Issachar, fifth son of Jacob and Leah, called his sons together and said: "Hearken, my children, to Issachar your father. Give ear to the words of him who is beloved of the Lord."
His birth was strange. Reuben had found mandrakes in the field, and Rachel wanted them desperately because the Lord had not yet given her children. Leah demanded them back, saying, "You have taken my husband; will you take these also?" A bargain was struck: Rachel would have the mandrakes, and Leah would have Jacob that night (Genesis 30:14-18). Issachar was born from that exchange. His very name meant "hire."
But if his conception was a transaction, his life was anything but complicated. Issachar discovered the secret that most human beings never learn: simplicity.
"When I grew up," he told his children, "I walked in uprightness of heart. I became a farmer for my father and my brethren, bringing in fruits from the field according to their season. My father blessed me, for he saw that I walked in rectitude before him. I was not a busybody. I was not envious or malicious. I never slandered anyone, never censured any man's life, walking in singleness of eye."
He married at thirty-five, not from desire but because the labor of farming had worn away his strength and sleep overcame him before pleasure could. He offered first-fruits through the priest to the Lord, then to his father. The Lord increased His benefits tenfold. Jacob knew that God aided Issachar's singleness of heart. On all the poor and oppressed, Issachar bestowed the good things of the earth.
Then came the teaching that burned at the center of his testament:
"The single-minded man covets not gold. He overreaches not his neighbor. He longs not after luxuries. He delights not in fine apparel. He does not desire a long life, but only waits for the will of God. The spirits of deceit have no power against him, for he looks not on the beauty of women to pollute his mind. There is no envy in his thoughts. No worry with insatiable desire. He walks in singleness of soul and beholds all things in uprightness of heart."
This was Issachar's weapon against Beliar: not mystical knowledge, not warrior strength, not priestly authority. Just honest work and a clean conscience.
"Keep the law of God and get singleness," he commanded. "Walk in guilelessness. Love the Lord and your neighbor. Have compassion on the poor and weak. Bow down your back to farming, and toil in all manner of labor, offering gifts to the Lord with thanksgiving." He reminded them that Levi received the priesthood and Judah the kingdom, and they must obey both.
He warned that in the last times, his sons' descendants would forsake singleness and cleave to insatiable desire. They would leave guilelessness for malice, abandon the commandments, and follow Beliar. They would be dispersed among the nations and serve their enemies. But if they sin, they may quickly return to the Lord, for He is merciful and will deliver them back into their land.
"I am a hundred and twenty-six years old," Issachar said, "and am not conscious of committing any sin. Except my wife, I have not known any woman. I never committed adultery by the uplifting of my eyes. I drank no wine. I coveted nothing that was my neighbor's. Guile arose not in my heart. A lie passed not through my lips. If any man was in distress, I joined my sighs with his and shared my bread with the poor."
Having said these things, he commanded his sons to carry him to Hebron and bury him in the cave with his fathers. He stretched out his feet and died at a good old age, with every limb sound and strength unabated, and slept the eternal sleep.
TESTAMENT OF ISSACHAR, THE FIFTH SON OF JACOB AND LEAH.
1 1 The copy of the words of Issachar. For he called his sons and said
to them: Hearken, my children, to Issachar your father; Give ear to the words of
him who is beloved of the Lord. 2, 3 I was born the fifth son to Jacob, by way
of hire for the mandrakes. For Reuben my brother 4 brought in mandrakes from the
field, and Rachel met him and took them. And Reuben wept, and 5 at his voice
Leah my mother came forth. Now these (mandrakes) were sweet-smelling apples 6
which were produced in the land of Haran below a ravine of water. And Rachel
said: I will not give them to thee, but they shall be to me instead of children.
For the Lord hath despised me, 7 and I have not borne children to Jacob. Now
there were two apples; and Leah said to Rachel: 8 Let it suffice thee that thou
hast taken my husband: wilt thou take these also? And Rachel said 9 to her: Thou
shalt have Jacob this night for the mandrakes of thy son. And Leah said to her:
10 Jacob is mine, for I am the wife of his youth. But Rachel said: Boast not,
and vaunt not thyself; for he espoused me before thee, and for my sake he served
our father fourteen years. 11 And had not craft increased on the earth and the
wickedness of men prospered, thou wouldst not now see the face of Jacob.
2 1 Then appeared to Jacob an angel of the Lord, saying: Two children
shall Rachel bear, inasmuch 2 as she hath refused company with her husband, and
hath chosen continency. And had not Leah my mother paid the two apples for the
sake of his company, she would have borne eight sons; for this reason she bare
six, and Rachel bare the two: for on account of the mandrakes the Lord 3 visited
her. For He knew that for the sake of children she wished to company with Jacob,
and not for lust of pleasure. For on the morrow also she again gave up Jacob.
