MEDIEVAL HEBREW.pdf

THE

SACRED BOOKS

AND

EARLY

LITERATURE

OF

THE

EAST

WITH

HISTORICAL

SURVEYS OF

THE

CHIEF

WRITINGS OF

EACH

NATION

Translations, Bibliographies, etc., by thefollowing

Leading Orientalists:

IN

AMERICA:

MORRIS JASTROW.LL.D., Professor of SemiticLanguages, University of

Penn-sylvania; JAMESH.BREASTED,LL.D., Professor ofEgyptology,University of

Chicago; CHARLESC. TORREY.D.D., Professor of SemiticLanguages Yale

University; A. V.W.JACKSON, LL.D..Professor of Indo-Iranian, Columbia

Uni-versity; CHARLESR.LANMAN.LL.D.,ProfessorofSanskrit, HarvardUniversity;

Riv. CHARLES F. AIKEN, S.T.D.,Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Catholic

University; FRIEDRICH HIRTH, LL.D.,Professor of Chinese, Columbia

Uni-versity; REV.WILLIAM E.GRIFFIS, D.D.. former Professor at the Imperial University, Tokio.

IN

EUROPE:

E. A. W. BUDGE, F.SJV., Director of Egyptologyin the British Museum; SIR

GASTONMASPERO.D.C.L.,MemberoftheRoyal InstituteofFrance; REV.A, H.

SAYCE. LL.D., Professor of Comparative Philology. Oxford University; W.

FLINDERSPETRIE,LL.D.,Professor ofEgyptology,University College.London;

STEPHEN

LANGDON

, Ph.D.. Professor of Assyriology. OxfordUniversity; SIR

ERNESTSATOW.LL.D.,G.C.M.G. BritishMinister toJapan; H.OLDENBERG.

LL.D., Professor of Sanskrit, Kid University; T. W. RHYS-DAVIDS. LL.D.,

LibrarianoftheRoyal Asiatic Society; ARMINIUS VAMBERY.LL.D., Professor ofOrientalLanguages,University ofBudapest.

IN

ASIA:

SIRM.

COOMARA

SWAMY.LegislativeCouncilofCeylon;

ROMESH

CHTJNDER

DUTT, C.I.E., Author oftheHistoryof Civilization in AncientIndia;

DARAB

D. P. SANJANA. Educational Society ofBombay; VISCOUNT

KENCHO

SUYE-MATSU

LL.M., JapaneseMinister oftheInterior; SHEIK FAIZ-ULLAH-BHAI, HeadMasterofthe Schoolsof _{Anjuman-i-Islam;}RALPHT. GRIFFITH,President

Benares College, India; JIVANJI JAMSHEDJI MODI, Fellow ofBombay

Uni-versity, Officierde1'Acade'mie Francaise.

L'nder the _{editorship of a} staffofspecialists directed by PmoF.

CHARLES

F.

HORNE,

PH.D.

PARKE,

AUSTIN,

AND

LIPSCOMB,

INC.

and Early Literature of_{the Eaat, consisting of fourteen}

volumes. InVolumeIoftheseries willbe found a cer-tificateas to the limitationofthe editionandthe registered numberof this set.

Copyright, 1917,

THE

SACRED BOOKS

AND

EARLY

LITERATURE

OF

THE

EAST

VOLUME

IV

MEDIEVAL

HEBREW

THE MIDRASH

THE

KABBALAH

In Translations by

DR.W.

WYNN

WESTCOTT,D.P.H.,MagusoftheRoskrucian_Society; S. L. _MATHERS, M.A.; VERY REV.

HERMAN

ADLER, LL.D., Presi-dent of Jews' College; ADOLF NEUBAUER, Ph.D., Reader of Rab-binical Literature, Oxford University; REV. SAMUEL RAPAPORT, Rabbi of Cape Colony; DR. MICHAEL _{FRIEDLANDER, Ph.D.;} and otherauthoritieson Hebraicand Kabbalisticlore.

With a _{BriefBibliography by}

ADOLPHS. _OKO, Librarianof Hebrew Union_College.

With an Historical_Surveyand_Descriptionsby

PROF.

CHARLES

F.

HORNE,

PH.D.

PARKE,

AUSTIN,

AND

LIPSCOMB,

INC.

11

There never

was a

_{false god,} nor

was

there ever

really

a

false religion,

unkss

you

call

a

child

a

CONTENTS OF

VOLUME

IV

MEDIEVAL

HEBREW

FAOB

INTRODUCTION

The

Breadth and Persistency of

Hebrew

Learning 1

I.

THE

MIDRASH,

orPreserved Tradition

....

7

The Tanhuma

Midrash _(aboutA.D.₅₀₀₎

...

12

Bereshith

Rabba

42

Exodus

Rabba

69

Leviticus

Rabba

90

Numbers Rabba

. 105

Deuteronomy

Rabba

121

Ashmedai, the

King

of

Demons

133

II.

THE

KABBALAH,

or SecretTradition (from

unknown

date_{to A.D. 1305)} 145

The

Book

of Creation, or Sepher Yetzirah . . 164

The

Book

of Concealed _Mystery, or Sepher

Dtzenioutha 181

The

Greater

Holy

_Assembly 236

III. RELIGIOUS

POETRY

331

The Poems

of Avicebron or Ibn Gabirol (died

A.D. ₁₀₅₈₎ 334

The

Poems

ofJudah Halevi (A.D. 1080-1150) . 337

Later Poets 352

IV.

THE

BOOK

CUSARI,

The

Story ofa Lost

Race

. 359

PAGE

V.

THE

GREAT

HEBREW

PHILOSOPHERS

....

367

Commentaries of Rabbi

Ben

Ezra (A.D.

1092-1167)

.371

Adviceof

Maimonides

(1135-1204)

....

375

VI.

THE

TRAVELS

OF

BENJAMIN

OF

TUDELA

(A.D.

1160-1173) 381

ILLUSTRATIONS

IN

VOLUME

IV

FACINGPAGE

The

Tomb

of

Hiram

Frontispiece

The Mosque

of

Abraham

64

Kabbajistic

Diagram

oftheSoul 160

An

Ancient_SynagogueinPalestine ^ 384

SACRED BOOKS

AND EARLY

MEDIEVAL

HEBREW

INTRODUCTION

HOW

FROM

RELIGION

THE

HEBREW

THOUGHT BRED

JMYSTERY,

PHILOSOPHY,

AND

POETRY

THE

Hebrew

writings after the fifth _century of our

pres-ent era include

no

such _{transcendently important} re-ligiousworks astheBible

and

the

Talmud.

Yet

the Hebraic

race

had

lost neither their wonderful _genius for _religious

thought, nor their strong instinct for formalism, for the

embodiment

of _{religion in} a

mass

ofminute rules.

