Беседа LIX

“And Jacob came to Salem, the city of Sikimsk,... and bought part of the village... from Hamor, the father of Shecheml, for the stoma of lambs. And you built an altar there, and called on the God of Israel” (Gen. 33:18–20). 1. Yesterday you saw the immeasurable love for mankind of the common Lord, and the wisdom of the disciples, and the foolishness of the Jews; They saw with what gentleness He curbed their shameless insolence, justifying his disciples, and showed that they themselves, thinking to defend the law, do not know the purpose of the law and, when the truth has already shone, still want to sit in the shadows; They saw how from the very beginning He tried to destroy legalistic claims 682, admonishing the Jews that, after the appearance of the sun of righteousness, the radiance of the lamp could no longer have power, because the brilliance of the sunlight covers it and makes it unnecessary 683. You understand how you can always celebrate and be free from observing the times. For this purpose our Lord came, to free us from the necessity of (observing) certain times 684 and to direct us to higher aspirations, so that we might have a fatherland in Heaven, being men, imitate the life of the Angels and despise all human affairs. But now, if you wish, let us return to the continuation of what we previously read from the words of blessed Moses, and from this we will offer you a meal. Remember that we stopped the conversation with how Jacob, having arrived from Mesopotamia and meeting his brother, then separated from him when Esau went to Siir, set up tabernacles in that place, which for this occasion he called Tabernacles. Turning then to further events, we must, to the best of our ability, teach you spiritual edification. Having finally achieved security and freed from all anxiety, “come,” it is said, “to the city of Sikimsk, ... and buy part of the village ... from Hamor, the father of Shecheml, for the stoma of lambs. And build an altar there, and call upon the God of Israel.” Let us not ignore what is contained in this Divine Scripture. If people who dig up particles of gold from the ground endure all kinds of labor and overcome all kinds of difficulties in order to separate the gold from the ground, all the more need we delve into the sayings of the Spirit, and, having benefited from them, come out from here. So, I ask you to think about the wisdom of this wonderful man, how he, taking advantage of such great help from above and seeing the increase of his property, i.e. The herd, having such a number of children, did not bother building beautiful buildings, buying fields and villages, which would be enough to divide the children. And how our contemporaries are chasing after this and the like! Another, having only one son, tries to collect thousands of talents of gold, buys land, builds magnificent buildings. And let him collect such wealth through righteous labors, without offending others. But what is difficult and especially terrible is that they appropriate other people’s property, stealing from others, deceiving, starting litigation. If anyone asks why this crazy passion for money, he will immediately point to his son: all this is done, he will say, out of concern for him. But this one, although in vain and in vain, calms his conscience, at least by pointing to his son; and there are also those who, having no children, frantically strive to collect money, and would thousands of times rather agree to endure unbearable misfortunes than to give even one obol to the needy. On the contrary, this righteous man (Jacob) did not mean anything like this and did not think about it. Even when he needed to purchase a small field, he bought part of the field from Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred lambs. And notice the piety of this man, and why he tried to acquire the field. “And set up there,” it says, “an altar, and call upon the God of Israel.” He bought part of the field for no other purpose, but in order to offer thanksgiving sacrifices there to the common Lord of all. This righteous man who lived before the law should be imitated by those who live under grace, and not be so mad about collecting wealth. Why, tell me, are you gathering such a burden of thorns for yourself, and for your children, without noticing it, leaving both the subject and the reason for all evil? Or don’t you know that (the Lord) cares more about your son than you; and you, thinking to have the greatest care for him, meanwhile try to arrange for him a reason to destroy his soul? Or don’t you know that youth in itself is weak and receptive to evil; and when he receives even greater wealth, he is even more quickly drawn towards everything bad? Just as fire, having found a flammable substance, produces a very strong flame, so youth, having received a lot of money, like a readily combustible substance, ignites such a flame that the whole soul of the young man is ignited. Can such a young man think about chastity, avoid intemperance, undertake any deeds of virtue, or anything else spiritual? 