephod of understanding, and the robe of truth, and the mitre-plate of faith, +and the mitre of dignity, and the shoulderpieces of prophecy.' And each of the +men brought a garment unto me and invested me therewith, and spake: 'Henceforth +be the priest of the Lord, thou and thy seed unto eternity. And ye shall eat +all that is lovely to look upon, and the table of the Lord thy descendants will +appropriate for themselves, and from them will come high priests, judges, and +scholars, for all that is holy will be guarded by their mouth.' +</p> + +<p> +"Two days after I was visited by this dream, Judah and I repaired to our +grandfather Isaac, who blessed me in accordance with the words I had heard. +Jacob also had a vision, and he saw, too, that I was appointed to be the priest +of God, and through me he set apart a tenth of his possessions unto the Lord. +And when we established ourselves in Hebron, the residence of Isaac, our +grandfather taught me the law of the priesthood, and admonished me to hold +myself aloof from unchastity. +</p> + +<p> +At the age of twenty-eight years I took Milcah to wife, and she bore me a son, +and I named him Gershom, because we were strangers in the land. But I perceived +he would not be in the first ranks of men. My second son was born unto me in my +thirty-fifth year, and he saw the light of the world at sunrise, and I beheld +him in a vision standing among the proud of the assembly, and therefore I gave +him the name Kohath. The third son my wife bore me in the fortieth year of my +life, and I called his name Merari, because bitter had been her travail in +bearing him. My daughter Jochebed was born in Egypt, when I was sixty-three +years old, and I called her thus because I was known honorably among my +brethren in those days. And in my ninety- fourth year, Amram took Jochebed to +wife, he that was born on the same day with her." +</p> + +<p> +Thereupon Levi admonished his children to walk in the ways of the Lord, and +fear Him with all their heart, and he told them what he had learnt from the +writings of Enoch, that his descendants would sin against the Lord in times to +come, and they would suffer the Divine punishment for their transgression, and +then God would raise up a new priest, unto whom all the words of the Lord would +be revealed. His last words were: "And now, my children, ye have heard all I +have to say. Choose, now, light or darkness, the law of the Lord or the works +of Beliar." And his sons made answer, "Before the Lord we will walk according +to His law." Then Levi spake, "The Lord is witness and the angels are +witnesses, I am witness and ye are witnesses, concerning the word of your +mouth." And his sons replied, "We are witnesses." +</p> + +<p> +Thus Levi ceased to admonish his sons. He stretched out his feet, and was +gathered unto his fathers, at the age of one hundred and thirty-seven years, a +greater age than any of his brethren attained.[9] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap43"></a>JUDAH WARNS AGAINST GREED AND UNCHASTITY</h2> + +<p> +The last words addressed by Judah to his sons were the following: "I was the +fourth son begotten by my father, and my mother called me Judah, saying, 'I +thank the Lord that He hath given me a fourth son.' I was zealous in my youth +and obedient to my father in all things. When I grew up to manhood, he blessed +me, saying, 'Thou wilt be king, and wilt prosper in all thy ways.' The Lord +granted me His grace in whatever I undertook, in the field and in the house. I +could speed as swiftly as the hind, and overtake it, and prepare a dish of it +for my father. A deer I could catch on the run, and all the animals of the +valley. A wild mare I could outstrip, hold it, and bridle it. A lion I slew, +and snatched a kid from its jaws. A bear I caught by the paw, and flung it +adown the cliff, and it lay beneath crushed. I could keep pace with the wild +boar, and overtake it, and as I ran I seized it, and tore it to pieces. A +leopard sprang at my dog in Hebron, and I grasped its tail, and hurled it away +from me, and its body burst on the coast at Gaza. A wild steer I found grazing +in the field. I took it by its horns, swung it round and round until it was +stunned, and then I cast it to the ground and killed it." +</p> + +<p> +Judah continued and told his children of his heroism in the wars that the sons +of Jacob had waged with the kings of Canaan and with Esau and his family. In +all these conflicts he bore a distinguished part, beyond the achievements of +the others. His father Jacob was free from all anxiety when Judah was with his +brethren in their combats, because he had had a vision showing him an angel of +strength standing at the side of Judah on all his ways. +</p> + +<p> +Judah did not conceal his shortcomings, either. He confessed how drunkenness +and passion had betrayed him first into marriage with a Canaanitish woman, and +then into improper relations with his daughter-in-law Tamar. He said to his +children: +</p> + +<p> +"Do not walk after the desire of your hearts, and vaunt not the valiant deeds +of your youth. This, too, is evil in the eyes of the Lord. For while I boasted +that the face of a beautiful woman had never allured me in the wars, and +reviled my brother Reuben for his transgression with Bilhah, the spirit of +passion and unchastity gained possession of me, and I took Bath-shua to wife, +and trespassed with Tamar, though she was the affianced of my son. First I said +to Bath-shua's father, 'I will take counsel with my father Jacob, to know +whether I should marry thy daughter,' but he was a king, and he showed me an +untold heap of gold accredited to his daughter, and he adorned her with the +magnificence of women, in gold and pearls, and he bade her pour the wine at the +meal. The wine turned my eyes awry, and passion darkened my heart. In mad love +for her, I violated the command of the Lord and the will of my father, and I +took her to wife. The Lord gave me a recompense according to the counsel of my +heart, for I had no joy in the sons she bore me. +</p> + +<p> +"And now, my children, I pray you, do not intoxicate yourselves with wine, for +wine twists the understanding away from the truth, and confuses the sight of +the eyes. Wine led me astray, so that I felt no shame before the throngs of +people in the city, and I turned aside and went in to Tamar in the presence of +them, and committed a great sin. And though a man be a king, if he leads an +unchaste life, he loses his kingship. I gave Tamar my staff, which is the stay +of my tribe, and my girdle-cord, which is power, and my signet- diadem, which +is the glory of my kingdom. I did penance for all this, and unto old age I +drank no wine, and ate no flesh, and knew no sort of pleasure. Wine causes the +secret things of God and man to be revealed unto the stranger. Thus did I +disclose the commands of the Lord and the mysteries of my father Jacob to the +Canaanite woman Bath-shua, though God had forbidden me to betray them. I also +enjoin you not to love gold, and not to look upon the beauty of women, for +through money and through beauty I was led astray to Bath-shua the Canaanite. I +know that my stock will fall into misery through these two things, for even the +wise men among my sons will be changed by them, and the consequence will be +that the kingdom of Judah will be diminished, the domain that the Lord gave me +as a reward for my obedient conduct toward my father, for never did I speak in +contradiction of him, but I did all things according to his words. And Isaac, +my father's father, blessed me with the blessing that I should be ruler in +Israel, and I know that the kingdom will arise from me. In the books of Enoch +the just I read all the evil that ye will do in the latter days. Only beware, +my children, of unchastity and greed, for love of gold leads to idolatry, +causing men to call them gods that are none, and dethroning the reason of man. +On account of gold I lost my children, and had I not mortified my flesh, and +humbled my soul, and had not my father Jacob offered up prayers for me, I had +died childless. But the God of my fathers, the merciful and gracious One, saw +that I had acted unwittingly, for the ruler of deception had blinded me, and I +was ignorant, being flesh and blood, and corrupt through sins, and in the +moment when I considered myself invincible, I recognized my weakness." +</p> + +<p> +Then Judah revealed to his sons, in clear, brief words, the whole history of +Israel until the advent of the Messiah, and his final speech was: "My children, +observe the whole law of the Lord; in it is hope for all that keep His ways. I +die this day at the age of one hundred and nineteen years before your eyes. +None shall bury me in a costly garment, nor shall ye cut my body to embalm it, +but ye shall carry me to Hebron." +</p> + +<p> +Having spoken these words, Judah sank into death.[10] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap44"></a>ISSACHAR'S SINGLENESS OF HEART</h2> + +<p> +When Issachar felt his end approach, he summoned his sons, and he said to them: +"Hearken, my children, unto your father Issachar, and listen to the words of +him that is beloved of the Lord. I was born unto Jacob as his fifth son, as a +reward for the dudaim. Reuben brought the dudaim from the field. They were +fragrant apples, which grew in the land of Haran upon an eminence below a +gully. Rachel met Reuben, and she took the dudaim away from him. The lad wept, +and his cries brought his mother Leah to his side, and she addressed Rachel +thus: 'Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband? and wouldst +thou take away my son's dudaim also?' And Rachel said, 'See, Jacob shall be +thine to-night for thy son's dudaim.' But Leah insisted, 'Jacob is mine, and I +am the wife of his youth,' whereupon Rachel, 'Be not boastful and overweening. +To me he was betrothed first, and for my sake he served our father fourteen +years. Thou art not his wife, thou wast taken to him by cunning instead of me, +for our father deceived me, and put me out of the way the night of thy +nuptials, so that Jacob could not see me. Nevertheless, give me the dudaim, and +thou mayest have Jacob for a night.' +</p> + +<p> +"Then Leah bore me, and I was called Issachar, on account of the reward Rachel +had given to my mother. At that time an angel of the Lord appeared to Jacob, +and he spoke: 'Rachel will bear only two sons, for she rejected the espousal of +her husband, and chose continence! But Leah bore six sons, for the Lord knew +that she desired to be with her husband, not because she was prompted by the +evil inclination, but for the sake of children. Rachel's prayer also was +fulfilled, on account of the dudaim, for although she desired to eat of the +apples, she did not touch them, but put them in the house of the Lord, and gave +them to the priest of the Most High that was in those days. +</p> + +<p> +"When I grew up, my children, I walked in the integrity of my heart, and I +became a husbandman, cultivating the land for my father and my brethren, and I +gathered the fruit from the fields in their due time. My father blessed me, +because he saw that I walked in singleness of heart. I was not married to a +wife until I was thirty years old, for the hard work I did consumed my +strength, and I had no desire unto woman, but, overwhelmed by fatigue, I would +sink into sleep. My father was well pleased at all times with my rectitude. If +my work was crowned with good results, I brought the firstfruits of my labor to +the priest of the Lord, the next harvest went to my father, and then I thought +of myself. The Lord doubled the possessions in my hand, and Jacob knew that God +aided me for the sake of my singleness of heart, for in my sincerity I gave of +the produce of the land to the poor and the needy. +</p> + +<p> +"And now hearken unto me, my children, and walk in singleness of heart, for +upon it resteth the favor of the Lord at all times. The simple man longeth not +for gold, he doth not defraud his neighbor, he hath no desire for meats and +dainties of many kinds, he careth not for sumptuous dress, he hopeth not for +long life, he waiteth only upon the will of God. The spirits of deception have +no power over him, for he looketh not upon the beauty of woman, lest he defile +his understanding with corruption. Jealousy cometh not into his thoughts, envy +doth not sear his soul, and insatiable greed doth not make him look abroad for +rich gain. Now, then, my children, observe the law of the Lord, attain to +simplicity, and walk in singleness of heart, without meddling with the affairs +of others. Love the Lord and love your neighbors, have pity upon the poor and +the feeble, bow your backs to till the ground, occupy yourselves with work upon +the land, and bring gifts unto the Lord in gratitude. For the Lord hath blessed +you with the best of the fruits of the field, as he hath blessed all the saints +from Abel down to our day. +</p> + +<p> +"Know, my children, that in the latter time your sons will abandon the paths of +probity, and will be ruled by greed. They will forsake rectitude and practice +craft, they will depart from the commands of the Lord and follow after Beliar, +they will give up husbandry and pursue their evil plans, they will be scattered +among the heathen and serve their enemies. Tell this unto your children, so +that, if they sin, they may repent speedily, and return to the Lord, for He is +merciful, and He will take them out to bring them back unto their land. +</p> + +<p> +"I am one hundred and twenty-two years old, and I can discern no sin in myself. +Save my wife, I have known no woman. I was guilty of no unchastity through the +lifting up of eyes. I drank no wine, that I might not be led astray, I did not +covet what belonged to my neighbor, guile had no place in my heart, lies did +not pass my lips. I sighed along with all that were heavy-laden, and to the +poor I gave my bread. I loved the Lord with all my might, and mankind I also +loved. Do ye likewise, my children, and all the spirits of Beliar will flee +from you, no deed done by the wicked will have power over you, and ye will +vanquish all the wild beasts, for ye have with you the Lord of heaven." +</p> + +<p> +And Issachar bade his children carry him up to Hebron, and bury him there by +his fathers in the Cave, and he stretched out his feet, and fell into the sleep +of eternity, full of years, healthy of limb, and in the possession of all his +faculties.[11] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap45"></a>ZEBULON EXHORTS UNTO COMPASSION</h2> + +<p> +When Zebulon attained the age of one hundred and fourteen years, which was two +years after the death of Joseph, he called his sons together, and admonished +them, in these words, to lead a life of piety: "I am Zebulon, a precious gift +for my parents, for when I was born, my father became very rich, by means of +the streaked rods, in herds of sheep and herds of cattle. I am conscious of no +sin in me, and I remember no wrong done by me, unless it be the unwitting sin +committed against Joseph, in that I did not, out of consideration for my +brethren, disclose to my father what had happened to his favorite son, though +in secret I mourned exceedingly. I feared my brethren, because they had agreed +that he who betrayed the secret should be slain with the sword. When they +planned to kill Joseph, I besought them amid tears not to sin thus. +</p> + +<p> +"And now, my children, hearken unto me. I exhort you to observe the commands of +the Lord, and have mercy upon your neighbors, and act compassionately, not only +toward men, but also toward dumb brutes. For on account of my mercifulness the +Lord blessed me; all my brethren fell sick at one time or another, but I +escaped without any illness. Also the sons of my brethren had to endure +disease, and they were nigh unto death for the sake of Joseph, because they had +no pity in their hearts. But my sons were preserved in perfect health, as ye +well know. And when I was in Canaan, catching fish at the shores of the sea for +my father Jacob, many were drowned in the waters of the sea, but I came away +unharmed. For ye must know that I was the first to build a boat for rowing upon +the sea, and I plied along the coasts in it, and caught fish for my father's +household, until we went down into Egypt. Out of pity I would share my haul +with the poor stranger, and if he was sick or well on in years, I would prepare +a savory dish for him, and I gave unto each according to his needs, +sympathizing with him in his distress and having pity upon him. Therefore the +Lord brought numerous fish to my nets, for he that gives aught to his neighbor, +receives it back from the Lord with great increase. For five years I fished in +the summer, and in the winter I pastured the flocks with my brethren. +</p> + +<p> +"Now, my children, have pity and compassion on all men, that the Lord may have +pity and compassion on you, for in the measure in which man has mercy with his +fellow-men, God has mercy with him. When we came down into Egypt, Joseph did +not visit upon us the wrong he had suffered. Take him as your model, and +remember not a wrong done unto you, else unity is rent asunder, and the bonds +of kinship are torn, and the soul is disquieted. Observe the water! If it runs +on undivided, it carries down stone, wood, and sand along with it. But if it is +divided and flows through many channels, the earth sucks it up, and it loses +its force. If you separate, one from the other, you will be like divided +waters. Be not cleft into two heads, for all that the Lord hath made has but +one head. He has given two shoulders unto his creatures, two hands, and two +feet, but all these organs obey one head." +</p> + +<p> +Zebulon ended his exhortation unto unity with an account of the divisions in +Israel, whereof he had read in the writings of the fathers, that they would +come about in future days, and bring sore suffering upon Israel. However, he +spoke encouraging words to his children, saying: "Be not grieved over my death, +and do not lose heart at my departure from you, for I shall arise again in the +midst of you, and I shall live joyously among the people of my tribe, those who +observe the law of the Lord. As for the godless, the Lord will bring +everlasting fire down upon them, and exterminate them unto all generations. Now +I hasten hence unto my eternal rest with my fathers. But ye, fear ye the Lord +your God with all your might all the days of your life." +</p> + +<p> +Having made an end of saying these words, he sank into the sleep of death, and +his sons put him into a coffin, wherein they carried him up to Hebron later, to +bury him there next to his fathers.[12] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap46"></a>DAN'S CONFESSION</h2> + +<p> +When Dan assembled his family at the last of his life, he spake: "I confess +before you this day, my children, that I had resolved to kill Joseph, that good +and upright man, and I rejoiced over his sale, for his father loved him more +than he loved the rest of us. The spirit of envy and boastfulness goaded me on, +saying, 'Thou, too, art the son of Jacob,' and one of the spirits of Behar +stirred me up, saying, 'Take this sword, and slay Joseph, for once he is dead +thy father will love thee.' It was the spirit of anger that was seeking to +persuade me to crush Joseph, as a leopard crunches a kid between its teeth. But +the God of our father Jacob did not deliver him into my hand, to let me find +him alone, and He did not permit me to execute this impious deed, that two +tribes in Israel might not be destroyed. +</p> + +<p> +"And now, my children, I am about to die, and I tell it unto you in truth, if +you take not heed against the spirit of lies and anger, and if ye love not +truth and generosity, you will perish. The spirit of anger casts the net of +error around its victim, and it blinds his eyes, and the spirit of lies warps +his mind, and clouds his vision. Evil is anger, it is the grave of the soul. +Desist from anger and hate lies, that the Lord may dwell among you, and Behar +flee from your presence. Speak the truth each unto his neighbor, and you will +not fall into anger and trouble, but you will be at peace, and the Lord of +peace you will have with you, and no war will vanquish you. +</p> + +<p> +"I speak thus, for I know that in the latter days you will fall off from God, +and you will kindle the wrath of Levi, and rise in rebellion against Judah, but +you will not accomplish aught against them, for the angel of the Lord is their +guide, and Israel will perish through them. And if you turn recreant to the +Lord, you will execute every kind of evil thing, and do the abominations of the +heathen, committing unchastity with the wives of the godless, while the tempter +spirits are at work among you. Therefore you will be carried away into +captivity, and in the lands of exile you will suffer all the plagues of Egypt +and all the tribulations of the heathen. But when you return to the Lord, you +will find mercy. He will take you into His sanctuary, and grant you peace. +</p> + +<p> +"And now, my children, fear the Lord, and be on your guard against Satan and +his spirits. Keep aloof from every evil deed, cast anger away from you and +every sort of lie, love truth and forbearance, and what ye have heard from your +father, tell unto your children. Avoid all manner of unrighteousness, cling to +the integrity of the law of the Lord, and bury me near my fathers." +</p> + +<p> +Having spoken these words, he kissed his children, and fell asleep.[13] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap47"></a>NAPHTALI'S DREAMS OF THE DIVISION OF THE TRIBES</h2> + +<p> +In the hundred and thirty-second year of his life, Naphtali invited all his +children to a banquet. The next morning when he awoke, he told them that he was +dying, but they would not believe him. He, however, praised the Lord, and +assured them again that his death was due after the banquet of the day before. +Then he addressed his last words to his children: +</p> + +<p> +"I was born of Bilhah, and because Rachel had acted with cunning, and had given +Jacob Bilhah instead of herself, I was called Naphtali. Rachel loved me, for I +was born upon her knees, and while I was still very young, she was in the habit +of kissing me and saying, 'O that I had a brother unto thee from mine own body, +one in thine image.' Therefore Joseph resembled me in all respects, in +accordance with Rachel's prayer. My mother Bilhah was a daughter of Rotheus, a +brother of Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, and she was born the same day as Rachel. +As for Rotheus, he was of the family of Abraham, a Chaldean, God-fearing, and a +free man of noble birth, and when he was taken captive, he was bought by Laban +and married to his slave Aina. She bore Rotheus a daughter, and he called her +Zilpah, after the name of the village in which he was taken captive. His second +daughter he called Bilhah, saying, 'My daughter is impetuous,' for hardly was +she born when she hastened to suckle. +</p> + +<p> +"I was fleet of foot like a deer, and my father Jacob appointed me to be his +messenger, and in his blessing he called me a hind let loose. As the potter +knows the vessel he fashions, how much it is to hold, and uses clay +accordingly, so the Lord makes the body in conformity with the soul, and to +agree with the capacity of the body He plans the soul. The one corresponds to +the other down to the third of a hair- breadth, for the whole of creation was +made by weight, and measure, and rule. And as the potter knows the use of every +vessel he fashions, so the Lord knows the body of His creature, unto what point +it will be steadfast in the good, and at what point it will fall into evil +ways. Now, then, my children, let your conduct be well-ordered unto good in the +fear of God, do naught that is ill-regulated or untimely, for though ye tell +your eye to hear, it yet cannot, and as little can ye do deeds of light while +you abide in darkness." +</p> + +<p> +Furthermore Naphtali said unto his children: "I give you no command concerning +my silver, or my gold, or any other possession that I bequeath to you. And what +I command you is not a hard matter, which you cannot do, but I speak unto you +concerning an easy thing, which you can execute." Then his sons answered, and +said, "Speak, father, for we are listening to thy words." Naphtali continued: +"I give you no commandment except regarding the fear of God, that you should +serve Him and follow after Him." Then the sons of Naphtali asked: "Wherefore +does He require our service?" and he replied, saying: "He needs no creature, +but all creatures need Him. Nevertheless He hath not created the world for +naught, but that men should fear Him, and none should do unto his neighbor what +he would not have others do unto him." His sons asked again, "Father, hast thou +observed that we strayed from the ways of the Lord to the right or to the +left?" Naphtali replied: "God is witness, and so am I witness for you, that it +is as you say. But I fear regarding future times, that you may depart from the +ways of the Lord, and follow after the idols of the stranger, and walk in the +statutes of the heathen peoples, and join yourselves unto the sons of Joseph +instead of the sons of Levi and Judah." The sons of Naphtali spoke, "What +reason hast thou for commanding this thing unto us?" Naphtali: "Because I know +that the sons of Joseph will one day turn recreant to the Lord, the God of +their fathers, and it is they that will lead the sons of Israel into sin, and +cause them to be driven away from their inheritance, their beautiful land, to a +land that is not ours, even as it was Joseph that brought the Egyptian bondage +down upon us. +</p> + +<p> +"I will tell ye, my children, the vision I had while I was yet a shepherd of +flocks. I saw my brethren pasturing the herds with me, and our father +approached, and said: 'Up, my sons, each one take what he can in my presence!' +We answered, and said to him, 'What shall we take? We see nothing but the sun, +the moon, and the stars.' Then our father said: 'These shall ye take!' Levi, +hearing this, snatched up an ox-goad, sprang up to the sun, sat upon him, and +rode. Judah did likewise. He jumped up to the moon, and rode upon her. And the +other nine tribes did the same, each rode upon his star or his planet in the +heavens. Joseph remained behind alone on the earth, and our father Jacob said +to him, 'My son, why hast thou not done like thy brethren?' Joseph answered, +'What right have men born of woman to be in the heavens, seeing that in the end +they must stay on earth?' While Joseph was speaking thus, a tall steer appeared +before him. He had great pinions like the wings of the stork, and his horns +were as long as those of the reem. Jacob urged his son, 'Up, Joseph, mount the +steer!' Joseph did as his father bade him, and Jacob went his way. For the +space of two hours Joseph displayed himself upon the steer, sometimes +galloping, sometimes flying, until he reached Judah. Then Joseph unfolded the +standard in his hand, and began to rain blows down upon Judah with it, and when +his brother demanded the reason for this treatment, he said, 'Because thou hast +twelve rods in thine hand, and I have but one. Give thine to me, and peace +shall prevail between us!' But Judah refused to do his bidding, and Joseph beat +him until he dropped ten rods, and only two remained in his clutch. Joseph now +invited his brethren to abandon Judah and follow after him. They all did thus, +except Benjamin, who stayed true to Judah. Levi was grieved over the desertion +of Judah, and he descended from the sun. Toward the end of the day a storm +broke out, and it scattered the brethren, so that no two were together. When I +gave an account of my vision to my father Jacob, he said, 'It is but a dream, +it can neither help nor harm.' +</p> + +<p> +"A short while thereafter another vision was revealed to me. I saw all of us +together with our father at the shores of the sea, and a ship appeared in the +midst of the sea, and it had neither sailors nor other crew. Our father spake, +'Do you see what I see?' And when we answered that we did, he commanded us to +follow him. He took off his clothes, and sprang into the sea, and we sprang +after him. Levi and Judah were the first to scale the side of the ship. Our +father cried after them, 'See what is written upon the mast,' for there is no +ship that does not bear the name of the owner upon the mast. Levi and Judah +scrutinized the writing, and what they read was this, 'This ship and all the +treasures therein belong unto the son of Barachel.' Jacob thanked God for +having blessed him, not only on land, but also upon the sea, and he said to us, +'Stretch forth your hands, and whatsoever each one seizes shall be his!' Levi +caught hold of the big mast, Judah of the second mast, next to Levi's, and the +other brethren, with the exception of Joseph, took the oars, and Jacob himself +seized the two rudders, wherewith to guide the ship. He bade Joseph take an +oar, too, but he refused to do his father's bidding, and Jacob gave him one of +the rudders. After our father had instructed us each one in what we had to do, +he disappeared, whereupon Joseph took possession of the second rudder, too. All +went smoothly for a time, as long as Judah and Joseph acted together in harmony +with each other, and Judah kept Joseph informed in what direction to steer. But +a quarrel broke out between them, and Joseph did not guide the vessel in the +way his father had commanded him, and Judah attempted to direct him, and the +vessel was wrecked upon a rock. Levi and Judah descended from the masts, and +likewise the other brethren left the ship and escaped to the shore. At this +moment Jacob appeared, and he found us scattered in all directions, and we +reported to him how Joseph had caused the vessel to run aground, because he had +refused, out of jealousy of Judah and Levi, to steer it according to their +instructions. Then Jacob asked us to show him the spot where we had lost the +ship, of which only the masts were visible above the water. He emitted a +whistle summoning us all, and he swam out into the water, and raised the vessel +as before. Turning to Joseph, he spake thus, 'My son, never do that again, +never permit jealousy of thy brethren to master thee. Nearly it happened that +all thy brethren perished because of thee.' +</p> + +<p> +"When I told my father what I had seen in this vision, he clasped his hands, +and tears flowed from his eyes, and be said: 'My son, for that the vision was +doubled unto thee twice, I am dismayed, and I shudder for my son Joseph. I +loved him more than all of you, but by reason of his perverseness ye will be +carried away into captivity, and scattered among the nations. Thy first and thy +second vision had the same meaning, the vision is one.' +</p> + +<p> +"Therefore, my sons, I command you not to join yourselves unto the sons of +Joseph, but ye shall join yourselves unto the sons of Levi and Judah. I tell +you, too, that my inheritance shall be of the best of Palestine, the middle of +the earth. You will eat, and the delectable gifts of my portion will satisfy +you. But I warn you not to kick in your prosperity and not to become perverse, +resisting the commands of God, who satisfies you with the best of His land, and +not to forget your God, whom your father Abraham chose when the families of the +earth were divided in the days of Peleg. The Lord descended with seventy +angels, at their head Michael, and he commanded them to teach the seventy +languages unto the seventy families of Noah. The angels did according to the +behest of God, and the holy Hebrew language remained only in the house of Shem +and Eber, and in the house of their descendant Abraham. On this day of teaching +languages, Michael came to each nation separately, and told it the message with +which God had charged him, saying: 'I know the rebellion and the confusion ye +have enacted against God. Now, make choice of him whom you will serve, and whom +will you have as your mediator in heaven?' Then spake Nimrod the wicked, 'In my +eyes there is none greater than he that taught me the language of Cush.' The +other nations also answered in words like these, each one designated its angel. +But Abraham said: 'I choose none other than Him that spake and the world was. +In Him I will have faith, and my seed forever and ever.' Thenceforth God put +every nation in the care of its angel, but Abraham and his seed He kept for +Himself. +</p> + +<p> +"Therefore I adjure you not to go astray and serve other gods beside Him whom +our fathers made choice of. You can perceive somewhat of His power in the +creation of man. From head to foot is man wonderfully made. With his ears he +hears, with his eyes he sees, with his brain he comprehends, with his nose he +smells, with the tubes of his throat he utters sounds, with his gullet he +swallows food, with his tongue he articulates, with his mouth he forms words, +with his hands he does his work, with his heart he meditates, with his spleen +he laughs, with his liver he waxes angry, with his stomach he crushes his food, +with his feet he walks, with his lungs he breathes, and with his kidneys he +makes resolves, and none of his organs undergoes a change in function, each +performs its own. Therefore it behooves man to take to heart who it is that +hath created him, and who hath developed him from a foul-smelling drop in the +womb of woman, who hath brought him to the light of the world, who hath given +sight to his eyes, and who hath bestowed the power of motion upon his feet, who +maketh him to stand upright, who hath infused the breath of life into him, and +who hath imparted of His own pure spirit unto him. Happy the man, therefore, +that polluteth not the holy spirit of God within him by doing evil deeds, and +well for him if he returns it to his Creator as he received it." +</p> + +<p> +After Naphtali had charged his children thus, and with many other lessons like +these, he enjoined them to carry his remains to Hebron, to be buried there near +his fathers. Then he ate and drank with rejoicing, covered his face, and died, +and his sons did according to all that their father Naphtali had commanded +them.[14] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap48"></a>GAD'S HATRED</h2> + +<p> +In the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life Gad assembled his sons, and he +spake to them: "I am the ninth son of Jacob, and I was a valiant shepherd of +the flocks. I guarded the herds, and when a lion or any other wild beast +approached, I pursued it, gripped it by the foot, flung it a stone's throw from +me, and killed it thus. Once, for a space of thirty days, Joseph tended the +flocks with us, and when he returned to our father, he told him that the sons +of Zilpah and Bilhah slaughtered the best of the herds, and used the flesh +without the knowledge of Reuben and Judah. He had seen me snatch a lamb out of +the jaws of a bear, kill the bear, and slaughter the lamb, for it was too badly +injured to live. I was wroth with Joseph for his talebearing, until he was sold +into Egypt. I would neither look upon him nor hear aught about him, for to our +very faces he, blamed us, because we had eaten the lamb without seeking the +permission of Judah first. And whatever Joseph told our father, he believed. +</p> + +<p> +"Now I confess my sin, that ofttimes I longed to kill him, for I hated him from +the bottom of my heart, and on account of his dreams I hated him still more, +and I desired to destroy him from off the land of the living. But Judah sold +him by stealth to the Ishmaelites. Thus the God of our fathers saved him out of +our hands, and He did not permit us to commit an abominable outrage in Israel. +</p> + +<p> +"Hear now, my children, the words of truth, that ye may practice justice and +the whole law of the Most High, and permit yourselves not to be tempted by the +spirit of hatred. Evil is hatred, for it is the constant companion of +deception, it always contradicts the truth. A little thing it magnifies into a +great thing, light it takes for darkness, the sweet it calls bitter, and it +teaches slander, enkindles anger, brings on war and violence, and fills the +heart with devilish poison. I tell you my own experience, my children, that ye +may drive hatred out of your hearts, and cleave to the love of the Lord. +Righteousness banishes hatred, and humility kills it, for he that fears to give +umbrage to the Lord, desires not to do wrong even in his thoughts. This is what +I recognized at the last, after I had done penance on account of Joseph, for +true atonement, pleasing to God, enlightens the eyes, illumines the soul with +knowledge, and creates a counsel of salvation. My penance came in consequence +of a sickness of the liver that God inflicted upon me. Without the prayers of +my father Jacob, my spirit would have departed from me, for through the organ +wherewith man transgresses, he is punished. As my liver had felt no mercy for +Joseph, unmerciful suffering was caused unto me by my liver. My judgment lasted +eleven months, as long as my enmity toward Joseph. +</p> + +<p> +"And now, my children, each of you shall love his brother, and ye shall uproot +hatred from your hearts by loving one another in word and deed and the thoughts +of the soul. For I spake peaceably with Joseph in the presence of our father, +but when I went out from before him, the spirit of hatred darkened my +understanding, and stirred up my soul to murder him. If you see one that hath +more good fortune than you, do not grieve, but pray for him, that his happiness +may be perfect, and if one of the wicked even should grow rich in substance, +like Esau, my father's brother, do not envy him. Wait for the end of the Lord. +</p> + +<p> +"This also tell unto your children, that they shall honor Judah and Levi, for +from them the Lord will cause a savior to arise unto Israel. For I know that in +the end your children will fall off from God, and they will take part in all +wickedness, malice, and corruptness, before the Lord." +</p> + +<p> +After Gad had rested a little while, he spake again, "My children, hearken unto +your father, and bury me with my fathers." Then he drew up his feet, and slept +in peace. After five years, his sons carried his remains to Hebron unto his +fathers.[15] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap49"></a>ASHER'S LAST WORDS</h2> + +<p> +In the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life, while be was still robust in +health, Asher summoned his children unto him, and admonished them to walk in +the ways of virtue and the fear of God. He spake: "Hearken, ye sons of Asher, +unto your father, and I will show you all that is right before God. Two ways +hath God put before the children of men, and two inclinations hath He bestowed +upon them, two kinds of actions and two aims. Therefore all things are in twos, +the one opposite to the other. But ye, my children, ye shall not be double, +pursuing both goodness and wickedness. Ye shall cling only to the ways of +goodness, for the Lord taketh delight in them, and men yearn after them. And +flee from wickedness, for thus you will destroy the evil inclination. Heed well +the commands of the Lord, by following truth with a single mind. Observe the +law of the Lord, and have not the same care for wicked things as for good +things. Rather keep your eyes upon what is truly good, and guard it through all +the commands of the Lord. The end of man, when he meets the messengers of God +and of Satan, shows whether he was righteous or unrighteous in his life. If his +soul goes out with agitation, she will be plagued by the evil spirit, whom she +served with her lusts and her evil deeds; but if she departs tranquilly, the +angel of peace will lead her to life eternal. +</p> + +<p> +"Be not like Sodom, my children, which recognized not the angels of the Lord, +that ye be not delivered into the hands of your enemies, and your land be +cursed, and your sanctuary destroyed, and you be scattered to the four corners +of the earth, and scorned in the confusion like stale water, until the Most +High shall visit the earth, and break the heads of the dragons in the waters. +Tell this, my sons, unto your children, that they be not disobedient toward +God, for I read in the tablets of the heavens that you will be contumacious and +act impiously toward Him, in that you will have no care for the law of God, but +you will heed human laws, and they are corrupted by reason of man's +godlessness. Therefore ye will be dispersed abroad like unto Gad and Dan, my +brethren, and you will not know either your land, or your tribe, or your +tongue. Nevertheless the Lord will gather you in His faithfulness, for the sake +of His gracious mercy, and for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." +</p> + +<p> +And when he had made an end of saying these words, he commanded them to bury +him in Hebron. And he sank into sweet sleep, and died. His sons did as he had +commanded, and they carried him up and buried him with his fathers.[16] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap50"></a>BENJAMIN EXTOLS JOSEPH</h2> + +<p> +Benjamin was one hundred and twenty-five years old, and he called his children +to come to him. When they appeared, he kissed them, and spake: "As Isaac was +born unto Abraham in his old age, so was I born unto Jacob when he was stricken +in years. Therefore I was called Benjamin, 'the son of days.' My mother Rachel +died at my birth, and Bilhah her slave suckled me. Rachel had no children for +twelve years after bearing Joseph. Therefore she prayed to God, and fasted +twelve days, and she conceived and bare me. Our father loved Rachel fondly, and +he had longed greatly to have two sons by her. +</p> + +<p> +"When I came down to Egypt, and my brother Joseph recognized me, he asked me, +'What said my brethren to my father regarding me?' And I told him that they had +sent Jacob his coat stained with blood, and had said, 'Know now whether this be +thy son's coat or not.' And Joseph said: 'This is what happened to me. +Canaanitish merchantmen stole me away with violence, and on the way they wanted +to hide my coat, to make it seem as though a wild beast had met me and slain +me. But he who was about to conceal it, was torn by a lion, whereupon his +companions, in great fear, sold me to the Ishmaelites. My brethren, thou seest, +did not deceive my father with a lie.' In this wise Joseph tried to keep the +deed of our brethren a secret from me. He also summoned my brethren, and +enjoined them not to make known to our father what they had done to him, and +bade them repeat the tale he had told me. +</p> + +<p> +"Now, my children, love ye the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, and observe +His commandments, taking that good and pious man Joseph as your model. Until +the day of his death he would not have divulged what his brethren had done to +him, and although God revealed their action to Jacob, he continued to deny it. +Only after many efforts, when Jacob adjured him to confess the truth, he was +induced to speak out. Even then he besought our father Jacob to pray for our +brethren, that God account not the evil they had done to him as a sin. And +Jacob exclaimed, 'O my good child Joseph, thou hast shown thyself more merciful +than I was!' +</p> + +<p> +"My children, have you observed the mercy of the good man? Imitate it with pure +intention, that ye, too, may wear crowns of glory. A good man has not an +envious eye, he has mercy with all, even with sinners, though their evil +designs be directed against him, and by his good deeds he conquers the evil, +since it was ordained of God. If you do good, the unclean spirits will depart +from you, and even the wild beasts will stand in fear of you. The inclination +of a good man lies not in the power of the tempter spirit Behar, for the angel +of peace guides his soul. Flee before the malice of Beliar, whose sword is +drawn to slay all that pay him obedience, and his sword is the mother of seven +evils, bloodshed, corruptness, error, captivity, hunger, panic, and +devastation. Therefore God surrendered Cain to seven punishments. Once in a +hundred years the Lord brought a castigation upon him. His afflictions began +when he was two hundred years old, and in his nine hundredth year he was +destroyed by the deluge, for having slain his righteous brother Abel. And those +who are like unto Cain will be chastised forever with the same punishments as +his. +</p> + +<p> +"Know now, my children, that I am about to die. Practice truth and +righteousness, and observe the law of the Lord and also His commandments. This +I bequeath unto you as your sole heritage, and you shall leave it to your +children as an eternal possession. Thus Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did, they +transmitted it unto us, saying, 'Observe the commands of God, until the Lord +shall reveal His salvation in the sight of all the heathen.' Then you will see +Enoch, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob[17] rise up with rejoicing to new +life at the right hand of God, and we brethren, the sons of Jacob, will arise +also, each of us at the head of his tribe, and we will pay homage to the King +of the heavens." +</p> + +<p> +After Benjamin had made an end of speaking thus, he said: "I command you, my +children, to carry my bones up out of Egypt and bury me near my fathers." +</p> + +<p> +And when he had made an end of saying these things, he fell asleep at a good +old age, and they put his body into a coffin, and in the ninety-first year of +their sojourning in Egypt, his sons and the sons of his brethren brought up the +bones of their father, in secret, and buried them in Hebron, at the feet of +their fathers. Then they returned from the land of Canaan, and they dwelt in +Egypt until the day of the exodus from the land.[18] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="book03"></a>III<br/> +JOB</h2> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap51"></a>JOB AND THE PATRIARCHS</h2> + +<p> +Job, the most pious Gentile that ever lived,[1] one of the few to bear the +title of honor "the servant of God,"[2] was of double kin to Jacob. He was a +grandson of Jacob's brother Esau, and at the same time the son-in-law of Jacob +himself, for lie had married Dinah as his second wife.[3] He was entirely +worthy of being a member of the Patriarch's family, for he was perfectly +upright, one that feared God, and eschewed evil. Had he not wavered in his +resignation to the Divine will during the great trial to which he was +subjected, and murmured against God, the distinction would have been conferred +upon him of having his name joined to the Name of God in prayer, and men would +have called upon the God of Job as they now call upon the God of Abraham, +Isaac, and Jacob. But he was not found steadfast like the three Fathers, and he +forfeited the honor God had intended for him. +</p> + +<p> +The Lord remonstrated with him for his lack of patience, saying: "Why didst +thou murmur when suffering came upon thee? Dost thou think thyself of greater +worth than Adam, the creation of Mine own hands, upon whom together with his +descendants I decreed death on account of a single transgression? And yet Adam +murmured not. Thou art surely not more worthy than Abraham, whom I tempted with +many trials, and when he asked, 'Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit the +land?' and I replied, 'Know of a surety that thy seed will be a stranger in a +land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four +hundred years,' he yet murmured not. Thou dost not esteem thyself more worthy +than Moses, dost thou? Him I would not grant the favor of entering the promised +land, because he spake the words, 'Hear now, ye rebels; shall we bring you +forth water out of this rock?' And yet he murmured not. Art thou more worthy +than Aaron, unto whom I showed greater honor than unto any created being, for I +sent the angels themselves out of the Holy of Holies when he entered the place? +Yet when his two sons died, he murmured not."[4] +</p> + +<p> +The contrast between Job and the Patriarchs appears from words spoken by him +and words spoken by Abraham. Addressing God, Abraham said, "That be far from +Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so +the righteous should be as the wicked," and Job exclaimed against God, "It is +all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked." They both +received their due recompense, Abraham was rewarded and Job was punished.[5] +</p> + +<p> +Convinced that his suffering was undeserved and unjust, Job had the audacity to +say to God: "O Lord of the world, Thou didst create the ox with cloven feet and +the ass with unparted hoof, Thou hast created Paradise and hell, Thou createst +the righteous and also the wicked. There is none to hinder, Thou canst do as +seemeth good in Thy sight." The friends of Job replied: "It is true, God hath +created the evil inclination, but He hath also given man the Torah as a remedy +against it. Therefore the wicked cannot roll their guilt from off their +shoulders and put it upon God." +</p> + +<p> +The reason Job did not shrink from such extravagant utterances was because he +denied the resurrection of the dead. He judged of the prosperity of the wicked +and the woes of the pious only by their earthly fortunes. Proceeding from this +false premise, he held it to be possible that the punishment falling to his +share was not at all intended for him. God had slipped into an error, He +imposed the suffering upon him that had been appointed unto a sinner. But God +spake to him, saying: "Many hairs have I created upon the head of man, yet each +hair hath its own sac, for were two hairs to draw their nourishment from the +same sac, man would lose the sight of his eyes. It hath never happened that a +sac hath been misplaced. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another? I let +many drops of rain descend from the heavens, and for each drop there is a mould +in the clouds, for were two drops to issue from the same mould, the ground +would be made so miry that it could not bring forth any growth. It hath never +happened that a mould hath been misplaced. Should I, then, have mistaken Job +for another? Many thunderbolts I hurl from the skies, but each one comes from +its own path, for were two to proceed from the same path, they would destroy +the whole world. It hath never happened that a path hath been misplaced. Should +I, then, have mistaken Job for another? The gazelle gives birth to her young on +the topmost point of a rock, and it would fall into the abyss and be crushed to +death, if I did not send an eagle thither to catch it up and carry it to its +mother. Were the eagle to appear a minute earlier or later than the appointed +time, the little gazelle would perish. It hath never happened that the proper +minute of time was missed. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another? The +hind has a contracted womb, and would not be able to bring forth her young, if +I did not send a dragon to her at the right second, to nibble at her womb and +soften it, for then she can bear. Were the dragon to come a second before or +after the right time, the hind would perish. It hath never happened that I +missed the right second. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another?" +</p> + +<p> +Notwithstanding Job's unpardonable words, God was displeased with his friends +for passing harsh judgment upon him. "A man may not be held responsible for +what he does in his anguish," and Job's agony was great, indeed[6] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap52"></a>JOB'S WEALTH AND BENEFACTIONS</h2> + +<p> +Job was asked once what he considered the severest affliction that could strike +him, and he replied, "My enemies' joy in my misfortune,[7] and when God +demanded to know of him, after the accusations made by Satan, what he +preferred, poverty or physical suffering, he chose pain, saying, "O Lord of the +whole world, chastise my body with suffering of all kinds, only preserve me +from poverty."[8] Poverty seemed the greater scourge, because before his trials +he had occupied a brilliant position on account of his vast wealth. God +graciously granted him this foretaste of the Messianic time. The harvest +followed close upon the ploughing of his field; no sooner were the seeds strewn +in the furrows, than they sprouted and grew and ripened produce. He was equally +successful with his cattle. His sheep killed wolves, but were themselves never +harmed by wild beasts.[9] Of sheep he had no less than one hundred and thirty +thousand, and he required eight hundred dogs to keep guard over them, not to +mention the two hundred dogs needed to secure the safety of his house. Besides, +his herds consisted of three hundred and forty thousand asses and thirty-five +hundred pairs of oxen. All these possessions were not used for self- indulgent +pleasures, but for the good of the poor and the needy, whom he clothed, and +fed, and provided with all things necessary. To do all this, he even had to +employ ships that carried supplies to all the cities and the dwelling- places +of the destitute. His house was furnished with doors on all its four sides, +that the poor and the wayfarer might enter, no matter from what direction they +approached. At all times there were thirty tables laden with viands ready in +his house, and twelve besides for widows only, so that all who came found what +they desired. Job's consideration for the poor was so delicate that he kept +servants to wait upon them constantly. His guests, enraptured by his +charitableness, frequently offered themselves as attendants to minister to the +poor in his house, but Job always insisted upon paying them for their services. +If he was asked for a loan of money, to be used for business purposes, and the +borrower promised to give a part of his profits to the poor, he would demand no +security beyond a mere signature. And if it happened that by some mischance or +other the debtor was not able to discharge his obligation, Job would return the +note to him, or tear it into bits in his presence. +</p> + +<p> +He did not rest satisfied at supplying the material needs of those who applied +to him. He strove also to convey the knowledge of God to them. After a meal he +was in the habit of having music played upon instruments, and then he would +invite those present to join him in songs of praise to God. On such occasions +he did not consider himself above playing the cithern while the musicians +rested.[10] +</p> + +<p> +Most particularly Job concerned himself about the weal and woe of widows and +orphans. He was wont to pay visits to the sick, both rich and poor, and when it +was necessary, he would bring a physician along with him. If the case turned +out to be hopeless, he would sustain the stricken family with advice and +consolation. When the wife of the incurably sick man began to grieve and weep, +he would encourage her with such words as these: "Trust always in the grace and +lovingkindness of God. He hath not abandoned thee until now, and He will not +forsake thee henceforth. Thy husband will be restored to health, and will be +able to provide for his family as heretofore. But if—which may God forefend—thy +husband should die, I call Heaven to witness that I shall provide sustenance +for thee and thy children." Having spoken thus, he would send for a notary, and +have him draw up a document, which he signed in the presence of witnesses, +binding himself to care for the family, should it be bereaved of its head. Thus +he earned for himself the blessing of the sick man and the gratitude of the +sorrowing wife.[11] +</p> + +<p> +Sometimes, in case of necessity, Job could be severe, too, especially when it +was a question of helping a poor man obtain his due. If one of the parties to a +suit cited before his tribunal was known to be a man of violence, he would +surround himself with his army and inspire him with fear, so that the culprit +could not but show himself amenable to his decision.[12] +</p> + +<p> +He endeavored to inculcate his benevolent ways upon his children, by +accustoming them to wait upon the poor. On the morrow after a feast he would +sacrifice bountifully to God, and together with the pieces upon the altar his +offerings would be divided among the needy. He would say: "Take and help +yourselves, and pray for my children. It may be that they have sinned, and +renounced God, saying in the presumption of their hearts: 'We are the children +of this rich man. All these things are our possessions. Why should we be +servants to the poor?' " +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap53"></a>SATAN AND JOB</h2> + +<p> +The happy, God-pleasing life led by Job for many years excited the hatred of +Satan, who had an old grudge against him. Near Job's house there was an idol +worshipped by the people. Suddenly doubts assailed the heart of Job, and he +asked himself: "Is this idol really the creator of heaven and earth? How can I +find out the truth about it?" In the following night he perceived a voice +calling: "Jobab! Jobab! Arise, and I will tell thee who he is whom thou +desirest to know. This one to whom the people offer sacrifices is not God, he +is the handiwork of the tempter, wherewith he deceives men." When he heard the +voice, Job threw himself on the ground, and said: "O Lord, if this idol is the +handiwork of the tempter, then grant that I may destroy it. None can hinder me, +for I am the king of this land."[13] +</p> + +<p> +Job, or, as he is sometimes called, Jobab, was, indeed, king of Edom, the land +wherein wicked plans are concocted against God, wherefore it is called also Uz, +"counsel."[14] +</p> + +<p> +The voice continued to speak. It made itself known as that of an archangel of +God, and revealed to Job that he would bring down the enmity of Satan upon +himself by the destruction of the idol, and much suffering with it. However, if +he remained steadfast under them, God would change his troubles into joys, his +name would become celebrated throughout the generations of mankind, and he +would have a share in the resurrection to eternal life. Job replied to the +voice: "Out of love of God I am ready to endure all things unto the day of my +death. I will shrink back from naught." Now Job arose, and accompanied by fifty +men he repaired to the idol, and destroyed it. +</p> + +<p> +Knowing that Satan would try to approach him, he ordered his guard not to give +access to any one, and then he withdrew to his chamber. He had guessed aright. +Satan appeared at once, in the guise of a beggar, and demanded speech with Job. +The guard executed his orders, and forbade his entering. Then the mendicant +asked him to intercede for him with Job for a piece of bread. Job knew it was +Satan, and he sent word to him as follows, "Do not expect to eat of my bread, +for it is prohibited unto thee," at the same time putting a piece of burnt +bread into the hand of the guard for Satan. The servant was ashamed to give a +beggar burnt bread, and he substituted a good piece for it. Satan, however, +knowing that the servant had not executed his master's errand, told him so to +his face, and he fetched the burnt bread and handed it to him, repeating the +words of Job. Thereupon Satan returned this answer, "As the bread is burnt, so +I will disfigure thy body." Job replied: "Do as thou desirest, and execute thy +plan. As for me, I am ready to suffer whatever thou bringest down upon me." +</p> + +<p> +Now Satan betook himself to God, and prayed Him to put Job into his power,[15] +saying: "I went to and fro in the earth, and walked up and down in it, and I +saw no man as pious as Abraham. Thou didst promise him the whole land of +Palestine, and yet he did not take it in ill part that he had not so much as a +burial-place for Sarah.[16] As for Job, it is true, I found none that loveth +Thee as he does, but if Thou wilt put him into my hand, I shall succeed in +turning his heart away from Thee." But God spake, "Satan, Satan, what hast thou +a mind to do with my servant Job, like whom there is none in the earth?" Satan +persisted in his request touching Job, and God granted it, He gave him full +power over Job's possessions.[17] +</p> + +<p> +This day of Job's accusation was the New Year's Day, whereon the good and the +evil deeds of man are brought before God.[18] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap54"></a>JOB'S SUFFERING</h2> + +<p> +Equipped with unlimited power, Satan endeavored to deprive Job of all he owned. +He burnt part of his cattle, and the other part was carried off by enemies. +What pained Job more than this was that recipients of his bounty turned against +him, and took of his belongings.[19] +</p> + +<p> +Among the adversaries that assailed him was Lilith, the queen of Sheba.[20] She +lived at a great distance from his residence, it took her and her army three +years to travel from her home to his. She fell upon his oxen and his asses, and +took possession of them, after slaying the men to whose care Job had entrusted +them. One man escaped alone. Wounded and bruised, he had only enough life in +him to tell Job the tale of his losses, and then he fell down dead. The sheep, +which had been left unmolested by the queen of Sheba, were taken away by the +Chaldeans. Job's first intention was to go to war against these marauders, but +when he was told that some of his property had been consumed by fire from +heaven, he desisted, and said, "If the heavens turn against me, I can do +nothing."[21] +</p> + +<p> +Dissatisfied with the result, Satan disguised himself as the king of Persia, +besieged the city of Job's residence, took it, and spoke to the inhabitants, +saying: "This man Job hath appropriated all the goods in the world, leaving +naught for others, and he hath also torn down the temple of our god, and now I +will pay him back for his wicked deeds. Come with me and let us pillage his +house." At first the people refused to hearken to the words of Satan. They +feared that the sons and daughters of Job might rise up against them later, and +avenge their father's wrongs. But after Satan had pulled down the house wherein +the children of Job were assembled, and they lay dead in the ruins, the people +did as he bade them, and sacked the house of Job. +</p> + +<p> +Seeing that neither the loss of all he had nor the death of his children could +change his pious heart, Satan appeared before God a second time, and requested +that Job himself, his very person, be put into his hand. God granted Satan's +plea, but he limited his power to Job's body, his soul he could not touch.[22] +In a sense Satan was worse off than Job. He was in the position of the slave +that has been ordered by his master to break the pitcher and not spill the +wine.[23] +</p> + +<p> +Satan now caused a terrific storm to burst over the house of Job. He was cast +from his throne by the reverberations, and he lay upon the floor for three +hours. Then Satan smote his body with leprosy from the sole of his foot unto +his crown. This plague forced Job to leave the city, and sit down outside upon +an ash-heap,[24] for his lower limbs were covered with oozing boils, and the +issue flowed out upon the ashes. The upper part of his body was encrusted with +dry boils, and to ease the itching they caused him, he used his nails, until +they dropped off together with his fingertips, and he took him a potsherd to +scrape himself withal.[25] His body swarmed with vermin, but if one of the +little creatures attempted to crawl away from him, he forced it back, saying, +"Remain on the place whither thou wast sent, until God assigns another unto +thee."[26] His wife, fearful that he would not bear his horrible suffering with +steadfastness, advised him to pray to God for death, that lie might be sure of +going hence an upright man.[27] But he rejected her counsel, saying, "If in the +days of good fortune, which usually tempts men to deny God, I stood firm, and +did not rebel against Him, surely I shall be able to remain steadfast under +misfortune, which compels men to be obedient to God."[28] And Job stuck to his +resolve in spite of all suffering, while his wife was not strong enough to bear +her fate with resignation to the will of God. +</p> + +<p> +Her lot was bitter, indeed, for she had had to take service as a water-carrier +with a common churl, and when her master learnt that she shared her bread with +Job, he dismissed her. To keep her husband from starving, she cut off her hair, +and purchased bread with it. It was all she had to pay the price charged by the +bread merchant, none other than Satan himself, who wanted to put her to the +test. He said to her, "Hadst thou not deserved this great misery of thine, it +had not come upon thee." This speech was more than the poor woman could bear. +Then it was that she came to her husband, and amid tears and groans urged him +to renounce God and die. Job, however, was not perturbed by her words, because +he divined at once that Satan stood behind his wife, and seduced her to speak +thus. Turning to the tempter, he said: "Why dost thou not meet me frankly? Give +up thy underhand ways, thou wretch." Thereupon Satan appeared before Job, +admitted that he had been vanquished, and went away abashed.[29] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap55"></a>THE FOUR FRIENDS</h2> + +<p> +The friends of Job lived in different places, at intervals of three hundred +miles one from the other. Nevertheless they all were informed of their friend's +misfortune at the same time, in this way: Each one had the pictures of the +others set in his crown, and as soon as any one of them met with reverses, it +showed itself in his picture. Thus the friends of Job learnt simultaneously of +his misfortune, and they hastened to his assistance.[30] +</p> + +<p> +The four friends were related to one another, and each one was related to Job. +Eliphaz, king of Teman, was a son of Esau;[31] Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu were +cousins, their fathers, Shuah, Naamat, and Barachel, were the sons of Buz, who +was a brother of Job and a nephew of Abraham.[32] +</p> + +<p> +When the four friends arrived in the city in which Job lived, the inhabitants +took them outside the gates, and pointing to a figure reclining upon an +ash-heap at some distance off, they said, "Yonder is Job." At first the friends +would not give them credence, and they decided to look more closely at the man, +to make sure of his identity. But the foul smell emanating from Job was so +strong that they could not come near to him. They ordered their armies to +scatter perfumes and aromatic substances all around. Only after this had been +done for hours, they could approach the outcast close enough to recognize him. +</p> + +<p> +Eliphaz was the first to address Job, "Art thou indeed Job, a king equal in +rank with ourselves?" And when Job said Aye, they broke out into lamentations +and bitter tears, and all together they sang an elegy, the armies of the three +kings, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, joining in the choir. Again Eliphaz began +to speak, and he bemoaned Job's sad fortune, and depicted his friend's former +glory, adding the refrain to each sentence, "Whither hath departed the splendor +of thy throne?" +</p> + +<p> +After listening long to the wailing and lamenting of Eliphaz and his +companions, Job spake, saying: "Silence, and I will show you my throne and the +splendor of its glory. Kings will perish, rulers disappear, their pride and +lustre will pass like a shadow across a mirror, but my kingdom will persist +forever and ever, for glory and magnificence are in the chariot of my Father." +</p> + +<p> +These words aroused the wrath of Eliphaz, and he called upon his associates to +abandon Job to his fate and go their way. But Bildad appeased his anger, +reminding him that some allowance ought to be made for one so sorely tried as +Job. Bildad put a number of questions to the sufferer in order to establish his +sanity. He wanted to elicit from Job how it came about that God, upon whom he +continued to set his hopes, could inflict such dire suffering. Not even a king +of flesh and blood would allow a guardsman of his that had served him loyally +to come to grief. Bildad desired to have information from Job also concerning +the movements of the heavenly bodies. +</p> + +<p> +Job had but one answer to make to these questions: man cannot comprehend Divine +wisdom, whether it reveal itself in inanimate and brute nature or in relation +to human beings. "But," continued Job, "to prove to you that I am in my right +mind, listen to the question I shall put to you. Solid food and liquids combine +inside of man, and they separate again when they leave his body. Who effects +the separation?" And when Bildad conceded that he could not answer the +question, Job said, "If thou canst not comprehend the changes in thy body, how +canst thou hope to comprehend the movements of the planets?" +</p> + +<p> +Zophar, after Job had spoken thus to Bildad, was convinced that his suffering +had had no effect upon his mind, and he asked him whether he would permit +himself to be treated by the physicians of the three kings, his friends. But +Job rejected the offer, saying, "My healing and my restoration come from God, +the Creator of all physicians." +</p> + +<p> +While the three kings were conversing thus with Job, his wife Zitidos made her +appearance clad in rags, and she threw herself at the feet of her husband's +friends, and amid tears she spoke, saying: "O Eliphaz, and ye other friends of +Job, remember what I was in other days, and how I am now changed, coming before +you in rags and tatters." The sight of the unhappy woman touched them so deeply +that they could only weep, and not a word could they force out of their mouths. +Eliphaz, however, took his royal mantle of purple, and laid it about the +shoulders of the poor woman. Zitidos asked only one favor, that the three kings +should order their soldiers to clear away the ruins of the building under which +her children lay entombed, that she might give their remains decent burial. The +command was issued to the soldiers accordingly, but Job said, "Do not put +yourselves to trouble for naught. My children will not be found, for they are +safely bestowed with their Lord and Creator." Again his friends were sure that +Job was bereft of his senses. He arose, however, prayed to God, and at the end +of his devotions, he bade his friends look eastward, and when they did his +bidding, they beheld his children next to the Ruler of heaven, with crowns of +glory upon their heads. Zitidos prostrated herself, and said, "Now I know that +my memorial resides with the Lord." And she returned to the house of her +master, whence she had absented herself for some time against his will. He had +forbidden her to leave it, because he had feared that the three kings would +take her with them. +</p> + +<p> +In the evening she lay down to sleep next to the manger for the cattle, but she +never rose again, she died there of exhaustion. The people of the city made a +great mourning for her, and the elegy composed in her honor was set down in +writing and recorded. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap56"></a>JOB RESTORED</h2> + +<p> +More and more the friends of Job came to the conclusion that he had incurred +Divine punishment on account of his sins, and as he asseverated his innocence +again and again, they prepared angrily to leave him to his fate. Especially +Elihu was animated by Satan to speak scurrilous words against Job, upbraiding +him for his unshakable confidence in God. Then the Lord appeared to them, first +unto Job, and revealed to him that Elihu was in the wrong, and his words were +inspired by Satan. Next he appeared unto Eliphaz, and to him He spake thus: +"Thou and thy friends Bildad and Zophar have committed a sin, for ye did not +speak the truth concerning my servant Job. Rise up and let him bring a sin +offering for you. Only for his sake do I refrain from destroying you." +</p> + +<p> +The sacrifice offered by Job in behalf of his friends was accepted graciously +by God, and Eliphaz broke out into a hymn of thanksgiving to the Lord for +having pardoned the transgression of himself and his two friends. At the same +time he announced the damnation of Elihu, the instrument of Satan. +</p> + +<p> +God appeared to Job once more, and gave him a girdle composed of three ribands, +and he bade him tie it around his waist. Hardly had he put it on when all his +pain disappeared, his very recollection of it vanished, and, more than this, +God made him to see all that ever was and all that shall ever be.[33] +</p> + +<p> +After suffering sevenfold pain for seven years[34] Job was restored to +strength. With his three friends he returned to the city, and the inhabitants +made a festival in his honor and unto the glory of God. All his former friends +joined him again, and he resumed his old occupation, the care of the poor, for +which he obtained the means from the people around. He said to them, "Give me, +each one of you, a sheep for the clothing of the poor, and four silver or gold +drachmas for their other needs." The Lord blessed Job, and in a few days his +wealth had increased to double the substance he had owned before misfortune +overtook him. Zitidos having died during the years of his trials, he married a +second wife, Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and she bore him seven sons and +three daughters.[35] He had never had more than one wife at a time, for he was +wont to say, "If it had been intended that Adam should have ten wives, God +would have given them to him. Only one wife was bestowed upon him, whereby God +indicated that he was to have but one, and therefore one wife suffices for me, +too."[36] +</p> + +<p> +When Job, after a long and happy life, felt his end approaching, he gathered +his ten children around him, and told them the tale of his days. Having +finished the narrative, he admonished them in these words: "See, I am about to +die, and you will stand in my place. Forsake not the Lord, be generous toward +the poor, treat the feeble with consideration, and do not marry with the women +of the Gentiles." +</p> + +<p> +Thereupon he divided his possessions among his sons, and to his daughters he +gave what is more precious than all earthly goods, to each of them one riband +of the celestial girdle he had received from God. The magic virtue of these +ribands was such that no sooner did their possessors tie them around their +waists than they were transformed into higher beings, and with seraphic voices +they broke out into hymns after the manner of the angels. +</p> + +<p> +For three days Job lay upon his bed, sick though not suffering, for the +celestial girdle made him proof against pain. On the fourth day he saw the +angels descend to fetch his soul. He arose from his bed, handed a cithern to +his oldest daughter Jemimah, "Day," a censer to the second one, Keziah, +"Perfume," and a cymbal to the third, Amaltheas, "Horn," and bade them welcome +the angels with the sound of music. They played and sang and praised the Lord +in the holy tongue. Then he appeared that sits in the great chariot, kissed +Job, and rode away bearing his soul with him eastward. None saw them depart +except the three daughters of Job. +</p> + +<p> +The grief of the people, especially the poor, the widows, and the orphans, was +exceeding great. For three days they left the corpse unburied, because they +could not entertain the thought of separating themselves from it. +</p> + +<p> +As the name of Job will remain imperishable unto all time, by reason of the +man's piety,[37] so his three friends were recompensed by God for their +sympathy with him in his distress. Their names were preserved, the punishment +of hell was remitted unto them, and, best of all, God poured out the holy +spirit over them.[38] But Satan, the cause of Job's anguish, the Lord cast down +from heaven, for he had been vanquished by Job, who amid his agony had thanked +and praised God for all He had done unto him.[39] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="book04"></a>IV<br/> +MOSES IN EGYPT</h2> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap57"></a>THE BEGINNING OF THE EGYPTIAN BONDAGE</h2> + +<p> +As soon as Jacob was dead, the eyes of the Israelites were closed, as well as +their hearts. They began to feel the dominion of the stranger,[1] although real +bondage did not enslave them until some time later. While a single one of the +sons of Jacob was alive, the Egyptians did not venture to approach the +Israelites with evil intent. It was only when Levi, the last of them, had +departed this life that their suffering commenced.[2] A change in the relation +of the Egyptians toward the Israelites had, indeed, been noticeable immediately +after the death of Joseph, but they did not throw off their mask completely +until Levi was no more. Then the slavery of the Israelites supervened in good +earnest. +</p> + +<p> +The first hostile act on the part of the Egyptians was to deprive the +Israelites of their fields, their vineyards, and the gifts that Joseph had sent +to his brethren. Not content with these animosities, they sought to do them +harm in, other ways.[3] The reason for the hatred of the Egyptians was envy and +fear. The Israelites had increased to a miraculous degree. At the death of +Jacob the seventy persons he had brought down with him bad grown to the number +of six hundred thousand,[4] and their physical strength and heroism were +extraordinary and therefore alarming to the Egyptians. There were many +occasions at that time for the display of prowess. Not long after the death of +Levi occurred that of the Egyptian king Magron, who had been bred up by Joseph, +and therefore was not wholly without grateful recollection of what he and his +family had accomplished for the welfare of Egypt. But his son and successor +Malol, together with his whole court, knew not the sons of Jacob and their +achievements, and they did not scruple to oppress the Hebrews. +</p> + +<p> +The final breach between them and the Egyptians took place during the wars +waged by Malol against Zepho, the grandson of Esau. In the course of it, the +Israelites had saved the Egyptians from a crushing defeat, but instead of being +grateful they sought only the undoing of their benefactors, from fear that the +giant strength of the Hebrews might be turned against them.[5] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap58"></a>PHARAOH'S CUNNING</h2> + +<p> +The counsellors and elders of Egypt came to Pharaoh, and spake unto him, +saying: "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are greater and mightier +than we. Thou hast seen their strong power, which they have inherited from +their fathers, for a few of them stood up against a people as many as the sand +of the sea, and not one hath fallen. Now, therefore, give us counsel what to do +with them, until we shall gradually destroy them from among us, lest they +become too numerous in the land, for if they multiply, and there falleth out +any war, they will also join themselves with their great strength unto our +enemies, and fight against us, destroy us from the land, and get them up out of +the land." +</p> + +<p> +The king answered the elders, saying: "This is the plan advised by me against +Israel, from which we will not depart. Behold, Pithom and Raamses are cities +not fortified against battle. It behooves us to fortify them. Now, go ye and +act cunningly against the children of Israel, and proclaim in Egypt and in +Goshen, saying: 'All ye men of Egypt, Goshen, and Pathros! The king has +commanded us to build Pithom and Raamses and fortify them against battle. Those +amongst you in all Egypt, of the children of Israel and of all the inhabitants +of the cities, who are willing to build with us, shall have their wages given +to them daily at the king's order.' +</p> + +<p> +"Then go ye first, and begin to build Pithom and Raamses, and cause the king's +proclamation to be made daily, and when some of the children of Israel come to +build, do ye give them their wages daily, and after they shall have built with +you for their daily wages, draw yourselves away from them day by day, and one +by one, in secret. Then you shall rise up and become their taskmasters and +their officers, and you shall have them afterward to build without wages. And +should they refuse, then force them with all your might to build. If you do +this, it will go well with us, for we shall cause our land to be fortified +after this manner, and with the children of Israel it will go ill, for they +will decrease in number on account of the work, because you will prevent them +from being with their wives." +</p> + +<p> +The elders, the counsellors, and the whole of Egypt did according to the word +of the king. For a month the servants of Pharaoh built with Israel, then they +withdrew themselves gradually, while the children of Israel continued to work, +receiving their daily wages, for some men of Egypt were still carrying on the +work with them. After a time all the Egyptians had withdrawn, and they had +turned to become the officers and taskmasters of the Israelites. Then they +refrained from giving them any pay, and when some of the Hebrews refused to +work without wages, their taskmasters smote them, and made them return by force +to labor with their brethren. And the children of Israel were greatly afraid of +the Egyptians, and they came again and worked without pay, all except the tribe +of Levi, who were not employed in the work with their brethren. The children of +Levi knew that the proclamation of the king was made to deceive Israel, +therefore they refrained from listening to it, and the Egyptians did not molest +them later, since they had not been with their brethren at the beginning, and +though the Egyptians embittered the lives of the other Israelites with servile +labor, they did not disturb the children of Levi. The Israelites called Malol, +the king of Egypt, Maror, "Bitterness," because in his days the Egyptians +embittered their lives with all manner of rigorous service.[6] +</p> + +<p> +But Pharaoh did not rest satisfied with his proclamation and the affliction it +imposed upon the Israelites. He suspended a brick-press from his own neck, and +himself took part in the work at Pithom and Raamses. After this, whenever a +Hebrew refused to come and help with the building, alleging that he was not fit +for such hard service, the Egyptians would retort, saying, "Dost thou mean to +make us believe thou art more delicate than Pharaoh?" +</p> + +<p> +The king himself urged the Israelites on with gentle words, saying, "My +children, I beg you to do this work and erect these little buildings for me. I +will give you great reward therefor." By means of such artifices and wily words +the Egyptians succeeded in overmastering the Israelites, and once they had them +in their power, they treated them with undisguised brutality. Women were forced +to perform men's work, and men women's work. +</p> + +<p> +The building of Pithom and Raamses turned out of no advantage to the Egyptians, +for scarcely were the structures completed, when they collapsed, or they were +swallowed by the earth, and the Hebrew workmen, besides having to suffer +hardships during their erection, lost their lives by being precipitated from +enormous heights, when the buildings fell in a heap.[7] +</p> + +<p> +But the Egyptians were little concerned whether or not they derived profit from +the forced labor of the children of Israel. Their main object was to hinder +their increase, and Pharaoh therefore issued an order, that they were not to be +permitted to sleep at their own homes, that so they might be deprived of the +opportunity of having intercourse with their wives. The officers executed the +will of the king, telling the Hebrews that the reason was the loss of too much +time in going to and fro, which would prevent them from completing the required +tale of bricks. Thus the Hebrew husbands were kept apart from their wives, and +they were compelled to sleep on the ground, away from their habitations. +</p> + +<p> +But God spake, saying: "Unto their father Abraham I gave the promise, that I +would make his children to be as numerous as the stars in the heavens, and you +contrive plans to prevent them from multiplying. We shall see whose word will +stand, Mine or yours." And it came to pass that the more the Egyptians +afflicted them, the more they multiplied, and the more they spread abroad.[8] +And they continued to increase in spite of Pharaoh's command, that those who +did not complete the required tale of bricks were to be immured in the +buildings between the layers of bricks, and great was the number of the +Israelites that lost their lives in this way.[9] Many of their children were, +besides, slaughtered as sacrifices to the idols of the Egyptians. For this +reason God visited retribution upon the idols at the time of the going forth of +the Israelites from Egypt. They had caused the death of the Hebrew children, +and in turn they were shattered, and they crumbled into dust." +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap59"></a>THE PIOUS MIDWIVES</h2> + +<p> +When now, in spite of all their tribulations, the children of Israel continued +to multiply and spread abroad, so that the land was full of them as with thick +underbrush—for the women brought forth many children at a birth[11]—the +Egyptians appeared before Pharaoh again, and urged him to devise some other way +of ridding the land of the Hebrews, seeing that they were increasing mightily, +though they were made to toil and labor hard. Pharaoh could invent no new +design; he asked his counsellors to give him their opinion of the thing. Then +spake one of them, Job of the land of Uz, which is in Aram-naharaim, as +follows: "The plan which the king invented, of putting a great burden of work +upon the Israelites, was good in its time, and it should be executed +henceforth, too, but to secure us against the fear that, if a war should come +to pass, they may overwhelm us by reason of their numbers, and chase us forth +out of the land, let the king issue a decree, that every male child of the +Israelites shall be killed at his birth. Then we need not be afraid of them if +we should be overtaken by war. Now let the king summon the Hebrew midwives, +that they come hither, and let him command them in accordance with this plan." +</p> + +<p> +Job's advice found favor in the eyes of Pharaoh and the Egyptians." They +preferred to have the midwives murder the innocents, for they feared the +punishment of God if they laid hands upon them themselves. Pharaoh cited the +two midwives of the Hebrews before him, and commanded them to slay all men +children, but to save the daughters of the Hebrew women alive," for the +Egyptians were as much interested in preserving the female children as in +bringing about the death of the male children. They were very sensual, and were +desirous of having as many women as possible at their service." +</p> + +<p> +However, the plan, even if it had been carried into execution, was not wise, +for though a man may marry many wives, each woman can marry but one husband. +Thus a diminished number of men and a corresponding increase in the number of +women did not constitute so serious a menace to the continuance of the nation +of the Israelites as the reverse case would have been. +</p> + +<p> +The two Hebrew midwives were Jochebed, the mother of Moses, and Miriam, his +sister. When they appeared before Pharaoh, Miriam exclaimed: "Woe be to this +man when God visits retribution upon him for his evil deeds." The king would +have killed her for these audacious words, had not Jochebed allayed his wrath +by saying: "Why dost thou pay heed to her words? She is but a child, and knows +not what she speaks." Yet, although Miriam was but five years old at the time, +she nevertheless accompanied her mother, and helped her with her offices to the +Hebrew women, giving food to the new-born babes while Jochebed washed and +bathed them. +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh's order ran as follows: "At the birth of the child, if it be a man +child, kill it; but if it be a female child, then you need not kill it, but you +may save it alive." The midwives returned: "How are we to know whether the +child is male or female?" for the king had bidden them kill it while it was +being born. Pharaoh replied: "If the child issues forth from the womb with its +face foremost, it is a man child, for it looks to the earth, whence man was +taken; but if its feet appear first, it is a female, for it looks up toward the +rib of the mother, and from a rib woman was made."[15] +</p> + +<p> +The king used all sorts of devices to render the midwives amenable to his +wishes. He approached them with amorous proposals, which they both repelled, +and then he threatened them with death by fire.[16] But they said within +themselves: "Our father Abraham opened an inn, that he might feed the +wayfarers, though they were heathen, and we should neglect the children, nay, +kill them? No, we shall have a care to keep them alive." Thus they failed to +execute what Pharaoh had commanded. Instead of murdering the babes, they +supplied all their needs. If a mother that had given birth to a child lacked +food and drink, the midwives went to well-to-do women, and took up a +collection, that the infant might not suffer want. They did still more for the +little ones. They made supplication to God, praying: "Thou knowest that we are +not fulfilling the words of Pharaoh, but it is our aim to fulfil Thy words. O +that it be Thy will, our Lord, to let the child come into the world safe and +sound, lest we fall under the suspicion that we tried to slay it, and maimed it +in the attempt." The Lord hearkened to their prayer, and no child born under +the ministrations of Shiphrah and Puah, or Jochebed and Miriam, as the midwives +are also called, came into the world lame or blind or afflicted with any other +blemish.[17] +</p> + +<p> +Seeing that his command was ineffectual, he summoned the midwives a second +time, and called them to account for their disobedience. They replied: "This +nation is compared unto one animal and another, and, in sooth, the Hebrews are +like the animals. As little as the animals do they need the offices of +midwives."[18] These two God-fearing women were rewarded in many ways for their +good deeds. Not only that Pharaoh did them no harm, but they were made the +ancestors of priests and Levites, and kings and princes. Jochebed became the +mother of the priest Aaron and of the Levite Moses, and from Miriam's union +with Caleb sprang the royal house of David. The hand of God was visible in her +married life. She contracted a grievous sickness, and though it was thought by +all that saw her that death would certainly overtake her, she recovered, and +God restored her youth, and bestowed unusual beauty upon her, so that renewed +happiness awaited her husband, who had been deprived of the pleasures of +conjugal life during her long illness. His unexpected joys were the reward of +his piety and trust in God.[19] And another recompense was accorded to Miriam: +she was privileged to bring forth Bezalel, the builder of the Tabernacle, who +was endowed with celestial wisdom.[20] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap60"></a>THE THREE COUNSELLORS</h2> + +<p> +In the one hundred and thirtieth year after Israel's going down to Egypt +Pharaoh dreamed that he was sitting upon his throne, and he lifted up his eyes, +and he beheld an old man before him with a balance in his hand, and he saw him +taking all the elders, nobles, and great men of Egypt, tying them together, and +laying them in one scale of the balance, while he put a tender kid into the +other. The kid bore down the pan in which it lay until it hung lower than the +other with the bound Egyptians. Pharaoh arose early in the morning, and called +together all his servants and his wise men to interpret his dream, and the men +were greatly afraid on account of his vision. Balaam the son of Beor then +spake, and said: "This means nothing but that a great evil will spring up +against Egypt, for a son will be born unto Israel, who will destroy the whole +of our land and all its inhabitants, and he will bring forth the Israelites +from Egypt with a mighty hand. Now, therefore, O king, take counsel as to this +matter, that the hope of Israel be frustrated before this evil arise against +Egypt." +</p> + +<p> +The king said unto Balaam: "What shall we do unto Israel? We have tried several +devices against this people, but we could not prevail over it. Now let me hear +thy opinion." +</p> + +<p> +At Balaam's instance, the king sent for his two counsellors, Reuel the +Midianite and Job the Uzite, to hear their advice. Reuel spoke: "If it seemeth +good to the king, let him desist from the Hebrews, and let him not stretch +forth his hand against them, for the Lord chose them in days of old, and took +them as the lot of His inheritance from amongst all the nations of the earth, +and who is there that hath dared stretch forth his hand against them with +impunity, but that their God avenged the evil done unto them?" Reuel then +proceeded to enumerate some of the mighty things God had performed for Abraham, +Isaac, and Jacob, and he closed his admonition with the words: "Verily, thy +grandfather, the Pharaoh of former days, raised Joseph the son of Jacob above +all the princes of Egypt, because he discerned his wisdom, for through his +wisdom he rescued all the inhabitants of the land from the famine, after which +he invited Jacob and his sons to come down to Egypt, that the land of Egypt and +the land of Goshen be delivered from the famine through their virtues. Now, +therefore, if it seem good in thine eyes, leave off from destroying the +children of Israel, and if it be not thy will that they dwell in Egypt, send +them forth from here, that they may go to the land of Canaan, the land wherein +their ancestors sojourned." +</p> + +<p> +When Pharaoh heard the words of Jethro-Reuel, he was exceedingly wroth with +him, and he was dismissed in disgrace from before the king, and he went to +Midian. +</p> + +<p> +The king then spoke to Job, and said: "What sayest thou, Job, and what is thy +advice respecting the Hebrews?" Job replied: "Behold, all the inhabitants of +the land are in thy power. Let the king do as seemeth good in his eyes." +</p> + +<p> +Balaam was the last to speak at the behest of the king, and he said: "From all +that the king may devise against the Hebrews, they will be delivered. If thou +thinkest to diminish them by the flaming fire, thou wilt not prevail over them, +for their God delivered Abraham their father from the furnace in which the +Chaldeans cast him. Perhaps thou thinkest to destroy them with a sword, but +their father Isaac was delivered from being slaughtered by the sword. And if +thou thinkest to reduce them through hard and rigorous labor, thou wilt also +not prevail, for their father Jacob served Laban in all manner of hard work, +and yet he prospered. If it please the king, let him order all the male +children that shall be born in Israel from this day forward to be thrown into +the water. Thereby canst thou wipe out their name, for neither any of them nor +any of their fathers was tried in this way.[21] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap61"></a>THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS</h2> + +<p> +Balaam's advice was accepted by Pharaoh and the Egyptians. They knew that God +pays measure for measure, therefore they believed that the drowning of the men +children would be the safest means of exterminating the Hebrews, without +incurring harm themselves, for the Lord had sworn unto Noah never again to +destroy the world by water. Thus, they assumed, they would be exempt from +punishment, wherein they were wrong, however. In the first place, though the +Lord had sworn not to bring a flood upon men, there was nothing in the way of +bringing men into a flood. Furthermore, the oath of God applied to the whole of +mankind, not to a single nation. The end of the Egyptians was that they met +their death in the billows of the Red Sea. "Measure for measure"—as they had +drowned the men children of the Israelites, so they were drowned.[22] +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh now took steps looking to the faithful execution of his decree. He sent +his bailiffs into the houses of the Israelites, to discover all new-born +children, wherever they might be. To make sure that the Hebrews should not +succeed in keeping the children hidden, the Egyptians hatched a devilish plan. +Their women were to take their little ones to the houses of the Israelitish +women that were suspected of having infants. When the Egyptian children began +to cry or coo, the Hebrew children that were kept in hiding would join in, +after the manner of babies, and betray their presence, whereupon the Egyptians +would seize them and bear them off.[23] +</p> + +<p> +Furthermore, Pharaoh commanded that the Israelitish women employ none but +Egyptian midwives, who were to secure precise information as to the time of +their delivery, and were to exercise great care, and let no male child escape +their vigilance alive. If there should be parents that evaded the command, and +preserved a new-born boy in secret, they and all belonging to them were to be +killed.[24] +</p> + +<p> +Is it to be wondered at, then, that many of the Hebrews kept themselves away +from their wives? Nevertheless those who put trust in God were not forsaken by +Him. The women that remained united with their husbands would go out into the +field when their time of delivery arrived, and give birth to their children and +leave them there, while they themselves returned home. The Lord, who had sworn +unto their ancestors to multiply them, sent one of His angels to wash the +babes, anoint them, stretch their limbs, and swathe them. Then he would give +them two smooth pebbles, from one of which they sucked milk, and from the other +honey. And God caused the hair of the infants to grow down to their knees and +serve them as a protecting garment, and then He ordered the earth to receive +the babes, that they be sheltered therein until the time of their growing up, +when it would open its mouth and vomit forth the children, and they would +sprout up like the herb of the field and the grass of the forest. Thereafter +each would return to his family and the house of his father. +</p> + +<p> +When the Egyptians saw this, they went forth, every man to his field, with his +yoke of oxen, and they ploughed up the earth as one ploughs it at seed time. +Yet they were unable to do harm to the infants of the children of Israel that +had been swallowed up and lay in the bosom of the earth. Thus the people of +Israel increased and waxed exceedingly. And Pharaoh ordered his officers to go +to Goshen, to look for the male babes of the children of Israel, and when they +discovered one, they tore him from his mother's breast by force, and thrust him +into the river." But no one is so valiant as to be able to foil God's purposes, +though he contrive ten thousand subtle devices unto that end. The child +foretold by Pharaoh's dreams and by his astrologers was brought up and kept +concealed from the king's spies. It came to pass after the following +manner.[26] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap62"></a>THE PARENTS OF MOSES</h2> + +<p> +When Pharaoh's proclamation was issued, decreeing that the men children of the +Hebrews were to be cast into the river, Amram, who was the president of the +Sanhedrin, decided that in the circumstances it was best for husbands to live +altogether separate from their wives. He set the example. He divorced his wife, +and all the men of Israel did likewise,[27] for he occupied a place of great +consideration among his people, one reason being that he belonged to the tribe +of Levi, the tribe that was faithful to its God even in the land of Egypt, +though the other tribes wavered in their allegiance, and attempted to ally +themselves with the Egyptians, going so far as to give up Abraham's sign of the +covenant.[28] To chastise the Hebrews for their impiety, God turned the love of +the Egyptians for them into hatred, so that they resolved upon their +destruction. Mindful of all that he and his people owed to Joseph's wise rule, +Pharaoh refused at first to entertain the malicious plans proposed by the +Egyptians against the Hebrews. He spoke to his people, "You fools, we are +indebted to these Hebrews for whatever we enjoy, and you desire now to rise up +against them?" But the Egyptians could not be turned aside from their purpose +of ruining Israel. They deposed their king, and incarcerated him for three +months, until he declared himself ready to execute with determination what they +had resolved upon, and he sought to bring about the ruin of the children of +Israel by every conceivable means. Such was the retribution they had drawn down +upon themselves by their own acts.[29] +</p> + +<p> +As for Amram, not only did he belong to the tribe of Levi, distinguished for +its piety, but by reason of his extraordinary piety he was prominent even among +the pious of the tribe. He was one of the four who were immaculate, untainted +by sin, over whom death would have had no power, had mortality not been decreed +against every single human being on account of the fall of the first man and +woman. The other three that led the same sinless life were Benjamin, Jesse the +father of David, and Chileab the son of David.[30] If the Shekinah was drawn +close again to the dwelling-place of mortals, it was due to Amram's piety. +Originally the real residence of the Shekinah was among men, but when Adam +committed his sin, she withdrew to heaven, at first to the lowest of the seven +heavens. Thence she was banished by Cain's crime, and she retired to the second +heaven. The sins of the generation of Enoch removed her still farther off from +men, she took up her abode in the third heaven; then, successively, in the +fourth, on account of the malefactors in the generation of the deluge; in the +fifth, during the building of the tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues; +in the sixth, by reason of the wicked Egyptians at the time of Abraham; and, +finally, in the seventh, in consequence of the abominations of the inhabitants +of Sodom. Six righteous men, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kohath, and Amram, +drew the Shekinah back, one by one, from the seventh to the first heaven, and +through the seventh righteous man, Moses, she was made to descend to the earth +and abide among men as aforetime.[31] +</p> + +<p> +Amram's sagacity kept pace with his piety and his learning. The Egyptians +succeeded in enslaving the Hebrews by seductive promises. At first they gave +them a shekel for every brick they made, tempting them to superhuman efforts by +the prospect of earning much money. Later, when the Egyptians forced them to +work without wages, they insisted upon having as many bricks as the Hebrews had +made when their labor was paid for, but they could demand only a single brick +daily from Amram, for he had been the only one whom they had not led astray by +their artifice. He had been satisfied with a single shekel daily, and had +therefore made only a single brick daily, which they had to accept afterward as +the measure of his day's work.[32] +</p> + +<p> +As his life partner, Amram chose his aunt Jochebed, who was born the same day +with him.[33] She was the daughter of Levi, and she owed her name, "Divine +Splendor," to the celestial light that radiated from her countenance.[34] She +was worthy of being her husband's helpmeet, for she was one of the midwives +that had imperilled their own lives to rescue the little Hebrew babes. Indeed, +if God had not allowed a miracle to happen, she and her daughter Miriam would +have been killed by Pharaoh for having resisted his orders and saved the Hebrew +children alive. When the king sent his hangmen for the two women, God caused +them to become invisible, and the bailiffs bad to return without accomplishing +their errand.[35] +</p> + +<p> +The first child of the union between Amram and Jochebed, his wife, who was one +hundred and twenty-six years old at the time of her marriage, was a girl, and +the mother called her Miriam, "Bitterness," for it was at the time of her birth +that the Egyptians began to envenom the life of the Hebrews. The second child +was a boy, called Aaron, which means, "Woe unto this pregnancy!" because +Pharaoh's instructions to the midwives, to kill the male children of the +Hebrews, was proclaimed during the months before Aaron's birth.[36] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap63"></a>THE BIRTH OF MOSES</h2> + +<p> +When Amram separated from his wife on account of the edict published against +the male children of the Hebrews, and his example was followed by all the +Israelites, his daughter Miriam said to him: "Father, thy decree is worse than +Pharaoh's decree. The Egyptians aim to destroy only the male children, but thou +includest the girls as well. Pharaoh deprives his victims of life in this +world, but thou preventest children from being born, and thus thou deprivest +them of the future life, too. He resolves destruction, but who knows whether +the intention of the wicked can persist? Thou art a righteous man, and the +enactments of the righteous are executed by God, hence thy decree will be +upheld." +</p> + +<p> +Amram recognized the justice of her plea, and he repaired to the Sanhedrin, and +put the matter before this body. The members of the court spoke, and said: "It +was thou that didst separate husbands and wives, and from thee should go forth +the permission for re-marriage." Amram then made the proposition that each of +the members of the Sanhedrin return to his wife, and wed her clandestinely, but +his colleagues repudiated the plan, saying, "And who will make it known unto +the whole of Israel? " +</p> + +<p> +Accordingly, Amram stood publicly under the wedding canopy with his divorced +wife Jochebed, while Aaron and Miriam danced about it, and the angels +proclaimed, "Let the mother of children be joyful!" His re-marriage was +solemnized with great ceremony, to the end that the men that bad followed his +example in divorcing their wives might imitate him now in taking them again +unto themselves. And so it happened.[37] +</p> + +<p> +Old as Jochebed was, she regained her youth. Her skin became soft, the wrinkles +in her face disappeared, the warm tints of maiden beauty returned, and in a +short time she became pregnant.[38] +</p> + +<p> +Amram was very uneasy about his wife's being with child; he knew not what to +do. He turned to God in prayer, and entreated Him to have compassion upon those +who had in no wise transgressed the laws of His worship, and afford them +deliverance from the misery they endured, while He rendered abortive the hope +of their enemies, who yearned for the destruction of their nation. God had +mercy on him, and He stood by him in his sleep, and exhorted him not to despair +of His future favors. He said further, that He did not forget their piety, and +He would always reward them for it, as He had granted His favor in other days +unto their forefathers. "Know, therefore," the Lord continued to speak, "that I +shall provide for you all together what is for your good, and for thee in +particular that which shall make thee celebrated; for the child out of dread of +whose nativity the Egyptians have doomed the Israelite children to destruction, +shall be this child of thine, and be shall remain concealed from those who +watch to destroy him, and when he has been bred up, in a miraculous way, he +shall deliver the Hebrew nation from the distress they are under by reason of +the Egyptians. His memory shall be celebrated while the world lasts, and not +only among the Hebrews, but among strangers also. And all this shall be the +effect of My favor toward thee and thy posterity. Also his brother shall be +such that he shall obtain My priesthood for himself, and for his posterity +after him, unto the end of the world." +</p> + +<p> +After he had been informed of these things by the vision, Amram awoke, and told +all unto his wife Jochebed.[39] +</p> + +<p> +His daughter Miriam likewise had a prophetic dream, and she related it unto her +parents, saying: "In this night I saw a man clothed in fine linen. 'Tell thy +father and thy mother,' he said, 'that he who shall be born unto them, shall be +cast into the waters, and through him the waters shall become dry, and wonders +and miracles shall be performed through him, and he shall save My people +Israel, and be their leader forever.' "[40] +</p> + +<p> +During her pregnancy, Jochebed observed that the child in her womb was destined +for great things. All the time she suffered no pain, and also she suffered none +in giving birth to her son, for pious women are not included in the curse +pronounced upon Eve, decreeing sorrow in conception and in childbearing.[41] +</p> + +<p> +At the moment of the child's appearance, the whole house was filled with +radiance equal to the splendor of the sun and the moon.[42] A still greater +miracle followed. The infant was not yet a day old when he began to walk and +speak with his parents, and as though he were an adult, he refused to drink +milk from his mother's breast.[43] +</p> + +<p> +Jochebed gave birth to the child six months after conception. The Egyptian +bailiffs, who kept strict watch over all pregnant women in order to be on the +spot in time to carry off their new-born boys, had not expected her delivery +for three months more. These three months the parents succeeded in keeping the +babe concealed, though every Israelitish house was guarded by two Egyptian +women, one stationed within and one without.[44] At the end of this time they +determined to expose the child, for Amram was afraid that both he and his son +would be devoted to death if the secret leaked out, and he thought it better to +entrust the child's fate to Divine Providence. He was convinced that God would +protect the boy, and fulfil His word in truth.[45] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap64"></a>MOSES RESCUED FROM THE WATER</h2> + +<p> +Jochebed accordingly took an ark fashioned of bulrushes, daubed it with pitch +on the outside, and lined it with clay within. The reason she used bulrushes +was because they float on the surface of the water, and she put pitch only on +the outside, to protect the child as much as possible against the annoyance of +a disagreeable odor. Over the child as it lay in the ark she spread a tiny +canopy, to shade the babe, with the words, "Perhaps I shall not live to see him +under the marriage canopy." And then she abandoned the ark on the shores of the +Red Sea. Yet it was not left unguarded. Her daughter Miriam stayed near by, to +discover whether a prophecy she had uttered would be fulfilled. Before the +child's birth, his sister had foretold that her mother would bring forth a son +that should redeem Israel. When he was born, and the house was filled with +brilliant light, Amram kissed her on her head, but when he was forced into the +expedient of exposing the child, he beat her on her head, saying, "My daughter, +what hath become of thy prophecy?" Therefore Miriam stayed, and strolled along +the shore, to observe what would be the fate of the babe, and what would come +of her prophecy concerning him.[46] +</p> + +<p> +The day the child was exposed was the twenty-first of the month of Nisan, the +same on which the children of Israel later, under the leadership of Moses, sang +the song of praise and gratitude to God for the redemption from the waters of +the sea. The angels appeared before God, and spoke: "O Lord of the world, shall +he that is appointed to sing a song of praise unto Thee on this day of Nisan, +to thank Thee for rescuing him and his people from the sea, shall he find his +death in the sea to-day?" The Lord replied: "Ye know well that I see all +things. The contriving of man can do naught to change what bath been resolved +in My counsel. Those do not attain their end who use cunning and malice to +secure their own safety, and endeavor to bring ruin upon their fellow-men. But +he who trusts Me in his peril will be conveyed from profoundest distress to +unlooked-for happiness. Thus My omnipotence will reveal itself in the fortunes +of this babe.[47] +</p> + +<p> +At the time of the child's abandonment, God sent scorching heat to plague the +Egyptians, and they all suffered with leprosy and smarting boils. Thermutis, +the daughter of Pharaoh, sought relief from the burning pain in a bath in the +waters of the Nile.[48] But physical discomfort was not her only reason for +leaving her father's palace. She was determined to cleanse herself as well of +the impurity of the idol worship that prevailed there. +</p> + +<p> +When she saw the little ark floating among the flags on the surface of the +water, she supposed it to contain one of the little children exposed at her +father's order, and she commanded her handmaids to fetch it. But they +protested, saying, "O our mistress, it happens sometimes that a decree issued +by a king is unheeded, yet it is observed at least by his children and the +members of his household, and dost thou desire to transgress thy father's +edict?" Forthwith the angel Gabriel appeared, seized all the maids except one, +whom he permitted the princess to retain for her service, and buried them in +the bowels of the earth. +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh's daughter now proceeded to do her own will. She stretched forth her +arm, and although the ark was swimming at a distance of sixty ells, she +succeeded in grasping it, because her arm was lengthened miraculously. No +sooner had she touched it than the leprosy afflicting her departed from her. +Her sudden restoration led her to examine the contents of the ark,[49] and when +she opened it, her amazement was great. She beheld an exquisitely beautiful +boy, for God bad fashioned the Hebrew babe's body with peculiar care,[50] and +beside it she perceived the Shekinah. Noticing that the boy bore the sign of +the Abrahamic covenant, she knew that he was one of the Hebrew children, and +mindful of her father's decree concerning the male children of the Israelites, +she was about to abandon the babe to his fate. At that moment the angel Gabriel +came and gave the child a vigorous blow, and he began to cry aloud, with a +voice like a young man's. His vehement weeping and the weeping of Aaron, who +was lying beside him, touched the princess, and in her pity she resolved to +save him. She ordered an Egyptian woman to be brought, to nurse the child, but +the little one refused to take milk from her breast, as he refused to take it +from one after the other of the Egyptian women fetched thither. Thus it had +been ordained by God, that none of them might boast later on, and say, "I +suckled him that holds converse now with the Shekinah." Nor was the mouth +destined to speak with God to draw nourishment from the unclean body of an +Egyptian woman. +</p> + +<p> +Now Miriam stepped into the presence of Thermutis, as though she had been +standing there by chance to look at the child,[51] and she spoke to the +princess, saying, "It is vain for thee, O queen, to call for nurses that are in +no wise of kin to the child, but if thou wilt order a woman of the Hebrews to +be brought, he may accept her breast, seeing that she is of his own nation." +Thermutis therefore bade Miriam fetch a Hebrew woman, and with winged steps, +speeding like a vigorous youth, she hastened and brought back her own mother, +the child's mother, for she knew that none present was acquainted with her. The +babe, unresisting, took his mother's breast, and clutched it tightly.