,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 ,i4 ,,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 ,joseph4 ,,ii4 ,,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 ,joseph4 ,,iii4 ,,job ,job and the ,patriarchs ,job's ,wealth and ,benefactions ,satan and ,job ,job's ,suffering ,the ,four ,friends ,job ,restored4 ,,iv4 ,,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 ,i4 ,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 events4 ,the sources of those legends and explanations of some of them will be given in the last volume of the entire work1 and the numbers throughout the work refer to the notes in the concluding volume4 ,my original intention was to continue ,volume ,,ii up to the death of ,moses1 but the legendary material clustering around the life and death of ,moses is so abundant that practical considerations demanded the division of this material1 in order not to make the second volume too bulky4 ,the division chosen is a natural one4 ,this volume closes with the ,exodus1 and contains the deeds of ,moses in ,egypt1 while the following volume will deal with ,moses in the desert4 ,the fact that ,job is placed between ,jacob's sons and ,moses may appear strange to some readers1 since in the ,bible ,job is one of the last books2 but legend is above time and space1 and ,i have1 therefore1 given ,job the place which legend has ascribed to him4 ,,louis ,,ginzberg4 ,,new ,,york1 ,march #bh1 #aiaj4 ,i ,,joseph ,,the ,,favorite ,,son ,jacob was not exempt from the lot that falls to the share of all the pious4 ,whenever they expect to enjoy life in tranquillity1 ,satan hinders them4 ,he appears before ,god1 and says3 ,is it not enough that the future world is set apart for the pious8 ,what right have they to enjoy this world1 besides8 ,after the many hardships and conflicts that had beset the path of ,jacob1 he thought he would be at rest at last1 and then came the loss of ,joseph and inflicted the keenest suffering4 ,verily1 few and evil had been the days of the years of ,jacob's pilgrimage1 for the time spent outside of the ,holy ,land had seemed joyless to him4 ,only the portion of his life passed in the land of his fathers1 during which he was occupied with making proselytes1 in accordance with the example set him by ,abraham and ,isaac1 did he consider worth while having lived1#a and this happy time was of short duration4 ,when ,joseph was snatched away1 but eight years had elapsed since his return to his father's house4#b ,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 ,laban4 ,indeed1 ,jacob's blessing in having his quiver full of children was due to the merits of ,joseph1 and likewise the dividing of the ,red ,sea and of the ,jordan for the ,israelites was the reward for his son's piety4 ,for among the sons of ,jacob ,joseph was the one that resembled his father most closely in appearance1 and1 also1 he was the one to whom ,jacob transmitted the instruction and knowledge he had received from his teachers ,shem and ,eber4#c ,the whole course of the son's life is but a repetition of the father's4 ,as the mother of ,jacob remained childless for a long time after her marriage1 so also the mother of ,joseph4 ,as ,rebekah had undergone severe suffering in giving birth to ,jacob1 so ,rachel in giving birth to ,joseph4 ,as ,jacob's mother bore two sons1 so also ,joseph's mother4 ,like ,jacob1 ,joseph was born circumcised4 ,as the father was a shepherd1 so the son4 ,as the father served for the sake of a woman1 so the son served under a woman4 ,like the father1 the son appropriated his older brother's birthright4 ,the father was hated by his brother1 and the son was hated by his brethren4 ,the father was the favorite son as compared with his brother1 so was the son as compared with his brethren4 ,both the father and the son lived in the land of the stranger4 ,the father became a servant to a master1 also the son4 ,the master whom the father served was blessed by ,god1 so was the master whom the son served4 ,the father and the son were both accompanied by angels1 and both married their wives outside of the ,holy ,land4 ,the father and the son were both blessed with wealth4 ,great things were announced to the father in a dream1 so also to the son4 ,as the father went to ,egypt and put an end to famine1 so the son4 ,as the father exacted the promise from his sons to bury him in the ,holy ,land1 so also the son4 ,the father died in ,egypt1 there died also the son4 ,the body of the father was embalmed1 also the body of the son4 ,as the father's remains were carried to the ,holy ,land for interment1 so also the remains of the son4 ,jacob the father provided for the sustenance of his son ,joseph during a period of seventeen years1 so ,joseph the son provided for his father ,jacob during a period of seventeen years4#d ,until he was seventeen years old1 ,joseph frequented the ,bet ha-,midrash1#e and he became so learned that he could impart to his brethren the ,halakot he had heard from his father1 and in this way he may be regarded as their teacher4#f ,he did not stop at formal instruction1 he also tried to give them good counsel1 and he became the favorite of the sons of the handmaids1 who would kiss and embrace him4#g ,in spite of his scholarship there was something boyish about ,joseph4 ,he painted his eyes1 dressed his hair carefully1 and walked with a mincing step4 ,these foibles of youth were not so deplorable as his habit of bringing evil reports of his brethren to his father4 ,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 ,canaanites1 and giving contemptuous treatment to the sons of the handmaids ,bilhah and ,zilpah1 whom they called slaves4 ,for these groundless accusations ,joseph had to pay dearly4 ,he was himself sold as a slave1 because he had charged his brethren with having called the sons of the handmaids slaves1 and ,potiphar's wife cast her eyes upon ,joseph1 because he threw the suspicion upon his brethren that they had cast their eyes upon the ,canaanitish women4 ,and how little it was true that they were guilty of cruelty to animals1 appears from the fact that at the very time when they were contemplating their crime against ,joseph1 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 colors4#h ,,joseph ,,hated ,,by ,,his ,,brethren ,joseph's talebearing against his brethren made them hate him4 ,among all of them ,gad was particularly wrathful1 and for good reason4 ,gad was a very brave man1 and when a beast of prey attacked the herd1 over which he kept guard at night1 he would seize it by one of its legs1 and whirl it around until it was stunned1 and then he would fling it away to a distance of two stadia1 and kill it thus4 ,once ,jacob sent ,joseph to tend the flock1 but he remained away only thirty days1 for he was a delicate lad and fell sick with the heat1 and he hastened back to his father4 ,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 it1 without obtaining permission from ,judah and ,reuben4 ,but his report was not accurate4 ,what he had seen was ,gad slaughtering one lamb1 which he had snatched from the very jaws of a bear1 and he killed it because it could not be kept alive after its fright4 ,joseph's account sounded as though the sons of the handmaids were habitually inconsiderate and careless in wasting their father's substance4#i ,to the resentment of the brethren was added their envy of ,joseph1 because their father loved him more than all of them4 ,joseph's beauty of person was equal to that of his mother ,rachel1 and ,jacob had but to look at him to be consoled for the death of his beloved wife4 ,reason enough for distinguishing him among his children4#aj ,as a token of his great love for him1 ,jacob gave ,joseph a coat of many colors1 so light and delicate that it could be crushed and concealed in the closed palm of one hand4 ,the ,hebrew name of the garment1 ,passim1 conveys the story of the sale of ,joseph4 ,the first letter1 ,pe1 stands for ,potiphar1 his ,egyptian master2 ,samek stands for ,soharim1 the merchantmen that bought ,joseph from the company of ,ishmaelites to whom his brethren had sold him2 ,yod stands for these same ,ishmaelites2 and ,mem1 for the ,midianites that obtained him from the merchantmen1 and then disposed of him to ,potiphar4 ,but ,passim4 has yet another meaning1 clefts4 ,his brethren knew that the ,red ,sea would be cleft in twain in days to come for ,joseph's sake1 and they were jealous of the glory to be conferred upon him4 ,although they were filled with hatred of him1 it must be said in their favor that they were not of a sullen1 spiteful nature4 ,they did not hide their feelings1 they proclaimed their enmity openly4 ,once ,joseph dreamed a dream1 and he could not refrain from telling it to his brethren4 ,he spoke1 and said3 ,hear1 ,i pray you1 this dream which ,i have dreamed4 ,behold1 you gathered fruit1 and so did ,i4 ,your fruit rotted1 but mine remained sound4 ,your seed will set up dumb images of idols1 but they will vanish at the appearance of my descendant1 the ,messiah of ,joseph4 ,you will keep the truth as to my fate from the knowledge of my father1 but ,i will stand fast as a reward for the self-denial of my mother1 and you will prostrate yourselves five times before me4#aa ,the brethren refused at first to listen to the dream1 but when ,joseph urged them again and again1 they gave heed to him1 and they said1 ,shalt thou indeed reign over us8 or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us8#ab ,god put an interpretation into their mouths that was to be verified in the posterity of ,joseph4 ,jeroboam and ,jehu1 two kings1 and ,joshua and ,gideon1 two judges1 have been among his descendants1 corresponding to the double and emphatic expressions used by his brethren in interpreting the dream4#ac ,then ,joseph dreamed another dream1 how the sun1 the moon1 and eleven stars bowed down before him1 and ,jacob1 to whom he told it first1 was rejoiced over it1 for he understood its meaning properly4#ad ,he knew that he himself was designated by the sun1 the name by which ,god had called him when he lodged overnight on the holy site of the ,temple4 ,he had heard ,god say to the angels at that time1 ,the sun has come4#ae ,the moon stood for ,joseph's mother1 and the stars for his brethren1 for the righteous are as the stars4#af ,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 dead1 for ,rachel was dead1 and her return to earth was clearly indicated by the dream4 ,he went astray there1 for not ,joseph's own mother was referred to1 but his foster-mother ,bilhah1 who had raised him4 ,jacob wrote the dream in a book1 recording all the circumstances1 the day1 the hour1 and the place1 for the holy spirit cautioned him1 ,take heed1 these things will surely come to pass4#ag ,but when ,joseph repeated his dream to his brethren1 in the presence of his father1 ,jacob rebuked him1 saying1 ,i and thy brethren1 that has some sense1 but ,i and thy mother1 that is inconceivable1 for thy mother is dead4#ah ,these words of ,jacob called forth a reproof from ,god4 ,he said1 ,thus thy descendants will in time to come seek to hinder ,jeremiah in delivering his prophecies4#ai ,jacob may be excused1 he had spoken in this way only in order to avert the envy and hate of his brethren from ,joseph1 but they envied and hated him because they knew that the interpretation put upon the dream by ,jacob would be realized4#bj ,,joseph ,,cast ,,into ,,the ,,pit ,once the brethren of ,joseph led their father's flocks to the pastures of ,shechem1 and they intended to take their ease and pleasure there4#ba ,they stayed away a long time1 and no tidings of them were heard4 ,jacob began to be anxious about the fate of his sons4 ,he feared that a war had broken out between them and the people of ,shechem1 and he resolved to send ,joseph to them and have him bring word again1 whether it was well with his brethren4#bb ,jacob desired to know also about the flocks1 for it is a duty to concern oneself about the welfare of anything from which one derives profit4 ,though he knew that the hatred of his brethren might bring on unpleasant adventures1 yet ,joseph1 in filial reverence1 declared himself ready to go on his father's errand4 ,later1 whenever ,jacob remembered his dear son's willing spirit1 the recollection stabbed him to the heart4 ,he would say to himself1 ,thou didst know the hatred of thy brethren1 and yet thou didst say1 ,here am ,i4#bc ,jacob dismissed ,joseph1 with the injunction that he journey only by daylight1#bd saying furthermore1 ,go now1 see whether it be well with thy brethren1 and well with the flock2 and send me word--an unconscious prophecy4 ,he did not say that he expected to see ,joseph again1 but only to have word from him4#be ,since the covenant of the pieces1 ,god had resolved1 on account of ,abraham's doubting question1 that ,jacob and his family should go down into ,egypt to dwell there4 ,the preference shown to ,joseph by his father1 and the envy it aroused1 leading finally to the sale of ,joseph and his establishment in ,egypt1 were but disguised means created by ,god1 instead of executing ,his counsel directly by carrying ,jacob down into ,egypt as a captive4#bf ,joseph reached ,shechem1 where he expected to find his brethren4 ,shechem was always a place of ill omen for ,jacob and his seed--there ,dinah was dishonored1 there the ,ten ,tribes of ,israel rebelled against the house of ,david while ,rehoboam ruled in ,jerusalem1 and there ,jeroboam was installed as king4#bg ,not finding his brethren and the herd in ,shechem1 ,joseph continued his journey in the direction of the next pasturing place1 not far from ,shechem1 but he lost his way in the wilderness4#bh ,gabriel in human shape appeared before him1 and asked him1 saying1 ,what seekest thou8#bi ,and he answered1 ,i seek my brethren4 ,whereto the angel replied1 ,thy brethren have given up the ,divine qualities of love and mercy4#cj ,through a prophetic revelation they learned that the ,hivites were preparing to make war upon them1 and therefore they departed hence to go to ,dothan4 ,and they had to leave this place for other reasons1 too4 ,i heard1 while ,i was still standing behind the curtain that veils the ,divine throne1 that this day the ,egyptian bondage would begin1 and thou wouldst be the first to be subjected to it4#ca ,then ,gabriel led ,joseph to ,dothan4#cb ,when his brethren saw him afar off1 they conspired against him1 to slay him4 ,their first plan was to set dogs on him4 ,simon then spoke to ,levi1 ,behold1 the master of dreams cometh with a new dream1 he whose descendant ,jeroboam will introduce the worship of ,baal4 ,come now1 therefore1 and let us slay him1 that we may see what will become of his dreams4 ,but ,god spoke3 ,ye say1 ,we shall see what will become of his dreams1 and ,i say likewise1 ,we shall see1 and the future shall show whose word will stand1 yours or ,mine4#cc ,simon and ,gad set about slaying ,joseph1 and he fell upon his face1 and entreated them3 ,have mercy with me1 my brethren1 have pity on the heart of my father ,jacob4 ,lay not your hands upon me1 to spill innocent blood1 for ,i have done no evil unto you4 ,but if ,i have done evil unto you1 then chastise me with a chastisement1 but your hands lay not upon me1 for the sake of our father ,jacob4 ,these words touched ,zebulon1 and he began to lament and weep1 and the wailing of ,joseph rose up together with his brother's1 and when ,simon and ,gad raised their hands against him to execute their evil design1 ,joseph took refuge behind ,zebulon1 and supplicated his other brethren to have mercy upon him4 ,then ,reuben arose1 and he said1 ,brethren1 let us not slay him1 but let us cast him into one of the dry pits1 which our fathers dug without finding water4 ,that was due to the providence of ,god2 ,he had hindered the water from rising in them in order that ,joseph's rescue might be accomplished1 and the pits remained dry until ,joseph was safe in the hands of the ,ishmaelites4#cd ,reuben had several reasons for interceding in behalf of ,joseph4 ,he knew that he as the oldest of the brethren would be held responsible by their father1 if any evil befell him4 ,besides1 ,reuben was grateful to ,joseph for having reckoned him among the eleven sons of ,jacob in narrating his dream of the sun1 moon1 and stars4 ,since his disrespectful bearing toward ,jacob1 he had not thought himself worthy of being considered one of his sons4#ce ,first ,reuben tried to restrain his brethren from their purpose1 and he addressed them in words full of love and compassion4 ,but when he saw that neither words nor entreaties would change their intention1 he begged them1 saying3 ,my brethren1 at least hearken unto me in respect of this1 that ye be not so wicked and cruel as to slay him4 ,lay no hand upon your brother1 shed no blood1 cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness1 and let him perish thus4#cf ,then ,reuben went away from his brethren1 and he hid in the mountains1 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 father4 ,he hoped his reward would be pardon for the transgression he had committed against ,jacob4#cg ,his good intention was frustrated1 yet ,reuben was rewarded by ,god1 for ,god gives a recompense not only for good deeds1 but for good intentions as well4#ch ,as he was the first of the brethren of ,joseph to make an attempt to save him1 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 help4#ci ,furthermore ,god spake to ,reuben1 saying3 ,as thou wast the first to endeavor to restore a child unto his father1 so ,hosea1 one of thy descendants1 shall be the first to endeavor to lead ,israel back to his heavenly ,father4#dj ,the brethren accepted ,reuben's proposition1 and ,simon seized ,joseph1 and cast him into a pit swarming with snakes and scorpions1 beside which was another unused pit1 filled with offal4#da ,as though this were not enough torture1 ,simon bade his brethren fling great stones at ,joseph4 ,in his later dealings with this brother ,simon1 ,joseph showed all the forgiving charitableness of his nature4 ,when ,simon was held in durance in ,egypt as a hostage1 ,joseph1 so far from bearing him a grudge1 ordered crammed poultry to be set before him at all his meals4#db ,not satisfied with exposing ,joseph to the snakes and scorpions1 his brethren had stripped him bare before they flung him into the pit4 ,they took off his coat of many colors1 his upper garment1 his breeches1 and his shirt4#dc ,however1 the reptiles could do him no harm4 ,god heard his cry of distress1 and kept them in hiding in the clefts and the holes1 and they could not come near him4 ,from the depths of the pit ,joseph appealed to his brethren1 saying3 ,o my brethren1 what have ,i done unto you1 and what is my transgression8 ,why are you not afraid before ,god on account of your treatment of me8 ,am ,i not flesh of your flesh1 and bone of your bone8 ,jacob your father1 is he not also my father8 ,why do you act thus toward me8 ,and how will you be able to lift up your countenance before ,jacob8 ,o ,judah1 ,reuben1 ,simon1 ,levi1 my brethren1 deliver me1 ,i pray you1 from the dark place into which you have cast me4 ,though ,i committed a trespass against you1 yet are ye children of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 who were compassionate with the orphan1 gave food to the hungry1 and clothed the naked4 ,how1 then1 can ye withhold your pity from your own brother1 your own flesh and bone8 ,and though ,i sinned against you1 yet you will hearken unto my petition for the sake of my father4 ,o that my father knew what my brethren are doing unto me1 and what they spake unto me6 ,to avoid hearing ,joseph's weeping and cries of distress1 his brethren passed on from the pit1 and stood at a bow- shot's distance4#dd ,the only one among them that manifested pity was ,zebulon4 ,for two days and two nights no food passed his lips on account of his grief over the fate of ,joseph1 who had to spend three days and three nights in the pit before he was sold4 ,during this period ,zebulon was charged by his brethren to keep watch at the pit4 ,he was chosen to stand guard because he took no part in the meals4 ,part of the time ,judah also refrained from eating with the rest1 and took turns at watching1 because he feared ,simon and ,gad might jump down into the pit and put an end to ,joseph's life4#de ,while ,joseph was languishing thus1 his brethren determined to kill him4 ,they would finish their meal first1 they said1 and then they would fetch him forth and slay him4 ,when they had done eating1 they attempted to say grace1 but ,judah remonstrated with them3 ,we are about to take the life of a human being1 and yet would bless ,god8 ,that is not a blessing1 that is contemning the ,lord4#df ,what profit is it if we slay our brother8 ,rather will the punishment of ,god descend upon us4 ,i have good counsel to give you4 ,yonder passeth by a travelling company of ,ishmaelites on their way to ,egypt4 ,come and let us sell him to the ,ishmaelites1 and let not our hand be upon him4 ,the ,ishmaelites will take him with them upon their journeyings1 and he will be lost among the peoples of the earth4#dg ,let us follow the custom of former days1 for ,canaan1 too1 the son of ,ham1 was made a slave for his evil deeds1 and so will we do with our brother ,joseph4#dh ,,the ,,sale ,while the brethren of ,joseph were deliberating upon his fate1 seven ,midianitish merchantmen passed near the pit in which he lay4 ,they noticed that many birds were circling above it1 whence they assumed that there must be water therein1 and1 being thirsty1 they made a halt in order to refresh themselves4 ,when they came close1 they heard ,joseph screaming and wailing1 and they looked down into the pit and saw a youth of beautiful figure and comely appearance4 ,they called to him1 saying3 ,who art thou8 ,who brought thee hither1 and who cast thee into this pit in the wilderness8 ,they all joined together and dragged him up1 and took him along with them when they continued on their journey4 ,they had to pass his brethren1 who called out to the ,midianites3 ,why have you done such a thing1 to steal our slave and carry him away with you8 ,we threw the lad into the pit1 because he was disobedient4 ,now1 then1 return our slave to us4 ,the ,midianites replied3 ,what1 this lad1 you say1 is your slave1 your servant8 ,more likely is it that you all are slaves unto him1 for in beauty of form1 in pleasant looks1 and fair appearance1 he excelleth you all4 ,why1 then1 will you speak lies unto us8 ,we will not give ear unto your words1 nor believe you1 for we found the lad in the wilderness1 in a pit1 and we took him out1 and we will carry him away with us on our journey4 ,but the sons of ,jacob insisted1 ,restore our slave to us1 lest you meet death at the edge of the sword4 ,unaffrighted1 the ,midianites drew their weapons1 and1 amid war whoops1 they prepared to enter into a combat with the sons of ,jacob4 ,then ,simon rose up1 and with bared sword he sprang upon the ,midianites1 at the same time uttering a cry that made the earth reverberate4 ,the ,midianites fell down in great consternation1 and he said3 ,i am ,simon1 the son of the ,hebrew ,jacob1 who destroyed the city of ,shechem alone and unaided1 and together with my brethren ,i destroyed the cities of the ,amorites4 ,god do so and more also1 if it be not true that all the ,midianites1 your brethren1 united with all the ,canaanite kings to fight with me1 cannot hold out against me4 ,now restore the boy you took from us1 else will ,i give your flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field4 ,the ,midianites were greatly afraid of ,simon1 and1 terrified and abashed1 they spake to the sons of ,jacob with little courage3 ,said ye not that ye cast this lad into the pit because he was of a rebellious spirit8 ,what1 now1 will ye do with an insubordinate slave8 ,rather sell him to us1 we are ready to pay any price you desire4 ,this speech was part of the purpose of ,god4 ,he had put it into the heart of the ,midianites to insist upon possessing ,joseph1 that he might not remain with his brethren1 and be slain by them4#di ,the brethren assented1 and ,joseph was sold as a slave while they sat over their meal4 ,god spake1 saying3 ,over a meal did ye sell your brother1 and thus shall ,ahasuerus sell your descendants to ,haman over a meal1 and because ye have sold ,joseph to be a slave1 therefore shall ye say year after year1 ,slaves were we unto ,pharaoh in ,egypt4#ej ,the price paid for ,joseph by the ,midianites was twenty pieces of silver1 enough for a pair of shoes for each of his brethren4 ,thus they sold the righteous for silver1 and the needy for a pair of shoes4 ,for so handsome a youth as ,joseph the sum paid was too low by far1 but his appearance had been greatly changed by the horrible anguish he bad endured in the pit with the snakes and the scorpions4 ,he had lost his ruddy complexion1 and he looked sallow and sickly1 and the ,midianites were justified in paying a small sum for him4#ea ,the merchantmen had come upon ,joseph naked in the pit1 for his brethren had stripped him of all his clothes4 ,that he might not appear before men in an unseemly condition1 ,god sent ,gabriel down to him1 and the angel enlarged the amulet banging from ,joseph's neck until it was a garment that covered him entirely4 ,joseph's brethren were looking after him as he departed with the ,midianites1 and when they saw him with clothes upon him1 they cried after them1 ,give us his raiment6 ,we sold him naked1 without clothes4 ,his owners refused to yield to their demand1 but they agreed to reimburse the brethren with four pairs of shoes1 and ,joseph kept his garment1 the same in which he was arrayed when he arrived in ,egypt and was sold to ,potiphar1 the same in which he was locked up in prison and appeared before ,pharaoh1 and the same he wore when he was ruler over ,egypt4#eb ,as an atonement for the twenty pieces of silver taken by his brethren in exchange for ,joseph1 ,god commanded that every first-born son shall be redeemed by the priest with an equal amount1 and1 also1 every ,israelite must pay annually to the sanctuary as much as fell to each of the brethren as his share of the price4#ec ,the brethren of ,joseph bought shoes for the money1 for they said3 ,we will not eat it1 because it is the price for the blood of our brother1 but we will tread upon him1 for that he spake1 he would have dominion over us1 and we will see what will become of his dreams4 ,and for this reason the ordinance has been commanded1 that he who refuseth to raise up a name in ,israel unto his brother that hath died without having a son1 shall have his shoe loosed from off his foot1 and his face shall be spat upon4 ,joseph's brethren refused to do aught to preserve his life1 and therefore the ,lord loosed their shoes from off their feet1 for1 when they went down to ,egypt1 the slaves of ,joseph took their shoes off their feet as they entered the gates1 and they prostrated themselves before ,joseph as before a ,pharaoh1 and1 as they lay prostrate1 they were spat upon1 and put to shame before the ,egyptians4#ed ,the ,midianites pursued their journey to ,gilead1 but they soon regretted the purchase they had made4 ,they feared that ,joseph had been stolen in the land of the ,hebrews1 though sold to them as a slave1 and if his kinsmen should find him with them1 death would be inflicted upon them for the abduction of a free man4 ,the high-handed manner of the sons of ,jacob confirmed their suspicion1 that they might be capable of man theft4 ,their wicked deed would explain1 too1 why they had accepted so small a sum in exchange for ,joseph4 ,while discussing these points1 they saw1 coming their way1 the travelling company of ,ishmaelites that had been observed earlier by the sons of ,jacob1 and they determined to dispose of ,joseph to them1 that they might at least not lose the price they had paid1 and might escape the danger at the same time of being made captives for the crime of kidnapping a man4 ,and the ,ishmaelites bought ,joseph from the ,midianites1 and they paid the same price as his former owners had given for him4#ee ,,joseph',s ,,three ,,masters ,as a rule the only merchandise with which the ,ishmaelites loaded their camels was pitch and the skins of beasts4 ,by a providential dispensation they carried bags of perfumery this time1 instead of their usual ill-smelling freight1 that sweet fragrance might be wafted to ,joseph on his journey to ,egypt4#ef ,these aromatic substances were well suited to ,joseph1 whose body emitted a pleasant smell1 so agreeable and pervasive that the road along which he travelled was redolent thereof1 and on his arrival in ,egypt the perfume from his body spread over the whole land1 and the royal princesses1 following the sweet scent to trace its source1 reached the place in which ,joseph was4#eg ,even after his death the same fragrance was spread abroad by his bones1 enabling ,moses to distinguish ,joseph's remains from all others1 and keep the oath of the children of ,israel1 to inter them in the ,holy ,land4#eh ,when ,joseph learned that the ,ishmaelites were carrying him to ,egypt1 he began to weep bitterly at the thought of being removed so far from ,canaan and from his father4 ,one of the ,ishmaelites noticed ,joseph's weeping and crying1 and thinking that he found riding uncomfortable1 he lifted him from the back of the camel1 and permitted him to walk on foot4 ,but ,joseph continued to weep and sob1 crying incessantly1 ,o father1 father6 ,another one of the caravan1 tired of his lamentations1 beat him1 causing only the more tears and wails1 until the youth1 exhausted by his grief1 was unable to move on4 ,now all the ,ishmaelites in the company dealt out blows to him4 ,they treated him with relentless cruelty1 and tried to silence him by threats4 ,god saw ,joseph's distress1 and ,he sent darkness and terror upon the ,ishmaelites1 and their hands grew rigid when they raised them to inflict a blow4 ,astonished1 they asked themselves why ,god did thus unto them upon the road4 ,they did not know that it was for the sake of ,joseph4 ,the journey was continued until they came to ,ephrath1 the place of ,rachel's sepulchre4 ,joseph hastened to his mother's grave1 and throwing himself across it1 he groaned and cried1 saying3 ,o mother1 mother1 that didst bear me1 arise1 come forth and see how thy son hath been sold into slavery1 with none to take pity upon him4 ,arise1 see thy son1 and weep with me over my misfortune1 and observe the heartlessness of my brethren4 ,awake1 ,o mother1 rouse thyself from thy sleep1 rise up and prepare for the conflict with my brethren1 who stripped me even of my shirt1 and sold me as a slave to merchantmen1 who in turn sold me to others1 and without mercy they tore me away from my father4 ,arise1 accuse my brethren before ,god1 and see whom ,he will justify in the judgment1 and whom ,he will find guilty4 ,arise1 ,o mother1 awake from thy sleep1 see how my father is with me in his soul and in his spirit1 and comfort him and ease his heavy heart4 ,joseph wept and cried upon the grave of his mother1 until1 weary from grief1 he lay immovable as a stone4 ,then he heard a voice heavy with tears speak to him from the depths1 saying3 ,my son ,joseph1 my son1 ,i heard thy complaints and thy groans1 ,i saw thy tears1 and ,i knew thy misery1 my son4 ,i am grieved for thy sake1 and thy affliction is added to the burden of my affliction4 ,but1 my son ,joseph1 put thy trust in ,god1 and wait upon ,him4 ,fear not1 for the ,lord is with thee1 and ,he will deliver thee from all evil4 ,go down into ,egypt with thy masters1 my son2 fear naught1 for the ,lord is with thee1 ,o my son4 ,this and much more like unto it did the voice utter1 and then it was silent4 ,joseph listened in great amazement at first1 and then he broke out in renewed tears4 ,angered thereby1 one of the ,ishmaelites drove him from his mother's grave with kicks and curses4 ,then ,joseph entreated his masters to take him back to his father1 who would give them great riches as a reward4 ,but they said1 ,why1 thou art a slave6 ,how canst thou know where thy father is8 ,if thou hadst had a free man as father1 thou wouldst not have been sold twice for a petty sum4 ,and then their fury against him increased1 they beat him and maltreated him1 and he wept bitter tears4 ,now ,god looked upon the distress of ,joseph1 and ,he sent darkness to enshroud the land once more4 ,a storm raged1 the lightning flashed1 and from the thunderbolts the whole earth trembled1 and the ,ishmaelites lost their way in their terror4 ,the beasts and the camels stood still1 and1 beat them as their drivers would1 they refused to budge from the spot1 but crouched down upon the ground4 ,then the ,ishmaelites spake to one another1 and said3 ,why hath ,god brought this upon us8 ,what are our sins1 what our trespasses1 that such things befall us8 ,one of them said to the others3 ,peradventure this hath come upon us by reason of the sin which we have committed against this slave4 ,let us beg him earnestly to grant us forgiveness1 and if then ,god will take pity1 and let these storms pass away from us1 we shall know that we suffered harm on account of the injury we inflicted upon this slave4 ,the ,ishmaelites did according to these words1 and they said unto ,joseph3 ,we have sinned against ,god and against thee4 ,pray to thy ,god1 and entreat ,him to take this death plague from us1 for we acknowledge that we have sinned against ,him4 ,joseph fulfilled their wish1 and ,god hearkened to his petition1 and the storm was assuaged4 ,all around became calm1 the beasts arose from their recumbent position1 and the caravan could proceed upon its way4 ,now the ,ishmaelites saw plainly that all their trouble had come upon them for the sake of ,joseph1 and they spoke one to another1 saying3 ,we know now that all this evil hath happened to us on account of this poor fellow1 and wherefore should we bring death upon ourselves by our own doings8 ,let us take counsel together1 what is to be done with the slave4 ,one of them advised that ,joseph's wish be fulfilled1 and he be taken back to his father4 ,then they would be sure of receiving the money they had paid out for him4 ,this plan was rejected1 because they had accomplished a great part of their journey1 and they were not inclined to retrace their steps4 ,they therefore resolved upon carrying ,joseph to ,egypt and selling him there4 ,they would rid themselves of him in this way1 and also receive a great price for him4 ,they continued their journey as far as the borders of ,egypt1 and there they met four men1 descendants of ,medan1 the son of ,abraham1 and to these they sold ,joseph for five shekels4 ,the two companies1 the ,ishmaelites and the ,medanites1 arrived in ,egypt upon the same day4 ,the latter1 hearing that ,potiphar1 an officer of ,pharaoh1 the captain of the guard1 was seeking a good slave1 repaired to him at once1 to try to dispose of ,joseph to him4 ,potiphar was willing to pay as much as four hundred pieces of silver1 for1 high as the price was1 it did not seem too great for a slave that pleased him as much as ,joseph4 ,however1 he made a condition4 ,he said to the ,medanites3 ,i will pay you the price demanded1 but you must bring me the person that sold the slave to you1 that ,i may be in a position to find out all about him1 for the youth seems to me to be neither a slave nor the son of a slave4 ,he appears to be of noble blood4 ,i must convince myself that he was not stolen4 ,the ,medanites brought the ,ishmaelites to ,potiphar1 and they testified that ,joseph was a slave1 that they had owned him1 and had sold him to the ,medanites4 ,potiphar rested satisfied with this report1 paid the price asked for ,joseph1 and the ,medanites and the ,ishmaelites went their way4 ,,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 deed4 ,they even hastened after the ,midianites to ransom ,joseph1 but their efforts to overtake them were vain1 and they had to accept the inevitable4 ,meantime ,reuben had rejoined his brethren4#ei ,he had been so deeply absorbed in penances1 in praying and studying the ,torah1 in expiation of his sin against his father1 that he had not been able to remain with his brethren and tend the flocks1 and thus it happened that he was not on the spot when ,joseph was sold4#fj ,his first errand was to go to the pit1 in the hope of finding ,joseph there4 ,in that case he would have carried him off and restored him to his father clandestinely1 without the knowledge of his brethren4 ,he stood at the opening and called again and again1 ,joseph1 ,joseph6 ,as he received no answer1 he concluded that ,joseph had perished1 either by reason of terror or as the result of a snake bite1 and he descended into the pit1 only to find that he was not there1 either living or dead4 ,he mounted to the top again1 and rent his clothes1 and cried out1 ,the lad is not there1 and what answer shall ,i give to my father1 if he be dead8 ,then ,reuben returned unto his brethren1 and told them that ,joseph bad vanished from the pit1 whereat he was deeply grieved1 because he1 being the oldest of the sons1 was responsible to their father ,jacob4 ,the brethren made a clean breast of what they had done with ,joseph1 and they related to him how they had tried to make good their evil deed1 and how their efforts had been vain4 ,now there remained nothing to do but invent a plausible explanation for their brother's disappearance to give to ,jacob4 ,first of all1 however1 they took an oath not to betray to his father or any human being what they bad actually done with ,joseph4 ,he who violated the oath would be put to the sword by the rest4 ,then they took counsel together about what to say to ,jacob4 ,it was ,issachar's advice to tear ,joseph's coat of many colors1 and dip it in the blood of a little kid of the goats1 to make ,jacob believe that his son had been torn by a wild beast4#fa ,the reason he suggested a kid was because its blood looks like human blood4 ,in expiation of this act of deception1 it was ordained that a kid be used as an atonement sacrifice when the ,tabernacle was dedicated4#fb ,simon opposed this suggestion4 ,he did not want to relinquish ,joseph's coat1 and he threatened to hew down any one that should attempt to wrest it from him by force4 ,the reason for his vehemence was that he was very much enraged against his brethren for not having slain ,joseph4 ,but they threatened him in turn1 saying1 ,if thou wilt not give up the coat1 we shall say that thou didst execute the evil deed thyself4 ,at that ,simon surrendered it1#fc and ,naphtali brought it to ,jacob1 handing it to him with the words3 ,when we were driving our herds homeward1 we found this garment covered with blood and dust on the highway1 a little beyond ,shechem4 ,know now whether it be thy son's coat or not4 ,jacob recognized ,joseph's coat1 and1 overwhelmed by grief1 he fell prostrate1 and long lay on the ground motionless1 like a stone4 ,then he arose1 and set up a loud cry1 and wept1 saying1 ,it is my son's coat4 ,in great haste ,jacob dispatched a slave to his sons1 to bid them come to him1 that he might learn more about what had happened4 ,in the evening they all came1 their garments rent1 and dust strewn upon their heads4 ,when they confirmed all that ,naphtali had told him1 ,jacob broke out in mourning and lamentation3 ,it is my son's coat2 an evil beast hath devoured him2 ,joseph is without doubt torn in pieces4 ,i sent him to you to see whether it was well with you1 and well with the flock4 ,he went to do my errand1 and while ,i thought him to be with you1 the misfortune befell4 ,thereto the sons of ,jacob made reply3 ,he came to us not at all4 ,since we left thee1 we have not set eyes on him4 ,after these words1 ,jacob could doubt no longer that ,joseph bad been torn by wild beasts1 and he mourned for his son1 saying3 ,o my son ,joseph1 my son1 ,i sent thee to inquire after the welfare of thy brethren1 and now thou art torn by wild beasts4 ,it is my fault that this evil chance hath come upon thee4 ,i am distressed for thee1 my son1 ,i am sorely distressed4 ,how sweet was thy life to me1 and how bitter is thy death6 ,would ,god ,i had died for thee1 ,o ,joseph1 my son1 for now ,i am distressed on thy account4 ,o my son ,joseph1 where art thou1 and where is thy soul8 ,arise1 arise from thy place1 and look upon my grief for thee4 ,come and count the tears that roll down my cheeks1 and bring the tale of them before ,god1 that ,his wrath be turned away from me4 ,o ,joseph1 my son1 how painful and appalling was thy death6 ,none hath died a death like thine since the world doth stand4 ,i know well that it came to pass by reason of my sins4 ,o that thou wouldst return and see the bitter sorrow thy misfortune hath brought upon me6 ,but it is true1 it was not ,i that created thee1 and formed thee4 ,i gave thee neither spirit nor soul1 but ,god created thee4 ,he formed thy bones1 covered them with flesh1 breathed the breath of life into thy nostrils1 and then gave thee unto me4 ,and ,god who gave thee unto me1 ,he hath taken thee from me1 and from ,him hath this dispensation come upon me4 ,what the ,lord doeth is well done6 ,in these words and many others like them ,jacob mourned and bewailed his son1 until he fell to the ground prostrate and immovable4 ,when the sons of ,jacob saw the vehemence of their father's grief1 they repented of their deed1 and wept bitterly4 ,especially ,judah was grief-stricken4 ,he laid his father's head upon his knees1 and wiped his tears away as they flowed from his eyes1 while he himself broke out in violent weeping4 ,the sons of ,jacob and their wives all sought to comfort their father4 ,they arranged a great memorial service1 and they wept and mourned over ,joseph's death and over their father's sorrow4#fd ,but ,jacob refused to be comforted4 ,the tidings of his son's death caused the loss of two members of ,jacob's family4 ,bilhah and ,dinah could not survive their grief4 ,bilhah passed away the very day whereon the report reached ,jacob1 and ,dinah died soon after1 and so he had three losses to mourn in one month4 ,he received the tidings of ,joseph's death in the seventh month1 ,tishri1 and on the tenth day of the month1 and therefore the children of ,israel are bidden to weep and afflict their souls on this day4 ,furthermore1 on this day the sin offering of atonement shall be a kid of the goats1 because the sons of ,jacob transgressed with a kid1 in the blood of which they dipped ,joseph's coat1 and thus they brought sorrow upon ,jacob4#fe ,when he had recovered somewhat from the stunning blow which the tidings of his favorite son's death had dealt him1 ,jacob rose up from the ground and addressed his sons1 tears streaming down his cheeks all the while4 ,up1 he said1 take your swords and your bows1 go out in the field1 and make search1 perhaps you will find the body of my son1 and you will bring it to me1 so that ,i may bury it4 ,keep a lookout1 too1 for beasts of prey1 and catch the first you meet4 ,seize it and bring it to me4 ,it may be that ,god will have pity upon my sorrow1 and put the beast between your hands that hath torn my child in pieces1 and ,i will take my revenge upon it4 ,the sons of ,jacob set out on the morrow to do the bidding of their father1 while he remained at home and wept and lamented for ,joseph4 ,in the wilderness they found a wolf1 which they caught and brought to ,jacob alive1 saying3 ,here is the first wild beast we encountered1 and we have brought it to thee4 ,but of thy son's corpse we saw not a trace4 ,jacob seized the wolf1 and1 amid loud weeping1 he addressed these words to him3 ,why didst thou devour my son ,joseph1 without any fear of the ,god of the earth1 and without taking any thought of the grief thou wouldst bring down upon me8 ,thou didst devour my son without reason1 he was guilty of no manner of transgression1 and thou didst roll the responsibility for his death upon me4 ,but ,god avengeth him that is persecuted4 ,to grant consolation to ,jacob1 ,god opened the mouth of the beast1 and he spake3 ,as the ,lord liveth1 who hath created me1 and as thy soul liveth1 my lord1 ,i have not seen thy son1 and ,i did not rend him in pieces4 ,from a land afar off ,i came to seek mine own son1 who suffered a like fate with thine4 ,he hath disappeared1 and ,i know not whether he be dead or alive1 and therefore ,i came hither ten days ago to find him4 ,this day1 while ,i was searching for him1 thy sons met me1 and they seized me1 and1 adding more grief to my grief over my lost son1 they brought me hither to thee4 ,this is my story1 and now1 ,o son of man1 ,i am in thy hands1 thou canst dispose of me this day as seemeth well in thy sight1 but ,i swear unto thee by the ,god that bath created me1 ,i have not seen thy son1 nor have ,i torn him in pieces1 never hath the flesh of man come into my mouth4 ,astonished at the speech of the wolf1 ,jacob let him go1 unhindered1 whithersoever he would1 but he mourned his son ,joseph as before4#ff ,it is a law of nature that however much one may grieve over the death of a dear one1 at the end of a year consolation finds its way to the heart of the mourner4 ,but the disappearance of a living man can never be wiped out of one's memory4 ,therefore the fact that he was inconsolable made ,jacob suspect that ,joseph was alive1 and he did not give entire credence to the report of his sons4 ,his vague suspicion was strengthened by something that happened to him4 ,he went up into the mountains1 hewed twelve stones out of the quarry1 and wrote the names of his sons thereon1 their constellations1 and the months corresponding to the constellations1 a stone for a son1 thus1 ,reuben1 ,ram1 ,nisan1 and so for each of his twelve sons4 ,then he addressed the stones and bade them bow down before the one marked with ,reuben's name1 constellation1 and month1 and they did not move4 ,he gave the same order regarding the stone marked for ,simon1 and again the stones stood still4 ,and so he did respecting all his sons1 until he reached the stone for ,joseph4 ,when he spoke concerning this one1 ,i command you to fall down before ,joseph1 they all prostrated themselves4 ,he tried the same test with other things1 with trees and sheaves1 and always the result was the same1 and ,jacob could not but feel that his suspicion was true1 ,joseph was alive4#fg ,there was a reason why ,god did not reveal the real fate of ,joseph to ,jacob4 ,when his brethren sold ,joseph1 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 others4 ,judah advanced the objection that a ban is invalid unless it is decreed in the presence of ten persons1 and there were but nine of them1 for ,reuben and ,benjamin were not there when the sale of ,joseph was concluded4 ,to evade the difficulty1 the brothers counted ,god as the tenth person1 and therefore ,god felt bound to refrain from revealing the true state of things to ,jacob4 ,he had regard1 as it were1 for the ban pronounced by the brethren of ,joseph4#fh ,and as ,god kept the truth a secret from ,jacob1 ,isaac did not feel justified in acquainting him with his grandson's fate1 which was well known to him1 for he was a prophet4 ,whenever he was in the company of ,jacob1 he mourned with him1 but as soon as he quitted him1 he left off from manifesting grief1 because he knew that ,joseph lived4#fi ,jacob was thus the only one among ,joseph's closest kinsmen that remained in ignorance of his son's real fortunes1 and he was the one of them all that had the greatest reason for regretting his death4 ,he spoke3 ,the covenant that ,god made with me regarding the twelve tribes is null and void now4 ,i did strive in vain to establish the twelve tribes1 seeing that now the death of ,joseph hath destroyed the covenant4 ,all the works of ,god were made to correspond to the number of the tribes--twelve are the signs of the zodiac1 twelve the months1 twelve hours hath the day1 twelve the night1 and twelve stones are set in ,aaron's breastplate--and now that ,joseph hath departed1 the covenant of the tribes is set at naught4 ,he could not replace the lost son by entering into a new marriage1 for he had made the promise to his father-in-law to take none beside his daughters to wife1 and this promise1 as he interpreted it1 held good after the death of ,laban's daughters as well as while they were alive4#gj ,beside grief over his loss and regret at the breaking of the covenant of the tribes1 ,jacob had still another reason for mourning the death of ,joseph4 ,god had said to ,jacob1 ,if none of thy sons dies during thy lifetime1 thou mayest look upon it as a token that thou wilt not be put in ,gehenna after thy death4 ,thinking ,joseph to be dead1 ,jacob had his own fate to bewail1 too1 for he now believed that he was doomed to ,gehenna4#ga ,his mourning lasted all of twenty-two years1 corresponding to the number of the years he had dwelt apart from his parents1 and had not fulfilled the duty of a son toward them4#gb ,in his mourning ,jacob put sackcloth upon his loins1 and therein be became a model for the kings and princes in ,israel1 for ,david1 ,ahab1 ,joram1 and ,mordecai did likewise when a great misfortune befell the nation4#gc ,,judah ,,and ,,his ,,sons ,when the sons of ,jacob saw how inconsolable their father was1 they went to ,judah1 and said to him1 ,this great misfortune is thy fault4 ,judah replied3 ,it was ,i that asked you1 ,what profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood8 and now you say the sin lies at my door4 ,the brethren continued to argue3 ,but it was thou that didst say1 ,come and let us sell him to the ,ishmaelites1 and we followed thy advice4 ,hadst thou said1 ,let us restore him to his father1 we had heeded these words of thine as well4 ,the brethren hereupon deprived ,judah of his dignity1 for hitherto he had been their king1 and they also excluded him from their fellowship1 and he had to seek his fortune alone4#gd ,through the mediation of his chief shepherd ,hirah1 he became acquainted with the ,canaanitish king of ,adullam1 ,barsan by name4 ,though he was well aware of the corruption of the generations of ,canaan1 he permitted passion to get the better of him1 and took a ,canaanite to wife4 ,the ,adullamite king gave a banquet in his honor1 at which his daughter ,bath-shua poured the wine1 and intoxicated by wine and passion ,judah took her and married her4#ge ,judah's action may be compared to that of the lion who passes a carrion and eats of it1 though a cur preceding him on the way had refused to touch it4 ,even ,esau came in time to acknowledge that the daughters of ,canaan were wicked1 and the lion ,judah must needs take one of them to wife4#gf ,the holy spirit cried out against ,judah when he married the ,canaanite woman of ,adullam1 saying1 ,the glory of ,israel went down in ,adullam4#gg ,the first-born son of ,judah from this marriage was named ,er1 the childless1 a suitable name for him that died without begetting any issue4#gh ,at ,judah's desire1 ,er married ,tamar1 a daughter of ,aram1 the son of ,shem1 but because she was not a ,canaanitish woman1 his mother used artifices against her1 and he did not know her1 and an angel of the ,lord killed him on the third day after his wedding4 ,then ,judah gave ,tamar to his second son ,onan1 the marriage taking place before the week of the wedding festivities for ,er had elapsed4 ,a whole year ,onan lived with ,tamar without knowing her1 and when1 finally1 ,judah uttered threats against him on that account1 he did1 indeed1 have intercourse with her1 but1 giving heed to the injunctions of his mother1 he took care not to beget any children with her4#gi ,he1 too1 died on account of his iniquity1 and his name ,onan mourning1 was well chosen1 for very soon was his father called upon to mourn for him4#hj ,now ,judah conceived the plan of marrying ,tamar to his youngest son ,shelah1 but his wife would not permit it4 ,she hated ,tamar because she was not of the daughters of ,canaan like herself1 and while ,judah was away from home1 ,bath-shua chose a wife for her son ,shelah from the daughters of ,canaan4 ,judah was very angry at ,bath-shua for what she had done1 and also ,god poured out ,his wrath upon her1 for on account of her wickedness she had to die1#ha and her death happened a year after that of her two sons4 ,now that ,bath-shua was dead1 ,judah might have carried out his wish and married ,tamar to his youngest son4 ,but he waited for ,shelah to grow up1 because he feared for his life1 seeing that ,tamar had brought death to two husbands before him4 ,so she remained a widow in her father's house for two years4 ,endowed with the gift of prophecy1 ,tamar knew that she was appointed to be the ancestress of ,david and of the ,messiah1 and she determined to venture upon an extreme measure in order to make sure of fulfilling her destiny4#hb ,accordingly1 when the holy spirit revealed to her that ,judah was going up to ,timnah1#hc she put off from her the garments of her widowhood1 and sat in the gate of ,abraham's tent1 and there she encountered ,judah4#hd ,all the time she lived in the house of her father-in-law1 he had never seen her face1 for in her virtue and chastity she had always kept it covered1 and now when ,judah met her1 he did not recognize her4 ,it was as a reward for her modesty that ,god made her to become the mother of the royal line of ,david1 and the ancestress of ,isaiah1 and his father ,amoz as well1 both of whom were prophets and of royal blood4#he ,judah passed ,tamar by without paying any attention to her1 and she raised her eyes heavenward1 and said1 ,o ,lord of the world1 shall ,i go forth empty from the house of this pious man8 ,then ,god sent the angel that is appointed over the passion of love1 and he compelled ,judah to turn back4#hf ,with prophetic caution1 ,tamar demanded that1 as a pledge for the reward he promised her1 he leave with her his signet1 his mantle1 and his staff1 the symbols of royalty1 judgeship1 and ,messiahship1 the three distinctions of the descendants of ,tamar from her union with ,judah4 ,when ,judah sent her the promised reward1 a kid of the goats1 by the hand of his friend1 in order to receive the pledges from her hand1 ,tamar could not be found1 and he feared to make further search for her1 lest he be put to shame4 ,but ,tamar1 who soon discerned that she was with child1 felt very happy and proud1 for she knew that she would be the mother of kings and redeemers4#hg ,when her state became known1 she was forcibly dragged before the court1 in which ,isaac1 ,jacob1 and ,judah sat as judges4 ,judah1 being the youngest of the judges and the least considerable in dignity1 was the first to give a decision1 for thus it is prescribed in criminal cases1 that the prominent judges overawe not the lesser and influence their decisions unduly4 ,it was the opinion of ,judah that the woman was liable to the penalty of death by burning1 for she was the daughter of the high priest ,shem1 and death by fire is the punishment ordained by the law for a high priest's daughter that leads an unchaste life4#hh ,the preparations for her execution were begun4 ,in vain ,tamar searched for the three pledges she had received from ,judah1 she could not find them1 and almost she lost hope that she would be able to wring a confession from her father-in-law4 ,she raised her eyes to ,god1 and prayed3 ,i supplicate ,thy grace1 ,o ,god1 ,thou who givest ear to the cry of the distressed in the hour of his need1 answer me1 that ,i may be spared to bring forth the three holy children1 who will be ready to suffer death by fire1 for the sake of the glory of ,thy ,name4 ,and ,god granted her petition1 and sent the angel ,michael down to succor her4 ,he put the pledges in a place in which ,tamar could not fail to see them1 and she took them1 and threw them before the feet of the judges1 with the words3 ,by the man whose these are am ,i with child1 but though ,i perish in the flames1 ,i will not betray him4 ,i hope in the ,lord of the world1 that ,he will turn the heart of the man1 so that he will make confession thereof4 ,then ,judah rose up1 and said3 ,with your permission1 my brethren1 and ye men of my father's house1 ,i make it known that with what measure a man metes1 it shall be measured unto him1 be it for good or for evil1 but happy the man that acknowledgeth his sins4 ,because ,i took the coat of ,joseph1 and colored it with the blood of a kid1 and then laid it at the feet of my father1 saying1 ,know now whether it be thy son's coat or not1 therefore must ,i now confess1 before the court1 unto whom belongeth this signet1 this mantle1 and this staff4 ,but it is better that ,i be put to shame in this world than ,i should be put to shame in the other world1 before the face of my pious father4 ,it is better that ,i should perish in a fire that can be extinguished than ,i should be cast into hell fire1 which devoureth other fires4 ,now1 then1 ,i acknowledge that ,tamar is innocent4 ,by me is she with child1 not because she indulged in illicit passion1 but because ,i held back her marriage with my son ,shelah4 ,then a heavenly voice was heard to say3 ,ye are both innocent6 ,it was the will of ,god that it should happen6#hi ,the open confession of ,judah induced his oldest brother ,reuben to make public acknowledgment of the sin he had committed against his father1 for he had kept it a secret until then4#ij ,tamar gave birth to twin sons1 ,perez and ,zerah1 both resembling their father in bravery and piety4#ia ,she called the first ,perez1 mighty1 because she said1 ,thou didst show thyself of great power1 and it is meet and proper that thou shouldst be strong1 for thou art destined to possess the kingdom4#ib ,the second son was called ,zerah1 because he appeared from out of the womb before his brother1 but he was forced back again to make way for ,perez4#ic ,these two1 ,perez and ,zerah4 were sent out as spies by ,joshua1 and the line that ,rahab bound in the window of her house as a token to the army of the ,israelites1 she received from ,zerah4 ,it was the scarlet thread that the midwife had bound upon his hand1 to mark him as the child that appeared first and withdrew4#id ,,the ,,wives ,,of ,,the ,,sons ,,of ,,jacob ,judah was the first of the sons of ,jacob to enter wedlock4 ,after the sale of ,joseph to the ,midianites1 his brethren had said to ,judah1 ,if conditions were as before1 our father would provide wives for us now4 ,as it is1 he is entirely absorbed by his grief for ,joseph1 and we must look about for wives ourselves4 ,thou art our chief1 and thou shouldst marry first4 ,judah's marriage with ,alit the daughter of the noble merchant ,shua1 which was consummated at ,adullam1 the residence of his friend ,hirah1 or1 as he was called later1 ,hiram1 king of ,tyre1 was not happy4 ,his two oldest sons died1 and shortly thereafter his wife also4 ,it was ,judah's punishment for having begun a good deed and left it unfinished1 for he who begins a good deed1 and does not execute it to the end1 brings down misfortune upon his own head4 ,judah had rescued ,joseph from death1 but it was his suggestion to sell him into slavery4 ,had he urged them to restore the lad to his father1 his brethren would have obeyed his words4 ,he was lacking in constancy to persist until he had completed the work of ,joseph's deliverance1 which he had begun4#ie ,in the same year1 the year of ,joseph's misfortune1 all his other brethren married1 too4 ,reuben's wife was named ,elyoram1 the daughter of the ,canaanite ,uzzi of ,timnah4 ,simon married his sister ,dinah first1 and then a second wife4 ,when ,simon and ,levi massacred the men of ,shechem1 ,dinah refused to leave the city and follow her brethren1 saying1 ,whither shall ,i carry my shame8 ,but ,simon swore he would marry her1 as he did later1 and when she died in ,egypt1 he took her body to the ,holy ,land and buried it there4 ,dinah bore her brother a son1#if and from her union with ,shechem1 the son of ,hamor1 sprang a daughter1 ,asenath by name1 afterward the wife of ,joseph4 ,when this daughter was born to ,dinah1 her brethren1 the sons of ,jacob1 wanted to kill her1 that the finger of men might not point at the fruit of sin in their father's house4 ,but ,jacob took a piece of tin1 inscribed the ,holy ,name upon it1 and bound it about the neck of the girl1 and he put her under a thornbush1 and abandoned her there4 ,an angel carried the babe down to ,egypt1 where ,potiphar adopted her as his child1 for his wife was barren4 ,years thereafter1 when ,joseph travelled through the land as viceroy1 the maidens threw gifts at him1 to make him turn his eyes in their direction and give them the opportunity of gazing upon his beauty4 ,asenath possessed nothing that would do as a present1 therefore she took off the amulet suspended from her neck1 and gave it to him4 ,thus ,joseph became acquainted with her lineage1 and he married her1 seeing that she was not an ,egyptian1 but one connected with the house of ,jacob through her mother4#ig ,beside the son of ,dinah1 ,simon had another son1 whose name was ,saul1 by ,bunah1 the damsel he had taken captive in the campaign against ,shechem4 ,levi and ,issachar married two daughters of ,jobab1 the grandson of ,eber2 the wife of the former was named ,adinah1 the wife of the latter1 ,aridah4 ,dan's wife was ,elflalet1 a daughter of the ,moabite ,hamudan4 ,for a long time their marriage remained childless1 finally they had a son1 whom they called ,hushim4 ,gad and ,naphtali married women from ,haran1 two sisters1 daughters of ,amoram1 a grandson of ,nahor4 ,naphtali's wife1 ,merimit1 was the older of the two1 and the younger1 the wife of ,gad1 was named ,uzit4 ,asher's first wife was ,adon1 the daughter of ,ephlal1 a grandson of ,ishmael4 ,she died childless1 and he married a second wife1 ,hadorah1 a daughter of ,abimael1 the grandson of ,shem4 ,she had been married before1 her first husband having been ,malchiel1 also a grandson of ,shem1 and the issue of this first marriage was a daughter1 ,serah by name4 ,when ,asher brought his wife to ,canaan1 the three year old orphan ,serah came with them4 ,she was raised in the house of ,jacob1 and she walked in the way of pious children1 and ,god gave her beauty1 wisdom1 and sagacity4 ,zebulon's wife was ,maroshah1 the daughter of ,molad1 a grandson of ,midian1 the son of ,abraham by ,keturah4 ,for ,benjamin1 when he was but ten years old1 ,jacob took ,mahlia to wife1 the daughter of ,aram1 the grandson of ,terah1 and she bore him five sons4 ,at the age of eighteen he married a second wife1 ,arbat1 the daughter of ,zimran1 a son of ,abraham by ,keturah1 and by her also he had five sons4#ih ,,joseph ,,the ,,slave ,,of ,,potiphar ,when ,joseph was sold as a slave to the ,ishmaelites1 he kept silent out of respect for his brethren1 and did not tell his masters that he was a son of ,jacob1 a great and powerful man4 ,even when he came to the ,midianites with the ,ishmaelites1 and the former asked after his parentage1 he still said he was a slave1 only in order not to put his brethren to shame4 ,but the most distinguished of the ,midianites rebuked ,joseph1 saying1 ,thou art no slave1 thy appearance betrayeth thee1 and he threatened him with death unless he acknowledged the truth4 ,joseph1 however1 was steadfast1 he would not act treacherously toward his brethren4 ,arrived in ,egypt1 the owners of ,joseph could come to no agreement regarding him4 ,each desired to have sole and exclusive possession of him4 ,they therefore decided to leave him with a shopkeeper until they should come back to ,egypt again with their merchandise4 ,and ,god let ,joseph find grace in the sight of the shopkeeper4 ,all that he had1 his whole house1 he put into ,joseph's hand1 and therefore the ,lord blessed him with much silver and gold1 and ,joseph remained with him for three months and five days4 ,at that time there came from ,memphis the wife of ,potiphar1 and she cast her eyes upon ,joseph1 of whose comeliness of person she had heard from the eunuchs4 ,she told her husband how that a certain shopkeeper had grown rich through a young ,hebrew1 and she added3 ,but it is said that the youth was stolen away out of the land of ,canaan4 ,go1 therefore1 and sit in judgment upon his owner1 and take the youth unto thy house1 that the ,god of the ,hebrews may bless thee1 for the grace of heaven rests upon the youth4 ,potiphar summoned the shopkeeper1 and when he appeared before him1 he spoke harshly to him1 saying3 ,what is this ,i hear8 that thou stealest souls from the land of ,canaan1 and dost carry on traffic with them8 ,the shop-keeper protested his innocence1 and he could not be made to recede from his assertion1 that a company of ,ishmaelites had left ,joseph in his charge temporarily1 until they should return4 ,potiphar had him stripped naked and beaten1 but he continued to reiterate the same statement4 ,then ,potiphar summoned ,joseph4 ,the youth prostrated himself before this chief of the eunuchs1 for he was third in rank of the officers of ,pharaoh4 ,and he addressed ,joseph1 and said1 ,art thou a slave or a free-born man8 and ,joseph replied1 ,a slave4 ,potiphar continued to question him1 ,whose slave art thou8 ,joseph3 ,i belong to the ,ishmaelites4 ,potiphar3 ,how wast thou made a slave8 ,joseph3 ,they bought me in the land of ,canaan4 ,but ,potiphar refused to give credence to what he said1 and he had also him stripped and beaten4 ,the wife of ,potiphar1 standing by the door1 saw how ,joseph was abused1 and she sent word to her husband1 ,thy verdict is unjust1 for thou punishest the free-born youth that was stolen away from his place as though he were the one that had committed a crime4 ,as ,joseph held firmly to what he had said1 ,potiphar ordered him to prison1 until his masters should return4 ,in her sinful longing for him1 his wife wanted to have ,joseph in her own house1 and she remonstrated with her husband in these words3 ,wherefore dost thou keep the captive1 nobly-born slave a prisoner8 ,thou shouldst rather set him at liberty and have him serve thee4 ,he answered1 ,the law of the ,egyptians does not permit us to take what belongs to another before all titles are made clear1 and ,joseph stayed in prison for twenty-four days1 until the return of the ,ishmaelites to ,egypt4 ,meanwhile they had heard somewhere that ,joseph was the son of ,jacob1 and they therefore said to him3 ,why didst thou pretend that thou wast a slave8 ,see1 we have information that thou art the son of a powerful man in ,canaan1 and thy father mourns for thee in sackcloth4 ,joseph was on the point of divulging his secret1 but he kept a check upon himself for the sake of his brethren1 and he repeated that he was a slave4 ,nevertheless the ,ishmaelites decided to sell him1 that he be not found in their hands1 for they feared the revenge of ,jacob1 who1 they knew1 was in high favor with the ,lord and with men4 ,the shopkeeper begged the ,ishmaelites to rescue him from the legal prosecution of ,potiphar1 and clear him of the suspicion of man theft4 ,the ,ishmaelites in turn had a conference with ,joseph1 and bade him testify before ,potiphar that they had bought him for money4 ,he did so1 and then the chief of the eunuchs liberated him from prison1 and dismissed all parties concerned4 ,with the permission of her husband1 ,potiphar's wife sent a eunuch to the ,ishmaelites1 bidding him to buy ,joseph1 but he returned and reported that they demanded an exorbitant price for the slave4 ,she dispatched a second eunuch1 charging him to conclude the bargain1 and though they asked one mina of gold1 or even two1 he was not to be sparing of money1 he was to be sure to buy the slave and bring him to her4 ,the eunuch gave the ,ishmaelites eighty pieces of gold for ,joseph1 telling his mistress1 however1 that he had paid out a hundred pieces4 ,joseph noticed the deception1 but he kept silent1 that the eunuch might not be put to shame4#ii ,thus ,joseph became the slave of the idolatrous priest ,potiphar1 or ,poti-phera1 as he was sometimes called4#ajj ,he had secured possession of the handsome youth for a lewd purpose1 but the angel ,gabriel mutilated him in such manner that he could not accomplish it4#aja ,his master soon had occasion to notice that ,joseph was as pious as he was beautiful1 for whenever he was occupied with his ministrations1 he would whisper a prayer3 ,o ,lord of the world1 ,thou art my trust1 ,thou art my protection4 ,let me find grace and favor in ,thy sight and in the sight of all that see me1 and in the sight of my master ,potiphar4 ,when ,potiphar noticed the movement of his lips1 he said to ,joseph1 ,dost thou purpose to cast a spell upon me8 ,nay1 replied the youth1 ,i am beseeching ,god to let me find favor in thine eyes4 ,his prayer was heard4 ,potiphar convinced himself that ,god was with ,joseph4 ,sometimes he would make a test of ,joseph's miraculous powers4 ,if he brought him a glass of hippocras1 he would say1 ,i would rather have wine mixed with absinthe1 and straightway the spiced wine was changed into bitter wine4 ,whatever he desired1 he could be sure to get from ,joseph1 and he saw clearly that ,god fulfilled the wishes of his slave4 ,therefore he put all the keys of his house into his hand1 and he knew not aught that was with him1#ajb keeping back nothing from ,joseph but his wife4#ajc ,seeing that the ,shekinah rested upon him1 ,potiphar treated ,joseph not as a slave1 but as a member of his family1 for he said1 ,this youth is not cut out for a slave's work1 he is worthy of a prince's place4#ajd ,accordingly1 he provided instruction for him in the arts1 and ordered him to have better fare than the other slaves4#aje ,joseph thanked ,god for his new and happy state4 ,he prayed1 ,blessed art ,thou1 ,o ,lord1 that ,thou hast caused me to forget my father's house4 ,what made his present fortunes so agreeable was that he was removed from the envy and jealousy of his brethren4 ,he said3 ,when ,i was in my father's house1 and he gave me something pretty1 my brethren begrudged me the present1 and now1 ,o ,lord1 ,i thank ,thee that ,i live amid plenty4 ,free from anxieties1 he turned his attention to his external appearance4 ,he painted his eyes1 dressed his hair1 and aimed to be elegant in his walk4 ,but ,god spake to him1 saying1 ,thy father is mourning in sackcloth and ashes1 while thou dost eat1 drink1 and dress thy hair4 ,therefore ,i will stir up thy mistress against thee1 and thou shalt be embarrassed4#ajf ,thus ,joseph's secret wish was fulfilled1 that he might be permitted to prove his piety under temptation1 as the piety of his fathers had been tested4#ajg ,,joseph ,,and ,,zuleika ,throw the stick up in the air1 it will always return to its original place4 ,like ,rachel his mother1 ,joseph was of ravishing beauty1 and the wife of his master was filled with invincible passion for him4#ajh ,her feeling was heightened by the astrologic forecast that she was destined to have descendants through ,joseph4 ,this was true1 but not in the sense in which she understood the prophecy4 ,joseph married her daughter ,asenath later on1 and she bore him children1 thus fulfilling what had been read in the stars4#aji ,in the beginning she did not confess her love to ,joseph4 ,she tried first to seduce him by artifice4 ,on the pretext of visiting him1 she would go to him at night1 and1 as she had no sons1 she would pretend a desire to adopt him4 ,joseph then prayed to ,god in her behalf1 and she bore a son4 ,however1 she continued to embrace him as though he were her own child1 yet he did not notice her evil designs4 ,finally1 when he recognized her wanton trickery1 he mourned many days1 and endeavored to turn her away from her sinful passion by the word of ,god4 ,she1 on her side1 often threatened him with death1 and surrendered him to castigations in order to make him amenable to her will1 and when these means had no effect upon ,joseph1 she sought to seduce him with enticements4 ,she would say1 ,i promise thee1 thou shalt rule over me and all ,i have1 if thou wilt but give thyself up to me4 and thou shalt be to me the same as my lawful husband4 ,but ,joseph was mindful of the words of his fathers1 and he went into his chamber1 and fasted1 and prayed to ,god1 that ,he would deliver him from the toils of the ,egyptian woman4 ,in spite of the mortifications he practiced1 and though he gave the poor and the sick the food apportioned to him1 his master thought he lived a luxurious life1 for those that fast for the glory of ,god are made beautiful of countenance4 ,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 feelings4 ,and1 again1 she would encourage ,joseph secretly1 telling him not to fear her husband1 that he was convinced of his purity of life1 and though one should carry tales to him about ,joseph and herself1 ,potiphar would lend them no credence4 ,and when she saw that all this was ineffectual 1 she approached him with the request that he teach her the word of ,god1 saying1 ,if it be thy wish that ,i forsake idol worship1 then fulfil my desire1 and ,i will persuade that ,egyptian husband of mine to abjure the idols1 and we shall walk in the law of thy ,god4 ,joseph replied1 ,the ,lord desireth not that those who fear ,him shall walk in impurity1 nor hath ,he pleasure in the adulterer4 ,another time she came to him1 and said1 ,if thou wilt not do my desire1 ,i will murder the ,egyptian and wed with thee according to the law4 ,whereat ,joseph rent his garment1 and he said1 ,o woman1 fear the ,lord1 and do not execute this evil deed1 that thou mayest not bring destruction down upon thyself1 for ,i will proclaim thy impious purposes to all in public4 ,again1 she sent him a dish prepared with magic spells1 by means of which she hoped to get him into her power4 ,but when the eunuch set it before him1 he saw the image of a man handing him a sword together with the dish1 and1 warned by the vision1 he took good care not to taste of the food4 ,a few days later his mistress came to him1 and asked him why he had not eaten of what she had sent him4 ,he reproached her1 saying1 ,how couldst thou tell me1 ,i do not come nigh unto the idols1 but only unto the ,lord8 ,the ,god of my fathers hath revealed thy iniquity to me through an angel1 but that thou mayest know that the malice of the wicked has no power over those who fear ,god in purity1 ,i shall eat thy food before thine eyes1 and the ,god of my fathers and the angel of ,abraham will be with me4 ,the wife of ,potiphar fell upon her face at the feet of ,joseph1 and amid tears she promised not to commit this sin again4 ,but her unholy passion for ,joseph did not depart from her1 and her distress over her unfulfilled wish made her look so ill that her husband said to her1 ,why is thy countenance fallen8 ,and she replied1 ,i have a pain at my heart1 and the groanings of my spirit oppress me4 ,once when she was alone with ,joseph1 she rushed toward him1 crying1 ,i will throttle myself1 or ,i will jump into a well or a pit1 if thou wilt not yield thyself to me4 ,noticing her extreme agitation1 ,joseph endeavored to calm her with these words1 ,remember1 if thou makest away with thyself1 thy husband's concubine1 ,asteho1 thy rival1 will maltreat thy children1 and extirpate thy memory from the earth4 ,these words1 gently spoken1 had the opposite effect from that intended4 ,they only inflamed her passion the more by feeding her hopes4 ,she said3 ,there1 seest thou1 thou dost love me now6 ,it sufficeth for me that thou takest thought for me and for the safety of my children4 ,i expect now that my desire will be fulfilled4 ,she did not know that ,joseph spoke as he did for the sake of ,god1 and not for her sake4#aaj ,his mistress1 or1 as she was called1 ,zuleika1 pursued him day after day with her amorous talk and her flattery1 saying3 ,how fair is thy appearance1 how comely thy form6 ,never have ,i seen so well-favored a slave as thou art4 ,joseph would reply3 ,god1 who formed me in my mother's womb1 hath created all men4 ,zuleika3 ,how beautiful are thine eyes1 with which thou hast charmed all ,egyptians1 both men and women6 ,joseph3 ,beautiful as they may be while ,i am alive1 so ghastly they will be to look upon in the grave4 ,zuleika3 ,how lovely and pleasant are thy words6 ,i pray thee1 take thy harp1 play and also sing1 that ,i may hear thy words4 ,joseph3 ,lovely and pleasant are my words when ,i proclaim the praise of my ,god4 ,zuleika3 ,how beautiful is thy hair6 ,take my golden comb1 and comb it4 ,joseph3 ,how long wilt thou continue to speak thus to me8 ,leave off6 ,it were better for thee to care for thy household4 ,zuleika3 ,there is nothing in my house that ,i care for1 save thee alone4 ,but ,joseph's virtue was unshaken4 ,while she spoke thus1 he did not so much as raise his eyes to look at his mistress4#aaa ,he remained equally steadfast when she lavished gifts upon him1 for she provided him with garments of one kind for the morning1 another for noon1 and a third kind for the evening4 ,nor could threats move him4 ,she would say1 ,i will bring false accusations against thee before thy master1 and ,joseph would reply1 ,the ,lord executeth judgment for the oppressed4 ,or1 ,i will deprive thee of food2 whereupon ,joseph1 ,the ,lord giveth food to the hungry4 ,or1 ,i will have thee thrown into prison2 whereupon ,joseph1 ,the ,lord looseth the prisoners4 ,or1 ,i will put heavy labor upon thee that will bend thee double2 whereupon ,joseph1 ,the ,lord raiseth up them that are bowed down4 ,or1 ,i will blind thine eyes2 whereupon ,joseph1 ,the ,lord openeth the eyes of the blind4#aab ,when she began to exercise her blandishments upon him1 he rejected them with the words1 ,i fear my master4 ,but ,zuleika would say1 ,i will kill him4 ,joseph replied with indignation1 ,not enough that thou wouldst make an adulterer of me1 thou wouldst have me be a murderer1 besides8 ,and he spoke furthermore1 saying1 ,i fear the ,lord my ,god6 ,zuleika3 ,nonsense6 ,he is not here to see thee6 ,joseph3 ,great is the ,lord and highly to be praised1 and ,his greatness is unsearchable4 ,thereupon she took ,joseph into her chamber1 where an idol hung above the bed4 ,this she covered1 that it might not be a witness of what she was about to do4 ,joseph said3 ,though thou coverest up the eyes of the idol1 remember1 the eyes of the ,lord run to and fro through the whole earth4 ,yes1 continued ,joseph1 ,i have many reasons not to do this thing for the sake of ,god4 ,adam was banished from ,paradise on account of violating a light command2 how much more should ,i have to fear the punishment of ,god1 were ,i to commit so grave a sin as adultery6 ,the ,lord is in the habit of choosing a favorite member of our family as a sacrifice unto ,himself4 ,perhaps ,he desireth to make choice of me1 but if ,i do thy will1 ,i make myself unfit to be a sacrifice unto ,god4 ,also the ,lord is in the habit of appearing suddenly1 in visions of the night1 unto those that love ,him4 ,thus did ,he appear unto ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 and ,i fear that ,he may appear unto me at the very moment while ,i am defiling myself with thee4 ,and as ,i fear ,god1 so ,i fear my father1 who withdrew the birthright from his first-born son ,reuben1 on account of an immoral act1 and gave it to me4 ,were ,i to fulfil thy desire1 ,i would share the fate of my brother ,reuben4#aac ,with such words1 ,joseph endeavored to cure the wife of his master of the wanton passion she had conceived for him1 while he took heed to keep far from a heinous sin1 not from fear of the punishment that would follow1 nor out of consideration for the opinion of men1 but because he desired to sanctify the ,name of ,god1 blessed be ,he1 before the whole world4#aad ,it was this feeling of his that ,zuleika could not comprehend1 and when1 finally1 carried away by passion1 she told him in unmistakable language what she desired1#aae and he recoiled from her1 she said to ,joseph3 ,why dost thou refuse to fulfil my wish8 ,am ,i not a married woman8 ,none will find out what thou hast done4 ,joseph replied3 ,if the unmarried women of the heathen are prohibited unto us1 how much more their married women8#aaf ,as the ,lord liveth1 ,i will not commit the crime thou biddest me do4 ,in this ,joseph followed the example of many pious men1 who utter an oath at the moment when they are in danger of succumbing to temptation1 and seek thus to gather moral courage to control their evil instincts4 ,when ,zuleika could not prevail upon him1 to persuade him1 her desire threw her into a grievous sickness1 and all the women of ,egypt came to visit her1 and they said unto her1 ,why art thou so languid and wasted1 thou that lackest nothing8 ,is not thy husband a prince great and esteemed in the sight of the king8 ,is it possible that thou canst want aught of what thy heart desireth8 ,zuleika answered them1 saying1 ,this day shall it be made known unto you whence cometh the state wherein you see me4 ,she commanded her maid-servants to prepare food for all the women1 and she spread a banquet before them in her house4 ,she placed knives upon the table to peel the oranges1 and then ordered ,joseph to appear1 arrayed in costly garments1 and wait upon her guests4 ,when ,joseph came in1 the women could not take their eyes off him1 and they all cut their hands with the knives1 and the oranges in their hands were covered with blood1 but they1 not knowing what they were doing1 continued to look upon the beauty of ,joseph without turning their eyes away from him4 ,then ,zuleika said unto them3 ,what have ye done8 ,behold1 ,i set oranges before you to eat1 and you have cut your hands4 ,all the women looked at their hands1 and1 lo1 they were full of blood1 and it flowed down and stained their garments4 ,they said to ,zuleika1 ,this slave in thy house did enchant us1 and we could not turn our eyes away from him on account of his beauty4 ,she then said3 ,this happened to you that looked upon him but a moment1 and you could not refrain yourselves6 ,how1 then1 can ,i control myself in whose house he abideth continually1 who see him go in and out day after day8 ,how1 then1 should ,i not waste away1 or keep from languishing on account of him6 ,and the women spake1 saying3 ,it is true1 who can look upon this beauty in the house1 and refrain her feelings8 ,but he is thy slave6 ,why dost thou not disclose to him that which is in thy heart1 rather than suffer thy life to perish through this thing8 ,zuleika answered them3 ,daily do ,i endeavor to persuade him1 but he will not consent to my wishes4 ,i promised him everything that is fair1 yet have ,i met with no return from him1 and therefore ,i am sick1 as you may see4 ,her sickness increased upon her4 ,her husband and her household suspected not the cause of her decline1 but all the women that were her friends knew that it was on account of the love she bore ,joseph1 and they advised her all the time to try to entice the youth4 ,on a certain day1 while ,joseph was doing his master's work in the house1 ,zuleika came and fell suddenly upon him1 but ,joseph was stronger than she1 and he pressed her down to the ground4 ,zuleika wept1 and in a voice of supplication1 and in bitterness of soul1 she said to ,joseph3 ,hast thou ever known1 seen1 or heard of a woman my peer in beauty1 let alone a woman with beauty exceeding mine8 ,yet ,i try daily to persuade thee1 ,i fall into decline through love of thee1 ,i confer all this honor upon thee1 and thou wilt not hearken unto my voice6 ,is it by reason of fear of thy master1 that he punish thee8 ,as the king liveth1 no harm shall come upon thee from thy master on account of this thing4 ,now1 therefore1 ,i pray thee1 listen to me1 and consent unto my desire for the sake of the honor that ,i have conferred upon thee1 and take this death away from me4 ,for why should ,i die on account of thee8 ,joseph remained as steadfast under these importunities as before4 ,zuleika1 however1 was not discouraged2 she continued her solicitations unremittingly1 day after day1#aah month after month1 for a whole year1 but always without the least success1 for ,joseph in his chastity did not permit himself even to look upon her1 wherefore she resorted to constraint4 ,she had an iron shackle placed upon his chin1 and he was compelled to keep his head up and look her in the face4#aai ,,joseph ,,resists ,,temptation ,seeing that she could not attain her object by entreaties or tears1 ,zuleika finally used force1 when she judged that the favorable chance had come4 ,she did not have long to wait4 ,when the ,nile overflowed its banks1 and1 according to the annual custom of the ,egyptians1 all repaired to the river1 men and women1 people and princes1 accompanied by music1 ,zuleika remained at home under pretense of being sick4 ,this was her long-looked-for opportunity1 she thought4 ,she rose up and ascended to the hall of state1 and arrayed herself in princely garments4 ,she placed precious stones upon her head1 onyx stones set in silver and gold1 she beautified her face and her body with all sorts of things for the purifying of women1 she perfumed the hall and the whole house with cassia and frankincense1 spread myrrh and aloes all over1 and afterward sat herself down at the entrance to the hall1 in the vestibule leading to the house1 through which ,joseph had to pass to his work4 ,and1 behold1 ,joseph came from the field1 and he was on the point of entering the house to do his master's work1 but when he reached the place where ,zuleika sat1 and saw all she had done1 he turned back4 ,his mistress1 perceiving it1 called out to him1 ,what aileth thee1 ,joseph8 ,go to thy work1 ,i will make room for thee1 that thou mayest pass by to thy seat4 ,joseph did as she bade him1 he entered the house1 took his seat1 and set about his master's work as usual4 ,then ,zuleika stood before him suddenly in all her beauty of person and magnificence of raiment1 and repeated the desire of her heart4#abj ,it was the first and the last time that ,joseph's steadfastness deserted him1 but only for an instant4 ,when he was on the point of complying with the wish of his mistress1 the image of his mother ,rachel appeared before him1 and that of his aunt ,leah1 and the image of his father ,jacob4 ,the last addressed him thus3 ,in time to come the names of thy brethren will be graven upon the breastplate of the high priest4 ,dost thou desire to have thy name appear with theirs8 ,or wilt thou forfeit this honor through sinful conduct8 ,for know1 he that keepeth company with harlots wasteth his substance4 ,this vision of the dead1 and especially the image of his father1 brought ,joseph to his senses1 and his illicit passion departed from him4#aba ,astonished at the swift change in his countenance1 ,zuleika said1 ,my friend and true-love1 why art thou so affrighted that thou art near to swooning8 ,joseph3 ,i see my father6 ,zuleika3 ,where is he8 ,why1 there is none in the house4 ,joseph3 ,thou belongest to a people that is like unto the ass1 it perceiveth nothing4 ,but ,i belong to those who can see things4 ,joseph fled forth1 away from the house of his mistress1#abb the same house in which aforetime wonders had been done for ,sarah kept a captive there by ,pharaoh4#abc ,but hardly was he outside when the sinful passion again overwhelmed him1 and he returned to ,zuleika's chamber4 ,then the ,lord appeared unto him1 holding the ,eben ,shetiyah#abd in ,his hand1 and said to him3 ,if thou touchest her1 ,i will cast away this stone upon which the earth is founded1 and the world will fall to ruin4 ,sobered again1 ,joseph started to escape from his mistress1#abe but ,zuleika caught him by his garment1 and she said3 ,as the king liveth1 if thou wilt not fulfil my wish1 thou must die1 and while she spoke thus1 she drew a sword with her free hand from under her dress1 and1 pressing it against ,joseph's throat1 she said1 ,do as ,i bid thee1 or thou diest4 ,joseph ran out1 leaving a piece of his garment in the hands of ,zuleika as he wrenched himself loose from the grasp of the woman with a quick1 energetic motion4#abf ,zuleika's passion for ,joseph was so violent that1 in lieu of its owner1 whom she could not succeed in subduing to her will1 she kissed and caressed the fragment of cloth left in her hand4#abg ,at the same time she was not slow to perceive the danger into which she had put herself1 for1 she feared1 ,joseph might possibly betray her conduct1 and she considered ways and means of obviating the consequences of her folly4#abh ,meanwhile her friends returned from the ,nile festival1 and they came to visit her and inquire after her health4 ,they found her looking wretchedly ill1 on account of the excitement she had passed through and the anxiety she was in4 ,she confessed to the women what had happened with ,joseph1 and they advised her to accuse him of immorality before her husband1 and then he would be thrown into prison4 ,zuleika accepted their advice1 and she begged her visitors to support her charges by also lodging complaints against ,joseph1 that he had been annoying them with improper proposals4#abi ,but ,zuleika did not depend entirely upon the assistance of her friends4 ,she planned a ruse1 besides1 to be sure of convincing her husband of ,joseph's guilt4 ,she laid aside her rich robes of state1 put on her ordinary clothes1 and took to her sick-bed1 in which she had been lying when the people left to go to the festival4 ,also she took ,joseph's torn garment1 and laid it out next to her4 ,then she sent a little boy to summon some of the men of her house1 and to them she told the tale of ,joseph's alleged outrage1 saying3 ,see the ,hebrew slave1 whom your master hath brought in unto my house1 and who attempted to do violence to me to-day6 ,you had scarcely gone away to the festival when be entered the house1 and making sure that no one was here he tried to force me to yield to his lustful desire4 ,but ,i grasped his clothes1 tore them1 and cried with a loud voice4 ,when he heard that ,i lifted up my voice and cried1 he was seized with fear1 and be fled1 and got him out1 but he left his garment by me4 ,the men of her house spake not a word1 but1 in a rage against ,joseph1 they went to their master1 and reported to him what had come to pass4#acj ,in the meantime the husbands of ,zuleika's friends had also spoken to ,potiphar1 at the instigation of their wives1 and complained of his slave1 that he molested them4#aca ,potiphar hastened home1 and he found his wife in low spirits1 and though the cause of her dejection was chagrin at not having succeeded in winning ,joseph's love1 she pretended that it was anger at the immoral conduct of the slave4 ,she accused him in the following words3 ,o husband1 mayest thou not live a day longer1 if thou dost not punish the wicked slave that hath desired to defile thy bed1 that hath not kept in mind who he was when he came to our house1 to demean himself with modesty1 nor hath he been mindful of the favors he hath received from thy bounty4 ,he did lay a privy design to abuse thy wife1 and this at the time of observing a festival1 when thou wouldst be absent4#acb ,these words she spoke at the moment of conjugal intimacy with ,potiphar1 when she was certain of exerting an influence upon her husband4#acc ,potiphar gave credence to her words1 and he had ,joseph flogged unmercifully4 ,while the cruel blows fell upon him1 he cried to ,god1 ,o ,lord1 ,thou knowest that ,i am innocent of these things1 and why should ,i die to-day on account of a false accusation by the hands of these uncircumcised1 impious men8 ,god opened the mouth of ,zuleika's child1 a babe of but eleven months1 and he spoke to the men that were beating ,joseph1 saying3 ,what is your quarrel with this man8 ,why do you inflict such evil upon him8 ,lies my mother doth speak1 and deceit is what her mouth uttereth4 ,this is the true tale of that which did happen1 and the child proceeded to tell all that had passed--how ,zuleika had tried first to persuade ,joseph to act wickedly1 and then had tried to force him to do her will4 ,the people listened in great amazement4 ,but the report finished1 the child spake no word1 as before4 ,abashed by the speech of his own infant son1 ,potiphar commanded his bailiffs to leave off from chastising ,joseph1 and the matter was brought into court1 where priests sat as judges4 ,joseph protested his innocence1 and related all that had happened according to the truth1 but ,potiphar repeated the account his wife had given him4 ,the judges ordered the garment of ,joseph to be brought which ,zuleika had in her possession1 and they examined the tear therein4 ,it turned out to be on the front part of the mantle1 and they came to the conclusion that ,zuleika had tried to hold him fast1 and had been foiled in her attempt by ,joseph1 against whom she was now lodging a trumped up charge4 ,they decided that ,joseph had not incurred the death penalty1 but they condemned him to incarceration1 because he was the cause of a stain upon ,zuleika's fair name4#acd ,potiphar himself was convinced of ,joseph's innocence1 and when he cast him into prison1 he said to him1 ,i know that thou art not guilty of so vile a crime1 but ,i must put thee in durance1 lest a taint cling to my children4#ace ,,joseph ,,in ,,prison ,by way of punishment for having traduced his ten brethren before his father1 ,joseph had to languish for ten years in the prison to which the wiles of traducers had in turn condemned him4#acf ,but1 on the other hand1 as he had sanctified the ,name of ,god before the world by his chastity and his steadfastness1 he was rewarded4 ,the letter ,he1 which occurs twice in the ,name of ,god1 was added to his name4 ,he had been called ,joseph1 but now he was called also ,jehoseph4#acg ,though he was bound in prison1 ,joseph was not yet safe from the machinations of his mistress1 whose passion for him was in no wise lessened4 ,in truth it was she that had induced her husband to change his intention regarding ,joseph2 she urged him to imprison the slave rather than kill him1 for she hoped that as a prisoner he could be made amenable to her wishes more easily4 ,she spake to her husband1 saying3 ,do not destroy thy property4 ,cast the slave in prison and keep him there until thou canst sell him1 and receive back the money thou didst pay out for him4#ach ,thus she had the opportunity of visiting ,joseph in his cell and trying to persuade him to do her will4 ,she would say1 ,this and that outrage have ,i executed against thee1 but1 as thou livest1 ,i will put yet other outrages upon thee if thou dost not obey me4 ,but ,joseph replied1 ,the ,lord executeth judgment for the oppressed4 ,zuleika3 ,i will push matters so far that all men will hate thee4 ,joseph3 ,the ,lord loveth the righteous4 ,zuleika3 ,i will sell thee into a strange land4 ,joseph3 ,the ,lord preserveth the strangers4#aci ,then she would resort to enticements in order to obtain her desire4 ,she would promise to release him from prison1 if he would but grant her wish4 ,but he would say1 ,better it is to remain here than be with thee and commit a trespass against ,god4 ,these visits to ,joseph in prison ,zuleika continued for a long time1 but when1 finally1 she saw that all her hopes were vain1 she let him alone4#adj ,as the mistress persisted in her love for ,joseph1 so his master1 her husband1 could not separate himself from his favorite slave4 ,though a prisoner1 ,joseph continued to minister to the needs of ,potiphar1 and he received permission from the keeper of the prison to spend some of his time in his master's house4#ada ,in many other ways the jailer showed himself kindly disposed toward ,joseph4 ,seeing the youth's zeal and conscientiousness in executing the tasks laid upon him1 and under the spell of his enchanting beauty1 he made prison life as easy as possible for his charge4 ,he even ordered better dishes for him than the common prison fare1 and he found it superfluous caution to keep watch over ,joseph1 for he could see no wrong in him1 and he observed that ,god was with him1 in good days and in bad4 ,he even appointed him to be the overseer of the prison1 and as ,joseph commanded1 so the other prisoners were obliged to do4#adb ,for a long time the people talked of nothing but the accusation raised against ,joseph by his mistress4 ,in order to divert the attention of the public from him1 ,god ordained that two high officers1 the chief butler and the chief baker1 should offend their lord1 the king of ,egypt1 and they were put in ward in the house of the captain of the guard4 ,now the people ceased their talk about ,joseph1 and spoke only of the scandal at court4 ,the charges laid at the door of the noble prisoners were that they had attempted to do violence to the daughter of ,pharaoh1 and they had conspired to poison the king himself4 ,besides1 they had shown themselves derelict in their service4 ,in the wine the chief butler had handed to the king to drink1 a fly had been discovered1 and the bread set upon the royal board by the chief baker contained a little pebble4#adc ,on account of all these transgressions they were condemned to death by ,pharaoh1 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 execution4 ,the ,lord had enkindled the wrath of the king against his servants only that the wish of ,joseph for liberty might be fulfilled1 for they were the instruments of his deliverance from prison1 and though they were doomed to death1 yet in consideration of the exalted office they had held at court1 the keeper of the prison accorded them privileges1 as1 for instance1 a man was detailed to wait upon them1 and the one appointed thereto was ,joseph4#add #a ,the chief butler and the chief baker had been confined in prison ten years1#ade when they dreamed a dream1 both of them1 but as for the interpretation1 each dreamed only that of the other one's dream4#adf ,in the morning when ,joseph brought them the water for washing1 he found them sad1 depressed in spirits1 and1 in the manner of the sages1 he asked them why they looked different on that day from other days4 ,they said unto him1 ,we have dreamed a dream this night1 and our two dreams resemble each other in certain particulars1 and there is none that can interpret them4 ,and ,joseph said unto them3 ,god granteth understanding to man to interpret dreams4 ,tell them me1 ,i pray you4#adg ,it was as a reward for ascribing greatness and credit to ,him unto whom it belongeth that ,joseph later attained to his lofty position4#adh ,the chief butler proceeded to tell his dream3 ,in my dream1 behold1 a vine was before me2 and in the vine were three branches2 and it was as though it budded1 and its blossoms shot forth1 and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes2 and ,pharaoh's cup was in my hand2 and ,i took the grapes1 and pressed them into ,pharaoh's cup1 and ,i gave the cup into ,pharaoh's hand4 ,the chief butler was not aware that his dream contained a prophecy regarding the future of ,israel1 but ,joseph discerned the recondite meaning1#adi and he interpreted the dream thus3 ,the three branches are the three ,fathers1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 whose descendants in ,egypt will be redeemed by three leaders1 ,moses1 ,aaron1 and ,miriam2 and the cup given into the hand of ,pharaoh is the cup of wrath that he will have to drain in the end4 ,this interpretation of the dream ,joseph kept for himself1 and he told the chief butler nothing thereof1 but out of gratitude for the glad tidings of the deliverance of ,israel from the bondage of ,egypt1 he gave him a favorable interpretation of his dream1 and begged him to have him in his remembrance1 when it should be well with him1 and liberate him from the dungeon in which he was confined4 ,when the chief baker heard the interpretation of the butler's dream1 he knew that ,joseph had divined its meaning correctly1 for in his own he had seen the interpretation of his friend's dream1 and he proceeded to tell ,joseph what he had dreamed in the night3 ,i also was in my dream1 and1 behold1 three baskets of white bread were on my head2 and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bake- meats for ,pharaoh2 and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head4 ,also this dream conveyed a prophecy regarding the future of ,israel3 ,the three baskets are the three kingdoms to which ,israel will be made subject1 ,babylon1 ,media1 and ,greece2 and the uppermost basket indicates the wicked rule of ,rome1 which will extend over all the nations of the world1 until the bird shall come1 who is the ,messiah1 and annihilate ,rome4 ,again ,joseph kept the prophecy a secret4 ,to the chief baker he gave only the interpretation that had reference to his person1 but it was unfavorable to him1 because through his dream ,joseph had been made acquainted with the suffering ,israel would have to undergo4 ,and all came to pass1 as ,joseph had said1 on the third day4#aej ,the day whereon he explained the meaning of their dreams to the two distinguished prisoners1 a son was born unto ,pharaoh and to celebrate the joyous event1 the king arranged a feast for his princes and servants that was to last eight days4 ,he invited them and all the people to his table1 and he entertained them with royal splendor4 ,the feast had its beginning on the third day after the birth of the child1 and on that occasion the chief butler was restored in honor to his butlership1 and the chief baker was hanged1#aea for ,pharaoh's counsellors had discovered that it was not the butler's fault that the fly had dropped into the king's wine1 but the baker had been guilty of carelessness in allowing the pebble to get into the bread4#aeb ,likewise it appeared that the butler had had no part in the conspiracy to poison the king1 while the baker was revealed as one of the plotters1 and he had to expiate his crime with his life4#aec ,,pharaoh',s ,,dreams ,properly speaking1 ,joseph should have gone out free from his dungeon on the same day as the butler4 ,he had been there ten years by that time1 and had made amends for the slander he had uttered against his ten brethren4 ,however1 he remained in prison two years longer4 ,blessed is the man that trusteth in the ,lord1 and whose hope is the ,lord1 but ,joseph had put his confidence in flesh and blood4 ,he had prayed the chief butler to have him in remembrance when it should be well with him1 and make mention of him unto ,pharaoh1 and the butler forgot his promise1 and therefore ,joseph had to stay in prison two years more than the years originally allotted to him there4#aed ,the butler had not forgotten him intentionally1 but it was ordained of ,god that his memory should fail him4 ,when he would say to himself1 ,if thus and so happens1 ,i will remember the case of ,joseph1 the conditions he had imagined were sure to be reversed1 or if he made a knot as a reminder1 an angel came and undid the knot1 and ,joseph did not enter his mind4#aee ,but the ,lord setteth an end to darkness1 and ,joseph's liberation was not delayed by a single moment beyond the time decreed for it4 ,god said1 ,thou1 ,o butler1 thou didst forget ,joseph1 but ,i did not1 and ,he caused ,pharaoh to dream a dream that was the occasion for ,joseph's release4#aef ,in his dream ,pharaoh saw seven kine1 well-favored and fat-fleshed1 come up out of the ,nile1 and they all together grazed peaceably on the brink of the river1 ,in years when the harvest is abundant1 friendship reigns among men1 and love and brotherly harmony1 and these seven fat kine stood for seven such prosperous years4 ,after the fat kine1 seven more came up out of the river1 ill-favored and lean- fleshed1 and each had her back turned to the others1 for when distress prevails1 one man turns away from the other4 ,for a brief space ,pharaoh awoke1 and when he went to sleep again1 he dreamed a second dream1 about seven rank and good ears of corn1 and seven ears that were thin and blasted with the east wind1#aeg the withered cars swallowing the full ears4 ,he awoke at once1 and it was morning1 and dreams dreamed in the morning are the ones that come true4#aeh ,this was not the first time ,pharaoh had had these dreams4 ,they had visited him every night during a period of two years1 and he had forgotten them invariably in the morning4 ,this was the first time he remembered them1 for the day had arrived for ,joseph to come forth from his prison house4#aei ,pharaoh's heart beat violently when he called his dreams to mind on awaking4#afj ,especially the second one1 about the ears of corn1 disquieted him4 ,he reflected that whatever has a mouth can eat1 and therefore the dream of the seven lean kine that ate up the seven fat kine did not appear strange to him4 ,but the ears of corn that swallowed up other ears of corn troubled his spirit4#afa ,he therefore called for all the wise men of his land1 and they endeavored in vain to find a satisfactory interpretation4 ,they explained that the seven fat kine meant seven daughters to be born unto ,pharaoh1 and the seven lean kine1 that he would bury seven daughters2 the rank ears of corn meant that ,pharaoh would conquer seven countries1 and the blasted ears1 that seven provinces would rebel against him4#afb ,about the ears of corn they did not all agree4 ,some thought the good ears stood for seven cities to be built by ,pharaoh1 and the seven withered ears indicated that these same cities would be destroyed at the end of his reign4 ,sagacious as he was1 ,pharaoh knew that none of these explanations hit the nail on the head4 ,he issued a decree summoning all interpreters of dreams to appear before him on pain of death1 and he held out great rewards and distinctions to the one who should succeed in finding the true meaning of his dreams4 ,in obedience to his summons1 all the wise men appeared1 the magicians and the sacred scribes that were in ,mizraim1 the city of ,egypt1 as well as those from ,goshen1 ,raamses1 ,zoan1 and the whole country of ,egypt1 and with them came the princes1 officers1 and servants of the king from all the cities of the land4 ,to all these the king narrated his dreams1 but none could interpret them to his satisfaction4 ,some said that the seven fat kine were the seven legitimate kings that would rule over ,egypt1 and the seven lean kine betokened seven princes that would rise up against these seven kings and exterminate them4 ,the seven good ears of corn were the seven superior princes of ,egypt that would engage in a war for their overlord1 and would be defeated by as many insignificant princes1 who were betokened by the seven blasted ears4 ,another interpretation was that the seven fat kine were the seven fortified cities of ,egypt1 at some future time to fall into the hands of seven ,canaanitish nations1 who were foreshadowed in the seven lean kine4 ,according to this interpretation1 the second dream supplemented the first4 ,it meant that the descendants of ,pharaoh would regain sovereign authority over ,egypt at a subsequent period1 and would subdue the seven ,canaanitish nations as well4 ,there was a third interpretation1 given by some3 ,the seven fat kine are seven women whom ,pharaoh would take to wife1 but they would die during his lifetime1 their loss being indicated by the seven lean kine4 ,furthermore1 ,pharaoh would have fourteen sons1 and the seven strong ones would be conquered by the seven weaklings1 as the blasted ears of corn in his dream had swallowed up the rank ears of corn4 ,and a fourth3 ,thou wilt have seven sons1 ,o ,pharaoh1 these are the seven fat kine4 ,these sons of thine will be killed by the seven powerful rebellious princes4 ,but then seven minor princes will come1 and they will kill the seven rebels1 avenge thy descendants1 and restore the dominion to thy family4 ,the king was as little pleased with these interpretations as with the others1 which he had heard before1 and in his wrath he ordered the wise men1 the magicians and the scribes of ,egypt1 to be killed1 and the hangmen made ready to execute the royal decree4 ,however1 ,mirod1 ,pharaoh's chief butler1#afc took fright1 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 ghost4 ,he was alarmed about the king's death1 for it was doubtful whether the successor to the throne would retain him in office4 ,he resolved to do all in his power to keep ,pharaoh alive4 ,therefore he stepped before him1 and spake1 saying1 ,i do remember two faults of mine this day1 ,i showed myself ungrateful to ,joseph1 in that ,i did not bring his request before thee1 and also ,i saw thee in distress by reason of thy dream1 without letting thee know that ,joseph can interpret dreams4#afd ,when it pleased the ,lord ,god to make ,pharaoh wroth with his servants1 the king put me in ward in the house of the captain of the guard1 me and the chief baker4#afe ,and with us there was a simple young man1 one of the despised race of the ,hebrews1 slave to the captain of the guard1 and he interpreted our dreams to us1 and it came to pass1 as he interpreted to us1 so it was4 ,therefore1 ,o king1 stay the hand of the hangmen1 let them not execute the ,egyptians4 ,the slave ,i speak of is still in the dungeon1 and if the king will consent to summon him hither1 he will surely interpret thy dreams4#aff ,,joseph ,,before ,,pharaoh ,accursed are the wicked that never do a wholly good deed4 ,the chief butler described ,joseph contemptuously as a slave in order that it might be impossible for him to occupy a distinguished place at court1 for it was a law upon the statute books of ,egypt that a slave could never sit upon the throne as king1 nor even put his foot in the stirrup of a horse4#afg ,pharaoh revoked the edict of death that he had issued against the wise men of ,egypt1 and he sent and called ,joseph4 ,he impressed care upon his messengers1 they were not to excite and confuse ,joseph1 and render him unfit to interpret the king's dream correctly4#afh ,they brought him hastily out of the dungeon1 but first ,joseph1 out of respect for the king1 shaved himself1 and put on fresh raiment1 which an angel brought him from ,paradise1 and then he came in unto ,pharaoh4#afi ,the king was sitting upon the royal throne1 arrayed in princely garments1 clad with a golden ephod upon his breast1 and the fine gold of the ephod sparkled1 and the carbuncle1 the ruby1 and the emerald flamed like a torch1 and all the precious stones set upon the king's head flashed like a blazing fire1 and ,joseph was greatly amazed at the appearance of the king4 ,the throne upon which he sat was covered with gold and silver and with onyx stones1 and it had seventy steps4 ,if a prince or other distinguished person came to have an audience with the king1 it was the custom for him to advance and mount to the thirty-first step of the throne1 and the king would descend thirty-six steps and speak to him4 ,but if one of the people came to have speech with the king1 he ascended only to the third step1 and the king would come down four steps from his seat1 and address him thence4 ,it was also the custom that one who knew all the seventy languages ascended the seventy steps of the throne to the top1 but if a man knew only some of the seventy languages1 he was permitted to ascend as many steps as he knew languages1 whether they were many or1 few4 ,and another custom of the ,egyptians was that none could reign over them unless he was master of all the seventy languages4 ,when ,joseph came before the king1 he bowed down to the ground1 and he ascended to the third step1 while the king sat upon the fourth from the top1 and spake with ,joseph1 saying3#agj ,o young man1 my servant beareth witness concerning thee1 that thou art the best and most discerning person ,i can consult with4 ,i pray thee1 vouchsafe unto me the same favors which thou didst bestow on this servant of mine1 and tell me what events they are which the visions of my dreams foreshow4 ,i desire thee to suppress naught out of fear1 nor shalt thou flatter me with lying words1 or with words that please me4 ,tell me the truth1 though it be sad and alarming4#aga ,joseph asked the king first whence he knew that the interpretation given by the wise men of his country was not true1 and ,pharaoh replied1 ,i saw the dream and its interpretation together1 and therefore they cannot make a fool of me4#agb ,in his modesty ,joseph denied that he was an adept at interpreting dreams4 ,he said1 ,it is not in me2 it is in the hand of ,god1 and if it be the wish of ,god1 ,he will permit me to announce tidings of peace to ,pharaoh4 ,and for such modesty he was rewarded by sovereignty over ,egypt1 for the ,lord doth honor them that honor ,him4 ,thus was also ,daniel rewarded for his speech to ,nebuchadnezzar3 ,there is a ,god in heaven that revealeth secrets1 but as for me1 this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that ,i have more than any living1 but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king1 and that thou mayest know the thoughts of thy heart4#agc ,then ,pharaoh began to tell his dream1 only he omitted some points and narrated others inaccurately in order that he might test the vaunted powers of ,joseph4 ,but the youth corrected him1 and pieced the dreams together exactly as they had visited ,pharaoh in the night1 and the king was greatly amazed4#agd ,joseph was able to accomplish this feat1 because he had dreamed the same dream as ,pharaoh1 at the same time as he4#age ,thereupon ,pharaoh retold his dreams1 with all details and circumstances1 and precisely as he had seen them in his sleep1 except that he left out the word ,nile in the description of the seven lean kine1 because this river was worshipped by the ,egyptians1 and he hesitated to say that aught that is evil had come from his god4#agf ,now ,joseph proceeded to give the king the true interpretation of the two dreams4 ,they were both a revelation concerning the seven good years impending and the seven years of famine to follow them4 ,in reality1 it had been the purpose of ,god to bring a famine of forty-two years' duration upon ,egypt1 but only two years of this distressful period were inflicted upon the land1 for the sake of the blessing of ,jacob when he came to ,egypt in the second year of the famine4 ,the other forty years fell upon the land at the time of the prophet ,ezekiel4#agg ,joseph did more than merely interpret the dreams4 ,when the king gave voice to doubts concerning the interpretation1 he told him signs and tokens4 ,he said3 ,let this be a sign to thee that my words are true1 and my advice is excellent3 ,thy wife1 who is sitting upon the birthstool at this moment1 will bring forth a son1 and thou wilt rejoice over him1 but in the midst of thy joy the sad tidings will be told thee of the death of thine older son1 who was born unto thee but two years ago1 and thou must needs find consolation for the loss of the one in the birth of the other4 ,scarcely had ,joseph withdrawn from the presence of the king1 when the report of the birth of a son was brought to ,pharaoh1 and soon after also the report of the death of his first-born1 who had suddenly dropped to the floor and passed away4 ,thereupon he sent for all the grandees of his realm1 and all his servants1 and he spake to them1 saying3 ,ye have heard the words of the ,hebrew1 and ye have seen that the signs which he foretold were accomplished1 and ,i also know that he hath interpreted the dream truly4 ,advise me now how the land may be saved from the ravages of the famine4 ,look hither and thither whether you can find a man of wisdom and understanding1 whom ,i may set over the land1 for ,i am convinced that the land can be saved only if we heed the counsel of the ,hebrew4 ,the grandees and the princes admitted that safety could be secured only by adhering to the advice given by ,joseph1 and they proposed that the king1 in his sagacity1 choose a man whom he considered equal to the great task4#agh ,thereupon ,pharaoh said3 ,if we traversed and searched the earth from end to end1 we could find none such as ,joseph1 a man in whom is the spirit of ,god4#agi ,if ye think well thereof1 ,i will set him over the land which he hath saved by his wisdom4#ahj ,the astrologers1 who were his counsellors1 demurred1 saying1 ,a slave1 one whom his present owner hath acquired for twenty pieces of silver1 thou proposest to set over us as master8 ,but ,pharaoh maintained that ,joseph was not only a free-born man beyond the peradventure of a doubt1 but also the scion of a noble family4#aha ,however1 the princes of ,pharaoh were not silenced1 they continued to give utterance to their opposition to ,joseph1 saying3 ,dost thou not remember the immutable law of the ,egyptians1 that none may serve as king or as viceroy unless he speaks all the languages of men8 ,and this ,hebrew knows none but his own tongue1 and how were it possible that a man should rule over us who cannot even speak the language of our land8 ,send and have him fetched hither1 and examine him in respect to all the things a ruler should know and have1 and then decide as seemeth wise in thy sight4 ,pharaoh yielded1 he promised to do as they wished1 and he appointed the following day as the time for examining ,joseph1 who had returned to his prison in the meantime1 for1 on account of his wife1 his master feared to have him stay in his house4 ,during the night ,gabriel appeared unto ,joseph1 and taught him all the seventy languages1 and he acquired them quickly after the angel had changed his name from ,joseph to ,jehoseph4 ,the next morning1 when he came into the presence of ,pharaoh and the nobles of the kingdom1 inasmuch as he knew every one of the seventy languages1 he mounted all the steps of the royal throne1 until he reached the seventieth1 the highest1 upon which sat the king1 and ,pharaoh and his princes rejoiced that ,joseph fulfilled all the requirements needed by one that was to rule over ,egypt4 ,the king said to ,joseph3 ,thou didst give me the counsel to look out a man discreet and wise1 and set him over the land of ,egypt1 that he may in his wisdom save the land from the famine4 ,as ,god hath showed thee all this1 and as thou art master of all the languages of the world1 there is none so discreet and wise as thou4 ,thou shalt therefore be the second in the land after ,pharaoh1 and according unto thy word shall all my people go in and go out2 my princes and my servants shall receive their monthly appanage from thee2 before thee the people shall prostrate themselves1 only in the throne will ,i be greater than thou4#ahb ,,the ,,ruler ,,of ,,egypt ,now ,joseph reaped the harvest of his virtues1 and according to the measure of his merits ,god granted him reward4 ,the mouth that refused the kiss of unlawful passion and sin received the kiss of homage from the people2 the neck that did not bow itself unto sin was adorned with the gold chain that ,pharaoh put upon it2 the hands that did not touch sin wore the signet ring that ,pharaoh took from his own hand and put upon ,joseph's2 the body that did not come in contact with sin was arrayed in vestures of byssus2 the feet that made no steps in the direction of sin reposed in the royal chariot1 and the thoughts that kept themselves undefiled by sin were proclaimed as wisdom4#ahc ,joseph was installed in his high position1 and invested with the insignia of his office1 with solemn ceremony4 ,the king took off his signet ring from his hand1 and put it upon ,joseph's hand1 and arrayed him in princely apparel1 and set a gold crown upon his head1 and laid a gold chain about his neck4 ,then he commanded his servants to make ,joseph to ride in his second chariot1 which went by the side of the chariot wherein sat the king1 and he also made him to ride upon a great and strong horse of the king's horses1 and his servants conducted him through the streets of the city of ,egypt4 ,musicians1 no less than a thousand striking cymbals and a thousand blowing flutes1 and five thousand men with drawn swords gleaming in the air formed the vanguard4 ,twenty thousand of the king's grandees girt with gold-embroidered leather belts marched at the right of ,joseph1 and as many at the left of him4#ahd ,the women and the maidens of the nobility looked out of the windows to gaze upon ,joseph's beauty1 and they poured down chains upon him1 and rings and jewels1 that he might but direct his eyes toward them4 ,yet he did not look up1 and as a reward ,god made him proof against the evil eye1 nor has it ever had the power of inflicting harm upon any of his descendants4#ahe ,servants of the king1 preceding him and following him1 burnt incense upon his path1 and cassia1 and all manner of sweet spices1 and strewed myrrh and aloes wherever he went4 ,twenty heralds walked before him1 and they proclaimed3 ,this is the man whom the king bath chosen to be the second after him4 ,all the affairs of state will be administered by him1 and whoever resisteth his commands1 or refuseth to bow down to the ground before him1 he will die the death of the rebel against the king and the king's deputy4 ,without delay the people prostrated themselves1 and they cried1 ,long live the king1 and long live the deputy of the king6 ,and ,joseph1 looking down from his horse upon the people and their exultation1 exclaimed1 his eyes directed heavenward3 ,the ,lord raiseth up the poor out of the dust1 and lifteth up the needy from the dunghill4 ,o ,lord of hosts1 blessed is the man that trusteth in ,thee4 ,after ,joseph1 accompanied by ,pharaoh's officers and princes1 had journeyed through the whole city of ,egypt1 and viewed all there was therein1 he returned to the king on the selfsame day1 and the king gave him fields and vineyards as a present1 and also three thousand talents of silver1 and a thousand talents of gold1 and onyx stones and bdellium1 and many other costly things4 ,the king commanded1 moreover1 that every ,egyptian give ,joseph a gift1 else he would be put to death4 ,a platform was erected in the open street1 and there all deposited their presents1 and among the things were many of gold and silver1 as well as precious stones1 carried thither by the people and also the grandees1 for they saw that ,joseph enjoyed the favor of the king4 ,furthermore1 ,joseph received one hundred slaves from ,pharaoh1 and they were to do all his bidding1 and he himself acquired many more1 for he resided in a spacious palace4 ,three years it took to build it4 ,special magnificence was lavished upon the hall of state1 which was his audience chamber1 and upon the throne fashioned of gold and silver and inlaid with precious stones1 whereon there was a representation of the whole land of ,egypt and of the river ,nile4 ,and as ,joseph multiplied in riches1 so he increased also in wisdom1 for ,god added to his wisdom that all might love and honor him4#ahf ,pharaoh called him ,zaphenath-paneah1 he who can reveal secret things with ease1 and rejoiceth the heart of man therewith4 ,each letter of the name ,zaphenath-paneah has a meaning1 too4 ,the first1 ,zadde1 stands for ,zofeh1 seer2 ,pe for ,podeh1 redeemer2 ,nun for ,nabi1 prophet2 ,taw for ,tomek1 supporter2 ,pe for ,poter1 interpreter of dreams2 ,ain for ,arum1 clever2 ,nun for ,nabon1 discreet2 and ,het for ,hakam1 wise4#ahg ,the name of ,joseph's wife pointed to her history in the same way4 ,asenath was the daughter of ,dinah and ,hamor1 but she was abandoned at the borders of ,egypt1 only1 that people might know who she was1 ,jacob engraved the story of her parentage and her birth upon a gold plate fastened around her neck4 ,the day on which ,asenath was exposed1 ,potiphar went walking with his servants near the city wall1 and they heard the voice of a child4 ,at the captain's bidding they brought the baby to him1 and when he read her history from the gold plate1 he determined to adopt her4 ,he took her home with him1 and raised her as his daughter4 ,the ,alef in ,asenath stands for ,on1 where ,potiphar was priest2 the ,samek for ,setirah1 ,hidden1 for she was kept concealed on account of her extraordinary beauty2 the ,nun for ,nohemet1 for she wept and entreated that she might be delivered from the house of the heathen ,potiphar2 and the ,taw for ,tammah1 the perfect one1 on account of her pious1 perfect deeds4#ahh ,asenath had saved ,joseph's life while she was still an infant in arms4 ,when ,joseph was accused of immoral conduct by ,potiphar's wife and the other women1 and his master was on the point of having him hanged1 ,asenath approached her foster-father1 and she assured him under oath that the charge against ,joseph was false4 ,then spake ,god1 ,as thou livest1 because thou didst try to defend ,joseph1 thou shalt be the woman to bear the tribes that he is appointed to beget4#ahi ,asenath bore him two sons1 ,manasseh and ,ephraim1 during the seven years of plenty1 for in the time of famine ,joseph refrained from all indulgence in the pleasures of life4#aij ,they were bred in chastity and fear of ,god by their father1 and they were wise1 and well-instructed in all knowledge and in the affairs of state1 so that they became the favorites of the court1 and were educated with the royal princes4 ,before the famine broke over the land1 ,joseph found an opportunity of rendering the king a great service4 ,he equipped an army of four thousand six hundred men1 providing all the soldiers with shields and spears and bucklers and helmets and slings4 ,with this army1 and aided by the servants and officers of the king1 and by the people of ,egypt1 he carried on a war with ,tarshish in the first year after his appointment as viceroy4 ,the people of ,tarshish had invaded the territory of the ,ishmaelites1 and the latter1 few in number at that time1 were sore pressed1 and applied to the king of ,egypt for help against their enemies4 ,at the head of his host of heroes1 ,joseph marched to the land of ,havilah1 where he was joined by the ,ishmaelites1 and with united forces they fought against the people of ,tarshish1 routed them utterly1 settled their land with the ,ishmaelites1 while the defeated men took refuge with their brethren in ,javan4 ,joseph and his army returned to ,egypt1 and not a man had they lost4 ,in a little while ,joseph's prophecy was confirmed3 that year and the six following years were years of plenty1 as he had foretold4#aia ,the harvest was so ample that a single ear produced two heaps of grain1#aib and ,joseph made circumspect arrangements to provide abundantly for the years of famine4 ,he gathered up all the grain1 and in the city situated in the middle of each district he laid up the produce from round about1 and had ashes and earth strewn on the garnered food from the very soil on which it had been grown2#aic also he preserved the grain in the ear2 all these being precautions taken to guard against rot and mildew4 ,the inhabitants of ,egypt also tried1 on their own account1 to put aside a portion of the superabundant harvest of the seven fruitful years against the need of the future1 but when the grievous time of dearth came1 and they went to their storehouses to bring forth the treasured grain1 behold1 it had rotted1 and become unfit for food4#aid ,the famine broke in upon the people with such suddenness that the bread gave out unexpectedly as they sat at their tables1 they had not even a bite of bran bread4 ,thus they were driven to apply to ,joseph and beseech his help1 and he admonished them1 saying1 ,give up your allegiance to your deceitful idols1 and say1 ,blessed is ,he who giveth bread unto all flesh4 ,but they refused to deny their lying gods1 and they betook themselves to ,pharaoh1 only to be told by him1 ,go unto ,joseph2 what he saith to you1 do6 ,for this ,pharaoh was rewarded4 ,god granted him long life and a long reign1 until he became arrogant1 and well-merited punishment overtook him4#aie ,when the ,egyptians approached ,joseph with the petition for bread1 he spoke1 saying1 ,i give no food to the uncircumcised4 ,go hence1 and circumcise yourselves1 and then return hither4 ,they entered the presence of ,pharaoh1 and complained to him regarding ,joseph1 but he said as before1 ,go unto ,joseph6 ,and they replied1 ,we come from ,joseph1 and he hath spoken roughly unto us1 saying1 ,go hence and circumcise yourselves6 ,we warned thee in the beginning that he is a ,hebrew1 and would treat us in such wise4 ,pharaoh said to them3 ,o ye fools1 did he not prophesy through the holy spirit and proclaim to the whole world1 that there would come seven years of plenty to be followed by seven years of dearth8 ,why did you not save the yield of one or two years against the day of your need8 ,weeping1 they made reply3 ,the grain that we put aside during the good years hath rotted4 ,pharaoh3 ,have ye nothing over of the flour of yesterday8 ,the ,egyptians3 ,the very bread in the basket rotted6 ,pharaoh3 ,why8 ,the ,egyptians3 ,because ,joseph willed thus6 ,pharaoh3 ,o ye fools1 if his word hath power over the grain1 making it to rot when he desireth it to rot1 then also must we die1 if so be his wish concerning us4 ,go1 therefore1 unto him1 and do as he bids you4#aif ,,joseph',s ,,brethren ,,in ,,egypt ,the famine1 which inflicted hardships first upon the wealthy among the ,egyptians1 gradually extended its ravages as far as ,phoenicia1 ,arabia1 and ,palestine4#aig ,though the sons of ,jacob1 being young men1 frequented the streets and the highways1 yet they were ignorant of what their old home-keeping father ,jacob knew1 that corn could be procured in ,egypt4 ,jacob even suspected that ,joseph was in ,egypt4 ,his prophetic spirit1 which forsook him during the time of his grief for his son1 yet manifested itself now and again in dim visions1 and he was resolved to send his sons down into ,egypt4#aih ,there was another reason4 ,though he was not yet in want1 he nevertheless had them go thither for food1 because he was averse from arousing the envy of the sons of ,esau and ,ishmael by his comfortable state4#aii ,for the same reason1 to avoid friction with the surrounding peoples1 he bade his sons not appear in public with bread in their hands1 or in the accoutrements of war4#bjj ,and as he knew that they were likely to attract attention1 on account of their heroic stature and handsome appearance1 he cautioned them against going to the city all together through the same gate1 or1 indeed1 showing themselves all together anywhere in public1 that the evil eye be not cast upon them4#bja ,the famine in ,canaan inspired ,joseph with the hope of seeing his brethren4 ,to make sure of their coming1 he issued a decree concerning the purchase of corn in ,egypt1 as follows3 ,by order of the king and his deputy1 and the princes of the realm1 be it enacted that he who desireth to buy grain in ,egypt may not send his slave hither to do his bidding1 but he must charge his own sons therewith4 ,an ,egyptian or a ,canaanite that hath bought grain and then selleth it again shall be put to death1 for none may buy more than he requireth for the needs of his household4 ,also1 who cometh with two or three beasts of burden1 and loads them up with grain1 shall be put to death4 ,at the gates of the city of ,egypt1 ,joseph stationed guards1 whose office was to inquire and take down the name of all that should come to buy corn1 and also the name of their father and their grandfather1 and every evening the list of names thus made was handed to ,joseph4 ,these precautions were bound to bring ,joseph's brethren down to ,egypt1 and also acquaint him with their coming as soon as they entered the land4 ,on their journey his brethren thought more of ,joseph than of their errand4 ,they said to one another3 ,we know that ,joseph was carried down into ,egypt1 and we will make search for him there1 and if we should find him1 we will ransom him from his master1 and if his master should refuse to sell him1 we will use force1 though we perish ourselves4#bjb ,at the gates of the city of ,egypt1 the brethren of ,joseph were asked what their names were1 and the names of their father and grandfather4 ,the guard on duty happened to be ,manasseh1 the son of ,joseph4 ,the brethren submitted to being questioned1 saying ,let us go into the town1 and we shall see whether this taking down of our names be a matter of taxes4 ,if it be so1 we shall not demur2 but if it be something else1 we shall see to-morrow what can be done in the case4#bjc ,on the evening of the day they entered ,egypt1 ,joseph discovered their names in the list1 which he was in the habit of examining daily1 and he commanded that all stations for the sale of corn be closed1 except one only4 ,furthermore1 even at this station no sales were to be negotiated unless the name of the would-be purchaser was first obtained4 ,his brethren1 with whose names ,joseph furnished the overseer of the place1 were to be seized and brought to him as soon as they put in appearance4 ,but the first thought of the brethren was for ,joseph1 and their first concern1 to seek him4 ,for three days they made search for him everywhere1 even in the most disreputable quarters of the city4 ,meantime ,joseph was in communication with the overseer of the station kept open for the sale of corn1 and1 hearing that his brethren had not appeared there1 he dispatched some of his servants to look for them1 but they found them neither in ,mizraim1 the city of ,egypt1 nor in ,goshen1 nor in ,raamses4 ,thereupon he sent sixteen servants forth to make a house to house search for them in the city1 and they discovered the brethren of ,joseph in a place of ill-fame and haled them before their master4 ,,joseph ,,meets ,,his ,,brethren ,a large crown of gold on his head1 apparelled in byssus and purple1 and surrounded by his valiant men1 ,joseph was seated upon his throne in his palace4 ,his brethren fell down before him in great admiration of his beauty1 his stately appearance1 and his majesty4#bjd ,they did not know him1 for when ,joseph was sold into slavery1 he was a beardless youth4 ,but he knew his brethren1 their appearance had not changed in aught1 for they were bearded men when he was separated from them4#bje ,he was inclined to make himself known to them as their brother1 but an angel appeared unto him1 the same that had brought him from ,shechem to his brethren at ,dothan1 and spoke1 saying1 ,these came hither with intent to kill thee4 ,later1 when the brethren returned home1 and gave an account of their adventures to ,jacob1 they told him that a man had accused them falsely before the ruler of ,egypt1 not knowing that he who incited ,joseph against them was an angel4 ,it was in reference to this matter1 and meaning their accuser1 that ,jacob1 when he dispatched his sons on their second expedition to ,egypt1 prayed to ,god1 ,god ,almighty give you mercy before the man4#bjf ,joseph made himself strange unto his brethren1 and he took his cup in his hand1 knocked against it1 and said1 ,by this magic cup ,i know that ye are spies4 ,they replied1 ,thy servants came from ,canaan into ,egypt for to buy corn4 ,joseph3 ,if it be true that ye came hither to buy corn1 why is it that each one of you entered the city by a separate gate8#bjg ,the brethren3 ,we are ,,all the sons of one man in the land of ,canaan1 and he bade us not enter a city together by the same gate1 that we attract not the attention of the people of the place4 ,unconsciously they had spoken as seers1 for the word ,,all included ,joseph as one of their number4#bjh ,joseph3 ,verily1 ye are spies6 ,all the people that come to buy corn return home without delay1 but ye have lingered here three days1 without making any purchases1 and all the time you have been gadding about in the disreputable parts of the city1 and only spies are wont to do thus4 ,the brethren3 ,we thy servants are twelve brethren1 the sons of ,jacob1 the son of ,isaac1 the son of the ,hebrew ,abraham4 ,the youngest is this day with our father in ,canaan1 and one hath disappeared4 ,him did we look for in this land1 and we looked for him even in the disreputable houses4 ,joseph3 ,have ye made search in every other place on earth1 and was ,egypt the only land left8 ,and if it be true that he is in ,egypt1 what should a brother of yours be doing in a house of ill-fame1 if1 indeed1 ye are the descendants of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob8 ,the brethren3 ,we did hear that some ,ishmaelites stole our brother1 and sold him into slavery in ,egypt1 and as our brother was exceeding fair in form and face1 we thought he might have been sold for illicit uses1 and therefore we searched even the disreputable houses to find him4 ,joseph3 ,you speak deceitful words1 when you call yourselves sons of ,abraham4 ,by the life of ,pharaoh1 ye are spies1 and you did go from one disreputable house to another that none might discover you4#bji ,the expression by the life of ,pharaoh might have betrayed ,joseph's real feeling to his brethren1 had they but known his habit of taking this oath only when he meant to avoid keeping his word later4#baj ,joseph continued to speak to his brethren3 ,let us suppose you should discover your brother serving as a slave1 and his master should demand a high sum for his ransom1 would you pay it8 ,the brethren3 ,yes6 ,joseph3 ,but suppose his master should refuse to surrender him for any price in the world1 what would you do8 ,the brethren3 ,if he yields not our brother to us1 we will kill the master1 and carry off our brother4 ,joseph3 ,now see how true my words were1 that ye are spies4 ,by your own admission ye have come to slay the inhabitants of the land4 ,report hath told us that two of you did massacre the people of ,shechem on account of the wrong done to your sister1 and now have ye come down into ,egypt to kill the ,egyptians for the sake of your brother4 ,i shall be convinced of your innocence only if you consent to send one of your number home and fetch your youngest brother hither4 ,his brethren refused compliance1 and ,joseph caused them to be put into prison by seventy of his valiant men1 and there they remained for three days4#baa ,god never allows the pious to languish in distress longer than three days1 and so it was a ,divine dispensation that the brethren of ,joseph were released on the third day1#bab and were permitted by ,joseph to return home1 on condition1 however1 that one of them remain behind as hostage4 ,the difference between ,joseph and his brethren can be seen here4 ,though he retained one of them to be bound in the prison house1 he still said1 ,i fear ,god1 and dismissed the others1 but when he was in their power1 they gave no thought to ,god4#bac ,at this time1 to be sure1 their conduct was such as is becoming to the pious1 who accept their fate with calm resignation1 and acknowledge the righteousness of ,god1 for ,he metes out reward and punishment measure for measure4 ,they recognized that their present punishment was in return for the heartless treatment they had dealt out to ,joseph1 paying no heed to his distress1 though he fell at the feet of each of them1 weeping1 and entreating them not to sell him into slavery4 ,reuben reminded the others that they had two wrongs to expiate1 the wrong against their brother and the wrong against their father1 who was so grieved that he exclaimed1 ,i will go down to the grave to my son mourning4 ,the brethren of ,joseph knew not that the viceroy of ,egypt understood ,hebrew1 and could follow their words1 for ,manasseh stood and was an interpreter between them and him4#bad ,joseph decided to keep ,simon as hostage in ,egypt1 for he had been one of the two--,levi was the other--to advise that ,joseph be put to death1 and only the intercession of ,reuben and ,judah had saved him4 ,he did not detain ,levi1 too1 for he feared1 if both remained behind together1 ,egypt might suffer the same fate at their hands as the city of ,shechem4#bae ,also1 he preferred ,simon to ,levi1 because ,simon was not a favorite among the sons of ,jacob1 and they would not resist his detention in ,egypt too violently1 while they might annihilate ,egypt1 as aforetime ,shechem1 if they were deprived of ,levi1 their wise man and high priest4#baf ,besides1 it was ,simon that had lowered ,joseph into the pit1 wherefore he had a particular grudge against him4#bag ,when the brethren yielded to ,joseph's demand1 and consented to leave their brother behind as hostage1 ,simon said to them1 ,ye desire to do with me as ye did with ,joseph6 ,but they replied1 in despair3 ,what can we do8 ,our households will perish of hunger4 ,simon made answer1 ,do as ye will1 but as for me1 let me see the man that will venture to cast me into prison4 ,joseph sent word to ,pharaoh to let him have seventy of his valiant men1 to aid him in arresting robbers4 ,but when the seventy appeared upon the scene1 and were about to lay hands on ,simon1 he uttered a loud cry1 and his assailants fell to the floor and knocked out their teeth4#bah ,pharaoh's valiant men1 as well as all the people that stood about ,joseph1 fled affrighted1 only ,joseph and his son ,manasseh remained calm and unmoved4 ,manasseh rose up1 dealt ,simon a blow on the back of his neck1 put manacles upon his hands and fetters upon his feet1 and cast him into prison4 ,joseph's brethren were greatly amazed at the heroic strength of the youth1 and ,simon said1 ,this blow was not dealt by an ,egyptian1 but by one belonging to our house4#bai ,he was bound and taken to prison before the eyes of the other brethren of ,joseph1 but as soon as they were out of sight1 ,joseph ordered good fare to be set before him1 and he treated him with great kindness4#bbj ,joseph permitted his nine other brethren to depart1 carrying corn with them in abundance1 but he impressed upon them that they must surely return and bring their youngest brother with them4 ,on the way1 ,levi1 who felt lonely without his constant companion ,simon1 opened his sack1 and he espied the money he had paid for the corn4 ,they all trembled1 and their hearts failed them1 and they said1 ,where1 then1 is the lovingkindness of ,god toward our fathers ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 seeing that ,he hath delivered us into the hands of the ,egyptian king1 that he may raise false accusations against us8 ,and ,judah said1 ,verily1 we are guilty concerning our brother1 we have sinned against ,god1 in that we sold our brother1 our own flesh1 and why do ye ask1 ,where1 then1 is the lovingkindness of ,god toward our fathers8 ,reuben spoke in the same way3 ,spake ,i not unto you1 saying1 ,do not sin against the child1 and ye would not hear8 ,and now the ,lord doth demand him of us4 ,how can you say1 ,where1 then1 is the lovingkindness of ,god toward our fathers1 though you have sinned against ,him8 ,they proceeded on their journey home1 and their father met them on the way4 ,jacob was astonished not to see ,simon with them1 and in reply to his questions1 they told him all that had befallen them in ,egypt4 ,then ,jacob cried out3 ,what have ye done8 ,i sent ,joseph to you to see whether it be well with you1 and ye said1 ,an evil beast hath devoured him4 ,simon went forth with you for to buy corn1 and you say1 ,the king of ,egypt hath cast him into prison4 ,and now ye will take ,benjamin away and kill him1 too4 ,ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave4#bba ,the words of ,jacob1 which he uttered1 ,me have ye bereaved of my children1 were meant to intimate to his sons that he suspected them of the death of ,joseph and of ,simon's disappearance as well1 and their reports concerning both he regarded as inventions4#bbb ,what made him inconsolable was that now1 having lost two of his sons1 he could not hope to see the ,divine promise fulfilled1 that he should be the ancestor of twelve tribes4#bbc ,he was quite resolved in his mind1 therefore1 not to let ,benjamin go away with his brethren under any condition whatsoever1 and he vouchsafed ,reuben no reply when he said1 ,slay my two sons1 if ,i bring him not to thee4 ,he considered it beneath his dignity to give an answer to such balderdash4#bbd ,my first-born son1 he said to himself1 is a fool4 ,what will it profit me1 if ,i slay his two sons8 ,does he not know that his sons are equally mine8#bbe ,judah advised his brethren to desist from urging their father then2 he would consent1 he thought1 to whatever expedients were found necessary1 as soon as their bread gave out1 and a second journey to ,egypt became imperative4#bbf ,,the ,,second ,,journey ,,to ,,egypt ,when the supplies bought in ,egypt were eaten up1 and the family of ,jacob began to suffer with hunger1 the little children came to him1 and they said1 ,give us bread1 that we die not of hunger before thee4 ,the words of the little ones brought scorching tears to the eyes of ,jacob1 and he summoned his sons and bade them go again down into ,egypt and buy food4#bbg ,but ,judah spake unto him1 ,the man did solemnly protest unto us1 saying that we should not see his face1 except our brother ,benjamin be with us1 and we cannot appear before him with idle pretexts4 ,and ,jacob said1 ,wherefore dealt ye so ill with me as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother8 ,it was the first and only time ,jacob indulged in empty talk1 and ,god said1 ,i made it ,my business to raise his son to the position of ruler of ,egypt1 and he complains1 and says1 ,wherefore dealt ye so ill with-me8 ,and ,judah protested against the reproach1 that he had initiated the ,egyptian viceroy in their family relations1 with the words3 ,why1 he knew the very wood of which our baby coaches are made6#bbh ,father1 he continued1 if ,benjamin goes with us1 he may1 indeed1 be taken from us1 but also he may not4 ,this is a doubtful matter1 but it is certain that if he does not go with us1 we shall all die of hunger4 ,it is better not to concern thyself about what is doubtful1 and guide thy actions by what is certain4#bbi ,the king of ,egypt is a strong and mighty king1 and if we go to him without our brother1 we shall all be put to death4 ,dost thou not know1 and hast thou not heard1 that this king is very powerful and wise1 and there is none like unto him in all the earth8 ,we have seen all the kings of the earth1 but none like unto the king of ,egypt4 ,one would surely say that among all the kings of the earth there is none greater than ,abimelech king of the ,philistines1 yet the king of ,egypt is greater and mightier than he1 and ,abimelech can hardly be compared with one of his officers4 ,father1 thou hast not seen his palace and his throne1 and all his servants standing before him4 ,thou hast not seen that king upon his throne1 in all his magnificence and with his royal insignia1 arrayed in his royal robes1 with a large golden crown upon his head4 ,thou hast not seen the honor and the glory that ,god hath given unto him1 for there is none like unto him in all the earth4 ,father1 thou hast not seen the wisdom1 the understanding1 and the knowledge that ,god has given in his heart4 ,we heard his sweet voice when he spake unto us4 ,we know not1 father1 who acquainted him with our names1 and all that befell us4 ,he asked also concerning thee1 saying1 ,is your father still alive1 and is it well with him8 ,thou hast not seen the affairs of the government of ,egypt regulated by him1 for none asketh his lord ,pharaoh about them4 ,thou hast not seen the awe and the fear that he imposes upon all the ,egyptians4 ,even we went out from his presence threatening to do unto ,egypt as unto the cities of the ,amorites1 and exceedingly wroth by reason of all his words that he spake concerning us as spies1 yet when we came again before him1 his terror fell upon us all1 and none of us was able to speak a word to him1 great or small4 ,now1 therefore1 father1 send the lad with us1 and we will arise and go down into ,egypt1 and buy food to eat1 that we die not of hunger4#bcj ,judah offered his portion in the world to come as surety for ,benjamin1 and thus solemnly he promised to bring him back safe and sound1 and ,jacob granted his request1 and permitted ,benjamin to go down into ,egypt with his other sons4 ,they also carried with them choice presents from their father for the ruler of ,egypt1 things that arouse wonder outside of ,palestine1 such as the murex1 which is the snail that produces the ,tyrian purple1 and various kinds of balm1 and almond oil1 and pistachio oil1 and honey as hard as stone4 ,furthermore1 ,jacob put double money in their hand to provide against a rise in prices in the meantime4 ,and after all these matters were attended to1 he spake to his sons1 saying3 ,here is money1 and here is a present1 and also your brother4 ,is there aught else that you need8 ,and they replied1 ,yes1 we need this1 besides1 that thou shouldst intercede for us with ,god4 ,then their father prayed3#bca ,o ,lord1 ,thou who at the time of creation didst call ,enough6 to heaven and earth when they stretched themselves out further and further toward infinity1 set a limit to my sufferings1 too1 say unto them1 ,enough6#bcb ,god ,almighty give you mercy before the ruler of ,egypt1 that he may release unto you ,joseph1 ,simon1 and ,benjamin4 ,this prayer was an intercession1 not only for the sons of ,jacob1 but also for their descendants--that ,god would deliver the ,ten ,tribes in time to come1 as ,he delivered the two1 ,judah and ,benjamin1 and after ,he permitted the destruction of two ,temples1 ,he would grant endless continuance to the third4#bcc ,jacob also put a letter addressed to the viceroy of ,egypt into the hands of his son4 ,the letter ran thus3 ,from thy servant ,jacob1 the son of ,isaac1 the grandson of ,abraham1 prince of ,god1 to the mighty and wise king ,zaphenathpaneah1 the ruler of ,egypt1 peace6 ,i make known unto my lord the king that the famine is sore with us in the land of ,canaan1 and ,i have therefore sent my sons unto thee1 to buy us a little food1 that we may live1 and not die4 ,my children surrounded me1 and begged for something to eat1 but1 alas1 ,i am very old1 and ,i cannot see with mine eyes1 for they are heavy with the weight of years1 and also on account of my never-ceasing tears for my son ,joseph1 who hath been taken from me4 ,i charged my sons not to pass through the gate all together at the same time1 when they arrived in the city of ,egypt1 in consideration of the inhabitants of the land1 that they might not take undue notice of them4 ,also ,i bade them go up and down in the land of ,egypt and seek my son ,joseph1 mayhap they would find him there4 ,this did they do1 but thou didst therefore account them as spies4 ,we have heard the report of thy wisdom and sagacity4 ,how1 then1 canst thou look upon their countenances1 and yet declare them to be spies8 ,especially as we have heard thou didst interpret ,pharaoh's dream1 and didst foretell the coming of the famine1 are we amazed that thou1 in thy discernment1 couldst not distinguish whether they be spies or not4 ,and1 now1 ,o my lord king1 ,i send unto thee my son ,benjamin1 as thou didst demand of my other sons4 ,i pray thee1 take good care of him until thou sendest him back to me in peace with his brethren4 ,hast thou not heard1 and dost thou not know1 what our ,god did unto ,pharaoh when he took our mother ,sarah unto himself8 ,or what happened unto ,abimelech on account of her8 ,and what our father ,abraham did unto the nine kings of ,elam1 how he killed them and exterminated their armies1 though he had but few men with him8 ,or hast thou not heard what my two sons ,simon and ,levi did to the eight cities of the ,amorites1 which they destroyed on account of their sister ,dinah8 ,benjamin consoled them for the loss of ,joseph4 ,what1 then1 will they do unto him that stretcheth forth the hand of power to snatch him away from them8 ,knowest thou not1 ,o king of ,egypt1 that the might of our ,god is with us1 and that ,he always hearkens unto our prayers1 and never forsakes us8 ,had ,i called upon ,god to rise up against thee when my sons told me how thou didst act toward them1 thou and thy people1 ye all would have been annihilated ere ,benjamin could come down to thee4 ,but ,i reflected that ,simon my son was abiding in thy house1 and perhaps thou wast doing kindnesses unto him1 and therefore ,i invoked not the punishment of ,god upon thee4 ,now my son ,benjamin goeth down unto thee with my other sons4 ,take heed unto thyself1 keep thy eyes directed upon him1 and ,god will direct ,his eye upon all thy kingdom4 ,i have said all now that is in my heart4 ,my sons take their youngest brother down into ,egypt with them1 and do thou send