Chapter XXVI
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twofold offspring of virtues that Zelpha indeed bears in pain, but nevertheless to the great blessedness of her mistress.
Indeed, by abstinence or patience the flesh certainly is afflicted, but the soul is quieted, resulting in great peace and tranquillity. This is the reason why when Gad was born, Leah cried out, saying "Happily"; and again, when Asher was being born she spoke out, saying: "This is for my blessedness" (Gen.
30:11, 13). "For my blessedness," she said, not "for hers." For when sense experience through the external flesh is weakened, then affection of the heart is restored to the integrity of purity.
Chapter XXVI Concerning the rigor of abstinence , the vigor ofpatience, and the nature of both For how great do you think is the peace of heart or tranquillity to crave none of the pleasures of the world, to fear none of its adversities? One of these is acquired through Gad; the other is obtained through Asher. For what should he who by love of abstinence rejects proffered delights crave from the pleasures of this world? Or what should he, who when strengthened by the virtue of patience conquers even those who cause evils, fear concerning the adversities of this world? As it has been written about the apostles:
"And the apostles departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer abuse for the name of Jesus" (Acts 5:41). And as it is taught by Paul: "Rejoicing in tribulation" (Rom.
12:12). Therefore what would diminish the joy of that one who exults even about injury that is inflicted or any sort of tribulation? He looks to beatitude of the soul, whatever harshness the flesh endures for the love of God.
Therefore the body is bruised, conscience is made glad. And the more unhappy he seems to be externally, the more blessed he is internally. For there are two things of which the joy of beatitude consists: to be free of that which you do not wish and to have what you do wish. For we call him happy who suffers nothing he does not wish, and we judge that
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one blessed for whom those things which he desires are present.
Therefore, whoever hates the pleasures of the world on account of longing for heaven will certainly be able to avoid his enemies everywhere by means of abstinence. Therefore, rigor of abstinence is rightly called Gad, that is happiness, who everywhere tramples underfoot the allurements of the world that he despises. Likewise:
Where, I ask, will he who loves affliction of the body for the love of God not discover something from whence he is able to be afflicted?
Therefore if he who everywhere finds what he loves is rightly thought to be blessed, then vigor of patience is rightly called Asher, that is "blessed," who meets everywhere what he desires. Behold two lovers: the one a lover of God, the other a lover of the world.
The former loves temporal afflictions on account of God; the latter desires an abundance of temporal goods. In fact, the former is able to find everywhere what he loves on account of God; the latter is able on no occasion to take hold of the abundance of good things for which he thirsts. Which of these is the more blessed? Again behold two others, of whom one hates the adversity of this world, while the other despises worldly delight. But where,
I ask, will the former be able to avoid his enemy; or should the latter not be able to trample his enemy? Which of these, I ask, is the happier? Scripture says: "Blessed is the man that has not gone after gold, nor put his trust in chests of money" (Ecclus.
31:8). And again: "Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he will receive the crown of life" (James 1:12). These are Gad and Asher: the first of whom tramples worldly glory while the second gladly endures the tribulation of the world on account of God.
It should be especially noted and profoundly remembered that sacred Scripture wished to name the labor of abstinence not a calamity but happiness, and determined to call the rigor of patience not misery but blessed. Here we wish to recall this: that we ought to understand by Gad not only that abstinence which is found in food and drinks.
Quite the contrary: By Gad and Asher we understand abstinence from all superfluous delight and patience in any affliction of the body, in all things that by the five senses either delight or torment the flesh.
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Chapter XXVII That appetite ofsensation cannot be governed ifwandering ofimagination is not restrained But when, I ask, would Leah have given her handmaid to her husband or would she have adopted such sons unless she had been provoked by the example of her sister? For it always happens that the handmaid of Rachel, rather than Leah's, is brought under the power of the man first. For if wandering of imagination that takes place by means of useless thoughts is not curbed, without doubt the immoderate appetite of sensation cannot be governed at all. Therefore whoever wants to govern longing for corporeal pleasures must first become accustomed to think never— or rarely— about carnal delights. For example, doubtless the more rarely you may have thought about such things, certainly the more rarely, the more tepidly you will desire them.