[52] The +princess committed the child to Jochebed's care, saying these words, which +contained an unconscious divination: "Here is what is thine." Nurse the boy +henceforth, and I will give thee two silver pieces as thy wages.[54] +</p> + +<p> +The return of her son, safe and sound, after she had exposed him, was +Jochebed's reward from God for her services as one of the midwives that had +bidden defiance to Pharaoh's command and saved the Hebrew children alive.[55] +</p> + +<p> +By exposing their son to danger, Amram and Jochebed had effected the withdrawal +of Pharaoh's command enjoining the extermination of the Hebrew men children. +The day Moses was set adrift in the little ark, the astrologers had come to +Pharaoh and told him the glad tidings, that the danger threatening the +Egyptians on account of one boy, whose doom lay in the water, had now been +averted. Thereupon Pharaoh cried a halt to the drowning of the boys of his +empire. The astrologers had seen something, but they knew not what, and they +announced a message, the import of which they did not comprehend. Water was, +indeed, the doom of Moses, but that did not mean that he would perish in the +waters of the Nile. It had reference to the waters of Meribah, the waters of +strife, and how they would cause his death in the desert, before he had +completed his task of leading the people into the promised land. Pharaoh, +misled by the obscure vision of his astrologers, thought that the future +redeemer of Israel was to lose his life by drowning, and to make sure that the +boy whose appearance was foretold by the astrologers might not escape his fate, +he had ordered all boys, even the children of the Egyptians, born during a +period of nine months to be cast into the water. +</p> + +<p> +On account of the merits of Moses, the six hundred thousand men children of the +Hebrews begotten in the same night with him, and thrown into the water on the +same day, were rescued miraculously together with him, and it was therefore not +an idle boast, if he said later, "The people that went forth out of the water +on account of my merits are six hundred thousand men."[56] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap65"></a>THE INFANCY OF MOSES</h2> + +<p> +For two years the child rescued by Pharaoh's daughter stayed with his parents +and kindred. They gave him various names. His father called him Heber, because +it was for this child's sake that he had been "reunited" with his wife. His +mother's name for him was Jekuthiel, "because," she said, "I set my hope upon +God, and He gave him back to me." To his sister Miriam he was Jered, because +she had "descended" to the stream to ascertain his fate. His brother Aaron +called him Abi Zanoah, because his father, who had "cast off" his mother, had +taken her back for the sake of the child to be born. His grandfather Kohath +knew him as Abi Gedor, because the Heavenly Father had "built up" the breach in +Israel, when He rescued him, and thus restrained the Egyptians from throwing +the Hebrew men children into the water. His nurse called him Abi Soco, because +he had been kept concealed in a "tent" for three months, escaping the pursuit +of the Egyptians. And Israel called him Shemaiah ben Nethanel, because in his +day God would "hear" the sighs of the people, and deliver them from their +oppressors, and through him would He "give" them His own law.[57] +</p> + +<p> +His kindred and all Israel knew that the child was destined for great things, +for he was barely four months old when he began to prophesy, saying, "In days +to come I shall receive the Torah from the flaming torch."[58] +</p> + +<p> +When Jochebed took the child to the palace at the end of two years, Pharaoh's +daughter called him Moses, because she had "drawn" him out of the water, and +because he would "draw" the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt in a +day to come.[59] And this was the only name whereby God called the son of +Amram, the name conferred upon him by Pharaoh's daughter. He said to the +princess: "Moses was not thy child, yet thou didst treat him as such. For this +I will call thee My daughter, though thou art not My daughter," and therefore +the princess, the daughter of Pharaoh, bears the name Bithiah, "the daughter of +God." She married Caleb later on, and he was a suitable husband for her. As she +stood up against her father's wicked counsels, so Caleb stood up against the +counsel of his fellow-messengers sent to spy out the land of Canaan.[60] For +rescuing Moses and for her other pious deeds, she was permitted to enter +Paradise alive.[61] +</p> + +<p> +That Moses might receive the treatment at court usually accorded to a prince, +Bithiah pretended that she was with child for some time before she had him +fetched away from his parents' house." His royal foster-mother caressed and +kissed him constantly, and on account of his extraordinary beauty she would not +permit him ever to quit the palace. Whoever set eyes on him, could not leave +off from looking at him, wherefore Bithiah feared to allow him out of her +sight.[63] +</p> + +<p> +Moses' understanding was far beyond his years; his instructors observed that he +disclosed keener comprehension than is usual at his age. All his actions in his +infancy promised greater ones after he should come to man's estate, and when he +was but three years old, God granted him remarkable size. As for his beauty, it +was so attractive that frequently those meeting him as he was carried along on +the road were obliged to turn and stare at him. They would leave what they were +about, and stand still a great while, looking after him, for the loveliness of +the child was so wondrous that it held the gaze of the spectator. The daughter +of Pharaoh, perceiving Moses to be an extraordinary lad, adopted him as her +son, for she had no child of her own. She informed her father of her intention +concerning him, in these words: "I have brought up a child, who is divine in +form and of an excellent mind, and as I received him through the bounty of the +river in a wonderful way, I have thought it proper to adopt him as my son and +as the heir of thy kingdom." And when she had spoken thus, she put the infant +between her father's hands, and he took him and hugged him close to his +breast.[64] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap66"></a>MOSES RESCUED BY GABRIEL</h2> + +<p> +When Moses was in his third year, Pharaoh was dining one day, with the queen +Alfar'anit at his right hand, his daughter Bithiah with the infant Moses upon +her lap at his left, and Balaam the son of Beor together with his two sons and +all the princes of the realm sitting at table in the king's presence. It +happened that the infant took the crown from off the king's head, and placed it +on his own. When the king and the princes saw this, they were terrified, and +each one in turn expressed his astonishment. The king said unto the princes, +"What speak you, and what say you, O ye princes, on this matter, and what is to +be done to this Hebrew boy on account of this act?" +</p> + +<p> +Balaam spoke, saying: "Remember now, O my lord and king, the dream which thou +didst dream many days ago, and how thy servant interpreted it unto thee. Now +this is a child of the Hebrews in whom is the spirit of God. Let not my lord +the king imagine in his heart that being a child he did the thing without +knowledge. For he is a Hebrew boy, and wisdom and understanding are with him, +although he is yet a child, and with wisdom has he done this, and chosen unto +himself the kingdom of Egypt. For this is the manner of all the Hebrews, to +deceive kings and their magnates, to do all things cunningly in order to make +the kings of the earth and their men to stumble. +</p> + +<p> +"Surely thou knowest that Abraham their father acted thus, who made the armies +of Nimrod king of Babel and of Abimelech king of Gerar to stumble, and he +possessed himself of the land of the children of Heth and the whole realm of +Canaan. Their father Abraham went down into Egypt, and said of Sarah his wife, +She is my sister, in order to make Egypt and its king to stumble. +</p> + +<p> +"His son Isaac did likewise when he went to Gerar, and he dwelt there, and his +strength prevailed over the army of Abimelech, and he intended to make the +kingdom of the Philistines to stumble, by saying that Rebekah his wife was his +sister. +</p> + +<p> +"Jacob also dealt treacherously with his brother, and took his birthright and +his blessing from him. Then he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, his mother's +brother, and he obtained his daughters from him cunningly, and also his cattle +and all his belongings, and he fled away and returned to the land of Canaan, to +his father. +</p> + +<p> +"His sons sold their brother Joseph, and he went down into Egypt and became a +slave, and he was put into prison for twelve years, until the former Pharaoh +delivered him from the prison, and magnified him above all the princes of Egypt +on account of his interpreting the king's dreams. When God caused a famine to +descend upon the whole world, Joseph sent for his father, and he brought him +down into Egypt his father, his brethren, and all his father's household, and +he supplied them with food without pay or reward, while he acquired Egypt, and +made slaves of all its inhabitants. +</p> + +<p> +"Now, therefore, my lord king, behold, this child has risen up in their stead +in Egypt, to do according to their deeds and make sport of every man, be he +king, prince, or judge. If it please the king, let us now spill his blood upon +the ground, lest he grow up and snatch the government from thine hand, and the +hope of Egypt be cut off after he reigns. Let us, moreover, call for all the +judges and the wise men of Egypt, that we may know whether the judgment of +death be due to this child, as I have said, and then we will slay him." +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh sent and called for all the wise men of Egypt, and they came, and the +angel Gabriel was disguised as one of them. When they were asked their opinion +in the matter, Gabriel spoke up, and said: "If it please the king, let him +place an onyx stone before the child, and a coal of fire, and if he stretches +out his hand and grasps the onyx stone, then shall we know that the child hath +done with wisdom all that he bath done, and we will slay him. But if he +stretches out his hand and grasps the coal of fire, then shall we know that it +was not with consciousness that he did the thing, and he shall live." +</p> + +<p> +The counsel seemed good in the eyes of the king, and when they had placed the +stone and the coal before the child, Moses stretched forth his hand toward the +onyx stone and attempted to seize it, but the angel Gabriel guided his hand +away from it and placed it upon the live coal, and the coal burnt the child's +hand, and he lifted it up and touched it to his mouth, and burnt part of his +lips and part of his tongue, and for all his life he became slow of speech and +of a slow tongue. +</p> + +<p> +Seeing this, the king and the princes knew that Moses had not acted with +knowledge in taking the crown from off the king's head, and they refrained from +slaying him.[65] God Himself, who protected Moses, turned the king's mind to +grace, and his foster-mother snatched him away, and she had him educated with +great care, so that the Hebrews depended upon him, and cherished the hope that +great things would be done by him. But the Egyptians were suspicious of what +would follow from such an education as his.[66] +</p> + +<p> +At great cost teachers were invited to come to Egypt from neighboring lands, to +educate the child Moses. Some came of their own accord, to instruct him in the +sciences and the liberal arts. By reason of his admirable endowments of mind, +he soon excelled his teachers in knowledge. His learning seemed a process of +mere recollecting, and when there was a difference of opinion among scholars, +he selected the correct one instinctively, for his mind refused to store up +anything that was false.[67] +</p> + +<p> +But he deserves more praise for his unusual strength of will than for his +natural capacity, for he succeeded in transforming an originally evil +disposition into a noble, exalted character, a change that was farther aided by +his resolution, as he himself acknowledged later. After the wonderful exodus of +the Israelites from Egypt, a king of Arabia sent an artist to Moses, to paint +his portrait, that he might always have the likeness of the divine man before +him. The painter returned with his handiwork, and the king assembled his wise +men, those in particular who were conversant with the science of physiognomy. +He displayed the portrait before them, and invited their judgment upon it. The +unanimous opinion was that it represented a man covetous, haughty, sensual, in +short, disfigured by all possible ugly traits. The king was indignant that they +should pretend to be masters in physiognomy, seeing that they declared the +picture of Moses, the holy, divine man, to be the picture of a villain. They +defended themselves by accusing the painter in turn of not having produced a +true portrait of Moses, else they would not have fallen into the erroneous +judgment they had expressed. But the artist insisted that his work resembled +the original closely. +</p> + +<p> +Unable to decide who was right, the Arabian king went to see Moses, and he +could not but admit that the portrait painted for him was a masterpiece. Moses +as he beheld him in the flesh was the Moses upon the canvas. There could be no +doubt but that the highly extolled knowledge of his physiognomy experts was +empty twaddle. He told Moses what had happened, and what he thought of it. He +replied: "Thy artist and thy experts alike are masters, each in his line. If my +fine qualities were a product of nature, I were no better than a log of wood, +which remains forever as nature produced it at the first. Unashamed I make the +confession to thee that by nature I possessed all the reprehensible traits thy +wise men read in my picture and ascribed to me, perhaps to a greater degree +even than they think. But I mastered my evil impulses with my strong will, and +the character I acquired through severe discipline has become the opposite of +the disposition with which I was born. Through this change, wrought in me by my +own efforts, I have earned honor and commendation upon earth as well as in +heaven."[68] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap67"></a>THE YOUTH OF MOSES</h2> + +<p> +One day—it was after he was grown up, and had passed beyond the years of +childhood—Moses went to the land of Goshen, in which lived the children of +Israel. There he saw the burdens under which his people were groaning, and he +inquired why the heavy service had been put upon them. The Israelites told him +all that had befallen, told him of the cruel edict Pharaoh had issued shortly +before his birth, and told him of the wicked counsels given by Balaam against +themselves as well as against his person when he was but a little boy and had +set Pharaoh's crown upon his head. The wrath of Moses was kindled against the +spiteful adviser, and he tried to think out means of rendering him harmless. +But Balaam, getting wind of his ill-feeling, fled from Egypt with his two sons, +and betook himself to the court of Kikanos king of Ethiopia.[69] +</p> + +<p> +The sight of his enslaved people touched Moses unto tears, and he spoke, +saying: "Woe unto me for your anguish! Rather would I die than see you suffer +so grievously." He did not disdain to help his unfortunate brethren at their +heavy tasks as much as lay in his power. He dismissed all thought of his high +station at court, shouldered a share of the burdens put upon the Israelites, +and toiled in their place. The result was that he not only gave relief to the +heavily-laden workmen, but he also gained the favor of Pharaoh, who believed +that Moses was taking part in the labor in order to promote the execution of +the royal order. And God said unto Moses: "Thou didst relinquish all thy other +occupations, and didst join thyself unto the children of Israel, whom thou dost +treat as brethren; therefore will I, too, put aside now all heavenly and +earthly affairs, and hold converse with thee."[70] +</p> + +<p> +Moses continued to do all he could to alleviate the suffering of his brethren +to the best of his ability. He addressed encouraging words to them, saying: "My +dear brethren, bear your lot with fortitude! Do not lose courage, and let not +your spirit grow weary with the weariness of your body. Better times will come, +when tribulation shall be changed into joy. Clouds are followed by sunshine, +storms by calm, all things in the world tend toward their opposites, and +nothing is more inconstant than the fortunes of man."[71] +</p> + +<p> +The royal favor, which the king accorded him in ever- increasing measure, he +made use of to lighten the burden laid upon the children of Israel. One day he +came into the presence of Pharaoh, and said: "O my lord, I have a request to +make of thee, and my hope is that thou wilt not deny it." "Speak," replied the +king. "It is an admitted fact," said Moses, "that if a slave is not afforded +rest at least one day in the week, he will die of overexertion. Thy Hebrew +slaves will surely perish, unless thou accordest them a day of cessation from +work." Pharaoh fulfilled the petition preferred by Moses, and the king's edict +was published in the whole of Egypt and in Goshen, as follows: "To the sons of +Israel! Thus saith the king: Do your work and perform your service for six +days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; on it ye shall do no labor. Thus +shall ye do unto all times, according to the command of the king and the +command of Moses the son of Bithiah." And the day appointed by Moses as the day +of rest was Saturday, later given by God to the Israelites as the Sabbath +day.[72] +</p> + +<p> +While Moses abode in Goshen, an incident of great importance occurred. To +superintend the service of the children of Israel, an officer from among them +was set over every ten, and ten such officers were under the surveillance of an +Egyptian taskmaster. One of these Hebrew officers, Dathan by name, had a wife, +Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan, who was of extraordinary +beauty, but inclined to be very loquacious. Whenever the Egyptian taskmaster +set over her husband came to their house on business connected with his office, +she would approach him pleasantly and enter into conversation with him. The +beautiful Israelitish woman enkindled a mad passion in his breast, and he +sought and found a cunning way of satisfying his lustful desire. One day he +appeared at break of dawn at the house of Dathan, roused him from his sleep, +and ordered him to hurry his detachment of men to their work. The husband +scarcely out of sight, he executed the villainy he had planned, and dishonored +the woman, and the fruit of this illicit relation was the blasphemer of the +Name whom Moses ordered to execution on the march through the desert. +</p> + +<p> +At the moment when the Egyptian slipped out of Shelomith's chamber, Dathan +returned home. Vexed that his crime had come to the knowledge of the injured +husband, the taskmaster goaded him on to work with excessive vigor, and dealt +him blow after blow with the intention to kill him.[73] Young Moses happened to +visit the place at which the much-abused and tortured Hebrew was at work. +Dathan hastened toward him, and complained of all the wrong and suffering the +Egyptian had inflicted upon him.[74] Full of wrath, Moses, whom the holy spirit +had acquainted with the injury done the Hebrew officer by the Egyptian +taskmaster, cried out to the latter, saying: "Not enough that thou hast +dishonored this man's wife, thou aimest to kill him, too?" And turning to God, +he spoke further: "What will become of Thy promise to Abraham, that his +posterity shall be as numerous as the stars, if his children are given over to +death? And what will become of the revelation on Sinai, if the children of +Israel are exterminated?" +</p> + +<p> +Moses wanted to see if someone would step forward, and, impelled by zeal for +the cause of God and for God's law, would declare himself ready to avenge the +outrage. He waited in vain. Then he determined to act himself. Naturally enough +he hesitated to take the life of a human being. He did not know whether the +evil-doer might not be brought to repentance, and then lead a life of pious +endeavor. He also considered, that there would perhaps be some among the +descendants to spring from the Egyptian for whose sake their wicked ancestor +might rightfully lay claim to clemency. The holy spirit allayed all his doubts. +He was made to see that not the slightest hope existed that good would come +either from the malefactor himself or from any of his offspring. Then Moses was +willing to requite him for his evil deeds. Nevertheless he first consulted the +angels, to hear what they had to say, and they agreed that the Egyptian +deserved death, and Moses acted according to their opinion. +</p> + +<p> +Neither physical strength nor a weapon was needed to carry out his purpose. He +merely pronounced the Name of God, and the Egyptian was a corpse. To the +bystanders, the Israelites, Moses said: "The Lord compared you unto the sand of +the sea-shore, and as the sand moves noiselessly from place to place, so I pray +you to keep the knowledge of what hath happened a secret within yourselves. Let +nothing be heard concerning it." +</p> + +<p> +The wish expressed by Moses was not honored. The slaying of the Egyptian +remained no secret, and those who betrayed it were Israelites, Dathan and +Abiram, the sons of Pallu, of the tribe of Reuben, notorious for their +effrontery and contentiousness. The day after the thing with the Egyptians +happened, the two brothers began of malice aforethought to scuffle with each +other, only in order to draw Moses into the quarrel and create an occasion for +his betrayal. The plan succeeded admirably. Seeing Dathan raise his hand +against Abiram, to deal him a blow, Moses exclaimed, "O thou art a villain, to +lift up thy hand against an Israelite, even if he is no better than thou." +Dathan replied: "Young man, who hath made thee to be a judge over us, thou that +hast not yet attained to years of maturity? We know very well that thou art the +son of Jochebed, though people call thee the son of the princess Bithiah, and +if thou shouldst attempt to play the part of our master and judge, we will +publish abroad the thing thou didst unto the Egyptian. Or, peradventure, thou +harborest the intention to slay us as thou didst slay him, by pronouncing the +Name of God?" +</p> + +<p> +Not satisfied with these taunts, the noble pair of brothers betook themselves +to Pharaoh, and spoke before him, "Moses dishonoreth thy royal mantle and thy +crown," to which Pharaoh returned, saying, "Much good may it do him!" But they +pursued the subject. "He helps thine enemies, Pharaoh," they continued, +whereupon he replied, as before, "Much good may it do him!" Still they went on, +"He is not the son of thy daughter." These last words did not fail of making an +impression upon Pharaoh.[75] A royal command was issued for the arrest of +Moses, and he was condemned to death by the sword. +</p> + +<p> +The angels came to God, and said, "Moses, the familiar of Thine house, is held +under restraint," and God replied, "I will espouse his cause." "But," the +angels urged, "his verdict of death has been pronounced—yes, they are leading +him to execution," and again God made reply, as before, "I will espouse his +cause." +</p> + +<p> +Moses mounted the scaffold, and a sword, sharp beyond compare, was set upon his +neck ten times, but it always slipped away, because his neck was as hard as +ivory. And a still greater miracle came to pass. God sent down the angel +Michael, in the guise of a hangman, and the human hangman charged by Pharaoh +with the execution was changed into the form of Moses. This spurious Moses the +angel killed with the very sword with which the executioner had purposed to +slay the intended victim. Meantime Moses took to flight. Pharaoh ordered his +pursuit, but it was in vain. The king's troops were partly stricken with +blindness partly with dumbness. The dumb could give no information about the +abiding-place of Moses, and the blind, though they knew where it was, could not +get to it.[76] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap68"></a>THE FLIGHT</h2> + +<p> +An angel of God took Moses to a spot removed forty days' journey from Egypt, so +far off that all fear was banished from his mind.[77] Indeed, his anxiety had +never been for his own person, but only on account of the future of Israel. The +subjugation of his people had always been an unsolved enigma to him. Why should +Israel, he would ask himself, suffer more than all the other nations? But when +his personal straits initiated him in the talebearing and back- biting that +prevailed among the Israelites, then he asked himself, Does this people deserve +to be redeemed?[78] The religious conditions among the children of Israel were +of such kind at that time as not to permit them to hope for Divine assistance. +They refused to give ear to Aaron and the five sons of Zerah, who worked among +them as prophets, and admonished them unto the fear of God. It was on account +of their impiety that the heavy hand of Pharaoh rested upon them more and more +oppressively, until God had mercy upon them, and sent Moses to deliver them +from the slavery of Egypt.[79] +</p> + +<p> +When he succeeded in effecting his escape from the hands of the hangman, Moses +had no idea that a royal throne awaited him. It was nevertheless so. A war +broke out at this time between Ethiopia and the nations of the East that had +been subject to it until then. Kikanos, the king, advanced against the enemy +with a great army. He left Balaam and Balaam's two sons, Jannes and Jambres, +behind, to keep guard over his capital and take charge of the people remaining +at home. The absence of the king gave Balaam the opportunity of winning his +subjects over to his side, and he was put upon the throne, and his two sons +were set over the army as generals. To cut Kikanos off from his capital, Balaam +and his sons invested the city, so that none could enter it against their will. +On two sides they made the walls higher, on the third they dug a network of +canals, into which they conducted the waters of the river girding the whole +land of Ethiopia, and on the fourth side their magic arts collected a large +swarm of snakes and scorpions. Thus none could depart, and none could enter. +</p> + +<p> +Meantime Kikanos succeeded in subjugating the rebellious nations. When he +returned at the head of his victorious army, and espied the high city wall from +afar, he and his men said: "The inhabitants of the city, seeing that the war +detained us abroad for a long time, have raised the walls and fortified them, +that the kings of Canaan may not be able to enter." On approaching the city +gates, which were barred, they cried out to the guards to open them, but by +Balaam's instructions they were not permitted to pass through. A skirmish +ensued, in which Kikanos lost one hundred and thirty men. On the morrow the +combat was continued, the king with his troops being stationed on the thither +bank of the river. This day he lost his thirty riders, who, mounted on their +steeds, had attempted to swim the stream. Then the king ordered rafts to be +constructed for the transporting of his men. When the vessels reached the +canals, they were submerged, and the waters, swirling round and round as though +driven by mill wheels, swept away two hundred men, twenty from each raft. On +the third day they set about assaulting the city from the side on which the +snakes and scorpions swarmed, but they failed to reach it, and the reptiles +killed one hundred and seventy men. The king desisted from attacking the city, +but for the space of nine years he surrounded it, so that none could come out +or go in. +</p> + +<p> +While the siege was in progress, Moses appeared in the king's camp on his +flight before Pharaoh, and at once found favor with Kikanos and his whole army. +He exercised an attraction upon all that saw him, for he was slender like a +palm-tree, his countenance shone as the morning sun, and his strength was equal +to a lion's. So deep was the king's affection for him that he appointed him to +be commander-in-chief of his forces. +</p> + +<p> +At the end of the nine years Kikanos fell a prey to a mortal disease, and he +died on the seventh day of his illness. His servants embalmed him, buried him +opposite to the city gate toward the land of Egypt, and over his grave they +erected a magnificent structure, strong and high, upon the walls whereof they +engraved all the mighty deeds and battles of the dead king. +</p> + +<p> +Now, after the death of Kikanos, his men were greatly grieved on account of the +war. One said unto the other, "Counsel us, what shall we do at this time? We +have been abiding in the wilderness, away from our homes, for nine years. If we +fight against the city, many of us will fall dead; and if we remain here +besieging it, we shall also die. For now all the princes of Aram and of the +children of the East will hear that our king is dead, and they will attack us +suddenly, and they will fight with us until not a remnant will be left. Now, +therefore, let us go and set a king over us, and we will remain here besieging +the city until it surrenders unto us." +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap69"></a>THE KING OF ETHIOPIA</h2> + +<p> +They could find none except Moses fit to be their king. They hastened and +stripped off each man his upper garment, and cast them all in a heap upon the +ground, making a high place, on top of which they set Moses. Then they blew +with trumpets, and called out before him: "Long live the king! Long live the +king!" And all the people and the nobles swore unto him to give him Adoniah for +wife, the Ethiopian queen, the widow of Kikanos. And they made Moses king over +them on that day. +</p> + +<p> +They also issued a proclamation, commanding every man to give Moses of what he +possessed, and upon the high place they spread a sheet, wherein each one cast +something, this one a gold nose ring, that one a coin, and onyx stones, +bdellium, pearls, gold, and silver in great abundance. +</p> + +<p> +Moses was twenty-seven years old when he became king over Ethiopia, and he +reigned for forty years. On the seventh day of his reign, all the people +assembled and came before him, to ask his counsel as to what was to be done to +the city they were besieging. The king answered them, and said: "If you will +hearken to my words, the city will be delivered into our hands. Proclaim with a +loud voice throughout the whole camp, unto all the people, saying: 'Thus saith +the king! Go to the forest and fetch hither of the young of the stork, each man +one fledgling in his hand. And if there be any man that transgresseth the word +of the king, not to bring a bird, he shall die, and the king shall take all +belonging to him.' And when you have brought them, they shall be in your +keeping. You shall rear them until they grow up, and you shall teach them to +fly as the hawk flieth." +</p> + +<p> +All the people did according to the word of Moses, and after the young storks +had grown to full size, he ordered them to be starved for three days. On the +third day the king said unto them, "Let every man put on his armor and gird his +sword upon him. Each one shall mount his horse, and each shall set his stork +upon his hand, and we will rise up and fight against the city opposite to the +place of the serpents." +</p> + +<p> +When they came to the appointed spot, the king said to them, "Let each man send +forth his young stork, to descend upon the serpents." Thus they did, and the +birds swooped down and devoured all the reptiles and destroyed them. After the +serpents were removed in this way, the men fought against the city, subdued it, +and killed all its inhabitants, but of the people besieging it there died not +one. +</p> + +<p> +When Balaam saw that the city had fallen into the hands of the besiegers, he +exercised his magic arts, which enabled him to fly through the air, and he +carried with him his two sons, Jannes and Jambres, and his eight brothers, and +they all took refuge in Egypt. +</p> + +<p> +Seeing that they had been saved by the king, and the city had been taken by his +good counsel, the people became more than ever attached to him. They set the +royal crown upon his head, and gave him Adoniah, the widow of Kikanos to wife. +But Moses feared the stern God of his fathers, and he went not in unto Adoniah, +nor did he turn his eyes toward her, for he remembered how Abraham had made his +servant Eliezer swear, saying unto him, "Thou shalt not take a wife for my son +of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell." He also remembered +what Isaac did when Jacob fled before his brother Esau, how he commanded his +son, saying, "Thou shalt not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan, nor ally +thyself by marriage with any of the children of Ham, for the Lord our God gave +Ham the son of Noah and all his seed as slaves to the children of Shem and +Japheth forever." +</p> + +<p> +At that time Aram and the children of the East heard that Kikanos the king of +Ethiopia had died, and they rose up against the Ethiopians, but Moses went +forth with a mighty army to fight against the rebellious nations, and he +subdued them, first the children of the East and then Aram. +</p> + +<p> +Moses continued to prosper in his kingdom. He conducted the government in +justice, righteousness, and integrity, and his people loved and feared him. +</p> + +<p> +In the fortieth year of his reign, while he was sitting upon his throne one +day, surrounded by all the nobles, Adoniah the queen, who was seated before +him, rose up, and spake: "What is this thing which you, the people of Ethiopia, +have done these many days? Surely you know that during the forty years this man +bath reigned over you, he hath not approached me, nor hath he worshipped the +gods of Ethiopia. Now, therefore, let this man reign over you no more, for he +is not of our flesh. Behold, Monarchos my son is grown up, let him reign over +you. It is better for you to serve the son of your lord than a stranger, a +slave of the king of Egypt." +</p> + +<p> +A whole day the people and the nobles contended with one another, whether to +pay heed to the words of the queen. The officers of the army remained faithful +to Moses, but the people of the cities were in favor of crowning the son of +their former lord as king. The following morning they rose up and made +Monarchos, the son of Kikanos, king over them, but they were afraid to stretch +forth their hand against Moses, for the Lord was with him. They also remembered +the oath they had sworn unto Moses, and therefore they did him no harm. +Moreover, they gave many presents to him, and dismissed him with great honor. +</p> + +<p> +When Moses left Ethiopia, in the sixty-seventh year of his age, it was the time +appointed by God in the days of old to bring Israel forth from the affliction +of the children of Ham. But fearing to return to Egypt on account of Pharaoh, +Moses journeyed to Midian.[80] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap70"></a>JETHRO</h2> + +<p> +In the city of Midian, named thus for a son of Abraham by Keturah,[81] the man +Jethro had lived for many years, doing a priest's service before the idols. As +time went on, he grew more and more convinced of the vanity of idol worship. +His priesthood became repugnant to him, and he resolved to give up his, charge. +He stood before his townsmen, and said, "Until now I performed your service +before the idols, but I have grown too old for the duties of the office. +Choose, therefore, whomever you would choose in my place." Speaking thus, he +delivered to the people all the paraphernalia appertaining to the idol worship, +and bade them transfer them to the one to whom in their discretion they should +entrust his position. Suspecting Jethro's hidden motives, the people put him +under the ban, and none might venture to do him the slightest service. Not even +would the shepherds pasture his flocks, and there was nothing for him to do but +impose this work upon his seven daughters.[82] +</p> + +<p> +Jethro's transformation from an idolatrous priest into a God-fearing man is +conveyed by his seven names. He was called Jether, because the Torah contains +an "additional" section about him; Jethro, he "overflowed" with good deeds. +Hobab, "the beloved son of God"; Reuel, "the friend of God"; Heber, "the +associate of God"; Putiel, "he that hath renounced idolatry"; and Keni, he that +was "zealous" for God, and "acquired" the Torah.[83] +</p> + +<p> +In consequence of the hostile relation between Jethro and the inhabitants of +the city, his daughters were in the habit of making their appearance at the +watering troughs before the other shepherds came thither. But the ruse was not +successful. The shepherds would drive them away, and water their own flocks at +the troughs that the maidens had filled. When Moses arrived in Midian, it was +at the well that he made halt, and his experience was the same as Isaac's and +Jacob's. Like them he found his helpmeet there. Rebekah had been selected by +Eliezer as the wife of Isaac, while she was busy drawing water for him; Jacob +had seen Rachel first, while she was watering her sheep, and at this well in +Midian Moses met his future wife Zipporah. +</p> + +<p> +The rudeness of the shepherds reached its climax the very day of Moses' +arrival. First they deprived the maidens of the water they had drawn for +themselves, and attempted to do violence to them, and then they threw them into +the water with intent to kill them. At this moment Moses appeared, dragged the +maidens out of the water, and gave the flocks to drink, first Jethro's and then +the flocks of the shep- herds, though the latter did not deserve his good +offices. True, he did them the service with but little trouble to himself, for +he had only to draw a bucketful, and the water flowed so copiously that it +sufficed for all the herds,[84] and it did not cease to flow until Moses +withdrew from the well,[85] —the same well at which Jacob had met Rachel, his +future wife, and the same well that God created at the beginning of the world, +the opening of which He made in the twilight of the first Sabbath eve.[86] +</p> + +<p> +Jethro's daughters thanked Moses for the assistance he had afforded them. But +Moses warded off their gratitude, saying, "Your thanks are due to the Egyptian +I killed, on account of whom I had to flee from Egypt. Had it not been for him, +I should not be here now."[87] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap71"></a>MOSES MARRIES ZIPPORAH</h2> + +<p> +One of the seven maidens whom Moses saw at the well attracted his notice in +particular on account of her modest demeanor, and he made her a proposal of +marriage. But Zipporah repulsed him, saying, "My father has a tree in his +garden with which he tests every man that expresses a desire to marry one of +his daughters, and as soon as the suitor touches the tree, he is devoured by +it." +</p> + +<p> +Moses: "Whence has he the tree?" +</p> + +<p> +Zipporah: "It is the rod that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in the +twilight of the first Sabbath eve, and gave to Adam. He transmitted it to +Enoch, from him it descended to Noah, then to Shem, and Abraham, and Isaac, and +finally to Jacob, who brought it with him to Egypt, and gave it to his son +Joseph. When Joseph died, the Egyptians pillaged his house, and the rod, which +was in their booty, they brought to Pharaoh's palace. At that time my father +was one of the most prominent of the king's sacred scribes, and as such he had +the opportunity of seeing the rod. He felt a great desire to possess it, and he +stole it and took it to his house. On this rod the Ineffable Name is graven, +and also the ten plagues that God will cause to visit the Egyptians in a future +day. For many years it lay in my father's house. One day he was walking in his +garden carrying it, and he stuck it in the ground. When he attempted to draw it +out again, he found that it had sprouted, and was putting forth blossoms. That +is the rod with which he tries any that desire to marry his daughters. He +insists that our suitors shall attempt to pull it out of the ground, but as +soon as they touch it, it devours them." +</p> + +<p> +Having given him this account of her father's rod, Zipporah went home, +accompanied by her sisters, and Moses followed them.[88] +</p> + +<p> +Jethro was not a little amazed to see his daughters return so soon from the +watering troughs. As a rule, the chicanery they had to suffer from the +shepherds detained them until late.[89] No sooner had he heard their report +about the wonder- working Egyptian than he exclaimed, "Mayhap he is one of the +descendants of Abraham, from whom issueth blessing for the whole world."[90] He +rebuked his daughters for not having invited the stranger that had done them so +valuable a service to come into their house, and he ordered them to fetch him, +in the hope that he would take one of his daughters to wife.[91] +</p> + +<p> +Moses had been standing without all this time, and had allowed Jethro's +daughters to describe him as an Egyptian, without protesting and asserting his +Hebrew birth. For this God punished him by causing him to die outside of the +promised land. Joseph, who had proclaimed in public that he was a Hebrew, found +his last resting-place in the land of the Hebrews, and Moses, who apparently +had no objection to being considered an Egyptian, had to live and die outside +of that land.[92] +</p> + +<p> +Zipporah hastened forth to execute her father's wish, and no sooner had she +ushered him in[93] than Moses requested her hand in marriage. Jethro replied, +"If thou canst bring me the rod in my garden, I will give her to thee." Moses +went out,[94] found the sapphire rod that God had bestowed upon Adam when he +was driven forth from Paradise, the rod that had reached Jethro after manifold +vicissitudes, and which he had planted in the garden. Moses uprooted it and +carried it to Jethro,[95] who conceived the idea at once that he was the +prophet in Israel concerning whom all the wise men of Egypt had foretold that +he would destroy their land and its inhabitants. As soon as this thought struck +him, he seized Moses, and threw him into a pit, in the expectation that he +would meet with death there. +</p> + +<p> +And, indeed, he would have perished, if Zipporah had not devised a stratagem to +save his life. She said to her father: "Would it were thy will to hearken unto +my counsel. Thou hast no wife, but only seven daughters. Dost thou desire my +six sisters to preside over thy household? Then shall I go abroad with the +sheep. If not, let my sisters tend the flocks, and I shall take care of the +house." Her father said: "Thou hast spoken well. Thy six sisters shall go forth +with the sheep, and thou shalt abide in the house and take care of it, and all +that belongeth to me therein." +</p> + +<p> +Now Zipporah could provide Moses with all sorts of dainties as he lay in the +pit, and she did it for the space of seven years. At the expiration of this +period, she said to her father: "I recollect that once upon a time thou didst +cast into yonder pit a man that had fetched thy rod from the garden for thee, +and thou didst commit a great trespass thereby. If it seemeth well to thee, +uncover the pit and look into it. If the man is dead, throw his corpse away, +lest it fill the house with stench. But should he be alive, then thou oughtest +to be convinced that he is one of those who are wholly pious, else he had died +of hunger." +</p> + +<p> +The reply of Jethro was: "Thou hast spoken wisely. Dost thou remember his +name?" And Zipporah rejoined, "I remember he called himself Moses the son of +Amram." Jethro lost no time, he opened the pit, and called out, "Moses! Moses!" +Moses replied, and said: "Here am I!" Jethro drew him up out of the pit, kissed +him, and said: "Blessed be God, who guarded thee for seven years in the pit. I +acknowledge that He slayeth and reviveth, that thou art one of the wholly +pious, that through thee God will destroy Egypt in time to come, lead His +people out of the land, and drown Pharaoh and his whole army in the sea."[96] +</p> + +<p> +Thereupon Jethro gave much money to Moses, and he bestowed his daughter +Zipporah upon him as wife, giving her to him under the condition that the +children born of the marriage in Jethro's house should be divided into two +equal classes, the one to be Israelitish, the other Egyptian. When Zipporah +bore him a son, Moses circumcised him,[97] and called him Gershom, as a +memorial of the wonder God had done for him, for although he lived in a +"strange" land, the Lord had not refused him aid even "there."[98] +</p> + +<p> +Zipporah nursed her first child for two years, and in the third year she bore a +second son. Remembering his compact with Jethro, Moses realized that his +father-in-law would not permit him to circumcise this one, too, and he +determined to return to Egypt, that he might have the opportunity of bringing +up his second son as an Israelite. On the journey thither, Satan appeared to +him in the guise of a serpent, and swallowed Moses down to his extremities. +Zipporah knew by this token that the thing had happened because her second son +had not been circumcised, and she hastened to make good the omission. As soon +as she sprinkled the blood of the circumcision on her husband's feet, a +heavenly voice was heard to cry to the serpent, commanding him, "Spew him out!" +and Moses came forth and stood upon his feet. Thus Zipporah saved Moses' life +twice, first from the pit and then from the serpent.[99] +</p> + +<p> +When Moses arrived in Egypt, he was approached by Dathan and Abiram, the +leaders of the Israelites, and they spake: "Comest thou hither to slay us, or +dost thou purpose to do the same with us as thou didst with the Egyptian?" This +drove Moses straightway back to Midian, and there he remained two years more, +until God revealed Himself at Horeb, and said to him, "Go and bring forth My +children out of the land of Egypt.[100] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap72"></a>A BLOODY REMEDY</h2> + +<p> +The latter years of Israel's bondage in Egypt were the worst. To punish Pharaoh +for his cruelty toward the children of Israel, God afflicted him with a plague +of leprosy, which covered his whole body, from the crown of his bead to the +soles of his feet. Instead of being chastened by his disease, Pharaoh remained +stiffnecked, and he tried to restore his health by murdering Israelitish +children. He took counsel with his three advisers, Balaam, Jethro, and Job, how +he might be healed of the awful malady that had seized upon him. Balaam spoke, +saying, "Thou canst regain thy health only if thou wilt slaughter Israelitish +children and bathe in their blood." Jethro, averse from having a share in such +an atrocity, left the king and fled to Midian. Job, on the other hand, though +he also disapproved of Balaam's counsel, kept silence, and in no wise protested +against it,[101] wherefor God punished him with a year's suffering.[102] But +afterward He loaded him down with all the felicities of this life, and granted +him many years, so that this pious Gentile might be rewarded in this world for +his good deeds and not have the right to urge a claim upon the beatitude of the +future life.[103] +</p> + +<p> +In pursuance of the sanguinary advice given by Balaam, Pharaoh had his bailiffs +snatch Israelitish babes from their mothers' breasts, and slaughter them, and +in the blood of these innocents he bathed. His disease afflicted him for ten +years, and every day an Israelitish child was killed for him. It was all in +vain; indeed, at the end of the time his leprosy changed into boils, and he +suffered more than before. +</p> + +<p> +While he was in this agony, the report was brought to him that the children of +Israel in Goshen were careless and idle in their forced labor. The news +aggravated his suffering, and he said: "Now that I am ill, they turn and scoff +at me. Harness my chariot, and I will betake myself to Goshen, and see the +derision wherewith the children of Israel deride me." And they took and put him +upon a horse, for he was not able to mount it himself. When he and his men had +come to the border between Egypt and Goshen, the king's steed passed into a +narrow place. The other horses, running rapidly through the pass, pressed upon +each other until the king's horse fell while he sate upon it, and when it fell, +the chariot turned over on his face, and also the horse lay upon him. The +king's flesh was torn from him, for this thing was from the Lord, He had heard +the cries of His people and their affliction. The king's servants carried him +upon their shoulders, brought him back to Egypt, and placed him on his bed. +</p> + +<p> +He knew that his end was come to die, and the queen Alfar'anit and his nobles +gathered about his bed, and they wept a great weeping with him. +</p> + +<p> +The princes and his counsellors advised the king to make choice of a successor, +to reign in his stead, whomsoever he would choose from among his sons. He had +three sons and two daughters by the queen Alfar'anit, beside children from +concubines. The name of his first-born was Atro, the name of the second Adikam, +and of the third Moryon. The name of the older daughter was Bithiah, and of the +other, Akuzit. The first-born of the sons of the king was an idiot, precipitate +and heedless in all his actions. Adikam, the second son, was a cunning and +clever man, and versed in all the wisdom of Egypt, but ungainly in appearance, +fleshy and short of stature; his height was a cubit and a space, and his beard +flowed down to his ankles. +</p> + +<p> +The king resolved that Adikam should reign in his stead after his death. When +this second son of his was but ten years old, he had given him Gedidah, the +daughter of Abilat, to wife, and she bore him four sons. Afterward Adikam went +and took three other wives, and begot eight sons and three daughters. +</p> + +<p> +The king's malady increased upon him greatly, and his flesh emitted a stench +like a carcass cast into the field in summer time in the heat of the sun. When +he saw that his disorder bad seized upon him with a strong grip, he commanded +his son Adikam to be brought to him, and they made him king over the land in +his place. +</p> + +<p> +At the end of three years the old king died in shame and disgrace, a loathing +to all that saw him, and they buried him in the sepulchre of the kings of Egypt +in Zoan, but they did not embalm him, as was usual with kings, for his flesh +was putrid, and they could not approach his body on account of the stench, and +they buried him in haste. Thus the Lord requited him with evil for the evil he +had done in his days to Israel, and he died in terror and shame after having +reigned ninety-four years. +</p> + +<p> +Adikam was twenty years old when he succeeded his father, and he reigned four +years. The people of Egypt called him Pharaoh, as was their custom with all +their kings, but his wise men called him Akuz, for Akuz is the word for "short" +in the Egyptian language, and Adikam was exceedingly awkward and undersized. +The new Pharaoh surpassed his father Malol and all the former kings in +wickedness, and he made heavier the yoke upon the children of Israel. He went +to Goshen with his servants, and increased their labor, and he said unto them, +"Complete your work, each day's task, and let not your hands slacken from the +work from this day forward, as you did in the day of my father." He placed +officers over them from amongst the children of Israel, and over these officers +he placed taskmasters from amongst his servants. And he put before them a +measure for bricks, according to the number they were to make day by day, and +whenever any deficiency was discovered in the measure of their daily bricks, +the taskmasters of Pharaoh would go to the women of the children of Israel, and +take their infants from them, as many as the number of bricks lacking in the +measure, and these babes they put into the building instead of the missing +bricks. The taskmasters forced each man of the Israelites to put his own child +in the building. The father would place his son in the wall, and cover him over +with mortar, all the while weeping, his tears running down upon his child. +</p> + +<p> +The children of Israel sighed every day on account of their dire suffering, for +they had thought that after Pharaoh's death his son would lighten their toil, +but the new king was worse than his father. And God saw the burden of the +children of Israel, and their heavy work, and He determined to deliver +them.[104] +</p> + +<p> +However, it was not for their own sake that God resolved upon the deliverance +of the children of Israel, for they were empty of good deeds, and the Lord +foreknew that, once they were redeemed, they would rise up against Him, and +even worship the golden calf. Yet He took mercy upon them, for He remembered +His covenant with the Fathers, and He looked upon their repentance for their +sins, and accepted their promise, to fulfil the word of God after their going +forth from Egypt even before they should hear it.[105] +</p> + +<p> +After all, the children of Israel were not wholly without merits. In a high +degree they possessed qualities of extraordinary excellence. There were no +incestuous relations among them, they were not evil-tongued, they did not +change their names, they clung to the Hebrew language, never giving it up,[106] +and great fraternal affection prevailed among them. If one happened to finish +the tale of his bricks before his neighbors, he was in the habit of helping the +others. Therefore God spake, "They deserve that I should have mercy upon them, +for if a man shows mercy unto another, I have mercy upon him."[107] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap73"></a>THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD</h2> + +<p> +When Jethro bestowed his daughter Zipporah upon Moses as his wife, he said to +his future son-in-law: "I know that thy father Jacob took his wives, the +daughters of Laban, and went away with them against their father's will. Now +take an oath that thou wilt not do the same unto me," and Moses swore not to +leave him without his consent,[108] and he remained with Jethro, who made him +the shepherd of his flocks. By the way he tended the sheep, God saw his fitness +to be the shepherd of His people, for God never gives an exalted office to a +man until He has tested him in little things. Thus Moses and David were tried +as shepherds of flocks, and only after they had proved their ability as such, +He gave them dominion over men. +</p> + +<p> +Moses watched over the flocks with loving care. He led the young animals to +pasture first, that they might have the tender, juicy grass for their food; the +somewhat older animals he led forth next, and allowed them to graze off the +herbs suitable for them; and finally came the vigorous ones that had attained +their full growth, and to them he gave the hard grass that was left, which the +others could not eat, but which afforded good food for them. Then spake God, +"He that understandeth how to pasture sheep, providing for each what is good +for it, he shall pasture My people." +</p> + +<p> +Once a kid escaped from the flock, and when Moses followed it, he saw how it +stopped at all the water courses, and he said to it: "Poor kid, I knew not that +thou wast thirsty, and wast running after water! Thou art weary, I ween," and +he carried it back to the herd on his shoulder. Then said God: "Thou hast +compassion with a flock belonging to a man of flesh and blood! As thou livest, +thou shalt pasture Israel, My flock."[109] +</p> + +<p> +Not only did Moses take heed that no harm should come to the herds under his +charge, but he was also careful that they cause no injury to men. He always +chose an open meadow as his pasturing place, to prevent his sheep from grazing +in private estates.[110] +</p> + +<p> +Jethro had no reason to be dissatisfied with the services rendered to him by +his son-in-law. During the forty years Moses acted as his shepherd not one +sheep was attacked by wild beasts, and the herds multiplied to an incredible +degree.[111] Once he drove the sheep about in the desert for forty days, +without finding a pasturing place for them. Nevertheless he did not lose a +single sheep. +</p> + +<p> +Moses' longing for the desert was irresistible. His prophetic spirit caused him +to foresee that his own greatness and the greatness of Israel would manifest +themselves there. In the desert God's wonders would appear, though it would be +at the same time the grave of the human herd to be entrusted to him in the +future, and also his own last resting- place. Thus he had a presentiment at the +very beginning of his career that the desert would be the scene of his +activity, which not only came true in the present order of things, but also +will be true in the latter days, when he will appear in the desert again, to +lead into the promised land the generation, arisen from their graves, that he +brought forth from Egyptian bondage.[112] +</p> + +<p> +Wandering through the desert, he reached Mount Horeb, which is called by six +names, each conveying one of its distinctions. It is "the mountain of God," +wherein the Lord revealed His law; "Basban," for God "came there"; "a mountain +of humps," for the Lord declared all the other mountains unfit for the +revelation, as "crookbackt" animals are declared unfit for sacrifices; +"mountain of abode," because it is the mountain that God desired for His +"abode"; Sinai, because the "hatred" of God against the heathen began at the +time when Israel received the law thereon; and Horeb, "sword," because there +the sword of the law was drawn upon the sinners.[113] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap74"></a>THE BURNING THORN-BUSH</h2> + +<p> +When Moses drew near to Mount Horeb, he was aware at once that it was a holy +place, for he noticed that passing birds did not alight upon it. At his +approach the mountain began to move, as though to go forward and meet him, and +it settled back into quietude only when his foot rested upon it.[114] The first +thing Moses noticed was the wonderful burning bush, the upper part of which was +a blazing flame, neither consuming the bush, nor preventing it from bearing +blossoms as it burnt, for the celestial fire has three peculiar qualities: it +produces blossoms, it does not consume the object around which it plays, and it +is black of color. The fire that Moses saw in the bush was the appearance of +the angel Michael, who had descended as the forerunner of the Shekinah herself +to come down presently. It was the wish of God to hold converse with Moses, +who, however, was not inclined to permit any interruption of the work under his +charge. Therefore God startled him with the wonderful phenomenon of the burning +thorn-bush. That brought Moses to a stop, and then God spoke with him. +</p> + +<p> +There were good reasons for selecting the thorn-bush as the vessel for a Divine +vision. It was "clean," for the heathen could not use it to make idols. God's +choosing to dwell in the stunted thorn-bush conveyed the knowledge to Moses +that He suffers along with Israel. Furthermore, Moses was taught that there is +nothing in nature, not even the insignificant thorn-bush, that can exist +without the presence of the Shekinah. Besides, the thorn-bush may be taken as +the symbol for Israel in several respects. As the thorn- bush is the lowliest +of all species of trees, so the condition of Israel in the exile is the +lowliest as compared with that of all the other nations, but as the thorn-bush +releases no bird that alights upon it without lacerating its wings, so the +nations that subjugate Israel will be punished. Also, as a garden hedge is made +of the thorn-bush, so Israel forms the hedge for the world, the garden of God, +for without Israel the world could not endure. Furthermore, as the thorn- bush +bears thorns and roses alike, so Israel has pious and impious members, and as +the thorn-bush requires ample water for its growth, so Israel can prosper only +through the Torah, the celestial water. And the thorn-bush, the leaf of which +consists of five leaflets, was to indicate to Moses that God had resolved to +redeem Israel only for the sake of the merits of five pious men, Abraham, +Isaac, Jacob, Aaron, and Moses. The numbers represented by the letters +composing the Hebrew word for thorn-bush, Seneh, add up to one hundred and +twenty, to convey that Moses would reach the age of one hundred and twenty +years, and that the Shekinah would rest on Mount Horeb for one hundred and +twenty days. Finally, in order to give Moses an illustration of His modesty, +God descended from the exalted heavens and spake to him from a lowly thorn-bush +instead of the summit of a lofty mountain or the top of a stately cedar +tree.[115] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap75"></a>THE ASCENSION OF MOSES</h2> + +<p> +The vision of the burning bush appeared to Moses alone; the other shepherds +with him saw nothing of it. He took five steps in the direction of the bush, to +view it at close range, and when God beheld the countenance of Moses distorted +by grief and anxiety over Israel's suffering, He spake, "This one is worthy of +the office of pasturing My people."[116] +</p> + +<p> +Moses was still a novice in prophecy, therefore God said to Himself, "If I +reveal Myself to him in loud tones, I shall alarm him, but if I reveal Myself +with a subdued voice, he will hold prophecy in low esteem," whereupon he +addressed him in his father Amram's voice. Moses was overjoyed to hear his +father speak, for it gave him the assurance that. he was still alive. The voice +called his name twice, and he answered, "Here am I! What is my father's wish?" +God replied, saying, "I am not thy father. I but desired to refrain from +terrifying thee, therefore I spoke with thy father's voice. I am the God of thy +father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." These +words rejoiced Moses greatly, for not only was his father Amram's name +pronounced in the same breath with the names of the three Patriarchs, but it +came before theirs, as though he ranked higher than they. +</p> + +<p> +Moses said not a word. In silent reverence before the Divine vision he covered +his face, and when God disclosed the mission with which He charged him, of +bringing the Israelites forth from the land of Egypt, he answered with +humility, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and bring forth the +children of Israel out of Egypt?" Thereupon spake God, "Moses, thou art meek, +and I will reward thee for thy modesty. I will deliver the whole land of Egypt +into thine hand, and, besides, I will let thee ascend unto the throne of My +glory, and look upon all the angels of the heavens." +</p> + +<p> +Hereupon God commanded Metatron, the Angel of the Face, to conduct Moses to the +celestial regions amid the sound of music and song, and He commanded him +furthermore to summon thirty thousand angels, to serve as his body-guard, +fifteen thousand to right of him and fifteen thousand to left of him. In abject +terror Moses asked Metatron, "Who art thou?" and the angel replied, "I am +Enoch, the son of Jared, thy ancestor, and God has charged me to accompany thee +to His throne." But Moses demurred, saying, "I am but flesh and blood, and I +cannot look upon the countenance of an angel," whereupon Metatron changed +Moses' flesh into torches of fire, his eyes into Merkabah wheels, his strength +into an angel's, and his tongue into a flame, and he took him to heaven with a +retinue of thirty thousand angels, one half moving to right of them and one +half to left of them. +</p> + +<p> +In the first heaven Moses saw streams upon streams of water, and he observed +that the whole heaven consisted of windows, at each of which angels were +stationed. Metatron named and pointed out all the windows of heaven to him: the +window of prayer and the window of supplication; of weeping and of joy; +plenitude and starvation; wealth and poverty; war and peace; conception and +birth; showers and soft rains; sin and repentance; life and death; pestilence +and healing; sickness and health; and many windows more. +</p> + +<p> +In the second heaven Moses saw the angel Nuriel, standing three hundred +parasangs high, with his retinue of fifty myriads of angels, all fashioned out +of water and fire, and all keeping their faces turned toward the Shekinah while +they sang a song of praise to God. Metatron explained to Moses, that these were +the angels set over the clouds, the winds, and the rains, who return speedily, +as soon as they have executed the will of their Creator, to their station in +the second of the heavens, there to proclaim the praise of God. +</p> + +<p> +In the third heaven Moses saw an angel, so tall it would take a human being +five hundred years to climb to his height. He had seventy thousand heads, each +head having as many mouths, each mouth as many tongues, and each tongue as many +sayings, and he together with his suite of seventy thousand myriads of angels +made of white fire praised and extolled the Lord. "These," said Metatron to +Moses, "are called Erelim, and they are appointed over the grass, the trees, +the fruits, and the grain, but as soon as they have done the will of their +Creator, they return to the place assigned to them, and praise God." +</p> + +<p> +In the fourth heaven Moses saw a Temple, the pillars thereof made of red fire, +the staves of green fire, the thresholds of white fire, the boards and clasps +of flaming fire, the gates of carbuncles, and the pinnacles of rubies. Angels +were entering the Temple and giving praise to God there. In response to a +question from Moses Metatron told him that they presided over the earth, the +sun, the moon, the stars, and the other celestial bodies. and all of them +intone songs before God. In this heaven Moses noticed also the two great +planets, Venus and Mars, each as large as the whole earth, and concerning these +he asked unto what purpose they had been created. Metatron explained thereupon, +that Venus lies upon the sun to cool him off in summer, else he would scorch +the earth, and Mars lies upon the moon, to impart warmth to her, lest she +freeze the earth. +</p> + +<p> +Arrived in the fifth heaven, Moses saw hosts of angels, whose nether parts were +of snow and their upper parts of fire, and yet the snow did not melt nor was +the fire extinguished, for God had established perfect harmony between the two +elements. These angels, called Ishim, have had nothing to do since the day of +their creation but praise and extol the Lord. +</p> + +<p> +In the sixth of the heavens were millions and myriads of angels praising God, +they were called 'Irin and kadishim, "Watchers" and "Holy Ones," and their +chief was made of hail, and he was so tall, it would take five hundred years to +walk a distance equal to his height. +</p> + +<p> +In the last heaven Moses saw two angels, each five hundred parasangs in height, +forged out of chains of black fire and red fire, the angels Af, "Anger," and +Hemah, "Wrath," whom God created at the beginning of the world, to execute His +will. Moses was disquieted when he looked upon them, but Metatron embraced him, +and said, "Moses, Moses, thou favorite of God, fear not, and be not terrified," +and Moses became calm. There was another angel in the seventh heaven, different +in appearance from all the others, and of frightful mien. His height was so +great, it would have taken five hundred years to cover a distance equal to it, +and from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet he was studded with +glaring eyes, at the sight of which the beholder fell prostrate in awe. "This +one," said Metatron, addressing Moses, "is Samael, who takes the soul away from +man." "Whither goes he now?" asked Moses, and Metatron replied, "To fetch the +soul of Job the pious." Thereupon Moses prayed to God in these words, "O may it +be Thy will, my God and the God of my fathers, not to let me fall into the +hands of this angel." +</p> + +<p> +Here, in the highest heaven, he saw also the seraphim with their six wings. +With two they cover their face, that they gaze not upon the Shekinah; and with +two their feet, which, being like a calf's feet, they hide, to keep secret +Israel's transgression of the golden calf. With the third pair of wings they +fly and do the service of the Lord, all the while exclaiming, "Holy, holy, holy +is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory." The wings of these +angels are of prodigious size, it would take a man five hundred years to +traverse their length and their breadth, as from one end of the earth to the +other. +</p> + +<p> +And Moses saw in the seventh heaven the holy Hayyot, which support the throne +of God; and he beheld also the angel Zagzagel, the prince of the Torah and of +wisdom, who teaches the Torah in seventy languages to the souls of men, and +thereafter they cherish the precepts contained therein as laws revealed by God +to Moses on Sinai. From this angel with the horns of glory Moses himself learnt +all the ten mysteries." +</p> + +<p> +Having seen what there is in the seven heavens, he spoke to God, saying, "I +will not leave the heavens unless Thou grantest me a gift," and God replied, "I +will give thee the Torah, and men shall call it the Law of Moses."[117] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap76"></a>MOSES VISITS PARADISE AND HELL</h2> + +<p> +When Moses was on the point of departing from heaven, a celestial voice +announced: "Moses, thou camest hither, and thou didst see the throne of My +glory. Now thou shalt see also Paradise and hell," and God dispatched Gabriel +on the errand of showing hell to him. Terrified by its fires, when he caught +sight of them as he entered the portals of hell, Moses refused to go farther. +But the angel encouraged him, saying, "There is a fire that not only burns but +also consumes, and that fire will protect thee against hell fire, so that thou +canst step upon it, and yet thou wilt not be seared." +</p> + +<p> +As Moses entered hell, the fire withdrew a distance of five hundred parasangs, +and the Angel of Hell, Nasargiel, asked him, "Who art thou?" and he answered, +"I am Moses, the son of Amram." +</p> + +<p> +Nasargiel: "This is not thy place, thou belongest in Paradise." +</p> + +<p> +Moses: "I came hither to see the manifestation of the power of God." +</p> + +<p> +Then said God to the Angel of Hell, "Go and show hell unto Moses, and how the +wicked are treated there." Immediately he went with Moses, walking before him +like a pupil before his master, and thus they entered hell together, and Moses +saw men undergoing torture by the Angels of Destruction: some of the sinners +were suspended by their eyelids, some by their ears, some by their hands, and +some by their tongues, and they cried bitterly. And women were suspended by +their hair and by their breasts, and in other ways, all on chains of fire. +Nasargiel explained: "These hang by their eyes, because they looked lustfully +upon the wives of their neighbors, and with a covetous eye upon the possessions +of their fellow-men. These hang by their ears because they listened to empty +and vain speech, and turned their ear away from hearing the Torah. These hang +by their tongues, because they talked slander, and accustomed their tongue to +foolish babbling. These hang by their feet, because they walked with them in +order to spy upon their fellow-men, but they walked not to the synagogue, to +offer prayer unto their Creator. These hang by their hands, because with them +they robbed their neighbors of their possessions, and committed murder. These +women hang by their hair and their breasts, because they uncovered them in the +presence of young men, so that they conceived desire unto them, and fell into +sin." +</p> + +<p> +Moses heard hell cry with a loud and a bitter cry, saying to Nasargiel: "Give +me something to eat, I am hungry."— Nasargiel: "What shall I give thee?"—Hell: +"Give me the souls of the pious."—Nasargiel: "The Holy One, blessed be He, will +not deliver the souls of the pious unto thee." +</p> + +<p> +Moses saw the place called Alukah, where sinners were suspended by their feet, +their heads downward, and their bodies covered with black worms, each five +hundred parasangs long. They lamented, and cried: "Woe unto us for the +punishment of hell. Give us death, that we may die!" Nasargiel explained: +"These are the sinners that swore falsely, profaned the Sabbath and the holy +days, despised the sages, called their neighbors by unseemly nicknames, wronged +the orphan and the widow, and bore false witness. Therefore bath God delivered +them to these worms." +</p> + +<p> +Moses went thence to another place, and there he saw sinners prone on their +faces, with two thousand scorpions lashing, stinging, and tormenting them, +while the tortured victims cried bitterly. Each of the scorpions had seventy +thousand heads, each head seventy thousand mouths, each mouth seventy thousand +stings, and each sting seventy thousand pouches of poison and venom, which the +sinners are forced to drink down, although the anguish is so racking that their +eyes melt in their sockets. Nasargiel explained: "These are the sinners who +caused the Israelites to lose their money, who exalted themselves above the +community, who put their neighbors to shame in public, who delivered their +fellow-Israelites into the hands of the Gentiles, who denied the Torah of +Moses, and who maintained that God is not the Creator of the world." +</p> + +<p> +Then Moses saw the place called Tit ba-Yawen, in which the sinners stand in mud +up to their navels, while the Angels of Destruction lash them with fiery +chains, and break their teeth with fiery stones, from morning until evening, +and during the night they make their teeth grow again, to the length of a +parasang, only to break them anew the next morning. Nasargiel explained: "These +are the sinners who ate carrion and forbidden flesh, who lent their money at +usury, who wrote the Name of God on amulets for Gentiles, who used false +weights, who stole money from their fellow-Israelites, who ate on the Day of +Atonement, who ate forbidden fat, and animals and reptiles that are an +abomination, and who drank blood." +</p> + +<p> +Then Nasargiel said to Moses: "Come and see how the sinners are burnt in hell," +and Moses answered, "I cannot go there," but Nasargiel replied, "Let the light +of the Shekinah precede thee, and the fire of hell will have no power over +thee." Moses yielded, and he saw how the sinners were burnt, one half of their +bodies being immersed in fire and the other half in snow, while worms bred in +their own flesh crawled over them, and the Angels of Destruction beat them +incessantly. Nasargiel explained: "These are the sinners who committed incest, +murder, and idolatry, who cursed their parents and their teachers, and who, +like Nimrod and others, called themselves gods." In this place, which is called +Abaddon, he saw the sinners taking snow by stealth and putting it in their +armpits, to relieve the pain inflicted by the scorching fire, and he was +convinced that the saying was true, "The wicked mend not their ways even at the +gate of hell." +</p> + +<p> +As Moses departed from hell, he prayed to God, "May it be Thy will, O Lord my +God and God of my fathers, to save me and the people of Israel from the places +I have seen in hell." But God answered him, and said, "Moses, before Me there +is no respecting of persons and no taking of gifts. Whoever doeth good deeds +entereth Paradise, and he that doeth evil must go to hell." +</p> + +<p> +At the command of God, Gabriel now led Moses to Paradise. As he entered, two +angels came toward him, and they said to him, "Thy time is not yet arrived to +leave the world," and Moses made answer, "What ye say is true, but I have come +to see the reward of the pious in Paradise." Then the angels extolled Moses, +saying: "Hail, Moses, servant of God! Hail, Moses, born of woman, that hast +been found worthy to ascend to the seven heavens! Hail to the nation to which +thou belongest!" +</p> + +<p> +Under the tree of life Moses saw the angel Shamshiel, the prince of Paradise, +who led him through it, and showed him all there is therein. He saw seventy +thrones made of precious stones, standing on feet of fine gold, each throne +surrounded by seventy angels. But one of them was larger than all the others, +and it was encircled by one hundred and twenty angels. This was the throne of +Abraham, and when Abraham beheld Moses, and heard who he was, and what his +purpose was in visiting Paradise, he exclaimed, "Praise ye the Lord, for He is +good, for His mercy endureth forever." +</p> + +<p> +Moses asked Shamshiel about the size of Paradise, but not even he who is the +prince thereof could answer the question, for there is none that can gauge it. +It can neither be measured nor fathomed nor numbered. But Shamshiel explained +to Moses about the thrones, that they were different one from the other, some +being of silver, some of gold, some of precious stones and pearls and rubies +and carbuncles. The thrones made of pearls are for the scholars that study the +Torah day and night for her own sake; those of precious stones are for the +pious, those of rubies for the just, those of gold for the repentant sinners, +and those of silver for the righteous proselytes. "The greatest of them all," +continued Shamshiel, "is the throne of Abraham, the next in size the thrones of +Isaac and Jacob, then come the thrones of the prophets, the saints, and the +righteous, each in accordance with a man's worth, and his rank, and the good +deeds he has performed in his lifetime." Moses asked then for whom the throne +of copper was intended, and the angel answered, "For the sinner that has a +pious son. Through the merits of his son he receives it as his share." +</p> + +<p> +Again Moses looked, and he beheld a spring of living water welling up from +under the tree of life and dividing into four streams, which passed under the +throne of glory, and thence encompassed Paradise from end to end. He also saw +four rivers flowing under each of the thrones of the pious, one of honey, the +second of milk, the third of wine, and the fourth of pure balsam. +</p> + +<p> +Beholding all these desirable and pleasant things, Moses felt great joy, and he +said, "Oh, how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that +fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for them that put their trust in Thee, +before the sons of men!" And Moses left Paradise, and returned to the earth. +</p> + +<p> +At the moment of his departure, a heavenly voice cried aloud: "Moses, servant +of the Lord, thou that art faithful in His house, even as thou hast seen the +reward that is laid up for the pious in the world to come, so also thou wilt be +worthy of seeing the life of the world that shall be in the future time. Thou +and all Israel, ye shall see the rebuilding of the Temple and the advent of the +Messiah, behold the beauty of the Lord, and meditate in His Temple."[118] +</p> + +<p> +In the world to come Moses, beside sharing the joys of Israel, will continue +his activity as the teacher of Israel, for the people will go before Abraham +and request him to instruct them in the Torah. He will send them to Isaac, +saying, "Go to Isaac, he hath studied more of the Torah than ever I studied," +but Isaac, in turn, will send them to Jacob, saying, "Go to Jacob, he hath had +more converse with the sages than ever I had." And Jacob will send them to +Moses, saying, "Go to Moses, he was instructed in the Torah by God +Himself."[119] +</p> + +<p> +In the Messianic time, Moses will be one of the seven shepherds that shall be +the leaders of Israel with the Messiah.[120] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap77"></a>MOSES DECLINES THE MISSION</h2> + +<p> +When Moses turned aside to see the great sight, that the bush was not consumed, +he heard a voice calling to him, "Draw not nigh hither." These words were to +convey that the dignity to be conferred upon him God intended for Moses +personally, not for his descendants, and further he was warned not to arrogate +honors appointed for others, as the priesthood, which was to belong to Aaron +and Aaron's descendants, or royalty, which was to appertain to David and the +house of David.[121] +</p> + +<p> +Again the voice spake: "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place +whereon thou standest is holy ground." These words conveyed the desire of God +that he cut asunder every bond uniting him with earthly concerns, he was even +to give up his conjugal life. Hereupon the angel Michael spoke to God: "O Lord +of the world, can it be Thy purpose to destroy mankind? Blessing can prevail +only if male and female are united, and yet Thou biddest Moses separate from +his wife." God answered, saying, "Moses has begot children, he has done his +duty toward the world. I desire him to unite himself now with the Shekinah, +that she may descend upon earth for his sake."[122] +</p> + +<p> +God spake furthermore, addressing Moses, "Thou seest only what is to happen in +the near future, that Israel is to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai, but I +behold what cometh after, bow the people will worship the steer, the figure of +which they will see upon My chariot, even while My revelation will be made on +Sinai. Thus they will excite My wrath. Nevertheless, though I know all the +perverseness of their hearts, wherein they will rebel against Me in the desert, +I will redeem them now, for I accord unto man the treatment he merits for his +present actions, not what he will deserve in the future. I promised their +father Jacob, 'I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will also surely +bring thee up again,' and now I will betake myself thither, to bring Israel up +in accordance with My words unto Jacob, and bear them to the land I swore unto +their fathers, that their seed should inherit it. So long as the time of +affliction that I had appointed unto his seed in My revelation to Abraham was +not past, I hearkened not to the supplication and the groaning of his children, +but now the end hath come. Therefore, go before Pharaoh, that he dismiss My +people. If thou dost not bring about the redemption, none other will, for there +is none other that can do it. In thee doth Israel hope, and upon thee doth +Israel wait. The matter lieth in thine hands alone." +</p> + +<p> +Moses, however, refused to take the mission upon himself. He said to God, "Thy +promise unto Jacob was, 'I will surely bring thee up again out of Egypt.' Thou +didst undertake to do it Thyself, and now it is Thy purpose to send me thither. +And how, indeed, were it possible for me to accomplish this great matter, to +bring the children of Israel up out of Egypt? How could I provide them with +food and drink? Many are the women in childbirth among them, many are the +pregnant women and the little children. Whence shall I procure dainties for +those who have borne babes, whence sweetmeats for the pregnant, and whence +tidbits for the little ones? And how may I venture to go among the Egyptian +brigands and murderers? for Thou art bidding me to go to mine enemies, to those +who lie in wait to take my life. Why should I risk the safety of my person, +seeing that I know not whether Israel possesses merits making them worthy of +redemption?' I have reckoned up the years with care, and I have found that but +two hundred and ten have elapsed since the covenant of the pieces made with +Abraham, and at that time Thou didst ordain four hundred years of oppression +for his seed."[124] +</p> + +<p> +But God overturned all his objections. He spake to Moses, saying: "I will be +with thee. Whatever thou desirest I will do, so that the redemption will in +very truth be realized through Me, in accordance with My promise to Jacob. The +little ones that Israel will carry up out of Egypt I will provide with food for +thirty days. This shall prove to thee in what manner I will supply the needs of +all. And as I will be at thy side, thou hast no need to fear any man. +Respecting thy doubt, whether Israel deserves to be redeemed, this is My +answer: they will be permitted to go forth from Egypt on account of the merits +they will acquire at this mountain, whereon they will receive the Torah through +thee.[125] And thy reckoning of the end is not correct, for the four hundred +years of bondage began with the birth of Isaac, not with the going down of +Jacob into Egypt. Therefore the appointed end hath come."[126] +</p> + +<p> +Persuaded now of God's unalterable resolve to use him as His instrument in the +redemption of Israel from Egypt, Moses entreated God to impart to him the +knowledge of His Great Name, that he be not confounded if the children of +Israel ask for it. God answered, saying: "Thou desirest to know My Name? My +Name is according to My acts. When I judge My creatures, I am called Elohim, +"judge"; when I rise up to do battle against the sinners, I am Lord Zebaot, +"the Lord of hosts"; when I wait with longsuffering patience for the +improvement of the sinner, My name is El Shaddai; when I have mercy upon the +world, I am Adonai. But unto the children of Israel shalt thou say that I am He +that was, that is, and that ever will be, and I am He that is with them in +their bondage now, and He that shall be with them in the bondage of the time to +come." +</p> + +<p> +In reply to the latter words of God, Moses said, "Sufficient unto the day is +the evil thereof," and God assented thereto. He admitted that it was not proper +to force the knowledge of future suffering upon Israel in a present that was +itself full of evil and sorrow. And the Lord said to Moses: "My words about the +future were meant for thee alone, not also for them. Tell the children of +Israel, besides, that at My behest an angel can stretch his hand from heaven +and touch the earth with it, and three angels can find room under one tree, and +My majesty can fill the whole world, for when it was My will, it appeared to +Job in his hair, and, again, when I willed otherwise, it appeared in a +thorn-bush."[127] +</p> + +<p> +But the most important communication from God to Moses concerning the Divine +Names were the words to follow: "In mercy I created the world; in mercy I guide +it; and with mercies I will return to Jerusalem. But unto the children of +Israel thou shalt say that My mercy upon them is for the sake of the merits of +Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." +</p> + +<p> +When Moses heard these words, he spoke to God, saying, "Are there men that +transgress after death?" and when God assured him that it was not possible for +the dead to sin, Moses asked again, "Why, then, is it that Thou didst reveal +Thyself to me at the first as the God of my father, and now Thou passest him +over?" Whereupon God said, "In the beginning it was My purpose to address thee +with flattering words, but now thou hearest the whole and exact truth, I am +only the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."[128] +</p> + +<p> +Moses prayed to God, entreating Him to reveal His Great and Holy Name unto him, +so that he might call upon Him with it and secure the fulfilment of all his +wishes. The Lord granted the prayer of Moses, and when the celestials knew that +He had revealed the secret of the Ineffable Name, they cried out, "Blessed art +Thou, O Lord, gracious Giver of knowledge!"[129] +</p> + +<p> +God is always regardful of the honor of the elders of a people, and He bade +Moses assemble those of Israel and announce the approaching redemption to them. +And as God knew beforehand how Pharaoh's obduracy would display itself, He made +it known to Moses at once, lest he reproach God later with the Egyptian king's +frowardness.[130] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap78"></a>MOSES PUNISHED FOR HIS STUBBORNNESS</h2> + +<p> +In spite of all these safeguards, Moses was not yet ready to accept the mission +God wished to impose upon him. He persisted in urging his fears, saying: "But, +behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice, for they will say, +'The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.[] And the Lord said unto him, "What is +that in thine hand?" And he said, "A rod." And the Lord said: "Thou deservest +to be castigated with it. If thou didst not intend to take My mission upon +thyself, thou shouldst have said so in the beginning. Instead, thou didst hold +back with thy refusal, until I revealed to thee the great secret of the +Ineffable Name, that thou mightest know it if the children of Israel should ask +thee concerning it. And now thou sayest, I will not go. Now, therefore, if thou +wilt not execute My charge to thee, it will be executed by this rod. It was My +wish to distinguish thee and make thee My instrument for doing many +miracles.[131] But thou deservest a punishment for having suspected My children +of lack of faith. The children of Israel are believers and sons of believers, +but thou wilt show thyself of little faith in thy career, and as thou followest +the example of the slanderous serpent, so shalt thou be punished with leprosy, +wherewith the serpent was punished." +</p> + +<p> +The Lord now bade Moses put his hand into his bosom and take it out again, and +when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. And God +bade him put his hand into his bosom again, and it turned again as his other +flesh. Beside being a chastisement for his hasty words, the plague on his hand +was to teach him that as the leper defiles, so the Egyptians defiled Israel, +and as Moses was healed of his uncleanness, so God would cleanse the children +of Israel of the pollution the Egyptians had brought upon them. +</p> + +<p> +The second wonder connected with the rod of Moses likewise conveyed a double +meaning, in that it pointed to the coming redemption of Israel, and taught +Moses a specific lesson. At the bidding of God, Moses cast his rod on the +ground, and it became a serpent, to show him that when he traduced Israel, he +was following the example of the abusive serpent, and also to show him that the +great dragon that lieth in the midst of the rivers of Egypt, though he was now +hacking into Israel with his teeth, would be rendered harmless like the rod of +wood, which has no power to bite. +</p> + +<p> +And, again, through the third miracle he was bidden to perform, God conveyed to +Moses what would happen in the latter years of his own life. The sign He gave +him was to make known to him that, before the water came, blood would flow from +the rock at Meribah, when Moses should strike it after uttering the hasty, +impatient words that were destined to bring death down upon him.[132] +</p> + +<p> +For seven days God urged Moses to undertake the mission He desired him to +execute. He resorted to persuasion, that the heathen might not say, that He +abused His power as the Ruler of the world, forcing men to do His service +against their will. But Moses remained obdurate, he could not be won over.[133] +He said: "Thou doest a wrong unto me in sending me to Pharaoh. In the palace of +the Egyptian king there are persons that know how to speak the seventy +languages of the world. No matter what language a man may use, there is someone +that understands him. If I should come as Thy representative, and they should +discover that I am not able to converse in the seventy languages, they will +mock at me, and say, 'Behold this man, he pretends to be the ambassador of the +Creator of the world, and he cannot speak the seventy languages.' " To this God +made reply, as follows: "Adam, who was taught by none, could give names to the +beasts in the seventy languages. Was it not I that made him to speak?"[134] +</p> + +<p> +Moses was not yet satisfied, he continued to urge objections, and he said: "O +Lord of the world, Thou wouldst charge me with the task of chastising Egypt and +redeeming Israel, and I am ready to be Thy messenger. But is it seemly that a +man should execute two errands at once? Nay, my Lord, for this two men are +needed." God made answer, and said, "Moses, I know well whom thou hast in mind +with thy request, to be thy companion in the mission I assign to thee. Know, +therefore, that the holy spirit hath already come upon thy brother Aaron, and +even now he is awaiting thee on the way of Egypt, and when his eyes rest upon +thee he will rejoice." +</p> + +<p> +Furthermore God spake to Moses, saying, "When I appeared unto thee the first +time, thou wast meek, and didst hide thy face, not to see the vision. Whence +cometh now this effrontery of thine, that thou addressest Me as a servant his +master? Thou speakest too many words by far. Perchance thou thinkest I have no +messengers, hosts, seraphim, ofanim, ministering angels, and Merkabah wheels, +to send to Egypt, to bring My children thence, that thou sayest, 'Send by the +hand of him whom Thou wilt send.' In sooth, thou deservest severe chastisement. +But what can I do, seeing that I am the Master of mercy? If thou escapest +unpunished, thou owest it to thy father Amram, who rendered great services in +behalf of the preservation of the Israelitish people in Egypt." +</p> + +<p> +But Moses replied: "O Lord of the world, I a prophet and the son of a prophet +obeyed Thy words only after much hesitation, and I cannot expect Pharaoh, a +wicked man and the son of a wicked man, and the Egyptians, a disobedient people +and the sons of a disobedient people, to give ear to my words. O Lord of the +world, Thou dost send me to Egypt to redeem sixty myriads of Thy people from +the oppression of the Egyptians. If it were a question of delivering a couple +of hundred men, it were a sufficiently difficult enterprise. How much severer +is the task of freeing sixty myriads from the dominion of Pharaoh! If Thou +hadst called upon the Egyptians to give up their evil ways soon after they +began to enslave Israel, they might have heeded Thy admonitions. But if I +should go and speak to them now, after they have been ruling over Israel these +two hundred and ten years, Pharaoh would say, 'If a slave has served his master +for ten years, and no protest has made itself heard from any quarter, how can a +man conceive the idea suddenly of having him set at liberty?' Verily, O Lord of +the world, the task Thou puttest upon me is too heavy for my strength."[135] +</p> + +<p> +Moses said furthermore: "I am not an eloquent man, nor can I see of what avail +words can be in this matter. Thou art sending me to one that is himself a +slave, to Pharaoh of the tribe of Ham, and a slave will not be corrected by +words. I consent to go on Thy errand only if Thou wilt invest me with the power +of chastising Pharaoh with brute force." To these words spoken by Moses, God +made reply: "Let it not fret thee that thou art not an eloquent speaker. It is +I that made the mouth of all that speak, and I that made men dumb. One I make +to see, another I make blind; one I make to hear, another I make deaf. Had I +willed it so, thou hadst been a man of ready speech. But I desired to show a +wonder through thee. Whenever I will it, the words I cast into thy mouth shall +come forth without hesitation. But what thou sayest about a slave, that he +cannot be corrected by words, is true, and therefore I give thee My rod for +Pharaoh's castigation." +</p> + +<p> +But Moses still stood his ground. He raised other objections. "His grandchild," +he said, "is closer to a man than his nephew. Nevertheless when Lot was taken +captive, Thou didst send angels to the aid of Abraham's nephew. But now, when +the life of sixty myriads of Abraham's lineal descendants is at stake, Thou +sendest me, and not the angels. When the Egyptian bondwoman Hagar was in +distress, Thou didst dispatch five angels to stand by her, and to redeem sixty +myriads of the children of Sarah Thou dost dispatch me.[136] O Lord, send, I +pray Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send in days to come." To this God +answered, saying, "I said not that I would send thee to Israel, but to Pharaoh, +and that one whom thou madest mention of, I will send to Israel at the end of +days—Elijah will appear to them before the great and terrible day."[137] +</p> + +<p> +If Moses refused to do the errand of the Lord, there was a reason. God had +revealed to him the treasures of the Torah, of wisdom, and of knowledge, and +the whole world's future. Now he beheld in the inner chamber of God rows of +scholars and judges interpreting the Torah in forty- nine different ways as +they sat in the court of hewn stones; and he saw, besides, Rabbi Akiba +explaining the meaning of the crowns upon the letters. Then said Moses: "I do +not care to be God's messenger. Let Him rather send one of these great +scholars." Then God ordered the Angel of Wisdom to carry Moses to a place of +myriads of scholars, all interpreting the Torah, and all making use of the +formula: This is a Halakah revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. Now Moses +recognized that even the greatest scholars of future generations would be +dependent upon him, and then, at last, he was ready to execute the mission God +desired to lay upon him.[138] +</p> + +<p> +But Moses had to pay dear for having hesitated in the execution of the Divine +bidding. God said to him: "It was appointed that thou shouldst be priest, and +Aaron should be the Levite. Because thou hast refused to execute My will, thou +shalt be the Levite, and Aaron shall be priest,"—a punishment that did not fall +upon Moses personally, but only upon his descendants, all of whom are Levites. +As for himself, he performed a priest's service in the Tabernacle.[139] +</p> + +<p> +Moses had said to God, "Thou hast been speaking to me now these many days, +nevertheless I am still slow of speech and of a slow tongue." For this he +received another punishment. God said to him: "I might change thee into a new +man, and heal thee of thy imperfect speech, but because thou hast uttered such +words, I refrain from curing thee."[140] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap79"></a>THE RETURN TO EGYPT</h2> + +<p> +When Moses finally gave in, and declared himself ready to go to Egypt as God's +messenger, his acceptance was still conditional upon the promise of God to +fulfil all his wishes, and God granted whatsoever he desired, except +immortality and entering the Holy Land.[141] God also allayed his fears +regarding the danger that threatened him from his whilom enemies Dathan and +Abiram, on account of whom he had had to flee from Egypt. He told him that they +had sunk to the estate of poor and insignificant men, bereft of the power of +doing him harm.[142] +</p> + +<p> +Moses was loyal to the oath he had given his father-in-law Jethro, never to +return to Egypt without securing his consent. His first concern therefore was +to go back to Midian and obtain his permission, which Jethro gave freely. Then +Moses could set out on his journey. He tarried only to take his wife and his +children with him, which made his father- in-law say, "Those who are in Egypt +are to leave it, and thou desirest to take more thither?" Moses replied: "Very +soon the slaves held in bondage in Egypt will be redeemed, and they will go +forth from the land, and gather at Mount Sinai, and hear the words, 'I am the +Lord thy God,' and should my sons not be present there?" Jethro acknowledged +the justice of Moses' words, and he said to him, "Go in peace, enter Egypt in +peace, and leave the land in peace."[143] +</p> + +<p> +At last Moses sallied forth upon his journey to Egypt, accompanied by his wife +and his children. He was mounted upon the very ass that had borne Abraham to +the Akedah on Mount Moriah, the ass upon which the Messiah will appear riding +at the end of days.[144] Even now, his journey begun, Moses was but +half-hearted about his mission. He travelled leisurely, thinking: "When I +arrive in Egypt and announce to the children of Israel that the end of the term +of Egyptian slavery has come, they will say, 'We know very well that our +bondage must last four hundred years, and the end is not yet,' but if I were to +put this objection before God, He would break out in wrath against me. It is +best for me to consume as much time as possible on the way thither." +</p> + +<p> +God was ill pleased with Moses for this artifice, and He spake to him, saying, +"Joseph prophesied long ago that the oppression of Egypt would endure only two +hundred and ten years." For his lack of faith Moses was punished while he was +on the road to Egypt.[145] The angels Af and Hemah appeared and swallowed his +whole body down to his feet,[146] and they gave him up only after Zipporah, +nimble as a "bird,"[147] circumcised her son Gershom, and touched the feet of +her husband with the blood of the circumcision. The reason why their son had +remained uncircumcised until then was that Jethro had made the condition, when +he consented to the marriage of his daughter with Moses, that the first son of +their union should be brought up as a Gentile.[148] +</p> + +<p> +When Moses was released by the angels, he attacked them, and he slew Hemah, +whose host of angels, however, held their own before the assailant.[149] +</p> + +<p> +The Divine voice heard by Moses in Midian telling him to return to his brethren +in Egypt fell at the same time upon the ear of Aaron, dwelling in Egypt, and it +bade him "go into the wilderness to meet Moses." God speaketh marvellously with +His voice, and therefore the same revelation could be understood one way in +Midian and another way in Egypt. +</p> + +<p> +The greeting of the two brothers was very cordial. Envy and jealousy bad no +place between them. Aaron was rejoiced that God had chosen his younger brother +to be the redeemer of Israel, and Moses was rejoiced that his older brother had +been divinely appointed the high priest in Israel. God knew their hearts, for +at the time when He charged him with the Egyptian mission, Moses had said, "All +these years Aaron has been active as a prophet in Israel, and should I now +encroach upon his province and cause him vexation?" But God reassured him, +saying, "Moses, thy brother Aaron will surely not be vexed, he will rather +rejoice at thy mission, yea, he will come forth and meet thee." +</p> + +<p> +Aaron showed his joy freely at seeing his brother once more, after their +separation of many years. As for his joy in the distinction accorded to Moses, +it was too great to be expressed in all its depth and extent. For his kind, +generous spirit, he received a reward from God, in that he was permitted to +bear the Urim and Thummim upon his heart, "for," God said, "the heart that +rejoiced at the exalting of a brother shall wear the Urim and Thummim."[150] +</p> + +<p> +Aaron ran to meet his brother, and embraced him, and asked where he had spent +all the years of their separation. When he was told in Midian, he continued to +question him, saying, "Who are these that are travelling with thee?" +</p> + +<p> +Moses: "My wife and my sons." +</p> + +<p> +Aaron: "Whither goest thou with them?" +</p> + +<p> +Moses: "To Egypt." +</p> + +<p> +Aaron: "What! Great enough is our sorrow through those who have been in Egypt +from the beginning, and thou takest more to the land?" +</p> + +<p> +Moses recognized that Aaron was right, and he sent his wife and his sons back +to his father-in-law Jethro.[151] +</p> + +<p> +He was no less magnanimous than Aaron. If the elder brother felt no envy on +account of the younger brother's dignity, the younger brother did not withhold +from the other the teachings and revelations he had received. Immediately after +meeting with Aaron, Moses told him all that God had taught him, even the awful +secret of the Ineffable Name communicated to him on Mount Horeb.[152] +</p> + +<p> +In obedience to the command of God, the elders of the people were assembled, +and before them Moses performed the wonders that were to be his credentials as +the redeemer sent to deliver the people. Nevertheless, the deeds he did were +not so potent in convincing them of the reality of the mission as the words +wherein God had announced the approaching redemption to him, which he repeated +in their ears. The elders knew that Jacob had imparted to Joseph the secret +mark designating the redeemer, and Joseph had in turn confided it to his +brethren before his death. The last surviving one of the brethren, Asher, had +revealed it to his daughter Serah, in the following words: "He that will come +and proclaim the redemption with the words of God, 'I have surely visited you, +and seen that which is done to you in Egypt,' he is the true redeemer." Serah +was still alive at Moses' return, and the elders betook themselves to her, and +told her the words of Moses announcing the redemption. When she heard that his +words had been the same as those Asher had quoted, she knew that he was the +promised redeemer, and all the people believed in him. +</p> + +<p> +Thereupon Moses invited the elders to go to Pharaoh with him, but they lacked +the courage to appear before the king. Though they started out with Moses, they +dropped off stealthily on the way, one by one, and when Moses and Aaron stood +in the presence of the king, they found themselves alone, deserted by all the +others. The elders did not go out free. Their punishment was that God did not +permit them to ascend the holy mountain with Moses. They durst accompany him on +the way to God only as far as they had accompanied him on the way to Pharaoh, +and then they had to tarry until he came again.[153] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap80"></a>MOSES AND AARON BEFORE PHARAOH</h2> + +<p> +The day Moses and Aaron made their appearance before Pharaoh happened to be the +anniversary of his birth, and he was surrounded by many kings, for he was the +ruler of the whole world, and this was the occasion on which the kings of the +earth came to do him homage. When the attendants announced Moses and Aaron, +Pharaoh inquired whether the two old men had brought him crowns, and, receiving +a negative reply, he ordered that they were not to be admitted to his presence, +until he had seen and dismissed all the others desirous of paying him their +respects.[154] +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh's palace was surrounded by a vast army. It was built with four hundred +entrances, one hundred on each side, and each of them guarded by sixty thousand +soldiers. Moses and Aaron were overawed by this display of power, and they were +afraid. But the angel Gabriel appeared, and he led them into the palace, +observed by none of the guards, and Pharaoh decreed severe punishment upon the +inattentive sentinels for having admitted the old men without his permission. +They were dismissed, and others put in their places. But the same thing +happened the next day. Moses and Aaron were within the palace, and the new +guard had not been able to hinder their passing. Pharaoh questioned his +servants, how it had been possible for the two old men to enter, and they said: +"We know it not! Through the doors they did not come. Surely, they must be +magicians."[155] +</p> + +<p> +Not enough that the palace was guarded by a host, at each entrance two lions +were stationed, and in terror of being torn to pieces none dared approach the +doors, and none could go within until the lion tamer came and led the beasts +away. Now Balaam and all the other sacred scribes of Egypt advised that the +keepers loose the lions at the approach of Moses and Aaron. But their advice +availed naught. Moses had but to raise his rod, and the lions bounded toward +him joyously, and followed at his feet, gambolling like dogs before their +master on his return home.[156] +</p> + +<p> +Within the palace, Moses and Aaron found seventy secretaries busy with +Pharaoh's correspondence, which was carried on in seventy languages. At the +sight of the messengers of Israel, they started up in great awe, for the two +men resembled angels. In stature they were as the cedars of Lebanon, their +countenances radiated splendor like the sun, the pupils of their eyes were like +the sphere of the morning star, their beards like palm branches, and their +mouths emitted flames when they opened them for speech. In their terror, the +secretaries flung down pen and paper, and prostrated themselves before Moses +and Aaron. +</p> + +<p> +Now the two representatives of the children of Israel stepped before Pharaoh, +and they spake, "The God of the Hebrews hath met with us; let us go, we pray +thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the Lord our +God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword." But Pharaoh +answered, saying: "What is the name of your God? Wherein doth His strength +consist, and His power? How many countries, how many provinces, how many cities +hath He under His dominion? In how many campaigns was He victorious? How many +lands did He make subject to Himself? How many cities did He capture? When He +goeth to war, how many warriors, riders, chariots, and charioteers doth He lead +forth?" Whereto Moses and Aaron replied: "His strength and His power fill the +whole world. His voice heweth out flames of fire; His words break mountains in +pieces. The heaven is His throne, and the earth His footstool. His bow is fire, +His arrows are flames, His spears torches, His shield clouds, and His sword +lightning flashes. He created the mountains and the valleys, He brought forth +spirits and souls, He stretched out the earth by a word, He made the mountains +with His wisdom, He forms the embryo in the womb of the mother, He covers the +heavens with clouds, at His word the dew and the rain descend earthward, He +causes plants to grow from the ground, He nourishes and sustains the whole +world, from the horns upon the rem down to the eggs of vermin. Every day He +causes men to die, and every day He calls men into life." +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh answered, and said: "I have no need of Him. I have created myself, and +if ye say that He causes dew and rain to descend, I have the Nile, the river +that hath its source under the tree of life, and the ground impregnated by its +waters bears fruit so huge that it takes two asses to carry it. and it is +palatable beyond description, for it has three hundred different tastes."[157] +</p> + +<p> +Then Pharaoh sent to fetch the books of the chronicles of his kingdom from his +archives, wherein are recorded the names of the gods of all the nations, to see +whether the name of the God of the Hebrews was among them. He read off: "The +gods of Moab, the gods of Ammon, the gods of Zidon—I do not find your God +inscribed in the archives!" Moses and Aaron exclaimed: "O thou fool! Thou +seekest the Living in the graves of the dead. These which thou didst read are +the names of dumb idols, but our God is the God of life and the King of eternal +life."[158] +</p> + +<p> +When Pharaoh said the words, "I know not the Lord," God Himself made answer, +saying: "O thou rascal! Thou sayest to My ambassadors, 'I know not the strength +and the power of your God'? Lo, I will make thee to stand, for to show thee My +power, and that My Name may be declared throughout all the earth."[159] +</p> + +<p> +Having searched his list of the gods of the nations in vain for a mention of +the God of the Hebrews, Pharaoh cited before him the wise men of Egypt, and he +said to them: "Have ye ever heard the name of the God of these people?" They +replied, "We have been told that He is a son of the wise, the son of ancient +kings." Then spake God, saying, "O ye fools! Ye call yourselves wise men, but +Me ye call only the son of the wise. Verily, I will set at naught all your +wisdom and your understanding."[160] +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh persisted in his obduracy, even after Moses and Aaron had performed the +miracle of the rod. At the time when the two Hebrews succeeded in entering the +palace, guarded as it was by lions, Pharaoh had sent for his magicians, at +their head Balaam and his two sons Jannes and Jambres, and when they appeared +before him, he told them of the extraordinary incident, how the lions had +followed the two old men like dogs, and fawned upon them. It was Balaam's +opinion that they were simply magicians like himself and his companions, and he +prayed the king to have them come before him together with themselves, to test +who were the master magicians, the Egyptians or the Hebrews. +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and he said to them: "Who will believe you +when you say that you are the ambassadors of God, as you pretend to be, if you +do not convince men by performing wonders?" Thereupon Aaron cast his rod to the +ground, and it became a serpent.[161] Pharaoh laughed aloud. "What," he +exclaimed, "is this all your God can do? It is the way of merchants to carry +merchandise to a place if there is none of it there, but would anyone take +brine to Spain or fish to Accho? It seems you do not know that I am an adept in +all sorts of magic!" He ordered little school children to be brought, and they +repeated the wonder done by Moses and Aaron; indeed, Pharaoh's own wife +performed it. Jannes and Jambres, the sons of Balaam, derided Moses, saying, +"Ye carry straw to Ephrain!"