Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/269

Rh Jacob

Laban

(Did

251

hard; day and night he would guard the sacrifice his

That

fare.

own comfort and is

the true spirit of service, and Jacob had al-

ready begun to learn his lesson well. service of

his

and wiUingly

flock,

desires for his master's wel-

For

his twenty years'

uncle Laban, bitter and hard and

was to be but the training and preparation

exacting,

for a

lifelong

no room service of the supreme Master, which service for laziness, selfishness and self-indulgence, a would also prove hard and exacting, but never bitter, when in

performed and love.

And

in the right

spirit

which there

is

of unselfishness, brotherhood,

there at the well Jacob met Rachel, his beloved.

It

him almost as if God had sent her, The story of the another proof that God was with him. love of Jacob and Rachel is one of the most romantic and

must have seemed

to

The simple statement

that the

years of hard labor which he served for her

seemed

beautiful in the entire Bible.

many

but a few days, so great was his love for her, shows the

human is

not

side of the authors,

altogether

an

and makes us

imaginary,

depicted as a real

man

ness, of strength

and weakness,

delightful,

At pleted.

ward.

We

human

last the

figure,

Jacob but

is

of flesh and blood, of love and selfishlike ourselves,

struggles to conquer his evil inclinations

from our own.

realize that

allegorical

dift'er

and that

his

not one wdiit

are indeed grateful for this delicate and

touch.

seven years of service for Rachel were com-

Joyously Jacob prepared to receive his beloved recan picture the expectant rapture w^ith which he

We

veil from her and the surprise, disappointment, and grief, when he finds that it is not Rachel at all, but Leah, the unbeloved. Bitterly he reproached her and her father for deceiving him. He had labored faithfully, and had fulfilled his part of the compact honorably and well. Had he deserved this treatment from either Laban or Leah? Why had Leah answered

approaches the loved one and draws back the face, \n