Because of the mandrakes; 5 therefore, the Lord hearkened to Rachel. For though
she desired them, she eat them not, but offered them in the house of the Lord,
presenting them to the priest of the Most High who was at that time.
3 1 When, therefore, I grew up, my children, I walked in uprightness
of heart, and I became a husbandman for my father and my brethren, and I brought
in fruits from the field according to 2, 3 their season. And my father blessed
me, for he saw that I walked in rectitude before him. And 4 I was not a busybody
in my doings, nor envious and malicious against my neighbour. I never slandered
any one, nor did I censure the life of any man, walking as I did in singleness
of eye. 5 Therefore, when I was thirty-five years old, I took to myself a wife,
for my labour wore away my strength, and I never thought upon pleasure with
women; but owing to my toil, sleep overcame me. 6 And my father always rejoiced
in my rectitude, because I offered through the priest to the Lord 7 all
first-fruits; then to my father also. And the Lord increased ten thousandfold
His benefits in my 8 hands; and also Jacob, my father, knew that God aided my
singleness. For on all the poor and oppressed I bestowed the good things of the
earth in the singleness of my heart.
4 1 And now, hearken to me, my children, And walk in singleness of
your heart, For I have seen in it all that is well-pleasing to the Lord. 2 The
single-(minded) man coveteth not gold, He overreacheth not his neighbour, He
longeth not after manifold dainties, He delighteth not in varied apparel. 3 He
doth not desire to live a long life, But only waiteth for the will of God. 4 And
the spirits of deceit have no power against him, For he looketh not on the
beauty of women, Lest he should pollute his mind with corruption. 5 There is no
envy in his thoughts, [No malicious person maketh his soul to pine away,] Nor
worry with insatiable desire in his mind. 6 For he walketh in singleness of
soul, And beholdeth all things in uprightness of heart, Shunning eyes (made)
evil through the error of the world, Lest he should see the perversion of any of
the commandments of the Lord.
5 1 Keep, therefore, my children, the law of God, And get singleness.
And walk in guilelessness, Not playing the busybody with the business of your
neighbour, 2 But love the Lord and your neighbour, Have compassion on the poor
and weak. 3 Bow down your back unto husbandry, And toil in labours in all manner
of husbandry, Offering gifts to the Lord with thanksgiving. 4 For with the
first-fruits of the earth will the Lord bless you, even as He blessed all the
saints 5 from Abel even until now. For no other portion is given to you than of
the fatness of the earth, 6 whose fruits are raised by toil. For our father
Jacob blessed me with blessings of the earth and of 7 first-fruits. And Levi and
Judah were glorified by the Lord even among the sons of Jacob; for the Lord gave
them an inheritance, and to Levi He gave the priesthood, and to Judah the
kingdom. 8 And do ye therefore obey them, and walk in the singleness of your
father; [for unto Gad hath it been given to destroy the troops that are coming
upon Israel].
6 1 Know ye therefore, my children, that in the last times Your sons
will forsake singleness, And will cleave unto insatiable desire; And leaving
guilelessness will draw near to malice; And forsaking the commandments of the
Lord, They will cleave unto Beliar. 2 And leaving husbandry, They will follow
after their own wicked devices, And they shall be dispersed among the Gentiles.
And shall serve their enemies. 3 And do you therefore give these commands to
your children, that, if they sin, they may the more 4 quickly return to the
Lord; For He is merciful, and will deliver them, even to bring them back into
their land.
7 1 Behold, therefore, as ye see, I am a hundred and twenty-six years
old and am not conscious of committing any sin. 2 Except my wife I have not
known any woman. I never committed fornication by the uplifting of my eyes. 3 I
drank not wine, to be led astray thereby; I coveted not any desirable thing that
was my neighbour's. 4 Guile arose not in my heart; A lie passed not through my
lips. 5 If any man were in distress I joined my sighs with his, And I shared my
bread with the poor. I wrought godliness, all my days I kept truth 6 I loved the
Lord; Likewise also every man with all my heart. 7 So do you also these things,
my children, And every spirit of Beliar shall flee from you, And no deed of
wicked men shall rule over you; And every wild beast shall ye subdue, Since you
have with you the God of heaven and earth (And) walk with men in singleness of
heart. 8 And having said these things, he commanded his sons that they should
carry him up to Hebron, and bury him there in the cave with his fathers. And he
stretched out his feet and died, at a good old age; with every limb sound, and
with strength unabated, he slept the eternal sleep.
THE
