Three mystical treatises not included in the Greek translation of the first collection

Three mystical treatises (Words 71, 75, 76) St. Isaac the Syrian, not included in the Greek translation of the first collection, are preserved only in the Syriac manuscript tradition. Translation into Russian by M.G. Kalinin, published by P. Bejan. Word 71 speaks of the divine work of grace in the human soul. In higher spiritual states, prayer stops, the mind plunges into amazement, silence, and the heart sheds involuntary tears. A sign of the purity of the soul of St. Isaac calls compassion for all people without distinction. Word 75 speaks of hidden degrees, powers and operations in them. A necessary condition for achieving purity and dispassion is silence (hesychia). Word 76 touches on the theme of human transformation through the rejection of the “old” and the putting on of the “new.” This requires complete renunciation of passions. He who tries to contemplate the Divine without purity is like one who enters a banquet in dirty clothes - he is banished into outer darkness. An invincible weapon against passions, making the soul inaccessible to demonic attacks, is crying about sins. Contents Word 71. On the actions [arising] from grace Word 75. On hidden degrees, and powers and actions in them Word 76. Brief chapters Homily 71. About actions [coming] from grace 1 Constantly note [what is happening] in your soul and observe, and when you feel within yourself that Divine providence has begun to reveal itself to the soul, understand from here that you are close to the haven of purity. After all, when a person begins to rise from passions, immediately this holy power cleaves to the soul and does not move away from it day or night and shows it the Divine economy. And after all, [everything] that happens in secret and in reality of man and in [everything] the creation of this age, down to the smallest of all that is - both existing and [even] not yet [existing] - is revealed to the soul by the power that clings (d-naqqīp̄) to it. And he reveals to her the power of God’s actions 3, and shows her Divine providence, which is constantly present in everything in this creation and accomplishes everything in it 4; and also [shows] how it is always co-present with a person 5, and at all times protects him from his opponents, when he does not feel it and does not know [about it], and guides him to everything that relates to the salvation and peace of his soul and his body and the acquisition of his life. And then the same Divine power that does all this 6 secretly shows itself to man - in an intelligible revelation to his spiritual nature, that is, the mind (madʕā). When a person is worthy to accept this power in his soul, nothing more remains with him (tuḇ layt lēh) except amazement, and silence 7, and tears flowing at all times, like water, and from that time the person stops all activities 8. And from then on you will see everything in this as a spectacle of the constancy of God’s providence in relation to the creation of His hands. A mind absorbed in amazement, subsided feelings, a weak man, cast down on his face in prayer, for he has no tongue to speak, and, again, [he] does not have enough heart to pray, but from amazement at what is happening, even prayer itself was abolished (baṭṭīlā): this is the abolition that is better than doing [and which happens] only when a person pacifies in all his feelings and movements and constantly prostrates himself on his face before his Lord - to the point that his bones offer up the praise of God in their silence in this well-known abolition, as the prophet said: “All my bones will say: Lord, who is like You?” 9 . Of all the passions, this demon of pride will be the first 10 to appear in you 11 at this time, bound and cast down at the feet of the soul. By this gift, as they say, a person is worthy of the love of God and perfect humility. This very gift is first of all tasted in silence, and it is impossible that those who labor and preserve [the senses] remain in perfect silence should not know it. When a person comes out of silence and is allowed (ʔeḥaḏ šaryūṯā) [from him], [this gift] is withheld 13 from him. When he again enters [silence], and shows concern for his soul, and