[162] whereto Moses answered, "To the place of many +vegetables, thither carry vegetables." +</p> + +<p> +To show the Egyptians that Aaron could do something with his rod that their +magicians could not imitate, God caused the serpent into which His rod had been +changed to swallow up all the rods of the magicians. But Balaam and his +associates said: "There is nothing marvellous or astonishing in this feat. Your +serpent has but devoured our serpents, which is in accordance with a law of +nature, one living being devours another. If thou wishest us to acknowledge +that the spirit of God worketh in thee, then cast thy rod to the earth, and if, +being wood, it swallows up our rods of wood, then we shall acknowledge that the +spirit of God is in thee." Aaron stood the test. After his rod had resumed its +original form, it swallowed up the rods of the Egyptians,[163] and yet its bulk +showed no increase. This caused Pharaoh to reflect, whether this wonderful rod +of Aaron might not swallow up also him and his throne. Nevertheless he refused +to obey the behest of God, to let Israel go, saying, "Had I Jacob-Israel +himself here before me, I should put trowel and bucket on his shoulder." And to +Moses and Aaron, he said, "Because ye, like all the rest of the tribe of Levi, +are not compelled to labor, therefore do ye speak, 'Let us go and sacrifice to +the Lord.' If you had asked for a thousand people, or two thousand, I should +have fulfilled your request, but never will I consent to let six hundred +thousand men go away." +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap81"></a>THE SUFFERING INCREASES</h2> + +<p> +Beside refusing to dismiss the children of Israel, he ordered, on the very day +of Moses and Aaron's audience with him, that the people be required to deliver +the prescribed tale of bricks, though the taskmasters were not as heretofore to +give them straw to make brick. Another decree was, that the children of Israel +were not to be permitted to rest on the Sabbath, for Pharaoh knew that they +used the leisure for reading the rolls that described their redemption. All +this was a part of God's plan, the oppression of Israel was to be increased the +closer the end approached. As they wandered up and down the land of Egypt +gathering the straw they needed for the due tale of bricks, they were +maltreated by the Egyptians if they caught them on their fields. Such unkind +acts perpetrated by the whole people made it impossible for them to cast the +entire blame for the bondage of Israel upon Pharaoh. All the Egyptians showed +cruelty to the Israelites on their straw foraging expeditions, and therefore +the Divine punishment descended upon all alike. +</p> + +<p> +This frightful time of Israel's extreme suffering lasted six months. Meantime +Moses went to Midian, leaving Aaron alone in Egypt. When Moses returned at the +end of the reign of terror, two of the Israelitish officers accosted him and +Aaron, and heaped abuse upon them for having increased the woes of their people +rather than diminished them. They spake, saying, "If ye are truly the +ambassadors of God, then may He judge between us and Pharaoh. But if you are +seeking to bring about the redemption of Israel on your own account, then may +God judge between you and Israel. You are responsible for the widespread stench +now issuing from the Israelitish corpses used as bricks for building when our +tale was not complete. The Egyptians had but a faint suspicion that we were +waiting for our redemption. It is your fault if they are fully conscious of it +now. We are in the quandary of the poor sheep that has been dragged away by a +wolf. The shepherd pursues the robber, catches up with him, and tries to snatch +the sheep from his jaws, and the wretched victim, pulled this way by the wolf +and that way by the shepherd, is torn to pieces. Thus Israel fares between you +and Pharaoh." +</p> + +<p> +The two officers that spake these stinging words were Dathan and Abiram, and it +was neither the first nor the last time they inflicted an injury upon Moses. +The other Israelitish officers were gentle and kind; they permitted themselves +to be beaten by the taskmasters rather than prod the laborers of their own +people put under their surveillance. +</p> + +<p> +The cruel suffering to which his people was exposed caused Moses to speak to +God thus: "I have read the book of Genesis through, and I found the doom in it +pronounced upon the generation of the deluge. It was a just judgment. I found +also the punishments decreed against the generation of the confusion of +tongues, and against the inhabitants of Sodom. These, too, were just. But what +hath this nation of Israel done unto Thee, that it is oppressed more than any +other nation in history? Is it because Abraham said, 'Whereby shall I know that +I shall inherit the land?' and Thou didst rebuke him for his small faith, +saying, 'Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is +not theirs'? Why, then, are not the descendants of Esau and Ishmael held in +bondage, too? Are they not likewise of the seed of Abraham? But if Thou wilt +say, 'What concern is it of mine?' then I ask Thee, Why didst Thou send me +hither as Thy messenger? Thy great, exalted, and terrible Name is feared in all +the earth, yet Pharaoh heard me pronounce it, and he refuses obedience. I know +Thou wilt redeem Israel in Thine own good time, and it is of little moment to +Thee that now they are immuring living Israelites in these buildings." +</p> + +<p> +Were He a God of justice only, the Lord would have slain Moses for the audacity +of his last words, but in view of his having spoken as he had only out of +compassion with Israel, the Lord dealt graciously with him. He answered Moses, +saying, "Thou shalt see what I will do to Pharaoh," words conveying to Moses, +that although he would be witness to the chastisement of Pharaoh, he would not +be present at that of the thirty-one kings of Canaan. Thus he was rebuked for +the unbecoming language he had used in addressing God.[164] At the same time +God's words were a rejoinder to another speech by Moses. He had said: "O Lord +of the world, I know well that Thou wilt bring Thy children forth from Egypt. O +that Thou wouldst make use of another instrument, for I am not worthy of being +the redeemer of Thy children." God made answer thereto: "Yes, Moses, thou art +worthy thereof. Through thee My children will be brought forth out of Egypt. +Thou shalt see what I will do to Pharaoh."[165] +</p> + +<p> +At the same time God called him to account for having so little faith. He said: +"O for the departed, their like cannot be found any more! I appeared unto +Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as El Shaddai, God Almighty, but I was not known to +them by My name Adonai, God All-Merciful, as I appeared unto thee. Nevertheless +they did not cast aspersions upon My acts. I spake to Abraham, 'Unto thee will +I give the land,' but when he was about to bury Sarah, he had to pay out silver +and buy a resting-place for her body; and yet he did not find fault with Me. I +spake to Isaac, 'Unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these lands,' +but when he desired water to drink, he had to strive with the herdsmen of +Gerar; and yet he did not find fault with Me. I spake to Jacob, 'The land +whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed,' but when he +wanted to spread his tent, he had to acquire a parcel of ground for an hundred +pieces of money; and yet he did not find fault with Me. None of them asked to +know My Name. But thou didst demand to know it at the very first, when I +desired to send thee down into Egypt, and after I revealed it to thee, thou +didst speak, saying, 'Thou didst tell me that Thou art called Compassionate and +Gracious, Longsuffering and Merciful, but as soon as I pronounced this Name +before Pharaoh, misfortune descended upon the people of Israel.' Now I desire +to fulfil My covenant with the three Patriarchs, and give their posterity the +promised land, as a reward for the unquestioning faith of the Fathers, and also +as a reward to the people, who, in spite of their suffering, did not find fault +with My deeds. For this will I give them the land, which they do not deserve to +possess for other reasons. I swear that I will do thus!" God pronounced this +oath, to banish all fear from the mind of Moses, that He might act only in +accordance with His attribute of justice, and thus delay the redemption of +Israel for a time, on account of the sins of the people.[166] +</p> + +<p> +Now the redemption of Israel was a settled fact. But before Moses and Aaron +could start on the work of delivering their people, God called various points +to their attention, which He bade them consider in their undertaking. He spake +to them, saying: "My children are perverse, passionate, and troublesome. You +must be prepared to stand their abuse, to the length of being pelted with +stones by them. I send you to Pharaoh, and although I will punish him according +to his deserts, yet you must not fail in the respect due to him as a ruler. +Furthermore, be careful to take the elders of the people into your +counsel,[167] and let your first step toward redemption be to make the people +give up the worship of idols." +</p> + +<p> +The last was a most difficult task, and the words of God concerning it wrung +the exclamation from Moses: "See, the children of Israel will not hearken unto +me. How, then, should Pharaoh hearken unto me?"[168] It was the third time +Moses declined to go on the errand of God. Now the Divine patience was +exhausted, and Moses was subjected to punishment. At first God had revealed +Himself only to Moses, and the original intention had been that he alone was to +perform all the miracles, but henceforth the word of God was addressed to Aaron +as well, and he was given a share in doing the wonders.[169] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap82"></a>MEASURE FOR MEASURE</h2> + +<p> +God divided the ten punishments decreed for Egypt into four parts, three of the +plagues He committed to Aaron, three to Moses, one to the two brothers +together, and three He reserved for Himself. Aaron was charged with those, that +proceeded from the earth and the water, the elements that are composed of more +or less solid parts, from which are fashioned all the corporeal, distinctive +entities, while the three entrusted to Moses were those that proceeded from the +air and the fire, the elements that are most prolific of life.[170] +</p> + +<p> +The Lord is a man of war, and as a king of flesh and blood devises various +stratagems against his enemy, so God attacked the Egyptians in various ways. He +brought ten plagues down upon them. When a province rises up in rebellion, its +sovereign lord first sends his army against it, to surround it and cut off the +water supply. If the people are contrite, well and good; if not, he brings +noise makers into the field against them. If the people are contrite, well and +good; if not, he orders darts to be discharged against them. If the people are +contrite, well and good; if not, he orders his legions to assault them. If the +people are contrite, well and good; if not, he causes bloodshed and carnage +among them. If the people are contrite, well and good; if not, he directs a +stream of hot naphtha upon them. If the people are contrite, well and good; if +not, he hurls projectiles at them from his ballistae. If the people are +contrite, well and good; if not, he has scaling-ladders set up against their +walls. If the people are contrite, well and good; if not, he casts them into +dungeons. If the people are contrite, well and good; if not, he slays their +magnates. +</p> + +<p> +Thus did God proceed against the Egyptians. First He cut off their water supply +by turning their rivers into blood. They refused to let the Israelites go, and +He sent the noisy, croaking frogs into their entrails. They refused to let the +Israelites go, and He brought lice against them, which pierced their flesh like +darts. They refused to let the Israelites go, and He sent barbarian legions +against them, mixed hordes of wild beasts. They refused to let the Israelites +go, and He brought slaughter upon them, a very grievous pestilence. They +refused to let the Israelites go, and He poured out naphtha over them, burning +blains. They refused to let the Israelites go, and He caused His projectiles, +the hail, to descend upon them. They refused to let the Israelites go, and He +placed scaling-ladders against the wall for the locusts, which climbed them +like men of war. They refused to let the Israelites go, and He cast them into +dungeon darkness. They refused to let the Israelites go, and He slew their +magnates, their first-born sons.[171] +</p> + +<p> +The plagues that God sent upon the Egyptians corresponded to the deeds they bad +perpetrated against the children of Israel. Because they forced the Israelites +to draw water for them, and also hindered them from the use of the ritual +baths, He changed their water into blood. +</p> + +<p> +Because they had said to the Israelites, "Go and catch fish for us," He brought +frogs up against them, making them to swarm in their kneading-troughs and their +bed- chambers and hop around croaking in their entrails. It was the severest of +all the ten plagues. +</p> + +<p> +Because they had said to the Israelites, "Go and sweep and clean our houses, +our courtyards, and our streets," He changed the dust of the air into lice, so +that the vermin lay piled up in heaps an ell high, and when the Egyptians put +on fresh garments, they were at once infested with the insects. +</p> + +<p> +The fourth plague was an invasion of the land by hordes of all sorts of wild +animals, lions, wolves, panthers, bears, and others. They overran the houses of +the Egyptians, and when they closed their doors to keep them out, God caused a +little animal to come forth from the ground, and it got in through the windows, +and split open the doors, and made a way for the bears, panthers, lions, and +wolves, which swarmed in and devoured the people down to the infants in their +cradles. If an Egyptian entrusted his ten children to an Israelite, to take a +walk with them, a lion would come and snatch away one of the children, a bear +would carry off the second, a serpent the third, and so on, and in the end the +Israelite returned home alone. This plague was brought upon them because they +were in the habit of bidding the Israelites go and catch wolves and lions for +their circuses, and they sent them on such errands, to make them take up their +abode in distant deserts, where they would be separated from their wives, and +could not propagate their race. +</p> + +<p> +Then God brought a grievous murrain upon their cattle, because they had pressed +the Israelites into their service as shepherds, and assigned remote pasturing +places to them, to keep them away from their wives. Therefore the murrain came +and carried off all the cattle in the flocks the Israelites were tending. +</p> + +<p> +The sixth plague was a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast. +This was the punishment of the Egyptians, because they would say to the +children of Israel, "Go and prepare a bath for us unto the delight of our flesh +and our bones." Therefore they were doomed to suffer with boils that inflamed +their flesh, and on account of the itch they could not leave off scratching. +While the Egyptians suffered thus, the children of Israel used their baths. +</p> + +<p> +Because they had sent the Israelites forth into the fields, to plough and sow, +hail was sent down upon them, and their trees and crops were destroyed. +</p> + +<p> +They had been in the habit of saying to the Israelites, "Go forth, plant ye +trees for us, and guard the fruit thereon." Therefore God brought the locusts +into the Egyptian border, to eat the residue of that which was escaped, which +remained unto them from the hail, for the teeth of the locust are the teeth of +a lion, and he hath the jaw teeth of a great lion. +</p> + +<p> +Because they would throw the Israelites into dungeons, God brought darkness +upon them, the darkness of hell, so that they had to grope their way. He that +sat could not rise up on his feet, and he that stood could not sit down. The +infliction of darkness served another purpose. Among the Israelites there were +many wicked men, who refused to leave Egypt, and God determined to put them out +of the way. But that the Egyptians might not say they had succumbed to the +plague like themselves, God slew them under cover of the darkness, and in the +darkness they were buried by their fellow-Israelites, and the Egyptians knew +nothing of what had happened. But the number of these wicked men had been very +great, and the children of Israel spared to leave Egypt were but a small +fraction of the original Israelitish population. +</p> + +<p> +The tenth plague was the slaying of the first-born, and it came upon the +Egyptians because of their intention to murder the men children of the +Israelites at their birth, and, finally, Pharaoh and his host were drowned in +the Red Sea, because the Egyptians had caused the men children of the +Israelites to be exposed in the water.[172] +</p> + +<p> +Each, of the plagues inflicted upon Egypt had another parallel in the cruel +treatment accorded to the Israelites. The first was a punishment for the +arrogant words spoken by Pharaoh, "My Nile river is mine own, and I have made +it for myself." +</p> + +<p> +The plague of the frogs God brought down upon the Egyptians, "because," He +said, "the frogs, which sometimes inhabit the water, shall take vengeance upon +the Egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation destined to be the +bearers of the Torah, and the Torah is likened unto water." +</p> + +<p> +God sent vermin upon them, saying, "Let the lice made of the dust of the earth +take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation +whose seed is like unto the dust of the earth." +</p> + +<p> +Hordes of beasts, lions and wolves and swarms of serpents, came down upon them, +"because," God said, "these animals shall take vengeance upon the Egyptians for +having desired to destroy the nation that is likened unto lions, wolves, and +serpents." +</p> + +<p> +A fatal pestilence was brought upon them, "because," God said, "death shall +take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation that +faces death for the glorification of the Name of God." +</p> + +<p> +They were made to suffer with burning blains, "because," God said, "the boils +coming from the ashes of the furnace shall take vengeance upon the Egyptians +for having desired to destroy the nation whose ancestor Abraham walked into the +fiery furnace for the glorification of the Name of God." +</p> + +<p> +He made hail to descend upon them, "because," He said, "the white hail shall +take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having desired to destroy a nation whose +sins shall be white." +</p> + +<p> +The locusts came upon them, "because," God said, "the locusts, which are My +great army, shall take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having desired to +destroy the nation that is called My hosts." +</p> + +<p> +"Darkness," said God, "which is divided from the light, shall come and take +vengeance upon the Egyptians for desiring to destroy the nation upon which +shineth the light of the Lord, while gross darkness covers the other peoples." +</p> + +<p> +The tenth plague, the slaying of the first-born, God inflicted, saying, "I will +take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation that +is My first- born. As the night divided itself for Abraham, that his enemies +might be vanquished, so I will pass through Egypt in the middle of the night, +and as Abraham was proved by ten temptations, so I will send ten plagues upon +Egypt, the enemy of his children."[173] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap83"></a>THE PLAGUES BROUGHT THROUGH AARON</h2> + +<p> +From the infliction of the first of the plagues until the passing of the last, +after which the Egyptians yielded all that Moses and Aaron demanded, there +elapsed a whole year, for twelve months is the term set by God for the +expiation of sins. The deluge lasted one year; Job suffered one year; sinners +must endure hell tortures for one year, and the judgment upon Gog at the end of +time will be executed for the length of one year.[174] +</p> + +<p> +Moses announced the first plague to Pharaoh one morning when the king was +walking by the river's brink. This morning walk enabled him to practice a +deception. He called himself a god, and pretended that he felt no human needs. +To keep up the illusion, he would repair to the edge of the river every +morning, and ease nature there while alone and unobserved. At such a time it +was that Moses appeared before him, and called out to him, "Is there a god that +hath human needs?" "Verily, I am no god," replied Pharaoh, "I only pretend to +be one before the Egyptians, who are such idiots, one should consider them +asses rather than human beings."[175] +</p> + +<p> +Then Moses made known to him that God would turn the water into blood, if he +refused to let Israel go. In the warning we can discern the difference between +God and man. When a mortal harbors the intention to do an injury to an enemy, +he lies in wait for the moment when he can strike an unexpected blow. But God +is outspoken. He warned Pharaoh and the Egyptians in public whenever a plague +was about to descend, and each warning was repeated by Moses for a period of +three weeks, although the plague itself endured but a single week. +</p> + +<p> +As Pharaoh would not lay the warning to heart, the plague announced by Moses +was let loose upon him and his people—the waters were turned into blood. It is +a well- known proverb, "Beat the idols, and the priests are in terror." God +smote the river Nile, which the Egyptians worshipped as their god, in order to +terrify Pharaoh and his people and force them to do the Divine will. +</p> + +<p> +To produce the plague, Aaron took his rod, and stretched out his hand over the +waters of Egypt. Moses had no part in performing the miracle, for God had said +to him, "The water that watched over thy safety when thou wast exposed in the +Nile, shall not suffer harm through thee." +</p> + +<p> +Aaron had scarcely executed the Divine bidding, when all the water of Egypt +became blood, even such as was kept in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone. +The very spittle of an Egyptian turned into blood no sooner had he ejected it +from his mouth,[176] and blood dripped also from the idols of the +Egyptians.[177] +</p> + +<p> +The transformation of the waters into blood was intended mainly as a punishment +for the oppressors, but it was at the same time a source of profit for the +oppressed. It gave the Israelites the opportunity of amassing great wealth. The +Egyptians paid them large sums for their water, for if an Egyptian and an +Israelite drew water from the same trough, the portion carried off by the +Egyptian was bound to be useless, it turned into blood. To be sure, nothing +helped the Egyptians in their distress, for though they drank water from the +same cup as an Israelite, it became blood in their mouth. +</p> + +<p> +However, this plague did not impress Pharaoh as a punishment inflicted in the +name of God, because with the help of the Angels of Destruction the magicians +of Egypt produced the same phenomenon of changing water into blood. Therefore +he hearkened not unto the words of Moses.[178] +</p> + +<p> +The next was the plague of the frogs, and again it was Aaron that performed the +wonder. He stretched forth his hand with his rod over the rivers, and caused +frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. Moses, whose life had been preserved +by the water, was kept from poisoning his savior with the reptiles. At first +only a single frog appeared, but he began to croak, summoning so many +companions that the whole land of Egypt swarmed with them. Wherever an Egyptian +took up his stand, frogs appeared, and in some mysterious way they were able to +pierce the hardest of metals, and even the marble palaces of the Egyptian +nobles afforded no protection against them. If a frog came close to them, the +walls split asunder immediately. "Make way," the frogs would call out to the +stone, "that I may do the will of my Creator," and at once the marble showed a +rift, through which the frogs entered, and then they attacked the Egyptians +bodily, and mutilated and overwhelmed them. In their ardor to fulfil the behest +of God, the frogs cast themselves into the red-hot flames of the bake-ovens and +devoured the bread. Centuries later, the three holy children, Hananiah, +Mishael, and Azariah, were ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to pay worship to his +idols on penalty of death in the burning furnace, and they said, "If the frogs, +which were under no obligation to glorify the Name of God, nevertheless threw +themselves into the fire in order to execute the Divine will concerning the +punishment of the Egyptians, how much more should we be ready to expose our +lives to the fire for the greater glory of His Name!"[179] And the zealous +frogs were not permitted to go unrewarded. While the others were destroyed from +Pharaoh and the Egyptian houses at the moment appointed as the last of the +plague, God saved those in the bake-ovens alive, the fire had no power to do +them the least harm.[180] +</p> + +<p> +Now, although the Egyptian magicians also brought up frogs upon the land of +Egypt through the help of demons, Pharaoh nevertheless declared himself ready +to let the people go, to sacrifice unto the Lord. The difference between this +plague and the first was, that water turned into blood had not caused him any +personal inconvenience, while the swarms of frogs inflicted physical suffering, +and he gave the promise to Moses to let Israel go, in the hope of ridding +himself of the pain he experienced. And Moses in turn promised to entreat God +for him on the following day. It could not be done at once, because the seven +days' term had not yet elapsed. The prayer offered by Moses in behalf of +Pharaoh was granted, all the frogs perished, and their destruction was too +swift for them to retire to the water. Consequently the whole land was filled +with the stench from the decaying frogs, for they had been so numerous that +every man of the Egyptians gathered together four heaps of them.[181] Although +the frogs had filled all the market-places and stables and dwellings, they +retreated before the Hebrews as if they had been able to distinguish between +the two nations, and had known which of them it was proper to abuse, and which +to treat with consideration.[182] Beside sparing the Hebrews in the land of +Egypt, the frogs kept within the limits of the land, in no wise trenching upon +the territory of the neighboring nations. Indeed, they were the means of +settling peaceably an old boundary dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia. Wherever +they appeared, so far extended the Egyptian domain; all beyond their line +belonged to Ethiopia. +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh was like the wicked that cry to God in their distress, and when their +fortunes prosper slide back into their old, impious ways. No sooner had the +frogs departed from him, his houses, his servants, and his people, than he +hardened his heart again, and refused to let Israel go. Thereupon God sent the +plague of the lice, the last of those brought upon Egypt through the mediation +of Aaron. Moses could have no part in it, "for," said God, "the earth that +afforded thee protection when she permitted thee to hide the slain Egyptian, +shall not suffer through thine hand."[183] +</p> + +<p> +The Egyptian magicians having boasted that they were able to produce the first +two plagues,—an empty boast it was, for they did not bring them about with +their enchantments, but only because Moses willed them to do it,—God put them +to shame with the third plague. They tried in vain to imitate it.[184] The +demons could not aid them, for their power is limited to the production of +things larger than a barley grain, and lice are smaller. The magicians had to +admit, "This is the finger of God." Their failure put an end once for all to +their attempts to do as Moses did. +</p> + +<p> +But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and God spake to Moses, saying, "This wicked +fellow remains hard of heart, in spite of the three plagues. The fourth shall +be much worse than those which have preceded it. Go to him, therefore, and warn +him, it would be well for him to let My people go, that the plague come not +upon him."[185] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap84"></a>THE PLAGUES BROUGHT THROUGH MOSES</h2> + +<p> +The fourth plague was also announced to the king early in the morning by the +river's brink. Pharaoh went thither regularly, for he was one of the magi, who +need water for their enchantments.[186] Moses' daily morning visits were +beginning to annoy him, and he left the house early, in the hope of +circumventing his monitor. But God, who knows the thoughts of man, sent Moses +to Pharaoh at the very moment of his going forth. +</p> + +<p> +The warning of the plague that was imminent not having had any effect upon +Pharaoh, God sent the fourth plague upon Egypt,[187] a mixed horde of wild +animals, lions, bears, wolves, and panthers, and so many birds of prey of +different kinds that the light of the sun and the moon was darkened as they +circled through the air. These beasts came upon the Egyptians as a punishment +for desiring to force the seed of Abraham to amalgamate with the other nations. +God retaliated by bringing a mixture upon them that cost them their life.[188] +</p> + +<p> +As Pharaoh had been the first of the Egyptians to lay evil plans against the +children of Israel, so he was the first upon whom descended punishment. Into +his house the mixed horde of beasts came first of all, and then into the houses +of the rest of the Egyptians. Goshen, the land inhabited by the Israelites, was +spared entirely, for God put a division between the two peoples. It is true, +the Israelites had committed sins enough to deserve punishment, but the Holy +One, blessed be He, permitted the Egyptians to act as a ransom for Israel. +</p> + +<p> +Again Pharaoh expressed his willingness to let the children of Israel sacrifice +unto their God, but they were to stay in the land and do it, not go outside, +into the wilderness. Moses pointed out to Pharaoh how unbecoming it would be +for the Israelites to sacrifice, before the very eyes of his people, the +animals that the Egyptians worshipped as gods. Then Pharaoh consented to let +them go beyond the borders of his land, only they were not to go very far away, +and Moses, to mislead him, asked for a three days' journey into the wilderness. +But, again, when Moses had entreated God on Pharaoh's behalf, and the horde of +wild beasts had vanished, the king hardened his heart, and did not let the +people go. +</p> + +<p> +The cessation of the fourth plague was as miraculous as the plague itself. The +very animals that had been slain by the Egyptians in self-defense returned to +life and departed from the land with the rest. This was ordained to prevent the +wicked oppressors from profiting by the punishment even so much as the value of +the hides and the flesh of the dead animals. It had not been so with the +useless frogs, they had died on the spot, and their carcasses had remained +where they fell.[189] +</p> + +<p> +The fifth plague inflicted by God upon the Egyptians was a grievous pestilence, +which mowed down the cattle and beasts chiefly, yet it did not spare men +altogether. This pestilence was a distinct plague, but it also accompanied all +the other plagues, and the death of many Egyptians was due to it.[190] The +Israelites again came off unscathed. Indeed, if an Israelite had a just claim +upon a beast held by an Egyptian, it, too, was spared, and the same good +fortune waited upon such cattle as was the common property of Israelites and +Egyptians. +</p> + +<p> +The sixth plague, the plague of boils, was produced by Moses and Aaron together +in a miraculous way. Each took a handful of ashes of the furnace, then Moses +held the contents of the two heaps in the hollow of one of his hands, and +sprinkled the ashes tip toward the heaven, and it flew so high that it reached +the Divine throne. Returning earthward, it scattered over the whole land of +Egypt, a space equal to four hundred square parasangs. The small dust of the +ashes produced leprosy upon the skin of the Egyptians,[191] and blains of a +peculiar kind, soft within and dry on top.[192] +</p> + +<p> +The first five plagues the magicians had tried to imitate, and partly they had +succeeded. But in this sixth plague they could not stand before Moses, and +thenceforth they gave up the attempt to do as he did. Their craft had all along +been harmful to themselves. Although they could produce the plagues, they could +not imitate Moses in causing them to disappear. They would put their hands into +their bosom, and draw them out white with leprosy, exactly like Moses, but +their flesh remained leprous until the day of their death. And the same +happened with all the other plagues that they imitated: until their dying day +they were afflicted with the ills they produced.[193] +</p> + +<p> +As Pharaoh had wittingly hardened his heart with each of the first five +plagues, and refused to turn from his sinful purpose, God punished him +thereafter in such wise that he could not mend his ways if he would. God said, +"Even though he should desire to do penance now, I will harden his heart until +he pays off the whole of his debt." +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh had observed that whenever he walked on the brink of the Nile, Moses +would intercept him. He therefore gave up his morning walk. But God bade Moses +seek the king in his palace in the early hours of the day and urge him to +repent of his evil ways. Therefore Moses spake to him as follows, in the name +of God: "O thou villain! Thou thinkest that I cannot destroy thee from the +world. Consider, if I had desired it, instead of smiting the cattle, I might +have smitten thee and thy people with the pestilence, and thou wouldst have +been cut off from the earth. I inflicted the plague only in such degree as was +necessary to show thee My power, and that My Name may be declared throughout +all the earth. But thou dost not leave off treading My people underfoot. +Behold, to-morrow when the sun passes this point,"—whereat Moses made a stroke +upon the wall— "I will cause a very grievous hail to pour down, such as will be +only once more, when I annihilate Gog with hail, fire, and brimstone." +</p> + +<p> +But God's lovingkindness is so great that even in His wrath He has mercy upon +the wicked, and as His chief object was not to injure men and beasts, but to +damage the vegetation in the fields of the Egyptians, He bade Moses admonish +Pharaoh to send and hasten in his cattle and all that he had in the field. But +the warning fell on heedless ears. Job was the only one to take it to heart, +while Pharaoh and his people regarded not the word of the Lord. Therefore the +Lord let the hail smite both man and beast, instead of confining it to the +herbs and the trees of the field, as He had intended from the first. +</p> + +<p> +As a rule, fire and water are elements at war with each other, but in the +hailstones that smote the land of Egypt they were reconciled. A fire rested in +the hailstones as the burning wick swims in the oil of a lamp; the surrounding +fluid cannot extinguish the flame. The Egyptians were smitten either by the +hail or by the fire. In the one case as the other their flesh was seared, and +the bodies of the many that were slain by the hail were consumed by the fire. +The hailstones heaped themselves up like a wall, so that the carcasses of the +slain beasts could not be removed, and if the people succeeded in dividing the +dead animals and carrying their flesh off, the birds of prey would attack them +on their way home, and snatch their prize away. But the vegetation in the field +suffered even more than man and beast, for the hail came down like an axe upon +the trees and broke them. That the wheat and the spelt were not crushed was a +miracle. +</p> + +<p> +Now, at last, Pharaoh acknowledged, and said, "The Lord is righteous, and I and +my people are wicked. He was righteous when He bade us hasten in our cattle +from before the hail, and I and my people were wicked, for we heeded not His +warning, and men and beasts were found in the field by the hail, and slain." +Again he begged Moses to supplicate God in his behalf, that He turn the plague +away, and he promised to let the children of Israel go. Moses consented to do +his will, saying, however: "Think not that I do not know what will happen after +the plague is stayed. I know that thou and thy servants, ye will fear the Lord +God, once His punishment is removed, as little as ye feared Him before. But to +show His greatness, I will pray to Him to make the hail to cease." +</p> + +<p> +Moses went a short distance out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his +hands unto the Lord, for he did not desire to pray to God within, where there +were many idols and images. At once the hail remained suspended in the air. +Part of it dropped down while Joshua was engaged in battle with the Amorites, +and the rest God will send down in His fury against Gog. Also the thunders +ceased at Moses' intercession, and were stored up for a later time, for they +were the noise which the Lord made the host of the Syrians to hear at the siege +of Samaria, wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight.[194] +</p> + +<p> +As Moses had foreseen, so it happened. No sooner had the hail stopped than +Pharaoh abandoned his resolve, and refused to let Israel go. Moses lost no time +in announcing the eighth plague to him, the plague of the locusts. Observing +that his words had made an impression upon the king's counsellors, he turned +and went out from Pharaoh, to give them the opportunity of discussing the +matter among themselves. And, indeed, his servants urged Pharaoh to let the +Israelites go and serve the Lord their God. But, again, when Moses insisted +that the whole people must go, the young and the old, the sons and the +daughters, Pharaoh demurred, saying, "I know it to be customary for young men +and old men to take part in sacrifices, but surely not little children, and +when you demand their presence, too, you betray your evil purpose. It is but a +pretense, your saying that you will go a three days' journey into the +wilderness, and then return. You mean to escape and never come back. I will +have nothing more to do with the matter.[195] My god Baal-zephon will oppose +you in the way, and hinder you on your journey." Pharaoh's last words were a +dim presentiment. As a magician he foresaw that on their going forth from Egypt +the children of Israel would find themselves in desperate straits before the +sanctuary of Baal-zephon.[196] +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh was not content with merely denying the request preferred by Moses and +Aaron. He ordered them to be forcibly expelled from the palace. Then God sent +the plague of the locusts announced by Moses before. They ate every herb of the +land, and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left, and there remained +not any green thing. And again Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, to ask their +forgiveness, both for his sin against the Lord God, in not having hearkened +unto His word, and for his sin against them, in having chased them forth and +intended to curse them. Moses, as before, prayed to God in Pharaoh's behalf, +and his petition was granted, the plague was taken away, and in a rather +surprising manner. When the swarms of locusts began to darken the land, the +Egyptians caught them and preserved them in brine as a dainty to be eaten. Now +the Lord turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and +drove them into the Red Sea. Even those they were keeping in their pots flew up +and away, and they had none of the expected profit.[197] +</p> + +<p> +The last plague but one, like those which had preceded it, endured seven days. +All the time the land was enveloped in darkness, only it was not always of the +same degree of density. During the first three days, it was not so thick but +that the Egyptians could change their posture when they desired to do so. If +they were sitting down, they could rise up, and if they were standing, they +could sit down. On the fourth, fifth, and sixth days, the darkness was so dense +that they could not stir from their place. They either sat the whole time, or +stood; as they were at the beginning, so they remained until the end. The last +day of darkness overtook the Egyptians, not in their own land, but at the Red +Sea, on their pursuit of Israel. The darkness was not of the ordinary, earthly +kind; it came from hell, and it could be felt. It was as thick as a dinar, and +all the time it prevailed a celestial light brightened the dwellings of the +children of Israel, whereby they could see what the Egyptians were doing under +cover of the darkness. This was of great advantage to them, for when they were +about to go forth from the land, and they asked their neighbors to lend them +raiment, and jewels of gold and jewels of silver, for the journey, the +Egyptians tried to deny having any in their possession. But the children of +Israel, having spied out all their treasures during the days of darkness, could +describe the objects they needed with accuracy, and designate their +hiding-places. The Egyptians reasoned that the words of the Israelites could be +taken implicitly as they spoke them, for if they had had any idea of deceiving +them, asking for a loan when they intended to keep what they laid hands on, +they might have taken unobserved during the days of darkness whatever: they +desired. Hence the Egyptians felt no hesitation in lending the children of +Israel all the treasures they asked for.[198] +</p> + +<p> +The darkness was of such a nature that it could not be dispelled by artificial +means. The light of the fire kindled for household uses was either extinguished +by the violence of the storm, or else it was made invisible and swallowed up in +the density of the darkness. Sight, that most indispensable of all the external +senses, though unimpaired, was deprived of its office, for nothing could be +discerned, and all the other senses were overthrown like subjects whose leader +has fallen. None was able to speak or to hear, nor could anyone venture to take +food, but they lay themselves down in quiet and hunger, their outward senses in +a trance. Thus they remained, overwhelmed by the affliction, until Moses had +compassion on them again, and besought God in their behalf, who granted him the +power of restoring fine weather, light instead of darkness and day instead of +night.[199] +</p> + +<p> +Intimidated by this affliction, Pharaoh permitted the people to go, the little +ones as well as the men and the women, only he asked that they let their flocks +and their herds be stayed. But Moses said: "As thou livest, our cattle also +shall go with us. Yea, if but the hoof of an animal belongs to an Israelite, +the beast shall not be left behind in Egypt." This speech exasperated Pharaoh +to such a degree that he threatened Moses with death in the day he should see +his face again. +</p> + +<p> +At this very moment the Lord appeared unto Moses, and bade him inform Pharaoh +of the infliction of the last plague, the slaying of the first-born. It was the +first and the last time that God revealed Himself in the royal palace. He chose +the residence of Pharaoh on this occasion that Moses might not be branded as a +liar, for he had replied to Pharaoh's threat of killing him if he saw his face +again, with the words, "Thou hast spoken well; I will see thy face again no +more." +</p> + +<p> +With a loud voice Moses proclaimed the last plague, closing his announcement +with the words: "And all these thy servants shall come down unto me and bow +down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out: and all the people that follow +thee; and after that I will go out." Moses knew well enough that Pharaoh +himself would come and urge him to lead Israel forth with as great haste as +possible, but he mentioned only the servants of the king, and not the king +himself, because he never forgot the respect due to a ruler.[200] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap85"></a>THE FIRST PASSOVER</h2> + +<p> +When the time approached in which, according to the promise made to Abraham, +his children would be redeemed, it was seen that they had no pious deeds to +their credit for the sake of which they deserved release from bondage. God +therefore gave them two commandments, one bidding them to sacrifice the paschal +lamb and one to circumcise their sons.[201] Along with the first they received +the calendar in use among the Jews, for the Passover feast is to be celebrated +on the fifteenth day of the month of Nisan, and with this month the year is to +begin. But the computations for the calendar are so involved that Moses could +not understand them until God showed him the movements of the moon plainly. +There were three other things equally difficult, which Moses could comprehend +only after God made him to see them plainly. They were the compounding of the +holy anointing oil, the construction of the candlestick in the Tabernacle, and +the animals the flesh of which is permitted or prohibited.[202] Also the +determination of the new moon was the subject of special Divine teaching. That +Moses might know the exact procedure, God appeared to him in a garment with +fringes upon its corners, bade Moses stand at His right hand and Aaron at His +left, and then, citing Michael and Gabriel as witnesses, He addressed searching +questions to the angels as to how the new moon had seemed to them. Then the +Lord addressed Moses and Aaron, saying, "Thus shall My children proclaim the +new moon, on the testimony of two witnesses and through the president of the +court.[203] +</p> + +<p> +When Moses appeared before the children of Israel and delivered the Divine +message to them, telling them that their redemption would come about in this +month of Nisan, they said: "How is it possible that we should be redeemed? Is +not the whole of Egypt full of our idols? And we have no pious deeds to show +making us worthy of redemption." Moses made reply, and said: "As God desires +your redemption, He pays no heed to your idols; He passes them by. Nor does He +look upon your evil deeds, but only upon the good deeds of the pious among +you."[204] +</p> + +<p> +God would not, indeed, have delivered Israel if they had not abandoned their +idol worship. Unto this purpose He commanded them to sacrifice the paschal +lamb. Thus they were to show that they had given up the idolatry of the +Egyptians, consisting in the worship of the ram.[205] The early law was +different from the practice of later times, for they were bidden to select +their sacrificial animal four days before the day appointed for the offering, +and to designate it publicly as such, to show that they did not stand in awe of +the Egyptians. +</p> + +<p> +With a heavy heart the Egyptians watched the preparations of the Israelites for +sacrificing the animals they worshipped. Yet they did not dare interpose an +objection, and when the time came for the offering to be made, the children of +Israel could perform the ceremonies without a tremor, seeing that they knew, +through many days' experience, that the Egyptians feared to approach them with +hostile intent. There was another practice connected with the slaughter of the +paschal lamb that was to show the Egyptians how little the Israelites feared +them. They took of the blood of the animal, and openly put it on the two side +posts and on the lintel of the doors of their houses.[206] +</p> + +<p> +Moses communicated the laws regulating the Passover sacrifice to the elders, +and they in turn made them known to the people at large. The elders were +commended for having supported the leader at his first appearance, for their +faith in Moses caused the whole people to adhere to him at once. Therefore God +spake, saying: "I will reward the elders for inspiring the people with +confidence in Moses. They shall have the honor of delivering Israel. They shall +lead the people to the Passover sacrifice, and through this the redemption will +be brought about."[207] +</p> + +<p> +The ceremonies connected with the Passover sacrifice had the purpose of +conveying instruction to Israel about the past and the future alike. The blood +put on the two side posts and on the lintel of their doors was to remind them +of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and the bunch of hyssop for sprinkling the blood +on the doors was to imply that, although Israel's position among the peoples of +the earth is as lowly as that of the hyssop among the plants, yet this little +nation is bound together like the bunch of hyssop, for it is God's peculiar +treasure.[208] +</p> + +<p> +The paschal sacrifice afforded Moses the opportunity for inducing the children +of Israel to submit themselves to circumcision, which many had refused to do +until then in spite of his urgent appeals. But God has means of persuasion. He +caused a wind to blow that wafted the sweet scents of Paradise toward Moses' +paschal lamb, and the fragrance penetrated to all parts of Egypt, to the +distance of a forty days' journey. The people were attracted in crowds to +Moses' lamb, and desired to partake of it. But he said, "This is the command of +God, 'No uncircumcised person shall eat thereof,' " and they all decided to +undergo circumcision. When the Lord passed through the land of Egypt, He +blessed every Israelite for his fulfilment of the two commands, the command of +the paschal sacrifice and the command regarding circumcision." +</p> + +<p> +The Lord performed a great miracle for the Israelites. As no sacrifice may be +eaten beyond the borders of the Holy Land, all the children of Israel were +transported thither on clouds, and after they had eaten of the sacrifice, they +were carried back to Egypt in the same way.[210] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap86"></a>THE SMITING OF THE FIRST-BORN</h2> + +<p> +When Moses announced the slaying of the first-born, the designated victims all +repaired to their fathers, and said: "Whatever Moses hath foretold has been +fulfilled. Let the Hebrews go, else we shall all die." But the fathers replied, +"It is better for one of every ten of us to die, than the Hebrews should +execute their purpose." Then the first-born repaired to Pharaoh, to induce him +to dismiss the children of Israel. So far from granting their wish, he ordered +his servants to fall upon the first-born and beat them, to punish them for +their presumptuous demand. Seeing that they could not accomplish their end by +gentle means, they attempted to bring it about by force.[211] +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh and all that opposed the wishes of the first-born were of the opinion +that the loss of so inconsiderable a percentage of the population was a matter +of small moment. They were mistaken in their calculation, for the Divine decree +included not only the first-born sons, but also the first-born daughters, and +not only the first-born of the marriages then existing, but also the first-born +issuing from previous alliances of the fathers and the mothers, and as the +Egyptians led dissolute lives, it happened not rarely that each of the ten +children of one woman was the first-born of its father. Finally, God decreed +that death should smite the oldest member of every household, whether or not he +was the first-born of his parents.[212] What God resolves is executed. At the +exact instant marking the middle of the night, so precise that only God Himself +could determine and discern it, He appeared in Egypt, attended by nine thousand +myriads of the Angels of Destruction who are fashioned some of hail and some of +flames, and whose glances drive terror and trembling to the heart of the +beholder. These angels were about to precipitate themselves into the work of +annihilation, but God restrained them, saying, "My wrath will not be appeased +until I Myself execute vengeance upon the enemies of Israel."[213] +</p> + +<p> +Those among the Egyptians who gave credence to Moses' words, and tried to +shield their first-born children from death, sent them to their Hebrew +neighbors, to spend the fateful night with them, in the hope that God would +exempt the houses of the children of Israel from the plague. But in the +morning, when the Israelites arose from their sleep, they found the corpses of +the Egyptian fugitives next to them.[214] That was the night in which the +Israelites prayed before lying down to sleep: "Cause us, O Lord our God, to lie +down in peace, remove Satan from before us and from behind us, and guard our +going out and our coming in unto life and unto peace,"[215] for it was Satan +that had caused frightful bloodshed among the Egyptians.[216] +</p> + +<p> +Among the slain there were, beside the Egyptian first- born, also the +first-born of other nationalities residing in Egypt, as well as the Egyptian +first-born dwelling outside of their own land.[217] Even the long dead of the +first-born were not spared. The dogs dragged their corpses out of their graves +in the houses, for it was the Egyptian custom to inter the dead at home. At the +appalling sight the Egyptians mourned as though the bereavement had befallen +them but recently. The very monuments and statues erected to the memory of the +first-born dead were changed into dust, which was scattered and flew out of +sight. Moreover, their slaves had to share the fate of the Egyptians, and no +less the first- born of the captive that was in the dungeon, for none was so +low but he hated the Hebrews, and rejoiced when the Egyptians decreed their +persecution.[218] The female slaves that ground corn between mill-stones were +in the habit of saying, "We do not regret our servitude, if only the Israelites +are gagged, too.[219] +</p> + +<p> +In dealing out punishment to these aliens in the land of Egypt, God showed that +He was at once the Master of the land and the Lord over all the gods of the +nations, for if the slaves and the captives of war had not been smitten, they +would have said, "Mighty is our god, who helped us in this plague."[220] For +the same reason all the idols of the Egyptians were swept out of existence in +that night. The stone idols were ground into dust, the wooden idols rotted, and +those made of metal melted away,[221] and so the Egyptians were kept from +ascribing their chastisement to the wrath of their own gods. Likewise the Lord +God slew the first-born of the cattle, for the Egyptians paid worship to +animals, and they would have attributed their misfortunes to them. In all these +ways the Lord showed them that their gods were but vanity. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap87"></a>THE REDEMPTION OF ISRAEL FROM EGYPTIAN BONDAGE</h2> + +<p> +Pharaoh rose up in the night of the smiting of the first- born. He waited not +for the third hour of the morning, when kings usually arise, nor did he wait to +be awakened, but he himself roused his slaves from their slumber, and all the +other Egyptians, and together they went forth to seek Moses and Aaron.[222] He +knew that Moses had never spoken an untruth, and as he had said, "I will see +thy face again no more," he could not count upon Moses' coming to him. There +remained nothing for him to do but go in search of the Israelitish leader.[223] +He did not know where Moses lived, and he had great difficulty and lost much +time in looking for his house, for the Hebrew lads of whom he made inquiries +when he met them in the street played practical jokes on him, misdirected him, +and led him astray. Thus he wandered about a long time.[224] all the while +weeping and crying out, "O my friend Moses, pray for me to God!" +</p> + +<p> +Meanwhile Moses and Aaron and all Israel beside were at the paschal meal, +drinking wine as they sat and leaned to one side, and singing songs in praise +of God, the Hallel, which they were the first to recite. When Pharaoh finally +reached the door of the house wherein Moses abode, he called to him, and from +Moses the question came back, "Who art thou, and what is thy name?"—"I am +Pharaoh, who stands here humiliated."—Moses asked again: "Why dost thou come to +me thyself? Is it the custom of kings to linger at the doors of common +folk?"—"I pray thee, my lord," returned Pharaoh, "come forth and intercede for +us, else there will not remain a single being in Egypt."—"I may not come forth, +for God bath commanded us, 'None of you shall go out of the door of his house +until the morning.' " —But Pharaoh continued to plead: "Do but step to the +window, and speak with me," and when Moses yielded to his importunities, and +appeared at the window, the king addressed these words to him: "Thou didst say +yesterday, 'All the first-born in the land of Egypt will die,' but now as many +as nine-tenths of the inhabitants have perished."[225] +</p> + +<p> +Pharaoh was accompanied by his daughter Bithiah, Moses' foster-mother. She +reproached him with ingratitude, in having brought down evil upon her and her +countrymen. And Moses answered, and said: "Ten plagues the Lord brought upon +Egypt. Hath evil accrued to thee from any of them? Did one of them affect +thee?" And when Bithiah acknowledged that no harm had touched her, Moses +continued to speak, "Although thou art thy mother's first- born, thou shalt not +die, and no evil shall reach thee in the midst of Egypt." But Bithiah said, "Of +what advantage is my security to me, when I see the king, my brother, and all +his household, and his servants in this evil plight, and look upon their +first-born perishing with all the first-born of Egypt?" And Moses returned, +"Verily, thy brother and his household and the other Egyptians would not +hearken to the words of the Lord, therefore did this evil come upon them.[226] +</p> + +<p> +Turning to Pharaoh, Moses said: "In spite of all that hath happened, I will +teach thee something, if thou desirest to learn, and thou wilt be spared, and +thou wilt not die. Raise thy voice, and say: 'Ye children of Israel, ye are +your own masters. Prepare for your journey, and depart from among my people. +Hitherto ye were the slaves of Pharaoh, but henceforward ye are under the +authority of God. Serve the Lord your God!' " Moses made him say these words +three times,[227] and God caused Pharaoh's voice to be heard throughout the +land of Egypt, so that all the inhabitants, the home-born and the aliens, knew +that Pharaoh had released the children of Israel from the bondage in which they +had languished. And all Israel sang, "Hallelujah, praise, O ye servants of the +Lord, praise the Name of the Lord," for they belonged to the Lord, and no more +were the servants of Pharaoh.[228] +</p> + +<p> +Now the king of Egypt insisted upon their leaving the land without delay. But +Moses objected, and said: "Are we thieves, that we should slink away under +cover of the night? Wait until morning." Pharaoh, however, urged and begged +Moses to depart, confessing that he was anxious about his own person, for he +was a first-born son, and he was terrified that death would strike him down, +too. Moses dissipated his alarm, though he substituted a new horror, with the +words, "Fear not, there is worse in store for thee!" Dread seized upon the +whole people; every one of the Egyptians was afraid of losing his life, and +they all united their prayers with Pharaoh's, and begged Moses to take the +Israelites hence. And God spake, Ye shall all find your end, not here, but in +the Red Sea!"[229] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap88"></a>THE EXODUS</h2> + +<p> +Pharaoh and the Egyptians let their dead lie unburied, while they hastened to +help the Israelites load their possessions on wagons, to get them out of the +land with as little delay as possible. When they left, they took with them, +beside their own cattle, the sheep and the oxen that Pharaoh had ordered his +nobles to give them as presents. The king also forced his magnates to beg +pardon of the Israelites for all they had suffered, knowing as he did that God +forgives an injury done by man to his fellow only after the wrong- doer has +recovered the good-will of his victim by confessing and regretting his +fault.[230] "Now, depart!" said Pharaoh to the Israelites, "I want nothing from +you but that you should pray to God for me, that I may be saved from +death."[231] +</p> + +<p> +The hatred of the Egyptians toward the Israelites changed now into its +opposite. They conceived affection and friendship for them, and fairly forced +raiment upon them, and jewels of silver and jewels of gold, to take along with +them on their journey, although the children of Israel had not yet returned the +articles they had borrowed from their neighbors at an earlier time. This action +is in part to be explained by the vanity of Pharaoh and his people. They +desired to pretend before the world that they were vastly rich, as everybody +would conclude when this wealth of their mere slaves was displayed to +observers. Indeed, the Israelites bore so much away from Egypt that one of them +alone might have defrayed the expense of building and furnishing the +Tabernacle. +</p> + +<p> +On their leaving the land only the private wealth of the Egyptians was in their +hands, but when they arrived at the Red Sea they came into possession of the +public treasure, too, for Pharaoh, like all kings, carried the moneys of the +state with him on his campaigns, in order to be prepared to hire a relay of +mercenaries in case of defeat. Great as the other treasure was, the booty +captured at the sea far exceeded it.[232] +</p> + +<p> +But if the Israelites loaded themselves down with goods and jewels and money, +it was not to gratify love of riches, or, as any usurer might say, because they +coveted their neighbors' possessions. In the first place they could look upon +their plunder as wages due to them from those they had long served, and, +secondly, they were entitled to retaliate on those at whose hands they had +suffered wrong. Even then they were requiting them with an affliction far +slighter than any one of all they had endured themselves.[233] +</p> + +<p> +The plagues did not stay the cruelty of the Egyptian oppressors toward the +Hebrews. It continued unabated until the very end of their sojourn in the land. +On the day of the exodus, Rachel the daughter of Shuthelah gave birth to a +child, while she and her husband together were treading the clay for bricks. +The babe dropped from her womb into the clay and sank out of sight. Gabriel +appeared, moulded a brick out of the clay containing the child, and carried it +to the highest of the heavens, where he made it a footstool before the Divine +throne. In that night it was that God looked upon the suffering of Israel, and +smote the first-born of the Egyptians,[234] and it is one of the four nights +that God has inscribed in the Book of Memorial. The first of the four is that +in which God appeared to create the world; all was waste and void, and darkness +brooded over the abyss, until the Lord came and spread light round about by His +word. The second night is that in which God appeared unto Abraham at the +covenant of the pieces. In the third night He appeared in Egypt, slaying the +first-born of the Egyptians with His right hand, and protecting the first-born +of the Israelites with His left. The fourth night recorded will be that in +which the end of the redemption will be accomplished, when the iron yoke of the +wicked kingdom will be broken, and the evil-doers will be destroyed. Then will +Moses come from the desert, and the Messiah from Rome, each at the head of his +flock, and the word of God will mediate between them, causing both to walk with +one accord in the same direction. +</p> + +<p> +Israel's redemption in future days will happen on the fifteenth of Nisan, the +night of Israel's redemption from Egypt, for thus did Moses say, "In this night +God protected Israel against the Angels of Destruction, and in this night He +will also redeem the generations of the future."[235] +</p> + +<p> +Though the actual deliverance from Egypt took place in that night, the Hebrews +did not leave the land until the following day.[236] +</p> + +<p> +During the same night God requited the Egyptians for their evil deeds in the +sight of all the people, the night being as bright as day at the time of the +summer solstice. Not one could escape the general chastisement, for by Divine +dispensation none was absent from home at the time, so that none could fail to +see the chastisement.[237] +</p> + +<p> +The angels in heaven learnt what was happening on earth. When they were about +to begin their song of praise to God, He silenced them with the words, "My +children on earth are singing now," and the celestial hosts had to stop and +listen to the song of Israel.[238] +</p> + +<p> +Great as the joy of the Hebrews was at their deliverance from the Egyptian +bondage, it was exceeded by that of Pharaoh's people at seeing their slaves +depart, for with them went the dread of death that had obsessed them. They were +like the portly gentleman riding an ass. The rider feels uncomfortable and +longs for the moment of alighting, but his longing cannot compare in intensity +with that of the ass groaning under the corpulent burden, and when their +journey's end is reached, the ass rejoices more than his master. So the +Egyptians were happier to be rid of the Hebrews than these were to be +free.[239] +</p> + +<p> +In general, the Israelites were not in a joyous mood. The strength of men is +readily exhausted, mentally and physically, by the strain of a sudden change +from slavery to freedom. They did not recover vigor and force until they heard +the angel hosts sing songs of praise and joy over the redemption of Israel and +the redemption of the Shekinah, for so long as the chosen people is in exile, +the Shekinah, who dwells among Israel, is also, as it were, in exile. At the +same time, God caused the earth to exhale and send aloft a healing fragrance, +which cured them of all their diseases.[240] +</p> + +<p> +The exodus of the Israelites began at Raamses, and although the distance from +there to the city of Mizraim, where Moses abode, was a forty days' journey, yet +they heard the voice of their leader urging them to leave the land. They +covered the distance from Raamses to Succoth, a three days' march, in an +instant. In Succoth God enveloped them in seven clouds of glory, four hovering +in front, behind, and at the two sides of them, one suspended above them, to +keep off rain, hail, and the rays of the sun, and one under them to protect +them against thorns and snakes. The seventh cloud preceded them, and prepared +the way for them, exalting the valleys and making low every mountain and +hill.[241] Thus they wandered through the wilderness for forty years. In all +that time no artificial lighting was needed; a beam from the celestial cloud +followed them into the darkest of chambers, and if one of the people had to go +outside of the camp, even thither he was accompanied by a fold of the cloud, +covering and protecting him.[242] Only, that a difference might be made between +day and night, a pillar of fire took the place of the cloud in the +evening.[243] Never for an instant were the people without the one or the other +to guide them: the pillar of fire glowed in front of them before the pillar of +cloud retired, and in the morning the cloud was there before the fire +vanished.[244] The clouds of glory and the pillar of fire were sent for the +protection of Israel alone, for none beside, not for the heathen and not for +the mixed multitude that went up with them; these had to walk outside of the +cloud enclosure.[245] +</p> + +<p> +The cavalcade consisted of six hundred thousand heads of families afoot, each +accompanied by five children on horseback, and to these must be added the mixed +multitude, exceeding the Hebrews vastly in number.[246] +</p> + +<p> +So profound was Israel's trust in the Lord, that they followed Moses +unmurmuringly into the wilderness, without supplying themselves with +provisions.[247] The only edibles they took were the remains of the unleavened +bread and the bitter herbs, and these not to satisfy their hunger, but because +they were unwilling to separate themselves from what they had prepared lovingly +at the command of God. These possessions were so dear to them that they would +not entrust them to the beasts of burden, they carried them on their own +shoulders.[248] +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LEGENDS OF THE JEWS, VOLUME II ***</div> +<div style='text-align:left'> + +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will +be renamed. +</div> + +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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If you have a typed copy, please send the +etext to Project Gutenberg. + + + + + +THE LEGENDS OF THE JEWS + +BY +LOUIS GINZBERG + +TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN MANUSCRIPT BY +HENRIETTA SZOLD + + +II + +BIBLE TIMES AND CHARACTERS FROM JOSEPH TO THE EXODUS + + + + +PREFACE + +The arrangement and presentation of the material in this +volume are the same as in Volume I. In both my efforts +have been directed to bringing together as full as possible +a collection of Jewish legends that deal with Biblical personages +and events. The sources of those legends and explanations +of some of them will be given in the last volume +of the entire work, and the numbers throughout the work +refer to the notes in the concluding volume. + +My original intention was to continue Volume II up to the +death of Moses, but the legendary material clustering around +the life and death of Moses is so abundant that practical +considerations demanded the division of this material, in order +not to make the second volume too bulky. The division +chosen is a natural one. This volume closes with the Exodus, +and contains the deeds of Moses in Egypt, while the following +volume will deal with Moses in the desert. + +The fact that Job is placed between Jacob's sons and +Moses may appear strange to some readers, since in the +Bible Job is one of the last books; but "legend is above time +and space," and I have, therefore, given Job the place which +legend has ascribed to him. + LOUIS GINZBERG. + +NEW YORK, March 28, 1910. + + + +CONTENTS + +PREFACE +JOSEPH +The Favorite Son-Joseph Hated by His Brethren-- +Joseph Cast into the Pit-The Sale-Joseph's Three +Masters-Joseph's Coat Brought to His Father-Judah +and His Sons-The Wives of the Sons of Jacob-- +Joseph the Slave of Potiphar-Joseph and Zuleika-- +Joseph Resists Temptation-Joseph in Prison-Pharaoh's +Dreams-Joseph before Pharaoh-The Ruler of +Egypt-Joseph's Brethren in Egypt-Joseph Meets His +Brethren-The Second journey to Egypt-Joseph and +Benjamin-The Thief Caught-Judah Pleads and +Threatens-Joseph Makes Himself Known-Jacob +Receives the Glad Tidings-Jacob Arrives in Egypt-- +Joseph's Kindness and Generosity~Jacob's Last Wish-- +The Blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh-The Blessing +of the Twelve Tribes-The Death of Jacob-The Sons +of Jacob at War with the Sons of Esau-Zepho King +of Kittim-The Nations at War-Joseph's Magnanimity +-Asenath-The Marriage of Joseph-Kind and Unkind +Brethren-Treachery Punished-The Death and Burial +of Joseph. + +II. THE SONS OF JACOB +Significant Names-Reuben's Testament-Simon's +Admonition against Envy~The Ascension of Levi-Judah +Warns against Greed and Unchastity-Issachar's Singleness +of Heart-Zebulon Exhorts unto Compassion- +Dan's Confession-Naphtali's Dreams of the Division +of the Tribes-Gad's Hatred-Asher's Last Words- +Benjamin Extols Joseph. + +III. JOB +Job and the Patriarchs-Job's Wealth and +Benefactions-Satan and Job--Job's Suffering-The Four +Friends-Job Restored. + +IV. MOSES IN EGYPT +The Beginning of the Egyptian Bondage-Pharaoh's +Cunning-The Pious Midwives-The Three Counsellors- +The Slaughter of the Innocents-The Parents of +Moses-The Birth of Moses-Moses Rescued from the +Water-The Infancy of Moses-Moses Rescued by +Gabriel-The Youth of Moses-The Flight-The King +of Ethiopia-Jethro-Moses Marries Zipporah-A +Bloody Remedy-The Faithful Shepherd-The Burning +Thorn-bush-The Ascension of Moses-Moses Visits +Paradise and Hell-Moses Declines the Mission-Moses +Punished for His Stubbornness-The Return to Egypt- +Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh-The Suffering In- +creases-Measure for Measure-The Plagues Brought +through Aaron-The Plagues Brought through Moses- +The First Passover-The Smiting of the First-born- +The Redemption of Israel from Egyptian Bondage- +The Exodus. + + + +I +JOSEPH + +THE FAVORITE SON +JOSEPH HATED By His BRETHREN +JOSEPH CAST INTO THE PIT +THE SALE +JOSEPH'S THREE MASTERS +JOSEPH'S COAT BROUGHT TO HIS FATHER +JUDAH AND HIS SONS +THE WIVES OF THE SONS OF JACOB +JOSEPH THE SLAVE OF POTIPHAR +JOSEPH AND ZULEIKA +JOSEPH RESISTS TEMPTATION +JOSEPH IN PRISON +PHARAOH'S DREAMS +JOSEPH BEFORE PHARAOH +THE RULER OF EGYPT +JOSEPH'S BRETHREN IN EGYPT +JOSEPH MEETS HIS BRETHREN +THE SECOND JOURNEY TO EGYPT +JOSEPH AND BENJAMIN +THE THIEF CAUGHT +JUDAH PLEADS AND THREATENS +JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN +JACOB RECEIVES THE GLAD TIDINGS +JACOB ARRIVES IN EGYPT +JOSEPH's KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY +JACOB'S LAST WISH +THE BLESSING OF EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH +THE BLESSING OF THE TWELVE TRIBES +THE DEATH OF JACOB +THE SONS OF JACOB AT WAR WITH THE SONS OF ESAU +ZEPHO KING OF KITTIM +THE NATIONS AT WAR +JOSEPH'S MAGNANIMITY +ASENATH +THE MARRIAGE OF JOSEPH +KIND AND UNKIND BRETHREN +TREACHERY PUNISHED +THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF JOSEPH + + +I + +JOSEPH + +THE FAVORITE SON + +Jacob was not exempt from the lot that falls to the share +of all the pious. Whenever they expect to enjoy life in +tranquillity, Satan hinders them. He appears before God, +and says: "Is it not enough that the future world is set +apart for the pious? What right have they to enjoy this +world, besides?" After the many hardships and conflicts +that had beset the path of Jacob, he thought he would be at +rest at last, and then came the loss of Joseph and inflicted the +keenest suffering. Verily, few and evil had been the days +of the years of Jacob's pilgrimage, for the time spent outside +of the Holy Land had seemed joyless to him. Only the +portion of his life passed in the land of his fathers, during +which he was occupied with making proselytes, in accordance +with the example set him by Abraham and Isaac, did +he consider worth while having lived,[1] and this happy time +was of short duration. When Joseph was snatched away, +but eight years had elapsed since his return to his father's +house.[2] + +And yet it was only for the sake of Joseph that Jacob had +been willing to undergo all the troubles and the adversity +connected with his sojourn in the house of Laban. Indeed, +Jacob's blessing in having his quiver full of children was due +to the merits of Joseph, and likewise the dividing of the +Red Sea and of the Jordan for the Israelites was the reward for +his son's piety. For among the sons of Jacob +Joseph was the one that resembled his father most closely in +appearance, and, also, he was the one to whom Jacob transmitted +the instruction and knowledge he had received from +his teachers Shem and Eber.[3] The whole course of the son's +life is but a repetition of the father's. As the mother of +Jacob remained childless for a long time after her marriage, +so also the mother of Joseph. As Rebekah had undergone +severe suffering in giving birth to Jacob, so Rachel in giving +birth to Joseph. As Jacob's mother bore two sons, so also +Joseph's mother. Like Jacob, Joseph was born circumcised. +As the father was a shepherd, so the son. As the father +served for the sake of a woman, so the son served under a +woman. Like the father, the son appropriated his older +brother's birthright. The father was hated by his brother, +and the son was hated by his brethren. The father was the +favorite son as compared with his brother, so was the son +as compared with his brethren. Both the father and the son +lived in the land of the stranger. The father became a servant +to a master, also the son. The master whom the father +served was blessed by God, so was the master whom the son +served. The father and the son were both accompanied by +angels, and both married their wives outside of the Holy +Land. The father and the son were both blessed with +wealth. Great things were announced to the father in a +dream, so also to the son. As the father went to Egypt and +put an end to famine, so the son. As the father exacted the +promise from his sons to bury him in the Holy Land, so +also the son. The father died in Egypt, there died also the +son. The body of the father was embalmed, also the body +of the son. As the father's remains were carried to the +Holy Land for interment, so also the remains of the son. +Jacob the father provided for the sustenance of his son +Joseph during a period of seventeen years, so Joseph the +son provided for his father Jacob during a period of seventeen +years.[4] + +Until he was seventeen years old, Joseph frequented the +Bet ha-Midrash,[5] and he became so learned that he could +impart to his brethren the Halakot he had heard from his +father, and in this way he may be regarded as their teacher.[6] +He did not stop at formal instruction, he also tried to give +them good counsel, and he became the favorite of the sons +of the handmaids, who would kiss and embrace him.[7] + +In spite of his scholarship there was something boyish +about Joseph. He painted his eyes, dressed his hair carefully, +and walked with a mincing step. These foibles of +youth were not so deplorable as his habit of bringing evil +reports of his brethren to his father. He accused them of +treating the beasts under their care with cruelty--he said +that they ate flesh torn from a living animal--and he charged +them with casting their eyes upon the daughters of the +Canaanites, and giving contemptuous treatment to the sons +of the handmaids Bilhah and Zilpah, whom they called +slaves. + +For these groundless accusations Joseph had to pay +dearly. He was himself sold as a slave, because he had +charged his brethren with having called the sons of the +handmaids slaves, and Potiphar's wife cast her eyes upon +Joseph, because he threw the suspicion upon his brethren +that they had cast their eyes upon the Canaanitish women. +And how little it was true that they were guilty of cruelty +to animals, appears from the fact that at the very time when +they were contemplating their crime against Joseph, they +yet observed all the rules and prescriptions of the ritual in +slaughtering the kid of the goats with the blood of which +they besmeared his coat of many colors.[8] + + +JOSEPH HATED BY HIS BRETHREN + +Joseph's talebearing against his brethren made them hate +him. Among all of them Gad was particularly wrathful, +and for good reason. Gad was a very brave man, and when +a beast of prey attacked the herd, over which he kept guard +at night, he would seize it by one of its legs, and whirl it +around until it was stunned, and then he would fling it away +to a distance of two stadia, and kill it thus. Once Jacob +sent Joseph to tend the flock, but he remained away only +thirty days, for he was a delicate lad and fell sick with the +heat, and he hastened back to his father. On his return he +told Jacob that the sons of the handmaids were in the habit +of slaughtering the choice cattle of the herd and eating it, +without obtaining permission from Judah and Reuben. But +his report was not accurate. What he had seen was Gad +slaughtering one lamb, which he had snatched from the very +jaws of a bear, and he killed it because it could not be kept +alive after its fright. Joseph's account sounded as though +the sons of the handmaids were habitually inconsiderate and +careless in wasting their father's substance.[9] + +To the resentment of the brethren was added their envy +of Joseph, because their father loved him more than all of +them. Joseph's beauty of person was equal to that of his +mother Rachel, and Jacob had but to look at him to be consoled +for the death of his beloved wife. Reason enough for +distinguishing him among his children.[10] As a token of his +great love for him, Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors, +so light and delicate that it could be crushed and concealed +in the closed palm of one hand. The Hebrew name of the +garment, Passim, conveys the story of the sale of Joseph. +The first letter, Pe, stands for Potiphar, his Egyptian master; +Samek stands for Soharim, the merchantmen that +bought Joseph from the company of Ishmaelites to whom his +brethren had sold him; Yod stands for these same Ishmaelites; +and Mem, for the Midianites that obtained him from +the merchantmen, and then disposed of him to Potiphar. +But Passim. has yet another meaning, "clefts." His brethren +knew that the Red Sea would be cleft in twain in days to +come for Joseph's sake, and they were jealous of the glory +to be conferred upon him. Although they were filled with +hatred of him, it must be said in their favor that they were +not of a sullen, spiteful nature. They did not hide their +feelings, +they proclaimed their enmity openly. + +Once Joseph dreamed a dream, and he could not refrain +from telling it to his brethren. He spoke, and said: "Hear, +I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed. Behold, you +gathered fruit, and so did I. Your fruit rotted, but mine +remained sound. Your seed will set up dumb images of +idols, but they will vanish at the appearance of my descendant, +the Messiah of Joseph. You will keep the truth as to +my fate from the knowledge of my father, but I will stand +fast as a reward for the self-denial of my mother, and you +will prostrate yourselves five times before me."[11] + +The brethren refused at first to listen to the dream, but +when Joseph urged them again and again, they gave heed +to him, and they said, "Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or +shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?"[12] God put an +interpretation into their mouths that was to be verified in +the posterity of Joseph. Jeroboam and Jehu, two kings, +and Joshua and Gideon, two judges, have been among his +descendants, corresponding to the double and emphatic expressions +used by his brethren in interpreting the dream.[13] + +Then Joseph dreamed another dream, how the sun, the +moon, and eleven stars bowed down before him, and Jacob, +to whom he told it first, was rejoiced over it, for he understood +its meaning properly.[14] He knew that he himself was +designated by the sun, the name by which God had called +him when he lodged overnight on the holy site of the +Temple. He had heard God say to the angels at that time, +"The sun has come."[15] The moon stood for Joseph's +mother, and the stars for his brethren, for the righteous are +as the stars.[16] Jacob was so convinced of the truth of +the dream that he was encouraged to believe that he +would live to see the resurrection of the dead, for Rachel +was dead, and her return to earth was clearly indicated by +the dream. He went astray there, for not Joseph's own +mother was referred to, but his foster-mother Bilhah, who +had raised him. + +Jacob wrote the dream in a book, recording all the circumstances, +the day, the hour, and the place, for the holy spirit +cautioned him, "Take heed, these things will surely come +to pass."[17] But when Joseph repeated his dream to his +brethren, in the presence of his father, Jacob rebuked him, +saying, "I and thy brethren, that has some sense, but I and +thy mother, that is inconceivable, for thy mother is dead."[18] +These words of Jacob called forth a reproof from God. He +said, "Thus thy descendants will in time to come seek to +hinder Jeremiah in delivering his prophecies."[19] Jacob may +be excused, he had spoken in this way only in order to avert +the envy and hate of his brethren from Joseph, but they +envied and hated him because they knew that the interpretation +put upon the dream by Jacob would be realized.[20] + + +JOSEPH CAST INTO THE PIT + +Once the brethren of Joseph led their father's flocks to +the pastures of Shechem, and they intended to take their +ease and pleasure there.[21] They stayed away a long time, and +no tidings of them were heard. Jacob began to be anxious +about the fate of his sons. He feared that a war had broken +out between them and the people of Shechem, and he resolved +to send Joseph to them and have him bring word +again, whether it was well with his brethren.[22] Jacob desired +to know also about the flocks, for it is a duty to concern +oneself about the welfare of anything from which one derives +profit. Though he knew that the hatred of his brethren +might bring on unpleasant adventures, yet Joseph, in +filial reverence, declared himself ready to go on his father's +errand. Later, whenever Jacob remembered his dear son's +willing spirit, the recollection stabbed him to the heart. He +would say to himself, "Thou didst know the hatred of thy +brethren, and yet thou didst say, Here am I."[23] + +Jacob dismissed Joseph, with the injunction that he journey +only by daylight,[24] saying furthermore, "Go now, see +whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; +and send me word"--an unconscious prophecy. He did not +say that he expected to see Joseph again, but only to have +word from him.[25] Since the covenant of the pieces, God +had resolved, on account of Abraham's doubting question, +that Jacob and his family should go down into Egypt to +dwell there. The preference shown to Joseph by his father, +and the envy it aroused, leading finally to the sale of Joseph +and his establishment in Egypt, were but disguised means +created by God, instead of executing His counsel directly +by carrying Jacob down into Egypt as a captive.[26] + +Joseph reached Shechem, where he expected to find his +brethren. Shechem was always a place of ill omen for +Jacob and his seed--there Dinah was dishonored, there the +Ten Tribes of Israel rebelled against the house of David +while Rehoboam ruled in Jerusalem, and there Jeroboam +was installed as king.[27] Not finding his brethren and the +herd in Shechem, Joseph continued his journey in the direction +of the next pasturing place, not far from Shechem, but +he lost his way in the wilderness.[28] Gabriel in human shape +appeared before him, and asked him, saying, "What seekest +thou?"[29] And he answered, "I seek my brethren." +Whereto the angel replied, "Thy brethren have given up +the Divine qualities of love and mercy.[30] Through a prophetic +revelation they learned that the Hivites were preparing +to make war upon them, and therefore they departed +hence to go to Dothan. And they had to leave this place for +other reasons, too. I heard, while I was still standing behind +the curtain that veils the Divine throne, that this day +the Egyptian bondage would begin, and thou wouldst be +the first to be subjected to it."[31] Then Gabriel led Joseph to +Dothan.[32] + +When his brethren saw him afar off, they conspired +against him, to slay him. Their first plan was to set dogs +on him. Simon then spoke to Levi, "Behold, the master of +dreams cometh with a new dream, he whose descendant +Jeroboam will introduce the worship of Baal. Come now, +therefore, and let us slay him, that we may see what will +become of his dreams." But God spoke: "Ye say, We shall +see what will become of his dreams, and I say likewise, We +shall see, and the future shall show whose word will stand, +yours or Mine."[33] + +Simon and Gad set about slaying Joseph, and he fell upon +his face, and entreated them: "Have mercy with me, my +brethren, have pity on the heart of my father Jacob. Lay +not your hands upon me, to spill innocent blood, for I have +done no evil unto you. But if I have done evil unto you, +then chastise me with a chastisement, but your hands lay +not upon me, for the sake of our father Jacob." These +words touched Zebulon, and he began to lament and weep, +and the wailing of Joseph rose up together with his brother's, +and when Simon and Gad raised their hands against +him to execute their evil design, Joseph took refuge behind +Zebulon, and supplicated his other brethren to have mercy +upon him. Then Reuben arose, and he said, "Brethren, let +us not slay him, but let us cast him into one of the dry pits, +which our fathers dug without finding water." That was +due to the providence of God; He had hindered the water +from rising in them in order that Joseph's rescue might be +accomplished, and the pits remained dry until Joseph was +safe in the hands of the Ishmaelites.[34] + +Reuben had several reasons for interceding in behalf of +Joseph. He knew that he as the oldest of the brethren would +be held responsible by their father, if any evil befell him. +Besides, Reuben was grateful to Joseph for having reckoned +him among the eleven sons of Jacob in narrating his +dream of the sun, moon, and stars. Since his disrespectful +bearing toward Jacob, he had not thought himself worthy +of being considered one of his sons.[35] First Reuben tried +to restrain his brethren from their purpose, and he addressed +them in words full of love and compassion. But when he +saw that neither words nor entreaties would change their +intention, he begged them, saying: "My brethren, at least +hearken unto me in respect of this, that ye be not so wicked +and cruel as to slay him. Lay no hand upon your brother, +shed no blood, cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, +and let him perish thus.[36] + +Then Reuben went away from his brethren, and he hid +in the mountains, so that he might be able to hasten back +in a favorable moment and draw Joseph forth from the pit +and restore him to his father. He hoped his reward would +be pardon for the transgression he had committed against +Jacob.[37] His good intention was frustrated, yet Reuben was +rewarded by God, for God gives a recompense not only for +good deeds, but for good intentions as well.[38] As he was +the first of the brethren of Joseph to make an attempt to +save him, so the city of Bezer in the tribe of Reuben was +the first of the cities of refuge appointed to safeguard the +life of the innocent that seek help.[39] Furthermore God +spake to Reuben, saying: "As thou wast the first to endeavor +to restore a child unto his father, so Hosea, one of +thy descendants, shall be the first to endeavor to lead Israel +back to his heavenly Father."[40] + +The brethren accepted Reuben's proposition, and Simon +seized Joseph, and cast him into a pit swarming with snakes +and scorpions, beside which was another unused pit, filled +with offal.[41] As though this were not enough torture, Simon +bade his brethren fling great stones at Joseph. In his later +dealings with this brother Simon, Joseph showed all the +forgiving charitableness of his nature. When Simon was +held in durance in Egypt as a hostage, Joseph, so far from +bearing him a grudge, ordered crammed poultry to be set +before him at all his meals.[42] + +Not satisfied with exposing Joseph to the snakes and +scorpions, his brethren had stripped him bare before they +flung him into the pit. They took off his coat of many +colors, his upper garment, his breeches, and his shirt.[43] +However, the reptiles could do him no harm. God heard +his cry of distress, and kept them in hiding in the clefts +and the holes, and they could not come near him. From the +depths of the pit Joseph appealed to his brethren, saying: +"O my brethren, what have I done unto you, and what is +my transgression? Why are you not afraid before God on +account of your treatment of me? Am I not flesh of your +flesh, and bone of your bone? Jacob your father, is he not +also my father? Why do you act thus toward me? And +how will you be able to lift up your countenance before +Jacob? O Judah, Reuben, Simon, Levi, my brethren, deliver +me, I pray you, from the dark place into which you +have cast me. Though I committed a trespass against you, +yet are ye children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were +compassionate with the orphan, gave food to the hungry, +and clothed the naked. How, then, can ye withhold your +pity from your own brother, your own flesh and bone? And +though I sinned against you, yet you will hearken unto my +petition for the sake of my father. O that my father knew +what my brethren are doing unto me, and what they spake +unto me!" + +To avoid hearing Joseph's weeping and cries of distress, +his brethren passed on from the pit, and stood at a bow- +shot's distance.[44] The only one among them that manifested +pity was Zebulon. For two days and two nights no food +passed his lips on account of his grief over the fate of +Joseph, who had to spend three days and three nights in the +pit before he was sold. During this period Zebulon was +charged by his brethren to keep watch at the pit. He was +chosen to stand guard because he took no part in the meals. +Part of the time Judah also refrained from eating with +the rest, and took turns at watching, because he feared +Simon and Gad might jump down into the pit and put an +end to Joseph's life.[45] + +While Joseph was languishing thus, his brethren determined +to kill him. They would finish their meal first, they +said, and then they would fetch him forth and slay him. +When they had done eating, they attempted to say grace, but +Judah remonstrated with them: "We are about to take the +life of a human being, and yet would bless God? That is +not a blessing, that is contemning the Lord.[46] What profit +is it if we slay our brother? Rather will the punishment of +God descend upon us. I have good counsel to give you. +Yonder passeth by a travelling company of Ishmaelites on +their way to Egypt. Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, +and let not our hand be upon him. The Ishmaelites +will take him with them upon their journeyings, and he +will be lost among the peoples of the earth.[47] Let us follow +the custom of former days, for Canaan, too, the son of Ham, +was made a slave for his evil deeds, and so will we do with +our brother Joseph."[48] + + +THE SALE + +While the brethren of Joseph were deliberating upon his +fate, seven Midianitish merchantmen passed near the pit +in which he lay. They noticed that many birds were circling +above it, whence they assumed that there must be water +therein, and, being thirsty, they made a halt in order to refresh +themselves. When they came close, they heard Joseph +screaming and wailing, and they looked down into the pit +and saw a youth of beautiful figure and comely appearance. +They called to him, saying: "Who art thou? Who brought +thee hither, and who cast thee into this pit in the wilderness?" +They all joined together and dragged him up, and +took him along with them when they continued on their +journey. They had to pass his brethren, who called out to +the Midianites: "Why have you done such a thing, to steal +our slave and carry him away with you? We threw the +lad into the pit, because he was disobedient. Now, then, return +our slave to us." The Midianites replied: "What, +this lad, you say, is your slave, your servant? More likely +is it that you all are slaves unto him, for in beauty of form, +in pleasant looks, and fair appearance, he excelleth you all. +Why, then, will you speak lies unto us? We will not give +ear unto your words, nor believe you, for we found the lad +in the wilderness, in a pit, and we took him out, and we will +carry him away with us on our journey." But the sons of +Jacob insisted, "Restore our slave to us, lest you meet death +at the edge of the sword." + +Unaffrighted, the Midianites drew their weapons, and, +amid war whoops, they prepared to enter into a combat with +the sons of Jacob. Then Simon rose up, and with bared +sword he sprang upon the Midianites, at the same time +uttering a cry that made the earth reverberate. The Midianites +fell down in great consternation, and he said: "I am +Simon, the son of the Hebrew Jacob, who destroyed the city +of Shechem alone and unaided, and together with my brethren +I destroyed the cities of the Amorites. God do so and +more also, if it be not true that all the Midianites, your +brethren, united with all the Canaanite kings to fight with +me, cannot hold out against me. Now restore the boy you +took from us, else will I give your flesh unto the fowls of +the air and to the beasts of the field." + +The Midianites were greatly afraid of Simon, and, terrified +and abashed, they spake to the sons of Jacob with little +courage: "Said ye not that ye cast this lad into the pit because +he was of a rebellious spirit? What, now, will ye do +with an insubordinate slave? Rather sell him to us, we are +ready to pay any price you desire." This speech was part +of the purpose of God. He had put it into the heart of +the Midianites to insist upon possessing Joseph, that he +might not remain with his brethren, and be slain by them.[49] +The brethren assented, and Joseph was sold as a slave while +they sat over their meal. God spake, saying: "Over a meal +did ye sell your brother, and thus shall Ahasuerus sell your +descendants to Haman over a meal, and because ye have +sold Joseph to be a slave, therefore shall ye say year after +year, Slaves were we unto Pharaoh in Egypt."[50] + +The price paid for Joseph by the Midianites was twenty +pieces of silver, enough for a pair of shoes for each of his +brethren. Thus "they sold the righteous for silver, and the +needy for a pair of shoes." For so handsome a youth as +Joseph the sum paid was too low by far, but his appearance +had been greatly changed by the horrible anguish he bad +endured in the pit with the snakes and the scorpions. He +had lost his ruddy complexion, and he looked sallow and +sickly, and the Midianites were justified in paying a small +sum for him.[51] + +The merchantmen had come upon Joseph naked in the +pit, for his brethren had stripped him of all his clothes. +That he might not appear before men in an unseemly condition, +God sent Gabriel down to him, and the angel enlarged +the amulet banging from Joseph's neck until it was +a garment that covered him entirely. Joseph's brethren +were looking after him as he departed with the Midianites, +and when they saw him with clothes upon him, they cried +after them, "Give us his raiment! We sold him naked, +without clothes." His owners refused to yield to their demand, +but they agreed to reimburse the brethren with four +pairs of shoes, and Joseph kept his garment, the same in +which he was arrayed when he arrived in Egypt and was +sold to Potiphar, the same in which he was locked up in +prison and appeared before Pharaoh, and the same he wore +when he was ruler over Egypt.[52] + +As an atonement for the twenty pieces of silver taken by +his brethren in exchange for Joseph, God commanded that +every first-born son shall be redeemed by the priest with an +equal amount, and, also, every Israelite must pay annually +to the sanctuary as much as fell to each of the brethren as +his share of the price.[53] + +The brethren of Joseph bought shoes for the money, for +they said: "We will not eat it, because it is the price for +the blood of our brother, but we will tread upon him, for +that he spake, he would have dominion over us, and we will +see what will become of his dreams." And for this reason +the ordinance has been commanded, that he who refuseth to +raise up a name in Israel unto his brother that hath died +without having a son, shall have his shoe loosed from off his +foot, and his face shall be spat upon. Joseph's brethren refused +to do aught to preserve his life, and therefore the Lord +loosed their shoes from off their feet, for, when they went +down to Egypt, the slaves of Joseph took their shoes off +their feet as they entered the gates, and they prostrated +themselves before Joseph as before a Pharaoh, and, as they +lay prostrate, they were spat upon, and put to shame before +the Egyptians.[54] + +The Midianites pursued their journey to Gilead, but they +soon regretted the purchase they had made. They feared +that Joseph had been stolen in the land of the Hebrews, +though sold to them as a slave, and if his kinsmen should +find him with them, death would be inflicted upon them for +the abduction of a free man. The high-handed manner of +the sons of Jacob confirmed their suspicion, that they might +be capable of man theft. Their wicked deed would explain, +too, why they had accepted so small a sum in exchange for +Joseph. While discussing these points, they saw, coming +their way, the travelling company of Ishmaelites that had +been observed earlier by the sons of Jacob, and they determined +to dispose of Joseph to them, that they might at least +not lose the price they had paid, and might escape the danger +at the same time of being made captives for the crime of +kidnapping a man. And the Ishmaelites bought Joseph from +the Midianites, and they paid the same price as his former +owners had given for him.[55] + + +JOSEPH'S THREE MASTERS + +As a rule the only merchandise with which the Ishmaelites +loaded their camels was pitch and the skins of beasts. By +a providential dispensation they carried bags of perfumery +this time, instead of their usual ill-smelling freight, that +sweet fragrance might be wafted to Joseph on his journey +to Egypt.[56] These aromatic substances were well suited to +Joseph, whose body emitted a pleasant smell, so agreeable +and pervasive that the road along which he travelled was +redolent thereof, and on his arrival in Egypt the perfume +from his body spread over the whole land, and the royal +princesses, following the sweet scent to trace its source, +reached the place in which Joseph was.[57] Even after his +death the same fragrance was spread abroad by his bones, +enabling Moses to distinguish Joseph's remains from all +others, and keep the oath of the children of Israel, to inter +them in the Holy Land.[58] + +When Joseph learned that the Ishmaelites were carrying +him to Egypt, he began to weep bitterly at the thought of +being removed so far from Canaan and from his father. +One of the Ishmaelites noticed Joseph's weeping and crying, +and thinking that he found riding uncomfortable, he lifted +him from the back of the camel, and permitted him to +walk on foot. But Joseph continued to weep and sob, +crying incessantly, "O father, father!" Another one of the +caravan, tired of his lamentations, beat him, causing only +the more tears and wails, until the youth, exhausted by his +grief, was unable to move on. Now all the Ishmaelites in +the company dealt out blows to him. They treated him with +relentless cruelty, and tried to silence him by threats. God +saw Joseph's distress, and He sent darkness and terror upon +the Ishmaelites, and their hands grew rigid when they +raised them to inflict a blow. Astonished, they asked themselves +why God did thus unto them upon the road. They +did not know that it was for the sake of Joseph. + +The journey was continued until they came to Ephrath, +the place of Rachel's sepulchre. Joseph hastened to his +mother's grave, and throwing himself across it, he groaned +and cried, saying: "O mother, mother, that didst bear me, +arise, come forth and see how thy son hath been sold into +slavery, with none to take pity upon him. Arise, see thy +son, and weep with me over my misfortune, and observe the +heartlessness of my brethren. Awake, O mother, rouse thyself +from thy sleep, rise up and prepare for the conflict with +my brethren, who stripped me even of my shirt, and sold me +as a slave to merchantmen, who in turn sold me to others, +and without mercy they tore me away from my father. +Arise, accuse my brethren before God, and see whom He +will justify in the judgment, and whom He will find guilty. +Arise, O mother, awake from thy sleep, see how my father +is with me in his soul and in his spirit, and comfort him and +ease his heavy heart." + +Joseph wept and cried upon the grave of his mother, until, +weary from grief, he lay immovable as a stone. Then +he heard a voice heavy with tears speak to him from +the depths, saying: "My son Joseph, my son, I heard thy +complaints and thy groans, I saw thy tears, and I knew thy +misery, my son. I am grieved for thy sake, and thy affliction +is added to the burden of my affliction. But, my son +Joseph, put thy trust in God, and wait upon Him. Fear not, +for the Lord is with thee, and He will deliver thee from all +evil. Go down into Egypt with thy masters, my son; fear +naught, for the Lord is with thee, O my son." This and +much more like unto it did the voice utter, and then it was +silent. Joseph listened in great amazement at first, and then +he broke out in renewed tears. Angered thereby, one of +the Ishmaelites drove him from his mother's grave with +kicks and curses. Then Joseph entreated his masters to take +him back to his father, who would give them great riches as +a reward. But they said, "Why, thou art a slave! How +canst thou know where thy father is? If thou hadst had a +free man as father, thou wouldst not have been sold twice +for a petty sum." And then their fury against him increased, +they beat him and maltreated him, and he wept +bitter tears. + +Now God looked upon the distress of Joseph, and He sent +darkness to enshroud the land once more. A storm raged, +the lightning flashed, and from the thunderbolts the whole +earth trembled, and the Ishmaelites lost their way in their +terror. The beasts and the camels stood still, and, beat them +as their drivers would, they refused to budge from the spot, +but crouched down upon the ground. Then the Ishmaelites +spake to one another, and said: "Why hath God brought +this upon us? What are our sins, what our trespasses, that +such things befall us?" One of them said to the others: +"Peradventure this hath come upon us by reason of the sin +which we have committed against this slave. Let us beg him +earnestly to grant us forgiveness, and if then God will take +pity, and let these storms pass away from us, we shall know +that we suffered harm on account of the injury we inflicted +upon this slave." + +The Ishmaelites did according to these words, and they +said unto Joseph: "We have sinned against God and +against thee. Pray to thy God, and entreat Him to take +this death plague from us, for we acknowledge that we have +sinned against Him." Joseph fulfilled their wish, and God +hearkened to his petition, and the storm was assuaged. All +around became calm, the beasts arose from their recumbent +position, and the caravan could proceed upon its way. Now +the Ishmaelites saw plainly that all their trouble had come +upon them for the sake of Joseph, and they spoke one to +another, saying: "We know now that all this evil hath happened +to us on account of this poor fellow, and wherefore +should we bring death upon ourselves by our own doings? +Let us take counsel together, what is to be done with the +slave." One of them advised that Joseph's wish be fulfilled, +and he be taken back to his father. Then they would be +sure of receiving the money they had paid out for him. +This plan was rejected, because they had accomplished a +great part of their journey, and they were not inclined to +retrace their steps. They therefore resolved upon carrying +Joseph to Egypt and selling him there. They would rid +themselves of him in this way, and also receive a great price +for him. + +They continued their journey as far as the borders of +Egypt, and there they met four men, descendants of Medan, +the son of Abraham, and to these they sold Joseph for +five shekels. The two companies, the Ishmaelites and the +Medanites, arrived in Egypt upon the same day. The latter, +hearing that Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of +the guard, was seeking a good slave, repaired to him at once, +to try to dispose of Joseph to him. Potiphar was willing to +pay as much as four hundred pieces of silver, for, high as +the price was, it did not seem too great for a slave that +pleased him as much as Joseph. However, he made a +condition. He said to the Medanites: "I will pay you the +price demanded, but you must bring me the person that +sold the slave to you, that I may be in a position to find out +all about him, for the youth seems to me to be neither a +slave nor the son of a slave. He appears to be of noble +blood. I must convince myself that he was not stolen." The +Medanites brought the Ishmaelites to Potiphar, and they +testified that Joseph was a slave, that they had owned him, +and had sold him to the Medanites. Potiphar rested satisfied +with this report, paid the price asked for Joseph, and the +Medanites and the Ishmaelites went their way. + + +JOSEPH'S COAT BROUGHT TO HIS FATHER + +No sooner was the sale of Joseph an accomplished fact +than the sons of Jacob repented of their deed. They even +hastened after the Midianites to ransom Joseph, but their +efforts to overtake them were vain, and they had to accept +the inevitable. Meantime Reuben had rejoined his brethren.[59] +He had been so deeply absorbed in penances, in praying +and studying the Torah, in expiation of his sin against +his father, that he had not been able to remain with his +brethren and tend the flocks, and thus it happened that he +was not on the spot when Joseph was sold.[60] His first errand +was to go to the pit, in the hope of finding Joseph there. In +that case he would have carried him off and restored him +to his father clandestinely, without the knowledge of his +brethren. He stood at the opening and called again and +again, "Joseph, Joseph!" As he received no answer, he +concluded that Joseph had perished, either by reason of +terror or as the result of a snake bite, and he descended into +the pit, only to find that he was not there, either living or +dead. He mounted to the top again, and rent his clothes, +and cried out, "The lad is not there, and what answer shall +I give to my father, if he be dead?" Then Reuben returned +unto his brethren, and told them that Joseph bad vanished +from the pit, whereat he was deeply grieved, because he, +being the oldest of the sons, was responsible to their father +Jacob. The brethren made a clean breast of what they had +done with Joseph, and they related to him how they had +tried to make good their evil deed, and how their efforts had +been vain. + +Now there remained nothing to do but invent a plausible +explanation for their brother's disappearance to give to +Jacob. First of all, however, they took an oath not to betray +to his father or any human being what they bad actually +done with Joseph. He who violated the oath would be put +to the sword by the rest. Then they took counsel together +about what to say to Jacob. It was Issachar's advice to tear +Joseph's coat of many colors, and dip it in the blood of a +little kid of the goats, to make Jacob believe that his son had +been torn by a wild beast.[61] The reason he suggested a kid +was because its blood looks like human blood. In expiation +of this act of deception, it was ordained that a kid be used +as an atonement sacrifice when the Tabernacle was +dedicated.[62] + +Simon opposed this suggestion. He did not want to relinquish +Joseph's coat, and he threatened to hew down any +one that should attempt to wrest it from him by force. The +reason for his vehemence was that he was very much enraged +against his brethren for not having slain Joseph. But +they threatened him in turn, saying, "If thou wilt not give +up the coat, we shall say that thou didst execute the evil deed +thyself." At that Simon surrendered it,[63] and Naphtali +brought it to Jacob, handing it to him with the words: +"When we were driving our herds homeward, we found +this garment covered with blood and dust on the highway, +a little beyond Shechem. Know now whether it be thy son's +coat or not." Jacob recognized Joseph's coat, and, overwhelmed +by grief, he fell prostrate, and long lay on the +ground motionless, like a stone. Then he arose, and set up +a loud cry, and wept, saying, "It is my son's coat." + +In great haste Jacob dispatched a slave to his sons, to bid +them come to him, that he might learn more about what had +happened. In the evening they all came, their garments +rent, and dust strewn upon their heads. When they confirmed +all that Naphtali had told him, Jacob broke out in +mourning and lamentation: "It is my son's coat; an evil +beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in +pieces. I sent him to you to see whether it was well with +you, and well with the flock. He went to do my errand, and +while I thought him to be with you, the misfortune befell." +Thereto the sons of Jacob made reply: "He came to us not +at all. Since we left thee, we have not set eyes on him." + +After these words, Jacob could doubt no longer that +Joseph bad been torn by wild beasts, and he mourned for +his son, saying: "O my son Joseph, my son, I sent thee to +inquire after the welfare of thy brethren, and now thou art +torn by wild beasts. It is my fault that this evil chance +hath come upon thee. I am distressed for thee, my son, I +am sorely distressed. How sweet was thy life to me, and +how bitter is thy death! Would God I had died for thee, O +Joseph, my son, for now I am distressed on thy account. +O my son Joseph, where art thou, and where is thy soul? +Arise, arise from thy place, and look upon my grief for +thee. Come and count the tears that roll down my cheeks, +and bring the tale of them before God, that His wrath be +turned away from me. O Joseph, my son, how painful and +appalling was thy death! None hath died a death like thine +since the world doth stand. I know well that it came to +pass by reason of my sins. O that thou wouldst return and +see the bitter sorrow thy misfortune hath brought upon me! +But it is true, it was not I that created thee, and formed +thee. I gave thee neither spirit nor soul, but God created +thee. He formed thy bones, covered them with flesh, +breathed the breath of life into thy nostrils, and then gave +thee unto me. And God who gave thee unto me, He hath +taken thee from me, and from Him hath this dispensation +come upon me. What the Lord doeth is well done!" In +these words and many others like them Jacob mourned and +bewailed his son, until he fell to the ground prostrate and +immovable. + +When the sons of Jacob saw the vehemence of their +father's grief, they repented of their deed, and wept bitterly. +Especially Judah was grief-stricken. He laid his father's +head upon his knees, and wiped his tears away as they +flowed from his eyes, while he himself broke out in violent +weeping. The sons of Jacob and their wives all sought to +comfort their father. They arranged a great memorial service, +and they wept and mourned over Joseph's death and +over their father's sorrow.