them all back to me in peace4 ,this letter ,jacob put into the keeping of ,judah1 charging him to deliver it to the ruler of ,egypt4 ,his last words to his sons were an admonition to take good care of ,benjamin and not leave him out of their sight1 either on the journey or after their arrival in ,egypt4 ,he bade farewell to them1 and then turned in prayer to ,god1 saying3 ,o ,lord of heaven and earth6 ,remember ,thy covenant with our father ,abraham4 ,remember also my father ,isaac1 and grant grace unto my sons1 and deliver them not into the hands of the king of ,egypt4 ,o my ,god1 do it for the sake of ,thy mercy1 redeem my sons and save them from the hands of the ,egyptians1 and restore their two brethren unto them4 ,also the women and the children in the house of ,jacob prayed to ,god amid tears1 and entreated ,him to redeem their husbands and their fathers out of the hands of the king of ,egypt4#bcd ,,joseph ,,and ,,benjamin ,great was the joy of ,joseph when his brethren stood before him and ,benjamin was with them4 ,in his youngest brother he saw the true counterpart of his father4#bce ,he ordered his son ,manasseh1#bcf the steward of his house1 to bring the men into the palace1 and make ready a meal for them4 ,but he was to take care to prepare the meat dishes in the presence of the guests1 so that they might see with their own eyes that the cattle had been slaughtered according to the ritual prescriptions1 and the sinew of the hip which is upon the hollow of the thigh had been removed4#bcg ,the dinner to which ,joseph invited his brethren was a ,sabbath meal1 for he observed the seventh day even before the revelation of the law4 ,the sons of ,jacob refused the invitation of the steward1 and a scuffle ensued4 ,while he tried to force them into the banqueting hall1 they tried to force him out1#bch for they feared it was but a ruse to get possession of them and their asses1 on account of the money they had found in their sacks on their return from their first journey to ,egypt4 ,in their modesty they put the loss of their beasts upon the same level as the loss of their personal liberty4 ,to the average man property is as precious as life itself4#bci ,standing at the door of ,joseph's house1 they spake to the steward1 and said3 ,we are in badly reduced circumstances4 ,in our country we supported others1 and now we depend upon thee to support us4 ,after these introductory words1 they offered him the money they had found in their sacks4 ,the steward reassured them concerning the money1 saying1 ,however it may be1 whether for the sake of your own merits1 or for the sake of the merits of your fathers1 ,god hath caused you to find a treasure1 for the money ye paid for the corn came into my hand4 ,then he brought ,simon out to them4 ,their brother looked like a leather bottle1 so fat and rotund had he grown during his sojourn in ,egypt4#bdj ,he told his brethren what kind treatment had been accorded unto him4 ,the very moment they left the city he had been released from prison1 and thereafter he had been entertained with splendor in the house of the ruler of ,egypt4 ,when ,joseph made his appearance1 ,judah took ,benjamin by the hand1 and presented him to the viceroy1 and they all bowed down themselves to him to the earth4#bda ,joseph asked them concerning the welfare of their father and their grandfather1 and they made reply1 ,thy servant our father is well2 he is yet alive1 and ,joseph knew from their words that his grandfather ,isaac was no more4#bdb ,he had died at the time when ,joseph was released from prison1 and the joy of ,god in the liberation of ,joseph was overcast by ,his sorrow for ,isaac4#bdc ,then ,judah handed his father's letter to ,joseph1 who was so moved at seeing the well-known handwriting that he had to retire to his chamber and weep4 ,when he came back1 he summoned ,benjamin to approach close to him1 and he laid his hand upon his youngest brother's head1 and blessed him with the words1 ,god be gracious unto thee1 my son4#bdd ,his father had once mentioned the children which ,god hath graciously given ,thy servant1 and as ,benjamin was not among the children thus spoken of1 for he was born later1 ,joseph compensated him now by blessing him with the grace of ,god4#bde ,the table was set in three divisions1 for ,joseph1 for his brethren1 and for the ,egyptians4 ,the sons of ,jacob did not venture to eat of the dishes set before them1 they were afraid they might not have been prepared according to the ritual prescriptions--a punishment upon ,joseph for having slandered his brethren1 whom he once charged with not being punctilious in the observance of the dietary laws4#bdf ,the ,egyptians1 again1 could not sit at the same table with the sons of ,jacob1 because the latter ate the flesh of the animals to which the former paid divine worship4#bdg ,when all was ready1 and the guests were to be seated1 ,joseph raised his cup1 and1 pretending to inhale his knowledge from it1 he said1 ,judah is king1 therefore let him sit at the head of the table1 and let ,reuben the first-born take the second seat1 and thus he assigned places to all his brethren corresponding to their dignity and their age4#bdh ,moreover1 he seated the brothers together who were the sons of the same mother1 and when he reached ,benjamin1 he said1 ,i know that the youngest among you has no brother borne by his own mother1 next to whom he might be seated1 and also ,i have none1 therefore he may take his place next to me4 ,the brethren marvelled one with another at all this4 ,during the meal1 ,joseph took his portion1 and gave it to ,benjamin1 and his wife ,asenath followed his example1 and also ,ephraim and ,manasseh1 so that ,benjamin had four portions in addition to that which he had received like the other sons of ,jacob4#bdi ,wine was served at the meal1 and it was the first time in twenty-two years that ,joseph and his brethren tasted of it1 for they had led the life of ,nazarites1 his brethren because they regretted the evil they had done to ,joseph1 and ,joseph because he grieved over the fate of his father4#bej ,joseph entered into conversation with his brother ,benjamin4 ,he asked him whether he had a brother borne by his own mother1 and ,benjamin answered1 ,i had one1 but ,i do not know what hath become of him4 ,joseph continued his questions3 ,hast thou a wife8 ,benjamin3 ,yes1 ,i have a wife and ten sons4 ,joseph3 ,and what are their names8 ,benjamin3 ,bela1 and ,becher1 and ,ashbel1 ,gera1 and ,naaman1 ,ehi1 and ,rosh1 ,muppim1 and ,huppim1 and ,ard4 ,joseph3 ,why didst thou give them such peculiar names8 ,benjamin3 ,in memory of my brother and his sufferings3 ,bela1 because my brother disappeared among the peoples2 ,becher1 he was the first-born son of my mother2 ,ashbel1 he was taken away from my father2 ,gera1 he dwells a stranger in a strange land2 ,naaman1 he was exceedingly lovely2 ,ehi1 he was my only brother by my father and my mother together2 ,rosh1 he was at the head of his brethren2 ,muppim1 he was beautiful in every respect2 ,huppim1 he was slandered2 and ,ard1 because he was as beautiful as a rose4#bea ,joseph ordered his magic astrolabe to be brought to him1 whereby he knew all things that happen1 and he said unto ,benjamin1 ,i have heard that the ,hebrews are acquainted with all wisdom1 but dost thou know aught of this8 ,benjamin answered1 ,thy servant also is skilled in all wisdom1 which my father hath taught me4 ,he then looked upon the astrolabe1 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 ,joseph4 ,noticing ,benjamin's amazement1 ,joseph asked him1 ,what hast thou seen1 and why art thou astonished8 ,benjamin said1 ,i can see by this that ,joseph my brother sitteth here before me upon the throne4 ,and ,joseph said3 ,i am ,joseph thy brother6 ,reveal not the thing unto our brethren4 ,i will send thee with them when they go away1 and ,i will command them to be brought back again into the city1 and ,i will take thee away from them4 ,if they risk their lives and fight for thee1 then shall ,i know that they have repented of what they did unto me1 and ,i will make myself known unto them4 ,but if they forsake thee1 ,i will keep thee1 that thou shouldst remain with me4 ,they shall go away1 and ,i will not make myself known unto them4#beb ,then ,joseph inquired of ,benjamin what his brethren had told their father after they had sold him into slavery1 and he heard the story of the coat dipped in the blood of a kid of the goats4 ,yes1 brother1 spoke ,joseph1 when they had stripped me of my coat1 they handed me over to the ,ishmaelites1 who tied an apron around my waist1 scourged me1 and bade me run off4 ,but a lion attacked the one that beat me1 and killed him1 and his companions were alarmed1 and they sold me to other people4#bec ,dismissed by ,joseph with kind words1 his brethren started on their homeward journey as soon as the morning was light1 for it is a good rule to leave a city after sunrise1 and enter a city before sundown4#bed ,besides1 ,joseph had a specific reason for not letting his brethren depart from the city during the night4 ,he feared an encounter between them and his servants1 and that his men might get the worst of it1 for the sons of ,jacob were like the wild beasts1 which have the upper hand at night4 ,,the ,,thief ,,caught ,they were not yet far beyond the city gates1 when ,joseph dispatched ,manasseh1 the steward of his house1 to follow after them1 and look for the silver cup that he had concealed in ,benjamin's sack4 ,he knew his brethren well1 he did not venture to let them get too far from the city before he should attempt to force their return4 ,he hoped that the nearness of the city would intimidate them and make them heed his commands4 ,manasseh therefore received the order to bring them to a halt1 by mild speech if he could1 or by rough speech if he must1 and carry them back to the city4#bee ,he acted according to his instructions4 ,when the brethren heard the accusation of theft 1 they said3 ,with whomsoever of thy servants the cup be found1 let him die1 and we also will be my lord's bondmen4 ,and ,manasseh said1 ,as you say1 so were it proper to do1 for if ten persons are charged with theft1 and the stolen object is found with one of them1 all are held responsible4 ,but ,i will not be so hard4 ,he with whom the cup is found shall be the bondman1 and the rest shall be blameless4 ,he searched all the sacks1 and in order not to excite the suspicion that he knew where the cup was1 he began at ,reuben1 the eldest1 and left off at ,benjamin1 the youngest1 and the cup was found in ,benjamin's sack4 ,in a rage1 his brethren shouted at ,benjamin1 ,o thou thief and son of a thief6 ,thy mother brought shame upon our father by her thievery1 and now thou bringest shame upon us4 ,but he replied1 ,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 slavery8#bef ,in their fury and vexation1 the brethren rent their clothes4 ,god paid them in their own coin4 ,they had caused ,jacob to tear his clothes in his grief over ,joseph1 and now they were made to do the same on account of their own troubles4 ,and as they rent their clothes for the sake of their brother ,benjamin1 so ,mordecai1 the descendant of ,benjamin1 was destined to rend his on account of his brethren1 the people of ,israel4 ,but because mortification was inflicted upon the brethren through ,manasseh1 the steward of ,joseph1 the allotment of territory given to the tribe of ,manasseh was torn in two1 one-half of the tribe had to live on one side of the ,jordan1 the other half on the other side4 ,and ,joseph1 who had not shrunk from vexing his brethren so bitterly that they rent their clothes in their abasement1 was punished1 in that his descendant ,joshua was driven to such despair after the defeat of ,ai that he1 too1 rent his clothes4#beg ,convicted of theft beyond the peradventure of a doubt1 the brethren of ,joseph had no choice but to comply with the steward's command and return to the city4 ,they accompanied him without delay4 ,each of them loaded his ass himself1 raising the burden with one hand from the ground to the back of the beast1 and then they retraced their steps cityward1#beh and as they walked1 they rapped ,benjamin roughly on the shoulder1 saying1 ,o thou thief and son of a thief1 thou hast brought the same shame upon us that thy mother brought upon our father4 ,benjamin bore the blows and the abusive words in patient silence1 and he was rewarded for his humility4 ,for submitting to the blows upon his shoulder1 ,god appointed that ,his ,shekinah should dwell between his shoulders1 and ,he also called him the beloved of the ,lord4#bei ,joseph's brethren returned to the city without fear4 ,though it was a great metropolis1 in their eyes it appeared but as a hamlet of ten persons1 which they could wipe out with a turn of the hand4#bfj ,they were led into the presence of ,joseph1 who1 contrary to his usual habit1 was not holding a session of the court in the forum on that day4 ,he remained at home1 that his brethren might not be exposed to shame in public4 ,they fell to the earth before him1 and thus came true his dream of the eleven stars that made obeisance to him4#bfa ,but even while paying homage to ,joseph1 ,judah was boiling inwardly with suppressed rage1 and he said to his brethren1 ,verily1 this man hath forced me to come back hither only that ,i should destroy the city on this day4 ,guarded by his valiant men on the right and on the left1 ,joseph addressed his brethren1 snarling1 ,what deed is this that ye have done1 to steal away my cup8 ,i know well1 ye took it in order to discover with its help the whereabouts of your brother that hath disappeared4#bfb ,judah was spokesman1 and he replied3 ,what shall we say unto my lord concerning the first money that he found in the mouth of our sacks8 ,what shall we speak concerning the second money that also was in our sacks8 ,and how shall we clear ourselves concerning the cup8 ,we cannot acknowledge ourselves guilty1 for we know ourselves to be innocent in all these matters4 ,yet we cannot avow ourselves innocent1 because ,god hath found out the iniquity of thy servants1 like a creditor that goes about and tries to collect a debt owing to him4#bfc ,two brothers take care not to enter a house of mirth and festivity together1 that they be not exposed to the evil eye1 but we all were caught together in one place1 by reason of the sin which we committed in company4 ,joseph3 ,but if your punishment is for selling ,joseph1 why should this brother of yours suffer1 the youngest1 he that had no part in your crime4 ,judah3 ,a thief and his companions are taken together4 ,joseph3 ,if you could prevail upon yourselves to report to your father concerning a brother that had not stolen1 and had brought no manner of shame upon you1 that a wild beast had torn him1 you will easily persuade yourselves to say it concerning a brother that hath stolen1 and hath brought shame upon you4 ,go hence1 and tell your father1 ',the rope follows after the water bucket4'#bfd ,but1 continued ,joseph1 shaking his purple mantle1 ,god forbid that ,i should accuse you all of theft4 ,only the youth that stole the cup in order to divine his brother's whereabouts shall remain with me as my bondman2 but as for you1 get you up in peace unto your father4 ,the holy spirit called out1 ,great peace have they which love thy law6 ,the brethren all consented to yield ,benjamin to the ruler of ,egypt1 only ,judah demurred1 and he cried out1 ,now it is all over with peace6 and he prepared to use force1 if need be1 to rescue ,benjamin from slavery4#bfe ,,judah ,,pleads ,,and ,,threatens4 ,joseph dismissed his brethren1 and carried ,benjamin off by main force1 and locked him up in a chamber4 ,but ,judah broke the door open and stood before ,joseph with his brethren4#bff ,he determined to use in turn the three means of liberating ,benjamin at his disposal4 ,he was prepared to convince ,joseph by argument1 or move him by entreaties1 or resort to force1 in order to accomplish his end4#bfg ,he spake3 ,thou doest a wrong unto us4 ,thou who didst say1 ',i fear ,god1' thou showest thyself to be like unto ,pharaoh1 who hath no fear of ,god4 ,the judgments which thou dost pronounce are not in accordance with our laws1 nor are they in accordance with the laws of the nations4 ,according to our law1 a thief must pay double the value of what he hath stolen4 ,only1 if he hath no money1 he is sold into slavery1 but if he hath the money1 he maketh double restitution4 ,and according to the law of the nations1 the thief is deprived of all he owns4 ,do so1 but let him go free4 ,if a man buys a slave1 and then discovers him to be a thief1 the transaction is void4 ,yet thou desirest to make one a slave whom thou chargest with being a thief4 ,i suspect thee of wanting to keep him in thy power for illicit purposes1#bfh and in this lustfulness thou resemblest ,pharaoh4 ,also thou art like ,pharaoh in that thou makest a promise and keepest it not4 ,thou saidst unto thy servants1 ,bring thy youngest brother down unto me1 that ,i may set mine eyes upon him4 ,dost thou call this setting thine eyes upon him8#bfi ,if thou didst desire nothing beside a slave1 then wouldst thou surely accept our offer to serve thee as bondmen instead of ,benjamin4 ,reuben is older than he1 and ,i exceed him in strength4 ,it cannot but be as ,i say1 thou hast a lustful purpose in mind with our brother4#bgj ,therefore let these words of mine which ,i am about to speak find entrance into thy heart3 ,for the sake of the grandmother of this lad were ,pharaoh and his house stricken with sore plagues1 because he detained her in his palace a single night against her will4 ,his mother died a premature death1 by reason of a curse which his father uttered in inconsiderate haste4 ,take heed1 then1 that this man's curse strike thee not and slay thee4 ,two of us destroyed the whole of a city on account of one woman1 how much more would we do it for the sake of a man1 and that man the beloved of the ,lord1 in whose allotment it is appointed that ,god shall dwell6 ,if ,i but utter a sound1 death-dealing pestilence will stalk through the land as far as ,no4 ,in this land ,pharaoh is the first1 and thou art the second after him1 but in our land my father is the first1 and ,i am the second4 ,if thou wilt not comply with our demand1 ,i will draw my sword1 and hew thee down first1 and then ,pharaoh4 ,when ,judah gave utterance to this threat1 ,joseph made a sign1 and ,manasseh stamped his foot on the ground so that the whole palace shook4 ,judah said1 ,only one belonging to our family can stamp thus6 and intimidated by this display of great strength1 he moderated his tone and manner4 ,from the very beginning1 he continued to speak1 thou didst resort to all sorts of pretexts in order to embarrass us4 ,the inhabitants of many countries came down into ,egypt to buy corn1 but none of them didst thou ask questions about their family relations4 ,in sooth1 we did not come hither to seek thy daughter in marriage1 or peradventure thou desirest an alliance with our sister8 ,nevertheless we gave thee an answer unto all thy questions4 ,joseph replied3 ,verily1 thou canst talk glibly6 ,is there another babbler like thee among thy brethren8#bga ,why dost thou speak so much1 while thy brethren that are older than thou1 ,reuben1 ,simon1 and ,levi1 stand by silent8 ,judah3 ,none of my brethren has so much at stake as ,i have1 if ,benjamin returns not to his father4 ,i was a surety to my father for him1 saying1 ,if ,i bring him not unto thee1 and set him before thee1 then let me bear the blame forever1 in this world and in the world to come4#bgb ,the other brethren withheld themselves intentionally from taking part in the dispute between ,judah and ,joseph1 saying1 ,kings are carrying on a dispute1 and it is not seemly for us to interfere between them4#bgc ,even the angels descended from heaven to earth to be spectators of the combat between ,joseph the bull and ,judah the lion1 and they said1 ,it lies in the natural course of things that the bull should fear the lion1 but here the two are engaged in equal1 furious combat4 ,in reply to ,judah1 when he explained that his great interest in ,benjamin's safety was due to the pledge he had given to his father1 ,joseph spoke3 ,why wast thou not a surety for thy other brother1 when ye sold him for twenty pieces of silver8 ,then thou didst not regard the sorrow thou wast inflicting upon thy father1 but thou didst say1 ,a wild beast hath devoured ,joseph4 ,and yet ,joseph had done no evil1 while this ,benjamin has committed theft4 ,therefore1 go up and say unto thy father1 ,the rope hath followed after the water bucket4 ,these words had such an effect upon ,judah that he broke out in sobs1 and cried aloud1 ,how shall ,i go up to my father1 and the lad be not with me8#bgd ,his outcry reached to a distance of four hundred parasangs1 and when ,hushim the son of ,dan heard it in ,canaan1 he jumped into ,egypt with a single leap and joined his voice with ,judah's1 and the whole land was on the point of collapsing from the great noise they produced4 ,joseph's valiant men lost their teeth1 and the cities of ,pithom and ,raamses were destroyed1 and they remained in ruins until the ,israelites built them up again under taskmasters4 ,also ,judah's brethren1 who had kept quiet up to that moment1 fell into a rage1 and stamped on the ground with their feet until it looked as though deep furrows had been torn in it by a ploughshare4#bge ,and ,judah addressed his brethren1 ,be brave1 demean yourselves as men1 and let each one of you show his heroism1 for the circumstances demand that we do our best4 ,then they resolved to destroy ,mizraim1 the city of ,egypt1 and ,judah said1 ,i will raise my voice1 and with it destroy ,egypt4 ,reuben3 ,i will raise my arm1 and crush it out of existence4 ,simon3 ,i will raise my hand1 and lay waste its palaces4 ,levi3 ,i will draw my sword1 and slay the inhabitants of ,egypt4 ,issachar3 ,i will make the land like unto ,sodom4 ,zebulon3 ,like unto ,gomorrah will ,i render it4 ,dan3 ,i will reduce it to a desert4#bgf ,then ,judah's towering rage began to show signs of breaking out3 his right eye shed tears of blood2 the hair above his heart grew so stiff that it pierced and rent the five garments in which he was clothed2 and he took brass rods1 bit them with his teeth1 and spat them out as fine powder4 ,when ,joseph observed these signs1 fear befell him1 and in order to show that he1 too1 was a man of extraordinary strength1 he pushed with his foot against the marble pedestal upon which he sat1 and it broke into splinters4 ,judah exclaimed1 ,this one is a hero equal to myself6 ,then he tried to draw his sword from its scabbard in order to slay ,joseph1 but the weapon could not be made to budge1 and ,judah was convinced thereby that his adversary was a ,god-fearing man1 and he addressed himself to the task of begging him to let ,benjamin go free1 but he remained inexorable4#bgg ,judah then said3 ,what shall we say unto our father1 when he seeth that our brother is not with us1 and he will grieve over him8 ,joseph3 ,say that the rope hath followed after the water bucket4 ,judah3 ,thou art a king1 why dost thou speak in this wise1 counselling a falsehood8 ,woe unto the king that is like thee6 ,joseph3 ,is there a greater falsehood than that ye spake concerning your brother ,joseph1 whom you sold to the ,midianites for twenty pieces of silver1 telling your father1 ,an evil beast bath devoured him8 ,judah3 ,the fire of ,shechem burneth in my heart1 now will ,i burn all thy land with fire4 ,joseph3 ,surely1 the fire kindled to burn ,tamar1 thy daughter-in-law1 who did kill thy sons1 will extinguish the fire of ,shechem4 ,judah3 ,if ,i pluck out a single hair from my body1 ,i will fill the whole of ,egypt with its blood4 ,joseph3 ,such is it your custom to do2 thus ye did unto your brother whom you sold1 and then you dipped his coat in blood1 brought it to your father1 and said1 ,an evil beast hath devoured him1 and here is his blood4 ,when ,judah heard this1 he was exceedingly wroth1 and he took a stone weighing four hundred shekels that was before him1 cast it toward heaven with one hand1 caught it with his left hand1 then sat upon it1 and the stone turned into dust4 ,at the command of ,joseph1 ,manasseh did likewise with another stone1 and ,joseph said to ,judah3 ,strength hath not been given to you alone1 we also are powerful men4 ,why1 then1 will ye all boast before us8 ,then ,judah sent ,naphtali forth1 saying1 ,go and count all the streets of the city of ,egypt and come and tell me the number1 but ,simon interposed1 saying1 ,let not this thing trouble you1 ,i will go to the mount1 and take up one huge stone from the mount1 throw it over the whole of ,mizraim1 the city of ,egypt1 and kill all therein4 ,hearing all these words1 which they spake aloud1 because they did not know that he understood ,hebrew1 ,joseph bade his son ,manasseh make haste and gather together all the inhabitants of ,egypt1 and all the valiant men1 and let them come to him on horseback and afoot4 ,meantime ,naphtali had gone quickly to execute ,judah's bidding1 for he was as swift as the nimble hart1 he could run across a field of corn without breaking an ear4 ,and he returned and reported that the city of ,egypt was divided into twelve quarters4 ,judah bade his brethren destroy the city2 he himself undertook to raze three quarters1 and he assigned the nine remaining quarters to the others1 one quarter to each4 ,in the meantime ,manasseh had assembled a great army1 five hundred mounted men and ten thousand on foot1 among them four hundred valiant heroes1 who could fight without spear or sword1 using only their strong1 unarmed hands4 ,to inspire his brethren with more terror1 ,joseph ordered them to make a loud noise with all sorts of instruments1 and their appearance and the hubbub they produced did1 indeed1 cause fear to fall upon some of the brethren of ,joseph4 ,judah1 however1 called to them1 ,why are you terrified1 seeing that ,god grants us ,his mercy8 ,he drew his sword1 and uttered a wild cry1 which threw all the people into consternation1 and in their disordered flight many fell over each other and perished1 and ,judah and his brethren followed after the fleeing people as far as the house of ,pharaoh4 ,returning to ,joseph1 ,judah again broke out in loud roars1 and the reverberations caused by his cries were so mighty that all the city walls in ,egypt and in ,goshen fell in ruins1 the pregnant women brought forth untimely births1 and ,pharaoh was flung from his throne4 ,judah's cries were heard at a great distance1 as far off as ,succoth4 ,when ,pharaoh learnt the reason of the mighty uproar1 he sent word to ,joseph that he would have to concede the demands of the ,hebrews1 else the land would suffer destruction4 ,thou canst take thy choice1 were the words of ,pharaoh1 between me and the ,hebrews1 between ,egypt and the land of the ,hebrews4 ,if thou wilt not heed my command1 then leave me and go with them into their land4 ,,joseph ,,makes ,,himself ,,known ,seeing that his brethren were1 indeed1 on the point of destroying ,egypt1 ,joseph resolved to make himself known to them1 and he cast around for a proper opening1 which would lead naturally to his announcement4 ,at his behest1 ,manasseh laid his hand upon ,judah's shoulder1 and his touch allayed ,judah's fury1 for he noticed that he was in contact with a kinsman of his1 because such strength existed in no other family4 ,then ,joseph addressed ,judah gently1 saying3#bgh ,i should like to know who advised him to steal the cup4 ,could it have been one of you8 ,benjamin replied3 ,neither did they counsel theft1 nor did ,i touch the cup4 ,take an oath upon it1 demanded ,joseph1 and ,benjamin complied with his brother's request3 ,i swear that ,i did not touch the cup6 ,as true as my brother ,joseph is separated from me2 as true as ,i had nothing to do with the darts that my brethren threw at him2 as true as ,i was not one of those to take off his coat2 as true as ,i had no part in the transaction by which he was given over to the ,ishmaelites2 as true as ,i did not help the others dip his coat in blood2 so true is my oath1 that they did not counsel theft1 and that ,i did not commit theft4 ,joseph3 ,how can ,i know that this oath of thine taken upon thy brother's fate is true8 ,benjamin3 ,from the names of my ten sons1 which ,i gave them in memory of my brother's life and trials1 thou canst see how dearly ,i loved him4 ,i pray thee1 therefore1 do not bring down my father with sorrow to the grave4 ,hearing these words of abiding love1 ,joseph could refrain himself no longer4 ,he could not but make himself known unto his brethren4#bgi ,he spake these words to them3 ,ye said the brother of this lad was dead4 ,did you yourselves see him dead before you8 ,they answered1 ,yes6 ,joseph3 ,did you stand beside his grave8 ,the brethren3 ,yes6 ,joseph3 ,did you throw clods of earth upon his corpse8 ,the brethren3 ,no4 ,then ,joseph reflected1 saying to himself3 ,my brethren are as pious as aforetime1 and they speak no lies4 ,they said ,i was dead1 because when they abandoned me1 ,i was poor1 and 'a poor man is like unto a dead man2' they stood beside my grave1 that is the pit into which they cast me2 but they did not say that they had shovelled earth upon me1 for that would have been a falsehood4 ,turning to his brethren1 he said3 ,ye lie when ye say that your brother is dead4 ,he is not dead4 ,you sold him1#bhj and ,i did buy him4 ,i shall call him1 and set him before your eyes1 and he began to call1 ,joseph1 son of ,jacob1 come hither6 ,joseph1 son of ,jacob1 come hither6 ,speak to thy brethren who did sell thee4 ,the others turned their eyes hither and thither1 to the four corners of the house1 until ,joseph called to them3 ,why look ye here and there8 ,behold1 ,i am ,joseph your brother6 ,their souls fled away from them1 and they could make no answer1 but ,god permitted a miracle to happen1 and their souls came back to them4 ,joseph continued1 ,ye see it with your own eyes1 and also my brother ,benjamin seeth it with his eyes1 that ,i speak with you in ,hebrew1 and ,i am truly your brother4 ,but they would not believe him4 ,not only had he been transformed from a smooth-faced youth into a bearded man since they had abandoned him1 but also the forsaken youth now stood before them the ruler of ,egypt4 ,therefore ,joseph bared his body and showed them that he belonged to the descendants of ,abraham4 ,abashed they stood there1 and in their rage they desired to slay ,joseph as the author of their shame and their suffering4 ,but an angel appeared and flung them to the four corners of the house4 ,judah raised so loud an outcry that the walls of the city of ,egypt tumbled down1 the women brought forth untimely births1 ,joseph and ,pharaoh both rolled down off their thrones1 and ,joseph's three hundred heroes lost their teeth1 and their heads remained forever immobile1 facing backward1 as they had turned them to discover the cause of the tumult4 ,yet the brethren did not venture to approach close to ,joseph1 they were too greatly ashamed of their behavior toward their brother4#bha ,he sought to calm them1 saying1 ,now be not grieved1 nor angry with yourselves1 that ye sold me hither1 for ,god did send me before you to preserve life4 ,even such kind words of exhortation did not banish their fear1 and ,joseph continued to speak1 ,as little as ,i harbor vengeful thoughts in my heart against ,benjamin1 so little do ,i harbor them against you4,and still his brethren were ill at case1 and ,joseph went on1 ,think you that it is possible for me to inflict harm upon you8 ,if the smoke of ten candles could not extinguish one1 how can one extinguish ten8 ,at last the brethren were soothed1 and they went up to ,joseph1#bhb who knew each by name1 and1 weeping1 he embraced and kissed them all in turn4 ,the reason why he wept was that his prophetic spirit showed him the descendants of his brethren enslaved by the nations4#bhc ,especially did he weep upon ,benjamin's neck1 because he foresaw the destruction decreed for the two ,temples to be situated in the allotment of ,benjamin4 ,and ,benjamin also wept upon ,joseph's neck1 for the sanctuary at ,shiloh1 in the territory of ,joseph which was likewise doomed to destruction4#bhd ,pharaoh was well pleased with the report of the reconciliation between ,joseph and the ,hebrews1 for he had feared that their dissensions might cause the ruin of ,egypt1 and he sent his servants to ,joseph1 that they take part in his joy4 ,also he sent word to ,joseph that it would please him well if his brethren took up their abode in ,egypt1 and he promised to assign the best parts of the land to them for their dwelling-place4#bhe ,not all the servants of ,pharaoh were in agreement with their master concerning this invitation to the ,hebrews4 ,many among them were disquieted1 saying1 ,if one of the sons of ,jacob came hither1 and he was advanced to a high position over our heads1 what evil will happen to us when ten more come hither8#bhf ,joseph gave all his brethren two changes of raiment1 one for use on the ordinary days of the week and one for use on the ,sabbath1 for1 when the cup was found with ,benjamin1 they had rent their clothes1 and ,joseph would not have his brethren go about in torn garments4#bhg ,but to ,benjamin he gave five changes of raiment1 though not in order to distinguish him above his brethren4 ,joseph remembered only too well what mischief his father had caused by giving him the coat of many colors1 thereby arousing the envy of his brethren4 ,he desired only to intimate that ,mordecai1 a descendant of ,benjamin1 would once be arrayed in five royal garments4#bhh ,joseph presented his brethren1 apparelled in their gold and silver embroidered clothes1 before ,pharaoh1 who was well pleased to become acquainted with them when he saw that they were men of heroic stature and handsome appearance4#bhi ,he gave them wagons1 to bring their families down into ,egypt1 but as they were ornamented with images of idols1 ,judah burnt them1#bij and ,joseph replaced them with eleven other wagons1 among them the one he had ridden in at his accession to office1 to view the land of ,egypt4 ,this was to be used by his father on his journey to ,egypt4 ,for each of his brothers' children1 he sent raiments1 and also one hundred pieces of silver for each1 but for each of the children of ,benjamin he sent ten changes of raiment4 ,and for the wives of his brethren he gave them rich garments of state1 such as were worn by the wives of the ,pharaohs1 and also ointments and aromatic spices4 ,to his sister ,dinah he sent silver and gold embroidered clothes1 and myrrh1 aloes1 and other perfumes1 and such presents he gave also to the wife and the daughters-in-law of ,benjamin4 ,for themselves and for their wives the brethren received all sorts of precious stones and jewelled ornaments1 like those that are worn by the ,egyptian nobility4 ,joseph accompanied his eleven brethren to the frontier1 and there he took leave of them with the wish that they and all their families come down to ,egypt1#bia and he enjoined upon them1 besides1 three maxims to be observed by travellers3 ,do not take too large steps2 do not discuss ,halakic subjects1 that you lose not your way2 and enter the city at the latest with the going down of the sun4#bib ,,jacob ,,receives ,,the ,,glad ,,tidings ,in blithe spirits the sons of ,jacob journeyed up to the land of ,canaan1 but when they reached the boundary line1 they said to one another1 ,how shall we do8 ,if we appear before our father and tell him that ,joseph is alive1 he will be greatly frightened1 and he will not be inclined to believe us4 ,besides1 ,joseph's last injunction to them had been to take heed and not startle their father with the tidings of joy4 ,on coming close to their habitation1 they caught sight of ,serah1 the daughter of ,asher1 a very beautiful maiden1 and very wise1 who was skilled in playing upon the harp4 ,they summoned her unto them and gave her a harp1 and bade her play before ,jacob and sing that which they should tell her4 ,she sat down before ,jacob1 and1 with an agreeable melody1 she sang the following words1 accompanying herself upon the harp3 ,joseph1 my uncle1 liveth1 he ruleth over the whole of ,egypt1 he is not dead6 ,she repeated these words several times1 and ,jacob grew more and more pleasurably excited4 ,his joy awakened the holy spirit in him1 and he knew that she spoke the truth4#bic ,the spirit of prophecy never visits a seer when he is in a state of lassitude or in a state of grief2 it comes only together with joy4 ,all the years of ,joseph's separation from him ,jacob had had no prophetic visions1 because he was always sad1 and only when ,serah's words reawakened the feeling of happiness in his heart1 the prophetic spirit again took possession of him4#bid ,jacob rewarded her therefor with the words1 ,my daughter1 may death never have power over thee1 for thou didst revive my spirit4 ,and so it was4 ,serah did not die1 she entered ,paradise alive4 ,at his bidding1 she repeated the words she had sung again and again1 and they gave ,jacob great joy and delight1 so that the holy spirit waxed stronger and stronger within him4 ,while he was sitting thus in converse with ,serah1 his sons appeared arrayed in all their magnificence1 and with all the presents that ,joseph had given them1 and they spake to ,jacob1 saying3 ,glad tidings6 ,joseph our brother liveth6 ,he is ruler over the whole land of ,egypt1 and he sends thee a message of joy4 ,at first ,jacob would not believe them1 but when they opened their packs1 and showed him the presents ,joseph had sent to all1 he could not doubt the truth of their words any longer4#bie ,joseph had had a premonition that his father would refuse to give his brethren credence1 because they had tried to deceive him before1 and it is the punishment of the liar that his words are not believed even when he speaks the truth4 ,he had therefore said to them1 ,if my father will not believe your words1 tell him that when ,i took leave of him1 to see whether it was well with you1 he had been teaching me the law of the heifer whose neck is broken in the valley4 ,when they repeated this1 every last vestige of ,jacob's doubt disappeared1 and he said3 ,great is the steadfastness of my son ,joseph4 ,in spite of all his sufferings he has remained constant in his piety4#bif ,yea1 great are the benefits that the ,lord hath conferred upon me4 ,he saved me from the hands of ,esau1 and from the hands of ,laban1 and from the ,canaanites who pursued after me4 ,i have tasted many joys1 and ,i hope to see more1 but never did ,i hope to set eyes upon ,joseph again1 and now ,i shall go down to him and behold him before my death4#big ,then ,jacob and the members of his family put on the clothes ,joseph had sent1 among them a turban for ,jacob1 and they made all preparations to journey down into ,egypt and dwell there with ,joseph and his family4 ,hearing of his good fortune1 the kings and the grandees of ,canaan came to wait upon ,jacob and express sympathy with him in his joy1 and he prepared a three days' banquet for them4#bih ,jacob1 however1 would not go down into ,egypt without first inquiring whether it was the will of ,god that he should leave the ,holy ,land4#bii ,he said1 ,how can ,i leave the land of my fathers1 the land of my birth1 the land in which the ,shekinah dwells1 and go into an unclean land1 inhabited by slaves of the sons of ,ham1 a land wherein there is no fear of ,god8#cjj ,then he brought sacrifices in honor of ,god1 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 ,canaan4 ,he feared the sojourn in ,egypt1 for he remembered the vision he had had at ,beth-el on leaving his father's house1#cja and he said to ,god3 ,i resemble my father4 ,as he was greedy in filling his maw1 so am ,i1 and therefore ,i would go down into ,egypt in consequence of the famine4 ,as my father preferred one son to the other1 so had ,i a favorite son1 and therefore ,i would go down into ,egypt to see ,joseph4 ,but in this ,i do not resemble my father1 he had only himself to provide for1 and my house consists of seventy souls1 and therefore am ,i compelled to go down into ,egypt4 ,the blessing which my father gave me was not fulfilled in me1 but in my son ,joseph1 whom peoples serve1 and before whom nations bow down4#cjb ,then the ,shekinah addressed ,jacob1 calling his name twice in token of love1#cjc and bidding him not to fear the ,egyptian slavery foretold for the descendants of ,abraham1 for ,god would have pity upon the suffering of his children and deliver them from bondage4#cjd ,god furthermore said1 ,i will go down into ,egypt with thee1 and the ,shekinah accompanied ,jacob thither1 bringing the number of the company with which he entered ,egypt up to seventy4#cje ,but as ,jacob entertained fears that his descendants would stay there forever1 ,god gave him the assurance that ,he would lead him forth together with all the pious that were like unto him4#cjf ,and ,god also told ,jacob that ,joseph had remained steadfast in his piety even in ,egypt1 and he might dismiss all doubts from his mind on this score1 for it was his anxiety on this account that had induced ,jacob to consider going down into ,egypt2 he wanted only to make sure of ,joseph's faithfulness1 and then return home1 but ,god commanded him to go thither and remain there4#cjg ,before ,jacob left ,canaan1 he went to ,beer-sheba1 to hew down the cedars that ,abraham had planted there1 and take them with him to ,egypt4 ,for centuries these cedar trees remained in the possession of his descendants2 they carried them with them when they left ,egypt1 and they used them in building the ,tabernacle4#cjh ,although ,joseph had put wagons at the disposal of his brethren for the removal of his family from ,canaan to ,egypt1 they yet carried ,jacob upon their arms1 for which purpose they divided themselves into three divisions1 one division after the other assuming the burden4 ,as a reward for their filial devotion1 ,god redeemed their descendants from ,egypt4#cji ,judah was sent on ahead by his father1 to erect a dwelling in ,goshen1 and also a ,bet ha-,midrash1 that ,jacob might set about instructing his sons at once after his arrival4 ,he charged ,judah with this honorable task in order to compensate him for a wrong he had done him4 ,all the years of ,joseph's absence he bad suspected ,judah of having made away with ,rachel's son4#caj ,how little the suspicion was justified he realized now when ,judah in particular had been assiduous in securing the safety of ,benjamin1 the other son of ,rachel4 ,jacob therefore said to ,judah3 ,thou hast done a pious1 ,god-bidden deed1 and hast shown thyself to be a man capable of carrying on negotiations with ,joseph4 ,complete the work thou hast begun6 ,go to ,goshen1 and together with ,joseph prepare all things for our coming4 ,indeed1 continued ,jacob1 thou wast the cause of our going down into ,egypt1 for it was at thy suggestion that ,joseph was sold as a slave1 and1 also1 through thy descendants ,israel will be led forth out of ,egypt4#caa ,when ,joseph was informed of the approach of his father1 he rejoiced exceedingly1 chiefly because his coming would stop the talk of the ,egyptians1 who were constantly referring to him as the slave that had dominion over them4 ,now1 thought ,joseph1 they will see my father and my brethren1 and they will be convinced that ,i am a free-born man1 of noble stock4 ,in his joy in anticipation of seeing his father1 ,joseph made ready his chariot with his own hands1 without waiting for his servants to minister to him1 and this loving action redounded later to the benefit of the ,israelites1 for it rendered of none effect ,pharaoh's zeal in making ready his chariot himself1 with his own hands1 to pursue after the ,israelites4#cab ,,jacob ,,arrives ,,in ,,egypt ,when the ,egyptian nobles observed their viceroy completing his preparations to meet his father1 they did the same4#cac ,indeed1 ,joseph had issued a proclamation throughout the land1 threatening with death all that did not go forth to meet ,jacob4 ,the procession that accompanied him was composed of countless men1 arrayed in byssus and purple1 and marching to the sound of all sorts of musical instruments4 ,even the women of ,egypt had a part in the reception ceremonies4 ,they ascended to the roofs of the houses and the walls of the cities1 ready to greet ,jacob with the music of cymbals and timbrels4 ,joseph wore the royal crown upon his head1 ,pharaoh had yielded it to him for the occasion4 ,he descended from his chariot when he was at a distance of about fifty ells from his father1 and walked the rest of the way on foot1 and his example was followed by the princes and nobles of ,egypt4 ,when ,jacob caught sight of the approaching procession1 he was rejoiced1#cad and even before he recognized ,joseph1 he bowed down before him1 but for permitting his father to show him this mark of honor1 punishment was visited upon ,joseph4 ,he died an untimely death1 before the years of life assigned to him had elapsed4#cae ,that no harm befall ,jacob from a too sudden meeting with him1 ,joseph sent his oldest son ahead with five horses1 the second son following close after him in the same way4 ,as each son approached1 ,jacob thought he beheld ,joseph1 and so he was prepared gradually to see him face to face4#caf ,meantime ,jacob had espied1 from where he was seated1 a man in royal robes among the ,egyptians1 a crown upon his head1 and a purple mantle over his shoulders1 and he asked ,judah who it might be4 ,when he was told that it was ,joseph1 his joy was great over the high dignity attained by his son4 ,by this time ,joseph had come close to his father1 and he bowed himself before him down to the earth1 and all the people with him likewise prostrated themselves4#cag ,then ,joseph fell upon his father's neck1 and he wept bitterly4 ,he was particularly grieved that he had permitted his father to bow down before him but a little while before without hindering it4#cah ,at the very moment when ,joseph embraced his father1 ,jacob was reciting the ,shema'1 and he did not allow himself to be interrupted in his prayer1#cai but then he said1 ,when they brought me the report of the death of ,joseph1 ,i thought ,i was doomed to double death--that ,i should lose this world and the world to come as well4 ,the ,lord had promised to make me the ancestor of twelve tribes1 and as the death of my son rendered it impossible that this promise should be realized1 ,i feared ,i had incurred the doom by my own sins1 and as a sinner ,i could not but expect to forfeit the future world1 too4 ,but now that ,i have beheld thee alive1 ,i know that my death will be only for the world here below4#cbj ,such was the manner of ,jacob's arrival in ,egypt4 ,he came with his whole family1 sixty-nine persons they were in all1 but the number was raised to seventy by the birth of ,jochebed1 afterward the mother of ,moses1 which took place when the cavalcade had advanced to the space between the one and the other city wall4#cba ,all the males in his family were married men2 even ,pallu and ,hezron1 the latter of whom was but one year old at the time of their migration1 and the former but two years1 had the wives with them that had been chosen for them by their parents4#cbb ,in general1 all the sons and grandsons of ,jacob had married young1 some of them had been fathers at the age of seven4#cbc ,joseph took some from among his brethren1 and presented them to ,pharaoh4 ,he chose the weakest of them1 that the king might not be tempted to retain them in his service as warriors4#cbd ,and as he did not desire his family to live at close quarters with the ,egyptians and perhaps amalgamate with them1 he introduced them as shepherds4 ,the ,egyptians worshipped the constellation of the rain1 and paid divine honors to animals1 and they kept aloof from shepherds4 ,pharaoh therefore was inclined to grant ,joseph's wish1 to give them the pasture land of ,goshen for their sojourning place1 the land that was theirs by right1 for the ,pharaoh that took ,sarah away from ,abraham by force had given it to her as her irrevocable possession4#cbe ,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 forever1 it was to be only a temporary dwelling-place4#cbf ,then ,joseph set ,jacob his father before ,pharaoh1 and when the king saw him1 he said to ,og1 who happened to be with him at that moment1 ,seest thou6 ,thou wast wont to call ,abraham a sterile mule1 and here is his grandson with a family of seventy persons6 ,og would not believe his own eyes1 he thought ,abraham was standing before him1 so close was the resemblance between ,jacob and his progenitor4 ,then ,pharaoh asked about ,jacob's age1 to find out whether he actually was ,jacob1 and not ,abraham4 ,and ,jacob said unto ,pharaoh1 ,the days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years1 using the word pilgrimage in reference to life on earth1 which the pious regard as a temporary sojourn in alien lands4 ,few and evil1 he continued1 have been the days of the years of my life4 ,in my youth ,i had to flee to a strange land on account of my brother ,esau1 and now1 in my old age1 ,i must again go to a strange land1 and my days have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage4 ,these words sufficed to convince ,pharaoh and ,og that the man standing before them was not ,abraham1 but his grandson4#cbg ,when ,jacob uttered the words1 ,the days of the years of my pilgrimage have been few and evil1 ,god said to him3 ,jacob1 ,i saved thee out of the hands of ,esau and ,laban1 ,i restored ,joseph unto thee1 and made him to be a king and a ruler1 and yet thou speakest of few and evil days4 ,because of thy ingratitude1 thou wilt not attain unto the days of the years of the life of thy fathers1 and ,jacob died at an age thirty-three years less than his father ,isaac's4#cbh ,on going out from the presence of ,pharaoh1 ,jacob blessed the king with the words1 ,may the years still in store for me be given unto thee1 and may the ,nile overflow its banks henceforth again and water the land4 ,his words were fulfilled4 ,in order to show that the pious are a blessing for the world1 ,god caused the ,nile to rise above its bed and fructify the land of ,egypt4#cbi ,,joseph',s ,,kindness ,,and ,,generosity ,jacob and his family now settled in the land of ,goshen1 and ,joseph provided them with all things needful1 not only with food and drink1 but also with clothing1 and in his love and kindness he entertained his father and his brethren daily at his own table4#ccj ,he banished the wrong done to him by his brethren from his mind1 and he besought his father to pray to ,god for them1 that ,he should forgive their great transgression4 ,touched by this noble sign of love1 ,jacob cried out1 ,o ,joseph1 my child1 thou hast conquered the heart of thy father ,jacob4#cca ,joseph had other virtues1 besides4 ,the title the ,god- fearing one1 borne only by him1 ,abraham1 ,job1 and ,obadiah1 he gained by reason of his kindness of heart and his generosity4 ,whatever he gave his brethren1 he gave with a good eye1 a liberal spirit4 ,if it was bread for food1 it was sure to be abundant enough1 not only to satisfy the hunger of all1 but also for the children to crumble1 as is their habit4#ccb ,but ,joseph was more than a helper to his family4 ,as a shepherd pastures his flock1 so he provided for the whole world during the years of famine4 ,the people cursed ,pharaoh1 who kept the stores of corn in his treasure chambers for his own use1 and they blessed ,joseph1 who took thought for the famishing1 and sold grain to all that came4#ccc ,the wealth which he acquired by these sales was lawful gain1 for the prices were raised1 not by him1 but by the ,egyptians themselves4#ccd ,one part of his possessions1 consisting of gold and silver and precious stones1 ,joseph buried in four different places1 in the desert near the ,red ,sea1 on the banks of the ,euphrates1 and in two spots in the desert in the vicinity of ,persia and ,media4#cce ,korah discovered one of the hiding- places1 and the ,roman emperor ,antoninus1 the son of ,severus1 another4 ,the other two will never be found1 because ,god has reserved the riches they hold for the pious1 to be enjoyed by them in the latter days1 the days of the ,messiah4#ccf ,the remainder of ,joseph's possessions he gave away1 partly to his brethren and their families1 and partly to ,pharaoh1 who put them into his treasury4#ccg ,the wealth of the whole world flowed into ,egypt at that time1 and it remained there until the exodus of the ,israelites4 ,they took it along1 leaving ,egypt like a net without fish4 ,the ,israelites kept the treasure until the time of ,rehoboam1 who was deprived of it by the ,egyptian king ,shishak1 and he in turn had to yield it to ,zerah1 the king of ,ethiopia4 ,once more it came into possession of the ,jews when ,king ,asa conquered ,zerah1 but this time they held it for only a short while1 for ,asa surrendered it to the ,aramean king ,ben-hadad1 to induce him to break his league with ,baasha1 the king of the ,ten ,tribes4 ,the ,ammonites1 in turn1 captured it from ,ben-hadad1 only to lose it in their war with the ,jews under ,jehoshaphat4 ,again it remained with the ,jews1 until the time of ,king ,ahaz1 who sent it to ,sennacherib as tribute money4 ,hezekiah won it back1 but ,zedekiah1 the last king of the ,jews1 lost it to the ,chaldeans1 from whom it came to ,persia1 thence to the ,greeks1 and finally to the ,romans1 and with the last it remained for all time4#cch ,the people were soon left without means to purchase the corn they needed4 ,in a short time they had to part with their cattle1 and when the money thus secured was spent1 they sold their land to ,joseph1 and even their persons4 ,many of them would cover themselves with clay and appear before ,joseph1 and say to him1 ,o lord king1 see me and see my possessions6 ,and so ,joseph bought all the land of ,egypt1 and the inhabitants became his tenants1 and they gave a fifth of their ingatherings unto joseph4#cci ,the only class of the people permitted to remain in possession of their land were the priests4 ,joseph owed them gratitude1 for they had made it possible for him to become the ruler over ,egypt4 ,the ,egyptians had hesitated to make him their viceroy1 because they shrank from choosing a man accused of adultery for so high an office4 ,it was the priests that made the suggestion to examine ,joseph's torn garment1 which his mistress had submitted as evidence of his guilt1 and see whether the rent was in front or in back4 ,if it was in back1 it would show his innocence--he had turned to flee1 and his temptress had clutched him so that the garment tore4 ,but if the tear was in front1 then it would be a proof of his guilt--he had used violence with the woman1 and she had torn the mantle in her efforts to defend her honor4 ,the angel ,gabriel came and transferred the rent from the fore part to the back1 and the ,egyptians were convinced of ,joseph's innocence1 and their scruples about raising him to the kingship were removed4#cdj ,as soon as the ,egyptians learnt of the advantageous position of the priests1 they all tried to prove themselves members of the caste4 ,but ,joseph investigated the lists in the archives1 and determined the estate of every citizen4 ,the priests were favored in another way4 ,beside remaining in possession of their land1 they received daily portions from ,pharaoh1 wherefore ,god said1 ,the priests that serve idols receive all they need every day1 how much more do the sons of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 who are ,my priests1 deserve that ,i should give them what they need every day4#cda ,the rest of the inhabitants of ,egypt1 who had to part with their land1 were not permitted to remain in their native provinces4 ,joseph removed them from their own cities1 and settled them in others4 ,his purpose herein was to prevent the ,egyptians from speaking of his brethren derogatorily as exiles the sons of exiles2 he made them all equally aliens4#cdb ,for the same reason1 ,god later1 at the time of the going forth of the ,israelites from ,egypt1 caused all nations to change their dwelling-places about1 so that the ,israelites could not be reproached with having had to leave their home4 ,and1 finally1 when ,sermacherib carried the ,jews away from their land into exile1 it also happened that this king first mixed up the inhabitants of all the countries of the world4#cdc ,,jacob',s ,,last ,,wish ,in return for the seventeen years that ,jacob had devoted to the bringing up of ,joseph1 he was granted seventeen years of sojourn with his favorite son in peace and happiness4 ,the wicked experience sorrow after joy2 the pious must suffer first1 and then they are happy1 for all's well that ends well1 and ,god permits the pious to spend the last years of their lives in felicity4#cdd ,when ,jacob felt his end approach1 he summoned ,joseph to his bedside1 and he told him all there was in his heart4 ,he called for ,joseph rather than one of his other sons1 because he was the only one in a position to execute his wishes4 ,jacob said to ,joseph3 ,if ,i have found grace in thy sight1 bury me not1 ,i pray thee1 in ,egypt4 ,only for thy sake did ,i come down into ,egypt1 and for thy sake ,i spoke1 ,now ,i can die4 ,do this for me as a true service of love1 and not because thou art afraid1 or because decency demands it4 ,and when ,i sleep with my fathers1 thou shalt bury me in their burying-place4 ,carry me out of the land of idolatry1 and bury me in the land where ,god hath caused ,his ,name to dwell1 and put me to rest in the place in which four husbands and wives are to be buried1 ,i the last of them4 ,jacob desired not to be buried in ,egypt for several reasons4 ,he knew that the soil of ,egypt would once swarm with vermin1 and it revolted him to think of his corpse exposed to such uncleanness4 ,he feared1 moreover1 that his descendants might say1 ,were ,egypt not a holy land1 our father ,jacob had never permitted himself to be buried there1 and they might encourage themselves with this argument to make choice of ,egypt as a permanent dwelling- place4 ,also1 if his grave were there1 the ,egyptians might resort to it when the ten plagues came upon them1 and if he were induced to pray for them to ,god1 he would be advocating the cause of the ,lord's enemies4 ,if1 on the other hand1 he did not intercede for them1 the ,name of ,god would be profaned among the heathen1 who would say1 ,jacob is a useless saint6 ,besides1 it was possible that ,god might consider him1 the scattered sheep of ,israel1 as a sacrifice for the ,egyptians1 and remit their punishment4 ,from his knowledge of the people1 another fear was justified1 that his grave would become an object of idolatrous veneration1 and the same punishment is appointed by ,god for the idols worshipped as for the idolaters that worship them4 ,if ,jacob had good reasons for not wanting his body to rest in the soil of ,egypt1 he had equally good reasons for wanting it to rest in the ,holy ,land4 ,in the ,messianic time1 when the dead will rise1 those buried in ,palestine will awaken to new life without delay1 while those buried elsewhere will first have to roll from land to land through the earth1 hollowed out for the purpose1 until they reach the ,holy ,land1 and only then will their resurrection take place4 ,but over and beyond this1 ,jacob had an especial reason for desiring to have his body interred in ,palestine4 ,god had said to him at ,beth-el1 ,the land whereon thou liest1 to thee will ,i give it1 and to thy seed1 and hence he made every endeavor to lie in the ,holy ,land1 to make sure it would belong to him and his descendants4#cde ,nevertheless he bade ,joseph strew some ,egyptian earth over his dead body4#cdf ,jacob expressed these his last wishes three times4 ,such is the requirement of good breeding in preferring a request4 ,in the last period of ,jacob's life1 one can see how true it is that even a king depends upon favors in a strange land4 ,jacob1 the man for the sake of whose merits the whole world was created1 for the sake of whom ,abraham was delivered from the fiery furnace1 had to ask services of others while he was among strangers1#cdg and when ,joseph promised to do his bidding1 he bowed himself before his own son1 for it is a true saying1 ,bow before the fox in his day1 the day of his power4#cdh ,he was not satisfied with a simple promise from ,joseph1 that he would do his wish2 he insisted upon his taking an oath by the sign of the covenant of ,abraham1 putting a hand under his thigh in accordance with the ceremony customary among the ,patriarchs6#cdi ,but ,joseph said3 ,thou treatest me like a slave4 ,with me thou hast no need to require an oath4 ,thy command sufficeth4 ,jacob1 however1 urged him1 saying3 ,i fear ,pharaoh may command thee to bury me in the sepulchre with the kings of ,egypt4 ,i insist that thou takest an oath1 and then ,i will be at peace4 ,joseph gave in1#cej though he would not submit to the ceremony that ,eliezer had used to confirm the oath he took at the request of his master ,abraham4 ,the slave acted in accordance with the rules of slavery1 the free man acted in accordance with the dictates of freedom4#cea ,and in a son that thing would have been unseemly which was becoming in a slave4#ceb ,when ,joseph swore to bury his father in ,palestine1 he added the words1 ,as thou commandest me to do1 so also will ,i beg my brethren1 on my death-bed1 to fulfil my last wish and carry my body from ,egypt to ,palestine4#cec ,jacob1 noticing the ,shekinah over the bed's head1 where she always rests in a sick room1 bowed himself upon the bed's head1#ced saying1 ,i thank thee1 ,o ,lord my ,god1 that none who is unfit came forth from my bed1 but my bed was perfect4#cee ,he was particularly grateful for the revelation ,god had vouchsafed him concerning his first-born son ,reuben1 that he had repented of his trespass against his father1 and atoned for it by penance4 ,he was thus assured that all his sons were men worthy of being the progenitors of the twelve tribes1 and he was blessed with happiness such as neither ,abraham nor ,isaac had known1 for both of them had had unworthy as well as worthy sons4#cef ,until the time of ,jacob death had always come upon men suddenly1 and snatched them away before they were warned of the imminent end by sickness4 ,once ,jacob spoke to ,god1 saying1 ,o ,lord of the world1 a man dies suddenly1 and he is not laid low first by sickness1 and he cannot acquaint his children with his wishes regarding all he leaves behind4 ,but if a man first fell sick1 and felt that his end were drawing nigh1 he would have time to set his house in order4 ,and ,god said1 ,verily1 thy request is sensible1 and thou shalt be the first to profit by the new dispensation1 and so it happened that ,jacob fell sick a little while before his death4#ceg ,his sickness troubled him grievously1 for he had undergone much during his life4 ,he had worked day and night while he was with ,laban1 and his conflicts with the angel and with ,esau1 though he came off victor from both1 had weakened him1 and he was not in a condition to endure the hardships of disease4#ceh ,,the ,,blessing ,,of ,,ephraim ,,and ,,manasseh ,all the years of ,jacob's sojourn in ,egypt1 ,asenath1 the wife of ,joseph1 was his constant nurse4 ,when she saw his end drawing nigh1 she spoke to ,joseph3 ,i have heard that one who is blessed by a righteous man is as though he had been blessed by the ,shekinah4 ,therefore1 bring thy sons hither1 that ,jacob give them his blessing4#cei ,though ,joseph was a devoted and loving son to his father1 he was not in constant attendance upon him1 because he wanted to avoid giving him the opportunity of inquiring into the circumstances of his coming to ,egypt4 ,he was apprehensive that ,jacob might curse his sons and bring death upon them1 if he discovered the facts connected with their treacherous dealings with ,joseph4 ,he took good care therefore never to be alone with his father4 ,but as he desired to be kept informed of his welfare1 he arranged a courier service between himself and ,jacob4 ,now when ,joseph received the news of his father's having fallen sick1 through his messenger1 as well as through ,ephraim1 whom ,jacob was instructing in the ,torah1 he hastened to the land of ,goshen1 taking his two sons with him4 ,he desired to have certainty upon five points3 ,would his father bless his two sons1 who were born in ,egypt1 and1 if so1 would he appoint them to be heads of tribes8 ,would he assign the rights of the first-born unto himself1 and1 if so1 would he divest ,reuben of such rights altogether8 ,and why had his father buried his mother ,rachel by the wayside1 and not carried her body to the family tomb at ,machpelah8#cfj ,jacob had also entertained doubts on five points1 when he was about to emigrate from ,canaan to ,egypt3 ,he did not know whether his descendants would lose themselves among the people of ,egypt2 whether he would die there and be buried there2 and whether he would be permitted to see ,joseph and see the sons of ,joseph4 ,god gave him the assurance1 saying1 ,i will go down with thee into ,egypt1 and ,i will surely bring thee up again after thy death1 and thy descendants also1 and ,joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes4 ,when the time approached for the fulfilment of the ,divine promise1 ,god appeared unto ,jacob1 and ,he said1 ,i promised to fulfil thy wish1 and the time of fulfilment hath come4 ,the holy spirit made known to ,jacob that ,joseph was coming to him1#cfa and he strengthened himself1 and sat upon the bed in order to pay due respect to the representative of the government4 ,though ,joseph was his son1 he was also viceroy1 and entitled to special marks of honor4 ,besides1 ,jacob desired to make the impression of being a man in good health4 ,he wanted to avoid the possibility of having his blessing of ,joseph and ,joseph's sons questioned as the act of an irresponsible person4#cfb ,he strengthened himself spiritually as well as physically1 by prayer to ,god1 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 ,joseph4 ,when ,joseph appeared in the company of his two sons1 his father said to him3 ,in all the seventeen years thou hast been visiting me1 thou didst never bring thy sons with thee1 but now they have come1 and ,i know the reason4 ,if ,i bless them1 ,i shall act in opposition to the word of ,god1 who promised to make me the progenitor of twelve tribes1 for if ,i adopt them as my sons1 there will be fourteen tribes4 ,but if ,i do not bless them1 it will plunge thee in sorrow4 ,so be it1 ,i will bless them4 ,but think not ,i do it because thou didst support me all these years4 ,there is quite another reason4#cfc ,when ,i left my father's house to go to ,haran1 ,i offered up a prayer at ,beth-el1 and ,i promised to give unto ,god the tenth of all ,i owned4 ,so far as my material possessions are concerned1 ,i kept my vow1 but ,i could not give the tithe of my sons1 because according to the law ,i had to withdraw from the reckoning the four sons1 ,reuben1 ,joseph1 ,dan1 and ,gad1 that are the first-born children of their mothers4 ,when ,i returned1 ,god again appeared unto me in ,beth-el1 and ,he said1 ,be fruitful and multiply4 ,but after this blessing no son was born unto me except ,benjamin alone1 and it cannot be but that ,god meant ,manasseh and ,ephraim when ,he spoke of 'a nation and a company of nations4' ,if now ,i have found favor in thy sight1 thy two sons ,ephraim and ,manasseh1 even as ,reuben and ,simon1 shall be mine1 and then ,i shall be able to give a tenth part of my ten sons unto the ,lord1 and ,i shall leave this world free from the sin of not keeping my vow to the ,lord concerning the tithe-giving4 ,joseph consented to do his father's will1 and ,jacob tithed his sons1 consecrating ,levi to the ,holy ,one1 and appointing him to be the chief of his brethren4 ,he enjoined his sons to have a care that there should never fail them a son of ,levi in the priestly succession4 ,and it happened that4 of all the tribes ,levi was the only one that never proved faithless to the covenant of the fathers4#cfd ,thus ,jacob adopted ,manasseh and ,ephraim to be his own sons1 even as ,reuben and ,simon were his sons4 ,they were entitled like the others to a portion in the ,holy ,land1 and like the others they were to bear standards on their journey through the desert4#cfe ,satisfied as to ,jacob's intentions concerning his sons1 ,joseph asked his father about his mother's burial-place1 and ,jacob spoke1 saying3 ,as thou livest1 thy wish to see thy mother lying by my side in the grave doth not exceed mine own4 ,i had joy in life only as long as she was alive1 and her death was the heaviest blow that ever fell upon me4 ,joseph questioned him3 ,perhaps thou didst have to bury her in the way1 because she died during the rainy season1 and thou couldst not carry her body through the rain to our family sepulchre8 ,no1 replied ,jacob1 she died in the spring time1 when the highways are clean and firm4 ,joseph3 ,grant me permission to take up her body now and place it in our family burial-place4 ,jacob3 ,no1 my son1 that thou mayest not do4 ,i was unwilling to bury her in the way1 but the ,lord commanded it4 ,the reason of the command was that ,god knew that the ,temple would be destroyed1 and ,israel would be carried away into banishment1 and the exiles would ask the ,patriarchs to intercede for them with ,god1 but ,god would not hearken unto them4 ,on their way to the land of the stranger they would pass the grave of ,rachel1 and they would throw themselves upon it1 and beseech their mother to make intercession for them with ,god4 ,and ,rachel would pray to ,god in their behalf3 ,o ,lord of the world1 look upon my tears1 and have compassion upon my children4 ,but if ,thou wilt not take pity on them1 then indemnify me for the wrong done to me4 ,unto her prayer ,god will hearken1 and ,he will have mercy upon ,israel4 ,therefore was ,rachel buried in the way4 ,now ,jacob desired to bless the sons of ,joseph1 but the holy spirit made him to see ,jeroboam1 the descendant of ,ephraim1 and ,jehu1 the descendant of ,manasseh1 how they would seduce ,israel to idolatry1 and the ,shekinah forsook him as he was about to lay his hands upon the heads of his grandsons4 ,he said to ,joseph1 ,is it possible that thou didst not marry the mother of thy children according to the law8 ,joseph thereupon brought his wife ,asenath to his father1 and pointing to her marriage contract1 he said1 ,this one is my wife1 whom ,i married as is proper1 with a marriage contract and due ceremony4 ,i pray thee1 my father1 bless my sons if only for the sake of this pious woman4 ,jacob bade his grandsons approach close to him1 and he kissed and embraced them1 in the hope that his joy in them would lure back the holy spirit1 but his hope was vain4 ,joseph concluded that the time was not favorable for blessing1 and he decided to go away until a more propitious opportunity presented itself1 first1 however1 proving to his father that his sons had been initiated in the covenant of ,abraham4 ,outside of his father's chamber1 alone with his sons1 he threw himself down before ,god and besought ,him to show him mercy1 and he bade his sons do likewise1 saying1 ,be not content with your high station1 for worldly honors are but for a time4 ,entreat ,god to be merciful and let the ,shekinah descend upon my father1 that he bless you both4 ,then spake ,god to the holy spirit3 ,how long yet shall ,joseph suffer8 ,reveal thyself quickly1 and enter into ,jacob1 that he may be able to bestow blessings4 ,in the words of ,jacob1 ,ephraim and ,manasseh1 even as ,reuben and ,simon1 shall be mine1 ,joseph had noticed his father's preference for his younger son ,ephraim4 ,it made him very anxious about his older son's birthright1 and he was careful to put the two lads before his father in such wise that ,manasseh should stand opposite ,jacob's right hand1 and ,ephraim opposite his left hand4#cff ,but ,ephraim1 on account of his modesty1 was destined for greater things than his older brother ,manasseh1 and ,god bade the holy spirit prompt ,jacob to give the birthright to ,ephraim4#cfg ,now when ,joseph observed his father put his right hand upon ,ephraim's head1 he made an attempt to remove it unto ,manasseh's head4 ,but ,jacob warded him off1 saying3 ,what1 thou wouldst displace my hand against my will1 the hand that overcame the prince of the angel hosts1 who is as large as one-third of the world6#cfh ,i know things not known to thee--,i know what ,reuben did to ,bilhah1 and what ,judah did to ,tamar4 ,how much more do ,i know things known to thee6#cfi ,thinkest thou ,i know not what thy brethren did to thee1 because thou wouldst betray nothing whenever ,i asked thee8#cgj ,i know it1 ,manasseh also shall become great1 the judge ,gideon shall descend from him1 but his younger brother will be the ancestor of ,joshua1 who will bring the sun and the moon to a standstill1 though they have dominion over the whole earth from end to end4 ,thus did ,jacob set ,ephraim the younger above ,manasseh the older1 and thus did it remain unto all times4 ,in the list of the generations1 ,manasseh comes after ,ephraim1 and so it was in the allotment of the portions in the ,holy ,land1 and so it was in the placing of the camps and the standards of the tribes1 and in the dedication of the ,tabernacle--everywhere ,ephraim preceded ,manasseh4#cga ,the blessing bestowed upon his grandchildren by ,jacob was as follows3 ,o that it be the will of ,god that ye walk in the ways of the ,lord like unto my fathers ,abraham and ,isaac1#cgb and may the angel that hath redeemed me from all evil give his aid unto ,joshua and ,gideon1#cgc and reveal himself unto them4 ,may your names be named on ,israel1 and like unto fishes may you grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth1 and as fishes are protected by the water1 so may you be protected by the merits of ,joseph4#cgd ,the words like unto fishes were used by ,jacob for the purpose of intimating the manner of death awaiting the ,ephraimites1 the descendants of ,joseph4 ,as fish are caught by their mouth1 so the ,ephraimites were in later days to invite their doom by their peculiar lisp4 ,at the same time1 ,jacob's words contained the prophecy that ,joshua the son of the man ,nun1 the fish1 would lead ,israel into the ,holy ,land4 ,and in his words lay still another prophecy1 with reference to the sixty thousand men children begot in the same night as ,moses1 all cast into the river with him1 and saved for the sake of his merits4 ,the number of boys thrown to the fishes in the river that night was equal to the number of men in ,israel upon the earth4#cge ,ephraim received a special and separate blessing from his grandfather4 ,jacob said to him1 ,ephraim1 my son1 thou art the head of the ,academy1 and in the days to come my most excellent and celebrated descendants will be called ,ephrati after thee4#cgf ,joseph received two gifts from his father4 ,the first was ,shechem1 the city that ,jacob had defended1 with sword and bow1 against the depredations of the ,amorite kings when they tried to take revenge upon his sons for the outrage committed there4 ,and the second gift was the garments made by ,god for ,adam and passed from hand to hand1 until they came into the possession of ,jacob4 ,shechem was his reward1 because1 with his chastity1 he stemmed the tide of immorality that burst loose in ,shechem first of all4#cgg ,besides1 he had a prior claim upon the city4 ,shechem1 son of ,hamor1 the master of the city1 had given it to ,dinah as a present1 and the wife of ,joseph1 ,asenath1 being the daughter of ,dinah1 the city belonged to him by right4#cgh ,adam's clothes ,jacob had received from ,esau4 ,he had not taken them from his brother by force1 but ,god had caused them to be given to him as a reward for his good deeds4 ,they had belonged to ,nimrod4 ,once when the mighty hunter caught ,esau