with determination attracts [it] to ordinary work (pulḥānā), [this gift] again extends to it and shows its strength to the soul. Finally, when one reaches 14 complete perfection, this power remains with him (naqqīplēh) both inside and outside [the state of silence]. And not for an hour does he stop groaning and crying and other things [like this], even if he has not yet fulfilled 15 exactly the rites 16 of his service (pulḥānēh). Even now there are people who have been granted this [state of silence] in parts, [and] from this particular available to them they recognize its own [properties]. For when someone has tasted a cup of wine from a large wineskin, from here he knows it in its entirety: [namely,] what it is like when others also drink [wine from it], partially or entirely. The one who fully possesses [this power] will not be immediately found, except perhaps with difficulty. Since this power is the gift of storing silence 17 and since there is no one in this mutilated (meṯqaṭʕā) generation of ours who has perfect silence and complete storage [of feelings], then we have become impoverished from his gifts. The one who received this knowledge through a record [made] in ink, but in fact they [i.e. e. this knowledge] is not with him in experience, like a man who holds in his hand a harp with properly tuned tight strings (da-mṣabbaṯ wa-mṯaqqan 18 b-mennē ḥīṣāṯā), and his fingers do not know how and are not trained to strike them and produce a melody 19 to delight his soul; on the contrary, he acquired only one harp, but with it [he] did not [acquire] the art of playing it, and he needs others who would play it in front of him and delight him. Do not rejoice when you are enriched with the knowledge of many [things], but then rejoice when what you know turns out to be with you in practice 20. For the first 21 without the second 22, gradually turning back, due to idleness is also combined with pride. When you make an effort to the second, then in any case you will be enlightened by that [first] without training. The eye of knowledge is experience, and its growth [i.e. e. conducting] – constant work. Let this be for you a clear sign of the clarity (šapyūṯā) of your soul: when, observing yourself, [you see that] you are filled with compassion for all people and in pity for them your heart faints and burns as if on fire, without distinction of persons. When through this you will constantly see this image (ṣurtā) of the Heavenly Father, you will be able to understand the 23 degree of your life not from your various works 24, but from the changes that your mind (madʕāḵ) accepts. The body will become accustomed to being washed with tears when the mind contemplates spiritual [things], - [tears] flowing from the eyes, as if from flooded streams 25, and flooding the cheeks, without coercion and against [the person’s] will. I know a certain person 26 who, even while sleeping, was overwhelmed with amazement (tahrā) for God in a certain contemplation due to the abundance of evening reading, when his soul was in a daze (tammīhā) in thinking about that contemplation. He seemed to feel that for a long time he had [such a state], that (Ɂīṯ h wā lēh d-) he reflected on the movements of his dream and observed 27 the amazement of this vision. It was deep night, and he abruptly woke up (men šelyā nāḏ) from sleep, when his tears flowed like water and flowed down to his chest 28. And his lips were full of praise, and his heart meditated on contemplation for a long time in insatiable sweetness. And because of the immeasurable number of tears that flowed from his pupils, and because of the numbness (bulhāyā) of his soul, which shackled all the members of his body and his heart, in which a certain sweetness beat, he could not even perform the night service according to his custom, except, with difficulty, a certain psalm closer to the morning. And he was so overcome by many tears and the rest [of what is described here] 29 that a stream flowed [from] his eyes against his will. Let us also, my brothers, try, and when we have a desire to sleep, long [before sleep] we will meditate (nehroḡ) in hymns, and chants, and in the reading of the Holy Scriptures, preserving ourselves from evil memories and from any disgusting (sanyā) reflection, and let us fill 30 our treasury with an abundance of all that is beautiful. And [then] let sleep overtake us 31 when we are filled with the remembrance of God and our soul boils 32 with a strong desire for good [things], because of the grace of God, which embraced us in sleep and poured out its gift on us, even when we sleep, testing us whether our body is clean from any kind of defilement and whether the movements of our heart are cleansed from the abomination. And for this reason, the sons of the power of darkness will not be able to get close to us - because of the sword and the edge of grace surrounding us. And if, as they want, they find us [in such a state] that grace withdraws from us, despising us and throwing out our souls from themselves, like lifeless corpses, then they will approach us with all their malice and will tempt us with all vile and terrible movements according to the attraction of their disgusting desire. And when it turns out that this happened to us during our sleep, we must immediately understand, and remember, and feel that that night the Divine overshadowing (magnānūṯā) 33 was moving away from us. How come the demons didn’t consume us? – But the Divine will, which holds the soul of all flesh, only allows [them] to approach us in order to invigorate us and see our souls. It is impossible for them to approach us when it [i.e. e. Divine condescension] remains near us. Word 75. About the hidden degrees, and the forces and actions in them My brother, let it be known to you for certain that [if a person wishes to acquire these spiritual gifts:] performing miracles, and foretelling the future, and relief from temptations, and rest from battles, and victory over each of the passions, and the acquisition of each of the virtues, and temporary consolation [that comes] from grace, and purity of prayer, and ardor 34 of the spirit, and spiritual joy, and all other requested things (šeɁ lāṯā), which [only] exist, for the sake of (ʕal Ɂappēh d-) each of which a person will make an effort with good intention and heartfelt sighing - every time God will condescend to his desire and, seeing his intention and desire (yāɁīḇūṯēh), will give what he asks for and satisfy him. If someone has not repaid the debt to the mysteries belonging to the spirit, which are the movements in spiritual prayer and the entry of the mind inside the veil of the Holy of Holies and [to] feel the inheritance of incorruption, then God will not agree to give [the request] unless the whole world asks for it. And [this] duty towards them is purity of soul. When someone achieves purity from the passions, then this purity will reveal to him what the eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard, and it has not risen in the heart of a person to ask for it in prayer - while for one moment its secrets and spiritual visions do not cease. And what the power of spring usually does with (lwāṯ) the nature of the earth, this is exactly what grace does with (lwāṯ-) the soul through purity. For even to the thin roots growing in the depths, [spring warmth] sends its power 36 and, like fire, warms the earth to dryness, so that it brings out the treasures of plants that God has placed in its nature, to the joy of creation and to His own glory. So grace brings out (l-gelyā) all the glory 37 that God hid in the nature of the soul, and shows it to her, and delights her with its beauty. And when she sees the great and ineffable treasures that God has placed in her - and they were hidden from her by the filthy robe of passions, and she did not know, but now He showed them to her that she had torn the robe of passions - in His love she is captivated by her joy [, freed] from earthly [things], and no longer remembers the flesh, which hid her own beauties from her sight. Then she contemplates the heavenly beauties in herself, like a clear mirror, which, being abundantly cleansed 38, shows the beauty of faces. For holiness becomes saints. Every virtue, whatever you name, and every service of righteousness performed in it, can be performed, and acquired, and brought to fullness outside of silence, but dispassion and purity outside silence have no possibility (Ɂaṯrā) of being acquired. Word 76 39. Brief chapters Blessed