[64] But Jacob refused to be +comforted. + +The tidings of his son's death caused the loss of two +members of Jacob's family. Bilhah and Dinah could not +survive their grief. Bilhah passed away the very day +whereon the report reached Jacob, and Dinah died soon +after, and so he had three losses to mourn in one month. + +He received the tidings of Joseph's death in the seventh +month, Tishri, and on the tenth day of the month, and therefore +the children of Israel are bidden to weep and afflict +their souls on this day. Furthermore, on this day the sin +offering of atonement shall be a kid of the goats, because the +sons of Jacob transgressed with a kid, in the blood of which +they dipped Joseph's coat, and thus they brought sorrow +upon Jacob.[65] + +When he had recovered somewhat from the stunning blow +which the tidings of his favorite son's death had dealt him, +Jacob rose up from the ground and addressed his sons, tears +streaming down his cheeks all the while. "Up," he said, +"take your swords and your bows, go out in the field, and +make search, perhaps you will find the body of my son, and +you will bring it to me, so that I may bury it. Keep a lookout, +too, for beasts of prey, and catch the first you meet. +Seize it and bring it to me. It may be that God will have +pity upon my sorrow, and put the beast between your hands +that hath torn my child in pieces, and I will take my revenge +upon it." + +The sons of Jacob set out on the morrow to do the bidding +of their father, while he remained at home and wept and +lamented for Joseph. In the wilderness they found a wolf, +which they caught and brought to Jacob alive, saying: +"Here is the first wild beast we encountered, and we have +brought it to thee. But of thy son's corpse we saw not a +trace." Jacob seized the wolf, and, amid loud weeping, he +addressed these words to him: "Why didst thou devour my +son Joseph, without any fear of the God of the earth, and +without taking any thought of the grief thou wouldst bring +down upon me? Thou didst devour my son without reason, +he was guilty of no manner of transgression, and thou didst +roll the responsibility for his death upon me. But God +avengeth him that is persecuted." + +To grant consolation to Jacob, God opened the mouth of +the beast, and he spake: "As the Lord liveth, who hath +created me, and as thy soul liveth, my lord, I have not seen +thy son, and I did not rend him in pieces. From a land afar +off I came to seek mine own son, who suffered a like fate +with thine. He hath disappeared, and I know not whether +he be dead or alive, and therefore I came hither ten days ago +to find him. This day, while I was searching for him, thy +sons met me, and they seized me, and, adding more grief to +my grief over my lost son, they brought me hither to thee. +This is my story, and now, O son of man, I am in thy hands, +thou canst dispose of me this day as seemeth well in thy +sight, but I swear unto thee by the God that bath created me, +I have not seen thy son, nor have I torn him in pieces, never +hath the flesh of man come into my mouth." Astonished +at the speech of the wolf, Jacob let him go, unhindered, +whithersoever he would, but he mourned his son Joseph as +before.[66] + +It is a law of nature that however much one may grieve +over the death of a dear one, at the end of a year consolation +finds its way to the heart of the mourner. But the disappearance +of a living man can never be wiped out of one's +memory. Therefore the fact that he was inconsolable made +Jacob suspect that Joseph was alive, and he did not give +entire credence to the report of his sons. His vague suspicion +was strengthened by something that happened to him. +He went up into the mountains, hewed twelve stones out of +the quarry, and wrote the names of his sons thereon, their +constellations, and the months corresponding to the +constellations, +a stone for a son, thus, "Reuben, Ram, Nisan," and +so for each of his twelve sons. Then he addressed the +stones and bade them bow down before the one marked with +Reuben's name, constellation, and month, and they did not +move. He gave the same order regarding the stone marked +for Simon, and again the stones stood still. And so he did +respecting all his sons, until he reached the stone for Joseph. +When he spoke concerning this one, "I command you to fall +down before Joseph," they all prostrated themselves. He +tried the same test with other things, with trees and sheaves, +and always the result was the same, and Jacob could not but +feel that his suspicion was true, Joseph was alive.[67] + +There was a reason why God did not reveal the real fate +of Joseph to Jacob. When his brethren sold Joseph, their +fear that the report of their iniquity might reach the ears of +Jacob led them to pronounce the ban upon any that should +betray the truth without the consent of all the others. Judah +advanced the objection that a ban is invalid unless it is decreed +in the presence of ten persons, and there were but nine +of them, for Reuben and Benjamin were not there when the +sale of Joseph was concluded. To evade the difficulty, the +brothers counted God as the tenth person, and therefore God +felt bound to refrain from revealing the true state of things +to Jacob. He had regard, as it were, for the ban pronounced +by the brethren of Joseph.[68] And as God kept the truth a +secret from Jacob, Isaac did not feel justified in acquainting +him with his grandson's fate, which was well known to him, +for he was a prophet. Whenever he was in the company of +Jacob, he mourned with him, but as soon as he quitted him, +he left off from manifesting grief, because he knew that +Joseph lived.[69] + +Jacob was thus the only one among Joseph's closest kinsmen +that remained in ignorance of his son's real fortunes, +and he was the one of them all that had the greatest reason +for regretting his death. He spoke: "The covenant that +God made with me regarding the twelve tribes is null and +void now. I did strive in vain to establish the twelve tribes, +seeing that now the death of Joseph hath destroyed the covenant. +All the works of God were made to correspond to the +number of the tribes--twelve are the signs of the zodiac, +twelve the months, twelve hours hath the day, twelve the +night, and twelve stones are set in Aaron's breastplate--and now +that Joseph hath departed, the covenant of the +tribes is set at naught." + +He could not replace the lost son by entering into a new +marriage, for he had made the promise to his father-in-law +to take none beside his daughters to wife, and this promise, +as he interpreted it, held good after the death of Laban's +daughters as well as while they were alive.[70] + +Beside grief over his loss and regret at the breaking of +the covenant of the tribes, Jacob had still another reason for +mourning the death of Joseph. God had said to Jacob, "If +none of thy sons dies during thy lifetime, thou mayest look +upon it as a token that thou wilt not be put in Gehenna after +thy death." Thinking Joseph to be dead, Jacob had his own +fate to bewail, too, for he now believed that he was doomed +to Gehenna.[71] His mourning lasted all of twenty-two years, +corresponding to the number of the years he had dwelt +apart from his parents, and had not fulfilled the duty of a +son toward them.[72] + +In his mourning Jacob put sackcloth upon his loins, and +therein be became a model for the kings and princes in +Israel, for David, Ahab, Joram, and Mordecai did likewise +when a great misfortune befell the nation.[73] + + +JUDAH AND HIS SONS + +When the sons of Jacob saw how inconsolable their father +was, they went to Judah, and said to him, "This great misfortune +is thy fault." Judah replied: "It was I that asked +you, What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his +blood? and now you say the sin lies at my door." The +brethren continued to argue: "But it was thou that didst +say, Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and we followed +thy advice. Hadst thou said, Let us restore him to +his father, we had heeded these words of thine as well." + +The brethren hereupon deprived Judah of his dignity, for +hitherto he had been their king, and they also excluded him +from their fellowship, and he had to seek his fortune alone.[74] +Through the mediation of his chief shepherd Hirah, he became +acquainted with the Canaanitish king of Adullam, +Barsan by name. Though he was well aware of the corruption +of the generations of Canaan, he permitted passion to +get the better of him, and took a Canaanite to wife. The +Adullamite king gave a banquet in his honor, at which his +daughter Bath-shua poured the wine, and intoxicated by +wine and passion Judah took her and married her.[75] Judah's +action may be compared to that of the lion who passes a carrion +and eats of it, though a cur preceding him on the way +had refused to touch it. Even Esau came in time to acknowledge +that the daughters of Canaan were wicked, and +the lion Judah must needs take one of them to wife.[76] The +holy spirit cried out against Judah when he married the +Canaanite woman of Adullam, saying, "The glory of Israel +went down in Adullam."[77] + +The first-born son of Judah from this marriage was +named Er, "the childless," a suitable name for him that +died without begetting any issue.[78] At Judah's desire, Er +married Tamar, a daughter of Aram, the son of Shem, but +because she was not a Canaanitish woman, his mother used +artifices against her, and he did not know her, and an angel +of the Lord killed him on the third day after his wedding. +Then Judah gave Tamar to his second son Onan, the marriage +taking place before the week of the wedding festivities +for Er had elapsed. A whole year Onan lived with Tamar +without knowing her, and when, finally, Judah uttered +threats against him on that account, he did, indeed, have +intercourse with her, but, giving heed to the injunctions of +his mother, he took care not to beget any children with her.[79] +He, too, died on account of his iniquity, and his name Onan +"mourning," was well chosen, for very soon was his father +called upon to mourn for him.[80] Now Judah conceived the +plan of marrying Tamar to his youngest son Shelah, but his +wife would not permit it. She hated Tamar because she +was not of the daughters of Canaan like herself, and while +Judah was away from home, Bath-shua chose a wife for her +son Shelah from the daughters of Canaan. Judah was very +angry at Bath-shua for what she had done, and also God +poured out His wrath upon her, for on account of her wickedness +she had to die,[81] and her death happened a year after +that of her two sons. + +Now that Bath-shua was dead, Judah might have carried +out his wish and married Tamar to his youngest son. But +he waited for Shelah to grow up, because he feared for his +life, seeing that Tamar had brought death to two husbands +before him. So she remained a widow in her father's house +for two years. Endowed with the gift of prophecy, Tamar +knew that she was appointed to be the ancestress of David +and of the Messiah, and she determined to venture upon an +extreme measure in order to make sure of fulfilling her +destiny.[82] Accordingly, when the holy spirit revealed to her +that Judah was going up to Timnah,[83] she put off from her +the garments of her widowhood, and sat in the gate of Abraham's +tent, and there she encountered Judah.[84] All the time +she lived in the house of her father-in-law, he had never +seen her face, for in her virtue and chastity she had always +kept it covered, and now when Judah met her, he did not +recognize her. It was as a reward for her modesty that God +made her to become the mother of the royal line of David, +and the ancestress of Isaiah, and his father Amoz as well, +both of whom were prophets and of royal blood.[85] + +Judah passed Tamar by without paying any attention to +her, and she raised her eyes heavenward, and said, "O Lord +of the world, shall I go forth empty from the house of this +pious man?" Then God sent the angel that is appointed +over the passion of love, and he compelled Judah to turn +back.[86] With prophetic caution, Tamar demanded that, as a +pledge for the reward he promised her, he leave with her +his signet, his mantle, and his staff, the symbols of royalty, +judgeship, and Messiahship, the three distinctions of the +descendants of Tamar from her union with Judah. When +Judah sent her the promised reward, a kid of the goats, by +the hand of his friend, in order to receive the pledges from +her hand, Tamar could not be found, and he feared to make +further search for her, lest he be put to shame. But Tamar, +who soon discerned that she was with child, felt very happy +and proud, for she knew that she would be the mother of +kings and redeemers.[87] + +When her state became known, she was forcibly dragged +before the court, in which Isaac, Jacob, and Judah sat as +judges. Judah, being the youngest of the judges and the +least considerable in dignity, was the first to give a decision, +for thus it is prescribed in criminal cases, that the prominent +judges overawe not the lesser and influence their decisions +unduly. It was the opinion of Judah that the woman was +liable to the penalty of death by burning, for she was the +daughter of the high priest Shem, and death by fire is the +punishment ordained by the law for a high priest's daughter +that leads an unchaste life.[88] + +The preparations for her execution were begun. In vain +Tamar searched for the three pledges she had received from +Judah, she could not find them, and almost she lost hope +that she would be able to wring a confession from her +father-in-law. She raised her eyes to God, and prayed: +"I supplicate Thy grace, O God, Thou who givest ear to +the cry of the distressed in the hour of his need, answer me, +that I may be spared to bring forth the three holy children, +who will be ready to suffer death by fire, for the sake of the +glory of Thy Name." And God granted her petition, and +sent the angel Michael down to succor her. He put the +pledges in a place in which Tamar could not fail to see them, +and she took them, and threw them before the feet of the +judges, with the words: "By the man whose these are am +I with child, but though I perish in the flames, I will not +betray him. I hope in the Lord of the world, that He will +turn the heart of the man, so that he will make confession +thereof." Then Judah rose up, and said: "With your permission, +my brethren, and ye men of my father's house, I +make it known that with what measure a man metes, it shall +be measured unto him, be it for good or for evil, but happy +the man that acknowledgeth his sins. Because I took the +coat of Joseph, and colored it with the blood of a kid, and +then laid it at the feet of my father, saying, Know now +whether it be thy son's coat or not, therefore must I now +confess, before the court, unto whom belongeth this signet, +this mantle, and this staff. But it is better that I be put to +shame in this world than I should be put to shame in the +other world, before the face of my pious father. It is better +that I should perish in a fire that can be extinguished than +I should be cast into hell fire, which devoureth other fires. +Now, then, I acknowledge that Tamar is innocent. By me +is she with child, not because she indulged in illicit passion, +but because I held back her marriage with my son Shelah." +Then a heavenly voice was heard to say: "Ye are both +innocent! It was the will of God that it should happen!"[89] + +The open confession of Judah induced his oldest brother +Reuben to make public acknowledgment of the sin he had +committed against his father, for he had kept it a secret until +then.[90] + +Tamar gave birth to twin sons, Perez and Zerah, both +resembling their father in bravery and piety.[91] She called +the first Perez, "mighty," because she said, "Thou didst +show thyself of great power, and it is meet and proper that +thou shouldst be strong, for thou art destined to possess the +kingdom."[92] The second son was called Zerah, because he +appeared from out of the womb before his brother, but he +was forced back again to make way for Perez.[93] These two, +Perez and Zerah. were sent out as spies by Joshua, and the +line that Rahab bound in the window of her house as a +token to the army of the Israelites, she received from Zerah. +It was the scarlet thread that the midwife had bound upon +his hand, to mark him as the child that appeared first and +withdrew.[94] + + +THE WIVES OF THE SONS OF JACOB + +Judah was the first of the sons of Jacob to enter wedlock. +After the sale of Joseph to the Midianites, his brethren had +said to Judah, "If conditions were as before, our father +would provide wives for us now. As it is, he is entirely absorbed +by his grief for Joseph, and we must look about for +wives ourselves. Thou art our chief, and thou shouldst +marry first." + +Judah's marriage with Alit the daughter of the noble +merchant Shua, which was consummated at Adullam, the +residence of his friend Hirah, or, as he was called later, +Hiram, king of Tyre, was not happy. His two oldest sons +died, and shortly thereafter his wife also. It was Judah's +punishment for having begun a good deed and left it unfinished, +for "he who begins a good deed, and does not execute +it to the end, brings down misfortune upon his own head." +Judah had rescued Joseph from death, but it was his suggestion +to sell him into slavery. Had he urged them to +restore the lad to his father, his brethren would have obeyed +his words. He was lacking in constancy to persist until he +had completed the work of Joseph's deliverance, which he +had begun.[95] + +In the same year, the year of Joseph's misfortune, all his +other brethren married, too. Reuben's wife was named +Elyoram, the daughter of the Canaanite Uzzi of Timnah. +Simon married his sister Dinah first, and then a second wife. +When Simon and Levi massacred the men of Shechem, Dinah +refused to leave the city and follow her brethren, saying, +"Whither shall I carry my shame?" But Simon swore he +would marry her, as he did later, and when she died in +Egypt, he took her body to the Holy Land and buried it +there. Dinah bore her brother a son,[96] and from her union +with Shechem, the son of Hamor, sprang a daughter, Asenath +by name, afterward the wife of Joseph. When this daughter +was born to Dinah, her brethren, the sons of Jacob, +wanted to kill her, that the finger of men might not point at +the fruit of sin in their father's house. But Jacob took a +piece of tin, inscribed the Holy Name upon it, and bound it +about the neck of the girl, and he put her under a thornbush, +and abandoned her there. An angel carried the babe +down to Egypt, where Potiphar adopted her as his child, +for his wife was barren. Years thereafter, when Joseph +travelled through the land as viceroy, the maidens threw +gifts at him, to make him turn his eyes in their direction +and give them the opportunity of gazing upon his beauty. +Asenath possessed nothing that would do as a present, therefore +she took off the amulet suspended from her neck, and +gave it to him. Thus Joseph became acquainted with her +lineage, and he married her, seeing that she was not an +Egyptian, but one connected with the house of Jacob +through her mother.[97] + +Beside the son of Dinah, Simon had another son, whose +name was Saul, by Bunah, the damsel he had taken captive +in the campaign against Shechem. + +Levi and Issachar married two daughters of Jobab, the +grandson of Eber; the wife of the former was named +Adinah, the wife of the latter, Aridah. Dan's wife was +Elflalet, a daughter of the Moabite Hamudan. For a long +time their marriage remained childless, finally they had a +son, whom they called Hushim. Gad and Naphtali married +women from Haran, two sisters, daughters of Amoram, a +grandson of Nahor. Naphtali's wife, Merimit, was the +older of the two, and the younger, the wife of Gad, was +named Uzit. + +Asher's first wife was Adon, the daughter of Ephlal, a +grandson of Ishmael. She died childless, and he married a +second wife, Hadorah, a daughter of Abimael, the grandson +of Shem. She had been married before, her first husband +having been Malchiel, also a grandson of Shem, and the +issue of this first marriage was a daughter, Serah by +name. When Asher brought his wife to Canaan, the three +year old orphan Serah came with them. She was raised in +the house of Jacob, and she walked in the way of pious +children, and God gave her beauty, wisdom, and sagacity. + +Zebulon's wife was Maroshah, the daughter of Molad, a +grandson of Midian, the son of Abraham by Keturah. + +For Benjamin, when he was but ten years old, Jacob took +Mahlia to wife, the daughter of Aram, the grandson of +Terah, and she bore him five sons. At the age of eighteen +he married a second wife, Arbat, the daughter of Zimran, +a son of Abraham by Keturah, and by her also he had five +sons.[98] + + +JOSEPH THE SLAVE OF POTIPHAR + +When Joseph was sold as a slave to the Ishmaelites, he +kept silent out of respect for his brethren, and did not tell +his masters that he was a son of Jacob, a great and powerful +man. Even when he came to the Midianites with the Ishmaelites, +and the former asked after his parentage, he still +said he was a slave, only in order not to put his brethren to +shame. But the most distinguished of the Midianites rebuked +Joseph, saying, "Thou art no slave, thy appearance +betrayeth thee," and he threatened him with death unless he +acknowledged the truth. Joseph, however, was steadfast, +he would not act treacherously toward his brethren. + +Arrived in Egypt, the owners of Joseph could come to no +agreement regarding him. Each desired to have sole and +exclusive possession of him. They therefore decided to +leave him with a shopkeeper until they should come back to +Egypt again with their merchandise. And God let Joseph +find grace in the sight of the shopkeeper. All that he had, +his whole house, he put into Joseph's hand, and therefore +the Lord blessed him with much silver and gold, and Joseph +remained with him for three months and five days. + +At that time there came from Memphis the wife of Potiphar, +and she cast her eyes upon Joseph, of whose comeliness +of person she had heard from the eunuchs. She +told her husband how that a certain shopkeeper had grown +rich through a young Hebrew, and she added: "But it is +said that the youth was stolen away out of the land of +Canaan. Go, therefore, and sit in judgment upon his owner, +and take the youth unto thy house, that the God of the +Hebrews may bless thee, for the grace of heaven rests upon +the youth." + +Potiphar summoned the shopkeeper, and when he appeared +before him, he spoke harshly to him, saying: "What +is this I hear? that thou stealest souls from the land of +Canaan, and dost carry on traffic with them?" The shop-keeper +protested his innocence, and he could not be made to +recede from his assertion, that a company of Ishmaelites +had left Joseph in his charge temporarily, until they should +return. Potiphar had him stripped naked and beaten, but +he continued to reiterate the same statement. + +Then Potiphar summoned Joseph. The youth prostrated +himself before this chief of the eunuchs, for he was third in +rank of the officers of Pharaoh. And he addressed Joseph, +and said, "Art thou a slave or a free-born man?" and Joseph +replied, "A slave." Potiphar continued to question +him, "Whose slave art thou?" Joseph: "I belong to the +Ishmaelites." Potiphar: "How wast thou made a slave?" +Joseph: "They bought me in the land of Canaan." + +But Potiphar refused to give credence to what he said, +and he had also him stripped and beaten. The wife of Potiphar, +standing by the door, saw how Joseph was abused, and +she sent word to her husband, "Thy verdict is unjust, for +thou punishest the free-born youth that was stolen away +from his place as though he were the one that had committed +a crime." As Joseph held firmly to what he had said, +Potiphar ordered him to prison, until his masters should return. +In her sinful longing for him, his wife wanted to +have Joseph in her own house, and she remonstrated with +her husband in these words: "Wherefore dost thou keep +the captive, nobly-born slave a prisoner? Thou shouldst +rather set him at liberty and have him serve thee." He +answered, "The law of the Egyptians does not permit us to +take what belongs to another before all titles are made +clear," and Joseph stayed in prison for twenty-four days, +until the return of the Ishmaelites to Egypt. + +Meanwhile they had heard somewhere that Joseph was +the son of Jacob, and they therefore said to him: "Why +didst thou pretend that thou wast a slave? See, we have +information that thou art the son of a powerful man in +Canaan, and thy father mourns for thee in sackcloth." +Joseph was on the point of divulging his secret, but he kept +a check upon himself for the sake of his brethren, and he +repeated that he was a slave. + +Nevertheless the Ishmaelites decided to sell him, that he +be not found in their hands, for they feared the revenge of +Jacob, who, they knew, was in high favor with the Lord +and with men. The shopkeeper begged the Ishmaelites to +rescue him from the legal prosecution of Potiphar, and clear +him of the suspicion of man theft. The Ishmaelites in turn +had a conference with Joseph, and bade him testify before +Potiphar that they had bought him for money. He did so, +and then the chief of the eunuchs liberated him from prison, +and dismissed all parties concerned. + +With the permission of her husband, Potiphar's wife sent +a eunuch to the Ishmaelites, bidding him to buy Joseph, but +he returned and reported that they demanded an exorbitant +price for the slave. She dispatched a second eunuch, charging +him to conclude the bargain, and though they asked +one mina of gold, or even two, he was not to be sparing of +money, he was to be sure to buy the slave and bring him to +her. The eunuch gave the Ishmaelites eighty pieces of gold +for Joseph, telling his mistress, however, that he had paid +out a hundred pieces. Joseph noticed the deception, but he +kept silent, that the eunuch might not be put to shame.[99] + +Thus Joseph became the slave of the idolatrous priest +Potiphar, or Poti-phera, as he was sometimes called.[100] He +had secured possession of the handsome youth for a lewd +purpose, but the angel Gabriel mutilated him in such manner +that he could not accomplish it.[101] His master soon had +occasion to notice that Joseph was as pious as he was beautiful, +for whenever he was occupied with his ministrations, +he would whisper a prayer: "O Lord of the world, Thou +art my trust, Thou art my protection. Let me find grace +and favor in Thy sight and in the sight of all that see me, +and in the sight of my master Potiphar." When Potiphar +noticed the movement of his lips, he said to Joseph, "Dost +thou purpose to cast a spell upon me?" "Nay," replied +the youth, "I am beseeching God to let me find favor in +thine eyes." + +His prayer was heard. Potiphar convinced himself that +God was with Joseph. Sometimes he would make a test of +Joseph's miraculous powers. If he brought him a glass of +hippocras, he would say, "I would rather have wine mixed +with absinthe," and straightway the spiced wine was +changed into bitter wine. Whatever he desired, he could be +sure to get from Joseph, and he saw clearly that God fulfilled +the wishes of his slave. Therefore he put all the keys of +his house into his hand, and he knew not aught that was +with him,[102] keeping back nothing from Joseph but his +wife.[103] +Seeing that the Shekinah rested upon him, Potiphar treated +Joseph not as a slave, but as a member of his family, for he +said, "This youth is not cut out for a slave's work, he is +worthy of a prince's place."[104] Accordingly, he provided +instruction for him in the arts, and ordered him to have +better fare than the other slaves.[105] + +Joseph thanked God for his new and happy state. He +prayed, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord, that Thou hast caused +me to forget my father's house." What made his present +fortunes so agreeable was that he was removed from the +envy and jealousy of his brethren. He said: "When I was +in my father's house, and he gave me something pretty, my +brethren begrudged me the present, and now, O Lord, I +thank Thee that I live amid plenty." Free from anxieties, +he turned his attention to his external appearance. He +painted his eyes, dressed his hair, and aimed to be elegant +in his walk. But God spake to him, saying, "Thy father +is mourning in sackcloth and ashes, while thou dost eat, +drink, and dress thy hair. Therefore I will stir up thy mistress +against thee, and thou shalt be embarrassed."[106] Thus +Joseph's secret wish was fulfilled, that he might be permitted +to prove his piety under temptation, as the piety of his +fathers had been tested.[107] + + +JOSEPH AND ZULEIKA + +"Throw the stick up in the air, it will always return to its +original place." Like Rachel his mother, Joseph was of +ravishing beauty, and the wife of his master was filled with +invincible passion for him."[108] Her feeling was heightened by +the astrologic forecast that she was destined to have descendants +through Joseph. This was true, but not in the sense in +which she understood the prophecy. Joseph married her +daughter Asenath later on, and she bore him children, thus +fulfilling what had been read in the stars."[109] + +In the beginning she did not confess her love to Joseph. +She tried first to seduce him by artifice. On the pretext of +visiting him, she would go to him at night, and, as she had +no sons, she would pretend a desire to adopt him. Joseph +then prayed to God in her behalf, and she bore a son. However, +she continued to embrace him as though he were her +own child, yet he did not notice her evil designs. Finally, +when he recognized her wanton trickery, he mourned many +days, and endeavored to turn her away from her sinful passion +by the word of God. She, on her side, often threatened +him with death, and surrendered him to castigations in order +to make him amenable to her will, and when these means +had no effect upon Joseph, she sought to seduce him with +enticements. She would say, "I promise thee, thou shalt rule +over me and all I have, if thou wilt but give thyself up to +me. and thou shalt be to me the same as my lawful husband." +But Joseph was mindful of the words of his fathers, and he +went into his chamber, and fasted, and prayed to God, that +He would deliver him from the toils of the Egyptian woman. + +In spite of the mortifications he practiced, and though he +gave the poor and the sick the food apportioned to him, his +master thought he lived a luxurious life, for those that fast +for the glory of God are made beautiful of countenance. + +The wife of Potiphar would frequently speak to her husband +in praise of Joseph's chastity in order that he might +conceive no suspicion of the state of her feelings. And, +again, she would encourage Joseph secretly, telling him not +to fear her husband, that he was convinced of his purity of +life, and though one should carry tales to him about +Joseph and herself, Potiphar would lend them no credence. +And when she saw that all this was ineffectual , she approached +him with the request that he teach her the word +of God, saying, "If it be thy wish that I forsake idol worship, +then fulfil my desire, and I will persuade that Egyptian +husband of mine to abjure the idols, and we shall walk in the +law of thy God." Joseph replied, "The Lord desireth not +that those who fear Him shall walk in impurity, nor hath He +pleasure in the adulterer." + +Another time she came to him, and said, "If thou wilt not +do my desire, I will murder the Egyptian and wed with thee +according to the law." Whereat Joseph rent his garment, +and he said, "O woman, fear the Lord, and do not execute +this evil deed, that thou mayest not bring destruction down +upon thyself, for I will proclaim thy impious purposes to all +in public." + +Again, she sent him a dish prepared with magic spells, by +means of which she hoped to get him into her power. But +when the eunuch set it before him, he saw the image of a +man handing him a sword together with the dish, and, +warned by the vision, he took good care not to taste of the +food. A few days later his mistress came to him, and asked +him why he had not eaten of what she had sent him. He reproached +her, saying, "How couldst thou tell me, I do not +come nigh unto the idols, but only unto the Lord? The God +of my fathers hath revealed thy iniquity to me through an +angel, but that thou mayest know that the malice of the +wicked has no power over those who fear God in purity, I +shall eat thy food before thine eyes, and the God of my +fathers and the angel of Abraham will be with me." The +wife of Potiphar fell upon her face at the feet of Joseph, and +amid tears she promised not to commit this sin again. + +But her unholy passion for Joseph did not depart from +her, and her distress over her unfulfilled wish made her look +so ill that her husband said to her, "Why is thy countenance +fallen?" And she replied, "I have a pain at my heart, and +the groanings of my spirit oppress me." + +Once when she was alone with Joseph, she rushed toward +him, crying, "I will throttle myself, or I will jump into a well +or a pit, if thou wilt not yield thyself to me." Noticing her +extreme agitation, Joseph endeavored to calm her with these +words, "Remember, if thou makest away with thyself, thy +husband's concubine, Asteho, thy rival, will maltreat thy +children, and extirpate thy memory from the earth." These +words, gently spoken, had the opposite effect from that intended. +They only inflamed her passion the more by feeding +her hopes. She said: "There, seest thou, thou dost love me +now! It sufficeth for me that thou takest thought for me +and for the safety of my children. I expect now that my +desire will be fulfilled." She did not know that Joseph spoke +as he did for the sake of God, and not for her sake.[110] + +His mistress, or, as she was called, Zuleika, pursued him +day after day with her amorous talk and her flattery, saying: +"How fair is thy appearance, how comely thy form! Never +have I seen so well-favored a slave as thou art." Joseph +would reply: "God, who formed me in my mother's womb, +hath created all men." + +Zuleika: "How beautiful are thine eyes, with which thou +hast charmed all Egyptians, both men and women!" + +Joseph: "Beautiful as they may be while I am alive, so +ghastly they will be to look upon in the grave." + +Zuleika: "How lovely and pleasant are thy words! I +pray thee, take thy harp, play and also sing, that I may hear +thy words." + +Joseph: "Lovely and pleasant are my words when I proclaim +the praise of my God." + +Zuleika: "How beautiful is thy hair! Take my golden +comb, and comb it." + +Joseph: "How long wilt thou continue to speak thus to +me? Leave off! It were better for thee to care for thy +household." + +Zuleika: "There is nothing in my house that I care for, +save thee alone." + +But Joseph's virtue was unshaken. While she spoke thus, +he did not so much as raise his eyes to look at his +mistress.[111] +He remained equally steadfast when she lavished gifts upon +him, for she provided him with garments of one kind for the +morning, another for noon, and a third kind for the evening. +Nor could threats move him. She would say, "I will bring +false accusations against thee before thy master," and Joseph +would reply, "The Lord executeth judgment for the oppressed." +Or, "I will deprive thee of food;" whereupon +Joseph, "The Lord giveth food to the hungry." Or, "I +will have thee thrown into prison;" whereupon Joseph, +"The Lord looseth the prisoners." Or, "I will put heavy +labor upon thee that will bend thee double;" whereupon +Joseph, "The Lord raiseth up them that are bowed down." +Or, "I will blind thine eyes;" whereupon Joseph, "The +Lord openeth the eyes of the blind."[112] + +When she began to exercise her blandishments upon him, +he rejected them with the words, "I fear my master." But +Zuleika would say, "I will kill him." Joseph replied with +indignation, "Not enough that thou wouldst make an adulterer +of me, thou wouldst have me be a murderer, besides?" +And he spoke furthermore, saying, "I fear the Lord my +God!" + +Zuleika: "Nonsense! He is not here to see thee! + +Joseph: "Great is the Lord and highly to be praised, and +His greatness is unsearchable." + +Thereupon she took Joseph into her chamber, where an +idol hung above the bed. This she covered, that it might not +be a witness of what she was about to do. Joseph said: +"Though thou coverest up the eyes of the idol, remember, +the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth. +Yes," continued Joseph, "I have many reasons not to do this +thing for the sake of God. Adam was banished from Paradise +on account of violating a light command; how much +more should I have to fear the punishment of God, were I to +commit so grave a sin as adultery! The Lord is in the habit +of choosing a favorite member of our family as a sacrifice +unto Himself. Perhaps He desireth to make choice of me, +but if I do thy will, I make myself unfit to be a sacrifice unto +God. Also the Lord is in the habit of appearing suddenly, +in visions of the night, unto those that love Him. Thus did +He appear unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I fear that +He may appear unto me at the very moment while I am defiling +myself with thee. And as I fear God, so I fear my +father, who withdrew the birthright from his first-born son +Reuben, on account of an immoral act, and gave it to me. +Were I to fulfil thy desire, I would share the fate of my +brother Reuben."[113] + +With such words, Joseph endeavored to cure the wife of +his master of the wanton passion she had conceived for him, +while he took heed to keep far from a heinous sin, not from +fear of the punishment that would follow, nor out of +consideration for the opinion of men, but because he desired to +sanctify the Name of God, blessed be He, before the whole +world.[114] It was this feeling of his that Zuleika could not +comprehend, and when, finally, carried away by passion, she +told him in unmistakable language what she desired,[115] and +he recoiled from her, she said to Joseph: "Why dost thou +refuse to fulfil my wish? Am I not a married woman? +None will find out what thou hast done." Joseph replied: +"If the unmarried women of the heathen are prohibited +unto us, how much more their married women?[116] As the +Lord liveth, I will not commit the crime thou biddest me do." +In this Joseph followed the example of many pious men, who +utter an oath at the moment when they are in danger of succumbing +to temptation, and seek thus to gather moral courage +to control their evil instincts." + +When Zuleika could not prevail upon him, to persuade +him, her desire threw her into a grievous sickness, and all +the women of Egypt came to visit her, and they said unto +her, "Why art thou so languid and wasted, thou that lackest +nothing? Is not thy husband a prince great and esteemed +in the sight of the king? Is it possible that thou canst want +aught of what thy heart desireth?" Zuleika answered them, +saying, "This day shall it be made known unto you whence +cometh the state wherein you see me." + +She commanded her maid-servants to prepare food for all +the women, and she spread a banquet before them in her +house. She placed knives upon the table to peel the oranges, +and then ordered Joseph to appear, arrayed in costly garments, +and wait upon her guests. When Joseph came in, +the women could not take their eyes off him, and they all cut +their hands with the knives, and the oranges in their hands +were covered with blood, but they, not knowing what they +were doing, continued to look upon the beauty of Joseph +without turning their eyes away from him. + +Then Zuleika said unto them: "What have ye done? +Behold, I set oranges before you to eat, and you have cut +your hands." All the women looked at their hands, and, lo, +they were full of blood, and it flowed down and stained their +garments. They said to Zuleika, "This slave in thy house +did enchant us, and we could not turn our eyes away from +him on account of his beauty." She then said: "This happened +to you that looked upon him but a moment, and you +could not refrain yourselves! How, then, can I control +myself in whose house he abideth continually, who see him +go in and out day after day? How, then, should I not waste +away, or keep from languishing on account of him!" And +the women spake, saying: "It is true, who can look upon +this beauty in the house, and refrain her feelings? But he +is thy slave! Why dost thou not disclose to him that which +is in thy heart, rather than suffer thy life to perish through +this thing?" Zuleika answered them: "Daily do I endeavor +to persuade him, but he will not consent to my +wishes. I promised him everything that is fair, yet have I +met with no return from him, and therefore I am sick, as +you may see." + +Her sickness increased upon her. Her husband and her +household suspected not the cause of her decline, but all the +women that were her friends knew that it was on account +of the love she bore Joseph, and they advised her all the time +to try to entice the youth. On a certain day, while Joseph +was doing his master's work in the house, Zuleika came and +fell suddenly upon him, but Joseph was stronger than she, +and he pressed her down to the ground. Zuleika wept, and +in a voice of supplication, and in bitterness of soul, she said +to Joseph: "Hast thou ever known, seen, or heard of a +woman my peer in beauty, let alone a woman with beauty +exceeding mine? Yet I try daily to persuade thee, I fall +into decline through love of thee, I confer all this honor +upon thee, and thou wilt not hearken unto my voice! Is it +by reason of fear of thy master, that he punish thee? As +the king liveth, no harm shall come upon thee from thy +master on account of this thing. Now, therefore, I pray +thee, listen to me, and consent unto my desire for the sake of +the honor that I have conferred upon thee, and take this +death away from me. For why should I die on account of +thee?" Joseph remained as steadfast under these importunities +as before. Zuleika, however, was not discouraged; +she continued her solicitations unremittingly, day after +day,[118] month after month, for a whole year, but always +without the least success, for Joseph in his chastity did not +permit himself even to look upon her, wherefore she resorted +to constraint. She had an iron shackle placed upon his chin, +and he was compelled to keep his head up and look her in +the face."[119] + + +JOSEPH RESISTS TEMPTATION + +Seeing that she could not attain her object by entreaties +or tears, Zuleika finally used force, when she judged that +the favorable chance had come. She did not have long to +wait. When the Nile overflowed its banks, and, according +to the annual custom of the Egyptians, all repaired to the +river, men and women, people and princes, accompanied by +music, Zuleika remained at home under pretense of being +sick. This was her long-looked-for opportunity, she +thought. She rose up and ascended to the hall of state, and +arrayed herself in princely garments. She placed precious +stones upon her head, onyx stones set in silver and gold, +she beautified her face and her body with all sorts of things +for the purifying of women, she perfumed the hall and the +whole house with cassia and frankincense, spread myrrh +and aloes all over, and afterward sat herself down at the +entrance to the hall, in the vestibule leading to the house, +through which Joseph had to pass to his work. + +And, behold, Joseph came from the field, and he was on +the point of entering the house to do his master's work, but +when he reached the place where Zuleika sat, and saw all +she had done, he turned back. His mistress, perceiving it, +called out to him, "What aileth thee, Joseph? Go to thy +work, I will make room for thee, that thou mayest pass by +to thy seat." Joseph did as she bade him, he entered the +house, took his seat, and set about his master's work as +usual. Then Zuleika stood before him suddenly in all her +beauty of person and magnificence of raiment, and repeated +the desire of her heart.[120] It was the first and the last time +that Joseph's steadfastness deserted him, but only for an +instant. When he was on the point of complying with the +wish of his mistress, the image of his mother Rachel appeared +before him, and that of his aunt Leah, and the image +of his father Jacob. The last addressed him thus: "In time +to come the names of thy brethren will be graven upon the +breastplate of the high priest. Dost thou desire to have thy +name appear with theirs? Or wilt thou forfeit this honor +through sinful conduct? For know, he that keepeth company +with harlots wasteth his substance." This vision of +the dead, and especially the image of his father, brought +Joseph to his senses, and his illicit passion departed from +him.[121] + +Astonished at the swift change in his countenance, Zuleika +said, "My friend and true-love, why art thou so affrighted +that thou art near to swooning? + +Joseph: "I see my father!" + +Zuleika: "Where is he? Why, there is none in the house." + +Joseph: "Thou belongest to a people that is like unto the +ass, it perceiveth nothing. But I belong to those who can +see things." + +Joseph fled forth, away from the house of his mistress,[122] +the same house in which aforetime wonders had been done +for Sarah kept a captive there by Pharaoh.[123] But hardly +was he outside when the sinful passion again overwhelmed +him, and he returned to Zuleika's chamber. Then the Lord +appeared unto him, holding the Eben Shetiyah[124] in His +hand, and said to him: "If thou touchest her, I will cast +away this stone upon which the earth is founded, and the +world will fall to ruin." Sobered again, Joseph started +to escape from his mistress,[125] but Zuleika caught him by his +garment, and she said: "As the king liveth, if thou wilt +not fulfil my wish, thou must die," and while she spoke thus, +she drew a sword with her free hand from under her dress, +and, pressing it against Joseph's throat, she said, "Do as I +bid thee, or thou diest." Joseph ran out, leaving a piece of +his garment in the hands of Zuleika as he wrenched himself +loose from the grasp of the woman with a quick, energetic +motion.[126] + +Zuleika's passion for Joseph was so violent that, in lieu +of its owner, whom she could not succeed in subduing to her +will, she kissed and caressed the fragment of cloth left in +her hand.[127] At the same time she was not slow to perceive +the danger into which she had put herself, for, she feared, +Joseph might possibly betray her conduct, and she considered +ways and means of obviating the consequences of +her folly.[128] + +Meanwhile her friends returned from the Nile festival, +and they came to visit her and inquire after her health. +They found her looking wretchedly ill, on account of the +excitement she had passed through and the anxiety she was +in. She confessed to the women what had happened with +Joseph, and they advised her to accuse him of immorality +before her husband, and then he would be thrown into +prison. Zuleika accepted their advice, and she begged her +visitors to support her charges by also lodging complaints +against Joseph, that he had been annoying them with improper +proposals.[129] + +But Zuleika did not depend entirely upon the assistance of +her friends. She planned a ruse, besides, to be sure of +convincing her husband of Joseph's guilt. She laid aside her +rich robes of state, put on her ordinary clothes, and took to +her sick-bed, in which she had been lying when the people +left to go to the festival. Also she took Joseph's torn garment, +and laid it out next to her. Then she sent a little boy +to summon some of the men of her house, and to them she +told the tale of Joseph's alleged outrage, saying: "See the +Hebrew slave, whom your master hath brought in unto my +house, and who attempted to do violence to me to-day! You +had scarcely gone away to the festival when be entered the +house, and making sure that no one was here he tried to +force me to yield to his lustful desire. But I grasped his +clothes, tore them, and cried with a loud voice. When he +heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he was seized with +fear, and be fled, and got him out, but he left his garment +by me." The men of her house spake not a word, but, in a +rage against Joseph, they went to their master, and reported +to him what had come to pass.[130] In the meantime the husbands +of Zuleika's friends had also spoken to Potiphar, at +the instigation of their wives, and complained of his slave, +that he molested them.[131] + +Potiphar hastened home, and he found his wife in low +spirits, and though the cause of her dejection was chagrin +at not having succeeded in winning Joseph's love, she pretended +that it was anger at the immoral conduct of the slave. +She accused him in the following words: "O husband, +mayest thou not live a day longer, if thou dost not punish +the wicked slave that hath desired to defile thy bed, that +hath not kept in mind who he was when he came to our +house, to demean himself with modesty, nor hath he been +mindful of the favors he hath received from thy bounty. +He did lay a privy design to abuse thy wife, and this at the +time of observing a festival, when thou wouldst be absent."[132] +These words she spoke at the moment of conjugal +intimacy with Potiphar, when she was certain of exerting +an influence upon her husband.[133] + +Potiphar gave credence to her words, and he had Joseph +flogged unmercifully. While the cruel blows fell upon him, +he cried to God, "O Lord, Thou knowest that I am innocent +of these things, and why should I die to-day on account of +a false accusation by the hands of these uncircumcised, +impious men?" God opened the mouth of Zuleika's child, +a babe of but eleven months, and he spoke to the men that +were beating Joseph, saying: "What is your quarrel with +this man? Why do you inflict such evil upon him? Lies +my mother doth speak, and deceit is what her mouth uttereth. +This is the true tale of that which did happen," and the +child proceeded to tell all that had passed--how Zuleika had +tried first to persuade Joseph to act wickedly, and then had +tried to force him to do her will. The people listened in +great amazement. But the report finished, the child spake +no word, as before. + +Abashed by the speech of his own infant son, Potiphar +commanded his bailiffs to leave off from chastising Joseph, +and the matter was brought into court, where priests sat as +judges. Joseph protested his innocence, and related all that +had happened according to the truth, but Potiphar repeated +the account his wife had given him. The judges ordered the +garment of Joseph to be brought which Zuleika had in her +possession, and they examined the tear therein. It turned +out to be on the front part of the mantle, and they came to +the conclusion that Zuleika had tried to hold him fast, and +had been foiled in her attempt by Joseph, against whom she +was now lodging a trumped up charge. They decided that +Joseph had not incurred the death penalty, but they condemned +him to incarceration, because he was the cause of a +stain upon Zuleika's fair name."[134] + +Potiphar himself was convinced of Joseph's innocence, +and when he cast him into prison, he said to him, "I know +that thou art not guilty of so vile a crime, but I must put +thee in durance, lest a taint cling to my children."[135] + + +JOSEPH IN PRISON + +By way of punishment for having traduced his ten brethren +before his father, Joseph had to languish for ten years +in the prison to which the wiles of traducers had in turn +condemned him.[136] But, on the other hand, as he had sanctified +the Name of God before the world by his chastity and +his steadfastness, he was rewarded. The letter He, which +occurs twice in the Name of God, was added to his name. +He had been called Joseph, but now he was called also +Jehoseph.[137] + +Though he was bound in prison, Joseph was not yet safe +from the machinations of his mistress, whose passion for +him was in no wise lessened. In truth it was she that had +induced her husband to change his intention regarding Joseph; +she urged him to imprison the slave rather than kill +him, for she hoped that as a prisoner he could be made +amenable to her wishes more easily. She spake to her husband, +saying: "Do not destroy thy property. Cast the slave +in prison and keep him there until thou canst sell him, and +receive back the money thou didst pay out for him."[138] Thus +she had the opportunity of visiting Joseph in his cell and +trying to persuade him to do her will. She would say, +"This and that outrage have I executed against thee, but, as +thou livest, I will put yet other outrages upon thee if thou +dost not obey me." But Joseph replied, "The Lord executeth +judgment for the oppressed." + +Zuleika: "I will push matters so far that all men will +hate thee." + +Joseph: "The Lord loveth the righteous." + +Zuleika: "I will sell thee into a strange land." + +Joseph: "The Lord preserveth the strangers."[139] + +Then she would resort to enticements in order to obtain +her desire. She would promise to release him from prison, +if he would but grant her wish. But he would say, "Better +it is to remain here than be with thee and commit a trespass +against God." These visits to Joseph in prison Zuleika continued +for a long time, but when, finally, she saw that all +her hopes were vain, she let him alone.[140] + +As the mistress persisted in her love for Joseph, so his +master, her husband, could not separate himself from his +favorite slave. Though a prisoner, Joseph continued to +minister to the needs of Potiphar, and he received permission +from the keeper of the prison to spend some of his time +in his master's house.[141] In many other ways the jailer showed +himself kindly disposed toward Joseph. Seeing the youth's +zeal and conscientiousness in executing the tasks laid upon +him, and under the spell of his enchanting beauty, he made +prison life as easy as possible for his charge. He even +ordered better dishes for him than the common prison fare, +and he found it superfluous caution to keep watch over +Joseph, for he could see no wrong in him, and he observed +that God was with him, in good days and in bad. +He even appointed him to be the overseer of the prison, +and as Joseph commanded, so the other prisoners were +obliged to do.[142] + +For a long time the people talked of nothing but the +accusation raised against Joseph by his mistress. In +order to divert the attention of the public from him, God +ordained that two high officers, the chief butler and the +chief baker, should offend their lord, the king of Egypt, and +they were put in ward in the house of the captain of the +guard. Now the people ceased their talk about Joseph, and +spoke only of the scandal at court. The charges laid at the +door of the noble prisoners were that they had attempted to +do violence to the daughter of Pharaoh, and they had +conspired to poison the king himself. Besides, they had +shown themselves derelict in their service. In the wine +the chief butler had handed to the king to drink, a fly +had been discovered, and the bread set upon the royal +board by the chief baker contained a little pebble."[143] On +account of all these transgressions they were condemned to +death by Pharaoh, but for the sake of Joseph it was ordained +by Divine providence that the king should first detain +them in prison before he ordered their execution. The +Lord had enkindled the wrath of the king against his +servants only that the wish of Joseph for liberty might +be fulfilled, for they were the instruments of his deliverance +from prison, and though they were doomed to death, yet in +consideration of the exalted office they had held at court, +the keeper of the prison accorded them privileges, as, for +instance, a man was detailed to wait upon them, and the one +appointed thereto was Joseph.[144] +1] + +The chief butler and the chief baker had been confined +in prison ten years,[145] when they dreamed a dream, both of +them, but as for the interpretation, each dreamed only that +of the other one's dream.[146] In the morning when Joseph +brought them the water for washing, he found them sad, +depressed in spirits, and, in the manner of the sages, he +asked them why they looked different on that day from other +days. They said unto him, "We have dreamed a dream this +night, and our two dreams resemble each other in certain +particulars, and there is none that can interpret them." And +Joseph said unto them: "God granteth understanding to +man to interpret dreams. Tell them me, I pray you."[147] It +was as a reward for ascribing greatness and credit to Him +unto whom it belongeth that Joseph later attained to his +lofty position.[148] + +The chief butler proceeded to tell his dream: "In my +dream, behold, a vine was before me; and in the vine were +three branches; and it was as though it budded, and its blossoms +shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe +grapes; and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the +grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave +the cup into Pharaoh's hand." The chief butler was not +aware that his dream contained a prophecy regarding the +future of Israel, but Joseph discerned the recondite +meaning,[149] +and he interpreted the dream thus: The three +branches are the three Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, +whose descendants in Egypt will be redeemed by three +leaders, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam; and the cup given into +the hand of Pharaoh is the cup of wrath that he will have to +drain in the end. This interpretation of the dream Joseph +kept for himself, and he told the chief butler nothing +thereof, but out of gratitude for the glad tidings of the +deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, he gave +him a favorable interpretation of his dream, and begged +him to have him in his remembrance, when it should be well +with him, and liberate him from the dungeon in which he +was confined. + +When the chief baker heard the interpretation of the +butler's dream, he knew that Joseph had divined its meaning +correctly, for in his own he had seen the interpretation of +his friend's dream, and he proceeded to tell Joseph what +he had dreamed in the night: "I also was in my dream, +and, behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head; +and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bake- +meats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the +basket upon my head." Also this dream conveyed a prophecy +regarding the future of Israel: The three baskets are +the three kingdoms to which Israel will be made subject, +Babylon, Media, and Greece; and the uppermost basket +indicates the wicked rule of Rome, which will extend over +all the nations of the world, until the bird shall come, who is +the Messiah, and annihilate Rome. Again Joseph kept +the prophecy a secret. To the chief baker he gave only the +interpretation that had reference to his person, but it was +unfavorable to him, because through his dream Joseph had +been made acquainted with the suffering Israel would have +to undergo. + +And all came to pass, as Joseph had said, on the third +day.[150] The day whereon he explained the meaning of +their dreams to the two distinguished prisoners, a son was +born unto Pharaoh and to celebrate the joyous event, the +king arranged a feast for his princes and servants that was +to last eight days. He invited them and all the people to +his table, and he entertained them with royal splendor. The +feast had its beginning on the third day after the birth of the +child, and on that occasion the chief butler was restored in +honor to his butlership, and the chief baker was hanged,[151] +for Pharaoh's counsellors had discovered that it was not the +butler's fault that the fly had dropped into the king's wine, +but the baker had been guilty of carelessness in allowing the +pebble to get into the bread.[152] Likewise it appeared that +the butler had had no part in the conspiracy to poison the +king, while the baker was revealed as one of the plotters, +and he had to expiate his crime with his life.[153] + + +PHARAOH'S DREAMS + +Properly speaking, Joseph should have gone out free from +his dungeon on the same day as the butler. He had been +there ten years by that time, and had made amends for the +slander he had uttered against his ten brethren. However, +he remained in prison two years longer. "Blessed is the +man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord," +but Joseph had put his confidence in flesh and blood. He had +prayed the chief butler to have him in remembrance when +it should be well with him, and make mention of him unto +Pharaoh, and the butler forgot his promise, and therefore +Joseph had to stay in prison two years more than the years +originally allotted to him there.[154] The butler had not +forgotten +him intentionally, but it was ordained of God that +his memory should fail him. When he would say to himself, +If thus and so happens, I will remember the case of Joseph, +the conditions he had imagined were sure to be reversed, or +if he made a knot as a reminder, an angel came and undid +the knot, and Joseph did not enter his mind.[155] + +But "the Lord setteth an end to darkness," and Joseph's +liberation was not delayed by a single moment beyond the +time decreed for it. God said, "Thou, O butler, thou didst +forget Joseph, but I did not," and He caused Pharaoh to +dream a dream that was the occasion for Joseph's release.[156] + +In his dream Pharaoh saw seven kine, well-favored and +fat-fleshed, come up out of the Nile, and they all together +grazed peaceably on the brink of the river, In years when +the harvest is abundant, friendship reigns among men, and +love and brotherly harmony, and these seven fat kine stood +for seven such prosperous years. After the fat kine, seven +more came up out of the river, ill-favored and lean- +fleshed, and each had her back turned to the others, for +when distress prevails, one man turns away from the other. +For a brief space Pharaoh awoke, and when he went to sleep +again, he dreamed a second dream, about seven rank and +good ears of corn, and seven ears that were thin and blasted +with the east wind,[157] the withered cars swallowing the full +ears. He awoke at once, and it was morning, and dreams +dreamed in the morning are the ones that come true.[158] + +This was not the first time Pharaoh had had these dreams. +They had visited him every night during a period of two +years, and he had forgotten them invariably in the morning. +This was the first time he remembered them, for the +day had arrived for Joseph to come forth from his prison +house.[159] Pharaoh's heart beat violently when he called +his dreams to mind on awaking.[160] Especially the second +one, about the ears of corn, disquieted him. He reflected +that whatever has a mouth can eat, and therefore the dream +of the seven lean kine that ate up the seven fat kine did not +appear strange to him. But the ears of corn that swallowed +up other ears of corn troubled his spirit.[161] He therefore +called for all the wise men of his land, and they endeavored +in vain to find a satisfactory interpretation. They explained +that the seven fat kine meant seven daughters to be born +unto Pharaoh, and the seven lean kine, that he would bury +seven daughters; the rank ears of corn meant that Pharaoh +would conquer seven countries, and the blasted ears, that +seven provinces would rebel against him.[162] About the ears +of corn they did not all agree. Some thought the good ears +stood for seven cities to be built by Pharaoh, and the seven +withered ears indicated that these same cities would be +destroyed at the end of his reign. + +Sagacious as he was, Pharaoh knew that none of these +explanations hit the nail on the head. He issued a decree +summoning all interpreters of dreams to appear before him +on pain of death, and he held out great rewards and distinctions +to the one who should succeed in finding the true +meaning of his dreams. In obedience to his summons, all +the wise men appeared, the magicians and the sacred scribes +that were in Mizraim, the city of Egypt, as well as those +from Goshen, Raamses, Zoan, and the whole country of +Egypt, and with them came the princes, officers, and servants +of the king from all the cities of the land. + +To all these the king narrated his dreams, but none could +interpret them to his satisfaction. Some said that the seven +fat kine were the seven legitimate kings that would rule over +Egypt, and the seven lean kine betokened seven princes that +would rise up against these seven kings and exterminate +them. The seven good ears of corn were the seven superior +princes of Egypt that would engage in a war for their overlord, +and would be defeated by as many insignificant princes, +who were betokened by the seven blasted ears. + +Another interpretation was that the seven fat kine were +the seven fortified cities of Egypt, at some future time to fall +into the hands of seven Canaanitish nations, who were +foreshadowed +in the seven lean kine. According to this interpretation, +the second dream supplemented the first. It +meant that the descendants of Pharaoh would regain sovereign +authority over Egypt at a subsequent period, and +would subdue the seven Canaanitish nations as well. + +There was a third interpretation, given by some: The +seven fat kine are seven women whom Pharaoh would take +to wife, but they would die during his lifetime, their loss +being indicated by the seven lean kine. Furthermore, +Pharaoh would have fourteen sons, and the seven strong +ones would be conquered by the seven weaklings, as the +blasted ears of corn in his dream had swallowed up the rank +ears of corn. + +And a fourth: "Thou wilt have seven sons, O Pharaoh, +these are the seven fat kine. These sons of thine will be +killed by the seven powerful rebellious princes. But then +seven minor princes will come, and they will kill the seven +rebels, avenge thy descendants, and restore the dominion to +thy family." + +The king was as little pleased with these interpretations +as with the others, which he had heard before, and in his +wrath he ordered the wise men, the magicians and the scribes +of Egypt, to be killed, and the hangmen made ready to execute +the royal decree. + +However, Mirod, Pharaoh's chief butler,[163] took fright, +seeing that the king was so vexed at his failure to secure an +interpretation of his dreams that he was on the point of +giving up the ghost. He was alarmed about the king's death, +for it was doubtful whether the successor to the throne would +retain him in office. He resolved to do all in his power to +keep Pharaoh alive. Therefore he stepped before him, and +spake, saying, "I do remember two faults of mine this day, +I showed myself ungrateful to Joseph, in that I did not bring +his request before thee, and also I saw thee in distress by +reason of thy dream, without letting thee know that Joseph +can interpret dreams.[164] When it pleased the Lord God to +make Pharaoh wroth with his servants, the king put me in +ward in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the +chief baker.[165] And with us there was a simple young +man, one of the despised race of the Hebrews, slave to the +captain of the guard, and he interpreted our dreams to us, +and it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was. +Therefore, +O king, stay the hand of the hangmen, let them not +execute the Egyptians. The slave I speak of is still in the +dungeon, and if the king will consent to summon him +hither, he will surely interpret thy dreams."[166] + + +JOSEPH BEFORE PHARAOH + +"Accursed are the wicked that never do a wholly good +deed." The chief butler described Joseph contemptuously +as a "slave" in order that it might be impossible for him +to occupy a distinguished place at court, for it was a law +upon the statute books of Egypt that a slave could never sit +upon the throne as king, nor even put his foot in the stirrup +of a horse.[167] + +Pharaoh revoked the edict of death that he had issued +against the wise men of Egypt, and he sent and called Joseph. +He impressed care upon his messengers, they were +not to excite and confuse Joseph, and render him unfit to +interpret the king's dream correctly.[168] They brought him +hastily out of the dungeon, but first Joseph, out of respect +for the king, shaved himself, and put on fresh raiment, +which an angel brought him from Paradise, and then he +came in unto Pharaoh.[169] + +The king was sitting upon the royal throne, arrayed in +princely garments, clad with a golden ephod upon his breast, +and the fine gold of the ephod sparkled, and the carbuncle, +the ruby, and the emerald flamed like a torch, and all the +precious stones set upon the king's head flashed like a blazing +fire, and Joseph was greatly amazed at the appearance +of the king. The throne upon which he sat was covered +with gold and silver and with onyx stones, and it had +seventy steps. If a prince or other distinguished person +came to have an audience with the king, it was the custom +for him to advance and mount to the thirty-first step of the +throne, and the king would descend thirty-six steps and +speak to him. But if one of the people came to have speech +with the king, he ascended only to the third step, and the +king would come down four steps from his seat, and address +him thence. It was also the custom that one who knew all +the seventy languages ascended the seventy steps of the +throne to the top, but if a man knew only some of the +seventy languages, he was permitted to ascend as many steps +as he knew languages, whether they were many or, few. +And another custom of the Egyptians was that none could +reign over them unless he was master of all the seventy +languages. + +When Joseph came before the king, he bowed down to +the ground, and he ascended to the third step, while the +king sat upon the fourth from the top, and spake with Joseph, +saying:[170] "O young man, my servant beareth witness +concerning thee, that thou art the best and most discerning +person I can consult with. I pray thee, vouchsafe +unto me the same favors which thou didst bestow on this +servant of mine, and tell me what events they are which the +visions of my dreams foreshow. I desire thee to suppress +naught out of fear, nor shalt thou flatter me with lying +words, or with words that please me. Tell me the truth, +though it be sad and alarming."[171] + +Joseph asked the king first whence he knew that the +interpretation +given by the wise men of his country was not true, +and Pharaoh replied, "I saw the dream and its interpretation +together, and therefore they cannot make a fool of +me."[172] In his modesty Joseph denied that he was an adept +at interpreting dreams. He said, "It is not in me; it is in +the hand of God, and if it be the wish of God, He will permit +me to announce tidings of peace to Pharaoh." And for +such modesty he was rewarded by sovereignty over Egypt, +for the Lord doth honor them that honor Him. Thus was +also Daniel rewarded for his speech to Nebuchadnezzar: + +"There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, but as for +me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I +have more than any living, but to the intent that the +interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou +mayest know the thoughts of thy heart."[173] + +Then Pharaoh began to tell his dream, only he omitted +some points and narrated others inaccurately in order that +he might test the vaunted powers of Joseph. But the youth +corrected him, and pieced the dreams together exactly as +they had visited Pharaoh in the night, and the king was +greatly amazed.[174] Joseph was able to accomplish this feat, +because he had dreamed the same dream as Pharaoh, at the +same time as he.[175] Thereupon Pharaoh retold his dreams, +with all details and circumstances, and precisely as he had +seen them in his sleep, except that he left out the word Nile +in the description of the seven lean kine, because this river +was worshipped by the Egyptians, and he hesitated to say +that aught that is evil had come from his god.[176] + +Now Joseph proceeded to give the king the true interpretation +of the two dreams. They were both a revelation concerning +the seven good years impending and the seven years +of famine to follow them. In reality, it had been the purpose +of God to bring a famine of forty-two years' duration +upon Egypt, but only two years of this distressful period +were inflicted upon the land, for the sake of the blessing of +Jacob when he came to Egypt in the second year of the +famine. The other forty years fell upon the land at the +time of the prophet Ezekiel.[177] + +Joseph did more than merely interpret the dreams. When +the king gave voice to doubts concerning the interpretation, +he told him signs and tokens. He said: "Let this be a sign +to thee that my words are true, and my advice is excellent: +Thy wife, who is sitting upon the birthstool at this moment, +will bring forth a son, and thou wilt rejoice over him, but +in the midst of thy joy the sad tidings will be told thee of +the death of thine older son, who was born unto thee but two +years ago, and thou must needs find consolation for the loss +of the one in the birth of the other." + +Scarcely had Joseph withdrawn from the presence of the +king, when the report of the birth of a son was brought to +Pharaoh, and soon after also the report of the death of his +first-born, who had suddenly dropped to the floor and passed +away. Thereupon he sent for all the grandees of his realm, +and all his servants, and he spake to them, saying: "Ye +have heard the words of the Hebrew, and ye have seen that +the signs which he foretold were accomplished, and I also +know that he hath interpreted the dream truly. Advise me +now how the land may be saved from the ravages of the +famine. Look hither and thither whether you can find a +man of wisdom and understanding, whom I may set over +the land, for I am convinced that the land can be saved only +if we heed the counsel of the Hebrew." The grandees and +the princes admitted that safety could be secured only by +adhering to the advice given by Joseph, and they proposed +that the king, in his sagacity, choose a man whom he considered +equal to the great task.[178] Thereupon Pharaoh said: +"If we traversed and searched the earth from end to end, +we could find none such as Joseph, a man in whom is the +spirit of God.[179] If ye think well thereof, I will set him over +the land which he hath saved by his wisdom."[180] + +The astrologers, who were his counsellors, demurred, saying, +"A slave, one whom his present owner hath acquired +for twenty pieces of silver, thou proposest to set over us as +master?" But Pharaoh maintained that Joseph was not +only a free-born man beyond the peradventure of a doubt, +but also the scion of a noble family.[181] However, the princes +of Pharaoh were not silenced, they continued to give utterance +to their opposition to Joseph, saying: "Dost thou not +remember the immutable law of the Egyptians, that none +may serve as king or as viceroy unless he speaks all the +languages of men? And this Hebrew knows none but his +own tongue, and how were it possible that a man should rule +over us who cannot even speak the language of our land? +Send and have him fetched hither, and examine him in +respect to all the things a ruler should know and have, and +then decide as seemeth wise in thy sight." + +Pharaoh yielded, he promised to do as they wished, and +he appointed the following day as the time for examining +Joseph, who had returned to his prison in the meantime, +for, on account of his wife, his master feared to have him +stay in his house. During the night Gabriel appeared unto +Joseph, and taught him all the seventy languages, and he +acquired them quickly after the angel had changed his name +from Joseph to Jehoseph. The next morning, when he came +into the presence of Pharaoh and the nobles of the kingdom, +inasmuch as he knew every one of the seventy languages, +he mounted all the steps of the royal throne, until he reached +the seventieth, the highest, upon which sat the king, and +Pharaoh and his princes rejoiced that Joseph fulfilled all the +requirements needed by one that was to rule over Egypt. + +The king said to Joseph: "Thou didst give me the +counsel to look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over +the land of Egypt, that he may in his wisdom save the land +from the famine. As God hath showed thee all this, and as +thou art master of all the languages of the world, there is +none so discreet and wise as thou. Thou shalt therefore be +the second in the land after Pharaoh, and according unto thy +word shall all my people go in and go out; my princes and +my servants shall receive their monthly appanage from thee; +before thee the people shall prostrate themselves, only in the +throne will I be greater than thou."[182] + + +THE RULER OF EGYPT + +Now Joseph reaped the harvest of his virtues, and according +to the measure of his merits God granted him reward. +The mouth that refused the kiss of unlawful passion and +sin received the kiss of homage from the people; the neck +that did not bow itself unto sin was adorned with the gold +chain that Pharaoh put upon it; the hands that did not +touch sin wore the signet ring that Pharaoh took from his +own hand and put upon Joseph's; the body that did not come +in contact with sin was arrayed in vestures of byssus; the +feet that made no steps in the direction of sin reposed in the +royal chariot, and the thoughts that kept themselves undefiled +by sin were proclaimed as wisdom.[183] + +Joseph was installed in his high position, and invested +with the insignia of his office, with solemn ceremony. The +king took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon +Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in princely apparel, and set +a gold crown upon his head, and laid a gold chain about his +neck. Then he commanded his servants to make Joseph to +ride in his second chariot, which went by the side of the +chariot wherein sat the king, and he also made him to ride +upon a great and strong horse of the king's horses, and his +servants conducted him through the streets of the city +of Egypt. Musicians, no less than a thousand striking +cymbals and a thousand blowing flutes, and five thousand +men with drawn swords gleaming in the air formed the vanguard. +Twenty thousand of the king's grandees girt with +gold-embroidered leather belts marched at the right of +Joseph, and as many at the left of him.[184] The women and +the maidens of the nobility looked out of the windows to +gaze upon Joseph's beauty, and they poured down chains +upon him, and rings and jewels, that he might but direct +his eyes toward them. Yet he did not look up, and as a reward +God made him proof against the evil eye, nor has it +ever had the power of inflicting harm upon any of his +descendants.[185] Servants of the king, preceding him and +following him, burnt incense upon his path, and cassia, and all +manner of sweet spices, and strewed myrrh and aloes wherever +he went. Twenty heralds walked before him, and they +proclaimed: "This is the man whom the king bath chosen +to be the second after him. All the affairs of state will be +administered by him, and whoever resisteth his commands, +or refuseth to bow down to the ground before him, he will +die the death of the rebel against the king and the king's +deputy." + +Without delay the people prostrated themselves, and they +cried, "Long live the king, and long live the deputy of the +king!" And Joseph, looking down from his horse upon +the people and their exultation, exclaimed, his eyes directed +heavenward: "The Lord raiseth up the poor out of the +dust, and lifteth up the needy from the dunghill. O Lord +of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee." + +After Joseph, accompanied by Pharaoh's officers and +princes, had journeyed through the whole city of Egypt, +and viewed all there was therein, he returned to the king on +the selfsame day, and the king gave him fields and vineyards +as a present, and also three thousand talents of silver, and +a thousand talents of gold, and onyx stones and bdellium, +and many other costly things. The king commanded, moreover, +that every Egyptian give Joseph a gift, else he would +be put to death. A platform was erected in the open street, +and there all deposited their presents, and among the things +were many of gold and silver, as well as precious stones, +carried thither by the people and also the grandees, for they +saw that Joseph enjoyed the favor of the king. Furthermore, +Joseph received one hundred slaves from Pharaoh, +and they were to do all his bidding, and he himself acquired +many more, for he resided in a spacious palace. Three years +it took to build it. Special magnificence was lavished upon +the hall of state, which was his audience chamber, and upon +the throne fashioned of gold and silver and inlaid with +precious stones, whereon there was a representation of the +whole land of Egypt and of the river Nile. And as Joseph +multiplied in riches, so he increased also in wisdom, for God +added to his wisdom that all might love and honor him.[186] +Pharaoh called him Zaphenath-paneah, he who can reveal +secret things with ease, and rejoiceth the heart of man +therewith. Each letter of the name Zaphenath-paneah has a +meaning, too. The first, Zadde, stands for Zofeh, seer; Pe +for Podeh, redeemer; Nun for Nabi, prophet; Taw for +Tomek, supporter; Pe for Poter, interpreter of dreams; Ain +for Arum, clever; Nun for Nabon, discreet; and Het for +Hakam, wise.[187] + +The name of Joseph's wife pointed to her history in the +same way. Asenath was the daughter of Dinah and Hamor, +but she was abandoned at the borders of Egypt, only, that +people might know who she was, Jacob engraved the story +of her parentage and her birth upon a gold plate fastened +around her neck. The day on which Asenath was exposed, +Potiphar went walking with his servants near the city +wall, and they heard the voice of a child. At the captain's +bidding they brought the baby to him, and when he read +her history from the gold plate, he determined to adopt her. +He took her home with him, and raised her as his daughter. +The Alef in Asenath stands for On, where Potiphar was +priest; the Samek for Setirah, Hidden, for she was kept concealed +on account of her extraordinary beauty; the Nun for +Nohemet, for she wept and entreated that she might be delivered +from the house of the heathen Potiphar; and the Taw +for Tammah, the perfect one, on account of her pious, perfect +deeds.[188] + +Asenath had saved Joseph's life while she was still an +infant in arms. When Joseph was accused of immoral conduct +by Potiphar's wife and the other women, and his master +was on the point of having him hanged, Asenath approached +her foster-father, and she assured him under oath that the +charge against Joseph was false. Then spake God, "As +thou livest, because thou didst try to defend Joseph, thou +shalt be the woman to bear the tribes that he is appointed +to beget.[189] + +Asenath bore him two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, during +the seven years of plenty, for in the time of famine +Joseph refrained from all indulgence in the pleasures of +life.[190] They were bred in chastity and fear of God by their +father, and they were wise, and well-instructed in all knowledge +and in the affairs of state, so that they became the +favorites of the court, and were educated with the royal +princes. + +Before the famine broke over the land, Joseph found an +opportunity of rendering the king a great service. He +equipped an army of four thousand six hundred men, providing +all the soldiers with shields and spears and bucklers +and helmets and slings. With this army, and aided by the +servants and officers of the king, and by the people of Egypt, +he carried on a war with Tarshish in the first year after his +appointment as viceroy. The people of Tarshish had invaded +the territory of the Ishmaelites, and the latter, few +in number at that time, were sore pressed, and applied to +the king of Egypt for help against their enemies. At the +head of his host of heroes, Joseph marched to the land of +Havilah, where he was joined by the Ishmaelites, and with +united forces they fought against the people of Tarshish, +routed them utterly, settled their land with the Ishmaelites, +while the defeated men took refuge with their brethren in +Javan. Joseph and his army returned to Egypt, and not a +man had they lost. + +In a little while Joseph's prophecy was confirmed: that +year and the six following years were years of plenty, as +he had foretold.[191] The harvest was so ample that a single +ear produced two heaps of grain,[192] and Joseph made circumspect +arrangements to provide abundantly for the years of +famine. He gathered up all the grain, and in the city situated +in the middle of each district he laid up the produce +from round about, and had ashes and earth strewn on the +garnered food from the very soil on which it had been +grown;[193] also he preserved the grain in the ear; all these +being precautions taken to guard against rot and mildew. +The inhabitants of Egypt also tried, on their own account, +to put aside a portion of the superabundant harvest of the +seven fruitful years against the need of the future, but when +the grievous time of dearth came, and they went to their +storehouses to bring forth the treasured grain, behold, it +had rotted, and become unfit for food.[194] The famine broke +in upon the people with such suddenness that the bread gave +out unexpectedly as they sat at their tables, they had not +even a bite of bran bread. + +Thus they were driven to apply to Joseph and beseech his +help, and he admonished them, saying, "Give up your allegiance +to your deceitful idols, and say, Blessed is He who +giveth bread unto all flesh." But they refused to deny their +lying gods, and they betook themselves to Pharaoh, only +to be told by him, "Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, +do!" For this Pharaoh was rewarded. God granted him +long life and a long reign, until he became arrogant, and +well-merited punishment overtook him.[195] + +When the Egyptians approached Joseph with the petition +for bread, he spoke, saying, "I give no food to the +uncircumcised. Go hence, and circumcise yourselves, and then +return hither." They entered the presence of Pharaoh, and +complained to him regarding Joseph, but he said as +before, "Go unto Joseph!" And they replied, "We come +from Joseph, and he hath spoken roughly unto us, saying, +Go hence and circumcise yourselves! We warned thee in +the beginning that he is a Hebrew, and would treat us in +such wise." Pharaoh said to them: "O ye fools, did he not +prophesy through the holy spirit and proclaim to the whole +world, that there would come seven years of plenty to be +followed by seven years of dearth? Why did you not save +the yield of one or two years against the day of your need?" + +Weeping, they made reply: "The grain that we put +aside during the good years hath rotted." + +Pharaoh: "Have ye nothing over of the flour of yesterday?" + +The Egyptians: "The very bread in the basket rotted!" + +Pharaoh: "Why?" + +The Egyptians: "Because Joseph willed thus!" + +Pharaoh: "O ye fools, if his word hath power over the +grain, making it to rot when he desireth it to rot, then also +must we die, if so be his wish concerning us. Go, therefore, +unto him, and do as he bids you."[196] + + +JOSEPH'S BRETHREN IN EGYPT + +The famine, which inflicted hardships first upon the +wealthy among the Egyptians, gradually extended its ravages +as far as Phoenicia, Arabia, and Palestine.[197] Though +the sons of Jacob, being young men, frequented the streets +and the highways, yet they were ignorant of what their old +home-keeping father Jacob knew, that corn could be procured in +Egypt. Jacob even suspected that Joseph was in +Egypt. His prophetic spirit, which forsook him during the +time of his grief for his son, yet manifested itself now and +again in dim visions, and he was resolved to send his sons +down into Egypt.[198] There was another reason. Though he +was not yet in want, he nevertheless had them go thither for +food, because he was averse from arousing the envy of the +sons of Esau and Ishmael by his comfortable state.[199] For +the same reason, to avoid friction with the surrounding +peoples, he bade his sons not appear in public with bread in +their hands, or in the accoutrements of war.[200] And as he +knew that they were likely to attract attention, on account +of their heroic stature and handsome appearance, he cautioned +them against going to the city all together through +the same gate, or, indeed, showing themselves all together +anywhere in public, that the evil eye be not cast upon them.[201] + +The famine in Canaan inspired Joseph with the hope of +seeing his brethren. To make sure of their coming, he +issued a decree concerning the purchase of corn in Egypt, +as follows: "By order of the king and his deputy, and the +princes of the realm, be it enacted that he who desireth to +buy grain in Egypt may not send his slave hither to do his +bidding, but he must charge his own sons therewith. An +Egyptian or a Canaanite that hath bought grain and then +selleth it again shall be put to death, for none may buy more +than he requireth for the needs of his household. Also, who +cometh with two or three beasts of burden, and loads them +up with grain, shall be put to death." + +At the gates of the city of Egypt, Joseph stationed guards, +whose office was to inquire and take down the name of all +that should come to buy corn, and also the name of their +father and their grandfather, and every evening the list of +names thus made was handed to Joseph. These precautions +were bound to bring Joseph's brethren down to Egypt, and +also acquaint him with their coming as soon as they entered +the land. + +On their journey his brethren thought more of Joseph +than of their errand. They said to one another: "We know +that Joseph was carried down into Egypt, and we will make +search for him there, and if we should find him, we will +ransom him from his master, and if his master should refuse +to sell him, we will use force, though we perish ourselves."[202] + +At the gates of the city of Egypt, the brethren of Joseph +were asked what their names were, and the names of their +father and grandfather. The guard on duty happened to be +Manasseh, the son of Joseph. The brethren submitted to +being questioned, saying "Let us go into the town, and we +shall see whether this taking down of our names be a matter +of taxes. If it be so, we shall not demur; but if it be something +else, we shall see to-morrow what can be done in the +case."[203] + +On the evening of the day they entered Egypt, Joseph +discovered their names in the list, which he was in the +habit of examining daily, and he commanded that all +stations for the sale of corn be closed, except one only. +Furthermore, even at this station no sales were to be negotiated +unless the name of the would-be purchaser was first +obtained. His brethren, with whose names Joseph furnished +the overseer of the place, were to be seized and brought to +him as soon as they put in appearance. + +But the first thought of the brethren was for Joseph, and +their first concern, to seek him. For three days they made +search for him everywhere, even in the most disreputable +quarters of the city. Meantime Joseph was in communication +with the overseer of the station kept open for the sale +of corn, and, hearing that his brethren had not appeared +there, he dispatched some of his servants to look for them, +but they found them neither in Mizraim, the city of Egypt, +nor in Goshen, nor in Raamses. Thereupon he sent sixteen +servants forth to make a house to house search for them in +the city, and they discovered the brethren of Joseph in a +place of ill-fame and haled them before their master. + + +JOSEPH MEETS HIS BRETHREN + +A large crown of gold on his head, apparelled in byssus +and purple, and surrounded by his valiant men, Joseph was +seated upon his throne in his palace. His brethren fell down +before him in great admiration of his beauty, his stately +appearance, and his majesty.[204] They did not know him, for +when Joseph was sold into slavery, he was a beardless youth. +But he knew his brethren, their appearance had not changed +in aught, for they were bearded men when he was separated +from them.[205] + +He was inclined to make himself known to them as their +brother, but an angel appeared unto him, the same that had +brought him from Shechem to his brethren at Dothan, and +spoke, saying, "These came hither with intent to kill thee." +Later, when the brethren returned home, and gave an account +of their adventures to Jacob, they told him that a man +had accused them falsely before the ruler of Egypt, not +knowing that he who incited Joseph against them was an +angel. It was in reference to this matter, and meaning their +accuser, that Jacob, when he dispatched his sons on their +second expedition to Egypt, prayed to God, "God Almighty +give you mercy before the man."[206] + +Joseph made himself strange unto his brethren, and he +took his cup in his hand, knocked against it, and said, "By +this magic cup I know that ye are spies." They replied, +"Thy servants came from Canaan into Egypt for to buy +corn." + +Joseph: "If it be true that ye came hither to buy corn, +why is it that each one of you entered the city by a separate +gate?"[207] + +The brethren: "We are ALL the sons of one man in the +land of Canaan, and he bade us not enter a city together by +the same gate, that we attract not the attention of the people +of the place." Unconsciously they had spoken as seers, for +the word ALL included Joseph as one of their number.[208] + +Joseph: "Verily, ye are spies! All the people that come +to buy corn return home without delay, but ye have lingered +here three days, without making any purchases, and all the +time you have been gadding about in the disreputable parts +of the city, and only spies are wont to do thus." + +The brethren: "We thy servants are twelve brethren, the +sons of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of the Hebrew Abraham. +The youngest is this day with our father in Canaan, +and one hath disappeared. Him did we look for in this land, +and we looked for him even in the disreputable houses." + +Joseph: "Have ye made search in every other place on +earth, and was Egypt the only land left? And if it be true +that he is in Egypt, what should a brother of yours be doing +in a house of ill-fame, if, indeed, ye are the descendants of +Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?" + +The brethren: "We did hear that some Ishmaelites stole +our brother, and sold him into slavery in Egypt, and as our +brother was exceeding fair in form and face, we thought he +might have been sold for illicit uses, and therefore we +searched even the disreputable houses to find him." + +Joseph: "You speak deceitful words, when you call yourselves +sons of Abraham. By the life of Pharaoh, ye are +spies, and you did go from one disreputable house to another +that none might discover you."[209] + +The expression "by the life of Pharaoh" might have betrayed +Joseph's real feeling to his brethren, had they but +known his habit of taking this oath only when he meant to +avoid keeping his word later.[210] + +Joseph continued to speak to his brethren: "Let us suppose +you should discover your brother serving as a slave, +and his master should demand a high sum for his ransom, +would you pay it?" + +The brethren: "Yes!" + +Joseph: "But suppose his master should refuse to surrender +him for any price in the world, what would you do?" + +The brethren: "If he yields not our brother to us, we +will kill the master, and carry off our brother." + +Joseph: "Now see how true my words were, that ye are +spies. By your own admission ye have come to slay the inhabitants +of the land. Report hath told us that two of you +did massacre the people of Shechem on account of the wrong +done to your sister, and now have ye come down into Egypt +to kill the Egyptians for the sake of your brother. I shall be +convinced of your innocence only if you consent to send one +of your number home and fetch your youngest brother +hither." + +His brethren refused compliance, and Joseph caused them +to be put into prison by seventy of his valiant men, and there +they remained for three days.[211] God never allows the +pious to languish in distress longer than three days, and so +it was a Divine dispensation that the brethren of Joseph +were released on the third day,[212] and were permitted by +Joseph to return home, on condition, however, that one of +them remain behind as hostage. + +The difference between Joseph and his brethren can be +seen here. Though he retained one of them to be bound in +the prison house, he still said, "I fear God," and dismissed +the others, but when he was in their power, they gave no +thought to God.[213] At this time, to be sure, their conduct +was such as is becoming to the pious, who accept their fate +with calm resignation, and acknowledge the righteousness +of God, for He metes out reward and punishment measure +for measure. They recognized that their present punishment +was in return for the heartless treatment they had dealt out +to Joseph, paying no heed to his distress, though he fell at +the feet of each of them, weeping, and entreating them not +to sell him into slavery. Reuben reminded the others that +they had two wrongs to expiate, the wrong against their +brother and the wrong against their father, who was so +grieved that he exclaimed, "I will go down to the grave to +my son mourning." + +The brethren of Joseph knew not that the viceroy of +Egypt understood Hebrew, and could follow their words, +for Manasseh stood and was an interpreter between them +and him.[214] + +Joseph decided to keep Simon as hostage in Egypt, for he +had been one of the two--Levi was the other--to advise that +Joseph be put to death, and only the intercession of Reuben +and Judah had saved him. He did not detain Levi, too, for +he feared, if both remained behind together, Egypt might +suffer the same fate at their hands as the city of Shechem.[215] +Also, he preferred Simon to Levi, because Simon was not a +favorite among the sons of Jacob, and they would not resist +his detention in Egypt too violently, while they might annihilate +Egypt, as aforetime Shechem, if they were deprived +of Levi, their wise man and high priest.[216] Besides, it was +Simon that had lowered Joseph into the pit, wherefore he +had a particular grudge against him.[217] + +When the brethren yielded to Joseph's demand, and consented +to leave their brother behind as hostage, Simon said +to them, "Ye desire to do with me as ye did with Joseph!" +But they replied, in despair: "What can we do? Our +households will perish of hunger." Simon made answer, +"Do as ye will, but as for me, let me see the man that will +venture to cast me into prison." Joseph sent word to Pharaoh +to let him have seventy of his valiant men, to aid him +in arresting robbers. But when the seventy appeared upon +the scene, and were about to lay hands on Simon, he uttered +a loud cry, and his assailants fell to the floor and knocked +out their teeth.[218] Pharaoh's valiant men, as well as all the +people that stood about Joseph, fled affrighted, only Joseph +and his son Manasseh remained calm and unmoved. Manasseh rose up, +dealt Simon a blow on the back of his neck, +put manacles upon his hands and fetters upon his feet, and +cast him into prison. Joseph's brethren were greatly amazed +at the heroic strength of the youth, and Simon said, "This +blow was not dealt by an Egyptian, but by one belonging to +our house."[219] + +He was bound and taken to prison before the eyes of the +other brethren of Joseph, but as soon as they were out of +sight, Joseph ordered good fare to be set before him, and +he treated him with great kindness.[220] + +Joseph permitted his nine other brethren to depart, carrying +corn with them in abundance, but he impressed upon +them that they must surely return and bring their youngest +brother with them. On the way, Levi, who felt lonely without +his constant companion Simon, opened his sack, and he +espied the money he had paid for the corn. They all +trembled, and their hearts failed them, and they said, +"Where, then, is the lovingkindness of God toward our +fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, seeing that He hath delivered +us into the hands of the Egyptian king, that he may +raise false accusations against us?" And Judah said, +"Verily, we are guilty concerning our brother, we have +sinned against God, in that we sold our brother, our own +flesh, and why do ye ask, Where, then, is the lovingkindness +of God toward our fathers?" + +Reuben spoke in the same way: "Spake I not unto you, +saying, Do not sin against the child, and ye would not hear? +And now the Lord doth demand him of us. How can you +say, Where, then, is the lovingkindness of God toward our +fathers, though you have sinned against Him?" + +They proceeded on their journey home, and their father +met them on the way. Jacob was astonished not to see +Simon with them, and in reply to his questions, they told +him all that had befallen them in Egypt. Then Jacob cried +out: "What have ye done? I sent Joseph to you to see +whether it be well with you, and ye said, An evil beast hath +devoured him. Simon went forth with you for to buy corn, +and you say, The king of Egypt hath cast him into prison. +And now ye will take Benjamin away and kill him, too. Ye +will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave."[221] + +The words of Jacob, which he uttered, "Me have ye bereaved +of my children," were meant to intimate to his sons +that he suspected them of the death of Joseph and of +Simon's disappearance as well, and their reports concerning +both he regarded as inventions.[222] What made him inconsolable +was that now, having lost two of his sons, he could +not hope to see the Divine promise fulfilled, that he should +be the ancestor of twelve tribes.[223] He was quite resolved +in his mind, therefore, not to let Benjamin go away with his +brethren under any condition whatsoever, and he vouchsafed +Reuben no reply when he said, "Slay my two sons, if I bring +him not to thee." He considered it beneath his dignity to +give an answer to such balderdash.[224] "My first-born son," +he said to himself, "is a fool. What will it profit me, if I +slay his two sons? Does he not know that his sons are +equally mine?"[225] Judah advised his brethren to desist from +urging their father then; he would consent, he thought, to +whatever expedients were found necessary, as soon as their +bread gave out, and a second journey to Egypt became +imperative.[226] + +THE SECOND JOURNEY TO EGYPT + +When the supplies bought in Egypt were eaten up, and +the family of Jacob began to suffer with hunger, the little +children came to him, and they said, "Give us bread, that +we die not of hunger before thee." The words of the little +ones brought scorching tears to the eyes of Jacob, and he +summoned his sons and bade them go again down into Egypt +and buy food.[227] But Judah spake unto him, "The man did +solemnly protest unto us, saying that we should not see his +face, except our brother Benjamin be with us, and we cannot +appear before him with idle pretexts." And Jacob said, +"Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me as to tell the man +whether ye had yet a brother?" It was the first and only +time Jacob indulged in empty talk, and God said, "I made it +My business to raise his son to the position of ruler of +Egypt, and he complains, and says, Wherefore dealt ye so +ill with-me?" And Judah protested against the reproach, +that he had initiated the Egyptian viceroy in their family +relations, with the words: "Why, he knew the very wood +of which our baby coaches are made![228] Father," he continued, +"if Benjamin goes with us, he may, indeed, be taken +from us, but also he may not. This is a doubtful matter, +but it is certain that if he does not go with us, we shall all +die of hunger. It is better not to concern thyself about what +is doubtful, and guide thy actions by what is certain.[229] The +king of Egypt is a strong and mighty king, and if we go to +him without our brother, we shall all be put to death. Dost +thou not know, and hast thou not heard, that this king is +very powerful and wise, and there is none like unto him in all +the earth? We have seen all the kings of the earth, but none +like unto the king of Egypt. One would surely say that +among all the kings of the earth there is none greater than +Abimelech king of the Philistines, yet the king of Egypt is +greater and mightier than he, and Abimelech can hardly be +compared with one of his officers. Father, thou hast not +seen his palace and his throne, and all his servants standing +before him. Thou hast not seen that king upon his throne, +in all his magnificence and with his royal insignia, arrayed +in his royal robes, with a large golden crown upon his head. +Thou hast not seen the honor and the glory that God hath +given unto him, for there is none like unto him in all the +earth. Father, thou hast not seen the wisdom, the understanding, +and the knowledge that God has given in his +heart. We heard his sweet voice when he spake unto us. +We know not, father, who acquainted him with our names, +and all that befell us. He asked also concerning thee, saying, +Is your father still alive, and is it well with him? Thou +hast not seen the affairs of the government of Egypt regulated +by him, for none asketh his lord Pharaoh about them. +Thou hast not seen the awe and the fear that he imposes +upon all the Egyptians. Even we went out from his presence +threatening to do unto Egypt as unto the cities of the +Amorites, and exceedingly wroth by reason of all his words +that he spake concerning us as spies, yet when we came +again before him, his terror fell upon us all, and none of us +was able to speak a word to him, great or small. Now, +therefore, father, send the lad with us, and we will arise and +go down into Egypt, and buy food to eat, that we die not of +hunger."[230] + +Judah offered his portion in the world to come as surety +for Benjamin, and thus solemnly he promised to bring him +back safe and sound, and Jacob granted his request, and +permitted Benjamin to go down into Egypt with his other +sons. They also carried with them choice presents from +their father for the ruler of Egypt, things that arouse wonder +outside of Palestine, such as the murex, which is the +snail that produces the Tyrian purple, and various kinds of +balm, and almond oil, and pistachio oil, and honey as hard as +stone. Furthermore, Jacob put double money in their hand +to provide against a rise in prices in the meantime. And +after all these matters were attended to, he spake to his sons, +saying: "Here is money, and here is a present, and also your +brother. Is there aught else that you need?" And they +replied, Yes, we need this, besides, that thou shouldst +intercede for us with God." Then their father prayed:[231] +"O Lord, Thou who at the time of creation didst call +Enough! to heaven and earth when they stretched themselves +out further and further toward infinity, set a limit +to my sufferings, too, say unto them, Enough![232] God Almighty +give you mercy before the ruler of Egypt, that he +may release unto you Joseph, Simon, and Benjamin." + +This prayer was an intercession, not only for the sons of +Jacob, but also for their descendants--that God would deliver +the Ten Tribes in time to come, as He delivered the two, +Judah and Benjamin, and after He permitted the destruction +of two Temples, He would grant endless continuance to the +third.[233] + +Jacob also put a letter addressed to the viceroy of Egypt +into the hands of his son. The letter ran thus: "From thy +servant Jacob, the son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham, +prince of God, to the mighty and wise king Zaphenathpaneah, +the ruler of Egypt, peace! I make known unto my +lord the king that the famine is sore with us in the land of +Canaan, and I have therefore sent my sons unto thee, to buy +us a little food, that we may live, and not die. My children +surrounded me, and begged for something to eat, but, alas, +I am very old, and I cannot see with mine eyes, for they are +heavy with the weight of years, and also on account of my +never-ceasing tears for my son Joseph, who hath been taken +from me. I charged my sons not to pass through the gate +all together at the same time, when they arrived in the city of +Egypt, in consideration of the inhabitants of the land, that +they might not take undue notice of them. Also I bade them +go up and down in the land of Egypt and seek my son Joseph, +mayhap they would find him there. + +"This did they do, but thou didst therefore account them +as spies. We have heard the report of thy wisdom and +sagacity. How, then, canst thou look upon their countenances, +and yet declare them to be spies? Especially as we +have heard thou didst interpret Pharaoh's dream, and didst +foretell the coming of the famine, are we amazed that thou, +in thy discernment, couldst not distinguish whether they be +spies or not. + +"And, now, O my lord king, I send unto thee my son Benjamin, +as thou didst demand of my other sons. I pray thee, +take good care of him until thou sendest him back to me in +peace with his brethren. Hast thou not heard, and dost thou +not know, what our God did unto Pharaoh when he took our +mother Sarah unto himself? Or what happened unto Abimelech +on account of her? And what our father Abraham +did unto the nine kings of Elam, how he killed them and +exterminated their armies, though he had but few men with +him? Or hast thou not heard what my two sons Simon and +Levi did to the eight cities of the Amorites, which they +destroyed +on account of their sister Dinah? Benjamin consoled +them for the loss of Joseph. What, then, will they do +unto him that stretcheth forth the hand of power to snatch +him away from them? + +"Knowest thou not, O king of Egypt, that the might of +our God is with us, and that He always hearkens unto our +prayers, and never forsakes us? Had I called upon God to +rise up against thee when my sons told me how thou didst act +toward them, thou and thy people, ye all would have been +annihilated ere Benjamin could come down to thee. But I +reflected that Simon my son was abiding in thy house, and +perhaps thou wast doing kindnesses unto him, and therefore +I invoked not the punishment of God upon thee. Now my +son Benjamin goeth down unto thee with my other sons. +Take heed unto thyself, keep thy eyes directed upon him, +and God will direct His eye upon all thy kingdom. + +"I have said all now that is in my heart. My sons take +their youngest brother down into Egypt with them, and do +thou send them all back to me in peace." + +This letter Jacob put into the keeping of Judah, charging +him to deliver it to the ruler of Egypt. His last words to +his sons were an admonition to take good care of Benjamin +and not leave him out of their sight, either on the journey +or after their arrival in Egypt. He bade farewell to them, +and then turned in prayer to God, saying: "O Lord of +heaven and earth! Remember Thy covenant with our +father Abraham. Remember also my father Isaac, and grant +grace unto my sons, and deliver them not into the hands of +the king of Egypt. O my God, do it for the sake of Thy +mercy, redeem my sons and save them from the hands of +the Egyptians, and restore their two brethren unto them." + +Also the women and the children in the house of Jacob +prayed to God amid tears, and entreated Him to redeem their +husbands and their fathers out of the hands of the king of +Egypt.[234] + + +JOSEPH AND BENJAMIN + +Great was the joy of Joseph when his brethren stood before +him and Benjamin was with them. In his youngest +brother he saw the true counterpart of his father.[235] He +ordered his son Manasseh,[236] the steward of his house, to +bring the men into the palace, and make ready a meal for +them. But he was to take care to prepare the meat dishes +in the presence of the guests, so that they might see with +their own eyes that the cattle had been slaughtered according +to the ritual prescriptions, and the sinew of the hip which is +upon the hollow of the thigh had been removed.[237] + +The dinner to which Joseph invited his brethren was a +Sabbath meal, for he observed the seventh day even before +the revelation of the law. The sons of Jacob refused the +invitation of the steward, and a scuffle ensued. While he +tried to force them into the banqueting hall, they tried to +force him out,[238] for they feared it was but a ruse to get +possession +of them and their asses, on account of the money +they had found in their sacks on their return from their first +journey to Egypt. In their modesty they put the loss of +their beasts upon the same level as the loss of their personal +liberty. To the average man property is as precious as life +itself.[239] + +Standing at the door of Joseph's house, they spake to the +steward, and said: "We are in badly reduced circumstances. +In our country we supported others, and now we depend +upon thee to support us." After these introductory words, +they offered him the money they had found in their sacks. +The steward reassured them concerning the money, saying, +"However it may be, whether for the sake of your own +merits, or for the sake of the merits of your fathers, God +hath caused you to find a treasure, for the money ye paid for +the corn came into my hand." Then he brought Simon out +to them. Their brother looked like a leather bottle, so fat +and rotund had he grown during his sojourn in Egypt.[240] +He told his brethren what kind treatment had been accorded +unto him. The very moment they left the city he had been +released from prison, and thereafter he had been entertained +with splendor in the house of the ruler of Egypt. + +When Joseph made his appearance, Judah took Benjamin +by the hand, and presented him to the viceroy, and they +all bowed down themselves to him to the earth.