Chapter LXV
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down by whatever way it is never restored without it. For without fear, who is Hberated from any sin however small? Without fear we can never leave our evils. Without fear we can never ever begin to be engaged in goods. Are not those words of Jacob obviously said concerning it if we rightly understand where it is said: "Ruben my firstborn, you are my fortitude, the beginning of my grief, first in gifts, greater in authority" (Gen.
49:3)? In which place that also follows, concerning which we have spoken elsewhere: "You are poured out like water, you shall not increase." How this Ruben is firstborn and how he is the beginning of grief is sufficiently obvious,
I think, from what has been said above. However, it is easy to show how he is his fortitude and other things that are said of him:
"You," he says, "are my fortitude." For who emerged as victor at any time in that battle where spirit strives against flesh and flesh against spirit? Who, I say, has fought against so large an army of his cravings, unless he has fought from fear? Therefore he is rightly called firstborn because all good is begun from fear of the Lord. He is rightly called fortitude, because by fear of the Lord the heart is strengthened against its cravings. He is rightly called beginning of his grief, because useful grief accompanies fear of the Lord. For, in order that each man have his own grief of soul and it be useful to him, it is necessary that fear of the Lord lead the way.
Chapter LXV Concerning the superiority offear and concerning the other ajfections^ which are ruled by which "First in gifts, greater in authority." Among all the gifts of God that seem to relate to a person's salvation, a good will is known to be the first and foremost gift by which the image of the divine similitude is restored in us. Whatever a person does cannot be good unless it proceeds from a good will. Whatever is from a good will cannot be evil. Without a good will you cannot be saved at all. With a good will you cannot perish at all. O marvelous gift! O singular gift! This is that first and foremost gift which Ruben the firstborn is given since without doubt an evil will is changed into a good will
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through fear of the Lx)rd. Why should he not be "first in gifts" who receives the first and foremost gift?
First, because all good begins from a good will; foremost, because nothing more useful than a good will is given to people. "First in gifts, greater in authority."
Who would deny that this Ruben is greater than the others in authority since he is accustomed frequently to command all his other brothers? In his presence Levi withdraws because when fear comes, hope falls down. Often Judah withdraws in view of his authority, and Zabulon yields because when forced by fear, charity often grows cold and hatred rises up. At his nod Issachar goes out and Simeon comes in because when fear enters by stealth, often joy is excluded and grief is admitted. We have seen how at one time or another Ruben is accustomed to command even his brothers. Now let us see how his authority extends more widely in comparison with the others. Certainly there are some things that we love, and there are other things that we hate, but we are accustomed to fear on account of both when often we dread losing one and meeting with the other. And so Judah and Zabulon divide kingship between themselves, but Ruben extends himself to all of it—because true love pours out itself to good alone; true hatred, to evil alone; but fear, to both good and evil. Zabulon admits his brother Simeon into part of his part. Indeed we grieve for adversities, but not for all because we do not suffer all. Levi is less in authority than Judah and much greater than Issachar. For there are many more things that we ought to love than things that we dare to hope for. But nevertheless it remains that there is much more material for hoping than for rejoicing, since the things that we possess, on account of which we rejoice, are few compared to those we hope that we shall possess.
And so Judah and Zabulon surpass the other brothers in the magnitude of their authority. Nevertheless they are completely unable to extend themselves to the measure of Ruben. And so Ruben, who leading the way leaves the others far behind himself, surpasses all.
For all things that it is agreed people love, hope, hate and for which they are accustomed to grieve or rejoice are able from themselves to give birth to causes of varied fear. For indeed, the more we love concerning one thing, the more causes of fearing we find inasmuch as it is possible to have as many occasions of fear as there are ways of losing something. And so this Ruben greatly enlarges his
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kingship, yet not only the multitude of hidden things but also the change of appearances gives powers to him. Concerning what am I able to be secure since I have nothing that I am not able to lose?
When do I attain certitude of knowledge here since I do not know countless more things than I know?
Therefore, because fear is poured out more widely than the other affections, Ruben rightly is said to be greater in authority when compared to the brothers. And he is forbidden by his father to increase, but clearly he was poured out like water at that time when he went up to the couch of his father and defiled its covering: "Ruben," he said, "my firstborn, you are my fortitude, the beginning of my grief, first in gifts, greater in authority; you are poured out like water, you shall not increase, because you went up to the couch of your father and defiled its covering."
Behold Ruben.