Paul teaches us, saying: “Put off the old man and put on the new, which was created in God in holiness and true righteousness” 40, without saying “on top of this old put on the new,” because he knows that this is impossible. See how wisely he commands; he did not say, “Put on the new man, renewed in the knowledge of God,” but first he says, “Put off this,” and then he says, “Put on the new.” As in another place, he clearly said: “Flesh and blood will not inherit the Kingdom of God, and neither will corruption inherit incorruption” 41 . He calls the knowledge of that age “incorruption” 42. “Corruption” and “flesh and blood” he calls the corruptible passions of the soul and body, the place of movement of which is in carnal wisdom. He calls purity the “new man.” “The Kingdom of God” is a sublime and intelligent contemplation of the grace-filled movements of essential radiances (ṣemḥē Ɂīṯyāyē), which only the holy soul is allowed to enter through its incorruptible movements, which have risen above corruption and flesh and blood. If the small pupil of your soul is not cleansed, do not dare to fix your gaze on the sun, so as not to lose your normal vision 43 and be thrown into one of those intelligible places, which is tartarus, which is an image (ṭupsā τύπος) of Sheol 44 . This is darkness outside of God, in which those who have gone beyond the boundaries of nature in the movements of their mind 45 wander with the rational nature that they possess 46 . Therefore, the one who dared to enter the feast in dirty clothes was destined to be thrown into this outer darkness 47. Feast 48 is called the vision of spiritual knowledge; what is prepared on it 49 [is called] an abundance of 50 Divine mysteries, filled with joy and exultation and delight of the soul; the garments of the feast are the vestments of purity, while the dirty garments 51 are the passionate movements that stain the soul; outer darkness - [that which remains] beyond all pleasure in the knowledge of truth and Divine communication 52. For he who, having clothed himself in these [i.e. e. dirty] clothes, dares to imagine in his mind (madʕā) the highest of God and to introduce and place himself inside the spiritual contemplations of that holy feast, which appears only among the pure, and, being overwhelmed by the pleasure of the passions, wants to partake of it [i.e. e. feast] pleasure - is immediately absorbed, as if by some kind of obsession (šraḡraḡyāṯā) 53, and is ejected from there into a place devoid of radiance - that which is called Sheol and destruction, which is ignorance and deviation from God. After all, it is said 54: “What is from God comes by itself if the place is clean and undefiled” 55. The fact that this “comes by itself” is [instead of] saying: it is natural for purity that the heavenly light should shine in it without our research and labor. “In a pure heart a new heaven is imprinted, the appearance of which is light, the place of which is spiritual,” as in another place [it is said]: “Just as a magnet stone, by its natural strength, has the ability to attract 56 particles of iron to itself, so spiritual knowledge is for a pure heart” 57 . Although it has been conveyed with care by the true [mentors] that in this life there is no thought that would not be completely plundered due to the predation of passionate impulses, I say this with confidence - and I am not afraid of the power of experience - that the one who is clothed in the garment of mourning in his thoughts is not only invincible for passionate impulses or strong in warfare with them and victorious - that is, they are not at all they dare to show themselves to [him] with the intention of battle, but even from afar they do not dare to pass in front of that [place] where the soul is located, in which a house of sorrow is built in various lamentations about its sins 58 . And, as blessed Jacob said, in the grave she [i.e. e. soul] will arrange its dwelling 59 until it meets again with its beloved Joseph 60. I do not agree to say 61 that the sweetness of passions will enter where there is the bitterness of crying. I say that the work of crying 62 is safe, and reliable, and above fear 63 . The one who is constant in crying because of fear - namely, that (kēmaṯ d-) he does