[241] Joseph +asked them concerning the welfare of their father and +their grandfather, and they made reply, "Thy servant +our father is well; he is yet alive," and Joseph knew from +their words that his grandfather Isaac was no more.[242] He +had died at the time when Joseph was released from prison, +and the joy of God in the liberation of Joseph was overcast +by His sorrow for Isaac.[243] Then Judah handed his father's +letter to Joseph, who was so moved at seeing the well-known +handwriting that he had to retire to his chamber and weep. +When he came back, he summoned Benjamin to approach +close to him, and he laid his hand upon his youngest +brother's head, and blessed him with the words, "God be +gracious unto thee, my son."[244] His father had once mentioned +"the children which God hath graciously given Thy +servant," and as Benjamin was not among the children thus +spoken of, for he was born later, Joseph compensated him +now by blessing him with the grace of God.[245] + +The table was set in three divisions, for Joseph, for his +brethren, and for the Egyptians. The sons of Jacob did not +venture to eat of the dishes set before them, they were afraid +they might not have been prepared according to the ritual +prescriptions--a punishment upon Joseph for having slandered +his brethren, whom he once charged with not being +punctilious in the observance of the dietary laws.[246] The +Egyptians, again, could not sit at the same table with the +sons of Jacob, because the latter ate the flesh of the animals +to which the former paid divine worship.[247] + +When all was ready, and the guests were to be seated, +Joseph raised his cup, and, pretending to inhale his knowledge +from it, he said, "Judah is king, therefore let him sit +at the head of the table, and let Reuben the first-born take +the second seat," and thus he assigned places to all his +brethren corresponding to their dignity and their age.[248] +Moreover, he seated the brothers together who were the +sons of the same mother, and when he reached Benjamin, +he said, "I know that the youngest among you has no +brother borne by his own mother, next to whom he might be +seated, and also I have none, therefore he may take his place +next to me." + +The brethren marvelled one with another at all this. During +the meal, Joseph took his portion, and gave it to Benjamin, +and his wife Asenath followed his example, and also +Ephraim and Manasseh, so that Benjamin had four portions +in addition to that which he had received like the other sons +of Jacob.[249] + +Wine was served at the meal, and it was the first time in +twenty-two years that Joseph and his brethren tasted of it, +for they had led the life of Nazarites, his brethren because +they regretted the evil they had done to Joseph, and Joseph +because he grieved over the fate of his father.[250] + +Joseph entered into conversation with his brother Benjamin. +He asked him whether he had a brother borne by his +own mother, and Benjamin answered, "I had one, but I do +not know what hath become of him." Joseph continued his +questions: "Hast thou a wife?" + +Benjamin: "Yes, I have a wife and ten sons." + +Joseph: "And what are their names? " + +Benjamin: "Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and +Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard." + +Joseph: "Why didst thou give them such peculiar +names?" + +Benjamin: "In memory of my brother and his sufferings: +Bela, because my brother disappeared among the +peoples; Becher, he was the first-born son of my mother; +Ashbel, he was taken away from my father; Gera, he dwells +a stranger in a strange land; Naaman, he was exceedingly +lovely; Ehi, he was my only brother by my father and my +mother together; Rosh, he was at the head of his brethren; +Muppim, he was beautiful in every respect; Huppim, he was +slandered; and Ard, because he was as beautiful as a rose."[251] + +Joseph ordered his magic astrolabe to be brought to +him, whereby he knew all things that happen, and he said +unto Benjamin, "I have heard that the Hebrews are acquainted +with all wisdom, but dost thou know aught of +this?" Benjamin answered, "Thy servant also is skilled +in all wisdom, which my father hath taught me." He then +looked upon the astrolabe, and to his great astonishment he +discovered by the aid of it that he who was sitting upon the +throne before him was his brother Joseph. Noticing Benjamin's +amazement, Joseph asked him, "What hast thou +seen, and why art thou astonished?" Benjamin said, "I +can see by this that Joseph my brother sitteth here before +me upon the throne." And Joseph said: "I am Joseph thy +brother! Reveal not the thing unto our brethren. I will +send thee with them when they go away, and I will command +them to be brought back again into the city, and I will +take thee away from them. If they risk their lives and fight +for thee, then shall I know that they have repented of what +they did unto me, and I will make myself known unto them. +But if they forsake thee, I will keep thee, that thou shouldst +remain with me. They shall go away, and I will not make +myself known unto them."[252] + +Then Joseph inquired of Benjamin what his brethren had +told their father after they had sold him into slavery, and +he heard the story of the coat dipped in the blood of a kid +of the goats. "Yes, brother," spoke Joseph, "when they +had stripped me of my coat, they handed me over to the +Ishmaelites, +who tied an apron around my waist, scourged me, +and bade me run off. But a lion attacked the one that beat +me, and killed him, and his companions were alarmed, and +they sold me to other people."[253] + +Dismissed by Joseph with kind words, his brethren started +on their homeward journey as soon as the morning was +light, for it is a good rule to "leave a city after sunrise, and +enter a city before sundown."[254] Besides, Joseph had a specific +reason for not letting his brethren depart from the city +during the night. He feared an encounter between them and +his servants, and that his men might get the worst of it, for +the sons of Jacob were like the wild beasts, which have the +upper hand at night. + + +THE THIEF CAUGHT + +They were not yet far beyond the city gates, when Joseph +dispatched Manasseh, the steward of his house, to follow +after them, and look for the silver cup that he had concealed +in Benjamin's sack. He knew his brethren well, he +did not venture to let them get too far from the city before +he should attempt to force their return. He hoped that the +nearness of the city would intimidate them and make them +heed his commands. Manasseh therefore received the order +to bring them to a halt, by mild speech if he could, or by +rough speech if he must, and carry them back to the city.[255] +He acted according to his instructions. When the brethren +heard the accusation of theft , they said: "With whomsoever +of thy servants the cup be found, let him die, and we +also will be my lord's bondmen." And Manasseh said, "As +you say, so were it proper to do, for if ten persons are +charged with theft, and the stolen object is found with one +of them, all are held responsible. But I will not be so hard. +He with whom the cup is found shall be the bondman, and +the rest shall be blameless." + +He searched all the sacks, and in order not to excite the +suspicion that he knew where the cup was, he began at Reuben, +the eldest, and left off at Benjamin, the youngest, and +the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. In a rage, his +brethren shouted at Benjamin, "O thou thief and son of a +thief! Thy mother brought shame upon our father by her +thievery, and now thou bringest shame upon us." But he +replied, "Is this matter as evil as the matter of the kid of +the goats--as the deed of the brethren that sold their own +brother into slavery?"[256] + +In their fury and vexation, the brethren rent their clothes. +God paid them in their own coin. They had caused Jacob +to tear his clothes in his grief over Joseph, and now they +were made to do the same on account of their own troubles. +And as they rent their clothes for the sake of their brother +Benjamin, so Mordecai, the descendant of Benjamin, was +destined to rend his on account of his brethren, the people of +Israel. But because mortification was inflicted upon the +brethren through Manasseh, the steward of Joseph, the +allotment of territory given to the tribe of Manasseh was +"torn" in two, one-half of the tribe had to live on one side +of the Jordan, the other half on the other side. And Joseph, +who had not shrunk from vexing his brethren so bitterly +that they rent their clothes in their abasement, was punished, +in that his descendant Joshua was driven to such despair +after the defeat of Ai that he, too, rent his clothes.[257] + +Convicted of theft beyond the peradventure of a doubt, +the brethren of Joseph had no choice but to comply with the +steward's command and return to the city. They accompanied +him without delay. Each of them loaded his ass himself, raising +the burden with one hand from the ground to +the back of the beast, and then they retraced their steps +cityward,[258] and as they walked, they rapped Benjamin roughly +on the shoulder, saying, "O thou thief and son of a thief, +thou hast brought the same shame upon us that thy mother +brought upon our father." Benjamin bore the blows and the +abusive words in patient silence, and he was rewarded for +his humility. For submitting to the blows upon his shoulder, +God appointed that His Shekinah should "dwell between +his shoulders," and He also called him "the beloved of the +Lord."[259] + +Joseph's brethren returned to the city without fear. +Though it was a great metropolis, in their eyes it appeared +but as a hamlet of ten persons, which they could wipe out +with a turn of the hand.[260] They were led into the presence +of Joseph, who, contrary to his usual habit, was not holding +a session of the court in the forum on that day. He remained +at home, that his brethren might not be exposed to +shame in public. They fell to the earth before him, and +thus came true his dream of the eleven stars that made +obeisance to him.[261] But even while paying homage to Joseph, +Judah was boiling inwardly with suppressed rage, and +he said to his brethren, "Verily, this man hath forced me to +come back hither only that I should destroy the city on this +day." + +Guarded by his valiant men on the right and on the left, +Joseph addressed his brethren, snarling, "What deed is this +that ye have done, to steal away my cup? I know well, ye +took it in order to discover with its help the whereabouts of +your brother that hath disappeared."[262] Judah was spokesman, +and he replied: "What shall we say unto my lord +concerning the first money that he found in the mouth of +our sacks? What shall we speak concerning the second +money that also was in our sacks? And how shall we +clear ourselves concerning the cup? We cannot acknowledge +ourselves guilty, for we know ourselves to be innocent +in all these matters. Yet we cannot avow ourselves innocent, +because God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants, +like a creditor that goes about and tries to collect a +debt owing to him.[263] Two brothers take care not to enter +a house of mirth and festivity together, that they be not +exposed to the evil eye, but we all were caught together in +one place, by reason of the sin which we committed in +company." + +Joseph: "But if your punishment is for selling Joseph, +why should this brother of yours suffer, the youngest, he +that had no part in your crime. + +Judah: "A thief and his companions are taken together." + +Joseph: "If you could prevail upon yourselves to report +to your father concerning a brother that had not stolen, and +had brought no manner of shame upon you, that a wild +beast had torn him, you will easily persuade yourselves to +say it concerning a brother that hath stolen, and hath +brought shame upon you. Go hence, and tell your father, +'The rope follows after the water bucket.'[264] But," continued +Joseph, shaking his purple mantle, "God forbid that +I should accuse you all of theft. Only the youth that stole +the cup in order to divine his brother's whereabouts shall +remain with me as my bondman; but as for you, get you up +in peace unto your father." + +The holy spirit called out, "Great peace have they which +love thy law!" + +The brethren all consented to yield Benjamin to the ruler +of Egypt, only Judah demurred, and he cried out, "Now it +is all over with peace!" and he prepared to use force, if +need be, to rescue Benjamin from slavery.[265] + + +JUDAH PLEADS AND THREATENS. + +Joseph dismissed his brethren, and carried Benjamin off +by main force, and locked him up in a chamber. But Judah +broke the door open and stood before Joseph with his +brethren.[266] He determined to use in turn the three means of +liberating Benjamin at his disposal. He was prepared to +convince Joseph by argument, or move him by entreaties, or +resort to force, in order to accomplish his end.[267] + +He spake: "Thou doest a wrong unto us. Thou who +didst say, 'I fear God,' thou showest thyself to be like unto +Pharaoh, who hath no fear of God. The judgments which +thou dost pronounce are not in accordance with our laws, nor +are they in accordance with the laws of the nations. According +to our law, a thief must pay double the value of what he +hath stolen. Only, if he hath no money, he is sold into slavery, +but if he hath the money, he maketh double restitution. +And according to the law of the nations, the thief is deprived +of all he owns. Do so, but let him go free. If a man buys +a slave, and then discovers him to be a thief, the transaction +is void. Yet thou desirest to make one a slave whom thou +chargest with being a thief. I suspect thee of wanting to +keep him in thy power for illicit purposes,[268] and in this +lustfulness thou resemblest Pharaoh. Also thou art like Pharaoh +in that thou makest a promise and keepest it not. Thou +saidst unto thy servants, Bring thy youngest brother down +unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. Dost thou call +this setting thine eyes upon him?[269] If thou didst desire +nothing beside a slave, then wouldst thou surely accept our +offer to serve thee as bondmen instead of Benjamin. Reuben +is older than he, and I exceed him in strength. It cannot +but be as I say, thou hast a lustful purpose in mind with +our brother.[270] + +"Therefore let these words of mine which I am about to +speak find entrance into thy heart: For the sake of the +grandmother of this lad were Pharaoh and his house +stricken with sore plagues, because he detained her in his +palace a single night against her will. His mother died a +premature death, by reason of a curse which his father uttered +in inconsiderate haste. Take heed, then, that this man's +curse strike thee not and slay thee. Two of us destroyed the +whole of a city on account of one woman, how much more +would we do it for the sake of a man, and that man the +beloved of the Lord, in whose allotment it is appointed that +God shall dwell! + +"If I but utter a sound, death-dealing pestilence will +stalk through the land as far as No. In this land Pharaoh +is the first, and thou art the second after him, but in our +land my father is the first, and I am the second. If thou +wilt not comply with our demand, I will draw my sword, +and hew thee down first, and then Pharaoh." + +When Judah gave utterance to this threat, Joseph made a +sign, and Manasseh stamped his foot on the ground so that +the whole palace shook. Judah said, "Only one belonging to +our family can stamp thus!" and intimidated by this display +of great strength, he moderated his tone and manner. +"From the very beginning," he continued to speak, "thou +didst resort to all sorts of pretexts in order to embarrass us. +The inhabitants of many countries came down into Egypt to +buy corn, but none of them didst thou ask questions about +their family relations. In sooth, we did not come hither to +seek thy daughter in marriage, or peradventure thou desirest +an alliance with our sister? Nevertheless we gave +thee an answer unto all thy questions." + +Joseph replied: "Verily, thou canst talk glibly! Is there +another babbler like thee among thy brethren?[271] Why dost +thou speak so much, while thy brethren that are older than +thou, Reuben, Simon, and Levi, stand by silent?" + +Judah: "None of my brethren has so much at stake as I +have, if Benjamin returns not to his father. I was a surety +to my father for him, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, +and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever, +in this world and in the world to come.[272] + +The other brethren withheld themselves intentionally from +taking part in the dispute between Judah and Joseph, saying, +"Kings are carrying on a dispute, and it is not seemly for +us to interfere between them."[273] Even the angels descended +from heaven to earth to be spectators of the combat between +Joseph the bull and Judah the lion, and they said, "It lies +in the natural course of things that the bull should fear the +lion, but here the two are engaged in equal, furious combat." + +In reply to Judah, when he explained that his great interest +in Benjamin's safety was due to the pledge he had +given to his father, Joseph spoke: "Why wast thou not a +surety for thy other brother, when ye sold him for twenty +pieces of silver? Then thou didst not regard the sorrow +thou wast inflicting upon thy father, but thou didst say, A +wild beast hath devoured Joseph. And yet Joseph had done +no evil, while this Benjamin has committed theft. Therefore, +go up and say unto thy father, The rope hath followed +after the water bucket." + +These words had such an effect upon Judah that he broke +out in sobs, and cried aloud, "How shall I go up to my +father, and the lad be not with me?"[274] His outcry reached +to a distance of four hundred parasangs, and when Hushim +the son of Dan heard it in Canaan, he jumped into Egypt +with a single leap and joined his voice with Judah's, and +the whole land was on the point of collapsing from the great +noise they produced. Joseph's valiant men lost their teeth, +and the cities of Pithom and Raamses were destroyed, and +they remained in ruins until the Israelites built them +up again under taskmasters. Also Judah's brethren, who +had kept quiet up to that moment, fell into a rage, and +stamped on the ground with their feet until it looked as +though deep furrows had been torn in it by a ploughshare.[275] +And Judah addressed his brethren, "Be brave, demean yourselves +as men, and let each one of you show his heroism, for +the circumstances demand that we do our best." + +Then they resolved to destroy Mizraim, the city of Egypt, +and Judah said, "I will raise my voice, and with it destroy +Egypt." + +Reuben: "I will raise my arm, and crush it out of +existence." + +Simon: "I will raise my hand, and lay waste its palaces." + +Levi: "I will draw my sword, and slay the inhabitants +of Egypt." + +Issachar: "I will make the land like unto Sodom." + +Zebulon: "Like unto Gomorrah will I render it." + +Dan: "I will reduce it to a desert."[276] + +Then Judah's towering rage began to show signs of breaking +out: his right eye shed tears of blood; the hair above +his heart grew so stiff that it pierced and rent the five +garments +in which he was clothed; and he took brass rods, bit +them with his teeth, and spat them out as fine powder. +When Joseph observed these signs, fear befell him, and in +order to show that he, too, was a man of extraordinary +strength, he pushed with his foot against the marble pedestal +upon which he sat, and it broke into splinters. +Judah exclaimed, "This one is a hero equal to myself!" +Then he tried to draw his sword from its scabbard in order +to slay Joseph, but the weapon could not be made to budge, +and Judah was convinced thereby that his adversary was a +God-fearing man, and he addressed himself to the task of +begging him to let Benjamin go free, but he remained +inexorable.[277] + +Judah then said: "What shall we say unto our father, +when he seeth that our brother is not with us, and he will +grieve over him?" + +Joseph: "Say that the rope hath followed after the water +bucket." + +Judah: "Thou art a king, why dost thou speak in this +wise, counselling a falsehood? Woe unto the king that is +like thee!" + +Joseph: "Is there a greater falsehood than that ye spake +concerning your brother Joseph, whom you sold to the +Midianites for twenty pieces of silver, telling your father, +An evil beast bath devoured him?" + +Judah: "The fire of Shechem burneth in my heart, now +will I burn all thy land with fire." + +Joseph: "Surely, the fire kindled to burn Tamar, thy +daughter-in-law, who did kill thy sons, will extinguish the +fire of Shechem." + +Judah: "If I pluck out a single hair from my body, I will +fill the whole of Egypt with its blood." + +Joseph: "Such is it your custom to do; thus ye did unto +your brother whom you sold, and then you dipped his coat +in blood, brought it to your father, and said, An evil beast +hath devoured him, and here is his blood." + +When Judah heard this, he was exceedingly wroth, and +he took a stone weighing four hundred shekels that was +before him, cast it toward heaven with one hand, caught it +with his left hand, then sat upon it, and the stone turned into +dust. At the command of Joseph, Manasseh did likewise +with another stone, and Joseph said to Judah: "Strength +hath not been given to you alone, we also are powerful men. +Why, then, will ye all boast before us?" Then Judah sent +Naphtali forth, saying, "Go and count all the streets of the +city of Egypt and come and tell me the number," but Simon +interposed, saying, "Let not this thing trouble you, I will +go to the mount, and take up one huge stone from the +mount, throw it over the whole of Mizraim, the city of +Egypt, and kill all therein." + +Hearing all these words, which they spake aloud, because +they did not know that he understood Hebrew, Joseph bade +his son Manasseh make haste and gather together all the +inhabitants of Egypt, and all the valiant men, and let them +come to him on horseback and afoot. Meantime Naphtali +had gone quickly to execute Judah's bidding, for he was as +swift as the nimble hart, he could run across a field of corn +without breaking an ear. And he returned and reported +that the city of Egypt was divided into twelve quarters. +Judah bade his brethren destroy the city; he himself undertook +to raze three quarters, and he assigned the nine remaining +quarters to the others, one quarter to each. + +In the meantime Manasseh had assembled a great army, +five hundred mounted men and ten thousand on foot, +among them four hundred valiant heroes, who could fight +without spear or sword, using only their strong, unarmed +hands. To inspire his brethren with more terror, Joseph +ordered them to make a loud noise with all sorts of instruments, +and their appearance and the hubbub they produced +did, indeed, cause fear to fall upon some of the brethren of +Joseph. Judah, however, called to them, "Why are you +terrified, seeing that God grants us His mercy?" He drew +his sword, and uttered a wild cry, which threw all the people +into consternation, and in their disordered flight many fell +over each other and perished, and Judah and his brethren +followed after the fleeing people as far as the house of +Pharaoh. Returning to Joseph, Judah again broke out in +loud roars, and the reverberations caused by his cries were +so mighty that all the city walls in Egypt and in Goshen fell +in ruins, the pregnant women brought forth untimely births, +and Pharaoh was flung from his throne. Judah's cries +were heard at a great distance, as far off as Succoth. + +When Pharaoh learnt the reason of the mighty uproar, he +sent word to Joseph that he would have to concede the demands +of the Hebrews, else the land would suffer destruction. +"Thou canst take thy choice," were the words of +Pharaoh, "between me and the Hebrews, between Egypt +and the land of the Hebrews. If thou wilt not heed my command, +then leave me and go with them into their land." + + +JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN + +Seeing that his brethren were, indeed, on the point of +destroying Egypt, Joseph resolved to make himself known +to them, and he cast around for a proper opening, which +would lead naturally to his announcement. At his behest, +Manasseh laid his hand upon Judah's shoulder, and his touch +allayed Judah's fury, for he noticed that he was in contact +with a kinsman of his, because such strength existed in no +other family. Then Joseph addressed Judah gently, saying:[278] +"I should like to know who advised him to steal the +cup. Could it have been one of you?" Benjamin replied: +"Neither did they counsel theft, nor did I touch the cup." +"Take an oath upon it," demanded Joseph, and Benjamin +complied with his brother's request: "I swear that I did not +touch the cup! As true as my brother Joseph is separated +from me; as true as I had nothing to do with the darts that +my brethren threw at him; as true as I was not one of those +to take off his coat; as true as I had no part in the transaction +by which he was given over to the Ishmaelites; as true +as I did not help the others dip his coat in blood; so true +is my oath, that they did not counsel theft, and that I did +not commit theft." + +Joseph: "How can I know that this oath of thine taken +upon thy brother's fate is true?" + +Benjamin: "From the names of my ten sons, which I +gave them in memory of my brother's life and trials, thou +canst see how dearly I loved him. I pray thee, therefore, +do not bring down my father with sorrow to the grave." + +Hearing these words of abiding love, Joseph could refrain +himself no longer. He could not but make himself known +unto his brethren.[279] He spake these words to them: "Ye +said the brother of this lad was dead. Did you yourselves +see him dead before you?" They answered, "Yes!" + +Joseph: "Did you stand beside his grave?" + +The brethren: "Yes!" + +Joseph: "Did you throw clods of earth upon his corpse?" + +The brethren: "No." + +Then Joseph reflected, saying to himself: "My brethren +are as pious as aforetime, and they speak no lies. They said +I was dead, because when they abandoned me, I was poor, +and 'a poor man is like unto a dead man;' they stood beside +my grave, that is the pit into which they cast me; but they +did not say that they had shovelled earth upon me, for that +would have been a falsehood." + +Turning to his brethren, he said: "Ye lie when ye say +that your brother is dead. He is not dead. You sold him,[280] +and I did buy him. I shall call him, and set him before your +eyes," and he began to call, "Joseph, son of Jacob, come +hither! Joseph, son of Jacob, come hither! Speak to thy +brethren who did sell thee." The others turned their eyes +hither and thither, to the four corners of the house, until +Joseph called to them: "Why look ye here and there? Behold, I am +Joseph your brother! "Their souls fled away +from them, and they could make no answer, but God permitted +a miracle to happen, and their souls came back to +them. + +Joseph continued, "Ye see it with your own eyes, and also +my brother Benjamin seeth it with his eyes, that I speak +with you in Hebrew, and I am truly your brother." But +they would not believe him. Not only had he been transformed +from a smooth-faced youth into a bearded man since +they had abandoned him, but also the forsaken youth now +stood before them the ruler of Egypt. Therefore Joseph +bared his body and showed them that he belonged to the +descendants +of Abraham. + +Abashed they stood there, and in their rage they desired +to slay Joseph as the author of their shame and their suffering. +But an angel appeared and flung them to the four +corners of the house. Judah raised so loud an outcry that +the walls of the city of Egypt tumbled down, the women +brought forth untimely births, Joseph and Pharaoh both +rolled down off their thrones, and Joseph's three hundred +heroes lost their teeth, and their heads remained forever +immobile, facing backward, as they had turned them to discover +the cause of the tumult. Yet the brethren did not venture +to approach close to Joseph, they were too greatly +ashamed of their behavior toward their brother.[281] He +sought to calm them, saying, "Now be not grieved, nor +angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither, for God did +send me before you to preserve life." + +Even such kind words of exhortation did not banish their +fear, and Joseph continued to speak, "As little as I harbor +vengeful thoughts in my heart against Benjamin, so little +do I harbor them against you."And still his brethren were +ill at case, and Joseph went on, "Think you that it is possible +for me to inflict harm upon you? If the smoke of ten +candles could not extinguish one, how can one extinguish +ten?" + +At last the brethren were soothed, and they went up to +Joseph,[282] who knew each by name, and, weeping, he embraced +and kissed them all in turn. The reason why he wept +was that his prophetic spirit showed him the descendants of +his brethren enslaved by the nations.[283] Especially did he +weep upon Benjamin's neck, because he foresaw the destruction +decreed for the two Temples to be situated in the allotment +of Benjamin. And Benjamin also wept upon Joseph's +neck, for the sanctuary at Shiloh, in the territory of Joseph +which was likewise doomed to destruction.[284] + +Pharaoh was well pleased with the report of the reconciliation +between Joseph and the Hebrews, for he had feared +that their dissensions might cause the ruin of Egypt, and he +sent his servants to Joseph, that they take part in his joy. +Also he sent word to Joseph that it would please him well if +his brethren took up their abode in Egypt, and he promised +to assign the best parts of the land to them for their +dwelling-place.[285] + +Not all the servants of Pharaoh were in agreement with +their master concerning this invitation to the Hebrews. +Many among them were disquieted, saying, "If one of the +sons of Jacob came hither, and he was advanced to a high +position over our heads, what evil will happen to us when +ten more come hither?"[286] + +Joseph gave all his brethren two changes of raiment, one +for use on the ordinary days of the week and one for use +on the Sabbath, for, when the cup was found with Benjamin, +they had rent their clothes, and Joseph would not have +his brethren go about in torn garments.[287] But to Benjamin +he gave five changes of raiment, though not in order to +distinguish him above his brethren. Joseph remembered +only too well what mischief his father had caused by giving +him the coat of many colors, thereby arousing the envy of +his brethren. He desired only to intimate that Mordecai, a +descendant of Benjamin, would once be arrayed in five royal +garments.[288] + +Joseph presented his brethren, apparelled in their gold and +silver embroidered clothes, before Pharaoh, who was well +pleased to become acquainted with them when he saw that +they were men of heroic stature and handsome appearance.[289] +He gave them wagons, to bring their families down +into Egypt, but as they were ornamented with images of +idols, Judah burnt them,[290] and Joseph replaced them with +eleven other wagons, among them the one he had ridden in +at his accession to office, to view the land of Egypt. This +was to be used by his father on his journey to Egypt. For +each of his brothers' children, he sent raiments, and also one +hundred pieces of silver for each, but for each of the children +of Benjamin he sent ten changes of raiment. And for +the wives of his brethren he gave them rich garments of +state, such as were worn by the wives of the Pharaohs, and +also ointments and aromatic spices. To his sister Dinah he +sent silver and gold embroidered clothes, and myrrh, aloes, +and other perfumes, and such presents he gave also to the +wife and the daughters-in-law of Benjamin. For themselves +and for their wives the brethren received all sorts of precious +stones and jewelled ornaments, like those that are worn by +the Egyptian nobility. + +Joseph accompanied his eleven brethren to the frontier, +and there he took leave of them with the wish that they and +all their families come down to Egypt,[291] and he enjoined +upon them, besides, three maxims to be observed by travellers: +Do not take too large steps; do not discuss Halakic +subjects, that you lose not your way; and enter the city at +the latest with the going down of the sun.[292] + + +JACOB RECEIVES THE GLAD TIDINGS + +In blithe spirits the sons of Jacob journeyed up to the +land of Canaan, but when they reached the boundary line, +they said to one another, "How shall we do? If we appear +before our father and tell him that Joseph is alive, he will be +greatly frightened, and he will not be inclined to believe +us." Besides, Joseph's last injunction to them had been to +take heed and not startle their father with the tidings of joy. + +On coming close to their habitation, they caught sight of +Serah, the daughter of Asher, a very beautiful maiden, and +very wise, who was skilled in playing upon the harp. They +summoned her unto them and gave her a harp, and bade her +play before Jacob and sing that which they should tell her. +She sat down before Jacob, and, with an agreeable melody, +she sang the following words, accompanying herself upon +the harp: "Joseph, my uncle, liveth, he ruleth over the +whole of Egypt, he is not dead!" She repeated these words +several times, and Jacob grew more and more pleasurably +excited. His joy awakened the holy spirit in him, and he +knew that she spoke the truth.[293] The spirit of prophecy +never visits a seer when he is in a state of lassitude or in a +state of grief; it comes only together with joy. All the +years of Joseph's separation from him Jacob had had no +prophetic visions, because he was always sad, and only when +Serah's words reawakened the feeling of happiness in his +heart, the prophetic spirit again took possession of him.[294] +Jacob rewarded her therefor with the words, "My daughter, +may death never have power over thee, for thou didst revive +my spirit." And so it was. Serah did not die, she entered +Paradise alive. At his bidding, she repeated the words she +had sung again and again, and they gave Jacob great joy +and delight, so that the holy spirit waxed stronger and +stronger within him. + +While he was sitting thus in converse with Serah, his sons +appeared arrayed in all their magnificence, and with all the +presents that Joseph had given them, and they spake to +Jacob, saying: "Glad tidings! Joseph our brother liveth! +He is ruler over the whole land of Egypt, and he sends thee +a message of joy." At first Jacob would not believe them, +but when they opened their packs, and showed him the presents +Joseph had sent to all, he could not doubt the truth of +their words any longer.[295] + +Joseph had had a premonition that his father would refuse +to give his brethren credence, because they had tried to deceive +him before, and "it is the punishment of the liar that +his words are not believed even when he speaks the truth." +He had therefore said to them, "If my father will not believe +your words, tell him that when I took leave of him, to see +whether it was well with you, he had been teaching me the +law of the heifer whose neck is broken in the valley." When +they repeated this, every last vestige of Jacob's doubt +disappeared, and he said: "Great is the steadfastness of my +son Joseph. In spite of all his sufferings he has remained +constant in his piety.[296] Yea, great are the benefits that +the Lord hath conferred upon me. He saved me from the +hands of Esau, and from the hands of Laban, and from the +Canaanites who pursued after me. I have tasted many joys, +and I hope to see more, but never did I hope to set eyes upon +Joseph again, and now I shall go down to him and behold +him before my death."[297] + +Then Jacob and the members of his family put on the +clothes Joseph had sent, among them a turban for Jacob, +and they made all preparations to journey down into Egypt +and dwell there with Joseph and his family. Hearing of his +good fortune, the kings and the grandees of Canaan came +to wait upon Jacob and express sympathy with him in his +joy, and he prepared a three days' banquet for them.[298] + +Jacob, however, would not go down into Egypt without +first inquiring whether it was the will of God that he should +leave the Holy Land.[299] He said, "How can I leave the land +of my fathers, the land of my birth, the land in which the +Shekinah dwells, and go into an unclean land, inhabited by +slaves of the sons of Ham, a land wherein there is no fear of +God?"[300] Then he brought sacrifices in honor of God, in +the expectation that a Divine vision would descend upon +him and instruct him whether to go down into Egypt or +have Joseph come up to Canaan. He feared the sojourn +in Egypt, for he remembered the vision he had had at +Beth-el on leaving his father's house,[301] and he said to God: +"I resemble my father. As he was greedy in filling his maw, +so am I, and therefore I would go down into Egypt in consequence +of the famine. As my father preferred one son to +the other, so had I a favorite son, and therefore I would go +down into Egypt to see Joseph. But in this I do not resemble +my father, he had only himself to provide for, and +my house consists of seventy souls, and therefore am I compelled +to go down into Egypt. The blessing which my father +gave me was not fulfilled in me, but in my son Joseph, whom +peoples serve, and before whom nations bow down."[302] + +Then the Shekinah addressed Jacob, calling his name +twice in token of love,[303] and bidding him not to fear the +Egyptian slavery foretold for the descendants of Abraham, +for God would have pity upon the suffering of his children +and deliver them from bondage.[304] God furthermore said, "I +will go down into Egypt with thee," and the Shekinah +accompanied Jacob thither, bringing the number of the company +with which he entered Egypt up to seventy.[305] But as +Jacob entertained fears that his descendants would stay +there forever, God gave him the assurance that He would +lead him forth together with all the pious that were like +unto him.[306] And God also told Jacob that Joseph had remained +steadfast in his piety even in Egypt, and he might +dismiss all doubts from his mind on this score, for it was his +anxiety on this account that had induced Jacob to consider +going down into Egypt; he wanted only to make sure of +Joseph's faithfulness, and then return home, but God +commanded him to go thither and remain there.[307] + +Before Jacob left Canaan, he went to Beer-sheba, to hew +down the cedars that Abraham had planted there, and +take them with him to Egypt. For centuries these cedar +trees remained in the possession of his descendants; they +carried them with them when they left Egypt, and they +used them in building the Tabernacle.[308] + +Although Joseph had put wagons at the disposal of his +brethren for the removal of his family from Canaan to +Egypt, they yet carried Jacob upon their arms, for which +purpose they divided themselves into three divisions, one +division after the other assuming the burden. As a reward +for their filial devotion, God redeemed their descendants +from Egypt.[309] + +Judah was sent on ahead by his father, to erect a dwelling +in Goshen, and also a Bet ha-Midrash, that Jacob might set +about instructing his sons at once after his arrival. He +charged Judah with this honorable task in order to compensate +him for a wrong he had done him. All the years +of Joseph's absence he bad suspected Judah of having made +away with Rachel's son.[310] How little the suspicion was +justified he realized now when Judah in particular had been +assiduous in securing the safety of Benjamin, the other son +of Rachel. Jacob therefore said to Judah: "Thou hast done +a pious, God-bidden deed, and hast shown thyself to be a +man capable of carrying on negotiations with Joseph. Complete +the work thou hast begun! Go to Goshen, and together +with Joseph prepare all things for our coming. Indeed," +continued Jacob, "thou wast the cause of our going down +into Egypt, for it was at thy suggestion that Joseph was sold +as a slave, and, also, through thy descendants Israel will be +led forth out of Egypt."[311] + +When Joseph was informed of the approach of his father, +he rejoiced exceedingly, chiefly because his coming would +stop the talk of the Egyptians, who were constantly referring +to him as the slave that had dominion over them. +"Now," thought Joseph, "they will see my father and my +brethren, and they will be convinced that I am a free-born +man, of noble stock." + +In his joy in anticipation of seeing his father, Joseph +made ready his chariot with his own hands, without waiting +for his servants to minister to him, and this loving action +redounded later to the benefit of the Israelites, for it rendered +of none effect Pharaoh's zeal in making ready his +chariot himself, with his own hands, to pursue after the +Israelites.[312] + + +JACOB ARRIVES IN EGYPT + + +When the Egyptian nobles observed their viceroy completing +his preparations to meet his father, they did the +same.[313] Indeed, Joseph had issued a proclamation throughout +the land, threatening with death all that did not go forth +to meet Jacob. The procession that accompanied him was +composed of countless men, arrayed in byssus and purple, +and marching to the sound of all sorts of musical instruments. +Even the women of Egypt had a part in the reception +ceremonies. They ascended to the roofs of the houses +and the walls of the cities, ready to greet Jacob with the +music of cymbals and timbrels. + +Joseph wore the royal crown upon his head, Pharaoh had +yielded it to him for the occasion. He descended from his +chariot when he was at a distance of about fifty ells from his +father, and walked the rest of the way on foot, and his example +was followed by the princes and nobles of Egypt. +When Jacob caught sight of the approaching procession, he +was rejoiced,[314] and even before he recognized Joseph, he +bowed down before him, but for permitting his father to +show him this mark of honor, punishment was visited upon +Joseph. He died an untimely death, before the years of life +assigned to him had elapsed.[315] + +That no harm befall Jacob from a too sudden meeting +with him, Joseph sent his oldest son ahead with five horses, +the second son following close after him in the same way. +As each son approached, Jacob thought he beheld Joseph, +and so he was prepared gradually to see him face to face.[316] + +Meantime Jacob had espied, from where he was seated, a +man in royal robes among the Egyptians, a crown upon +his head, and a purple mantle over his shoulders, and +he asked Judah who it might be. When he was told that it +was Joseph, his joy was great over the high dignity attained +by his son. + +By this time Joseph had come close to his father, and he +bowed himself before him down to the earth, and all the +people with him likewise prostrated themselves.[317] Then +Joseph fell upon his father's neck, and he wept bitterly. He +was particularly grieved that he had permitted his father +to bow down before him but a little while before without +hindering it.[318] At the very moment when Joseph embraced +his father, Jacob was reciting the Shema', and he did not +allow himself to be interrupted in his prayer,[319] but then he +said, "When they brought me the report of the death of +Joseph, I thought I was doomed to double death--that I +should lose this world and the world to come as well. The +Lord had promised to make me the ancestor of twelve tribes, +and as the death of my son rendered it impossible that this +promise should be realized, I feared I had incurred the doom +by my own sins, and as a sinner I could not but expect +to forfeit the future world, too. But now that I have +beheld thee alive, I know that my death will be only for the +world here below."[320] + +Such was the manner of Jacob's arrival in Egypt. He +came with his whole family, sixty-nine persons they were in +all, but the number was raised to seventy by the birth of +Jochebed, afterward the mother of Moses, which took place +when the cavalcade had advanced to the space between the +one and the other city wall.[321] All the males in his family +were married men; even Pallu and Hezron, the latter of +whom was but one year old at the time of their migration, +and the former but two years, had the wives with them that +had been chosen for them by their parents.[322] In general, +all the sons and grandsons of Jacob had married young, some +of them had been fathers at the age of seven.[323] + +Joseph took some from among his brethren, and presented +them to Pharaoh. He chose the weakest of them, +that the king might not be tempted to retain them in his +service as warriors.[324] And as he did not desire his family +to live at close quarters with the Egyptians and perhaps +amalgamate with them, he introduced them as shepherds. +The Egyptians worshipped the constellation of the rain, +and paid divine honors to animals, and they kept aloof +from shepherds. Pharaoh therefore was inclined to grant +Joseph's wish, to give them the pasture land of Goshen for +their sojourning place, the land that was theirs by right, for +the Pharaoh that took Sarah away from Abraham by force +had given it to her as her irrevocable possession.[325] + +In their conversation with Pharaoh the brethren of Joseph +made it plain to the Egyptian king that it was not their +intention to remain in Egypt forever, it was to be only a +temporary dwelling-place.[326] + +Then Joseph set Jacob his father before Pharaoh, and +when the king saw him, he said to Og, who happened to be +with him at that moment, "Seest thou! Thou wast wont +to call Abraham a sterile mule, and here is his grandson +with a family of seventy persons!" Og would not believe +his own eyes, he thought Abraham was standing before +him, so close was the resemblance between Jacob and his +progenitor. Then Pharaoh asked about Jacob's age, to find +out whether he actually was Jacob, and not Abraham. And +Jacob said unto Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my +pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years," using the +word pilgrimage in reference to life on earth, which the +pious regard as a temporary sojourn in alien lands. "Few +and evil," he continued, "have been the days of the years of +my life. In my youth I had to flee to a strange land on account +of my brother Esau, and now, in my old age, I must +again go to a strange land, and my days have not attained +unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the +days of their pilgrimage." These words sufficed to convince +Pharaoh and Og that the man standing before them +was not Abraham, but his grandson.[327] + +When Jacob uttered the words, "The days of the years +of my pilgrimage have been few and evil," God said to him: +"Jacob, I saved thee out of the hands of Esau and Laban, +I restored Joseph unto thee, and made him to be a king and +a ruler, and yet thou speakest of few and evil days. Because +of thy ingratitude, thou wilt not attain unto the days +of the years of the life of thy fathers," and Jacob died at +an age thirty-three years less than his father Isaac's.[328] + +On going out from the presence of Pharaoh, Jacob +blessed the king with the words, "May the years still in +store for me be given unto thee, and may the Nile overflow +its banks henceforth again and water the land." His words +were fulfilled. In order to show that the pious are a blessing +for the world, God caused the Nile to rise above its bed +and fructify the land of Egypt.[329] + + +JOSEPH'S KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY + +Jacob and his family now settled in the land of Goshen, +and Joseph provided them with all things needful, not only +with food and drink, but also with clothing, and in his love +and kindness he entertained his father and his brethren +daily at his own table.[330] He banished the wrong done to him +by his brethren from his mind, and he besought his father +to pray to God for them, that He should forgive their great +transgression. Touched by this noble sign of love, Jacob +cried out, "O Joseph, my child, thou hast conquered the +heart of thy father Jacob."[331] + +Joseph had other virtues, besides. The title "the God- +fearing one," borne only by him, Abraham, Job, and Obadiah, +he gained by reason of his kindness of heart and his generosity. +Whatever he gave his brethren, he gave with a +"good eye," a liberal spirit. If it was bread for food, it +was sure to be abundant enough, not only to satisfy the +hunger of all, but also for the children to crumble, as is +their habit.[332] + +But Joseph was more than a helper to his family. As a +shepherd pastures his flock, so he provided for the whole +world during the years of famine. The people cursed Pharaoh, +who kept the stores of corn in his treasure chambers +for his own use, and they blessed Joseph, who took thought +for the famishing, and sold grain to all that came.[333] The +wealth which he acquired by these sales was lawful gain, +for the prices were raised, not by him, but by the Egyptians +themselves.[334] One part of his possessions, consisting of +gold and silver and precious stones, Joseph buried in four +different places, in the desert near the Red Sea, on the banks +of the Euphrates, and in two spots in the desert in the vicinity +of Persia and Media.[335] Korah discovered one of the hiding- +places, and the Roman emperor Antoninus, the son of Severus, +another. The other two will never be found, because +God has reserved the riches they hold for the pious, to be +enjoyed by them in the latter days, the days of the Messiah.[336] +The remainder of Joseph's possessions he gave +away, partly to his brethren and their families, and partly +to Pharaoh, who put them into his treasury.[337] + +The wealth of the whole world flowed into Egypt at that +time, and it remained there until the exodus of the Israelites. +They took it along, leaving Egypt like a net without fish. +The Israelites kept the treasure until the time of Rehoboam, +who was deprived of it by the Egyptian king Shishak, and +he in turn had to yield it to Zerah, the king of Ethiopia. +Once more it came into possession of the Jews when King +Asa conquered Zerah, but this time they held it for only a +short while, for Asa surrendered it to the Aramean king +Ben-hadad, to induce him to break his league with Baasha, +the king of the Ten Tribes. The Ammonites, in turn, captured +it from Ben-hadad, only to lose it in their war with the +Jews under Jehoshaphat. Again it remained with the Jews, +until the time of King Ahaz, who sent it to Sennacherib as +tribute money. Hezekiah won it back, but Zedekiah, the last +king of the Jews, lost it to the Chaldeans, from whom it +came to Persia, thence to the Greeks, and finally to the +Romans, and with the last it remained for all time.[338] + +The people were soon left without means to purchase the +corn they needed. In a short time they had to part with +their cattle, and when the money thus secured was spent, +they sold their land to Joseph, and even their persons. +Many of them would cover themselves with clay and appear +before Joseph, and say to him, "O lord king, see me +and see my possessions!" And so Joseph bought all the +land of Egypt, and the inhabitants became his tenants, and +they gave a fifth of their ingatherings unto joseph.[339] + +The only class of the people permitted to remain in possession +of their land were the priests. Joseph owed them +gratitude, for they had made it possible for him to become +the ruler over Egypt. The Egyptians had hesitated to make +him their viceroy, because they shrank from choosing a man +accused of adultery for so high an office. It was the priests +that made the suggestion to examine Joseph's torn garment, +which his mistress had submitted as evidence of his guilt, +and see whether the rent was in front or in back. If it was +in back, it would show his innocence--he had turned to +flee, and his temptress had clutched him so that the garment +tore. But if the tear was in front, then it would be a proof +of his guilt--he had used violence with the woman, and she +had torn the mantle in her efforts to defend her honor. The +angel Gabriel came and transferred the rent from the fore +part to the back, and the Egyptians were convinced of Joseph's +innocence, and their scruples about raising him to the +kingship were removed.[340] + +As soon as the Egyptians learnt of the advantageous position +of the priests, they all tried to prove themselves members +of the caste. But Joseph investigated the lists in the +archives, and determined the estate of every citizen. + +The priests were favored in another way. Beside remaining +in possession of their land, they received daily portions +from Pharaoh, wherefore God said, "The priests that +serve idols receive all they need every day, how much more +do the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are My +priests, deserve that I should give them what they need +every day."[341] + +The rest of the inhabitants of Egypt, who had to part +with their land, were not permitted to remain in their native +provinces. Joseph removed them from their own cities, and +settled them in others. His purpose herein was to prevent +the Egyptians from speaking of his brethren derogatorily as +"exiles the sons of exiles"; he made them all equally +aliens.[342] For the same reason, God later, at the time of the +going forth of the Israelites from Egypt, caused all nations +to change their dwelling-places about, so that the Israelites +could not be reproached with having had to leave their home. +And, finally, when Sermacherib carried the Jews away from +their land into exile, it also happened that this king first +mixed up the inhabitants of all the countries of the world.[343] + +JACOB'S LAST WISH + +In return for the seventeen years that Jacob had devoted +to the bringing up of Joseph, he was granted seventeen +years of sojourn with his favorite son in peace and +happiness. The wicked experience sorrow after joy; the +pious must suffer first, and then they are happy, for all's +well that ends well, and God permits the pious to spend the +last years of their lives in felicity.[344] + +When Jacob felt his end approach, he summoned Joseph +to his bedside, and he told him all there was in his heart. +He called for Joseph rather than one of his other sons, because +he was the only one in a position to execute his wishes. + +Jacob said to Joseph: "If I have found grace in thy +sight, bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt. Only for thy +sake did I come down into Egypt, and for thy sake I spoke, +Now I can die. Do this for me as a true service of love, and +not because thou art afraid, or because decency demands it. +And when I sleep with my fathers, thou shalt bury me in +their burying-place. Carry me out of the land of idolatry, +and bury me in the land where God hath caused His Name +to dwell, and put me to rest in the place in which four husbands +and wives are to be buried, I the last of them." + +Jacob desired not to be buried in Egypt for several reasons. +He knew that the soil of Egypt would once swarm +with vermin, and it revolted him to think of his corpse exposed +to such uncleanness. He feared, moreover, that his +descendants might say, "Were Egypt not a holy land, our +father Jacob had never permitted himself to be buried +there," and they might encourage themselves with this argument +to make choice of Egypt as a permanent dwelling- +place. Also, if his grave were there, the Egyptians might +resort to it when the ten plagues came upon them, and if he +were induced to pray for them to God, he would be advocating +the cause of the Lord's enemies. If, on the other +hand, he did not intercede for them, the Name of God would +be profaned among the heathen, who would say, "Jacob is +a useless saint!" Besides, it was possible that God might +consider him, the "scattered sheep" of Israel, as a sacrifice +for the Egyptians, and remit their punishment. From his +knowledge of the people, another fear was justified, that +his grave would become an object of idolatrous veneration, +and the same punishment is appointed by God for the idols +worshipped as for the idolaters that worship them. + +If Jacob had good reasons for not wanting his body to +rest in the soil of Egypt, he had equally good reasons for +wanting it to rest in the Holy Land. In the Messianic time, +when the dead will rise, those buried in Palestine will +awaken to new life without delay, while those buried elsewhere +will first have to roll from land to land through the +earth, hollowed out for the purpose, until they reach the +Holy Land, and only then will their resurrection take place. +But over and beyond this, Jacob had an especial reason for +desiring to have his body interred in Palestine. God had +said to him at Beth-el, "The land whereon thou liest, to +thee will I give it, and to thy seed," and hence he made +every endeavor to "lie" in the Holy Land, to make sure it +would belong to him and his descendants.[345] Nevertheless he +bade Joseph strew some Egyptian earth over his dead body.[346] + +Jacob expressed these his last wishes three times. Such is +the requirement of good breeding in preferring a request. + +In the last period of Jacob's life, one can see how true it is +that "even a king depends upon favors in a strange land." +Jacob, the man for the sake of whose merits the whole world +was created, for the sake of whom Abraham was delivered +from the fiery furnace, had to ask services of others while +he was among strangers,[347] and when Joseph promised to do +his bidding, he bowed himself before his own son, for it is a +true saying, "Bow before the fox in his day," the day of his +power.[348] + +He was not satisfied with a simple promise from Joseph, +that he would do his wish; he insisted upon his taking an +oath by the sign of the covenant of Abraham, putting a hand +under his thigh in accordance with the ceremony customary +among the Patriarchs![349] But Joseph said: "Thou treatest +me like a slave. With me thou hast no need to require an +oath. Thy command sufficeth." Jacob, however, urged +him, saying: "I fear Pharaoh may command thee to bury me +in the sepulchre with the kings of Egypt. I insist that thou +takest an oath, and then I will be at peace." Joseph gave +in,[350] though he would not submit to the ceremony that +Eliezer had used to confirm the oath he took at the request +of his master Abraham. The slave acted in accordance with +the rules of slavery, the free man acted in accordance with +the dictates of freedom.[351] And in a son that thing would +have been unseemly which was becoming in a slave.[352] + +When Joseph swore to bury his father in Palestine, he +added the words, "As thou commandest me to do, so also +will I beg my brethren, on my death-bed, to fulfil my last +wish and carry my body from Egypt to Palestine."[353] + +Jacob, noticing the Shekinah over the bed's head, where +she always rests in a sick room, bowed himself upon the +bed's head,[354] saying, "I thank thee, O Lord my God, that +none who is unfit came forth from my bed, but my bed was +perfect."[355] He was particularly grateful for the revelation +God had vouchsafed him concerning his first-born son +Reuben, that he had repented of his trespass against his +father, and atoned for it by penance. He was thus assured +that all his sons were men worthy of being the progenitors +of the twelve tribes, and he was blessed with happiness such +as neither Abraham nor Isaac had known, for both of them +had had unworthy as well as worthy sons.[356] + +Until the time of Jacob death had always come upon +men suddenly, and snatched them away before they were +warned of the imminent end by sickness. Once Jacob spoke +to God, saying, "O Lord of the world, a man dies suddenly, +and he is not laid low first by sickness, and he cannot acquaint +his children with his wishes regarding all he leaves +behind. But if a man first fell sick, and felt that his end +were drawing nigh, he would have time to set his house in +order." And God said, "Verily, thy request is sensible, and +thou shalt be the first to profit by the new dispensation," and +so it happened that Jacob fell sick a little while before his +death.[357] + +His sickness troubled him grievously, for he had undergone +much during his life. He had worked day and night +while he was with Laban, and his conflicts with the angel +and with Esau, though he came off victor from both, had +weakened him, and he was not in a condition to endure the +hardships of disease.[358] + +THE BLESSING OF EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH + +All the years of Jacob's sojourn in Egypt, Asenath, the +wife of Joseph, was his constant nurse. When she saw his +end drawing nigh, she spoke to Joseph: "I have heard that +one who is blessed by a righteous man is as though he had +been blessed by the Shekinah. Therefore, bring thy sons +hither, that Jacob give them his blessing."[359] + +Though Joseph was a devoted and loving son to his +father, he was not in constant attendance upon him, because +he wanted to avoid giving him the opportunity of inquiring +into the circumstances of his coming to Egypt. He was +apprehensive that Jacob might curse his sons and bring death +upon them, if he discovered the facts connected with +their treacherous dealings with Joseph. He took good care +therefore never to be alone with his father. But as he desired +to be kept informed of his welfare, he arranged a +courier service between himself and Jacob. + +Now when Joseph received the news of his father's having +fallen sick, through his messenger, as well as through Ephraim, +whom Jacob was instructing in the Torah, he hastened +to the land of Goshen, taking his two sons with him. He +desired to have certainty upon five points: Would his father +bless his two sons, who were born in Egypt, and, if so, would +he appoint them to be heads of tribes? Would he assign +the rights of the first-born unto himself, and, if so, would +he divest Reuben of such rights altogether? And why had +his father buried his mother Rachel by the wayside, and not +carried her body to the family tomb at Machpelah?[360] + +Jacob had also entertained doubts on five points, when he +was about to emigrate from Canaan to Egypt: He did not +know whether his descendants would lose themselves among +the people of Egypt; whether he would die there and +be buried there; and whether he would be permitted to see +Joseph and see the sons of Joseph. God gave him the assurance, +saying, "I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I +will surely bring thee up again after thy death, and thy +descendants also, and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine +eyes." When the time approached for the fulfilment of the +Divine promise, God appeared unto Jacob, and He said, "I +promised to fulfil thy wish, and the time of fulfilment hath +come." + +The holy spirit made known to Jacob that Joseph was +coming to him,[361] and he strengthened himself, and sat upon +the bed in order to pay due respect to the representative of +the government. Though Joseph was his son, he was also +viceroy, and entitled to special marks of honor. Besides, +Jacob desired to make the impression of being a man +in good health. He wanted to avoid the possibility of having +his blessing of Joseph and Joseph's sons questioned as the +act of an irresponsible person.[362] + +He strengthened himself spiritually as well as physically, +by prayer to God, in which he besought Him to let the holy +spirit descend upon him at the time of his giving the blessing +to the sons of Joseph. + +When Joseph appeared in the company of his two sons, his +father said to him: "In all the seventeen years thou hast +been visiting me, thou didst never bring thy sons with thee, +but now they have come, and I know the reason. If I bless +them, I shall act in opposition to the word of God, who +promised to make me the progenitor of twelve tribes, for if +I adopt them as my sons, there will be fourteen tribes. But +if I do not bless them, it will plunge thee in sorrow. So be +it, I will bless them. But think not I do it because thou +didst support me all these years. There is quite another +reason.[363] When I left my father's house to go to Haran, I +offered up a prayer at Beth-el, and I promised to give unto +God the tenth of all I owned. So far as my material possessions +are concerned, I kept my vow, but I could not give the +tithe of my sons, because according to the law I had to withdraw +from the reckoning the four sons, Reuben, Joseph, +Dan, and Gad, that are the first-born children of their mothers. +When I returned, God again appeared unto me in +Beth-el, and He said, Be fruitful and multiply. But after +this blessing no son was born unto me except Benjamin +alone, and it cannot be but that God meant Manasseh and +Ephraim when He spoke of 'a nation and a company of +nations.' If now I have found favor in thy sight, thy two +sons Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simon, +shall be mine, and then I shall be able to give a tenth part of +my ten sons unto the Lord, and I shall leave this world free +from the sin of not keeping my vow to the Lord concerning +the tithe-giving." + +Joseph consented to do his father's will, and Jacob tithed +his sons, consecrating Levi to the Holy One, and appointing +him to be the chief of his brethren. He enjoined his sons +to have a care that there should never fail them a son of +Levi in the priestly succession. And it happened that. +of all the tribes Levi was the only one that never proved +faithless to the covenant of the fathers.[364] + +Thus Jacob adopted Manasseh and Ephraim to be his own +sons, even as Reuben and Simon were his sons. They were +entitled like the others to a portion in the Holy Land, and +like the others they were to bear standards on their journey +through the desert.[365] + +Satisfied as to Jacob's intentions concerning his sons, +Joseph asked his father about his mother's burial-place, and +Jacob spoke, saying: "As thou livest, thy wish to see thy +mother lying by my side in the grave doth not exceed mine +own. I had joy in life only as long as she was alive, and +her death was the heaviest blow that ever fell upon me." +Joseph questioned him: "Perhaps thou didst have to bury +her in the way, because she died during the rainy season, +and thou couldst not carry her body through the rain to our +family sepulchre?" "No," replied Jacob, "she died in the +spring time, when the highways are clean and firm." Joseph: +"Grant me permission to take up her body now and +place it in our family burial-place." Jacob: "No, my son, +that thou mayest not do. I was unwilling to bury her in +the way, but the Lord commanded it." The reason of the +command was that God knew that the Temple would be +destroyed, and Israel would be carried away into banishment, +and the exiles would ask the Patriarchs to intercede +for them with God, but God would not hearken unto them. +On their way to the land of the stranger they would pass +the grave of Rachel, and they would throw themselves upon +it, and beseech their mother to make intercession for them +with God. And Rachel would pray to God in their behalf: +"O Lord of the world, look upon my tears, and have compassion +upon my children. But if Thou wilt not take pity on +them, then indemnify me for the wrong done to me." Unto +her prayer God will hearken, and He will have mercy upon +Israel. Therefore was Rachel buried in the way. + +Now Jacob desired to bless the sons of Joseph, but the +holy spirit made him to see Jeroboam, the descendant of +Ephraim, and Jehu, the descendant of Manasseh, how they +would seduce Israel to idolatry, and the Shekinah forsook +him as he was about to lay his hands upon the heads of his +grandsons. He said to Joseph, "Is it possible that thou +didst not marry the mother of thy children according to the +law?" Joseph thereupon brought his wife Asenath to his +father, and pointing to her marriage contract, he said, "This +one is my wife, whom I married as is proper, with a marriage +contract and due ceremony. I pray thee, my father, +bless my sons if only for the sake of this pious woman." + +Jacob bade his grandsons approach close to him, and he +kissed and embraced them, in the hope that his joy in them +would lure back the holy spirit, but his hope was vain. Joseph +concluded that the time was not favorable for blessing, +and he decided to go away until a more propitious opportunity +presented itself, first, however, proving to his father +that his sons had been initiated in the covenant of Abraham. + +Outside of his father's chamber, alone with his sons, he +threw himself down before God and besought Him to show +him mercy, and he bade his sons do likewise, saying, "Be +not content with your high station, for worldly honors are +but for a time. Entreat God to be merciful and let the +Shekinah descend upon my father, that he bless you both." +Then spake God to the holy spirit: "How long yet shall +Joseph suffer? Reveal thyself quickly, and enter into Jacob, +that he may be able to bestow blessings." + +In the words of Jacob, "Ephraim and Manasseh, even as +Reuben and Simon, shall be mine," Joseph had noticed his +father's preference for his younger son Ephraim. It made +him very anxious about his older son's birthright, and he +was careful to put the two lads before his father in such +wise that Manasseh should stand opposite Jacob's right +hand, and Ephraim opposite his left hand.[366] But Ephraim, +on account of his modesty, was destined for greater things +than his older brother Manasseh, and God bade the +holy spirit prompt Jacob to give the birthright to Ephraim.[367] +Now when Joseph observed his father put his right +hand upon Ephraim's head, he made an attempt to remove +it unto Manasseh's head. But Jacob warded him off, saying: +"What, thou wouldst displace my hand against my will, the +hand that overcame the prince of the angel hosts, who is as +large as one-third of the world![368] I know things not known +to thee--I know what Reuben did to Bilhah, and what +Judah did to Tamar. How much more do I know things +known to thee![369] Thinkest thou I know not what thy +brethren did to thee, because thou wouldst betray nothing +whenever I asked thee?[370] I know it, Manasseh also shall +become great, the judge Gideon shall descend from him, but +his younger brother will be the ancestor of Joshua, who will +bring the sun and the moon to a standstill, though they have +dominion over the whole earth from end to end." Thus did +Jacob set Ephraim the younger above Manasseh the older, +and thus did it remain unto all times. In the list of the +generations, Manasseh comes after Ephraim, and so it was +in the allotment of the portions in the Holy Land, and so it +was in the placing of the camps and the standards of the +tribes, and in the dedication of the Tabernacle--everywhere +Ephraim preceded Manasseh.[371] + +The blessing bestowed upon his grandchildren by Jacob +was as follows: "O that it be the will of God that ye walk +in the ways of the Lord like unto my fathers Abraham and +Isaac,[372] and may the angel that hath redeemed me from all +evil give his aid unto Joshua and Gideon,[373] and reveal himself +unto them. May your names be named on Israel, and +like unto fishes may you grow into a multitude in the midst +of the earth, and as fishes are protected by the water, so +may you be protected by the merits of Joseph."[374] + +The words "like unto fishes" were used by Jacob for the +purpose of intimating the manner of death awaiting the +Ephraimites, the descendants of Joseph. As fish are caught +by their mouth, so the Ephraimites were in later days to +invite their doom by their peculiar lisp. At the same time, +Jacob's words contained the prophecy that Joshua the son +of the man Nun, the "fish," would lead Israel into the Holy +Land. And in his words lay still another prophecy, with +reference to the sixty thousand men children begot in the +same night as Moses, all cast into the river with him, and +saved for the sake of his merits. The number of boys +thrown to the fishes in the river that night was equal to the +number of men in Israel upon the earth.[375] + +Ephraim received a special and separate blessing from +his grandfather. Jacob said to him, "Ephraim, my son, +thou art the head of the Academy, and in the days to come +my most excellent and celebrated descendants will be called +Ephrati after thee."[376] + +Joseph received two gifts from his father. The first was +Shechem, the city that Jacob had defended, with sword +and bow, against the depredations of the Amorite kings +when they tried to take revenge upon his sons for the outrage +committed there. And the second gift was the garments +made by God for Adam and passed from hand to +hand, until they came into the possession of Jacob. Shechem +was his reward, because, with his chastity, he stemmed +the tide of immorality that burst loose in Shechem first of +all.[377] Besides, he had a prior claim upon the city. Shechem, +son of Hamor, the master of the city, had given it to Dinah +as a present, and the wife of Joseph, Asenath, being the +daughter of Dinah, the city belonged to him by right.[378] + +Adam's clothes Jacob had received from Esau. He had +not taken them from his brother by force, but God had +caused them to be given to him as a reward for his good +deeds. They had belonged to Nimrod. Once when the +mighty hunter caught Esau in his preserves, and forbade +him to go on the chase, they agreed to determine by combat +what their privileges were. Esau had taken counsel with +Jacob, and he had advised him never to fight with Nimrod +while he was clothed in Adam's garments. The two now +wrestled with each other, and at the time Nimrod was not +dressed in Adam's clothes. The end was that he was slain +by Esau. Thus the garments worn by Adam fell into the +hands of Esau, from him they passed into Jacob's, and he +bequeathed them to Joseph.[379] + +Jacob also taught Joseph three signs whereby to distinguish +the true redeemer, who should deliver Israel from +the bondage of Egypt. He would proclaim the Ineffable +Name, appoint elders, and use the word Pakod in addressing +the people.[380] + +THE BLESSING OF THE TWELVE TRIBES + +When Joseph and his two sons left Jacob, his brethren, +envious of the bountiful blessings bestowed upon the three, +said, "The whole world loveth a favorite of fortune, and +our father hath blessed Joseph thus because he is a ruler of +men." Then spoke Jacob: "They that seek the Lord shall +not want any good thing. I have blessings enough for +all."[381] + +Jacob summoned his sons from the land of Egypt, and +bade them come to him at Raamses, first, however, commanding +them to make themselves clean, that the blessing he was +about to bestow might attach itself to them. Another one +of his commands was that they were to establish an Academy, +by the members of which they were to be governed. + +When his sons were brought into his presence by the +angels, Jacob spoke, saying, "Take heed that no dissensions +spring up among you, for union is the first condition of +Israel's redemption," and he was on the point of revealing +the great secret to them concerning the end of time, but +while they were standing around the golden bed whereon +their father lay, the Shekinah visited him for a moment and +departed as quickly, and with her departed also all trace of +the knowledge of the great mystery from the mind of Jacob.[382] +He had the same experience as his own father Isaac, who +also had loss of memory inflicted upon him by God, to prevent +him from revealing the secret at the end of time to +Esau, when he summoned him to receive his blessing. + +The accident made Jacob apprehensive that his sons were +not pious enough to be considered worthy of the revelation +concerning the Messianic era, and he said to them, "Ishmael +and the sons of Keturah were the blemished among the issue +of my grandfather Abraham; my father Isaac begot a blemished +issue in Esau, and I fear now that among you, too, +there is one that harbors the intention to serve idols." +The twelve men spake, and said: "Hear, O Israel, our +father, the Eternal our God is the One Only God. As thy +heart is one and united in avouching the Holy One, blessed +be He, to be thy God, so also are our hearts one and united +in avouching Him." Whereto Jacob responded, "Praised +be the Name of the glory of His majesty forever and +ever!"[383] And although the whole mystery of the Messianic +time was not communicated to the sons of Jacob, yet the +blessing of each contained some reference to the events of +the future. + +These were the words addressed by Jacob to his oldest +son: "Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the +beginning of my strength! Thy portion should have been +three crowns. Thou shouldst have had the double heritage +of thy primogeniture, and the priestly dignity, and the royal +power. But by reason of thy sin, the birthright is conferred +upon Joseph, kingship upon Judah, and the priesthood upon +Levi. My son, I know no healing remedy for thee, but the +man Moses, who will ascend to God, he will make thee whole, +and God will forgive thy sin.[384] I bless thee--may thy +descendants be heroes in the Torah and heroes in war.[385] +Though thou must lose thy birthright, yet wilt thou be the +first to enter into possession of thy allotment in the Holy +Land, and in thy territory shall be the first of the cities of +refuge, and always shall thy name stand first in the list of +the families of the tribes. Yea, thou shalt also be the first +whose heritage will be seized by the enemy, and the first to +be carried away into the lands of exile."[386] + +After Reuben had had his "ears pulled" thus, he retired, +and Jacob called his sons Simon and Levi to his side, and he +addressed them in these words: "Brethren ye were of +Dinah, but not of Joseph, whom you sold into slavery. The +weapons of violence wherewith ye smote Shechem were +stolen weapons, for it was not seemly for you to draw the +sword. That was Esau's portion. To him was it said, By +thy sword shalt thou live. Into the council of the tribe of +Simon my soul will not come when they foregather at +Shittim to do vicious deeds, and my glory will not be united +unto the assembly of Korah, the descendants of Levi. In +their anger Simon and Levi slew the prince of Shechem, +and in their self-will they sold Joseph the bull into slavery. +Accursed was the city of Shechem when they entered to +destroy it. If they remain united, no ruler will be able to +stand up before them, no war will prosper against them. +Therefore will I divide and scatter their possession among +the possessions of the other tribes. The descendants of +Simon will many of them be poor men, who will wander +from tribe to tribe and beg for bread, and also Levi's tribe +will gather its tithes and gifts from all the others." + +The words of Jacob, "I will divide them in Jacob," spoken +of Simon and Levi, were fulfilled on Simon in particular. +When twenty-four thousand of Simon fell at Shittim, the +widows they left behind married husbands of all the other +tribes. Nevertheless Jacob did not dismiss Simon and Levi +without blessing them; the tribe of Simon was to bring forth +the teachers and the beadles needed by all Israel, and Levi, +the scholars that would expound the Torah and render decisions +according to its teachings.[387] + +When the remaining sons of Jacob heard the rebukes +dealt out by their father to these three, they feared to hear +like reproaches, and they tried to slip away from his presence. +Especially Judah was alarmed, that his father might +taunt him with his trespass touching Tamar. But Jacob +spoke thus to him: "Judah, thou dost deserve thy name. +Thy mother called thee Jehudah, because she gave praise to +God at thy birth, and so shall thy brethren praise thee, and +they all will call themselves by thy name. And as thou didst +confess thy sin openly, so also thy descendants, Achan, +David, and Manasseh, will make public avowal of their sins, +and the Lord will hear their prayer. Thy hands will send +darts after the fleeing foe, and thy father's sons shall pay +thee respect. Thou hast the impudence of a dog and the +bravery of a lion. Thou didst save Joseph from death, and +Tamar and her two sons from the flames. No people and no +kingdom will be able to stand up against thee. Rulers shall +not cease from the house of Judah, nor teachers of the law +from his posterity, until his descendant Messiah come, and +the obedience of all peoples be unto him. How glorious is +Messiah of the House of Judah! His loins girded, he will +go out to do battle with his enemies. No king and no ruler +will prevail against him. The mountains will be dyed red +with their blood, and the garments of Messiah will be like +the garments of him that presseth wine. The eyes of Messiah +will be clearer than pure wine, for they will never behold +unchastity and bloodshed; and his teeth will be whiter +than milk, for never will they bite aught that is taken by +violence."[388] + +Though Issachar was the older, Zebulon came next to be +blessed, as a reward for the sacrifice he had made for his +brother's sake, for when Issachar chose the study of the +Torah as his vocation, Zebulon decided to devote himself to +business and support his brother with the profits of his +trade, that he might give himself up to the law undisturbed.[389] +His blessing was that he would conquer the seacoast +as far as Zidon.[390] + +"Issachar," said Jacob, "will take upon himself the burden +of the study of the Torah, and all the other tribes will +come to him and ask him to decide their doubts on legal +questions, and his descendants will be the members of the +Sanhedrin and the scholars that will occupy themselves with +fixing the calendar." Jacob blessed Issachar also with +the blessing, that the fruits of his land should be exceedingly +large, and this brought a heavenly as well as an earthly +profit in its train, for when the heathen to whom the fruits +were sold marvelled thereat, the Jewish merchants explained +that their extraordinary size was due to the merits of the +tribe of Issachar, whom God rewarded for their devotion to +the Torah, and thus many of the heathen were induced to +convert to Judaism.[391] + +In blessing Dan, Jacob's thoughts were occupied chiefly +with his descendant Samson, who, like unto God, without +any manner of assistance, conferred victory upon his people. +Jacob even believed the strong, heroic man to be the Messiah, +but when Samson's death was revealed to him, he exclaimed, +"I wait for Thy salvation, O Lord, for Thy help +is unto all eternity, while Samson's help is only for a +time.[392] The redemption" continued Jacob, "will not be +accomplished by Samson the Danite, but by Elijah the +Gadite, who will appear at the end of time."[393] + +Asher's blessing was the beauty of his women, who would +be sought in marriage by kings and high priests.[394] + +In Naphtali's land all fruits would ripen quickly, and they +would be brought as presents to kings, and gain royal favor +for the givers. This blessing was fulfilled in the plain of +Gennesaret.[395] At the same time Naphtali's blessing was a +prophecy concerning his descendant Deborah, who was like +a hind let loose against Sisera to conquer him, and she gave +goodly words in her song of Israel's victory.[396] Naphtali +himself deserved the description applied to Deborah, for he +was swift as a hart to do the will of God, and he was a fleet +messenger unto his father and the tribes. They sent him +whithersoever they would, and he executed their errands +with dispatch.[397] He served the brethren of Joseph as herald, +to announce unto Jacob the glad tidings, "Joseph is yet +alive," and when the stricken father saw him approach, he +said, "Lo, here cometh Naphtali the lovable, who proclaimeth +peace."[398] + +Joseph's blessing exceeded the blessing of all his brethren. +Jacob spoke: "O son whom I bred up, Joseph, whom +I raised, and who wast strong to resist the enticements of +sin, thou didst conquer all the magicians and the wise men +of Egypt by thy wisdom and thy pious deeds. The daughters +of princes cast their jewels before thee, to draw thine +eyes upon them when thou didst pass through the land of +Egypt, but thou didst not look their way, and therefore wast +thou made the father of two tribes. The magicians and the +wise men of Egypt sought to defame thee before Pharaoh +and slander thee, but thou didst set thy hope in the Almighty. +Therefore may He who appeared unto me as El +Shaddai bless thee and grant thee fertile soil and much +cattle. May the blessing thy father giveth thee now, and +the blessing that his fathers Abraham and Isaac gave +him, and that called forth the envy of the great of the +world, Ishmael, Esau, and the sons of Keturah--may all +these blessings be a crown upon the head of Joseph, and a +chain upon the neck of him that was the ruler of Egypt, and +yet diminished not the honor due to his brethren."[399] + +The slander of which Jacob spoke referred to what Potiphar +had said of Joseph before Pharaoh. He had complained, +saying, "Why didst thou appoint my slave, whom I +did buy for twenty pieces of silver, to be ruler over the +Egyptians?" Joseph had then taken up his own defense, +saying: "When thou didst buy me as a slave, thou didst +commit a capital crime. Only a descendant of Canaan may +be sold as a slave, and I am a descendant of Shem, and a +prince besides. If thou wilt convince thyself of the truth of +my words, do but compare me with the likeness of my +mother Sarah that Pharaoh had made of her!" They +brought Sarah's likeness, and, verily, it appeared that +Joseph resembled his ancestress, and all were convinced of +his noble lineage.[400] + +The blessing that Jacob bestowed upon Benjamin contains +the prophecy that his tribe would provide Israel with +his first ruler and his last ruler, and so it was, for Saul and +Esther both belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. Likewise +Benjamin's heritage in the Holy Land harbors two extremes: +Jericho ripens its fruits earlier than any other region in +Palestine, while Beth-el ripens them latest. In +Benjamin's blessing, Jacob referred also to the service in the +Temple, because the Holy Place was situated in the territory +of Benjamin. And when Jacob called his youngest son a +wolf that ravineth, he was thinking of the judge Ehud, the +great scholar, a Benjamite, who conquered Eglon king of +Moab, and also he had in mind the Benjamites that captured +their wives by cunning and force.[401] + +Again, if he called Benjamin a wolf, Judah a lion, and +Joseph a bull, he wanted to point to the three kingdoms +known as wolf, lion, and bull, the doom of which was and +will be sealed by the descendants of his three sons: Babylon, +the kingdom of the lion, fell through the hands of +Daniel of the tribe of Judah; Media, the wolf, found its +master in the Benjamite Mordecai; and the bull Joseph will +subdue the horned beast, the kingdom of wickedness, before +the Messianic time.[402] + + +THE DEATH OF JACOB + +After Jacob had blessed each of his sons separately, he +addressed himself to all of them together, saying: "According +to my power did I bless you, but in future days a prophet +will arise, and this man Moses will bless you, too, and he +will continue my blessings where I left off." He added, +besides, that the blessing of each tribe should redound to the +good of all the other tribes: the tribe of Judah should have a +share in the fine wheat of the tribe of Benjamin, and Benjamin +should enjoy the goodly barley of Judah. The tribes +should be mutually helpful, one to another.[403] + +Moreover, he charged them not to be guilty of idolatry in +any form or shape and not to let blasphemous speech pass +their lips, and he taught them the order of transporting his +bier,[404] thus: "Joseph, being king, shall not help to bear it, +nor shall Levi, who is destined to carry the Ark of the Shekinah. +Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon shall grasp its front +end, Reuben, Simon, and Gad its right side, Ephraim, Manasseh, +and Benjamin the hindmost end, and Dan, Asher, +and Naphtali its left side." And this was the order in which +the tribes, bearing each its standard, were to march through +the desert, the Shekinah dwelling in the midst of them.[405] + +Jacob then spake to Joseph, saying: "And thou, my son +Joseph, forgive thy brethren for their trespass against thee, +forsake them not, and grieve them not, for the Lord hath +put them into thine hands, that thou shouldst protect them +all thy days against the Egyptians." + +Also he admonished his sons, saying that the Lord would +be with them if they walked in His ways, and He would +redeem them from the hands of the Egyptians. "I know," +he continued, "great suffering will befall your sons and +your grandsons in this land, but if you will obey God, and +teach your sons to know Him, then He will send you a +redeemer, who will bring you forth out of Egypt and lead +you into the land of your fathers."[406] + +In resignation to the will of God,[407] Jacob awaited his end, +and death enveloped him gently. Not the Angel of Death +ended his life, but the Shekinah took his soul with a kiss. +Beside the three Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, only +Moses, Aaron, and Miriam breathed their last in this manner, +through the kiss of the Shekinah. And these six, together +with Benjamin, are the only ones whose corpses are +not exposed to the ravages of the worms, and they neither +corrupt nor decay. + +Thus Jacob departed this world, and entered the world +to come, a foretaste of which he had enjoyed here below, +like the other two Patriarchs, and none beside among men. +In another respect their life in this world resembled their +life in the world to come, the evil inclination had no power +over them, either here or there, wherein David resembled +them.[408] + +Joseph ordered his father's body to be placed upon a +couch of ivory, covered with gold, studded with gems, and +hung with drapery of byssus and purple. Fragrant wine +was poured out at its side, and aromatic spices burnt next +to it. Heroes of the house of Esau, princes of the family +of Ishmael, and the lion Judah, the bravest of his sons, +surrounded the sumptuous bier of Jacob. "Come," said Judah +to his brethren, "let us plant a high cedar tree at the head +of our father's grave, its top shall reach up to the skies, its +branches shall shade all the inhabitants of the earth, and its +roots shall grow down deep into the earth, unto the abyss. +For from him are sprung twelve tribes, and from him will +arise kings and rulers, chapters of priests prepared to perform +the service of the sacrifices, and companies of Levites +ready to sing psalms and play upon sweet instruments."[409] + +The sons of Jacob tore their garments and girded their +loins with sackcloth, threw themselves upon the ground, and +strewed earth upon their heads until the dust rose in a high +cloud. And when Asenath, the wife of Joseph, heard the +tidings of Jacob's death, she came, and with her came the +women of Egypt, to weep and mourn over him. And the +men of Egypt that had known Jacob repaired thither, and +they mourned day after day, and also many journeyed down +into Egypt from Canaan, to take part in the seventy days' +mourning made for him.[410] + +The Egyptians spake to one another, saying, "Let us +lament for the pious man Jacob, because the affliction of the +famine was averted from our land on account of his merits," +for instead of ravaging the land for forty-two years according +to the decree of God, the famine had lasted but two +years, and that was due to the virtues of Jacob.[411] + +Joseph ordered the physicians to embalm the corpse. This +he should have refrained from doing, for it was displeasing +to God, who spoke, saying: "Have I not the power to preserve +the corpse of this pious man from corruption? Was it +not I that spoke the reassuring words, Fear not the worm, O +Jacob, thou dead Israel?" Joseph's punishment for this +useless precaution was that he was the first of the sons of +Jacob to suffer death.[412] The Egyptians, on the other +hand, who devoted forty days to embalming the corpse +and preparing it for burial, were rewarded for the veneration +they showed. Before He destroyed their city, God +gave the Ninevites a forty days' respite on account of +their king, who was the Pharaoh of Egypt. And for the +three score and ten days of mourning that the heathen +made for Jacob, they were recompensed at the time of +Ahasuerus. During seventy days, from the thirteenth of +Nisan, the date of Haman's edict ordering the extermination +of the Jews, until the twenty-third of Siwan, when Mordecai +recalled it, they were permitted to enjoy absolute power +over the Jews. + +When all preparations for the burial of Jacob had been +completed, Joseph asked permission of Pharaoh to carry the +body up into Canaan. But he did not himself go to put his +petition before Pharaoh, for he could not well appear before +the king in the garb of a mourner, nor was he willing to +interrupt his lamentation over his father for even a brief +space and stand before Pharaoh and prefer his petition. He +requested the family of Pharaoh to intercede for him with +the king for the additional reason that he was desirous of +enlisting the favor of the king's relations, lest they advise +Pharaoh not to fulfil his wish. He acted according to the +maxim, "Seek to win over the accuser, that he cause thee +no annoyance."[413] + +Joseph applied first to the queen's hairdresser, and she +influenced the queen to favor him, and then the queen put +in a good word for him with the king.[414] At first Pharaoh +refused the permission craved by Joseph, who, however, +urged him to consider the solemn oath he had given his +dying father, to bury him in Canaan. Pharaoh desired him +to seek absolution from the oath. But Joseph rejoined, +"Then will I apply also for absolution from the oath I gave +thee," referring to an incident in his earlier history. The +grandees of Egypt had advised Pharaoh against appointing +Joseph as viceroy, and they did not recede from this counsel +until Joseph, in his conversation with the Egyptian king, +proved himself to be master of the seventy languages of the +world, the necessary condition to be fulfilled before one +could become ruler over Egypt. But the conversation +proved something else, that Pharaoh himself was not entitled +to Egyptian kingship, because he lacked knowledge of +Hebrew. He feared, if the truth became known, Joseph +would be raised to his own place, for he knew Hebrew beside +all the other tongues. In his anxiety and distress, +Pharaoh made Joseph swear an oath never to betray the +king's ignorance of Hebrew. Now when Joseph threatened +to have himself absolved from this oath as well as the one +to his dying father, great terror overwhelmed him, and he +speedily granted Joseph permission to go up to Canaan and +bury his father there.[415] + +Moreover, Pharaoh issued a decree in all parts of the land +menacing those with death who would not accompany Joseph +and his brethren upon their journey to Canaan with +their father's remains, and accordingly the procession that +followed the bier of Jacob was made up of the princes and +nobles of Egypt as well as the common people.[416] The bier +was borne by the sons of Jacob. In obedience to his wish not +even their children were allowed to touch it.[417] It was +fashioned +of pure gold, the border thereof inlaid with onyx +stones and bdellium, and the cover was gold woven work +joined to the bier with threads that were held together with +hooks of onyx stones and bdellium. Joseph placed a large +golden crown upon the head of his father, and a golden +sceptre he put in his hand, arraying him like a living king. + +The funeral cortege was arranged in this order: First +came the valiant men of Pharaoh and the valiant men of +Joseph, and then the rest of the inhabitants of Egypt. All +were girt with swords and clothed in coats of mail, and the +trappings of war were upon them. The weepers and mourners +walked, crying and lamenting, at some distance from the +bier, and the rest of the people went behind it, while Joseph +and his household followed together after it, with bare feet +and in tears, and Joseph's servants were close to him, each +man with his accoutrements and weapons of war. Fifty of +Jacob's servants preceded the bier, strewing myrrh upon +the road in passing, and all manner of perfumes, so that the +sons of Jacob trod upon the aromatic spices as they carried +the body forward. + +Thus the procession moved on until it reached Canaan. +It halted at the threshing-floor of Atad, and there they +lamented with a very great and sore lamentation.[418] But the +greatest honor conferred upon Jacob was the presence of +the Shekinah, who accompanied the cortege.[419] + +The Canaanites had no intention at first to take part +in the mourning made for Jacob, but when they saw the +honors shown him, they joined the procession of the +Egyptians,[420] +loosing the girdles of their garments as a sign of +grief.[421] Also the sons of Esau, Ishmael, and Keturah appeared, +though their design in coming was to seize the +opportunity and make war upon the sons of Jacob, but when +they saw Joseph's crown suspended from the bier, the +Edomite and Ishmaelite kings and princes followed his example, +and attached theirs to it, too, and it was ornamented +with thirty-six crowns. + +Nevertheless the conflict was not averted; it broke out in +the end between the sons of Jacob and Esau and his followers. +When the former were about to lower the body of their +father into the Cave of Machpelah, Esau attempted to prevent +it, saying that Jacob had used his allotted portion of the +tomb for Leah, and the only space left for a grave belonged +to himself. For, continued Esau, "though I sold my birthright +unto Jacob, I yet have a portion in the tomb as a son +of Isaac." The sons of Jacob, however, were well aware of +the fact that their father had acquired Esau's share in the +Cave, and they even knew that a bill of sale existed, but +Esau, assuming properly that the document was left behind +in Egypt, denied that any such had ever been made out, and +the sons of Jacob sent Naphtali, the fleet runner, back to +Egypt to fetch the bill. Meantime, while this altercation +was going on between Esau and the others, Hushim the son +of Dan arose and inquired in astonishment why they did not +proceed with the burial of Jacob, for he was deaf and had +not understood the words that had passed between the disputants. +When he heard what it was all about, and that the +ceremonies were interrupted until Naphtali should return +from Egypt with the bill of sale, he exclaimed, with indignation, +"My grandfather shall lie here unburied until Naphtali +comes back!" and he seized a club and dealt Esau a +vigorous blow, so that he died, and his eyes fell out of their +sockets and dropped upon Jacob's knees, and Jacob opened +his own eyes and smiled. Esau being dead, his brother's +burial could proceed without hindrance, and Joseph interred +him in the Cave of Machpelah in accordance with his wish. + +His other children had left all arrangements connected +with the burial of their father's body to their brother Joseph, +for they reflected that it was a greater honor for Jacob if a +king concerned himself about his remains rather than simple +private individuals.[422] + +The head of Esau, as he lay slain by the side of Jacob's +grave, rolled down into the Cave, and fell into the lap of +Isaac, who prayed to God to have mercy upon his son, but +his supplications were in vain. God spoke, saying, "As I +live, he shall not behold the majesty of the Lord."[423] + +THE SONS OF JACOB AT WAR WITH THE SONS OF ESAU + +Jacob having been interred with royal pomp, and the +seven days' period of mourning over, the conflict between +the sons of Jacob and the sons of Esau broke out anew. In +the skirmish that had ensued when Esau advanced a claim +upon a place in the Cave of Machpelah, while his brother's +remains still lay unburied, he lost forty of his men, and after +his death fortune favored his sons as little. Eighty of their +followers were slain, while of the sons of Jacob not one was +lost. Joseph succeeded in capturing Zepho the son of +Eliphaz and fifty of his men, and he clapped them in +chains and carried them off to Egypt. Thereupon the rest +of the attacking army led by Eliphaz fled to Mount Seir, +taking with them the headless corpse of Esau, to bury it in +his own territory. The sons of Jacob pursued after them, +but they slew none, out of respect for the remains of Esau. + +On the third day a great army gathered together, consisting +of the inhabitants of Seir and the children of the East, +and they marched down into Egypt with the purpose of +making war upon Joseph and his brethren. In the battle +that came off, this army was almost totally destroyed, not +less than six hundred thousand men were mowed down by +Joseph and his warriors, and the small remnant fled +precipitately. +Returned to their own country after this fatal +campaign, the sons of Esau and the sons of Seir fell to +quarrelling among themselves, and the sons of Seir demanded +that their former allies leave the place, because it was they +that had brought misfortune upon the country. + +The sons of Esau thereupon dispatched a messenger in +secret to their friend Agnias, king of Africa, begging his aid +against the sons of Seir. He granted their request, and +sent them troops consisting of foot-soldiers and mounted +men. The sons of Seir, on their part, also sought allies, and +they secured the help of the children of the East, and of the +Midianites, who put warriors at their disposal. In the encounters +that ensued between the hostile forces, the sons of +Esau were defeated again and again, partly on account of +treachery in their own ranks, for their men sometimes deserted +to the enemy while the combat was on. At last, however, +in the battle that took place in the desert of Paran, the +sons of Esau gained a decisive victory. They massacred all +the warriors of the sons of Seir, and the Midianites and the +children of the East were put to flight. + +Thereafter the sons of Esau returned to Seir, and they +slew all the inhabitants of the place, men, women, and children, +sparing only fifty lads and maidens. The former they +used as slaves, and the latter they took to wife. They also +enriched themselves with the spoils, seizing all the possessions +of the sons of Seir, and the whole land was divided +among the five sons of Esau. Now these descendants of +Esau determined to put a king over themselves, but in consequence +of the treachery committed during the war there +prevailed such hatred and bitterness among them that they +decided never to appoint a ruler from their own people. +Their choice fell upon Bela, the son of Beor, one of the +warriors sent to them by King Agnias. His peer could +not be found among the allied troops for bravery, wisdom, +and handsome appearance. They set the royal crown upon +his head, built a palace for him, and gave him gifts of silver, +gold, and gems, until he lived in great opulence. He reigned +happily for thirty years, and met his death then in a war +against Joseph and his brethren. + +This war came about because the sons of Esau could not +banish from their memory the disgrace of the defeat inflicted +upon them by Joseph and his people. Having enlisted +the aid of Agnias, and of the Ishmaelites and other nations of +the East, they set forth on a second campaign against Egypt, +in the hope of delivering Zepho and his followers from the +hands of Joseph. In spite of their enormous host--they had +no less than eight hundred thousand men of infantry and +cavalry--they were defeated at Raamses by Joseph and his +brethren and their little company of six hundred men. Beside +their king Bela, they left one-fourth of their army upon +the field. The loss of their king discouraged them grievously, +and they took to flight, hard pressed by Joseph, who +cut down many of the fugitives. + +When he returned from the battle, Joseph ordered manacles +and fetters to be put upon Zepho and his followers, and +their captivity was made more bitter unto them than it had +been before. + +The sons of Esau appointed Jobab of Bozrah to succeed +their dead king Bela. His reign lasted ten years, but they +desisted from all further attempts at waging war with the +sons of Jacob. Their last experience with them had been +too painful, but the enmity they cherished against them was +all the fiercer, and their hatred never abated. + +Their third king was Husham, and he ruled over them +for twenty years. During his reign Zepho succeeded in +making good his escape from Egypt. He was received +kindly by Agnias, king of Africa, and appointed +commander-in-chief of his troops. He used every means of +persuasion +to induce his sovereign lord to enter into a war with Egypt, +but in vain, for Agnias was only too well acquainted with +the strength and heroism of the sons of Jacob. For many +years he resisted Zepho's arguments and blandishments. Indeed, +as it was, Agnias had his hands full with other warlike +enterprises. It had happened about this time that a man of +the land of Kittim, 'Uzi by name, whom his countrymen +venerated as a god, died in the city of Pozimana, and he left +behind a fair and clever daughter. Agnias heard of Yaniah's +beauty and wisdom, and he sued for her hand, and his request +was granted him by the people of Kittim. + +The messengers of Agnias were hastening away from +Kittim, bearing to their master the promise of the inhabitants +that Yaniah should become his wife, when Turnus, +king of Benevento, arrived on the same errand. His suit +was rejected, for the people of Kittim were afraid-to break +the promise given to Agnias. In his anger, Turnus went to +Sardinia to make war upon King Lucus, a brother of Agnias, +intending to deal with the latter as soon as the other +was rendered harmless. Hearing of the design hatched by +Turnus, Agnias hastened to Sardinia to the assistance of his +brother, and a battle took place in the Valley of Campania. +Against Turnus were arrayed Agnias, his brother Lucus, +and the son of the latter, Niblos, whom his father had appointed +commander-in-chief of the Sardinian troops. In the +first encounter, Turnus was the victor, and the Sardinians +lost their general Niblos. But in the second engagement +the army of Turnus was routed completely, and he himself +was left dead on the field. His army fled, pursued closely +by Agnias as far as the cross-road between Rome and Albano. +Niblos' body was put inside of a golden statue, and +his father erected a high tower over his grave, and another +over the grave of Turnus, and these two buildings, connected +by a marble pavement, stand opposite to each other, +on the cross-road at which Agnias left off from following +after the fugitive army. + +The king of Africa went on to the city of Benevento, but +he took no harsh measures against it and its inhabitants, because +it belonged to the land of Kittim at that time. Thenceforth, +however, bands of soldiers from Africa made incursions, +now and again, into the land of Kittim, under the lead +of Zepho, the captain of the African army. Agnias meantime +went to Pozimana, to solemnize his marriage with +Yaniah, and he returned with her to his capital in Africa.[424] + + +ZEPHO KING OF KITTIM + +All this time Zepho did not leave off urging Agnias to +invade Egypt, and he succeeded finally in persuading the +king to consider his wish, and a great army was equipped +against Egypt and the sons of Jacob. Among the shield- +bearers was Balaam, the fifteen year old son of Beor, a wise +youth and an adept in magic, and the king bade him acquaint +him with the issue of the war upon which they were entering. +Balaam took wax and moulded the figures of men, +to represent the army of Agnias and the army of the Egyptians, +and he plunged them into magic water and let them +swim, and it appeared that the African army was subdued +by the Egyptians. Agnias accordingly gave up the campaign, +and Zepho, seeing that his sovereign could not be +persuaded into war with the sons of Jacob, fled the country +and betook himself to Kittim. + +The people of Kittim received him with great honors, +and they offered him much money to stay with them and +conduct their wars. It happened once while Zepho was in +the mountains of Koptiziah, where the inhabitants of Kittim +had taken refuge before the troops of the African king, +that he had to go on a search for an ox that had strayed +away, and he discovered a cave the opening of which was +barred by a great stone. He shivered the stone in pieces, +and entering the cave he saw an animal formed like a man +above and a he-goat below, and he killed the strange beast, +which was in the very act of devouring his lost ox. There +was great rejoicing among the people of Kittim, for the +monster had long been doing havoc among their cattle, and +in gratitude they set aside one day of the year, which they +called by Zepho's name, in honor of their liberator, and all +the people brought him presents and offered sacrifices to him. + +At this time it came to pass that Yaniah, the wife of King +Agnias, fell into a grievous sickness, and the physicians +ascribed her illness to the climate, and to the water of Africa, +to which she, a native of the land of Kittim, could not get +accustomed, because she had been in the habit of using the +water of the river Forma, which her forefathers had drawn +to her house through a conduit. Agnias sent to the land of +Kittim and had some of the water of the Forma brought to +Africa. Finding it much lighter than the water of his own +country, he built a huge canal from the land of Kittim. to +Africa, and the queen henceforth had all the Forma water +she needed. Besides, he took earth and stone from Kittim, +and built a palace for Yaniah, and she recovered from her +illness. + +Meantime Zepho had won a decisive victory over the +African troops that had made an incursion into the land of +Kittim, and the people chose him as king. His first undertaking +was a campaign against the sons of Tubal and the +Islands of the Sea, and again he was successful, he subdued +them completely. On his return, the people built a great +palace for Zepho, and they renewed his kingship, and he +continued until his death to reign as king of Kittim and of +Italy. + +During the first thirteen years of his reign, the Africans +made no attempt to disturb the peace of Kittim, but then +they invaded the land, only to be severely repulsed by Zepho, +who pursued the troops up to the very borders of Africa, and +Agnias the king was in such consternation that he did not +venture to make reprisals for some time. When he finally +made a second attempt, his troops were annihilated by Zepho +down to the very last man. Now Agnias, in despair, assembled +all the inhabitants of Africa, as numerous as the +sand on the sea-shore, and he united his great host with the +army of his brother Lucus, and thus he made his third attempt +upon Zepho and the people of the land of Kittim. + +Alarmed, Zepho wrote to his brethren in Seir, and entreated +their king Hadad to send him aid. But the people +of Seir had concluded an alliance with Agnias as far back +as under their first king Bela, and they refused Zepho's +request, and the king of Kittim had to face the host of eight +hundred thousand men mustered by Agnias with his little +band of three thousand. Then the people of Kittim spake +to their king Zepho, saying: "Pray for us unto the God of +thy ancestors. Peradventure He may deliver us from the +hand of Agnias and his army, for we have heard that He is +a great God, and He delivers all that trust in Him." Zepho +prayed unto the Lord, saying: "O Lord, God of Abraham +and Isaac, my fathers, this day may it be made known that +Thou art a true God, and all the gods of the nations are vain +and useless. Remember now this day unto me Thy covenant +with Abraham our father, which our ancestors related +unto us, and do graciously with me this day for the sake of +Abraham and Isaac, our fathers, and save me and the sons +of Kittim from the hand of the king of Africa, who hath +come against us for battle." + +God gave ear unto Zepho's prayer, and in the first day's +battle one-half of the African army fell. Agnias forthwith +dispatched a decree to his country, ordering, on penalty +of death and confiscation of property, that all the males +of the land, including boys that bad passed their tenth year, +were to join the army and fight against the people of Kittim. +In spite of these new accessions, three hundred thousand +strong, Agnias was beaten again by Zepho in the second +battle. The African general Sosipater having fallen slain, +the troops broke into flight, at their head Agnias with Lucus +the brother and Asdrubal the son of Agnias. After this dire +defeat the Africans made no further attempt to disturb the +peace of Kittim, and their incursions ceased forever. + +In spite of the great victory that Zepho had won with +the help of God, the king of Kittim walked in the idolatrous +ways of the people whom he ruled, and in the ways of the +sons of Esau, for, as saith the proverb of the ancients, "Out +of the wicked cometh forth wickedness," and Zepho was not +other than the rest of the sons of Esau. + +The severe defeat inflicted upon Agnias drove Balaam +from Africa to Kittim, and he was received with great +honors by Zepho, who welcomed him on account of his deep +wisdom. + +Now Zepho thought the time had arrived for him to carry +out his plan of vengeance against the posterity of Jacob, all +the more as in the meantime Joseph had died, and also his +brethren and the valiant men of Pharaoh had passed away. +He was joined in the enterprise by Hadad, the king of Edom, +and by the nations of the East and the Ishmaelites. The +allied army was so vast that the space it covered as it stood +in rank and file was equal to a three days' journey. It +formed in battle array in the Valley of Pathros, and it was +met by three hundred thousand Egyptians and one hundred +and fifty Israelites from Goshen. But the Egyptians did +not trust the Israelites, they feared their defection to the +sons of Esau and Ishmael. They therefore made an agreement +with them that the Israelites were not to come to the +help of the Egyptians until it appeared that the enemy were +getting the upper hand + +Zepho, who had a high opinion of Balaam's ability, desired +him to use his magic arts and find out what would be +the outcome of the war, but Balaam's knowledge failed him, +he could not satisfy the king's wish. The Egyptians got +the worst of the first encounter between the two hostile +armies, but the aspect of things changed as soon as they +summoned the Israelites to aid them. The Israelites prayed +to God to support them with His help, and the Lord heard +their prayer. Then they threw themselves upon Zepho and +his allies, and after they had cut down several thousand +men, such dismay and confusion took hold of the enemy +that they fled hastily, pursued by the Israelites as far as the +boundary of the country. The Egyptians, instead of coming +to the assistance of the Israelites, had taken to flight, leaving +the small band of their allies to dispose of the huge host of +their adversaries. Embittered by such treatment, the Israelites +slew as many as two hundred Egyptians, under the pretext +that they thought they belonged to the enemy.