Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/302

Rh 284

Book of Genesis

TJic

himself was at fault for manifesting greater love for Joseph

than

other sons, and

for his

Partiality

always wrong and causes in

for

form of

always a

is

We

evil.

Isaac's greater love for

spoiling

injustice,

him as he did. and injustice is

have seen

already

this

Esau and Rebekah's greater

love

for Jacob.

And

it is clear, envied him and his ease and comfort at home, even though he was younger than they. Envy is always wicked, and it, too, always brings evil and sorrow, no matter what its cause. The rabbis told the following wise fable to

his

then, too, Joseph's brothers,

father's greater love

account

for

much

so

the

he

Originally

as

awkward hop in much more

the

walked

He

he wished.

succeeded only

breaking his bones. ridiculous that

efforts

gait.

But

even

of

were

how

to walk.

as

all

in

vain.

consequence he made himself

in

useless,

And

Then, realizing

he decided

and be something

distress, else,

to

resume

his

he found that

he had unlearned

ever since then he has had to hop

in

his

own awkward,

ridiculed

Ijy

birds and men.

along

But

it.

the other birds.

to his surprise

envious efforts to

in his

raven.

not

toppling over repeatedly and almost

And

the eyes

his

all

former

in

in

the yet

observed the graceful step of

the dove, and enviously tried to imitate

He

of

gait

gracefully,

despised and

graceless manner,

Such

is

the evil and

folly

of

envy and covetousness.

Therefore our Bible says, as the

Ten

Commandments, "Thou shalt not who can overcome envy

last

of

covet".

the

great

The

truly great are those

and covetousness, and rejoice

in

the success and happiness

of others.

The rabbis used likewise to tell this story. When the word of the Lord came to Moses, "(let thee up unto the mountain, for there thou must die henceforth Joshua shall lead My people", Moses prayed, " let me live and be the servant of Joshua, even as he was my servant only let me cross the river with him and come to the Promised Land".


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