Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/48

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llic

Book of Genesis

and religion. Above all, he is the exponent of the profound faith in God's goodness, wisdom, and providence, which constitutes the fundamental conception of God that Judaism has evolved and ever upheld. people,

All in

all,

therefore, Genesis contains, not literal history,

but an illustrated record of itual truths

which

many

of the fundamental spir-

through long and often

Israel has,

bitter

and grievous experience, discovered, and proclaimed to the world. Therefore a true knowledge of Genesis presupposes a full appreciation of the prophetic origin and spiritual significance of the book. Such real appreciation must bring with it clear understanding of, and firm belief in, these principles of

Judaism.

Accordingly not so

much

stories

of

to

the

which breathes tion

in

in

teaching Genesis, the guiding principle should be,

force the child to accept literally

book, in

but

can

bring

make him

feel

the

all

and Judaism

the tales

spirit

of

them with firm convicJudaism they so forcibly illustrate. If the

these stories, and receive

the principles of

teacher

to

these

things

home

to

the

little

child,

with

his

and trusting soul, a ifirm and lasting spiritual foundation will have been laid upon which to erect in later years the permanent structure of Jewish knowledge, Jewish belief, Jewish faith and Jewish life. receptive

Sitpplcinciitary Readings,

Verses and MidrasJiie Stories

we

sometimes one and someAs a rule one verse is from the particular story of Genesis under consideration, and may be regarded as the key-sentence to the spiritual lesson which the story conveys. The other verse is taken from some later book of the Bible, and serves to reenforce the thought of the first verse. These verses are supplemented by a Biblical passage, chiefly from the Psalms, wdiich gives even more full and concrete expression to the same spiritual truth. These passages should be carefully studied by In connection with each lesson

times two

verses, to be

give

memorized by

the children.

the teacher, and then read to the class in such intelligent, convincing

and sympathetic manner that the children must feel the spiritual truth which the reading seeks to l)ring out. If not too long, and the chil-