Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/110

 The Book of Genesis

92

good life, free from all sin, in order that at up to God". Perhaps, in order that they may not sin, they go oft" and live by themselves, away from everybody else. But they always fail. Why? Have you ever, upon some beautiful, starry night, looked at the constellation known as the Great Bear, or the Dipper? Six stars you can see very plainly. But one star, the one which joins the "I will live a

last I

may

get

handle to the cup,

when you

is

You know

not easily seen.

it

is

there;

you can not see it. But turn your gaze slightly, and look at one of the other stars nearby, and then, indirectly, you see the star you have been seeking, shining out as brightly and beautifully as the rest. Just so it is with consciously trying to be great and to be good and to make a name for ourselves. With only this one purpose and this one ambition we can never succeed. We can never become great just by working to be great, for this is a selfish end, and no one can become great by being but

selfish.

No

look at

it

directly

one ever deserved

to

be

because of what he did for himself.

called

great

merely

Only those men and

women have

been considered truly great by the world, who have found some great and good work to do, some work entirely unselfish, whose only purpose is to help others and to make them better and happier. And they have done this work, thinking only of the good and happiness they are bringing to

and never of themselves or that they these noble men and women do happiness and blessing, until at

others,

may be called great. Thus much good and bring much last

the world begins to call tliem "Great", or even better,

"Good".

Thus, and thus alone, do they make a name for But such a name is the finest reward which

themselves.

one can

get,

for

it

will

never die;

it

lives

on and on, even

we are no more, and mankind honors and loves our memory long, long after we have passed away. Therefore after

the Bible says truly,