2. Do you not hear what Christ says: “The sorrow of this age and the flattery of riches choke the word 685, and there is no fruit” (Matthew 13:22), which is what He called thorns? Having said that one seed fell among thorns, and explaining to the disciples what thorns are, the Lord says: “The sorrow of this age and the flattery of riches choke the word, and there is no fruit.” And well, He likened the worries of this age to thorns: just as thorns do not allow a seed to sprout, but with its density choke the sowing, so worldly worries do not allow the spiritual seed to bear fruit when it is placed in the soul, but, like thorns, they choke and destroy it, not allowing the spiritual seed to vegetate. “And the flattery of wealth,” he says: it is good that He attributes deception to wealth, because it is indeed a deception. What is the use of so many talents, so much money? “Yes, purchasing them, they say, brings a lot of pleasure!” What kind of pleasure? What does it say about pleasure? Doesn't this produce especially untimely sorrows and various troubles? Not to mention the threat of punishment for this; and in real life this business 686 cannot bring any pleasure, but is accompanied by daily anxieties and troubles. It is not as if the sea is heaving with waves, as such a soul is overwhelmed by thoughts and passions, and harbors hostility towards everyone, its own and others. And if someone loses at least some part of their wealth (and there are many different cases, there is a lot of treachery of slaves and oppression of people in power), then you will see that life becomes unbearable for them. What tears are worthy of such people who try to do everything contrary to their own benefit and want to collect it to the detriment of their soul! But, if you wish, let’s leave them and, returning to the story of the righteous man, let’s see what followed next. “Put up,” it says, “an altar” on part of the field, “and call on the God of Israel”; and then he wanted to establish a dwelling in Shechem. But look again how the righteous man showed his meekness here too. What's happened? “Out of Din, daughter of Liin,... came to know the daughters of the inhabitants. And when Shechem the son of Hamor saw 687... he was with her;... and thou shalt love the maiden, and speak unto her according to the maiden's thoughts" (Gen. 34:1-3). Do you see how evil youth is when it is not curbed by a pious mind? As soon as he saw, he says, the girl and, at one glance, completely overwhelmed by the passion of love, he brought his lust into fulfillment. “And the verb to her according to the maiden’s thoughts.” What does it mean? Since the girl was young, he told her what could captivate and captivate her. And he says to his father: “Give me this damsel 688 to be a wife” (Gen. 34:4). Jacob heard about what had happened, and for now he endured it with meekness, waiting for the arrival of Dinah's brothers, who were tending the flocks. “And Jacob kept silent,” it says, “until he came to them” (Gen. 34:5). When Hamor came to Jacob, Dinah’s brothers also came, and when they heard about what had happened to their sister, they were “troubled” 689 (Gen. 34:7). What does it mean: “confused”? They were saddened, it seemed to them unbearable, completely unbearable, and it was the cause of their grief. “It is a pity for them 690 to have such evil, for they did not do evil things in Israel (Shechem), being with the daughter of Jacob” (Gen. 34:7). Do you see the chastity of the children (Jacob)? They considered this matter the greatest insult. You see how the righteous man raised his children for virtue; and the son of Hamor, having fulfilled his lust, caused the death of his father and the entire city? But first let us listen to what Hamor says to them; and then you will learn about the cunning of Dina’s brothers, how they tried to avenge their sister’s dishonor. “And Emor spoke to them, saying: My son Shechem has chosen your daughter in soul” (Gen. 34:8). Notice how he himself already foreshadows the destruction awaiting him. “Chosen by soul,” he says, i.e. I gave my soul for your daughter. He spoke like this, expressing his son’s love for the girl; but he soon became convinced that this love would be the cause of death for himself and everyone who lived there. Since Shechem is burning with love for the girl, “give her,” he says, “to be his wife. And make a match with us: give us your daughters, and make our daughter your son. And dwell among us: and behold, the earth is vast before you: inhabit it, and buy goods therein, and draw 691 upon it” (Gen. 34:8-10). Look what kind of favor the father, out of love for his son, shows to the newcomers, how he tries to attract them to himself, giving his land to their power. That's what my father did. And the son, seeing such concern for himself from his father, seeing that he is ready to do everything to fulfill his son’s desire, adds something from himself, and says to Jacob and the maiden’s brothers: “May I also find grace before you: and whatever you say, we will give it.” Multiply 692, and I will give as you said to me: and give me a damsel to wife” (Gen. 34:11-12). Do you see how a father, out of concern for his son, uses strong convictions, and the young man readily decides to do anything just to get the girl? 3. This destructive passion prompts a person enslaved by it to decide on anything until it brings him down to the bottom of hell. And note: Elder Jacob, hearing this 693, remains silent, in his usual meekness does not say anything and patiently endures the violence done to his daughter. But the sons of Jacob answered “Shechem and Hamor his father with flattery,” as the Scripture says, “and said to them that he had defiled their sister” (Gen. 34:13). See how, through the intemperance of one, all the inhabitants of that city are exposed to troubles. Just as when the fire burns, those nearby are also in danger, because the fire devours everything, so now the incontinence of youth destroys not only the father, but also all the inhabitants of the city. What about the children of Jacob? They answer with cunning. It's worth a look; you will see how painful they were for their sister. “I said to them,” it is said, “Simeon and Levi, brothers of Dinin, sons of Leah 695: we cannot create this verb, to give our sister to a man who has uncircumcised foreskin 696. Therefore, if you circumcise your foreskin 697, we will give our daughters to you, and from your daughters we will understand 698 ... and we will be as one generation” (Gen. 34:14-16). Such a proposal was plausible and appropriate, but it was made “with flattery,” as Scripture says; and if you don’t want, it is said, to do this, “after we have caught our daughter 699, we will depart” (Gen. 34:17). Simeon and Levi proposed this, plotting to kill all the inhabitants of that place. And they, having in mind the subject of their harassment, wanting to get the girl, accepted what was said and agreed to this proposal, “and the words were pleasing before them 700, and the young man did not hesitate 701 to create this verb: loving the daughter of Jacob” (Gen. 34: 18-19), i.e. he gave himself entirely to passion for the girl. Arriving at the gate (of his city), he and his father began to speak to its inhabitants and advise them all to accept circumcision at the suggestion of the sons of Jacob, and to take them into cohabitation (Gen. 34:20). The inhabitants immediately fulfilled the words of Hamor and Shechem, and all of them suddenly put the sign of circumcision on their bodies. And Simeon and Levi, having learned about this, decided to launch their plan against them. “And taking 702,” it is said, “each one took his sword, he went into the city safely” (Gen. 34:25). What do you mean: “safe”? The fact that although the two of them stood up against such a multitude, what gave them greater safety was the fact that they all lay as if wounded. To explain this to us, Divine Scripture notes: “It came to pass on the third day, while I was sick.” This circumstance gave security to Simeon and Levi, and made the two of them stronger than many. “And cut off the whole male sex,” i.e. all the men who were lying in the disease of circumcision and, so to speak, already prepared for murder. Among others, they attacked a young man who had insulted their sister; but not content with such vengeance, they captured the sheep, all their livestock, and all the children 703 and, having destroyed the city together with the people, returned. Do you see, beloved, what evil the recklessness of one young man produced? Do you see what destruction it brought to all the inhabitants of the city? Knowing this, we will restrain the impulses of our children, and either by fear or by conviction we will curb youth. Let us take care of their chastity; We will do and arrange everything so that youth can avoid inappropriate wishes. For this reason, the common Lord of all, knowing the weakness of human nature, established marriage in order to remove us from lawless mixing. So, let us not leave the young men without care; but, knowing the fire burning in them, let us take care to marry them, according to the law of God, before they indulge in intemperance; let their feelings of chastity remain and they will not suffer harm from uncontrollability, having sufficient consolation and being able to curb carnal lusts and avoid punishment. But let's see how the action of his sons affected the elder. “And Jacob said: You, Simeon and Levi, are hateful to me, for it is evil for me to be 704 living on the earth” (Gen. 34:30). Why, he says, did you commit such vengeance? Your action will arouse against me the greatest hatred of all the inhabitants of this land. Then, revealing the fear into which he was brought, he adds: “I am small in number. And they who gather against me will cut me off, and I will be destroyed” (Gen. 34:30). As if he were saying: Don’t you know that there are few of us and we ourselves can easily endure the same thing that you decided to do to them. And just as Shechem became the cause of such death for my father and for all the inhabitants of the city, so you are for me. Because of you, I too will become hated, and nothing will stop them from killing me too for your insolence. “They ask: will they take our sister like a harlot?” (Gen.34:31). So, the sons of Jacob committed vengeance out of a sense of chastity; they justify themselves to their father and say: the inhabitants have put us to shame; they treated our sister, one might say, like a harlot. We were forced to do this so that in future there would be a lesson for others not to allow themselves such insolence. 