The Legends of the Jews, vol 1 - Louis Ginzberg (epub ebook reader txt) 📗

other appropriate places, in furtherance of my aim, to give a smooth presentation of the matter, with as few interruptions to the course of the narrative as possible. For this reason I avoided such transitional phrases as “Some say,” “It has been maintained,” etc. That my method sometimes separates things that belong together cannot be considered a grave disadvantage, as the Index at the end of the work will present a logical rearrangement of the material for the benefit of the interested student. I also did not hesitate to treat of the same personage in different chapters, as, for instance, many of the legends bearing upon Jacob, those connected with the latter years of the Patriarch, do not appear in the chapter bearing his name, but will be found in the sections devoted to Joseph, for the reason that once the son steps upon the scene, he becomes the central figure, to which the life and deeds of the father are subordinated. Again, in consideration of lack of space the Biblical narratives underlying the legends had to be omitted—surely not a serious omission in a subject with which widespread acquaintance may be presupposed as a matter of course.

As a third consequence of the amplitude of the material, it was thought advisable to divide it into several volumes. The references, the explanations of the sources used, and the interpretations given, and, especially, numerous emendations of the text of the Midrashim and the pseudepigrapha, which determined my conception of the passages so emended, will be found in the last volume, the fourth, which will contain also an Introduction to the History of Jewish Legends, a number of Excursuses, and the Index.

As the first three volumes are in the hands of the printer almost in their entirety, I venture to express the hope that the whole work will appear within measurable time, the parts following each other at short intervals.

LOUIS GINZBERG.

NEW YORK, March 24, 1909

CONTENTS

PREFACE

I. THE CREATION OF THE WORLD

The First Things Created—The Alphabet—The First Day—The Second Day—The Third Day—The Fourth Day—The Fifth Day—The Sixth Day—All Things Praise the Lord.

II. ADAM

Man and the World—The Angels and the Creation of Man—The Creation of Adam—The Soul of Man—The Ideal Man—The Fall of Satan—Woman—Adam and Eve in Paradise—The Fall of Man—The Punishment—Sabbath in Heaven—Adam’s Repentance—The Book of Raziel—The Sickness of Adam—Eve’s Story of the Fall—The Death of Adam—The Death of Eve.

III. THE TEN GENERATIONS

The Birth of Cain—Fratricide—The Punishment of Cain—The Inhabitants of the Seven Earths—The Descendants of Cain—The Descendants of Adam and Lilith—Seth and His Descendants—Enosh—The Fall of the Angels—Enoch, Ruler and Teacher—The Ascension of Enoch—The Translation of Enoch—Methuselah.

IV. NOAH

The Birth of Noah—The Punishment of the Fallen Angels—The Generation of the Deluge—The Holy Book—The Inmates of the Ark—The Flood—Noah Leaves the Ark—The Curse of Drunkenness—Noah’s Descendants Spread Abroad—The Depravity of Mankind—Nimrod—The Tower of Babel.

V. ABRAHAM

The Wicked Generations—The Birth of Abraham—The Babe Proclaims God—Abraham’s First Appearance in Public—The Preacher of the True Faith—In the Fiery Furnace—Abraham Emigrates to Haran—The Star in the East—The True Believer—The Iconoclast—Abraham in Canaan—His Sojourn in Egypt—The First Pharaoh—The War of the Kings—The Covenant of the Pieces—The Birth of Ishmael—The Visit of the Angels—The Cities of Sin—Abraham Pleads for the Sinners—The Destruction of the Sinful Cities—Among the Philistines—The Birth of Isaac—Ishmael Cast Off—The Two Wives of Ishmael—The Covenant with Abimelech—Satan Accuses Abraham—The Journey to Moriah—The Akedah—The Death and Burial of Sarah—Eliezer’s Mission—The Wooing of Rebekah—The Last Years of Abraham—A Herald of Death—Abraham Views Earth and Heaven—The Patron of Hebron.

VI. JACOB

The Birth of Esau and Jacob—The Favorite of Abraham—The Sale of the Birthright—Isaac with the Philistines—Isaac Blesses Jacob—Esau’s True Character Revealed—Jacob Leaves His Father’s House—Jacob Pursued by Eliphaz and Esau—The Day of Miracles—Jacob with Laban—The Marriage of Jacob—The Birth of Jacob’s Children—Jacob Flees before Laban—The Covenant with Laban—Jacob and Esau Prepare to Meet—Jacob Wrestles with the Angel—The Meeting between Esau and Jacob—The Outrage at Shechem—A War Frustrated—The War with the Ninevites—The War with the Amorites—Isaac Blesses Levi and Judah—Joy and Sorrow in the House of Jacob—Esau’s Campaign against Jacob—The Descendants of Esau.

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD

THE FIRST THINGS CREATED

THE ALPHABET

THE FIRST DAY

THE SECOND DAY

THE THIRD DAY

THE FOURTH DAY

THE FIFTH DAY

THE SIXTH DAY

ALL THINGS PRAISE THE LORD

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD

THE FIRST THINGS CREATED

In the beginning, two thousand years before the heaven and the earth, seven things were created: the Torah written with black fire on white fire, and lying in the lap of God; the Divine Throne, erected in the heaven which later was over the heads of the Hayyot; Paradise on the right side of God, Hell on the left side; the Celestial Sanctuary directly in front of God, having a jewel on its altar graven with the Name of the Messiah, and a Voice that cries aloud, “Return, ye children of men.”[1]

When God resolved upon the creation of the world, He took counsel with the Torah.[2] Her advice was this: “O Lord, a king without an army and without courtiers and attendants hardly deserves the name of king, for none is nigh to express the homage due to him.”

