Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/71

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Garden of Bdcn

53

is but natural, a number of these ancient folkgradually grew together, and at last a connected and

In time, as tales

virtually

new

story evolved, our present story of the

Through

new

Garden

story there runs one thought,

of Eden. but dimly apparent in the old folk-tales, a thought which this

has become a basic principle of Judaism, and which distinguishes Judaism from other religions more sharply almost

than any other doctrine. placed

man

It

is

the thought

here on this beautiful

earth

to

that

God a

live

has

life

of

which is perpurity and usefulness, to eat the good fruit, no matter mitted, but to refrain from the forbidden for a man how beautiful and alluring. God has created purthis purpose of good, and bidden him strive to fulfil He has given man intellect and conscience that he pose. fruit

may

He

perceive the good and be warned

holds out to

man

of

the

evil.

And

the promise of reward for right living

and of punishment for wrong. But with all this God has endowed man with free-will, with power to choose between good and evil, between obedience and disobedience. As the story says, "Then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed* into his nostrils the In expounding this chapter the rabbis of breath of life". old laid great stress upon this thought that God had formed man of dust, yet had Himself breathed into him the breath of

life,

animals,

a part of His spirit.

man

is

Thus, they taught, unlike the

the child of two worlds, the earthly, lower

world of dust, and the heavenly world of God's spirit. In some qualities he resembles the animals of earth, and in others the angels of heaven. the angels, he

would have

Had God made man lived

only like

forever; had he been en-

he would have died speedily. So God gave him a double nature; if he is righteous, he If he lets attains eternal life, but if he sins, he perishes. his earthly nature prevail, he sinks inevitably to the level But if he follows the inclination of God's of the beast.

tirely like the creatures of earth,