Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/124

106 replied Abraham, "for the man sixty years old, who would worship an image made only yesterday". Realizing his folly, the man left the shop.

Soon a woman entered with a vessel of fine flour, which she gave to Abraham and bade him offer it as a sacrifice to those gods. Instead Abraham took a stick and broke into pieces all the idols except the largest. Into its hands he put the stick, and set the vessel of fine flour before it. Soon Terah returned. When he saw the damage, he stood aghast for a moment, and then asked in angry voice, "Who did this?" Abraham answered, "While you were out a woman brought this vessel of fine flour as a sacrifice to all these gods. But that big, greedy god there wanted it all for him- self, so he took this stick and beat the others and broke them in pieces". At this Terah became furious. "What is this nonsense? Don't you know that these are only idols of wood and stone, and can not move?" Then Abraham calmly replied, "Let your ears harken to what your lips have said. If these are only idols of wood and stone, which can not even move, then what folly to think them gods and worship them!"

Thus Abraham taught, and gradually many began to understand. At last the news of Abraham's teaching came to the cars of Nimrod, the powerful and cruel king. He sent for Abraham and said, "If thou wilt not worship the gods which thy father makes, then worship the fire as I do". But Abraham answered, "Why not rather worship the water, which can quench the fire?" "Very well", replied Nimrod, "worship the water". But Abraham continued, "And why not then the clouds which contain the water; and why not then the wind which drives the clouds before it? No, I can worship neither fire, nor water, nor clouds, nor wind. I can worship only the one God, the Creator and Master of all these". At this the king became furious, and commanded that Abraham be cast into a great, fiery furnace, and that