He chances much evil, because he increases beyond the limit.
Great danger is quickly encountered if our fear is not moderated by discretion.
Chapter LXVI How virtues are turned into vices, unless they are moderated by discretion We ought also to believe concerning the other affections, that they are certainly dangerous unless we restrain them within the limits of equity. Certainly we can easily note from the previously mentioned deed of Simeon and Levi how evil it is for grief and hope to exceed the limit. Concerning them it is said by Jacob: "Cursed be their fury, because stubborn, and their indignation, because hard"
(Gen.
49:7). Thus one ought to keep cautious watch over all the virtues so that they are not only ordered but also moderated. For excessive fear often falls into despair; excessive grief, into bitterness; immoderate hope, into presumption; overabundant love, into flattery; unnecessary joy, into dissolution; intemperate anger, into fury. And so in this way virtues are turned into vices if they are not moderated by discretion. Do you not see in what manner all the others need the virtue of discretion if they are not to lose the name of virtue?
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Chapter LXVII How and how late discretion is born, since it is the first offspring of reason This is that Joseph who, although he is born late, is loved more than the others by his father. For who does not know that the true good of the soul can be neither acquired nor preserved without discretion?
Thus that virtue is deservedly loved exceedingly without which nothing is sought for, nothing completed, nothing preserved. But we only deserve to receive such a son late since we are not educated to the perfection of discretion without a great deal of practice nor except by a great deal of experience. We must be practiced in individual virtues and what we are able to undertake in each one of them before we are able to comprehend full knowledge concerning all of them and to judge sufficiently concerning individual ones. Certainly we learn many things concerning discretion by reading, many things by listening, and many things from the innate judgment of our reason, yet we are never educated to the full concerning this without the teaching of experience. He who ought to judge concerning all the others must come after all of them.
Therefore, first of all we should strive to apply ourselves to the pursuit of individual virtues, although when we do this it is necessary that we often fall. Consequently we must often rise again and through frequent falling learn what vigilance, what caution is necessary to acquire and keep the good things of virtue.
So, when discipline of virtue is learned by long use, the mind, after having been trained for a long time, is at some time brought to full discretion of behavior and rightly rejoices, as it were, concerning the birth of Joseph.
Before his birth, when his brothers still did all things without discretion, the more they ventured many things beyond their powers, the more often they were ruined in a worse and more deformed way. This is the reason, as I have already said, that Dina is born after these since disgrace of shame frequently accompanies an ugly fall. But after Dina's birth her brothers discover, as it were, by the ignominy of disgrace and learn by experience that nothing is better to a king than counsel: "Because a prudent man is better than a strong man" (Wisd. 6:1; cf Prov.
16:32).
"For the prudent man speaks of victories, and when he does every-
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thing with complete counsel he will not regret it for eternity."
Therefore, when the necessary usefulness of counsel is learned by experience and is sought and found by more attentive pursuit, then in a certain manner Joseph is born, by whom the virtue of discretion is understood. However, the reason is evident why neither of the handmaids, why certainly not Leah herself but Rachel alone can bear such a son since it belongs not to sense nor to imagination nor lastly to affection itself but to reason alone to discern and to understand.
Therefore, if we understand reason by Rachel, we quickly discover why Joseph can be born from Rachel only since in no way do we doubt that discretion is born from reason alone. Such an offspring from such a mother; Joseph from Rachel; discretion from reason.
Chapter LXVIII Concerning the utility of discretion and its proper nature This is that Joseph who alone among the brothers is clothed in a tunic reaching to the ankles because only that action which is moderated by the prudence of discretion is brought to such a limit of consummation and of its necessary end. This is that Joseph who is loved more than all the brothers by his father because the virtue that is protector of the others is justly preferred.
This is that Joseph, a dreamer and an interpreter of dreams; because in the very moment of temptation, true discretion discerns future dangers from their nature within the very phantasms of suggestions; also, for any other persons whomsoever, it detects the ambush of imminent evils according to the confession of their own thoughts and delivers warnings concerning future perils. This is Joseph whom his brothers emulate and aliens venerate; whom Hebrews sold and Egyptians bought, because the latter more quickly are satisfied with the counsel and more easily yield to the prudence of another, recognizing the darkness of their error rather than presuming concerning their justice and prudence. This is that Joseph, husband of a virgin; lover not violator of chastity, since discretion is accustomed to be the guardian, not the destroyer, of inner purity. This is that boy