Беседа XV

“Adam did not find a helper like him. And God cast a frenzy on Adam, and succeeded: and took one from his side, and filled it with flesh in his place. And the Lord God made a rib from Adam for a wife” (Gen. 2:20–22). 1. I am very grateful to you that yesterday you accepted our admonition with great readiness and not only were not burdened by the length of the word, but were so attentive to the end that you retained a lively disposition to listen; By this you give us good hopes that you will carry out our advice in action. He who listens with such pleasure is obviously disposed to implement (what he has heard) in practice. On the other hand, your current confluence serves as proof of your mental health. Just as the urge to eat is a sign of bodily health, so love for the Word of God serves as the best evidence of mental well-being. Since the fruit of your zeal is manifested in the fulfillment of what you have heard, then we will give your love the reward that we promised yesterday. I call this spiritual teaching a reward, which can increase the wealth of me, the giver, and make you, the receiver, rich. Such is everything spiritual; but this does not happen in sensory things. There the giver reduces his property, and the recipient becomes richer; This is not the case here - on the contrary, the giver, thereby, further increases his own wealth, and the wealth of those who receive increases. So, since we are ready to inform you, and the depths of your mind are prepared to accept this spiritual wealth, then we will fulfill our promise and, having begun to further explain what was read from the blessed Moses, through this we will give you a reward. It is necessary to explain what was read today, so that in this way, accurately revealing the wealth of thoughts contained in the sayings, you can communicate it to your love. You recently heard the words of Divine Scripture: “Adam did not find a helper like him.” What does this short saying mean: “To Adam?” Why was the conjunction added? Wasn’t it enough to say: “To Adam?” We want to explore this not simply out of excessive inquisitiveness, but so that, by carefully interpreting everything to you, we will teach you not to miss even a single syllable in the Divine Scripture without attention and a brief speech. After all, these are not simple words, but words of the Holy Spirit; therefore one can find a great treasure in one syllable. Pay attention, I ask, diligently: no one (be) lazy, no one is sleepy, everyone have a cheerful mind; Let no one wander with his thoughts on the side and, standing here, let him not be entertained by the worries of life. On the contrary, thinking about the dignity of this spiritual meeting and the fact that we hear (here) God speaking to us through the mouth of the prophets, in accordance with this, let everyone open his ears and strain his mind, so that not one of the seeds we throw falls on a stone or by the way, or among thorns, but so that all the seed, falling on the good ground, i.e. to the breadth of 87 a great mind, it could bring you abundant fruit and what we sowed multiplied. Let's see what adding a conjunction means. “But Adam,” he says, “did not find a helper like him.” Notice the accuracy of Divine Scripture. Having said: “Adam did not find a helper,” it did not stop there, but added: “one like him,” explaining to us with this addition the reason why it used the conjunction. I think that those who are quicker in their thinking already foresee what we will say. But since we, offering teaching to everyone in general, must try to make our words clear to everyone, then we will show you why (Scripture) said so 88; just be patient a little. First, as you remember, the Divine Scripture says: “Let us make a helper after him,” and then we were told about the creation of beasts, and reptiles, and all dumb things: “And God created,” it is said, “all beasts from the earth, ... and all the birds of the air, and I brought them to Adam to see what I would call”; and (Adam), as the lord, “called names for everyone” (Gen. 2:19, 20), for every breed of beasts and birds, and for all dumb ones, he appointed, according to the wisdom bestowed upon him, a proper name. And so that we can see that all these creatures, although they perform some service and assist man in his labors, are nevertheless unreasonable creatures and are very far removed from man, so that we would think that (God) said about them: “Let us make him a helper.” After all, even if they help a person and bring him a lot of benefit through their service, they are still unreasonable. That they help (him) is shown by experience itself: some of them are suitable for carrying heavy loads, others for cultivating the land; the ox drags the plow, cuts furrows and provides us with many other services in farming; the donkey also helps a lot in carrying