על הגירת אברהם ל׳On the Migration of Abraham 30
א׳
1[164] The lover of sound sense will, therefore, as I said, set a barrier between him and the man who, like a drone, has set himself to make havoc of the useful labours of the bees, and who follows for the sake of doing this, while those who in their enthusiasm for all that is morally excellent accompany them on their journey from a wish to copy them, he will welcome and allot to them such portions as are suitable: for Abraham says “of the men that journeyed with me Eshcol and Aunan, these shall receive Mamre as their portion” (Gen. 14:24); meaning characters well endowed by nature and lovers of the higher vision.
ב׳
2[165] For Eshcol is a symbol of good natural ability, his name meaning “fire,” for natural ability like fire is full of daring, and hot, and fastens on whatever it touches. Aunan represents the vision-lover, for it means “eyes,” since the eyes of the soul also are opened by cheerfulness. And of both of these the contemplative life is the inheritance receiving the name of Mamre, which in our language is “from seeing”; and there is an intimate connexion between seeing and contemplation.
ג׳
3[166] When the mind, having such trainers as these, omits nothing that will make for its training, it runs by the side of perfect sound sense, neither getting in front nor dropping behind, but taking strides of the same length and strength. This is manifest from the plain statement of the oracle that they “both journeyed and came together to the place of which God had told him” (Gen. 22:8).
ד׳
4[167] There is indeed an extraordinary equality in virtues, when labour has vied with natural fitness, and acquired skill with self-tutored nature, and the pair have proved capable of carrying off virtue’s prizes in equal measure. It is just as though painting and sculpture were producing not only as they do now creations destitute of movement and life, but had the power to make the works of brush and chisel living and moving things; it would then be felt, that whereas they were formerly arts copying Nature’s works, they had now become themselves embodiments of nature.