Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
As his life partner, Amram chose his aunt Jochebed, who was born the
same day with him.[33] She was the daughter of Levi, and she owed her
name, "Divine Splendor," to the celestial light that radiated from her
countenance.[34] She was worthy of being her husband's helpmeet, for
she was one of the midwives that had imperilled their own lives to
rescue the little Hebrew babes. Indeed, if God had not allowed a
miracle to happen, she and her daughter Miriam would have been killed
by Pharaoh for having resisted his orders and saved the Hebrew children
alive. When the king sent his hangmen for the two women, God caused
them to become invisible, and the bailiffs bad to return without
accomplishing their errand.[35]
The first child of the union between Amram and Jochebed, his wife, who
was one hundred and twenty-six years old at the time of her marriage,
was a girl, and the mother called her Miriam, "Bitterness," for it was
at the time of her birth that the Egyptians began to envenom the life
of the Hebrews. The second child was a boy, called Aaron, which means,
"Woe unto this pregnancy!" because Pharaoh's instructions to the
midwives, to kill the male children of the Hebrews, was proclaimed
during the months before Aaron's birth.[36]
THE BIRTH OF MOSES
When Amram separated from his wife on account of the edict published
against the male children of the Hebrews, and his example was followed
by all the Israelites, his daughter Miriam said to him: "Father, thy
decree is worse than Pharaoh's decree. The Egyptians aim to destroy
only the male children, but thou includest the girls as well. Pharaoh
deprives his victims of life in this world, but thou preventest
children from being born, and thus thou deprivest them of the future
life, too. He resolves destruction, but who knows whether the intention
of the wicked can persist? Thou art a righteous man, and the enactments
of the righteous are executed by God, hence thy decree will be upheld."
Amram recognized the justice of her plea, and he repaired to the
Sanhedrin, and put the matter before this body. The members of the
court spoke, and said: "It was thou that didst separate husbands and
wives, and from thee should go forth the permission for re-marriage."
Amram then made the proposition that each of the members of the
Sanhedrin return to his wife, and wed her clandestinely, but his
colleagues repudiated the plan, saying, "And who will make it known
unto the whole of Israel? "
Accordingly, Amram stood publicly under the wedding canopy with his
divorced wife Jochebed, while Aaron and Miriam danced about it, and the
angels proclaimed, "Let the mother of children be joyful!" His
re-marriage was solemnized with great ceremony, to the end that the men
that bad followed his example in divorcing their wives might imitate
him now in taking them again unto themselves. And so it happened.[37]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account