121:3.10

O reasoning of the sons, lord over the emotions, and religion more desirable to a mother than children! The mother, when two things were set before her, religion and the safety of her seven sons for a time, on the conditional promise of a tyrant, rather elected the religion which according to God preserves to eternal life. In what way can I describe ethically the affections of parents toward their children, the resemblance of soul and of form impressed into the small type of a child in a wonderful manner, especially through the greater sympathy of mothers with the feelings of those born of them! For by how much mothers are by nature weak in disposition and prolific in offspring, by so much the fonder they are of children. Of all mothers, the mother of the seven was the fondest of children, who in seven childbirths had deeply engendered love toward them. Through her many pains undergone in connection with each one, she was compelled to feel sympathy with them; yet, through fear of God, she neglected the temporary salvation of her children. Not only so, but on account of the excellent disposition to the law, her maternal affection toward them was increased. For they were both just and temperate, and courageous, high-minded, fond of their kindred, and so fond of their mother that even to death they obeyed her by observing the law.

Consider how comprehensive is the love of offspring, which draws every one to sympathy of affection, where irrational animals possess a similar sympathy and love for their offspring with men. The tame birds frequenting the roofs of our houses defend their fledglings. Others build their nests and hatch their young on the tops of mountains, in the precipices of valleys, and the holes and tops of trees, and keep intruders away. If not able to do this, they fly circling round them in agony of affection, calling out in their own note, and save their offspring in whatever manner they are able. But why should we point attention to the sympathy toward children shown by irrational animals? Even bees, at the season of honey-making, attack all who approach, and pierce with their sting, as with a sword, those who draw near their hive, and repel them even to death. But sympathy with her children didn’t turn away the mother of the young men, who had a spirit kindred with that of Abraham.

If, then, even a woman, and that an aged one, and the mother of seven children, endured to see her children’s torments even to death, it must be admitted that religious reasoning is master even of the emotions. I have proved, then, that not only men have obtained the mastery of their emotions, but also that a woman despised the greatest torments. The lions around Daniel were not so fierce, nor the furnace of Misael burning with most vehement fires as that natural love of children burned within her, when she saw her seven sons tortured. But with the reasoning of religion the mother quenched emotions so great and powerful. For we must consider also this: that, had the woman been faint hearted, as being their mother, she would have lamented over them, and perhaps might have spoken thus: “Ah! I am wretched and many times miserable, who having born seven sons, have become the mother of none. O seven useless childbirths, and seven profitless periods of labor, and fruitless givings of suck, and miserable nursings at the breast. Vainly, for your sakes, O sons, have I endured many pangs, and the more difficult anxieties of rearing. Alas, of my children, some of you unmarried, and some who have married to no profit, I will not see your children, nor have the joy of being a grandmother. Ah, that I who had many and fair children, should be a lone widow full of sorrows! Nor, should I die, will I have a son to bury me.” But with such a lament as this, the holy and God-fearing mother wept for none of them. Nor did she divert any of them from death, nor grieve for them as for the dead. But as one possessed with an adamant mind, and as one bringing forth again her full number of sons to immortality, she rather urged them to death on behalf of religion. O woman, soldier of God for religion, you, aged and a female, have conquered through endurance even a tyrant; and even though weak, have been found more powerful in deeds and words. For when you were seized along with your children, you stood looking at Eleazar in torture, and said to your sons in the Hebrew tongue, “O sons, the contest is noble, to which you being called as a witness for the nation, strive zealously for the laws of your country. For it would be disgraceful if this old man endured pains for the sake of righteousness, and that you who are younger would be afraid of the tortures. Remember that through God, you obtained existence and have enjoyed it. Therefore, you ought to bear every affliction because of God. For him also our father Abraham was zealous to sacrifice Isaac our progenitor, and didn’t shudder at the sight of his own paternal hand descending down with the sword upon him. The righteous Daniel was cast to the lions; and Ananias, Azarias, and Misael were hurled into a fiery furnace, yet they endured through God. You, then, having the same faith toward God, don’t be troubled. For it is unreasonable that they who know religion wouldn’t stand up against troubles. With these arguments, the mother of seven, exhorting each of her sons, encouraged and persuaded them not to transgress God’s commandment. They saw this, too, that those who die for God, live to God, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the patriarchs.