[425] + + +THE NATIONS AT WAR + +Hadad, the king of Edom, who had failed to gain fame +and honor in the Egyptian campaign, was favored by fortune +in another war, a war against Moab. The Moabites shrank +from meeting Hadad alone, and they made an alliance with +the Midianites. In the thick of the fight the Moabites fled +from the field of battle, leaving the Midianites to their fate, +and these deserted allies of theirs were cut down to a +man by Hadad and his Edomites. The Moabites saved their +skins, and suffered only the inconvenience of having to pay +tribute. To avenge the faithlessness practiced against them, +the Midianites, supported by their kinsmen, the sons of +Keturah, gathered a mighty army, and attacked the Moabites +the following year. But Hadad came to their assistance, +and again he inflicted a severe defeat upon the Midianites, +who had to give up their plan of revenge against Moab. +This is the beginning of the inveterate enmity between the +Moabites and the Midianites. If a single Moabite is caught +in the land of Midian, he is killed without mercy, and a +Midianite in Moab fares no better. + +After the death of Hadad, the Edomites installed Samlah +of Masrekah as their king, and he reigned eighteen years. +It was his desire to take up the cause of Agnias, the old ally +of the Edomites, and chastise Zepho for having gone to war +with him, but his people, the Edomites, would not permit +him to undertake aught that was inimical to their kinsman, +and Samlah had to abandon the plan. In the fourteenth +year of Samlah's reign, Zepho died, having been king of +Kittim for fifty years. His successor was Janus, one of the +people of Kittim, who enjoyed an equally long reign. + +Balaam had made his escape to Egypt after the death of +Zepho, and he was received there with great demonstrations +of honor by the king and all the nobles, and Pharaoh appointed +him to be royal counsellor, for he had heard much +about his exceeding great wisdom. + +In the Edomite kingdom, Samlah was succeeded by Saul +of Pethor, a youth of surpassing beauty, whose reign lasted +forty years. His successor upon the throne was Baal +Hamon, king for thirty-eight years, during which period the +Moabites rose up against the Edomites, to whom they had +been paying tribute since the time of Hadad, and they succeeded +in throwing off the yoke of the stranger. + +The times were troubled everywhere. Agnias, the king of +Africa, died, and also the death of Janus occurred, the king +of Kittim. The successors to these two rulers, Asdrubal, +the son of Agnias, and Latinus, the king of Kittim, then +entered upon a long drawn out war of many years. At first +the fortune of war favored Latinus. He sailed to Africa +in ships, and inflicted one defeat after another upon Asdrubal, +and finally this king of Africa lost his life upon the +battlefield. After destroying the canal from Kittim to Africa +built many years before by Agnias, Latinus returned to +his own country, taking with him as his wife Ushpiziwnah, +the daughter of Asdrubal, who was so wondrously beautiful +that her countrymen wore her likeness upon their garments. + +Latinus did not enjoy the fruits of his victory long. +Anibal, the younger brother of Asdrubal and his successor +in the royal power, went to Kittim in ships and carried on +a series of wars lasting eighteen years, in the course of +which he killed off eighty thousand of the people of Kittim, +not sparing the princes and the nobles. At the end of this +protracted period he went back to Africa, and reigned over +his people in quiet and peace. + +The Edomites, during the forty-eight years of the reign +of Hadad, the successor of Baal Hamon, fared no better than +the people of Kittim. Hadad's first undertaking was to reduce +the Moabites again under the sovereignty of Edom, but +he had to desist, because he could not offer successful +resistance +to a newly chosen king of theirs, one of their own +people, who enlisted the aid of their kinsmen the Ammonites. +The allies commanded a great host, and Hadad was +overwhelmed. These wars were followed by others between +Hadad of Edom. and Abimenos of Kittim. The latter was +the attacking party, and he invaded Seir with a mighty army. +The sons of Seir were defeated abjectly, their king Hadad +was taken captive, and then executed by Abimenos, and +Seir was made a province subject to Kittim and ruled by a +governor. + +Thus ended the independence of the sons of Esau. +Henceforth they had to pay tribute to Kittim, over which +Abimenos ruled until his death, in the thirty-eighth year of +his reign.[426] + + +JOSEPH'S MAGNANIMITY + +As Joseph was returning from the burial of his father in +the Cave of Machpelah, he passed the pit into which his +brethren had once cast him, and he looked into it, and said, +"Blessed be God who permitted a miracle to come to pass +for me here!" The brethren inferred from these words of +gratitude, which Joseph but uttered in compliance with the +injunctions of the law, that he cherished the recollection of +the evil they had done him, and they feared, that now their +father was dead, their brother would requite them in accordance +with their deeds. They observed, moreover, that since +their father was no more, Joseph had given up the habit of +entertaining them at his table, and they interpreted this as +a sign of his hatred of them. In reality, it was due to +Joseph's respect and esteem for his brethren. "So long +as my father was alive," Joseph said to himself, "he bade +me sit at the head of the table, though Judah is king, and +Reuben is the first-born. It was my father's wish, and +I complied with it. But now it is not seemly that I should +have the first seat in their presence, and yet, being ruler of +Egypt, I cannot yield my place to any other." He thought +it best therefore not to have the company of his brethren +at his meals. + +But they, not fathoming his motives, sent Bilhah to him +with the dying message of their father, that he was to forgive +the transgression and the sin of his brethren. For the +sake of the ways of peace they had invented the message; +Jacob had said nothing like it. Joseph, on his part, realized +that his brethren spoke thus only because they feared he +might do harm unto them, and he wept that they should put +so little trust in his affection. When they appeared, and fell +down before his face, and said, "Thou didst desire to make +one of us a slave unto thyself. Behold, we all are ready to be +thy servants," he spoke to them gently, and tried to convince +them that he harbored no evil design against them. He +said: "Be not afraid, I will do you no harm, for I fear God, +and if ye think I failed to have you sit at my table because +of enmity toward you, God knows the intentions of my +heart, He knows that I acted thus out of consideration for +the respect I owe to you."[427] + +Furthermore he said: "Ye are like unto the dust of the +earth, the sand on the sea-shore, and the stars in the heavens. +Can I do aught to put these out of the world? Ten +stars could effect nothing against one star, how much less +can one star effect anything against ten? Do you believe that +I have the power of acting contrary to the laws of nature? +Twelve hours hath the day, twelve hours the night, twelve +months the year, twelve constellations are in the heavens, +and also there are twelve tribes! You are the trunk and I +am the head--of what use the head without the trunk? It +is to my own good that I should treat you with fraternal +affection. Before your advent, I was looked upon as a slave +in this country--you proved me a man of noble birth. Now, +if I should kill you, my claims upon an aristocratic lineage +would be shown to be a lie. The Egyptians would say, He +was not their brother, they were strangers to him, he but +called them his brethren to serve his purpose, and now he +hath found a pretext to put them out of the way. Or they +would hold me to be a man of no probity. Who plays false +with his own kith and kin, how can he keep faith with +others? And, in sooth, how can I venture to lay hand upon +those whom God and my father both have blessed?"[428] + +As Joseph's dealings were kind and gentle with his brethren, +so he was the helper and counsellor of the Egyptians, +and when Pharaoh departed this life, Joseph being then a +man of seventy-one years of age, the king's last wish was +that he might be a father unto his son and successor Magron, +and administer the affairs of state for him. Some of the +Egyptians desired to make Joseph king after the death of +Pharaoh, but this plan met with opposition on the part of +others. They objected to an alien on the throne, and so the +royal title was left to Magron, called Pharaoh, according to +the established custom the name given to all the Egyptian +kings. But Joseph was made the actual ruler of the land, +and though he was only viceroy in Egypt, he reigned as +king over the lands outside of Egypt as far as the Euphrates, +parts of which Joseph had acquired by conquest. +The inhabitants of these countries brought their yearly +tribute to him and other presents besides, and thus did +Joseph rule for forty years, beloved of all, and respected by +the Egyptians and the other nations, and during all that time +his brethren dwelt in Goshen, happy and blithe in the service +of God. And in his own family circle Joseph was happy +also; he lived to act as godfather at the circumcision of the +sons of his grandson Machir. + +His end was premature as compared with that of his +brethren; at his death he was younger than any of them at +their death. It is true, "Dominion buries him that exercises +it."[429] He died ten years before his allotted time, because, +without taking umbrage, he had permitted his brethren to +call his father his "servant" in his presence.[430] + + +ASENATH + +God gives every man the wife he deserves,[431] and so +Asenath was worthy of being the helpmeet of Joseph the +pious. Her father was Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's magnates, +ranking among the most distinguished of them by +reason of wisdom, wealth, and station. His daughter was +slender like unto Sarah, beautiful like Rebekah, and radiant +in appearance like Rachel. Noblemen and princes sued for +her hand when she was eighteen years of age. Even Pharaoh's +appointed successor, his first-born son, demanded her +in marriage, but his father refused to comply with his wish, +because he did not consider her a proper wife for one destined +to sit upon the throne. The daughter of the Moabite +king, he insisted, was a more suitable match for him. But +Asenath rejected every proposal of marriage, and avoided +all intercourse with men. With seven maidens born the same +day as herself, she lived in retirement in a magnificent +palace adjoining that of her parents. + +It happened in the first of the seven years of plenty that +Joseph planned to visit the place in which Potiphar resided, +and he sent word to him that he would put up with him, at +his house. Potiphar was enchanted with the honor in prospect +for him, and also with the opportunity it would afford him +of bringing about a marriage between Asenath and Joseph. +But when he disclosed his plan to his daughter, she rejected +it with indignation. "Why shouldst thou desire to see me +united with a vagabond, a slave," she cried out, "one that +does not even belong to our nation, but is the son of a +Canaanitish herdsman, a fellow that attempted to violate the +honor of his mistress, and in punishment for this misdemeanor was +thrown into prison, to be liberated thence by +Pharaoh for interpreting his dream? Nay, father, never +will I become his wife. I am willing to marry the son of +Pharaoh, the future ruler and king of Egypt." + +Potiphar promised his daughter not to speak of the plan +again. At that moment Joseph's arrival was announced, +and Asenath left the presence of her parents and withdrew +to her own apartments. Standing by the window, she saw +Joseph pass, and she was so transported with his divine +beauty and his indescribably noble carriage that she burst +into tears, and said: "Poor, foolish me, what shall I do? +I permitted myself to be misled by friends, who told me that +Joseph was the son of a Canaanitish shepherd. Now I behold +the splendor that emanates from him like unto the +splendor of the sun, illuminating our house with his rays. +In my audacity and folly I had looked down upon him, and +had spoken absurd nonsense against him. I knew not that +he was a son of God, as he must be, for among men such +beauty as his does not exist. I pray Thee, O God of Joseph, +grant me pardon! It was my ignorance that made me speak +like a fool. If my father will give me in marriage to Joseph, +I will be his forever." + +Meantime Joseph had taken his seat at Potiphar's table, +and he observed a maiden looking at him from one of the +palace windows. He commanded that she be ordered away, +for he never permitted women to gaze at him or come near +to him. His supernatural beauty always fascinated the +noble Egyptian ladies, and they were untiring in the efforts +they made to approach him. But their attempts were vain. +He cherished the words of his father Jacob, who had admonished +his son to keep aloof from the women of the Gentiles. + +Potiphar explained to Joseph that the maiden at the window +was his virgin daughter, who never permitted men to +abide near her; he was the first man she had ever looked +upon. The father continued and made the request of Joseph, +to allow his daughter to pay him her respects. Joseph +granted the favor he desired, and Asenath appeared and +greeted him with the words, "Peace be with thee, thou +blessed of God Most High," whereunto Joseph returned the +salutation, "Be thou blessed of the Lord, from whom flow +all blessings." + +Asenath desired also to kiss Joseph, but he warded off the +intimate greeting with the words: "It is not meet that a +God-fearing man, who blesses the living God, and eats the +blessed bread of life, who drinks of the blessed cup of +immortality +and incorruptibility, and anoints himself with the +fragrant oil of holiness, should kiss a woman of a strange +people, who blesses dead and unprofitable idols, and eats +the putrid bread of idolatry, which chokes the soul of man, +who drinks the libations of deceit, and anoints herself with +the oil of destruction." + +These words uttered by Joseph touched Asenath unto +tears. Out of compassion with her, he bestowed his blessing +upon her, calling upon God to pour out His spirit over +her and make her to become a member of His people and +His inheritance, and grant her a portion in the life eternal. + + +THE MARRIAGE OF JOSEPH + +The appearance and the speech of Joseph made so deep +an impression upon Asenath that no sooner had she reached +her apartment than she divested herself of her robes of state +and took off her jewels, and put on sackcloth instead, +strewed ashes upon her head, and supplicated God amid +tears to grant her pardon for her sins. In this manner she +spent seven days and seven nights in her chamber. Not +even her seven attendants were permitted to enter her presence +during the time of her penance. The morning of the +eighth day an angel appeared unto her, and bade her put +away her sackcloth and ashes and array herself in state, for +this day she had been born anew, he said, to eat the blessed +bread of life, to drink of the cup of life immortal, and anoint +herself with the oil of life eternal. Asenath was about to +set food and drink before her guest, when she perceived a +honeycomb of wondrous form and fragrance. The angel +explained to her that it had been produced by the bees of +Paradise, to serve as food for the angels and the elect of +God. He took a small portion of it for himself, and the +rest he put into Asenath's mouth, saying: "From this day +forth thy body shall bloom like the eternal flowers in Paradise, +thy bones shall wax fat like the cedars thereof, strength +inexhaustible shall be thine, thy youth shall never fade, and +thy beauty never perish, and thou shalt be like unto a metropolis +surrounded by a wall." At the request of Asenath, +the angel blessed also her seven attendants, with the words, +"May the Lord bless you and make you to be seven pillars +in the City of Refuge." + +Thereupon the angel left her, and she saw him ascend +heavenward in a chariot of fire drawn by four steeds of fire. +Now she knew that she had not been entertaining a human +being, but an angel. + +The celestial messenger had scarcely departed, when a +visit from Joseph was announced, and she hastened to array +and adorn herself for his reception. When she washed her +face, she caught sight of it in the water, and saw it to be of +such beauty as never before, so great had been the transformation +wrought by the angel. When Joseph came, he did +not recognize her. He asked her who she was, whereto she +replied, "I am thy maid-servant Asenath! I have cast away +my idols, and this day a visitant came to me from heaven. +He gave me to eat of the bread of life and to drink of the +blessed cup, and he spake these words unto me, 'I give thee +unto Joseph as his affianced wife, that he may be thy affianced +husband forever.' And furthermore he said, 'Thy +name shall not any more be called Asenath, but thy name +shall be City of Refuge, whither the nations shall flee for +safety.' And he added, 'I go to Joseph, to tell him all these +things that have reference to thee.' Now, my lord, thou +knowest whether the man was with thee and spoke to thee +in my behalf." + +Joseph confirmed all she had said, and they embraced and +kissed each other in token of their betrothal, which they +celebrated by a banquet with Potiphar and his wife. The +wedding took place later in the presence of Pharaoh, who +set a golden crown upon the head of the bridegroom and the +bride, gave them his blessing, and made a seven days' feast +in their honor, to which he invited the magnates and princes +of Egypt and of other countries. And during the seven days +of the wedding festivities the people were prohibited, under +penalty of death, from doing any manner of work; they all +were to join in the celebration of Joseph's marriage. + + +KIND AND UNKIND BRETHREN + + +On the twenty-first day of the second month in the second +of the seven years of famine, Jacob came down to Egypt, +and his daughter-in-law Asenath visited him. She marvelled +not a little at his beauty and strength. His shoulders +and his arms were like an angel's, and his loins like a giant's. +Jacob gave her his blessing, and with her husband she returned +home, accompanied by the sons of Leah, while the +sons of the handmaids, remembering the evil they had once +done unto Joseph, kept aloof. Levi in particular had conceived +a fondness for Asenath. He was especially close to +the Living God, for he was a prophet and a sage, his eyes +were open, and he knew how to read the celestial books +written by the finger of God. He revealed to Asenath that +he had seen her future resting-place in heaven, and it was +built upon a rock and encompassed by a diamond wall. + +On their journey they met the son of Pharaoh, his successor +to the throne, and he was so transported with Asenath's +beauty, that he made the plan of murdering Joseph +in order to secure possession of his wife. He summoned +Simon and Levi, and by blandishments and promises sought +to induce them to put Joseph out of the way. Simon was +so enraged that he would have felled him at once, had not +his brother Levi, who was endowed with the gift of prophecy, +divined his purpose, and frustrated it by stepping upon +his foot, while whispering: "Why art thou so angry, and +so wroth with the man? We that fear God may not repay +evil with evil." Turning to the son of Pharaoh, he told him +that nothing would induce them to execute the wickedness +he had proposed; rather he advised him not to undertake +aught against Joseph, else he would kill him with the sword +that had served him in his slaughter of the inhabitants of +Shechem. The culprit was seized with frantic alarm, and +fell down before Simon and Levi to entreat their mercy. +Levi raised him tip, saying, "Fear not, but abandon thy +wicked plan, and harbor no evil design against Joseph." + +Nevertheless the son of Pharaoh did not give up his +criminal purpose. He approached the sons of Bilhah and +Zilpah, and sought to accomplish through them what had +failed with Simon and Levi. He called them into his presence, +and told them of a conversation between Joseph and +Pharaoh that he had overheard. The former had said that +he waited but to learn of the death of his father Jacob in +order to do away with the sons of the handmaids, because +they had been the ones to sell him into slavery. Their wrath +excited against Joseph by these words, the sons of Bilhah +and Zilpah assented to the proposition of the son of Pharaoh. +It was arranged that the latter should kill Pharaoh, +the friend of Joseph, while they would fall upon their +brother, and put him out of the way. They were furnished +with six hundred able warriors and fifty spearmen for the +purpose. The first part of the plan, the murder of Pharaoh, +failed. The palace guard would not allow even the successor +to the throne to enter his father's bedchamber, and +he had to depart without having effected his object. + +Now Dan and Gad gave him the advice to take up his +station with fifty archers in a secret place that Asenath +had to pass on her homeward journey. Thence he could +make a successful attack upon her suite, and gain possession +of her. Naphtali and Asher did not care to have anything to do +with this hostile enterprise against Joseph, but +Dan and Gad forced them into it, insisting that all the sons +of the handmaids must stand together as men and repel the +danger that threatened them. + + +TREACHERY PUNISHED + +From their ambush the forces of the son of Pharaoh fell +upon Asenath and her six hundred attendants. They succeeded +in hewing down the vanguard, and Asenath had to +take to flight. To her alarm she encountered the son of +Pharaoh with fifty mounted men. Benjamin, seated in the +same chariot with her, came to her rescue, for in spite of his +youth he was exceedingly courageous. He descended from +the chariot, gathered pebbles, and, throwing them at the +son of Pharaoh, struck him on his forehead and inflicted a +severe wound. The charioteer aided him by keeping him +supplied with pebbles, which he cast at the fifty riders with +such expert skill that he slew forty-eight of them with as +many missiles. Meantime the sons of Leah arrived on the +spot and came to Asenath's aid, for Levi, with his prophetic +spirit, had seen what was happening, and summoning his +five brothers he had hastened thither. These six attacked +the troops in ambush and cut them down. But the danger +to Asenath was by no means removed. At this moment the +sons of the handmaids threw themselves upon her and Benjamin +with drawn swords. It was their intention to kill +them both, and flee to cover in the depths of the woods. +But as soon as Asenath supplicated God for aid, the swords +dropped from the hands of her assailants, and they saw that +the Lord was on the side of Asenath. They fell at her feet +and entreated her grace. She allayed their anxiety with the +words: "Be courageous and have no fear of your brethren, +the sons of Leah. They are God-fearing men. Do but keep +yourselves in hiding until their wrath is appeased." + +When the sons of Leah appeared, Asenath fell down before +them, and amid tears she adjured them to spare the +sons of the handmaids and not repay with evil the evil they +had meditated. Simon would not hear of making concessions. +He insisted that the measure of their sins was full, +and they must pay for them with their lives, for they had +been the ones that had sold Joseph into slavery, and brought +down untold misfortune upon Jacob and his sons. But Asenath +did not leave off, and her urgent petitions won the day. +She succeeded in calming the anger of Simon, and in Levi +she had a secret ally, for this prophet knew the hiding-place +of the sons of the handmaids, and he did not betray it to +Simon, lest his wrath be increased at the sight of them. It +was also Levi that restrained Benjamin from giving the +death blow to the heavily wounded son of Pharaoh. So far +from permitting harm to be done to him, he washed his +wounds, put him into a chariot, and took him to Pharaoh, +who thanked Levi from his heart for his services of loving- +kindness. Levi's efforts were vain, three days later the son +of Pharaoh died of the wounds inflicted by Benjamin, and +from grief over the loss of his first-born Pharaoh followed +him soon after, departing this life at the age of one hundred +and seventy-seven years. His crown he left to Joseph, who +ruled over Egypt for forty-eight years thereafter. He in +turn handed the crown on to the grandchild of Pharaoh, an +infant in arms at the time of his grandfather's death, toward +whom Joseph had acted in a father's stead all his life.[432] + + +THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF JOSEPH + +On his death-bed Joseph took an oath of his brethren, and +he bade them on their death-bed likewise take an oath of +their sons, to carry his bones to Palestine, when God should +visit them and bring them up out of the land of Egypt. He +said: "I that am a ruler could take my father's body up to +the Holy Land while it was still intact. Of you I do but +make the request that ye carry my bones from hence, and +you may inter them in any spot in Palestine, for I know that +the burial-place of the fathers was appointed to be the tomb +only of the three Patriarchs and their three wives." + +Joseph took the oath, to carry his remains along with them +when they left Egypt, from his brethren, and not from his +sons, to bury him at once in Palestine, for he feared the +Egyptians would not give the latter permission to transport +his bones even if they recalled what Joseph had been allowed +to do with his father's body. They would object that Joseph +had been the viceroy, and a wish preferred by one of so high +an estate could not be denied.[433] Furthermore, he adjured +his brethren not to leave Egypt until a redeemer should +appear and announce his message with the words, "Pakod-- +I have surely visited you"--a tradition which Joseph had +received from his father, who bad it from Isaac, and Isaac +in turn had beard it from Abraham.[434] And he told them that +God would redeem Israel through Moses as through the +Messiah, in this world as in the world to come, and the +Egyptian redemption would begin in Tishri, when Israel +would be freed from slave labor, and would be completed +in the following Nisan, when they would leave Egypt.[435] + +Joseph also admonished his brethren to walk in the ways +of the Lord, so that they might become worthy of His grace +and help. Especially he impressed upon his brethren and +his sons the virtue of chastity and a steadfast moral life. +He told them all that had happened to him, the hatred of +his brethren, the persecutions of the wife of Potiphar, the +slander, envy, and malice of the Egyptians, to show how that +those who fear the Lord are not forsaken by Him in darkness, +or bondage, or tribulation, or distress. "I was sold +into slavery," he said, "but the Lord delivered me; I was +thrown into prison, but His strong hand helped me. I was +tortured by hunger, but the Lord Himself gave me sustenance. +I was alone, and God comforted me. And as for +you, if ye will walk in the ways of chastity and purity in +patience and humility of heart, the Lord will dwell among +you, for He loveth a chaste life, and if you, my children, +will observe the commandments of the Lord, He will raise +you up here, in this world, and bless you there, in the world +to come. If men seek to do evil unto you, pray for them, +and you will be delivered from all evil by the Lord. On +account of my forbearing patience I received the daughter +of my master to wife, and her dowry was a hundred talents +of gold, and God gave me also beauty like the beauty of a +flower, more than all the children of Jacob, and He preserved +me unto mine old age in vigor and beauty, for in all +things did I resemble Jacob." + +Joseph continued and told them the visions he had +had, in which the future of Israel was revealed to him, +and then he closed with the words: "I know that the Egyptians +will oppress you after my death, but God will execute +vengeance for your sakes, and He will lead you to the land +of promise of your fathers. But ye shall surely carry my +bones with you from hence, for if my remains are taken to +Canaan, the Lord will be with you in the light, and Behar +will be with the Egyptians in the darkness. Also take with +you the bones of your mother Zilpah, and bury them near +the sepulchre of Bilhah and Rachel." + +These words ended, he stretched out his feet, and slept +his last eternal sleep, and the whole of Israel mourned him, +and the whole of Egypt was in great grief, for he had been +a compassionate friend to the Egyptians, too, and he had +done good unto them, and given them wise counsel and assistance +in all their undertakings.[436] + +Joseph's wish, that his bones should rest in the Holy Land, +was fulfilled when the Israelites went forth from Egypt, and +no less a personage than Moses applied himself to its execution. +Such was Joseph's reward for the devotion he had +displayed in the interment of his father's body, for he had +done all things needful himself, leaving naught to others. +Therefore so great a man as Moses busied himself with the +realization of Joseph's wish.[437] + +For three days and three nights preceding the exodus +Moses hunted up and down through the land of Egypt for +Joseph's coffin, because he knew that Israel could not leave +Egypt without heeding the oath given to Joseph. But his +trouble was in vain; the coffin was nowhere to be found. +Serah, the daughter of Asher, met Moses, tired and exhausted, +and in answer to her question about the cause of his +weariness, he told her of his fruitless search. Serah took +him to the Nile river, and told him that the leaden coffin +made for Joseph by the Egyptians had been sunk there after +having been scaled up on all sides. The Egyptians had +done this at the instigation and with the help of the magicians, +who, knowing that Israel could not leave the country +without the coffin, had used their arts to put it in a place +whence it could not be removed.[438] + +Moses now took Joseph's cup, and he cut four flat pieces +from it, and engraved a lion on one of them, an eagle on the +second, a bull on the third, and a human figure on the fourth. +He threw the first, with the lion, into the river, saying at the +same time, "Joseph, Joseph, the hour for the redemption of +Israel hath arrived, the Shekinah lingers here only for thy +sake, the clouds of glory await thy coming. If thou wilt +show thyself, well and good; if not, then we are clear from +our oath." But the coffin did not appear. + +Then Moses threw the second plate into the water, that +with the figure of the eagle, repeating the same words, but +again the coffin did not rise from the bed of the Nile, and +there it remained, too, when he threw in the third plate bearing +the figure of the bull, and called upon Joseph a third +time to come forth. But the fourth plate with the human +figure and the fourth invocation to Joseph brought the coffin +to the surface of the water. Moses seized it, and in joy he +bore it off.[439] While Israel had been busy gathering gold +and silver from the Egyptians, Moses had been thinking of +nothing but Joseph's coffin, and his happiness was great +that he had been permitted to fulfil the wish of Joseph.[440] + +During the forty years of wandering through the desert, +the coffin was in the midst of Israel, as a reward for Joseph's +promise to his brethren, "I will nourish you and take care +of you." God had said, "As thou livest, for forty years +they will take care of thy bones."[441] + +All this time in the desert Israel carried two shrines with +them, the one the coffin containing the bones of the dead +man Joseph, the other the Ark containing the covenant of +the Living God. The wayfarers who saw the two receptacles +wondered, and they would ask, "How doth the ark of the +dead come next to the ark of the Ever-living?" The +answer was, "The dead man enshrined in the one fulfilled +the commandments enshrined in the other. In the latter it +is written, I am the Lord thy God, and he said, Am I in the +place of God? Here it is written, Thou shalt have no other +gods before My face, and he said, I fear God. Here it is +written, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God +in vain, and therefore he did not swear by God, but said, +By the life of Pharaoh. Here it is written, Remember the +Sabbath day, and he said to the overseer of his palace on +Friday, Slay and make ready, meaning for the Sabbath. +Here it is written, Honor thy father and thy mother, and he +said, when his father desired to send him to his brethren, +Here am I, although he knew it was perilous for him to go. +Here it is written, Thou shalt not kill, and he refrained from +murdering Potiphar when Potiphar's wife urged him to do +it. Here it is written, Thou shalt not commit adultery, and +he scorned the adulterous proposals of Potiphar's wife. +Here it is written, Thou shalt not steal, and he stole nothing +from Pharaoh, but gathered up all the money and brought +it unto Pharaoh's house. Here it is written, Thou shalt not +bear false witness against thy neighbor, and he told his +father nothing of what his brethren had done to him, though +what he might have told was the truth. Here it is written, +Thou shalt not covet, and he did not covet Potiphar's +wife."[442] + +On their arrival in the Holy Land, the Israelites buried +the bones of Joseph in Shechem, for God spake to the tribes, +saying, "From Shechem did ye steal him, and unto Shechem, +shall ye return him."[443] + +God, who is so solicitous about the dead bodies of the +pious, is even more solicitous about their souls, which stand +before Him like angels, and do their service ministering +unto Him.[444] + + + +II + +THE SONS OF JACOB + +SIGNIFICANT NAMES +REUBEN'S TESTAMENT +SIMON'S ADMONITION AGAINST ENVY +THE ASCENSION OF LEVI +JUDAH WARNS AGAINST GREED AND UNCHASTITY +ISSACHAR'S SINGLENESS OF HEART +ZEBULON EXHORTS UNTO COMPASSION +DAN'S CONFESSION +NAPHTALI'S DREAMS OF THE DIVISION OF THE TRIBES +GAD'S HATRED +ASHER'S LAST WORDS +BENJAMIN EXTOLS JOSEPH + + + +II + +THE SONS OF JACOB + +SIGNIFICANT NAMES + +Jacob raised all his sons in the fear of God, and taught +them the ways of a pious life, using severity when there was +need to make his lessons impressive. He reaped the fruits +of his labor, for all his sons were godly men of stainless +character.[1] The ancestors of the twelve tribes resembled +their fathers in piety, and their acts were no less significant +than those of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Like these three, +they deserve to be called the Fathers of Israel.[2] God made +a covenant with them as He had made with the three Patriarchs, +and to this covenant their descendants owe their +preservation.[3] + +The very names of the tribes point to the redemption of +Israel. Reuben is so called, because God "sees" the affliction +of His people; Simon, because He "hears" its groaning; +Levi, He "joins" Himself unto His people when Israel +suffers; Judah, Israel will "thank" God for its deliverance; +Issachar, it will be "rewarded" for its suffering with a +recompense; Zebulon, God will have a "dwelling-place" in +Israel; Benjamin, He swore by His "right hand" to succor +His people; Dan, He will "judge" the nation that subjugates +Israel; Naphtali, He bestowed the Torah upon Israel, +and she drops sweetness like the "honeycomb"; Gad, the +Lord gave manna unto Israel, and it was like "coriander" +seed; Asher, all nations will call Israel "happy"; and Joseph, +because God will "add" a second redemption of Israel +to the first--redemption from the wicked kingdom at the end +as from Egypt in former times.[4] + +Not only the names of Jacob's sons are significant, but the +names of their sons as well. Thus the names of the sons of +Issachar express the activities of the tribe known for its +learning above all the others. The oldest was called Tola, +"worm"; as the silk worm is distinguished for its mouth, +with which it spins, so also the men of the tribe of Issachar +for the wise words of their mouth. The second is Puah, +"madder plant"; as this plant colors all things, so the tribe +of Issachar colors the whole world with its teachings. The +third is Jashub, "the returning one," for through the teachings +of Issachar Israel will be turned back to its Heavenly +Father; and Shimron, the fourth, is "the observing one," +to indicate that the tribe of Issachar observes the Torah.[5] + +The names of the sons of Gad likewise interpret the history +of the tribe. During Israel's sojourn in Egypt, it had +strayed from the right path, but when Aaron appeared as +prophet and monitor, and called unto the Israelites to cast +away the abominations of their eyes and forsake the idols +of Egypt, they hearkened unto his words. Hence the double +name Ozni and Ezbon borne by one of the sons of Gad, for +this tribe "hearkened" to the word of God, and fulfilled His +"will." + +The grandsons of Asher bear the names Heber and Malchiel, +because they were the "associates" of kings, and their +inheritance yielded "royal dainties." + +Partly the history of the tribe of Benjamin can be read in +the names of its chiefs. It consisted originally of ten +divisions, +descended from Benjamin's ten sons, but five of them +perished in Egypt on account of their ungodly ways, from +which no admonition availed to turn them aside. Of the five +families remaining, two, the descendants of Bela and those +of Ashbel, had always been God-fearing; the others, the +Ahiramites, the Shephuphamites, and the Huphamites, repented +of their sins, and in accordance with the change in +their conduct had been the change in their names. Ehi had +become Ahiram, because the breach with the "Exalted" +One was healed; Muppira was called Shephupham, because +they "afflicted" themselves in their penance; and Huppim +was turned into Hupham, to indicate that they had +"cleansed" themselves from sin. As a reward for their +piety, the family springing from Bela was permitted to have +two subdivisions, the Ardites and the Naamites. Their +names point them out as men that know well how the fear +of God is to be manifested, whose deeds are exceedingly +lovely. + +Naphtali was another tribe of steadfast piety, and the +names of his sons testify thereto: Jahzeel, because the tribesmen +raised a "partition wall" between God and the idols, +inasmuch as they trusted in God and contemned the idols; +Guni, because God was their "protection"; and Jezer and +Shillem designate the Naphtalites as men devoted to God +with all their hearts.[6] + + +REUBEN'S TESTAMENT + +Two years after the death of Joseph, Reuben fell sick. +Feeling that his end was nigh, he called together his sons, +his grandsons, and his brethren, to give them his last +admonitions +from out of the fulness of his experience. He +spake: "Hear, my brethren, and do ye, my children, give +ear unto Reuben your father in the commands that I enjoin +upon you. And, behold, I adjure you this day by the +God of heaven that ye walk not in the follies of youth and +the fornications to which I was addicted, and wherewith I +defiled the bed of my father Jacob. For I tell you now that +for seven months the Lord afflicted my loins with a terrible +plague, and if my father Jacob had not interceded for me, +the Lord had swept me away. I was twenty years of age +when I did what was evil before the Lord, and for seven +months I was sick unto death. Then I did penance for +seven years in the innermost depths of my soul. Wine and +strong drink I drank not, the flesh of animals passed not my +lips, dainties I tasted not, because I mourned over my sins, +for they were great." + +He admonished those gathered around him to beware of +the seven tempter spirits, which are the spirit of fornication, +gluttony, strife, love of admiration, arrogance, falsehood, +and injustice. He cautioned them especially against unchastity, +saying: "Pay no heed to the glances of a woman, +and remain not alone with a married woman, and do not occupy +yourselves with the affairs of women. Had I not seen +Bilhah bathe in a secluded spot, I had not fallen into the +great sin I committed, for after my thoughts had once +grasped the nakedness of woman, I could not sleep until I +had accomplished the abominable deed. For when our +father Jacob went to his father Isaac, while we sojourned in +Eder, not far from Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem, Bilhah +was drunken with wine, and she lay asleep, uncovered, in +her bedchamber, and I entered in and saw her nakedness +and committed the sin, and I went out again, leaving her +asleep. But an angel of God revealed my impious act to my +father Jacob at once. He came back and mourned over me, +and never again did he approach Bilhah. Unto the very last +day of his life, I had not the assurance to look my father in +the face or to speak to my brethren regarding my disgrace, +and even now my conscience tortures me on account of my +sin. Nevertheless my father spake words of comfort to me, +and prayed to God in my behalf, that the wrath of the Lord +might depart from me, as He showed me." + +Reuben admonished his children impressively to join +themselves to Levi, "because he will know the law of the +Lord," he said, "and he will give ordinances for judgment, +and bring sacrifices for all Israel, until the consummation of +the times, as the anointed high priest of whom the Lord +spake." + +After announcing his last will to his sons, Reuben departed +this life at the age of one hundred and twenty-five +years. His body was laid in a coffin until his sons bore it +away from Egypt, and carried it up to Hebron, where they +buried it in the Double Cave.[7] + + +SIMON'S ADMONITION AGAINST ENVY + +As Reuben confessed his sin upon his death-bed, and +warned his children and his family to be on their guard +against unchastity, the vice that had brought about his fall, +so Simon, when he was about to die, assembled his sons +around him, and confessed the sin he had committed. He +had been guilty of boundless envy of Joseph, and he spoke: +"I was the second son begotten by my father Jacob, and my +mother Leah called me Simon, because the Lord had heard +her prayer. I waxed strong, and shrank from no manner of +deed, and I was afraid of naught, for my heart was hard, +and my liver unyielding, and my bowels without mercy. +And in the days of my youth I was jealous of Joseph, for our +father loved him more than all the rest of us, and I resolved +to kill him. For the prince of temptation sent the spirit of +jealousy to take possession of me, and it blinded me so that +I did not consider Joseph to be my brother, and I spared +not even my father Jacob. But his God and the God of his +fathers sent His angel and saved him out of my hands. + +When I went to Shechem to fetch ointment for the herds, +and Reuben was in Dothan, where all our supplies and stores +were kept, our brother Judah sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites. +On his return, when he heard what had happened, Reuben +was very sad, for he had been desirous of saving Joseph and +bringing him back to our father. But as for me, my wrath +was enkindled against Judah, that he had let him escape +alive. My anger abode with me all of five months. But the +Lord restrained me from using the power of my hands, for +my right hand withered for the length of seven days. Then +I knew that what had happened was for the sake of Joseph. +I repented and prayed to God to restore my hand and withhold +me henceforth from all sorts of defilement, envy, and +folly. For two years I gave myself up to fasting and the +fear of God, for I perceived that redemption from jealousy +could come only through the fear of God. + +My father, seeing me downcast, asked to know the cause +of my sadness, and I replied that I was suffering with my +liver, but in truth I was mourning more than all my brethren, +seeing that I had been the cause of Joseph's sale. And +when we went down into Egypt, and Joseph bound me as a +spy, I was not grieved, for I knew in my heart that my suffering +was just retribution. But Joseph was good, the spirit +of God dwelt within him. Compassionate and merciful as +he was, he bore me no resentment for my evil deeds toward +him, but he loved me with the same love he showed the +others. He paid due honor to us all, and gave us gold, and +cattle, and produce. And now, my dear children, do ye love +one another, each one his brother, with a clean heart, and +remove the spirit of jealousy from the midst of you." + +Like Reuben, so also Simon adjured his sons to beware of +unchastity, for this vice is the mother of all evil. It separates +man from God, and abandons him to Behar. These +were the closing words of his exhortation: "In the writings +of Enoch I saw that your sons would be corrupted +through unchastity, and they would maltreat the sons of +Levi with the sword. But they will not be able to do aught +against Levi, for the war he will wage is the war of the +Lord, and he will vanquish all your armies. As a small remnant +you will be scattered among Levi and Judah, and none +among you will rise to be a judge or a king of our people, as, +my father Jacob prophesied in his blessing." + +Having completed his admonitions to his sons, Simon +passed away and was gathered to his fathers, at the age of +one hundred and twenty years. His sons placed him in a +coffin made of imperishable wood, so that they might carry +his bones to Hebron, as they did, in secret, during the war +between the Egyptians and the Canaanites. Thus did all the +tribes during the war; they took the remains each of its +founder from Egypt to Hebron. Only the bones of Joseph +remained in Egypt until the Israelites went out of the land, +for the Egyptians guarded them in their royal treasure +chambers. Their magicians had warned them that whenever +Joseph's bones should be removed from Egypt, a great darkness +would envelop the whole land, and it would be a dire +misfortune for the Egyptians, for none would be able to +recognize his neighbor even with the light of a lamp.[8] + + +THE ASCENSION OF LEVI + +When it was disclosed to Levi that he was about to die, +he gathered all his children around him, to tell them the +story of his life, and he also prophesied unto them what they +would do, and what would happen to them until the judgment +day. He spoke: "When we were pasturing the flocks +in Abel-Meholah, the spirit of understanding of the Lord +came upon me, and I saw all mankind, how they corrupt +their ways, and that injustice builds up walls for herself, +and impiety sits enthroned upon the towers. And I fell to +grieving over the generations of men, and I prayed to the +Lord to save me. Sleep enshrouded me, and I beheld a tall +mountain, and lo! the heavens opened, and an angel of God +addressed me, and said: 'Levi, enter!' + +"I entered the first heaven, and I saw a great sea hanging +there, and farther on I saw a second heaven, brighter and +more resplendent than the first. I said to the angel, 'Why +is this so?' And the angel said to me, 'Marvel not at this, +for thou shalt see another heaven, brilliant beyond compare, +and when thou hast ascended thither, thou shalt stand near +the Lord, and thou shalt be His minister, and declare His +mysteries to men; and of the Lord's portion shall be thy +life, and He shall be thy field and vineyard and fruits and +gold and silver.' + +"Then the angel explained the uses of the different heavens +to me, and all that happens in each, and he proclaimed +the judgment day. He opened the gates of the third heaven, +where I beheld the holy Temple, and God seated upon the +Throne of Glory. The Lord spake to me: 'Levi, upon +thee have I bestowed the blessing of the priesthood, until I +come and dwell in the midst of Israel.' Then the angel +carried me back to earth, and gave me a shield and a sword, +saying, 'Execute vengeance upon Shechem for Dinah, and +I will be with thee, for the Lord hath sent me.' I asked the +angel what his name was, and he replied: 'I am the angel +that intercedes for the people of Israel, that it may not be +destroyed utterly, for every evil spirit attacks it.' + +"When I awoke, I betook myself to my father, and on the +way, near Gebal, I found a brass shield, such as I had seen +in my dream. Then I advised my father and my brother +Reuben to bid the sons of Hamor circumcise themselves, for +I was quivering with rage on account of the abominable deed +they had done. I slew Shechem first of all, and then Simon +slew Hamor, and all my other brothers came out and destroyed +the whole city. Our father took this in ill part, and +in his blessing he remembered our conduct. Although we +did a wrong thing in acting thus against his wishes, yet I +recognized it to be the judgment of God upon the people of +Shechem on account of their sins, and I said to my father: +'Be not wroth, my lord, for God will exterminate the +Canaanites through this, and he will give the land to thee +and to thy seed after thee. Henceforth Shechem will be +called the city of imbeciles, for as a fool is mocked at, so +have we made a mockery of them.' + +"When we journeyed to Beth-lehem, and had been abiding +there for seventy days, another vision was vouchsafed +me, like unto the former. I saw seven men clad in white, +and they spake to me, saying: 'Rise up, and array thyself +in the priestly garments, set the crown of righteousness upon +thy head, and put on the ephod of understanding, and the +robe of truth, and the mitre-plate of faith, and the mitre of +dignity, and the shoulderpieces of prophecy.' And each of +the men brought a garment unto me and invested me therewith, +and spake: 'Henceforth be the priest of the Lord, +thou and thy seed unto eternity. And ye shall eat all that is +lovely to look upon, and the table of the Lord thy descendants +will appropriate for themselves, and from them will +come high priests, judges, and scholars, for all that is holy +will be guarded by their mouth.' + +"Two days after I was visited by this dream, Judah and +I repaired to our grandfather Isaac, who blessed me in +accordance with the words I had heard. Jacob also had a +vision, and he saw, too, that I was appointed to be the priest +of God, and through me he set apart a tenth of his possessions +unto the Lord. And when we established ourselves in +Hebron, the residence of Isaac, our grandfather taught me +the law of the priesthood, and admonished me to hold myself +aloof from unchastity. + +At the age of twenty-eight years I took Milcah to wife, +and she bore me a son, and I named him Gershom, because +we were strangers in the land. But I perceived he would +not be in the first ranks of men. My second son was born +unto me in my thirty-fifth year, and he saw the light of the +world at sunrise, and I beheld him in a vision standing +among the proud of the assembly, and therefore I gave him +the name Kohath. The third son my wife bore me in the +fortieth year of my life, and I called his name Merari, because +bitter had been her travail in bearing him. My daughter +Jochebed was born in Egypt, when I was sixty-three +years old, and I called her thus because I was known honorably +among my brethren in those days. And in my ninety- +fourth year, Amram took Jochebed to wife, he that was born +on the same day with her." + +Thereupon Levi admonished his children to walk in the +ways of the Lord, and fear Him with all their heart, and he +told them what he had learnt from the writings of Enoch, +that his descendants would sin against the Lord in times to +come, and they would suffer the Divine punishment for their +transgression, and then God would raise up a new priest, +unto whom all the words of the Lord would be revealed. +His last words were: "And now, my children, ye have +heard all I have to say. Choose, now, light or darkness, the +law of the Lord or the works of Beliar." And his sons made +answer, "Before the Lord we will walk according to His +law." Then Levi spake, "The Lord is witness and the +angels are witnesses, I am witness and ye are witnesses, +concerning the word of your mouth." And his sons replied, +"We are witnesses." + +Thus Levi ceased to admonish his sons. He stretched out +his feet, and was gathered unto his fathers, at the age of one +hundred and thirty-seven years, a greater age than any of +his brethren attained.[9] + + +JUDAH WARNS AGAINST GREED AND UNCHASTITY + +The last words addressed by Judah to his sons were the +following: "I was the fourth son begotten by my father, +and my mother called me Judah, saying, 'I thank the Lord +that He hath given me a fourth son.' I was zealous in my +youth and obedient to my father in all things. When I grew +up to manhood, he blessed me, saying, 'Thou wilt be king, +and wilt prosper in all thy ways.' The Lord granted me His +grace in whatever I undertook, in the field and in the house. +I could speed as swiftly as the hind, and overtake it, and +prepare a dish of it for my father. A deer I could catch on +the run, and all the animals of the valley. A wild mare I +could outstrip, hold it, and bridle it. A lion I slew, and +snatched a kid from its jaws. A bear I caught by the paw, +and flung it adown the cliff, and it lay beneath crushed. I +could keep pace with the wild boar, and overtake it, and as I +ran I seized it, and tore it to pieces. A leopard sprang at +my dog in Hebron, and I grasped its tail, and hurled it away +from me, and its body burst on the coast at Gaza. A wild +steer I found grazing in the field. I took it by its horns, +swung it round and round until it was stunned, and then I +cast it to the ground and killed it." + +Judah continued and told his children of his heroism in +the wars that the sons of Jacob had waged with the kings of +Canaan and with Esau and his family. In all these conflicts +he bore a distinguished part, beyond the achievements of +the others. His father Jacob was free from all anxiety when +Judah was with his brethren in their combats, because he had +had a vision showing him an angel of strength standing at +the side of Judah on all his ways. + +Judah did not conceal his shortcomings, either. He confessed +how drunkenness and passion had betrayed him first +into marriage with a Canaanitish woman, and then into improper +relations with his daughter-in-law Tamar. He said +to his children: + +"Do not walk after the desire of your hearts, and vaunt +not the valiant deeds of your youth. This, too, is evil in the +eyes of the Lord. For while I boasted that the face of a +beautiful woman had never allured me in the wars, and reviled +my brother Reuben for his transgression with Bilhah, +the spirit of passion and unchastity gained possession of me, +and I took Bath-shua to wife, and trespassed with Tamar, +though she was the affianced of my son. First I said to +Bath-shua's father, 'I will take counsel with my father Jacob, +to know whether I should marry thy daughter,' but he +was a king, and he showed me an untold heap of gold accredited +to his daughter, and he adorned her with the magnificence +of women, in gold and pearls, and he bade her pour +the wine at the meal. The wine turned my eyes awry, and +passion darkened my heart. In mad love for her, I violated +the command of the Lord and the will of my father, and I +took her to wife. The Lord gave me a recompense according +to the counsel of my heart, for I had no joy in the sons +she bore me. + +"And now, my children, I pray you, do not intoxicate yourselves +with wine, for wine twists the understanding away +from the truth, and confuses the sight of the eyes. Wine +led me astray, so that I felt no shame before the throngs of +people in the city, and I turned aside and went in to Tamar +in the presence of them, and committed a great sin. And +though a man be a king, if he leads an unchaste life, he loses +his kingship. I gave Tamar my staff, which is the stay of +my tribe, and my girdle-cord, which is power, and my signet- +diadem, which is the glory of my kingdom. I did penance +for all this, and unto old age I drank no wine, and ate no +flesh, and knew no sort of pleasure. Wine causes the secret +things of God and man to be revealed unto the stranger. +Thus did I disclose the commands of the Lord and the mysteries +of my father Jacob to the Canaanite woman Bath-shua, +though God had forbidden me to betray them. I also enjoin +you not to love gold, and not to look upon the beauty of +women, for through money and through beauty I was led +astray to Bath-shua the Canaanite. I know that my stock +will fall into misery through these two things, for even the +wise men among my sons will be changed by them, and +the consequence will be that the kingdom of Judah will +be diminished, the domain that the Lord gave me as a reward +for my obedient conduct toward my father, for never +did I speak in contradiction of him, but I did all things +according to his words. And Isaac, my father's father, +blessed me with the blessing that I should be ruler in Israel, +and I know that the kingdom will arise from me. In the +books of Enoch the just I read all the evil that ye will do +in the latter days. Only beware, my children, of unchastity +and greed, for love of gold leads to idolatry, +causing men to call them gods that are none, and dethroning the +reason of man. On account of gold I lost my +children, and had I not mortified my flesh, and humbled +my soul, and had not my father Jacob offered up prayers for +me, I had died childless. But the God of my fathers, the +merciful and gracious One, saw that I had acted unwittingly, +for the ruler of deception had blinded me, and I was +ignorant, being flesh and blood, and corrupt through sins, +and in the moment when I considered myself invincible, I +recognized my weakness." + +Then Judah revealed to his sons, in clear, brief words, the +whole history of Israel until the advent of the Messiah, and +his final speech was: "My children, observe the whole law +of the Lord; in it is hope for all that keep His ways. I die +this day at the age of one hundred and nineteen years before +your eyes. None shall bury me in a costly garment, nor +shall ye cut my body to embalm it, but ye shall carry me to +Hebron." + +Having spoken these words, Judah sank into death.[10] + + +ISSACHAR'S SINGLENESS OF HEART + +When Issachar felt his end approach, he summoned his +sons, and he said to them: "Hearken, my children, unto +your father Issachar, and listen to the words of him that is +beloved of the Lord. I was born unto Jacob as his fifth son, +as a reward for the dudaim. Reuben brought the dudaim +from the field. They were fragrant apples, which grew in +the land of Haran upon an eminence below a gully. Rachel +met Reuben, and she took the dudaim away from him. The +lad wept, and his cries brought his mother Leah to his side, +and she addressed Rachel thus: 'Is it a small matter that +thou hast taken away my husband? and wouldst thou take +away my son's dudaim also?' And Rachel said, 'See, +Jacob shall be thine to-night for thy son's dudaim.' But +Leah insisted, 'Jacob is mine, and I am the wife of his +youth,' whereupon Rachel, 'Be not boastful and overweening. +To me he was betrothed first, and for my sake he +served our father fourteen years. Thou art not his wife, +thou wast taken to him by cunning instead of me, for our +father deceived me, and put me out of the way the night of +thy nuptials, so that Jacob could not see me. Nevertheless, +give me the dudaim, and thou mayest have Jacob for a +night.' + +"Then Leah bore me, and I was called Issachar, on account +of the reward Rachel had given to my mother. At +that time an angel of the Lord appeared to Jacob, and he +spoke: 'Rachel will bear only two sons, for she rejected the +espousal of her husband, and chose continence! But Leah +bore six sons, for the Lord knew that she desired to be with +her husband, not because she was prompted by the evil +inclination, but for the sake of children. Rachel's prayer also +was fulfilled, on account of the dudaim, for although she +desired to eat of the apples, she did not touch them, but put +them in the house of the Lord, and gave them to the priest +of the Most High that was in those days. + +"When I grew up, my children, I walked in the integrity +of my heart, and I became a husbandman, cultivating the +land for my father and my brethren, and I gathered the +fruit from the fields in their due time. My father blessed +me, because he saw that I walked in singleness of heart. I +was not married to a wife until I was thirty years old, for +the hard work I did consumed my strength, and I had no +desire unto woman, but, overwhelmed by fatigue, I would +sink into sleep. My father was well pleased at all times with +my rectitude. If my work was crowned with good results, I +brought the firstfruits of my labor to the priest of the Lord, +the next harvest went to my father, and then I thought of +myself. The Lord doubled the possessions in my hand, and +Jacob knew that God aided me for the sake of my singleness +of heart, for in my sincerity I gave of the produce of the +land to the poor and the needy. + +"And now hearken unto me, my children, and walk in +singleness of heart, for upon it resteth the favor of the Lord +at all times. The simple man longeth not for gold, he doth +not defraud his neighbor, he hath no desire for meats and +dainties of many kinds, he careth not for sumptuous dress, +he hopeth not for long life, he waiteth only upon the will of +God. The spirits of deception have no power over him, for +he looketh not upon the beauty of woman, lest he defile his +understanding with corruption. Jealousy cometh not into +his thoughts, envy doth not sear his soul, and insatiable +greed doth not make him look abroad for rich gain. Now, +then, my children, observe the law of the Lord, attain to +simplicity, and walk in singleness of heart, without meddling +with the affairs of others. Love the Lord and love your +neighbors, have pity upon the poor and the feeble, bow your +backs to till the ground, occupy yourselves with work upon +the land, and bring gifts unto the Lord in gratitude. For +the Lord hath blessed you with the best of the fruits of the +field, as he hath blessed all the saints from Abel down to +our day. + +"Know, my children, that in the latter time your sons +will abandon the paths of probity, and will be ruled by greed. +They will forsake rectitude and practice craft, they will depart +from the commands of the Lord and follow after Beliar, +they will give up husbandry and pursue their evil plans, +they will be scattered among the heathen and serve their +enemies. Tell this unto your children, so that, if they sin, +they may repent speedily, and return to the Lord, for He is +merciful, and He will take them out to bring them back unto +their land. + +"I am one hundred and twenty-two years old, and I can +discern no sin in myself. Save my wife, I have known no +woman. I was guilty of no unchastity through the lifting +up of eyes. I drank no wine, that I might not be led astray, +I did not covet what belonged to my neighbor, guile had no +place in my heart, lies did not pass my lips. I sighed along +with all that were heavy-laden, and to the poor I gave my +bread. I loved the Lord with all my might, and mankind I +also loved. Do ye likewise, my children, and all the spirits +of Beliar will flee from you, no deed done by the wicked will +have power over you, and ye will vanquish all the wild +beasts, for ye have with you the Lord of heaven." + +And Issachar bade his children carry him up to Hebron, +and bury him there by his fathers in the Cave, and he +stretched out his feet, and fell into the sleep of eternity, full +of years, healthy of limb, and in the possession of all his +faculties.[11] + + +ZEBULON EXHORTS UNTO COMPASSION + +When Zebulon attained the age of one hundred and fourteen +years, which was two years after the death of Joseph, +he called his sons together, and admonished them, in these +words, to lead a life of piety: "I am Zebulon, a precious +gift for my parents, for when I was born, my father became +very rich, by means of the streaked rods, in herds of sheep +and herds of cattle. I am conscious of no sin in me, and I +remember no wrong done by me, unless it be the unwitting +sin committed against Joseph, in that I did not, out of +consideration for my brethren, disclose to my father what had +happened to his favorite son, though in secret I mourned +exceedingly. I feared my brethren, because they had agreed +that he who betrayed the secret should be slain with the +sword. When they planned to kill Joseph, I besought them +amid tears not to sin thus. + +"And now, my children, hearken unto me. I exhort you +to observe the commands of the Lord, and have mercy +upon your neighbors, and act compassionately, not only +toward men, but also toward dumb brutes. For on account +of my mercifulness the Lord blessed me; all my brethren fell +sick at one time or another, but I escaped without any illness. +Also the sons of my brethren had to endure disease, and +they were nigh unto death for the sake of Joseph, because +they had no pity in their hearts. But my sons were preserved +in perfect health, as ye well know. And when I was +in Canaan, catching fish at the shores of the sea for my +father Jacob, many were drowned in the waters of the sea, +but I came away unharmed. For ye must know that I was +the first to build a boat for rowing upon the sea, and I plied +along the coasts in it, and caught fish for my father's +household, until we went down into Egypt. Out of pity I would +share my haul with the poor stranger, and if he was sick or +well on in years, I would prepare a savory dish for him, and +I gave unto each according to his needs, sympathizing with +him in his distress and having pity upon him. Therefore +the Lord brought numerous fish to my nets, for he that gives +aught to his neighbor, receives it back from the Lord with +great increase. For five years I fished in the summer, and +in the winter I pastured the flocks with my brethren. + +"Now, my children, have pity and compassion on all men, +that the Lord may have pity and compassion on you, for +in the measure in which man has mercy with his fellow-men, +God has mercy with him. When we came down into Egypt, +Joseph did not visit upon us the wrong he had suffered. +Take him as your model, and remember not a wrong done +unto you, else unity is rent asunder, and the bonds of kinship +are torn, and the soul is disquieted. Observe the water! +If it runs on undivided, it carries down stone, wood, and +sand along with it. But if it is divided and flows through +many channels, the earth sucks it up, and it loses its force. +If you separate, one from the other, you will be like divided +waters. Be not cleft into two heads, for all that the Lord +hath made has but one head. He has given two shoulders +unto his creatures, two hands, and two feet, but all these +organs obey one head." + +Zebulon ended his exhortation unto unity with an account +of the divisions in Israel, whereof he had read in the writings +of the fathers, that they would come about in future +days, and bring sore suffering upon Israel. However, he +spoke encouraging words to his children, saying: "Be not +grieved over my death, and do not lose heart at my departure +from you, for I shall arise again in the midst of you, +and I shall live joyously among the people of my tribe, those +who observe the law of the Lord. As for the godless, the +Lord will bring everlasting fire down upon them, and exterminate +them unto all generations. Now I hasten hence unto +my eternal rest with my fathers. But ye, fear ye the Lord +your God with all your might all the days of your life." + +Having made an end of saying these words, he sank into +the sleep of death, and his sons put him into a coffin, wherein +they carried him up to Hebron later, to bury him there next +to his fathers.[12] + + +DAN'S CONFESSION + +When Dan assembled his family at the last of his life, he +spake: "I confess before you this day, my children, that I +had resolved to kill Joseph, that good and upright man, and +I rejoiced over his sale, for his father loved him more than +he loved the rest of us. The spirit of envy and boastfulness +goaded me on, saying, 'Thou, too, art the son of Jacob,' and +one of the spirits of Behar stirred me up, saying, 'Take this +sword, and slay Joseph, for once he is dead thy father will +love thee.' It was the spirit of anger that was seeking to +persuade me to crush Joseph, as a leopard crunches a kid +between its teeth. But the God of our father Jacob did not +deliver him into my hand, to let me find him alone, and He +did not permit me to execute this impious deed, that two +tribes in Israel might not be destroyed. + +"And now, my children, I am about to die, and I tell it +unto you in truth, if you take not heed against the spirit of +lies and anger, and if ye love not truth and generosity, you +will perish. The spirit of anger casts the net of error around +its victim, and it blinds his eyes, and the spirit of lies warps +his mind, and clouds his vision. Evil is anger, it is the grave +of the soul. Desist from anger and hate lies, that the Lord +may dwell among you, and Behar flee from your presence. +Speak the truth each unto his neighbor, and you will not fall +into anger and trouble, but you will be at peace, and the +Lord of peace you will have with you, and no war will vanquish +you. + +"I speak thus, for I know that in the latter days you will +fall off from God, and you will kindle the wrath of Levi, and +rise in rebellion against Judah, but you will not accomplish +aught against them, for the angel of the Lord is their guide, +and Israel will perish through them. And if you turn +recreant to the Lord, you will execute every kind of evil +thing, and do the abominations of the heathen, committing +unchastity with the wives of the godless, while the tempter +spirits are at work among you. Therefore you will be carried +away into captivity, and in the lands of exile you will suffer +all the plagues of Egypt and all the tribulations of the +heathen. But when you return to the Lord, you will find +mercy. He will take you into His sanctuary, and grant you +peace. + +"And now, my children, fear the Lord, and be on your +guard against Satan and his spirits. Keep aloof from every +evil deed, cast anger away from you and every sort of lie, +love truth and forbearance, and what ye have heard from +your father, tell unto your children. Avoid all manner of +unrighteousness, cling to the integrity of the law of the +Lord, and bury me near my fathers." + +Having spoken these words, he kissed his children, and +fell asleep.[13] + + +NAPHTALI'S DREAMS OF THE DIVISION OF THE TRIBES + +In the hundred and thirty-second year of his life, Naphtali +invited all his children to a banquet. The next morning +when he awoke, he told them that he was dying, but they +would not believe him. He, however, praised the Lord, and +assured them again that his death was due after the banquet +of the day before. Then he addressed his last words to his +children: + +"I was born of Bilhah, and because Rachel had acted with +cunning, and had given Jacob Bilhah instead of herself, I +was called Naphtali. Rachel loved me, for I was born upon +her knees, and while I was still very young, she was in the +habit of kissing me and saying, 'O that I had a brother unto +thee from mine own body, one in thine image.' Therefore +Joseph resembled me in all respects, in accordance with +Rachel's prayer. My mother Bilhah was a daughter of +Rotheus, a brother of Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, and she +was born the same day as Rachel. As for Rotheus, he was +of the family of Abraham, a Chaldean, God-fearing, and a +free man of noble birth, and when he was taken captive, he +was bought by Laban and married to his slave Aina. She +bore Rotheus a daughter, and he called her Zilpah, after the +name of the village in which he was taken captive. His +second daughter he called Bilhah, saying, 'My daughter is +impetuous,' for hardly was she born when she hastened to +suckle. + +"I was fleet of foot like a deer, and my father Jacob appointed +me to be his messenger, and in his blessing he called +me a hind let loose. As the potter knows the vessel he +fashions, how much it is to hold, and uses clay accordingly, +so the Lord makes the body in conformity with the soul, and +to agree with the capacity of the body He plans the soul. +The one corresponds to the other down to the third of a hair- +breadth, for the whole of creation was made by weight, and +measure, and rule. And as the potter knows the use of +every vessel he fashions, so the Lord knows the body of His +creature, unto what point it will be steadfast in the good, +and at what point it will fall into evil ways. Now, then, my +children, let your conduct be well-ordered unto good in the +fear of God, do naught that is ill-regulated or untimely, for +though ye tell your eye to hear, it yet cannot, and as little +can ye do deeds of light while you abide in darkness." + +Furthermore Naphtali said unto his children: "I give +you no command concerning my silver, or my gold, or any +other possession that I bequeath to you. And what I command +you is not a hard matter, which you cannot do, but I +speak unto you concerning an easy thing, which you can +execute." Then his sons answered, and said, "Speak, +father, for we are listening to thy words." Naphtali continued: +"I give you no commandment except regarding the +fear of God, that you should serve Him and follow after +Him." Then the sons of Naphtali asked: "Wherefore +does He require our service?" and he replied, saying: "He +needs no creature, but all creatures need Him. Nevertheless +He hath not created the world for naught, but that men +should fear Him, and none should do unto his neighbor what +he would not have others do unto him." His sons asked +again, "Father, hast thou observed that we strayed from +the ways of the Lord to the right or to the left?" Naphtali +replied: "God is witness, and so am I witness for you, +that it is as you say. But I fear regarding future times, that +you may depart from the ways of the Lord, and follow after +the idols of the stranger, and walk in the statutes of the +heathen peoples, and join yourselves unto the sons of Joseph +instead of the sons of Levi and Judah." The sons of Naphtali +spoke, "What reason hast thou for commanding this +thing unto us?" Naphtali: "Because I know that the sons +of Joseph will one day turn recreant to the Lord, the God of +their fathers, and it is they that will lead the sons of Israel +into sin, and cause them to be driven away from their +inheritance, their beautiful land, to a land that is not ours, +even as it was Joseph that brought the Egyptian bondage +down upon us. + +"I will tell ye, my children, the vision I had while I was +yet a shepherd of flocks. I saw my brethren pasturing the +herds with me, and our father approached, and said: 'Up, +my sons, each one take what he can in my presence!' We +answered, and said to him, 'What shall we take? We see +nothing but the sun, the moon, and the stars.' Then our +father said: 'These shall ye take!' Levi, hearing this, +snatched up an ox-goad, sprang up to the sun, sat upon him, +and rode. Judah did likewise. He jumped up to the moon, +and rode upon her. And the other nine tribes did the same, +each rode upon his star or his planet in the heavens. Joseph +remained behind alone on the earth, and our father Jacob +said to him, 'My son, why hast thou not done like thy brethren?' +Joseph answered, 'What right have men born of +woman to be in the heavens, seeing that in the end they must +stay on earth?' While Joseph was speaking thus, a tall +steer appeared before him. He had great pinions like the +wings of the stork, and his horns were as long as those of +the reem. Jacob urged his son, 'Up, Joseph, mount the +steer!' Joseph did as his father bade him, and Jacob went +his way. For the space of two hours Joseph displayed himself +upon the steer, sometimes galloping, sometimes flying, +until he reached Judah. Then Joseph unfolded the standard +in his hand, and began to rain blows down upon Judah with +it, and when his brother demanded the reason for this treatment, +he said, 'Because thou hast twelve rods in thine hand, +and I have but one. Give thine to me, and peace shall prevail +between us!' But Judah refused to do his bidding, and +Joseph beat him until he dropped ten rods, and only two remained +in his clutch. Joseph now invited his brethren to +abandon Judah and follow after him. They all did thus, +except Benjamin, who stayed true to Judah. Levi was +grieved over the desertion of Judah, and he descended from +the sun. Toward the end of the day a storm broke out, and +it scattered the brethren, so that no two were together. +When I gave an account of my vision to my father Jacob, he +said, 'It is but a dream, it can neither help nor harm.' + +"A short while thereafter another vision was revealed to +me. I saw all of us together with our father at the shores of +the sea, and a ship appeared in the midst of the sea, and it +had neither sailors nor other crew. Our father spake, 'Do +you see what I see?' And when we answered that we did, +he commanded us to follow him. He took off his clothes, +and sprang into the sea, and we sprang after him. Levi and +Judah were the first to scale the side of the ship. Our father +cried after them, 'See what is written upon the mast,' for +there is no ship that does not bear the name of the owner +upon the mast. Levi and Judah scrutinized the writing, and +what they read was this, 'This ship and all the treasures +therein belong unto the son of Barachel.' Jacob thanked +God for having blessed him, not only on land, but also upon +the sea, and he said to us, 'Stretch forth your hands, and +whatsoever each one seizes shall be his!' Levi caught hold +of the big mast, Judah of the second mast, next to Levi's, +and the other brethren, with the exception of Joseph, took +the oars, and Jacob himself seized the two rudders, wherewith +to guide the ship. He bade Joseph take an oar, too, but +he refused to do his father's bidding, and Jacob gave him one +of the rudders. After our father had instructed us each one +in what we had to do, he disappeared, whereupon Joseph +took possession of the second rudder, too. All went +smoothly for a time, as long as Judah and Joseph acted together +in harmony with each other, and Judah kept Joseph +informed in what direction to steer. But a quarrel broke +out between them, and Joseph did not guide the vessel +in the way his father had commanded him, and Judah attempted +to direct him, and the vessel was wrecked upon a +rock. Levi and Judah descended from the masts, and likewise +the other brethren left the ship and escaped to the +shore. At this moment Jacob appeared, and he found us +scattered in all directions, and we reported to him how +Joseph had caused the vessel to run aground, because he +had refused, out of jealousy of Judah and Levi, to steer it +according to their instructions. Then Jacob asked us to +show him the spot where we had lost the ship, of which only +the masts were visible above the water. He emitted a +whistle summoning us all, and he swam out into the water, +and raised the vessel as before. Turning to Joseph, he spake +thus, 'My son, never do that again, never permit jealousy of +thy brethren to master thee. Nearly it happened that all thy +brethren perished because of thee.' + +"When I told my father what I had seen in this vision, +he clasped his hands, and tears flowed from his eyes, and be +said: 'My son, for that the vision was doubled unto thee +twice, I am dismayed, and I shudder for my son Joseph. I +loved him more than all of you, but by reason of his perverseness +ye will be carried away into captivity, and scattered +among the nations. Thy first and thy second vision +had the same meaning, the vision is one.' + +"Therefore, my sons, I command you not to join yourselves +unto the sons of Joseph, but ye shall join yourselves +unto the sons of Levi and Judah. I tell you, too, that my +inheritance shall be of the best of Palestine, the middle of the +earth. You will eat, and the delectable gifts of my portion +will satisfy you. But I warn you not to kick in your prosperity +and not to become perverse, resisting the commands +of God, who satisfies you with the best of His land, and not +to forget your God, whom your father Abraham chose when +the families of the earth were divided in the days of Peleg. +The Lord descended with seventy angels, at their head +Michael, and he commanded them to teach the seventy languages +unto the seventy families of Noah. The angels did +according to the behest of God, and the holy Hebrew language +remained only in the house of Shem and Eber, and in +the house of their descendant Abraham. On this day of +teaching languages, Michael came to each nation separately, +and told it the message with which God had charged him, +saying: 'I know the rebellion and the confusion ye have +enacted against God. Now, make choice of him whom you +will serve, and whom will you have as your mediator in +heaven?' Then spake Nimrod the wicked, 'In my eyes +there is none greater than he that taught me the language of +Cush.' The other nations also answered in words like +these, each one designated its angel. But Abraham said: +'I choose none other than Him that spake and the world +was. In Him I will have faith, and my seed forever and +ever.' Thenceforth God put every nation in the care of its +angel, but Abraham and his seed He kept for Himself. + +"Therefore I adjure you not to go astray and serve other +gods beside Him whom our fathers made choice of. You +can perceive somewhat of His power in the creation of man. +From head to foot is man wonderfully made. With his ears +he hears, with his eyes he sees, with his brain he comprehends, +with his nose he smells, with the tubes of his throat +he utters sounds, with his gullet he swallows food, with his +tongue he articulates, with his mouth he forms words, with +his hands he does his work, with his heart he meditates, with +his spleen he laughs, with his liver he waxes angry, with his +stomach he crushes his food, with his feet he walks, with his +lungs he breathes, and with his kidneys he makes resolves, +and none of his organs undergoes a change in function, each +performs its own. Therefore it behooves man to take to +heart who it is that hath created him, and who hath developed +him from a foul-smelling drop in the womb of woman, who +hath brought him to the light of the world, who hath given +sight to his eyes, and who hath bestowed the power of motion +upon his feet, who maketh him to stand upright, who +hath infused the breath of life into him, and who hath imparted +of His own pure spirit unto him. Happy the man, +therefore, that polluteth not the holy spirit of God within +him by doing evil deeds, and well for him if he returns it +to his Creator as he received it." + +After Naphtali had charged his children thus, and with +many other lessons like these, he enjoined them to carry his +remains to Hebron, to be buried there near his fathers. +Then he ate and drank with rejoicing, covered his face, and +died, and his sons did according to all that their father +Naphtali had commanded them.[14] + + +GAD'S HATRED + +In the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life Gad assembled +his sons, and he spake to them: "I am the ninth +son of Jacob, and I was a valiant shepherd of the flocks. I +guarded the herds, and when a lion or any other wild beast +approached, I pursued it, gripped it by the foot, flung it a +stone's throw from me, and killed it thus. Once, for a space +of thirty days, Joseph tended the flocks with us, and when +he returned to our father, he told him that the sons of +Zilpah and Bilhah slaughtered the best of the herds, and +used the flesh without the knowledge of Reuben and Judah. +He had seen me snatch a lamb out of the jaws of a bear, kill +the bear, and slaughter the lamb, for it was too badly injured +to live. I was wroth with Joseph for his talebearing, +until he was sold into Egypt. I would neither look upon +him nor hear aught about him, for to our very faces he, +blamed us, because we had eaten the lamb without seeking +the permission of Judah first. And whatever Joseph told +our father, he believed. + +"Now I confess my sin, that ofttimes I longed to kill him, +for I hated him from the bottom of my heart, and on account +of his dreams I hated him still more, and I desired +to destroy him from off the land of the living. But Judah +sold him by stealth to the Ishmaelites. Thus the God of our +fathers saved him out of our hands, and He did not permit +us to commit an abominable outrage in Israel. + +"Hear now, my children, the words of truth, that ye may +practice justice and the whole law of the Most High, and +permit yourselves not to be tempted by the spirit of hatred. +Evil is hatred, for it is the constant companion of deception, +it always contradicts the truth. A little thing it magnifies +into a great thing, light it takes for darkness, the sweet it +calls bitter, and it teaches slander, enkindles anger, brings +on war and violence, and fills the heart with devilish poison. +I tell you my own experience, my children, that ye may +drive hatred out of your hearts, and cleave to the love of the +Lord. Righteousness banishes hatred, and humility kills +it, for he that fears to give umbrage to the Lord, desires +not to do wrong even in his thoughts. This is what I +recognized at the last, after I had done penance on account +of Joseph, for true atonement, pleasing to God, enlightens +the eyes, illumines the soul with knowledge, and creates a +counsel of salvation. My penance came in consequence of a +sickness of the liver that God inflicted upon me. Without +the prayers of my father Jacob, my spirit would have departed +from me, for through the organ wherewith man transgresses, +he is punished. As my liver had felt no mercy for +Joseph, unmerciful suffering was caused unto me by my +liver. My judgment lasted eleven months, as long as my +enmity toward Joseph. + +"And now, my children, each of you shall love his brother, +and ye shall uproot hatred from your hearts by loving one +another in word and deed and the thoughts of the soul. For +I spake peaceably with Joseph in the presence of our father, +but when I went out from before him, the spirit of hatred +darkened my understanding, and stirred up my soul to murder +him. If you see one that hath more good fortune than +you, do not grieve, but pray for him, that his happiness may +be perfect, and if one of the wicked even should grow rich in +substance, like Esau, my father's brother, do not envy him. +Wait for the end of the Lord. + +"This also tell unto your children, that they shall honor +Judah and Levi, for from them the Lord will cause a savior +to arise unto Israel. For I know that in the end your children +will fall off from God, and they will take part in all +wickedness, malice, and corruptness, before the Lord." + +After Gad had rested a little while, he spake again, "My +children, hearken unto your father, and bury me with my +fathers." Then he drew up his feet, and slept in peace. +After five years, his sons carried his remains to Hebron unto +his fathers.[15] + + +ASHER'S LAST WORDS + +In the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life, while be +was still robust in health, Asher summoned his children unto +him, and admonished them to walk in the ways of virtue and +the fear of God. He spake: "Hearken, ye sons of Asher, +unto your father, and I will show you all that is right before +God. Two ways hath God put before the children of men, +and two inclinations hath He bestowed upon them, two kinds +of actions and two aims. Therefore all things are in twos, +the one opposite to the other. But ye, my children, ye shall +not be double, pursuing both goodness and wickedness. Ye +shall cling only to the ways of goodness, for the Lord taketh +delight in them, and men yearn after them. And flee from +wickedness, for thus you will destroy the evil inclination. +Heed well the commands of the Lord, by following truth +with a single mind. Observe the law of the Lord, and have +not the same care for wicked things as for good things. +Rather keep your eyes upon what is truly good, and guard +it through all the commands of the Lord. The end of man, +when he meets the messengers of God and of Satan, shows +whether he was righteous or unrighteous in his life. If his +soul goes out with agitation, she will be plagued by the evil +spirit, whom she served with her lusts and her evil deeds; +but if she departs tranquilly, the angel of peace will lead +her to life eternal. + +"Be not like Sodom, my children, which recognized not +the angels of the Lord, that ye be not delivered into the +hands of your enemies, and your land be cursed, and your +sanctuary destroyed, and you be scattered to the four corners +of the earth, and scorned in the confusion like stale +water, until the Most High shall visit the earth, and break +the heads of the dragons in the waters. Tell this, my sons, +unto your children, that they be not disobedient toward God, +for I read in the tablets of the heavens that you will be +contumacious and act impiously toward Him, in that you will +have no care for the law of God, but you will heed human +laws, and they are corrupted by reason of man's godlessness. +Therefore ye will be dispersed abroad like unto Gad and +Dan, my brethren, and you will not know either your land, +or your tribe, or your tongue. Nevertheless the Lord will +gather you in His faithfulness, for the sake of His gracious +mercy, and for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." + +And when he had made an end of saying these words, he +commanded them to bury him in Hebron. And he sank +into sweet sleep, and died. His sons did as he had commanded, +and they carried him up and buried him with his +fathers.[16] + + +BENJAMIN EXTOLS JOSEPH + +Benjamin was one hundred and twenty-five years old, and +he called his children to come to him. When they appeared, +he kissed them, and spake: "As Isaac was born unto Abraham +in his old age, so was I born unto Jacob when he was +stricken in years. Therefore I was called Benjamin, 'the +son of days.' My mother Rachel died at my birth, and Bilhah +her slave suckled me. Rachel had no children for +twelve years after bearing Joseph. Therefore she prayed to +God, and fasted twelve days, and she conceived and bare me. +Our father loved Rachel fondly, and he had longed greatly +to have two sons by her. + +"When I came down to Egypt, and my brother Joseph +recognized me, he asked me, 'What said my brethren to my +father regarding me?' And I told him that they had sent +Jacob his coat stained with blood, and had said, 'Know now +whether this be thy son's coat or not.' And Joseph said: +'This is what happened to me. Canaanitish merchantmen +stole me away with violence, and on the way they wanted +to hide my coat, to make it seem as though a wild beast had +met me and slain me. But he who was about to conceal it, was torn +by a lion, whereupon his companions, in +great fear, sold me to the Ishmaelites. My brethren, thou +seest, did not deceive my father with a lie.' In this wise +Joseph tried to keep the deed of our brethren a secret from +me. He also summoned my brethren, and enjoined them not +to make known to our father what they had done to him, and +bade them repeat the tale he had told me. + +"Now, my children, love ye the Lord, the God of heaven +and earth, and observe His commandments, taking that good +and pious man Joseph as your model. Until the day of his +death he would not have divulged what his brethren had +done to him, and although God revealed their action to Jacob, +he continued to deny it. Only after many efforts, when +Jacob adjured him to confess the truth, he was induced to +speak out. Even then he besought our father Jacob to pray +for our brethren, that God account not the evil they had done +to him as a sin. And Jacob exclaimed, 'O my good child +Joseph, thou hast shown thyself more merciful than I was!' + +"My children, have you observed the mercy of the good +man? Imitate it with pure intention, that ye, too, may wear +crowns of glory. A good man has not an envious eye, he +has mercy with all, even with sinners, though their evil designs +be directed against him, and by his good deeds he conquers +the evil, since it was ordained of God. If you do good, +the unclean spirits will depart from you, and even the wild +beasts will stand in fear of you. The inclination of a good +man lies not in the power of the tempter spirit Behar, for +the angel of peace guides his soul. Flee before the malice of +Beliar, whose sword is drawn to slay all that pay him obedience, +and his sword is the mother of seven evils, bloodshed, +corruptness, error, captivity, hunger, panic, and devastation. +Therefore God surrendered Cain to seven punishments. +Once in a hundred years the Lord brought a castigation +upon him. His afflictions began when he was two hundred +years old, and in his nine hundredth year he was destroyed +by the deluge, for having slain his righteous brother Abel. +And those who are like unto Cain will be chastised forever +with the same punishments as his. + +"Know now, my children, that I am about to die. Practice +truth and righteousness, and observe the law of the Lord +and also His commandments. This I bequeath unto you as +your sole heritage, and you shall leave it to your children as +an eternal possession. Thus Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did, +they transmitted it unto us, saying, 'Observe the commands +of God, until the Lord shall reveal His salvation in the sight +of all the heathen.' Then you will see Enoch, Noah, Shem, +Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob[17] rise up with rejoicing to new +life at the right hand of God, and we brethren, the sons of +Jacob, will arise also, each of us at the head of his tribe, and +we will pay homage to the King of the heavens." + +After Benjamin had made an end of speaking thus, he +said: "I command you, my children, to carry my bones up +out of Egypt and bury me near my fathers." + +And when he had made an end of saying these things, he +fell asleep at a good old age, and they put his body into a +coffin, and in the ninety-first year of their sojourning in +Egypt, his sons and the sons of his brethren brought up the +bones of their father, in secret, and buried them in Hebron, +at the feet of their fathers. Then they returned from the +land of Canaan, and they dwelt in Egypt until the day of the +exodus from the land.[18] + + + +III + +JOB + JOB AND THE PATRIARCHS + JOB'S WEALTH AND BENEFACTIONS + SATAN AND JOB + JOB'S SUFFERING + THE FOUR FRIENDS + JOB RESTORED + + + +III + +JOB + +JOB AND THE PATRIARCHS + +Job, the most pious Gentile that ever lived,[1] one of the +few to bear the title of honor "the servant of God,"[2] was +of double kin to Jacob. He was a grandson of Jacob's +brother Esau, and at the same time the son-in-law of Jacob +himself, for lie had married Dinah as his second wife.[3] He +was entirely worthy of being a member of the Patriarch's +family, for he was perfectly upright, one that feared God, +and eschewed evil. Had he not wavered in his resignation to +the Divine will during the great trial to which he was subjected, +and murmured against God, the distinction would +have been conferred upon him of having his name joined to +the Name of God in prayer, and men would have called upon +the God of Job as they now call upon the God of Abraham, +Isaac, and Jacob. But he was not found steadfast like the +three Fathers, and he forfeited the honor God had intended +for him. + +The Lord remonstrated with him for his lack of patience, +saying: "Why didst thou murmur when suffering came +upon thee? Dost thou think thyself of greater worth than +Adam, the creation of Mine own hands, upon whom together +with his descendants I decreed death on account of a single +transgression? And yet Adam murmured not. Thou art +surely not more worthy than Abraham, whom I tempted +with many trials, and when he asked, 'Whereby shall I know +that I shall inherit the land?' and I replied, 'Know of a +surety that thy seed will be a stranger in a land that is not +theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four +hundred years,' he yet murmured not. Thou dost not esteem +thyself more worthy than Moses, dost thou? Him I would +not grant the favor of entering the promised land, because +he spake the words, 'Hear now, ye rebels; shall we bring +you forth water out of this rock?' And yet he murmured +not. Art thou more worthy than Aaron, unto whom I +showed greater honor than unto any created being, for I sent +the angels themselves out of the Holy of Holies when he +entered the place? Yet when his two sons died, he murmured +not."[4] + +The contrast between Job and the Patriarchs appears from +words spoken by him and words spoken by Abraham. Addressing +God, Abraham said, "That be far from Thee to do +after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that +so the righteous should be as the wicked," and Job exclaimed +against God, "It is all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth +the perfect and the wicked." They both received their due +recompense, Abraham was rewarded and Job was punished.[5] + +Convinced that his suffering was undeserved and unjust, +Job had the audacity to say to God: "O Lord of the world, +Thou didst create the ox with cloven feet and the ass with +unparted hoof, Thou hast created Paradise and hell, Thou +createst the righteous and also the wicked. There is none +to hinder, Thou canst do as seemeth good in Thy sight." +The friends of Job replied: "It is true, God hath created +the evil inclination, but He hath also given man the Torah +as a remedy against it. Therefore the wicked cannot roll +their guilt from off their shoulders and put it upon God." + +The reason Job did not shrink from such extravagant utterances +was because he denied the resurrection of the dead. +He judged of the prosperity of the wicked and the woes of +the pious only by their earthly fortunes. Proceeding from +this false premise, he held it to be possible that the punishment +falling to his share was not at all intended for him. +God had slipped into an error, He imposed the suffering +upon him that had been appointed unto a sinner. But God +spake to him, saying: "Many hairs have I created upon the +head of man, yet each hair hath its own sac, for were two +hairs to draw their nourishment from the same sac, man +would lose the sight of his eyes. It hath never happened +that a sac hath been misplaced. Should I, then, have mistaken +Job for another? I let many drops of rain descend +from the heavens, and for each drop there is a mould in the +clouds, for were two drops to issue from the same mould, +the ground would be made so miry that it could not bring +forth any growth. It hath never happened that a mould hath +been misplaced. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another? +Many thunderbolts I hurl from the skies, but each +one comes from its own path, for were two to proceed from +the same path, they would destroy the whole world. It hath +never happened that a path hath been misplaced. Should I, +then, have mistaken Job for another? The gazelle gives +birth to her young on the topmost point of a rock, and it +would fall into the abyss and be crushed to death, if I did +not send an eagle thither to catch it up and carry it to its +mother. Were the eagle to appear a minute earlier or later +than the appointed time, the little gazelle would perish. It +hath never happened that the proper minute of time was +missed. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another? +The hind has a contracted womb, and would not be able to +bring forth her young, if I did not send a dragon to her at +the right second, to nibble at her womb and soften it, for +then she can bear. Were the dragon to come a second before +or after the right time, the hind would perish. It hath never +happened that I missed the right second. Should I, then, +have mistaken Job for another?" + +Notwithstanding Job's unpardonable words, God was displeased +with his friends for passing harsh judgment upon +him. "A man may not be held responsible for what he does +in his anguish," and Job's agony was great, indeed[6] + + +JOB'S WEALTH AND BENEFACTIONS + +Job was asked once what he considered the severest affliction +that could strike him, and he replied, "My enemies' joy +in my misfortune,[7] and when God demanded to know of +him, after the accusations made by Satan, what he preferred, +poverty or physical suffering, he chose pain, saying, "O +Lord of the whole world, chastise my body with suffering of +all kinds, only preserve me from poverty."[8] Poverty +seemed the greater scourge, because before his trials he had +occupied a brilliant position on account of his vast wealth. +God graciously granted him this foretaste of the Messianic +time. The harvest followed close upon the ploughing of his +field; no sooner were the seeds strewn in the furrows, +than they sprouted and grew and ripened produce. He was +equally successful with his cattle. His sheep killed wolves, +but were themselves never harmed by wild beasts.[9] Of +sheep he had no less than one hundred and thirty thousand, +and he required eight hundred dogs to keep guard over +them, not to mention the two hundred dogs needed to secure +the safety of his house. Besides, his herds consisted of three +hundred and forty thousand asses and thirty-five hundred +pairs of oxen. All these possessions were not used for self- +indulgent pleasures, but for the good of the poor and the +needy, whom he clothed, and fed, and provided with all +things necessary. To do all this, he even had to employ +ships that carried supplies to all the cities and the dwelling- +places of the destitute. His house was furnished with doors +on all its four sides, that the poor and the wayfarer might +enter, no matter from what direction they approached. At +all times there were thirty tables laden with viands ready in +his house, and twelve besides for widows only, so that all +who came found what they desired. Job's consideration for +the poor was so delicate that he kept servants to wait upon +them constantly. His guests, enraptured by his charitableness, +frequently offered themselves as attendants to minister +to the poor in his house, but Job always insisted upon +paying them for their services. If he was asked for a loan +of money, to be used for business purposes, and the borrower +promised to give a part of his profits to the poor, he would +demand no security beyond a mere signature. And if it +happened that by some mischance or other the debtor was +not able to discharge his obligation, Job would return the +note to him, or tear it into bits in his presence. + +He did not rest satisfied at supplying the material needs +of those who applied to him. He strove also to convey the +knowledge of God to them. After a meal he was in the +habit of having music played upon instruments, and then he +would invite those present to join him in songs of praise to +God. On such occasions he did not consider himself above +playing the cithern while the musicians rested.[10] + +Most particularly Job concerned himself about the weal +and woe of widows and orphans. He was wont to pay visits +to the sick, both rich and poor, and when it was necessary, +he would bring a physician along with him. If the case +turned out to be hopeless, he would sustain the stricken family +with advice and consolation. When the wife of the incurably +sick man began to grieve and weep, he would encourage +her with such words as these: "Trust always in +the grace and lovingkindness of God. He hath not abandoned +thee until now, and He will not forsake thee henceforth. +Thy husband will be restored to health, and will be +able to provide for his family as heretofore. But if--which +may God forefend--thy husband should die, I call Heaven +to witness that I shall provide sustenance for thee and thy +children." Having spoken thus, he would send for a notary, +and have him draw up a document, which he signed in the +presence of witnesses, binding himself to care for the family, +should it be bereaved of its head. Thus he earned for himself +the blessing of the sick man and the gratitude of the +sorrowing wife.[11] + +Sometimes, in case of necessity, Job could be severe, too, +especially when it was a question of helping a poor man obtain +his due. If one of the parties to a suit cited before his +tribunal was known to be a man of violence, he would surround +himself with his army and inspire him with fear, so +that the culprit could not but show himself amenable to his +decision.[12] + +He endeavored to inculcate his benevolent ways upon his +children, by accustoming them to wait upon the poor. On +the morrow after a feast he would sacrifice bountifully to +God, and together with the pieces upon the altar his offerings +would be divided among the needy. He would say: +"Take and help yourselves, and pray for my children. It +may be that they have sinned, and renounced God, saying in +the presumption of their hearts: 'We are the children of +this rich man. All these things are our possessions. Why +should we be servants to the poor?' " + + +SATAN AND JOB + +The happy, God-pleasing life led by Job for many years +excited the hatred of Satan, who had an old grudge against +him. Near Job's house there was an idol worshipped by the +people. Suddenly doubts assailed the heart of Job, and he +asked himself: "Is this idol really the creator of heaven and +earth? How can I find out the truth about it?" In the following +night he perceived a voice calling: "Jobab! Jobab! +Arise, and I will tell thee who he is whom thou desirest to +know. This one to whom the people offer sacrifices is not +God, he is the handiwork of the tempter, wherewith he deceives +men." When he heard the voice, Job threw himself +on the ground, and said: "O Lord, if this idol is the handiwork +of the tempter, then grant that I may destroy it. None +can hinder me, for I am the king of this land."[13] + +Job, or, as he is sometimes called, Jobab, was, indeed, king +of Edom, the land wherein wicked plans are concocted +against God, wherefore it is called also Uz, "counsel."[14] + +The voice continued to speak. It made itself known as +that of an archangel of God, and revealed to Job that he +would bring down the enmity of Satan upon himself by the +destruction of the idol, and much suffering with it. However, +if he remained steadfast under them, God would +change his troubles into joys, his name would become celebrated +throughout the generations of mankind, and he would +have a share in the resurrection to eternal life. Job replied +to the voice: "Out of love of God I am ready to endure all +things unto the day of my death. I will shrink back from +naught." Now Job arose, and accompanied by fifty men he +repaired to the idol, and destroyed it. + +Knowing that Satan would try to approach him, he ordered +his guard not to give access to any one, and then he +withdrew to his chamber. He had guessed aright. Satan +appeared at once, in the guise of a beggar, and demanded +speech with Job. The guard executed his orders, and forbade +his entering. Then the mendicant asked him to intercede +for him with Job for a piece of bread. Job knew it was +Satan, and he sent word to him as follows, "Do not expect +to eat of my bread, for it is prohibited unto thee," at the +same time putting a piece of burnt bread into the hand of +the guard for Satan. The servant was ashamed to give a +beggar burnt bread, and he substituted a good piece for it. +Satan, however, knowing that the servant had not executed +his master's errand, told him so to his face, and he fetched +the burnt bread and handed it to him, repeating the words +of Job. Thereupon Satan returned this answer, "As the +bread is burnt, so I will disfigure thy body." Job replied: +"Do as thou desirest, and execute thy plan. As for me, I +am ready to suffer whatever thou bringest down upon me." + +Now Satan betook himself to God, and prayed Him to put +Job into his power,[15] saying: "I went to and fro in the +earth, and walked up and down in it, and I saw no man as +pious as Abraham. Thou didst promise him the whole land +of Palestine, and yet he did not take it in ill part that he had +not so much as a burial-place for Sarah.[16] As for Job, it is +true, I found none that loveth Thee as he does, but if Thou +wilt put him into my hand, I shall succeed in turning his +heart away from Thee." But God spake, "Satan, Satan, +what hast thou a mind to do with my servant Job, like whom +there is none in the earth?" Satan persisted in his request +touching Job, and God granted it, He gave him full power +over Job's possessions.[17] + +This day of Job's accusation was the New Year's Day, +whereon the good and the evil deeds of man are brought +before God.[18] + + +JOB'S SUFFERING + +Equipped with unlimited power, Satan endeavored to deprive +Job of all he owned. He burnt part of his cattle, and +the other part was carried off by enemies. What pained Job +more than this was that recipients of his bounty turned +against him, and took of his belongings.[19] + +Among the adversaries that assailed him was Lilith, the +queen of Sheba.[20] She lived at a great distance from his +residence, it took her and her army three years to travel from +her home to his. She fell upon his oxen and his asses, and +took possession of them, after slaying the men to whose care +Job had entrusted them. One man escaped alone. Wounded +and bruised, he had only enough life in him to tell Job the +tale of his losses, and then he fell down dead. The sheep, +which had been left unmolested by the queen of Sheba, were +taken away by the Chaldeans. Job's first intention was to +go to war against these marauders, but when he was told +that some of his property had been consumed by fire from +heaven, he desisted, and said, "If the heavens turn against +me, I can do nothing."[21] + +Dissatisfied with the result, Satan disguised himself as the +king of Persia, besieged the city of Job's residence, took it, +and spoke to the inhabitants, saying: "This man Job hath +appropriated all the goods in the world, leaving naught for +others, and he hath also torn down the temple of our god, +and now I will pay him back for his wicked deeds. Come +with me and let us pillage his house." At first the people +refused to hearken to the words of Satan. They feared that +the sons and daughters of Job might rise up against them +later, and avenge their father's wrongs. But after Satan +had pulled down the house wherein the children of Job were +assembled, and they lay dead in the ruins, the people did as +he bade them, and sacked the house of Job. + +Seeing that neither the loss of all he had nor the death of +his children could change his pious heart, Satan appeared +before God a second time, and requested that Job himself, +his very person, be put into his hand. God granted Satan's +plea, but he limited his power to Job's body, his soul he could +not touch.[22] In a sense Satan was worse off than Job. He +was in the position of the slave that has been ordered by +his master to break the pitcher and not spill the wine.[23] + +Satan now caused a terrific storm to burst over the house +of Job. He was cast from his throne by the reverberations, +and he lay upon the floor for three hours. Then Satan smote +his body with leprosy from the sole of his foot unto his +crown. This plague forced Job to leave the city, and sit +down outside upon an ash-heap,[24] for his lower limbs were +covered with oozing boils, and the issue flowed out upon +the ashes. The upper part of his body was encrusted with +dry boils, and to ease the itching they caused him, he used +his nails, until they dropped off together with his fingertips, +and he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal.[25] His +body swarmed with vermin, but if one of the little creatures +attempted to crawl away from him, he forced it back, saying, +"Remain on the place whither thou wast sent, until God +assigns another unto thee."[26] His wife, fearful that he would +not bear his horrible suffering with steadfastness, advised +him to pray to God for death, that lie might be sure of going +hence an upright man.[27] But he rejected her counsel, saying, +"If in the days of good fortune, which usually tempts men +to deny God, I stood firm, and did not rebel against Him, +surely I shall be able to remain steadfast under misfortune, +which compels men to be obedient to God."[28] And Job stuck +to his resolve in spite of all suffering, while his wife was not +strong enough to bear her fate with resignation to the will +of God. + +Her lot was bitter, indeed, for she had had to take service +as a water-carrier with a common churl, and when her master +learnt that she shared her bread with Job, he dismissed +her. To keep her husband from starving, she cut off her +hair, and purchased bread with it. It was all she had to pay +the price charged by the bread merchant, none other than +Satan himself, who wanted to put her to the test. He said +to her, "Hadst thou not deserved this great misery of thine, +it had not come upon thee." This speech was more than +the poor woman could bear. Then it was that she came to +her husband, and amid tears and groans urged him to renounce +God and die. Job, however, was not perturbed by +her words, because he divined at once that Satan stood behind +his wife, and seduced her to speak thus. Turning to +the tempter, he said: "Why dost thou not meet me frankly? +Give up thy underhand ways, thou wretch." Thereupon +Satan appeared before Job, admitted that he had been vanquished, +and went away abashed.