Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/126

108 of this and the subsequent Abraham stories, the various tests of Abraham's faith, and how he withstood them all.

Above all this story of the call of Abraham is splendidly adapted to develop in the child something of Jewish consciousness and pride and the sense of the responsibility and privilege of being a Jew. He must be made to feel that Ciod called not only Abraham, but also Israel. Therefore He calls all Jews collectively, and him in- dividually, and lays upon him the task of becoming a blessing in the sense in which Judaism interprets these words. This is the central theme in the presentation outlined above. The teacher should lose no opportunity to return to, and dwell upon this lesson in all its manifold aspects. For here is summed up the central purpose of the Jewish religious school, to develop the Jewish consciousness and the sense of Jewish pride and responsibility.

In this and the subsequent stories the name Abraham is used in preference to Abram, and Sarah to Sarai. The incident of the change of the names of Abram and Sarai, recounted in XVII, while interesting, has for us, on the whole, no deep religious significance. In ancient Israel, as among other primitive peoples, the name was regarded as an essential and inseparable part of a person or thing. Until it had received its proper name it did not fully exist (cf. mote to I, 5). The change of Abram's name implies a radical change in his nature and personality, which makes him virtually a new being with a larger and more important role in life and new duties and obligations. He is no longer the simple Abram, hut the great Abraham, "the father of a maltitude of nations" (XVII, 5). Like- wise, in virtue of her correspondingly exalted position Sara's name is changed to Sarah, "princess" (XVII, 15). Similarly, in recognition of the great change which had come over him, by reason of which he had become in truth a being altogether different from what he had been before. Jacob's name was changed from Jacob, "the deceiver", to Israel, "the champion of God" (XXXII, 29 and ci, Lesson XIX).

There is reason to think that thus incident of the change of name was not a part of the original Abraham story. It is not at all essential to the main narrative. For this reason we use the name Abraham throughout.

V. 1. The language here seems to imply that Haran was regarded by the author of this story as the birthplace of Abraham. This, of course contradicts the statement of XI, 28-31 that Abraham