Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/98

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The Book of Genesis

80

The noun derived from

this verb-stem, sarah, means rebelBut this is not the end. Though we may have departed far from God and His way, and be sunk lion, iniquity, sin.

deeply in

sin,

still

we

are not hopelessly

We

lost.

can

still

more tread His path and walk wath Him. The Hebrew verb for to return is shuv, and the derivative noun, fshuvah, means returning or repentance. return to God, and once

And

that,

Judaism teaches,

ing to God, seeking

Him

is

all

that repentance

is,

a return-

out in deep contrition, and begin-

ning once more to walk with Him, with the firm resolve in

our hearts never again

to

turn

away from His

path.

No

how far we may have strayed, w^e can still return to Him if we will. Ever His pardoning love reaches out to us, for He is a God of justice, yes, but a God whose justice is

matter

tempered by love and mercy and the

As

desire,

not to punish,

I any wicked should die ? saith the Lord and not rather that he should return from his ways, and

but to forgive. pleasure at

all

the prophet Ezekiel said, *'Have

that the

live?"

Such is our Jewish teaching of life and sin and repentance and divine forgiveness, based upon our knowledge of God's goodness and love. His all-wise purpose for men, and His absolute justice in dealing with men. This is the fundamental Jewish truth which the Biblical flood-story was made to convey, and which shows its vast spiritual superiority over its Babylonian original. Beautifully illustrating God's love and His desire for the repentance, rather than the death, of His sinning children, the rabbis amplified the Biblical story by relating that God had announced the flood to Noah one hundred and twenty years before it began. So Noah, at God's bidding, planted When a forest, from which in time he might build the ark. the people gathered round and asked what he was doing, Noah told of the impending flood and urged them to re])ent and live righteous lives, that God might forgive them, and