84:1.7

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.

Yet, though there were so many circumstances connected with love of children to draw on a mother to sympathy, in the case of none of them were the various tortures able to pervert her principle. But she inclined each one separately and all together to death for religion. O holy nature and parental feeling, and reward of bringing up children, and unconquerable maternal affection! At the racking and roasting of each one of them, the observant mother was prevented by religion from changing. She saw her children’s flesh dissolving around the fire, and their extremities quivering on the ground, and the flesh of their heads dropped forward down to their beards, like masks.