Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/336

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The Book of Genesis

318

them with contempt, as some might have exPharaoh accepted them as they were, appraised them at their true worth, and appointed them overseers of his own flocks and herds. regarcting

pected,

Loyalty has always been regarded by Judaism as a prime virtue,

loyalty to kindred, to

religion,

among fasting,

to

country,

the things

and

to

home,

God.

more pleasing

to

the past,

loyalty

to

The prophet declared that to God than even sacrifice,

ritual worship, were.

To deal thy bread to the hungry, And that thou bring the poor that

are cast out to thy house

When thou seest the naked, that thou coA-er him, And that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh. There is a powerful temptation when success, prosperity, and social advancement come, to leave poor or unprogressive relatives and friends behind, to feel that we have outgrown them, and that circumstances compel new associations. We find it the easiest and most natural thing in the world to excuse, or even to justify, such a course. But to everything that expediency and selfish inclination may suggest, the word of the prophet answers inexorably.

Hide not thyself from thine own

Loyalty declares that the neglect of others. tried

and

we must we may

tested,

may

we may

flesh.

not rise at the expense or to

Love and friendship which have been not be cheaply cast aside.

If

we

rise,

carry our loved ones with us, to whatever station attain.

It

is

told

of both

President Garfield and

President McKinley, two of our martyred presidents, that

when they were inaugurated

into

the

highest office of

the

mother come from her distant home, to be at his side on that great occasion. During the entire ceremony, while her son was delivering his inaugural speech, and outlining his policies of administration, land, each insisted that his aged \n