not know where his course will end 64 - is superior to the one who is constant in a joyful life because from here he feels confidence (saḇrā) in his doing. O [you], whose city is captivated by inner passions! Arm yourself with the weapon of lamentation, and pursue them, and snatch your children from their hands! For this weapon is invincible and reliable (d-ṯuḵlānā) 65 and at all times and has been tested by the strong. The translator thanks G.M. Kessel, who acted as a reviewer of this work, Yu.V. Furman, who paid much attention to the discussion of grammatically non-trivial places in the Syriac text, and A.M. Shapnik, who identified several quotations from patristic sources. In the original the form is preterite. See note 15. Literally: “activities” (ʕāḇōḏūṯā). In the original, both verb forms control the same noun: da-dlā šalwā naqqīp̄ā w-sāʕrā l-ḵulmeddem d-hādē brīṯā. Judging by the use of the proleptic construction (naqqīp̄ā lēh l-barnāšā), emphasizing the contextual certainty of the name, we are talking about the same person to whom “this power” reveals Divine providence. Thus, Isaac the Syrian, speaking about the state when Divine actions in the world are revealed to a person, identifies 2 aspects: 1) knowledge of Divine actions in relation to the external world; 2) knowledge of Divine actions in relation to oneself. The second aspect becomes the main subject of discussion in the 75th word. Literally: “who is the finisher of all this.” “Silence” (šeṯqā) is a terminus technicus in the mystical-ascetic system of Isaac the Syrian to designate a state superior to prayer and characterized by the cessation of all mental movements. Šeṯqā is considered as the highest state available to the ascetic. For more details, see: Hagman P. Th e Asceticism of Isaac of Nineveh. Oxford, 2010, pp. 174–189; Hilarion (Alfeev), Metropolitan. Spiritual world of St. Isaac the Syrian. M., . pp. 311–376; Bitton-Ashkeloni B. “Brought to Silence”: Isaac the Syrian and John of Daliyat about self-transformation // Venerable Isaac the Syrian and his spiritual heritage. Materials of the First International Patristic Conference of the All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies in Moscow, 2014. pp. 242–258. Isaac the Syrian distinguishes between a person’s experience of the influences of “this power” (it shows the soul Divine providence in creation) and the knowledge of “this power” itself (it shows the soul itself). It is the second that is accompanied by amazement, cessation of prayer and entry into the state of šeṯqā. The description of “this power” (ḥaylā hānnā), which Isaac the Syrian does not name in the 71st word, can be correlated with the description of the Divinity (šḵīntā) in the 8th conversation of the 3rd volume of Isaac the Syrian. Currently, work is underway to prepare a commented translation of this conversation (see also: Kalinin M. G., Barsky E. V. The concept of Shekhinah in the theology of Isaac the Syrian // Judaica and Aramaic Studies: Collection of scientific articles based on the materials of the Third Annual Conference on Judaic and Oriental Studies / Ed. K. A. Bitner, L. A. Lukintsova. St. Petersburg, 2014. P. 262–277). Literally: “you will find him.” Literally: “abided completely (lagmār). Lit. “compresses” – in contrast to the subsequent “extends”. Almost all the verbs in these three sentences (“goes out”, “is allowed”, “enters”, “shows care)”, “attracts”, “extends”, “shows”, “reaches”) in the original correspond to preterite forms. The preterite is regularly used in temporary clauses introduced by the compound conjunction mā d- and relating to the future plan, as well as in the main clauses that control them (see: Nöldeke Th. Compendious Syriac Grammar. Winona Lake, 2001 (hereinafter: CSG). P. 203 (§ 258)). In this case, all of the listed verb forms are conveyed by present tense forms as describing a regular (natural) situation. The form mšwr (vocalized by P. Bejan as mašwar) is unclear: the verb šwar means “jump”, “dance”, “climb”; in the D-breed this verb also means “to dance,” and the K-breed implied by the publisher is not attested (Payne Smith J. A Compendious Syriac Dictionary. Oxf., 1903 (hereinafter: CSD). P. 568a). Literally: “[did not fulfill] a clear order.” Since the