heavy loads; and many other dumb ones serve us to satisfy our bodily needs: sheep serve us with their wool for clothing; goats - with hair, and milk, and other things that are suitable for food for us. So, so that we do not apply what was said above to these animals: “Let us make him a helper,” for this purpose blessed Moses, now beginning the word, says: “But Adam was not found to have a helper like him.” This is how he teaches us and says: all these (animals) were created (by God for man) and received their names from Adam, but not one of them turned out to be worthy of being his helper. That is why (Moses) wants to inspire us that a new animal is about to be created and that this animal ready to appear is the same one about which it is said: “Let us make him a helper after him,” similar to that is. to him, of the same nature, worthy of him, in no way inferior to him. Therefore, this blessed one said: “Adam did not find a helper like him,” showing us that no matter how much the dumb ones may be useful to us with their services, the help provided to Adam by his wife is of a different kind and much more excellent. 2. So, when all the animals had already been created and received names from the primordial, the man-loving Lord, arranging everything for what He had created, looked for a helper like him; Having created for him all this visible creation, on top of everything else he creates a wife. And look with what accuracy (Scripture) teaches us about the creation of this creation. Since it has already informed us that (God) wants to create a helper for Adam like him, and it is said above: “Let us make him a helper after him,” and here it says: “a helper like him has not been found,” then therefore the creation of a wife is accomplished from the being of Adam, as it is said: “And God cast a spell on Adam, and succeeded: and took one from his side, and filled it with flesh in his place. And the Lord God made a rib from Adam for a wife, and brought it to Adam” (Gen. 2:21-22). Great is the power of these words; it surpasses all human reason: one can understand their greatness only by examining them with the eyes of faith. “And,” it is said, “God cast a frenzy on Adam, and he succeeded.” Pay attention to the accuracy of the teaching. Both of these circumstances (frenzy and sleep) were indicated by the blessed prophet, or better, by the Holy Spirit through his lips, revealing to us the consistency of the event. “Cast,” it is said, “a frenzy on Adam, and you will succeed.” This was not a simple frenzy or an ordinary dream; but since the All-Wise and Benevolent Creator of our nature wanted to take from Adam one of his ribs, so that he would not feel pain and then a hostile disposition towards what was being created from his rib, so that, remembering the pain, he would not hate the animal being created, for this purpose (God), plunging (Adam) into a frenzy and, as if commanding him to be enveloped in a kind of stupor, brought on him such a sleep that he did not feel at all, what happened (to him). As a most perfect Artist, He took what He considered necessary, and filled in what was missing, and arranged what was taken according to His love for mankind. “Cast,” it is said, “a frenzy on Adam, and succeed: and take one from his ribs, and fill it with flesh in his place,” - this is so that Adam, after the end of sleep, could not know about what happened due to the lack (of the ribs). After all, if he did not find out about it during the taking away (of the rib), he could have found out after. So, so that the very removal of the rib would not cause him pain, and then its lack would not arouse sorrow (in him), God arranged both of them this way: he took (the rib) painlessly, and then filled the deficiency, and through this did not allow Adam to find out what happened to him. So, having taken the rib, “The Lord God,” it is said, “was created to be a wife.” A wonderful thing, immeasurably beyond our minds! Such are all the works of the Lord. Indeed, (the creation of a wife from Adam’s rib) is no less than the creation of a man from dust. At the same time, pay attention to the condescension of Divine Scripture - what words it uses for the sake of our weakness. “And he took,” it is said, “one of his ribs.” Do not understand these words in a human way, but know that rude words are used to adapt to human weakness. After all, if (Scripture) did not use these words, then how could we know the unspoken mysteries? Let us not dwell only on words, but let us understand everything decently, as relating to God. This expression: “taking”, and all similar ones are used for the sake of our weakness. See also how here (Scripture) used the same expression as when speaking about Adam. Just as it said once, twice, and many times: “And the Lord God took the man whom he had created,” and again: “And the Lord