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,[1] 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
- ↑ Called (
Hebrew characters) because the earth was then divided.