[29] + +THE FOUR FRIENDS + +The friends of Job lived in different places, at intervals of +three hundred miles one from the other. Nevertheless they +all were informed of their friend's misfortune at the same +time, in this way: Each one had the pictures of the others set +in his crown, and as soon as any one of them met with reverses, +it showed itself in his picture. Thus the friends of +Job learnt simultaneously of his misfortune, and they hastened +to his assistance.[30] + +The four friends were related to one another, and each one +was related to Job. Eliphaz, king of Teman, was a son of +Esau;[31] Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu were cousins, their +fathers, Shuah, Naamat, and Barachel, were the sons of Buz, +who was a brother of Job and a nephew of Abraham.[32] + +When the four friends arrived in the city in which Job +lived, the inhabitants took them outside the gates, and pointing +to a figure reclining upon an ash-heap at some distance +off, they said, "Yonder is Job." At first the friends would +not give them credence, and they decided to look more +closely at the man, to make sure of his identity. But the foul +smell emanating from Job was so strong that they could not +come near to him. They ordered their armies to scatter perfumes +and aromatic substances all around. Only after this +had been done for hours, they could approach the outcast +close enough to recognize him. + +Eliphaz was the first to address Job, "Art thou indeed +Job, a king equal in rank with ourselves?" And when Job +said Aye, they broke out into lamentations and bitter tears, +and all together they sang an elegy, the armies of the three +kings, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, joining in the choir. +Again Eliphaz began to speak, and he bemoaned Job's sad +fortune, and depicted his friend's former glory, adding the +refrain to each sentence, "Whither hath departed the splendor +of thy throne?" + +After listening long to the wailing and lamenting of Eliphaz +and his companions, Job spake, saying: "Silence, and +I will show you my throne and the splendor of its glory. +Kings will perish, rulers disappear, their pride and lustre +will pass like a shadow across a mirror, but my kingdom +will persist forever and ever, for glory and magnificence are +in the chariot of my Father." + +These words aroused the wrath of Eliphaz, and he called +upon his associates to abandon Job to his fate and go their +way. But Bildad appeased his anger, reminding him that +some allowance ought to be made for one so sorely tried as +Job. Bildad put a number of questions to the sufferer in +order to establish his sanity. He wanted to elicit from Job +how it came about that God, upon whom he continued to set +his hopes, could inflict such dire suffering. Not even a king +of flesh and blood would allow a guardsman of his that had +served him loyally to come to grief. Bildad desired to have +information from Job also concerning the movements of the +heavenly bodies. + +Job had but one answer to make to these questions: man +cannot comprehend Divine wisdom, whether it reveal itself +in inanimate and brute nature or in relation to human beings. +"But," continued Job, "to prove to you that I am in +my right mind, listen to the question I shall put to you. +Solid food and liquids combine inside of man, and they +separate again when they leave his body. Who effects the +separation?" And when Bildad conceded that he could not +answer the question, Job said, "If thou canst not comprehend +the changes in thy body, how canst thou hope to comprehend +the movements of the planets?" + +Zophar, after Job had spoken thus to Bildad, was convinced +that his suffering had had no effect upon his mind, +and he asked him whether he would permit himself to be +treated by the physicians of the three kings, his friends. But +Job rejected the offer, saying, "My healing and my restoration +come from God, the Creator of all physicians." + +While the three kings were conversing thus with Job, his +wife Zitidos made her appearance clad in rags, and she threw +herself at the feet of her husband's friends, and amid tears +she spoke, saying: "O Eliphaz, and ye other friends of +Job, remember what I was in other days, and how I am now +changed, coming before you in rags and tatters." The sight +of the unhappy woman touched them so deeply that they +could only weep, and not a word could they force out of their +mouths. Eliphaz, however, took his royal mantle of purple, +and laid it about the shoulders of the poor woman. Zitidos +asked only one favor, that the three kings should order their +soldiers to clear away the ruins of the building under which +her children lay entombed, that she might give their remains +decent burial. The command was issued to the soldiers +accordingly, but Job said, "Do not put yourselves to +trouble for naught. My children will not be found, for they +are safely bestowed with their Lord and Creator." Again +his friends were sure that Job was bereft of his senses. He +arose, however, prayed to God, and at the end of his devotions, +he bade his friends look eastward, and when they did +his bidding, they beheld his children next to the Ruler of +heaven, with crowns of glory upon their heads. Zitidos +prostrated herself, and said, "Now I know that my memorial +resides with the Lord." And she returned to the house +of her master, whence she had absented herself for some +time against his will. He had forbidden her to leave it, +because he had feared that the three kings would take her +with them. + +In the evening she lay down to sleep next to the manger +for the cattle, but she never rose again, she died there of +exhaustion. The people of the city made a great mourning +for her, and the elegy composed in her honor was set down +in writing and recorded. + + +JOB RESTORED + +More and more the friends of Job came to the conclusion +that he had incurred Divine punishment on account of his +sins, and as he asseverated his innocence again and again, +they prepared angrily to leave him to his fate. Especially +Elihu was animated by Satan to speak scurrilous words +against Job, upbraiding him for his unshakable confidence in +God. Then the Lord appeared to them, first unto Job, and +revealed to him that Elihu was in the wrong, and his words +were inspired by Satan. Next he appeared unto Eliphaz, +and to him He spake thus: "Thou and thy friends Bildad +and Zophar have committed a sin, for ye did not speak the +truth concerning my servant Job. Rise up and let him bring +a sin offering for you. Only for his sake do I refrain from +destroying you." + +The sacrifice offered by Job in behalf of his friends was +accepted graciously by God, and Eliphaz broke out into a +hymn of thanksgiving to the Lord for having pardoned the +transgression of himself and his two friends. At the same +time he announced the damnation of Elihu, the instrument +of Satan. + +God appeared to Job once more, and gave him a girdle +composed of three ribands, and he bade him tie it around his +waist. Hardly had he put it on when all his pain disappeared, +his very recollection of it vanished, and, more than +this, God made him to see all that ever was and all that shall +ever be.[33] + +After suffering sevenfold pain for seven years[34] Job was +restored to strength. With his three friends he returned to +the city, and the inhabitants made a festival in his honor +and unto the glory of God. All his former friends joined +him again, and he resumed his old occupation, the care of +the poor, for which he obtained the means from the people +around. He said to them, "Give me, each one of you, a +sheep for the clothing of the poor, and four silver or gold +drachmas for their other needs." The Lord blessed Job, +and in a few days his wealth had increased to double the +substance he had owned before misfortune overtook him. +Zitidos having died during the years of his trials, he married +a second wife, Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and she bore +him seven sons and three daughters.[35] He had never had +more than one wife at a time, for he was wont to say, "If it +had been intended that Adam should have ten wives, God +would have given them to him. Only one wife was bestowed +upon him, whereby God indicated that he was to have but +one, and therefore one wife suffices for me, too."[36] + +When Job, after a long and happy life, felt his end approaching, +he gathered his ten children around him, and told +them the tale of his days. Having finished the narrative, he +admonished them in these words: "See, I am about to die, +and you will stand in my place. Forsake not the Lord, be +generous toward the poor, treat the feeble with consideration, +and do not marry with the women of the Gentiles." + +Thereupon he divided his possessions among his sons, and +to his daughters he gave what is more precious than all +earthly goods, to each of them one riband of the celestial +girdle he had received from God. The magic virtue of these +ribands was such that no sooner did their possessors tie them +around their waists than they were transformed into higher +beings, and with seraphic voices they broke out into hymns +after the manner of the angels. + +For three days Job lay upon his bed, sick though not suffering, +for the celestial girdle made him proof against +pain. On the fourth day he saw the angels descend to fetch +his soul. He arose from his bed, handed a cithern to his +oldest daughter Jemimah, "Day," a censer to the second +one, Keziah, "Perfume," and a cymbal to the third, Amaltheas, +"Horn," and bade them welcome the angels with the +sound of music. They played and sang and praised the Lord +in the holy tongue. Then he appeared that sits in the great +chariot, kissed Job, and rode away bearing his soul with him +eastward. None saw them depart except the three daughters +of Job. + +The grief of the people, especially the poor, the widows, +and the orphans, was exceeding great. For three days they +left the corpse unburied, because they could not entertain the +thought of separating themselves from it. + +As the name of Job will remain imperishable unto all time, +by reason of the man's piety,[37] so his three friends were +recompensed by God for their sympathy with him in his distress. +Their names were preserved, the punishment of hell +was remitted unto them, and, best of all, God poured out the +holy spirit over them.[38] But Satan, the cause of Job's anguish, +the Lord cast down from heaven, for he had been +vanquished by Job, who amid his agony had thanked and +praised God for all He had done unto him.[39] + + + + +IV + +MOSES IN EGYPT + + THE BEGINNING OF THE EGYPTIAN BONDAGE + PHARAOH'S CUNNING + THE PIOUS MIDWIVES + THE THREE COUNSELLORS + THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS + THE PARENTS OF MOSES + THE BIRTH OF MOSES + MOSES RESCUED FROM THE WATER + THE INFANCY OF MOSES + MOSES RESCUED BY GABRIEL + THE YOUTH OF MOSES + THE FLIGHT + THE KING OF ETHIOPIA + JETHRO + MOSES MARRIES ZIPPORAH + A BLOODY REMEDY + THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD + THE BURNING THORN-BUSH + THE ASCENSION OF MOSES + MOSES VISITS PARADISE AND HELL + MOSES DECLINES THE MISSION + MOSES PUNISHED FOR HIS STUBBORNNESS + THE RETURN TO EGYPT + MOSES AND AARON BEFORE PHARAOH + THE SUFFERING INCREASES + MEASURE FOR MEASURE + THE PLAGUES BROUGHT THROUGH AARON + THE PLAGUES BROUGHT THROUGH MOSES + THE FIRST PASSOVER + THE SMITING OF THE FIRST-BORN + THE REDEMPTION OF ISRAEL FROM EGYPTIAN BONDAGE + THE EXODUS + + + +IV + +MOSES IN EGYPT + +THE BEGINNING OF THE EGYPTIAN BONDAGE + +As soon as Jacob was dead, the eyes of the Israelites were +closed, as well as their hearts. They began to feel the dominion +of the stranger,[1] although real bondage did not enslave +them until some time later. While a single one of the +sons of Jacob was alive, the Egyptians did not venture to +approach the Israelites with evil intent. It was only when +Levi, the last of them, had departed this life that their +suffering +commenced.[2] A change in the relation of the Egyptians +toward the Israelites had, indeed, been noticeable +immediately after the death of Joseph, but they did not +throw off their mask completely until Levi was no more. +Then the slavery of the Israelites supervened in good +earnest. + +The first hostile act on the part of the Egyptians was to +deprive the Israelites of their fields, their vineyards, and the +gifts that Joseph had sent to his brethren. Not content with +these animosities, they sought to do them harm in, other +ways.[3] The reason for the hatred of the Egyptians was envy +and fear. The Israelites had increased to a miraculous +degree. At the death of Jacob the seventy persons he had +brought down with him bad grown to the number of six +hundred thousand,[4] and their physical strength and heroism +were extraordinary and therefore alarming to the Egyptians. There +were many occasions at that time for the display +of prowess. Not long after the death of Levi occurred +that of the Egyptian king Magron, who had been bred up +by Joseph, and therefore was not wholly without grateful +recollection of what he and his family had accomplished for +the welfare of Egypt. But his son and successor Malol, +together with his whole court, knew not the sons of Jacob +and their achievements, and they did not scruple to oppress +the Hebrews. + +The final breach between them and the Egyptians took +place during the wars waged by Malol against Zepho, the +grandson of Esau. In the course of it, the Israelites had +saved the Egyptians from a crushing defeat, but instead of +being grateful they sought only the undoing of their benefactors, +from fear that the giant strength of the Hebrews +might be turned against them.[5] + + +PHARAOH'S CUNNING + +The counsellors and elders of Egypt came to Pharaoh, +and spake unto him, saying: "Behold, the people of the +children of Israel are greater and mightier than we. Thou +hast seen their strong power, which they have inherited from +their fathers, for a few of them stood up against a people +as many as the sand of the sea, and not one hath fallen. +Now, therefore, give us counsel what to do with them, until +we shall gradually destroy them from among us, lest they +become too numerous in the land, for if they multiply, and +there falleth out any war, they will also join themselves with +their great strength unto our enemies, and fight against us, +destroy us from the land, and get them up out of the land." + +The king answered the elders, saying: "This is the plan +advised by me against Israel, from which we will not depart. +Behold, Pithom and Raamses are cities not fortified against +battle. It behooves us to fortify them. Now, go ye and act +cunningly against the children of Israel, and proclaim in +Egypt and in Goshen, saying: 'All ye men of Egypt, Goshen, +and Pathros! The king has commanded us to build +Pithom and Raamses and fortify them against battle. Those +amongst you in all Egypt, of the children of Israel and of +all the inhabitants of the cities, who are willing to build with +us, shall have their wages given to them daily at the king's +order.' + +"Then go ye first, and begin to build Pithom and +Raamses, and cause the king's proclamation to be made +daily, and when some of the children of Israel come to build, +do ye give them their wages daily, and after they shall have +built with you for their daily wages, draw yourselves away +from them day by day, and one by one, in secret. Then you +shall rise up and become their taskmasters and their officers, +and you shall have them afterward to build without wages. +And should they refuse, then force them with all your might +to build. If you do this, it will go well with us, for we shall +cause our land to be fortified after this manner, and with +the children of Israel it will go ill, for they will decrease in +number on account of the work, because you will prevent +them from being with their wives." + +The elders, the counsellors, and the whole of Egypt did +according to the word of the king. For a month the servants +of Pharaoh built with Israel, then they withdrew themselves +gradually, while the children of Israel continued to work, +receiving their daily wages, for some men of Egypt were +still carrying on the work with them. After a time all the +Egyptians had withdrawn, and they had turned to become +the officers and taskmasters of the Israelites. Then they +refrained from giving them any pay, and when some of the +Hebrews refused to work without wages, their taskmasters +smote them, and made them return by force to labor with +their brethren. And the children of Israel were greatly +afraid of the Egyptians, and they came again and worked +without pay, all except the tribe of Levi, who were not +employed in the work with their brethren. The children of +Levi knew that the proclamation of the king was made to +deceive Israel, therefore they refrained from listening to it, +and the Egyptians did not molest them later, since they had +not been with their brethren at the beginning, and though +the Egyptians embittered the lives of the other Israelites +with servile labor, they did not disturb the children of Levi. +The Israelites called Malol, the king of Egypt, Maror, +"Bitterness," because in his days the Egyptians embittered +their lives with all manner of rigorous service.[6] + +But Pharaoh did not rest satisfied with his proclamation +and the affliction it imposed upon the Israelites. He suspended +a brick-press from his own neck, and himself took +part in the work at Pithom and Raamses. After this, whenever +a Hebrew refused to come and help with the building, +alleging that he was not fit for such hard service, the Egyptians +would retort, saying, "Dost thou mean to make us +believe thou art more delicate than Pharaoh?" + +The king himself urged the Israelites on with gentle +words, saying, "My children, I beg you to do this work and +erect these little buildings for me. I will give you great +reward therefor." By means of such artifices and wily +words the Egyptians succeeded in overmastering the Israelites, +and once they had them in their power, they treated +them with undisguised brutality. Women were forced to +perform men's work, and men women's work. + +The building of Pithom and Raamses turned out of no +advantage to the Egyptians, for scarcely were the structures +completed, when they collapsed, or they were swallowed by +the earth, and the Hebrew workmen, besides having to +suffer hardships during their erection, lost their lives by +being precipitated from enormous heights, when the buildings +fell in a heap.[7] + +But the Egyptians were little concerned whether or not +they derived profit from the forced labor of the children of +Israel. Their main object was to hinder their increase, and +Pharaoh therefore issued an order, that they were not to be +permitted to sleep at their own homes, that so they might be +deprived of the opportunity of having intercourse with their +wives. The officers executed the will of the king, telling +the Hebrews that the reason was the loss of too much time +in going to and fro, which would prevent them from completing +the required tale of bricks. Thus the Hebrew husbands +were kept apart from their wives, and they were compelled +to sleep on the ground, away from their habitations. + +But God spake, saying: "Unto their father Abraham I +gave the promise, that I would make his children to be as +numerous as the stars in the heavens, and you contrive plans +to prevent them from multiplying. We shall see whose +word will stand, Mine or yours." And it came to pass that +the more the Egyptians afflicted them, the more they multiplied, +and the more they spread abroad.[8] And they continued +to increase in spite of Pharaoh's command, that those +who did not complete the required tale of bricks were to be +immured in the buildings between the layers of bricks, and +great was the number of the Israelites that lost their lives +in this way.[9] Many of their children were, besides, slaughtered +as sacrifices to the idols of the Egyptians. For this +reason God visited retribution upon the idols at the time of +the going forth of the Israelites from Egypt. They had +caused the death of the Hebrew children, and in turn they +were shattered, and they crumbled into dust." + + +THE PIOUS MIDWIVES + +When now, in spite of all their tribulations, the children +of Israel continued to multiply and spread abroad, so that +the land was full of them as with thick underbrush--for the +women brought forth many children at a birth[11]--the Egyptians +appeared before Pharaoh again, and urged him to devise +some other way of ridding the land of the Hebrews, +seeing that they were increasing mightily, though they were +made to toil and labor hard. Pharaoh could invent no new +design; he asked his counsellors to give him their opinion of +the thing. Then spake one of them, Job of the land of Uz, +which is in Aram-naharaim, as follows: "The plan which +the king invented, of putting a great burden of work upon +the Israelites, was good in its time, and it should be executed +henceforth, too, but to secure us against the fear that, +if a war should come to pass, they may overwhelm us by +reason of their numbers, and chase us forth out of the land, +let the king issue a decree, that every male child of the +Israelites shall be killed at his birth. Then we need not be +afraid of them if we should be overtaken by war. Now let +the king summon the Hebrew midwives, that they come +hither, and let him command them in accordance with this +plan." + +Job's advice found favor in the eyes of Pharaoh and the +Egyptians." They preferred to have the midwives murder +the innocents, for they feared the punishment of God if they +laid hands upon them themselves. Pharaoh cited the two +midwives of the Hebrews before him, and commanded them +to slay all men children, but to save the daughters of the Hebrew +women alive," for the Egyptians were as much interested +in preserving the female children as in bringing about +the death of the male children. They were very sensual, +and were desirous of having as many women as possible at +their service." + +However, the plan, even if it had been carried into execution, +was not wise, for though a man may marry many wives, +each woman can marry but one husband. Thus a diminished +number of men and a corresponding increase in the +number of women did not constitute so serious a menace to +the continuance of the nation of the Israelites as the reverse +case would have been. + +The two Hebrew midwives were Jochebed, the mother of +Moses, and Miriam, his sister. When they appeared before +Pharaoh, Miriam exclaimed: "Woe be to this man when +God visits retribution upon him for his evil deeds." The +king would have killed her for these audacious words, had +not Jochebed allayed his wrath by saying: "Why dost thou +pay heed to her words? She is but a child, and knows not +what she speaks." Yet, although Miriam was but five years +old at the time, she nevertheless accompanied her mother, +and helped her with her offices to the Hebrew women, giving +food to the new-born babes while Jochebed washed and +bathed them. + +Pharaoh's order ran as follows: "At the birth of the +child, if it be a man child, kill it; but if it be a female +child, then you need not kill it, but you may save it alive." The +midwives returned: "How are we to know whether the +child is male or female?" for the king had bidden them kill +it while it was being born. Pharaoh replied: "If the child +issues forth from the womb with its face foremost, it is a +man child, for it looks to the earth, whence man was taken; +but if its feet appear first, it is a female, for it looks up +toward the rib of the mother, and from a rib woman was +made."[15] + +The king used all sorts of devices to render the midwives +amenable to his wishes. He approached them with amorous +proposals, which they both repelled, and then he threatened +them with death by fire.[16] But they said within themselves: +"Our father Abraham opened an inn, that he might +feed the wayfarers, though they were heathen, and we +should neglect the children, nay, kill them? No, we shall +have a care to keep them alive." Thus they failed to execute +what Pharaoh had commanded. Instead of murdering the +babes, they supplied all their needs. If a mother that had +given birth to a child lacked food and drink, the midwives +went to well-to-do women, and took up a collection, that the +infant might not suffer want. They did still more for the +little ones. They made supplication to God, praying: "Thou +knowest that we are not fulfilling the words of Pharaoh, +but it is our aim to fulfil Thy words. O that it be Thy will, +our Lord, to let the child come into the world safe and sound, +lest we fall under the suspicion that we tried to slay it, and +maimed it in the attempt." The Lord hearkened to their +prayer, and no child born under the ministrations of +Shiphrah and Puah, or Jochebed and Miriam, as the midwives +are also called, came into the world lame or blind or +afflicted with any other blemish.[17] + +Seeing that his command was ineffectual, he summoned +the midwives a second time, and called them to account for +their disobedience. They replied: "This nation is compared +unto one animal and another, and, in sooth, the Hebrews +are like the animals. As little as the animals do they need +the offices of midwives."[18] These two God-fearing women +were rewarded in many ways for their good deeds. Not +only that Pharaoh did them no harm, but they were made +the ancestors of priests and Levites, and kings and princes. +Jochebed became the mother of the priest Aaron and of the +Levite Moses, and from Miriam's union with Caleb sprang +the royal house of David. The hand of God was visible +in her married life. She contracted a grievous sickness, +and though it was thought by all that saw her that death +would certainly overtake her, she recovered, and God +restored her youth, and bestowed unusual beauty upon her, +so that renewed happiness awaited her husband, who had +been deprived of the pleasures of conjugal life during her +long illness. His unexpected joys were the reward of his +piety and trust in God.[19] And another recompense was accorded +to Miriam: she was privileged to bring forth Bezalel, +the builder of the Tabernacle, who was endowed with celestial +wisdom.[20] + + +THE THREE COUNSELLORS + +In the one hundred and thirtieth year after Israel's going +down to Egypt Pharaoh dreamed that he was sitting upon +his throne, and he lifted up his eyes, and he beheld an old +man before him with a balance in his hand, and he saw him +taking all the elders, nobles, and great men of Egypt, tying +them together, and laying them in one scale of the balance, +while he put a tender kid into the other. The kid bore +down the pan in which it lay until it hung lower than the +other with the bound Egyptians. Pharaoh arose early in +the morning, and called together all his servants and his +wise men to interpret his dream, and the men were greatly +afraid on account of his vision. Balaam the son of Beor +then spake, and said: "This means nothing but that a +great evil will spring up against Egypt, for a son will be +born unto Israel, who will destroy the whole of our land +and all its inhabitants, and he will bring forth the Israelites +from Egypt with a mighty hand. Now, therefore, O king, +take counsel as to this matter, that the hope of Israel be +frustrated before this evil arise against Egypt." + +The king said unto Balaam: "What shall we do unto +Israel? We have tried several devices against this people, +but we could not prevail over it. Now let me hear thy +opinion." + +At Balaam's instance, the king sent for his two counsellors, +Reuel the Midianite and Job the Uzite, to hear their advice. +Reuel spoke: "If it seemeth good to the king, let him desist +from the Hebrews, and let him not stretch forth his hand +against them, for the Lord chose them in days of old, and +took them as the lot of His inheritance from amongst all the +nations of the earth, and who is there that hath dared stretch +forth his hand against them with impunity, but that their +God avenged the evil done unto them?" Reuel then proceeded +to enumerate some of the mighty things God had +performed for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he closed his +admonition with the words: "Verily, thy grandfather, the +Pharaoh of former days, raised Joseph the son of Jacob +above all the princes of Egypt, because he discerned his +wisdom, for through his wisdom he rescued all the inhabitants +of the land from the famine, after which he invited +Jacob and his sons to come down to Egypt, that the land +of Egypt and the land of Goshen be delivered from the +famine through their virtues. Now, therefore, if it seem +good in thine eyes, leave off from destroying the children of +Israel, and if it be not thy will that they dwell in Egypt, send +them forth from here, that they may go to the land of Canaan, +the land wherein their ancestors sojourned." + +When Pharaoh heard the words of Jethro-Reuel, he was +exceedingly wroth with him, and he was dismissed in disgrace +from before the king, and he went to Midian. + +The king then spoke to Job, and said: "What sayest +thou, Job, and what is thy advice respecting the Hebrews?" +Job replied: "Behold, all the inhabitants of the land are in +thy power. Let the king do as seemeth good in his eyes." + +Balaam was the last to speak at the behest of the king, and +he said: "From all that the king may devise against the +Hebrews, they will be delivered. If thou thinkest to diminish +them by the flaming fire, thou wilt not prevail over them, +for their God delivered Abraham their father from the furnace +in which the Chaldeans cast him. Perhaps thou thinkest +to destroy them with a sword, but their father Isaac was +delivered from being slaughtered by the sword. And if +thou thinkest to reduce them through hard and rigorous +labor, thou wilt also not prevail, for their father Jacob +served Laban in all manner of hard work, and yet he prospered. +If it please the king, let him order all the male +children that shall be born in Israel from this day forward +to be thrown into the water. Thereby canst thou wipe out +their name, for neither any of them nor any of their fathers +was tried in this way.[21] + + +THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS + +Balaam's advice was accepted by Pharaoh and the Egyptians. +They knew that God pays measure for measure, +therefore they believed that the drowning of the men children +would be the safest means of exterminating the Hebrews, +without incurring harm themselves, for the Lord had +sworn unto Noah never again to destroy the world by water. +Thus, they assumed, they would be exempt from punishment, +wherein they were wrong, however. In the first place, +though the Lord had sworn not to bring a flood upon men, +there was nothing in the way of bringing men into a flood. +Furthermore, the oath of God applied to the whole of mankind, +not to a single nation. The end of the Egyptians was +that they met their death in the billows of the Red Sea. +"Measure for measure"--as they had drowned the men +children of the Israelites, so they were drowned.[22] + +Pharaoh now took steps looking to the faithful execution +of his decree. He sent his bailiffs into the houses of the +Israelites, to discover all new-born children, wherever they +might be. To make sure that the Hebrews should not succeed +in keeping the children hidden, the Egyptians hatched +a devilish plan. Their women were to take their little ones +to the houses of the Israelitish women that were suspected +of having infants. When the Egyptian children began to +cry or coo, the Hebrew children that were kept in hiding +would join in, after the manner of babies, and betray their +presence, whereupon the Egyptians would seize them and +bear them off.[23] + +Furthermore, Pharaoh commanded that the Israelitish +women employ none but Egyptian midwives, who were to +secure precise information as to the time of their delivery, +and were to exercise great care, and let no male child escape +their vigilance alive. If there should be parents that evaded +the command, and preserved a new-born boy in secret, they +and all belonging to them were to be killed.[24] + +Is it to be wondered at, then, that many of the Hebrews +kept themselves away from their wives? Nevertheless those +who put trust in God were not forsaken by Him. The +women that remained united with their husbands would go +out into the field when their time of delivery arrived, and +give birth to their children and leave them there, while they +themselves returned home. The Lord, who had sworn unto +their ancestors to multiply them, sent one of His angels to +wash the babes, anoint them, stretch their limbs, and swathe +them. Then he would give them two smooth pebbles, from +one of which they sucked milk, and from the other honey. +And God caused the hair of the infants to grow down +to their knees and serve them as a protecting garment, and +then He ordered the earth to receive the babes, that they +be sheltered therein until the time of their growing up, when +it would open its mouth and vomit forth the children, and +they would sprout up like the herb of the field and the grass +of the forest. Thereafter each would return to his family +and the house of his father. + +When the Egyptians saw this, they went forth, every man +to his field, with his yoke of oxen, and they ploughed up the +earth as one ploughs it at seed time. Yet they were unable +to do harm to the infants of the children of Israel that had +been swallowed up and lay in the bosom of the earth. Thus +the people of Israel increased and waxed exceedingly. And +Pharaoh ordered his officers to go to Goshen, to look for the +male babes of the children of Israel, and when they discovered +one, they tore him from his mother's breast by force, +and thrust him into the river." But no one is so valiant +as to be able to foil God's purposes, though he contrive ten +thousand subtle devices unto that end. The child foretold +by Pharaoh's dreams and by his astrologers was brought +up and kept concealed from the king's spies. It came to +pass after the following manner.[26] + + +THE PARENTS OF MOSES + +When Pharaoh's proclamation was issued, decreeing that +the men children of the Hebrews were to be cast into the +river, Amram, who was the president of the Sanhedrin, decided +that in the circumstances it was best for husbands to +live altogether separate from their wives. He set the example. He +divorced his wife, and all the men of Israel did +likewise,[27] for he occupied a place of great consideration +among his people, one reason being that he belonged to the +tribe of Levi, the tribe that was faithful to its God even in +the land of Egypt, though the other tribes wavered in their +allegiance, and attempted to ally themselves with the Egyptians, +going so far as to give up Abraham's sign of the covenant.[28] +To chastise the Hebrews for their impiety, God +turned the love of the Egyptians for them into hatred, so +that they resolved upon their destruction. Mindful of all +that he and his people owed to Joseph's wise rule, Pharaoh +refused at first to entertain the malicious plans proposed by +the Egyptians against the Hebrews. He spoke to his people, +"You fools, we are indebted to these Hebrews for whatever +we enjoy, and you desire now to rise up against them?" But +the Egyptians could not be turned aside from their purpose +of ruining Israel. They deposed their king, and incarcerated +him for three months, until he declared himself ready to +execute with determination what they had resolved upon, +and he sought to bring about the ruin of the children of +Israel by every conceivable means. Such was the retribution +they had drawn down upon themselves by their own +acts.[29] + +As for Amram, not only did he belong to the tribe of Levi, +distinguished for its piety, but by reason of his extraordinary +piety he was prominent even among the pious of the tribe. +He was one of the four who were immaculate, untainted by +sin, over whom death would have had no power, had mortality +not been decreed against every single human being on +account of the fall of the first man and woman. The other +three that led the same sinless life were Benjamin, Jesse +the father of David, and Chileab the son of David.[30] If the +Shekinah was drawn close again to the dwelling-place of +mortals, it was due to Amram's piety. Originally the real +residence of the Shekinah was among men, but when Adam +committed his sin, she withdrew to heaven, at first to the +lowest of the seven heavens. Thence she was banished by +Cain's crime, and she retired to the second heaven. The +sins of the generation of Enoch removed her still farther +off from men, she took up her abode in the third heaven; +then, successively, in the fourth, on account of the malefactors +in the generation of the deluge; in the fifth, during the +building of the tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues; +in the sixth, by reason of the wicked Egyptians at the time +of Abraham; and, finally, in the seventh, in consequence of +the abominations of the inhabitants of Sodom. Six righteous +men, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kohath, and Amram, +drew the Shekinah back, one by one, from the seventh +to the first heaven, and through the seventh righteous man, +Moses, she was made to descend to the earth and abide +among men as aforetime.[31] + +Amram's sagacity kept pace with his piety and his learning. +The Egyptians succeeded in enslaving the Hebrews by +seductive promises. At first they gave them a shekel for +every brick they made, tempting them to superhuman efforts +by the prospect of earning much money. Later, when the +Egyptians forced them to work without wages, they insisted +upon having as many bricks as the Hebrews had made when +their labor was paid for, but they could demand only a single +brick daily from Amram, for he had been the only one whom +they had not led astray by their artifice. He had been +satisfied with a single shekel daily, and had therefore made +only a single brick daily, which they had to accept afterward +as the measure of his day's work.[32] + +As his life partner, Amram chose his aunt Jochebed, who +was born the same day with him.[33] She was the daughter of +Levi, and she owed her name, "Divine Splendor," to the +celestial light that radiated from her countenance.[34] She was +worthy of being her husband's helpmeet, for she was one of +the midwives that had imperilled their own lives to rescue +the little Hebrew babes. Indeed, if God had not allowed a +miracle to happen, she and her daughter Miriam would have +been killed by Pharaoh for having resisted his orders and +saved the Hebrew children alive. When the king sent his +hangmen for the two women, God caused them to become +invisible, and the bailiffs bad to return without accomplishing +their errand.[35] + +The first child of the union between Amram and Jochebed, +his wife, who was one hundred and twenty-six years old at +the time of her marriage, was a girl, and the mother called +her Miriam, "Bitterness," for it was at the time of her birth +that the Egyptians began to envenom the life of the Hebrews. +The second child was a boy, called Aaron, which +means, "Woe unto this pregnancy!" because Pharaoh's instructions +to the midwives, to kill the male children of the +Hebrews, was proclaimed during the months before Aaron's +birth.[36] + +THE BIRTH OF MOSES + +When Amram separated from his wife on account of the +edict published against the male children of the Hebrews, +and his example was followed by all the Israelites, his +daughter Miriam said to him: "Father, thy decree is worse +than Pharaoh's decree. The Egyptians aim to destroy only +the male children, but thou includest the girls as well. Pharaoh +deprives his victims of life in this world, but thou preventest +children from being born, and thus thou deprivest +them of the future life, too. He resolves destruction, but +who knows whether the intention of the wicked can persist? +Thou art a righteous man, and the enactments of the righteous +are executed by God, hence thy decree will be upheld." + +Amram recognized the justice of her plea, and he repaired +to the Sanhedrin, and put the matter before this body. The +members of the court spoke, and said: "It was thou that +didst separate husbands and wives, and from thee should go +forth the permission for re-marriage." Amram then made +the proposition that each of the members of the Sanhedrin +return to his wife, and wed her clandestinely, but his colleagues +repudiated the plan, saying, "And who will make it +known unto the whole of Israel? " + +Accordingly, Amram stood publicly under the wedding +canopy with his divorced wife Jochebed, while Aaron and +Miriam danced about it, and the angels proclaimed, "Let +the mother of children be joyful!" His re-marriage was +solemnized with great ceremony, to the end that the men that +bad followed his example in divorcing their wives might +imitate him now in taking them again unto themselves. And +so it happened.[37] + +Old as Jochebed was, she regained her youth. Her skin +became soft, the wrinkles in her face disappeared, the warm +tints of maiden beauty returned, and in a short time she became +pregnant.[38] + +Amram was very uneasy about his wife's being with child; +he knew not what to do. He turned to God in prayer, and +entreated Him to have compassion upon those who had in +no wise transgressed the laws of His worship, and afford +them deliverance from the misery they endured, while He +rendered abortive the hope of their enemies, who yearned +for the destruction of their nation. God had mercy on +him, and He stood by him in his sleep, and exhorted him not +to despair of His future favors. He said further, that He +did not forget their piety, and He would always reward them +for it, as He had granted His favor in other days unto their +forefathers. "Know, therefore," the Lord continued to +speak, "that I shall provide for you all together what is for +your good, and for thee in particular that which shall make +thee celebrated; for the child out of dread of whose nativity +the Egyptians have doomed the Israelite children to destruction, +shall be this child of thine, and be shall remain concealed +from those who watch to destroy him, and when he +has been bred up, in a miraculous way, he shall deliver the +Hebrew nation from the distress they are under by reason of +the Egyptians. His memory shall be celebrated while the +world lasts, and not only among the Hebrews, but among +strangers also. And all this shall be the effect of My favor +toward thee and thy posterity. Also his brother shall be +such that he shall obtain My priesthood for himself, and for +his posterity after him, unto the end of the world." + +After he had been informed of these things by the vision, +Amram awoke, and told all unto his wife Jochebed.[39] + +His daughter Miriam likewise had a prophetic dream, and +she related it unto her parents, saying: "In this night I saw +a man clothed in fine linen. 'Tell thy father and thy mother,' +he said, 'that he who shall be born unto them, shall be cast +into the waters, and through him the waters shall become +dry, and wonders and miracles shall be performed through +him, and he shall save My people Israel, and be their leader +forever.' "[40] + +During her pregnancy, Jochebed observed that the child +in her womb was destined for great things. All the time she +suffered no pain, and also she suffered none in giving birth +to her son, for pious women are not included in the curse +pronounced upon Eve, decreeing sorrow in conception and +in childbearing.[41] + +At the moment of the child's appearance, the whole house +was filled with radiance equal to the splendor of the sun and +the moon.[42] A still greater miracle followed. The infant +was not yet a day old when he began to walk and speak with +his parents, and as though he were an adult, he refused to +drink milk from his mother's breast.[43] + +Jochebed gave birth to the child six months after conception. +The Egyptian bailiffs, who kept strict watch over all +pregnant women in order to be on the spot in time to carry +off their new-born boys, had not expected her delivery for +three months more. These three months the parents succeeded +in keeping the babe concealed, though every Israelitish +house was guarded by two Egyptian women, one stationed +within and one without.[44] At the end of this time +they determined to expose the child, for Amram was afraid +that both he and his son would be devoted to death if the +secret leaked out, and he thought it better to entrust the +child's fate to Divine Providence. He was convinced that +God would protect the boy, and fulfil His word in truth.[45] + + +MOSES RESCUED FROM THE WATER + +Jochebed accordingly took an ark fashioned of bulrushes, +daubed it with pitch on the outside, and lined it with clay +within. The reason she used bulrushes was because they +float on the surface of the water, and she put pitch only on +the outside, to protect the child as much as possible against +the annoyance of a disagreeable odor. Over the child as it +lay in the ark she spread a tiny canopy, to shade the babe, +with the words, "Perhaps I shall not live to see him under +the marriage canopy." And then she abandoned the ark on +the shores of the Red Sea. Yet it was not left unguarded. +Her daughter Miriam stayed near by, to discover whether a +prophecy she had uttered would be fulfilled. Before the +child's birth, his sister had foretold that her mother would +bring forth a son that should redeem Israel. When he was +born, and the house was filled with brilliant light, Amram +kissed her on her head, but when he was forced into the +expedient of exposing the child, he beat her on her head, +saying, "My daughter, what hath become of thy prophecy?" +Therefore Miriam stayed, and strolled along the shore, to +observe what would be the fate of the babe, and what would +come of her prophecy concerning him.[46] + +The day the child was exposed was the twenty-first of the +month of Nisan, the same on which the children of Israel +later, under the leadership of Moses, sang the song of praise +and gratitude to God for the redemption from the waters of +the sea. The angels appeared before God, and spoke: "O +Lord of the world, shall he that is appointed to sing a song +of praise unto Thee on this day of Nisan, to thank Thee for +rescuing him and his people from the sea, shall he find his +death in the sea to-day?" The Lord replied: "Ye know +well that I see all things. The contriving of man can do +naught to change what bath been resolved in My counsel. +Those do not attain their end who use cunning and malice +to secure their own safety, and endeavor to bring ruin upon +their fellow-men. But he who trusts Me in his peril will be +conveyed from profoundest distress to unlooked-for happiness. +Thus My omnipotence will reveal itself in the fortunes +of this babe.[47] + +At the time of the child's abandonment, God sent scorching +heat to plague the Egyptians, and they all suffered with +leprosy and smarting boils. Thermutis, the daughter of Pharaoh, +sought relief from the burning pain in a bath in the +waters of the Nile.[48] But physical discomfort was not her +only reason for leaving her father's palace. She was determined +to cleanse herself as well of the impurity of the idol +worship that prevailed there. + +When she saw the little ark floating among the flags on +the surface of the water, she supposed it to contain one of +the little children exposed at her father's order, and she +commanded her handmaids to fetch it. But they protested, +saying, "O our mistress, it happens sometimes that a decree +issued by a king is unheeded, yet it is observed at least +by his children and the members of his household, and dost +thou desire to transgress thy father's edict?" Forthwith the +angel Gabriel appeared, seized all the maids except one, +whom he permitted the princess to retain for her service, +and buried them in the bowels of the earth. + +Pharaoh's daughter now proceeded to do her own will. +She stretched forth her arm, and although the ark was swimming +at a distance of sixty ells, she succeeded in grasping it, +because her arm was lengthened miraculously. No sooner +had she touched it than the leprosy afflicting her departed +from her. Her sudden restoration led her to examine the +contents of the ark,[49] and when she opened it, her amazement +was great. She beheld an exquisitely beautiful boy, for +God bad fashioned the Hebrew babe's body with peculiar +care,[50] and beside it she perceived the Shekinah. Noticing +that the boy bore the sign of the Abrahamic covenant, she +knew that he was one of the Hebrew children, and mindful +of her father's decree concerning the male children of the +Israelites, she was about to abandon the babe to his fate. At +that moment the angel Gabriel came and gave the child a +vigorous blow, and he began to cry aloud, with a voice like +a young man's. His vehement weeping and the weeping of +Aaron, who was lying beside him, touched the princess, and +in her pity she resolved to save him. She ordered an Egyptian +woman to be brought, to nurse the child, but the little +one refused to take milk from her breast, as he refused to +take it from one after the other of the Egyptian women +fetched thither. Thus it had been ordained by God, that +none of them might boast later on, and say, "I suckled him +that holds converse now with the Shekinah." Nor was the +mouth destined to speak with God to draw nourishment from +the unclean body of an Egyptian woman. + +Now Miriam stepped into the presence of Thermutis, as +though she had been standing there by chance to look at the +child,[51] and she spoke to the princess, saying, "It is vain for +thee, O queen, to call for nurses that are in no wise of kin +to the child, but if thou wilt order a woman of the Hebrews +to be brought, he may accept her breast, seeing that she is of +his own nation." Thermutis therefore bade Miriam fetch a +Hebrew woman, and with winged steps, speeding like a vigorous +youth, she hastened and brought back her own mother, +the child's mother, for she knew that none present was acquainted +with her. The babe, unresisting, took his mother's +breast, and clutched it tightly.[52] The princess committed the +child to Jochebed's care, saying these words, which contained +an unconscious divination: "Here is what is thine." +Nurse the boy henceforth, and I will give thee two silver +pieces as thy wages.[54] + +The return of her son, safe and sound, after she had exposed +him, was Jochebed's reward from God for her services +as one of the midwives that had bidden defiance to Pharaoh's +command and saved the Hebrew children alive.[55] + +By exposing their son to danger, Amram and Jochebed +had effected the withdrawal of Pharaoh's command enjoining +the extermination of the Hebrew men children. The +day Moses was set adrift in the little ark, the astrologers +had come to Pharaoh and told him the glad tidings, that the +danger threatening the Egyptians on account of one boy, +whose doom lay in the water, had now been averted. Thereupon +Pharaoh cried a halt to the drowning of the boys of his +empire. The astrologers had seen something, but they knew +not what, and they announced a message, the import of +which they did not comprehend. Water was, indeed, the +doom of Moses, but that did not mean that he would perish +in the waters of the Nile. It had reference to the waters of +Meribah, the waters of strife, and how they would cause his +death in the desert, before he had completed his task of leading +the people into the promised land. Pharaoh, misled by +the obscure vision of his astrologers, thought that the future +redeemer of Israel was to lose his life by drowning, and to +make sure that the boy whose appearance was foretold by +the astrologers might not escape his fate, he had ordered all +boys, even the children of the Egyptians, born during a +period of nine months to be cast into the water. + +On account of the merits of Moses, the six hundred thousand +men children of the Hebrews begotten in the same +night with him, and thrown into the water on the same day, +were rescued miraculously together with him, and it was +therefore not an idle boast, if he said later, "The people that +went forth out of the water on account of my merits are six +hundred thousand men."[56] + + +THE INFANCY OF MOSES + +For two years the child rescued by Pharaoh's daughter +stayed with his parents and kindred. They gave him various +names. His father called him Heber, because it was for this +child's sake that he had been "reunited" with his wife. +His mother's name for him was Jekuthiel, "because," she +said, "I set my hope upon God, and He gave him back to +me." To his sister Miriam he was Jered, because she had +"descended" to the stream to ascertain his fate. His +brother Aaron called him Abi Zanoah, because his father, +who had "cast off" his mother, had taken her back for the +sake of the child to be born. His grandfather Kohath knew +him as Abi Gedor, because the Heavenly Father had "built +up" the breach in Israel, when He rescued him, and thus +restrained the Egyptians from throwing the Hebrew men +children into the water. His nurse called him Abi Soco, because +he had been kept concealed in a "tent" for three +months, escaping the pursuit of the Egyptians. And Israel +called him Shemaiah ben Nethanel, because in his day God +would "hear" the sighs of the people, and deliver them +from their oppressors, and through him would He "give" +them His own law.[57] + +His kindred and all Israel knew that the child was destined +for great things, for he was barely four months old +when he began to prophesy, saying, "In days to come I shall +receive the Torah from the flaming torch."[58] + +When Jochebed took the child to the palace at the end of +two years, Pharaoh's daughter called him Moses, because +she had "drawn" him out of the water, and because he +would "draw" the children of Israel out of the land of +Egypt in a day to come.[59] And this was the only name +whereby God called the son of Amram, the name conferred +upon him by Pharaoh's daughter. He said to the princess: +"Moses was not thy child, yet thou didst treat him as such. +For this I will call thee My daughter, though thou art not +My daughter," and therefore the princess, the daughter of +Pharaoh, bears the name Bithiah, "the daughter of God." +She married Caleb later on, and he was a suitable husband +for her. As she stood up against her father's wicked counsels, +so Caleb stood up against the counsel of his fellow-messengers +sent to spy out the land of Canaan.[60] For +rescuing Moses and for her other pious deeds, she was permitted +to enter Paradise alive.[61] + +That Moses might receive the treatment at court usually +accorded to a prince, Bithiah pretended that she was with +child for some time before she had him fetched away from +his parents' house." His royal foster-mother caressed and +kissed him constantly, and on account of his extraordinary +beauty she would not permit him ever to quit the palace. +Whoever set eyes on him, could not leave off from looking +at him, wherefore Bithiah feared to allow him out of her +sight.[63] + +Moses' understanding was far beyond his years; his instructors +observed that he disclosed keener comprehension +than is usual at his age. All his actions in his infancy promised +greater ones after he should come to man's estate, and +when he was but three years old, God granted him remarkable +size. As for his beauty, it was so attractive that frequently +those meeting him as he was carried along on the +road were obliged to turn and stare at him. They would +leave what they were about, and stand still a great while, +looking after him, for the loveliness of the child was so +wondrous that it held the gaze of the spectator. The +daughter of Pharaoh, perceiving Moses to be an extraordinary +lad, adopted him as her son, for she had no child of her +own. She informed her father of her intention concerning +him, in these words: "I have brought up a child, who is +divine in form and of an excellent mind, and as I received +him through the bounty of the river in a wonderful way, I +have thought it proper to adopt him as my son and as the +heir of thy kingdom." And when she had spoken thus, she +put the infant between her father's hands, and he took him +and hugged him close to his breast.[64] + + +MOSES RESCUED BY GABRIEL + +When Moses was in his third year, Pharaoh was dining +one day, with the queen Alfar'anit at his right hand, his +daughter Bithiah with the infant Moses upon her lap at his +left, and Balaam the son of Beor together with his two sons +and all the princes of the realm sitting at table in the king's +presence. It happened that the infant took the crown from +off the king's head, and placed it on his own. When the +king and the princes saw this, they were terrified, and each +one in turn expressed his astonishment. The king said unto +the princes, "What speak you, and what say you, O ye +princes, on this matter, and what is to be done to this Hebrew +boy on account of this act?" + +Balaam spoke, saying: "Remember now, O my lord and +king, the dream which thou didst dream many days ago, and +how thy servant interpreted it unto thee. Now this is a child +of the Hebrews in whom is the spirit of God. Let not my +lord the king imagine in his heart that being a child he did +the thing without knowledge. For he is a Hebrew boy, and +wisdom and understanding are with him, although he is yet +a child, and with wisdom has he done this, and chosen unto +himself the kingdom of Egypt. For this is the manner of +all the Hebrews, to deceive kings and their magnates, to do +all things cunningly in order to make the kings of the earth +and their men to stumble. + +"Surely thou knowest that Abraham their father acted +thus, who made the armies of Nimrod king of Babel and of +Abimelech king of Gerar to stumble, and he possessed himself +of the land of the children of Heth and the whole realm +of Canaan. Their father Abraham went down into Egypt, +and said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister, in order to +make Egypt and its king to stumble. + +"His son Isaac did likewise when he went to Gerar, and +he dwelt there, and his strength prevailed over the army of +Abimelech, and he intended to make the kingdom of the +Philistines to stumble, by saying that Rebekah his wife was +his sister. + +"Jacob also dealt treacherously with his brother, and took +his birthright and his blessing from him. Then he went to +Paddan-aram, to Laban, his mother's brother, and he obtained +his daughters from him cunningly, and also his cattle +and all his belongings, and he fled away and returned to the +land of Canaan, to his father. + +"His sons sold their brother Joseph, and he went down +into Egypt and became a slave, and he was put into prison +for twelve years, until the former Pharaoh delivered him +from the prison, and magnified him above all the princes of +Egypt on account of his interpreting the king's dreams. +When God caused a famine to descend upon the whole +world, Joseph sent for his father, and he brought him down +into Egypt his father, his brethren, and all his father's +household, and he supplied them with food without pay or +reward, while he acquired Egypt, and made slaves of all its +inhabitants. + +"Now, therefore, my lord king, behold, this child has +risen up in their stead in Egypt, to do according to their +deeds and make sport of every man, be he king, prince, +or judge. If it please the king, let us now spill his blood +upon the ground, lest he grow up and snatch the government +from thine hand, and the hope of Egypt be cut off +after he reigns. Let us, moreover, call for all the judges +and the wise men of Egypt, that we may know whether the +judgment of death be due to this child, as I have said, and +then we will slay him." + +Pharaoh sent and called for all the wise men of Egypt, +and they came, and the angel Gabriel was disguised as one +of them. When they were asked their opinion in the matter, +Gabriel spoke up, and said: "If it please the king, let him +place an onyx stone before the child, and a coal of fire, and +if he stretches out his hand and grasps the onyx stone, then +shall we know that the child hath done with wisdom all that +he bath done, and we will slay him. But if he stretches out +his hand and grasps the coal of fire, then shall we know that +it was not with consciousness that he did the thing, and he +shall live." + +The counsel seemed good in the eyes of the king, and +when they had placed the stone and the coal before the child, +Moses stretched forth his hand toward the onyx stone and +attempted to seize it, but the angel Gabriel guided his hand +away from it and placed it upon the live coal, and the coal +burnt the child's hand, and he lifted it up and touched it to +his mouth, and burnt part of his lips and part of his tongue, +and for all his life he became slow of speech and of a slow +tongue. + +Seeing this, the king and the princes knew that Moses had +not acted with knowledge in taking the crown from off the +king's head, and they refrained from slaying him.[65] God +Himself, who protected Moses, turned the king's mind to +grace, and his foster-mother snatched him away, and she +had him educated with great care, so that the Hebrews +depended upon him, and cherished the hope that great things +would be done by him. But the Egyptians were suspicious +of what would follow from such an education as his.[66] + +At great cost teachers were invited to come to Egypt from +neighboring lands, to educate the child Moses. Some came +of their own accord, to instruct him in the sciences and the +liberal arts. By reason of his admirable endowments of +mind, he soon excelled his teachers in knowledge. His +learning seemed a process of mere recollecting, and when +there was a difference of opinion among scholars, he selected +the correct one instinctively, for his mind refused to +store up anything that was false.[67] + +But he deserves more praise for his unusual strength of +will than for his natural capacity, for he succeeded in +transforming +an originally evil disposition into a noble, exalted +character, a change that was farther aided by his resolution, +as he himself acknowledged later. After the wonderful +exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, a king of Arabia sent +an artist to Moses, to paint his portrait, that he might always +have the likeness of the divine man before him. The +painter returned with his handiwork, and the king assembled +his wise men, those in particular who were conversant with +the science of physiognomy. He displayed the portrait before +them, and invited their judgment upon it. The unanimous +opinion was that it represented a man covetous, +haughty, sensual, in short, disfigured by all possible ugly +traits. The king was indignant that they should pretend to +be masters in physiognomy, seeing that they declared the +picture of Moses, the holy, divine man, to be the picture of +a villain. They defended themselves by accusing the painter +in turn of not having produced a true portrait of Moses, +else they would not have fallen into the erroneous judgment +they had expressed. But the artist insisted that his work +resembled the original closely. + +Unable to decide who was right, the Arabian king went to +see Moses, and he could not but admit that the portrait +painted for him was a masterpiece. Moses as he beheld him +in the flesh was the Moses upon the canvas. There could +be no doubt but that the highly extolled knowledge of his +physiognomy experts was empty twaddle. He told Moses +what had happened, and what he thought of it. He replied: +"Thy artist and thy experts alike are masters, each in his +line. If my fine qualities were a product of nature, I were +no better than a log of wood, which remains forever as +nature produced it at the first. Unashamed I make the confession +to thee that by nature I possessed all the reprehensible +traits thy wise men read in my picture and ascribed to +me, perhaps to a greater degree even than they think. But +I mastered my evil impulses with my strong will, and the +character I acquired through severe discipline has become +the opposite of the disposition with which I was born. +Through this change, wrought in me by my own efforts, I +have earned honor and commendation upon earth as well as +in heaven."[68] + +THE YOUTH OF MOSES + +One day--it was after he was grown up, and had passed +beyond the years of childhood--Moses went to the land of +Goshen, in which lived the children of Israel. There he saw +the burdens under which his people were groaning, and he +inquired why the heavy service had been put upon them. +The Israelites told him all that had befallen, told him of the +cruel edict Pharaoh had issued shortly before his birth, and +told him of the wicked counsels given by Balaam against +themselves as well as against his person when he was but a +little boy and had set Pharaoh's crown upon his head. The +wrath of Moses was kindled against the spiteful adviser, +and he tried to think out means of rendering him harmless. +But Balaam, getting wind of his ill-feeling, fled from Egypt +with his two sons, and betook himself to the court of Kikanos +king of Ethiopia.[69] + +The sight of his enslaved people touched Moses unto +tears, and he spoke, saying: "Woe unto me for your anguish! +Rather would I die than see you suffer so grievously." +He did not disdain to help his unfortunate brethren +at their heavy tasks as much as lay in his power. He dismissed +all thought of his high station at court, shouldered a +share of the burdens put upon the Israelites, and toiled in +their place. The result was that he not only gave relief to +the heavily-laden workmen, but he also gained the favor of +Pharaoh, who believed that Moses was taking part in the +labor in order to promote the execution of the royal order. +And God said unto Moses: "Thou didst relinquish all thy +other occupations, and didst join thyself unto the children +of Israel, whom thou dost treat as brethren; therefore will I, +too, put aside now all heavenly and earthly affairs, and hold +converse with thee."[70] + +Moses continued to do all he could to alleviate the suffering +of his brethren to the best of his ability. He addressed +encouraging words to them, saying: "My dear brethren, +bear your lot with fortitude! Do not lose courage, and let +not your spirit grow weary with the weariness of your body. +Better times will come, when tribulation shall be changed +into joy. Clouds are followed by sunshine, storms by calm, +all things in the world tend toward their opposites, and +nothing is more inconstant than the fortunes of man."[71] + +The royal favor, which the king accorded him in ever- +increasing measure, he made use of to lighten the burden +laid upon the children of Israel. One day he came into the +presence of Pharaoh, and said: "O my lord, I have a request +to make of thee, and my hope is that thou wilt not +deny it." "Speak," replied the king. "It is an admitted +fact," said Moses, "that if a slave is not afforded rest at +least one day in the week, he will die of overexertion. Thy +Hebrew slaves will surely perish, unless thou accordest them +a day of cessation from work." Pharaoh fulfilled the petition +preferred by Moses, and the king's edict was published +in the whole of Egypt and in Goshen, as follows: "To the +sons of Israel! Thus saith the king: Do your work and +perform your service for six days, but on the seventh day +you shall rest; on it ye shall do no labor. Thus shall ye do +unto all times, according to the command of the king and +the command of Moses the son of Bithiah." And the day +appointed by Moses as the day of rest was Saturday, later +given by God to the Israelites as the Sabbath day.[72] + +While Moses abode in Goshen, an incident of great importance +occurred. To superintend the service of the children +of Israel, an officer from among them was set over +every ten, and ten such officers were under the surveillance +of an Egyptian taskmaster. One of these Hebrew officers, +Dathan by name, had a wife, Shelomith, the daughter of +Dibri, of the tribe of Dan, who was of extraordinary beauty, +but inclined to be very loquacious. Whenever the Egyptian +taskmaster set over her husband came to their house on +business connected with his office, she would approach him +pleasantly and enter into conversation with him. The beautiful +Israelitish woman enkindled a mad passion in his +breast, and he sought and found a cunning way of satisfying +his lustful desire. One day he appeared at break of dawn +at the house of Dathan, roused him from his sleep, and ordered +him to hurry his detachment of men to their work. +The husband scarcely out of sight, he executed the villainy +he had planned, and dishonored the woman, and the fruit of +this illicit relation was the blasphemer of the Name whom +Moses ordered to execution on the march through the desert. + +At the moment when the Egyptian slipped out of Shelomith's +chamber, Dathan returned home. Vexed that his +crime had come to the knowledge of the injured husband, +the taskmaster goaded him on to work with excessive vigor, +and dealt him blow after blow with the intention to kill +him.[73] Young Moses happened to visit the place at which +the much-abused and tortured Hebrew was at work. Dathan +hastened toward him, and complained of all the wrong and +suffering the Egyptian had inflicted upon him.[74] Full of +wrath, Moses, whom the holy spirit had acquainted with the +injury done the Hebrew officer by the Egyptian taskmaster, +cried out to the latter, saying: "Not enough that thou hast +dishonored this man's wife, thou aimest to kill him, too?" +And turning to God, he spoke further: "What will become +of Thy promise to Abraham, that his posterity shall be as +numerous as the stars, if his children are given over to +death? And what will become of the revelation on Sinai, +if the children of Israel are exterminated?" + +Moses wanted to see if someone would step forward, and, +impelled by zeal for the cause of God and for God's law, +would declare himself ready to avenge the outrage. He +waited in vain. Then he determined to act himself. Naturally +enough he hesitated to take the life of a human being. +He did not know whether the evil-doer might not be brought +to repentance, and then lead a life of pious endeavor. He +also considered, that there would perhaps be some among +the descendants to spring from the Egyptian for whose sake +their wicked ancestor might rightfully lay claim to clemency. +The holy spirit allayed all his doubts. He was made +to see that not the slightest hope existed that good would +come either from the malefactor himself or from any of his +offspring. Then Moses was willing to requite him for his +evil deeds. Nevertheless he first consulted the angels, to +hear what they had to say, and they agreed that the Egyptian +deserved death, and Moses acted according to their +opinion. + +Neither physical strength nor a weapon was needed to +carry out his purpose. He merely pronounced the Name of +God, and the Egyptian was a corpse. To the bystanders, the +Israelites, Moses said: "The Lord compared you unto the +sand of the sea-shore, and as the sand moves noiselessly +from place to place, so I pray you to keep the knowledge of +what hath happened a secret within yourselves. Let nothing +be heard concerning it." + +The wish expressed by Moses was not honored. The slaying +of the Egyptian remained no secret, and those who betrayed +it were Israelites, Dathan and Abiram, the sons of +Pallu, of the tribe of Reuben, notorious for their effrontery +and contentiousness. The day after the thing with the +Egyptians happened, the two brothers began of malice aforethought +to scuffle with each other, only in order to draw +Moses into the quarrel and create an occasion for his betrayal. +The plan succeeded admirably. Seeing Dathan +raise his hand against Abiram, to deal him a blow, Moses +exclaimed, "O thou art a villain, to lift up thy hand against +an Israelite, even if he is no better than thou." Dathan replied: +"Young man, who hath made thee to be a judge +over us, thou that hast not yet attained to years of maturity? +We know very well that thou art the son of Jochebed, though +people call thee the son of the princess Bithiah, and if thou +shouldst attempt to play the part of our master and judge, +we will publish abroad the thing thou didst unto the Egyptian. +Or, peradventure, thou harborest the intention to +slay us as thou didst slay him, by pronouncing the Name +of God?" + +Not satisfied with these taunts, the noble pair of brothers +betook themselves to Pharaoh, and spoke before him, +"Moses dishonoreth thy royal mantle and thy crown," to +which Pharaoh returned, saying, "Much good may it do +him!" But they pursued the subject. "He helps thine +enemies, Pharaoh," they continued, whereupon he replied, as +before, "Much good may it do him!" Still they went on, +"He is not the son of thy daughter." These last words did +not fail of making an impression upon Pharaoh.[75] A royal +command was issued for the arrest of Moses, and he was +condemned to death by the sword. + +The angels came to God, and said, "Moses, the familiar +of Thine house, is held under restraint," and God replied, "I +will espouse his cause." "But," the angels urged, "his +verdict of death has been pronounced--yes, they are leading +him to execution," and again God made reply, as before, "I +will espouse his cause." + +Moses mounted the scaffold, and a sword, sharp beyond +compare, was set upon his neck ten times, but it always +slipped away, because his neck was as hard as ivory. And a +still greater miracle came to pass. God sent down the angel +Michael, in the guise of a hangman, and the human hangman +charged by Pharaoh with the execution was changed +into the form of Moses. This spurious Moses the angel +killed with the very sword with which the executioner had +purposed to slay the intended victim. Meantime Moses took +to flight. Pharaoh ordered his pursuit, but it was in vain. +The king's troops were partly stricken with blindness +partly with dumbness. The dumb could give no information +about the abiding-place of Moses, and the blind, though +they knew where it was, could not get to it.[76] + +THE FLIGHT + +An angel of God took Moses to a spot removed forty +days' journey from Egypt, so far off that all fear was banished +from his mind.[77] Indeed, his anxiety had never been +for his own person, but only on account of the future of +Israel. The subjugation of his people had always been an +unsolved enigma to him. Why should Israel, he would ask +himself, suffer more than all the other nations? But when +his personal straits initiated him in the talebearing and back- +biting that prevailed among the Israelites, then he asked +himself, Does this people deserve to be redeemed?[78] The +religious conditions among the children of Israel were of +such kind at that time as not to permit them to hope for +Divine assistance. They refused to give ear to Aaron and +the five sons of Zerah, who worked among them as prophets, +and admonished them unto the fear of God. It was on account +of their impiety that the heavy hand of Pharaoh rested +upon them more and more oppressively, until God had +mercy upon them, and sent Moses to deliver them from the +slavery of Egypt.[79] + +When he succeeded in effecting his escape from the hands +of the hangman, Moses had no idea that a royal throne +awaited him. It was nevertheless so. A war broke out at +this time between Ethiopia and the nations of the East that +had been subject to it until then. Kikanos, the king, +advanced against the enemy with a great army. He left +Balaam and Balaam's two sons, Jannes and Jambres, behind, +to keep guard over his capital and take charge of the people +remaining at home. The absence of the king gave Balaam +the opportunity of winning his subjects over to his side, and +he was put upon the throne, and his two sons were set over +the army as generals. To cut Kikanos off from his capital, +Balaam and his sons invested the city, so that none could +enter it against their will. On two sides they made the +walls higher, on the third they dug a network of canals, into +which they conducted the waters of the river girding the +whole land of Ethiopia, and on the fourth side their magic +arts collected a large swarm of snakes and scorpions. Thus +none could depart, and none could enter. + +Meantime Kikanos succeeded in subjugating the rebellious +nations. When he returned at the head of his victorious +army, and espied the high city wall from afar, he and +his men said: "The inhabitants of the city, seeing that the +war detained us abroad for a long time, have raised the +walls and fortified them, that the kings of Canaan may not +be able to enter." On approaching the city gates, which +were barred, they cried out to the guards to open them, but +by Balaam's instructions they were not permitted to pass +through. A skirmish ensued, in which Kikanos lost one +hundred and thirty men. On the morrow the combat was +continued, the king with his troops being stationed on the +thither bank of the river. This day he lost his thirty riders, +who, mounted on their steeds, had attempted to swim the +stream. Then the king ordered rafts to be constructed for +the transporting of his men. When the vessels reached the +canals, they were submerged, and the waters, swirling round +and round as though driven by mill wheels, swept away two +hundred men, twenty from each raft. On the third day they +set about assaulting the city from the side on which the +snakes and scorpions swarmed, but they failed to reach it, +and the reptiles killed one hundred and seventy men. The +king desisted from attacking the city, but for the space of +nine years he surrounded it, so that none could come out or +go in. + +While the siege was in progress, Moses appeared in the +king's camp on his flight before Pharaoh, and at once found +favor with Kikanos and his whole army. He exercised an +attraction upon all that saw him, for he was slender like a +palm-tree, his countenance shone as the morning sun, and +his strength was equal to a lion's. So deep was the king's +affection for him that he appointed him to be commander-in-chief +of his forces. + +At the end of the nine years Kikanos fell a prey to a mortal +disease, and he died on the seventh day of his illness. His +servants embalmed him, buried him opposite to the city gate +toward the land of Egypt, and over his grave they erected a +magnificent structure, strong and high, upon the walls +whereof they engraved all the mighty deeds and battles of +the dead king. + +Now, after the death of Kikanos, his men were greatly +grieved on account of the war. One said unto the other, +"Counsel us, what shall we do at this time? We have been +abiding in the wilderness, away from our homes, for nine +years. If we fight against the city, many of us will fall +dead; and if we remain here besieging it, we shall also die. +For now all the princes of Aram and of the children of the +East will hear that our king is dead, and they will attack us +suddenly, and they will fight with us until not a remnant +will be left. Now, therefore, let us go and set a king over +us, and we will remain here besieging the city until it +surrenders unto us." + +THE KING OF ETHIOPIA + +They could find none except Moses fit to be their king. +They hastened and stripped off each man his upper garment, +and cast them all in a heap upon the ground, making +a high place, on top of which they set Moses. Then they +blew with trumpets, and called out before him: "Long live +the king! Long live the king!" And all the people and +the nobles swore unto him to give him Adoniah for wife, the +Ethiopian queen, the widow of Kikanos. And they made +Moses king over them on that day. + +They also issued a proclamation, commanding every man +to give Moses of what he possessed, and upon the high +place they spread a sheet, wherein each one cast something, +this one a gold nose ring, that one a coin, and onyx stones, +bdellium, pearls, gold, and silver in great abundance. + +Moses was twenty-seven years old when he became king +over Ethiopia, and he reigned for forty years. On the +seventh day of his reign, all the people assembled and came +before him, to ask his counsel as to what was to be done to +the city they were besieging. The king answered them, and +said: "If you will hearken to my words, the city will be +delivered into our hands. Proclaim with a loud voice +throughout the whole camp, unto all the people, saying: +'Thus saith the king! Go to the forest and fetch hither of +the young of the stork, each man one fledgling in his hand. +And if there be any man that transgresseth the word of the +king, not to bring a bird, he shall die, and the king shall take +all belonging to him.' And when you have brought them, +they shall be in your keeping. You shall rear them until +they grow up, and you shall teach them to fly as the hawk +flieth." + +All the people did according to the word of Moses, and +after the young storks had grown to full size, he ordered +them to be starved for three days. On the third day the +king said unto them, "Let every man put on his armor and +gird his sword upon him. Each one shall mount his horse, +and each shall set his stork upon his hand, and we will rise +up and fight against the city opposite to the place of the +serpents." + +When they came to the appointed spot, the king said to +them, "Let each man send forth his young stork, to descend +upon the serpents." Thus they did, and the birds swooped +down and devoured all the reptiles and destroyed them. +After the serpents were removed in this way, the men fought +against the city, subdued it, and killed all its inhabitants, but +of the people besieging it there died not one. + +When Balaam saw that the city had fallen into the hands +of the besiegers, he exercised his magic arts, which enabled +him to fly through the air, and he carried with him his two +sons, Jannes and Jambres, and his eight brothers, and they +all took refuge in Egypt. + +Seeing that they had been saved by the king, and the city +had been taken by his good counsel, the people became more +than ever attached to him. They set the royal crown upon +his head, and gave him Adoniah, the widow of Kikanos to +wife. But Moses feared the stern God of his fathers, and +he went not in unto Adoniah, nor did he turn his eyes toward +her, for he remembered how Abraham had made his servant +Eliezer swear, saying unto him, "Thou shalt not take a wife +for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom +I dwell." He also remembered what Isaac did when Jacob +fled before his brother Esau, how he commanded his son, +saying, "Thou shalt not take a wife from the daughters +of Canaan, nor ally thyself by marriage with any of the children +of Ham, for the Lord our God gave Ham the son of +Noah and all his seed as slaves to the children of Shem and +Japheth forever." + +At that time Aram and the children of the East heard that +Kikanos the king of Ethiopia had died, and they rose up +against the Ethiopians, but Moses went forth with a mighty +army to fight against the rebellious nations, and he subdued +them, first the children of the East and then Aram. + +Moses continued to prosper in his kingdom. He conducted +the government in justice, righteousness, and integrity, +and his people loved and feared him. + +In the fortieth year of his reign, while he was sitting upon +his throne one day, surrounded by all the nobles, Adoniah +the queen, who was seated before him, rose up, and spake: +"What is this thing which you, the people of Ethiopia, have +done these many days? Surely you know that during the +forty years this man bath reigned over you, he hath not +approached me, nor hath he worshipped the gods of Ethiopia. +Now, therefore, let this man reign over you no more, for he +is not of our flesh. Behold, Monarchos my son is grown up, +let him reign over you. It is better for you to serve the son +of your lord than a stranger, a slave of the king of Egypt." + +A whole day the people and the nobles contended with +one another, whether to pay heed to the words of the queen. +The officers of the army remained faithful to Moses, but the +people of the cities were in favor of crowning the son of +their former lord as king. The following morning they rose +up and made Monarchos, the son of Kikanos, king over +them, but they were afraid to stretch forth their hand +against Moses, for the Lord was with him. They also remembered +the oath they had sworn unto Moses, and therefore +they did him no harm. Moreover, they gave many +presents to him, and dismissed him with great honor. + +When Moses left Ethiopia, in the sixty-seventh year of +his age, it was the time appointed by God in the days of old +to bring Israel forth from the affliction of the children of +Ham. But fearing to return to Egypt on account of Pharaoh, +Moses journeyed to Midian.[80] + + +JETHRO + +In the city of Midian, named thus for a son of Abraham +by Keturah,[81] the man Jethro had lived for many years, +doing a priest's service before the idols. As time went on, +he grew more and more convinced of the vanity of idol worship. +His priesthood became repugnant to him, and he +resolved to give up his, charge. He stood before his townsmen, +and said, "Until now I performed your service before +the idols, but I have grown too old for the duties of the +office. Choose, therefore, whomever you would choose in +my place." Speaking thus, he delivered to the people all +the paraphernalia appertaining to the idol worship, and bade +them transfer them to the one to whom in their discretion +they should entrust his position. Suspecting Jethro's hidden +motives, the people put him under the ban, and none might +venture to do him the slightest service. Not even would +the shepherds pasture his flocks, and there was nothing for +him to do but impose this work upon his seven daughters.[82] + +Jethro's transformation from an idolatrous priest into a +God-fearing man is conveyed by his seven names. He was +called Jether, because the Torah contains an "additional" +section about him; Jethro, he "overflowed" with good +deeds. Hobab, "the beloved son of God"; Reuel, "the +friend of God"; Heber, "the associate of God"; Putiel, +"he that hath renounced idolatry"; and Keni, he that was +"zealous" for God, and "acquired" the Torah.[83] + +In consequence of the hostile relation between Jethro and +the inhabitants of the city, his daughters were in the habit +of making their appearance at the watering troughs before +the other shepherds came thither. But the ruse was not +successful. The shepherds would drive them away, and +water their own flocks at the troughs that the maidens had +filled. When Moses arrived in Midian, it was at the well +that he made halt, and his experience was the same as Isaac's +and Jacob's. Like them he found his helpmeet there. +Rebekah had been selected by Eliezer as the wife of Isaac, +while she was busy drawing water for him; Jacob had seen +Rachel first, while she was watering her sheep, and at this +well in Midian Moses met his future wife Zipporah. + +The rudeness of the shepherds reached its climax the +very day of Moses' arrival. First they deprived the maidens +of the water they had drawn for themselves, and attempted +to do violence to them, and then they threw them into the +water with intent to kill them. At this moment Moses appeared, +dragged the maidens out of the water, and gave the +flocks to drink, first Jethro's and then the flocks of the shep- +herds, though the latter did not deserve his good offices. +True, he did them the service with but little trouble to himself, +for he had only to draw a bucketful, and the water +flowed so copiously that it sufficed for all the herds,[84] and +it +did not cease to flow until Moses withdrew from the well,[85] +--the same well at which Jacob had met Rachel, his future +wife, and the same well that God created at the beginning +of the world, the opening of which He made in the twilight +of the first Sabbath eve.[86] + +Jethro's daughters thanked Moses for the assistance he +had afforded them. But Moses warded off their gratitude, +saying, "Your thanks are due to the Egyptian I killed, on +account of whom I had to flee from Egypt. Had it not been +for him, I should not be here now."[87] + + +MOSES MARRIES ZIPPORAH + +One of the seven maidens whom Moses saw at the well +attracted his notice in particular on account of her modest +demeanor, and he made her a proposal of marriage. But +Zipporah repulsed him, saying, "My father has a tree in +his garden with which he tests every man that expresses a +desire to marry one of his daughters, and as soon as the +suitor touches the tree, he is devoured by it." + +Moses: "Whence has he the tree?" + +Zipporah: "It is the rod that the Holy One, blessed be +He, created in the twilight of the first Sabbath eve, and gave +to Adam. He transmitted it to Enoch, from him it descended +to Noah, then to Shem, and Abraham, and Isaac, +and finally to Jacob, who brought it with him to Egypt, and +gave it to his son Joseph. When Joseph died, the Egyptians +pillaged his house, and the rod, which was in their +booty, they brought to Pharaoh's palace. At that time my +father was one of the most prominent of the king's sacred +scribes, and as such he had the opportunity of seeing the +rod. He felt a great desire to possess it, and he stole it and +took it to his house. On this rod the Ineffable Name is +graven, and also the ten plagues that God will cause to visit +the Egyptians in a future day. For many years it lay in +my father's house. One day he was walking in his garden +carrying it, and he stuck it in the ground. When he attempted +to draw it out again, he found that it had sprouted, +and was putting forth blossoms. That is the rod with which +he tries any that desire to marry his daughters. He insists +that our suitors shall attempt to pull it out of the ground, +but as soon as they touch it, it devours them." + +Having given him this account of her father's rod, Zipporah +went home, accompanied by her sisters, and Moses +followed them.[88] + +Jethro was not a little amazed to see his daughters return +so soon from the watering troughs. As a rule, the chicanery +they had to suffer from the shepherds detained them until +late.[89] No sooner had he heard their report about the wonder- +working Egyptian than he exclaimed, "Mayhap he is +one of the descendants of Abraham, from whom issueth +blessing for the whole world."[90] He rebuked his daughters +for not having invited the stranger that had done them so +valuable a service to come into their house, and he ordered +them to fetch him, in the hope that he would take one of his +daughters to wife.[91] + +Moses had been standing without all this time, and had +allowed Jethro's daughters to describe him as an Egyptian, +without protesting and asserting his Hebrew birth. For +this God punished him by causing him to die outside of the +promised land. Joseph, who had proclaimed in public that +he was a Hebrew, found his last resting-place in the land of +the Hebrews, and Moses, who apparently had no objection +to being considered an Egyptian, had to live and die outside +of that land.[92] + +Zipporah hastened forth to execute her father's wish, and +no sooner had she ushered him in[93] than Moses requested her +hand in marriage. Jethro replied, "If thou canst bring me +the rod in my garden, I will give her to thee." Moses went +out,[94] found the sapphire rod that God had bestowed upon +Adam when he was driven forth from Paradise, the rod that +had reached Jethro after manifold vicissitudes, and which +he had planted in the garden. Moses uprooted it and carried +it to Jethro,[95] who conceived the idea at once that he was the +prophet in Israel concerning whom all the wise men of Egypt +had foretold that he would destroy their land and its +inhabitants. +As soon as this thought struck him, he seized Moses, +and threw him into a pit, in the expectation that he would +meet with death there. + +And, indeed, he would have perished, if Zipporah had +not devised a stratagem to save his life. She said to her +father: "Would it were thy will to hearken unto my counsel. +Thou hast no wife, but only seven daughters. Dost +thou desire my six sisters to preside over thy household? +Then shall I go abroad with the sheep. If not, let my sisters +tend the flocks, and I shall take care of the house." Her +father said: "Thou hast spoken well. Thy six sisters shall +go forth with the sheep, and thou shalt abide in the house +and take care of it, and all that belongeth to me therein." + +Now Zipporah could provide Moses with all sorts of +dainties as he lay in the pit, and she did it for the space of +seven years. At the expiration of this period, she said to +her father: "I recollect that once upon a time thou didst +cast into yonder pit a man that had fetched thy rod from the +garden for thee, and thou didst commit a great trespass +thereby. If it seemeth well to thee, uncover the pit and look +into it. If the man is dead, throw his corpse away, lest it +fill the house with stench. But should he be alive, then +thou oughtest to be convinced that he is one of those who +are wholly pious, else he had died of hunger." + +The reply of Jethro was: "Thou hast spoken wisely. +Dost thou remember his name?" And Zipporah rejoined, +"I remember he called himself Moses the son of Amram." +Jethro lost no time, he opened the pit, and called out, +"Moses! Moses!" Moses replied, and said: "Here am +I!" Jethro drew him up out of the pit, kissed him, and +said: "Blessed be God, who guarded thee for seven years +in the pit. I acknowledge that He slayeth and reviveth, +that thou art one of the wholly pious, that through thee God +will destroy Egypt in time to come, lead His people out of +the land, and drown Pharaoh and his whole army in the +sea."[96] + +Thereupon Jethro gave much money to Moses, and he +bestowed his daughter Zipporah upon him as wife, giving +her to him under the condition that the children born of the +marriage in Jethro's house should be divided into two equal +classes, the one to be Israelitish, the other Egyptian. When +Zipporah bore him a son, Moses circumcised him,[97] and +called him Gershom, as a memorial of the wonder God had +done for him, for although he lived in a "strange" land, the +Lord had not refused him aid even "there."[98] + +Zipporah nursed her first child for two years, and in the +third year she bore a second son. Remembering his compact +with Jethro, Moses realized that his father-in-law would +not permit him to circumcise this one, too, and he determined +to return to Egypt, that he might have the opportunity +of bringing up his second son as an Israelite. On +the journey thither, Satan appeared to him in the guise of a +serpent, and swallowed Moses down to his extremities. +Zipporah knew by this token that the thing had happened +because her second son had not been circumcised, and she +hastened to make good the omission. As soon as she sprinkled +the blood of the circumcision on her husband's feet, a +heavenly voice was heard to cry to the serpent, commanding +him, "Spew him out!" and Moses came forth and stood +upon his feet. Thus Zipporah saved Moses' life twice, first +from the pit and then from the serpent.[99] + +When Moses arrived in Egypt, he was approached by +Dathan and Abiram, the leaders of the Israelites, and they +spake: "Comest thou hither to slay us, or dost thou purpose +to do the same with us as thou didst with the Egyptian?" +This drove Moses straightway back to Midian, and +there he remained two years more, until God revealed Himself +at Horeb, and said to him, "Go and bring forth My +children out of the land of Egypt.[100] + +A BLOODY REMEDY + +The latter years of Israel's bondage in Egypt were the +worst. To punish Pharaoh for his cruelty toward the children +of Israel, God afflicted him with a plague of leprosy, +which covered his whole body, from the crown of his bead +to the soles of his feet. Instead of being chastened by his +disease, Pharaoh remained stiffnecked, and he tried to restore +his health by murdering Israelitish children. He took +counsel with his three advisers, Balaam, Jethro, and Job, +how he might be healed of the awful malady that had seized +upon him. Balaam spoke, saying, "Thou canst regain thy +health only if thou wilt slaughter Israelitish children and +bathe in their blood." Jethro, averse from having a share +in such an atrocity, left the king and fled to Midian. Job, +on the other hand, though he also disapproved of Balaam's +counsel, kept silence, and in no wise protested against it,[101] +wherefor God punished him with a year's suffering.[102] But +afterward He loaded him down with all the felicities of this +life, and granted him many years, so that this pious Gentile +might be rewarded in this world for his good deeds and not +have the right to urge a claim upon the beatitude of the +future life.[103] + +In pursuance of the sanguinary advice given by Balaam, +Pharaoh had his bailiffs snatch Israelitish babes from their +mothers' breasts, and slaughter them, and in the blood of +these innocents he bathed. His disease afflicted him for ten +years, and every day an Israelitish child was killed for him. +It was all in vain; indeed, at the end of the time his leprosy +changed into boils, and he suffered more than before. + +While he was in this agony, the report was brought to +him that the children of Israel in Goshen were careless and +idle in their forced labor. The news aggravated his suffering, +and he said: "Now that I am ill, they turn and scoff +at me. Harness my chariot, and I will betake myself to +Goshen, and see the derision wherewith the children of +Israel deride me." And they took and put him upon a horse, +for he was not able to mount it himself. When he and his +men had come to the border between Egypt and Goshen, +the king's steed passed into a narrow place. The other +horses, running rapidly through the pass, pressed upon each +other until the king's horse fell while he sate upon it, and +when it fell, the chariot turned over on his face, and also +the horse lay upon him. The king's flesh was torn from +him, for this thing was from the Lord, He had heard the +cries of His people and their affliction. The king's servants +carried him upon their shoulders, brought him back to +Egypt, and placed him on his bed. + +He knew that his end was come to die, and the queen +Alfar'anit and his nobles gathered about his bed, and they +wept a great weeping with him. + +The princes and his counsellors advised the king to make +choice of a successor, to reign in his stead, whomsoever he +would choose from among his sons. He had three sons and +two daughters by the queen Alfar'anit, beside children from +concubines. The name of his first-born was Atro, the name +of the second Adikam, and of the third Moryon. The name +of the older daughter was Bithiah, and of the other, Akuzit. +The first-born of the sons of the king was an idiot, precipitate +and heedless in all his actions. Adikam, the second son, +was a cunning and clever man, and versed in all the wisdom +of Egypt, but ungainly in appearance, fleshy and short of +stature; his height was a cubit and a space, and his beard +flowed down to his ankles. + +The king resolved that Adikam should reign in his stead +after his death. When this second son of his was but ten +years old, he had given him Gedidah, the daughter of Abilat, +to wife, and she bore him four sons. Afterward Adikam +went and took three other wives, and begot eight sons and +three daughters. + +The king's malady increased upon him greatly, and his +flesh emitted a stench like a carcass cast into the field in +summer time in the heat of the sun. When he saw that his +disorder bad seized upon him with a strong grip, he commanded +his son Adikam to be brought to him, and they made +him king over the land in his place. + +At the end of three years the old king died in shame and +disgrace, a loathing to all that saw him, and they buried him +in the sepulchre of the kings of Egypt in Zoan, but they did +not embalm him, as was usual with kings, for his flesh was +putrid, and they could not approach his body on account of +the stench, and they buried him in haste. Thus the Lord +requited him with evil for the evil he had done in his days to +Israel, and he died in terror and shame after having reigned +ninety-four years. + +Adikam was twenty years old when he succeeded his +father, and he reigned four years. The people of Egypt +called him Pharaoh, as was their custom with all their kings, +but his wise men called him Akuz, for Akuz is the word for +"short" in the Egyptian language, and Adikam was exceedingly +awkward and undersized. The new Pharaoh surpassed +his father Malol and all the former kings in wickedness, +and he made heavier the yoke upon the children of +Israel. He went to Goshen with his servants, and increased +their labor, and he said unto them, "Complete your work, +each day's task, and let not your hands slacken from the +work from this day forward, as you did in the day of my +father." He placed officers over them from amongst the +children of Israel, and over these officers he placed +taskmasters from amongst his servants. And he put before them +a measure for bricks, according to the number they were to +make day by day, and whenever any deficiency was discovered +in the measure of their daily bricks, the taskmasters of +Pharaoh would go to the women of the children of Israel, +and take their infants from them, as many as the number +of bricks lacking in the measure, and these babes they +put into the building instead of the missing bricks. The +taskmasters forced each man of the Israelites to put his own +child in the building. The father would place his son in the +wall, and cover him over with mortar, all the while weeping, +his tears running down upon his child. + +The children of Israel sighed every day on account of +their dire suffering, for they had thought that after Pharaoh's +death his son would lighten their toil, but the new +king was worse than his father. And God saw the burden +of the children of Israel, and their heavy work, and He +determined to deliver them.[104] + +However, it was not for their own sake that God resolved +upon the deliverance of the children of Israel, for they were +empty of good deeds, and the Lord foreknew that, once they +were redeemed, they would rise up against Him, and even +worship the golden calf. Yet He took mercy upon them, for +He remembered His covenant with the Fathers, and He +looked upon their repentance for their sins, and accepted +their promise, to fulfil the word of God after their going +forth from Egypt even before they should hear it.[105] + +After all, the children of Israel were not wholly without +merits. In a high degree they possessed qualities of +extraordinary +excellence. There were no incestuous relations +among them, they were not evil-tongued, they did not change +their names, they clung to the Hebrew language, never giving +it up,[106] and great fraternal affection prevailed among +them. If one happened to finish the tale of his bricks before +his neighbors, he was in the habit of helping the others. +Therefore God spake, "They deserve that I should have +mercy upon them, for if a man shows mercy unto another, I +have mercy upon him."[107] + + +THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD + +When Jethro bestowed his daughter Zipporah upon Moses +as his wife, he said to his future son-in-law: "I know that +thy father Jacob took his wives, the daughters of Laban, and +went away with them against their father's will. Now take +an oath that thou wilt not do the same unto me," and Moses +swore not to leave him without his consent,[108] and he +remained with Jethro, who made him the shepherd of his +flocks. By the way he tended the sheep, God saw his fitness +to be the shepherd of His people, for God never gives an +exalted office to a man until He has tested him in little +things. Thus Moses and David were tried as shepherds of +flocks, and only after they had proved their ability as such, +He gave them dominion over men. + +Moses watched over the flocks with loving care. He led +the young animals to pasture first, that they might have the +tender, juicy grass for their food; the somewhat older animals +he led forth next, and allowed them to graze off the +herbs suitable for them; and finally came the vigorous ones +that had attained their full growth, and to them he gave the +hard grass that was left, which the others could not eat, but +which afforded good food for them. Then spake God, "He +that understandeth how to pasture sheep, providing for each +what is good for it, he shall pasture My people." + +Once a kid escaped from the flock, and when Moses followed +it, he saw how it stopped at all the water courses, and +he said to it: "Poor kid, I knew not that thou wast thirsty, +and wast running after water! Thou art weary, I ween," +and he carried it back to the herd on his shoulder. Then +said God: "Thou hast compassion with a flock belonging +to a man of flesh and blood! As thou livest, thou shalt pasture +Israel, My flock."[109] + +Not only did Moses take heed that no harm should come +to the herds under his charge, but he was also careful that +they cause no injury to men. He always chose an open +meadow as his pasturing place, to prevent his sheep from +grazing in private estates.[110] + +Jethro had no reason to be dissatisfied with the services +rendered to him by his son-in-law. During the forty years +Moses acted as his shepherd not one sheep was attacked by +wild beasts, and the herds multiplied to an incredible +degree.[111] Once he drove the sheep about in the desert for +forty days, without finding a pasturing place for them. +Nevertheless he did not lose a single sheep. + +Moses' longing for the desert was irresistible. His prophetic +spirit caused him to foresee that his own greatness +and the greatness of Israel would manifest themselves there. +In the desert God's wonders would appear, though it would +be at the same time the grave of the human herd to be entrusted +to him in the future, and also his own last resting- +place. Thus he had a presentiment at the very beginning +of his career that the desert would be the scene of his +activity, which not only came true in the present order of +things, but also will be true in the latter days, when he will +appear in the desert again, to lead into the promised land +the generation, arisen from their graves, that he brought +forth from Egyptian bondage.[112] + +Wandering through the desert, he reached Mount Horeb, +which is called by six names, each conveying one of its +distinctions. It is "the mountain of God," wherein the Lord +revealed His law; "Basban," for God "came there"; "a +mountain of humps," for the Lord declared all the other +mountains unfit for the revelation, as "crookbackt" animals +are declared unfit for sacrifices; "mountain of abode," +because it is the mountain that God desired for His +"abode"; Sinai, because the "hatred" of God against the +heathen began at the time when Israel received the law +thereon; and Horeb, "sword," because there the sword of +the law was drawn upon the sinners.[113] + +THE BURNING THORN-BUSH + +When Moses drew near to Mount Horeb, he was aware at +once that it was a holy place, for he noticed that passing +birds did not alight upon it. At his approach the mountain +began to move, as though to go forward and meet him, and +it settled back into quietude only when his foot rested upon +it.[114] The first thing Moses noticed was the wonderful burning +bush, the upper part of which was a blazing flame, +neither consuming the bush, nor preventing it from bearing +blossoms as it burnt, for the celestial fire has three peculiar +qualities: it produces blossoms, it does not consume the object +around which it plays, and it is black of color. The +fire that Moses saw in the bush was the appearance of the +angel Michael, who had descended as the forerunner of the +Shekinah herself to come down presently. It was the wish +of God to hold converse with Moses, who, however, was not +inclined to permit any interruption of the work under his +charge. Therefore God startled him with the wonderful +phenomenon of the burning thorn-bush. That brought +Moses to a stop, and then God spoke with him. + +There were good reasons for selecting the thorn-bush as +the vessel for a Divine vision. It was "clean," for the +heathen could not use it to make idols. God's choosing to +dwell in the stunted thorn-bush conveyed the knowledge to +Moses that He suffers along with Israel. Furthermore, +Moses was taught that there is nothing in nature, not even +the insignificant thorn-bush, that can exist without the presence +of the Shekinah. Besides, the thorn-bush may be taken +as the symbol for Israel in several respects. As the thorn- +bush is the lowliest of all species of trees, so the condition +of Israel in the exile is the lowliest as compared with that of +all the other nations, but as the thorn-bush releases no bird +that alights upon it without lacerating its wings, so the nations +that subjugate Israel will be punished. Also, as a +garden hedge is made of the thorn-bush, so Israel forms the +hedge for the world, the garden of God, for without Israel +the world could not endure. Furthermore, as the thorn- +bush bears thorns and roses alike, so Israel has pious and +impious members, and as the thorn-bush requires ample +water for its growth, so Israel can prosper only through the +Torah, the celestial water. And the thorn-bush, the leaf of +which consists of five leaflets, was to indicate to Moses that +God had resolved to redeem Israel only for the sake of the +merits of five pious men, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Aaron, and +Moses. The numbers represented by the letters composing +the Hebrew word for thorn-bush, Seneh, add up to one +hundred and twenty, to convey that Moses would reach +the age of one hundred and twenty years, and that the +Shekinah would rest on Mount Horeb for one hundred and +twenty days. Finally, in order to give Moses an illustration +of His modesty, God descended from the exalted +heavens and spake to him from a lowly thorn-bush instead +of the summit of a lofty mountain or the top of a stately +cedar tree.[115] + + +THE ASCENSION OF MOSES + +The vision of the burning bush appeared to Moses alone; +the other shepherds with him saw nothing of it. He took +five steps in the direction of the bush, to view it at close +range, and when God beheld the countenance of Moses distorted by +grief and anxiety over Israel's suffering, He spake, +"This one is worthy of the office of pasturing My people."[116] + +Moses was still a novice in prophecy, therefore God said +to Himself, "If I reveal Myself to him in loud tones, I shall +alarm him, but if I reveal Myself with a subdued voice, he +will hold prophecy in low esteem," whereupon he addressed +him in his father Amram's voice. Moses was overjoyed to +hear his father speak, for it gave him the assurance that. +he was still alive. The voice called his name twice, and he +answered, "Here am I! What is my father's wish?" God +replied, saying, "I am not thy father. I but desired to +refrain from terrifying thee, therefore I spoke with thy +father's voice. I am the God of thy father, the God of +Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." These +words rejoiced Moses greatly, for not only was his father +Amram's name pronounced in the same breath with the +names of the three Patriarchs, but it came before theirs, as +though he ranked higher than they. + +Moses said not a word. In silent reverence before the +Divine vision he covered his face, and when God disclosed +the mission with which He charged him, of bringing the +Israelites forth from the land of Egypt, he answered with +humility, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and +bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" Thereupon +spake God, "Moses, thou art meek, and I will reward +thee for thy modesty. I will deliver the whole land of +Egypt into thine hand, and, besides, I will let thee ascend +unto the throne of My glory, and look upon all the angels +of the heavens." + +Hereupon God commanded Metatron, the Angel of the +Face, to conduct Moses to the celestial regions amid the +sound of music and song, and He commanded him furthermore +to summon thirty thousand angels, to serve as his +body-guard, fifteen thousand to right of him and fifteen +thousand to left of him. In abject terror Moses asked Metatron, +"Who art thou?" and the angel replied, "I am +Enoch, the son of Jared, thy ancestor, and God has charged +me to accompany thee to His throne." But Moses demurred, +saying, "I am but flesh and blood, and I cannot look upon +the countenance of an angel," whereupon Metatron changed +Moses' flesh into torches of fire, his eyes into Merkabah +wheels, his strength into an angel's, and his tongue into a +flame, and he took him to heaven with a retinue of thirty +thousand angels, one half moving to right of them and one +half to left of them. + +In the first heaven Moses saw streams upon streams of +water, and he observed that the whole heaven consisted of +windows, at each of which angels were stationed. Metatron +named and pointed out all the windows of heaven to +him: the window of prayer and the window of supplication; +of weeping and of joy; plenitude and starvation; wealth and +poverty; war and peace; conception and birth; showers and +soft rains; sin and repentance; life and death; pestilence +and healing; sickness and health; and many windows more. + +In the second heaven Moses saw the angel Nuriel, standing +three hundred parasangs high, with his retinue of fifty +myriads of angels, all fashioned out of water and fire, and +all keeping their faces turned toward the Shekinah while +they sang a song of praise to God. Metatron explained to +Moses, that these were the angels set over the clouds, the +winds, and the rains, who return speedily, as soon as they +have executed the will of their Creator, to their station in +the second of the heavens, there to proclaim the praise of +God. + +In the third heaven Moses saw an angel, so tall it would +take a human being five hundred years to climb to his height. +He had seventy thousand heads, each head having as many +mouths, each mouth as many tongues, and each tongue as +many sayings, and he together with his suite of seventy +thousand myriads of angels made of white fire praised and +extolled the Lord. "These," said Metatron to Moses, "are +called Erelim, and they are appointed over the grass, the +trees, the fruits, and the grain, but as soon as they have +done the will of their Creator, they return to the place assigned +to them, and praise God." + +In the fourth heaven Moses saw a Temple, the pillars +thereof made of red fire, the staves of green fire, the +thresholds +of white fire, the boards and clasps of flaming fire, the +gates of carbuncles, and the pinnacles of rubies. Angels +were entering the Temple and giving praise to God there. +In response to a question from Moses Metatron told him +that they presided over the earth, the sun, the moon, the +stars, and the other celestial bodies. and all of them intone +songs before God. In this heaven Moses noticed also the +two great planets, Venus and Mars, each as large as the +whole earth, and concerning these he asked unto what purpose +they had been created. Metatron explained thereupon, +that Venus lies upon the sun to cool him off in summer, else +he would scorch the earth, and Mars lies upon the moon, to +impart warmth to her, lest she freeze the earth. + +Arrived in the fifth heaven, Moses saw hosts of angels, +whose nether parts were of snow and their upper parts of +fire, and yet the snow did not melt nor was the fire +extinguished, +for God had established perfect harmony between +the two elements. These angels, called Ishim, have had +nothing to do since the day of their creation but praise and +extol the Lord. + +In the sixth of the heavens were millions and myriads of +angels praising God, they were called 'Irin and kadishim, +"Watchers" and "Holy Ones," and their chief was made of +hail, and he was so tall, it would take five hundred years to +walk a distance equal to his height. + +In the last heaven Moses saw two angels, each five hundred +parasangs in height, forged out of chains of black fire +and red fire, the angels Af, "Anger," and Hemah, "Wrath," +whom God created at the beginning of the world, to execute +His will. Moses was disquieted when he looked upon them, +but Metatron embraced him, and said, "Moses, Moses, thou +favorite of God, fear not, and be not terrified," and Moses +became calm. There was another angel in the seventh +heaven, different in appearance from all the others, and of +frightful mien. His height was so great, it would have +taken five hundred years to cover a distance equal to it, and +from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet he was +studded with glaring eyes, at the sight of which the beholder +fell prostrate in awe. "This one," said Metatron, addressing +Moses, "is Samael, who takes the soul away from man." +"Whither goes he now?" asked Moses, and Metatron replied, +"To fetch the soul of Job the pious." Thereupon +Moses prayed to God in these words, "O may it be Thy +will, my God and the God of my fathers, not to let me fall +into the hands of this angel." + +Here, in the highest heaven, he saw also the seraphim +with their six wings. With two they cover their face, that +they gaze not upon the Shekinah; and with two their feet, +which, being like a calf's feet, they hide, to keep secret +Israel's transgression of the golden calf. With the third +pair of wings they fly and do the service of the Lord, all the +while exclaiming, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; +the whole earth is full of His glory." The wings of these +angels are of prodigious size, it would take a man five hundred +years to traverse their length and their breadth, as +from one end of the earth to the other. + +And Moses saw in the seventh heaven the holy Hayyot, +which support the throne of God; and he beheld also the +angel Zagzagel, the prince of the Torah and of wisdom, who +teaches the Torah in seventy languages to the souls of men, +and thereafter they cherish the precepts contained therein +as laws revealed by God to Moses on Sinai. From this +angel with the horns of glory Moses himself learnt all the +ten mysteries." + +Having seen what there is in the seven heavens, he spoke +to God, saying, "I will not leave the heavens unless Thou +grantest me a gift," and God replied, "I will give thee the +Torah, and men shall call it the Law of Moses."