The Legends of the Jews — Volume 2

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The Legends of the Jews Volume 1

by Louis Ginzberg

October, 1998 [Etext #1494]

The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Legends of the Jews Volume 2

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The Legends of the Jews Volume 2, by Louis Ginzberg

This book contains the markers for endnotes but the notes were too small to scan. If you have a typed copy, please send the etext to Project Gutenberg.

THE LEGENDS OF THE JEWS

BY LOUIS GINZBERG

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN MANUSCRIPT BY HENRIETTA SZOLD

II

BIBLE TIMES AND CHARACTERS FROM JOSEPH TO THE EXODUS

PREFACE

The arrangement and presentation of the material in this volume are the same as in Volume I. In both my efforts have been directed to bringing together as full as possible a collection of Jewish legends that deal with Biblical personages and events. The sources of those legends and explanations of some of them will be given in the last volume of the entire work, and the numbers throughout the work refer to the notes in the concluding volume.

My original intention was to continue Volume II up to the death of Moses, but the legendary material clustering around the life and death of Moses is so abundant that practical considerations demanded the division of this material, in order not to make the second volume too bulky. The division chosen is a natural one. This volume closes with the Exodus, and contains the deeds of Moses in Egypt, while the following volume will deal with Moses in the desert.

The fact that Job is placed between Jacob's sons and Moses may appear strange to some readers, since in the Bible Job is one of the last books; but legend is above time and space, and I have, therefore, given Job the place which legend has ascribed to him. LOUIS GINZBERG.

NEW YORK, March 28, 1910.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

JOSEPH

The Favorite Son-Joseph Hated by His Brethren—

Joseph Cast into the Pit-The Sale-Joseph's Three

Masters-Joseph's Coat Brought to His Father-Judah

and His Sons-The Wives of the Sons of Jacob—

Joseph the Slave of Potiphar-Joseph and Zuleika—

Joseph Resists Temptation-Joseph in Prison-Pharaoh's

Dreams-Joseph before Pharaoh-The Ruler of

Egypt-Joseph's Brethren in Egypt-Joseph Meets His

Brethren-The Second journey to Egypt-Joseph and

Benjamin-The Thief Caught-Judah Pleads and

Threatens-Joseph Makes Himself Known-Jacob

Receives the Glad Tidings-Jacob Arrives in Egypt—

Joseph's Kindness and Generosity~Jacob's Last Wish—

The Blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh-The Blessing

of the Twelve Tribes-The Death of Jacob-The Sons

of Jacob at War with the Sons of Esau-Zepho King

of Kittim-The Nations at War-Joseph's Magnanimity

-Asenath-The Marriage of Joseph-Kind and Unkind

Brethren-Treachery Punished-The Death and Burial

of Joseph.

II. THE SONS OF JACOB

Significant Names-Reuben's Testament-Simon's

Admonition against Envy~The Ascension of Levi-Judah

Warns against Greed and Unchastity-Issachar's Singleness

of Heart-Zebulon Exhorts unto Compassion-

Dan's Confession-Naphtali's Dreams of the Division

of the Tribes-Gad's Hatred-Asher's Last Words-

Benjamin Extols Joseph.

III. JOB

Job and the Patriarchs-Job's Wealth and

Benefactions-Satan and Job—Job's Suffering-The Four

Friends-Job Restored.

IV. MOSES IN EGYPT

The Beginning of the Egyptian Bondage-Pharaoh's

Cunning-The Pious Midwives-The Three Counsellors-

The Slaughter of the Innocents-The Parents of

Moses-The Birth of Moses-Moses Rescued from the

Water-The Infancy of Moses-Moses Rescued by

Gabriel-The Youth of Moses-The Flight-The King

of Ethiopia-Jethro-Moses Marries Zipporah-A

Bloody Remedy-The Faithful Shepherd-The Burning

Thorn-bush-The Ascension of Moses-Moses Visits

Paradise and Hell-Moses Declines the Mission-Moses

Punished for His Stubbornness-The Return to Egypt-

Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh-The Suffering In-

creases-Measure for Measure-The Plagues Brought

through Aaron-The Plagues Brought through Moses-

The First Passover-The Smiting of the First-born-

The Redemption of Israel from Egyptian Bondage-

The Exodus.

