Sefer Ha-yashar, or, the Book of Jasher (1840)/Translation of the Hebrew Preface

TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW PREFACE.

THIS BOOK IS THAT WHICH IS CALLED THE UPRIGHT BOOK.

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It has at this time been ascertained by us that when the holy city Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus, all the military heads went in to rob and plunder, and that amongst the officers^[1] of Titus was one whose name was Sidrus, who went in to search, and found in Jerusalem a house of great extent, and took away all the spoils which he found there; when he wished to go out of the house, he looked at the wall and fancied that he saw treasures there, so he broke down the wall and the building and found a cask full of various books of the Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa,^[2] also books of the kings of Israel, and of the kings of other nations, as well as many other books of Israel, together with the books of the Mishnah adopted and established; many rolls were also lying there; he also found there all sorts of provision and wine in abundance, and discovered an old man sitting there, who was reading in those books. When the officer saw this great sight he was greatly astonished, and said to the old man, why dost thou sit alone in this place, without any person remaining with thee? So the old man answered, for many years past was I aware of this second destruction of Jerusalem, so I built this house and made for myself a balcony,^[3] and I brought with me these books to read, and I brought also sufficient provision, thinking thereby to^[4] save my life.

And God caused the old man to find favor in the eyes of the officer, who brought him forth with respect with all his books, and they went from city to city and from country to country until they reached Sevilia; and the officer found that this old man was possessed of wisdom and understanding and acquainted with various kinds of science, upon discovering which he raised and honored him, was constantly in his house and was taught by him all sorts of wisdom, and they built for themselves a lofty and capacious house in the suburbs of Sevilia and placed there all those books.

This house is yet in Sevilia unto this day, and they wrote there all the events that would hereafter take place amongst the kings of the world unto the coming of our Messiah.

And it came to pass that when God carried^[5] us away with a mighty captivity by the hands of the kings of Edom, from city to city and from country to country in bitter anxiety, this book, called “The Generations of Adam” together with other books came into our hands, for they came from that house in Sevilia, and they came afterward to our city Napuli, which city is under the sway of the king of Spain, (whose glory may be exalted.) And when we saw these books, that they were books of all wisdom, we resolved in our minds to print them like all the books that came to our hands. Now this book is the best and most valuable of all, and of this book twelve copies have reached us, and we searched in them and found them all of one copy, there was no difference, nothing added and nothing deficient, nor any alteration in letters, words or events, for they were all alike as it were of one copy.

Since, therefore, we saw in this book great merit urging us to this resolve, we are determined to print it — and it is found written that this book is called the Book Jasher, because all its transactions are in that order as they had taken place in the world as regards priority and succession, for thou wilt not find in this book any postponement of events that were anterior, or priority of those that were posterior, but every thing is recorded in its place and time.

Thou wilt thus find that it relates the death of such a one at the particular time of the life of another and thus throughout. Owing to this it was called Sepher Hajashar, but it is customary to call it the Generations of Adam, the reason of which is that they call it by that with which it commences, but the chief name thereof is the book “Jasher” owing to the reasons we have assigned. Now it is found that this book is translated into Greek, entitled “Lo libris de los divitiis”.

It is also found written in the book of the Asmoneans which has come down to us, that in the days of Ptolemy king of Egypt, he ordered his servants to go and gather all the books of laws, and all the books of Chronicles which they could find in the world, so that he might become wise through them, and by examining them become acquainted with the subjects and events of the world, and to compile from them a book in all matters of jurisdiction regarding the affairs of life, thereby to exercise pure justice. So they went and collected for him nine hundred and sixty five books and brought to him, when he commanded them to go again and seek to complete the number of a thousand books, and they did so. After this, some of the persecutors of Israel stood up before him and said, O king, why wilt thou trouble thyself in this manner? Send to the Jews in Jerusalem that they shall bring unto thee the book of their law which was written for them from the mouth of the Lord by their Prophets, from which thou mayest become wise, and regulate all judgments and laws according to thy desire; so the king hearkened to their words, and sent to the Jews upon this matter, who sent to him this book, for they could not give unto him the book of the Lord, for they said, we cannot give the law of the Lord to a stranger. Now when this book came to the hands of Ptolemy he read it and it pleased him greatly, and he searched therein in his wisdom, and he examined it and found therein what he had desired, and he neglected all the other books which they had collected for him, and he blessed him who had advised him to this thing.

After some time the persecutors of Israel became aware of this, that the Israelites had not sent the book of the law to the king, and they came and said unto him, O king, the Israelites have treated thee with contempt, for they did not send to thee the book of the law which we had mentioned to thee, but they sent to thee another book which they had in their hands, therefore send to them that they may forward unto thee the book of their law, for from that book thou wilt obtain thy desire much more than from the book which they have sent to thee; so when the king heard their words he became exceedingly wroth against the Israelites, and his anger burned within him until he sent again to them for them to forward to him the book of the law. Fearing that they might still continue to scorn him, he acted prudently with them and sent to seventy of their elders and placed them in seventy houses, that each should write the book of the law, so that no alteration might be found in them, and the divine spirit rested upon them, and they wrote for him seventy books and they were all of one version, without addition or diminution. At this the king rejoiced greatly and he honored the elders, together with all the Jews, and he sent offerings and gifts to Jerusalem as it is written there.^[6] At his death, the Israelites acted cunningly with his son and took from his treasures the book of the law, but left this book there and look it not away, in order that every future king might know the wonders of the Lord, blessed be his name, and that he had chosen Israel from all nations, and that there is no God beside him.

