Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/262

Rh 244

Book of Genesis

llic

This was the this

in

gloom still

desolate like the

which Jacob now realized, that even which had seemed in the gathering

very valley of the shadow of death,

with him, and though he had lain

trembling, (jod

Jacob this truth

had

trutli

spot,

is

still

to leave

all

Israel.

bitter experience.

home,

the hands of those

in

God was fear

and

watched over him.

the type of

through

down

like Jacob, lest

who

Israel,

too,

has learned

Time and again he has he suffer and perish at

And

should have been his brothers.

he has wandered forth into the strange world, not knowing whither he was going, nor whether the journey must be long or short, nor whether he should ever find rest and peace.

At times he must have doubted and wondered, as did Jacob, whether God was wnth him, or whether he was not alone in But it was only for the world, forsaken of God and men. a moment. Always the conviction returned, stronger because of the moment's doubt, that God was in this place, too, although he knew it not, 'that He was still w'ith him, and had not

forsaken him,

nor w^ould ever

forsake

him,

He

that

would be with him upon the long and bitter journey which he must go, and at last, when the goal should be reached and his mission be fulfilled, he would, through God's blessing, find the rest and peace and reconciliation, with his brethren for which he craved. In this quiet trust and undy-

God of his fathers, though enemies raged and danger threatened, and he must w^ander on and on, Israel has repeated those inspiring words of the closing verse of the beautiful Hebrew song in our prayer-book (Uiiion Prayer Book, I, 52-53) ing faith in the



My

B'yodo afkid ruhi

spirit in His hands I trust, Both when I sleep and when I stir; My body, too, this frame of dust: The Lord is with me, I do not fear.

But even more had Jacob realized

B'eth ishan

Vim

Adonoi



z''o'iro;

ruhi g'viyothi. li^

v'lo

not merely that

iro.

God \n