brother Reuben."[113]

With such words, Joseph endeavored to cure the wife of
his master of the wanton passion she had conceived for him,
while he took heed to keep far from a heinous sin, not from
fear of the punishment that would follow, nor out of
consideration for the opinion of men, but because he desired to
sanctify the Name of God, blessed be He, before the whole
world.[114] It was this feeling of his that Zuleika could not
comprehend, and when, finally, carried away by passion, she
told him in unmistakable language what she desired,[115] and
he recoiled from her, she said to Joseph: "Why dost thou
refuse to fulfil my wish? Am I not a married woman?
None will find out what thou hast done." Joseph replied:
"If the unmarried women of the heathen are prohibited
unto us, how much more their married women?[116] As the
Lord liveth, I will not commit the crime thou biddest me do."
In this Joseph followed the example of many pious men, who
utter an oath at the moment when they are in danger of succumbing
to temptation, and seek thus to gather moral courage
to control their evil instincts."

When Zuleika could not prevail upon him, to persuade
him, her desire threw her into a grievous sickness, and all
the women of Egypt came to visit her, and they said unto
her, "Why art thou so languid and wasted, thou that lackest
nothing? Is not thy husband a prince great and esteemed
in the sight of the king? Is it possible that thou canst want
aught of what thy heart desireth?" Zuleika answered them,
saying, "This day shall it be made known unto you whence