Chapter XIX
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interpreted mystically. Similarly, many things concerning goods of the future life, although described corporeally, must be understood simply.
Chapter XIX Concerning the first speculation and its nature It should be known—indeed one is not able to ignore it—that the consideration that is in imagination alone occurs more easily to a person meditating. For that which is mixed with understanding alone, being more subtle, is more difficult to discover. This is the reason that Dan is born first and Naphtali, second. In this twofold consideration it is especially notable that Dan represents a made-up imagination of future things according to an actual imagination of present things. Certainly Naphtali often rises to true understanding through the made-up imagination of a description of things. In fact, one may not fashion anything false concerning future and invisible goods through spiritual understanding, although it is without fault to perceive through imagination the torments of the wicked as other than they are. In fact, who suffices to contemplate in this life all these things as they are? But anyone by the decision of the mind describes these things not as they are but of such sort as he knows how to fabricate, in a figure. Therefore perhaps such a son as this is called Dan, that is "judgment," because in such a representation he follows not the lesson of experience but the decision of his discretion. For since Dan forms the representation of future things in each person's mind from that person's own judgment,
I think anyone rightly calls Dan, that is judgment, the artificer of such things.
Chapter XX Concerning the function of the first speculation Nevertheless there is another reason for this name, which, perhaps being more subtle, is found to be more useful. For as often as holy men feel themselves to be beset by shameful thoughts and to
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be spurred on to illicit delights, so often are they accustomed in the very approach of temptation to place future torments before the eyes of the mind and from such consideration to blot out whatever illicit thing the mind suggests, before shameful delight arises.
Therefore, in this way immediately they punish themselves through consideration of punishment and destroy the allurements of sin. Therefore, because through the function of Dan we perceive, reprove, condemn and punish seductive thoughts, we rightly call him Dan, that is judgment. But why do we say this concerning only shameful thoughts, since perfect men seriously detest vain and useless thoughts, according to that which is found written: "Woe to you who think useless thoughts" (Mich.
2:1)? And, "The Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from that which is made-up and will withdraw himself from thoughts that are without any understanding" (Wisd.
1:5). What will happen, I ask, concerning these things that we feel with an illicit affection, when the Holy Spirit withdraws himself even from those that are without any understanding? Often it happens that having been established in prayer, we must bear certain phantasies of thought throwing themselves at the heart with great importunity. But ought we to overlook such things without our reprehension?
Is it not necessary to reprove these things more quickly, and as it has been said, by means of the representation of punishment to restrain the irritation of sin and to chasten it by our thoughts? Therefore it is written: "Dan shall judge his people just as the other tribes of Israel do" (Gen. 49:16).
Certainly, to the sons of Zelpha pertains discipline of works; to the sons of Leah, disposition of the will; to the sons of Rachel, judgment of assertions; to the sons of Bala, surely, governing of thoughts. Thus any thought is judged in its tribe, as it were, when every error is corrected by its parallel, when will is corrected by will, when work is chastened by work, and assertion is corrected by assertion. As often as we think anything false, as often as we will anything unjust, as often as we do anything disordered, immediately we are in no way ignorant that we are blamable. But do all persons equally judge that they are worthy of blame when they think a useless or disordered thing? There are many who blame themselves for a perverse work or a depraved will. There are few
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who judge themselves for a disordered thought. But because perfect men do this and because it is necessary that those who wish to be perfect do this, therefore Jacob foretells and teaches, saying: "Dan shall judge his people just as the other tribes of Israel do."
Chapter XXI Concerning the usefulness of the first speculation If Dan watches over his people strictly, if he exercises his judgment diligently, it will happen that in other tribes those things will rarely be found which rightly should be condemned. For the mind that immediately cuts off a seductive thought in the very suggestion will not be easily carried away in depraved delight, just as the sin that is stopped before depraved consent never passes into act. Therefore more than all the others Dan should be alert and severe in judgment so that it may be granted for others to live for the greater part without contention and dispute. Dan always will find in his tribe what he ought to examine, what he ought rightly to reprehend, although in the others it may happen that sometimes some of them might be found without fault. For the fault of these others is in the will, while his disorder is often because of necessity.