Hebrew

tradition

was

still to _giveto the world

two

remarkable works

bearing

upon

religion. Neither of these is a single book;

each, like the Bibleitself, is a collectionof

many

works,brief books carrying the complete thought of

many

generations.

One

of these collections is

commonly

called the "_Midrash,"

and

the other the "Kabbalah."

To

appreciate these two earnest

and

strange

and

mystic

labors of medieval thinkers,

we

must

realize that

from

the

timeofthe destruction ofJerusalem

by

the

Romans

(A.D. 70)

there

was

no _{longer a}

Hebrew

nation _{living in} its

own

land.

There

was

_only a

mournful

_race, wide-scattered over all the

world.

At

first the chief _remaining center of

Hebrew

thought

and

teaching

was

in Babylon, the foster-home

from

which sprang the

main

bulk of the

Talmud.

But

after the

fifth _century A.D. the lands of _{Babylonia were plunged} also into destruction; and

more

than ever the

Jews became

hapless

wanderers.

They

_{were welcomed, indeed,} in

some

lands,

because their habits of _peace

and

industrv

and

obedience

made

them

_{profitable servitors}; but

more

often they were

met

with _{savage persecution.}

Hence

to the medieval

Jew

the usual conditions of life were _strangely reversed.

The

peo-ple

among

whom

hedwelt werenothis "_{neighbors," but} were

strangers

and

enemies; while his true

"

neighbors," those

who

would

feelwith

him

and

_help

and

value_him, dwelt in all

the widest distances of the world.

Because of this scattered life of the medieval Jews, their

literary

men

were

much

more

aptto write in thelanguage of

thelandwherein _{they dwelt}than inthe_very ancient

Hebrew,

which

was

known

_only to their _{very learned brethren, or} in

the

common

Jewish _speech, or _{Aramaic, which}

had

_long sup-planted the older

Hebrew,

even in Jerusalem itself.

From

the time of Jerusalem's _fall,

when

_Josephus, that wise

and

crafty

Hebrew

general, wrote his

"

Wars

of the

Jews

" not in hisnative _tongue but in _Latin, so that the

Roman

con-querors could read it,

down

to the

day

when

the poet

Heine penned

his _passionate Jewish laments in

German,

writers of

Hebrew

birth

and

_spirit have enriched the

liter-ature of _{every language} in the world.

Only

when

the thinker

had

_something to _{say directly to other Jews,}

some-thing personal or dealing with their religion,

would

he prob-ably write in

Hebrew

or Aramaic.

Hence

the later Hebraic

books are almost _{wholly religious,} or, to

employ

the usual

word, "rabbinical."

THE

MIDEASH

To

this class _{belongs the} medieval Midrash.

The

word

"

Midrash

"

means

"_{explanation,"}

and

so in a sense all

Hebraic _religious works since the Bible are included in the

Midrash.

But

the

name

is_{generally limited} to the

commen-taries, which always remained

mere

human

"

explanations,"

and

were never _accepted, as

was

the

Talmud,

as _being

in-spired,

and

hence as formingpart of the official and

unalter-able _religion.

The

medieval

Midrash

thus includes a considerable bulk of _writings,

some

of which

may

be as old as the fifth _{century A.D.,} but the fullest

and

best of which

us, likethe

Talmud,

with a further

mass

of

homely

or poetic details about all the _{older Biblical characters,}

and

of subtle analysis of Bible doctrines.

Some

of the statements are

undoubtedly based on very ancient tradition.

Many

Hebrews

look

upon

the

Midrash

as the

mere

putting into writing of facts always

known

to their race,

and

they hence accept its _teachings as _equally valuable with those of the

Talmud.

THE KABBALAH

With

the

Kabbalah

we

turn to another _field, to

what

is

perhaps thelatest,

and

certainlythemostmysterious, product

of

Hebrew

_{religious thought.}

When

the chief books of the

Kabbalah

were _presented to the

European

world in the

four-teenth_{century they created}so _{profound an} interest that their

appearance

may

well be noted as _{forming one} of the most

important events of the Renaissance.

They

were said to

be as_holy as the Bible,

and

as old, or even older;

and

many

learned

men

_accepted

them

at this valuation.

A

_leading Italian scholar, Pico di _{Mirandola, urged}

upon Pope

Sixtus

(A.D. 1490) that the doctrines of the

Kabbalah

should be accepted as part of the Christian doctrine. Indeed,

many

Jews

found in these so-called sacred

Hebrew

books such a

similarity to Christian teaching that they

became

converted

to the Christian faith.

Soon, however, eager scholars began to search the books of the

Kabbalah

for

what

these could tell _{of magic, rather} than

of _religion. Doubts were cast

upon

_{the genuineness of} their

proclaimed antiquity;

and

their teachings were relegated

to that _{borderland of fantasy}

and

_{mystery which pervades}

their _{highly spiritual religious} ideal.

To

some

critics of

to-day, the books of the

Kabbalah

are merely mechanical

riddles

and

mathematical _word-games, to others _they are

dark

and

_broodingpits ofevil; to

some

they are petty frauds,

to others_{they are} stillthemost _{ancient, deep,}

and

_{holy books} of all the world.

To

every one of us they

must

have

some

The

Midrash

reviews the _past, the

Kabbalah

_explores eter-nity.

The

present volume, therefore, is _given first to the

mostnoted books of the _{Midrash, with}theirharvest of added

detailsforthe Bible _story,

and

thento those of the _Kabbalah,

withtheir _{searching of}

unknown

_deeps.

THE

SPANISH

HEBEEWS

Beyond

these

come

the

Hebrew

_{writings held} less sacred,

though only perhapsbecause they are less _ancient, or at least

have never been invested with a claim _{or pretense} to remote

antiquity.

During

the eleventh

and

twelfth centuries of our

era the _{gorgeous Arabic, or Moorish,} civilization of _Spain

was

the center of the world's _{intellectual activity};

and

as the

Moors

were tolerant toward the _Jews,

we

find

among

them

great

Hebrew

philosophers

who

wrote in Arabic.

We

find

also

some

who

used the ancient

Hebrew,

or

whose

Arabic

works were

by

their _admiring brethren translated _promptly

into

Hebrew.

The

more

_worldlyor

Arabian

of thesewriters

we

must

look for in our

Arab volume

; but

we

give here the

most noted works of the _distinctly Hebraic style. First

among

these in _point of time comes the _{religious poetry.}

There is a considerable bulk of medieval Hebraic verse of

this _sort,

much

of it _{rising to} a _high level of poetic vision

and

an even _higher level of philosophical thought.

We

begin here with the

hymns

of Avicebron,

who

was

a noted

Arabic teacher arid _{philosopher of the eleventh century, but}

had

_{not forgotten} his Jewish faith

and

_people.

Our

book

then turns to

Jehudah

hal-Levi,

commonly

called

Judah

Halevi, the

most

renowned

of

Hebrew

religious poets.