This book is therefore in Egypt unto this day, and from that time it became circulated throughout the earth, until it reached us in our captivity this day in the city of Napuli, which is under the rule of the king of Spain. Now thou wilt find in this book that some of the kings of Edom, of Chittim and the kings of Africa who were in those days, are mentioned, although it might appear that such was not the aim or intent of this book; but the reason of this was to show to every person obtaining this book the contrast between the wars of Israel and the wars of the Gentiles, for the conquest of Gentile kings one over the otherwas by accident, which is not so in the conquest of the kings of Israel over the Gentiles, which is by a miracle from our blessed Lord as long as the Israelites trust in his exalted name.

Now the uses of this book are many, all of which lead us to confidence in God, (whose name be exalted,) and to our adherence unto him and his ways.

The first use is the additional information it affords us upon the subjects of the creation of man and the deluge, recording also the years of the twenty generations and their misdeeds; also at what period, they were born, and when they died, by which means, our hearts may be inclined to adhere to the Lord, when we see the mighty works which he performed in days of old.

The second use is in the additional account respecting the birth of Abraham and how it was that he cleaved to the Lord, and the transactions that took place between him and Nimrod; and thus also of the account of the builders of the tower of Babel,^[7] how that the Lord drove them to the four corners of the earth, and how they established the countries and lands called after their names unto this day, by which means we may draw nigh to our Creator. The third use is the explanation it gives us how the patriarchs adhered to the Lord, and of their transactions which convince us of their fear of God. The fourth use is, in what it records of the affairs of Sodom and the iniquities of its people, and in what consisted their sins, as well as their punishment, by which means we may refrain from all evil doings. The fifth use is in the account of the faith of Isaac and Jacob in the Lord, and the prayers and weeping of Sarah at the binding of Isaac for a sacrifice, which is of great use in inclining our hearts to the service of the Lord. The sixth use is in the information it affords us upon the subject of the wars of the sons of Jacob with the people of Shechem and the seven cities of the Amorites. This will rouse our hearts to faith in our God ; for how could ten men destroy seven cities, if their hearts had not been impressed with faith in the Lord!

The seventh use is, in the information it gives us of all the events that happened to Joseph in Egypt, with Potiphar and his wife and with the king of Egypt, for this will also rouse our hearts to the fear of the Lord, and to remove ourselves from all sin, so that it may be well with us in the latter end.

The eighth use is in the account it furnishes us of what happened to Moses in Cush and in Midian, by which we may understand the wonders of the Lord which he performs for the righteous, and that we may thereby adhere to him. The ninth use is in its recording what had happened to the Israelites in Egypt, and when the commencement of their servitude took place, and how they served the Egyptians in all manner of hard work, and to what purpose all this tended — how after this God was favorable to them through their trusting in him, and there is no doubt of this that he who reads the events of Egypt from this book on the nights of the Passover, will receive a great reward, as our Rabbins of blessed memory say, he that is occupied in relating the exit from Egypt is to be praised, in which this book is included, for this is the true narration which ought to be read after the Hagadah, for such person (reading this) may be assured that he will be greatly rewarded; we do so this day in our captivity in the countries of Spain, after having finished reading the Hagadah, we commence reading in this book the whole affair of Egypt, from the Israelites going down to Egypt unto their exit, for in this book a person ought to read. The eleventh^[8] use is, that some of the comments of our Rabbies and of other commentators who have explained the law, thou wilt find illustrated in this book, such as the account of the messengers who met Jacob^[9] when he came from Mesopotamia after they had gone to Esau, also the account of Gabriel who taught Joseph seventy languages, also the illustration it affords of him^[10] who smote Midian in the fields of Moab, and the like. The twelfth use is, that every person lecturing in public may bring forward in his discourse, subjects from this book, which the commentators have not explained, by which means he may make an impression upon the hearts of his audience. The thirteenth use is, that all merchants and travellers, who have an opportunity to study the law, may read this book and receive their reward, for therein is the reward of the soul as well as the delight of the body, in the discovery of new matter not recorded in any other book, and by these means will man understand to know the Lord and cleave unto him.

Now because we have seen the merit of this book, and the great usefulness thereof, we have undertaken to print it without addition or diminution, and from this time we have commenced to print it in a book, that such books may be in the hands of the members of our covenant, the men of our captivity in order that it may be farther circulated throughout every generation, and every city, family and country, so that they may understand the wonders of the Lord which he performed for our ancestors, and his bounties toward them from the days of old, and that he chose us from all nations. May they who devote their hearts to the fear of the Lord, be rendered meritorious by studying therein whilst we confide in the Lord, the God of Gods, and depend upon him and seek salvation and assistance from him, in this heavenly work, and may he prosper us in the right path, and deliver us from errors, and cleanse us from secret faults, as his anointed said, “who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.”^[11] May God teach us the good way and direct us in a prosperous path for the sake of his mercies and kindnesses, and may he graciously fulfil the desires of our hearts, Amen, and so be his will.

1. (Hebrew characters) Buxton gives this word “episcopus” which, besides a bishop, means also a lieutenant, overseer, superintendant. See Arach.
2. Psalms, Proverbs, &c.
3. (Hebrew characters) or porch, a Talmudical word derived from the Greek. See Arach.
4. See Jeremiah 38 2, the same expression.
5. See same expression, Isaiah 22. 17.
6. In the book of the Asmoneans mentioned above.
7. Called (Hebrew characters) because the earth was then divided.
8. The eleventh use. — I cannot see any mention of the tehth use; this must have been omitted, I think, before the words above, “how after this God was favourable to them through their trusting in him.”
9. See the latter part of ch. 31.
10. The obscure passage in Genesis, 36. 35. in the Bible, is cleared up in Jasher, ch. 62, where it gives a long history of Hadad, the son of Bedad.
11. Psalms, 19. 12.