[117] + + +MOSES VISITS PARADISE AND HELL + +When Moses was on the point of departing from heaven, +a celestial voice announced: "Moses, thou camest hither, +and thou didst see the throne of My glory. Now thou shalt +see also Paradise and hell," and God dispatched Gabriel on +the errand of showing hell to him. Terrified by its fires, +when he caught sight of them as he entered the portals of +hell, Moses refused to go farther. But the angel encouraged +him, saying, "There is a fire that not only burns but also +consumes, and that fire will protect thee against hell fire, +so that thou canst step upon it, and yet thou wilt not be +seared." + +As Moses entered hell, the fire withdrew a distance of +five hundred parasangs, and the Angel of Hell, Nasargiel, +asked him, "Who art thou?" and he answered, "I am +Moses, the son of Amram." + +Nasargiel: "This is not thy place, thou belongest in +Paradise." + +Moses: "I came hither to see the manifestation of the +power of God." + +Then said God to the Angel of Hell, "Go and show hell +unto Moses, and how the wicked are treated there." Immediately +he went with Moses, walking before him like a pupil +before his master, and thus they entered hell together, and +Moses saw men undergoing torture by the Angels of Destruction: +some of the sinners were suspended by their eyelids, +some by their ears, some by their hands, and some by +their tongues, and they cried bitterly. And women were +suspended by their hair and by their breasts, and in other +ways, all on chains of fire. Nasargiel explained: "These +hang by their eyes, because they looked lustfully upon the +wives of their neighbors, and with a covetous eye upon the +possessions of their fellow-men. These hang by their ears +because they listened to empty and vain speech, and turned +their ear away from hearing the Torah. These hang by +their tongues, because they talked slander, and accustomed +their tongue to foolish babbling. These hang by their feet, +because they walked with them in order to spy upon their +fellow-men, but they walked not to the synagogue, to offer +prayer unto their Creator. These hang by their hands, because +with them they robbed their neighbors of their possessions, +and committed murder. These women hang by +their hair and their breasts, because they uncovered them in +the presence of young men, so that they conceived desire +unto them, and fell into sin." + +Moses heard hell cry with a loud and a bitter cry, saying +to Nasargiel: "Give me something to eat, I am hungry."-- +Nasargiel: "What shall I give thee?"--Hell: "Give me +the souls of the pious."--Nasargiel: "The Holy One, +blessed be He, will not deliver the souls of the pious unto +thee." + +Moses saw the place called Alukah, where sinners were +suspended by their feet, their heads downward, and their +bodies covered with black worms, each five hundred parasangs +long. They lamented, and cried: "Woe unto us +for the punishment of hell. Give us death, that we may +die!" Nasargiel explained: "These are the sinners that +swore falsely, profaned the Sabbath and the holy days, despised +the sages, called their neighbors by unseemly nicknames, +wronged the orphan and the widow, and bore false +witness. Therefore bath God delivered them to these +worms." + +Moses went thence to another place, and there he saw sinners +prone on their faces, with two thousand scorpions lashing, +stinging, and tormenting them, while the tortured victims +cried bitterly. Each of the scorpions had seventy +thousand heads, each head seventy thousand mouths, each +mouth seventy thousand stings, and each sting seventy thousand +pouches of poison and venom, which the sinners are +forced to drink down, although the anguish is so racking +that their eyes melt in their sockets. Nasargiel explained: +"These are the sinners who caused the Israelites to lose +their money, who exalted themselves above the community, +who put their neighbors to shame in public, who delivered +their fellow-Israelites into the hands of the Gentiles, who +denied the Torah of Moses, and who maintained that God is +not the Creator of the world." + +Then Moses saw the place called Tit ba-Yawen, in which +the sinners stand in mud up to their navels, while the Angels +of Destruction lash them with fiery chains, and break their +teeth with fiery stones, from morning until evening, and +during the night they make their teeth grow again, to the +length of a parasang, only to break them anew the next +morning. Nasargiel explained: "These are the sinners +who ate carrion and forbidden flesh, who lent their money +at usury, who wrote the Name of God on amulets for +Gentiles, who used false weights, who stole money from +their fellow-Israelites, who ate on the Day of Atonement, +who ate forbidden fat, and animals and reptiles that are an +abomination, and who drank blood." + +Then Nasargiel said to Moses: "Come and see how the +sinners are burnt in hell," and Moses answered, "I cannot +go there," but Nasargiel replied, "Let the light of the Shekinah +precede thee, and the fire of hell will have no power +over thee." Moses yielded, and he saw how the sinners were +burnt, one half of their bodies being immersed in fire and +the other half in snow, while worms bred in their own +flesh crawled over them, and the Angels of Destruction beat +them incessantly. Nasargiel explained: "These are the +sinners who committed incest, murder, and idolatry, who +cursed their parents and their teachers, and who, like Nimrod +and others, called themselves gods." In this place, which +is called Abaddon, he saw the sinners taking snow by stealth +and putting it in their armpits, to relieve the pain inflicted +by the scorching fire, and he was convinced that the saying +was true, "The wicked mend not their ways even at the gate +of hell." + +As Moses departed from hell, he prayed to God, "May it +be Thy will, O Lord my God and God of my fathers, to save +me and the people of Israel from the places I have seen in +hell." But God answered him, and said, "Moses, before Me +there is no respecting of persons and no taking of gifts. +Whoever doeth good deeds entereth Paradise, and he that +doeth evil must go to hell." + +At the command of God, Gabriel now led Moses to Paradise. +As he entered, two angels came toward him, and they +said to him, "Thy time is not yet arrived to leave the world," +and Moses made answer, "What ye say is true, but I have +come to see the reward of the pious in Paradise." Then the +angels extolled Moses, saying: "Hail, Moses, servant of +God! Hail, Moses, born of woman, that hast been found +worthy to ascend to the seven heavens! Hail to the nation +to which thou belongest!" + +Under the tree of life Moses saw the angel Shamshiel, the +prince of Paradise, who led him through it, and showed him +all there is therein. He saw seventy thrones made of +precious stones, standing on feet of fine gold, each throne +surrounded by seventy angels. But one of them was larger +than all the others, and it was encircled by one hundred and +twenty angels. This was the throne of Abraham, and when +Abraham beheld Moses, and heard who he was, and what his +purpose was in visiting Paradise, he exclaimed, "Praise ye +the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever." + +Moses asked Shamshiel about the size of Paradise, but not +even he who is the prince thereof could answer the question, +for there is none that can gauge it. It can neither be measured +nor fathomed nor numbered. But Shamshiel explained +to Moses about the thrones, that they were different one +from the other, some being of silver, some of gold, some of +precious stones and pearls and rubies and carbuncles. The +thrones made of pearls are for the scholars that study the +Torah day and night for her own sake; those of precious +stones are for the pious, those of rubies for the just, those +of gold for the repentant sinners, and those of silver for the +righteous proselytes. "The greatest of them all," continued +Shamshiel, "is the throne of Abraham, the next in +size the thrones of Isaac and Jacob, then come the thrones +of the prophets, the saints, and the righteous, each in +accordance +with a man's worth, and his rank, and the good deeds +he has performed in his lifetime." Moses asked then for +whom the throne of copper was intended, and the angel +answered, "For the sinner that has a pious son. Through +the merits of his son he receives it as his share." + +Again Moses looked, and he beheld a spring of living +water welling up from under the tree of life and dividing +into four streams, which passed under the throne of glory, +and thence encompassed Paradise from end to end. He also +saw four rivers flowing under each of the thrones of the +pious, one of honey, the second of milk, the third of wine, +and the fourth of pure balsam. + +Beholding all these desirable and pleasant things, Moses +felt great joy, and he said, "Oh, how great is Thy goodness, +which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee, which +Thou hast wrought for them that put their trust in Thee, before +the sons of men!" And Moses left Paradise, and returned +to the earth. + +At the moment of his departure, a heavenly voice cried +aloud: "Moses, servant of the Lord, thou that art faithful +in His house, even as thou hast seen the reward that is laid +up for the pious in the world to come, so also thou wilt be +worthy of seeing the life of the world that shall be in the +future time. Thou and all Israel, ye shall see the rebuilding +of the Temple and the advent of the Messiah, behold +the beauty of the Lord, and meditate in His Temple."[118] + +In the world to come Moses, beside sharing the joys of +Israel, will continue his activity as the teacher of Israel, for +the people will go before Abraham and request him to instruct +them in the Torah. He will send them to Isaac, saying, +"Go to Isaac, he hath studied more of the Torah than +ever I studied," but Isaac, in turn, will send them to Jacob, +saying, "Go to Jacob, he hath had more converse with the +sages than ever I had." And Jacob will send them to Moses, +saying, "Go to Moses, he was instructed in the Torah by +God Himself."[119] + +In the Messianic time, Moses will be one of the seven +shepherds that shall be the leaders of Israel with the +Messiah.[120] + + +MOSES DECLINES THE MISSION + +When Moses turned aside to see the great sight, that the +bush was not consumed, he heard a voice calling to him, +"Draw not nigh hither." These words were to convey that +the dignity to be conferred upon him God intended for +Moses personally, not for his descendants, and further he +was warned not to arrogate honors appointed for others, as +the priesthood, which was to belong to Aaron and Aaron's +descendants, or royalty, which was to appertain to David +and the house of David.[121] + +Again the voice spake: "Put off thy shoes from off thy +feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." +These words conveyed the desire of God that he cut asunder +every bond uniting him with earthly concerns, he was even +to give up his conjugal life. Hereupon the angel Michael +spoke to God: "O Lord of the world, can it be Thy purpose +to destroy mankind? Blessing can prevail only if male +and female are united, and yet Thou biddest Moses separate +from his wife." God answered, saying, "Moses has begot +children, he has done his duty toward the world. I desire +him to unite himself now with the Shekinah, that she may +descend upon earth for his sake."[122] + +God spake furthermore, addressing Moses, "Thou seest +only what is to happen in the near future, that Israel is to +receive the Torah on Mount Sinai, but I behold what cometh +after, bow the people will worship the steer, the figure of +which they will see upon My chariot, even while My revelation +will be made on Sinai. Thus they will excite My +wrath. Nevertheless, though I know all the perverseness of +their hearts, wherein they will rebel against Me in the desert, +I will redeem them now, for I accord unto man the treatment +he merits for his present actions, not what he will deserve +in the future. I promised their father Jacob, 'I will go down +with thee into Egypt, and I will also surely bring thee up +again,' and now I will betake myself thither, to bring Israel +up in accordance with My words unto Jacob, and bear them +to the land I swore unto their fathers, that their seed should +inherit it. So long as the time of affliction that I had +appointed unto his seed in My revelation to Abraham was not +past, I hearkened not to the supplication and the groaning +of his children, but now the end hath come. Therefore, go +before Pharaoh, that he dismiss My people. If thou dost +not bring about the redemption, none other will, for there is +none other that can do it. In thee doth Israel hope, and +upon thee doth Israel wait. The matter lieth in thine hands +alone." + +Moses, however, refused to take the mission upon himself. +He said to God, "Thy promise unto Jacob was, 'I will +surely bring thee up again out of Egypt.' Thou didst undertake +to do it Thyself, and now it is Thy purpose to send me +thither. And how, indeed, were it possible for me to accomplish +this great matter, to bring the children of Israel up out +of Egypt? How could I provide them with food and drink? +Many are the women in childbirth among them, many are +the pregnant women and the little children. Whence shall I +procure dainties for those who have borne babes, whence +sweetmeats for the pregnant, and whence tidbits for the +little ones? And how may I venture to go among the Egyptian +brigands and murderers? for Thou art bidding me to +go to mine enemies, to those who lie in wait to take my life. +Why should I risk the safety of my person, seeing that I +know not whether Israel possesses merits making them +worthy of redemption?' I have reckoned up the years +with care, and I have found that but two hundred and ten +have elapsed since the covenant of the pieces made with +Abraham, and at that time Thou didst ordain four hundred +years of oppression for his seed."[124] + +But God overturned all his objections. He spake to +Moses, saying: "I will be with thee. Whatever thou desirest +I will do, so that the redemption will in very truth be +realized through Me, in accordance with My promise to +Jacob. The little ones that Israel will carry up out of Egypt +I will provide with food for thirty days. This shall prove +to thee in what manner I will supply the needs of all. And +as I will be at thy side, thou hast no need to fear any man. +Respecting thy doubt, whether Israel deserves to be redeemed, +this is My answer: they will be permitted to go +forth from Egypt on account of the merits they will acquire +at this mountain, whereon they will receive the Torah +through thee.[125] And thy reckoning of the end is not correct, +for the four hundred years of bondage began with the +birth of Isaac, not with the going down of Jacob into Egypt. +Therefore the appointed end hath come."[126] + +Persuaded now of God's unalterable resolve to use him as +His instrument in the redemption of Israel from Egypt, +Moses entreated God to impart to him the knowledge of His +Great Name, that he be not confounded if the children of +Israel ask for it. God answered, saying: "Thou desirest +to know My Name? My Name is according to My acts. +When I judge My creatures, I am called Elohim, "judge"; +when I rise up to do battle against the sinners, I am Lord +Zebaot, "the Lord of hosts"; when I wait with longsuffering +patience for the improvement of the sinner, My name is +El Shaddai; when I have mercy upon the world, I am +Adonai. But unto the children of Israel shalt thou say that +I am He that was, that is, and that ever will be, and I am +He that is with them in their bondage now, and He that +shall be with them in the bondage of the time to come." + +In reply to the latter words of God, Moses said, "Sufficient +unto the day is the evil thereof," and God assented +thereto. He admitted that it was not proper to force the +knowledge of future suffering upon Israel in a present that +was itself full of evil and sorrow. And the Lord said to +Moses: "My words about the future were meant for thee +alone, not also for them. Tell the children of Israel, besides, +that at My behest an angel can stretch his hand from +heaven and touch the earth with it, and three angels can +find room under one tree, and My majesty can fill the whole +world, for when it was My will, it appeared to Job in his +hair, and, again, when I willed otherwise, it appeared in a +thorn-bush."[127] + +But the most important communication from God to +Moses concerning the Divine Names were the words to follow: +"In mercy I created the world; in mercy I guide it; +and with mercies I will return to Jerusalem. But unto the +children of Israel thou shalt say that My mercy upon them +is for the sake of the merits of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." + +When Moses heard these words, he spoke to God, saying, +"Are there men that transgress after death?" and when +God assured him that it was not possible for the dead to sin, +Moses asked again, "Why, then, is it that Thou didst reveal +Thyself to me at the first as the God of my father, and now +Thou passest him over?" Whereupon God said, "In the +beginning it was My purpose to address thee with flattering +words, but now thou hearest the whole and exact truth, I am +only the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of +Jacob."[128] + +Moses prayed to God, entreating Him to reveal His Great +and Holy Name unto him, so that he might call upon Him +with it and secure the fulfilment of all his wishes. The Lord +granted the prayer of Moses, and when the celestials knew +that He had revealed the secret of the Ineffable Name, they +cried out, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord, gracious Giver of +knowledge!"[129] + +God is always regardful of the honor of the elders of a +people, and He bade Moses assemble those of Israel and +announce the approaching redemption to them. And as +God knew beforehand how Pharaoh's obduracy would display +itself, He made it known to Moses at once, lest he reproach +God later with the Egyptian king's frowardness.[130] + + +MOSES PUNISHED FOR HIS STUBBORNNESS + +In spite of all these safeguards, Moses was not yet ready +to accept the mission God wished to impose upon him. He +persisted in urging his fears, saying: "But, behold, they +will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice, for they will +say, 'The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.[] And the +Lord said unto him, "What is that in thine hand?" And +he said, "A rod." And the Lord said: "Thou deservest +to be castigated with it. If thou didst not intend to take My +mission upon thyself, thou shouldst have said so in the +beginning. Instead, thou didst hold back with thy refusal, +until I revealed to thee the great secret of the Ineffable +Name, that thou mightest know it if the children of Israel +should ask thee concerning it. And now thou sayest, I will +not go. Now, therefore, if thou wilt not execute My charge +to thee, it will be executed by this rod. It was My wish to +distinguish thee and make thee My instrument for doing +many miracles.[131] But thou deservest a punishment for having +suspected My children of lack of faith. The children of +Israel are believers and sons of believers, but thou wilt show +thyself of little faith in thy career, and as thou followest +the example of the slanderous serpent, so shalt thou be punished +with leprosy, wherewith the serpent was punished." + +The Lord now bade Moses put his hand into his bosom +and take it out again, and when he took it out, behold, his +hand was leprous, as white as snow. And God bade him +put his hand into his bosom again, and it turned again as +his other flesh. Beside being a chastisement for his hasty +words, the plague on his hand was to teach him that as the +leper defiles, so the Egyptians defiled Israel, and as Moses +was healed of his uncleanness, so God would cleanse the +children of Israel of the pollution the Egyptians had brought +upon them. + +The second wonder connected with the rod of Moses +likewise conveyed a double meaning, in that it pointed to the +coming redemption of Israel, and taught Moses a specific +lesson. At the bidding of God, Moses cast his rod on the +ground, and it became a serpent, to show him that when he +traduced Israel, he was following the example of the abusive +serpent, and also to show him that the great dragon that +lieth in the midst of the rivers of Egypt, though he was now +hacking into Israel with his teeth, would be rendered harmless +like the rod of wood, which has no power to bite. + +And, again, through the third miracle he was bidden to +perform, God conveyed to Moses what would happen in the +latter years of his own life. The sign He gave him was to +make known to him that, before the water came, blood +would flow from the rock at Meribah, when Moses should +strike it after uttering the hasty, impatient words that were +destined to bring death down upon him.[132] + +For seven days God urged Moses to undertake the mission +He desired him to execute. He resorted to persuasion, that +the heathen might not say, that He abused His power as the +Ruler of the world, forcing men to do His service against +their will. But Moses remained obdurate, he could not be +won over.[133] He said: "Thou doest a wrong unto me in +sending me to Pharaoh. In the palace of the Egyptian king +there are persons that know how to speak the seventy languages +of the world. No matter what language a man may +use, there is someone that understands him. If I should +come as Thy representative, and they should discover that +I am not able to converse in the seventy languages, they +will mock at me, and say, 'Behold this man, he pretends to +be the ambassador of the Creator of the world, and he +cannot speak the seventy languages.' " To this God made +reply, as follows: "Adam, who was taught by none, could +give names to the beasts in the seventy languages. Was it +not I that made him to speak?"[134] + +Moses was not yet satisfied, he continued to urge objections, +and he said: "O Lord of the world, Thou wouldst +charge me with the task of chastising Egypt and redeeming +Israel, and I am ready to be Thy messenger. But is it +seemly that a man should execute two errands at once? +Nay, my Lord, for this two men are needed." God made +answer, and said, "Moses, I know well whom thou hast in +mind with thy request, to be thy companion in the mission I +assign to thee. Know, therefore, that the holy spirit hath +already come upon thy brother Aaron, and even now he is +awaiting thee on the way of Egypt, and when his eyes rest +upon thee he will rejoice." + +Furthermore God spake to Moses, saying, "When I +appeared unto thee the first time, thou wast meek, and didst +hide thy face, not to see the vision. Whence cometh now +this effrontery of thine, that thou addressest Me as a +servant his master? Thou speakest too many words by far. +Perchance thou thinkest I have no messengers, hosts, seraphim, +ofanim, ministering angels, and Merkabah wheels, to +send to Egypt, to bring My children thence, that thou sayest, +'Send by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send.' In sooth, +thou deservest severe chastisement. But what can I do, +seeing that I am the Master of mercy? If thou escapest +unpunished, thou owest it to thy father Amram, who rendered +great services in behalf of the preservation of the Israelitish +people in Egypt." + +But Moses replied: "O Lord of the world, I a prophet +and the son of a prophet obeyed Thy words only after much +hesitation, and I cannot expect Pharaoh, a wicked man and +the son of a wicked man, and the Egyptians, a disobedient +people and the sons of a disobedient people, to give ear to +my words. O Lord of the world, Thou dost send me to +Egypt to redeem sixty myriads of Thy people from the oppression +of the Egyptians. If it were a question of delivering +a couple of hundred men, it were a sufficiently difficult +enterprise. How much severer is the task of freeing sixty +myriads from the dominion of Pharaoh! If Thou hadst +called upon the Egyptians to give up their evil ways soon +after they began to enslave Israel, they might have heeded +Thy admonitions. But if I should go and speak to them +now, after they have been ruling over Israel these two hundred +and ten years, Pharaoh would say, 'If a slave has +served his master for ten years, and no protest has made +itself heard from any quarter, how can a man conceive the +idea suddenly of having him set at liberty?' Verily, O Lord +of the world, the task Thou puttest upon me is too heavy +for my strength."[135] + +Moses said furthermore: "I am not an eloquent man, +nor can I see of what avail words can be in this matter. +Thou art sending me to one that is himself a slave, to Pharaoh +of the tribe of Ham, and a slave will not be corrected +by words. I consent to go on Thy errand only if Thou wilt +invest me with the power of chastising Pharaoh with brute +force." To these words spoken by Moses, God made reply: +"Let it not fret thee that thou art not an eloquent speaker. +It is I that made the mouth of all that speak, and I that +made men dumb. One I make to see, another I make blind; +one I make to hear, another I make deaf. Had I willed it +so, thou hadst been a man of ready speech. But I desired +to show a wonder through thee. Whenever I will it, the +words I cast into thy mouth shall come forth without hesitation. +But what thou sayest about a slave, that he cannot +be corrected by words, is true, and therefore I give thee +My rod for Pharaoh's castigation." + +But Moses still stood his ground. He raised other objections. +"His grandchild," he said, "is closer to a man +than his nephew. Nevertheless when Lot was taken captive, +Thou didst send angels to the aid of Abraham's nephew. +But now, when the life of sixty myriads of Abraham's lineal +descendants is at stake, Thou sendest me, and not the angels. +When the Egyptian bondwoman Hagar was in distress, +Thou didst dispatch five angels to stand by her, and to redeem +sixty myriads of the children of Sarah Thou dost dispatch +me.[136] O Lord, send, I pray Thee, by the hand of him +whom Thou wilt send in days to come." To this God answered, +saying, "I said not that I would send thee to Israel, +but to Pharaoh, and that one whom thou madest mention of, +I will send to Israel at the end of days--Elijah will appear +to them before the great and terrible day."[137] + +If Moses refused to do the errand of the Lord, there was +a reason. God had revealed to him the treasures of the +Torah, of wisdom, and of knowledge, and the whole world's +future. Now he beheld in the inner chamber of God rows +of scholars and judges interpreting the Torah in forty- +nine different ways as they sat in the court of hewn stones; +and he saw, besides, Rabbi Akiba explaining the meaning +of the crowns upon the letters. Then said Moses: "I do +not care to be God's messenger. Let Him rather send one +of these great scholars." Then God ordered the Angel of +Wisdom to carry Moses to a place of myriads of scholars, +all interpreting the Torah, and all making use of the +formula: This is a Halakah revealed to Moses on Mount +Sinai. Now Moses recognized that even the greatest scholars +of future generations would be dependent upon him, and +then, at last, he was ready to execute the mission God desired +to lay upon him.[138] + +But Moses had to pay dear for having hesitated in the +execution of the Divine bidding. God said to him: "It was +appointed that thou shouldst be priest, and Aaron should be +the Levite. Because thou hast refused to execute My will, +thou shalt be the Levite, and Aaron shall be priest,"--a +punishment that did not fall upon Moses personally, but only +upon his descendants, all of whom are Levites. As for himself, +he performed a priest's service in the Tabernacle.[139] + +Moses had said to God, "Thou hast been speaking to me +now these many days, nevertheless I am still slow of speech +and of a slow tongue." For this he received another punishment. +God said to him: "I might change thee into a new +man, and heal thee of thy imperfect speech, but because thou +hast uttered such words, I refrain from curing thee."[140] + + +THE RETURN TO EGYPT + +When Moses finally gave in, and declared himself ready +to go to Egypt as God's messenger, his acceptance was still +conditional upon the promise of God to fulfil all his wishes, +and God granted whatsoever he desired, except immortality +and entering the Holy Land.[141] God also allayed his fears +regarding the danger that threatened him from his whilom +enemies Dathan and Abiram, on account of whom he had had +to flee from Egypt. He told him that they had sunk to the +estate of poor and insignificant men, bereft of the power of +doing him harm.[142] + +Moses was loyal to the oath he had given his father-in-law +Jethro, never to return to Egypt without securing his consent. +His first concern therefore was to go back to Midian +and obtain his permission, which Jethro gave freely. Then +Moses could set out on his journey. He tarried only to take +his wife and his children with him, which made his father- +in-law say, "Those who are in Egypt are to leave it, and +thou desirest to take more thither?" Moses replied: "Very +soon the slaves held in bondage in Egypt will be redeemed, +and they will go forth from the land, and gather at Mount +Sinai, and hear the words, 'I am the Lord thy God,' and +should my sons not be present there?" Jethro acknowledged +the justice of Moses' words, and he said to him, "Go +in peace, enter Egypt in peace, and leave the land in +peace."[143] + +At last Moses sallied forth upon his journey to Egypt, +accompanied by his wife and his children. He was mounted +upon the very ass that had borne Abraham to the Akedah +on Mount Moriah, the ass upon which the Messiah will +appear riding at the end of days.[144] Even now, his journey +begun, Moses was but half-hearted about his mission. He +travelled leisurely, thinking: "When I arrive in Egypt and +announce to the children of Israel that the end of the term of +Egyptian slavery has come, they will say, 'We know very +well that our bondage must last four hundred years, and the +end is not yet,' but if I were to put this objection before God, +He would break out in wrath against me. It is best for me +to consume as much time as possible on the way thither." + +God was ill pleased with Moses for this artifice, and He +spake to him, saying, "Joseph prophesied long ago that the +oppression of Egypt would endure only two hundred and +ten years." For his lack of faith Moses was punished while +he was on the road to Egypt.[145] The angels Af and Hemah +appeared and swallowed his whole body down to his feet,[146] +and they gave him up only after Zipporah, nimble as a +"bird,"[147] circumcised her son Gershom, and touched the +feet of her husband with the blood of the circumcision. The +reason why their son had remained uncircumcised until then +was that Jethro had made the condition, when he consented +to the marriage of his daughter with Moses, that the first +son of their union should be brought up as a Gentile.[148] + +When Moses was released by the angels, he attacked +them, and he slew Hemah, whose host of angels, however, +held their own before the assailant.[149] + +The Divine voice heard by Moses in Midian telling him +to return to his brethren in Egypt fell at the same time upon +the ear of Aaron, dwelling in Egypt, and it bade him "go +into the wilderness to meet Moses." God speaketh marvellously +with His voice, and therefore the same revelation +could be understood one way in Midian and another way in +Egypt. + +The greeting of the two brothers was very cordial. Envy +and jealousy bad no place between them. Aaron was rejoiced +that God had chosen his younger brother to be the +redeemer of Israel, and Moses was rejoiced that his older +brother had been divinely appointed the high priest in Israel. +God knew their hearts, for at the time when He charged +him with the Egyptian mission, Moses had said, "All these +years Aaron has been active as a prophet in Israel, and +should I now encroach upon his province and cause him +vexation?" But God reassured him, saying, "Moses, thy +brother Aaron will surely not be vexed, he will rather rejoice +at thy mission, yea, he will come forth and meet thee." + +Aaron showed his joy freely at seeing his brother once +more, after their separation of many years. As for his joy +in the distinction accorded to Moses, it was too great to be +expressed in all its depth and extent. For his kind, generous +spirit, he received a reward from God, in that he was +permitted to bear the Urim and Thummim upon his heart, +"for," God said, "the heart that rejoiced at the exalting of +a brother shall wear the Urim and Thummim."[150] + +Aaron ran to meet his brother, and embraced him, and +asked where he had spent all the years of their separation. +When he was told in Midian, he continued to question him, +saying, "Who are these that are travelling with thee?" + +Moses: "My wife and my sons." + +Aaron: "Whither goest thou with them?" + +Moses: "To Egypt." + +Aaron: "What! Great enough is our sorrow through +those who have been in Egypt from the beginning, and thou +takest more to the land?" + +Moses recognized that Aaron was right, and he sent his +wife and his sons back to his father-in-law Jethro.[151] + +He was no less magnanimous than Aaron. If the elder +brother felt no envy on account of the younger brother's +dignity, the younger brother did not withhold from the +other the teachings and revelations he had received. Immediately +after meeting with Aaron, Moses told him all that +God had taught him, even the awful secret of the Ineffable +Name communicated to him on Mount Horeb.[152] + +In obedience to the command of God, the elders of the +people were assembled, and before them Moses performed +the wonders that were to be his credentials as the redeemer +sent to deliver the people. Nevertheless, the deeds he did +were not so potent in convincing them of the reality of the +mission as the words wherein God had announced the approaching +redemption to him, which he repeated in their +ears. The elders knew that Jacob had imparted to Joseph +the secret mark designating the redeemer, and Joseph had +in turn confided it to his brethren before his death. The last +surviving one of the brethren, Asher, had revealed it to his +daughter Serah, in the following words: "He that will +come and proclaim the redemption with the words of God, +'I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to +you in Egypt,' he is the true redeemer." Serah was still +alive at Moses' return, and the elders betook themselves to +her, and told her the words of Moses announcing the +redemption. When she heard that his words had been the +same as those Asher had quoted, she knew that he was the +promised redeemer, and all the people believed in him. + +Thereupon Moses invited the elders to go to Pharaoh with +him, but they lacked the courage to appear before the king. +Though they started out with Moses, they dropped off +stealthily on the way, one by one, and when Moses and +Aaron stood in the presence of the king, they found themselves +alone, deserted by all the others. The elders did not +go out free. Their punishment was that God did not permit +them to ascend the holy mountain with Moses. They durst +accompany him on the way to God only as far as they had +accompanied him on the way to Pharaoh, and then they had +to tarry until he came again.[153] + + +MOSES AND AARON BEFORE PHARAOH + +The day Moses and Aaron made their appearance before +Pharaoh happened to be the anniversary of his birth, and +he was surrounded by many kings, for he was the ruler of +the whole world, and this was the occasion on which the +kings of the earth came to do him homage. When the +attendants announced Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh inquired +whether the two old men had brought him crowns, and, receiving +a negative reply, he ordered that they were not to be +admitted to his presence, until he had seen and dismissed all +the others desirous of paying him their respects.[154] + +Pharaoh's palace was surrounded by a vast army. It was +built with four hundred entrances, one hundred on each side, +and each of them guarded by sixty thousand soldiers. +Moses and Aaron were overawed by this display of power, +and they were afraid. But the angel Gabriel appeared, and +he led them into the palace, observed by none of the guards, +and Pharaoh decreed severe punishment upon the inattentive +sentinels for having admitted the old men without his +permission. They were dismissed, and others put in their +places. But the same thing happened the next day. Moses +and Aaron were within the palace, and the new guard had +not been able to hinder their passing. Pharaoh questioned +his servants, how it had been possible for the two old men +to enter, and they said: "We know it not! Through +the doors they did not come. Surely, they must be +magicians."[155] + +Not enough that the palace was guarded by a host, at each +entrance two lions were stationed, and in terror of being +torn to pieces none dared approach the doors, and none +could go within until the lion tamer came and led the beasts +away. Now Balaam and all the other sacred scribes of +Egypt advised that the keepers loose the lions at the +approach of Moses and Aaron. But their advice availed +naught. Moses had but to raise his rod, and the lions +bounded toward him joyously, and followed at his feet, gambolling +like dogs before their master on his return home.[156] + +Within the palace, Moses and Aaron found seventy +secretaries busy with Pharaoh's correspondence, which was +carried on in seventy languages. At the sight of the messengers +of Israel, they started up in great awe, for the two +men resembled angels. In stature they were as the cedars of +Lebanon, their countenances radiated splendor like the sun, +the pupils of their eyes were like the sphere of the morning +star, their beards like palm branches, and their mouths +emitted flames when they opened them for speech. In their +terror, the secretaries flung down pen and paper, and prostrated +themselves before Moses and Aaron. + +Now the two representatives of the children of Israel +stepped before Pharaoh, and they spake, "The God of the +Hebrews hath met with us; let us go, we pray thee, three +days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the +Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with +the sword." But Pharaoh answered, saying: "What is +the name of your God? Wherein doth His strength consist, +and His power? How many countries, how many provinces, +how many cities hath He under His dominion? In +how many campaigns was He victorious? How many lands +did He make subject to Himself? How many cities did He +capture? When He goeth to war, how many warriors, +riders, chariots, and charioteers doth He lead forth?" +Whereto Moses and Aaron replied: "His strength and His +power fill the whole world. His voice heweth out flames of +fire; His words break mountains in pieces. The heaven is +His throne, and the earth His footstool. His bow is fire, +His arrows are flames, His spears torches, His shield clouds, +and His sword lightning flashes. He created the mountains +and the valleys, He brought forth spirits and souls, He +stretched out the earth by a word, He made the mountains +with His wisdom, He forms the embryo in the womb of the +mother, He covers the heavens with clouds, at His word the +dew and the rain descend earthward, He causes plants to +grow from the ground, He nourishes and sustains the whole +world, from the horns upon the rem down to the eggs of +vermin. Every day He causes men to die, and every day +He calls men into life." + +Pharaoh answered, and said: "I have no need of Him. I +have created myself, and if ye say that He causes dew and +rain to descend, I have the Nile, the river that hath its +source under the tree of life, and the ground impregnated +by its waters bears fruit so huge that it takes two asses to +carry it. and it is palatable beyond description, for it has +three hundred different tastes."[157] + +Then Pharaoh sent to fetch the books of the chronicles of +his kingdom from his archives, wherein are recorded the +names of the gods of all the nations, to see whether the +name of the God of the Hebrews was among them. He +read off: "The gods of Moab, the gods of Ammon, the +gods of Zidon--I do not find your God inscribed in the +archives!" Moses and Aaron exclaimed: "O thou fool! +Thou seekest the Living in the graves of the dead. These +which thou didst read are the names of dumb idols, but our +God is the God of life and the King of eternal life."[158] + +When Pharaoh said the words, "I know not the Lord," +God Himself made answer, saying: "O thou rascal! Thou +sayest to My ambassadors, 'I know not the strength and the +power of your God'? Lo, I will make thee to stand, for to +show thee My power, and that My Name may be declared +throughout all the earth."[159] + +Having searched his list of the gods of the nations in vain +for a mention of the God of the Hebrews, Pharaoh cited before +him the wise men of Egypt, and he said to them: +"Have ye ever heard the name of the God of these people?" +They replied, "We have been told that He is a son of the +wise, the son of ancient kings." Then spake God, saying, +"O ye fools! Ye call yourselves wise men, but Me ye call +only the son of the wise. Verily, I will set at naught all +your wisdom and your understanding."[160] + +Pharaoh persisted in his obduracy, even after Moses and +Aaron had performed the miracle of the rod. At the time +when the two Hebrews succeeded in entering the palace, +guarded as it was by lions, Pharaoh had sent for his magicians, +at their head Balaam and his two sons Jannes and +Jambres, and when they appeared before him, he told them +of the extraordinary incident, how the lions had followed the +two old men like dogs, and fawned upon them. It was +Balaam's opinion that they were simply magicians like himself +and his companions, and he prayed the king to have +them come before him together with themselves, to test +who were the master magicians, the Egyptians or the +Hebrews. + +Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and he said to them: +"Who will believe you when you say that you are the ambassadors +of God, as you pretend to be, if you do not convince +men by performing wonders?" Thereupon Aaron +cast his rod to the ground, and it became a serpent.[161] Pharaoh +laughed aloud. "What," he exclaimed, "is this all your +God can do? It is the way of merchants to carry merchandise +to a place if there is none of it there, but would anyone +take brine to Spain or fish to Accho? It seems you do +not know that I am an adept in all sorts of magic!" He +ordered little school children to be brought, and they repeated +the wonder done by Moses and Aaron; indeed, Pharaoh's +own wife performed it. Jannes and Jambres, the +sons of Balaam, derided Moses, saying, "Ye carry straw to +Ephrain!"[162] whereto Moses answered, "To the place of +many vegetables, thither carry vegetables." + +To show the Egyptians that Aaron could do something +with his rod that their magicians could not imitate, God +caused the serpent into which His rod had been changed to +swallow up all the rods of the magicians. But Balaam and +his associates said: "There is nothing marvellous or astonishing +in this feat. Your serpent has but devoured our +serpents, which is in accordance with a law of nature, one +living being devours another. If thou wishest us to acknowledge +that the spirit of God worketh in thee, then cast +thy rod to the earth, and if, being wood, it swallows up our +rods of wood, then we shall acknowledge that the spirit of +God is in thee." Aaron stood the test. After his rod had +resumed its original form, it swallowed up the rods of the +Egyptians,[163] and yet its bulk showed no increase. This +caused Pharaoh to reflect, whether this wonderful rod of +Aaron might not swallow up also him and his throne. Nevertheless +he refused to obey the behest of God, to let Israel +go, saying, "Had I Jacob-Israel himself here before me, I +should put trowel and bucket on his shoulder." And to +Moses and Aaron, he said, "Because ye, like all the rest of +the tribe of Levi, are not compelled to labor, therefore do ye +speak, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.' If you had +asked for a thousand people, or two thousand, I should have +fulfilled your request, but never will I consent to let six +hundred thousand men go away." + + +THE SUFFERING INCREASES + +Beside refusing to dismiss the children of Israel, he ordered, +on the very day of Moses and Aaron's audience with +him, that the people be required to deliver the prescribed +tale of bricks, though the taskmasters were not as heretofore +to give them straw to make brick. Another decree +was, that the children of Israel were not to be permitted +to rest on the Sabbath, for Pharaoh knew that they used +the leisure for reading the rolls that described their +redemption. All this was a part of God's plan, the oppression +of Israel was to be increased the closer the end approached. As +they wandered up and down the land of +Egypt gathering the straw they needed for the due tale of +bricks, they were maltreated by the Egyptians if they caught +them on their fields. Such unkind acts perpetrated by the +whole people made it impossible for them to cast the entire +blame for the bondage of Israel upon Pharaoh. All the +Egyptians showed cruelty to the Israelites on their straw +foraging expeditions, and therefore the Divine punishment +descended upon all alike. + +This frightful time of Israel's extreme suffering lasted six +months. Meantime Moses went to Midian, leaving Aaron +alone in Egypt. When Moses returned at the end of the +reign of terror, two of the Israelitish officers accosted him +and Aaron, and heaped abuse upon them for having increased +the woes of their people rather than diminished +them. They spake, saying, "If ye are truly the ambassadors +of God, then may He judge between us and Pharaoh. +But if you are seeking to bring about the redemption of +Israel on your own account, then may God judge between +you and Israel. You are responsible for the widespread +stench now issuing from the Israelitish corpses used as +bricks for building when our tale was not complete. The +Egyptians had but a faint suspicion that we were waiting +for our redemption. It is your fault if they are fully conscious +of it now. We are in the quandary of the poor sheep +that has been dragged away by a wolf. The shepherd pursues +the robber, catches up with him, and tries to snatch the +sheep from his jaws, and the wretched victim, pulled this +way by the wolf and that way by the shepherd, is torn to +pieces. Thus Israel fares between you and Pharaoh." + +The two officers that spake these stinging words were +Dathan and Abiram, and it was neither the first nor the +last time they inflicted an injury upon Moses. The other +Israelitish officers were gentle and kind; they permitted +themselves to be beaten by the taskmasters rather than prod +the laborers of their own people put under their surveillance. + +The cruel suffering to which his people was exposed +caused Moses to speak to God thus: "I have read the book +of Genesis through, and I found the doom in it pronounced +upon the generation of the deluge. It was a just judgment. +I found also the punishments decreed against the generation +of the confusion of tongues, and against the inhabitants of +Sodom. These, too, were just. But what hath this nation +of Israel done unto Thee, that it is oppressed more than +any other nation in history? Is it because Abraham said, +'Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit the land?' and +Thou didst rebuke him for his small faith, saying, 'Know +of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that +is not theirs'? Why, then, are not the descendants of Esau +and Ishmael held in bondage, too? Are they not likewise of +the seed of Abraham? But if Thou wilt say, 'What concern +is it of mine?' then I ask Thee, Why didst Thou send me +hither as Thy messenger? Thy great, exalted, and terrible +Name is feared in all the earth, yet Pharaoh heard me pronounce +it, and he refuses obedience. I know Thou wilt redeem +Israel in Thine own good time, and it is of little moment +to Thee that now they are immuring living Israelites +in these buildings." + +Were He a God of justice only, the Lord would have +slain Moses for the audacity of his last words, but in view +of his having spoken as he had only out of compassion with +Israel, the Lord dealt graciously with him. He answered +Moses, saying, "Thou shalt see what I will do to Pharaoh," +words conveying to Moses, that although he would be witness +to the chastisement of Pharaoh, he would not be present +at that of the thirty-one kings of Canaan. Thus he was +rebuked for the unbecoming language he had used in +addressing God.[164] At the same time God's words were a +rejoinder to another speech by Moses. He had said: "O +Lord of the world, I know well that Thou wilt bring Thy +children forth from Egypt. O that Thou wouldst make +use of another instrument, for I am not worthy of being the +redeemer of Thy children." God made answer thereto: +"Yes, Moses, thou art worthy thereof. Through thee My +children will be brought forth out of Egypt. Thou shalt see +what I will do to Pharaoh."[165] + +At the same time God called him to account for having so +little faith. He said: "O for the departed, their like cannot +be found any more! I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, +and Jacob, as El Shaddai, God Almighty, but I was not +known to them by My name Adonai, God All-Merciful, as +I appeared unto thee. Nevertheless they did not cast +aspersions upon My acts. I spake to Abraham, 'Unto thee +will I give the land,' but when he was about to bury Sarah, +he had to pay out silver and buy a resting-place for her +body; and yet he did not find fault with Me. I spake to +Isaac, 'Unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these +lands,' but when he desired water to drink, he had to strive +with the herdsmen of Gerar; and yet he did not find fault +with Me. I spake to Jacob, 'The land whereon thou liest, to +thee will I give it, and to thy seed,' but when he wanted to +spread his tent, he had to acquire a parcel of ground for an +hundred pieces of money; and yet he did not find fault with +Me. None of them asked to know My Name. But thou +didst demand to know it at the very first, when I desired +to send thee down into Egypt, and after I revealed it to +thee, thou didst speak, saying, 'Thou didst tell me that +Thou art called Compassionate and Gracious, Longsuffering +and Merciful, but as soon as I pronounced this Name before +Pharaoh, misfortune descended upon the people of Israel.' +Now I desire to fulfil My covenant with the three Patriarchs, +and give their posterity the promised land, as a reward +for the unquestioning faith of the Fathers, and also +as a reward to the people, who, in spite of their suffering, +did not find fault with My deeds. For this will I give them +the land, which they do not deserve to possess for other +reasons. I swear that I will do thus!" God pronounced +this oath, to banish all fear from the mind of Moses, that He +might act only in accordance with His attribute of justice, +and thus delay the redemption of Israel for a time, on account +of the sins of the people.[166] + +Now the redemption of Israel was a settled fact. But before +Moses and Aaron could start on the work of delivering +their people, God called various points to their attention, +which He bade them consider in their undertaking. He +spake to them, saying: "My children are perverse, passionate, +and troublesome. You must be prepared to stand their +abuse, to the length of being pelted with stones by them. I +send you to Pharaoh, and although I will punish him according +to his deserts, yet you must not fail in the respect +due to him as a ruler. Furthermore, be careful to take the +elders of the people into your counsel,[167] and let your first +step toward redemption be to make the people give up the +worship of idols." + +The last was a most difficult task, and the words of God +concerning it wrung the exclamation from Moses: "See, +the children of Israel will not hearken unto me. How, then, +should Pharaoh hearken unto me?"[168] It was the third time +Moses declined to go on the errand of God. Now the Divine +patience was exhausted, and Moses was subjected to punishment. +At first God had revealed Himself only to Moses, +and the original intention had been that he alone was to +perform all the miracles, but henceforth the word of God +was addressed to Aaron as well, and he was given a share in +doing the wonders.[169] + + +MEASURE FOR MEASURE + +God divided the ten punishments decreed for Egypt into +four parts, three of the plagues He committed to Aaron, +three to Moses, one to the two brothers together, and three +He reserved for Himself. Aaron was charged with those, +that proceeded from the earth and the water, the elements +that are composed of more or less solid parts, from which +are fashioned all the corporeal, distinctive entities, while the +three entrusted to Moses were those that proceeded from +the air and the fire, the elements that are most prolific of +life.[170] + +The Lord is a man of war, and as a king of flesh and +blood devises various stratagems against his enemy, so God +attacked the Egyptians in various ways. He brought ten +plagues down upon them. When a province rises up in rebellion, +its sovereign lord first sends his army against it, to +surround it and cut off the water supply. If the people are +contrite, well and good; if not, he brings noise makers into +the field against them. If the people are contrite, well and +good; if not, he orders darts to be discharged against them. +If the people are contrite, well and good; if not, he orders +his legions to assault them. If the people are contrite, well +and good; if not, he causes bloodshed and carnage among +them. If the people are contrite, well and good; if not, he +directs a stream of hot naphtha upon them. If the people +are contrite, well and good; if not, he hurls projectiles at +them from his ballistae. If the people are contrite, well and +good; if not, he has scaling-ladders set up against their +walls. If the people are contrite, well and good; if not, he +casts them into dungeons. If the people are contrite, well +and good; if not, he slays their magnates. + +Thus did God proceed against the Egyptians. First He +cut off their water supply by turning their rivers into blood. +They refused to let the Israelites go, and He sent the noisy, +croaking frogs into their entrails. They refused to let the +Israelites go, and He brought lice against them, which +pierced their flesh like darts. They refused to let the +Israelites go, and He sent barbarian legions against them, mixed +hordes of wild beasts. They refused to let the Israelites go, +and He brought slaughter upon them, a very grievous pestilence. +They refused to let the Israelites go, and He poured +out naphtha over them, burning blains. They refused to let +the Israelites go, and He caused His projectiles, the hail, to +descend upon them. They refused to let the Israelites go, +and He placed scaling-ladders against the wall for the locusts, +which climbed them like men of war. They refused +to let the Israelites go, and He cast them into dungeon darkness. +They refused to let the Israelites go, and He slew +their magnates, their first-born sons.[171] + +The plagues that God sent upon the Egyptians corresponded +to the deeds they bad perpetrated against the children +of Israel. Because they forced the Israelites to draw +water for them, and also hindered them from the use of the +ritual baths, He changed their water into blood. + +Because they had said to the Israelites, "Go and catch +fish for us," He brought frogs up against them, making +them to swarm in their kneading-troughs and their bed- +chambers and hop around croaking in their entrails. It +was the severest of all the ten plagues. + +Because they had said to the Israelites, "Go and sweep +and clean our houses, our courtyards, and our streets," He +changed the dust of the air into lice, so that the vermin lay +piled up in heaps an ell high, and when the Egyptians put +on fresh garments, they were at once infested with the +insects. + +The fourth plague was an invasion of the land by hordes +of all sorts of wild animals, lions, wolves, panthers, bears, +and others. They overran the houses of the Egyptians, +and when they closed their doors to keep them out, God +caused a little animal to come forth from the ground, and +it got in through the windows, and split open the doors, +and made a way for the bears, panthers, lions, and wolves, +which swarmed in and devoured the people down to the +infants in their cradles. If an Egyptian entrusted his ten +children to an Israelite, to take a walk with them, a lion +would come and snatch away one of the children, a bear +would carry off the second, a serpent the third, and so on, +and in the end the Israelite returned home alone. This +plague was brought upon them because they were in the +habit of bidding the Israelites go and catch wolves and lions +for their circuses, and they sent them on such errands, to +make them take up their abode in distant deserts, where +they would be separated from their wives, and could not +propagate their race. + +Then God brought a grievous murrain upon their cattle, +because they had pressed the Israelites into their service as +shepherds, and assigned remote pasturing places to them, +to keep them away from their wives. Therefore the murrain +came and carried off all the cattle in the flocks the Israelites +were tending. + +The sixth plague was a boil breaking forth with blains +upon man and upon beast. This was the punishment of the +Egyptians, because they would say to the children of Israel, +"Go and prepare a bath for us unto the delight of our flesh +and our bones." Therefore they were doomed to suffer with +boils that inflamed their flesh, and on account of the itch +they could not leave off scratching. While the Egyptians +suffered thus, the children of Israel used their baths. + +Because they had sent the Israelites forth into the fields, +to plough and sow, hail was sent down upon them, and their +trees and crops were destroyed. + +They had been in the habit of saying to the Israelites, +"Go forth, plant ye trees for us, and guard the fruit thereon." +Therefore God brought the locusts into the Egyptian +border, to eat the residue of that which was escaped, which +remained unto them from the hail, for the teeth of the locust +are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the jaw teeth of a great +lion. + +Because they would throw the Israelites into dungeons, +God brought darkness upon them, the darkness of hell, so +that they had to grope their way. He that sat could not rise +up on his feet, and he that stood could not sit down. The +infliction of darkness served another purpose. Among the +Israelites there were many wicked men, who refused to +leave Egypt, and God determined to put them out of the +way. But that the Egyptians might not say they had succumbed +to the plague like themselves, God slew them under +cover of the darkness, and in the darkness they were buried +by their fellow-Israelites, and the Egyptians knew nothing +of what had happened. But the number of these wicked +men had been very great, and the children of Israel spared +to leave Egypt were but a small fraction of the original +Israelitish population. + +The tenth plague was the slaying of the first-born, and it +came upon the Egyptians because of their intention to murder +the men children of the Israelites at their birth, and, +finally, Pharaoh and his host were drowned in the Red Sea, +because the Egyptians had caused the men children of the +Israelites to be exposed in the water.[172] + +Each, of the plagues inflicted upon Egypt had another +parallel in the cruel treatment accorded to the Israelites. +The first was a punishment for the arrogant words spoken +by Pharaoh, "My Nile river is mine own, and I have made +it for myself." + +The plague of the frogs God brought down upon the +Egyptians, "because," He said, "the frogs, which sometimes +inhabit the water, shall take vengeance upon the Egyptians +for having desired to destroy the nation destined to be the +bearers of the Torah, and the Torah is likened unto water." + +God sent vermin upon them, saying, "Let the lice made +of the dust of the earth take vengeance upon the Egyptians +for having desired to destroy the nation whose seed is like +unto the dust of the earth." + +Hordes of beasts, lions and wolves and swarms of serpents, +came down upon them, "because," God said, "these +animals shall take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having +desired to destroy the nation that is likened unto lions, +wolves, and serpents." + +A fatal pestilence was brought upon them, "because," +God said, "death shall take vengeance upon the Egyptians +for having desired to destroy the nation that faces death for +the glorification of the Name of God." + +They were made to suffer with burning blains, "because," +God said, "the boils coming from the ashes of the furnace +shall take vengeance upon the Egyptians for having desired +to destroy the nation whose ancestor Abraham walked into +the fiery furnace for the glorification of the Name of God." + +He made hail to descend upon them, "because," He said, +"the white hail shall take vengeance upon the Egyptians +for having desired to destroy a nation whose sins shall be +white." + +The locusts came upon them, "because," God said, "the +locusts, which are My great army, shall take vengeance +upon the Egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation +that is called My hosts." + +"Darkness," said God, "which is divided from the light, +shall come and take vengeance upon the Egyptians for desiring +to destroy the nation upon which shineth the light of +the Lord, while gross darkness covers the other peoples." + +The tenth plague, the slaying of the first-born, God inflicted, +saying, "I will take vengeance upon the Egyptians +for having desired to destroy the nation that is My first- +born. As the night divided itself for Abraham, that his +enemies might be vanquished, so I will pass through Egypt +in the middle of the night, and as Abraham was proved by +ten temptations, so I will send ten plagues upon Egypt, the +enemy of his children."[173] + + +THE PLAGUES BROUGHT THROUGH AARON + +From the infliction of the first of the plagues until the +passing of the last, after which the Egyptians yielded all +that Moses and Aaron demanded, there elapsed a whole +year, for twelve months is the term set by God for the expiation +of sins. The deluge lasted one year; Job suffered one +year; sinners must endure hell tortures for one year, and +the judgment upon Gog at the end of time will be executed +for the length of one year.[174] + +Moses announced the first plague to Pharaoh one morning +when the king was walking by the river's brink. This morning +walk enabled him to practice a deception. He called +himself a god, and pretended that he felt no human needs. +To keep up the illusion, he would repair to the edge of the +river every morning, and ease nature there while alone and +unobserved. At such a time it was that Moses appeared +before him, and called out to him, "Is there a god that hath +human needs?" "Verily, I am no god," replied Pharaoh, +"I only pretend to be one before the Egyptians, who are +such idiots, one should consider them asses rather than +human beings."[175] + +Then Moses made known to him that God would turn the +water into blood, if he refused to let Israel go. In the warning +we can discern the difference between God and man. +When a mortal harbors the intention to do an injury to an +enemy, he lies in wait for the moment when he can strike +an unexpected blow. But God is outspoken. He warned +Pharaoh and the Egyptians in public whenever a plague +was about to descend, and each warning was repeated by +Moses for a period of three weeks, although the plague itself +endured but a single week. + +As Pharaoh would not lay the warning to heart, the +plague announced by Moses was let loose upon him and his +people--the waters were turned into blood. It is a well- +known proverb, "Beat the idols, and the priests are in +terror." God smote the river Nile, which the Egyptians +worshipped as their god, in order to terrify Pharaoh and +his people and force them to do the Divine will. + +To produce the plague, Aaron took his rod, and stretched +out his hand over the waters of Egypt. Moses had no part +in performing the miracle, for God had said to him, "The +water that watched over thy safety when thou wast exposed +in the Nile, shall not suffer harm through thee." + +Aaron had scarcely executed the Divine bidding, when +all the water of Egypt became blood, even such as was kept +in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone. The very spittle +of an Egyptian turned into blood no sooner had he ejected +it from his mouth,[176] and blood dripped also from the idols +of the Egyptians.[177] + +The transformation of the waters into blood was intended +mainly as a punishment for the oppressors, but it was at the +same time a source of profit for the oppressed. It gave the +Israelites the opportunity of amassing great wealth. The +Egyptians paid them large sums for their water, for if an +Egyptian and an Israelite drew water from the same trough, +the portion carried off by the Egyptian was bound to be +useless, it turned into blood. To be sure, nothing helped the +Egyptians in their distress, for though they drank water +from the same cup as an Israelite, it became blood in their +mouth. + +However, this plague did not impress Pharaoh as a punishment +inflicted in the name of God, because with the help +of the Angels of Destruction the magicians of Egypt produced +the same phenomenon of changing water into blood. +Therefore he hearkened not unto the words of Moses.[178] + +The next was the plague of the frogs, and again it was +Aaron that performed the wonder. He stretched forth his +hand with his rod over the rivers, and caused frogs to come +up upon the land of Egypt. Moses, whose life had been +preserved by the water, was kept from poisoning his savior +with the reptiles. At first only a single frog appeared, but +he began to croak, summoning so many companions that the +whole land of Egypt swarmed with them. Wherever an +Egyptian took up his stand, frogs appeared, and in some +mysterious way they were able to pierce the hardest of +metals, and even the marble palaces of the Egyptian nobles +afforded no protection against them. If a frog came close +to them, the walls split asunder immediately. "Make way," +the frogs would call out to the stone, "that I may do the +will of my Creator," and at once the marble showed a rift, +through which the frogs entered, and then they attacked the +Egyptians bodily, and mutilated and overwhelmed them. +In their ardor to fulfil the behest of God, the frogs cast +themselves into the red-hot flames of the bake-ovens and +devoured the bread. Centuries later, the three holy children, +Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were ordered by +Nebuchadnezzar to pay worship to his idols on penalty of +death in the burning furnace, and they said, "If the frogs, +which were under no obligation to glorify the Name of God, +nevertheless threw themselves into the fire in order to execute +the Divine will concerning the punishment of the Egyptians, +how much more should we be ready to expose our lives +to the fire for the greater glory of His Name!"[179] And the +zealous frogs were not permitted to go unrewarded. While +the others were destroyed from Pharaoh and the Egyptian +houses at the moment appointed as the last of the plague, +God saved those in the bake-ovens alive, the fire had no +power to do them the least harm.[180] + +Now, although the Egyptian magicians also brought up +frogs upon the land of Egypt through the help of demons, +Pharaoh nevertheless declared himself ready to let the people +go, to sacrifice unto the Lord. The difference between this +plague and the first was, that water turned into blood had +not caused him any personal inconvenience, while the +swarms of frogs inflicted physical suffering, and he gave the +promise to Moses to let Israel go, in the hope of ridding +himself of the pain he experienced. And Moses in turn +promised to entreat God for him on the following day. It +could not be done at once, because the seven days' term had +not yet elapsed. The prayer offered by Moses in behalf of +Pharaoh was granted, all the frogs perished, and their +destruction +was too swift for them to retire to the water. Consequently +the whole land was filled with the stench from the +decaying frogs, for they had been so numerous that every +man of the Egyptians gathered together four heaps of +them.[181] Although the frogs had filled all the market-places +and stables and dwellings, they retreated before the Hebrews +as if they had been able to distinguish between the +two nations, and had known which of them it was proper to +abuse, and which to treat with consideration.[182] Beside sparing +the Hebrews in the land of Egypt, the frogs kept within +the limits of the land, in no wise trenching upon the territory +of the neighboring nations. Indeed, they were the +means of settling peaceably an old boundary dispute between +Egypt and Ethiopia. Wherever they appeared, so +far extended the Egyptian domain; all beyond their line +belonged to Ethiopia. + +Pharaoh was like the wicked that cry to God in their distress, +and when their fortunes prosper slide back into their +old, impious ways. No sooner had the frogs departed from +him, his houses, his servants, and his people, than he hardened +his heart again, and refused to let Israel go. Thereupon +God sent the plague of the lice, the last of those +brought upon Egypt through the mediation of Aaron. +Moses could have no part in it, "for," said God, "the earth +that afforded thee protection when she permitted thee to +hide the slain Egyptian, shall not suffer through thine +hand."[183] + +The Egyptian magicians having boasted that they were +able to produce the first two plagues,--an empty boast it +was, for they did not bring them about with their enchantments, +but only because Moses willed them to do it,--God +put them to shame with the third plague. They tried in +vain to imitate it.[184] The demons could not aid them, for +their power is limited to the production of things larger +than a barley grain, and lice are smaller. The magicians +had to admit, "This is the finger of God." Their failure +put an end once for all to their attempts to do as Moses did. + +But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and God spake to +Moses, saying, "This wicked fellow remains hard of heart, +in spite of the three plagues. The fourth shall be much +worse than those which have preceded it. Go to him, therefore, +and warn him, it would be well for him to let My +people go, that the plague come not upon him."[185] + + +THE PLAGUES BROUGHT THROUGH MOSES + +The fourth plague was also announced to the king early +in the morning by the river's brink. Pharaoh went thither +regularly, for he was one of the magi, who need water for +their enchantments.[186] Moses' daily morning visits were +beginning to annoy him, and he left the house early, in the +hope of circumventing his monitor. But God, who knows +the thoughts of man, sent Moses to Pharaoh at the very +moment of his going forth. + +The warning of the plague that was imminent not having +had any effect upon Pharaoh, God sent the fourth plague +upon Egypt,[187] a mixed horde of wild animals, lions, bears, +wolves, and panthers, and so many birds of prey of different +kinds that the light of the sun and the moon was darkened +as they circled through the air. These beasts came upon the +Egyptians as a punishment for desiring to force the seed of +Abraham to amalgamate with the other nations. God retaliated +by bringing a mixture upon them that cost them +their life.[188] + +As Pharaoh had been the first of the Egyptians to lay evil +plans against the children of Israel, so he was the first upon +whom descended punishment. Into his house the mixed +horde of beasts came first of all, and then into the houses of +the rest of the Egyptians. Goshen, the land inhabited by +the Israelites, was spared entirely, for God put a division +between the two peoples. It is true, the Israelites had +committed sins enough to deserve punishment, but the Holy +One, blessed be He, permitted the Egyptians to act as a ransom +for Israel. + +Again Pharaoh expressed his willingness to let the children +of Israel sacrifice unto their God, but they were to stay +in the land and do it, not go outside, into the wilderness. +Moses pointed out to Pharaoh how unbecoming it would be +for the Israelites to sacrifice, before the very eyes of his +people, the animals that the Egyptians worshipped as gods. +Then Pharaoh consented to let them go beyond the borders +of his land, only they were not to go very far away, and +Moses, to mislead him, asked for a three days' journey into +the wilderness. But, again, when Moses had entreated God +on Pharaoh's behalf, and the horde of wild beasts had vanished, +the king hardened his heart, and did not let the +people go. + +The cessation of the fourth plague was as miraculous as +the plague itself. The very animals that had been slain by +the Egyptians in self-defense returned to life and departed +from the land with the rest. This was ordained to prevent +the wicked oppressors from profiting by the punishment +even so much as the value of the hides and the flesh of the +dead animals. It had not been so with the useless frogs, +they had died on the spot, and their carcasses had remained +where they fell.[189] + +The fifth plague inflicted by God upon the Egyptians was +a grievous pestilence, which mowed down the cattle and +beasts chiefly, yet it did not spare men altogether. This +pestilence was a distinct plague, but it also accompanied all +the other plagues, and the death of many Egyptians was +due to it.[190] The Israelites again came off unscathed. Indeed, +if an Israelite had a just claim upon a beast held by +an Egyptian, it, too, was spared, and the same good fortune +waited upon such cattle as was the common property of +Israelites and Egyptians. + +The sixth plague, the plague of boils, was produced by +Moses and Aaron together in a miraculous way. Each took +a handful of ashes of the furnace, then Moses held the contents +of the two heaps in the hollow of one of his hands, and +sprinkled the ashes tip toward the heaven, and it flew so +high that it reached the Divine throne. Returning earthward, +it scattered over the whole land of Egypt, a space +equal to four hundred square parasangs. The small dust +of the ashes produced leprosy upon the skin of the +Egyptians,[191] +and blains of a peculiar kind, soft within and dry +on top.[192] + +The first five plagues the magicians had tried to imitate, +and partly they had succeeded. But in this sixth plague +they could not stand before Moses, and thenceforth they +gave up the attempt to do as he did. Their craft had all +along been harmful to themselves. Although they could +produce the plagues, they could not imitate Moses in causing +them to disappear. They would put their hands into their +bosom, and draw them out white with leprosy, exactly like +Moses, but their flesh remained leprous until the day of their +death. And the same happened with all the other plagues +that they imitated: until their dying day they were afflicted +with the ills they produced.[193] + +As Pharaoh had wittingly hardened his heart with each +of the first five plagues, and refused to turn from his sinful +purpose, God punished him thereafter in such wise that he +could not mend his ways if he would. God said, "Even +though he should desire to do penance now, I will harden his +heart until he pays off the whole of his debt." + +Pharaoh had observed that whenever he walked on the +brink of the Nile, Moses would intercept him. He therefore +gave up his morning walk. But God bade Moses seek the +king in his palace in the early hours of the day and urge him +to repent of his evil ways. Therefore Moses spake to him as +follows, in the name of God: "O thou villain! Thou thinkest +that I cannot destroy thee from the world. Consider, if +I had desired it, instead of smiting the cattle, I might have +smitten thee and thy people with the pestilence, and thou +wouldst have been cut off from the earth. I inflicted the +plague only in such degree as was necessary to show thee +My power, and that My Name may be declared throughout +all the earth. But thou dost not leave off treading My +people underfoot. Behold, to-morrow when the sun passes +this point,"--whereat Moses made a stroke upon the wall-- +"I will cause a very grievous hail to pour down, such as +will be only once more, when I annihilate Gog with hail, +fire, and brimstone." + +But God's lovingkindness is so great that even in His +wrath He has mercy upon the wicked, and as His chief +object was not to injure men and beasts, but to damage the +vegetation in the fields of the Egyptians, He bade Moses +admonish Pharaoh to send and hasten in his cattle and all +that he had in the field. But the warning fell on heedless +ears. Job was the only one to take it to heart, while Pharaoh +and his people regarded not the word of the Lord. Therefore +the Lord let the hail smite both man and beast, instead +of confining it to the herbs and the trees of the field, as He +had intended from the first. + +As a rule, fire and water are elements at war with each +other, but in the hailstones that smote the land of Egypt +they were reconciled. A fire rested in the hailstones as the +burning wick swims in the oil of a lamp; the surrounding +fluid cannot extinguish the flame. The Egyptians were +smitten either by the hail or by the fire. In the one case as +the other their flesh was seared, and the bodies of the many +that were slain by the hail were consumed by the fire. The +hailstones heaped themselves up like a wall, so that the +carcasses of the slain beasts could not be removed, and if the +people succeeded in dividing the dead animals and carrying +their flesh off, the birds of prey would attack them on their +way home, and snatch their prize away. But the vegetation +in the field suffered even more than man and beast, for the +hail came down like an axe upon the trees and broke them. +That the wheat and the spelt were not crushed was a miracle. + +Now, at last, Pharaoh acknowledged, and said, "The +Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. He +was righteous when He bade us hasten in our cattle from +before the hail, and I and my people were wicked, for we +heeded not His warning, and men and beasts were found in +the field by the hail, and slain." Again he begged Moses to +supplicate God in his behalf, that He turn the plague away, +and he promised to let the children of Israel go. Moses consented +to do his will, saying, however: "Think not that I +do not know what will happen after the plague is stayed. I +know that thou and thy servants, ye will fear the Lord God, +once His punishment is removed, as little as ye feared Him +before. But to show His greatness, I will pray to Him to +make the hail to cease." + +Moses went a short distance out of the city from Pharaoh, +and spread abroad his hands unto the Lord, for he did not +desire to pray to God within, where there were many idols +and images. At once the hail remained suspended in the +air. Part of it dropped down while Joshua was engaged in +battle with the Amorites, and the rest God will send down +in His fury against Gog. Also the thunders ceased at +Moses' intercession, and were stored up for a later time, +for they were the noise which the Lord made the host of the +Syrians to hear at the siege of Samaria, wherefore they +arose and fled in the twilight.[194] + +As Moses had foreseen, so it happened. No sooner had +the hail stopped than Pharaoh abandoned his resolve, and +refused to let Israel go. Moses lost no time in announcing +the eighth plague to him, the plague of the locusts. Observing +that his words had made an impression upon the king's +counsellors, he turned and went out from Pharaoh, to give +them the opportunity of discussing the matter among themselves. +And, indeed, his servants urged Pharaoh to let the +Israelites go and serve the Lord their God. But, again, +when Moses insisted that the whole people must go, the +young and the old, the sons and the daughters, Pharaoh demurred, +saying, "I know it to be customary for young men +and old men to take part in sacrifices, but surely not little +children, and when you demand their presence, too, you +betray your evil purpose. It is but a pretense, your saying +that you will go a three days' journey into the wilderness, +and then return. You mean to escape and never come back. +I will have nothing more to do with the matter.[195] My god +Baal-zephon will oppose you in the way, and hinder you on +your journey." Pharaoh's last words were a dim presentiment. +As a magician he foresaw that on their going forth +from Egypt the children of Israel would find themselves in +desperate straits before the sanctuary of Baal-zephon.[196] + +Pharaoh was not content with merely denying the request +preferred by Moses and Aaron. He ordered them to be +forcibly expelled from the palace. Then God sent the +plague of the locusts announced by Moses before. They +ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees that +the hail had left, and there remained not any green thing. +And again Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, to ask their +forgiveness, both for his sin against the Lord God, in not +having hearkened unto His word, and for his sin against +them, in having chased them forth and intended to curse +them. Moses, as before, prayed to God in Pharaoh's behalf, +and his petition was granted, the plague was taken away, +and in a rather surprising manner. When the swarms of +locusts began to darken the land, the Egyptians caught them +and preserved them in brine as a dainty to be eaten. Now +the Lord turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took +up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea. Even +those they were keeping in their pots flew up and away, and +they had none of the expected profit.[197] + +The last plague but one, like those which had preceded it, +endured seven days. All the time the land was enveloped +in darkness, only it was not always of the same degree of +density. During the first three days, it was not so thick +but that the Egyptians could change their posture when they +desired to do so. If they were sitting down, they could rise +up, and if they were standing, they could sit down. On the +fourth, fifth, and sixth days, the darkness was so dense that +they could not stir from their place. They either sat the +whole time, or stood; as they were at the beginning, so they +remained until the end. The last day of darkness overtook +the Egyptians, not in their own land, but at the Red Sea, on +their pursuit of Israel. The darkness was not of the ordinary, +earthly kind; it came from hell, and it could be +felt. It was as thick as a dinar, and all the time it prevailed +a celestial light brightened the dwellings of the children of +Israel, whereby they could see what the Egyptians were +doing under cover of the darkness. This was of great advantage +to them, for when they were about to go forth +from the land, and they asked their neighbors to lend them +raiment, and jewels of gold and jewels of silver, for the +journey, the Egyptians tried to deny having any in their +possession. But the children of Israel, having spied out all +their treasures during the days of darkness, could describe +the objects they needed with accuracy, and designate their +hiding-places. The Egyptians reasoned that the words of +the Israelites could be taken implicitly as they spoke them, +for if they had had any idea of deceiving them, asking for +a loan when they intended to keep what they laid hands on, +they might have taken unobserved during the days of darkness +whatever: they desired. Hence the Egyptians felt +no hesitation in lending the children of Israel all the treasures +they asked for.[198] + +The darkness was of such a nature that it could not be +dispelled by artificial means. The light of the fire kindled +for household uses was either extinguished by the violence +of the storm, or else it was made invisible and swallowed +up in the density of the darkness. Sight, that most indispensable +of all the external senses, though unimpaired, was +deprived of its office, for nothing could be discerned, and +all the other senses were overthrown like subjects whose +leader has fallen. None was able to speak or to hear, nor +could anyone venture to take food, but they lay themselves +down in quiet and hunger, their outward senses in a trance. +Thus they remained, overwhelmed by the affliction, until +Moses had compassion on them again, and besought God in +their behalf, who granted him the power of restoring fine +weather, light instead of darkness and day instead of night.[199] + +Intimidated by this affliction, Pharaoh permitted the +people to go, the little ones as well as the men and the +women, only he asked that they let their flocks and their +herds be stayed. But Moses said: "As thou livest, our +cattle also shall go with us. Yea, if but the hoof of an +animal belongs to an Israelite, the beast shall not be left +behind in Egypt." This speech exasperated Pharaoh to +such a degree that he threatened Moses with death in the +day he should see his face again. + +At this very moment the Lord appeared unto Moses, and +bade him inform Pharaoh of the infliction of the last plague, +the slaying of the first-born. It was the first and the last +time that God revealed Himself in the royal palace. He +chose the residence of Pharaoh on this occasion that Moses +might not be branded as a liar, for he had replied to Pharaoh's +threat of killing him if he saw his face again, with +the words, "Thou hast spoken well; I will see thy face +again no more." + +With a loud voice Moses proclaimed the last plague, closing +his announcement with the words: "And all these thy +servants shall come down unto me and bow down themselves +unto me, saying, Get thee out: and all the people that +follow thee; and after that I will go out." Moses knew well +enough that Pharaoh himself would come and urge him to +lead Israel forth with as great haste as possible, but he +mentioned +only the servants of the king, and not the king himself, +because he never forgot the respect due to a ruler.[200] + + +THE FIRST PASSOVER + +When the time approached in which, according to the +promise made to Abraham, his children would be redeemed, +it was seen that they had no pious deeds to their credit for +the sake of which they deserved release from bondage. God +therefore gave them two commandments, one bidding them +to sacrifice the paschal lamb and one to circumcise their +sons.[201] Along with the first they received the calendar in +use among the Jews, for the Passover feast is to be celebrated +on the fifteenth day of the month of Nisan, and with +this month the year is to begin. But the computations for +the calendar are so involved that Moses could not understand +them until God showed him the movements of the +moon plainly. There were three other things equally difficult, +which Moses could comprehend only after God made +him to see them plainly. They were the compounding of +the holy anointing oil, the construction of the candlestick +in the Tabernacle, and the animals the flesh of which is +permitted +or prohibited.[202] Also the determination of the new +moon was the subject of special Divine teaching. That +Moses might know the exact procedure, God appeared to +him in a garment with fringes upon its corners, bade Moses +stand at His right hand and Aaron at His left, and then, +citing Michael and Gabriel as witnesses, He addressed +searching questions to the angels as to how the new moon +had seemed to them. Then the Lord addressed Moses and +Aaron, saying, "Thus shall My children proclaim the new +moon, on the testimony of two witnesses and through the +president of the court.[203] + +When Moses appeared before the children of Israel and +delivered the Divine message to them, telling them that their +redemption would come about in this month of Nisan, they +said: "How is it possible that we should be redeemed? Is +not the whole of Egypt full of our idols? And we have no +pious deeds to show making us worthy of redemption." +Moses made reply, and said: "As God desires your redemption, +He pays no heed to your idols; He passes them +by. Nor does He look upon your evil deeds, but only upon +the good deeds of the pious among you."[204] + +God would not, indeed, have delivered Israel if they had +not abandoned their idol worship. Unto this purpose He +commanded them to sacrifice the paschal lamb. Thus they +were to show that they had given up the idolatry of the +Egyptians, consisting in the worship of the ram.[205] The +early law was different from the practice of later times, for +they were bidden to select their sacrificial animal four days +before the day appointed for the offering, and to designate +it publicly as such, to show that they did not stand in awe of +the Egyptians. + +With a heavy heart the Egyptians watched the preparations +of the Israelites for sacrificing the animals they worshipped. +Yet they did not dare interpose an objection, and +when the time came for the offering to be made, the children +of Israel could perform the ceremonies without a +tremor, seeing that they knew, through many days' experience, +that the Egyptians feared to approach them with hostile +intent. There was another practice connected with the +slaughter of the paschal lamb that was to show the Egyptians +how little the Israelites feared them. They took of the +blood of the animal, and openly put it on the two side posts +and on the lintel of the doors of their houses.[206] + +Moses communicated the laws regulating the Passover +sacrifice to the elders, and they in turn made them known to +the people at large. The elders were commended for having +supported the leader at his first appearance, for their +faith in Moses caused the whole people to adhere to him +at once. Therefore God spake, saying: "I will reward +the elders for inspiring the people with confidence in Moses. +They shall have the honor of delivering Israel. They shall +lead the people to the Passover sacrifice, and through this +the redemption will be brought about."[207] + +The ceremonies connected with the Passover sacrifice had +the purpose of conveying instruction to Israel about the past +and the future alike. The blood put on the two side posts +and on the lintel of their doors was to remind them of +Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and the bunch of hyssop for +sprinkling the blood on the doors was to imply that, although +Israel's position among the peoples of the earth is +as lowly as that of the hyssop among the plants, yet this little +nation is bound together like the bunch of hyssop, for it is +God's peculiar treasure.[208] + +The paschal sacrifice afforded Moses the opportunity for +inducing the children of Israel to submit themselves to +circumcision, +which many had refused to do until then in spite +of his urgent appeals. But God has means of persuasion. +He caused a wind to blow that wafted the sweet scents of +Paradise toward Moses' paschal lamb, and the fragrance +penetrated to all parts of Egypt, to the distance of a forty +days' journey. The people were attracted in crowds to +Moses' lamb, and desired to partake of it. But he said, +"This is the command of God, 'No uncircumcised person +shall eat thereof,' " and they all decided to undergo +circumcision. When the Lord passed through the land of Egypt, +He blessed every Israelite for his fulfilment of the two +commands, the command of the paschal sacrifice and the command +regarding circumcision." + +The Lord performed a great miracle for the Israelites. +As no sacrifice may be eaten beyond the borders of the Holy +Land, all the children of Israel were transported thither on +clouds, and after they had eaten of the sacrifice, they were +carried back to Egypt in the same way.[210] + + +THE SMITING OF THE FIRST-BORN + +When Moses announced the slaying of the first-born, the +designated victims all repaired to their fathers, and said: +"Whatever Moses hath foretold has been fulfilled. Let the +Hebrews go, else we shall all die." But the fathers replied, +"It is better for one of every ten of us to die, than the Hebrews +should execute their purpose." Then the first-born +repaired to Pharaoh, to induce him to dismiss the children +of Israel. So far from granting their wish, he ordered his +servants to fall upon the first-born and beat them, to punish +them for their presumptuous demand. Seeing that they +could not accomplish their end by gentle means, they attempted +to bring it about by force.[211] + +Pharaoh and all that opposed the wishes of the first-born +were of the opinion that the loss of so inconsiderable a +percentage of the population was a matter of small moment. +They were mistaken in their calculation, for the Divine +decree included not only the first-born sons, but also the +first-born daughters, and not only the first-born of the +marriages +then existing, but also the first-born issuing from +previous alliances of the fathers and the mothers, and as the +Egyptians led dissolute lives, it happened not rarely that +each of the ten children of one woman was the first-born of +its father. Finally, God decreed that death should smite +the oldest member of every household, whether or not he +was the first-born of his parents.[212] What God resolves is +executed. At the exact instant marking the middle of the +night, so precise that only God Himself could determine and +discern it, He appeared in Egypt, attended by nine thousand +myriads of the Angels of Destruction who are fashioned +some of hail and some of flames, and whose glances drive +terror and trembling to the heart of the beholder. These +angels were about to precipitate themselves into the work of +annihilation, but God restrained them, saying, "My wrath +will not be appeased until I Myself execute vengeance upon +the enemies of Israel."[213] + +Those among the Egyptians who gave credence to Moses' +words, and tried to shield their first-born children from +death, sent them to their Hebrew neighbors, to spend the +fateful night with them, in the hope that God would exempt +the houses of the children of Israel from the plague. But in +the morning, when the Israelites arose from their sleep, they +found the corpses of the Egyptian fugitives next to them.[214] +That was the night in which the Israelites prayed before +lying down to sleep: "Cause us, O Lord our God, to lie +down in peace, remove Satan from before us and from behind +us, and guard our going out and our coming in unto +life and unto peace,"[215] for it was Satan that had caused +frightful bloodshed among the Egyptians.[216] + +Among the slain there were, beside the Egyptian first- +born, also the first-born of other nationalities residing in +Egypt, as well as the Egyptian first-born dwelling outside of +their own land.[217] Even the long dead of the first-born were +not spared. The dogs dragged their corpses out of their +graves in the houses, for it was the Egyptian custom to inter +the dead at home. At the appalling sight the Egyptians +mourned as though the bereavement had befallen them but +recently. The very monuments and statues erected to the +memory of the first-born dead were changed into dust, which +was scattered and flew out of sight. Moreover, their slaves +had to share the fate of the Egyptians, and no less the first- +born of the captive that was in the dungeon, for none was +so low but he hated the Hebrews, and rejoiced when the +Egyptians decreed their persecution.[218] The female slaves +that ground corn between mill-stones were in the habit of +saying, "We do not regret our servitude, if only the Israelites +are gagged, too.[219] + +In dealing out punishment to these aliens in the land of +Egypt, God showed that He was at once the Master of the +land and the Lord over all the gods of the nations, for if +the slaves and the captives of war had not been smitten, +they would have said, "Mighty is our god, who helped us +in this plague."[220] For the same reason all the idols of the +Egyptians were swept out of existence in that night. The +stone idols were ground into dust, the wooden idols rotted, +and those made of metal melted away,[221] and so the Egyptians +were kept from ascribing their chastisement to the +wrath of their own gods. Likewise the Lord God slew the +first-born of the cattle, for the Egyptians paid worship to +animals, and they would have attributed their misfortunes +to them. In all these ways the Lord showed them that +their gods were but vanity. + +THE REDEMPTION OF ISRAEL FROM EGYPTIAN BONDAGE + +Pharaoh rose up in the night of the smiting of the first- +born. He waited not for the third hour of the morning, +when kings usually arise, nor did he wait to be awakened, +but he himself roused his slaves from their slumber, and +all the other Egyptians, and together they went forth to +seek Moses and Aaron.[222] He knew that Moses had never +spoken an untruth, and as he had said, "I will see thy face +again no more," he could not count upon Moses' coming to +him. There remained nothing for him to do but go in search +of the Israelitish leader.[223] He did not know where Moses +lived, and he had great difficulty and lost much time in looking +for his house, for the Hebrew lads of whom he made +inquiries when he met them in the street played practical +jokes on him, misdirected him, and led him astray. Thus +he wandered about a long time.[224] all the while weeping and +crying out, "O my friend Moses, pray for me to God!" + +Meanwhile Moses and Aaron and all Israel beside were +at the paschal meal, drinking wine as they sat and leaned to +one side, and singing songs in praise of God, the Hallel, +which they were the first to recite. When Pharaoh finally +reached the door of the house wherein Moses abode, he +called to him, and from Moses the question came back, +"Who art thou, and what is thy name?"--"I am Pharaoh, +who stands here humiliated."--Moses asked again: "Why +dost thou come to me thyself? Is it the custom of kings to +linger at the doors of common folk?"--"I pray thee, my +lord," returned Pharaoh, "come forth and intercede for us, +else there will not remain a single being in Egypt."--"I +may not come forth, for God bath commanded us, 'None of +you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.' " +--But Pharaoh continued to plead: "Do but step to the +window, and speak with me," and when Moses yielded to +his importunities, and appeared at the window, the king addressed +these words to him: "Thou didst say yesterday, +'All the first-born in the land of Egypt will die,' but now as +many as nine-tenths of the inhabitants have perished."[225] + +Pharaoh was accompanied by his daughter Bithiah, +Moses' foster-mother. She reproached him with ingratitude, +in having brought down evil upon her and her countrymen. +And Moses answered, and said: "Ten plagues the +Lord brought upon Egypt. Hath evil accrued to thee from +any of them? Did one of them affect thee?" And when +Bithiah acknowledged that no harm had touched her, Moses +continued to speak, "Although thou art thy mother's first- +born, thou shalt not die, and no evil shall reach thee in the +midst of Egypt." But Bithiah said, "Of what advantage +is my security to me, when I see the king, my brother, and +all his household, and his servants in this evil plight, and +look upon their first-born perishing with all the first-born of +Egypt?" And Moses returned, "Verily, thy brother and +his household and the other Egyptians would not hearken to +the words of the Lord, therefore did this evil come upon +them.[226] + +Turning to Pharaoh, Moses said: "In spite of all that +hath happened, I will teach thee something, if thou desirest +to learn, and thou wilt be spared, and thou wilt not die. +Raise thy voice, and say: 'Ye children of Israel, ye are +your own masters. Prepare for your journey, and depart +from among my people. Hitherto ye were the slaves of +Pharaoh, but henceforward ye are under the authority of +God. Serve the Lord your God!' " Moses made him say +these words three times,[227] and God caused Pharaoh's voice +to be heard throughout the land of Egypt, so that all the +inhabitants, the home-born and the aliens, knew that Pharaoh +had released the children of Israel from the bondage in +which they had languished. And all Israel sang, "Hallelujah, +praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the Name of +the Lord," for they belonged to the Lord, and no more were +the servants of Pharaoh.[228] + +Now the king of Egypt insisted upon their leaving the +land without delay. But Moses objected, and said: "Are +we thieves, that we should slink away under cover of the +night? Wait until morning." Pharaoh, however, urged +and begged Moses to depart, confessing that he was anxious +about his own person, for he was a first-born son, and he +was terrified that death would strike him down, too. Moses +dissipated his alarm, though he substituted a new horror, +with the words, "Fear not, there is worse in store for +thee!" Dread seized upon the whole people; every one of +the Egyptians was afraid of losing his life, and they all +united their prayers with Pharaoh's, and begged Moses to +take the Israelites hence. And God spake, Ye shall all +find your end, not here, but in the Red Sea!"[229] + + +THE EXODUS + +Pharaoh and the Egyptians let their dead lie unburied, +while they hastened to help the Israelites load their possessions +on wagons, to get them out of the land with as little +delay as possible. When they left, they took with them, beside +their own cattle, the sheep and the oxen that Pharaoh +had ordered his nobles to give them as presents. The king +also forced his magnates to beg pardon of the Israelites for +all they had suffered, knowing as he did that God forgives +an injury done by man to his fellow only after the wrong- +doer has recovered the good-will of his victim by confessing +and regretting his fault.[230] "Now, depart!" said Pharaoh +to the Israelites, "I want nothing from you but that you +should pray to God for me, that I may be saved from +death."[231] + +The hatred of the Egyptians toward the Israelites changed +now into its opposite. They conceived affection and friendship +for them, and fairly forced raiment upon them, and +jewels of silver and jewels of gold, to take along with them +on their journey, although the children of Israel had not yet +returned the articles they had borrowed from their neighbors +at an earlier time. This action is in part to be explained +by the vanity of Pharaoh and his people. They desired +to pretend before the world that they were vastly rich, +as everybody would conclude when this wealth of their mere +slaves was displayed to observers. Indeed, the Israelites +bore so much away from Egypt that one of them alone might +have defrayed the expense of building and furnishing the +Tabernacle. + +On their leaving the land only the private wealth of the +Egyptians was in their hands, but when they arrived at the +Red Sea they came into possession of the public treasure, +too, for Pharaoh, like all kings, carried the moneys of the +state with him on his campaigns, in order to be prepared to +hire a relay of mercenaries in case of defeat. Great as the +other treasure was, the booty captured at the sea far exceeded +it.[232] + +But if the Israelites loaded themselves down with goods +and jewels and money, it was not to gratify love of riches, +or, as any usurer might say, because they coveted their +neighbors' possessions. In the first place they could look +upon their plunder as wages due to them from those they +had long served, and, secondly, they were entitled to retaliate +on those at whose hands they had suffered wrong. +Even then they were requiting them with an affliction far +slighter than any one of all they had endured themselves.[233] + +The plagues did not stay the cruelty of the Egyptian oppressors +toward the Hebrews. It continued unabated until +the very end of their sojourn in the land. On the day of +the exodus, Rachel the daughter of Shuthelah gave birth to +a child, while she and her husband together were treading +the clay for bricks. The babe dropped from her womb into +the clay and sank out of sight. Gabriel appeared, moulded a +brick out of the clay containing the child, and carried it to +the highest of the heavens, where he made it a footstool before +the Divine throne. In that night it was that God looked +upon the suffering of Israel, and smote the first-born of the +Egyptians,[234] and it is one of the four nights that God has +inscribed in the Book of Memorial. The first of the four is +that in which God appeared to create the world; all was +waste and void, and darkness brooded over the abyss, until +the Lord came and spread light round about by His word. +The second night is that in which God appeared unto Abraham +at the covenant of the pieces. In the third night He +appeared in Egypt, slaying the first-born of the Egyptians +with His right hand, and protecting the first-born of the +Israelites with His left. The fourth night recorded will be +that in which the end of the redemption will be accomplished, +when the iron yoke of the wicked kingdom will be +broken, and the evil-doers will be destroyed. Then will +Moses come from the desert, and the Messiah from Rome, +each at the head of his flock, and the word of God will +mediate between them, causing both to walk with one accord +in the same direction. + +Israel's redemption in future days will happen on the fifteenth +of Nisan, the night of Israel's redemption from Egypt, +for thus did Moses say, "In this night God protected Israel +against the Angels of Destruction, and in this night He will +also redeem the generations of the future."[235] + +Though the actual deliverance from Egypt took place in +that night, the Hebrews did not leave the land until the +following day.[236] + +During the same night God requited the Egyptians for +their evil deeds in the sight of all the people, the night being +as bright as day at the time of the summer solstice. Not one +could escape the general chastisement, for by Divine +dispensation none was absent from home at the time, so that +none could fail to see the chastisement.[237] + +The angels in heaven learnt what was happening on earth. +When they were about to begin their song of praise to God, +He silenced them with the words, "My children on earth +are singing now," and the celestial hosts had to stop and +listen to the song of Israel.[238] + +Great as the joy of the Hebrews was at their deliverance +from the Egyptian bondage, it was exceeded by that of Pharaoh's +people at seeing their slaves depart, for with them +went the dread of death that had obsessed them. They were +like the portly gentleman riding an ass. The rider feels +uncomfortable and longs for the moment of alighting, but his +longing cannot compare in intensity with that of the ass +groaning under the corpulent burden, and when their journey's +end is reached, the ass rejoices more than his master. +So the Egyptians were happier to be rid of the Hebrews +than these were to be free.[239] + +In general, the Israelites were not in a joyous mood. The +strength of men is readily exhausted, mentally and physically, +by the strain of a sudden change from slavery to freedom. +They did not recover vigor and force until they +heard the angel hosts sing songs of praise and joy over the +redemption of Israel and the redemption of the Shekinah, +for so long as the chosen people is in exile, the Shekinah, +who dwells among Israel, is also, as it were, in exile. At +the same time, God caused the earth to exhale and send aloft +a healing fragrance, which cured them of all their diseases.[240] + +The exodus of the Israelites began at Raamses, and although +the distance from there to the city of Mizraim, where +Moses abode, was a forty days' journey, yet they heard the +voice of their leader urging them to leave the land. They +covered the distance from Raamses to Succoth, a three days' +march, in an instant. In Succoth God enveloped them in +seven clouds of glory, four hovering in front, behind, and +at the two sides of them, one suspended above them, to +keep off rain, hail, and the rays of the sun, and one under +them to protect them against thorns and snakes. The +seventh cloud preceded them, and prepared the way for +them, exalting the valleys and making low every mountain +and hill.[241] Thus they wandered through the wilderness for +forty years. In all that time no artificial lighting was +needed; a beam from the celestial cloud followed them into +the darkest of chambers, and if one of the people had to go +outside of the camp, even thither he was accompanied by a +fold of the cloud, covering and protecting him.[242] Only, that +a difference might be made between day and night, a pillar +of fire took the place of the cloud in the evening.[243] Never +for an instant were the people without the one or the other +to guide them: the pillar of fire glowed in front of them +before the pillar of cloud retired, and in the morning the +cloud was there before the fire vanished.[244] The clouds of +glory and the pillar of fire were sent for the protection of +Israel alone, for none beside, not for the heathen and not +for the mixed multitude that went up with them; these had +to walk outside of the cloud enclosure.[245] + +The cavalcade consisted of six hundred thousand heads of +families afoot, each accompanied by five children on horseback, +and to these must be added the mixed multitude, exceeding +the Hebrews vastly in number.[246] + +So profound was Israel's trust in the Lord, that they followed +Moses unmurmuringly into the wilderness, without +supplying themselves with provisions.[247] The only edibles +they took were the remains of the unleavened bread and the +bitter herbs, and these not to satisfy their hunger, but because +they were unwilling to separate themselves from what +they had prepared lovingly at the command of God. These +possessions were so dear to them that they would not entrust +them to the beasts of burden, they carried them on their +own shoulders.[248] + + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Legends of the Jews Volume 2 + diff --git a/old/1494.zip b/old/1494.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d3efb90 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/1494.zip |