above “this power” is not called keeping silence, but a certain Divine action, which is revealed to a person only if he maintains silence, and since the “gift” above is the state of a person who has accepted “this power”, the expression “gift of keeping silence” (mawhaḇtā da-nṭuraṯ šelyā) should be understood not in the sense of “the gift of keeping silence”, but in the sense of “a gift received due to maintaining silence." This is confirmed by the subsequent text, which says that people do not have perfect silence and therefore have become impoverished from its “gifts.” Both verbs – ṣabbeṯ and taqqen – have similar meanings: “to decorate” and “to put in order” (ṣabbeṯ, CSD 473a), “to give shape” (taqqen, CSD 618b). Literally: “differences of sounds” (puršānē d-neʕmāṯā). This sentence is complicated by inversion (the predicate of the main sentence is inside the subordinate tense) and the introduction of an additional conjunction d- “that” after the transferred predicate (which already controls the conjunction “when”): Ɂellā kaḏ haw mā d-yāḏʕ- an t ba-ʕḇāḏā teḥdē da-šḵīḥ lwāṯāḵ, lit.: “but when what you know is in practice, rejoice that it turned out to be with you.” Similar cases are described by T. Nöldeke (CSG 301 (§ 369)). That is, speculative knowledge. The modal meaning is conveyed here by the combination of the enclitic h wā (going back to the perfect of the verb “to be”) and the imperfect (see: CSG 210 (§ 268A). Literally: “from the differences in your works.” Literally: “overflowing from the eyes, like streams.” According to A. Wensink, Rev. Isaac the Syrian speaks here about himself (Wensinck A. J. Mystic Treatises by Isaac of Nineveh. Amsterdam, 1923. P. xxi). Above, the verb Ɂeṯbaqqī has already been used by St. Isaac in the meaning of “watch/observe your spiritual state”: “When, observing yourself (kaḏ teṯbaqqē ba-qnōmāḵ), [you see that] you are filled with compassion for all people...”. A. Wensink draws attention to the fact that Rev. Isaac the Syrian slept sitting (Ibid.). Literally: “and the rest of the rest.” Publisher's reading – nasʔ en, lit. "let's put on shoes." Wensink rightly suggests that instead of nasʔ en we read nēseʔ n, the future tense form of the verb ʔesan / ʔesaʔ n “to load, collect, accumulate, fill” (see: CSD 24a). This sentence (tense clause) is complicated by inversion (the predicate follows the subject), marked by an additional (in relation to the conjunction kaḏ) syntactic subordination marker d-: ...kaḏ mlē-nan men ʕuhdānā d-Ɂ alāhā w-napšan d-rāṯḥā… instead of the expected ...kaḏ mlē-nan men ʕuhdānā d-Ɂ alāhā w-rāṯḥā napšan... Compare: CSG 301 (§ 369). About this concept, see: Brock S. P. Maggnanutä A Technical Term in East Syrian Spirituality and Its Background // Melanges Antoine Guillaumont: Contributions à l’étude des Christianismes orientaux. Geneva, 1988, pp. 121–129; Hilarion (Alfeev), Metropolitan. Spiritual world of St. Isaac the Syrian. pp. 333–335. Literally: “boiling” (reṯḥā). The subject of this action is the above-mentioned “power of spring” (ḥaylā nīsānāyā), although the statement turns out to be tautological (“the power of spring sends its force”). In these two sentences, different, although the same root, terms are used for the concept of “glory”: in relation to God the word tešboḥtā “glory, glorification” is used (i.e. people glorify God, who put “treasures of plants” in the ground), while in relation to the soul the word šḇīḥūṯā is used, indicating “glory” as a characteristic of the soul. Lit. “in abundance/excess of purification.” It was first translated into Russian by S. S. Averintsev (Averintsev S. S. From the shores of the Bosphorus to the shores of the Euphrates. M., 1994. pp. 279–281; hereinafter: “SA translation”). That is, the next century. On the influence of Theodore of Mopsuestia’s concept of “two centuries” on the mysticism of St. Isaac the Syrian, see, in particular: Hagman P. Th e Asceticism of Isaac of Nineveh. Oxford, 2010, pp. 31, 179–181, 183–184. Compare: Evagrius of Pontus. Gnostic centurions. VI 63 (Les Six centuries des “Képhalaia gnostica” d’Évagre le Pontique / Ed. A. Guillaumont. P., 1958. P. 242–245). This saying is also repeated in the 2nd word of the 1st meeting: “If the small pupil of your soul is not