Sepher Ikkarim:

DIVISION III. CHAPTER I.

AS MAN in his nature and intellectual capacity ranks above all other animate beings on earth, he is the most important and perfect of all the lower creation. That his nature is more exalted than that of all other animals, is proved by his producing manifold and contrary effects. That his intellectual capacities exceed those of other animals, is proved by his various inventions, skilful arts, and sage industry. And although other animals have less wants, or need of adventitious protection, than man; (as that of shade from the heat of the sun, a shelter against the rain;) and as their food requires no preparation, aliments in their natural state being adapted for their condition and to their means of digestion; as, moreover, it appears that several animals are gifted with a certain degree of skill, as we see some ravenous beasts and birds which display art and cunning in their attempts to catch their prey :-We say, it would, notwithstanding all this, be erroneous and unfounded to suppose, that any other animals are superior in perfection to man, as one of the ancient philosophers was tempted to assert: His opinion was, that, as animals have fewer wants than man; as they need the aid of no others for their speedy conveyance from one place to another, their own legs being gifted with strength and speed; as they need no extraneous arms of defence or offence to combat their foes, the weapons with which they are endowed by nature being such as are best adapted to their conformation; such as horns for the bull, tusks for the boar, quills for the porcupine, and a shell for the crab; -as they likewise need no raiment, nature having furnished them with the necessary clothing; and as thus, in reference to all their wants, they are more simple and better furnished by the bountiful hand of nature than man is, the opinion of that ancient philosopher was, that other animals are far superior to man, whose wants

are numberless, and who cannot exist unless those wants are satisfied; to do which requires the utmost exertion of his skill, ingenuity, and labour. But this opinion must, on mature reflection, be considered as utterly untenable: For we maintain that the outward form and conformation of all that exists, prove a gradual ascent in the scale of terrestrial creation, as, at each progressive step of this ascent, we find the species by which it is occupied, endowed by nature with greater perfection. The first form of matter is simple or elementary, as the germ of its future organization: It then developes itself in the vegetable organization, which is the next step of its progress. Vegetable substances form the nourishment either directly or indirectly of all living creatures, and serve to develope the animal organization. Animals are, in their turn, subservient to the intellectual creature, MAN; who completes the scale of terrestrial creation. For as every movable body is propelled by the continued impulse proceeding from its successive parts, so likewise, in the body of creation, each part takes its place in the orderly progress, for the purpose of being subservient to those other parts which succeed it: And this whole progression has but one aim; namely, all the rious forms and conformations to which matter is appropriated tend but to insure the existence of man, as every object in nature gradually ascends from the less to the greater perfection. In this graduated ascent we find various intermediate species: As, for instance, corallines are the intermediate species between unorganized bodies and vegetation. The sea-nettle, which is only gifted with feeling, occupies the intermediate rank between vegetables and animals. The ape occupies the intermediate rank between animals and man; who occupies the highest rank in this scale, because all other earthly creatures exist but for him, their forms serving but as so many germs to his developement, [and in him

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all their powers are concentrated. Therefore, man is properly called "the lord of creation;" for all other animals are subservient to him as their ruler, who combines within himself all those different powers, arts, skill, and inventive instincts, with but one of which every other individual species of animals is generally gifted. And to him reason, the faculties of his understanding, and his corporeal formation, supply the place of that natural provision with which Providence has furnished the simple wants of every other animal. Thus the hands of man, guided by his reason, are found to be equivalent to the means of offence or defence with which all other animals are gifted by nature. Instead of the horns of the bull, man makes unto himself a spear. Instead of the tusks of the boar, man forms a sword for himself. Instead of the quills which protect the porcupine, he covers his body with a coat of mail. Instead of the shell which defends the crab, he wards off the coming blow with his shield. Besides, man possesses the additional convenience, that he needs not always to be encumbered with horns and teeth, or loaded with quills, or cased in a shell; but can, at his option, either lay them down or resume them. While other animals are clothed by nature in their respective skins and furs, man covers himself with garments suitable to the season, which he alternates to meet the summer's heat and the winter's cold. While the beast shelters in his den, and the bird seeks refuge in its nest, man,-gifted with reason, and enabled by the formation of his hands to execute what reason plans,-builds unto himself a stately dwelling of hewn stones, furnished with windows, which admit the light while they exclude the cold, and protected by doors, which, opening to receive the welcome visiter, are closed against every prying intruder. That which the separate instinct of different species enables them to perform, man's reason enables him to excel, and concentrates in him the varied mental powers of each separate race. Their best qualities too, which are found separately in various animals, are all united in man; as the indus

