Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/231

 213

llie Unity of the Jacob Story

Al)raham cycles, and of the Joseph and Moses stories, were Ukewise the compilers of the Jacob Unquestionably in this drama they were animated by story.

creation-flood

aixl

the

a like purpose.

After having analyzed the Jacob story and proved its determine what essential unity, it is not at all difficult to the

purpose of the compilers was.

Jacob.

The

The

central

figure

is

story begins with his deception of his brother,

and concludes with their reconciliation. Jacob had wronged Esau because of his own deceitful nature and selfish imHe was enabled to become reconciled with Esau pulses. triumphed only by having battled with, and having at last literally, over his base impulses, or, as the story puts it very "the longer Jacob, no man, different a becoming actually by

Deceiver", but Israel, "the Champion of God". Throughout had been his twenty years' sojourn in a foreign land, God material in him prosper and protect to merely not with him, things,

and

but,

by allowing

sufferings to befall

cipline,

trials,

him

disappointments,

deceptions,

as a necessary part of his dis-

him purify himself of his base inclinations, transform him from the old Jacob to the new Israel. to help

and to During the

last

six years of his sojourn with

upon

his

Laban, Jacob efforts and

own

had thought that he could cunning, and the old Jacob had reasserted himself. But this had led him near to destruction. Just in time did he come promise, to realize that only by trusting implicitly in God's had God seemed, it and in following the course, which, rely

marked out

for him, could he prosper truly,

and could

last-

The climax of the story ing happiness and blessing be his. wrestles through all the is that dramatic scene where Jacob from long, dark night, and as the dawn breaks, he emerges and the combat victorious, with the old Jacob gone forever, true the which the new^ Israel ready now to live the life servant of the Lord,

ham and

Isaac,

must

who live.

inherited the birthright of

The

story of Jacob

is

Abra-

the unmis-