Of God’s Blessings and Doing Charitable Deeds: Selections from the Genesis Rabbah, Part 1 of 2

Today, it is an honor to share selections from the “Genesis Rabbah” in the book “The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 4: Medieval Hebrew.”

“Do not befriend an evil man, and no evil will overtake you. The evil inclination at first behaves like a guest, but eventually becomes master. He makes not only the open streets, but the palace also, the center of his traffic; wherever he observes a vain or proud person, or any traces of vice in a man, he says, ‘He is mine.’ […] ‘Sin lies at the door’ (Genesis 4:7). Happy is the man who can rise above the sin that lies in waiting for him. […]”

“Mercy and compassion are the great virtues which bring with them their own rewards, for they are recompensed with mercy and loving-kindness from the mercy-seat of God. There was once a great drought in Palestine, which afflicted its inhabitants long and severely. Rabbi Tanchuma proclaimed a fast-day once, twice, and thrice without propitiating the Heavens to send down the much-sought rain. He then assembled the people for prayer.

Before the congregation engaged in prayer the good man intended to address his flock; but a report was brought to him that a certain man had been seen giving a woman some money within the precincts of the House of Assembly, an act which, under all the circumstances, could not but excite suspicion. The Rabbi had the man brought before him and asked him in what relationship he stood with the person to whom he was seen to have given money outside.

‘She is my divorced wife,’ answered the man simply. ‘And how is it,’ insisted the Rabbi, ‘that you are on cordial terms with her and continue to give her money?’ ‘I am on no friendly footing with her; as for giving her money, she is in want, and that is a sufficient reason for my relieving her distress,’ replied the man. ‘Her want obscured all other considerations and the peculiarity of our relationship.’ The Rabbi was much affected by the man’s generous nature and kindliness, and preached his sermon on charity and brotherly love, a sermon worthy of the distinguished sage, showing that those virtues stand on an eminently higher level and are more efficacious than fasting and chastising of the body, and asking his audience to imitate ‘the man in the street,’ who set them such a good example. The good man then lifted up his heart in prayer, in which the congregation joined, and invoked the throne of mercy on behalf of a people imbued with mercy and compassion. The service was barely brought to a close when copious showers came down to refresh the parched ground and replenish the empty water-tanks, and the people were once more happy.”