The Legends of the Jews Volume III Part 23

He betook himself to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and said, "Hast thou seen the son of Amram?" The tree replied, "Since the day on which he came to me to get a writing reed, wherewith to write the Torah, I have not seen him."

He betook himself to the mountains with his query. These replied, "Since he hewed the two tables out of us, we have not seen him."

He went to the deserts and asked, "Have ye seen the son of Amram?" These replied, "Since he has ceased to lead Israel to pasture upon us, we have not seen him."

He betook himself to mount Sinai, for he thought G.o.d had formerly commanded Moses to ascend it, and that he might now be there. He asked Sinai, "Hast thou seen the son of Amram?"

Sinai said, "Since the day on which out of G.o.d's right hand he received the Torah upon me, I have not seen him."

He betook himself to the birds and said, "Have ye seen Moses?"

They replied, "Since the say whereupon he separated the birds into clean and unclean we have not seen him."

He went to the quadrupeds and asked: "Have ye seen Moses?"

They answered: "Since the day on which he determined which beasts might be eaten, and which might not, we have not seen him." [958] The answer of the birds and beasts referred to the day on which G.o.d a.s.sembled all the species of animals, led them before Moses, and instructed him which of these were clean and which were not, which might, and which might not be eaten. [959]

Samael then betook himself to the "Court of the Dead," where the angel Dumah guards the souls of the deceased, and asked the angel, "Hast thou seen the son of Amram?" He replied: "I heard the words of lamentation for him in heaven, but I have not seen him."

He betook himself to the angels and asked, "Have ye seen the son of Amram?" These made the same reply as Dumah, and advised him to go to the mortals, who might possibly give him information concerning Moses' whereabouts.

He betook himself to the mortals and asked, "Where is Moses?"

These replied: "Our teacher Moses is not like human beings. He is the peer of the angels of ministry, for he ascended into heaven and dwelt in heaven like the angels, 'he hath gathered the wind in his fists' like an angel, and G.o.d took his soul to Himself in the place of His sanct.i.ty. What connection then hast thou with the son of Amram?" [960]

MOSES EXCELS ALL PIOUS MEN

The special distinction that G.o.d granted to Moses at his death was well merited, for Moses outweighed all other pious men. [961]

When Moses died, Adam appeared and said, "I am greater than thou, for I was created in G.o.d's image." But Moses replied: "I am nevertheless superior to thee, for the glory that thou didst receive from G.o.d was taken from thee, whereas I retained the radiance of my face forever."

Noah then said to Moses: "I am greater than thou, for I was preserved out of the generation of the flood." Moses replied: "I am superior to thee, for thou didst save thyself alone, and hadst not the power to save thy generations, but I saved myself and also saved my generation at the time when they transgressed with the Golden Calf."

Abraham said to Moses, "I am greater than thou, for I fed the wanderers." Moses: "I am superior to thee, for thou didst feed the uncirc.u.mcised whereas I fed the circ.u.mcised; and thou, moreover, didst feed them in a land of habitations, whereas I fed Israel in the desert."

Isaac said to Moses: "I am greater than thou, for I bared my neck upon the altar and beheld the Face of the Shekinah." Moses replied: "Still am I superior to thee, for thou didst indeed behold the Face of the Shekihah, but thine eyes grew dim, whereas I talked with the Shekinah face to face, and yet neither did mine eyes grow dim nor my strength wane."

Jacob said, "I am greater than thou, for I wrestled with the angel and conquered him." Moses replied: "Thou didst wrestle with the angel upon thy territory, but I mounted to the angels into their own territory, and still they feared me." [962]

Joseph said to Moses, "I am greater than thou, for my master's wife could not tempt me to sin." Moses replied: "Still am I superior to thee, for thou didst restrain thyself from a strange woman, whereas I abstained from intercourse with my own wife." [963]

The degreed of Moses' superiority over the other pious men can be seen by following. Adam died because he has been seduced by the serpent, whereas Moses fas.h.i.+oned a serpent out of bra.s.s at sight of which everyone that had been bitten by a snake recovered. Noah offered a sacrifice to G.o.d that was accepted, but he himself was not admitted to G.o.d's presence. When Moses, on the other hand, offered a sacrifice in Israel's name, G.o.d said to him, "Know that twice daily I shall dwell with ye." Abraham had been the cause for Israel's bondage in Egypt, for that was the punishment for his words, "'Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit 'the land?"

Moses, on the other hand, it was that delivered Israel out of Egyptian bondage. Jacob indeed conquered in his struggle with the angel, but the blow that the angel dealt him put Jacob's thigh out of joint forever, whereas Moses inspired the angels with such fear that as soon as they beheld him in heaven, they fled.

But Moses not only surpa.s.sed all other human beings, he surpa.s.sed also the entire creation that G.o.d had brought forth in six days. On the first day G.o.d created light, but Moses mounted into heaven and seized the spiritual light, the Torah. On the second day G.o.d created the firmament, whereby He decreed that the earth was not to enter the realm of the firmament, nor the firmament the realm of the earth, but Moses scaled the firmament even though he belonged to earth. On the third day G.o.d created the sea, but as soon as the sea caught sight of Moses, it retreated before him affrighted. On the fourth day G.o.d created the sun and the moon to illuminate the earth, but Moses said to G.o.d: "I do not wish sun and moon to give light to Israel, Thou Thyself shalt do so," and G.o.d granted his prayer. On the fifth day G.o.d created the animals, but Moses slaughtered whatever animals he wanted for Israel's needs.

When, therefore, G.o.d laid all the objects of creation on one side of the scales, and Moses upon the other, Moses outweighed them.

[964] Moses was justly called, "the man of G.o.d," for he was half man and half G.o.d. [965]

But not in this world alone was Moses the great leader and teacher of his people, he shall be the same in the future world, in accordance with the promise G.o.d made him shortly before his death. G.o.d said: "Thou that didst lead My children in this world, shalt also lead them in the future world. [966]