I JOSEPH

THE FAVORITE SON

JOSEPH HATED By His BRETHREN

JOSEPH CAST INTO THE PIT

THE SALE

JOSEPH'S THREE MASTERS

JOSEPH'S COAT BROUGHT TO HIS FATHER

JUDAH AND HIS SONS

THE WIVES OF THE SONS OF JACOB

JOSEPH THE SLAVE OF POTIPHAR

JOSEPH AND ZULEIKA

JOSEPH RESISTS TEMPTATION

JOSEPH IN PRISON

PHARAOH'S DREAMS

JOSEPH BEFORE PHARAOH

THE RULER OF EGYPT

JOSEPH'S BRETHREN IN EGYPT

JOSEPH MEETS HIS BRETHREN

THE SECOND JOURNEY TO EGYPT

JOSEPH AND BENJAMIN

THE THIEF CAUGHT

JUDAH PLEADS AND THREATENS

JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN

JACOB RECEIVES THE GLAD TIDINGS

JACOB ARRIVES IN EGYPT

JOSEPH's KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY

JACOB'S LAST WISH

THE BLESSING OF EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH

THE BLESSING OF THE TWELVE TRIBES

THE DEATH OF JACOB

THE SONS OF JACOB AT WAR WITH THE SONS OF ESAU

ZEPHO KING OF KITTIM

THE NATIONS AT WAR

JOSEPH'S MAGNANIMITY

ASENATH

THE MARRIAGE OF JOSEPH

KIND AND UNKIND BRETHREN

TREACHERY PUNISHED

THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF JOSEPH

I

JOSEPH

THE FAVORITE SON

Jacob was not exempt from the lot that falls to the share of all the pious. Whenever they expect to enjoy life in tranquillity, Satan hinders them. He appears before God, and says: Is it not enough that the future world is set apart for the pious? What right have they to enjoy this world, besides? After the many hardships and conflicts that had beset the path of Jacob, he thought he would be at rest at last, and then came the loss of Joseph and inflicted the keenest suffering. Verily, few and evil had been the days of the years of Jacob's pilgrimage, for the time spent outside of the Holy Land had seemed joyless to him. Only the portion of his life passed in the land of his fathers, during which he was occupied with making proselytes, in accordance with the example set him by Abraham and Isaac, did he consider worth while having lived,[1] and this happy time was of short duration. When Joseph was snatched away, but eight years had elapsed since his return to his father's house.[2]

And yet it was only for the sake of Joseph that Jacob had been willing to undergo all the troubles and the adversity connected with his sojourn in the house of Laban. Indeed, Jacob's blessing in having his quiver full of children was due to the merits of Joseph, and likewise the dividing of the Red Sea and of the Jordan for the Israelites was the reward for his son's piety. For among the sons of Jacob Joseph was the one that resembled his father most closely in appearance, and, also, he was the one to whom Jacob transmitted the instruction and knowledge he had received from his teachers Shem and Eber.[3] The whole course of the son's life is but a repetition of the father's. As the mother of Jacob remained childless for a long time after her marriage, so also the mother of Joseph. As Rebekah had undergone severe suffering in giving birth to Jacob, so Rachel in giving birth to Joseph. As Jacob's mother bore two sons, so also Joseph's mother. Like Jacob, Joseph was born circumcised. As the father was a shepherd, so the son. As the father served for the sake of a woman, so the son served under a woman. Like the father, the son appropriated his older brother's birthright. The father was hated by his brother, and the son was hated by his brethren. The father was the favorite son as compared with his brother, so was the son as compared with his brethren. Both the father and the son lived in the land of the stranger. The father became a servant to a master, also the son. The master whom the father served was blessed by God, so was the master whom the son served. The father and the son were both accompanied by angels, and both married their wives outside of the Holy Land. The father and the son were both blessed with wealth. Great things were announced to the father in a dream, so also to the son. As the father went to Egypt and put an end to famine, so the son. As the father exacted the promise from his sons to bury him in the Holy Land, so also the son. The father died in Egypt, there died also the son. The body of the father was embalmed, also the body of the son. As the father's remains were carried to the Holy Land for interment, so also the remains of the son. Jacob the father provided for the sustenance of his son Joseph during a period of seventeen years, so Joseph the son provided for his father Jacob during a period of seventeen years.[4]