Unless I am mistaken, this is the reason why Bala bows down under the dominion of the man before Zelpha. Nonetheless, it is known that Leah would never have made adoptive sons from Gad and Asher, that is abstinence and patience, unless she had continually seen the adopted children of her sister
Rachel. For who would ever be able to persuade the affection of the heart to despise the prosperity of this world and not to fear its adversities unless by the suggestions of Dan and Naphtali it were compelled to look not only frequently but almost unceasingly at the torments or eternal rewards of future life? Now, however, through assiduous consideration of future evils, he is easily persuaded to despise present goods. And again, by continual contemplation of eternal happiness, he is kindled to a willing endurance of temporal tribulation. This is, I think, why Dan and Naphtali should be born first, and why Gad and Asher should be begotten second.
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Chapter XXVIII How the soul is strengthened for all obedience by means of abstinence and patience After Gad and Asher are born, the time now approaches when
Ruben should discover the mandrakes, if only he is not loathe to go forth outside. But why do we doubt that he wishes to go out, when we already know that he is able to go in or out?
It should be believed that after his mother has borne so many children, after so many children of Bala and Zelpha, he is already mature and is able and wishes to go out and enter his father's kingdom. But if by Ruben, as has been said above, we understand fear of God, what ought we to understand by his going in and going out? What does it mean that he either is within or goes outside? Ruben is within when in the secret place of the heart, in the presence of God, we fear concerning our conscience. Ruben then goes forth when on account of God we bend even ourselves to all obedience to men. And so, fearing God on account of himself and fearing men on account of God, Ruben at one time stays within and at another time goes forth. Ruben goes out at the time of the harvest of wheat when from a command he exercises himself in works of justice. But when, do you think, does Ruben grow stronger in perfect obedience except when Gad and Asher (i.e., the love of abstinence and of patience) animate him to despise pleasure or to tolerate tribulation? For there are two things that are accustomed to hinder the perfection of obedience, namely lest we be forced either to abandon what is loved or to tolerate what is adverse. But if the soul has once been inflamed with love of abstinence and perfection of patience, then Ruben continually submits himself to all obedience without any objection.
For what difficulty will be able to diminish any further the obedience of one who has decided of himself to endure adversities as well as not to delight in prosperity? For if on account of the love of God
I strive after every kind of hard and harsh thing for myself, why shall I not endure these things more completely from added obedience for the glory of greater merit? Therefore Ruben is rightly said to go forth after the birth of Gad and Asher, because from volun-
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tary abstinence and patience, fear of the Lord is strengthened for all obedience.
Chapter XXIX How human praise rises upfrom abstinence, and how carefully the appetite for it ought to be governed But how much and what kind of an odor of good opinion of himself is scattered all around by one who is not hindered from the pursuit of obedience by any trouble or by any need? These are the mandrakes that Ruben found and that his mother Leah received from him. For what except the fame of good opinion should we understand by means of the mandrakes, which are accustomed to scatter widely their odor?
Certainly Leah receives them when praise that has been offered touches affection, when the soul is affected in the proclamation of her own praise and is delighted in the perverse aura of popular favor. Rachel begs a part of these. Leah complies, so that she who burns with a greater desire for offspring may receive a husband. In fact, the Holy Spirit in no way makes fruitful a mind that, when advised by reason, does not moderate appetite for vain praise. And so it is one Spirit who enriches each sister with an abundance of offspring since the same
Spirit both illumines reason for cognition of truth and inflames affection for love of virtue. Therefore reason urges affection to moderate appetite for human favor under reason's guidance if it desires to rejoice for multiplying the offspring of virtues from a marriage bond with the divine Spirit. And so possession of the mandrakes is brought under the power of Rachel when appetite for praise is moderated under the rule of reason.