in his preserves1 and forbade him to go on the chase1 they agreed to determine by combat what their privileges were4 ,esau had taken counsel with ,jacob1 and he had advised him never to fight with ,nimrod while he was clothed in ,adam's garments4 ,the two now wrestled with each other1 and at the time ,nimrod was not dressed in ,adam's clothes4 ,the end was that he was slain by ,esau4 ,thus the garments worn by ,adam fell into the hands of ,esau1 from him they passed into ,jacob's1 and he bequeathed them to ,joseph4#cgi ,jacob also taught ,joseph three signs whereby to distinguish the true redeemer1 who should deliver ,israel from the bondage of ,egypt4 ,he would proclaim the ,ineffable ,name1 appoint elders1 and use the word ,pakod in addressing the people4#chj ,,the ,,blessing ,,of ,,the ,,twelve ,,tribes ,when ,joseph and his two sons left ,jacob1 his brethren1 envious of the bountiful blessings bestowed upon the three1 said1 ,the whole world loveth a favorite of fortune1 and our father hath blessed ,joseph thus because he is a ruler of men4 ,then spoke ,jacob3 ,they that seek the ,lord shall not want any good thing4 ,i have blessings enough for all4#cha ,jacob summoned his sons from the land of ,egypt1 and bade them come to him at ,raamses1 first1 however1 commanding them to make themselves clean1 that the blessing he was about to bestow might attach itself to them4 ,another one of his commands was that they were to establish an ,academy1 by the members of which they were to be governed4 ,when his sons were brought into his presence by the angels1 ,jacob spoke1 saying1 ,take heed that no dissensions spring up among you1 for union is the first condition of ,israel's redemption1 and he was on the point of revealing the great secret to them concerning the end of time1 but while they were standing around the golden bed whereon their father lay1 the ,shekinah visited him for a moment and departed as quickly1 and with her departed also all trace of the knowledge of the great mystery from the mind of ,jacob4#chb ,he had the same experience as his own father ,isaac1 who also had loss of memory inflicted upon him by ,god1 to prevent him from revealing the secret at the end of time to ,esau1 when he summoned him to receive his blessing4 ,the accident made ,jacob apprehensive that his sons were not pious enough to be considered worthy of the revelation concerning the ,messianic era1 and he said to them1 ,ishmael and the sons of ,keturah were the blemished among the issue of my grandfather ,abraham2 my father ,isaac begot a blemished issue in ,esau1 and ,i fear now that among you1 too1 there is one that harbors the intention to serve idols4 ,the twelve men spake1 and said3 ,hear1 ,o ,israel1 our father1 the ,eternal our ,god is the ,one ,only ,god4 ,as thy heart is one and united in avouching the ,holy ,one1 blessed be ,he1 to be thy ,god1 so also are our hearts one and united in avouching ,him4 ,whereto ,jacob responded1 ,praised be the ,name of the glory of ,his majesty forever and ever6#chc ,and although the whole mystery of the ,messianic time was not communicated to the sons of ,jacob1 yet the blessing of each contained some reference to the events of the future4 ,these were the words addressed by ,jacob to his oldest son3 ,reuben1 thou art my first-born1 my might1 and the beginning of my strength6 ,thy portion should have been three crowns4 ,thou shouldst have had the double heritage of thy primogeniture1 and the priestly dignity1 and the royal power4 ,but by reason of thy sin1 the birthright is conferred upon ,joseph1 kingship upon ,judah1 and the priesthood upon ,levi4 ,my son1 ,i know no healing remedy for thee1 but the man ,moses1 who will ascend to ,god1 he will make thee whole1 and ,god will forgive thy sin4#chd ,i bless thee--may thy descendants be heroes in the ,torah and heroes in war4#che ,though thou must lose thy birthright1 yet wilt thou be the first to enter into possession of thy allotment in the ,holy ,land1 and in thy territory shall be the first of the cities of refuge1 and always shall thy name stand first in the list of the families of the tribes4 ,yea1 thou shalt also be the first whose heritage will be seized by the enemy1 and the first to be carried away into the lands of exile4#chf ,after ,reuben had had his ears pulled thus1 he retired1 and ,jacob called his sons ,simon and ,levi to his side1 and he addressed them in these words3 ,brethren ye were of ,dinah1 but not of ,joseph1 whom you sold into slavery4 ,the weapons of violence wherewith ye smote ,shechem were stolen weapons1 for it was not seemly for you to draw the sword4 ,that was ,esau's portion4 ,to him was it said1 ,by thy sword shalt thou live4 ,into the council of the tribe of ,simon my soul will not come when they foregather at ,shittim to do vicious deeds1 and my glory will not be united unto the assembly of ,korah1 the descendants of ,levi4 ,in their anger ,simon and ,levi slew the prince of ,shechem1 and in their self-will they sold ,joseph the bull into slavery4 ,accursed was the city of ,shechem when they entered to destroy it4 ,if they remain united1 no ruler will be able to stand up before them1 no war will prosper against them4 ,therefore will ,i divide and scatter their possession among the possessions of the other tribes4 ,the descendants of ,simon will many of them be poor men1 who will wander from tribe to tribe and beg for bread1 and also ,levi's tribe will gather its tithes and gifts from all the others4 ,the words of ,jacob1 ,i will divide them in ,jacob1 spoken of ,simon and ,levi1 were fulfilled on ,simon in particular4 ,when twenty-four thousand of ,simon fell at ,shittim1 the widows they left behind married husbands of all the other tribes4 ,nevertheless ,jacob did not dismiss ,simon and ,levi without blessing them2 the tribe of ,simon was to bring forth the teachers and the beadles needed by all ,israel1 and ,levi1 the scholars that would expound the ,torah and render decisions according to its teachings4#chg ,when the remaining sons of ,jacob heard the rebukes dealt out by their father to these three1 they feared to hear like reproaches1 and they tried to slip away from his presence4 ,especially ,judah was alarmed1 that his father might taunt him with his trespass touching ,tamar4 ,but ,jacob spoke thus to him3 ,judah1 thou dost deserve thy name4 ,thy mother called thee ,jehudah1 because she gave praise to ,god at thy birth1 and so shall thy brethren praise thee1 and they all will call themselves by thy name4 ,and as thou didst confess thy sin openly1 so also thy descendants1 ,achan1 ,david1 and ,manasseh1 will make public avowal of their sins1 and the ,lord will hear their prayer4 ,thy hands will send darts after the fleeing foe1 and thy father's sons shall pay thee respect4 ,thou hast the impudence of a dog and the bravery of a lion4 ,thou didst save ,joseph from death1 and ,tamar and her two sons from the flames4 ,no people and no kingdom will be able to stand up against thee4 ,rulers shall not cease from the house of ,judah1 nor teachers of the law from his posterity1 until his descendant ,messiah come1 and the obedience of all peoples be unto him4 ,how glorious is ,messiah of the ,house of ,judah6 ,his loins girded1 he will go out to do battle with his enemies4 ,no king and no ruler will prevail against him4 ,the mountains will be dyed red with their blood1 and the garments of ,messiah will be like the garments of him that presseth wine4 ,the eyes of ,messiah will be clearer than pure wine1 for they will never behold unchastity and bloodshed2 and his teeth will be whiter than milk1 for never will they bite aught that is taken by violence4#chh ,though ,issachar was the older1 ,zebulon came next to be blessed1 as a reward for the sacrifice he had made for his brother's sake1 for when ,issachar chose the study of the ,torah as his vocation1 ,zebulon decided to devote himself to business and support his brother with the profits of his trade1 that he might give himself up to the law undisturbed4#chi ,his blessing was that he would conquer the seacoast as far as ,zidon4#cij ,issachar1 said ,jacob1 will take upon himself the burden of the study of the ,torah1 and all the other tribes will come to him and ask him to decide their doubts on legal questions1 and his descendants will be the members of the ,sanhedrin and the scholars that will occupy themselves with fixing the calendar4 ,jacob blessed ,issachar also with the blessing1 that the fruits of his land should be exceedingly large1 and this brought a heavenly as well as an earthly profit in its train1 for when the heathen to whom the fruits were sold marvelled thereat1 the ,jewish merchants explained that their extraordinary size was due to the merits of the tribe of ,issachar1 whom ,god rewarded for their devotion to the ,torah1 and thus many of the heathen were induced to convert to ,judaism4#cia ,in blessing ,dan1 ,jacob's thoughts were occupied chiefly with his descendant ,samson1 who1 like unto ,god1 without any manner of assistance1 conferred victory upon his people4 ,jacob even believed the strong1 heroic man to be the ,messiah1 but when ,samson's death was revealed to him1 he exclaimed1 ,i wait for ,thy salvation1 ,o ,lord1 for ,thy help is unto all eternity1 while ,samson's help is only for a time4#cib ,the redemption continued ,jacob1 will not be accomplished by ,samson the ,danite1 but by ,elijah the ,gadite1 who will appear at the end of time4#cic ,asher's blessing was the beauty of his women1 who would be sought in marriage by kings and high priests4#cid ,in ,naphtali's land all fruits would ripen quickly1 and they would be brought as presents to kings1 and gain royal favor for the givers4 ,this blessing was fulfilled in the plain of ,gennesaret4#cie ,at the same time ,naphtali's blessing was a prophecy concerning his descendant ,deborah1 who was like a hind let loose against ,sisera to conquer him1 and she gave goodly words in her song of ,israel's victory4#cif ,naphtali himself deserved the description applied to ,deborah1 for he was swift as a hart to do the will of ,god1 and he was a fleet messenger unto his father and the tribes4 ,they sent him whithersoever they would1 and he executed their errands with dispatch4#cig ,he served the brethren of ,joseph as herald1 to announce unto ,jacob the glad tidings1 ,joseph is yet alive1 and when the stricken father saw him approach1 he said1 ,lo1 here cometh ,naphtali the lovable1 who proclaimeth peace4#cih ,joseph's blessing exceeded the blessing of all his brethren4 ,jacob spoke3 ,o son whom ,i bred up1 ,joseph1 whom ,i raised1 and who wast strong to resist the enticements of sin1 thou didst conquer all the magicians and the wise men of ,egypt by thy wisdom and thy pious deeds4 ,the daughters of princes cast their jewels before thee1 to draw thine eyes upon them when thou didst pass through the land of ,egypt1 but thou didst not look their way1 and therefore wast thou made the father of two tribes4 ,the magicians and the wise men of ,egypt sought to defame thee before ,pharaoh and slander thee1 but thou didst set thy hope in the ,almighty4 ,therefore may ,he who appeared unto me as ,el ,shaddai bless thee and grant thee fertile soil and much cattle4 ,may the blessing thy father giveth thee now1 and the blessing that his fathers ,abraham and ,isaac gave him1 and that called forth the envy of the great of the world1 ,ishmael1 ,esau1 and the sons of ,keturah--may all these blessings be a crown upon the head of ,joseph1 and a chain upon the neck of him that was the ruler of ,egypt1 and yet diminished not the honor due to his brethren4#cii ,the slander of which ,jacob spoke referred to what ,potiphar had said of ,joseph before ,pharaoh4 ,he had complained1 saying1 ,why didst thou appoint my slave1 whom ,i did buy for twenty pieces of silver1 to be ruler over the ,egyptians8 ,joseph had then taken up his own defense1 saying3 ,when thou didst buy me as a slave1 thou didst commit a capital crime4 ,only a descendant of ,canaan may be sold as a slave1 and ,i am a descendant of ,shem1 and a prince besides4 ,if thou wilt convince thyself of the truth of my words1 do but compare me with the likeness of my mother ,sarah that ,pharaoh had made of her6 ,they brought ,sarah's likeness1 and1 verily1 it appeared that ,joseph resembled his ancestress1 and all were convinced of his noble lineage4#djj ,the blessing that ,jacob bestowed upon ,benjamin contains the prophecy that his tribe would provide ,israel with his first ruler and his last ruler1 and so it was1 for ,saul and ,esther both belonged to the tribe of ,benjamin4 ,likewise ,benjamin's heritage in the ,holy ,land harbors two extremes3 ,jericho ripens its fruits earlier than any other region in ,palestine1 while ,beth-el ripens them latest4 ,in ,benjamin's blessing1 ,jacob referred also to the service in the ,temple1 because the ,holy ,place was situated in the territory of ,benjamin4 ,and when ,jacob called his youngest son a wolf that ravineth1 he was thinking of the judge ,ehud1 the great scholar1 a ,benjamite1 who conquered ,eglon king of ,moab1 and also he had in mind the ,benjamites that captured their wives by cunning and force4#dja ,again1 if he called ,benjamin a wolf1 ,judah a lion1 and ,joseph a bull1 he wanted to point to the three kingdoms known as wolf1 lion1 and bull1 the doom of which was and will be sealed by the descendants of his three sons3 ,babylon1 the kingdom of the lion1 fell through the hands of ,daniel of the tribe of ,judah2 ,media1 the wolf1 found its master in the ,benjamite ,mordecai2 and the bull ,joseph will subdue the horned beast1 the kingdom of wickedness1 before the ,messianic time4#djb ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,jacob ,after ,jacob had blessed each of his sons separately1 he addressed himself to all of them together1 saying3 ,according to my power did ,i bless you1 but in future days a prophet will arise1 and this man ,moses will bless you1 too1 and he will continue my blessings where ,i left off4 ,he added1 besides1 that the blessing of each tribe should redound to the good of all the other tribes3 the tribe of ,judah should have a share in the fine wheat of the tribe of ,benjamin1 and ,benjamin should enjoy the goodly barley of ,judah4 ,the tribes should be mutually helpful1 one to another4#djc ,moreover1 he charged them not to be guilty of idolatry in any form or shape and not to let blasphemous speech pass their lips1 and he taught them the order of transporting his bier1#djd thus3 ,joseph1 being king1 shall not help to bear it1 nor shall ,levi1 who is destined to carry the ,ark of the ,shekinah4 ,judah1 ,issachar1 and ,zebulon shall grasp its front end1 ,reuben1 ,simon1 and ,gad its right side1 ,ephraim1 ,manasseh1 and ,benjamin the hindmost end1 and ,dan1 ,asher1 and ,naphtali its left side4 ,and this was the order in which the tribes1 bearing each its standard1 were to march through the desert1 the ,shekinah dwelling in the midst of them4#dje ,jacob then spake to ,joseph1 saying3 ,and thou1 my son ,joseph1 forgive thy brethren for their trespass against thee1 forsake them not1 and grieve them not1 for the ,lord hath put them into thine hands1 that thou shouldst protect them all thy days against the ,egyptians4 ,also he admonished his sons1 saying that the ,lord would be with them if they walked in ,his ways1 and ,he would redeem them from the hands of the ,egyptians4 ,i know1 he continued1 great suffering will befall your sons and your grandsons in this land1 but if you will obey ,god1 and teach your sons to know ,him1 then ,he will send you a redeemer1 who will bring you forth out of ,egypt and lead you into the land of your fathers4#djf ,in resignation to the will of ,god1#djg ,jacob awaited his end1 and death enveloped him gently4 ,not the ,angel of ,death ended his life1 but the ,shekinah took his soul with a kiss4 ,beside the three ,patriarchs1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 only ,moses1 ,aaron1 and ,miriam breathed their last in this manner1 through the kiss of the ,shekinah4 ,and these six1 together with ,benjamin1 are the only ones whose corpses are not exposed to the ravages of the worms1 and they neither corrupt nor decay4 ,thus ,jacob departed this world1 and entered the world to come1 a foretaste of which he had enjoyed here below1 like the other two ,patriarchs1 and none beside among men4 ,in another respect their life in this world resembled their life in the world to come1 the evil inclination had no power over them1 either here or there1 wherein ,david resembled them4#djh ,joseph ordered his father's body to be placed upon a couch of ivory1 covered with gold1 studded with gems1 and hung with drapery of byssus and purple4 ,fragrant wine was poured out at its side1 and aromatic spices burnt next to it4 ,heroes of the house of ,esau1 princes of the family of ,ishmael1 and the lion ,judah1 the bravest of his sons1 surrounded the sumptuous bier of ,jacob4 ,come1 said ,judah to his brethren1 let us plant a high cedar tree at the head of our father's grave1 its top shall reach up to the skies1 its branches shall shade all the inhabitants of the earth1 and its roots shall grow down deep into the earth1 unto the abyss4 ,for from him are sprung twelve tribes1 and from him will arise kings and rulers1 chapters of priests prepared to perform the service of the sacrifices1 and companies of ,levites ready to sing psalms and play upon sweet instruments4#dji ,the sons of ,jacob tore their garments and girded their loins with sackcloth1 threw themselves upon the ground1 and strewed earth upon their heads until the dust rose in a high cloud4 ,and when ,asenath1 the wife of ,joseph1 heard the tidings of ,jacob's death1 she came1 and with her came the women of ,egypt1 to weep and mourn over him4 ,and the men of ,egypt that had known ,jacob repaired thither1 and they mourned day after day1 and also many journeyed down into ,egypt from ,canaan1 to take part in the seventy days' mourning made for him4#daj ,the ,egyptians spake to one another1 saying1 ,let us lament for the pious man ,jacob1 because the affliction of the famine was averted from our land on account of his merits1 for instead of ravaging the land for forty-two years according to the decree of ,god1 the famine had lasted but two years1 and that was due to the virtues of ,jacob4#daa ,joseph ordered the physicians to embalm the corpse4 ,this he should have refrained from doing1 for it was displeasing to ,god1 who spoke1 saying3 ,have ,i not the power to preserve the corpse of this pious man from corruption8 ,was it not ,i that spoke the reassuring words1 ,fear not the worm1 ,o ,jacob1 thou dead ,israel8 ,joseph's punishment for this useless precaution was that he was the first of the sons of ,jacob to suffer death4#dab ,the ,egyptians1 on the other hand1 who devoted forty days to embalming the corpse and preparing it for burial1 were rewarded for the veneration they showed4 ,before ,he destroyed their city1 ,god gave the ,ninevites a forty days' respite on account of their king1 who was the ,pharaoh of ,egypt4 ,and for the three score and ten days of mourning that the heathen made for ,jacob1 they were recompensed at the time of ,ahasuerus4 ,during seventy days1 from the thirteenth of ,nisan1 the date of ,haman's edict ordering the extermination of the ,jews1 until the twenty-third of ,siwan1 when ,mordecai recalled it1 they were permitted to enjoy absolute power over the ,jews4 ,when all preparations for the burial of ,jacob had been completed1 ,joseph asked permission of ,pharaoh to carry the body up into ,canaan4 ,but he did not himself go to put his petition before ,pharaoh1 for he could not well appear before the king in the garb of a mourner1 nor was he willing to interrupt his lamentation over his father for even a brief space and stand before ,pharaoh and prefer his petition4 ,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 relations1 lest they advise ,pharaoh not to fulfil his wish4 ,he acted according to the maxim1 ,seek to win over the accuser1 that he cause thee no annoyance4#dac ,joseph applied first to the queen's hairdresser1 and she influenced the queen to favor him1 and then the queen put in a good word for him with the king4#dad ,at first ,pharaoh refused the permission craved by ,joseph1 who1 however1 urged him to consider the solemn oath he had given his dying father1 to bury him in ,canaan4 ,pharaoh desired him to seek absolution from the oath4 ,but ,joseph rejoined1 ,then will ,i apply also for absolution from the oath ,i gave thee1 referring to an incident in his earlier history4 ,the grandees of ,egypt had advised ,pharaoh against appointing ,joseph as viceroy1 and they did not recede from this counsel until ,joseph1 in his conversation with the ,egyptian king1 proved himself to be master of the seventy languages of the world1 the necessary condition to be fulfilled before one could become ruler over ,egypt4 ,but the conversation proved something else1 that ,pharaoh himself was not entitled to ,egyptian kingship1 because he lacked knowledge of ,hebrew4 ,he feared1 if the truth became known1 ,joseph would be raised to his own place1 for he knew ,hebrew beside all the other tongues4 ,in his anxiety and distress1 ,pharaoh made ,joseph swear an oath never to betray the king's ignorance of ,hebrew4 ,now when ,joseph threatened to have himself absolved from this oath as well as the one to his dying father1 great terror overwhelmed him1 and he speedily granted ,joseph permission to go up to ,canaan and bury his father there4#dae ,moreover1 ,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 remains1 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 people4#daf ,the bier was borne by the sons of ,jacob4 ,in obedience to his wish not even their children were allowed to touch it4#dag ,it was fashioned of pure gold1 the border thereof inlaid with onyx stones and bdellium1 and the cover was gold woven work joined to the bier with threads that were held together with hooks of onyx stones and bdellium4 ,joseph placed a large golden crown upon the head of his father1 and a golden sceptre he put in his hand1 arraying him like a living king4 ,the funeral cortege was arranged in this order3 ,first came the valiant men of ,pharaoh and the valiant men of ,joseph1 and then the rest of the inhabitants of ,egypt4 ,all were girt with swords and clothed in coats of mail1 and the trappings of war were upon them4 ,the weepers and mourners walked1 crying and lamenting1 at some distance from the bier1 and the rest of the people went behind it1 while ,joseph and his household followed together after it1 with bare feet and in tears1 and ,joseph's servants were close to him1 each man with his accoutrements and weapons of war4 ,fifty of ,jacob's servants preceded the bier1 strewing myrrh upon the road in passing1 and all manner of perfumes1 so that the sons of ,jacob trod upon the aromatic spices as they carried the body forward4 ,thus the procession moved on until it reached ,canaan4 ,it halted at the threshing-floor of ,atad1 and there they lamented with a very great and sore lamentation4#dah ,but the greatest honor conferred upon ,jacob was the presence of the ,shekinah1 who accompanied the cortege4#dai ,the ,canaanites had no intention at first to take part in the mourning made for ,jacob1 but when they saw the honors shown him1 they joined the procession of the ,egyptians1#dbj loosing the girdles of their garments as a sign of grief4#dba ,also the sons of ,esau1 ,ishmael1 and ,keturah appeared1 though their design in coming was to seize the opportunity and make war upon the sons of ,jacob1 but when they saw ,joseph's crown suspended from the bier1 the ,edomite and ,ishmaelite kings and princes followed his example1 and attached theirs to it1 too1 and it was ornamented with thirty-six crowns4 ,nevertheless the conflict was not averted2 it broke out in the end between the sons of ,jacob and ,esau and his followers4 ,when the former were about to lower the body of their father into the ,cave of ,machpelah1 ,esau attempted to prevent it1 saying that ,jacob had used his allotted portion of the tomb for ,leah1 and the only space left for a grave belonged to himself4 ,for1 continued ,esau1 though ,i sold my birthright unto ,jacob1 ,i yet have a portion in the tomb as a son of ,isaac4 ,the sons of ,jacob1 however1 were well aware of the fact that their father had acquired ,esau's share in the ,cave1 and they even knew that a bill of sale existed1 but ,esau1 assuming properly that the document was left behind in ,egypt1 denied that any such had ever been made out1 and the sons of ,jacob sent ,naphtali1 the fleet runner1 back to ,egypt to fetch the bill4 ,meantime1 while this altercation was going on between ,esau and the others1 ,hushim the son of ,dan arose and inquired in astonishment why they did not proceed with the burial of ,jacob1 for he was deaf and had not understood the words that had passed between the disputants4 ,when he heard what it was all about1 and that the ceremonies were interrupted until ,naphtali should return from ,egypt with the bill of sale1 he exclaimed1 with indignation1 ,my grandfather shall lie here unburied until ,naphtali comes back6 and he seized a club and dealt ,esau a vigorous blow1 so that he died1 and his eyes fell out of their sockets and dropped upon ,jacob's knees1 and ,jacob opened his own eyes and smiled4 ,esau being dead1 his brother's burial could proceed without hindrance1 and ,joseph interred him in the ,cave of ,machpelah in accordance with his wish4 ,his other children had left all arrangements connected with the burial of their father's body to their brother ,joseph1 for they reflected that it was a greater honor for ,jacob if a king concerned himself about his remains rather than simple private individuals4#dbb ,the head of ,esau1 as he lay slain by the side of ,jacob's grave1 rolled down into the ,cave1 and fell into the lap of ,isaac1 who prayed to ,god to have mercy upon his son1 but his supplications were in vain4 ,god spoke1 saying1 ,as ,i live1 he shall not behold the majesty of the ,lord4#dbc ,,the ,,sons ,,of ,,jacob ,,at ,,war ,,with ,,the ,,sons ,,of ,,esau ,jacob having been interred with royal pomp1 and the seven days' period of mourning over1 the conflict between the sons of ,jacob and the sons of ,esau broke out anew4 ,in the skirmish that had ensued when ,esau advanced a claim upon a place in the ,cave of ,machpelah1 while his brother's remains still lay unburied1 he lost forty of his men1 and after his death fortune favored his sons as little4 ,eighty of their followers were slain1 while of the sons of ,jacob not one was lost4 ,joseph succeeded in capturing ,zepho the son of ,eliphaz and fifty of his men1 and he clapped them in chains and carried them off to ,egypt4 ,thereupon the rest of the attacking army led by ,eliphaz fled to ,mount ,seir1 taking with them the headless corpse of ,esau1 to bury it in his own territory4 ,the sons of ,jacob pursued after them1 but they slew none1 out of respect for the remains of ,esau4 ,on the third day a great army gathered together1 consisting of the inhabitants of ,seir and the children of the ,east1 and they marched down into ,egypt with the purpose of making war upon ,joseph and his brethren4 ,in the battle that came off1 this army was almost totally destroyed1 not less than six hundred thousand men were mowed down by ,joseph and his warriors1 and the small remnant fled precipitately4 ,returned to their own country after this fatal campaign1 the sons of ,esau and the sons of ,seir fell to quarrelling among themselves1 and the sons of ,seir demanded that their former allies leave the place1 because it was they that had brought misfortune upon the country4 ,the sons of ,esau thereupon dispatched a messenger in secret to their friend ,agnias1 king of ,africa1 begging his aid against the sons of ,seir4 ,he granted their request1 and sent them troops consisting of foot-soldiers and mounted men4 ,the sons of ,seir1 on their part1 also sought allies1 and they secured the help of the children of the ,east1 and of the ,midianites1 who put warriors at their disposal4 ,in the encounters that ensued between the hostile forces1 the sons of ,esau were defeated again and again1 partly on account of treachery in their own ranks1 for their men sometimes deserted to the enemy while the combat was on4 ,at last1 however1 in the battle that took place in the desert of ,paran1 the sons of ,esau gained a decisive victory4 ,they massacred all the warriors of the sons of ,seir1 and the ,midianites and the children of the ,east were put to flight4 ,thereafter the sons of ,esau returned to ,seir1 and they slew all the inhabitants of the place1 men1 women1 and children1 sparing only fifty lads and maidens4 ,the former they used as slaves1 and the latter they took to wife4 ,they also enriched themselves with the spoils1 seizing all the possessions of the sons of ,seir1 and the whole land was divided among the five sons of ,esau4 ,now these descendants of ,esau determined to put a king over themselves1 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 people4 ,their choice fell upon ,bela1 the son of ,beor1 one of the warriors sent to them by ,king ,agnias4 ,his peer could not be found among the allied troops for bravery1 wisdom1 and handsome appearance4 ,they set the royal crown upon his head1 built a palace for him1 and gave him gifts of silver1 gold1 and gems1 until he lived in great opulence4 ,he reigned happily for thirty years1 and met his death then in a war against ,joseph and his brethren4 ,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 people4 ,having enlisted the aid of ,agnias1 and of the ,ishmaelites and other nations of the ,east1 they set forth on a second campaign against ,egypt1 in the hope of delivering ,zepho and his followers from the hands of ,joseph4 ,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 men4 ,beside their king ,bela1 they left one-fourth of their army upon the field4 ,the loss of their king discouraged them grievously1 and they took to flight1 hard pressed by ,joseph1 who cut down many of the fugitives4 ,when he returned from the battle1 ,joseph ordered manacles and fetters to be put upon ,zepho and his followers1 and their captivity was made more bitter unto them than it had been before4 ,the sons of ,esau appointed ,jobab of ,bozrah to succeed their dead king ,bela4 ,his reign lasted ten years1 but they desisted from all further attempts at waging war with the sons of ,jacob4 ,their last experience with them had been too painful1 but the enmity they cherished against them was all the fiercer1 and their hatred never abated4 ,their third king was ,husham1 and he ruled over them for twenty years4 ,during his reign ,zepho succeeded in making good his escape from ,egypt4 ,he was received kindly by ,agnias1 king of ,africa1 and appointed commander-in-chief of his troops4 ,he used every means of persuasion to induce his sovereign lord to enter into a war with ,egypt1 but in vain1 for ,agnias was only too well acquainted with the strength and heroism of the sons of ,jacob4 ,for many years he resisted ,zepho's arguments and blandishments4 ,indeed1 as it was1 ,agnias had his hands full with other warlike enterprises4 ,it had happened about this time that a man of the land of ,kittim1 ',uzi by name1 whom his countrymen venerated as a god1 died in the city of ,pozimana1 and he left behind a fair and clever daughter4 ,agnias heard of ,yaniah's beauty and wisdom1 and he sued for her hand1 and his request was granted him by the people of ,kittim4 ,the messengers of ,agnias were hastening away from ,kittim1 bearing to their master the promise of the inhabitants that ,yaniah should become his wife1 when ,turnus1 king of ,benevento1 arrived on the same errand4 ,his suit was rejected1 for the people of ,kittim were afraid-to break the promise given to ,agnias4 ,in his anger1 ,turnus went to ,sardinia to make war upon ,king ,lucus1 a brother of ,agnias1 intending to deal with the latter as soon as the other was rendered harmless4 ,hearing of the design hatched by ,turnus1 ,agnias hastened to ,sardinia to the assistance of his brother1 and a battle took place in the ,valley of ,campania4 ,against ,turnus were arrayed ,agnias1 his brother ,lucus1 and the son of the latter1 ,niblos1 whom his father had appointed commander-in-chief of the ,sardinian troops4 ,in the first encounter1 ,turnus was the victor1 and the ,sardinians lost their general ,niblos4 ,but in the second engagement the army of ,turnus was routed completely1 and he himself was left dead on the field4 ,his army fled1 pursued closely by ,agnias as far as the cross-road between ,rome and ,albano4 ,niblos' body was put inside of a golden statue1 and his father erected a high tower over his grave1 and another over the grave of ,turnus1 and these two buildings1 connected by a marble pavement1 stand opposite to each other1 on the cross-road at which ,agnias left off from following after the fugitive army4 ,the king of ,africa went on to the city of ,benevento1 but he took no harsh measures against it and its inhabitants1 because it belonged to the land of ,kittim at that time4 ,thenceforth1 however1 bands of soldiers from ,africa made incursions1 now and again1 into the land of ,kittim1 under the lead of ,zepho1 the captain of the ,african army4 ,agnias meantime went to ,pozimana1 to solemnize his marriage with ,yaniah1 and he returned with her to his capital in ,africa4#dbd ,,zepho ,,king ,,of ,,kittim ,all this time ,zepho did not leave off urging ,agnias to invade ,egypt1 and he succeeded finally in persuading the king to consider his wish1 and a great army was equipped against ,egypt and the sons of ,jacob4 ,among the shield- bearers was ,balaam1 the fifteen year old son of ,beor1 a wise youth and an adept in magic1 and the king bade him acquaint him with the issue of the war upon which they were entering4 ,balaam took wax and moulded the figures of men1 to represent the army of ,agnias and the army of the ,egyptians1 and he plunged them into magic water and let them swim1 and it appeared that the ,african army was subdued by the ,egyptians4 ,agnias accordingly gave up the campaign1 and ,zepho1 seeing that his sovereign could not be persuaded into war with the sons of ,jacob1 fled the country and betook himself to ,kittim4 ,the people of ,kittim received him with great honors1 and they offered him much money to stay with them and conduct their wars4 ,it happened once while ,zepho was in the mountains of ,koptiziah1 where the inhabitants of ,kittim had taken refuge before the troops of the ,african king1 that he had to go on a search for an ox that had strayed away1 and he discovered a cave the opening of which was barred by a great stone4 ,he shivered the stone in pieces1 and entering the cave he saw an animal formed like a man above and a he-goat below1 and he killed the strange beast1 which was in the very act of devouring his lost ox4 ,there was great rejoicing among the people of ,kittim1 for the monster had long been doing havoc among their cattle1 and in gratitude they set aside one day of the year1 which they called by ,zepho's name1 in honor of their liberator1 and all the people brought him presents and offered sacrifices to him4 ,at this time it came to pass that ,yaniah1 the wife of ,king ,agnias1 fell into a grievous sickness1 and the physicians ascribed her illness to the climate1 and to the water of ,africa1 to which she1 a native of the land of ,kittim1 could not get accustomed1 because she had been in the habit of using the water of the river ,forma1 which her forefathers had drawn to her house through a conduit4 ,agnias sent to the land of ,kittim and had some of the water of the ,forma brought to ,africa4 ,finding it much lighter than the water of his own country1 he built a huge canal from the land of ,kittim4 to ,africa1 and the queen henceforth had all the ,forma water she needed4 ,besides1 he took earth and stone from ,kittim1 and built a palace for ,yaniah1 and she recovered from her illness4 ,meantime ,zepho had won a decisive victory over the ,african troops that had made an incursion into the land of ,kittim1 and the people chose him as king4 ,his first undertaking was a campaign against the sons of ,tubal and the ,islands of the ,sea1 and again he was successful1 he subdued them completely4 ,on his return1 the people built a great palace for ,zepho1 and they renewed his kingship1 and he continued until his death to reign as king of ,kittim and of ,italy4 ,during the first thirteen years of his reign1 the ,africans made no attempt to disturb the peace of ,kittim1 but then they invaded the land1 only to be severely repulsed by ,zepho1 who pursued the troops up to the very borders of ,africa1 and ,agnias the king was in such consternation that he did not venture to make reprisals for some time4 ,when he finally made a second attempt1 his troops were annihilated by ,zepho down to the very last man4 ,now ,agnias1 in despair1 assembled all the inhabitants of ,africa1 as numerous as the sand on the sea-shore1 and he united his great host with the army of his brother ,lucus1 and thus he made his third attempt upon ,zepho and the people of the land of ,kittim4 ,alarmed1 ,zepho wrote to his brethren in ,seir1 and entreated their king ,hadad to send him aid4 ,but the people of ,seir had concluded an alliance with ,agnias as far back as under their first king ,bela1 and they refused ,zepho's request1 and the king of ,kittim had to face the host of eight hundred thousand men mustered by ,agnias with his little band of three thousand4 ,then the people of ,kittim spake to their king ,zepho1 saying3 ,pray for us unto the ,god of thy ancestors4 ,peradventure ,he may deliver us from the hand of ,agnias and his army1 for we have heard that ,he is a great ,god1 and ,he delivers all that trust in ,him4 ,zepho prayed unto the ,lord1 saying3 ,o ,lord1 ,god of ,abraham and ,isaac1 my fathers1 this day may it be made known that ,thou art a true ,god1 and all the gods of the nations are vain and useless4 ,remember now this day unto me ,thy covenant with ,abraham our father1 which our ancestors related unto us1 and do graciously with me this day for the sake of ,abraham and ,isaac1 our fathers1 and save me and the sons of ,kittim from the hand of the king of ,africa1 who hath come against us for battle4 ,god gave ear unto ,zepho's prayer1 and in the first day's battle one-half of the ,african army fell4 ,agnias forthwith dispatched a decree to his country1 ordering1 on penalty of death and confiscation of property1 that all the males of the land1 including boys that bad passed their tenth year1 were to join the army and fight against the people of ,kittim4 ,in spite of these new accessions1 three hundred thousand strong1 ,agnias was beaten again by ,zepho in the second battle4 ,the ,african general ,sosipater having fallen slain1 the troops broke into flight1 at their head ,agnias with ,lucus the brother and ,asdrubal the son of ,agnias4 ,after this dire defeat the ,africans made no further attempt to disturb the peace of ,kittim1 and their incursions ceased forever4 ,in spite of the great victory that ,zepho had won with the help of ,god1 the king of ,kittim walked in the idolatrous ways of the people whom he ruled1 and in the ways of the sons of ,esau1 for1 as saith the proverb of the ancients1 ,out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness1 and ,zepho was not other than the rest of the sons of ,esau4 ,the severe defeat inflicted upon ,agnias drove ,balaam from ,africa to ,kittim1 and he was received with great honors by ,zepho1 who welcomed him on account of his deep wisdom4 ,now ,zepho thought the time had arrived for him to carry out his plan of vengeance against the posterity of ,jacob1 all the more as in the meantime ,joseph had died1 and also his brethren and the valiant men of ,pharaoh had passed away4 ,he was joined in the enterprise by ,hadad1 the king of ,edom1 and by the nations of the ,east and the ,ishmaelites4 ,the allied army was so vast that the space it covered as it stood in rank and file was equal to a three days' journey4 ,it formed in battle array in the ,valley of ,pathros1 and it was met by three hundred thousand ,egyptians and one hundred and fifty ,israelites from ,goshen4 ,but the ,egyptians did not trust the ,israelites1 they feared their defection to the sons of ,esau and ,ishmael4 ,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 ,zepho1 who had a high opinion of ,balaam's ability1 desired him to use his magic arts and find out what would be the outcome of the war1 but ,balaam's knowledge failed him1 he could not satisfy the king's wish4 ,the ,egyptians got the worst of the first encounter between the two hostile armies1 but the aspect of things changed as soon as they summoned the ,israelites to aid them4 ,the ,israelites prayed to ,god to support them with ,his help1 and the ,lord heard their prayer4 ,then they threw themselves upon ,zepho and his allies1 and after they had cut down several thousand men1 such dismay and confusion took hold of the enemy that they fled hastily1 pursued by the ,israelites as far as the boundary of the country4 ,the ,egyptians1 instead of coming to the assistance of the ,israelites1 had taken to flight1 leaving the small band of their allies to dispose of the huge host of their adversaries4 ,embittered by such treatment1 the ,israelites slew as many as two hundred ,egyptians1 under the pretext that they thought they belonged to the enemy4#dbe ,,the ,,nations ,,at ,,war ,hadad1 the king of ,edom1 who had failed to gain fame and honor in the ,egyptian campaign1 was favored by fortune in another war1 a war against ,moab4 ,the ,moabites shrank from meeting ,hadad alone1 and they made an alliance with the ,midianites4 ,in the thick of the fight the ,moabites fled from the field of battle1 leaving the ,midianites to their fate1 and these deserted allies of theirs were cut down to a man by ,hadad and his ,edomites4 ,the ,moabites saved their skins1 and suffered only the inconvenience of having to pay tribute4 ,to avenge the faithlessness practiced against them1 the ,midianites1 supported by their kinsmen1 the sons of ,keturah1 gathered a mighty army1 and attacked the ,moabites the following year4 ,but ,hadad came to their assistance1 and again he inflicted a severe defeat upon the ,midianites1 who had to give up their plan of revenge against ,moab4 ,this is the beginning of the inveterate enmity between the ,moabites and the ,midianites4 ,if a single ,moabite is caught in the land of ,midian1 he is killed without mercy1 and a ,midianite in ,moab fares no better4 ,after the death of ,hadad1 the ,edomites installed ,samlah of ,masrekah as their king1 and he reigned eighteen years4 ,it was his desire to take up the cause of ,agnias1 the old ally of the ,edomites1 and chastise ,zepho for having gone to war with him1 but his people1 the ,edomites1 would not permit him to undertake aught that was inimical to their kinsman1 and ,samlah had to abandon the plan4 ,in the fourteenth year of ,samlah's reign1 ,zepho died1 having been king of ,kittim for fifty years4 ,his successor was ,janus1 one of the people of ,kittim1 who enjoyed an equally long reign4 ,balaam had made his escape to ,egypt after the death of ,zepho1 and he was received there with great demonstrations of honor by the king and all the nobles1 and ,pharaoh appointed him to be royal counsellor1 for he had heard much about his exceeding great wisdom4 ,in the ,edomite kingdom1 ,samlah was succeeded by ,saul of ,pethor1 a youth of surpassing beauty1 whose reign lasted forty years4 ,his successor upon the throne was ,baal ,hamon1 king for thirty-eight years1 during which period the ,moabites rose up against the ,edomites1 to whom they had been paying tribute since the time of ,hadad1 and they succeeded in throwing off the yoke of the stranger4 ,the times were troubled everywhere4 ,agnias1 the king of ,africa1 died1 and also the death of ,janus occurred1 the king of ,kittim4 ,the successors to these two rulers1 ,asdrubal1 the son of ,agnias1 and ,latinus1 the king of ,kittim1 then entered upon a long drawn out war of many years4 ,at first the fortune of war favored ,latinus4 ,he sailed to ,africa in ships1 and inflicted one defeat after another upon ,asdrubal1 and finally this king of ,africa lost his life upon the battlefield4 ,after destroying the canal from ,kittim to ,africa built many years before by ,agnias1 ,latinus returned to his own country1 taking with him as his wife ,ushpiziwnah1 the daughter of ,asdrubal1 who was so wondrously beautiful that her countrymen wore her likeness upon their garments4 ,latinus did not enjoy the fruits of his victory long4 ,anibal1 the younger brother of ,asdrubal and his successor in the royal power1 went to ,kittim in ships and carried on a series of wars lasting eighteen years1 in the course of which he killed off eighty thousand of the people of ,kittim1 not sparing the princes and the nobles4 ,at the end of this protracted period he went back to ,africa1 and reigned over his people in quiet and peace4 ,the ,edomites1 during the forty-eight years of the reign of ,hadad1 the successor of ,baal ,hamon1 fared no better than the people of ,kittim4 ,hadad's first undertaking was to reduce the ,moabites again under the sovereignty of ,edom1 but he had to desist1 because he could not offer successful resistance to a newly chosen king of theirs1 one of their own people1 who enlisted the aid of their kinsmen the ,ammonites4 ,the allies commanded a great host1 and ,hadad was overwhelmed4 ,these wars were followed by others between ,hadad of ,edom4 and ,abimenos of ,kittim4 ,the latter was the attacking party1 and he invaded ,seir with a mighty army4 ,the sons of ,seir were defeated abjectly1 their king ,hadad was taken captive1 and then executed by ,abimenos1 and ,seir was made a province subject to ,kittim and ruled by a governor4 ,thus ended the independence of the sons of ,esau4 ,henceforth they had to pay tribute to ,kittim1 over which ,abimenos ruled until his death1 in the thirty-eighth year of his reign4#dbf ,,joseph',s ,,magnanimity ,as ,joseph was returning from the burial of his father in the ,cave of ,machpelah1 he passed the pit into which his brethren had once cast him1 and he looked into it1 and said1 ,blessed be ,god who permitted a miracle to come to pass for me here6 ,the brethren inferred from these words of gratitude1 which ,joseph but uttered in compliance with the injunctions of the law1 that he cherished the recollection of the evil they had done him1 and they feared1 that now their father was dead1 their brother would requite them in accordance with their deeds4 ,they observed1 moreover1 that since their father was no more1 ,joseph had given up the habit of entertaining them at his table1 and they interpreted this as a sign of his hatred of them4 ,in reality1 it was due to ,joseph's respect and esteem for his brethren4 ,so long as my father was alive1 ,joseph said to himself1 he bade me sit at the head of the table1 though ,judah is king1 and ,reuben is the first-born4 ,it was my father's wish1 and ,i complied with it4 ,but now it is not seemly that ,i should have the first seat in their presence1 and yet1 being ruler of ,egypt1 ,i cannot yield my place to any other4 ,he thought it best therefore not to have the company of his brethren at his meals4 ,but they1 not fathoming his motives1 sent ,bilhah to him with the dying message of their father1 that he was to forgive the transgression and the sin of his brethren4 ,for the sake of the ways of peace they had invented the message2 ,jacob had said nothing like it4 ,joseph1 on his part1 realized that his brethren spoke thus only because they feared he might do harm unto them1 and he wept that they should put so little trust in his affection4 ,when they appeared1 and fell down before his face1 and said1 ,thou didst desire to make one of us a slave unto thyself4 ,behold1 we all are ready to be thy servants1 he spoke to them gently1 and tried to convince them that he harbored no evil design against them4 ,he said3 ,be not afraid1 ,i will do you no harm1 for ,i fear ,god1 and if ye think ,i failed to have you sit at my table because of enmity toward you1 ,god knows the intentions of my heart1 ,he knows that ,i acted thus out of consideration for the respect ,i owe to you4#dbg ,furthermore he said3 ,ye are like unto the dust of the earth1 the sand on the sea-shore1 and the stars in the heavens4 ,can ,i do aught to put these out of the world8 ,ten stars could effect nothing against one star1 how much less can one star effect anything against ten8 ,do you believe that ,i have the power of acting contrary to the laws of nature8 ,twelve hours hath the day1 twelve hours the night1 twelve months the year1 twelve constellations are in the heavens1 and also there are twelve tribes6 ,you are the trunk and ,i am the head--of what use the head without the trunk8 ,it is to my own good that ,i should treat you with fraternal affection4 ,before your advent1 ,i was looked upon as a slave in this country--you proved me a man of noble birth4 ,now1 if ,i should kill you1 my claims upon an aristocratic lineage would be shown to be a lie4 ,the ,egyptians would say1 ,he was not their brother1 they were strangers to him1 he but called them his brethren to serve his purpose1 and now he hath found a pretext to put them out of the way4 ,or they would hold me to be a man of no probity4 ,who plays false with his own kith and kin1 how can he keep faith with others8 ,and1 in sooth1 how can ,i venture to lay hand upon those whom ,god and my father both have blessed8#dbh ,as ,joseph's dealings were kind and gentle with his brethren1 so he was the helper and counsellor of the ,egyptians1 and when ,pharaoh departed this life1 ,joseph being then a man of seventy-one years of age1 the king's last wish was that he might be a father unto his son and successor ,magron1 and administer the affairs of state for him4 ,some of the ,egyptians desired to make ,joseph king after the death of ,pharaoh1 but this plan met with opposition on the part of others4 ,they objected to an alien on the throne1 and so the royal title was left to ,magron1 called ,pharaoh1 according to the established custom the name given to all the ,egyptian kings4 ,but ,joseph was made the actual ruler of the land1 and though he was only viceroy in ,egypt1 he reigned as king over the lands outside of ,egypt as far as the ,euphrates1 parts of which ,joseph had acquired by conquest4 ,the inhabitants of these countries brought their yearly tribute to him and other presents besides1 and thus did ,joseph rule for forty years1 beloved of all1 and respected by the ,egyptians and the other nations1 and during all that time his brethren dwelt in ,goshen1 happy and blithe in the service of ,god4 ,and in his own family circle ,joseph was happy also2 he lived to act as godfather at the circumcision of the sons of his grandson ,machir4 ,his end was premature as compared with that of his brethren2 at his death he was younger than any of them at their death4 ,it is true1 ,dominion buries him that exercises it4#dbi ,he died ten years before his allotted time1 because1 without taking umbrage1 he had permitted his brethren to call his father his servant in his presence4#dcj ,,asenath ,god gives every man the wife he deserves1#dca and so ,asenath was worthy of being the helpmeet of ,joseph the pious4 ,her father was ,potiphar1 one of ,pharaoh's magnates1 ranking among the most distinguished of them by reason of wisdom1 wealth1 and station4 ,his daughter was slender like unto ,sarah1 beautiful like ,rebekah1 and radiant in appearance like ,rachel4 ,noblemen and princes sued for her hand when she was eighteen years of age4 ,even ,pharaoh's appointed successor1 his first-born son1 demanded her in marriage1 but his father refused to comply with his wish1 because he did not consider her a proper wife for one destined to sit upon the throne4 ,the daughter of the ,moabite king1 he insisted1 was a more suitable match for him4 ,but ,asenath rejected every proposal of marriage1 and avoided all intercourse with men4 ,with seven maidens born the same day as herself1 she lived in retirement in a magnificent palace adjoining that of her parents4 ,it happened in the first of the seven years of plenty that ,joseph planned to visit the place in which ,potiphar resided1 and he sent word to him that he would put up with him1 at his house4 ,potiphar was enchanted with the honor in prospect for him1 and also with the opportunity it would afford him of bringing about a marriage between ,asenath and ,joseph4 ,but when he disclosed his plan to his daughter1 she rejected it with indignation4 ,why shouldst thou desire to see me united with a vagabond1 a slave1 she cried out1 one that does not even belong to our nation1 but is the son of a ,canaanitish herdsman1 a fellow that attempted to violate the honor of his mistress1 and in punishment for this misdemeanor was thrown into prison1 to be liberated thence by ,pharaoh for interpreting his dream8 ,nay1 father1 never will ,i become his wife4 ,i am willing to marry the son of ,pharaoh1 the future ruler and king of ,egypt4 ,potiphar promised his daughter not to speak of the plan again4 ,at that moment ,joseph's arrival was announced1 and ,asenath left the presence of her parents and withdrew to her own apartments4 ,standing by the window1 she saw ,joseph pass1 and she was so transported with his divine beauty and his indescribably noble carriage that she burst into tears1 and said3 ,poor1 foolish me1 what shall ,i do8 ,i permitted myself to be misled by friends1 who told me that ,joseph was the son of a ,canaanitish shepherd4 ,now ,i behold the splendor that emanates from him like unto the splendor of the sun1 illuminating our house with his rays4 ,in my audacity and folly ,i had looked down upon him1 and had spoken absurd nonsense against him4 ,i knew not that he was a son of ,god1 as he must be1 for among men such beauty as his does not exist4 ,i pray ,thee1 ,o ,god of ,joseph1 grant me pardon6 ,it was my ignorance that made me speak like a fool4 ,if my father will give me in marriage to ,joseph1 ,i will be his forever4 ,meantime ,joseph had taken his seat at ,potiphar's table1 and he observed a maiden looking at him from one of the palace windows4 ,he commanded that she be ordered away1 for he never permitted women to gaze at him or come near to him4 ,his supernatural beauty always fascinated the noble ,egyptian ladies1 and they were untiring in the efforts they made to approach him4 ,but their attempts were vain4 ,he cherished the words of his father ,jacob1 who had admonished his son to keep aloof from the women of the ,gentiles4 ,potiphar explained to ,joseph that the maiden at the window was his virgin daughter1 who never permitted men to abide near her2 he was the first man she had ever looked upon4 ,the father continued and made the request of ,joseph1 to allow his daughter to pay him her respects4 ,joseph granted the favor he desired1 and ,asenath appeared and greeted him with the words1 ,peace be with thee1 thou blessed of ,god ,most ,high1 whereunto ,joseph returned the salutation1 ,be thou blessed of the ,lord1 from whom flow all blessings4 ,asenath desired also to kiss ,joseph1 but he warded off the intimate greeting with the words3 ,it is not meet that a ,god-fearing man1 who blesses the living ,god1 and eats the blessed bread of life1 who drinks of the blessed cup of immortality and incorruptibility1 and anoints himself with the fragrant oil of holiness1 should kiss a woman of a strange people1 who blesses dead and unprofitable idols1 and eats the putrid bread of idolatry1 which chokes the soul of man1 who drinks the libations of deceit1 and anoints herself with the oil of destruction4 ,these words uttered by ,joseph touched ,asenath unto tears4 ,out of compassion with her1 he bestowed his blessing upon her1 calling upon ,god to pour out ,his spirit over her and make her to become a member of ,his people and ,his inheritance1 and grant her a portion in the life eternal4 ,,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 jewels1 and put on sackcloth instead1 strewed ashes upon her head1 and supplicated ,god amid tears to grant her pardon for her sins4 ,in this manner she spent seven days and seven nights in her chamber4 ,not even her seven attendants were permitted to enter her presence during the time of her penance4 ,the morning of the eighth day an angel appeared unto her1 and bade her put away her sackcloth and ashes and array herself in state1 for this day she had been born anew1 he said1 to eat the blessed bread of life1 to drink of the cup of life immortal1 and anoint herself with the oil of life eternal4 ,asenath was about to set food and drink before her guest1 when she perceived a honeycomb of wondrous form and fragrance4 ,the angel explained to her that it had been produced by the bees of ,paradise1 to serve as food for the angels and the elect of ,god4 ,he took a small portion of it for himself1 and the rest he put into ,asenath's mouth1 saying3 ,from this day forth thy body shall bloom like the eternal flowers in ,paradise1 thy bones shall wax fat like the cedars thereof1 strength inexhaustible shall be thine1 thy youth shall never fade1 and thy beauty never perish1 and thou shalt be like unto a metropolis surrounded by a wall4 ,at the request of ,asenath1 the angel blessed also her seven attendants1 with the words1 ,may the ,lord bless you and make you to be seven pillars in the ,city of ,refuge4 ,thereupon the angel left her1 and she saw him ascend heavenward in a chariot of fire drawn by four steeds of fire4 ,now she knew that she had not been entertaining a human being1 but an angel4 ,the celestial messenger had scarcely departed1 when a visit from ,joseph was announced1 and she hastened to array and adorn herself for his reception4 ,when she washed her face1 she caught sight of it in the water1 and saw it to be of such beauty as never before1 so great had been the transformation wrought by the angel4 ,when ,joseph came1 he did not recognize her4 ,he asked her who she was1 whereto she replied1 ,i am thy maid-servant ,asenath6 ,i have cast away my idols1 and this day a visitant came to me from heaven4 ,he gave me to eat of the bread of life and to drink of the blessed cup1 and he spake these words unto me1 ',i give thee unto ,joseph as his affianced wife1 that he may be thy affianced husband forever4' ,and furthermore he said1 ',thy name shall not any more be called ,asenath1 but thy name shall be ,city of ,refuge1 whither the nations shall flee for safety4' ,and he added1 ',i go to ,joseph1 to tell him all these things that have reference to thee4' ,now1 my lord1 thou knowest whether the man was with thee and spoke to thee in my behalf4 ,joseph confirmed all she had said1 and they embraced and kissed each other in token of their betrothal1 which they celebrated by a banquet with ,potiphar and his wife4 ,the wedding took place later in the presence of ,pharaoh1 who set a golden crown upon the head of the bridegroom and the bride1 gave them his blessing1 and made a seven days' feast in their honor1 to which he invited the magnates and princes of ,egypt and of other countries4 ,and during the seven days of the wedding festivities the people were prohibited1 under penalty of death1 from doing any manner of work2 they all were to join in the celebration of ,joseph's marriage4 ,,kind ,,and ,,unkind ,,brethren ,on the twenty-first day of the second month in the second of the seven years of famine1 ,jacob came down to ,egypt1 and his daughter-in-law ,asenath visited him4 ,she marvelled not a little at his beauty and strength4 ,his shoulders and his arms were like an angel's1 and his loins like a giant's4 ,jacob gave her his blessing1 and with her husband she returned home1 accompanied by the sons of ,leah1 while the sons of the handmaids1 remembering the evil they had once done unto ,joseph1 kept aloof4 ,levi in particular had conceived a fondness for ,asenath4 ,he was especially close to the ,living ,god1 for he was a prophet and a sage1 his eyes were open1 and he knew how to read the celestial books written by the finger of ,god4 ,he revealed to ,asenath that he had seen her future resting-place in heaven1 and it was built upon a rock and encompassed by a diamond wall4 ,on their journey they met the son of ,pharaoh1 his successor to the throne1 and he was so transported with ,asenath's beauty1 that he made the plan of murdering ,joseph in order to secure possession of his wife4 ,he summoned ,simon and ,levi1 and by blandishments and promises sought to induce them to put ,joseph out of the way4 ,simon was so enraged that he would have felled him at once1 had not his brother ,levi1 who was endowed with the gift of prophecy1 divined his purpose1 and frustrated it by stepping upon his foot1 while whispering3 ,why art thou so angry1 and so wroth with the man8 ,we that fear ,god may not repay evil with evil4 ,turning to the son of ,pharaoh1 he told him that nothing would induce them to execute the wickedness he had proposed2 rather he advised him not to undertake aught against ,joseph1 else he would kill him with the sword that had served him in his slaughter of the inhabitants of ,shechem4 ,the culprit was seized with frantic alarm1 and fell down before ,simon and ,levi to entreat their mercy4 ,levi raised him tip1 saying1 ,fear not1 but abandon thy wicked plan1 and harbor no evil design against ,joseph4 ,nevertheless the son of ,pharaoh did not give up his criminal purpose4 ,he approached the sons of ,bilhah and ,zilpah1 and sought to accomplish through them what had failed with ,simon and ,levi4 ,he called them into his presence1 and told them of a conversation between ,joseph and ,pharaoh that he had overheard4 ,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 handmaids1 because they had been the ones to sell him into slavery4 ,their wrath excited against ,joseph by these words1 the sons of ,bilhah and ,zilpah assented to the proposition of the son of ,pharaoh4 ,it was arranged that the latter should kill ,pharaoh1 the friend of ,joseph1 while they would fall upon their brother1 and put him out of the way4 ,they were furnished with six hundred able warriors and fifty spearmen for the purpose4 ,the first part of the plan1 the murder of ,pharaoh1 failed4 ,the palace guard would not allow even the successor to the throne to enter his father's bedchamber1 and he had to depart without having effected his object4 ,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 journey4 ,thence he could make a successful attack upon her suite1 and gain possession of her4 ,naphtali and ,asher did not care to have anything to do with this hostile enterprise against ,joseph1 but ,dan and ,gad forced them into it1 insisting that all the sons of the handmaids must stand together as men and repel the danger that threatened them4 ,,treachery ,,punished ,from their ambush the forces of the son of ,pharaoh fell upon ,asenath and her six hundred attendants4 ,they succeeded in hewing down the vanguard1 and ,asenath had to take to flight4 ,to her alarm she encountered the son of ,pharaoh with fifty mounted men4 ,benjamin1 seated in the same chariot with her1 came to her rescue1 for in spite of his youth he was exceedingly courageous4 ,he descended from the chariot1 gathered pebbles1 and1 throwing them at the son of ,pharaoh1 struck him on his forehead and inflicted a severe wound4 ,the charioteer aided him by keeping him supplied with pebbles1 which he cast at the fifty riders with such expert skill that he slew forty-eight of them with as many missiles4 ,meantime the sons of ,leah arrived on the spot and came to ,asenath's aid1 for ,levi1 with his prophetic spirit1 had seen what was happening1 and summoning his five brothers he had hastened thither4 ,these six attacked the troops in ambush and cut them down4 ,but the danger to ,asenath was by no means removed4 ,at this moment the sons of the handmaids threw themselves upon her and ,benjamin with drawn swords4 ,it was their intention to kill them both1 and flee to cover in the depths of the woods4 ,but as soon as ,asenath supplicated ,god for aid1 the swords dropped from the hands of her assailants1 and they saw that the ,lord was on the side of ,asenath4 ,they fell at her feet and entreated her grace4 ,she allayed their anxiety with the words3 ,be courageous and have no fear of your brethren1 the sons of ,leah4 ,they are ,god-fearing men4 ,do but keep yourselves in hiding until their wrath is appeased4 ,when the sons of ,leah appeared1 ,asenath fell down before them1 and amid tears she adjured them to spare the sons of the handmaids and not repay with evil the evil they had meditated4 ,simon would not hear of making concessions4 ,he insisted that the measure of their sins was full1 and they must pay for them with their lives1 for they had been the ones that had sold ,joseph into slavery1 and brought down untold misfortune upon ,jacob and his sons4 ,but ,asenath did not leave off1 and her urgent petitions won the day4 ,she succeeded in calming the anger of ,simon1 and in ,levi she had a secret ally1 for this prophet knew the hiding-place of the sons of the handmaids1 and he did not betray it to ,simon1 lest his wrath be increased at the sight of them4 ,it was also ,levi that restrained ,benjamin from giving the death blow to the heavily wounded son of ,pharaoh4 ,so far from permitting harm to be done to him1 he washed his wounds1 put him into a chariot1 and took him to ,pharaoh1 who thanked ,levi from his heart for his services of loving- kindness4 ,levi's efforts were vain1 three days later the son of ,pharaoh died of the wounds inflicted by ,benjamin1 and from grief over the loss of his first-born ,pharaoh followed him soon after1 departing this life at the age of one hundred and seventy-seven years4 ,his crown he left to ,joseph1 who ruled over ,egypt for forty-eight years thereafter4 ,he in turn handed the crown on to the grandchild of ,pharaoh1 an infant in arms at the time of his grandfather's death1 toward whom ,joseph had acted in a father's stead all his life4#dcb ,,the ,,death ,,and ,,burial ,,of ,,joseph ,on his death-bed ,joseph took an oath of his brethren1 and he bade them on their death-bed likewise take an oath of their sons1 to carry his bones to ,palestine1 when ,god should visit them and bring them up out of the land of ,egypt4 ,he said3 ,i that am a ruler could take my father's body up to the ,holy ,land while it was still intact4 ,of you ,i do but make the request that ye carry my bones from hence1 and you may inter them in any spot in ,palestine1 for ,i know that the burial-place of the fathers was appointed to be the tomb only of the three ,patriarchs and their three wives4 ,joseph took the oath1 to carry his remains along with them when they left ,egypt1 from his brethren1 and not from his sons1 to bury him at once in ,palestine1 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 body4 ,they would object that ,joseph had been the viceroy1 and a wish preferred by one of so high an estate could not be denied4#dcc ,furthermore1 he adjured his brethren not to leave ,egypt until a redeemer should appear and announce his message with the words1 ,pakod-- ,i have surely visited you--a tradition which ,joseph had received from his father1 who bad it from ,isaac1 and ,isaac in turn had beard it from ,abraham4#dcd ,and he told them that ,god would redeem ,israel through ,moses as through the ,messiah1 in this world as in the world to come1 and the ,egyptian redemption would begin in ,tishri1 when ,israel would be freed from slave labor1 and would be completed in the following ,nisan1 when they would leave ,egypt4#dce ,joseph also admonished his brethren to walk in the ways of the ,lord1 so that they might become worthy of ,his grace and help4 ,especially he impressed upon his brethren and his sons the virtue of chastity and a steadfast moral life4 ,he told them all that had happened to him1 the hatred of his brethren1 the persecutions of the wife of ,potiphar1 the slander1 envy1 and malice of the ,egyptians1 to show how that those who fear the ,lord are not forsaken by ,him in darkness1 or bondage1 or tribulation1 or distress4 ,i was sold into slavery1 he said1 but the ,lord delivered me2 ,i was thrown into prison1 but ,his strong hand helped me4 ,i was tortured by hunger1 but the ,lord ,himself gave me sustenance4 ,i was alone1 and ,god comforted me4 ,and as for you1 if ye will walk in the ways of chastity and purity in patience and humility of heart1 the ,lord will dwell among you1 for ,he loveth a chaste life1 and if you1 my children1 will observe the commandments of the ,lord1 ,he will raise you up here1 in this world1 and bless you there1 in the world to come4 ,if men seek to do evil unto you1 pray for them1 and you will be delivered from all evil by the ,lord4 ,on account of my forbearing patience ,i received the daughter of my master to wife1 and her dowry was a hundred talents of gold1 and ,god gave me also beauty like the beauty of a flower1 more than all the children of ,jacob1 and ,he preserved me unto mine old age in vigor and beauty1 for in all things did ,i resemble ,jacob4 ,joseph continued and told them the visions he had had1 in which the future of ,israel was revealed to him1 and then he closed with the words3 ,i know that the ,egyptians will oppress you after my death1 but ,god will execute vengeance for your sakes1 and ,he will lead you to the land of promise of your fathers4 ,but ye shall surely carry my bones with you from hence1 for if my remains are taken to ,canaan1 the ,lord will be with you in the light1 and ,behar will be with the ,egyptians in the darkness4 ,also take with you the bones of your mother ,zilpah1 and bury them near the sepulchre of ,bilhah and ,rachel4 ,these words ended1 he stretched out his feet1 and slept his last eternal sleep1 and the whole of ,israel mourned him1 and the whole of ,egypt was in great grief1 for he had been a compassionate friend to the ,egyptians1 too1 and he had done good unto them1 and given them wise counsel and assistance in all their undertakings4#dcf ,joseph's wish1 that his bones should rest in the ,holy ,land1 was fulfilled when the ,israelites went forth from ,egypt1 and no less a personage than ,moses applied himself to its execution4 ,such was ,joseph's reward for the devotion he had displayed in the interment of his father's body1 for he had done all things needful himself1 leaving naught to others4 ,therefore so great a man as ,moses busied himself with the realization of ,joseph's wish4#dcg ,for three days and three nights preceding the exodus ,moses hunted up and down through the land of ,egypt for ,joseph's coffin1 because he knew that ,israel could not leave ,egypt without heeding the oath given to ,joseph4 ,but his trouble was in vain2 the coffin was nowhere to be found4 ,serah1 the daughter of ,asher1 met ,moses1 tired and exhausted1 and in answer to her question about the cause of his weariness1 he told her of his fruitless search4 ,serah took him to the ,nile river1 and told him that the leaden coffin made for ,joseph by the ,egyptians had been sunk there after having been scaled up on all sides4 ,the ,egyptians had done this at the instigation and with the help of the magicians1 who1 knowing that ,israel could not leave the country without the coffin1 had used their arts to put it in a place whence it could not be removed4#dch ,moses now took ,joseph's cup1 and he cut four flat pieces from it1 and engraved a lion on one of them1 an eagle on the second1 a bull on the third1 and a human figure on the fourth4 ,he threw the first1 with the lion1 into the river1 saying at the same time1 ,joseph1 ,joseph1 the hour for the redemption of ,israel hath arrived1 the ,shekinah lingers here only for thy sake1 the clouds of glory await thy coming4 ,if thou wilt show thyself1 well and good2 if not1 then we are clear from our oath4 ,but the coffin did not appear4 ,then ,moses threw the second plate into the water1 that with the figure of the eagle1 repeating the same words1 but again the coffin did not rise from the bed of the ,nile1 and there it remained1 too1 when he threw in the third plate bearing the figure of the bull1 and called upon ,joseph a third time to come forth4 ,but the fourth plate with the human figure and the fourth invocation to ,joseph brought the coffin to the surface of the water4 ,moses seized it1 and in joy he bore it off4#dci ,while ,israel had been busy gathering gold and silver from the ,egyptians1 ,moses had been thinking of nothing but ,joseph's coffin1 and his happiness was great that he had been permitted to fulfil the wish of ,joseph4#ddj ,during the forty years of wandering through the desert1 the coffin was in the midst of ,israel1 as a reward for ,joseph's promise to his brethren1 ,i will nourish you and take care of you4 ,god had said1 ,as thou livest1 for forty years they will take care of thy bones4#dda ,all this time in the desert ,israel carried two shrines with them1 the one the coffin containing the bones of the dead man ,joseph1 the other the ,ark containing the covenant of the ,living ,god4 ,the wayfarers who saw the two receptacles wondered1 and they would ask1 ,how doth the ark of the dead come next to the ark of the ,ever-living8 ,the answer was1 ,the dead man enshrined in the one fulfilled the commandments enshrined in the other4 ,in the latter it is written1 ,i am the ,lord thy ,god1 and he said1 ,am ,i in the place of ,god8 ,here it is written1 ,thou shalt have no other gods before ,my face1 and he said1 ,i fear ,god4 ,here it is written1 ,thou shalt not take the name of the ,lord thy ,god in vain1 and therefore he did not swear by ,god1 but said1 ,by the life of ,pharaoh4 ,here it is written1 ,remember the ,sabbath day1 and he said to the overseer of his palace on ,friday1 ,slay and make ready1 meaning for the ,sabbath4 ,here it is written1 ,honor thy father and thy mother1 and he said1 when his father desired to send him to his brethren1 ,here am ,i1 although he knew it was perilous for him to go4 ,here it is written1 ,thou shalt not kill1 and he refrained from murdering ,potiphar when ,potiphar's wife urged him to do it4 ,here it is written1 ,thou shalt not commit adultery1 and he scorned the adulterous proposals of ,potiphar's wife4 ,here it is written1 ,thou shalt not steal1 and he stole nothing from ,pharaoh1 but gathered up all the money and brought it unto ,pharaoh's house4 ,here it is written1 ,thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor1 and he told his father nothing of what his brethren had done to him1 though what he might have told was the truth4 ,here it is written1 ,thou shalt not covet1 and he did not covet ,potiphar's wife4#ddb ,on their arrival in the ,holy ,land1 the ,israelites buried the bones of ,joseph in ,shechem1 for ,god spake to the tribes1 saying1 ,from ,shechem did ye steal him1 and unto ,shechem1 shall ye return him4#ddc ,god1 who is so solicitous about the dead bodies of the pious1 is even more solicitous about their souls1 which stand before ,him like angels1 and do their service ministering unto ,him4#ddd ,,ii ,,the ,,sons ,,of ,,jacob ,,significant ,,names ,jacob raised all his sons in the fear of ,god1 and taught them the ways of a pious life1 using severity when there was need to make his lessons impressive4 ,he reaped the fruits of his labor1 for all his sons were godly men of stainless character4#a ,the ancestors of the twelve tribes resembled their fathers in piety1 and their acts were no less significant than those of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob4 ,like these three1 they deserve to be called the ,fathers of ,israel4#b ,god made a covenant with them as ,he had made with the three ,patriarchs1 and to this covenant their descendants owe their preservation4#c ,the very names of the tribes point to the redemption of ,israel4 ,reuben is so called1 because ,god sees the affliction of ,his people2 ,simon1 because ,he hears its