על צאצאי קין ט׳On the Posterity of Cain and his Exile 9
א׳
1[27] Let such men be hung on desire as from a halter. But Abraham the wise, being one who stands, draws near to God the standing One; for it says “he was standing before the Lord and he drew near and said” (Gen. 18:22 f.). For only a truly unchanging soul has access to the unchanging God, and the soul that is of such a disposition does in very deed stand near to the Divine power.
ב׳
2[28] But what shows in the clearest light the firm steadfastness of the man of worth is the oracle communicated to the all-wise Moses which runs thus: “But as for thee stand thou here by Me” (Deut. 5:31). This oracle proves two things, one that the Existent Being who moves and turns all else is Himself exempt from movement and turning; and secondly that He makes the worthy man sharer of His own Nature, which is repose. For I take it that, just as crooked things are straightened by a correct ruler, so moving things are brought to a stop and made stationary by the force of Him Who stands.
ג׳
3[29] In this case He charges another to stand with Him. Elsewhere He says, “I will go down with thee into Egypt, and will bring thee up at last” (Gen. 46:4). He does not say “thou with Me.” Why is this? Because quiescence and abiding are characteristic of God, but change of place and all movement that makes for such change is characteristic of creation. When then He invites a man to the good peculiar to Him, He says “Do thou stand with Me,” not “I with thee:” for in God’s case standing is not a future but an ever present act.
ד׳
4[30] But when He comes to that which is proper to creation, His words will quite rightly be “I will go down with thee,” for to thee change of place is appropriate. Accordingly with Me no one shall go down—for I know no turning or change—but one shall stand, seeing that quiescence is dear to Me. But with those who go down in the sense of changing their place—for change of place is near of kin to them—I will go down, in all-pervading Presence without any alteration of locality, seeing I have filled the universe with Myself.
ה׳
5[31] I do this in pity for rational nature, that it may be caused to rise out of the nether world of the passions into the upper region of virtue guided step by step by Me, Who have laid down the road that leads to heaven and appointed it as a highway for all suppliant souls, that they might not grow weary as they tread it.”