Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and Kabbala Part 11

Wherever Jacob resided he studied the law as his fathers did. How is this, seeing the law had not yet been given, it is nevertheless written of Abraham (Gen. xxvi. 5), "And he kept my charge"? Whence then did Abraham learn the law? Rabbi s.h.i.+mon says his reins (literally kidneys) were made like two water-jars, from which the law flowed forth. Where do we learn that it was so? From what is said in Ps. xvi. 7, "My reins also instruct me in the night season."

_Beres.h.i.+th Rabba_, chap. 95.

The masters of the Kabbalah, of blessed memory, say that Abraham's Rabbi, i.e., teacher, was the angel Zadkiel.

_Rabbi Menachem's comment on the Pent._, Exod. iii. 5.

Adam's book, which contained celestial mysteries and holy wisdom, came down as an heirloom into the hands of Abraham, and he by means of it was able to see the glory of his Lord.

_Zohar Parashah Beres.h.i.+th._

Abraham was the author of a treatise on the subject of different kinds of witchcraft and its unholy workings and fruits, as also of the Book of Creation, through holy names (by means of which, namely, anything could be created).

_Nishmath Chayim_, chap. 29.

The whole world once believed that the souls of men were perishable, and that man had no pre-eminence above a beast, till Abraham came and preached the doctrine of immortality and transmigration.

Ibid., fol. 171, col. 1.

A good son delivers his father from the punishment of h.e.l.l, for thus we find that Abraham our father delivered Terah, as it is said in Gen. xv.

15, "And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace." This implies that G.o.d had communicated to him the tidings that his father had a portion in the world to come and was now "in peace" there.

_Pesikta Zotarta_, fol. 3, col. 2.

Before Abraham was circ.u.mcised G.o.d spake to him in the Chaldee language, that the angels should not understand it. (This is proved from Gen. xv.

1.)

_Yalkut Chadash_, fol. 117.

Rabbi Levi said Abraham sits at the gate of h.e.l.l and does not permit any circ.u.mcised Israelite to enter. But if any appear who happen to have sinned unduly, these he (by an indescribable contrivance) causes to become uncirc.u.mcised and lets pa.s.s without scruple into the region of torment; and this is what is said in Ps. lv. 20, "He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant."

_Yalkut s.h.i.+moni_, fol. 33, col. 2, sec. 18.

Abraham was circ.u.mcised on the Day of Atonement, and G.o.d looks that day annually on the blood of the covenant of our father Abraham's circ.u.mcision as atoning for all our iniquities, as it is said in Lev.

xvi. 30, "For on that day shall he make an atonement for you, to cleanse you from all your sins."

_Yalkut Chadash_, fol. 121, col. 1, sec. 3.

"And it came to pa.s.s that when Abram was come into Egypt" (Gen. xii.

14). And where was Sarah? He confined her in a chest, into which he locked her, lest any one should gaze on her beauty. When he came to the receipt of custom, he was summoned to open the chest, but declined, and offered payment of the duty. The officers said, "Thou carriest garments;" and he offered duty for garments. "Nay, it is gold thou carriest;" and he offered the impost laid on gold. Then they said, "It is costly silks, belike pearls, thou concealest;" and he offered the custom on such articles. At length the Egyptian officers insisted, and he opened the box. And when he did so, all the land of Egypt was illumined by her beauty.

_Beres.h.i.+th Rabba_, chap. 40.

The question may naturally be asked why Abraham hid his wife from the gaze of others first then and not before. The reply is to be deduced from the following double rendering of Gen. xii. 11:--"Behold now I know that thou art a fair woman." As if to say, "Usually people lose their good looks on a long journey, but thou art as beautiful as ever." The second explanation is this:--Abraham was so piously modest that in all his life he never once looked a female in the face, his own wife not excepted. As he approached Egypt and was crossing some water, he saw in it the reflection of her face, and it was then that he exclaimed, "Behold now I know that thou art a fair woman." As the Egyptians are swarthy, Abraham at once perceived the magnitude of the danger, and hence his precaution to hide her beauty in a chest.

_Zeenah Ureenah_ (1877 in Russia), fol. 28, col. 1.

When Abraham came to the cave of Machpelah to bury Sarah, Adam and Eve rose from their grave and protested against his committing her to the dust in that receptacle. "For," said they, "we are ever ashamed in the presence of the Holy One--blessed be He!--on account of the sin which we committed, and now comest thou to add to our shame by the contrast therewith of the good works which ye two have done." On Abraham's a.s.surance that he would intercede with G.o.d on their behalf that they should not bear the shame any longer, Adam immediately retired to his sepulchre, but Eve being still unwilling to do so, Abraham took her by the hand and led her back to the side of Adam; and then he buried Sarah.