Until he was seventeen years old, Joseph frequented the Bet ha-Midrash,[5] and he became so learned that he could impart to his brethren the Halakot he had heard from his father, and in this way he may be regarded as their teacher.[6] He did not stop at formal instruction, he also tried to give them good counsel, and he became the favorite of the sons of the handmaids, who would kiss and embrace him.[7]

In spite of his scholarship there was something boyish about Joseph. He painted his eyes, dressed his hair carefully, and walked with a mincing step. These foibles of youth were not so deplorable as his habit of bringing evil reports of his brethren to his father. He accused them of treating the beasts under their care with cruelty—he said that they ate flesh torn from a living animal—and he charged them with casting their eyes upon the daughters of the Canaanites, and giving contemptuous treatment to the sons of the handmaids Bilhah and Zilpah, whom they called slaves.

For these groundless accusations Joseph had to pay dearly. He was himself sold as a slave, because he had charged his brethren with having called the sons of the handmaids slaves, and Potiphar's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, because he threw the suspicion upon his brethren that they had cast their eyes upon the Canaanitish women. And how little it was true that they were guilty of cruelty to animals, appears from the fact that at the very time when they were contemplating their crime against Joseph, they yet observed all the rules and prescriptions of the ritual in slaughtering the kid of the goats with the blood of which they besmeared his coat of many colors.[8]

JOSEPH HATED BY HIS BRETHREN

Joseph's talebearing against his brethren made them hate him. Among all of them Gad was particularly wrathful, and for good reason. Gad was a very brave man, and when a beast of prey attacked the herd, over which he kept guard at night, he would seize it by one of its legs, and whirl it around until it was stunned, and then he would fling it away to a distance of two stadia, and kill it thus. Once Jacob sent Joseph to tend the flock, but he remained away only thirty days, for he was a delicate lad and fell sick with the heat, and he hastened back to his father. On his return he told Jacob that the sons of the handmaids were in the habit of slaughtering the choice cattle of the herd and eating it, without obtaining permission from Judah and Reuben. But his report was not accurate. What he had seen was Gad slaughtering one lamb, which he had snatched from the very jaws of a bear, and he killed it because it could not be kept alive after its fright. Joseph's account sounded as though the sons of the handmaids were habitually inconsiderate and careless in wasting their father's substance.[9]

To the resentment of the brethren was added their envy of Joseph, because their father loved him more than all of them. Joseph's beauty of person was equal to that of his mother Rachel, and Jacob had but to look at him to be consoled for the death of his beloved wife. Reason enough for distinguishing him among his children.[10] As a token of his great love for him, Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors, so light and delicate that it could be crushed and concealed in the closed palm of one hand. The Hebrew name of the garment, Passim, conveys the story of the sale of Joseph. The first letter, Pe, stands for Potiphar, his Egyptian master; Samek stands for Soharim, the merchantmen that bought Joseph from the company of Ishmaelites to whom his brethren had sold him; Yod stands for these same Ishmaelites; and Mem, for the Midianites that obtained him from the merchantmen, and then disposed of him to Potiphar. But Passim. has yet another meaning, clefts. His brethren knew that the Red Sea would be cleft in twain in days to come for Joseph's sake, and they were jealous of the glory to be conferred upon him. Although they were filled with hatred of him, it must be said in their favor that they were not of a sullen, spiteful nature. They did not hide their feelings, they proclaimed their enmity openly.