His

"

Ode

to Zion" is _{usually accounted the high-water}

mark

of such _poetry

;

and

his proudly boastful prose work,

"

The

Book

_Cusari," is_{equally typical of his}

day and

of_{his people.}

From

_{the poets}

we

turn to _{the prose philosophers.} Chief

of _these,

from

the Hebraic _viewpoint, were

Ibn Ezra

of the twelfth _century

and

Maimonides

of the thirteenth.

Ibn

Ezra

has been

made known

to _English readers

by

_Browning's great poem, which takes

him

for its _{philosophic interpreter}

called

Moses

ben

Maimon, was

so

famed

among

his

own

_people for his

work

in _codifying

and

_{expounding their faith,} that

even _{to-day they speak of their religious teaching} as extend-ing

"from

Moses

to Moses."

That

is, the teaching began

with

Moses

of the Bible

and

_{receiving the}

Law

upon

Mount

Sinai,

and

it

was

_{finally fixed, closed,}

and

established_beyond

any

further change,

by Moses

ben

Maimon.

Having

thus traced the whole outline of Jewish _religious

development, our book closes with the most notable

Hebrew

medieval

work

_{not touching} on _religion that is, so far as

anything Hebraic could reach outside of the tremendous

all-pervadingreligious faith. This is the book of the travels of

Benjamin

of _Tudela, the most noted of Jewish travelers.

Doubtless other

Jews

_{in other ages} have seen even

more

of

the world than _he, but

from no

other have

we

_preserved so

fulland _thoughtfula record of

what

hesaw.

Even

Benjamin

of Tudela is

more

Jew

than traveler.

He

notes _chiefly

how

many

Jews

he finds in each

new

place,

how

many

"

neigh-bors," that is, for him, and

how

they stand with regard to

upholding the ancient faith.

His work

is thus well fitted to

form

_{the closing picture of} medieval

Hebrew

literature

and

THE MIDEASH

"

Wisdom

is _{granted by}

God

to

him who

already possesses

knowledge, not to the _ignorant"

MIDBASH TANHUMA.

"The

Bible, or written law, contains unexplained passages

andhiddensentences,which can notbe fullyunderstood without the help of the oral law."

(INTRODUCTION)

AMONG

_tasy storedthe thousand odds

up

for us within

and

theends

Midrash

of

wisdom and

is the state-

fan-ment

that all of the Jewish law

would

have been written out for the _people, as

was

the Torah, or Five Bible

Books

of

Moses, only "

God

saw

that the

Torah would

eventually be translated into _Greek,

and

_published as _though it were the

law entrusted to _Greeks,"

meaning

Gentiles.

Hence

the

Talmud

and

_Midrash, "the oral _{law, the key} to

and

inter-preter of the written law, being entrusted to Israelites only,

the

Jews

alone have the whole of God's

word

with the interpretation in full."

Thiswill

make

_clear, at least

from

the

Hebrew

_viewpoint,

the value of the Midrash. It is the last

and

final

word

given as

"

explanation

"

of the

Holy

_Scriptures.

Some

Midrashim, or _explanations of the Bible, have of course

always existed

among

theHebrews.

The

Talmud,

as_pointed

out in _{the preceding volume,} consists of such _early

explana-tions as were _accepted as authoritative

and

_{incorporated in}

the Jewish faith before A.D. 500.

During

the

Middle Ages

a _large

number

of such

Midrashim

were written.

Most

of

thesedealwith

some

_particular bookof theBible.

A

studious rabbi

would

resolveto write a

Midrash upon

Genesis or

upon

Exodus and would

collect all he

had

learned

upon

the

theme

from

earlier teachers.

Some

studious successor

would

_copy

this book

and

_{enlarge it, adding} a

few

_{points culled}

from

another Midrash.

Sometimes

the

new

work became

known

by

the reviser's_{name, sometimes}itretainedthatof theearlier writer.

In

that

way we

have often several _very different

forms of a _Midrash, all _{going under} the

same

name.

Through

this

medley

of booksbuilt

upon

books

we

have

no

clear _guide,

no

lines _{of separation}

;

and

gradually the whole

mass

_{of repeated traditions, legends, explanations, layerpiled}

upon

layer, has

come

tobe

known

collectively as the Midrash.

The

_{present Midrash,} therefore, is a loose collection of

com-mentaries, said to befounded on traditions as old asthe Bible

and

Talmud.

Some

of its _{books are reputed} to have

orig-inated with noted rabbis of the third

and

fourth centuries.

But

we

can not trace

any

of its

known

books _{of to-day} back

to such a _{high antiquity,}

and where

one still retains

some

antique writer's

name we

canbe sure thatithas_{been changed}

and

_changed

and

_{changed again,} until _very little of the

reputed author's

work

remains.

Perhaps the oldest of the _surviving

Midrashim

is that

known

as the _Mekilta; but the Mekilta is almost _wholly a

textual_commentary.

That

_is, it confines itself to _explaining

the exact shades of

grammar

and meaning

in the Bible text.

As

Christian scholars _{wholly reject} these elaborate textual

commentaries,

modern

readers will find far

more

interest in

the oldest _{Midrash, which, going beyond}

mere

definition of the text, illustrates its points with examples

and

thus recalls

some

vision of the _past. This stillvivid

and

_living

Midrash

is the

Tanhuma.

It is so called because its _origin is

attrib-uted to a learned Palestinian _rabbi,

Tanhuma, who

lived in

the _{fourth century; but} our _present

Midrash

Tanhuma

can

not have been

composed

before the _{seventh century.} It is

still, of course, chiefly concerned with

grammar

and

text, so that _{only the essence of} its

more

_livingspiritis _givenhere.

After this

we

_print, in the

same

concentrated form, the

living items or bits of still _interesting information gleaned

from

the mostcelebrated of the laterMidrashim. These are

the "_Rabba," or a collection of commentaries on ten of the

most sacred of_{the Biblical books,}

more

_especially on the five

books of Moses.

Among

these the Genesis _{Rabba, which} is

known

as _{the Bereshith,} is_regarded as _{particularly venerable}

and

sacred.

No

_{part of the Rabba,} however, seems likely to have been

com-LITERATURE

paratively recentdates,

we

must

again

remind

the readerthat

Hebrew

lore _{regards the} time of the writing

down

of our

present

Midrash

as unimportant, since its writers are trusted

tohave preserved onlygenuinetraditions, each reachingback

to theevent of whichit tellsor the authority

whom

it _quotes.

In

illustration of

what

is still _being done

by modern

Hebrew

scholars with the

mass

of the Midrash,

we

close our

section on its books with the _story of the _king of demons,

Ashmedai. This has been put together

by

a

modern

rabbi,

who, going carefully through the Midrash, collected all its

references to

Ashmedai and

so built

up

the life-story of the

TANHUMA

The

Torah

*

isfull_{of holy} fire

j it

was

writtenwith a black

fire

upon

a white fire.