groaning2 ,levi1 ,he joins ,himself unto ,his people when ,israel suffers2 ,judah1 ,israel will thank ,god for its deliverance2 ,issachar1 it will be rewarded for its suffering with a recompense2 ,zebulon1 ,god will have a dwelling-place in ,israel2 ,benjamin1 ,he swore by ,his right hand to succor ,his people2 ,dan1 ,he will judge the nation that subjugates ,israel2 ,naphtali1 ,he bestowed the ,torah upon ,israel1 and she drops sweetness like the honeycomb2 ,gad1 the ,lord gave manna unto ,israel1 and it was like coriander seed2 ,asher1 all nations will call ,israel happy2 and ,joseph1 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 times4#d ,not only the names of ,jacob's sons are significant1 but the names of their sons as well4 ,thus the names of the sons of ,issachar express the activities of the tribe known for its learning above all the others4 ,the oldest was called ,tola1 worm2 as the silk worm is distinguished for its mouth1 with which it spins1 so also the men of the tribe of ,issachar for the wise words of their mouth4 ,the second is ,puah1 madder plant2 as this plant colors all things1 so the tribe of ,issachar colors the whole world with its teachings4 ,the third is ,jashub1 the returning one1 for through the teachings of ,issachar ,israel will be turned back to its ,heavenly ,father2 and ,shimron1 the fourth1 is the observing one1 to indicate that the tribe of ,issachar observes the ,torah4#e ,the names of the sons of ,gad likewise interpret the history of the tribe4 ,during ,israel's sojourn in ,egypt1 it had strayed from the right path1 but when ,aaron appeared as prophet and monitor1 and called unto the ,israelites to cast away the abominations of their eyes and forsake the idols of ,egypt1 they hearkened unto his words4 ,hence the double name ,ozni and ,ezbon borne by one of the sons of ,gad1 for this tribe hearkened to the word of ,god1 and fulfilled ,his will4 ,the grandsons of ,asher bear the names ,heber and ,malchiel1 because they were the associates of kings1 and their inheritance yielded royal dainties4 ,partly the history of the tribe of ,benjamin can be read in the names of its chiefs4 ,it consisted originally of ten divisions1 descended from ,benjamin's ten sons1 but five of them perished in ,egypt on account of their ungodly ways1 from which no admonition availed to turn them aside4 ,of the five families remaining1 two1 the descendants of ,bela and those of ,ashbel1 had always been ,god-fearing2 the others1 the ,ahiramites1 the ,shephuphamites1 and the ,huphamites1 repented of their sins1 and in accordance with the change in their conduct had been the change in their names4 ,ehi had become ,ahiram1 because the breach with the ,exalted ,one was healed2 ,muppira was called ,shephupham1 because they afflicted themselves in their penance2 and ,huppim was turned into ,hupham1 to indicate that they had cleansed themselves from sin4 ,as a reward for their piety1 the family springing from ,bela was permitted to have two subdivisions1 the ,ardites and the ,naamites4 ,their names point them out as men that know well how the fear of ,god is to be manifested1 whose deeds are exceedingly lovely4 ,naphtali was another tribe of steadfast piety1 and the names of his sons testify thereto3 ,jahzeel1 because the tribesmen raised a partition wall between ,god and the idols1 inasmuch as they trusted in ,god and contemned the idols2 ,guni1 because ,god was their protection2 and ,jezer and ,shillem designate the ,naphtalites as men devoted to ,god with all their hearts4#f ,,reuben',s ,,testament ,two years after the death of ,joseph1 ,reuben fell sick4 ,feeling that his end was nigh1 he called together his sons1 his grandsons1 and his brethren1 to give them his last admonitions from out of the fulness of his experience4 ,he spake3 ,hear1 my brethren1 and do ye1 my children1 give ear unto ,reuben your father in the commands that ,i enjoin upon you4 ,and1 behold1 ,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 addicted1 and wherewith ,i defiled the bed of my father ,jacob4 ,for ,i tell you now that for seven months the ,lord afflicted my loins with a terrible plague1 and if my father ,jacob had not interceded for me1 the ,lord had swept me away4 ,i was twenty years of age when ,i did what was evil before the ,lord1 and for seven months ,i was sick unto death4 ,then ,i did penance for seven years in the innermost depths of my soul4 ,wine and strong drink ,i drank not1 the flesh of animals passed not my lips1 dainties ,i tasted not1 because ,i mourned over my sins1 for they were great4 ,he admonished those gathered around him to beware of the seven tempter spirits1 which are the spirit of fornication1 gluttony1 strife1 love of admiration1 arrogance1 falsehood1 and injustice4 ,he cautioned them especially against unchastity1 saying3 ,pay no heed to the glances of a woman1 and remain not alone with a married woman1 and do not occupy yourselves with the affairs of women4 ,had ,i not seen ,bilhah bathe in a secluded spot1 ,i had not fallen into the great sin ,i committed1 for after my thoughts had once grasped the nakedness of woman1 ,i could not sleep until ,i had accomplished the abominable deed4 ,for when our father ,jacob went to his father ,isaac1 while we sojourned in ,eder1 not far from ,ephrath1 which is ,beth-lehem1 ,bilhah was drunken with wine1 and she lay asleep1 uncovered1 in her bedchamber1 and ,i entered in and saw her nakedness and committed the sin1 and ,i went out again1 leaving her asleep4 ,but an angel of ,god revealed my impious act to my father ,jacob at once4 ,he came back and mourned over me1 and never again did he approach ,bilhah4 ,unto the very last day of his life1 ,i had not the assurance to look my father in the face or to speak to my brethren regarding my disgrace1 and even now my conscience tortures me on account of my sin4 ,nevertheless my father spake words of comfort to me1 and prayed to ,god in my behalf1 that the wrath of the ,lord might depart from me1 as ,he showed me4 ,reuben admonished his children impressively to join themselves to ,levi1 because he will know the law of the ,lord1 he said1 and he will give ordinances for judgment1 and bring sacrifices for all ,israel1 until the consummation of the times1 as the anointed high priest of whom the ,lord spake4 ,after announcing his last will to his sons1 ,reuben departed this life at the age of one hundred and twenty-five years4 ,his body was laid in a coffin until his sons bore it away from ,egypt1 and carried it up to ,hebron1 where they buried it in the ,double ,cave4#g ,,simon',s ,,admonition ,,against ,,envy ,as ,reuben confessed his sin upon his death-bed1 and warned his children and his family to be on their guard against unchastity1 the vice that had brought about his fall1 so ,simon1 when he was about to die1 assembled his sons around him1 and confessed the sin he had committed4 ,he had been guilty of boundless envy of ,joseph1 and he spoke3 ,i was the second son begotten by my father ,jacob1 and my mother ,leah called me ,simon1 because the ,lord had heard her prayer4 ,i waxed strong1 and shrank from no manner of deed1 and ,i was afraid of naught1 for my heart was hard1 and my liver unyielding1 and my bowels without mercy4 ,and in the days of my youth ,i was jealous of ,joseph1 for our father loved him more than all the rest of us1 and ,i resolved to kill him4 ,for the prince of temptation sent the spirit of jealousy to take possession of me1 and it blinded me so that ,i did not consider ,joseph to be my brother1 and ,i spared not even my father ,jacob4 ,but his ,god and the ,god of his fathers sent ,his angel and saved him out of my hands4 ,when ,i went to ,shechem to fetch ointment for the herds1 and ,reuben was in ,dothan1 where all our supplies and stores were kept1 our brother ,judah sold ,joseph to the ,ishmaelites4 ,on his return1 when he heard what had happened1 ,reuben was very sad1 for he had been desirous of saving ,joseph and bringing him back to our father4 ,but as for me1 my wrath was enkindled against ,judah1 that he had let him escape alive4 ,my anger abode with me all of five months4 ,but the ,lord restrained me from using the power of my hands1 for my right hand withered for the length of seven days4 ,then ,i knew that what had happened was for the sake of ,joseph4 ,i repented and prayed to ,god to restore my hand and withhold me henceforth from all sorts of defilement1 envy1 and folly4 ,for two years ,i gave myself up to fasting and the fear of ,god1 for ,i perceived that redemption from jealousy could come only through the fear of ,god4 ,my father1 seeing me downcast1 asked to know the cause of my sadness1 and ,i replied that ,i was suffering with my liver1 but in truth ,i was mourning more than all my brethren1 seeing that ,i had been the cause of ,joseph's sale4 ,and when we went down into ,egypt1 and ,joseph bound me as a spy1 ,i was not grieved1 for ,i knew in my heart that my suffering was just retribution4 ,but ,joseph was good1 the spirit of ,god dwelt within him4 ,compassionate and merciful as he was1 he bore me no resentment for my evil deeds toward him1 but he loved me with the same love he showed the others4 ,he paid due honor to us all1 and gave us gold1 and cattle1 and produce4 ,and now1 my dear children1 do ye love one another1 each one his brother1 with a clean heart1 and remove the spirit of jealousy from the midst of you4 ,like ,reuben1 so also ,simon adjured his sons to beware of unchastity1 for this vice is the mother of all evil4 ,it separates man from ,god1 and abandons him to ,behar4 ,these were the closing words of his exhortation3 ,in the writings of ,enoch ,i saw that your sons would be corrupted through unchastity1 and they would maltreat the sons of ,levi with the sword4 ,but they will not be able to do aught against ,levi1 for the war he will wage is the war of the ,lord1 and he will vanquish all your armies4 ,as a small remnant you will be scattered among ,levi and ,judah1 and none among you will rise to be a judge or a king of our people1 as1 my father ,jacob prophesied in his blessing4 ,having completed his admonitions to his sons1 ,simon passed away and was gathered to his fathers1 at the age of one hundred and twenty years4 ,his sons placed him in a coffin made of imperishable wood1 so that they might carry his bones to ,hebron1 as they did1 in secret1 during the war between the ,egyptians and the ,canaanites4 ,thus did all the tribes during the war2 they took the remains each of its founder from ,egypt to ,hebron4 ,only the bones of ,joseph remained in ,egypt until the ,israelites went out of the land1 for the ,egyptians guarded them in their royal treasure chambers4 ,their magicians had warned them that whenever ,joseph's bones should be removed from ,egypt1 a great darkness would envelop the whole land1 and it would be a dire misfortune for the ,egyptians1 for none would be able to recognize his neighbor even with the light of a lamp4#h ,,the ,,ascension ,,of ,,levi ,when it was disclosed to ,levi that he was about to die1 he gathered all his children around him1 to tell them the story of his life1 and he also prophesied unto them what they would do1 and what would happen to them until the judgment day4 ,he spoke3 ,when we were pasturing the flocks in ,abel-,meholah1 the spirit of understanding of the ,lord came upon me1 and ,i saw all mankind1 how they corrupt their ways1 and that injustice builds up walls for herself1 and impiety sits enthroned upon the towers4 ,and ,i fell to grieving over the generations of men1 and ,i prayed to the ,lord to save me4 ,sleep enshrouded me1 and ,i beheld a tall mountain1 and lo6 the heavens opened1 and an angel of ,god addressed me1 and said3 ',levi1 enter6' ,i entered the first heaven1 and ,i saw a great sea hanging there1 and farther on ,i saw a second heaven1 brighter and more resplendent than the first4 ,i said to the angel1 ',why is this so8' ,and the angel said to me1 ',marvel not at this1 for thou shalt see another heaven1 brilliant beyond compare1 and when thou hast ascended thither1 thou shalt stand near the ,lord1 and thou shalt be ,his minister1 and declare ,his mysteries to men2 and of the ,lord's portion shall be thy life1 and ,he shall be thy field and vineyard and fruits and gold and silver4' ,then the angel explained the uses of the different heavens to me1 and all that happens in each1 and he proclaimed the judgment day4 ,he opened the gates of the third heaven1 where ,i beheld the holy ,temple1 and ,god seated upon the ,throne of ,glory4 ,the ,lord spake to me3 ',levi1 upon thee have ,i bestowed the blessing of the priesthood1 until ,i come and dwell in the midst of ,israel4' ,then the angel carried me back to earth1 and gave me a shield and a sword1 saying1 ',execute vengeance upon ,shechem for ,dinah1 and ,i will be with thee1 for the ,lord hath sent me4' ,i asked the angel what his name was1 and he replied3 ',i am the angel that intercedes for the people of ,israel1 that it may not be destroyed utterly1 for every evil spirit attacks it4' ,when ,i awoke1 ,i betook myself to my father1 and on the way1 near ,gebal1 ,i found a brass shield1 such as ,i had seen in my dream4 ,then ,i advised my father and my brother ,reuben to bid the sons of ,hamor circumcise themselves1 for ,i was quivering with rage on account of the abominable deed they had done4 ,i slew ,shechem first of all1 and then ,simon slew ,hamor1 and all my other brothers came out and destroyed the whole city4 ,our father took this in ill part1 and in his blessing he remembered our conduct4 ,although we did a wrong thing in acting thus against his wishes1 yet ,i recognized it to be the judgment of ,god upon the people of ,shechem on account of their sins1 and ,i said to my father3 ',be not wroth1 my lord1 for ,god will exterminate the ,canaanites through this1 and he will give the land to thee and to thy seed after thee4 ,henceforth ,shechem will be called the city of imbeciles1 for as a fool is mocked at1 so have we made a mockery of them4' ,when we journeyed to ,beth-lehem1 and had been abiding there for seventy days1 another vision was vouchsafed me1 like unto the former4 ,i saw seven men clad in white1 and they spake to me1 saying3 ',rise up1 and array thyself in the priestly garments1 set the crown of righteousness upon thy head1 and put on the ephod of understanding1 and the robe of truth1 and the mitre-plate of faith1 and the mitre of dignity1 and the shoulderpieces of prophecy4' ,and each of the men brought a garment unto me and invested me therewith1 and spake3 ',henceforth be the priest of the ,lord1 thou and thy seed unto eternity4 ,and ye shall eat all that is lovely to look upon1 and the table of the ,lord thy descendants will appropriate for themselves1 and from them will come high priests1 judges1 and scholars1 for all that is holy will be guarded by their mouth4' ,two days after ,i was visited by this dream1 ,judah and ,i repaired to our grandfather ,isaac1 who blessed me in accordance with the words ,i had heard4 ,jacob also had a vision1 and he saw1 too1 that ,i was appointed to be the priest of ,god1 and through me he set apart a tenth of his possessions unto the ,lord4 ,and when we established ourselves in ,hebron1 the residence of ,isaac1 our grandfather taught me the law of the priesthood1 and admonished me to hold myself aloof from unchastity4 ,at the age of twenty-eight years ,i took ,milcah to wife1 and she bore me a son1 and ,i named him ,gershom1 because we were strangers in the land4 ,but ,i perceived he would not be in the first ranks of men4 ,my second son was born unto me in my thirty-fifth year1 and he saw the light of the world at sunrise1 and ,i beheld him in a vision standing among the proud of the assembly1 and therefore ,i gave him the name ,kohath4 ,the third son my wife bore me in the fortieth year of my life1 and ,i called his name ,merari1 because bitter had been her travail in bearing him4 ,my daughter ,jochebed was born in ,egypt1 when ,i was sixty-three years old1 and ,i called her thus because ,i was known honorably among my brethren in those days4 ,and in my ninety- fourth year1 ,amram took ,jochebed to wife1 he that was born on the same day with her4 ,thereupon ,levi admonished his children to walk in the ways of the ,lord1 and fear ,him with all their heart1 and he told them what he had learnt from the writings of ,enoch1 that his descendants would sin against the ,lord in times to come1 and they would suffer the ,divine punishment for their transgression1 and then ,god would raise up a new priest1 unto whom all the words of the ,lord would be revealed4 ,his last words were3 ,and now1 my children1 ye have heard all ,i have to say4 ,choose1 now1 light or darkness1 the law of the ,lord or the works of ,beliar4 ,and his sons made answer1 ,before the ,lord we will walk according to ,his law4 ,then ,levi spake1 ,the ,lord is witness and the angels are witnesses1 ,i am witness and ye are witnesses1 concerning the word of your mouth4 ,and his sons replied1 ,we are witnesses4 ,thus ,levi ceased to admonish his sons4 ,he stretched out his feet1 and was gathered unto his fathers1 at the age of one hundred and thirty-seven years1 a greater age than any of his brethren attained4#i ,,judah ,,warns ,,against ,,greed ,,and ,,unchastity ,the last words addressed by ,judah to his sons were the following3 ,i was the fourth son begotten by my father1 and my mother called me ,judah1 saying1 ',i thank the ,lord that ,he hath given me a fourth son4' ,i was zealous in my youth and obedient to my father in all things4 ,when ,i grew up to manhood1 he blessed me1 saying1 ',thou wilt be king1 and wilt prosper in all thy ways4' ,the ,lord granted me ,his grace in whatever ,i undertook1 in the field and in the house4 ,i could speed as swiftly as the hind1 and overtake it1 and prepare a dish of it for my father4 ,a deer ,i could catch on the run1 and all the animals of the valley4 ,a wild mare ,i could outstrip1 hold it1 and bridle it4 ,a lion ,i slew1 and snatched a kid from its jaws4 ,a bear ,i caught by the paw1 and flung it adown the cliff1 and it lay beneath crushed4 ,i could keep pace with the wild boar1 and overtake it1 and as ,i ran ,i seized it1 and tore it to pieces4 ,a leopard sprang at my dog in ,hebron1 and ,i grasped its tail1 and hurled it away from me1 and its body burst on the coast at ,gaza4 ,a wild steer ,i found grazing in the field4 ,i took it by its horns1 swung it round and round until it was stunned1 and then ,i cast it to the ground and killed it4 ,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 family4 ,in all these conflicts he bore a distinguished part1 beyond the achievements of the others4 ,his father ,jacob was free from all anxiety when ,judah was with his brethren in their combats1 because he had had a vision showing him an angel of strength standing at the side of ,judah on all his ways4 ,judah did not conceal his shortcomings1 either4 ,he confessed how drunkenness and passion had betrayed him first into marriage with a ,canaanitish woman1 and then into improper relations with his daughter-in-law ,tamar4 ,he said to his children3 ,do not walk after the desire of your hearts1 and vaunt not the valiant deeds of your youth4 ,this1 too1 is evil in the eyes of the ,lord4 ,for while ,i boasted that the face of a beautiful woman had never allured me in the wars1 and reviled my brother ,reuben for his transgression with ,bilhah1 the spirit of passion and unchastity gained possession of me1 and ,i took ,bath-shua to wife1 and trespassed with ,tamar1 though she was the affianced of my son4 ,first ,i said to ,bath-shua's father1 ',i will take counsel with my father ,jacob1 to know whether ,i should marry thy daughter1' but he was a king1 and he showed me an untold heap of gold accredited to his daughter1 and he adorned her with the magnificence of women1 in gold and pearls1 and he bade her pour the wine at the meal4 ,the wine turned my eyes awry1 and passion darkened my heart4 ,in mad love for her1 ,i violated the command of the ,lord and the will of my father1 and ,i took her to wife4 ,the ,lord gave me a recompense according to the counsel of my heart1 for ,i had no joy in the sons she bore me4 ,and now1 my children1 ,i pray you1 do not intoxicate yourselves with wine1 for wine twists the understanding away from the truth1 and confuses the sight of the eyes4 ,wine led me astray1 so that ,i felt no shame before the throngs of people in the city1 and ,i turned aside and went in to ,tamar in the presence of them1 and committed a great sin4 ,and though a man be a king1 if he leads an unchaste life1 he loses his kingship4 ,i gave ,tamar my staff1 which is the stay of my tribe1 and my girdle-cord1 which is power1 and my signet- diadem1 which is the glory of my kingdom4 ,i did penance for all this1 and unto old age ,i drank no wine1 and ate no flesh1 and knew no sort of pleasure4 ,wine causes the secret things of ,god and man to be revealed unto the stranger4 ,thus did ,i disclose the commands of the ,lord and the mysteries of my father ,jacob to the ,canaanite woman ,bath-shua1 though ,god had forbidden me to betray them4 ,i also enjoin you not to love gold1 and not to look upon the beauty of women1 for through money and through beauty ,i was led astray to ,bath-shua the ,canaanite4 ,i know that my stock will fall into misery through these two things1 for even the wise men among my sons will be changed by them1 and the consequence will be that the kingdom of ,judah will be diminished1 the domain that the ,lord gave me as a reward for my obedient conduct toward my father1 for never did ,i speak in contradiction of him1 but ,i did all things according to his words4 ,and ,isaac1 my father's father1 blessed me with the blessing that ,i should be ruler in ,israel1 and ,i know that the kingdom will arise from me4 ,in the books of ,enoch the just ,i read all the evil that ye will do in the latter days4 ,only beware1 my children1 of unchastity and greed1 for love of gold leads to idolatry1 causing men to call them gods that are none1 and dethroning the reason of man4 ,on account of gold ,i lost my children1 and had ,i not mortified my flesh1 and humbled my soul1 and had not my father ,jacob offered up prayers for me1 ,i had died childless4 ,but the ,god of my fathers1 the merciful and gracious ,one1 saw that ,i had acted unwittingly1 for the ruler of deception had blinded me1 and ,i was ignorant1 being flesh and blood1 and corrupt through sins1 and in the moment when ,i considered myself invincible1 ,i recognized my weakness4 ,then ,judah revealed to his sons1 in clear1 brief words1 the whole history of ,israel until the advent of the ,messiah1 and his final speech was3 ,my children1 observe the whole law of the ,lord2 in it is hope for all that keep ,his ways4 ,i die this day at the age of one hundred and nineteen years before your eyes4 ,none shall bury me in a costly garment1 nor shall ye cut my body to embalm it1 but ye shall carry me to ,hebron4 ,having spoken these words1 ,judah sank into death4#aj ,,issachar',s ,,singleness ,,of ,,heart ,when ,issachar felt his end approach1 he summoned his sons1 and he said to them3 ,hearken1 my children1 unto your father ,issachar1 and listen to the words of him that is beloved of the ,lord4 ,i was born unto ,jacob as his fifth son1 as a reward for the dudaim4 ,reuben brought the dudaim from the field4 ,they were fragrant apples1 which grew in the land of ,haran upon an eminence below a gully4 ,rachel met ,reuben1 and she took the dudaim away from him4 ,the lad wept1 and his cries brought his mother ,leah to his side1 and she addressed ,rachel thus3 ',is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband8 and wouldst thou take away my son's dudaim also8' ,and ,rachel said1 ',see1 ,jacob shall be thine to-night for thy son's dudaim4' ,but ,leah insisted1 ',jacob is mine1 and ,i am the wife of his youth1' whereupon ,rachel1 ',be not boastful and overweening4 ,to me he was betrothed first1 and for my sake he served our father fourteen years4 ,thou art not his wife1 thou wast taken to him by cunning instead of me1 for our father deceived me1 and put me out of the way the night of thy nuptials1 so that ,jacob could not see me4 ,nevertheless1 give me the dudaim1 and thou mayest have ,jacob for a night4' ,then ,leah bore me1 and ,i was called ,issachar1 on account of the reward ,rachel had given to my mother4 ,at that time an angel of the ,lord appeared to ,jacob1 and he spoke3 ',rachel will bear only two sons1 for she rejected the espousal of her husband1 and chose continence6 ,but ,leah bore six sons1 for the ,lord knew that she desired to be with her husband1 not because she was prompted by the evil inclination1 but for the sake of children4 ,rachel's prayer also was fulfilled1 on account of the dudaim1 for although she desired to eat of the apples1 she did not touch them1 but put them in the house of the ,lord1 and gave them to the priest of the ,most ,high that was in those days4 ,when ,i grew up1 my children1 ,i walked in the integrity of my heart1 and ,i became a husbandman1 cultivating the land for my father and my brethren1 and ,i gathered the fruit from the fields in their due time4 ,my father blessed me1 because he saw that ,i walked in singleness of heart4 ,i was not married to a wife until ,i was thirty years old1 for the hard work ,i did consumed my strength1 and ,i had no desire unto woman1 but1 overwhelmed by fatigue1 ,i would sink into sleep4 ,my father was well pleased at all times with my rectitude4 ,if my work was crowned with good results1 ,i brought the firstfruits of my labor to the priest of the ,lord1 the next harvest went to my father1 and then ,i thought of myself4 ,the ,lord doubled the possessions in my hand1 and ,jacob knew that ,god aided me for the sake of my singleness of heart1 for in my sincerity ,i gave of the produce of the land to the poor and the needy4 ,and now hearken unto me1 my children1 and walk in singleness of heart1 for upon it resteth the favor of the ,lord at all times4 ,the simple man longeth not for gold1 he doth not defraud his neighbor1 he hath no desire for meats and dainties of many kinds1 he careth not for sumptuous dress1 he hopeth not for long life1 he waiteth only upon the will of ,god4 ,the spirits of deception have no power over him1 for he looketh not upon the beauty of woman1 lest he defile his understanding with corruption4 ,jealousy cometh not into his thoughts1 envy doth not sear his soul1 and insatiable greed doth not make him look abroad for rich gain4 ,now1 then1 my children1 observe the law of the ,lord1 attain to simplicity1 and walk in singleness of heart1 without meddling with the affairs of others4 ,love the ,lord and love your neighbors1 have pity upon the poor and the feeble1 bow your backs to till the ground1 occupy yourselves with work upon the land1 and bring gifts unto the ,lord in gratitude4 ,for the ,lord hath blessed you with the best of the fruits of the field1 as he hath blessed all the saints from ,abel down to our day4 ,know1 my children1 that in the latter time your sons will abandon the paths of probity1 and will be ruled by greed4 ,they will forsake rectitude and practice craft1 they will depart from the commands of the ,lord and follow after ,beliar1 they will give up husbandry and pursue their evil plans1 they will be scattered among the heathen and serve their enemies4 ,tell this unto your children1 so that1 if they sin1 they may repent speedily1 and return to the ,lord1 for ,he is merciful1 and ,he will take them out to bring them back unto their land4 ,i am one hundred and twenty-two years old1 and ,i can discern no sin in myself4 ,save my wife1 ,i have known no woman4 ,i was guilty of no unchastity through the lifting up of eyes4 ,i drank no wine1 that ,i might not be led astray1 ,i did not covet what belonged to my neighbor1 guile had no place in my heart1 lies did not pass my lips4 ,i sighed along with all that were heavy-laden1 and to the poor ,i gave my bread4 ,i loved the ,lord with all my might1 and mankind ,i also loved4 ,do ye likewise1 my children1 and all the spirits of ,beliar will flee from you1 no deed done by the wicked will have power over you1 and ye will vanquish all the wild beasts1 for ye have with you the ,lord of heaven4 ,and ,issachar bade his children carry him up to ,hebron1 and bury him there by his fathers in the ,cave1 and he stretched out his feet1 and fell into the sleep of eternity1 full of years1 healthy of limb1 and in the possession of all his faculties4#aa ,,zebulon ,,exhorts ,,unto ,,compassion ,when ,zebulon attained the age of one hundred and fourteen years1 which was two years after the death of ,joseph1 he called his sons together1 and admonished them1 in these words1 to lead a life of piety3 ,i am ,zebulon1 a precious gift for my parents1 for when ,i was born1 my father became very rich1 by means of the streaked rods1 in herds of sheep and herds of cattle4 ,i am conscious of no sin in me1 and ,i remember no wrong done by me1 unless it be the unwitting sin committed against ,joseph1 in that ,i did not1 out of consideration for my brethren1 disclose to my father what had happened to his favorite son1 though in secret ,i mourned exceedingly4 ,i feared my brethren1 because they had agreed that he who betrayed the secret should be slain with the sword4 ,when they planned to kill ,joseph1 ,i besought them amid tears not to sin thus4 ,and now1 my children1 hearken unto me4 ,i exhort you to observe the commands of the ,lord1 and have mercy upon your neighbors1 and act compassionately1 not only toward men1 but also toward dumb brutes4 ,for on account of my mercifulness the ,lord blessed me2 all my brethren fell sick at one time or another1 but ,i escaped without any illness4 ,also the sons of my brethren had to endure disease1 and they were nigh unto death for the sake of ,joseph1 because they had no pity in their hearts4 ,but my sons were preserved in perfect health1 as ye well know4 ,and when ,i was in ,canaan1 catching fish at the shores of the sea for my father ,jacob1 many were drowned in the waters of the sea1 but ,i came away unharmed4 ,for ye must know that ,i was the first to build a boat for rowing upon the sea1 and ,i plied along the coasts in it1 and caught fish for my father's household1 until we went down into ,egypt4 ,out of pity ,i would share my haul with the poor stranger1 and if he was sick or well on in years1 ,i would prepare a savory dish for him1 and ,i gave unto each according to his needs1 sympathizing with him in his distress and having pity upon him4 ,therefore the ,lord brought numerous fish to my nets1 for he that gives aught to his neighbor1 receives it back from the ,lord with great increase4 ,for five years ,i fished in the summer1 and in the winter ,i pastured the flocks with my brethren4 ,now1 my children1 have pity and compassion on all men1 that the ,lord may have pity and compassion on you1 for in the measure in which man has mercy with his fellow-men1 ,god has mercy with him4 ,when we came down into ,egypt1 ,joseph did not visit upon us the wrong he had suffered4 ,take him as your model1 and remember not a wrong done unto you1 else unity is rent asunder1 and the bonds of kinship are torn1 and the soul is disquieted4 ,observe the water6 ,if it runs on undivided1 it carries down stone1 wood1 and sand along with it4 ,but if it is divided and flows through many channels1 the earth sucks it up1 and it loses its force4 ,if you separate1 one from the other1 you will be like divided waters4 ,be not cleft into two heads1 for all that the ,lord hath made has but one head4 ,he has given two shoulders unto his creatures1 two hands1 and two feet1 but all these organs obey one head4 ,zebulon ended his exhortation unto unity with an account of the divisions in ,israel1 whereof he had read in the writings of the fathers1 that they would come about in future days1 and bring sore suffering upon ,israel4 ,however1 he spoke encouraging words to his children1 saying3 ,be not grieved over my death1 and do not lose heart at my departure from you1 for ,i shall arise again in the midst of you1 and ,i shall live joyously among the people of my tribe1 those who observe the law of the ,lord4 ,as for the godless1 the ,lord will bring everlasting fire down upon them1 and exterminate them unto all generations4 ,now ,i hasten hence unto my eternal rest with my fathers4 ,but ye1 fear ye the ,lord your ,god with all your might all the days of your life4 ,having made an end of saying these words1 he sank into the sleep of death1 and his sons put him into a coffin1 wherein they carried him up to ,hebron later1 to bury him there next to his fathers4#ab ,,dan',s ,,confession ,when ,dan assembled his family at the last of his life1 he spake3 ,i confess before you this day1 my children1 that ,i had resolved to kill ,joseph1 that good and upright man1 and ,i rejoiced over his sale1 for his father loved him more than he loved the rest of us4 ,the spirit of envy and boastfulness goaded me on1 saying1 ',thou1 too1 art the son of ,jacob1' and one of the spirits of ,behar stirred me up1 saying1 ',take this sword1 and slay ,joseph1 for once he is dead thy father will love thee4' ,it was the spirit of anger that was seeking to persuade me to crush ,joseph1 as a leopard crunches a kid between its teeth4 ,but the ,god of our father ,jacob did not deliver him into my hand1 to let me find him alone1 and ,he did not permit me to execute this impious deed1 that two tribes in ,israel might not be destroyed4 ,and now1 my children1 ,i am about to die1 and ,i tell it unto you in truth1 if you take not heed against the spirit of lies and anger1 and if ye love not truth and generosity1 you will perish4 ,the spirit of anger casts the net of error around its victim1 and it blinds his eyes1 and the spirit of lies warps his mind1 and clouds his vision4 ,evil is anger1 it is the grave of the soul4 ,desist from anger and hate lies1 that the ,lord may dwell among you1 and ,behar flee from your presence4 ,speak the truth each unto his neighbor1 and you will not fall into anger and trouble1 but you will be at peace1 and the ,lord of peace you will have with you1 and no war will vanquish you4 ,i speak thus1 for ,i know that in the latter days you will fall off from ,god1 and you will kindle the wrath of ,levi1 and rise in rebellion against ,judah1 but you will not accomplish aught against them1 for the angel of the ,lord is their guide1 and ,israel will perish through them4 ,and if you turn recreant to the ,lord1 you will execute every kind of evil thing1 and do the abominations of the heathen1 committing unchastity with the wives of the godless1 while the tempter spirits are at work among you4 ,therefore you will be carried away into captivity1 and in the lands of exile you will suffer all the plagues of ,egypt and all the tribulations of the heathen4 ,but when you return to the ,lord1 you will find mercy4 ,he will take you into ,his sanctuary1 and grant you peace4 ,and now1 my children1 fear the ,lord1 and be on your guard against ,satan and his spirits4 ,keep aloof from every evil deed1 cast anger away from you and every sort of lie1 love truth and forbearance1 and what ye have heard from your father1 tell unto your children4 ,avoid all manner of unrighteousness1 cling to the integrity of the law of the ,lord1 and bury me near my fathers4 ,having spoken these words1 he kissed his children1 and fell asleep4#ac ,,naphtali',s ,,dreams ,,of ,,the ,,division ,,of ,,the ,,tribes ,in the hundred and thirty-second year of his life1 ,naphtali invited all his children to a banquet4 ,the next morning when he awoke1 he told them that he was dying1 but they would not believe him4 ,he1 however1 praised the ,lord1 and assured them again that his death was due after the banquet of the day before4 ,then he addressed his last words to his children3 ,i was born of ,bilhah1 and because ,rachel had acted with cunning1 and had given ,jacob ,bilhah instead of herself1 ,i was called ,naphtali4 ,rachel loved me1 for ,i was born upon her knees1 and while ,i was still very young1 she was in the habit of kissing me and saying1 ',o that ,i had a brother unto thee from mine own body1 one in thine image4' ,therefore ,joseph resembled me in all respects1 in accordance with ,rachel's prayer4 ,my mother ,bilhah was a daughter of ,rotheus1 a brother of ,deborah1 ,rebekah's nurse1 and she was born the same day as ,rachel4 ,as for ,rotheus1 he was of the family of ,abraham1 a ,chaldean1 ,god-fearing1 and a free man of noble birth1 and when he was taken captive1 he was bought by ,laban and married to his slave ,aina4 ,she bore ,rotheus a daughter1 and he called her ,zilpah1 after the name of the village in which he was taken captive4 ,his second daughter he called ,bilhah1 saying1 ',my daughter is impetuous1' for hardly was she born when she hastened to suckle4 ,i was fleet of foot like a deer1 and my father ,jacob appointed me to be his messenger1 and in his blessing he called me a hind let loose4 ,as the potter knows the vessel he fashions1 how much it is to hold1 and uses clay accordingly1 so the ,lord makes the body in conformity with the soul1 and to agree with the capacity of the body ,he plans the soul4 ,the one corresponds to the other down to the third of a hair- breadth1 for the whole of creation was made by weight1 and measure1 and rule4 ,and as the potter knows the use of every vessel he fashions1 so the ,lord knows the body of ,his creature1 unto what point it will be steadfast in the good1 and at what point it will fall into evil ways4 ,now1 then1 my children1 let your conduct be well-ordered unto good in the fear of ,god1 do naught that is ill-regulated or untimely1 for though ye tell your eye to hear1 it yet cannot1 and as little can ye do deeds of light while you abide in darkness4 ,furthermore ,naphtali said unto his children3 ,i give you no command concerning my silver1 or my gold1 or any other possession that ,i bequeath to you4 ,and what ,i command you is not a hard matter1 which you cannot do1 but ,i speak unto you concerning an easy thing1 which you can execute4 ,then his sons answered1 and said1 ,speak1 father1 for we are listening to thy words4 ,naphtali continued3 ,i give you no commandment except regarding the fear of ,god1 that you should serve ,him and follow after ,him4 ,then the sons of ,naphtali asked3 ,wherefore does ,he require our service8 and he replied1 saying3 ,he needs no creature1 but all creatures need ,him4 ,nevertheless ,he hath not created the world for naught1 but that men should fear ,him1 and none should do unto his neighbor what he would not have others do unto him4 ,his sons asked again1 ,father1 hast thou observed that we strayed from the ways of the ,lord to the right or to the left8 ,naphtali replied3 ,god is witness1 and so am ,i witness for you1 that it is as you say4 ,but ,i fear regarding future times1 that you may depart from the ways of the ,lord1 and follow after the idols of the stranger1 and walk in the statutes of the heathen peoples1 and join yourselves unto the sons of ,joseph instead of the sons of ,levi and ,judah4 ,the sons of ,naphtali spoke1 ,what reason hast thou for commanding this thing unto us8 ,naphtali3 ,because ,i know that the sons of ,joseph will one day turn recreant to the ,lord1 the ,god of their fathers1 and it is they that will lead the sons of ,israel into sin1 and cause them to be driven away from their inheritance1 their beautiful land1 to a land that is not ours1 even as it was ,joseph that brought the ,egyptian bondage down upon us4 ,i will tell ye1 my children1 the vision ,i had while ,i was yet a shepherd of flocks4 ,i saw my brethren pasturing the herds with me1 and our father approached1 and said3 ',up1 my sons1 each one take what he can in my presence6' ,we answered1 and said to him1 ',what shall we take8 ,we see nothing but the sun1 the moon1 and the stars4' ,then our father said3 ',these shall ye take6' ,levi1 hearing this1 snatched up an ox-goad1 sprang up to the sun1 sat upon him1 and rode4 ,judah did likewise4 ,he jumped up to the moon1 and rode upon her4 ,and the other nine tribes did the same1 each rode upon his star or his planet in the heavens4 ,joseph remained behind alone on the earth1 and our father ,jacob said to him1 ',my son1 why hast thou not done like thy brethren8' ,joseph answered1 ',what right have men born of woman to be in the heavens1 seeing that in the end they must stay on earth8' ,while ,joseph was speaking thus1 a tall steer appeared before him4 ,he had great pinions like the wings of the stork1 and his horns were as long as those of the reem4 ,jacob urged his son1 ',up1 ,joseph1 mount the steer6' ,joseph did as his father bade him1 and ,jacob went his way4 ,for the space of two hours ,joseph displayed himself upon the steer1 sometimes galloping1 sometimes flying1 until he reached ,judah4 ,then ,joseph unfolded the standard in his hand1 and began to rain blows down upon ,judah with it1 and when his brother demanded the reason for this treatment1 he said1 ',because thou hast twelve rods in thine hand1 and ,i have but one4 ,give thine to me1 and peace shall prevail between us6' ,but ,judah refused to do his bidding1 and ,joseph beat him until he dropped ten rods1 and only two remained in his clutch4 ,joseph now invited his brethren to abandon ,judah and follow after him4 ,they all did thus1 except ,benjamin1 who stayed true to ,judah4 ,levi was grieved over the desertion of ,judah1 and he descended from the sun4 ,toward the end of the day a storm broke out1 and it scattered the brethren1 so that no two were together4 ,when ,i gave an account of my vision to my father ,jacob1 he said1 ',it is but a dream1 it can neither help nor harm4' ,a short while thereafter another vision was revealed to me4 ,i saw all of us together with our father at the shores of the sea1 and a ship appeared in the midst of the sea1 and it had neither sailors nor other crew4 ,our father spake1 ',do you see what ,i see8' ,and when we answered that we did1 he commanded us to follow him4 ,he took off his clothes1 and sprang into the sea1 and we sprang after him4 ,levi and ,judah were the first to scale the side of the ship4 ,our father cried after them1 ',see what is written upon the mast1' for there is no ship that does not bear the name of the owner upon the mast4 ,levi and ,judah scrutinized the writing1 and what they read was this1 ',this ship and all the treasures therein belong unto the son of ,barachel4' ,jacob thanked ,god for having blessed him1 not only on land1 but also upon the sea1 and he said to us1 ',stretch forth your hands1 and whatsoever each one seizes shall be his6' ,levi caught hold of the big mast1 ,judah of the second mast1 next to ,levi's1 and the other brethren1 with the exception of ,joseph1 took the oars1 and ,jacob himself seized the two rudders1 wherewith to guide the ship4 ,he bade ,joseph take an oar1 too1 but he refused to do his father's bidding1 and ,jacob gave him one of the rudders4 ,after our father had instructed us each one in what we had to do1 he disappeared1 whereupon ,joseph took possession of the second rudder1 too4 ,all went smoothly for a time1 as long as ,judah and ,joseph acted together in harmony with each other1 and ,judah kept ,joseph informed in what direction to steer4 ,but a quarrel broke out between them1 and ,joseph did not guide the vessel in the way his father had commanded him1 and ,judah attempted to direct him1 and the vessel was wrecked upon a rock4 ,levi and ,judah descended from the masts1 and likewise the other brethren left the ship and escaped to the shore4 ,at this moment ,jacob appeared1 and he found us scattered in all directions1 and we reported to him how ,joseph had caused the vessel to run aground1 because he had refused1 out of jealousy of ,judah and ,levi1 to steer it according to their instructions4 ,then ,jacob asked us to show him the spot where we had lost the ship1 of which only the masts were visible above the water4 ,he emitted a whistle summoning us all1 and he swam out into the water1 and raised the vessel as before4 ,turning to ,joseph1 he spake thus1 ',my son1 never do that again1 never permit jealousy of thy brethren to master thee4 ,nearly it happened that all thy brethren perished because of thee4' ,when ,i told my father what ,i had seen in this vision1 he clasped his hands1 and tears flowed from his eyes1 and be said3 ',my son1 for that the vision was doubled unto thee twice1 ,i am dismayed1 and ,i shudder for my son ,joseph4 ,i loved him more than all of you1 but by reason of his perverseness ye will be carried away into captivity1 and scattered among the nations4 ,thy first and thy second vision had the same meaning1 the vision is one4' ,therefore1 my sons1 ,i command you not to join yourselves unto the sons of ,joseph1 but ye shall join yourselves unto the sons of ,levi and ,judah4 ,i tell you1 too1 that my inheritance shall be of the best of ,palestine1 the middle of the earth4 ,you will eat1 and the delectable gifts of my portion will satisfy you4 ,but ,i warn you not to kick in your prosperity and not to become perverse1 resisting the commands of ,god1 who satisfies you with the best of ,his land1 and not to forget your ,god1 whom your father ,abraham chose when the families of the earth were divided in the days of ,peleg4 ,the ,lord descended with seventy angels1 at their head ,michael1 and he commanded them to teach the seventy languages unto the seventy families of ,noah4 ,the angels did according to the behest of ,god1 and the holy ,hebrew language remained only in the house of ,shem and ,eber1 and in the house of their descendant ,abraham4 ,on this day of teaching languages1 ,michael came to each nation separately1 and told it the message with which ,god had charged him1 saying3 ',i know the rebellion and the confusion ye have enacted against ,god4 ,now1 make choice of him whom you will serve1 and whom will you have as your mediator in heaven8' ,then spake ,nimrod the wicked1 ',in my eyes there is none greater than he that taught me the language of ,cush4' ,the other nations also answered in words like these1 each one designated its angel4 ,but ,abraham said3 ',i choose none other than ,him that spake and the world was4 ,in ,him ,i will have faith1 and my seed forever and ever4' ,thenceforth ,god put every nation in the care of its angel1 but ,abraham and his seed ,he kept for ,himself4 ,therefore ,i adjure you not to go astray and serve other gods beside ,him whom our fathers made choice of4 ,you can perceive somewhat of ,his power in the creation of man4 ,from head to foot is man wonderfully made4 ,with his ears he hears1 with his eyes he sees1 with his brain he comprehends1 with his nose he smells1 with the tubes of his throat he utters sounds1 with his gullet he swallows food1 with his tongue he articulates1 with his mouth he forms words1 with his hands he does his work1 with his heart he meditates1 with his spleen he laughs1 with his liver he waxes angry1 with his stomach he crushes his food1 with his feet he walks1 with his lungs he breathes1 and with his kidneys he makes resolves1 and none of his organs undergoes a change in function1 each performs its own4 ,therefore it behooves man to take to heart who it is that hath created him1 and who hath developed him from a foul-smelling drop in the womb of woman1 who hath brought him to the light of the world1 who hath given sight to his eyes1 and who hath bestowed the power of motion upon his feet1 who maketh him to stand upright1 who hath infused the breath of life into him1 and who hath imparted of ,his own pure spirit unto him4 ,happy the man1 therefore1 that polluteth not the holy spirit of ,god within him by doing evil deeds1 and well for him if he returns it to his ,creator as he received it4 ,after ,naphtali had charged his children thus1 and with many other lessons like these1 he enjoined them to carry his remains to ,hebron1 to be buried there near his fathers4 ,then he ate and drank with rejoicing1 covered his face1 and died1 and his sons did according to all that their father ,naphtali had commanded them4#ad ,,gad',s ,,hatred ,in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life ,gad assembled his sons1 and he spake to them3 ,i am the ninth son of ,jacob1 and ,i was a valiant shepherd of the flocks4 ,i guarded the herds1 and when a lion or any other wild beast approached1 ,i pursued it1 gripped it by the foot1 flung it a stone's throw from me1 and killed it thus4 ,once1 for a space of thirty days1 ,joseph tended the flocks with us1 and when he returned to our father1 he told him that the sons of ,zilpah and ,bilhah slaughtered the best of the herds1 and used the flesh without the knowledge of ,reuben and ,judah4 ,he had seen me snatch a lamb out of the jaws of a bear1 kill the bear1 and slaughter the lamb1 for it was too badly injured to live4 ,i was wroth with ,joseph for his talebearing1 until he was sold into ,egypt4 ,i would neither look upon him nor hear aught about him1 for to our very faces he1 blamed us1 because we had eaten the lamb without seeking the permission of ,judah first4 ,and whatever ,joseph told our father1 he believed4 ,now ,i confess my sin1 that ofttimes ,i longed to kill him1 for ,i hated him from the bottom of my heart1 and on account of his dreams ,i hated him still more1 and ,i desired to destroy him from off the land of the living4 ,but ,judah sold him by stealth to the ,ishmaelites4 ,thus the ,god of our fathers saved him out of our hands1 and ,he did not permit us to commit an abominable outrage in ,israel4 ,hear now1 my children1 the words of truth1 that ye may practice justice and the whole law of the ,most ,high1 and permit yourselves not to be tempted by the spirit of hatred4 ,evil is hatred1 for it is the constant companion of deception1 it always contradicts the truth4 ,a little thing it magnifies into a great thing1 light it takes for darkness1 the sweet it calls bitter1 and it teaches slander1 enkindles anger1 brings on war and violence1 and fills the heart with devilish poison4 ,i tell you my own experience1 my children1 that ye may drive hatred out of your hearts1 and cleave to the love of the ,lord4 ,righteousness banishes hatred1 and humility kills it1 for he that fears to give umbrage to the ,lord1 desires not to do wrong even in his thoughts4 ,this is what ,i recognized at the last1 after ,i had done penance on account of ,joseph1 for true atonement1 pleasing to ,god1 enlightens the eyes1 illumines the soul with knowledge1 and creates a counsel of salvation4 ,my penance came in consequence of a sickness of the liver that ,god inflicted upon me4 ,without the prayers of my father ,jacob1 my spirit would have departed from me1 for through the organ wherewith man transgresses1 he is punished4 ,as my liver had felt no mercy for ,joseph1 unmerciful suffering was caused unto me by my liver4 ,my judgment lasted eleven months1 as long as my enmity toward ,joseph4 ,and now1 my children1 each of you shall love his brother1 and ye shall uproot hatred from your hearts by loving one another in word and deed and the thoughts of the soul4 ,for ,i spake peaceably with ,joseph in the presence of our father1 but when ,i went out from before him1 the spirit of hatred darkened my understanding1 and stirred up my soul to murder him4 ,if you see one that hath more good fortune than you1 do not grieve1 but pray for him1 that his happiness may be perfect1 and if one of the wicked even should grow rich in substance1 like ,esau1 my father's brother1 do not envy him4 ,wait for the end of the ,lord4 ,this also tell unto your children1 that they shall honor ,judah and ,levi1 for from them the ,lord will cause a savior to arise unto ,israel4 ,for ,i know that in the end your children will fall off from ,god1 and they will take part in all wickedness1 malice1 and corruptness1 before the ,lord4 ,after ,gad had rested a little while1 he spake again1 ,my children1 hearken unto your father1 and bury me with my fathers4 ,then he drew up his feet1 and slept in peace4 ,after five years1 his sons carried his remains to ,hebron unto his fathers4#ae ,,asher',s ,,last ,,words ,in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life1 while be was still robust in health1 ,asher summoned his children unto him1 and admonished them to walk in the ways of virtue and the fear of ,god4 ,he spake3 ,hearken1 ye sons of ,asher1 unto your father1 and ,i will show you all that is right before ,god4 ,two ways hath ,god put before the children of men1 and two inclinations hath ,he bestowed upon them1 two kinds of actions and two aims4 ,therefore all things are in twos1 the one opposite to the other4 ,but ye1 my children1 ye shall not be double1 pursuing both goodness and wickedness4 ,ye shall cling only to the ways of goodness1 for the ,lord taketh delight in them1 and men yearn after them4 ,and flee from wickedness1 for thus you will destroy the evil inclination4 ,heed well the commands of the ,lord1 by following truth with a single mind4 ,observe the law of the ,lord1 and have not the same care for wicked things as for good things4 ,rather keep your eyes upon what is truly good1 and guard it through all the commands of the ,lord4 ,the end of man1 when he meets the messengers of ,god and of ,satan1 shows whether he was righteous or unrighteous in his life4 ,if his soul goes out with agitation1 she will be plagued by the evil spirit1 whom she served with her lusts and her evil deeds2 but if she departs tranquilly1 the angel of peace will lead her to life eternal4 ,be not like ,sodom1 my children1 which recognized not the angels of the ,lord1 that ye be not delivered into the hands of your enemies1 and your land be cursed1 and your sanctuary destroyed1 and you be scattered to the four corners of the earth1 and scorned in the confusion like stale water1 until the ,most ,high shall visit the earth1 and break the heads of the dragons in the waters4 ,tell this1 my sons1 unto your children1 that they be not disobedient toward ,god1 for ,i read in the tablets of the heavens that you will be contumacious and act impiously toward ,him1 in that you will have no care for the law of ,god1 but you will heed human laws1 and they are corrupted by reason of man's godlessness4 ,therefore ye will be dispersed abroad like unto ,gad and ,dan1 my brethren1 and you will not know either your land1 or your tribe1 or your tongue4 ,nevertheless the ,lord will gather you in ,his faithfulness1 for the sake of ,his gracious mercy1 and for the sake of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob4 ,and when he had made an end of saying these words1 he commanded them to bury him in ,hebron4 ,and he sank into sweet sleep1 and died4 ,his sons did as he had commanded1 and they carried him up and buried him with his fathers4#af ,,benjamin ,,extols ,,joseph ,benjamin was one hundred and twenty-five years old1 and he called his children to come to him4 ,when they appeared1 he kissed them1 and spake3 ,as ,isaac was born unto ,abraham in his old age1 so was ,i born unto ,jacob when he was stricken in years4 ,therefore ,i was called ,benjamin1 'the son of days4' ,my mother ,rachel died at my birth1 and ,bilhah her slave suckled me4 ,rachel had no children for twelve years after bearing ,joseph4 ,therefore she prayed to ,god1 and fasted twelve days1 and she conceived and bare me4 ,our father loved ,rachel fondly1 and he had longed greatly to have two sons by her4 ,when ,i came down to ,egypt1 and my brother ,joseph recognized me1 he asked me1 ',what said my brethren to my father regarding me8' ,and ,i told him that they had sent ,jacob his coat stained with blood1 and had said1 ',know now whether this be thy son's coat or not4' ,and ,joseph said3 ',this is what happened to me4 ,canaanitish merchantmen stole me away with violence1 and on the way they wanted to hide my coat1 to make it seem as though a wild beast had met me and slain me4 ,but he who was about to conceal it1 was torn by a lion1 whereupon his companions1 in great fear1 sold me to the ,ishmaelites4 ,my brethren1 thou seest1 did not deceive my father with a lie4' ,in this wise ,joseph tried to keep the deed of our brethren a secret from me4 ,he also summoned my brethren1 and enjoined them not to make known to our father what they had done to him1 and bade them repeat the tale he had told me4 ,now1 my children1 love ye the ,lord1 the ,god of heaven and earth1 and observe ,his commandments1 taking that good and pious man ,joseph as your model4 ,until the day of his death he would not have divulged what his brethren had done to him1 and although ,god revealed their action to ,jacob1 he continued to deny it4 ,only after many efforts1 when ,jacob adjured him to confess the truth1 he was induced to speak out4 ,even then he besought our father ,jacob to pray for our brethren1 that ,god account not the evil they had done to him as a sin4 ,and ,jacob exclaimed1 ',o my good child ,joseph1 thou hast shown thyself more merciful than ,i was6' ,my children1 have you observed the mercy of the good man8 ,imitate it with pure intention1 that ye1 too1 may wear crowns of glory4 ,a good man has not an envious eye1 he has mercy with all1 even with sinners1 though their evil designs be directed against him1 and by his good deeds he conquers the evil1 since it was ordained of ,god4 ,if you do good1 the unclean spirits will depart from you1 and even the wild beasts will stand in fear of you4 ,the inclination of a good man lies not in the power of the tempter spirit ,behar1 for the angel of peace guides his soul4 ,flee before the malice of ,beliar1 whose sword is drawn to slay all that pay him obedience1 and his sword is the mother of seven evils1 bloodshed1 corruptness1 error1 captivity1 hunger1 panic1 and devastation4 ,therefore ,god surrendered ,cain to seven punishments4 ,once in a hundred years the ,lord brought a castigation upon him4 ,his afflictions began when he was two hundred years old1 and in his nine hundredth year he was destroyed by the deluge1 for having slain his righteous brother ,abel4 ,and those who are like unto ,cain will be chastised forever with the same punishments as his4 ,know now1 my children1 that ,i am about to die4 ,practice truth and righteousness1 and observe the law of the ,lord and also ,his commandments4 ,this ,i bequeath unto you as your sole heritage1 and you shall leave it to your children as an eternal possession4 ,thus ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob did1 they transmitted it unto us1 saying1 ',observe the commands of ,god1 until the ,lord shall reveal ,his salvation in the sight of all the heathen4' ,then you will see ,enoch1 ,noah1 ,shem1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob#ag rise up with rejoicing to new life at the right hand of ,god1 and we brethren1 the sons of ,jacob1 will arise also1 each of us at the head of his tribe1 and we will pay homage to the ,king of the heavens4 ,after ,benjamin had made an end of speaking thus1 he said3 ,i command you1 my children1 to carry my bones up out of ,egypt and bury me near my fathers4 ,and when he had made an end of saying these things1 he fell asleep at a good old age1 and they put his body into a coffin1 and in the ninety-first year of their sojourning in ,egypt1 his sons and the sons of his brethren brought up the bones of their father1 in secret1 and buried them in ,hebron1 at the feet of their fathers4 ,then they returned from the land of ,canaan1 and they dwelt in ,egypt until the day of the exodus from the land4#ah ,,iii ,,job ,,job ,,and ,,the ,,patriarchs ,job1 the most pious ,gentile that ever lived1#a one of the few to bear the title of honor the servant of ,god1#b was of double kin to ,jacob4 ,he was a grandson of ,jacob's brother ,esau1 and at the same time the son-in-law of ,jacob himself1 for lie had married ,dinah as his second wife4#c ,he was entirely worthy of being a member of the ,patriarch's family1 for he was perfectly upright1 one that feared ,god1 and eschewed evil4 ,had he not wavered in his resignation to the ,divine will during the great trial to which he was subjected1 and murmured against ,god1 the distinction would have been conferred upon him of having his name joined to the ,name of ,god in prayer1 and men would have called upon the ,god of ,job as they now call upon the ,god of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob4 ,but he was not found steadfast like the three ,fathers1 and he forfeited the honor ,god had intended for him4 ,the ,lord remonstrated with him for his lack of patience1 saying3 ,why didst thou murmur when suffering came upon thee8 ,dost thou think thyself of greater worth than ,adam1 the creation of ,mine own hands1 upon whom together with his descendants ,i decreed death on account of a single transgression8 ,and yet ,adam murmured not4 ,thou art surely not more worthy than ,abraham1 whom ,i tempted with many trials1 and when he asked1 ',whereby shall ,i know that ,i shall inherit the land8' and ,i replied1 ',know of a surety that thy seed will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs1 and shall serve them2 and they shall afflict them four hundred years1' he yet murmured not4 ,thou dost not esteem thyself more worthy than ,moses1 dost thou8 ,him ,i would not grant the favor of entering the promised land1 because he spake the words1 ',hear now1 ye rebels2 shall we bring you forth water out of this rock8' ,and yet he murmured not4 ,art thou more worthy than ,aaron1 unto whom ,i showed greater honor than unto any created being1 for ,i sent the angels themselves out of the ,holy of ,holies when he entered the place8 ,yet when his two sons died1 he murmured not4#d ,the contrast between ,job and the ,patriarchs appears from words spoken by him and words spoken by ,abraham4 ,addressing ,god1 ,abraham said1 ,that be far from ,thee to do after this manner1 to slay the righteous with the wicked1 that so the righteous should be as the wicked1 and ,job exclaimed against ,god1 ,it is all one2 therefore ,i say1 ,he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked4 ,they both received their due recompense1 ,abraham was rewarded and ,job was punished4#e ,convinced that his suffering was undeserved and unjust1 ,job had the audacity to say to ,god3 ,o ,lord of the world1 ,thou didst create the ox with cloven feet and the ass with unparted hoof1 ,thou hast created ,paradise and hell1 ,thou createst the righteous and also the wicked4 ,there is none to hinder1 ,thou canst do as seemeth good in ,thy sight4 ,the friends of ,job replied3 ,it is true1 ,god hath created the evil inclination1 but ,he hath also given man the ,torah as a remedy against it4 ,therefore the wicked cannot roll their guilt from off their shoulders and put it upon ,god4 ,the reason ,job did not shrink from such extravagant utterances was because he denied the resurrection of the dead4 ,he judged of the prosperity of the wicked and the woes of the pious only by their earthly fortunes4 ,proceeding from this false premise1 he held it to be possible that the punishment falling to his share was not at all intended for him4 ,god had slipped into an error1 ,he imposed the suffering upon him that had been appointed unto a sinner4 ,but ,god spake to him1 saying3 ,many hairs have ,i created upon the head of man1 yet each hair hath its own sac1 for were two hairs to draw their nourishment from the same sac1 man would lose the sight of his eyes4 ,it hath never happened that a sac hath been misplaced4 ,should ,i1 then1 have mistaken ,job for another8 ,i let many drops of rain descend from the heavens1 and for each drop there is a mould in the clouds1 for were two drops to issue from the same mould1 the ground would be made so miry that it could not bring forth any growth4 ,it hath never happened that a mould hath been misplaced4 ,should ,i1 then1 have mistaken ,job for another8 ,many thunderbolts ,i hurl from the skies1 but each one comes from its own path1 for were two to proceed from the same path1 they would destroy the whole world4 ,it hath never happened that a path hath been misplaced4 ,should ,i1 then1 have mistaken ,job for another8 ,the gazelle gives birth to her young on the topmost point of a rock1 and it would fall into the abyss and be crushed to death1 if ,i did not send an eagle thither to catch it up and carry it to its mother4 ,were the eagle to appear a minute earlier or later than the appointed time1 the little gazelle would perish4 ,it hath never happened that the proper minute of time was missed4 ,should ,i1 then1 have mistaken ,job for another8 ,the hind has a contracted womb1 and would not be able to bring forth her young1 if ,i did not send a dragon to her at the right second1 to nibble at her womb and soften it1 for then she can bear4 ,were the dragon to come a second before or after the right time1 the hind would perish4 ,it hath never happened that ,i missed the right second4 ,should ,i1 then1 have mistaken ,job for another8 ,notwithstanding ,job's unpardonable words1 ,god was displeased with his friends for passing harsh judgment upon him4 ,a man may not be held responsible for what he does in his anguish1 and ,job's agony was great1 indeed#f ,,job',s ,,wealth ,,and ,,benefactions ,job was asked once what he considered the severest affliction that could strike him1 and he replied1 ,my enemies' joy in my misfortune1#g and when ,god demanded to know of him1 after the accusations made by ,satan1 what he preferred1 poverty or physical suffering1 he chose pain1 saying1 ,o ,lord of the whole world1 chastise my body with suffering of all kinds1 only preserve me from poverty4#h ,poverty seemed the greater scourge1 because before his trials he had occupied a brilliant position on account of his vast wealth4 ,god graciously granted him this foretaste of the ,messianic time4 ,the harvest followed close upon the ploughing of his field2 no sooner were the seeds strewn in the furrows1 than they sprouted and grew and ripened produce4 ,he was equally successful with his cattle4 ,his sheep killed wolves1 but were themselves never harmed by wild beasts4#i ,of sheep he had no less than one hundred and thirty thousand1 and he required eight hundred dogs to keep guard over them1 not to mention the two hundred dogs needed to secure the safety of his house4 ,besides1 his herds consisted of three hundred and forty thousand asses and thirty-five hundred pairs of oxen4 ,all these possessions were not used for self- indulgent pleasures1 but for the good of the poor and the needy1 whom he clothed1 and fed1 and provided with all things necessary4 ,to do all this1 he even had to employ ships that carried supplies to all the cities and the dwelling- places of the destitute4 ,his house was furnished with doors on all its four sides1 that the poor and the wayfarer might enter1 no matter from what direction they approached4 ,at all times there were thirty tables laden with viands ready in his house1 and twelve besides for widows only1 so that all who came found what they desired4 ,job's consideration for the poor was so delicate that he kept servants to wait upon them constantly4 ,his guests1 enraptured by his charitableness1 frequently offered themselves as attendants to minister to the poor in his house1 but ,job always insisted upon paying them for their services4 ,if he was asked for a loan of money1 to be used for business purposes1 and the borrower promised to give a part of his profits to the poor1 he would demand no security beyond a mere signature4 ,and if it happened that by some mischance or other the debtor was not able to discharge his obligation1 ,job would return the note to him1 or tear it into bits in his presence4 ,he did not rest satisfied at supplying the material needs of those who applied to him4 ,he strove also to convey the knowledge of ,god to them4 ,after a meal he was in the habit of having music played upon instruments1 and then he would invite those present to join him in songs of praise to ,god4 ,on such occasions he did not consider himself above playing the cithern while the musicians rested4#aj ,most particularly ,job concerned himself about the weal and woe of widows and orphans4 ,he was wont to pay visits to the sick1 both rich and poor1 and when it was necessary1 he would bring a physician along with him4 ,if the case turned out to be hopeless1 he would sustain the stricken family with advice and consolation4 ,when the wife of the incurably sick man began to grieve and weep1 he would encourage her with such words as these3 ,trust always in the grace and lovingkindness of ,god4 ,he hath not abandoned thee until now1 and ,he will not forsake thee henceforth4 ,thy husband will be restored to health1 and will be able to provide for his family as heretofore4 ,but if--which may ,god forefend--thy husband should die1 ,i call ,heaven to witness that ,i shall provide sustenance for thee and thy children4 ,having spoken thus1 he would send for a notary1 and have him draw up a document1 which he signed in the presence of witnesses1 binding himself to care for the family1 should it be bereaved of its head4 ,thus he earned for himself the blessing of the sick man and the gratitude of the sorrowing wife4#aa ,sometimes1 in case of necessity1 ,job could be severe1 too1 especially when it was a question of helping a poor man obtain his due4 ,if one of the parties to a suit cited before his tribunal was known to be a man of violence1 he would surround himself with his army and inspire him with fear1 so that the culprit could not but show himself amenable to his decision4#ab ,he endeavored to inculcate his benevolent ways upon his children1 by accustoming them to wait upon the poor4 ,on the morrow after a feast he would sacrifice bountifully to ,god1 and together with the pieces upon the altar his offerings would be divided among the needy4 ,he would say3 ,take and help yourselves1 and pray for my children4 ,it may be that they have sinned1 and renounced ,god1 saying in the presumption of their hearts3 ',we are the children of this rich man4 ,all these things are our possessions4 ,why should we be servants to the poor8' ,,satan ,,and ,,job ,the happy1 ,god-pleasing life led by ,job for many years excited the hatred of ,satan1 who had an old grudge against him4 ,near ,job's house there was an idol worshipped by the people4 ,suddenly doubts assailed the heart of ,job1 and he asked himself3 ,is this idol really the creator of heaven and earth8 ,how can ,i find out the truth about it8 ,in the following night he perceived a voice calling3 ,jobab6 ,jobab6 ,arise1 and ,i will tell thee who he is whom thou desirest to know4 ,this one to whom the people offer sacrifices is not ,god1 he is the handiwork of the tempter1 wherewith he deceives men4 ,when he heard the voice1 ,job threw himself on the ground1 and said3 ,o ,lord1 if this idol is the handiwork of the tempter1 then grant that ,i may destroy it4 ,none can hinder me1 for ,i am the king of this land4#ac ,job1 or1 as he is sometimes called1 ,jobab1 was1 indeed1 king of ,edom1 the land wherein wicked plans are concocted against ,god1 wherefore it is called also ,uz1 counsel4#ad ,the voice continued to speak4 ,it made itself known as that of an archangel of ,god1 and revealed to ,job that he would bring down the enmity of ,satan upon himself by the destruction of the idol1 and much suffering with it4 ,however1 if he remained steadfast under them1 ,god would change his troubles into joys1 his name would become celebrated throughout the generations of mankind1 and he would have a share in the resurrection to eternal life4 ,job replied to the voice3 ,out of love of ,god ,i am ready to endure all things unto the day of my death4 ,i will shrink back from naught4 ,now ,job arose1 and accompanied by fifty men he repaired to the idol1 and destroyed it4 ,knowing that ,satan would try to approach him1 he ordered his guard not to give access to any one1 and then he withdrew to his chamber4 ,he had guessed aright4 ,satan appeared at once1 in the guise of a beggar1 and demanded speech with ,job4 ,the guard executed his orders1 and forbade his entering4 ,then the mendicant asked him to intercede for him with ,job for a piece of bread4 ,job knew it was ,satan1 and he sent word to him as follows1 ,do not expect to eat of my bread1 for it is prohibited unto thee1 at the same time putting a piece of burnt bread into the hand of the guard for ,satan4 ,the servant was ashamed to give a beggar burnt bread1 and he substituted a good piece for it4 ,satan1 however1 knowing that the servant had not executed his master's errand1 told him so to his face1 and he fetched the burnt bread and handed it to him1 repeating the words of ,job4 ,thereupon ,satan returned this answer1 ,as the bread is burnt1 so ,i will disfigure thy body4 ,job replied3 ,do as thou desirest1 and execute thy plan4 ,as for me1 ,i am ready to suffer whatever thou bringest down upon me4 ,now ,satan betook himself to ,god1 and prayed ,him to put ,job into his power1#ae saying3 ,i went to and fro in the earth1 and walked up and down in it1 and ,i saw no man as pious as ,abraham4 ,thou didst promise him the whole land of ,palestine1 and yet he did not take it in ill part that he had not so much as a burial-place for ,sarah4#af ,as for ,job1 it is true1 ,i found none that loveth ,thee as he does1 but if ,thou wilt put him into my hand1 ,i shall succeed in turning his heart away from ,thee4 ,but ,god spake1 ,satan1 ,satan1 what hast thou a mind to do with my servant ,job1 like whom there is none in the earth8 ,satan persisted in his request touching ,job1 and ,god granted it1 ,he gave him full power over ,job's possessions4#ag ,this day of ,job's accusation was the ,new ,year's ,day1 whereon the good and the evil deeds of man are brought before ,god4#ah ,,job',s ,,suffering ,equipped with unlimited power1 ,satan endeavored to deprive ,job of all he owned4 ,he burnt part of his cattle1 and the other part was carried off by enemies4 ,what pained ,job more than this was that recipients of his bounty turned against him1 and took of his belongings4#ai ,among the adversaries that assailed him was ,lilith1 the queen of ,sheba4#bj ,she lived at a great distance from his residence1 it took her and her army three years to travel from her home to his4 ,she fell upon his oxen and his asses1 and took possession of them1 after slaying the men to whose care ,job had entrusted them4 ,one man escaped alone4 ,wounded and bruised1 he had only enough life in him to tell ,job the tale of his losses1 and then he fell down dead4 ,the sheep1 which had been left unmolested by the queen of ,sheba1 were taken away by the ,chaldeans4 ,job's first intention was to go to war against these marauders1 but when he was told that some of his property had been consumed by fire from heaven1 he desisted1 and said1 ,if the heavens turn against me1 ,i can do nothing4#ba ,dissatisfied with the result1 ,satan disguised himself as the king of ,persia1 besieged the city of ,job's residence1 took it1 and spoke to the inhabitants1 saying3 ,this man ,job hath appropriated all the goods in the world1 leaving naught for others1 and he hath also torn down the temple of our god1 and now ,i will pay him back for his wicked deeds4 ,come with me and let us pillage his house4 ,at first the people refused to hearken to the words of ,satan4 ,they feared that the sons and daughters of ,job might rise up against them later1 and avenge their father's wrongs4 ,but after ,satan had pulled down the house wherein the children of ,job were assembled1 and they lay dead in the ruins1 the people did as he bade them1 and sacked the house of ,job4 ,seeing that neither the loss of all he had nor the death of his children could change his pious heart1 ,satan appeared before ,god a second time1 and requested that ,job himself1 his very person1 be put into his hand4 ,god granted ,satan's plea1 but he limited his power to ,job's body1 his soul he could not touch4#bb ,in a sense ,satan was worse off than ,job4 ,he was in the position of the slave that has been ordered by his master to break the pitcher and not spill the wine4#bc ,satan now caused a terrific storm to burst over the house