_Yalkut Chadash_, fol. 14, col. 3, sec. 68.

Abraham's father, Terah, was both an idolater, a manufacturer of idols, and a dealer in them. Once when Terah had some engagement elsewhere he left his son Abraham to attend to his business. When a customer came to purchase an idol, Abraham asked him, "How old art thou?" "Lo! so many years," was the ready reply. "What," exclaimed Abraham, "is it possible that a man of so many years should desire to wors.h.i.+p a thing only a day old?" The customer, being ashamed of himself, went his way; and so did all other customers, who underwent a similar inquisition. Once an old woman brought a measure of fine flour and wished to present it as an offering to the G.o.ds. This so enraged Abraham that he took a staff and broke all the images, excepting the largest, into whose hands he fixed the staff. When his father came and questioned him about the destruction of the G.o.ds, he replied, "An old woman placed an offering of flour before them, which immediately set them all by the ears, for every one was hungrier than another, but the biggest G.o.d killed all the rest with this staff which thou now seest he still holds in his hands."

Superst.i.tion, especially when combined with mercenary motives, knows neither reason nor human affection, therefore the father handed over his son Abraham to the inquisition of Nimrod, who threw him into the fiery furnace, as recorded elsewhere in this Miscellany. This is an historical fact, to the truth of which the whole orthodox Jewish world will bear testimony, and is solemnly recorded in _Shalsheleth Hakkabalah_ fol. 2, col 1.

There are three graces:--The grace of a place in the eyes of its inhabitants; the grace of a woman in the eyes of her husband; the grace of a purchase in the eyes of the buyer.

_Soteh_, fol. 47, col. 1.

A man should divide his capital into three parts, and invest one-third in land, employ one-third in merchandise, and reserve one-third in ready money.

_Bava Metzia_, fol. 42, col. 1.

All who go down to h.e.l.l shall come up again, except these three:--He who commits adultery; he who shames another in public; and he who gives another a bad name.

Ibid., fol. 58, col. 2.

These three complain, but no one sympathizes with them:--He who lends money without witnesses; he who buys to himself a master; and he who is lorded over by his wife.

Ibid., fol. 75, col. 2.

There are three things on which the world stands:--The law, the temple service, and benevolence.

_Avoth_, chap. 1.

If three eat at one table and do not converse together on the law of the Lord, it is as if they ate from the sacrifices for the dead; but they, on the contrary, are as if they partook from a table of the Lord's own furnis.h.i.+ng who, while they sit down to meat, season their talk with its holy precepts.

_Avoth_, chap. 3.

There are three crowns:--The crown of the law, the crown of the priesthood, and the crown of royalty; but the crown of a good name surpa.s.ses them all.

Ibid., chap. 4.

He who possesses these three virtues is a disciple of Abraham our father, and he who possesses the three contrary vices is a son of Balaam the wicked. The disciples of our father Abraham have a kindly eye, a loyal spirit, and a lowly mind. The disciples of Balaam the wicked have an evil eye, a proud spirit, and a grasping soul.

Ibid., chap. 5.

Three things are said respecting the children of men:--He who gives alms brings a blessing on himself; he who lends does better; he who gives away half of what he hath to spare does best of all.

_Avoth d'Rab. Nathan_, chap. 41.

There are three cla.s.ses of disciples, and among them three grades of worth:--He ranks first who asks and answers when asked; he who asks but does not answer ranks next; but he who neither asks nor answers ranks lowest of all.

Ibid.

Over these three does G.o.d weep every day:--Over him who is able to study the law but neglects it; over him who studies it amid difficulties hard to overcome; and over the ruler who behaves arrogantly toward the community he should protect.

_Chaggigah_, fol. 5, col. 2.

Rabbi Yochanan says there are three keys in the hands of the Holy One!--blessed be He!--which He never intrusts to the disposal of a messenger, and they are these:--(1.) The key of rain, (2.) the key of life, and (3.) the key of reviving the dead. The key of rain, for it is written (Deut. xxviii. 12), "The Lord shall open unto thee His good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in season;" the key of life, as it is written (Gen. x.x.x. 22), "G.o.d hearkened unto her, and opened her womb;" the key of reviving the dead, for it is written (Ezek.