The answer pleased God exceedingly. Thus did He teach all earthly kings, by His Divine example, to undertake naught without first consulting advisers.[3]

The advice of the Torah was given with some reservations. She was skeptical about the value of an earthly world, on account of the sinfulness of men, who would be sure to disregard her precepts.

But God dispelled her doubts. He told her, that repentance had been created long before, and sinners would have the opportunity of mending their ways. Besides, the Temple service would be invested with atoning power, and Paradise and hell were intended to do duty as reward and punishment. Finally, the Messiah was appointed to bring salvation, which would put an end to all sinfulness.[4]

Nor is this world inhabited by man the first of things earthly created by God. He made several worlds before ours, but He destroyed them all, because He was pleased with none until He created ours.[5] But even this last world would have had no permanence, if God had executed His original plan of ruling it according to the principle of strict justice. It was only when He saw that justice by itself would undermine the world that He associated mercy with justice, and made them to rule jointly.[6]

Thus, from the beginning of all things prevailed Divine goodness, without which nothing could have continued to exist. If not for it, the myriads of evil spirits had soon put an end to the generations of men. But the goodness of God has ordained, that in every Nisan, at the time of the spring equinox, the seraphim shall approach the world of spirits, and intimidate them so that they fear to do harm to men. Again, if God in His goodness had not given protection to the weak, the tame animals would have been extirpated long ago by the wild animals. In Tammuz, at the time of the summer solstice, when the strength of behemot is at its height, he roars so loud that all the animals hear it, and for a whole year they are affrighted and timid, and their acts become less ferocious than their nature is. Again, in Tishri, at the time of the autumnal equinox, the great bird ziz[7] flaps his wings and utters his cry, so that the birds of prey, the eagles and the vultures, blench, and they fear to swoop down upon the others and annihilate them in their greed. And, again, were it not for the goodness of God, the vast number of big fish had quickly put an end to the little ones. But at the time of the winter solstice, in the month of Tebet, the sea grows restless, for then leviathan spouts up water, and the big fish become uneasy. They restrain their appetite, and the little ones escape their rapacity.

Finally, the goodness of God manifests itself in the preservation of His people Israel. It could not have survived the enmity of the Gentiles, if God had not appointed protectors for it, the archangels Michael and Gabriel.[8] Whenever Israel disobeys God, and is accused of misdemeanors by the angels of the other nations, he is defended by his designated guardians, with such good result that the other angels conceive fear of them. Once the angels of the other nations are terrified, the nations themselves venture not to carry out their wicked designs against Israel.

That the goodness of God may rule on earth as in heaven, the Angels of Destruction are assigned a place at the far end of the heavens, from which they may never stir, while the Angels of Mercy encircle the Throne of God, at His behest.[9]

THE ALPHABET

When God was about to create the world by His word, the twenty-two letters of the alphabet[10] descended from the terrible and august crown of God whereon they were engraved with a pen of flaming fire. They stood round about God, and one after the other spake and entreated, “Create the world through me! The first to step forward was the letter Taw. It said: “O Lord of the world! May it be Thy will to create Thy world through me, seeing that it is through me that Thou wilt give the Torah to Israel by the hand of Moses, as it is written, ‘Moses commanded us the Torah.’ ” The Holy One, blessed be He, made reply, and said, “No!” Taw asked, “Why not?” and God answered: “Because in days to come I shall place thee as a sign of death upon the foreheads of men.” As soon as Taw heard these words issue from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, it retired from His presence disappointed.

The Shin then stepped forward, and pleaded: “O Lord of the world, create Thy world through me: seeing that Thine own name Shaddai begins with me.” Unfortunately, it is also the first letter of Shaw, lie, and of Sheker, falsehood, and that incapacitated it.

Resh had no better luck. It was pointed out that it was the initial letter of Ra’, wicked, and Rasha’ evil, and after that the distinction it enjoys of being the first letter in the Name of God, Rahum, the Merciful, counted for naught. The Kof was rejected, because Kelalah, curse, outweighs the advantage of being the first in Kadosh, the Holy One. In vain did Zadde call attention to Zaddik, the Righteous One; there was Zarot, the misfortunes of Israel, to testify against it. Pe had Podeh, redeemer, to its credit, but Pesha: transgression, reflected dishonor upon it. ‘Ain was declared unfit, because, though it begins ‘Anawah, humility, it performs the same service for ‘Erwah, immorality. Samek said: “O Lord, may it be Thy will to begin the creation with me, for Thou art called Samek, after me, the Upholder of all that fall.” But God said: “Thou art needed in the place in which thou art;[11] thou must continue to uphold all that fall.” Nun introduces Ner, “the lamp of the Lord,” which is “the spirit of men,” but it also introduces Ner, “the lamp of the wicked,” which will be put out by God. Mem starts Melek, king, one of the titles of God. As it is the first letter of Mehumah, confusion, as well, it had no chance of accomplishing its desire.

The claim of Lamed bore its refutation within itself. It advanced the argument that it was the first letter of Luhot, the celestial tables for the Ten Commandments; it forgot that the tables were shivered in pieces by Moses. Kaf was sure of victory Kisseh, the throne of God, Kabod, His honor, and Keter, His crown, all begin with