God commanded Adam,” and again: “And the Lord God said, Let us make him a helper after him,” so now it says: “And the Lord God created a rib, taking from Adam to be a wife,” and above: “And the Lord God cast a frenzy on Adam”; this is so that you know that in the use of these words (God and Lord) Scripture does not make any distinction between the Father and the Son, but since both of them have the same essence, it uses names that are indifferent. So, when telling about the creation of a wife, it does the same and says: “The Lord God created a rib, taken from Adam, for a wife.” What will the heretics say here, who want to examine everything and think that they have comprehended the birth of the Creator of all things 89? What word can express this? What mind is there to comprehend? One rib, it is said, was taken by (God): how did (He) form a whole animal from this one rib? And what am I saying: how did God form an animal from this one rib? Tell me how the removal (of the rib) was accomplished? How did (Adam) not feel this taking away? But you cannot say anything like that: He alone knows (this) who made the creation. If we do not understand what is at our fingertips - the formation of an animal similar to us, then how senseless and insane is it to explore what concerns the Creator, and to say that we understand something about which the higher, incorporeal forces have no precise understanding and what they only constantly glorify with fear and trembling? 3. “And the Lord God created,” it is said, “the rib taken from Adam for a wife.” Pay attention to the accuracy of Scripture. It did not say: “create” 90, but: “created” 91. Because God took a part of what had already been created and, so to speak, gave only what was missing - that’s why Scripture says: “and created” - he did not create another creation, but, taking a certain small part from the finished creation, from this part he built a whole animal. What is the power of the highest Artist of God to produce from this small part (the rib) the composition of so many members, to arrange so many sense organs and to form a whole, perfect and complete being that could both converse and, by the unity of nature, give great consolation to the husband! After all, this creature was created for his comfort. That is why Paul said: “Man was not created for woman’s sake, but woman for man’s sake” (1 Cor. 11:9). Do you see how everything was created for him? The whole creation had already been created, the dumb ones had already appeared, fit for food and capable of serving man; but the primordial one did not have anyone with whom he could talk and who, according to the unity of nature, could give him great consolation. Therefore (God) creates this rational animal from his rib and, in His great wisdom, makes him perfect, like a man in everything, i.e. reasonable, capable of providing him with assistance in the necessary needs and circumstances of life. So God arranged everything wisely and skillfully. If we, due to the weakness of reason, are not able to understand how things are created, then we believe, however, that everything obeys the will of the Creator and whatever He commands is done. “And the Lord God created a rib, taking from Adam, to be a wife, and brought her to Adam,” showing that he produced her for him: “I will bring her,” he says, “to Adam.” That is, since among all the dumb there was no helper like you, then what I promised (and I promised to create a helper like you), I fulfilled, and I hand it over to you: “I will bring you to Adam. And Adam said: Behold now, bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2:22-23). Look here, beloved, how (Adam), along with the ineffable wisdom given to him by God, which he showed us in naming so many breeds of dumb animals, was also awarded the gift of prophecy. This is why the blessed prophet (Moses) showed us above that, along with sleep, Adam was overcome by a frenzy, so that he did not feel at all what was happening to him - so that, having now learned that Adam, when looking at his wife, accurately explains what happened, you would be completely convinced that he was saying this by the gift of prophecy, guided by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. After all, he knew nothing about what had happened, and yet, when (God) brought his wife to him, he said: “Behold now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” And another translator 92 instead of: “now” says: “this once”, making it clear that this was only now, and after that the origin of the wife will no longer be like this. Now, he says, from the husband came the wife, but after that, not so, but from the wife (will come) the husband, or better, not from the wife, but from the complicity of both of them, just as Paul says: “Man is not created from wife, but woman is from man: for man was not created