For I never approve evil, never give consent to evil, never accomplish evil, except I myself shall have willed it. However, it is possible for evil to occur by thought, even against one's will. But when evil rises up, when it strikes by means of thought, it immediately pertains to Dan to bring it to judgment, to crush it diligently, to condemn it when apprehended, and to strike a deceptive thought out of any other consideration, and to extinguish evil temptations by means of the recollection of torments.\You see,
I think, how rightly this son is called Dan, that is judgment, concerning whom alone there is hesitation whether he should have to judge his people since he alone, if it is possible, ought to judge not only assiduously but also strictly, so that the others do not have anything they ought to judge!
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Chapter XXII Concerning the second speculation and its nature Just as it pertains to the office of Dan to restrain upsurging vices by the representation of punishment, so then it pertains to NaphtaH to kindle good longings through the consideration of rewards. For Naphtali marvelously kindles our soul with longing for these things as often as he brings the image of eternal goods before the eyes of the mind, which he is accustomed to do in two modes.
For sometimes he uses translation, other times, comparison.
It is comparison when from the multitude or magnitude of present goods he gathers how many or how great those joys of the future life may be. For example: Looking often at the brightness of the sun
(which, to be sure, is corporeal light), he considers how great that future spiritual light will be if this corporeal light is so large and so marvelous. For how great do you think that light will be, which will be in common with us and the angels, if this light that we have in common with the beasts is so great! Of what kind will be the future light of the blessed if this present light of the miserable is such! Again, he infers the multiplicity of invisible goods from the multitude of visible goods. Therefore how many shall we suppose them to be? But who is able to count them? How many delights of the eyes, how many delights of the ears and other senses are there?
How many colors, how many odors, how many flavors are there?
Therefore if there are so many delights of bodies, how many delights of spirits will there be? If we possess so much in this temporal life, how great will be those things which we expect in eternity?
Therefore, in this mode, he uses comparison. Nonetheless, he uses translation, as has been said, when he transfers any description whatever of visible things to the signification of invisible things.
For example: He hears light mentioned in Scripture, as when it has been written concerning God: "Because he lives in light inaccessible" (1 Tim. 6:16). So he inquires what is this incorporeal light that the invisible and incorporeal nature of God inhabits, and he discovers that this light is the very wisdom of God because it is the true light. For just as this exterior light illuminates the eyes of the body, so without any doubt, that incorporeal light is accustomed to il-
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luminate the eyes of the heart. Behold how NaphtaH rises up by means of the quaUty of visible things to knowledge of invisible things. Therefore it is evident how rightly he is called Naphtali according to both interpretations. For Naphtali is interpreted as either "comparison" or "conversion." For he is accustomed to convert any known nature of visible things to spiritual understanding.
Therefore because he converts to spiritual understanding almost everything he finds written, he rightly receives the name of conversion. And also because he assiduously uses comparison, as has been said, no less rightly is he named Naphtali, that is comparison.
Chapter XXIII What is familiar and even special to the second speculation However, it should be known that the kind of contemplation that occurs in pure understanding is known to be more subtle as it certainly is more excellent than a speculation of the kind that is designated by Naphtali.
Nevertheless, a speculation of this kind has something singular and very notable. For in the case of other minds as yet certainly unskilled and untrained, it is easier to understand and more enjoyable to listen to. Indeed this presents itself more easily to one who meditates and affects more sweetly one who listens.
It is clear and very ready in meditation and very affable in speaking. For this reason it is said of Naphtali by Jacob: "Naphtali is a hind sent forth, giving words of beauty" (Gen. 49:21). For he is called "hind" on account of facility for running; "sent forth" on account of eagerness for running. The hind, a swift animal, is able to run very fast, and he who has been sent out desires to run fast.