of ,job4 ,he was cast from his throne by the reverberations1 and he lay upon the floor for three hours4 ,then ,satan smote his body with leprosy from the sole of his foot unto his crown4 ,this plague forced ,job to leave the city1 and sit down outside upon an ash-heap1#bd for his lower limbs were covered with oozing boils1 and the issue flowed out upon the ashes4 ,the upper part of his body was encrusted with dry boils1 and to ease the itching they caused him1 he used his nails1 until they dropped off together with his fingertips1 and he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal4#be ,his body swarmed with vermin1 but if one of the little creatures attempted to crawl away from him1 he forced it back1 saying1 ,remain on the place whither thou wast sent1 until ,god assigns another unto thee4#bf ,his wife1 fearful that he would not bear his horrible suffering with steadfastness1 advised him to pray to ,god for death1 that lie might be sure of going hence an upright man4#bg ,but he rejected her counsel1 saying1 ,if in the days of good fortune1 which usually tempts men to deny ,god1 ,i stood firm1 and did not rebel against ,him1 surely ,i shall be able to remain steadfast under misfortune1 which compels men to be obedient to ,god4#bh ,and ,job stuck to his resolve in spite of all suffering1 while his wife was not strong enough to bear her fate with resignation to the will of ,god4 ,her lot was bitter1 indeed1 for she had had to take service as a water-carrier with a common churl1 and when her master learnt that she shared her bread with ,job1 he dismissed her4 ,to keep her husband from starving1 she cut off her hair1 and purchased bread with it4 ,it was all she had to pay the price charged by the bread merchant1 none other than ,satan himself1 who wanted to put her to the test4 ,he said to her1 ,hadst thou not deserved this great misery of thine1 it had not come upon thee4 ,this speech was more than the poor woman could bear4 ,then it was that she came to her husband1 and amid tears and groans urged him to renounce ,god and die4 ,job1 however1 was not perturbed by her words1 because he divined at once that ,satan stood behind his wife1 and seduced her to speak thus4 ,turning to the tempter1 he said3 ,why dost thou not meet me frankly8 ,give up thy underhand ways1 thou wretch4 ,thereupon ,satan appeared before ,job1 admitted that he had been vanquished1 and went away abashed4#bi ,,the ,,four ,,friends ,the friends of ,job lived in different places1 at intervals of three hundred miles one from the other4 ,nevertheless they all were informed of their friend's misfortune at the same time1 in this way3 ,each one had the pictures of the others set in his crown1 and as soon as any one of them met with reverses1 it showed itself in his picture4 ,thus the friends of ,job learnt simultaneously of his misfortune1 and they hastened to his assistance4#cj ,the four friends were related to one another1 and each one was related to ,job4 ,eliphaz1 king of ,teman1 was a son of ,esau2#ca ,bildad1 ,zophar1 and ,elihu were cousins1 their fathers1 ,shuah1 ,naamat1 and ,barachel1 were the sons of ,buz1 who was a brother of ,job and a nephew of ,abraham4#cb ,when the four friends arrived in the city in which ,job lived1 the inhabitants took them outside the gates1 and pointing to a figure reclining upon an ash-heap at some distance off1 they said1 ,yonder is ,job4 ,at first the friends would not give them credence1 and they decided to look more closely at the man1 to make sure of his identity4 ,but the foul smell emanating from ,job was so strong that they could not come near to him4 ,they ordered their armies to scatter perfumes and aromatic substances all around4 ,only after this had been done for hours1 they could approach the outcast close enough to recognize him4 ,eliphaz was the first to address ,job1 ,art thou indeed ,job1 a king equal in rank with ourselves8 ,and when ,job said ,aye1 they broke out into lamentations and bitter tears1 and all together they sang an elegy1 the armies of the three kings1 ,eliphaz1 ,bildad1 and ,zophar1 joining in the choir4 ,again ,eliphaz began to speak1 and he bemoaned ,job's sad fortune1 and depicted his friend's former glory1 adding the refrain to each sentence1 ,whither hath departed the splendor of thy throne8 ,after listening long to the wailing and lamenting of ,eliphaz and his companions1 ,job spake1 saying3 ,silence1 and ,i will show you my throne and the splendor of its glory4 ,kings will perish1 rulers disappear1 their pride and lustre will pass like a shadow across a mirror1 but my kingdom will persist forever and ever1 for glory and magnificence are in the chariot of my ,father4 ,these words aroused the wrath of ,eliphaz1 and he called upon his associates to abandon ,job to his fate and go their way4 ,but ,bildad appeased his anger1 reminding him that some allowance ought to be made for one so sorely tried as ,job4 ,bildad put a number of questions to the sufferer in order to establish his sanity4 ,he wanted to elicit from ,job how it came about that ,god1 upon whom he continued to set his hopes1 could inflict such dire suffering4 ,not even a king of flesh and blood would allow a guardsman of his that had served him loyally to come to grief4 ,bildad desired to have information from ,job also concerning the movements of the heavenly bodies4 ,job had but one answer to make to these questions3 man cannot comprehend ,divine wisdom1 whether it reveal itself in inanimate and brute nature or in relation to human beings4 ,but1 continued ,job1 to prove to you that ,i am in my right mind1 listen to the question ,i shall put to you4 ,solid food and liquids combine inside of man1 and they separate again when they leave his body4 ,who effects the separation8 ,and when ,bildad conceded that he could not answer the question1 ,job said1 ,if thou canst not comprehend the changes in thy body1 how canst thou hope to comprehend the movements of the planets8 ,zophar1 after ,job had spoken thus to ,bildad1 was convinced that his suffering had had no effect upon his mind1 and he asked him whether he would permit himself to be treated by the physicians of the three kings1 his friends4 ,but ,job rejected the offer1 saying1 ,my healing and my restoration come from ,god1 the ,creator of all physicians4 ,while the three kings were conversing thus with ,job1 his wife ,zitidos made her appearance clad in rags1 and she threw herself at the feet of her husband's friends1 and amid tears she spoke1 saying3 ,o ,eliphaz1 and ye other friends of ,job1 remember what ,i was in other days1 and how ,i am now changed1 coming before you in rags and tatters4 ,the sight of the unhappy woman touched them so deeply that they could only weep1 and not a word could they force out of their mouths4 ,eliphaz1 however1 took his royal mantle of purple1 and laid it about the shoulders of the poor woman4 ,zitidos asked only one favor1 that the three kings should order their soldiers to clear away the ruins of the building under which her children lay entombed1 that she might give their remains decent burial4 ,the command was issued to the soldiers accordingly1 but ,job said1 ,do not put yourselves to trouble for naught4 ,my children will not be found1 for they are safely bestowed with their ,lord and ,creator4 ,again his friends were sure that ,job was bereft of his senses4 ,he arose1 however1 prayed to ,god1 and at the end of his devotions1 he bade his friends look eastward1 and when they did his bidding1 they beheld his children next to the ,ruler of heaven1 with crowns of glory upon their heads4 ,zitidos prostrated herself1 and said1 ,now ,i know that my memorial resides with the ,lord4 ,and she returned to the house of her master1 whence she had absented herself for some time against his will4 ,he had forbidden her to leave it1 because he had feared that the three kings would take her with them4 ,in the evening she lay down to sleep next to the manger for the cattle1 but she never rose again1 she died there of exhaustion4 ,the people of the city made a great mourning for her1 and the elegy composed in her honor was set down in writing and recorded4 ,,job ,,restored ,more and more the friends of ,job came to the conclusion that he had incurred ,divine punishment on account of his sins1 and as he asseverated his innocence again and again1 they prepared angrily to leave him to his fate4 ,especially ,elihu was animated by ,satan to speak scurrilous words against ,job1 upbraiding him for his unshakable confidence in ,god4 ,then the ,lord appeared to them1 first unto ,job1 and revealed to him that ,elihu was in the wrong1 and his words were inspired by ,satan4 ,next he appeared unto ,eliphaz1 and to him ,he spake thus3 ,thou and thy friends ,bildad and ,zophar have committed a sin1 for ye did not speak the truth concerning my servant ,job4 ,rise up and let him bring a sin offering for you4 ,only for his sake do ,i refrain from destroying you4 ,the sacrifice offered by ,job in behalf of his friends was accepted graciously by ,god1 and ,eliphaz broke out into a hymn of thanksgiving to the ,lord for having pardoned the transgression of himself and his two friends4 ,at the same time he announced the damnation of ,elihu1 the instrument of ,satan4 ,god appeared to ,job once more1 and gave him a girdle composed of three ribands1 and he bade him tie it around his waist4 ,hardly had he put it on when all his pain disappeared1 his very recollection of it vanished1 and1 more than this1 ,god made him to see all that ever was and all that shall ever be4#cc ,after suffering sevenfold pain for seven years#cd ,job was restored to strength4 ,with his three friends he returned to the city1 and the inhabitants made a festival in his honor and unto the glory of ,god4 ,all his former friends joined him again1 and he resumed his old occupation1 the care of the poor1 for which he obtained the means from the people around4 ,he said to them1 ,give me1 each one of you1 a sheep for the clothing of the poor1 and four silver or gold drachmas for their other needs4 ,the ,lord blessed ,job1 and in a few days his wealth had increased to double the substance he had owned before misfortune overtook him4 ,zitidos having died during the years of his trials1 he married a second wife1 ,dinah1 the daughter of ,jacob1 and she bore him seven sons and three daughters4#ce ,he had never had more than one wife at a time1 for he was wont to say1 ,if it had been intended that ,adam should have ten wives1 ,god would have given them to him4 ,only one wife was bestowed upon him1 whereby ,god indicated that he was to have but one1 and therefore one wife suffices for me1 too4#cf ,when ,job1 after a long and happy life1 felt his end approaching1 he gathered his ten children around him1 and told them the tale of his days4 ,having finished the narrative1 he admonished them in these words3 ,see1 ,i am about to die1 and you will stand in my place4 ,forsake not the ,lord1 be generous toward the poor1 treat the feeble with consideration1 and do not marry with the women of the ,gentiles4 ,thereupon he divided his possessions among his sons1 and to his daughters he gave what is more precious than all earthly goods1 to each of them one riband of the celestial girdle he had received from ,god4 ,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 beings1 and with seraphic voices they broke out into hymns after the manner of the angels4 ,for three days ,job lay upon his bed1 sick though not suffering1 for the celestial girdle made him proof against pain4 ,on the fourth day he saw the angels descend to fetch his soul4 ,he arose from his bed1 handed a cithern to his oldest daughter ,jemimah1 ,day1 a censer to the second one1 ,keziah1 ,perfume1 and a cymbal to the third1 ,amaltheas1 ,horn1 and bade them welcome the angels with the sound of music4 ,they played and sang and praised the ,lord in the holy tongue4 ,then he appeared that sits in the great chariot1 kissed ,job1 and rode away bearing his soul with him eastward4 ,none saw them depart except the three daughters of ,job4 ,the grief of the people1 especially the poor1 the widows1 and the orphans1 was exceeding great4 ,for three days they left the corpse unburied1 because they could not entertain the thought of separating themselves from it4 ,as the name of ,job will remain imperishable unto all time1 by reason of the man's piety1#cg so his three friends were recompensed by ,god for their sympathy with him in his distress4 ,their names were preserved1 the punishment of hell was remitted unto them1 and1 best of all1 ,god poured out the holy spirit over them4#ch ,but ,satan1 the cause of ,job's anguish1 the ,lord cast down from heaven1 for he had been vanquished by ,job1 who amid his agony had thanked and praised ,god for all ,he had done unto him4#ci ,,iv ,,moses ,,in ,,egypt ,,the ,,beginning ,,of ,,the ,,egyptian ,,bondage ,as soon as ,jacob was dead1 the eyes of the ,israelites were closed1 as well as their hearts4 ,they began to feel the dominion of the stranger1#a although real bondage did not enslave them until some time later4 ,while a single one of the sons of ,jacob was alive1 the ,egyptians did not venture to approach the ,israelites with evil intent4 ,it was only when ,levi1 the last of them1 had departed this life that their suffering commenced4#b ,a change in the relation of the ,egyptians toward the ,israelites had1 indeed1 been noticeable immediately after the death of ,joseph1 but they did not throw off their mask completely until ,levi was no more4 ,then the slavery of the ,israelites supervened in good earnest4 ,the first hostile act on the part of the ,egyptians was to deprive the ,israelites of their fields1 their vineyards1 and the gifts that ,joseph had sent to his brethren4 ,not content with these animosities1 they sought to do them harm in1 other ways4#c ,the reason for the hatred of the ,egyptians was envy and fear4 ,the ,israelites had increased to a miraculous degree4 ,at the death of ,jacob the seventy persons he had brought down with him bad grown to the number of six hundred thousand1#d and their physical strength and heroism were extraordinary and therefore alarming to the ,egyptians4 ,there were many occasions at that time for the display of prowess4 ,not long after the death of ,levi occurred that of the ,egyptian king ,magron1 who had been bred up by ,joseph1 and therefore was not wholly without grateful recollection of what he and his family had accomplished for the welfare of ,egypt4 ,but his son and successor ,malol1 together with his whole court1 knew not the sons of ,jacob and their achievements1 and they did not scruple to oppress the ,hebrews4 ,the final breach between them and the ,egyptians took place during the wars waged by ,malol against ,zepho1 the grandson of ,esau4 ,in the course of it1 the ,israelites had saved the ,egyptians from a crushing defeat1 but instead of being grateful they sought only the undoing of their benefactors1 from fear that the giant strength of the ,hebrews might be turned against them4#e ,,pharaoh',s ,,cunning ,the counsellors and elders of ,egypt came to ,pharaoh1 and spake unto him1 saying3 ,behold1 the people of the children of ,israel are greater and mightier than we4 ,thou hast seen their strong power1 which they have inherited from their fathers1 for a few of them stood up against a people as many as the sand of the sea1 and not one hath fallen4 ,now1 therefore1 give us counsel what to do with them1 until we shall gradually destroy them from among us1 lest they become too numerous in the land1 for if they multiply1 and there falleth out any war1 they will also join themselves with their great strength unto our enemies1 and fight against us1 destroy us from the land1 and get them up out of the land4 ,the king answered the elders1 saying3 ,this is the plan advised by me against ,israel1 from which we will not depart4 ,behold1 ,pithom and ,raamses are cities not fortified against battle4 ,it behooves us to fortify them4 ,now1 go ye and act cunningly against the children of ,israel1 and proclaim in ,egypt and in ,goshen1 saying3 ',all ye men of ,egypt1 ,goshen1 and ,pathros6 ,the king has commanded us to build ,pithom and ,raamses and fortify them against battle4 ,those amongst you in all ,egypt1 of the children of ,israel and of all the inhabitants of the cities1 who are willing to build with us1 shall have their wages given to them daily at the king's order4' ,then go ye first1 and begin to build ,pithom and ,raamses1 and cause the king's proclamation to be made daily1 and when some of the children of ,israel come to build1 do ye give them their wages daily1 and after they shall have built with you for their daily wages1 draw yourselves away from them day by day1 and one by one1 in secret4 ,then you shall rise up and become their taskmasters and their officers1 and you shall have them afterward to build without wages4 ,and should they refuse1 then force them with all your might to build4 ,if you do this1 it will go well with us1 for we shall cause our land to be fortified after this manner1 and with the children of ,israel it will go ill1 for they will decrease in number on account of the work1 because you will prevent them from being with their wives4 ,the elders1 the counsellors1 and the whole of ,egypt did according to the word of the king4 ,for a month the servants of ,pharaoh built with ,israel1 then they withdrew themselves gradually1 while the children of ,israel continued to work1 receiving their daily wages1 for some men of ,egypt were still carrying on the work with them4 ,after a time all the ,egyptians had withdrawn1 and they had turned to become the officers and taskmasters of the ,israelites4 ,then they refrained from giving them any pay1 and when some of the ,hebrews refused to work without wages1 their taskmasters smote them1 and made them return by force to labor with their brethren4 ,and the children of ,israel were greatly afraid of the ,egyptians1 and they came again and worked without pay1 all except the tribe of ,levi1 who were not employed in the work with their brethren4 ,the children of ,levi knew that the proclamation of the king was made to deceive ,israel1 therefore they refrained from listening to it1 and the ,egyptians did not molest them later1 since they had not been with their brethren at the beginning1 and though the ,egyptians embittered the lives of the other ,israelites with servile labor1 they did not disturb the children of ,levi4 ,the ,israelites called ,malol1 the king of ,egypt1 ,maror1 ,bitterness1 because in his days the ,egyptians embittered their lives with all manner of rigorous service4#f ,but ,pharaoh did not rest satisfied with his proclamation and the affliction it imposed upon the ,israelites4 ,he suspended a brick-press from his own neck1 and himself took part in the work at ,pithom and ,raamses4 ,after this1 whenever a ,hebrew refused to come and help with the building1 alleging that he was not fit for such hard service1 the ,egyptians would retort1 saying1 ,dost thou mean to make us believe thou art more delicate than ,pharaoh8 ,the king himself urged the ,israelites on with gentle words1 saying1 ,my children1 ,i beg you to do this work and erect these little buildings for me4 ,i will give you great reward therefor4 ,by means of such artifices and wily words the ,egyptians succeeded in overmastering the ,israelites1 and once they had them in their power1 they treated them with undisguised brutality4 ,women were forced to perform men's work1 and men women's work4 ,the building of ,pithom and ,raamses turned out of no advantage to the ,egyptians1 for scarcely were the structures completed1 when they collapsed1 or they were swallowed by the earth1 and the ,hebrew workmen1 besides having to suffer hardships during their erection1 lost their lives by being precipitated from enormous heights1 when the buildings fell in a heap4#g ,but the ,egyptians were little concerned whether or not they derived profit from the forced labor of the children of ,israel4 ,their main object was to hinder their increase1 and ,pharaoh therefore issued an order1 that they were not to be permitted to sleep at their own homes1 that so they might be deprived of the opportunity of having intercourse with their wives4 ,the officers executed the will of the king1 telling the ,hebrews that the reason was the loss of too much time in going to and fro1 which would prevent them from completing the required tale of bricks4 ,thus the ,hebrew husbands were kept apart from their wives1 and they were compelled to sleep on the ground1 away from their habitations4 ,but ,god spake1 saying3 ,unto their father ,abraham ,i gave the promise1 that ,i would make his children to be as numerous as the stars in the heavens1 and you contrive plans to prevent them from multiplying4 ,we shall see whose word will stand1 ,mine or yours4 ,and it came to pass that the more the ,egyptians afflicted them1 the more they multiplied1 and the more they spread abroad4#h ,and they continued to increase in spite of ,pharaoh's command1 that those who did not complete the required tale of bricks were to be immured in the buildings between the layers of bricks1 and great was the number of the ,israelites that lost their lives in this way4#i ,many of their children were1 besides1 slaughtered as sacrifices to the idols of the ,egyptians4 ,for this reason ,god visited retribution upon the idols at the time of the going forth of the ,israelites from ,egypt4 ,they had caused the death of the ,hebrew children1 and in turn they were shattered1 and they crumbled into dust4 ,,the ,,pious ,,midwives ,when now1 in spite of all their tribulations1 the children of ,israel continued to multiply and spread abroad1 so that the land was full of them as with thick underbrush--for the women brought forth many children at a birth#aa--the ,egyptians appeared before ,pharaoh again1 and urged him to devise some other way of ridding the land of the ,hebrews1 seeing that they were increasing mightily1 though they were made to toil and labor hard4 ,pharaoh could invent no new design2 he asked his counsellors to give him their opinion of the thing4 ,then spake one of them1 ,job of the land of ,uz1 which is in ,aram-naharaim1 as follows3 ,the plan which the king invented1 of putting a great burden of work upon the ,israelites1 was good in its time1 and it should be executed henceforth1 too1 but to secure us against the fear that1 if a war should come to pass1 they may overwhelm us by reason of their numbers1 and chase us forth out of the land1 let the king issue a decree1 that every male child of the ,israelites shall be killed at his birth4 ,then we need not be afraid of them if we should be overtaken by war4 ,now let the king summon the ,hebrew midwives1 that they come hither1 and let him command them in accordance with this plan4 ,job's advice found favor in the eyes of ,pharaoh and the ,egyptians4 ,they preferred to have the midwives murder the innocents1 for they feared the punishment of ,god if they laid hands upon them themselves4 ,pharaoh cited the two midwives of the ,hebrews before him1 and commanded them to slay all men children1 but to save the daughters of the ,hebrew women alive1 for the ,egyptians were as much interested in preserving the female children as in bringing about the death of the male children4 ,they were very sensual1 and were desirous of having as many women as possible at their service4 ,however1 the plan1 even if it had been carried into execution1 was not wise1 for though a man may marry many wives1 each woman can marry but one husband4 ,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 been4 ,the two ,hebrew midwives were ,jochebed1 the mother of ,moses1 and ,miriam1 his sister4 ,when they appeared before ,pharaoh1 ,miriam exclaimed3 ,woe be to this man when ,god visits retribution upon him for his evil deeds4 ,the king would have killed her for these audacious words1 had not ,jochebed allayed his wrath by saying3 ,why dost thou pay heed to her words8 ,she is but a child1 and knows not what she speaks4 ,yet1 although ,miriam was but five years old at the time1 she nevertheless accompanied her mother1 and helped her with her offices to the ,hebrew women1 giving food to the new-born babes while ,jochebed washed and bathed them4 ,pharaoh's order ran as follows3 ,at the birth of the child1 if it be a man child1 kill it2 but if it be a female child1 then you need not kill it1 but you may save it alive4 ,the midwives returned3 ,how are we to know whether the child is male or female8 for the king had bidden them kill it while it was being born4 ,pharaoh replied3 ,if the child issues forth from the womb with its face foremost1 it is a man child1 for it looks to the earth1 whence man was taken2 but if its feet appear first1 it is a female1 for it looks up toward the rib of the mother1 and from a rib woman was made4#ae ,the king used all sorts of devices to render the midwives amenable to his wishes4 ,he approached them with amorous proposals1 which they both repelled1 and then he threatened them with death by fire4#af ,but they said within themselves3 ,our father ,abraham opened an inn1 that he might feed the wayfarers1 though they were heathen1 and we should neglect the children1 nay1 kill them8 ,no1 we shall have a care to keep them alive4 ,thus they failed to execute what ,pharaoh had commanded4 ,instead of murdering the babes1 they supplied all their needs4 ,if a mother that had given birth to a child lacked food and drink1 the midwives went to well-to-do women1 and took up a collection1 that the infant might not suffer want4 ,they did still more for the little ones4 ,they made supplication to ,god1 praying3 ,thou knowest that we are not fulfilling the words of ,pharaoh1 but it is our aim to fulfil ,thy words4 ,o that it be ,thy will1 our ,lord1 to let the child come into the world safe and sound1 lest we fall under the suspicion that we tried to slay it1 and maimed it in the attempt4 ,the ,lord hearkened to their prayer1 and no child born under the ministrations of ,shiphrah and ,puah1 or ,jochebed and ,miriam1 as the midwives are also called1 came into the world lame or blind or afflicted with any other blemish4#ag ,seeing that his command was ineffectual1 he summoned the midwives a second time1 and called them to account for their disobedience4 ,they replied3 ,this nation is compared unto one animal and another1 and1 in sooth1 the ,hebrews are like the animals4 ,as little as the animals do they need the offices of midwives4#ah ,these two ,god-fearing women were rewarded in many ways for their good deeds4 ,not only that ,pharaoh did them no harm1 but they were made the ancestors of priests and ,levites1 and kings and princes4 ,jochebed became the mother of the priest ,aaron and of the ,levite ,moses1 and from ,miriam's union with ,caleb sprang the royal house of ,david4 ,the hand of ,god was visible in her married life4 ,she contracted a grievous sickness1 and though it was thought by all that saw her that death would certainly overtake her1 she recovered1 and ,god restored her youth1 and bestowed unusual beauty upon her1 so that renewed happiness awaited her husband1 who had been deprived of the pleasures of conjugal life during her long illness4 ,his unexpected joys were the reward of his piety and trust in ,god4#ai ,and another recompense was accorded to ,miriam3 she was privileged to bring forth ,bezalel1 the builder of the ,tabernacle1 who was endowed with celestial wisdom4#bj ,,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 throne1 and he lifted up his eyes1 and he beheld an old man before him with a balance in his hand1 and he saw him taking all the elders1 nobles1 and great men of ,egypt1 tying them together1 and laying them in one scale of the balance1 while he put a tender kid into the other4 ,the kid bore down the pan in which it lay until it hung lower than the other with the bound ,egyptians4 ,pharaoh arose early in the morning1 and called together all his servants and his wise men to interpret his dream1 and the men were greatly afraid on account of his vision4 ,balaam the son of ,beor then spake1 and said3 ,this means nothing but that a great evil will spring up against ,egypt1 for a son will be born unto ,israel1 who will destroy the whole of our land and all its inhabitants1 and he will bring forth the ,israelites from ,egypt with a mighty hand4 ,now1 therefore1 ,o king1 take counsel as to this matter1 that the hope of ,israel be frustrated before this evil arise against ,egypt4 ,the king said unto ,balaam3 ,what shall we do unto ,israel8 ,we have tried several devices against this people1 but we could not prevail over it4 ,now let me hear thy opinion4 ,at ,balaam's instance1 the king sent for his two counsellors1 ,reuel the ,midianite and ,job the ,uzite1 to hear their advice4 ,reuel spoke3 ,if it seemeth good to the king1 let him desist from the ,hebrews1 and let him not stretch forth his hand against them1 for the ,lord chose them in days of old1 and took them as the lot of ,his inheritance from amongst all the nations of the earth1 and who is there that hath dared stretch forth his hand against them with impunity1 but that their ,god avenged the evil done unto them8 ,reuel then proceeded to enumerate some of the mighty things ,god had performed for ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 and he closed his admonition with the words3 ,verily1 thy grandfather1 the ,pharaoh of former days1 raised ,joseph the son of ,jacob above all the princes of ,egypt1 because he discerned his wisdom1 for through his wisdom he rescued all the inhabitants of the land from the famine1 after which he invited ,jacob and his sons to come down to ,egypt1 that the land of ,egypt and the land of ,goshen be delivered from the famine through their virtues4 ,now1 therefore1 if it seem good in thine eyes1 leave off from destroying the children of ,israel1 and if it be not thy will that they dwell in ,egypt1 send them forth from here1 that they may go to the land of ,canaan1 the land wherein their ancestors sojourned4 ,when ,pharaoh heard the words of ,jethro-,reuel1 he was exceedingly wroth with him1 and he was dismissed in disgrace from before the king1 and he went to ,midian4 ,the king then spoke to ,job1 and said3 ,what sayest thou1 ,job1 and what is thy advice respecting the ,hebrews8 ,job replied3 ,behold1 all the inhabitants of the land are in thy power4 ,let the king do as seemeth good in his eyes4 ,balaam was the last to speak at the behest of the king1 and he said3 ,from all that the king may devise against the ,hebrews1 they will be delivered4 ,if thou thinkest to diminish them by the flaming fire1 thou wilt not prevail over them1 for their ,god delivered ,abraham their father from the furnace in which the ,chaldeans cast him4 ,perhaps thou thinkest to destroy them with a sword1 but their father ,isaac was delivered from being slaughtered by the sword4 ,and if thou thinkest to reduce them through hard and rigorous labor1 thou wilt also not prevail1 for their father ,jacob served ,laban in all manner of hard work1 and yet he prospered4 ,if it please the king1 let him order all the male children that shall be born in ,israel from this day forward to be thrown into the water4 ,thereby canst thou wipe out their name1 for neither any of them nor any of their fathers was tried in this way4#ba ,,the ,,slaughter ,,of ,,the ,,innocents ,balaam's advice was accepted by ,pharaoh and the ,egyptians4 ,they knew that ,god pays measure for measure1 therefore they believed that the drowning of the men children would be the safest means of exterminating the ,hebrews1 without incurring harm themselves1 for the ,lord had sworn unto ,noah never again to destroy the world by water4 ,thus1 they assumed1 they would be exempt from punishment1 wherein they were wrong1 however4 ,in the first place1 though the ,lord had sworn not to bring a flood upon men1 there was nothing in the way of bringing men into a flood4 ,furthermore1 the oath of ,god applied to the whole of mankind1 not to a single nation4 ,the end of the ,egyptians was that they met their death in the billows of the ,red ,sea4 ,measure for measure--as they had drowned the men children of the ,israelites1 so they were drowned4#bb ,pharaoh now took steps looking to the faithful execution of his decree4 ,he sent his bailiffs into the houses of the ,israelites1 to discover all new-born children1 wherever they might be4 ,to make sure that the ,hebrews should not succeed in keeping the children hidden1 the ,egyptians hatched a devilish plan4 ,their women were to take their little ones to the houses of the ,israelitish women that were suspected of having infants4 ,when the ,egyptian children began to cry or coo1 the ,hebrew children that were kept in hiding would join in1 after the manner of babies1 and betray their presence1 whereupon the ,egyptians would seize them and bear them off4#bc ,furthermore1 ,pharaoh commanded that the ,israelitish women employ none but ,egyptian midwives1 who were to secure precise information as to the time of their delivery1 and were to exercise great care1 and let no male child escape their vigilance alive4 ,if there should be parents that evaded the command1 and preserved a new-born boy in secret1 they and all belonging to them were to be killed4#bd ,is it to be wondered at1 then1 that many of the ,hebrews kept themselves away from their wives8 ,nevertheless those who put trust in ,god were not forsaken by ,him4 ,the women that remained united with their husbands would go out into the field when their time of delivery arrived1 and give birth to their children and leave them there1 while they themselves returned home4 ,the ,lord1 who had sworn unto their ancestors to multiply them1 sent one of ,his angels to wash the babes1 anoint them1 stretch their limbs1 and swathe them4 ,then he would give them two smooth pebbles1 from one of which they sucked milk1 and from the other honey4 ,and ,god caused the hair of the infants to grow down to their knees and serve them as a protecting garment1 and then ,he ordered the earth to receive the babes1 that they be sheltered therein until the time of their growing up1 when it would open its mouth and vomit forth the children1 and they would sprout up like the herb of the field and the grass of the forest4 ,thereafter each would return to his family and the house of his father4 ,when the ,egyptians saw this1 they went forth1 every man to his field1 with his yoke of oxen1 and they ploughed up the earth as one ploughs it at seed time4 ,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 earth4 ,thus the people of ,israel increased and waxed exceedingly4 ,and ,pharaoh ordered his officers to go to ,goshen1 to look for the male babes of the children of ,israel1 and when they discovered one1 they tore him from his mother's breast by force1 and thrust him into the river4 ,but no one is so valiant as to be able to foil ,god's purposes1 though he contrive ten thousand subtle devices unto that end4 ,the child foretold by ,pharaoh's dreams and by his astrologers was brought up and kept concealed from the king's spies4 ,it came to pass after the following manner4#bf ,,the ,,parents ,,of ,,moses ,when ,pharaoh's proclamation was issued1 decreeing that the men children of the ,hebrews were to be cast into the river1 ,amram1 who was the president of the ,sanhedrin1 decided that in the circumstances it was best for husbands to live altogether separate from their wives4 ,he set the example4 ,he divorced his wife1 and all the men of ,israel did likewise1#bg for he occupied a place of great consideration among his people1 one reason being that he belonged to the tribe of ,levi1 the tribe that was faithful to its ,god even in the land of ,egypt1 though the other tribes wavered in their allegiance1 and attempted to ally themselves with the ,egyptians1 going so far as to give up ,abraham's sign of the covenant4#bh ,to chastise the ,hebrews for their impiety1 ,god turned the love of the ,egyptians for them into hatred1 so that they resolved upon their destruction4 ,mindful of all that he and his people owed to ,joseph's wise rule1 ,pharaoh refused at first to entertain the malicious plans proposed by the ,egyptians against the ,hebrews4 ,he spoke to his people1 ,you fools1 we are indebted to these ,hebrews for whatever we enjoy1 and you desire now to rise up against them8 ,but the ,egyptians could not be turned aside from their purpose of ruining ,israel4 ,they deposed their king1 and incarcerated him for three months1 until he declared himself ready to execute with determination what they had resolved upon1 and he sought to bring about the ruin of the children of ,israel by every conceivable means4 ,such was the retribution they had drawn down upon themselves by their own acts4#bi ,as for ,amram1 not only did he belong to the tribe of ,levi1 distinguished for its piety1 but by reason of his extraordinary piety he was prominent even among the pious of the tribe4 ,he was one of the four who were immaculate1 untainted by sin1 over whom death would have had no power1 had mortality not been decreed against every single human being on account of the fall of the first man and woman4 ,the other three that led the same sinless life were ,benjamin1 ,jesse the father of ,david1 and ,chileab the son of ,david4#cj ,if the ,shekinah was drawn close again to the dwelling-place of mortals1 it was due to ,amram's piety4 ,originally the real residence of the ,shekinah was among men1 but when ,adam committed his sin1 she withdrew to heaven1 at first to the lowest of the seven heavens4 ,thence she was banished by ,cain's crime1 and she retired to the second heaven4 ,the sins of the generation of ,enoch removed her still farther off from men1 she took up her abode in the third heaven2 then1 successively1 in the fourth1 on account of the malefactors in the generation of the deluge2 in the fifth1 during the building of the tower of ,babel and the confusion of tongues2 in the sixth1 by reason of the wicked ,egyptians at the time of ,abraham2 and1 finally1 in the seventh1 in consequence of the abominations of the inhabitants of ,sodom4 ,six righteous men1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1 ,levi1 ,kohath1 and ,amram1 drew the ,shekinah back1 one by one1 from the seventh to the first heaven1 and through the seventh righteous man1 ,moses1 she was made to descend to the earth and abide among men as aforetime4#ca ,amram's sagacity kept pace with his piety and his learning4 ,the ,egyptians succeeded in enslaving the ,hebrews by seductive promises4 ,at first they gave them a shekel for every brick they made1 tempting them to superhuman efforts by the prospect of earning much money4 ,later1 when the ,egyptians forced them to work without wages1 they insisted upon having as many bricks as the ,hebrews had made when their labor was paid for1 but they could demand only a single brick daily from ,amram1 for he had been the only one whom they had not led astray by their artifice4 ,he had been satisfied with a single shekel daily1 and had therefore made only a single brick daily1 which they had to accept afterward as the measure of his day's work4#cb ,as his life partner1 ,amram chose his aunt ,jochebed1 who was born the same day with him4#cc ,she was the daughter of ,levi1 and she owed her name1 ,divine ,splendor1 to the celestial light that radiated from her countenance4#cd ,she was worthy of being her husband's helpmeet1 for she was one of the midwives that had imperilled their own lives to rescue the little ,hebrew babes4 ,indeed1 if ,god had not allowed a miracle to happen1 she and her daughter ,miriam would have been killed by ,pharaoh for having resisted his orders and saved the ,hebrew children alive4 ,when the king sent his hangmen for the two women1 ,god caused them to become invisible1 and the bailiffs bad to return without accomplishing their errand4#ce ,the first child of the union between ,amram and ,jochebed1 his wife1 who was one hundred and twenty-six years old at the time of her marriage1 was a girl1 and the mother called her ,miriam1 ,bitterness1 for it was at the time of her birth that the ,egyptians began to envenom the life of the ,hebrews4 ,the second child was a boy1 called ,aaron1 which means1 ,woe unto this pregnancy6 because ,pharaoh's instructions to the midwives1 to kill the male children of the ,hebrews1 was proclaimed during the months before ,aaron's birth4#cf ,,the ,,birth ,,of ,,moses ,when ,amram separated from his wife on account of the edict published against the male children of the ,hebrews1 and his example was followed by all the ,israelites1 his daughter ,miriam said to him3 ,father1 thy decree is worse than ,pharaoh's decree4 ,the ,egyptians aim to destroy only the male children1 but thou includest the girls as well4 ,pharaoh deprives his victims of life in this world1 but thou preventest children from being born1 and thus thou deprivest them of the future life1 too4 ,he resolves destruction1 but who knows whether the intention of the wicked can persist8 ,thou art a righteous man1 and the enactments of the righteous are executed by ,god1 hence thy decree will be upheld4 ,amram recognized the justice of her plea1 and he repaired to the ,sanhedrin1 and put the matter before this body4 ,the members of the court spoke1 and said3 ,it was thou that didst separate husbands and wives1 and from thee should go forth the permission for re-marriage4 ,amram then made the proposition that each of the members of the ,sanhedrin return to his wife1 and wed her clandestinely1 but his colleagues repudiated the plan1 saying1 ,and who will make it known unto the whole of ,israel8 ,accordingly1 ,amram stood publicly under the wedding canopy with his divorced wife ,jochebed1 while ,aaron and ,miriam danced about it1 and the angels proclaimed1 ,let the mother of children be joyful6 ,his re-marriage was solemnized with great ceremony1 to the end that the men that bad followed his example in divorcing their wives might imitate him now in taking them again unto themselves4 ,and so it happened4#cg ,old as ,jochebed was1 she regained her youth4 ,her skin became soft1 the wrinkles in her face disappeared1 the warm tints of maiden beauty returned1 and in a short time she became pregnant4#ch ,amram was very uneasy about his wife's being with child2 he knew not what to do4 ,he turned to ,god in prayer1 and entreated ,him to have compassion upon those who had in no wise transgressed the laws of ,his worship1 and afford them deliverance from the misery they endured1 while ,he rendered abortive the hope of their enemies1 who yearned for the destruction of their nation4 ,god had mercy on him1 and ,he stood by him in his sleep1 and exhorted him not to despair of ,his future favors4 ,he said further1 that ,he did not forget their piety1 and ,he would always reward them for it1 as ,he had granted ,his favor in other days unto their forefathers4 ,know1 therefore1 the ,lord continued to speak1 that ,i shall provide for you all together what is for your good1 and for thee in particular that which shall make thee celebrated2 for the child out of dread of whose nativity the ,egyptians have doomed the ,israelite children to destruction1 shall be this child of thine1 and be shall remain concealed from those who watch to destroy him1 and when he has been bred up1 in a miraculous way1 he shall deliver the ,hebrew nation from the distress they are under by reason of the ,egyptians4 ,his memory shall be celebrated while the world lasts1 and not only among the ,hebrews1 but among strangers also4 ,and all this shall be the effect of ,my favor toward thee and thy posterity4 ,also his brother shall be such that he shall obtain ,my priesthood for himself1 and for his posterity after him1 unto the end of the world4 ,after he had been informed of these things by the vision1 ,amram awoke1 and told all unto his wife ,jochebed4#ci ,his daughter ,miriam likewise had a prophetic dream1 and she related it unto her parents1 saying3 ,in this night ,i saw a man clothed in fine linen4 ',tell thy father and thy mother1' he said1 'that he who shall be born unto them1 shall be cast into the waters1 and through him the waters shall become dry1 and wonders and miracles shall be performed through him1 and he shall save ,my people ,israel1 and be their leader forever4' #dj ,during her pregnancy1 ,jochebed observed that the child in her womb was destined for great things4 ,all the time she suffered no pain1 and also she suffered none in giving birth to her son1 for pious women are not included in the curse pronounced upon ,eve1 decreeing sorrow in conception and in childbearing4#da ,at the moment of the child's appearance1 the whole house was filled with radiance equal to the splendor of the sun and the moon4#db ,a still greater miracle followed4 ,the infant was not yet a day old when he began to walk and speak with his parents1 and as though he were an adult1 he refused to drink milk from his mother's breast4#dc ,jochebed gave birth to the child six months after conception4 ,the ,egyptian bailiffs1 who kept strict watch over all pregnant women in order to be on the spot in time to carry off their new-born boys1 had not expected her delivery for three months more4 ,these three months the parents succeeded in keeping the babe concealed1 though every ,israelitish house was guarded by two ,egyptian women1 one stationed within and one without4#dd ,at the end of this time they determined to expose the child1 for ,amram was afraid that both he and his son would be devoted to death if the secret leaked out1 and he thought it better to entrust the child's fate to ,divine ,providence4 ,he was convinced that ,god would protect the boy1 and fulfil ,his word in truth4#de ,,moses ,,rescued ,,from ,,the ,,water ,jochebed accordingly took an ark fashioned of bulrushes1 daubed it with pitch on the outside1 and lined it with clay within4 ,the reason she used bulrushes was because they float on the surface of the water1 and she put pitch only on the outside1 to protect the child as much as possible against the annoyance of a disagreeable odor4 ,over the child as it lay in the ark she spread a tiny canopy1 to shade the babe1 with the words1 ,perhaps ,i shall not live to see him under the marriage canopy4 ,and then she abandoned the ark on the shores of the ,red ,sea4 ,yet it was not left unguarded4 ,her daughter ,miriam stayed near by1 to discover whether a prophecy she had uttered would be fulfilled4 ,before the child's birth1 his sister had foretold that her mother would bring forth a son that should redeem ,israel4 ,when he was born1 and the house was filled with brilliant light1 ,amram kissed her on her head1 but when he was forced into the expedient of exposing the child1 he beat her on her head1 saying1 ,my daughter1 what hath become of thy prophecy8 ,therefore ,miriam stayed1 and strolled along the shore1 to observe what would be the fate of the babe1 and what would come of her prophecy concerning him4#df ,the day the child was exposed was the twenty-first of the month of ,nisan1 the same on which the children of ,israel later1 under the leadership of ,moses1 sang the song of praise and gratitude to ,god for the redemption from the waters of the sea4 ,the angels appeared before ,god1 and spoke3 ,o ,lord of the world1 shall he that is appointed to sing a song of praise unto ,thee on this day of ,nisan1 to thank ,thee for rescuing him and his people from the sea1 shall he find his death in the sea to-day8 ,the ,lord replied3 ,ye know well that ,i see all things4 ,the contriving of man can do naught to change what bath been resolved in ,my counsel4 ,those do not attain their end who use cunning and malice to secure their own safety1 and endeavor to bring ruin upon their fellow-men4 ,but he who trusts ,me in his peril will be conveyed from profoundest distress to unlooked-for happiness4 ,thus ,my omnipotence will reveal itself in the fortunes of this babe4#dg ,at the time of the child's abandonment1 ,god sent scorching heat to plague the ,egyptians1 and they all suffered with leprosy and smarting boils4 ,thermutis1 the daughter of ,pharaoh1 sought relief from the burning pain in a bath in the waters of the ,nile4#dh ,but physical discomfort was not her only reason for leaving her father's palace4 ,she was determined to cleanse herself as well of the impurity of the idol worship that prevailed there4 ,when she saw the little ark floating among the flags on the surface of the water1 she supposed it to contain one of the little children exposed at her father's order1 and she commanded her handmaids to fetch it4 ,but they protested1 saying1 ,o our mistress1 it happens sometimes that a decree issued by a king is unheeded1 yet it is observed at least by his children and the members of his household1 and dost thou desire to transgress thy father's edict8 ,forthwith the angel ,gabriel appeared1 seized all the maids except one1 whom he permitted the princess to retain for her service1 and buried them in the bowels of the earth4 ,pharaoh's daughter now proceeded to do her own will4 ,she stretched forth her arm1 and although the ark was swimming at a distance of sixty ells1 she succeeded in grasping it1 because her arm was lengthened miraculously4 ,no sooner had she touched it than the leprosy afflicting her departed from her4 ,her sudden restoration led her to examine the contents of the ark1#di and when she opened it1 her amazement was great4 ,she beheld an exquisitely beautiful boy1 for ,god bad fashioned the ,hebrew babe's body with peculiar care1#ej and beside it she perceived the ,shekinah4 ,noticing that the boy bore the sign of the ,abrahamic covenant1 she knew that he was one of the ,hebrew children1 and mindful of her father's decree concerning the male children of the ,israelites1 she was about to abandon the babe to his fate4 ,at that moment the angel ,gabriel came and gave the child a vigorous blow1 and he began to cry aloud1 with a voice like a young man's4 ,his vehement weeping and the weeping of ,aaron1 who was lying beside him1 touched the princess1 and in her pity she resolved to save him4 ,she ordered an ,egyptian woman to be brought1 to nurse the child1 but the little one refused to take milk from her breast1 as he refused to take it from one after the other of the ,egyptian women fetched thither4 ,thus it had been ordained by ,god1 that none of them might boast later on1 and say1 ,i suckled him that holds converse now with the ,shekinah4 ,nor was the mouth destined to speak with ,god to draw nourishment from the unclean body of an ,egyptian woman4 ,now ,miriam stepped into the presence of ,thermutis1 as though she had been standing there by chance to look at the child1#ea and she spoke to the princess1 saying1 ,it is vain for thee1 ,o queen1 to call for nurses that are in no wise of kin to the child1 but if thou wilt order a woman of the ,hebrews to be brought1 he may accept her breast1 seeing that she is of his own nation4 ,thermutis therefore bade ,miriam fetch a ,hebrew woman1 and with winged steps1 speeding like a vigorous youth1 she hastened and brought back her own mother1 the child's mother1 for she knew that none present was acquainted with her4 ,the babe1 unresisting1 took his mother's breast1 and clutched it tightly4#eb ,the princess committed the child to ,jochebed's care1 saying these words1 which contained an unconscious divination3 ,here is what is thine4 ,nurse the boy henceforth1 and ,i will give thee two silver pieces as thy wages4#ed ,the return of her son1 safe and sound1 after she had exposed him1 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 alive4#ee ,by exposing their son to danger1 ,amram and ,jochebed had effected the withdrawal of ,pharaoh's command enjoining the extermination of the ,hebrew men children4 ,the day ,moses was set adrift in the little ark1 the astrologers had come to ,pharaoh and told him the glad tidings1 that the danger threatening the ,egyptians on account of one boy1 whose doom lay in the water1 had now been averted4 ,thereupon ,pharaoh cried a halt to the drowning of the boys of his empire4 ,the astrologers had seen something1 but they knew not what1 and they announced a message1 the import of which they did not comprehend4 ,water was1 indeed1 the doom of ,moses1 but that did not mean that he would perish in the waters of the ,nile4 ,it had reference to the waters of ,meribah1 the waters of strife1 and how they would cause his death in the desert1 before he had completed his task of leading the people into the promised land4 ,pharaoh1 misled by the obscure vision of his astrologers1 thought that the future redeemer of ,israel was to lose his life by drowning1 and to make sure that the boy whose appearance was foretold by the astrologers might not escape his fate1 he had ordered all boys1 even the children of the ,egyptians1 born during a period of nine months to be cast into the water4 ,on account of the merits of ,moses1 the six hundred thousand men children of the ,hebrews begotten in the same night with him1 and thrown into the water on the same day1 were rescued miraculously together with him1 and it was therefore not an idle boast1 if he said later1 ,the people that went forth out of the water on account of my merits are six hundred thousand men4#ef ,,the ,,infancy ,,of ,,moses ,for two years the child rescued by ,pharaoh's daughter stayed with his parents and kindred4 ,they gave him various names4 ,his father called him ,heber1 because it was for this child's sake that he had been reunited with his wife4 ,his mother's name for him was ,jekuthiel1 because1 she said1 ,i set my hope upon ,god1 and ,he gave him back to me4 ,to his sister ,miriam he was ,jered1 because she had descended to the stream to ascertain his fate4 ,his brother ,aaron called him ,abi ,zanoah1 because his father1 who had cast off his mother1 had taken her back for the sake of the child to be born4 ,his grandfather ,kohath knew him as ,abi ,gedor1 because the ,heavenly ,father had built up the breach in ,israel1 when ,he rescued him1 and thus restrained the ,egyptians from throwing the ,hebrew men children into the water4 ,his nurse called him ,abi ,soco1 because he had been kept concealed in a tent for three months1 escaping the pursuit of the ,egyptians4 ,and ,israel called him ,shemaiah ben ,nethanel1 because in his day ,god would hear the sighs of the people1 and deliver them from their oppressors1 and through him would ,he give them ,his own law4#eg ,his kindred and all ,israel knew that the child was destined for great things1 for he was barely four months old when he began to prophesy1 saying1 ,in days to come ,i shall receive the ,torah from the flaming torch4#eh ,when ,jochebed took the child to the palace at the end of two years1 ,pharaoh's daughter called him ,moses1 because she had drawn him out of the water1 and because he would draw the children of ,israel out of the land of ,egypt in a day to come4#ei ,and this was the only name whereby ,god called the son of ,amram1 the name conferred upon him by ,pharaoh's daughter4 ,he said to the princess3 ,moses was not thy child1 yet thou didst treat him as such4 ,for this ,i will call thee ,my daughter1 though thou art not ,my daughter1 and therefore the princess1 the daughter of ,pharaoh1 bears the name ,bithiah1 the daughter of ,god4 ,she married ,caleb later on1 and he was a suitable husband for her4 ,as she stood up against her father's wicked counsels1 so ,caleb stood up against the counsel of his fellow-messengers sent to spy out the land of ,canaan4#fj ,for rescuing ,moses and for her other pious deeds1 she was permitted to enter ,paradise alive4#fa ,that ,moses might receive the treatment at court usually accorded to a prince1 ,bithiah pretended that she was with child for some time before she had him fetched away from his parents' house4 ,his royal foster-mother caressed and kissed him constantly1 and on account of his extraordinary beauty she would not permit him ever to quit the palace4 ,whoever set eyes on him1 could not leave off from looking at him1 wherefore ,bithiah feared to allow him out of her sight4#fc ,moses' understanding was far beyond his years2 his instructors observed that he disclosed keener comprehension than is usual at his age4 ,all his actions in his infancy promised greater ones after he should come to man's estate1 and when he was but three years old1 ,god granted him remarkable size4 ,as for his beauty1 it was so attractive that frequently those meeting him as he was carried along on the road were obliged to turn and stare at him4 ,they would leave what they were about1 and stand still a great while1 looking after him1 for the loveliness of the child was so wondrous that it held the gaze of the spectator4 ,the daughter of ,pharaoh1 perceiving ,moses to be an extraordinary lad1 adopted him as her son1 for she had no child of her own4 ,she informed her father of her intention concerning him1 in these words3 ,i have brought up a child1 who is divine in form and of an excellent mind1 and as ,i received him through the bounty of the river in a wonderful way1 ,i have thought it proper to adopt him as my son and as the heir of thy kingdom4 ,and when she had spoken thus1 she put the infant between her father's hands1 and he took him and hugged him close to his breast4#fd ,,moses ,,rescued ,,by ,,gabriel ,when ,moses was in his third year1 ,pharaoh was dining one day1 with the queen ,alfar'anit at his right hand1 his daughter ,bithiah with the infant ,moses upon her lap at his left1 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 presence4 ,it happened that the infant took the crown from off the king's head1 and placed it on his own4 ,when the king and the princes saw this1 they were terrified1 and each one in turn expressed his astonishment4 ,the king said unto the princes1 ,what speak you1 and what say you1 ,o ye princes1 on this matter1 and what is to be done to this ,hebrew boy on account of this act8 ,balaam spoke1 saying3 ,remember now1 ,o my lord and king1 the dream which thou didst dream many days ago1 and how thy servant interpreted it unto thee4 ,now this is a child of the ,hebrews in whom is the spirit of ,god4 ,let not my lord the king imagine in his heart that being a child he did the thing without knowledge4 ,for he is a ,hebrew boy1 and wisdom and understanding are with him1 although he is yet a child1 and with wisdom has he done this1 and chosen unto himself the kingdom of ,egypt4 ,for this is the manner of all the ,hebrews1 to deceive kings and their magnates1 to do all things cunningly in order to make the kings of the earth and their men to stumble4 ,surely thou knowest that ,abraham their father acted thus1 who made the armies of ,nimrod king of ,babel and of ,abimelech king of ,gerar to stumble1 and he possessed himself of the land of the children of ,heth and the whole realm of ,canaan4 ,their father ,abraham went down into ,egypt1 and said of ,sarah his wife1 ,she is my sister1 in order to make ,egypt and its king to stumble4 ,his son ,isaac did likewise when he went to ,gerar1 and he dwelt there1 and his strength prevailed over the army of ,abimelech1 and he intended to make the kingdom of the ,philistines to stumble1 by saying that ,rebekah his wife was his sister4 ,jacob also dealt treacherously with his brother1 and took his birthright and his blessing from him4 ,then he went to ,paddan-aram1 to ,laban1 his mother's brother1 and he obtained his daughters from him cunningly1 and also his cattle and all his belongings1 and he fled away and returned to the land of ,canaan1 to his father4 ,his sons sold their brother ,joseph1 and he went down into ,egypt and became a slave1 and he was put into prison for twelve years1 until the former ,pharaoh delivered him from the prison1 and magnified him above all the princes of ,egypt on account of his interpreting the king's dreams4 ,when ,god caused a famine to descend upon the whole world1 ,joseph sent for his father1 and he brought him down into ,egypt his father1 his brethren1 and all his father's household1 and he supplied them with food without pay or reward1 while he acquired ,egypt1 and made slaves of all its inhabitants4 ,now1 therefore1 my lord king1 behold1 this child has risen up in their stead in ,egypt1 to do according to their deeds and make sport of every man1 be he king1 prince1 or judge4 ,if it please the king1 let us now spill his blood upon the ground1 lest he grow up and snatch the government from thine hand1 and the hope of ,egypt be cut off after he reigns4 ,let us1 moreover1 call for all the judges and the wise men of ,egypt1 that we may know whether the judgment of death be due to this child1 as ,i have said1 and then we will slay him4 ,pharaoh sent and called for all the wise men of ,egypt1 and they came1 and the angel ,gabriel was disguised as one of them4 ,when they were asked their opinion in the matter1 ,gabriel spoke up1 and said3 ,if it please the king1 let him place an onyx stone before the child1 and a coal of fire1 and if he stretches out his hand and grasps the onyx stone1 then shall we know that the child hath done with wisdom all that he bath done1 and we will slay him4 ,but if he stretches out his hand and grasps the coal of fire1 then shall we know that it was not with consciousness that he did the thing1 and he shall live4 ,the counsel seemed good in the eyes of the king1 and when they had placed the stone and the coal before the child1 ,moses stretched forth his hand toward the onyx stone and attempted to seize it1 but the angel ,gabriel guided his hand away from it and placed it upon the live coal1 and the coal burnt the child's hand1 and he lifted it up and touched it to his mouth1 and burnt part of his lips and part of his tongue1 and for all his life he became slow of speech and of a slow tongue4 ,seeing this1 the king and the princes knew that ,moses had not acted with knowledge in taking the crown from off the king's head1 and they refrained from slaying him4#fe ,god ,himself1 who protected ,moses1 turned the king's mind to grace1 and his foster-mother snatched him away1 and she had him educated with great care1 so that the ,hebrews depended upon him1 and cherished the hope that great things would be done by him4 ,but the ,egyptians were suspicious of what would follow from such an education as his4#ff ,at great cost teachers were invited to come to ,egypt from neighboring lands1 to educate the child ,moses4 ,some came of their own accord1 to instruct him in the sciences and the liberal arts4 ,by reason of his admirable endowments of mind1 he soon excelled his teachers in knowledge4 ,his learning seemed a process of mere recollecting1 and when there was a difference of opinion among scholars1 he selected the correct one instinctively1 for his mind refused to store up anything that was false4#fg ,but he deserves more praise for his unusual strength of will than for his natural capacity1 for he succeeded in transforming an originally evil disposition into a noble1 exalted character1 a change that was farther aided by his resolution1 as he himself acknowledged later4 ,after the wonderful exodus of the ,israelites from ,egypt1 a king of ,arabia sent an artist to ,moses1 to paint his portrait1 that he might always have the likeness of the divine man before him4 ,the painter returned with his handiwork1 and the king assembled his wise men1 those in particular who were conversant with the science of physiognomy4 ,he displayed the portrait before them1 and invited their judgment upon it4 ,the unanimous opinion was that it represented a man covetous1 haughty1 sensual1 in short1 disfigured by all possible ugly traits4 ,the king was indignant that they should pretend to be masters in physiognomy1 seeing that they declared the picture of ,moses1 the holy1 divine man1 to be the picture of a villain4 ,they defended themselves by accusing the painter in turn of not having produced a true portrait of ,moses1 else they would not have fallen into the erroneous judgment they had expressed4 ,but the artist insisted that his work resembled the original closely4 ,unable to decide who was right1 the ,arabian king went to see ,moses1 and he could not but admit that the portrait painted for him was a masterpiece4 ,moses as he beheld him in the flesh was the ,moses upon the canvas4 ,there could be no doubt but that the highly extolled knowledge of his physiognomy experts was empty twaddle4 ,he told ,moses what had happened1 and what he thought of it4 ,he replied3 ,thy artist and thy experts alike are masters1 each in his line4 ,if my fine qualities were a product of nature1 ,i were no better than a log of wood1 which remains forever as nature produced it at the first4 ,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 me1 perhaps to a greater degree even than they think4 ,but ,i mastered my evil impulses with my strong will1 and the character ,i acquired through severe discipline has become the opposite of the disposition with which ,i was born4 ,through this change1 wrought in me by my own efforts1 ,i have earned honor and commendation upon earth as well as in heaven4#fh ,,the ,,youth ,,of ,,moses ,one day--it was after he was grown up1 and had passed beyond the years of childhood--,moses went to the land of ,goshen1 in which lived the children of ,israel4 ,there he saw the burdens under which his people were groaning1 and he inquired why the heavy service had been put upon them4 ,the ,israelites told him all that had befallen1 told him of the cruel edict ,pharaoh had issued shortly before his birth1 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 head4 ,the wrath of ,moses was kindled against the spiteful adviser1 and he tried to think out means of rendering him harmless4 ,but ,balaam1 getting wind of his ill-feeling1 fled from ,egypt with his two sons1 and betook himself to the court of ,kikanos king of ,ethiopia4#fi ,the sight of his enslaved people touched ,moses unto tears1 and he spoke1 saying3 ,woe unto me for your anguish6 ,rather would ,i die than see you suffer so grievously4 ,he did not disdain to help his unfortunate brethren at their heavy tasks as much as lay in his power4 ,he dismissed all thought of his high station at court1 shouldered a share of the burdens put upon the ,israelites1 and toiled in their place4 ,the result was that he not only gave relief to the heavily-laden workmen1 but he also gained the favor of ,pharaoh1 who believed that ,moses was taking part in the labor in order to promote the execution of the royal order4 ,and ,god said unto ,moses3 ,thou didst relinquish all thy other occupations1 and didst join thyself unto the children of ,israel1 whom thou dost treat as brethren2 therefore will ,i1 too1 put aside now all heavenly and earthly affairs1 and hold converse with thee4#gj ,moses continued to do all he could to alleviate the suffering of his brethren to the best of his ability4 ,he addressed encouraging words to them1 saying3 ,my dear brethren1 bear your lot with fortitude6 ,do not lose courage1 and let not your spirit grow weary with the weariness of your body4 ,better times will come1 when tribulation shall be changed into joy4 ,clouds are followed by sunshine1 storms by calm1 all things in the world tend toward their opposites1 and nothing is more inconstant than the fortunes of man4#ga ,the royal favor1 which the king accorded him in ever- increasing measure1 he made use of to lighten the burden laid upon the children of ,israel4 ,one day he came into the presence of ,pharaoh1 and said3 ,o my lord1 ,i have a request to make of thee1 and my hope is that thou wilt not deny it4 ,speak1 replied the king4 ,it is an admitted fact1 said ,moses1 that if a slave is not afforded rest at least one day in the week1 he will die of overexertion4 ,thy ,hebrew slaves will surely perish1 unless thou accordest them a day of cessation from work4 ,pharaoh fulfilled the petition preferred by ,moses1 and the king's edict was published in the whole of ,egypt and in ,goshen1 as follows3 ,to the sons of ,israel6 ,thus saith the king3 ,do your work and perform your service for six days1 but on the seventh day you shall rest2 on it ye shall do no labor4 ,thus shall ye do unto all times1 according to the command of the king and the command of ,moses the son of ,bithiah4 ,and the day appointed by ,moses as the day of rest was ,saturday1 later given by ,god to the ,israelites as the ,sabbath day4#gb ,while ,moses abode in ,goshen1 an incident of great importance occurred4 ,to superintend the service of the children of ,israel1 an officer from among them was set over every ten1 and ten such officers were under the surveillance of an ,egyptian taskmaster4 ,one of these ,hebrew officers1 ,dathan by name1 had a wife1 ,shelomith1 the daughter of ,dibri1 of the tribe of ,dan1 who was of extraordinary beauty1 but inclined to be very loquacious4 ,whenever the ,egyptian taskmaster set over her husband came to their house on business connected with his office1 she would approach him pleasantly and enter into conversation with him4 ,the beautiful ,israelitish woman enkindled a mad passion in his breast1 and he sought and found a cunning way of satisfying his lustful desire4 ,one day he appeared at break of dawn at the house of ,dathan1 roused him from his sleep1 and ordered him to hurry his detachment of men to their work4 ,the husband scarcely out of sight1 he executed the villainy he had planned1 and dishonored the woman1 and the fruit of this illicit relation was the blasphemer of the ,name whom ,moses ordered to execution on the march through the desert4 ,at the moment when the ,egyptian slipped out of ,shelomith's chamber1 ,dathan returned home4 ,vexed that his crime had come to the knowledge of the injured husband1 the taskmaster goaded him on to work with excessive vigor1 and dealt him blow after blow with the intention to kill him4#gc ,young ,moses happened to visit the place at which the much-abused and tortured ,hebrew was at work4 ,dathan hastened toward him1 and complained of all the wrong and suffering the ,egyptian had inflicted upon him4#gd ,full of wrath1 ,moses1 whom the holy spirit had acquainted with the injury done the ,hebrew officer by the ,egyptian taskmaster1 cried out to the latter1 saying3 ,not enough that thou hast dishonored this man's wife1 thou aimest to kill him1 too8 ,and turning to ,god1 he spoke further3 ,what will become of ,thy promise to ,abraham1 that his posterity shall be as numerous as the stars1 if his children are given over to death8 ,and what will become of the revelation on ,sinai1 if the children of ,israel are exterminated8 ,moses wanted to see if someone would step forward1 and1 impelled by zeal for the cause of ,god and for ,god's law1 would declare himself ready to avenge the outrage4 ,he waited in vain4 ,then he determined to act himself4 ,naturally enough he hesitated to take the life of a human being4 ,he did not know whether the evil-doer might not be brought to repentance1 and then lead a life of pious endeavor4 ,he also considered1 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 clemency4 ,the holy spirit allayed all his doubts4 ,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 offspring4 ,then ,moses was willing to requite him for his evil deeds4 ,nevertheless he first consulted the angels1 to hear what they had to say1 and they agreed that the ,egyptian deserved death1 and ,moses acted according to their opinion4 ,neither physical strength nor a weapon was needed to carry out his purpose4 ,he merely pronounced the ,name of ,god1 and the ,egyptian was a corpse4 ,to the bystanders1 the ,israelites1 ,moses said3 ,the ,lord compared you unto the sand of the sea-shore1 and as the sand moves noiselessly from place to place1 so ,i pray you to keep the knowledge of what hath happened a secret within yourselves4 ,let nothing be heard concerning it4 ,the wish expressed by ,moses was not honored4 ,the slaying of the ,egyptian remained no secret1 and those who betrayed it were ,israelites1 ,dathan and ,abiram1 the sons of ,pallu1 of the tribe of ,reuben1 notorious for their effrontery and contentiousness4 ,the day after the thing with the ,egyptians happened1 the two brothers began of malice aforethought to scuffle with each other1 only in order to draw ,moses into the quarrel and create an occasion for his betrayal4 ,the plan succeeded admirably4 ,seeing ,dathan raise his hand against ,abiram1 to deal him a blow1 ,moses exclaimed1 ,o thou art a villain1 to lift up thy hand against an ,israelite1 even if he is no better than thou4 ,dathan replied3 ,young man1 who hath made thee to be a judge over us1 thou that hast not yet attained to years of maturity8 ,we know very well that thou art the son of ,jochebed1 though people call thee the son of the princess ,bithiah1 and if thou shouldst attempt to play the part of our master and judge1 we will publish abroad the thing thou didst unto the ,egyptian4 ,or1 peradventure1 thou harborest the intention to slay us as thou didst slay him1 by pronouncing the ,name of ,god8 ,not satisfied with these taunts1 the noble pair of brothers betook themselves to ,pharaoh1 and spoke before him1 ,moses dishonoreth thy royal mantle and thy crown1 to which ,pharaoh returned1 saying1 ,much good may it do him6 ,but they pursued the subject4 ,he helps thine enemies1 ,pharaoh1 they continued1 whereupon he replied1 as before1 ,much good may it do him6 ,still they went on1 ,he is not the son of thy daughter4 ,these last words did not fail of making an impression upon ,pharaoh4#ge ,a royal command was issued for the arrest of ,moses1 and he was condemned to death by the sword4 ,the angels came to ,god1 and said1 ,moses1 the familiar of ,thine house1 is held under restraint1 and ,god replied1 ,i will espouse his cause4 ,but1 the angels urged1 his verdict of death has been pronounced--yes1 they are leading him to execution1 and again ,god made reply1 as before1 ,i will espouse his cause4 ,moses mounted the scaffold1 and a sword1 sharp beyond compare1 was set upon his neck ten times1 but it always slipped away1 because his neck was as hard as ivory4 ,and a still greater miracle came to pass4 ,god sent down the angel ,michael1 in the guise of a hangman1 and the human hangman charged by ,pharaoh with the execution was changed into the form of ,moses4 ,this spurious ,moses the angel killed with the very sword with which the executioner had purposed to slay the intended victim4 ,meantime ,moses took to flight4 ,pharaoh ordered his pursuit1 but it was in vain4 ,the king's troops were partly stricken with blindness partly with dumbness4 ,the dumb could give no information about the abiding-place of ,moses1 and the blind1 though they knew where it was1 could not get to it4#gf ,,the ,,flight ,an angel of ,god took ,moses to a spot removed forty days' journey from ,egypt1 so far off that all fear was banished from his mind4#gg ,indeed1 his anxiety had never been for his own person1 but only on account of the future of ,israel4 ,the subjugation of his people had always been an unsolved enigma to him4 ,why should ,israel1 he would ask himself1 suffer more than all the other nations8 ,but when his personal straits initiated him in the talebearing and back- biting that prevailed among the ,israelites1 then he asked himself1 ,does this people deserve to be redeemed8#gh ,the religious conditions among the children of ,israel were of such kind at that time as not to permit them to hope for ,divine assistance4 ,they refused to give ear to ,aaron and the five sons of ,zerah1 who worked among them as prophets1 and admonished them unto the fear of ,god4 ,it was on account of their impiety that the heavy hand of ,pharaoh rested upon them more and more oppressively1 until ,god had mercy upon them1 and sent ,moses to deliver them from the slavery of ,egypt4#gi ,when he succeeded in effecting his escape from the hands of the hangman1 ,moses had no idea that a royal throne awaited him4 ,it was nevertheless so4 ,a war broke out at this time between ,ethiopia and the nations of the ,east that had been subject to it until then4 ,kikanos1 the king1 advanced against the enemy with a great