4. But pay attention here too to the ineffable care of God for the righteous. Seeing that as a result of the actions of his sons he was afraid to stay here, “God said: rise up, go to the place of Bethel; and live there” (Gen. 35:1). You are afraid of those who live here; get away from here and live in Bethel, “and there build an altar to the Lord 705 who appeared to you when you fled from the presence of Esau your brother. And Jacob said 706 to his house, and to all who were with him: cast away the strange gods... from among you, and be cleansed, and change your garments. And we will rise up and go up to Bethel, and there we will build an altar to the Lord, 707 who listened to me in the day of trouble, who was with me and saved me on the way in which I walked” (Gen. 35:1-3). Notice both the obedience and piety of the righteous. As soon as he heard: “Go up to Bethel, build an altar,” he immediately called all his household and said to them: “Cast down the gods.” What gods, someone asks? After all, it was never seen that he had any gods: the righteous man from time immemorial, from the very beginning, was pious. But perhaps he understood the gods of Laban, taken by Rachel, and therefore said: since we must offer thanksgiving sacrifices to the true God, who always shows me His intercession, then throw away the idols, if you have any; “Cleanse yourself and change your garments,” and so we will head towards the city; Having cleansed yourself outside and inside, you will go like this; showing purity not only by bright clothes, but by purifying our spiritual thoughts by destroying idols, we will ascend to Bethel. “And then,” it is said, “the gods were alien to Jacob (since they were not 708) and the people who were in their ears”; Perhaps these were some signs (symbols) of idols, and therefore they, along with the idols, were brought to Jacob. “And I hid myself under Terebinth, which is in Shikimech: and I destroyed it to this day” (Gen. 35:4). He hid them, it is said, and destroyed them, so that the slaves of error themselves would escape error, and no one else would receive harm from them. Having done all this, the righteous man “rose up from the Shikim” and headed towards Bethel. But look again at what God’s care was for him, and how clearly Scripture reveals all this to us. When the righteous man left Shechem, “there was,” it is said, “the fear of God in the cities around them; and did not follow the children of Israel” (Gen. 35:5). Do you see what industry, and how obvious God’s help was? Fear fell upon the inhabitants, and they did not pursue them. Since this is exactly what the righteous man feared and said: “I am small in number and will be destroyed,” then fear fell on the inhabitants, as Scripture notes, “and did not follow them.” Thus, when God deigns to provide His help, He makes the weak stronger than the strong, and the few stronger than the numerous, and there is no happier person than the one who has received help from above. “And Jacob departed 709 to Luzah, which is in the land of Hanaastey, which is Bethel 710, and all the people who were with him. And there he built an altar, and called the name of the place 711 Bethel: there God appeared to him, when he fled from the face of his brother Esau” (Gen. 35:6-7). Arriving, it is said, in Bethel, he did what was commanded: having built an altar, he called the name of this place “Bethel.” “And Deborah the milkmaid of Rebekah died, and was buried below Bethel, under an oak tree, and Jacob called his name the oak of weeping” (Gen. 35:8). You see that he always named places after the events that happened there, so that the memory of them would be constantly preserved. But how, someone might ask, could Rebecca’s nurse be with Jacob when he had just returned from Mesopotamia and had not yet met his father? We can answer this in such a way that she probably wanted to accompany Jacob when he moved away from Laban in order to see Rebekah after a long separation; however, before seeing her, she ended her life there. 