Once Joseph dreamed a dream, and he could not refrain from telling it to his brethren. He spoke, and said: Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed. Behold, you gathered fruit, and so did I. Your fruit rotted, but mine remained sound. Your seed will set up dumb images of idols, but they will vanish at the appearance of my descendant, the Messiah of Joseph. You will keep the truth as to my fate from the knowledge of my father, but I will stand fast as a reward for the self-denial of my mother, and you will prostrate yourselves five times before me.[11]

The brethren refused at first to listen to the dream, but when Joseph urged them again and again, they gave heed to him, and they said, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?[12] God put an interpretation into their mouths that was to be verified in the posterity of Joseph. Jeroboam and Jehu, two kings, and Joshua and Gideon, two judges, have been among his descendants, corresponding to the double and emphatic expressions used by his brethren in interpreting the dream.[13]

Then Joseph dreamed another dream, how the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down before him, and Jacob, to whom he told it first, was rejoiced over it, for he understood its meaning properly.[14] He knew that he himself was designated by the sun, the name by which God had called him when he lodged overnight on the holy site of the Temple. He had heard God say to the angels at that time, The sun has come.[15] The moon stood for Joseph's mother, and the stars for his brethren, for the righteous are as the stars.[16] Jacob was so convinced of the truth of the dream that he was encouraged to believe that he would live to see the resurrection of the dead, for Rachel was dead, and her return to earth was clearly indicated by the dream. He went astray there, for not Joseph's own mother was referred to, but his foster-mother Bilhah, who had raised him.

Jacob wrote the dream in a book, recording all the circumstances, the day, the hour, and the place, for the holy spirit cautioned him, Take heed, these things will surely come to pass.[17] But when Joseph repeated his dream to his brethren, in the presence of his father, Jacob rebuked him, saying, I and thy brethren, that has some sense, but I and thy mother, that is inconceivable, for thy mother is dead.[18] These words of Jacob called forth a reproof from God. He said, Thus thy descendants will in time to come seek to hinder Jeremiah in delivering his prophecies.[19] Jacob may be excused, he had spoken in this way only in order to avert the envy and hate of his brethren from Joseph, but they envied and hated him because they knew that the interpretation put upon the dream by Jacob would be realized.[20]

JOSEPH CAST INTO THE PIT

Once the brethren of Joseph led their father's flocks to the pastures of Shechem, and they intended to take their ease and pleasure there.[21] They stayed away a long time, and no tidings of them were heard. Jacob began to be anxious about the fate of his sons. He feared that a war had broken out between them and the people of Shechem, and he resolved to send Joseph to them and have him bring word again, whether it was well with his brethren.[22] Jacob desired to know also about the flocks, for it is a duty to concern oneself about the welfare of anything from which one derives profit. Though he knew that the hatred of his brethren might bring on unpleasant adventures, yet Joseph, in filial reverence, declared himself ready to go on his father's errand. Later, whenever Jacob remembered his dear son's willing spirit, the recollection stabbed him to the heart. He would say to himself, Thou didst know the hatred of thy brethren, and yet thou didst say, Here am I.[23]

Jacob dismissed Joseph, with the injunction that he journey only by daylight,[24] saying furthermore, Go now, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and send me word—an unconscious prophecy. He did not say that he expected to see Joseph again, but only to have word from him.[25] Since the covenant of the pieces, God had resolved, on account of Abraham's doubting question, that Jacob and his family should go down into Egypt to dwell there. The preference shown to Joseph by his father, and the envy it aroused, leading finally to the sale of Joseph and his establishment in Egypt, were but disguised means created by God, instead of executing His counsel directly by carrying Jacob down into Egypt as a captive.[26]

Joseph reached Shechem, where he expected to find his brethren. Shechem was always a place of ill omen for Jacob and his seed—there Dinah was dishonored, there the Ten Tribes of Israel rebelled against the house of David while Rehoboam ruled in Jerusalem, and there Jeroboam was installed as king.[27] Not finding his brethren and the herd in Shechem, Joseph continued his journey in the direction of the next pasturing place, not far from Shechem, but he lost his way in the wilderness.[28] Gabriel in human shape appeared before him, and asked him, saying, What seekest thou?[29] And he answered, I seek my brethren. Whereto the angel replied, Thy brethren have given up the Divine qualities of love and mercy.[30] Through a prophetic revelation they learned that the Hivites were preparing to make war upon them, and therefore they departed hence to go to Dothan. And they had to leave this place for other reasons, too. I heard, while I was still standing behind the curtain that veils the Divine throne, that this day the Egyptian bondage would begin, and thou wouldst be the first to be subjected to it.[31] Then Gabriel led Joseph to Dothan.[32]

