Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
Lot also died about this time, at the age of one hundred and forty-two.
His sons, Moab and Ammon, both married Canaanitish wives. Moab begot a
son, and Ammon had six sons, and the descendants of both were numerous
exceedingly.
Abraham suffered a severe loss at the same time in the death of his
brother Nahor, whose days ended at Haran, when he had reached the age
of one hundred and seventy two years.[270]
ELIEZER'S MISSION
The death of Sarah dealt Abraham a blow from which he did not recover.
So long as she was alive, he felt himself young and vigorous, but after
she had passed away, old age suddenly overtook him.[271] It was he
himself who made the plea that age be betrayed by suitable signs and
tokens. Before the time of Abraham an old man was not distinguishable
externally from a young man, and as Isaac was the image of his father,
it happened frequently that father and son were mistaken for each
other, and a request meant for the one was preferred to the other.
Abraham prayed therefore that old age might have marks to distinguish
it from youth, and God granted his petition, and since the time of
Abraham the appearance of men changes in old age. This is one of the
seven great wonders that have occurred in the course of history.[272]
The blessing of God did not forsake Abraham in old age, either. That it
might not be said it had been granted to him only for the sake of
Sarah, God prospered him after her death, too. Hagar bore him a
daughter, and Ishmael repented of his evil ways and subordinated
himself to Isaac. And as Abraham enjoyed undisturbed happiness in his
family, so also outside, in the world. The kings of the east and the
west eagerly besieged the door of his house in order to derive benefit
from his wisdom. From his neck a precious stone was suspended, which
possessed the power of healing the sick who looked upon it. On the
death of Abraham, God attached it to the wheel of the sun. The greatest
blessing enjoyed by him, and by none beside except his son Isaac and
Jacob the son of Isaac, was that the evil inclination had no power over
him, so that in this life he had a foretaste of the future world.[273]
But all these Divine blessings showered upon Abraham were not
undeserved. He was clean of hand, and pure of heart, one that did not
lift up his soul unto vanity.[274]
He fulfilled all the commands that were revealed later, even the
Rabbinical injunctions, as, for instance, the one relating to the
limits of a Sabbath day's journey, wherefor his reward was that God
disclosed to him the new teachings which He expounded daily in the
heavenly academy.[275]
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