It should be noted, of course, how temperately Rachel begged not all the mandrakes but only part of them: for this is not hidden from reason, that it is very difficult for the soul, although it struggles, not to rejoice on account of praise which has been offered.
Love of human praise first ought to be moderated; afterward, if it is possible, it ought utterly to be cut off. This is why it is read that Rachel begged part of the mandrakes.
In fact, Leah, speaking to
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Jacob afterward, does not boast of a part only: "You must come in to me for I have hired you for a fee with my son's mandrakes" (Gen.
30:16). "With the mandrakes," she says; not "with part of the mandrakes of my son." With the husband absent, Leah scarcely gives up a part until now, but inflamed more fully with longing for him at his arrival she wishes nothing at all from them to be reserved for her. So, of course, the mind of man when it is touched with spiritual sweetness gladly forgets whatever it craved earlier from human praise. In this way the mandrakes are taken from Leah's possession and are placed under Rachel's control. For Rachel knows better than Leah how to use the mandrakes. For whatever the affection of the heart acquires for praise of itself, reason more rightly turns it back to the glory of God. But what are we to say is the reason that Ruben was able to find the mandrakes of good opinion before the other sons of Leah?
Chapter XXX From what source praise most particularly ought to be accustomed to rise up; and that true praise ought to be from right will
We know that the works of the virtues that nourish all the other virtues almost always extinguish humility.
For the things done by Gad and Asher— viz., the works of abstinence and patience— are accustomed, when men marvel at them, to render the worker not fearful but arrogant; to make him not so much humble as obstinate. What should be more marvelous, what more greatly proclaimed by praise of all, than that the respect of fear is not diminished but is increased in things divine although in other things it is often extinguished? Therefore, because we are accustomed to extol with extraordinary praise a person whom we see to be disturbed not a little by small offenses not only concerning God but also concerning man, Ruben is rightly said to have found mandrakes after the births of Gad and Asher since we marvel at anyone advancing from the above-mentioned works to fear rather than arrogance.
Of course it should be noted that these mandrakes about which
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we have been speaking are read to have been found neither after Leah had borne so many offspring nor after the two offspring of Bala but immediately after the birth of the sons of Zelpha. In fact, wills pertain to the sons of Leah; thoughts, to the sons of Bala; actions, to the sons of Zelpha. And so how can we marvel at wills or thoughts, however much right, how much soever useful? When shall we praise those wills or thoughts that we cannot see at all?
And although there should be praise for right will, nevertheless we do not praise it unless it is evident in work. For by means of good work a good will becomes known so that justly it is able to find the praise of good opinion like certain widely fragrant mandrakes.
Therefore just as after Zelpha gives birth the offspring of Leah is thought to find the mandrakes, so when good will has been made manifest by means of good work it is honored everywhere by an admiring proclamation of praise.
Chapter XXXI How the discipline of the heart, like that of the body, is strengthened by the above-mentioned virtues However, concerning sons of these two handmaids, this ought not to be omitted negligently but ought to be retained joined together in the memory, that from their watchfulness and alert guard the city of our conscience is wonderfully guarded and much defended. For the firstborn of Bala pacifies it internally. The firstborn of Zelpha strengthens it externally.
Evils rising up internally are restrained by Dan. Evils rising up externally are repelled by Gad.
Indeed we all know that every temptation arises either externally or internally: internally through thought; externally through sense.
For it disturbs inwardly only through thinking.
It contrives to break in from the exterior only through the senses. Without doubt, the enemy is accustomed now to provide counsels of error from within, now to direct incitements of delight from without.
But since discipline of thoughts pertains to Dan while discipline of the senses looks to Gad, surely Dan ought to be vigilant for the judgment of discretion and Gad, to fight strongly by means of the