When his brethren saw him afar off, they conspired against him, to slay him. Their first plan was to set dogs on him. Simon then spoke to Levi, Behold, the master of dreams cometh with a new dream, he whose descendant Jeroboam will introduce the worship of Baal. Come now, therefore, and let us slay him, that we may see what will become of his dreams. But God spoke: Ye say, We shall see what will become of his dreams, and I say likewise, We shall see, and the future shall show whose word will stand, yours or Mine.[33]

Simon and Gad set about slaying Joseph, and he fell upon his face, and entreated them: Have mercy with me, my brethren, have pity on the heart of my father Jacob. Lay not your hands upon me, to spill innocent blood, for I have done no evil unto you. But if I have done evil unto you, then chastise me with a chastisement, but your hands lay not upon me, for the sake of our father Jacob. These words touched Zebulon, and he began to lament and weep, and the wailing of Joseph rose up together with his brother's, and when Simon and Gad raised their hands against him to execute their evil design, Joseph took refuge behind Zebulon, and supplicated his other brethren to have mercy upon him. Then Reuben arose, and he said, Brethren, let us not slay him, but let us cast him into one of the dry pits, which our fathers dug without finding water. That was due to the providence of God; He had hindered the water from rising in them in order that Joseph's rescue might be accomplished, and the pits remained dry until Joseph was safe in the hands of the Ishmaelites.[34]

Reuben had several reasons for interceding in behalf of Joseph. He knew that he as the oldest of the brethren would be held responsible by their father, if any evil befell him. Besides, Reuben was grateful to Joseph for having reckoned him among the eleven sons of Jacob in narrating his dream of the sun, moon, and stars. Since his disrespectful bearing toward Jacob, he had not thought himself worthy of being considered one of his sons.[35] First Reuben tried to restrain his brethren from their purpose, and he addressed them in words full of love and compassion. But when he saw that neither words nor entreaties would change their intention, he begged them, saying: "My brethren, at least hearken unto me in respect of this, that ye be not so wicked and cruel as to slay him. Lay no hand upon your brother, shed no blood, cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and let him perish thus.[36]

Then Reuben went away from his brethren, and he hid in the mountains, so that he might be able to hasten back in a favorable moment and draw Joseph forth from the pit and restore him to his father. He hoped his reward would be pardon for the transgression he had committed against Jacob.[37] His good intention was frustrated, yet Reuben was rewarded by God, for God gives a recompense not only for good deeds, but for good intentions as well.[38] As he was the first of the brethren of Joseph to make an attempt to save him, so the city of Bezer in the tribe of Reuben was the first of the cities of refuge appointed to safeguard the life of the innocent that seek help.[39] Furthermore God spake to Reuben, saying: As thou wast the first to endeavor to restore a child unto his father, so Hosea, one of thy descendants, shall be the first to endeavor to lead Israel back to his heavenly Father.[40]

The brethren accepted Reuben's proposition, and Simon seized Joseph, and cast him into a pit swarming with snakes and scorpions, beside which was another unused pit, filled with offal.[41] As though this were not enough torture, Simon bade his brethren fling great stones at Joseph. In his later dealings with this brother Simon, Joseph showed all the forgiving charitableness of his nature. When Simon was held in durance in Egypt as a hostage, Joseph, so far from bearing him a grudge, ordered crammed poultry to be set before him at all his meals.[42]

Not satisfied with exposing Joseph to the snakes and scorpions, his brethren had stripped him bare before they flung him into the pit. They took off his coat of many colors, his upper garment, his breeches, and his shirt.[43] However, the reptiles could do him no harm. God heard his cry of distress, and kept them in hiding in the