Asher, tenth son of Jacob, born of Zilpah, spoke to his sons in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life, while still in health. "Hearken, you children of Asher, to your father, and I will declare to you all that is upright in the sight of the Lord."
His teaching was philosophical and precise. Two ways has God given to the sons of men. Two inclinations. Two kinds of action. Two modes. Two outcomes. Everything exists in pairs, one set against the other. Good and evil. Light and dark. The two inclinations dwell in every human breast, and the soul must choose between them.
"If the soul takes pleasure in the good inclination," Asher taught, "all its actions are in righteousness. And if it sins, it straightway repents, for its thoughts are set upon righteousness, and it casts away wickedness, overthrows evil, and uproots sin." But if the soul inclines to the evil inclination, all its actions are in wickedness. It drives away the good, cleaves to the evil, and is ruled by Beliar. Even when it works what seems good, Beliar perverts the outcome to evil.
Asher then cataloged the most dangerous deception: the person who appears righteous but is rotten within. A man who shows compassion only to serve his own ends. A man who loves an evildoer and would die for evil. A man who conceals wickedness behind a good name. A man who steals and defrauds yet pities the poor. A man who commits adultery and fornication yet fasts devoutly. These are the double-faced, and Asher condemned them utterly.
"Such men are like hares," he said, "clean in appearance, like those that divide the hoof, but in truth unclean. For God in the tables of the commandments has thus declared."
"Do not wear two faces like them," Asher commanded, "of goodness and of wickedness. Cleave unto goodness only, for God has His habitation therein. From wickedness flee away, destroying the evil inclination by your good works. For the double-faced serve not God, but their own lusts, so that they may please Beliar."
But good men of single face, even if the double-faced accuse them of sin, are just before God. One who hates the merciful-yet-unjust man, who hates the adulterer-who-fasts, follows the Lord's example, refusing to accept seeming good as genuine good. One who refuses to feast with rioters lest he pollute his soul may appear odd, but is clean. "Such men are like stags and hinds," Asher said, "which seem unclean in the manner of wild animals, but are altogether clean, because they walk in zeal for the Lord."
He laid out the cosmic pairing: in wealth hides covetousness, in conviviality hides drunkenness, in laughter hides grief, in wedlock hides profligacy. Death follows life. Dishonor follows glory. Night follows day. Darkness follows light. Eternal life awaits beyond death. Truth cannot be called a lie, nor right called wrong, for all truth is under the light, even as all things are under God.
"All these things I proved in my life," Asher said, "and I wandered not from the truth of the Lord. I searched out the commandments of the Most High, walking according to all my strength with singleness of face unto that which is good."
He warned of the judgment: "When the soul departs troubled, it is tormented by the evil spirit which it also served in lusts and evil works. But if it is peaceful with joy, it meets the angel of peace, and he leads it into eternal life."
"Become not as Sodom," Asher warned, "which sinned against the angels of the Lord and perished forever." He foresaw that his sons would sin and be scattered to the four corners of the earth, set at naught in the dispersion, vanishing like water. But the Most High would visit the earth, and the Lord would gather them together in faith through His tender mercy, for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
"Bury me in Hebron," Asher commanded. He fell asleep at a good old age, and his sons carried him to Hebron and buried him with his fathers.
TESTAMENT OF ASHER, THE TENTH SON OF JACOB AND ZILPAH.
1 1 The copy of the Testament of Asher, what things he spake to his
sons in the hundred and 2 twenty-fifth year of his life. For while he was still
in health, he said to them: Hearken, ye children of Asher, to your father, and I
will declare to you all that is upright in the sight of the Lord. 3 Two ways
hath God given to the sons of men, and two inclinations, and two kinds of
action, and 4 two modes (of action), and two issues. Therefore all things are by
twos, one over against the 5 other. For there are two ways of good and evil, and
with these are the two inclinations in our 6 breasts discriminating them.
Therefore if the soul take pleasure in the good (inclination), all its 7 actions
are in righteousness; and if it sin it straightway repenteth. For, having its
thoughts set upon righteousness, and casting away wickedness, it straightway
overthroweth the evil, and uprooteth 8 the sin. But if it incline to the evil
inclination, all its actions are in wickedness, and it driveth away the good,
and cleaveth to the evil, and is ruled by Beliar; even though it work what is
good, 9 he perverteth it to evil. For whenever it beginneth to do good, he
forceth the issue of the action into evil for him, seeing that the treasure of
the inclination is filled with an evil spirit.