Therefore, unless I am mistaken, Naphtali is rightly called "a hind sent forth," since by the grace of contemplation he has the ability to run through many things, and on account of the sweetness of contemplation it pleases him to run fast. For in such speed Naphtali now raises the contemplative soul (still trained very little in such an exercise) to the heights, now casts it headlong into the depths, now snatches it through innumerable things so that the soul that experiences these things often marvels in itself, having been taught by a
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successful master, how aptly our Naphtali is called a hind sent forth.
Certainly it should be noted how rightly he may be compared not to a bird flying but to a hind running. For indeed a bird when flying is suspended far above the earth, while a hind when making a jump begins from the earth and is not separated very far from the earth in these jumps. So certainly Naphtali, when he seeks the nature of invisible things by means of the form of visible things, is accustomed to make a sort of leap, not however to gain strength for full flight, since to the degree that he raises himself to the heights he never entirely leaves the depths, carrying with him the shadow of corporeal things.
Chapter XXIV How great the joy of the second speculation is Behold how he is "a hind sent forth." But how is he "giving words of beauty"? Perhaps the more evidently we show this by an example, the more completely we can persuade. You wish to hear words of beauty, words of pleasantness, full of beauty, full of sweetness, such as Naphtali is accustomed to form, or such as he agrees to form. "Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth" (Song of Songs 1:1). "Stay me with flowers, comfort me with apples, for I am sick with love" (ibid.
2:5). "Your lips, O my spouse, drip like a honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue; and the smell of your garments is like an aromatic odor" (ibid. 4:1 1). What,
I ask, is found sweeter or more joyful than such words? What is heard more gladly or more avidly than such words? These words seem to sound like something carnal, but nevertheless spiritual things are described by means of them. Thus Naphtali knew to mix carnal things with spiritual things and to describe incorporeal things by means of corporeal things so that the twofold nature of man finds in his words that from which he who consists of both corporeal and incorporeal nature might marvelously refresh himself. Perhaps it is for this reason that they taste so pleasantly to man because in a way, as has been said, they refresh his twofold nature. However, in his
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words, that is marvelous and worthy of wonder which almost always pleases more delightfully, when according to the literal sense they seem to mean nothing. This is of such sort: "Your hair is like a flock of goats that ascend from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep that come up from the washing" (Song of Songs 4:1-2). "Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus. Your head is like Carmel" (ibid. 7:4-5). When we hear or read these and other such things, they seem to be very delightful. Nevertheless in all of these, if we follow only the sense of the letter, we find nothing in them at which we may worthily marvel. But perhaps in such words this is what we so gladly embrace: that from a kind of pleasing silliness, so to speak, of the literal sense, we are forced to take refuge in spiritual understanding.
If, therefore, we think how quick our Naphtali is in meditation, how pleasing he is in speaking, the more speedily we will perceive how rightly Scripture proclaims concerning him: "Naphtali a hind let loose, giving words of beauty" (Gen. 49:21).
Chapter XXV Concerning the twofold offspring of virtues, which is born from conquered sensation But meanwhile we want these words to suffice for the sons of Bala. Now it remains that we should say something concerning the sons of Zelpha. Leah, seeing that her sister Rachel now rejoices in adopted offspring, is herself provoked to give her handmaid to her husband, so that she may be able to exult with her sister in adopted sons. Therefore if, as has been said above, we ought to understand the senses by means of Zelpha, I ask what other offspring of virtue is she herself able to bear except that she learns to live temperately in prosperity and to have patience in adversity? These are Gad and Asher, the two sons of Zelpha: namely, the rigor of abstinence and the vigor of patience. And so Gad is born first, and Asher is born second, because first we must be temperate toward our own goods; afterward we must be strong to endure alien evils.
This is the