The

Torah

has meekness as its _footgear,

and

the fear of

God

as its crown.

Hence Moses was

the _{proper person}

through whose hands it should be delivered; he

was

_meek,

and

with the fear of the

Lord

he

was

crowned.

You

can _{not expect} to _{occupy yourself} with the study of the

Torah

in the future world

and

receive the reward for so

doing in this world;

you

are

meant

to

make

the

Torah

your

own

in this_life,

and

to lookfor reward in thelifeto come.

Cain's _offering consisted of the seed of _flax,

and

that of

Abel ofthe_fatlingsof_{his sheep.} Thisis_probablythereason

why

the _wearing of a

garment

of various _materials, as of

woolen

and

linen _together,

was

_prohibited.

As

one

who

finishes _{the building} of his house proclaims that

day

a _holiday,

and

consecrates the _building, so _God,

having finished creation in the six _{days, proclaimed} the

seventh

day

a _holy

day and

sanctified it.

If the fraudulent

man

and

the usurer offerto

make

restitu-tion, it is _{not permitted} to _acceptit

from

them.

The

Bible, or written law, contains unexplained passages

and

hidden sentences,

which

can not be fully understood

without _{the help} of the oral law. _{Further, the written} law

contains_{generalities,} whilst the oral law _{goes in} for explana-tions in _detail,

and

is _consequently

much

_{larger in} volume.

Indeed, as a figure of speech

we

could apply to it the words

in

Job

_{(iv. 9),} "

The

measure

thereofis_longerthan the earth

and

broader than the sea."

The

_knowledge of this oral law

can not be _expected to be _{found amongst} those

who

are bent

on enjoyingearthlylife

and

_{worldlypleasures}; its acquisition

requires the relinquishment of all _worldliness, riches

and

pleasures,

and

requires intellectaided

by

constant_study. iTheTorahmeans thefirstfivebooksofthe Bible,the

Law

ofMosee.

LITERATURE

There is

no

evilthathas

no

_remedy,

and

the

remedy

forsin

is _repentance.

Whatever

_hardships

may

be _imposed

upon Jews by

the

powers that _{be, they}

must

not rebel _against the authorities

who

_impose them, but are to _{render compliance, except}

when

ordered to _{disregard the}

Torah and

its _injunctions; for that

would

be tantamountto_giving

up

theirGod.

He

that stole an ox

had

to restore _fivefold,

and

he that stole a _sheep

had

to _giveback _{only fourfold,} because

by

steal-ing the ox he

may

have prevented the

owner from

plowing

or _doing other_agricultural

work

forthe time being.

Thereisawall_{of separation}erectedbetweentheShechinah

and

the _following three _classes, a wall that can never be

razed:

The

_cheat, the _robber,

and

the idle _worshiper.

The meaning

of the phrase, "

God made

man

in his

own

image," is_that, like his _Maker, a

man

isto be _righteous

and

iipright.

Do

notarguethat evilinclinationisinnate in

you

;

such

argument

is _fallacious;

when

you

are a child

you

com-mit

no

sin

; it is

when

you

grow

out ofinfancy thatyour evil

inclination becomes _developed.

You

have the

power

of re-sisting the evil inclination if

you

feel so _inclined, even as

you

are able to convert the bitter elements of certain foods

into_{very palatable} eatables.

Hadrian,

King

of

Rome

(Edom),

_having

made

_great

con-quests, requested his court in

Rome

to proclaim

him

God.

In

answer to this modest _request, one of his ministers _said,

"_If

yourMajesty desires to

become

_God, it will_{be necessary}

to _quit God's _property first, to

show

your independence of

him.

He

created heaven

and

earth; get out ofthese

and you

can proclaim yourself God." Another counselor replied

by

asking

Hadrian

to help

him

out of a sad position in which

he

was

_placed. "I have sent a _{ship to sea,"} he _said, "with

all

my

_possessions

on

board of_her,

and

she is but a short dis-tance about three miles

from

shore but is _struggling

against thewatery elements, whichthreatenher total destruc-tion." "

Do

not _{trouble," replied} the _King, "I will send

some

of

my

_ships well

manned,

and

_your craft shall be

need for all _{that," said the} counselor _satirically;

"

order but

a littlefavorable_wind,

and

her

own

crewwill

manage

to_bring her _{safely into port."} "

And

where

shall I order the

wind

from

?

How

haveI the

power

toorder the

wind

?" answered

Hadrian

angrily.

"

Has

your Majestynot even a little

wind

at_your

command

?" said the_King'sadviser_mockingly, "and

yet

you

wish tobe _proclaimed

God

!

"

Hadrian

then retired to his

own

rooms

_angry

and

disap-pointed,

and

when

hetold his wife of the controversy he

had

had

with his ministers sheremarked that his advisers did not

strike on the _{proper thing} which

would

_bring his wish to a

happy

consummation. "It seems to _me," she said

mock-ingly,

"

that the first _thing

you must

do is to _give

God

back

what

he _{has given}

you and

be under

no

_{obligation to} him."

"

And

what

may

that be?" _{inquired the heathen.} "

The

soul, of course," answered his wife. "

But," argued the

King, "if I _give back

my

_soul, I shall not live." "_Then,"

said his wife _{triumphantly,} "that shows that

you

are but mortal,

and

cannotbe God."

The

slanderer seems to

deny

the existence of God.

As

King

David

has _it, "

They

_say,

Our

_lips are with _us,

who

is

Lord

over us?" _(Ps.xii.)

Letus notlose sightof the lesson that itis

meant

to_convey tous

by

_{the expression,} "

And

the

Lord

came

down

to see"

(Gen. xi.),

namely

that

we

arenot to_{judge merely by} "

hear-say"

and

to assert _anything as _{having taken place unless}

we

saw

it.

Elijah quickened the dead, caused rain to descend,

pre-vented rain

from coming

_down,

and

_brought fire

down

from

heaven; buthe did not say

"

I

am

God."

When

Noah

set out to _{plant the vine,} Satan encountered

him

and

asked

upon what

errand he

was

bent. "I

am

_going

to _{plant the vine," said} Noah. "I will _gladly assist

you

in

this _{good work,"} said Satan.

When

the offer _{of help}

was

accepted Satan brought a sheep

and

slaughtered it on the

plant,then alion, thena pig,

and

finally a

monkey.

He

thus explained these symbols to Noah.

When

a

man

tastes the

LITERATURE

when

he tastes a little

more

he will become possessed of the

courage of a lion

and

think himself as strong; shouldhe

fur-ther indulge in the liquid produced

by

your plant he will

become

as _{objectionable} as a _pig;

and

by

_yet further indulgence in it he will

become

like a

monkey.