army4 ,he left ,balaam and ,balaam's two sons1 ,jannes and ,jambres1 behind1 to keep guard over his capital and take charge of the people remaining at home4 ,the absence of the king gave ,balaam the opportunity of winning his subjects over to his side1 and he was put upon the throne1 and his two sons were set over the army as generals4 ,to cut ,kikanos off from his capital1 ,balaam and his sons invested the city1 so that none could enter it against their will4 ,on two sides they made the walls higher1 on the third they dug a network of canals1 into which they conducted the waters of the river girding the whole land of ,ethiopia1 and on the fourth side their magic arts collected a large swarm of snakes and scorpions4 ,thus none could depart1 and none could enter4 ,meantime ,kikanos succeeded in subjugating the rebellious nations4 ,when he returned at the head of his victorious army1 and espied the high city wall from afar1 he and his men said3 ,the inhabitants of the city1 seeing that the war detained us abroad for a long time1 have raised the walls and fortified them1 that the kings of ,canaan may not be able to enter4 ,on approaching the city gates1 which were barred1 they cried out to the guards to open them1 but by ,balaam's instructions they were not permitted to pass through4 ,a skirmish ensued1 in which ,kikanos lost one hundred and thirty men4 ,on the morrow the combat was continued1 the king with his troops being stationed on the thither bank of the river4 ,this day he lost his thirty riders1 who1 mounted on their steeds1 had attempted to swim the stream4 ,then the king ordered rafts to be constructed for the transporting of his men4 ,when the vessels reached the canals1 they were submerged1 and the waters1 swirling round and round as though driven by mill wheels1 swept away two hundred men1 twenty from each raft4 ,on the third day they set about assaulting the city from the side on which the snakes and scorpions swarmed1 but they failed to reach it1 and the reptiles killed one hundred and seventy men4 ,the king desisted from attacking the city1 but for the space of nine years he surrounded it1 so that none could come out or go in4 ,while the siege was in progress1 ,moses appeared in the king's camp on his flight before ,pharaoh1 and at once found favor with ,kikanos and his whole army4 ,he exercised an attraction upon all that saw him1 for he was slender like a palm-tree1 his countenance shone as the morning sun1 and his strength was equal to a lion's4 ,so deep was the king's affection for him that he appointed him to be commander-in-chief of his forces4 ,at the end of the nine years ,kikanos fell a prey to a mortal disease1 and he died on the seventh day of his illness4 ,his servants embalmed him1 buried him opposite to the city gate toward the land of ,egypt1 and over his grave they erected a magnificent structure1 strong and high1 upon the walls whereof they engraved all the mighty deeds and battles of the dead king4 ,now1 after the death of ,kikanos1 his men were greatly grieved on account of the war4 ,one said unto the other1 ,counsel us1 what shall we do at this time8 ,we have been abiding in the wilderness1 away from our homes1 for nine years4 ,if we fight against the city1 many of us will fall dead2 and if we remain here besieging it1 we shall also die4 ,for now all the princes of ,aram and of the children of the ,east will hear that our king is dead1 and they will attack us suddenly1 and they will fight with us until not a remnant will be left4 ,now1 therefore1 let us go and set a king over us1 and we will remain here besieging the city until it surrenders unto us4 ,,the ,,king ,,of ,,ethiopia ,they could find none except ,moses fit to be their king4 ,they hastened and stripped off each man his upper garment1 and cast them all in a heap upon the ground1 making a high place1 on top of which they set ,moses4 ,then they blew with trumpets1 and called out before him3 ,long live the king6 ,long live the king6 ,and all the people and the nobles swore unto him to give him ,adoniah for wife1 the ,ethiopian queen1 the widow of ,kikanos4 ,and they made ,moses king over them on that day4 ,they also issued a proclamation1 commanding every man to give ,moses of what he possessed1 and upon the high place they spread a sheet1 wherein each one cast something1 this one a gold nose ring1 that one a coin1 and onyx stones1 bdellium1 pearls1 gold1 and silver in great abundance4 ,moses was twenty-seven years old when he became king over ,ethiopia1 and he reigned for forty years4 ,on the seventh day of his reign1 all the people assembled and came before him1 to ask his counsel as to what was to be done to the city they were besieging4 ,the king answered them1 and said3 ,if you will hearken to my words1 the city will be delivered into our hands4 ,proclaim with a loud voice throughout the whole camp1 unto all the people1 saying3 ',thus saith the king6 ,go to the forest and fetch hither of the young of the stork1 each man one fledgling in his hand4 ,and if there be any man that transgresseth the word of the king1 not to bring a bird1 he shall die1 and the king shall take all belonging to him4' ,and when you have brought them1 they shall be in your keeping4 ,you shall rear them until they grow up1 and you shall teach them to fly as the hawk flieth4 ,all the people did according to the word of ,moses1 and after the young storks had grown to full size1 he ordered them to be starved for three days4 ,on the third day the king said unto them1 ,let every man put on his armor and gird his sword upon him4 ,each one shall mount his horse1 and each shall set his stork upon his hand1 and we will rise up and fight against the city opposite to the place of the serpents4 ,when they came to the appointed spot1 the king said to them1 ,let each man send forth his young stork1 to descend upon the serpents4 ,thus they did1 and the birds swooped down and devoured all the reptiles and destroyed them4 ,after the serpents were removed in this way1 the men fought against the city1 subdued it1 and killed all its inhabitants1 but of the people besieging it there died not one4 ,when ,balaam saw that the city had fallen into the hands of the besiegers1 he exercised his magic arts1 which enabled him to fly through the air1 and he carried with him his two sons1 ,jannes and ,jambres1 and his eight brothers1 and they all took refuge in ,egypt4 ,seeing that they had been saved by the king1 and the city had been taken by his good counsel1 the people became more than ever attached to him4 ,they set the royal crown upon his head1 and gave him ,adoniah1 the widow of ,kikanos to wife4 ,but ,moses feared the stern ,god of his fathers1 and he went not in unto ,adoniah1 nor did he turn his eyes toward her1 for he remembered how ,abraham had made his servant ,eliezer swear1 saying unto him1 ,thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the ,canaanites1 among whom ,i dwell4 ,he also remembered what ,isaac did when ,jacob fled before his brother ,esau1 how he commanded his son1 saying1 ,thou shalt not take a wife from the daughters of ,canaan1 nor ally thyself by marriage with any of the children of ,ham1 for the ,lord our ,god gave ,ham the son of ,noah and all his seed as slaves to the children of ,shem and ,japheth forever4 ,at that time ,aram and the children of the ,east heard that ,kikanos the king of ,ethiopia had died1 and they rose up against the ,ethiopians1 but ,moses went forth with a mighty army to fight against the rebellious nations1 and he subdued them1 first the children of the ,east and then ,aram4 ,moses continued to prosper in his kingdom4 ,he conducted the government in justice1 righteousness1 and integrity1 and his people loved and feared him4 ,in the fortieth year of his reign1 while he was sitting upon his throne one day1 surrounded by all the nobles1 ,adoniah the queen1 who was seated before him1 rose up1 and spake3 ,what is this thing which you1 the people of ,ethiopia1 have done these many days8 ,surely you know that during the forty years this man bath reigned over you1 he hath not approached me1 nor hath he worshipped the gods of ,ethiopia4 ,now1 therefore1 let this man reign over you no more1 for he is not of our flesh4 ,behold1 ,monarchos my son is grown up1 let him reign over you4 ,it is better for you to serve the son of your lord than a stranger1 a slave of the king of ,egypt4 ,a whole day the people and the nobles contended with one another1 whether to pay heed to the words of the queen4 ,the officers of the army remained faithful to ,moses1 but the people of the cities were in favor of crowning the son of their former lord as king4 ,the following morning they rose up and made ,monarchos1 the son of ,kikanos1 king over them1 but they were afraid to stretch forth their hand against ,moses1 for the ,lord was with him4 ,they also remembered the oath they had sworn unto ,moses1 and therefore they did him no harm4 ,moreover1 they gave many presents to him1 and dismissed him with great honor4 ,when ,moses left ,ethiopia1 in the sixty-seventh year of his age1 it was the time appointed by ,god in the days of old to bring ,israel forth from the affliction of the children of ,ham4 ,but fearing to return to ,egypt on account of ,pharaoh1 ,moses journeyed to ,midian4#hj ,,jethro ,in the city of ,midian1 named thus for a son of ,abraham by ,keturah1#ha the man ,jethro had lived for many years1 doing a priest's service before the idols4 ,as time went on1 he grew more and more convinced of the vanity of idol worship4 ,his priesthood became repugnant to him1 and he resolved to give up his1 charge4 ,he stood before his townsmen1 and said1 ,until now ,i performed your service before the idols1 but ,i have grown too old for the duties of the office4 ,choose1 therefore1 whomever you would choose in my place4 ,speaking thus1 he delivered to the people all the paraphernalia appertaining to the idol worship1 and bade them transfer them to the one to whom in their discretion they should entrust his position4 ,suspecting ,jethro's hidden motives1 the people put him under the ban1 and none might venture to do him the slightest service4 ,not even would the shepherds pasture his flocks1 and there was nothing for him to do but impose this work upon his seven daughters4#hb ,jethro's transformation from an idolatrous priest into a ,god-fearing man is conveyed by his seven names4 ,he was called ,jether1 because the ,torah contains an additional section about him2 ,jethro1 he overflowed with good deeds4 ,hobab1 the beloved son of ,god2 ,reuel1 the friend of ,god2 ,heber1 the associate of ,god2 ,putiel1 he that hath renounced idolatry2 and ,keni1 he that was zealous for ,god1 and acquired the ,torah4#hc ,in consequence of the hostile relation between ,jethro and the inhabitants of the city1 his daughters were in the habit of making their appearance at the watering troughs before the other shepherds came thither4 ,but the ruse was not successful4 ,the shepherds would drive them away1 and water their own flocks at the troughs that the maidens had filled4 ,when ,moses arrived in ,midian1 it was at the well that he made halt1 and his experience was the same as ,isaac's and ,jacob's4 ,like them he found his helpmeet there4 ,rebekah had been selected by ,eliezer as the wife of ,isaac1 while she was busy drawing water for him2 ,jacob had seen ,rachel first1 while she was watering her sheep1 and at this well in ,midian ,moses met his future wife ,zipporah4 ,the rudeness of the shepherds reached its climax the very day of ,moses' arrival4 ,first they deprived the maidens of the water they had drawn for themselves1 and attempted to do violence to them1 and then they threw them into the water with intent to kill them4 ,at this moment ,moses appeared1 dragged the maidens out of the water1 and gave the flocks to drink1 first ,jethro's and then the flocks of the shep- herds1 though the latter did not deserve his good offices4 ,true1 he did them the service with but little trouble to himself1 for he had only to draw a bucketful1 and the water flowed so copiously that it sufficed for all the herds1#hd and it did not cease to flow until ,moses withdrew from the well1#he --the same well at which ,jacob had met ,rachel1 his future wife1 and the same well that ,god created at the beginning of the world1 the opening of which ,he made in the twilight of the first ,sabbath eve4#hf ,jethro's daughters thanked ,moses for the assistance he had afforded them4 ,but ,moses warded off their gratitude1 saying1 ,your thanks are due to the ,egyptian ,i killed1 on account of whom ,i had to flee from ,egypt4 ,had it not been for him1 ,i should not be here now4#hg ,,moses ,,marries ,,zipporah ,one of the seven maidens whom ,moses saw at the well attracted his notice in particular on account of her modest demeanor1 and he made her a proposal of marriage4 ,but ,zipporah repulsed him1 saying1 ,my father has a tree in his garden with which he tests every man that expresses a desire to marry one of his daughters1 and as soon as the suitor touches the tree1 he is devoured by it4 ,moses3 ,whence has he the tree8 ,zipporah3 ,it is the rod that the ,holy ,one1 blessed be ,he1 created in the twilight of the first ,sabbath eve1 and gave to ,adam4 ,he transmitted it to ,enoch1 from him it descended to ,noah1 then to ,shem1 and ,abraham1 and ,isaac1 and finally to ,jacob1 who brought it with him to ,egypt1 and gave it to his son ,joseph4 ,when ,joseph died1 the ,egyptians pillaged his house1 and the rod1 which was in their booty1 they brought to ,pharaoh's palace4 ,at that time my father was one of the most prominent of the king's sacred scribes1 and as such he had the opportunity of seeing the rod4 ,he felt a great desire to possess it1 and he stole it and took it to his house4 ,on this rod the ,ineffable ,name is graven1 and also the ten plagues that ,god will cause to visit the ,egyptians in a future day4 ,for many years it lay in my father's house4 ,one day he was walking in his garden carrying it1 and he stuck it in the ground4 ,when he attempted to draw it out again1 he found that it had sprouted1 and was putting forth blossoms4 ,that is the rod with which he tries any that desire to marry his daughters4 ,he insists that our suitors shall attempt to pull it out of the ground1 but as soon as they touch it1 it devours them4 ,having given him this account of her father's rod1 ,zipporah went home1 accompanied by her sisters1 and ,moses followed them4#hh ,jethro was not a little amazed to see his daughters return so soon from the watering troughs4 ,as a rule1 the chicanery they had to suffer from the shepherds detained them until late4#hi ,no sooner had he heard their report about the wonder- working ,egyptian than he exclaimed1 ,mayhap he is one of the descendants of ,abraham1 from whom issueth blessing for the whole world4#ij ,he rebuked his daughters for not having invited the stranger that had done them so valuable a service to come into their house1 and he ordered them to fetch him1 in the hope that he would take one of his daughters to wife4#ia ,moses had been standing without all this time1 and had allowed ,jethro's daughters to describe him as an ,egyptian1 without protesting and asserting his ,hebrew birth4 ,for this ,god punished him by causing him to die outside of the promised land4 ,joseph1 who had proclaimed in public that he was a ,hebrew1 found his last resting-place in the land of the ,hebrews1 and ,moses1 who apparently had no objection to being considered an ,egyptian1 had to live and die outside of that land4#ib ,zipporah hastened forth to execute her father's wish1 and no sooner had she ushered him in#ic than ,moses requested her hand in marriage4 ,jethro replied1 ,if thou canst bring me the rod in my garden1 ,i will give her to thee4 ,moses went out1#id found the sapphire rod that ,god had bestowed upon ,adam when he was driven forth from ,paradise1 the rod that had reached ,jethro after manifold vicissitudes1 and which he had planted in the garden4 ,moses uprooted it and carried it to ,jethro1#ie 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 inhabitants4 ,as soon as this thought struck him1 he seized ,moses1 and threw him into a pit1 in the expectation that he would meet with death there4 ,and1 indeed1 he would have perished1 if ,zipporah had not devised a stratagem to save his life4 ,she said to her father3 ,would it were thy will to hearken unto my counsel4 ,thou hast no wife1 but only seven daughters4 ,dost thou desire my six sisters to preside over thy household8 ,then shall ,i go abroad with the sheep4 ,if not1 let my sisters tend the flocks1 and ,i shall take care of the house4 ,her father said3 ,thou hast spoken well4 ,thy six sisters shall go forth with the sheep1 and thou shalt abide in the house and take care of it1 and all that belongeth to me therein4 ,now ,zipporah could provide ,moses with all sorts of dainties as he lay in the pit1 and she did it for the space of seven years4 ,at the expiration of this period1 she said to her father3 ,i recollect that once upon a time thou didst cast into yonder pit a man that had fetched thy rod from the garden for thee1 and thou didst commit a great trespass thereby4 ,if it seemeth well to thee1 uncover the pit and look into it4 ,if the man is dead1 throw his corpse away1 lest it fill the house with stench4 ,but should he be alive1 then thou oughtest to be convinced that he is one of those who are wholly pious1 else he had died of hunger4 ,the reply of ,jethro was3 ,thou hast spoken wisely4 ,dost thou remember his name8 ,and ,zipporah rejoined1 ,i remember he called himself ,moses the son of ,amram4 ,jethro lost no time1 he opened the pit1 and called out1 ,moses6 ,moses6 ,moses replied1 and said3 ,here am ,i6 ,jethro drew him up out of the pit1 kissed him1 and said3 ,blessed be ,god1 who guarded thee for seven years in the pit4 ,i acknowledge that ,he slayeth and reviveth1 that thou art one of the wholly pious1 that through thee ,god will destroy ,egypt in time to come1 lead ,his people out of the land1 and drown ,pharaoh and his whole army in the sea4#if ,thereupon ,jethro gave much money to ,moses1 and he bestowed his daughter ,zipporah upon him as wife1 giving her to him under the condition that the children born of the marriage in ,jethro's house should be divided into two equal classes1 the one to be ,israelitish1 the other ,egyptian4 ,when ,zipporah bore him a son1 ,moses circumcised him1#ig and called him ,gershom1 as a memorial of the wonder ,god had done for him1 for although he lived in a strange land1 the ,lord had not refused him aid even there4#ih ,zipporah nursed her first child for two years1 and in the third year she bore a second son4 ,remembering his compact with ,jethro1 ,moses realized that his father-in-law would not permit him to circumcise this one1 too1 and he determined to return to ,egypt1 that he might have the opportunity of bringing up his second son as an ,israelite4 ,on the journey thither1 ,satan appeared to him in the guise of a serpent1 and swallowed ,moses down to his extremities4 ,zipporah knew by this token that the thing had happened because her second son had not been circumcised1 and she hastened to make good the omission4 ,as soon as she sprinkled the blood of the circumcision on her husband's feet1 a heavenly voice was heard to cry to the serpent1 commanding him1 ,spew him out6 and ,moses came forth and stood upon his feet4 ,thus ,zipporah saved ,moses' life twice1 first from the pit and then from the serpent4#ii ,when ,moses arrived in ,egypt1 he was approached by ,dathan and ,abiram1 the leaders of the ,israelites1 and they spake3 ,comest thou hither to slay us1 or dost thou purpose to do the same with us as thou didst with the ,egyptian8 ,this drove ,moses straightway back to ,midian1 and there he remained two years more1 until ,god revealed ,himself at ,horeb1 and said to him1 ,go and bring forth ,my children out of the land of ,egypt4#ajj ,a ,,bloody ,,remedy ,the latter years of ,israel's bondage in ,egypt were the worst4 ,to punish ,pharaoh for his cruelty toward the children of ,israel1 ,god afflicted him with a plague of leprosy1 which covered his whole body1 from the crown of his bead to the soles of his feet4 ,instead of being chastened by his disease1 ,pharaoh remained stiffnecked1 and he tried to restore his health by murdering ,israelitish children4 ,he took counsel with his three advisers1 ,balaam1 ,jethro1 and ,job1 how he might be healed of the awful malady that had seized upon him4 ,balaam spoke1 saying1 ,thou canst regain thy health only if thou wilt slaughter ,israelitish children and bathe in their blood4 ,jethro1 averse from having a share in such an atrocity1 left the king and fled to ,midian4 ,job1 on the other hand1 though he also disapproved of ,balaam's counsel1 kept silence1 and in no wise protested against it1#aja wherefor ,god punished him with a year's suffering4#ajb ,but afterward ,he loaded him down with all the felicities of this life1 and granted him many years1 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 life4#ajc ,in pursuance of the sanguinary advice given by ,balaam1 ,pharaoh had his bailiffs snatch ,israelitish babes from their mothers' breasts1 and slaughter them1 and in the blood of these innocents he bathed4 ,his disease afflicted him for ten years1 and every day an ,israelitish child was killed for him4 ,it was all in vain2 indeed1 at the end of the time his leprosy changed into boils1 and he suffered more than before4 ,while he was in this agony1 the report was brought to him that the children of ,israel in ,goshen were careless and idle in their forced labor4 ,the news aggravated his suffering1 and he said3 ,now that ,i am ill1 they turn and scoff at me4 ,harness my chariot1 and ,i will betake myself to ,goshen1 and see the derision wherewith the children of ,israel deride me4 ,and they took and put him upon a horse1 for he was not able to mount it himself4 ,when he and his men had come to the border between ,egypt and ,goshen1 the king's steed passed into a narrow place4 ,the other horses1 running rapidly through the pass1 pressed upon each other until the king's horse fell while he sate upon it1 and when it fell1 the chariot turned over on his face1 and also the horse lay upon him4 ,the king's flesh was torn from him1 for this thing was from the ,lord1 ,he had heard the cries of ,his people and their affliction4 ,the king's servants carried him upon their shoulders1 brought him back to ,egypt1 and placed him on his bed4 ,he knew that his end was come to die1 and the queen ,alfar'anit and his nobles gathered about his bed1 and they wept a great weeping with him4 ,the princes and his counsellors advised the king to make choice of a successor1 to reign in his stead1 whomsoever he would choose from among his sons4 ,he had three sons and two daughters by the queen ,alfar'anit1 beside children from concubines4 ,the name of his first-born was ,atro1 the name of the second ,adikam1 and of the third ,moryon4 ,the name of the older daughter was ,bithiah1 and of the other1 ,akuzit4 ,the first-born of the sons of the king was an idiot1 precipitate and heedless in all his actions4 ,adikam1 the second son1 was a cunning and clever man1 and versed in all the wisdom of ,egypt1 but ungainly in appearance1 fleshy and short of stature2 his height was a cubit and a space1 and his beard flowed down to his ankles4 ,the king resolved that ,adikam should reign in his stead after his death4 ,when this second son of his was but ten years old1 he had given him ,gedidah1 the daughter of ,abilat1 to wife1 and she bore him four sons4 ,afterward ,adikam went and took three other wives1 and begot eight sons and three daughters4 ,the king's malady increased upon him greatly1 and his flesh emitted a stench like a carcass cast into the field in summer time in the heat of the sun4 ,when he saw that his disorder bad seized upon him with a strong grip1 he commanded his son ,adikam to be brought to him1 and they made him king over the land in his place4 ,at the end of three years the old king died in shame and disgrace1 a loathing to all that saw him1 and they buried him in the sepulchre of the kings of ,egypt in ,zoan1 but they did not embalm him1 as was usual with kings1 for his flesh was putrid1 and they could not approach his body on account of the stench1 and they buried him in haste4 ,thus the ,lord requited him with evil for the evil he had done in his days to ,israel1 and he died in terror and shame after having reigned ninety-four years4 ,adikam was twenty years old when he succeeded his father1 and he reigned four years4 ,the people of ,egypt called him ,pharaoh1 as was their custom with all their kings1 but his wise men called him ,akuz1 for ,akuz is the word for short in the ,egyptian language1 and ,adikam was exceedingly awkward and undersized4 ,the new ,pharaoh surpassed his father ,malol and all the former kings in wickedness1 and he made heavier the yoke upon the children of ,israel4 ,he went to ,goshen with his servants1 and increased their labor1 and he said unto them1 ,complete your work1 each day's task1 and let not your hands slacken from the work from this day forward1 as you did in the day of my father4 ,he placed officers over them from amongst the children of ,israel1 and over these officers he placed taskmasters from amongst his servants4 ,and he put before them a measure for bricks1 according to the number they were to make day by day1 and whenever any deficiency was discovered in the measure of their daily bricks1 the taskmasters of ,pharaoh would go to the women of the children of ,israel1 and take their infants from them1 as many as the number of bricks lacking in the measure1 and these babes they put into the building instead of the missing bricks4 ,the taskmasters forced each man of the ,israelites to put his own child in the building4 ,the father would place his son in the wall1 and cover him over with mortar1 all the while weeping1 his tears running down upon his child4 ,the children of ,israel sighed every day on account of their dire suffering1 for they had thought that after ,pharaoh's death his son would lighten their toil1 but the new king was worse than his father4 ,and ,god saw the burden of the children of ,israel1 and their heavy work1 and ,he determined to deliver them4#ajd ,however1 it was not for their own sake that ,god resolved upon the deliverance of the children of ,israel1 for they were empty of good deeds1 and the ,lord foreknew that1 once they were redeemed1 they would rise up against ,him1 and even worship the golden calf4 ,yet ,he took mercy upon them1 for ,he remembered ,his covenant with the ,fathers1 and ,he looked upon their repentance for their sins1 and accepted their promise1 to fulfil the word of ,god after their going forth from ,egypt even before they should hear it4#aje ,after all1 the children of ,israel were not wholly without merits4 ,in a high degree they possessed qualities of extraordinary excellence4 ,there were no incestuous relations among them1 they were not evil-tongued1 they did not change their names1 they clung to the ,hebrew language1 never giving it up1#ajf and great fraternal affection prevailed among them4 ,if one happened to finish the tale of his bricks before his neighbors1 he was in the habit of helping the others4 ,therefore ,god spake1 ,they deserve that ,i should have mercy upon them1 for if a man shows mercy unto another1 ,i have mercy upon him4#ajg ,,the ,,faithful ,,shepherd ,when ,jethro bestowed his daughter ,zipporah upon ,moses as his wife1 he said to his future son-in-law3 ,i know that thy father ,jacob took his wives1 the daughters of ,laban1 and went away with them against their father's will4 ,now take an oath that thou wilt not do the same unto me1 and ,moses swore not to leave him without his consent1#ajh and he remained with ,jethro1 who made him the shepherd of his flocks4 ,by the way he tended the sheep1 ,god saw his fitness to be the shepherd of ,his people1 for ,god never gives an exalted office to a man until ,he has tested him in little things4 ,thus ,moses and ,david were tried as shepherds of flocks1 and only after they had proved their ability as such1 ,he gave them dominion over men4 ,moses watched over the flocks with loving care4 ,he led the young animals to pasture first1 that they might have the tender1 juicy grass for their food2 the somewhat older animals he led forth next1 and allowed them to graze off the herbs suitable for them2 and finally came the vigorous ones that had attained their full growth1 and to them he gave the hard grass that was left1 which the others could not eat1 but which afforded good food for them4 ,then spake ,god1 ,he that understandeth how to pasture sheep1 providing for each what is good for it1 he shall pasture ,my people4 ,once a kid escaped from the flock1 and when ,moses followed it1 he saw how it stopped at all the water courses1 and he said to it3 ,poor kid1 ,i knew not that thou wast thirsty1 and wast running after water6 ,thou art weary1 ,i ween1 and he carried it back to the herd on his shoulder4 ,then said ,god3 ,thou hast compassion with a flock belonging to a man of flesh and blood6 ,as thou livest1 thou shalt pasture ,israel1 ,my flock4#aji ,not only did ,moses take heed that no harm should come to the herds under his charge1 but he was also careful that they cause no injury to men4 ,he always chose an open meadow as his pasturing place1 to prevent his sheep from grazing in private estates4#aaj ,jethro had no reason to be dissatisfied with the services rendered to him by his son-in-law4 ,during the forty years ,moses acted as his shepherd not one sheep was attacked by wild beasts1 and the herds multiplied to an incredible degree4#aaa ,once he drove the sheep about in the desert for forty days1 without finding a pasturing place for them4 ,nevertheless he did not lose a single sheep4 ,moses' longing for the desert was irresistible4 ,his prophetic spirit caused him to foresee that his own greatness and the greatness of ,israel would manifest themselves there4 ,in the desert ,god's wonders would appear1 though it would be at the same time the grave of the human herd to be entrusted to him in the future1 and also his own last resting- place4 ,thus he had a presentiment at the very beginning of his career that the desert would be the scene of his activity1 which not only came true in the present order of things1 but also will be true in the latter days1 when he will appear in the desert again1 to lead into the promised land the generation1 arisen from their graves1 that he brought forth from ,egyptian bondage4#aab ,wandering through the desert1 he reached ,mount ,horeb1 which is called by six names1 each conveying one of its distinctions4 ,it is the mountain of ,god1 wherein the ,lord revealed ,his law2 ,basban1 for ,god came there2 a mountain of humps1 for the ,lord declared all the other mountains unfit for the revelation1 as crookbackt animals are declared unfit for sacrifices2 mountain of abode1 because it is the mountain that ,god desired for ,his abode2 ,sinai1 because the hatred of ,god against the heathen began at the time when ,israel received the law thereon2 and ,horeb1 sword1 because there the sword of the law was drawn upon the sinners4#aac ,,the ,,burning ,,thorn-,,bush ,when ,moses drew near to ,mount ,horeb1 he was aware at once that it was a holy place1 for he noticed that passing birds did not alight upon it4 ,at his approach the mountain began to move1 as though to go forward and meet him1 and it settled back into quietude only when his foot rested upon it4#aad ,the first thing ,moses noticed was the wonderful burning bush1 the upper part of which was a blazing flame1 neither consuming the bush1 nor preventing it from bearing blossoms as it burnt1 for the celestial fire has three peculiar qualities3 it produces blossoms1 it does not consume the object around which it plays1 and it is black of color4 ,the fire that ,moses saw in the bush was the appearance of the angel ,michael1 who had descended as the forerunner of the ,shekinah herself to come down presently4 ,it was the wish of ,god to hold converse with ,moses1 who1 however1 was not inclined to permit any interruption of the work under his charge4 ,therefore ,god startled him with the wonderful phenomenon of the burning thorn-bush4 ,that brought ,moses to a stop1 and then ,god spoke with him4 ,there were good reasons for selecting the thorn-bush as the vessel for a ,divine vision4 ,it was clean1 for the heathen could not use it to make idols4 ,god's choosing to dwell in the stunted thorn-bush conveyed the knowledge to ,moses that ,he suffers along with ,israel4 ,furthermore1 ,moses was taught that there is nothing in nature1 not even the insignificant thorn-bush1 that can exist without the presence of the ,shekinah4 ,besides1 the thorn-bush may be taken as the symbol for ,israel in several respects4 ,as the thorn- bush is the lowliest of all species of trees1 so the condition of ,israel in the exile is the lowliest as compared with that of all the other nations1 but as the thorn-bush releases no bird that alights upon it without lacerating its wings1 so the nations that subjugate ,israel will be punished4 ,also1 as a garden hedge is made of the thorn-bush1 so ,israel forms the hedge for the world1 the garden of ,god1 for without ,israel the world could not endure4 ,furthermore1 as the thorn- bush bears thorns and roses alike1 so ,israel has pious and impious members1 and as the thorn-bush requires ample water for its growth1 so ,israel can prosper only through the ,torah1 the celestial water4 ,and the thorn-bush1 the leaf of which consists of five leaflets1 was to indicate to ,moses that ,god had resolved to redeem ,israel only for the sake of the merits of five pious men1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1 ,aaron1 and ,moses4 ,the numbers represented by the letters composing the ,hebrew word for thorn-bush1 ,seneh1 add up to one hundred and twenty1 to convey that ,moses would reach the age of one hundred and twenty years1 and that the ,shekinah would rest on ,mount ,horeb for one hundred and twenty days4 ,finally1 in order to give ,moses an illustration of ,his modesty1 ,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 tree4#aae ,,the ,,ascension ,,of ,,moses ,the vision of the burning bush appeared to ,moses alone2 the other shepherds with him saw nothing of it4 ,he took five steps in the direction of the bush1 to view it at close range1 and when ,god beheld the countenance of ,moses distorted by grief and anxiety over ,israel's suffering1 ,he spake1 ,this one is worthy of the office of pasturing ,my people4#aaf ,moses was still a novice in prophecy1 therefore ,god said to ,himself1 ,if ,i reveal ,myself to him in loud tones1 ,i shall alarm him1 but if ,i reveal ,myself with a subdued voice1 he will hold prophecy in low esteem1 whereupon he addressed him in his father ,amram's voice4 ,moses was overjoyed to hear his father speak1 for it gave him the assurance that4 he was still alive4 ,the voice called his name twice1 and he answered1 ,here am ,i6 ,what is my father's wish8 ,god replied1 saying1 ,i am not thy father4 ,i but desired to refrain from terrifying thee1 therefore ,i spoke with thy father's voice4 ,i am the ,god of thy father1 the ,god of ,abraham1 the ,god of ,isaac1 and the ,god of ,jacob4 ,these words rejoiced ,moses greatly1 for not only was his father ,amram's name pronounced in the same breath with the names of the three ,patriarchs1 but it came before theirs1 as though he ranked higher than they4 ,moses said not a word4 ,in silent reverence before the ,divine vision he covered his face1 and when ,god disclosed the mission with which ,he charged him1 of bringing the ,israelites forth from the land of ,egypt1 he answered with humility1 ,who am ,i1 that ,i should go unto ,pharaoh1 and bring forth the children of ,israel out of ,egypt8 ,thereupon spake ,god1 ,moses1 thou art meek1 and ,i will reward thee for thy modesty4 ,i will deliver the whole land of ,egypt into thine hand1 and1 besides1 ,i will let thee ascend unto the throne of ,my glory1 and look upon all the angels of the heavens4 ,hereupon ,god commanded ,metatron1 the ,angel of the ,face1 to conduct ,moses to the celestial regions amid the sound of music and song1 and ,he commanded him furthermore to summon thirty thousand angels1 to serve as his body-guard1 fifteen thousand to right of him and fifteen thousand to left of him4 ,in abject terror ,moses asked ,metatron1 ,who art thou8 and the angel replied1 ,i am ,enoch1 the son of ,jared1 thy ancestor1 and ,god has charged me to accompany thee to ,his throne4 ,but ,moses demurred1 saying1 ,i am but flesh and blood1 and ,i cannot look upon the countenance of an angel1 whereupon ,metatron changed ,moses' flesh into torches of fire1 his eyes into ,merkabah wheels1 his strength into an angel's1 and his tongue into a flame1 and he took him to heaven with a retinue of thirty thousand angels1 one half moving to right of them and one half to left of them4 ,in the first heaven ,moses saw streams upon streams of water1 and he observed that the whole heaven consisted of windows1 at each of which angels were stationed4 ,metatron named and pointed out all the windows of heaven to him3 the window of prayer and the window of supplication2 of weeping and of joy2 plenitude and starvation2 wealth and poverty2 war and peace2 conception and birth2 showers and soft rains2 sin and repentance2 life and death2 pestilence and healing2 sickness and health2 and many windows more4 ,in the second heaven ,moses saw the angel ,nuriel1 standing three hundred parasangs high1 with his retinue of fifty myriads of angels1 all fashioned out of water and fire1 and all keeping their faces turned toward the ,shekinah while they sang a song of praise to ,god4 ,metatron explained to ,moses1 that these were the angels set over the clouds1 the winds1 and the rains1 who return speedily1 as soon as they have executed the will of their ,creator1 to their station in the second of the heavens1 there to proclaim the praise of ,god4 ,in the third heaven ,moses saw an angel1 so tall it would take a human being five hundred years to climb to his height4 ,he had seventy thousand heads1 each head having as many mouths1 each mouth as many tongues1 and each tongue as many sayings1 and he together with his suite of seventy thousand myriads of angels made of white fire praised and extolled the ,lord4 ,these1 said ,metatron to ,moses1 are called ,erelim1 and they are appointed over the grass1 the trees1 the fruits1 and the grain1 but as soon as they have done the will of their ,creator1 they return to the place assigned to them1 and praise ,god4 ,in the fourth heaven ,moses saw a ,temple1 the pillars thereof made of red fire1 the staves of green fire1 the thresholds of white fire1 the boards and clasps of flaming fire1 the gates of carbuncles1 and the pinnacles of rubies4 ,angels were entering the ,temple and giving praise to ,god there4 ,in response to a question from ,moses ,metatron told him that they presided over the earth1 the sun1 the moon1 the stars1 and the other celestial bodies4 and all of them intone songs before ,god4 ,in this heaven ,moses noticed also the two great planets1 ,venus and ,mars1 each as large as the whole earth1 and concerning these he asked unto what purpose they had been created4 ,metatron explained thereupon1 that ,venus lies upon the sun to cool him off in summer1 else he would scorch the earth1 and ,mars lies upon the moon1 to impart warmth to her1 lest she freeze the earth4 ,arrived in the fifth heaven1 ,moses saw hosts of angels1 whose nether parts were of snow and their upper parts of fire1 and yet the snow did not melt nor was the fire extinguished1 for ,god had established perfect harmony between the two elements4 ,these angels1 called ,ishim1 have had nothing to do since the day of their creation but praise and extol the ,lord4 ,in the sixth of the heavens were millions and myriads of angels praising ,god1 they were called ',irin and kadishim1 ,watchers and ,holy ,ones1 and their chief was made of hail1 and he was so tall1 it would take five hundred years to walk a distance equal to his height4 ,in the last heaven ,moses saw two angels1 each five hundred parasangs in height1 forged out of chains of black fire and red fire1 the angels ,af1 ,anger1 and ,hemah1 ,wrath1 whom ,god created at the beginning of the world1 to execute ,his will4 ,moses was disquieted when he looked upon them1 but ,metatron embraced him1 and said1 ,moses1 ,moses1 thou favorite of ,god1 fear not1 and be not terrified1 and ,moses became calm4 ,there was another angel in the seventh heaven1 different in appearance from all the others1 and of frightful mien4 ,his height was so great1 it would have taken five hundred years to cover a distance equal to it1 and from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet he was studded with glaring eyes1 at the sight of which the beholder fell prostrate in awe4 ,this one1 said ,metatron1 addressing ,moses1 is ,samael1 who takes the soul away from man4 ,whither goes he now8 asked ,moses1 and ,metatron replied1 ,to fetch the soul of ,job the pious4 ,thereupon ,moses prayed to ,god in these words1 ,o may it be ,thy will1 my ,god and the ,god of my fathers1 not to let me fall into the hands of this angel4 ,here1 in the highest heaven1 he saw also the seraphim with their six wings4 ,with two they cover their face1 that they gaze not upon the ,shekinah2 and with two their feet1 which1 being like a calf's feet1 they hide1 to keep secret ,israel's transgression of the golden calf4 ,with the third pair of wings they fly and do the service of the ,lord1 all the while exclaiming1 ,holy1 holy1 holy is the ,lord of hosts2 the whole earth is full of ,his glory4 ,the wings of these angels are of prodigious size1 it would take a man five hundred years to traverse their length and their breadth1 as from one end of the earth to the other4 ,and ,moses saw in the seventh heaven the holy ,hayyot1 which support the throne of ,god2 and he beheld also the angel ,zagzagel1 the prince of the ,torah and of wisdom1 who teaches the ,torah in seventy languages to the souls of men1 and thereafter they cherish the precepts contained therein as laws revealed by ,god to ,moses on ,sinai4 ,from this angel with the horns of glory ,moses himself learnt all the ten mysteries4 ,having seen what there is in the seven heavens1 he spoke to ,god1 saying1 ,i will not leave the heavens unless ,thou grantest me a gift1 and ,god replied1 ,i will give thee the ,torah1 and men shall call it the ,law of ,moses4#aag ,,moses ,,visits ,,paradise ,,and ,,hell ,when ,moses was on the point of departing from heaven1 a celestial voice announced3 ,moses1 thou camest hither1 and thou didst see the throne of ,my glory4 ,now thou shalt see also ,paradise and hell1 and ,god dispatched ,gabriel on the errand of showing hell to him4 ,terrified by its fires1 when he caught sight of them as he entered the portals of hell1 ,moses refused to go farther4 ,but the angel encouraged him1 saying1 ,there is a fire that not only burns but also consumes1 and that fire will protect thee against hell fire1 so that thou canst step upon it1 and yet thou wilt not be seared4 ,as ,moses entered hell1 the fire withdrew a distance of five hundred parasangs1 and the ,angel of ,hell1 ,nasargiel1 asked him1 ,who art thou8 and he answered1 ,i am ,moses1 the son of ,amram4 ,nasargiel3 ,this is not thy place1 thou belongest in ,paradise4 ,moses3 ,i came hither to see the manifestation of the power of ,god4 ,then said ,god to the ,angel of ,hell1 ,go and show hell unto ,moses1 and how the wicked are treated there4 ,immediately he went with ,moses1 walking before him like a pupil before his master1 and thus they entered hell together1 and ,moses saw men undergoing torture by the ,angels of ,destruction3 some of the sinners were suspended by their eyelids1 some by their ears1 some by their hands1 and some by their tongues1 and they cried bitterly4 ,and women were suspended by their hair and by their breasts1 and in other ways1 all on chains of fire4 ,nasargiel explained3 ,these hang by their eyes1 because they looked lustfully upon the wives of their neighbors1 and with a covetous eye upon the possessions of their fellow-men4 ,these hang by their ears because they listened to empty and vain speech1 and turned their ear away from hearing the ,torah4 ,these hang by their tongues1 because they talked slander1 and accustomed their tongue to foolish babbling4 ,these hang by their feet1 because they walked with them in order to spy upon their fellow-men1 but they walked not to the synagogue1 to offer prayer unto their ,creator4 ,these hang by their hands1 because with them they robbed their neighbors of their possessions1 and committed murder4 ,these women hang by their hair and their breasts1 because they uncovered them in the presence of young men1 so that they conceived desire unto them1 and fell into sin4 ,moses heard hell cry with a loud and a bitter cry1 saying to ,nasargiel3 ,give me something to eat1 ,i am hungry4-- ,nasargiel3 ,what shall ,i give thee8--,hell3 ,give me the souls of the pious4--,nasargiel3 ,the ,holy ,one1 blessed be ,he1 will not deliver the souls of the pious unto thee4 ,moses saw the place called ,alukah1 where sinners were suspended by their feet1 their heads downward1 and their bodies covered with black worms1 each five hundred parasangs long4 ,they lamented1 and cried3 ,woe unto us for the punishment of hell4 ,give us death1 that we may die6 ,nasargiel explained3 ,these are the sinners that swore falsely1 profaned the ,sabbath and the holy days1 despised the sages1 called their neighbors by unseemly nicknames1 wronged the orphan and the widow1 and bore false witness4 ,therefore bath ,god delivered them to these worms4 ,moses went thence to another place1 and there he saw sinners prone on their faces1 with two thousand scorpions lashing1 stinging1 and tormenting them1 while the tortured victims cried bitterly4 ,each of the scorpions had seventy thousand heads1 each head seventy thousand mouths1 each mouth seventy thousand stings1 and each sting seventy thousand pouches of poison and venom1 which the sinners are forced to drink down1 although the anguish is so racking that their eyes melt in their sockets4 ,nasargiel explained3 ,these are the sinners who caused the ,israelites to lose their money1 who exalted themselves above the community1 who put their neighbors to shame in public1 who delivered their fellow-,israelites into the hands of the ,gentiles1 who denied the ,torah of ,moses1 and who maintained that ,god is not the ,creator of the world4 ,then ,moses saw the place called ,tit ba-,yawen1 in which the sinners stand in mud up to their navels1 while the ,angels of ,destruction lash them with fiery chains1 and break their teeth with fiery stones1 from morning until evening1 and during the night they make their teeth grow again1 to the length of a parasang1 only to break them anew the next morning4 ,nasargiel explained3 ,these are the sinners who ate carrion and forbidden flesh1 who lent their money at usury1 who wrote the ,name of ,god on amulets for ,gentiles1 who used false weights1 who stole money from their fellow-,israelites1 who ate on the ,day of ,atonement1 who ate forbidden fat1 and animals and reptiles that are an abomination1 and who drank blood4 ,then ,nasargiel said to ,moses3 ,come and see how the sinners are burnt in hell1 and ,moses answered1 ,i cannot go there1 but ,nasargiel replied1 ,let the light of the ,shekinah precede thee1 and the fire of hell will have no power over thee4 ,moses yielded1 and he saw how the sinners were burnt1 one half of their bodies being immersed in fire and the other half in snow1 while worms bred in their own flesh crawled over them1 and the ,angels of ,destruction beat them incessantly4 ,nasargiel explained3 ,these are the sinners who committed incest1 murder1 and idolatry1 who cursed their parents and their teachers1 and who1 like ,nimrod and others1 called themselves gods4 ,in this place1 which is called ,abaddon1 he saw the sinners taking snow by stealth and putting it in their armpits1 to relieve the pain inflicted by the scorching fire1 and he was convinced that the saying was true1 ,the wicked mend not their ways even at the gate of hell4 ,as ,moses departed from hell1 he prayed to ,god1 ,may it be ,thy will1 ,o ,lord my ,god and ,god of my fathers1 to save me and the people of ,israel from the places ,i have seen in hell4 ,but ,god answered him1 and said1 ,moses1 before ,me there is no respecting of persons and no taking of gifts4 ,whoever doeth good deeds entereth ,paradise1 and he that doeth evil must go to hell4 ,at the command of ,god1 ,gabriel now led ,moses to ,paradise4 ,as he entered1 two angels came toward him1 and they said to him1 ,thy time is not yet arrived to leave the world1 and ,moses made answer1 ,what ye say is true1 but ,i have come to see the reward of the pious in ,paradise4 ,then the angels extolled ,moses1 saying3 ,hail1 ,moses1 servant of ,god6 ,hail1 ,moses1 born of woman1 that hast been found worthy to ascend to the seven heavens6 ,hail to the nation to which thou belongest6 ,under the tree of life ,moses saw the angel ,shamshiel1 the prince of ,paradise1 who led him through it1 and showed him all there is therein4 ,he saw seventy thrones made of precious stones1 standing on feet of fine gold1 each throne surrounded by seventy angels4 ,but one of them was larger than all the others1 and it was encircled by one hundred and twenty angels4 ,this was the throne of ,abraham1 and when ,abraham beheld ,moses1 and heard who he was1 and what his purpose was in visiting ,paradise1 he exclaimed1 ,praise ye the ,lord1 for ,he is good1 for ,his mercy endureth forever4 ,moses asked ,shamshiel about the size of ,paradise1 but not even he who is the prince thereof could answer the question1 for there is none that can gauge it4 ,it can neither be measured nor fathomed nor numbered4 ,but ,shamshiel explained to ,moses about the thrones1 that they were different one from the other1 some being of silver1 some of gold1 some of precious stones and pearls and rubies and carbuncles4 ,the thrones made of pearls are for the scholars that study the ,torah day and night for her own sake2 those of precious stones are for the pious1 those of rubies for the just1 those of gold for the repentant sinners1 and those of silver for the righteous proselytes4 ,the greatest of them all1 continued ,shamshiel1 is the throne of ,abraham1 the next in size the thrones of ,isaac and ,jacob1 then come the thrones of the prophets1 the saints1 and the righteous1 each in accordance with a man's worth1 and his rank1 and the good deeds he has performed in his lifetime4 ,moses asked then for whom the throne of copper was intended1 and the angel answered1 ,for the sinner that has a pious son4 ,through the merits of his son he receives it as his share4 ,again ,moses looked1 and he beheld a spring of living water welling up from under the tree of life and dividing into four streams1 which passed under the throne of glory1 and thence encompassed ,paradise from end to end4 ,he also saw four rivers flowing under each of the thrones of the pious1 one of honey1 the second of milk1 the third of wine1 and the fourth of pure balsam4 ,beholding all these desirable and pleasant things1 ,moses felt great joy1 and he said1 ,oh1 how great is ,thy goodness1 which ,thou hast laid up for them that fear ,thee1 which ,thou hast wrought for them that put their trust in ,thee1 before the sons of men6 ,and ,moses left ,paradise1 and returned to the earth4 ,at the moment of his departure1 a heavenly voice cried aloud3 ,moses1 servant of the ,lord1 thou that art faithful in ,his house1 even as thou hast seen the reward that is laid up for the pious in the world to come1 so also thou wilt be worthy of seeing the life of the world that shall be in the future time4 ,thou and all ,israel1 ye shall see the rebuilding of the ,temple and the advent of the ,messiah1 behold the beauty of the ,lord1 and meditate in ,his ,temple4#aah ,in the world to come ,moses1 beside sharing the joys of ,israel1 will continue his activity as the teacher of ,israel1 for the people will go before ,abraham and request him to instruct them in the ,torah4 ,he will send them to ,isaac1 saying1 ,go to ,isaac1 he hath studied more of the ,torah than ever ,i studied1 but ,isaac1 in turn1 will send them to ,jacob1 saying1 ,go to ,jacob1 he hath had more converse with the sages than ever ,i had4 ,and ,jacob will send them to ,moses1 saying1 ,go to ,moses1 he was instructed in the ,torah by ,god ,himself4#aai ,in the ,messianic time1 ,moses will be one of the seven shepherds that shall be the leaders of ,israel with the ,messiah4#abj ,,moses ,,declines ,,the ,,mission ,when ,moses turned aside to see the great sight1 that the bush was not consumed1 he heard a voice calling to him1 ,draw not nigh hither4 ,these words were to convey that the dignity to be conferred upon him ,god intended for ,moses personally1 not for his descendants1 and further he was warned not to arrogate honors appointed for others1 as the priesthood1 which was to belong to ,aaron and ,aaron's descendants1 or royalty1 which was to appertain to ,david and the house of ,david4#aba ,again the voice spake3 ,put off thy shoes from off thy feet1 for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground4 ,these words conveyed the desire of ,god that he cut asunder every bond uniting him with earthly concerns1 he was even to give up his conjugal life4 ,hereupon the angel ,michael spoke to ,god3 ,o ,lord of the world1 can it be ,thy purpose to destroy mankind8 ,blessing can prevail only if male and female are united1 and yet ,thou biddest ,moses separate from his wife4 ,god answered1 saying1 ,moses has begot children1 he has done his duty toward the world4 ,i desire him to unite himself now with the ,shekinah1 that she may descend upon earth for his sake4#abb ,god spake furthermore1 addressing ,moses1 ,thou seest only what is to happen in the near future1 that ,israel is to receive the ,torah on ,mount ,sinai1 but ,i behold what cometh after1 bow the people will worship the steer1 the figure of which they will see upon ,my chariot1 even while ,my revelation will be made on ,sinai4 ,thus they will excite ,my wrath4 ,nevertheless1 though ,i know all the perverseness of their hearts1 wherein they will rebel against ,me in the desert1 ,i will redeem them now1 for ,i accord unto man the treatment he merits for his present actions1 not what he will deserve in the future4 ,i promised their father ,jacob1 ',i will go down with thee into ,egypt1 and ,i will also surely bring thee up again1' and now ,i will betake myself thither1 to bring ,israel up in accordance with ,my words unto ,jacob1 and bear them to the land ,i swore unto their fathers1 that their seed should inherit it4 ,so long as the time of affliction that ,i had appointed unto his seed in ,my revelation to ,abraham was not past1 ,i hearkened not to the supplication and the groaning of his children1 but now the end hath come4 ,therefore1 go before ,pharaoh1 that he dismiss ,my people4 ,if thou dost not bring about the redemption1 none other will1 for there is none other that can do it4 ,in thee doth ,israel hope1 and upon thee doth ,israel wait4 ,the matter lieth in thine hands alone4 ,moses1 however1 refused to take the mission upon himself4 ,he said to ,god1 ,thy promise unto ,jacob was1 ',i will surely bring thee up again out of ,egypt4' ,thou didst undertake to do it ,thyself1 and now it is ,thy purpose to send me thither4 ,and how1 indeed1 were it possible for me to accomplish this great matter1 to bring the children of ,israel up out of ,egypt8 ,how could ,i provide them with food and drink8 ,many are the women in childbirth among them1 many are the pregnant women and the little children4 ,whence shall ,i procure dainties for those who have borne babes1 whence sweetmeats for the pregnant1 and whence tidbits for the little ones8 ,and how may ,i venture to go among the ,egyptian brigands and murderers8 for ,thou art bidding me to go to mine enemies1 to those who lie in wait to take my life4 ,why should ,i risk the safety of my person1 seeing that ,i know not whether ,israel possesses merits making them worthy of redemption8' ,i have reckoned up the years with care1 and ,i have found that but two hundred and ten have elapsed since the covenant of the pieces made with ,abraham1 and at that time ,thou didst ordain four hundred years of oppression for his seed4#abd ,but ,god overturned all his objections4 ,he spake to ,moses1 saying3 ,i will be with thee4 ,whatever thou desirest ,i will do1 so that the redemption will in very truth be realized through ,me1 in accordance with ,my promise to ,jacob4 ,the little ones that ,israel will carry up out of ,egypt ,i will provide with food for thirty days4 ,this shall prove to thee in what manner ,i will supply the needs of all4 ,and as ,i will be at thy side1 thou hast no need to fear any man4 ,respecting thy doubt1 whether ,israel deserves to be redeemed1 this is ,my answer3 they will be permitted to go forth from ,egypt on account of the merits they will acquire at this mountain1 whereon they will receive the ,torah through thee4#abe ,and thy reckoning of the end is not correct1 for the four hundred years of bondage began with the birth of ,isaac1 not with the going down of ,jacob into ,egypt4 ,therefore the appointed end hath come4#abf ,persuaded now of ,god's unalterable resolve to use him as ,his instrument in the redemption of ,israel from ,egypt1 ,moses entreated ,god to impart to him the knowledge of ,his ,great ,name1 that he be not confounded if the children of ,israel ask for it4 ,god answered1 saying3 ,thou desirest to know ,my ,name8 ,my ,name is according to ,my acts4 ,when ,i judge ,my creatures1 ,i am called ,elohim1 judge2 when ,i rise up to do battle against the sinners1 ,i am ,lord ,zebaot1 the ,lord of hosts2 when ,i wait with longsuffering patience for the improvement of the sinner1 ,my name is ,el ,shaddai2 when ,i have mercy upon the world1 ,i am ,adonai4 ,but unto the children of ,israel shalt thou say that ,i am ,he that was1 that is1 and that ever will be1 and ,i am ,he that is with them in their bondage now1 and ,he that shall be with them in the bondage of the time to come4 ,in reply to the latter words of ,god1 ,moses said1 ,sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof1 and ,god assented thereto4 ,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 sorrow4 ,and the ,lord said to ,moses3 ,my words about the future were meant for thee alone1 not also for them4 ,tell the children of ,israel1 besides1 that at ,my behest an angel can stretch his hand from heaven and touch the earth with it1 and three angels can find room under one tree1 and ,my majesty can fill the whole world1 for when it was ,my will1 it appeared to ,job in his hair1 and1 again1 when ,i willed otherwise1 it appeared in a thorn-bush4#abg ,but the most important communication from ,god to ,moses concerning the ,divine ,names were the words to follow3 ,in mercy ,i created the world2 in mercy ,i guide it2 and with mercies ,i will return to ,jerusalem4 ,but unto the children of ,israel thou shalt say that ,my mercy upon them is for the sake of the merits of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob4 ,when ,moses heard these words1 he spoke to ,god1 saying1 ,are there men that transgress after death8 and when ,god assured him that it was not possible for the dead to sin1 ,moses asked again1 ,why1 then1 is it that ,thou didst reveal ,thyself to me at the first as the ,god of my father1 and now ,thou passest him over8 ,whereupon ,god said1 ,in the beginning it was ,my purpose to address thee with flattering words1 but now thou hearest the whole and exact truth1 ,i am only the ,god of ,abraham1 the ,god of ,isaac1 and the ,god of ,jacob4#abh ,moses prayed to ,god1 entreating ,him to reveal ,his ,great and ,holy ,name unto him1 so that he might call upon ,him with it and secure the fulfilment of all his wishes4 ,the ,lord granted the prayer of ,moses1 and when the celestials knew that ,he had revealed the secret of the ,ineffable ,name1 they cried out1 ,blessed art ,thou1 ,o ,lord1 gracious ,giver of knowledge6#abi ,god is always regardful of the honor of the elders of a people1 and ,he bade ,moses assemble those of ,israel and announce the approaching redemption to them4 ,and as ,god knew beforehand how ,pharaoh's obduracy would display itself1 ,he made it known to ,moses at once1 lest he reproach ,god later with the ,egyptian king's frowardness4#acj ,,moses ,,punished ,,for ,,his ,,stubbornness ,in spite of all these safeguards1 ,moses was not yet ready to accept the mission ,god wished to impose upon him4 ,he persisted in urging his fears1 saying3 ,but1 behold1 they will not believe me1 nor hearken unto my voice1 for they will say1 ',the ,lord hath not appeared unto thee4 ,and the ,lord said unto him1 ,what is that in thine hand8 ,and he said1 ,a rod4 ,and the ,lord said3 ,thou deservest to be castigated with it4 ,if thou didst not intend to take ,my mission upon thyself1 thou shouldst have said so in the beginning4 ,instead1 thou didst hold back with thy refusal1 until ,i revealed to thee the great secret of the ,ineffable ,name1 that thou mightest know it if the children of ,israel should ask thee concerning it4 ,and now thou sayest1 ,i will not go4 ,now1 therefore1 if thou wilt not execute ,my charge to thee1 it will be executed by this rod4 ,it was ,my wish to distinguish thee and make thee ,my instrument for doing many miracles4#aca ,but thou deservest a punishment for having suspected ,my children of lack of faith4 ,the children of ,israel are believers and sons of believers1 but thou wilt show thyself of little faith in thy career1 and as thou followest the example of the slanderous serpent1 so shalt thou be punished with leprosy1 wherewith the serpent was punished4 ,the ,lord now bade ,moses put his hand into his bosom and take it out again1 and when he took it out1 behold1 his hand was leprous1 as white as snow4 ,and ,god bade him put his hand into his bosom again1 and it turned again as his other flesh4 ,beside being a chastisement for his hasty words1 the plague on his hand was to teach him that as the leper defiles1 so the ,egyptians defiled ,israel1 and as ,moses was healed of his uncleanness1 so ,god would cleanse the children of ,israel of the pollution the ,egyptians had brought upon them4 ,the second wonder connected with the rod of ,moses likewise conveyed a double meaning1 in that it pointed to the coming redemption of ,israel1 and taught ,moses a specific lesson4 ,at the bidding of ,god1 ,moses cast his rod on the ground1 and it became a serpent1 to show him that when he traduced ,israel1 he was following the example of the abusive serpent1 and also to show him that the great dragon that lieth in the midst of the rivers of ,egypt1 though he was now hacking into ,israel with his teeth1 would be rendered harmless like the rod of wood1 which has no power to bite4 ,and1 again1 through the third miracle he was bidden to perform1 ,god conveyed to ,moses what would happen in the latter years of his own life4 ,the sign ,he gave him was to make known to him that1 before the water came1 blood would flow from the rock at ,meribah1 when ,moses should strike it after uttering the hasty1 impatient words that were destined to bring death down upon him4#acb ,for seven days ,god urged ,moses to undertake the mission ,he desired him to execute4 ,he resorted to persuasion1 that the heathen might not say1 that ,he abused ,his power as the ,ruler of the world1 forcing men to do ,his service against their will4 ,but ,moses remained obdurate1 he could not be won over4#acc ,he said3 ,thou doest a wrong unto me in sending me to ,pharaoh4 ,in the palace of the ,egyptian king there are persons that know how to speak the seventy languages of the world4 ,no matter what language a man may use1 there is someone that understands him4 ,if ,i should come as ,thy representative1 and they should discover that ,i am not able to converse in the seventy languages1 they will mock at me1 and say1 ',behold this man1 he pretends to be the ambassador of the ,creator of the world1 and he cannot speak the seventy languages4' ,to this ,god made reply1 as follows3 ,adam1 who was taught by none1 could give names to the beasts in the seventy languages4 ,was it not ,i that made him to speak8#acd ,moses was not yet satisfied1 he continued to urge objections1 and he said3 ,o ,lord of the world1 ,thou wouldst charge me with the task of chastising ,egypt and redeeming ,israel1 and ,i am ready to be ,thy messenger4 ,but is it seemly that a man should execute two errands at once8 ,nay1 my ,lord1 for this two men are needed4 ,god made answer1 and said1 ,moses1 ,i know well whom thou hast in mind with thy request1 to be thy companion in the mission ,i assign to thee4 ,know1 therefore1 that the holy spirit hath already come upon thy brother ,aaron1 and even now he is awaiting thee on the way of ,egypt1 and when his eyes rest upon thee he will rejoice4 ,furthermore ,god spake to ,moses1 saying1 ,when ,i appeared unto thee the first time1 thou wast meek1 and didst hide thy face1 not to see the vision4 ,whence cometh now this effrontery of thine1 that thou addressest ,me as a servant his master8 ,thou speakest too many words by far4 ,perchance thou thinkest ,i have no messengers1 hosts1 seraphim1 ofanim1 ministering angels1 and ,merkabah wheels1 to send to ,egypt1 to bring ,my children thence1 that thou sayest1 ',send by the hand of him whom ,thou wilt send4' ,in sooth1 thou deservest severe chastisement4 ,but what can ,i do1 seeing that ,i am the ,master of mercy8 ,if thou escapest unpunished1 thou owest it to thy father ,amram1 who rendered great services in behalf of the preservation of the ,israelitish people in ,egypt4 ,but ,moses replied3 ,o ,lord of the world1 ,i a prophet and the son of a prophet obeyed ,thy words only after much hesitation1 and ,i cannot expect ,pharaoh1 a wicked man and the son of a wicked man1 and the ,egyptians1 a disobedient people and the sons of a disobedient people1 to give ear to my words4 ,o ,lord of the world1 ,thou dost send me to ,egypt to redeem sixty myriads of ,thy people from the oppression of the ,egyptians4 ,if it were a question of delivering a couple of hundred men1 it were a sufficiently difficult enterprise4 ,how much severer is the task of freeing sixty myriads from the dominion of ,pharaoh6 ,if ,thou hadst called upon the ,egyptians to give up their evil ways soon after they began to enslave ,israel1 they might have heeded ,thy admonitions4 ,but if ,i should go and speak to them now1 after they have been ruling over ,israel these two hundred and ten years1 ,pharaoh would say1 ',if a slave has served his master for ten years1 and no protest has made itself heard from any quarter1 how can a man conceive the idea suddenly of having him set at liberty8' ,verily1 ,o ,lord of the world1 the task ,thou puttest upon me is too heavy for my strength4#ace ,moses said furthermore3 ,i am not an eloquent man1 nor can ,i see of what avail words can be in this matter4 ,thou art sending me to one that is himself a slave1 to ,pharaoh of the tribe of ,ham1 and a slave will not be corrected by words4 ,i consent to go on ,thy errand only if ,thou wilt invest me with the power of chastising ,pharaoh with brute force4 ,to these words spoken by ,moses1 ,god made reply3 ,let it not fret thee that thou art not an eloquent speaker4 ,it is ,i that made the mouth of all that speak1 and ,i that made men dumb4 ,one ,i make to see1 another ,i make blind2 one ,i make to hear1 another ,i make deaf4 ,had ,i willed it so1 thou hadst been a man of ready speech4 ,but ,i desired to show a wonder through thee4 ,whenever ,i will it1 the words ,i cast into thy mouth shall come forth without hesitation4 ,but what thou sayest about a slave1 that he cannot be corrected by words1 is true1 and therefore ,i give thee ,my rod for ,pharaoh's castigation4 ,but ,moses still stood his ground4 ,he raised other objections4 ,his grandchild1 he said1 is closer to a man than his nephew4 ,nevertheless when ,lot was taken captive1 ,thou didst send angels to the aid of ,abraham's nephew4 ,but now1 when the life of sixty myriads of ,abraham's lineal descendants is at stake1 ,thou sendest me1 and not the angels4 ,when the ,egyptian bondwoman ,hagar was in distress1 ,thou didst dispatch five angels to stand by her1 and to redeem sixty myriads of the children of ,sarah ,thou dost dispatch me4#acf ,o ,lord1 send1 ,i pray ,thee1 by the hand of him whom ,thou wilt send in days to come4 ,to this ,god answered1 saying1 ,i said not that ,i would send thee to ,israel1 but to ,pharaoh1 and that one whom thou madest mention of1 ,i will send to ,israel at the end of days--,elijah will appear to them before the great and terrible day4#acg ,if ,moses refused to do the errand of the ,lord1 there was a reason4 ,god had revealed to him the treasures of the ,torah1 of wisdom1 and of knowledge1 and the whole world's future4 ,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 stones2 and he saw1 besides1 ,rabbi ,akiba explaining the meaning of the crowns upon the letters4 ,then said ,moses3 ,i do not care to be ,god's messenger4 ,let ,him rather send one of these great scholars4 ,then ,god ordered the ,angel of ,wisdom to carry ,moses to a place of myriads of scholars1 all interpreting the ,torah1 and all making use of the formula3 ,this is a ,halakah revealed to ,moses on ,mount ,sinai4 ,now ,moses recognized that even the greatest scholars of future generations would be dependent upon him1 and then1 at last1 he was ready to execute the mission ,god desired to lay upon him4#ach ,but ,moses had to pay dear for having hesitated in the execution of the ,divine bidding4 ,god said to him3 ,it was appointed that thou shouldst be priest1 and ,aaron should be the ,levite4 ,because thou hast refused to execute ,my will1 thou shalt be the ,levite1 and ,aaron shall be priest1--a punishment that did not fall upon ,moses personally1 but only upon his descendants1 all of whom are ,levites4 ,as for himself1 he performed a priest's service in the ,tabernacle4#aci ,moses had said to ,god1 ,thou hast been speaking to me now these many days1 nevertheless ,i am still slow of speech and of a slow tongue4 ,for this he received another punishment4 ,god said to him3 ,i might change thee into a new man1 and heal thee of thy imperfect speech1 but because thou hast uttered such words1 ,i refrain from curing thee4#adj ,,the ,,return ,,to ,,egypt ,when ,moses finally gave in1 and declared himself ready to go to ,egypt as ,god's messenger1 his acceptance was still conditional upon the promise of ,god to fulfil all his wishes1 and ,god granted whatsoever he desired1 except immortality and entering the ,holy ,land4#ada ,god also allayed his fears regarding the danger that threatened him from his whilom enemies ,dathan and ,abiram1 on account of whom he had had to flee from ,egypt4 ,he told him that they had sunk to the estate of poor and insignificant men1 bereft of the power of doing him harm4#adb ,moses was loyal to the oath he had given his father-in-law ,jethro1 never to return to ,egypt without securing his consent4 ,his first concern therefore was to go back to ,midian and obtain his permission1 which ,jethro gave freely4 ,then ,moses could set out on his journey4 ,he tarried only to take his wife and his children with him1 which made his father- in-law say1 ,those who are in ,egypt are to leave it1 and thou desirest to take more thither8 ,moses replied3 ,very soon the slaves held in bondage in ,egypt will be redeemed1 and they will go forth from the land1 and gather at ,mount ,sinai1 and hear the words1 ',i am the ,lord thy ,god1' and should my sons not be present there8 ,jethro acknowledged the justice of ,moses' words1 and he said to him1 ,go in peace1 enter ,egypt in peace1 and leave the land in peace4#adc ,at last ,moses sallied forth upon his journey to ,egypt1 accompanied by his wife and his children4 ,he was mounted upon the very ass that had borne ,abraham to the ,akedah on ,mount ,moriah1 the ass upon which the ,messiah will appear riding at the end of days4#add ,even now1 his journey begun1 ,moses was but half-hearted about his mission4 ,he travelled leisurely1 thinking3 ,when ,i arrive in ,egypt and announce to the children of ,israel that the end of the term of ,egyptian slavery has come1 they will say1 ',we know very well that our bondage must last four hundred years1 and the end is not yet1' but if ,i were to put this objection before ,god1 ,he would break out in wrath against me4 ,it is best for me to consume as much time as possible on the way thither4 ,god was ill pleased with ,moses for this artifice1 and ,he spake to him1 saying1 ,joseph prophesied long ago that the oppression of ,egypt would endure only two hundred and ten years4 ,for his lack of faith ,moses was punished while he was on the road to ,egypt4#ade ,the angels ,af and ,hemah appeared and swallowed his whole body down to his feet1#adf and they gave him up only after ,zipporah1 nimble as a bird1#adg circumcised her son ,gershom1 and touched the feet of her husband with the blood of the circumcision4 ,the reason why their son had remained uncircumcised until then was that ,jethro had made the condition1 when he consented to the marriage of his daughter with ,moses1 that the first son of their union should be brought up as a ,gentile4#adh ,when ,moses was released by the angels1 he attacked them1 and he slew ,hemah1 whose host of angels1 however1 held their own before the assailant4#adi ,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 ,aaron1 dwelling in ,egypt1 and it bade him go into the wilderness to meet ,moses4 ,god speaketh marvellously with ,his voice1 and therefore the same revelation could be understood one way in ,midian and another way in ,egypt4 ,the greeting of the two brothers was very cordial4 ,envy and jealousy bad no place between them4 ,aaron was rejoiced that ,god had chosen his younger brother to be the redeemer of ,israel1 and ,moses was rejoiced that his older brother had been divinely appointed the high priest in ,israel4 ,god knew their hearts1 for at the time when ,he charged him with the ,egyptian mission1 ,moses had said1 ,all these years ,aaron has been active as a prophet in ,israel1 and should ,i now encroach upon his province and cause him vexation8 ,but ,god reassured him1 saying1 ,moses1 thy brother ,aaron will surely not be vexed1 he will rather rejoice at thy mission1 yea1 he will come forth and meet thee4 ,aaron showed his joy freely at seeing his brother once more1 after their separation of many years4 ,as for his joy in the distinction accorded to ,moses1 it was too great to be expressed in all its depth and extent4 ,for his kind1 generous spirit1 he received a reward from ,god1 in that he was permitted to bear the ,urim and ,thummim upon his heart1 for1 ,god said1 the heart that rejoiced at the exalting of a brother shall wear the ,urim and ,thummim4#aej ,aaron ran to meet his brother1 and embraced him1 and asked where he had spent all the years of their separation4 ,when he was told in ,midian1 he continued to question him1 saying1 ,who are these that are travelling with thee8 ,moses3 ,my wife and my sons4 ,aaron3 ,whither goest thou with them8 ,moses3 ,to ,egypt4 ,aaron3 ,what6 ,great enough is our sorrow through those who have been in ,egypt from the beginning1 and thou takest more to the land8 ,moses recognized that ,aaron was right1 and he sent his wife and his sons back to his father-in-law ,jethro4#aea ,he was no less magnanimous than ,aaron4 ,if the elder brother felt no envy on account of the younger brother's dignity1 the younger brother did not withhold from the other the teachings and revelations he had received4 ,immediately after meeting with ,aaron1 ,moses told him all