Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/69

 71ic

Garden of Bden

51

contrast to the minds of other peoples, the Jewish

mind

is

hy nature meditative, philosophic, introspective, with a certain intuitive apperception of the fundamental truths and

problems of

And

life.

comparison of these ancient other primitive peoples

those of

Not only do the

deeper import. for the most

the sea

is

manner,

human

in

something of

such superlicial questions as

"Why

the form of a story in which the actors are

beings

far

folk-tales of other peoples

but they answer them in purely mechanical

salt",

Thus

genii.

part ask

Israelite folk-tales with

reveals

and animals,

or,

at

the

most,

fairies

the well-knowai Scandinavian folk-tale

tells

good brother's magic

mill

mere and that

and But wdien the ship w^as full, he had forgotten the magic word, which alone could stop the mill, and so the ship sank. And the mill lies on the bottom of the sea, still grinding salt and that is why the sea is salt. In significant contrast, these Biblical folk-tales answer all their questions from the standpoint of God, the Creator. Manifestly from the very beginning, (jod, or probably in the very earliest form of the stories, a divine being, was the chief actor, and all things came to be as they are in accordance with His will. Man leaves his parents for his wife because God fashioned her out of the bone and flesh of her husband, and thus they are truly one. The serpent crawls upon his belly because God so punished him. And mankind is divided the wicked brother stole the

bade

it

grind

salt.



into

different

God so The by God edge of it

is

God

nations,

speaking

dift"erent

languages because

ordained.

we believe, that Israel was chosen His law, and to proclaim it and the knowland His true worship to the world. However,

Bible afBrms, and to receive

Him

frequently objected that this can not be true, for a just

could not choose one ])eo])le in preference to another. But a wise and loving father carefully studies his sons to learn their dift"erent natures and aptitudes. . d of one he