Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/170

 The Book of Genesis

152

come

prove our true worth and

to all of us repeatedly, to

God's service.

fitness for

always means pain and sorrow,

It

and leaves a scar which never heals, which we have had

battle of the soul

mark

of

the

But

all

life

a very true sense a ceaseless battle in the cause of

in

is

the

as

to fight.

and we can not go through

duty,

without scars.

this battle

the battle which

unwounded and

and proves us, and purges the evil of weakness, selfishness, and cowardice from our souls, and makes us men and warriors and true servants of God. This was another and a severe trial of Abraham, possibly the most severe which he had had to endure thus far. And again he had withstood the test nobly, and had proved himself worthy to go upon the mission of God. It

is

tries

NOTES The

question

is

often raised, but

more often

l)y

the thoughtless

"Did Abraham do right in yielding to Sarah's request, and sending Hagar and Ishmael away?" Judging by modern standards, of course he did wrong. But it is teacher

by

than

ridiculous, as

full

thoughtful pupil,

modern standards to ancient modern standards it was wrong, also, for take more than one wife. But we know that it was in well as unfair, to apply

According

conditions.

Abraham

the

to

accord

with

to

ancient

Hagar and Ishmael he

practice.

sent away,

Equally,

Sarah's

request

that

and Abraham's compHance, were

in accord with ancient law and standards. Certainly the Biblical authors had no feeling that Abraham had done anything at all wrong. The story betrays not the least indication thereof. On the contrary,

Abraham was induced to hearken to Sarah's reword of God, and by the divine assurance that God would protect Ishmael and make of him also a great people. The story depicts no more than Abraham's touching grief and solicitude

tbe Bible

that

tells

quest by the very

thought of sending his two loved ones away, and also repreas enduring another l)itter trial and test of faith and

at the

sents

Abraham

worth. later

It

is

reunited

good

to

know

with Ishmael

that the rab])is told that in

a

way

(cf.

Ginsburg,

Abraham was The Legends

of the Jews, I, 266), and that the Bible itself tells that at Abraham's death Ishmael rejoined Isaac, in order to share with him the sad