try of the bee or ant,-the tenderness of the dove,—the fidelity of the dog, &c. The allegory of our Rabbies teaches us, in the Perek Shirah, the thanks which each species of animals offers to the Creator; their meaning is, that from the natural qualities of each class of animals a different moral lesson may be deduced, and a fresh cause of gratitude to the Creator be discovered: And the expression which the Rabbies there use,

or pronounce?" is of the same kind

What do they say *,מה הם אומרים

The השמים מספרים כבוד אל,as

heavens proclaim the glory of God:" (Psalm xix. 2 :) As the motions of the heavenly bodies teach us that they receive their impulse from the First Great Mover, who himself is unmoved, and combines omnipotence and infinite duration, who is GOD,blessed be HE! Thus in the Perek Shirah we find, (as a few instances out of many,) "What do the dogs say or pronounce? Let us come and bow, and kneel, and prostrate ourselves before the Lord Our Maker.'" (Psalm xcv. 6.) As dogs are faithful and true to their benefactor, and grateful according to the extent of their capacities; so it behoves man, when he contemplates these qualities implanted in them by nature, not to neglect the great moral lesson thus afforded, but to remember that he, too, has a Benefactor, to whom all faith and gratitude are due, to whose boundless goodness and mercy he owes his being and preservation, and in humble adoration of whom it is his duty to kneel and to prostrate himself. Again : "What does the ant say? 'He giveth food to all flesh; for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalm cxxxvi. 28.) When man beholds this most diminutive creature, which sedulously in summer toils, gathers, and stores up each solitary grain that is to preserve it during the winter season, he is not to neglect the moral lesson which even this petty creature can afford him: Which is, that man, who is gifted with reason and understanding, is in duty bound to be industrious, and not to neglect his avocations: For, as our Rabbies expounded these words, "That the Lord thy God

may bless thee in all the work of thy hands which thou doest ;" (Deut. xiv. 29.) Man is not to say, "As God has promised blessing and prosperity, we may pass our days in idleness, and need not follow or undertake any occupation;" therefore Holy Writ adds, "In all the work of thy hands which thou doest:" To merit the Divine blessing, thou must be industrious and active in whatever useful pursuit thou undertakest. Further: Our Rabbies say, "If the law did not teach us the rights of property, we might learn that precept from the ant; as one ant never robs or steals from another what it has touched or found." This is confirmed by the observations of naturalists, who have taken a grain away from one ant, and afterwards put it within reach of another; but the latter, instructed (probably by the smell) that it had been already touched and appropriated by another of her species, passed on without touching it. Solomon, who was intimately acquainted with the laws of nature, and the instincts of various animals, probably alludes to this quality of the ant, when he says, Go to the ant, thou sluggard! behold its ways and become wise. It has neither prince, governor, nor ruler. During the summer it prepares its bread, it gathers its food during harvest: " (Prov. vi. 7-9.) His meaning is, that the sluggard, whose vicious idleness leads him to violate the rights of property rather than to labour for his own support,

ought to take a lesson of justice and industry from the ant, which, although not subject to any prince or ruler, whose power punishes transgressors, nor controlled by the fear of laws and the shame of disrepute, nevertheless, by the force of its laudable habits of industry, is taught to respect the property of others, and not to violate their rights. Again: "What does the dove say? My dove is in the clefts of the rock."" (Cant. ii. 12.) Israelites are assimilated to a dove, because faithful tenderness is found in the dove; as it is said in the Medrash Chaseth, "As the turtle-dove is tender, so likewise is the congregation of Israel. As the turtle-dove, when once united to her mate, does not abandon him for any other; so likewise the Israelites, having once acknowledged the Lord, do not abandon him for any other." These qualities, which are found singly in various animals, and from which man may deduce moral lessons, are, however, all to be found combined within himself, in accordance with his physical superiority and mental perfection. Therefore, as we said before, man ranks higher than any other terrestrial creature, and is superior to them in power and perfection. His wisdom and understanding render him the Lord of this lower world; as it is said, "Thou madest him the ruler of the works of thy hand; thou hast laid all things submissive at his feet." (Psalm viii. 7.)

,שירי תפארת

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