5. Here, if you like, we will finish our speech, being satisfied with what has been said. But we urge your love to take care of your own virtue and the chastity of the young men. This is where, one might say, all evil is born. Bad habits, intensifying over time, produce such harm that people, having once given themselves over to debauchery, can no longer submit to any conviction, and like captives they are drawn to where the devil directs them. He finally controls them, and makes those disastrous suggestions that the young men gladly follow, having in mind only present pleasure and not thinking about sorrows in the future. So, I beg you, give a hand (of help) to the children, so that we ourselves will not be punished for their actions. Don’t you know what Elder Eli suffered when he did not properly correct the shortcomings of his children (1 Samuel 4:18)? When a disease requires an incision, and the doctor wants to cure it with some ointment, the disease can become incurable because the appropriate medicine was not used. In a similar way, that old man, instead of acting on his children with measures corresponding to their misdeeds, allowed excessive meekness; Therefore, he himself was punished along with them. Beware of this example, I beg you; Having children, we will take care of their upbringing. In general, let each of those living together take care of the benefit of his neighbor and consider it the greatest acquisition for himself, so that everyone, guided to virtue, can avoid the temptation of evil, and having achieved virtue, acquire great favor from above, which may we all be able to achieve, by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and forever and ever. Amen. τὰς παρατηρήσεις νομικὰς ἀνελεῖν; Of course, the unreasonable zeal of the Jews about observing the Sabbath, ablutions, etc. This is the instruction of St. Chrysostom does not refer to his previous conversation on the book of Genesis, which has a completely different content; Therefore, we must understand here a special conversation, delivered separately by him. The subject of this conversation, which has not reached the present day according to the remark of the publishers of Patrology Min (Series gr. t. LIV, p. 513), was, as one might think, an explanation of the Gospel story about the apostles plucking ears of corn on the Sabbath day and being accused by the Pharisees of breaking the law (Matthew 12, Luke 6). ἐλευθερώσῃ τῆς τῶν καιρῶν ἀνάγκης – (literally) “to free from the necessity of the times,” which refers to the times of holidays established in the Law of Moses, such as the Sabbath and others. Zlat.: τὸν λογισμὸν instead of τὸν λόγον, usually read in lists. Καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὴν Συχὲμ ὁ υἱὸς ᾿Εμὼρ ἐκοιμήθη... says the saint, abbreviatedly conveying the Bible. text. ᾿Εμὼρ according to sp. Dorothea and Oxford. (75 in "Holmes") instead of ᾿Εμμὼρ in Lucian. sp. Zlat.: τὴν παιδίσκην according to sp. Alex., Dorothea and many others. others instead of τῆν παῖδα in Lucian. sp., although the meaning of both words is the same. Zlat.: κατενύγησαν according to two Vatican. sp. (55 and 84 in “Holmes”), which retained the original reading of 70 (“Field.” Origenis Hexap.); in Alex., Lucian. and many more others - κατενύχθησαν, which also means: “they were saddened.” Λυπηρὸν γὰρ instead of καὶ λυπηρὸν - “and pitifully” (Slav. B.), as is usually read in the book. Zlat.: κτήσασθε according to sp. Dorothea and Ferrar.; in Alex., Lucian. and others – ἐγκτᾶσθε, although the meaning of both expressions is the same. σφύδρα – “zelo”, usually read in Hebrew, like the Hebrew. t., at Zlat. absent. Those. the above words of Hamor and Shechem. – ἐμόλυναν according to sp. Dorotheus, instead of ἐμίαναν in Alex., Lucian. and other sp. Zlat. υἱοὶ δὲ Λείας according to Alex. and many more other sp.; in Lucian. not readable. ὃς ἔχει ἀκροβυστίαν; in Lucian. – ἔχοντι ἀκροβυστίαν – “having foreskin.” ᾿Εὰν οὖν περιτέμνησθε τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας ὑμῶν, says the saint, briefly expressing the thought 15th Art. ἡμῖν γυναῖκας – “for one’s wife” (Slav. B.) is not read in Zlat.; “Wives” is not read in Lucian either. sp. – τὴν θυγατέραν ἡμῶν; in Lucian. – τὰς θυγατέρας ἡμῶν – “our daughters.” ἐναντίον αὐτῶν - instead of the names of Hamor and Shechem in the Bible. text. οὐκ ἠμέλλησε according to sp. Dorothea; in Lucian. and so on. sp. οὐκ ἐχρόνισεν, although the meaning is the same. Zlat.: καὶ λαβόντες according to Lucian. sp.; in Alex. and others, as in Hebrew. t., ἔλαβον – “took” (Slav. B.). – πάντα τὰ σώματα – “all children” (Slav. B.). πᾶσι – “to everyone” is not readable according to Alex., Cotton. and other sp., as well as Heb. T.; in Lucian. - it reads. Zlat.: τῷ Κυρίῳ according to the Bodleian. and Vensk. sp. (VI at "Holmes"); in Alex., Lucian. and others, according to Heb. t., – τῷ Θεῷ – “To God” (Slav. B.). καὶ εἶπεν instead of εἶπε δὲ – “speech” in Greek. sp. – τῷ Κυρίῳ instead of τῷ Θεῷ in Lucian. and other sp. Zlat.: οὐ γὰρ ἧσαν αὐτῶν . Zlat.: Καὶ ἀπῆλθε according to sp. Dorothea; in Alex., Lucian. and so on. – ἠλθε δέ – “come” (Slav. B.). Αὐτὸς – “himself”, read in Lucian. and so on. sp. and ev. t., at Zlat. absent. ἐκείνου - that of the Slavs. "to that," read in Bodleian., Cittav. and other sp., absent from Lucian. and Zlat. You might be interested in: