ON REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS (DE PRAEMIIS ET POENIS)
INTRODUCTION TO DE PRAEMIIS ET POENIS
The treatise begins with some remarks on the scheme on which Moses constructed his law book (1–3) and how it was observed by some and disregarded by others (4–6). Coming to the main subject of the rewards for obedience and punishments for disobedience he notes that those described in the history may be classified under individuals, houses or groups, cities, countries and nations, and larger regions (7). We take the rewards to individuals and start with the less perfect Trinity, Enos, Enoch and Noah, who exemplify respectively hopefulness, repentance and justice. Hope is the motive of all human effort and hope in God is its only true form (8–13). Enos the hoper was rewarded with a name which means that he is a true man (14). Enoch’s repentance is rewarded by his “transference” away from the common herd to the isolation which the converted need (15–21). Noah the just was saved from the flood and made the founder of renewed mankind (22–23). The second Trinity, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, represent the true religion which despises vanity (24–27). Abraham the Taught learnt to believe in God and his reward was faith (28–30). Isaac the Self-taught instinctively rejoiced in all God’s dispensations and his reward was joy (31–35). Jacob the Practiser sought to see God, not merely to infer him from his works, and his reward was the vision indicated by his name of Israel (36–46) and also the spiritual qualities signified in the “numbing of the broad part” (47–48). These lessons are recapitulated (49–51). But we must not forget Moses and his fourfold reward of kingship, lawgiving, prophecy and priesthood (52–56).
We pass on to rewards to “houses.” Abraham and Isaac had families which contained some unworthy members: Jacob’s children alone as a body were qualified for the reward, namely the privilege of founding the twelve tribes which expanded into a great nation (57–62 and 66); incidentally we may draw a philosophical lesson from the three families as types of the children or qualities shown by the three types of soul (61–65).
We then turn to the punishments of which only two examples are given in what has come down to us. First, for individuals we have Cain, whose punishment was to be ever dying, never dead, carrying on an existence from which joy and pleasure have been eliminated and in which not only permanent grief but fear of what is coming are perpetually present (67–73). For houses we have the revolt of the Levites under Korah. Their offence is described, but the story of their punishment is lost by a break in the manuscripts (74–78); for the possibilities at this point see App. p. 455.
When the discourse, as we have it, is resumed we have come to the blessings promised in the law to the righteous. The first is victory over enemies, but before discussing who these enemies are he urges the necessity of not merely hearing but carrying out the law (79–84). The enemies are of two kinds, wild beasts and men; when men become what they should be, the beasts will also be tamed and men will eschew war with each other (85–92). War will either never come or if some still are mad enough to attack, they will be routed at once, and good government will be established (93–97). The second blessing is wealth, and many passages are cited which describe the abundance that is to be (98–107). The third is long life, and to this is appended the thought that the true long life is the good life, to which God may recall the human soul even as he promises to recall the repentant exiles (108–117). These four are external blessings; for the body there is promised the exemption from disease in which the good mind can rest and think (118–126).
He then turns to punishment or curses, all of which closely follow Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The first is famine, drought and destruction of every kind of crop by nature if not by enemy (127–133), followed by all the horrors of cannibalism (134), miseries which they will be unable to escape by suicide (135–136); enslavement with all its miseries (137–140); a curse resting not only on the land and fruits but on all undertakings (141–142); bodily diseases of every kind (143–146); the terrors of war, panic, wild beasts, destruction of cities and finally utter despair (147–151). Meanwhile the proselytes will prosper, thus teaching the lesson that it is not race but obedience which brings salvation (152). He then descants on the sabbaths which according to Leviticus the desolate land will enjoy. It had been wronged by the neglect of the sabbatical years, and will now take its rest and then after a while may produce a better race (153–158). This reminds him of the text “She that is desolate hath many children,” a saying which can be applied allegorically to the converted soul which has been deserted by its vices and brings forth virtues (159–161).
So much for the punishments, but there is also the promise of restoration to the penitent and a renewal of the national life in greater prosperity than ever (162–168); the curses will be turned upon the persecutors, who will find that their victory was transient and that the race which they despised had still a seed from which new life would spring (169–172).
ON REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS (AND CURSES)