babel, My servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet, (Hag. ii. 23). VIII. How great is the excellence of repentance! The same man who, the day before, was separated from the Lord God of Israel, as it is said: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, (Isai. lix. 2.)— who cried [to God] and yet was not listened unto, as it is said: Yea, when ye make many prayers, [I will not hear], (Isai. i. 15.)—whose [good deeds], though he happened to fulfil any commandment, were repulsed with indignation, as it is said: Who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? (Isai. i. 12); Who [is there] even among you that would shut the doors? &c. (Mal. i. 10.)-[the same man] is 3 1 Zerubbabel was not the son but the grandson of Shealtiel; now as Shealtiel was the son of Jeconiah as recorded in 1 Chron. iii. 17: And the sons of Jeconiah, Assir, Salathiel his son, it follows that Zerubbabel was the great grandson of Jeconiah. See Rabbi David Kimchi's Commentary on the 18th and 19th verses of the above-named chapter of 1 Chronicles. That Rabbi throws considerable light on this part of the genealogy, which seems to be involved in obscurity and contradiction. ,literally : and they tear them in pieces וטורפין אותן בפניו 2 (confound them) in his presence. 3 Who [is there] even among you that would shut the doors [for nought]? neither do ye kindle [fire] on Mine altar for nought. I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN YOU, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, Neither will I ACCEPT AN OFFERING AT YOUR HAND. this day (after having turned penitently) cleaving unto the Shechinah; for it is said: But ye that did CLEAVE unto the Lord your God, (Deut. iv. 4). Should he now cry [to God], he will be listened unto forthwith, as it is said: And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, (Isai. lxv. 24.); should he now fulfil any of the commandments, [his good deeds] will be accepted with delight and with joy, as it is said: For God now accepteth thy works, (Eccles. ix. 7.); and not merely this, but He even longs for them, (viz. for the works, prayers and offerings of the penitent), as it is said: Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years, (Mal. iii. 4). IX. With regard to the penitent (converts), it is their [constant] practice to be humble and exceedingly meek. If foolish men happen to reproach them with their former deeds, saying unto them: "Yesterday thou didst so and so, or yesterday thou didst say so and so," they do not mind them, but hear [this reproach] and rejoice [in it], knowing that this [still enhances] their merit, inasmuch as whenever as whenever they are ashamed of the transgressions which they have committed, and blush for the same, their merit becomes greater, and their degree more exalted. X. It is however an actual sin to say unto a penitent man (convert), "Remember thy former doings;" or to mention the same in his 1 .literally: that are like them הדומין להן Ye 2 In Lev. xxv. 14. it is said: x nx wir in shall not oppress one another; which the Rabbins apply to oppression or fraud in pecuniary matters, as Rabbi Solomon this * זו אונאת ממון :Jarchi observes in his Commentary [refers to] oppression (or fraud) in money matters," and which is also evident from the context, as this verse begins with the words: And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, &c. But in the verse quoted here by our Author it is said again: -Ye shall not there ולא תונו איש את עמיתו ויראת מאלהיך fore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God; and this the Rabbins apply to oppressive or fraudulent words, as Rabbi "Here כאן הזהיר על אונאת דברים :Solomon Jarchi says [the law] warns against oppressive or fraudulent words;" observing at the same time, that whenever a moral commandment is enjoined by the law, respecting things not connected with any positive act, but such as rest with the heart alone, and which none but He can know who searches the heart of man, (as is the case with oppressive and fraudulent words), the commandment is always accompanied by the awful precept: But thou shalt fear thy God. PRECEPTS RELATING TO REPENTANCE. CHAPTER VIII. THE good which is laid up for the righteous, consists in the life of the world that is to come; a life, free from death3; and a good, free from evil. This is that which is written in the law: That it may be well with thee, and [that] thou mayest prolong [thy] days, (Deut. xxii. 7). By tradition they By tradition they (the sages) taught [thus]: 5 That it may be well with thee 5 .literally with which there is no death שאין מות עמהן 3 .literally with which there is no evil שאין עמה רעה 4 רבי יעקב אומר אין לך כל מצוה ומצוה שכתובה בתורה שמתן שכרה בצידה שאין תחיית המתים תלויה בה בכבוד אב ואם כתיב למען יאריכון ימיך ולמען ייטב לך בשילוח הקן כתיב למען ייטב לך והארכת ימים הרי שאמר לו אביו עלה לבירה והבא לי גוזלות ועלה לבירה ושלח את האם ונטל את הבנים בחזרתו נפל ומת היכן טובות ימיו של זה והיכן אריכות ימיו של זה אלא למען ייטב לך לעולם שכולו טוב למען יאריכון ימיך לעולם שכולו ארוך "Rabbi Jacob says: There is no commandment written in the law, the reward of which, being mentioned along with it, does -in that world which is altogether good; and [that] thou mayest prolong [thy] days-in that world which [is to endure] very long, (i. e. which is to last for ever); meaning, the world that is to come. II. Now the reward of the righteous, consists in this, [namely], that they are to attain unto that bliss', and that they are to exist in that good (happiness); again the retribution [which awaits] the wicked, consists in this, [namely], that they are not to attain unto that life, but that they are to be cut off and die. Moreover he who does not attain unto that life, does not allude to the resurrection of the dead. On [the subject of honouring [our] fathers and mothers it is written: That thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, (Deut. v. 16). Again on [the subject of] letting the dam go from its nest, it is also written: That it may be well with thee, and [that] thou mayest prolong [thy] days, (Deut. xxii. 7). Now behold! [suppose] one, to whom his father were to say: Ascend that tower, and fetch down some pigeons for me; actually ascends the tower, lets the dam go, and takes the young, (and consequently in thus obeying his father's command, and at the same time letting the dam go, fulfils two commandments, to each of which, the promised reward of happiness and longevity is attached); yet on his descending [from the tower], he falls down and dies-where then are this man's happy days? Or where is this man's prolongation of days?-But [the fact is that the true meaning of the text is this]: that it may go well with thee-in that world which is altogether good; that thy days may be prolongedin that world which is [to endure] very long. Bab. Talmud, Treatise Kidushin, Section 1. Dy literally: to that sweet or delight. |