Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/295

Rh ;

Jacob and

"O

277

lisaii

ye heavens so high, the dwelUng-place of

pered, "do you implore pardon for me". too,

answered, "Nay, for thee

for

ourselves

may we

of the Lord".

for ourselves

lieavens,

not implore pardon

"Ye orbs

give light and blessing to men",

me

he whis-

must we seek God's favor".

turned to the sun and moon. for

(jOcI",

But the

alone

But

Then

he prayed, "seek pardon

"Nay, only

they, too, answered,

may we

Eliezer

of heaven, which

seek

pardon".

understood, and to himself he said, "I

know

Then

Eliezer

that each

seek pardon for himself of God, the Creator of

must Per-

all.

His love, will still hearken to my prayer, sinner though I am". So he sat down upon the ground, with head bowed between his knees, and humbly he prayed to God. Long he sat, with broken and contrite heart, never moving nor stirring, but with thoughts turned ever to God and with haps He,

in

filling his heart. At last his soul passed from his body. But even in that moment a voice was heard from heaven above, resounding throughout the world, "Eliezer ben Dordeja is reconciled to his God; his sins are forgiven, and he is called to eternal life with his Father in heaven". Such is true repentance, and only so may God's pardon be at last attained.

unutterable longing

NOTES XXXIT,

This verse makes Esau dwell far to the south in the 4. Edom, the land of his traditional descendants, the Edomites. The story would have been more dramatically complete and perfect, liad it told that Esau and Jacob dwelt together at home with their father. But as was stated in the introductory chapter, actual historical land of

conditions forbade

V. 23.

this.

The Jabbok

is

a

small stream which rises in the

tains of Gilead, east of the Jordan, flows

the Jordan. its

course

Its it

is very swift. During the greater part of through a deep and narrow valley, with steep, It is therefore quite an undertaking to cross this

current

flows

precipitous sides.

stream at any time. cause

moun-

westward, and empties into

In this case this was

all

the

more

Jacob had to transport his entire camp over the

difficult,

river,

be-

and \n