2 1 A person then may with words help the good for the sake of the
evil, yet the issue of the action 2 leadeth to mischief. There is a man who
showeth no compassion upon him who serveth his turn in 3 evil; and this thing
hath two aspects, but the whole is evil. And there is a man that loveth him that
worketh evil, because he would prefer even to die in evil for his sake; and
concerning this it is clear that it hath two aspects, but the whole is an evil
work. 4 Though indeed he have love, yet is he wicked who concealeth what is evil
for the sake of the good name, but the end of the action tendeth unto evil. 5
Another stealeth, doeth unjustly, plundereth, defraudeth, and withal pitieth the
poor: this too 6 hath a twofold aspect, but the whole is evil. He who defraudeth
his neighbour provoketh God, and sweareth falsely against the Most High, and yet
pitieth the poor: the Lord who commandeth the 7 law he setteth at nought and
provoketh, and yet he refresheth the poor. He defileth the soul, and maketh gay
the body; he killeth many, and pitieth a few: this, too, hath a twofold aspect,
but the 8 whole is evil. Another committeth adultery and fornication, and
abstaineth from meats, and when he fasteth he doeth evil, and by the power of
his wealth overwhelmeth many; and notwithstanding his excessive wickedness he
doeth the commandments: this, too, hath a twofold aspect, but the 9 whole is
evil. Such men are hares; clean,- like those that divide the hoof, but in very
deed are 10 unclean. For God in the tables of the commandments hath thus
declared.
3 1 But do not ye, my children, wear two faces like unto them, of
goodness and of wickedness; but 2 cleave unto goodness only, for God hath his
habitation therein, and men desire it. But from wickedness flee away, destroying
the (evil) inclination by your good works; for they that are double-faced serve
not God, but their own lusts, so that they may please Beliar and men like unto
themselves.
4 1 For good men, even they that are of single face, though they be
thought by them that are double 2 faced to sin, are just before God. For many in
killing the wicked do two works, of good and evil; 3 but the whole is good,
because he hath uprooted and destroyed that which is evil. One man hateth the
merciful and unjust man, and the man who committeth adultery and fasteth: this,
too, hath a two fold aspect, but the whole work is good, because he followeth
the Lord's example, in that he 4 accepteth not the seeming good as the genuine
good. Another desireth not to see a good day with them that riot, lest he defile
his body and pollute his soul: this, too, is double-faced, but the whole is 5
good. For such men are like to stags and to hinds, because in the manner of wild
animals they seem to be unclean, but they are altogether clean; because they
walk in zeal for the Lord and abstain from what God also hateth and forbiddeth
by His commandments, warding off the evil from the good.
5 1 Ye see, my children, how that there are two in all things, one
against the other, and the one is hidden by the other: in wealth (is hidden)
covetousness, in conviviality drunkenness, in laughter 2 grief, in wedlock
profligacy. Death succeedeth to life, dishonour to glory, night to day, and
darkness to light; [and all things are under the day, just things under life,
unjust things under 3 death;] wherefore also eternal life awaiteth death. Nor
may it be said that truth is a lie, nor 4 right wrong; for all truth is under
the light, even as all things are under God. All these things, therefore, I
proved in my life, and I wandered not from the truth of the Lord, and I searched
out the commandments of the Most High, walking according to all my strength with
singleness of face unto that which is good.
6 1 Take heed, therefore, ye also, my children, to the commandments of
the Lord, following the truth 2 with singleness of face. For they that are
double-faced are guilty of a twofold sin; for they both do the evil thing and
they have pleasure in them that do it, following the example of the spirits of 3
deceit, and striving against mankind. Do ye, therefore, my children, keep the
law of the Lord, and give not heed unto evil as unto good; but look unto the
thing that is really good, and keep it in all 4 commandments of the Lord, having
your conversation therein, and resting therein. For the latter ends of men do
show their righteousness (or unrighteousness), when they meet the angels of the
5 Lord and of Satan. For when the soul departs troubled, it is tormented by the
evil spirit which also it served in lusts and evil works. 6 But if he is
peaceful with joy he meeteth the angel of peace, and he leadeth him into eternal
life.
7 1 Become not, my children, as Sodom, which sinned against the angels
of the Lord, and perished for 2 ever. For I know that ye shall sin, and be
delivered into the hands of your enemies; and your land shall be made desolate,
and your holy places destroyed, and ye shall be scattered unto the four 3
corners of the earth. And ye shall be set at nought in the dispersion vanishing
away as water. Until the Most High shall visit the earth, coming Himself [as
man, with men eating and drinking, and breaking the head of the dragon in the
water. He shall save Israel and all the Gentiles [God speaking in 4 the person
of man]. [Therefore do ye also, my children, tell these things to your children,
that they 5 disobey Him not. For I have known that ye shall assuredly be
disobedient, and assuredly act ungodly, not giving heed to the law of God, but
to the commandments of men, being corrupted 6 through wickedness. And therefore
shall ye be scattered as Gad and Dan my brethren, and ye shall 7 know not your
lands, tribe, and tongue. But the Lord will gather you together in faith through
His tender mercy, and for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.]
8 1 And when he had said these things unto them he commanded them,
saying: Bury me in Hebron. 2 And he fell asleep and died at a good old age. And
his sons did as he had commanded them, and they carried him up to Hebron, and
buried him with his fathers.
THE
