Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/164

 The Book of Genesis

146

by our ancestors and by the world as animating the Jewish

As

people to an unusually high degree.

11

agar,

so

every

Jewish mother, and every Jewish father, too, act, and of such sacrifice for their children they have ever shown themTherefore the expression has become proverselves capable. bial,

"a mother in Israel",

i.

e.,

the true Jewish mother, the

highest type of motherhood the world has ever known. is

indeed something to be ])roud

throughout

of, that

our Jewish mothers and fathers have

set

rich in stories of Jewish

tells

Our

Bible

fathers and Jewish mothers.

It

of Jacob and his undying love for his son Joseph, of

the tender love of the mother of

of

ages

all

before the world

the standard of true motherhood and fatherhood. is

It

Hannah and

Moses

her earnest prayer that

with a child, upon

whom

for her

little

Ood might

baby,

bless her

she might bestow her mother love,

of the old king David, whose love for his son could not be

quenched, his

even

despite

the

aged and trusting father.

latter's

We

heartless

shall

hear

all

treatment

of

these stories

and therefore need not recount them here. However, two stories, told by the rabbis of old, to illustrate how true and undying is a Jewish parent's love, may be related here. They told that when Joseph was sold as a slave, and was being brought down to Egypt, the road led past the tomb of Rachel, his mother, who had died when he was a mere baby. Just opposite the tomb he suddenly broke away from his captors, and ran and threw himself down upon his mother's grave and wej^t bitterly, and called upon her for help, even though he knew that she could not hear. But the rabbis told, and they were very wise and in time,

knew

best, that still she did hear,

for her love for her boy

was not dead. And from out the tomb, it seemed to him, there came words of comfort and cheer, bidding him not despair, for this was all in accordance with (lod's will, and success and blessing were still in store for him. The story is

true; a mother's

love,

at

least,

never

dies.

Long

after