cleansed, do not dare to fix your gaze on the heavenly sphere, lest you lose your ordinary vision (which is simple faith, and humility, and sincere thanksgiving, and little work according to your strength) and not be thrown into one of those intelligible places, which is darkness outside of God, - like the one who dared to enter dirty clothes for the feast" (Mar Isaacus Ninevita. De perfectione religiosa. P. 16–17). The reference to "tartarus, who is the typos of Sheol" is missing here, but it is presented in the Greek translation (ἐν ἑνὶ χώρ ῳ τῶν νοητῶν, ὅ ς ἐστι τὸ ἐξώτερον σκότος τὸ ἔξωθεν τοῦ Θεοῦ , τύπον φέρον τοῦ ᾅ δου – Pirard M. Ἀββ ᾶ Ἰ σαὰκ τοῦ Σύρου, Λ ό γοι ἀσκητικο ί Κρητικὴ ἔκδοσι Ἱ. ερὰ Μονὴ Ἰ β ή ρων, Ἅ γιον Ὅ ρος, 2012. Σ . 232) and in the Western Syrian version (d-ʔ īṯawhy ḥeškā da-lḇar men ʔalāhā ṭupsā da-šyōl “which is darkness outside of God, the image of Sheol” - RKP 124. Fol. 11a (XIV century)). That is, those who aspired to supernatural contemplation. Both the main and subordinate clauses use the same term – kyānā “nature”. In the first case, it speaks of going beyond the boundaries of nature, in the second case, special emphasis is placed on the possession of nature. St. Isaac emphasizes the inconsistency of the situation: a person claims to have achieved supernatural contemplation, but in fact he contemplates images created by his own mind, that is, corresponding to his own nature. Next, Rev. Isaac develops this idea when he talks about the human imagination. The word sḇīsūṯā means a high degree of concentration, thickness, density (CSD 356b). baytāyūṯā – community, property, the right to be “one of our own” for someone. Literally “hallucinations.” This thought continues the reasoning of Evagrius (Gnostic Centurions, VI 63), to which an allusion was already made above: a person with weak eyesight cannot look at the sun, otherwise the phosphenes will prevent him from seeing surrounding objects. Compare: Isaiah the Hermit. Asceticon. 6. ( Τοῦ ὁσ ί ου πατρὸς ἡμῶν ἀββ ᾶ Ἡ σαΐου λ ό γοι κθ ʹ / Ed. Augustinos Iordanites. Jerusalem, 1911. P. 68). This quotation is also given in the 2nd word of the 1st collection (Mar Isaacus Ninevita. De perfectione religiosa. P. 16). Literally: “possesses that which attracts.” Evagrius of Pontus. Gnostic centurions. II 34 (Les Six centuries des “Képhalaia gnostica” d’Évagre le Pontique. P. 74–75). In the SA translation, the opposition is conveyed incorrectly: “He who is clothed in the robe of illness in his mind is not only irresistible to the flattery of passions, but is courageous against them, like a giant and a conqueror; for they do not dare to appear and even from afar do not dare to show themselves where there is a sick soul that has created itself as a place of sorrow to mourn its sins.” In the SA translation: “As it is said about blessed Jacob: he remained in the tomb until he met his beloved Joseph.” The forms ʕāḇdā (ʕumrāh) and tepgaʕ cannot refer to Jacob since they are feminine forms. The past tense in the SA translation is also erroneous. In the SA translation, the phrase d-ʔ emar is mistakenly translated as “which was discussed above.” ba-zhīrūṯā ʔīṯawhy pulḥānēh d-hānnā w-ṯuḵlānā wa-lʕel men qenṭā. In the SA translation, this phrase is rendered as “with vigilance this service and hope are above all fear.” The Syriac text does not allow the words lʕel men qenṭā “exceeding fear” to be considered as an inconsistent definition of the word tuḵlānā “hope, confidence.” In the present translation, the word tuḵlānā is understood as part of the prepositional phrase ba-zhīrūṯā w-ṯuḵlānā (“the matter of this is in safety and certainty” > “the matter of this is safe and secure”). Literally: where the end of its course will come. Wensink and SA understand the phrase lā meṯḥasnāna-h w zaynā hānnā wa-d-ṯuḵlānā as “invincible is this weapon and [weapon of] hope.” Words 71, 75 and 76 were preserved only in East Syriac manuscripts; in West Syriac manuscripts, Greek, Slavic and Russian pre-revolutionary translations, these words are absent. The translation was carried out by M.G. Kalinin according to the publication of P. Bejan (Mar Isaacus Ninevita. De perfection religiosa / Ed.P.Bedjan.P., 1909. 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