Because the

Torah

mulctsthe thief in _double,

and

in

some

cases

more

than _double, the value of

what

he has _stolen, one

is not to conclude that he is allowed to steal

when

in _want,

with the intention of _{paying back} double

and more

than

double the value.

The

_promise to

Abraham

that he should

become

_{a great}

nation

was

fulfilled

when

the Israelites

became

the _recipients

of God's laws. _Moses, on account of their _being the

posses-sors of the Torah, styles

them

"

a great nation" (Deut. iv.). Blessings proceed

from

Zion (Ps. cxxxiv.), the

dew

is blessed

from

Zion _{(Ps. cxxxiii.),} so _{does help}

come from

Zion _(Ps. xx.),

and

salvation (Ps. xiv.).

The

future

bless-ings of Israel will proceed

from

Zion (Ps. cxxxiii.),

and

Zion itself will receive God's _blessings.

The

_comparison in _beauty of

any

woman

to Sarah is like

comparing

monkeys

with men.

"

This shall not be thine _heir, but he that cometh forth out of thy loins shall be thine heir" _{(Gen. xv. 4).}

There

is

a _story of a

man

blessed with _{learning, wisdom,}

and

_riches,

who

had

an _{only son, to}

whom

he_{naturallygave}the best

edu-cation,

and

whom

he sent to Jerusalem for the _purpose of

completing his education.

He

had

all _arrangements

made

for his _{bodily comforts,}

and

_{took every care} that the

young

man,

who

was

very promising

and

on

whom

he doted, should

want

for _{nothing. Shortly} after his son's_departure, he took

to his bed,

from

which he rosenot _again.

His

death caused

immense

regret in the place of his resi-dence, for in

him

the _poor

had

lost a real _support,

and

many

a

man

a wise counselor

and

adviser. It

was

felt that the

town

in _general

had

lost one

whom

it

would

be difficult to replace.

was

known

tobethe executor ofthe deadman's _{last will,}

and

who

had

_{duly informed} the son

by

letter of the sad death of

his father, proceededto break the seal of the will

and

see its contents.

To

his _{great astonishment,}

and no

less to the

as-tonishment_{of every}one

who

learnedthenature ofits_contents,

the whole of the dead man's _{property, personal}

and

other-wise, movable

and

immovable, after leaving considerable

amounts

to various _charities,

was

left to his _negro slave;

there

was

_{but a saving clause}that hisbeloved son should have

the _{privilege of choosing} one _thing, but one _only, out of the

whole estate.

The

_{son,though duly informed}of thedetailsofthis_strange

will,

was

so

immersed

in grief at the loss of his father that his

mind

could not be diverted to _{anything else;}

and

it

was

only

when

his teacher alluded to his father's death

and

the inheritance _{which he might expect,}

and

advised

him

to use it

for the

same

_{laudable purposes,} that the

young

man

informed

his beloved master that

by

his father's will he

had

been

reduced to a _{beggar. Meanwhile,} the _negro slave of the

departed

man,

having gone through all the formalities

and

proved his _title, lost

no

time in _{taking possession of}his dead

master's _property.

He

was

_ready

and

_{willing enough} to

grant the son one thing out of his late father's _goods,

whenever he should

come and

claim the _object of his choice.

The

acute _{rabbi, on reading} the _will,

saw

at once the drift

of the testator's _intention,

and

told his _pupil that he should proceed to his native

town and

take possession of his prop-erty.

"But

I have

no

property to take _possession of,"

pleaded the

young man,

"except one article of

my

late

father's _goods." "

Well

_{then," replied} the _teacher, unable

to conceal _{a smile,} "choose _yourlate father's _negro slave out ofhis_estate,

and

with

him

will_gooverto

you

allhe_possesses,

since a slave can

own

_nothing,

and

all he _{has belongs} to his

master. _{That, indeed,}

was

_your father's clever device.

He

knew

that if the will were to state that all

was

left to _you,

the negro, being

by

the force of circumstances in _{charge of}

could lay his _{hands; whereas} if he

knew

or _thought all

be-longedto

him

he

would

_{take care of everything}that

was

left.

Your

wise father

knew

that the one _{thing he gave}

you

the

power

to choose

would

be no other than his _slave,

and

with

him

you

would

become

the _just

and

_rightful

owner

of everything."

You

can not be too careful _{about prayer,}

and you

should never omit to _{pray. Prayer eclipses} all other _services,

and

towers abovesacrifices;

and

thesinful

man

may

receiveGod's

grace through prayer.

As

oneis_prohibited

from

reciting

any

portion of the

Torah

by

heart, but

must

read it out of the written _scroll, so is he

who

_expounds

any

_{portion thereof not allowed} to read his

exposition

from

anything written, but

must

deliver it

by

word

of mouth.

When

God'screatures incur_punishment, the Merciful

One

looks for one to _{plead for the guilty people, to open} a _way,

as it _were, as

was

the case in the time of Jeremiah. _(See

Jer. v.)

The

_proverbsays, "If

you

rubshoulderswith the anointed

you

will

become

anointed." Lot,being associated with

Abra-ham,

became

hospitable; whilst his character does not

indicate inclination to hospitality on his

own

_part.

You

must

not in

any

way

_{mislead your} fellow

men,

not

even to _{the extent of asking the price} of _{anything he}

may

have _{for disposal, so as to}

make him

believe that

you

are a

likely purchaser, whilst

you

have

no

intention of _purchasing thearticle.

The

_{righteous are put} to

more and

severer trials than the unrighteous.

So

the

owner

of flax will beat out the _good

flax often

and

_{severely, so as to}

make

it _{purer, but doe? not} treat the inferior article in the

same

_way, lest it fall

away

into small _pieces.

The

_following tend to

make

a

man

_prematurely old:

Fear, war, trouble

from

his children, or a shrew of awife.

As

there is _{a regularity} in the _position of the sun _daily

the east

and

_west,

and

in the _evening in the west, so

must

there be an inflexible _regularity with _every

Jew

in reciting his _prayers three times _{daily, morning, afternoon,}

and

evening.

A

widower

with unmarried sons is advised to see his sons

married before he marries _again.

Adrianus _{(Hadrian), discussing} with

Rabbi

Joshua the

innumerable adversaries that the Israelites

had

to _encounter,

said, "

Greatis _{the sheep that}can withstand _{seventy wolves."}

Rabbi

Joshua _replied, "Greatest isthe _shepherd

who

enables the sheep to outlive the constant attacks of the wolves."

There ismerit

and

even _{dignity in handicraft.}

Do

not _say, I need not

work

for

my

_living, but cast

my

hope on

God

who

supports all _{living creatures.}

You

must

work

_{for a livelihood,}

and

look

up

to

God

to bless the

work

of _your hands. _Jacob, in _alluding to the _delivery

from

Laban's_{house, says,} "

God

hath seen the labor of

my

hands"

(Gen. xxxi.).

A

homely

domesticatedwifeis likethe altar in the_temple;

and

sheis evenan atonement asthe altarwas.

Isaiah committedsin

by

_saying, "

In

the midstof a _people

ofunclean

lipsdo I dwell

"

(Isa. vi.).

For

this, the slander

which

is

compared

to _fire, he

was

_{punished with} fire, with

thelivecoal taken

from

the _{altar (Isa. vi.).}

However

adverse one's _opinion

may

be of

any

one _placed

in a _{high position,} he is

bound

to

pay

him

the _respect due to his _position.

Rabbi

Judah

_Hannasi,

when

_writing to

Antoninus, invariably usedthe phrase,

"

Judah, thy servant,

sends greeting."

A

modest

woman

is _worthy of _being the wife of a _high

priest, for she islike an altar in herhome.

God

wishes

man

to ask _forgiveness,

and

not to see

him

in his

guilt.

So

_exceedingly

handsome was

_Josephthat

when

the friends of Potiphar's wife visited her,

and

the hostess _proffered

them

LITERATURE

handsome

Hebrew

slave;

and

they sympathized with their

friend

when

hescorned her advances.

Give

me

the admonition of the old _{in preference} to the

flattery of the young.

When

Moses

saidto the_people, "Afterthe

Lord

_your

God

shall _ye

walk"

_(Deut. xiii.), they took alarm at the for-midable, or rather impossible, task imposed

upon

them. "

How,"

said they, "is it _possiblefor

man

towalk after_God,

who

hath his

way

in thestorm

and

in thewhirlwind,

and

the

clouds are the dust ofhis feet"

(Nahum

_i.), "

whose

way

is

in the sea

and

his _{path in the great}

waters"?

_(Ps. Ixxvii.).

Moses

_explained to

them

that to walk after

God

meant

to

imitate

humbly

his attributes of

mercy and

_compassion

by

clothing the naked, visiting the sick,

and

comforting the mourner.

A

fatality seems tohave been attached to

Shechem

in

con-nection with Israel's sorrows.

The

_{capture of}

Dinah

took place at Shechem. Joseph

was

sold there into slavery.

David's

kingdom was

_split in

Shechem; and

the advent of

Jeroboam

also _{took place} in Shechem.

O

woman, what

mischiefthou causest!

Even

the

worship-ing of idols did not cause such trouble

and

loss of life as a

woman

caused.

The

making and

_{worshiping of the golden}

calf caused the loss of three thousand

men

_(Exod. xxxii.);

but _through a

woman

at _{Shittim twenty-four} thousand were

the victims.

Good

men

lift

up

their _eyes

and

look one straight in the

face; bad, wicked

men

droptheir eyes.

"Should not a

man

_{pray every}

hour?"

asked Antoninus

of his friend

Rabbi Judah

Hannasi.

He

demurred

on re-ceiving a reply in the negative. After a while the

Rabbi

called _{on Antoninus,}

and was

as careful as _alwaysto address

him

with considerable deference.

After about an hour he

came

_again,

and

addressed

him

again carefully with all the titleshe

was wont

to use,

and

so

every hour during the day.

When,

at last Antoninus told his friend that he felt himself _slighted instead of honored

by

the _frequencyof the _visits,

and

the _{expressions of}

homage

with

which

Rabbi Judah meant

to _{honor him,} "_Therein,"

the sage said, "

lies

my

reason _{for telling}

you

that

man

was

not to address the throne of

mercy

_every hour as

you

contended, sincesuch frequency savors ofcontempt."

There is a most remarkable _identity between the

occur-rences in thelife of_Joseph

and

those in _{the history of Zion}

and

_Jerusalem,

and

a remarkable _{similarity in the phrases}

employed

in describing therespective events ofeach, whether

intheir_{adversity or intheir prosperity.}

We

read: "Israel

loved

Joseph"

_{(Gen. xxxvii.),}

"The

Lord

loveth the _gates ofZion" _(Ps.Ixxxvii.). Joseph's brethrenhated

him

;

"

My

heritage is unto

me

as a lion in the _forest, it crieth out against me, therefore I hate it" _{(Jer. xii.). Joseph speaks} of

making

sheaves

; there are sheaves inconnection with Zion

(Ps. cxxvi.). Joseph

dreamed:

"When

the

Lord

turned

again the captivity of Zion

we

were like

them

that

dream

"

(Ps. cxxvi.). Joseph

was

asked, "Wilt thou rule over us?"

"Say

unto Zion thy

God

ruleth" _{(Isa. lii.). Joseph}

was

asked whether his father

and

brothers

would

_prostrate

them-selves before him. "

They

shall

bow down

to theewith their

face toward the earth" _{(Isa. xlix.). Joseph's brethren} were

jealous;

"

Thus

said the

Lord

_{of Hosts, I}

was

_jealous for

Zion with _{great jealousy}" _(Zech. viii.). Joseph

went

to

in-quire about the peace of his brothers; Zion

was

to seek the peace of thecitywhere she is_{captive (Jer. xxix.). Joseph's}

brethren

saw

him

from

the distance; the

same

is said about

Zion (Ezek. xxiii.). Joseph's brothers contemplated his

de-struction; so the nations contemplated the destruction of Zion _{(Ps. Ixxxiii.). Joseph}

was

_{stripped of}his coat of

many

colors

; concerning Zion, the prophet says,

"

They

shall strip

thee of _thy clothes" _{(Ezek. xvi.). Joseph}

was

_put into a

pit;

"

They

have put

me

aliveintothe

dungeon

"

(Lam.

iii.).

The

_{pit into which Joseph}

was

_put contained

no

water. In

LITERATURE

there

was no

water (Jer. xxxviii.). Joseph's brothers sat

down

to their meal;

"

We

have _{given the}

hand

to _Egyptians

and

to _Assyrians to be satisfied with bread"

(Lam.

v.).

Joseph

was

pulled

up from

the pit; Jeremiah,

who

in

connec-tion with his _prophecy about Zion

was

_putinto a

dungeon

as stated above

was

drawn

up

from

the

dungeon

_(Jer.

xxxviii.). Lamentations were raised about Joseph;

"And

in that

day

did the

Lord

call for

weeping and

mourning"

(Tsa. xxii.). In thecase of Joseph consolation

was

rejected.

"

Labornot to comfort

me

" (Isa. xxii.). Joseph

was

sold;

"

the children of

Judah and

of Jerusalem have

you

soldunto

the Grecians" _(Joel iv.). Josephisdescribed as

handsome;

"

Beautiful for _situation, the _joy of the whole earth, is

mount

Zion " _(Ps. xlviii.). Joseph

was

the greatest in his

master'shouse;

"

the glory of the latterhouseshallbe_greater

than the

former"

_{(Hag. ii.).}

The

Lord

was

_{with Joseph;}

"

Now

mine

eyes shall be _open

and mine

ears attent unto

the prayers that are

made

in this _place" ₍₂ Chron. vii.).

