מי יורש קנייני אלוה ח׳Who is the Heir of Divine Things 8
א׳
1[40] Who Masek and her son are is a matter for careful consideration. Well, the name Masek is interpreted “From a kiss.” Now “kiss” is not the same as “loving.” The latter appears to signify the uniting of souls which goodwill joins together, the former merely the bare superficial salutation, which passes when some occasion has caused a meeting.
ב׳
2[41] For just as in ἀνακύπτειν (rising up) there is no idea of κύπτειν (stooping) nor in καταπίνειν (swallowing) the whole idea of πίνειν (drinking), nor in μάρσιππος (pouch) that of ἵππος (horse), so neither in καταφιλεῖν (kissing) do we have φιλεῖν (loving). For people bowing to the hard necessities of life in hundreds of cases greet their enemies thus.
ג׳
3[42] Who then she is, with whom we are brought into contact “from” or “in consequence of a kiss,” and not from true friendship, I will shew without disguise. It is the life of the senses, the assured possession of us all, for which all have a feeling of affection. The multitude regard her as a mistress, the good as their servant, not a servant of alien race or purchased with money, but homeborn and in a sense a kinswoman. The wise have been trained to greet her with a kiss, but not to love her, the others to love her deeply and regard her worthy of a triple measure of their affection.
ד׳
4[43] Now Laban the virtue-hater will not be able even to kiss the qualities which are allotted to the Man of Practice. Still since he has made hypocrisy and false inventions the cardinal principle of his life, he says, as though in dudgeon, though he has no real grief, “I was not held worthy to kiss my children and my daughters” (Gen. 31:28). The refusal of the kiss is natural and proper. For we the children have been trained to hate dissimulation, with a hatred that refuses all dealing.
ה׳
5[44] Hold then the virtues dear, embrace them with thy soul and love them truly, and thou wilt never desire to be the maker of that travesty of friendship, the kiss. “Have they, we shall say, any part or inheritance in your home? Were they not counted as aliens in your sight, or have you not sold them and devoured the money?” (Gen. 31:14, 15). You devoured the price of their redemption, lest you should ever again be able to buy them back. And now you pretend to wish to kiss them, you in the judgement of all their deadly foe.
ו׳
6Moses on the other hand will not kiss his father-in-law, but loves him with genuine heart-felt affection. For “he loved him” we read “and they greeted each other” (Ex. 18:7).
