saying, "What is written therein?" He answered them, "Thou shalt
not kill." Then they all said: "Wilt Thou perchance take from us
the blessing with which our father Esau was blessed? For he was
blessed with the words, 'By thy sword shalt thou live." We do not
want to accept the Torah." Thereupon He went to the children of
Lot and said to them, "Will ye accept the Torah?" They said,
"What is written therein?" He answered, "Thou shalt not commit
unchastity." They said: "From unchastity do we spring; we do no
want to accept the Torah." Then He went to the children of
Ishmael and said to them, "Do ye want to accept the Torah?" They
said to Him, "What is written therein?" He answered, "Thou shalt
not steal." They said: "Wilt Thou take from us the blessing with
which our father was blessed? God promised him: 'His hand will
be against every man.' We do not want to accept the Thy Torah."
Thence He went to all the other nations, who likewise rejected the
Torah, saying: "We cannot give up the law of our fathers, we do
not want Thy Torah, give it to Thy people Israel." Upon this He
came to Israel and spoke to them, "Will ye accept the Torah?"
They said to Him, "What is written therein?" He answered, "Six
hundred and thirteen commandments." They said: "All that the
Lord has spoken will we do and be obedient." [181] "O Lord of the
world!" they continued, "We acted in accordance with Thy
commandments before they were revealed to us. Jacob fulfilled the
first of the Ten Commandments by bidding his sons put away
strange gods that were among them. Abraham obeyed the
commandment not to take the name of the Lord in vain, for he
said: 'I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God.'
Joseph fulfilled the commandment to remember the Sabbath and
keep it holy; and when his brothers came to him, he had everything
for their welcome prepared on Friday. Isaac observed the law to