for woman’s sake, but woman for man’s sake” (1 Cor. 11:8-9). So, you say; but these words show that the wife came from the husband. Be patient, and from what follows you will see the true teaching. The Apostle says: “Neither is a man without a wife, nor a wife without a husband” (1 Cor. 11:11), teaching us that after (the creation of the first wife) the birth of a husband and wife occurs from the participation of both. That is why Adam said: “Behold now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” 4. Then, in order to assure you of the accuracy of Adam’s prophecy, that what he said has been fulfilled until now and (will be) until the very end (of the world), listen to what follows even further. “This,” he says, “will be called a woman, for this life was taken from her husband. For this reason 93 a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Gen. 2:23–24). See how (Adam) revealed everything to us, accurately explaining every (circumstance) with his prophetic spirit. “This,” he says, “will be called a woman, because she was taken from her husband”: here he hints at the taking of a rib. Then, revealing the future, he says: “For this sake a man will leave his father and mother, and will cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” Where, tell me, did it come to his mind to say this? How did he know the future and that the human race would multiply? How did he know that there would be copulation between husband and wife? After all, it happened after the fall; and before that, people lived in Paradise like angels, were not inflamed by lust, were not inflamed by other passions, were not burdened with bodily needs, but, being created completely incorruptible and immortal, did not even need to be covered with clothing: “for the best,” it is said, “both naked,... and not ashamed” (Gen. 2:25). Until sin and disobedience arose, they were clothed with the highest glory, and therefore were not ashamed; After the violation of the commandment, both shame and the consciousness of nakedness arose. So where, tell me, did he get the idea to say this? Is it not clear that he, having participated in prophetic grace before his disobedience, saw all this with spiritual eyes? I am now explaining this not without a purpose, but so that from here you can recognize the overwhelming love that God showed to man, giving him at the very beginning the life of an angel and pouring out countless blessings on him, and above all else, worthy of him with the gift of prophecy; and so that you, seeing a person’s carelessness after so many good deeds, no longer lay the blame on God, but blame the person himself for everything. He himself was the cause of all evil, as you will later find out, i.e. and the deprivation of so many benefits, and the condemnation to which he was subjected for disobedience. When I think about the structure of life that the Lord gave to Adam, having shown him such great benefits, and firstly, that before his creation he created the entire created world for him, and then created it so that, having appeared, he could use everything visible, then - that, having commanded Paradise to be, he deigned to settle man there, separately from dumb animals and, having given him power over all (of them), commanded him as master to whom, to give all of them, as slaves and subordinates, names, further - that, since he, being alone, needed a helper who would have the same nature as him, (God) did not refuse this either, but having created, as He pleased, a wife, handed her over to him, and on top of all this, granted him prophetic dignity; and after these unspeakable benefits he gave and, most importantly, freed him from all worries about the body, did not allow him to need clothes or anything else necessary, but, as was said, he was pleased that he should live on earth as an earthly angel - when I think about all this, I am amazed at the love of the Lord for our race, and the carelessness of man, and the malice of the devil: it was unbearable for the evil demon to see angelic life in human flesh. 5. But so that we do not continue the word too much, let us, if you wish, leave the conversation about the consequences of the slander of the evil demon until the next day and stop teaching here, asking your love to carefully remember what was said and think about everything yourself so that it takes root in your minds. If we constantly remember the blessings of God that he poured out on your nature, then we ourselves will be grateful and this will serve as a strong incentive for you to follow the path of virtue. He who remembers the blessings of God will, without a doubt, try not to be unworthy (of them), but will show such zeal and such gratitude that he will also be worthy of others. Our Lord is generous, and as He sees that we are grateful for His blessings already shown to us, He