Grace

and

_{loving kindness} were

shown

to _Joseph;

concern-ing Zion

God

says,

"

I

remember

the kindness of_{thy youth,} thelove of_{thine espousals}" _{(Jer. ii.). Joseph}

was

rendered

presentable

by

changing his clothes, etc.

;

"

When

the

Lord

shall have

washed

away

the filth of _{the daughters of} Zion"

(Isa. iv.).

The

throne of

Pharaoh

was

above Joseph;

"At

that time _they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the

Lord

"

(Jer. iii.). Joseph

was

clothed in grand garments; "

Awake,

awake, put on thy strength,

O

Zion, put

on

thy

beautiful

garments"

_{(Isa. Hi.). Joseph}

was

met by an

angel;

"

Behold I will send

my

_messenger,

and

he shall

prepare the

way"

(Mai. iii.).

There is a _{tendency with every}

man

to

become

humble

when

nearhis death.

It matters not

where

the

body

is _{buried; the spirit goes}

whither it is destined.

Jacob's _objection to _being buried in

Egypt was due

to

the fact that the _{Egyptians practised witchcraft}

by means

of

dead_bodies, and he

would

nothavehis

body

utilized for such

Thereisno death tothe _righteous.

The

_righteous bless their _offspring before _{they depart} hence.

David was

descended

from

Judah. "

Behold

how

_good

and

how

_pleasant it is for brethren to

dwell _together" or in _{unity (Ps. cxxxiii.).}

"O

that

thou wert as

my

brother" _{(Songsviii.).} There are brothers

and

brothers. Cain

and

Abel were brothers, but the former

slew the latter. Ishmael

and

Isaac were _brothers, but there

was no

love lost between them. Jacob

and

Esau had

no

brotherly love for one another, nor did Joseph

and

his

brothers

show

much

lovebetween them.

David and Solomon

had

in their

minds Moses and Aaron

as _typical brothers.

One

of the reasons

why

Moses

_{so persistently hesitated to} be

the _messenger to

Pharaoh

was

his consideration for his

brother _Aaron,

who

was

older

and

more

_eloquent than _{he, so}

that he hesitated to _usurp

what

he considered should be

Aaron's function. _God,

who

knows

the innermost _thoughts

of

man,

knew

the realmotive ofMoses's refusal to_{accept the}

mission. Therefore

we

find

God

telling Moses, "

Behold

Aaron

the_{Levite, thybrother,} I

know

that_{he can speakwell,}

and

also behold he cometh forth to meet _thee,

and

when

he

seeth thee he will _{be glad} in his _{heart" (Exod. iv.).}

And

as Aaron's _delight at his _younger brother's elevation

was

so

great forthe phrase "glad inhis heart" conveys hisgreat delight he

was

rewarded in that the

Urim

and

Thummim

were on his heart _{(Exod. xxviii.).}

When

Aaron met

his

brother inthe

mount

of

God

hekissed

him

_(Exod. iv.).

The

staff of

Moses

had

the initials of the

names

of the ten plagues written on it, in order that

Moses

should

know

in

which order _they were _{consecutively} to be _brought on

Pharaoh

and _{the Egyptians.}

When

we

are told that

Pharaoh

took six

hundred

chosen

chariots with which to _pursuethe_Israelites,

we

_{are naturally}

met

withthe _question

whence

he_{got those six}

hundred

chosen

chariots.

He

could not have obtained

them from

his _people

Egyp-LITERATURE

tians

died"

_(Exod. ix.).

They

could not have been his

own, for his

own

cattle also _{perished (Exod.} ix.).

Xor

did the Israelites _supply them, since _they left with all their cattle; there

was

not a hooftohe left.

The

_explanation isfound in the factthat those

who

feared the

word

of the

Lord

among

the servants of

Pharaoh

made

their cattle flee into the house

when

the hail

was

_predicted

(Exod. ix.),

and

these "fearers of the

word

of the

Lord"

among

the _Egyptians supplied

Pharaoh

with their animals for the _purpose of _pursuingthe Israelites.

By

the character of those

among

the _Egyptians

who

"feared the

word

of the

Lord

"that of thenation can be_judged.

"

Fear

not,thou

worm

Jacob," says theprophet (Isa.xli.).

Why

was

Israel

compared

to a

worm

?

As

the _{insignificant}

worm

is able to _{destroy a big cedar} with

no

other

weapon

than its small

weak

_{mouth, even} so is _{Israel able to prevail}

against his great persecutors with

no

other

weapon

but the prayers emanating

from

troubled hearts

and

uttered withthe mouth.

How

_great is faith! It secures _happiness

and

salvation.

Abraham's

faith

was

accounted to

him

_{as righteousness.} It

was

the faith

which

the Israelites

had

that redeemed

them

from Egypt

(Exod. iv. _31). Theirfaith on the

bank

of the

Eed

Sea carried

them

over that sea

and

_brought

them

to the

land _{of promise.}

The

Lord

keepeth thefaithful (Ps. xxxi.).

The

_righteous liveth

by

his faith _{(Habak. ii.).}

The

last

redemptionofIsrael willonlybeeffected_throughfaith. See

how King

David

values faith _{(Ps. cv.). Concerning faith,}

David

says,

"

This is_{the gate of theLord, the righteous} shall

enter therein."

The

_lifting

up

of Moses's hands did not defeat

Amalek,

nor did the _{copper serpent stay the biting of the burning}

serpents. It

was

the directing

by

these of the hearts of the Israelites, with their prayers heavenward, that defeated

Amalek and

caused the _{fiery serpents} to cease.

if

you

intend to

expound

_{God's word,} recite to_{yourself twice}

or thrice

what you

intend _saying.

Even

so _great a

man

as

Rabbi

_Akiba,

when

once called

upon

in the _{assembly to get}

up

and

preach, declined todo so, onthe

ground

that henever

preached unless he rehearsed his _{intended speech twice or}

thrice tohimself.

Whilst

man

is not to _{seek public notoriety}

and

distinction,

he is not to err on the side of _modesty

and

_seclusion,

and

refuse to_give his servicesin

communal

matters.

Rabbi

_Asy,

when

_{approaching death,}

was

visited

by

his _nephew,

who

found' the _{patient very depressed.} "_Death," said his

nephew, "should not in your case be attended with _feelings

of alarm.

Think what you

leavebehind_{you, the learning}

you

have _acquired

and

_imparted to

an

army

of _students, the charity

you

have practised,

and

the kindly acts

you

have

done; isthere

any

good that it

was

in your

power

to do that

you

haveleft

undone

?

And

you

have beensomodestwithal;

you

have always eschewed putting yourself forward or

seek-ing notoriety,

and

have not

mixed

in disputes

and

in

communal

matters."

"

This," replied the good

man,

"even if all the _good

you

said about

me

were _{quite correct, this} alone

would

be suffi-cient cause for

my

_{depression, for I might perhaps have been}

able to render

some

_service,

had

I not _kept to _myself but

taken

upon

me

theburden of

communal

affairs."

With

_{idol-worshipers} it is the habit to treat their _gods

accordingto the circumstances in

which

theyfind _themselves,

which

_they attribute to the actions of _{their gods.} If their

condition is _{favorable, they}

pay

tribute to their _god.

"

Therefore _they sacrifice unto their net,

and burn

incense

unto their _drag, because

by them

their _portion is fat

and

their

meat

_{plenteous," says the prophet (Habak. i.). If,} on

the other _hand, adversities overtake _{them, they} vent their

anger on their _gods. "

And

it shall

come

to _pass," the

prophet tells _us, "that

when

they shall be

hungry

_they shall

LITERATURE

viii.).

Not

so shall

you

do,

my

people,

whose

destiny ia

shaped out

by

the Creator of heaven

and

earth.

Whatever

befalls _{you, give thanks}

and

_{praise unto your God.}

Are you

in prosperity? do _{not forget the Giver; do not say in your}

heart,

"

My

power and

the might of

mine hand

hath _gotten

me

this _{wealth," but} like

David

say,

"

I will lift

up

the

cup

of salvation

and

call

upon

the

name

of

my

God." If

adver-sity overtakes you, if sorrow

and

trouble overtake

you

in

the midst of the smooth current of _{your affairs,} take

up

David's words _again

and

_say, "I found trouble

and

_sorrow,

then Icalled

upon

the

name

of

my

God."

The

altar of

God

was

to _{prolong man's life,}

and

iron is a

metal

which

can _destroy man's _life; therefore it

was

forbidden to use iron in the erection of the altar.

Slight

no

man.

Every

man

was

created in God's_image.

Onkeles, the

nephew

of

Hadrian

hissister'sson _being anxious to _{embrace Judaism, yet being} afraid of _{his uncle,}

told

him

that he wished to

embark

on a _{certain enterprise.}

When

Hadrian

offered

him

some

money

he refused to _accept it, but said he

wanted

his uncle's advice, as he

was

inexpe-rienced in the

ways

of the world. "Purchase_{goods," replied}

his uncle, "which do _{not, at present,}

command

a _{high price,}

and

are not favorites in the _market, but for

which

there is

reason to believe a

demand

at _{higher prices will eventually} arise." Onkeles betook himself _{to Palestine,}

and

_gave

him-self

up

to _study. After a time

Eabbi

Eliezer

and

Rabbi

Joshua _{recognized in}

him

the face _{of a student; they} took

him

in hand, solved all the difficult _{problems he put} before

them,

and

generally befriendedhim.

On

his return

home

he

again visited his uncle _{Hadrian, who, noticing} that his

nephew

did not look aswell as

was

his_{wont, inquired}whether he

had

met

with

any monetary

reverses in his

new

_enterprise,

or

had

been _injuredin

any

_way. "Ihave

met

with

no

mone-tary losses," said Onkeles, "

and

as _your

nephew

I

am

not

likely tobehurt

by any

one."

Being

_{further pressed for the} reason ofhis _poorlooks, Onkelestold his uncle_{they were}

due

undergo circumcision? "

demanded

Hadrian. "I acted on your advice," replied Onkeles.

"

I have _{acquired a thing}

that stands at a low _{price just now,} but will _eventually rise

in value. I found no nation in suchlow esteem

and

so sure

to rise in value as Israel.

For

_{thus said the Lord, the}

Re-deemer

of Israel

and

his

Holy

_One, to

him

whom

man

de-spiseth, to

him

whom

the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers,kingsshall see

and

arise and_princesalso shall _worship,

because of the

Lord

that is faithful

and

the

Holy

One

of Israel,heshallchoose

them

"

(Isa.xlix.).

One

of Hadrian's counselors advised his master to visit his _{nephew's misdeed}

with _death, for

which

advice the adviser received such a

sharp rebuke

from Hadrian

that hecommitted suicide.

Ha-drian, after the death of his minister, further discussedwith his

nephew

the matter of his _conversion,

and

_{again asked for} the reason of circumcision. Onkeles askedhis unclewhether

he

had

ever bestowed

any

distinction on

any

of his

army who

were _{not willing}

and

_ready to _fight for his _Majesty

and

for

the_country attheriskoflife. "Neithercould I be received

intothe fold of those to

whom

God

has given his behests

and

statutes _{without having}the seal _{of those great} statutes _{put on}

me

even attherisk of

my

life."

Whilst the

Torah

_{teaches peace}

and

_good-will to one's

fel-low

man,

it likewise teaches the _necessity of _standing

up

against evil deeds

and

even rebuking the evil-doer.

More-over, though all reverence

and

deference are due to one's teacher, yet in the matter of censurable conduct it becomes the pupil's duty to _{protest against} it.

Bad

conduct is

con-taminating.

One

is _apt to fall into the

same

error if one

sees

any

evil act

and

does not lift

up

one's voice to protest

against it.

He

who

rebukes his fellow

man

with a sincere desire to

make him

bettercomeswithin the inner walls of the heavenly

pavilion.

You

_{are not permitted} to select _{injunctions of the}

Torah

which you

consent to observe,

and

_{reject others} for the

ob-servance ofwhich

you

canfindnoreason.

In

_acceptingGod's

The

rich should ever bear in

mind

that his wealth

may

merely have been deposited with

him

tobe a steward over it,

or to test

what

usehe will

make

of _{his possessions.} !^ot less should the _poor

remember

that his trials

may

have been sent

as a test of his fortitude.

Poverty outweighs all other sorrows.

"

If

you

have taken a _pledge

from

_{the poor," says}

God

to

the _rich, "do _{not say}he is_your debtor

and you

are therefore

justified in retaining his garment.

Remember

you

are

my

debtor, your life is in

my

hand. I return

you

all _your senses

and

all_yourfaculties after _yoursleep every day."

Jewish _litigants are to_bring their _{disputes for adjustment}

before a Jewish _court,

and

not to have recourse to outside

tribunals.

Although witnesses have always to give their evidence

standing, yet an exception

may

be

made

in the case of a dis-tinguished (learned)

man,

who

may

be allowed to sit whilst giving evidence. Should he consider it beneath _{his dignity}

to _give evidence at _all, he

may

_{be exempted.} This only

appliesto

any

suit_regarding

money

matters _{(civilcases),}but

in criminal matters he isnot to_{be exempted.}

God's works

accommodate

one another without _asking

any

interest.

The

day

accommodatesthe_night,

and

_{the night the}

day

(according to season).

The moon

borrows

from

the stars,

and

thestars

from

themoon.

The

higher

wisdom

bor-rows

from

t