that ,god had taught him1 even the awful secret of the ,ineffable ,name communicated to him on ,mount ,horeb4#aeb ,in obedience to the command of ,god1 the elders of the people were assembled1 and before them ,moses performed the wonders that were to be his credentials as the redeemer sent to deliver the people4 ,nevertheless1 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 him1 which he repeated in their ears4 ,the elders knew that ,jacob had imparted to ,joseph the secret mark designating the redeemer1 and ,joseph had in turn confided it to his brethren before his death4 ,the last surviving one of the brethren1 ,asher1 had revealed it to his daughter ,serah1 in the following words3 ,he that will come and proclaim the redemption with the words of ,god1 ',i have surely visited you1 and seen that which is done to you in ,egypt1' he is the true redeemer4 ,serah was still alive at ,moses' return1 and the elders betook themselves to her1 and told her the words of ,moses announcing the redemption4 ,when she heard that his words had been the same as those ,asher had quoted1 she knew that he was the promised redeemer1 and all the people believed in him4 ,thereupon ,moses invited the elders to go to ,pharaoh with him1 but they lacked the courage to appear before the king4 ,though they started out with ,moses1 they dropped off stealthily on the way1 one by one1 and when ,moses and ,aaron stood in the presence of the king1 they found themselves alone1 deserted by all the others4 ,the elders did not go out free4 ,their punishment was that ,god did not permit them to ascend the holy mountain with ,moses4 ,they durst accompany him on the way to ,god only as far as they had accompanied him on the way to ,pharaoh1 and then they had to tarry until he came again4#aec ,,moses ,,and ,,aaron ,,before ,,pharaoh ,the day ,moses and ,aaron made their appearance before ,pharaoh happened to be the anniversary of his birth1 and he was surrounded by many kings1 for he was the ruler of the whole world1 and this was the occasion on which the kings of the earth came to do him homage4 ,when the attendants announced ,moses and ,aaron1 ,pharaoh inquired whether the two old men had brought him crowns1 and1 receiving a negative reply1 he ordered that they were not to be admitted to his presence1 until he had seen and dismissed all the others desirous of paying him their respects4#aed ,pharaoh's palace was surrounded by a vast army4 ,it was built with four hundred entrances1 one hundred on each side1 and each of them guarded by sixty thousand soldiers4 ,moses and ,aaron were overawed by this display of power1 and they were afraid4 ,but the angel ,gabriel appeared1 and he led them into the palace1 observed by none of the guards1 and ,pharaoh decreed severe punishment upon the inattentive sentinels for having admitted the old men without his permission4 ,they were dismissed1 and others put in their places4 ,but the same thing happened the next day4 ,moses and ,aaron were within the palace1 and the new guard had not been able to hinder their passing4 ,pharaoh questioned his servants1 how it had been possible for the two old men to enter1 and they said3 ,we know it not6 ,through the doors they did not come4 ,surely1 they must be magicians4#aee ,not enough that the palace was guarded by a host1 at each entrance two lions were stationed1 and in terror of being torn to pieces none dared approach the doors1 and none could go within until the lion tamer came and led the beasts away4 ,now ,balaam and all the other sacred scribes of ,egypt advised that the keepers loose the lions at the approach of ,moses and ,aaron4 ,but their advice availed naught4 ,moses had but to raise his rod1 and the lions bounded toward him joyously1 and followed at his feet1 gambolling like dogs before their master on his return home4#aef ,within the palace1 ,moses and ,aaron found seventy secretaries busy with ,pharaoh's correspondence1 which was carried on in seventy languages4 ,at the sight of the messengers of ,israel1 they started up in great awe1 for the two men resembled angels4 ,in stature they were as the cedars of ,lebanon1 their countenances radiated splendor like the sun1 the pupils of their eyes were like the sphere of the morning star1 their beards like palm branches1 and their mouths emitted flames when they opened them for speech4 ,in their terror1 the secretaries flung down pen and paper1 and prostrated themselves before ,moses and ,aaron4 ,now the two representatives of the children of ,israel stepped before ,pharaoh1 and they spake1 ,the ,god of the ,hebrews hath met with us2 let us go1 we pray thee1 three days' journey into the wilderness1 and sacrifice unto the ,lord our ,god1 lest ,he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword4 ,but ,pharaoh answered1 saying3 ,what is the name of your ,god8 ,wherein doth ,his strength consist1 and ,his power8 ,how many countries1 how many provinces1 how many cities hath ,he under ,his dominion8 ,in how many campaigns was ,he victorious8 ,how many lands did ,he make subject to ,himself8 ,how many cities did ,he capture8 ,when ,he goeth to war1 how many warriors1 riders1 chariots1 and charioteers doth ,he lead forth8 ,whereto ,moses and ,aaron replied3 ,his strength and ,his power fill the whole world4 ,his voice heweth out flames of fire2 ,his words break mountains in pieces4 ,the heaven is ,his throne1 and the earth ,his footstool4 ,his bow is fire1 ,his arrows are flames1 ,his spears torches1 ,his shield clouds1 and ,his sword lightning flashes4 ,he created the mountains and the valleys1 ,he brought forth spirits and souls1 ,he stretched out the earth by a word1 ,he made the mountains with ,his wisdom1 ,he forms the embryo in the womb of the mother1 ,he covers the heavens with clouds1 at ,his word the dew and the rain descend earthward1 ,he causes plants to grow from the ground1 ,he nourishes and sustains the whole world1 from the horns upon the rem down to the eggs of vermin4 ,every day ,he causes men to die1 and every day ,he calls men into life4 ,pharaoh answered1 and said3 ,i have no need of ,him4 ,i have created myself1 and if ye say that ,he causes dew and rain to descend1 ,i have the ,nile1 the river that hath its source under the tree of life1 and the ground impregnated by its waters bears fruit so huge that it takes two asses to carry it4 and it is palatable beyond description1 for it has three hundred different tastes4#aeg ,then ,pharaoh sent to fetch the books of the chronicles of his kingdom from his archives1 wherein are recorded the names of the gods of all the nations1 to see whether the name of the ,god of the ,hebrews was among them4 ,he read off3 ,the gods of ,moab1 the gods of ,ammon1 the gods of ,zidon--,i do not find your ,god inscribed in the archives6 ,moses and ,aaron exclaimed3 ,o thou fool6 ,thou seekest the ,living in the graves of the dead4 ,these which thou didst read are the names of dumb idols1 but our ,god is the ,god of life and the ,king of eternal life4#aeh ,when ,pharaoh said the words1 ,i know not the ,lord1 ,god ,himself made answer1 saying3 ,o thou rascal6 ,thou sayest to ,my ambassadors1 ',i know not the strength and the power of your ,god'8 ,lo1 ,i will make thee to stand1 for to show thee ,my power1 and that ,my ,name may be declared throughout all the earth4#aei ,having searched his list of the gods of the nations in vain for a mention of the ,god of the ,hebrews1 ,pharaoh cited before him the wise men of ,egypt1 and he said to them3 ,have ye ever heard the name of the ,god of these people8 ,they replied1 ,we have been told that ,he is a son of the wise1 the son of ancient kings4 ,then spake ,god1 saying1 ,o ye fools6 ,ye call yourselves wise men1 but ,me ye call only the son of the wise4 ,verily1 ,i will set at naught all your wisdom and your understanding4#afj ,pharaoh persisted in his obduracy1 even after ,moses and ,aaron had performed the miracle of the rod4 ,at the time when the two ,hebrews succeeded in entering the palace1 guarded as it was by lions1 ,pharaoh had sent for his magicians1 at their head ,balaam and his two sons ,jannes and ,jambres1 and when they appeared before him1 he told them of the extraordinary incident1 how the lions had followed the two old men like dogs1 and fawned upon them4 ,it was ,balaam's opinion that they were simply magicians like himself and his companions1 and he prayed the king to have them come before him together with themselves1 to test who were the master magicians1 the ,egyptians or the ,hebrews4 ,pharaoh called for ,moses and ,aaron1 and he said to them3 ,who will believe you when you say that you are the ambassadors of ,god1 as you pretend to be1 if you do not convince men by performing wonders8 ,thereupon ,aaron cast his rod to the ground1 and it became a serpent4#afa ,pharaoh laughed aloud4 ,what1 he exclaimed1 is this all your ,god can do8 ,it is the way of merchants to carry merchandise to a place if there is none of it there1 but would anyone take brine to ,spain or fish to ,accho8 ,it seems you do not know that ,i am an adept in all sorts of magic6 ,he ordered little school children to be brought1 and they repeated the wonder done by ,moses and ,aaron2 indeed1 ,pharaoh's own wife performed it4 ,jannes and ,jambres1 the sons of ,balaam1 derided ,moses1 saying1 ,ye carry straw to ,ephrain6#afb whereto ,moses answered1 ,to the place of many vegetables1 thither carry vegetables4 ,to show the ,egyptians that ,aaron could do something with his rod that their magicians could not imitate1 ,god caused the serpent into which ,his rod had been changed to swallow up all the rods of the magicians4 ,but ,balaam and his associates said3 ,there is nothing marvellous or astonishing in this feat4 ,your serpent has but devoured our serpents1 which is in accordance with a law of nature1 one living being devours another4 ,if thou wishest us to acknowledge that the spirit of ,god worketh in thee1 then cast thy rod to the earth1 and if1 being wood1 it swallows up our rods of wood1 then we shall acknowledge that the spirit of ,god is in thee4 ,aaron stood the test4 ,after his rod had resumed its original form1 it swallowed up the rods of the ,egyptians1#afc and yet its bulk showed no increase4 ,this caused ,pharaoh to reflect1 whether this wonderful rod of ,aaron might not swallow up also him and his throne4 ,nevertheless he refused to obey the behest of ,god1 to let ,israel go1 saying1 ,had ,i ,jacob-,israel himself here before me1 ,i should put trowel and bucket on his shoulder4 ,and to ,moses and ,aaron1 he said1 ,because ye1 like all the rest of the tribe of ,levi1 are not compelled to labor1 therefore do ye speak1 ',let us go and sacrifice to the ,lord4' ,if you had asked for a thousand people1 or two thousand1 ,i should have fulfilled your request1 but never will ,i consent to let six hundred thousand men go away4 ,,the ,,suffering ,,increases ,beside refusing to dismiss the children of ,israel1 he ordered1 on the very day of ,moses and ,aaron's audience with him1 that the people be required to deliver the prescribed tale of bricks1 though the taskmasters were not as heretofore to give them straw to make brick4 ,another decree was1 that the children of ,israel were not to be permitted to rest on the ,sabbath1 for ,pharaoh knew that they used the leisure for reading the rolls that described their redemption4 ,all this was a part of ,god's plan1 the oppression of ,israel was to be increased the closer the end approached4 ,as they wandered up and down the land of ,egypt gathering the straw they needed for the due tale of bricks1 they were maltreated by the ,egyptians if they caught them on their fields4 ,such unkind acts perpetrated by the whole people made it impossible for them to cast the entire blame for the bondage of ,israel upon ,pharaoh4 ,all the ,egyptians showed cruelty to the ,israelites on their straw foraging expeditions1 and therefore the ,divine punishment descended upon all alike4 ,this frightful time of ,israel's extreme suffering lasted six months4 ,meantime ,moses went to ,midian1 leaving ,aaron alone in ,egypt4 ,when ,moses returned at the end of the reign of terror1 two of the ,israelitish officers accosted him and ,aaron1 and heaped abuse upon them for having increased the woes of their people rather than diminished them4 ,they spake1 saying1 ,if ye are truly the ambassadors of ,god1 then may ,he judge between us and ,pharaoh4 ,but if you are seeking to bring about the redemption of ,israel on your own account1 then may ,god judge between you and ,israel4 ,you are responsible for the widespread stench now issuing from the ,israelitish corpses used as bricks for building when our tale was not complete4 ,the ,egyptians had but a faint suspicion that we were waiting for our redemption4 ,it is your fault if they are fully conscious of it now4 ,we are in the quandary of the poor sheep that has been dragged away by a wolf4 ,the shepherd pursues the robber1 catches up with him1 and tries to snatch the sheep from his jaws1 and the wretched victim1 pulled this way by the wolf and that way by the shepherd1 is torn to pieces4 ,thus ,israel fares between you and ,pharaoh4 ,the two officers that spake these stinging words were ,dathan and ,abiram1 and it was neither the first nor the last time they inflicted an injury upon ,moses4 ,the other ,israelitish officers were gentle and kind2 they permitted themselves to be beaten by the taskmasters rather than prod the laborers of their own people put under their surveillance4 ,the cruel suffering to which his people was exposed caused ,moses to speak to ,god thus3 ,i have read the book of ,genesis through1 and ,i found the doom in it pronounced upon the generation of the deluge4 ,it was a just judgment4 ,i found also the punishments decreed against the generation of the confusion of tongues1 and against the inhabitants of ,sodom4 ,these1 too1 were just4 ,but what hath this nation of ,israel done unto ,thee1 that it is oppressed more than any other nation in history8 ,is it because ,abraham said1 ',whereby shall ,i know that ,i shall inherit the land8' and ,thou didst rebuke him for his small faith1 saying1 ',know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs'8 ,why1 then1 are not the descendants of ,esau and ,ishmael held in bondage1 too8 ,are they not likewise of the seed of ,abraham8 ,but if ,thou wilt say1 ',what concern is it of mine8' then ,i ask ,thee1 ,why didst ,thou send me hither as ,thy messenger8 ,thy great1 exalted1 and terrible ,name is feared in all the earth1 yet ,pharaoh heard me pronounce it1 and he refuses obedience4 ,i know ,thou wilt redeem ,israel in ,thine own good time1 and it is of little moment to ,thee that now they are immuring living ,israelites in these buildings4 ,were ,he a ,god of justice only1 the ,lord would have slain ,moses for the audacity of his last words1 but in view of his having spoken as he had only out of compassion with ,israel1 the ,lord dealt graciously with him4 ,he answered ,moses1 saying1 ,thou shalt see what ,i will do to ,pharaoh1 words conveying to ,moses1 that although he would be witness to the chastisement of ,pharaoh1 he would not be present at that of the thirty-one kings of ,canaan4 ,thus he was rebuked for the unbecoming language he had used in addressing ,god4#afd ,at the same time ,god's words were a rejoinder to another speech by ,moses4 ,he had said3 ,o ,lord of the world1 ,i know well that ,thou wilt bring ,thy children forth from ,egypt4 ,o that ,thou wouldst make use of another instrument1 for ,i am not worthy of being the redeemer of ,thy children4 ,god made answer thereto3 ,yes1 ,moses1 thou art worthy thereof4 ,through thee ,my children will be brought forth out of ,egypt4 ,thou shalt see what ,i will do to ,pharaoh4#afe ,at the same time ,god called him to account for having so little faith4 ,he said3 ,o for the departed1 their like cannot be found any more6 ,i appeared unto ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 as ,el ,shaddai1 ,god ,almighty1 but ,i was not known to them by ,my name ,adonai1 ,god ,all-,merciful1 as ,i appeared unto thee4 ,nevertheless they did not cast aspersions upon ,my acts4 ,i spake to ,abraham1 ',unto thee will ,i give the land1' but when he was about to bury ,sarah1 he had to pay out silver and buy a resting-place for her body2 and yet he did not find fault with ,me4 ,i spake to ,isaac1 ',unto thee1 and unto thy seed1 ,i will give all these lands1' but when he desired water to drink1 he had to strive with the herdsmen of ,gerar2 and yet he did not find fault with ,me4 ,i spake to ,jacob1 ',the land whereon thou liest1 to thee will ,i give it1 and to thy seed1' but when he wanted to spread his tent1 he had to acquire a parcel of ground for an hundred pieces of money2 and yet he did not find fault with ,me4 ,none of them asked to know ,my ,name4 ,but thou didst demand to know it at the very first1 when ,i desired to send thee down into ,egypt1 and after ,i revealed it to thee1 thou didst speak1 saying1 ',thou didst tell me that ,thou art called ,compassionate and ,gracious1 ,longsuffering and ,merciful1 but as soon as ,i pronounced this ,name before ,pharaoh1 misfortune descended upon the people of ,israel4' ,now ,i desire to fulfil ,my covenant with the three ,patriarchs1 and give their posterity the promised land1 as a reward for the unquestioning faith of the ,fathers1 and also as a reward to the people1 who1 in spite of their suffering1 did not find fault with ,my deeds4 ,for this will ,i give them the land1 which they do not deserve to possess for other reasons4 ,i swear that ,i will do thus6 ,god pronounced this oath1 to banish all fear from the mind of ,moses1 that ,he might act only in accordance with ,his attribute of justice1 and thus delay the redemption of ,israel for a time1 on account of the sins of the people4#aff ,now the redemption of ,israel was a settled fact4 ,but before ,moses and ,aaron could start on the work of delivering their people1 ,god called various points to their attention1 which ,he bade them consider in their undertaking4 ,he spake to them1 saying3 ,my children are perverse1 passionate1 and troublesome4 ,you must be prepared to stand their abuse1 to the length of being pelted with stones by them4 ,i send you to ,pharaoh1 and although ,i will punish him according to his deserts1 yet you must not fail in the respect due to him as a ruler4 ,furthermore1 be careful to take the elders of the people into your counsel1#afg and let your first step toward redemption be to make the people give up the worship of idols4 ,the last was a most difficult task1 and the words of ,god concerning it wrung the exclamation from ,moses3 ,see1 the children of ,israel will not hearken unto me4 ,how1 then1 should ,pharaoh hearken unto me8#afh ,it was the third time ,moses declined to go on the errand of ,god4 ,now the ,divine patience was exhausted1 and ,moses was subjected to punishment4 ,at first ,god had revealed ,himself only to ,moses1 and the original intention had been that he alone was to perform all the miracles1 but henceforth the word of ,god was addressed to ,aaron as well1 and he was given a share in doing the wonders4#afi ,,measure ,,for ,,measure ,god divided the ten punishments decreed for ,egypt into four parts1 three of the plagues ,he committed to ,aaron1 three to ,moses1 one to the two brothers together1 and three ,he reserved for ,himself4 ,aaron was charged with those1 that proceeded from the earth and the water1 the elements that are composed of more or less solid parts1 from which are fashioned all the corporeal1 distinctive entities1 while the three entrusted to ,moses were those that proceeded from the air and the fire1 the elements that are most prolific of life4#agj ,the ,lord is a man of war1 and as a king of flesh and blood devises various stratagems against his enemy1 so ,god attacked the ,egyptians in various ways4 ,he brought ten plagues down upon them4 ,when a province rises up in rebellion1 its sovereign lord first sends his army against it1 to surround it and cut off the water supply4 ,if the people are contrite1 well and good2 if not1 he brings noise makers into the field against them4 ,if the people are contrite1 well and good2 if not1 he orders darts to be discharged against them4 ,if the people are contrite1 well and good2 if not1 he orders his legions to assault them4 ,if the people are contrite1 well and good2 if not1 he causes bloodshed and carnage among them4 ,if the people are contrite1 well and good2 if not1 he directs a stream of hot naphtha upon them4 ,if the people are contrite1 well and good2 if not1 he hurls projectiles at them from his ballistae4 ,if the people are contrite1 well and good2 if not1 he has scaling-ladders set up against their walls4 ,if the people are contrite1 well and good2 if not1 he casts them into dungeons4 ,if the people are contrite1 well and good2 if not1 he slays their magnates4 ,thus did ,god proceed against the ,egyptians4 ,first ,he cut off their water supply by turning their rivers into blood4 ,they refused to let the ,israelites go1 and ,he sent the noisy1 croaking frogs into their entrails4 ,they refused to let the ,israelites go1 and ,he brought lice against them1 which pierced their flesh like darts4 ,they refused to let the ,israelites go1 and ,he sent barbarian legions against them1 mixed hordes of wild beasts4 ,they refused to let the ,israelites go1 and ,he brought slaughter upon them1 a very grievous pestilence4 ,they refused to let the ,israelites go1 and ,he poured out naphtha over them1 burning blains4 ,they refused to let the ,israelites go1 and ,he caused ,his projectiles1 the hail1 to descend upon them4 ,they refused to let the ,israelites go1 and ,he placed scaling-ladders against the wall for the locusts1 which climbed them like men of war4 ,they refused to let the ,israelites go1 and ,he cast them into dungeon darkness4 ,they refused to let the ,israelites go1 and ,he slew their magnates1 their first-born sons4#aga ,the plagues that ,god sent upon the ,egyptians corresponded to the deeds they bad perpetrated against the children of ,israel4 ,because they forced the ,israelites to draw water for them1 and also hindered them from the use of the ritual baths1 ,he changed their water into blood4 ,because they had said to the ,israelites1 ,go and catch fish for us1 ,he brought frogs up against them1 making them to swarm in their kneading-troughs and their bed- chambers and hop around croaking in their entrails4 ,it was the severest of all the ten plagues4 ,because they had said to the ,israelites1 ,go and sweep and clean our houses1 our courtyards1 and our streets1 ,he changed the dust of the air into lice1 so that the vermin lay piled up in heaps an ell high1 and when the ,egyptians put on fresh garments1 they were at once infested with the insects4 ,the fourth plague was an invasion of the land by hordes of all sorts of wild animals1 lions1 wolves1 panthers1 bears1 and others4 ,they overran the houses of the ,egyptians1 and when they closed their doors to keep them out1 ,god caused a little animal to come forth from the ground1 and it got in through the windows1 and split open the doors1 and made a way for the bears1 panthers1 lions1 and wolves1 which swarmed in and devoured the people down to the infants in their cradles4 ,if an ,egyptian entrusted his ten children to an ,israelite1 to take a walk with them1 a lion would come and snatch away one of the children1 a bear would carry off the second1 a serpent the third1 and so on1 and in the end the ,israelite returned home alone4 ,this plague was brought upon them because they were in the habit of bidding the ,israelites go and catch wolves and lions for their circuses1 and they sent them on such errands1 to make them take up their abode in distant deserts1 where they would be separated from their wives1 and could not propagate their race4 ,then ,god brought a grievous murrain upon their cattle1 because they had pressed the ,israelites into their service as shepherds1 and assigned remote pasturing places to them1 to keep them away from their wives4 ,therefore the murrain came and carried off all the cattle in the flocks the ,israelites were tending4 ,the sixth plague was a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast4 ,this was the punishment of the ,egyptians1 because they would say to the children of ,israel1 ,go and prepare a bath for us unto the delight of our flesh and our bones4 ,therefore they were doomed to suffer with boils that inflamed their flesh1 and on account of the itch they could not leave off scratching4 ,while the ,egyptians suffered thus1 the children of ,israel used their baths4 ,because they had sent the ,israelites forth into the fields1 to plough and sow1 hail was sent down upon them1 and their trees and crops were destroyed4 ,they had been in the habit of saying to the ,israelites1 ,go forth1 plant ye trees for us1 and guard the fruit thereon4 ,therefore ,god brought the locusts into the ,egyptian border1 to eat the residue of that which was escaped1 which remained unto them from the hail1 for the teeth of the locust are the teeth of a lion1 and he hath the jaw teeth of a great lion4 ,because they would throw the ,israelites into dungeons1 ,god brought darkness upon them1 the darkness of hell1 so that they had to grope their way4 ,he that sat could not rise up on his feet1 and he that stood could not sit down4 ,the infliction of darkness served another purpose4 ,among the ,israelites there were many wicked men1 who refused to leave ,egypt1 and ,god determined to put them out of the way4 ,but that the ,egyptians might not say they had succumbed to the plague like themselves1 ,god slew them under cover of the darkness1 and in the darkness they were buried by their fellow-,israelites1 and the ,egyptians knew nothing of what had happened4 ,but the number of these wicked men had been very great1 and the children of ,israel spared to leave ,egypt were but a small fraction of the original ,israelitish population4 ,the tenth plague was the slaying of the first-born1 and it came upon the ,egyptians because of their intention to murder the men children of the ,israelites at their birth1 and1 finally1 ,pharaoh and his host were drowned in the ,red ,sea1 because the ,egyptians had caused the men children of the ,israelites to be exposed in the water4#agb ,each1 of the plagues inflicted upon ,egypt had another parallel in the cruel treatment accorded to the ,israelites4 ,the first was a punishment for the arrogant words spoken by ,pharaoh1 ,my ,nile river is mine own1 and ,i have made it for myself4 ,the plague of the frogs ,god brought down upon the ,egyptians1 because1 ,he said1 the frogs1 which sometimes inhabit the water1 shall take vengeance upon the ,egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation destined to be the bearers of the ,torah1 and the ,torah is likened unto water4 ,god sent vermin upon them1 saying1 ,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 earth4 ,hordes of beasts1 lions and wolves and swarms of serpents1 came down upon them1 because1 ,god said1 these animals shall take vengeance upon the ,egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation that is likened unto lions1 wolves1 and serpents4 ,a fatal pestilence was brought upon them1 because1 ,god said1 death shall take vengeance upon the ,egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation that faces death for the glorification of the ,name of ,god4 ,they were made to suffer with burning blains1 because1 ,god said1 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 ,god4 ,he made hail to descend upon them1 because1 ,he said1 the white hail shall take vengeance upon the ,egyptians for having desired to destroy a nation whose sins shall be white4 ,the locusts came upon them1 because1 ,god said1 the locusts1 which are ,my great army1 shall take vengeance upon the ,egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation that is called ,my hosts4 ,darkness1 said ,god1 which is divided from the light1 shall come and take vengeance upon the ,egyptians for desiring to destroy the nation upon which shineth the light of the ,lord1 while gross darkness covers the other peoples4 ,the tenth plague1 the slaying of the first-born1 ,god inflicted1 saying1 ,i will take vengeance upon the ,egyptians for having desired to destroy the nation that is ,my first- born4 ,as the night divided itself for ,abraham1 that his enemies might be vanquished1 so ,i will pass through ,egypt in the middle of the night1 and as ,abraham was proved by ten temptations1 so ,i will send ten plagues upon ,egypt1 the enemy of his children4#agc ,,the ,,plagues ,,brought ,,through ,,aaron ,from the infliction of the first of the plagues until the passing of the last1 after which the ,egyptians yielded all that ,moses and ,aaron demanded1 there elapsed a whole year1 for twelve months is the term set by ,god for the expiation of sins4 ,the deluge lasted one year2 ,job suffered one year2 sinners must endure hell tortures for one year1 and the judgment upon ,gog at the end of time will be executed for the length of one year4#agd ,moses announced the first plague to ,pharaoh one morning when the king was walking by the river's brink4 ,this morning walk enabled him to practice a deception4 ,he called himself a god1 and pretended that he felt no human needs4 ,to keep up the illusion1 he would repair to the edge of the river every morning1 and ease nature there while alone and unobserved4 ,at such a time it was that ,moses appeared before him1 and called out to him1 ,is there a god that hath human needs8 ,verily1 ,i am no god1 replied ,pharaoh1 ,i only pretend to be one before the ,egyptians1 who are such idiots1 one should consider them asses rather than human beings4#age ,then ,moses made known to him that ,god would turn the water into blood1 if he refused to let ,israel go4 ,in the warning we can discern the difference between ,god and man4 ,when a mortal harbors the intention to do an injury to an enemy1 he lies in wait for the moment when he can strike an unexpected blow4 ,but ,god is outspoken4 ,he warned ,pharaoh and the ,egyptians in public whenever a plague was about to descend1 and each warning was repeated by ,moses for a period of three weeks1 although the plague itself endured but a single week4 ,as ,pharaoh would not lay the warning to heart1 the plague announced by ,moses was let loose upon him and his people--the waters were turned into blood4 ,it is a well- known proverb1 ,beat the idols1 and the priests are in terror4 ,god smote the river ,nile1 which the ,egyptians worshipped as their god1 in order to terrify ,pharaoh and his people and force them to do the ,divine will4 ,to produce the plague1 ,aaron took his rod1 and stretched out his hand over the waters of ,egypt4 ,moses had no part in performing the miracle1 for ,god had said to him1 ,the water that watched over thy safety when thou wast exposed in the ,nile1 shall not suffer harm through thee4 ,aaron had scarcely executed the ,divine bidding1 when all the water of ,egypt became blood1 even such as was kept in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone4 ,the very spittle of an ,egyptian turned into blood no sooner had he ejected it from his mouth1#agf and blood dripped also from the idols of the ,egyptians4#agg ,the transformation of the waters into blood was intended mainly as a punishment for the oppressors1 but it was at the same time a source of profit for the oppressed4 ,it gave the ,israelites the opportunity of amassing great wealth4 ,the ,egyptians paid them large sums for their water1 for if an ,egyptian and an ,israelite drew water from the same trough1 the portion carried off by the ,egyptian was bound to be useless1 it turned into blood4 ,to be sure1 nothing helped the ,egyptians in their distress1 for though they drank water from the same cup as an ,israelite1 it became blood in their mouth4 ,however1 this plague did not impress ,pharaoh as a punishment inflicted in the name of ,god1 because with the help of the ,angels of ,destruction the magicians of ,egypt produced the same phenomenon of changing water into blood4 ,therefore he hearkened not unto the words of ,moses4#agh ,the next was the plague of the frogs1 and again it was ,aaron that performed the wonder4 ,he stretched forth his hand with his rod over the rivers1 and caused frogs to come up upon the land of ,egypt4 ,moses1 whose life had been preserved by the water1 was kept from poisoning his savior with the reptiles4 ,at first only a single frog appeared1 but he began to croak1 summoning so many companions that the whole land of ,egypt swarmed with them4 ,wherever an ,egyptian took up his stand1 frogs appeared1 and in some mysterious way they were able to pierce the hardest of metals1 and even the marble palaces of the ,egyptian nobles afforded no protection against them4 ,if a frog came close to them1 the walls split asunder immediately4 ,make way1 the frogs would call out to the stone1 that ,i may do the will of my ,creator1 and at once the marble showed a rift1 through which the frogs entered1 and then they attacked the ,egyptians bodily1 and mutilated and overwhelmed them4 ,in their ardor to fulfil the behest of ,god1 the frogs cast themselves into the red-hot flames of the bake-ovens and devoured the bread4 ,centuries later1 the three holy children1 ,hananiah1 ,mishael1 and ,azariah1 were ordered by ,nebuchadnezzar to pay worship to his idols on penalty of death in the burning furnace1 and they said1 ,if the frogs1 which were under no obligation to glorify the ,name of ,god1 nevertheless threw themselves into the fire in order to execute the ,divine will concerning the punishment of the ,egyptians1 how much more should we be ready to expose our lives to the fire for the greater glory of ,his ,name6#agi ,and the zealous frogs were not permitted to go unrewarded4 ,while the others were destroyed from ,pharaoh and the ,egyptian houses at the moment appointed as the last of the plague1 ,god saved those in the bake-ovens alive1 the fire had no power to do them the least harm4#ahj ,now1 although the ,egyptian magicians also brought up frogs upon the land of ,egypt through the help of demons1 ,pharaoh nevertheless declared himself ready to let the people go1 to sacrifice unto the ,lord4 ,the difference between this plague and the first was1 that water turned into blood had not caused him any personal inconvenience1 while the swarms of frogs inflicted physical suffering1 and he gave the promise to ,moses to let ,israel go1 in the hope of ridding himself of the pain he experienced4 ,and ,moses in turn promised to entreat ,god for him on the following day4 ,it could not be done at once1 because the seven days' term had not yet elapsed4 ,the prayer offered by ,moses in behalf of ,pharaoh was granted1 all the frogs perished1 and their destruction was too swift for them to retire to the water4 ,consequently the whole land was filled with the stench from the decaying frogs1 for they had been so numerous that every man of the ,egyptians gathered together four heaps of them4#aha ,although the frogs had filled all the market-places and stables and dwellings1 they retreated before the ,hebrews as if they had been able to distinguish between the two nations1 and had known which of them it was proper to abuse1 and which to treat with consideration4#ahb ,beside sparing the ,hebrews in the land of ,egypt1 the frogs kept within the limits of the land1 in no wise trenching upon the territory of the neighboring nations4 ,indeed1 they were the means of settling peaceably an old boundary dispute between ,egypt and ,ethiopia4 ,wherever they appeared1 so far extended the ,egyptian domain2 all beyond their line belonged to ,ethiopia4 ,pharaoh was like the wicked that cry to ,god in their distress1 and when their fortunes prosper slide back into their old1 impious ways4 ,no sooner had the frogs departed from him1 his houses1 his servants1 and his people1 than he hardened his heart again1 and refused to let ,israel go4 ,thereupon ,god sent the plague of the lice1 the last of those brought upon ,egypt through the mediation of ,aaron4 ,moses could have no part in it1 for1 said ,god1 the earth that afforded thee protection when she permitted thee to hide the slain ,egyptian1 shall not suffer through thine hand4#ahc ,the ,egyptian magicians having boasted that they were able to produce the first two plagues1--an empty boast it was1 for they did not bring them about with their enchantments1 but only because ,moses willed them to do it1--,god put them to shame with the third plague4 ,they tried in vain to imitate it4#ahd ,the demons could not aid them1 for their power is limited to the production of things larger than a barley grain1 and lice are smaller4 ,the magicians had to admit1 ,this is the finger of ,god4 ,their failure put an end once for all to their attempts to do as ,moses did4 ,but ,pharaoh's heart was hardened1 and ,god spake to ,moses1 saying1 ,this wicked fellow remains hard of heart1 in spite of the three plagues4 ,the fourth shall be much worse than those which have preceded it4 ,go to him1 therefore1 and warn him1 it would be well for him to let ,my people go1 that the plague come not upon him4#ahe ,,the ,,plagues ,,brought ,,through ,,moses ,the fourth plague was also announced to the king early in the morning by the river's brink4 ,pharaoh went thither regularly1 for he was one of the magi1 who need water for their enchantments4#ahf ,moses' daily morning visits were beginning to annoy him1 and he left the house early1 in the hope of circumventing his monitor4 ,but ,god1 who knows the thoughts of man1 sent ,moses to ,pharaoh at the very moment of his going forth4 ,the warning of the plague that was imminent not having had any effect upon ,pharaoh1 ,god sent the fourth plague upon ,egypt1#ahg a mixed horde of wild animals1 lions1 bears1 wolves1 and panthers1 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 air4 ,these beasts came upon the ,egyptians as a punishment for desiring to force the seed of ,abraham to amalgamate with the other nations4 ,god retaliated by bringing a mixture upon them that cost them their life4#ahh ,as ,pharaoh had been the first of the ,egyptians to lay evil plans against the children of ,israel1 so he was the first upon whom descended punishment4 ,into his house the mixed horde of beasts came first of all1 and then into the houses of the rest of the ,egyptians4 ,goshen1 the land inhabited by the ,israelites1 was spared entirely1 for ,god put a division between the two peoples4 ,it is true1 the ,israelites had committed sins enough to deserve punishment1 but the ,holy ,one1 blessed be ,he1 permitted the ,egyptians to act as a ransom for ,israel4 ,again ,pharaoh expressed his willingness to let the children of ,israel sacrifice unto their ,god1 but they were to stay in the land and do it1 not go outside1 into the wilderness4 ,moses pointed out to ,pharaoh how unbecoming it would be for the ,israelites to sacrifice1 before the very eyes of his people1 the animals that the ,egyptians worshipped as gods4 ,then ,pharaoh consented to let them go beyond the borders of his land1 only they were not to go very far away1 and ,moses1 to mislead him1 asked for a three days' journey into the wilderness4 ,but1 again1 when ,moses had entreated ,god on ,pharaoh's behalf1 and the horde of wild beasts had vanished1 the king hardened his heart1 and did not let the people go4 ,the cessation of the fourth plague was as miraculous as the plague itself4 ,the very animals that had been slain by the ,egyptians in self-defense returned to life and departed from the land with the rest4 ,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 animals4 ,it had not been so with the useless frogs1 they had died on the spot1 and their carcasses had remained where they fell4#ahi ,the fifth plague inflicted by ,god upon the ,egyptians was a grievous pestilence1 which mowed down the cattle and beasts chiefly1 yet it did not spare men altogether4 ,this pestilence was a distinct plague1 but it also accompanied all the other plagues1 and the death of many ,egyptians was due to it4#aij ,the ,israelites again came off unscathed4 ,indeed1 if an ,israelite had a just claim upon a beast held by an ,egyptian1 it1 too1 was spared1 and the same good fortune waited upon such cattle as was the common property of ,israelites and ,egyptians4 ,the sixth plague1 the plague of boils1 was produced by ,moses and ,aaron together in a miraculous way4 ,each took a handful of ashes of the furnace1 then ,moses held the contents of the two heaps in the hollow of one of his hands1 and sprinkled the ashes tip toward the heaven1 and it flew so high that it reached the ,divine throne4 ,returning earthward1 it scattered over the whole land of ,egypt1 a space equal to four hundred square parasangs4 ,the small dust of the ashes produced leprosy upon the skin of the ,egyptians1#aia and blains of a peculiar kind1 soft within and dry on top4#aib ,the first five plagues the magicians had tried to imitate1 and partly they had succeeded4 ,but in this sixth plague they could not stand before ,moses1 and thenceforth they gave up the attempt to do as he did4 ,their craft had all along been harmful to themselves4 ,although they could produce the plagues1 they could not imitate ,moses in causing them to disappear4 ,they would put their hands into their bosom1 and draw them out white with leprosy1 exactly like ,moses1 but their flesh remained leprous until the day of their death4 ,and the same happened with all the other plagues that they imitated3 until their dying day they were afflicted with the ills they produced4#aic ,as ,pharaoh had wittingly hardened his heart with each of the first five plagues1 and refused to turn from his sinful purpose1 ,god punished him thereafter in such wise that he could not mend his ways if he would4 ,god said1 ,even though he should desire to do penance now1 ,i will harden his heart until he pays off the whole of his debt4 ,pharaoh had observed that whenever he walked on the brink of the ,nile1 ,moses would intercept him4 ,he therefore gave up his morning walk4 ,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 ways4 ,therefore ,moses spake to him as follows1 in the name of ,god3 ,o thou villain6 ,thou thinkest that ,i cannot destroy thee from the world4 ,consider1 if ,i had desired it1 instead of smiting the cattle1 ,i might have smitten thee and thy people with the pestilence1 and thou wouldst have been cut off from the earth4 ,i inflicted the plague only in such degree as was necessary to show thee ,my power1 and that ,my ,name may be declared throughout all the earth4 ,but thou dost not leave off treading ,my people underfoot4 ,behold1 to-morrow when the sun passes this point1--whereat ,moses made a stroke upon the wall-- ,i will cause a very grievous hail to pour down1 such as will be only once more1 when ,i annihilate ,gog with hail1 fire1 and brimstone4 ,but ,god's lovingkindness is so great that even in ,his wrath ,he has mercy upon the wicked1 and as ,his chief object was not to injure men and beasts1 but to damage the vegetation in the fields of the ,egyptians1 ,he bade ,moses admonish ,pharaoh to send and hasten in his cattle and all that he had in the field4 ,but the warning fell on heedless ears4 ,job was the only one to take it to heart1 while ,pharaoh and his people regarded not the word of the ,lord4 ,therefore the ,lord let the hail smite both man and beast1 instead of confining it to the herbs and the trees of the field1 as ,he had intended from the first4 ,as a rule1 fire and water are elements at war with each other1 but in the hailstones that smote the land of ,egypt they were reconciled4 ,a fire rested in the hailstones as the burning wick swims in the oil of a lamp2 the surrounding fluid cannot extinguish the flame4 ,the ,egyptians were smitten either by the hail or by the fire4 ,in the one case as the other their flesh was seared1 and the bodies of the many that were slain by the hail were consumed by the fire4 ,the hailstones heaped themselves up like a wall1 so that the carcasses of the slain beasts could not be removed1 and if the people succeeded in dividing the dead animals and carrying their flesh off1 the birds of prey would attack them on their way home1 and snatch their prize away4 ,but the vegetation in the field suffered even more than man and beast1 for the hail came down like an axe upon the trees and broke them4 ,that the wheat and the spelt were not crushed was a miracle4 ,now1 at last1 ,pharaoh acknowledged1 and said1 ,the ,lord is righteous1 and ,i and my people are wicked4 ,he was righteous when ,he bade us hasten in our cattle from before the hail1 and ,i and my people were wicked1 for we heeded not ,his warning1 and men and beasts were found in the field by the hail1 and slain4 ,again he begged ,moses to supplicate ,god in his behalf1 that ,he turn the plague away1 and he promised to let the children of ,israel go4 ,moses consented to do his will1 saying1 however3 ,think not that ,i do not know what will happen after the plague is stayed4 ,i know that thou and thy servants1 ye will fear the ,lord ,god1 once ,his punishment is removed1 as little as ye feared ,him before4 ,but to show ,his greatness1 ,i will pray to ,him to make the hail to cease4 ,moses went a short distance out of the city from ,pharaoh1 and spread abroad his hands unto the ,lord1 for he did not desire to pray to ,god within1 where there were many idols and images4 ,at once the hail remained suspended in the air4 ,part of it dropped down while ,joshua was engaged in battle with the ,amorites1 and the rest ,god will send down in ,his fury against ,gog4 ,also the thunders ceased at ,moses' intercession1 and were stored up for a later time1 for they were the noise which the ,lord made the host of the ,syrians to hear at the siege of ,samaria1 wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight4#aid ,as ,moses had foreseen1 so it happened4 ,no sooner had the hail stopped than ,pharaoh abandoned his resolve1 and refused to let ,israel go4 ,moses lost no time in announcing the eighth plague to him1 the plague of the locusts4 ,observing that his words had made an impression upon the king's counsellors1 he turned and went out from ,pharaoh1 to give them the opportunity of discussing the matter among themselves4 ,and1 indeed1 his servants urged ,pharaoh to let the ,israelites go and serve the ,lord their ,god4 ,but1 again1 when ,moses insisted that the whole people must go1 the young and the old1 the sons and the daughters1 ,pharaoh demurred1 saying1 ,i know it to be customary for young men and old men to take part in sacrifices1 but surely not little children1 and when you demand their presence1 too1 you betray your evil purpose4 ,it is but a pretense1 your saying that you will go a three days' journey into the wilderness1 and then return4 ,you mean to escape and never come back4 ,i will have nothing more to do with the matter4#aie ,my god ,baal-zephon will oppose you in the way1 and hinder you on your journey4 ,pharaoh's last words were a dim presentiment4 ,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-zephon4#aif ,pharaoh was not content with merely denying the request preferred by ,moses and ,aaron4 ,he ordered them to be forcibly expelled from the palace4 ,then ,god sent the plague of the locusts announced by ,moses before4 ,they ate every herb of the land1 and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left1 and there remained not any green thing4 ,and again ,pharaoh sent for ,moses and ,aaron1 to ask their forgiveness1 both for his sin against the ,lord ,god1 in not having hearkened unto ,his word1 and for his sin against them1 in having chased them forth and intended to curse them4 ,moses1 as before1 prayed to ,god in ,pharaoh's behalf1 and his petition was granted1 the plague was taken away1 and in a rather surprising manner4 ,when the swarms of locusts began to darken the land1 the ,egyptians caught them and preserved them in brine as a dainty to be eaten4 ,now the ,lord turned an exceeding strong west wind1 which took up the locusts1 and drove them into the ,red ,sea4 ,even those they were keeping in their pots flew up and away1 and they had none of the expected profit4#aig ,the last plague but one1 like those which had preceded it1 endured seven days4 ,all the time the land was enveloped in darkness1 only it was not always of the same degree of density4 ,during the first three days1 it was not so thick but that the ,egyptians could change their posture when they desired to do so4 ,if they were sitting down1 they could rise up1 and if they were standing1 they could sit down4 ,on the fourth1 fifth1 and sixth days1 the darkness was so dense that they could not stir from their place4 ,they either sat the whole time1 or stood2 as they were at the beginning1 so they remained until the end4 ,the last day of darkness overtook the ,egyptians1 not in their own land1 but at the ,red ,sea1 on their pursuit of ,israel4 ,the darkness was not of the ordinary1 earthly kind2 it came from hell1 and it could be felt4 ,it was as thick as a dinar1 and all the time it prevailed a celestial light brightened the dwellings of the children of ,israel1 whereby they could see what the ,egyptians were doing under cover of the darkness4 ,this was of great advantage to them1 for when they were about to go forth from the land1 and they asked their neighbors to lend them raiment1 and jewels of gold and jewels of silver1 for the journey1 the ,egyptians tried to deny having any in their possession4 ,but the children of ,israel1 having spied out all their treasures during the days of darkness1 could describe the objects they needed with accuracy1 and designate their hiding-places4 ,the ,egyptians reasoned that the words of the ,israelites could be taken implicitly as they spoke them1 for if they had had any idea of deceiving them1 asking for a loan when they intended to keep what they laid hands on1 they might have taken unobserved during the days of darkness whatever3 they desired4 ,hence the ,egyptians felt no hesitation in lending the children of ,israel all the treasures they asked for4#aih ,the darkness was of such a nature that it could not be dispelled by artificial means4 ,the light of the fire kindled for household uses was either extinguished by the violence of the storm1 or else it was made invisible and swallowed up in the density of the darkness4 ,sight1 that most indispensable of all the external senses1 though unimpaired1 was deprived of its office1 for nothing could be discerned1 and all the other senses were overthrown like subjects whose leader has fallen4 ,none was able to speak or to hear1 nor could anyone venture to take food1 but they lay themselves down in quiet and hunger1 their outward senses in a trance4 ,thus they remained1 overwhelmed by the affliction1 until ,moses had compassion on them again1 and besought ,god in their behalf1 who granted him the power of restoring fine weather1 light instead of darkness and day instead of night4#aii ,intimidated by this affliction1 ,pharaoh permitted the people to go1 the little ones as well as the men and the women1 only he asked that they let their flocks and their herds be stayed4 ,but ,moses said3 ,as thou livest1 our cattle also shall go with us4 ,yea1 if but the hoof of an animal belongs to an ,israelite1 the beast shall not be left behind in ,egypt4 ,this speech exasperated ,pharaoh to such a degree that he threatened ,moses with death in the day he should see his face again4 ,at this very moment the ,lord appeared unto ,moses1 and bade him inform ,pharaoh of the infliction of the last plague1 the slaying of the first-born4 ,it was the first and the last time that ,god revealed ,himself in the royal palace4 ,he chose the residence of ,pharaoh on this occasion that ,moses might not be branded as a liar1 for he had replied to ,pharaoh's threat of killing him if he saw his face again1 with the words1 ,thou hast spoken well2 ,i will see thy face again no more4 ,with a loud voice ,moses proclaimed the last plague1 closing his announcement with the words3 ,and all these thy servants shall come down unto me and bow down themselves unto me1 saying1 ,get thee out3 and all the people that follow thee2 and after that ,i will go out4 ,moses knew well enough that ,pharaoh himself would come and urge him to lead ,israel forth with as great haste as possible1 but he mentioned only the servants of the king1 and not the king himself1 because he never forgot the respect due to a ruler4#bjj ,,the ,,first ,,passover ,when the time approached in which1 according to the promise made to ,abraham1 his children would be redeemed1 it was seen that they had no pious deeds to their credit for the sake of which they deserved release from bondage4 ,god therefore gave them two commandments1 one bidding them to sacrifice the paschal lamb and one to circumcise their sons4#bja ,along with the first they received the calendar in use among the ,jews1 for the ,passover feast is to be celebrated on the fifteenth day of the month of ,nisan1 and with this month the year is to begin4 ,but the computations for the calendar are so involved that ,moses could not understand them until ,god showed him the movements of the moon plainly4 ,there were three other things equally difficult1 which ,moses could comprehend only after ,god made him to see them plainly4 ,they were the compounding of the holy anointing oil1 the construction of the candlestick in the ,tabernacle1 and the animals the flesh of which is permitted or prohibited4#bjb ,also the determination of the new moon was the subject of special ,divine teaching4 ,that ,moses might know the exact procedure1 ,god appeared to him in a garment with fringes upon its corners1 bade ,moses stand at ,his right hand and ,aaron at ,his left1 and then1 citing ,michael and ,gabriel as witnesses1 ,he addressed searching questions to the angels as to how the new moon had seemed to them4 ,then the ,lord addressed ,moses and ,aaron1 saying1 ,thus shall ,my children proclaim the new moon1 on the testimony of two witnesses and through the president of the court4#bjc ,when ,moses appeared before the children of ,israel and delivered the ,divine message to them1 telling them that their redemption would come about in this month of ,nisan1 they said3 ,how is it possible that we should be redeemed8 ,is not the whole of ,egypt full of our idols8 ,and we have no pious deeds to show making us worthy of redemption4 ,moses made reply1 and said3 ,as ,god desires your redemption1 ,he pays no heed to your idols2 ,he passes them by4 ,nor does ,he look upon your evil deeds1 but only upon the good deeds of the pious among you4#bjd ,god would not1 indeed1 have delivered ,israel if they had not abandoned their idol worship4 ,unto this purpose ,he commanded them to sacrifice the paschal lamb4 ,thus they were to show that they had given up the idolatry of the ,egyptians1 consisting in the worship of the ram4#bje ,the early law was different from the practice of later times1 for they were bidden to select their sacrificial animal four days before the day appointed for the offering1 and to designate it publicly as such1 to show that they did not stand in awe of the ,egyptians4 ,with a heavy heart the ,egyptians watched the preparations of the ,israelites for sacrificing the animals they worshipped4 ,yet they did not dare interpose an objection1 and when the time came for the offering to be made1 the children of ,israel could perform the ceremonies without a tremor1 seeing that they knew1 through many days' experience1 that the ,egyptians feared to approach them with hostile intent4 ,there was another practice connected with the slaughter of the paschal lamb that was to show the ,egyptians how little the ,israelites feared them4 ,they took of the blood of the animal1 and openly put it on the two side posts and on the lintel of the doors of their houses4#bjf ,moses communicated the laws regulating the ,passover sacrifice to the elders1 and they in turn made them known to the people at large4 ,the elders were commended for having supported the leader at his first appearance1 for their faith in ,moses caused the whole people to adhere to him at once4 ,therefore ,god spake1 saying3 ,i will reward the elders for inspiring the people with confidence in ,moses4 ,they shall have the honor of delivering ,israel4 ,they shall lead the people to the ,passover sacrifice1 and through this the redemption will be brought about4#bjg ,the ceremonies connected with the ,passover sacrifice had the purpose of conveying instruction to ,israel about the past and the future alike4 ,the blood put on the two side posts and on the lintel of their doors was to remind them of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob2 and the bunch of hyssop for sprinkling the blood on the doors was to imply that1 although ,israel's position among the peoples of the earth is as lowly as that of the hyssop among the plants1 yet this little nation is bound together like the bunch of hyssop1 for it is ,god's peculiar treasure4#bjh ,the paschal sacrifice afforded ,moses the opportunity for inducing the children of ,israel to submit themselves to circumcision1 which many had refused to do until then in spite of his urgent appeals4 ,but ,god has means of persuasion4 ,he caused a wind to blow that wafted the sweet scents of ,paradise toward ,moses' paschal lamb1 and the fragrance penetrated to all parts of ,egypt1 to the distance of a forty days' journey4 ,the people were attracted in crowds to ,moses' lamb1 and desired to partake of it4 ,but he said1 ,this is the command of ,god1 ',no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof1' and they all decided to undergo circumcision4 ,when the ,lord passed through the land of ,egypt1 ,he blessed every ,israelite for his fulfilment of the two commands1 the command of the paschal sacrifice and the command regarding circumcision4 ,the ,lord performed a great miracle for the ,israelites4 ,as no sacrifice may be eaten beyond the borders of the ,holy ,land1 all the children of ,israel were transported thither on clouds1 and after they had eaten of the sacrifice1 they were carried back to ,egypt in the same way4#baj ,,the ,,smiting ,,of ,,the ,,first-,,born ,when ,moses announced the slaying of the first-born1 the designated victims all repaired to their fathers1 and said3 ,whatever ,moses hath foretold has been fulfilled4 ,let the ,hebrews go1 else we shall all die4 ,but the fathers replied1 ,it is better for one of every ten of us to die1 than the ,hebrews should execute their purpose4 ,then the first-born repaired to ,pharaoh1 to induce him to dismiss the children of ,israel4 ,so far from granting their wish1 he ordered his servants to fall upon the first-born and beat them1 to punish them for their presumptuous demand4 ,seeing that they could not accomplish their end by gentle means1 they attempted to bring it about by force4#baa ,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 moment4 ,they were mistaken in their calculation1 for the ,divine decree included not only the first-born sons1 but also the first-born daughters1 and not only the first-born of the marriages then existing1 but also the first-born issuing from previous alliances of the fathers and the mothers1 and as the ,egyptians led dissolute lives1 it happened not rarely that each of the ten children of one woman was the first-born of its father4 ,finally1 ,god decreed that death should smite the oldest member of every household1 whether or not he was the first-born of his parents4#bab ,what ,god resolves is executed4 ,at the exact instant marking the middle of the night1 so precise that only ,god ,himself could determine and discern it1 ,he appeared in ,egypt1 attended by nine thousand myriads of the ,angels of ,destruction who are fashioned some of hail and some of flames1 and whose glances drive terror and trembling to the heart of the beholder4 ,these angels were about to precipitate themselves into the work of annihilation1 but ,god restrained them1 saying1 ,my wrath will not be appeased until ,i ,myself execute vengeance upon the enemies of ,israel4#bac ,those among the ,egyptians who gave credence to ,moses' words1 and tried to shield their first-born children from death1 sent them to their ,hebrew neighbors1 to spend the fateful night with them1 in the hope that ,god would exempt the houses of the children of ,israel from the plague4 ,but in the morning1 when the ,israelites arose from their sleep1 they found the corpses of the ,egyptian fugitives next to them4#bad ,that was the night in which the ,israelites prayed before lying down to sleep3 ,cause us1 ,o ,lord our ,god1 to lie down in peace1 remove ,satan from before us and from behind us1 and guard our going out and our coming in unto life and unto peace1#bae for it was ,satan that had caused frightful bloodshed among the ,egyptians4#baf ,among the slain there were1 beside the ,egyptian first- born1 also the first-born of other nationalities residing in ,egypt1 as well as the ,egyptian first-born dwelling outside of their own land4#bag ,even the long dead of the first-born were not spared4 ,the dogs dragged their corpses out of their graves in the houses1 for it was the ,egyptian custom to inter the dead at home4 ,at the appalling sight the ,egyptians mourned as though the bereavement had befallen them but recently4 ,the very monuments and statues erected to the memory of the first-born dead were changed into dust1 which was scattered and flew out of sight4 ,moreover1 their slaves had to share the fate of the ,egyptians1 and no less the first- born of the captive that was in the dungeon1 for none was so low but he hated the ,hebrews1 and rejoiced when the ,egyptians decreed their persecution4#bah ,the female slaves that ground corn between mill-stones were in the habit of saying1 ,we do not regret our servitude1 if only the ,israelites are gagged1 too4#bai ,in dealing out punishment to these aliens in the land of ,egypt1 ,god showed that ,he was at once the ,master of the land and the ,lord over all the gods of the nations1 for if the slaves and the captives of war had not been smitten1 they would have said1 ,mighty is our god1 who helped us in this plague4#bbj ,for the same reason all the idols of the ,egyptians were swept out of existence in that night4 ,the stone idols were ground into dust1 the wooden idols rotted1 and those made of metal melted away1#bba and so the ,egyptians were kept from ascribing their chastisement to the wrath of their own gods4 ,likewise the ,lord ,god slew the first-born of the cattle1 for the ,egyptians paid worship to animals1 and they would have attributed their misfortunes to them4 ,in all these ways the ,lord showed them that their gods were but vanity4 ,,the ,,redemption ,,of ,,israel ,,from ,,egyptian ,,bondage ,pharaoh rose up in the night of the smiting of the first- born4 ,he waited not for the third hour of the morning1 when kings usually arise1 nor did he wait to be awakened1 but he himself roused his slaves from their slumber1 and all the other ,egyptians1 and together they went forth to seek ,moses and ,aaron4#bbb ,he knew that ,moses had never spoken an untruth1 and as he had said1 ,i will see thy face again no more1 he could not count upon ,moses' coming to him4 ,there remained nothing for him to do but go in search of the ,israelitish leader4#bbc ,he did not know where ,moses lived1 and he had great difficulty and lost much time in looking for his house1 for the ,hebrew lads of whom he made inquiries when he met them in the street played practical jokes on him1 misdirected him1 and led him astray4 ,thus he wandered about a long time4#bbd all the while weeping and crying out1 ,o my friend ,moses1 pray for me to ,god6 ,meanwhile ,moses and ,aaron and all ,israel beside were at the paschal meal1 drinking wine as they sat and leaned to one side1 and singing songs in praise of ,god1 the ,hallel1 which they were the first to recite4 ,when ,pharaoh finally reached the door of the house wherein ,moses abode1 he called to him1 and from ,moses the question came back1 ,who art thou1 and what is thy name8--,i am ,pharaoh1 who stands here humiliated4--,moses asked again3 ,why dost thou come to me thyself8 ,is it the custom of kings to linger at the doors of common folk8--,i pray thee1 my lord1 returned ,pharaoh1 come forth and intercede for us1 else there will not remain a single being in ,egypt4--,i may not come forth1 for ,god bath commanded us1 ',none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning4' --,but ,pharaoh continued to plead3 ,do but step to the window1 and speak with me1 and when ,moses yielded to his importunities1 and appeared at the window1 the king addressed these words to him3 ,thou didst say yesterday1 ',all the first-born in the land of ,egypt will die1' but now as many as nine-tenths of the inhabitants have perished4#bbe ,pharaoh was accompanied by his daughter ,bithiah1 ,moses' foster-mother4 ,she reproached him with ingratitude1 in having brought down evil upon her and her countrymen4 ,and ,moses answered1 and said3 ,ten plagues the ,lord brought upon ,egypt4 ,hath evil accrued to thee from any of them8 ,did one of them affect thee8 ,and when ,bithiah acknowledged that no harm had touched her1 ,moses continued to speak1 ,although thou art thy mother's first- born1 thou shalt not die1 and no evil shall reach thee in the midst of ,egypt4 ,but ,bithiah said1 ,of what advantage is my security to me1 when ,i see the king1 my brother1 and all his household1 and his servants in this evil plight1 and look upon their first-born perishing with all the first-born of ,egypt8 ,and ,moses returned1 ,verily1 thy brother and his household and the other ,egyptians would not hearken to the words of the ,lord1 therefore did this evil come upon them4#bbf ,turning to ,pharaoh1 ,moses said3 ,in spite of all that hath happened1 ,i will teach thee something1 if thou desirest to learn1 and thou wilt be spared1 and thou wilt not die4 ,raise thy voice1 and say3 ',ye children of ,israel1 ye are your own masters4 ,prepare for your journey1 and depart from among my people4 ,hitherto ye were the slaves of ,pharaoh1 but henceforward ye are under the authority of ,god4 ,serve the ,lord your ,god6' ,moses made him say these words three times1#bbg and ,god caused ,pharaoh's voice to be heard throughout the land of ,egypt1 so that all the inhabitants1 the home-born and the aliens1 knew that ,pharaoh had released the children of ,israel from the bondage in which they had languished4 ,and all ,israel sang1 ,hallelujah1 praise1 ,o ye servants of the ,lord1 praise the ,name of the ,lord1 for they belonged to the ,lord1 and no more were the servants of ,pharaoh4#bbh ,now the king of ,egypt insisted upon their leaving the land without delay4 ,but ,moses objected1 and said3 ,are we thieves1 that we should slink away under cover of the night8 ,wait until morning4 ,pharaoh1 however1 urged and begged ,moses to depart1 confessing that he was anxious about his own person1 for he was a first-born son1 and he was terrified that death would strike him down1 too4 ,moses dissipated his alarm1 though he substituted a new horror1 with the words1 ,fear not1 there is worse in store for thee6 ,dread seized upon the whole people2 every one of the ,egyptians was afraid of losing his life1 and they all united their prayers with ,pharaoh's1 and begged ,moses to take the ,israelites hence4 ,and ,god spake1 ,ye shall all find your end1 not here1 but in the ,red ,sea6#bbi ,,the ,,exodus ,pharaoh and the ,egyptians let their dead lie unburied1 while they hastened to help the ,israelites load their possessions on wagons1 to get them out of the land with as little delay as possible4 ,when they left1 they took with them1 beside their own cattle1 the sheep and the oxen that ,pharaoh had ordered his nobles to give them as presents4 ,the king also forced his magnates to beg pardon of the ,israelites for all they had suffered1 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 fault4#bcj ,now1 depart6 said ,pharaoh to the ,israelites1 ,i want nothing from you but that you should pray to ,god for me1 that ,i may be saved from death4#bca ,the hatred of the ,egyptians toward the ,israelites changed now into its opposite4 ,they conceived affection and friendship for them1 and fairly forced raiment upon them1 and jewels of silver and jewels of gold1 to take along with them on their journey1 although the children of ,israel had not yet returned the articles they had borrowed from their neighbors at an earlier time4 ,this action is in part to be explained by the vanity of ,pharaoh and his people4 ,they desired to pretend before the world that they were vastly rich1 as everybody would conclude when this wealth of their mere slaves was displayed to observers4 ,indeed1 the ,israelites bore so much away from ,egypt that one of them alone might have defrayed the expense of building and furnishing the ,tabernacle4 ,on their leaving the land only the private wealth of the ,egyptians was in their hands1 but when they arrived at the ,red ,sea they came into possession of the public treasure1 too1 for ,pharaoh1 like all kings1 carried the moneys of the state with him on his campaigns1 in order to be prepared to hire a relay of mercenaries in case of defeat4 ,great as the other treasure was1 the booty captured at the sea far exceeded it4#bcb ,but if the ,israelites loaded themselves down with goods and jewels and money1 it was not to gratify love of riches1 or1 as any usurer might say1 because they coveted their neighbors' possessions4 ,in the first place they could look upon their plunder as wages due to them from those they had long served1 and1 secondly1 they were entitled to retaliate on those at whose hands they had suffered wrong4 ,even then they were requiting them with an affliction far slighter than any one of all they had endured themselves4#bcc ,the plagues did not stay the cruelty of the ,egyptian oppressors toward the ,hebrews4 ,it continued unabated until the very end of their sojourn in the land4 ,on the day of the exodus1 ,rachel the daughter of ,shuthelah gave birth to a child1 while she and her husband together were treading the clay for bricks4 ,the babe dropped from her womb into the clay and sank out of sight4 ,gabriel appeared1 moulded a brick out of the clay containing the child1 and carried it to the highest of the heavens1 where he made it a footstool before the ,divine throne4 ,in that night it was that ,god looked upon the suffering of ,israel1 and smote the first-born of the ,egyptians1#bcd and it is one of the four nights that ,god has inscribed in the ,book of ,memorial4 ,the first of the four is that in which ,god appeared to create the world2 all was waste and void1 and darkness brooded over the abyss1 until the ,lord came and spread light round about by ,his word4 ,the second night is that in which ,god appeared unto ,abraham at the covenant of the pieces4 ,in the third night ,he appeared in ,egypt1 slaying the first-born of the ,egyptians with ,his right hand1 and protecting the first-born of the ,israelites with ,his left4 ,the fourth night recorded will be that in which the end of the redemption will be accomplished1 when the iron yoke of the wicked kingdom will be broken1 and the evil-doers will be destroyed4 ,then will ,moses come from the desert1 and the ,messiah from ,rome1 each at the head of his flock1 and the word of ,god will mediate between them1 causing both to walk with one accord in the same direction4 ,israel's redemption in future days will happen on the fifteenth of ,nisan1 the night of ,israel's redemption from ,egypt1 for thus did ,moses say1 ,in this night ,god protected ,israel against the ,angels of ,destruction1 and in this night ,he will also redeem the generations of the future4#bce ,though the actual deliverance from ,egypt took place in that night1 the ,hebrews did not leave the land until the following day4#bcf ,during the same night ,god requited the ,egyptians for their evil deeds in the sight of all the people1 the night being as bright as day at the time of the summer solstice4 ,not one could escape the general chastisement1 for by ,divine dispensation none was absent from home at the time1 so that none could fail to see the chastisement4#bcg ,the angels in heaven learnt what was happening on earth4 ,when they were about to begin their song of praise to ,god1 ,he silenced them with the words1 ,my children on earth are singing now1 and the celestial hosts had to stop and listen to the song of ,israel4#bch ,great as the joy of the ,hebrews was at their deliverance from the ,egyptian bondage1 it was exceeded by that of ,pharaoh's people at seeing their slaves depart1 for with them went the dread of death that had obsessed them4 ,they were like the portly gentleman riding an ass4 ,the rider feels uncomfortable and longs for the moment of alighting1 but his longing cannot compare in intensity with that of the ass groaning under the corpulent burden1 and when their journey's end is reached1 the ass rejoices more than his master4 ,so the ,egyptians were happier to be rid of the ,hebrews than these were to be free4#bci ,in general1 the ,israelites were not in a joyous mood4 ,the strength of men is readily exhausted1 mentally and physically1 by the strain of a sudden change from slavery to freedom4 ,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 ,shekinah1 for so long as the chosen people is in exile1 the ,shekinah1 who dwells among ,israel1 is also1 as it were1 in exile4 ,at the same time1 ,god caused the earth to exhale and send aloft a healing fragrance1 which cured them of all their diseases4#bdj ,the exodus of the ,israelites began at ,raamses1 and although the distance from there to the city of ,mizraim1 where ,moses abode1 was a forty days' journey1 yet they heard the voice of their leader urging them to leave the land4 ,they covered the distance from ,raamses to ,succoth1 a three days' march1 in an instant4 ,in ,succoth ,god enveloped them in seven clouds of glory1 four hovering in front1 behind1 and at the two sides of them1 one suspended above them1 to keep off rain1 hail1 and the rays of the sun1 and one under them to protect them against thorns and snakes4 ,the seventh cloud preceded them1 and prepared the way for them1 exalting the valleys and making low every mountain and hill4#bda ,thus they wandered through the wilderness for forty years4 ,in all that time no artificial lighting was needed2 a beam from the celestial cloud followed them into the darkest of chambers1 and if one of the people had to go outside of the camp1 even thither he was accompanied by a fold of the cloud1 covering and protecting him4#bdb ,only1 that a difference might be made between day and night1 a pillar of fire took the place of the cloud in the evening4#bdc ,never for an instant were the people without the one or the other to guide them3 the pillar of fire glowed in front of them before the pillar of cloud retired1 and in the morning the cloud was there before the fire vanished4#bdd ,the clouds of glory and the pillar of fire were sent for the protection of ,israel alone1 for none beside1 not for the heathen and not for the mixed multitude that went up with them2 these had to walk outside of the cloud enclosure4#bde ,the cavalcade consisted of six hundred thousand heads of families afoot1 each accompanied by five children on horseback1 and to these must be added the mixed multitude1 exceeding the ,hebrews vastly in number4#bdf ,so profound was ,israel's trust in the ,lord1 that they followed ,moses unmurmuringly into the wilderness1 without supplying themselves with provisions4#bdg ,the only edibles they took were the remains of the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs1 and these not to satisfy their hunger1 but because they were unwilling to separate themselves from what they had prepared lovingly at the command of ,god4 ,these possessions were so dear to them that they would not entrust them to the beasts of burden1 they carried them on their own shoulders4#bdh