multiplies His mercy and deigns us with even greater gifts, if only we, caring for our salvation, do not spend time recklessly, and do not think about whether half of the Holy Pentecost has already passed; but about whether we have done anything good at this time, whether we have corrected ourselves from at least one of the passions that overwhelm us. If we, listening to spiritual instructions every day, remain the same, do not succeed in virtue and remove various vices from our souls, then this will not only not serve us in favor, but also to even greater harm, because whoever, even with such care for him, does not bear any fruit, gathers for himself more fire from hell. Therefore, I ask, let us use the rest of the fasting time as we should, and every week, or even every day, we will examine ourselves and purge vices from our souls, and increase the treasure of virtues; we will turn away, as the prophet exhorts, “from evil, and do good for us” (Ps. 33:15): this is true fasting. Let the angry one purge the passion that possesses (him) from his soul through pious reflection and let him love meekness and humility. Carefree and unbridled, looking with passion at the beauty of the body, having curbed his thoughts and imprinted in the depths of his soul the law of Christ, which says: “Whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), let him flee the passions of intemperance and practice chastity. Let him who is intemperate with his tongue and speaks without reasoning about everything that happens, imitate the blessed prophet and say: “Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth and a door of enclosure over my lips” (Ps. 141:3); - let him never utter words without thinking and how it happened, but listen to Paul, who says: every cry “and anger”, and slander, and foul language, and blasphemy 94 “let all malice be taken away from you” (Eph. 4:31), - and also: if (there is) any good word for useful edification 95, “let him give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29) ). Let him avoid swearing in every possible way, hearing the command of Christ: “It was said to the ancients: do not swear in a lie;... I tell you not to swear in any way” (Matthew 5:33-34). No one tell me: I swear to the truth; one should not swear either to the truth or to untruth. So let us keep our lips clean from swearing and protect our tongue, lips, and mind from all this, so that no evil thoughts are born in us and are not expressed with the tongue. Let us firmly stop our ears, so as not to accept empty hearing, as blessed Moses commanded: “Do not receive the hearing of vanity” (Ex. 23:1), and as blessed David also said: “Whoever slanders the secret of his sincere, I will drive him out” (Ps. 100:5). Do you see, beloved, how much vigilance we need, how much work for virtue, how the slightest negligence destroys us completely? That is why blessed David exclaimed in another place, denouncing the one doing this: “When you sat, you slandered your brother, and you caused offense to your mother’s son” (Ps. 49:20). If we protect all our members in this way, then we will be able to cheerfully strive for good deeds, train our tongue in praising and singing songs to the God of all, our ears in listening and studying the Word of God, our mind in thinking about spiritual things, our hands not in theft and covetousness, but in almsgiving and doing good deeds, our feet (in going) not to theaters, hippodromes and harmful shows, and to the church, houses of worship and to the tombs of the holy martyrs, so that, having received their blessing, we can make ourselves elusive to the snares of the devil. If we are so concerned and occupied with our salvation, then we can benefit from fasting, avoid the snares of the devil and attract great favor from above, which may we all be rewarded with the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. With the addition of the conjunction “zhe”. Here, of course, we mean the pre-eternal birth of God the Word, “In Whom all things were.” This is how Symmachus and Theodotion translated it. Here is their full translation: τοῦτο ἅπαξ ὀστοῦν ἐκ τῶν ὀστέων μοῦ. Zlat. ἀντὶ τούτου instead of the usual in the lists, not excluding Lucian., ἕνεκεν τούτου; the meaning of both expressions is the same. The above words of the Apostle Chrysostom read: εὐταπελία ἀρθήτω ..., meanwhile, in other lists, which the Slavic translation follows, it reads: πᾶσα πικρία, καὶ θυμὸς, καὶ ὀργὴ, καὶ κραυγὴ, καὶ βλασφημία ἀρθήτω ... At Zlat. Εἴ τις λόγος ἀγαθός πρός οἰκοδομὴν χρείας ; obviously filled in by Chrysostom from the opening words of the same verse for clarity; in expression. πρός οἰκοδομὴν τῆ χρείας Zlat. is consistent with lists different from those followed by the Slavic-Russian translation and in which instead of χρείας it is read πίστεως - faith. You might be interested in: