3. Contents of the book. Tobit. Tobit, on whose behalf the story is told, was an Israelite from the tribe of Naphtali. After the schism, he continued to go to Jerusalem on pilgrimage. In 722, Tobit with his wife and son Tobias was resettled by the Assyrians to Nineveh. There he continued to live according to the Law of God, buried people executed by the tsar, and helped the poor.

Tobit risked his life in the performance of his duty, but this did not stop him.

But then the Lord visited the righteous man with a severe trial... He went blind. In deep sorrow he began to ask God for death.

On the same day, another godly soul, overcome with sorrow, cried out to the Creator. In Media there lived a family of Israelite immigrants who fell under the power of the demon Asmodeus. He has already killed seven suitors of Raguel's daughter Sarah. They died on their wedding night. Unable to endure the shame and ridicule any longer, the girl began to pray, asking God for death.

"And the prayer of both was heard before the glory of the great God, and Raphael was sent to heal both" (3:16).

At the same time, the blind Tobit decided to send his son to Media to take the silver left there for safekeeping. Saying goodbye to his son, the elder gave him instructions. In spirit, they are very close to the texts of other Teaching books and the Law.

"All the days of your life do righteousness, and walk not in the ways of iniquity... Give alms from your possessions. Do not turn away your face from any beggar, then the face of God will not turn away from you. When you have much, make alms out of it, and when you have little, do not be afraid to give alms, and little by little; thou shalt store thyself up for a rich treasure for the day of need... The wages of the hired man who will work for you should not spend the night with you, but give it at once... What you yourself hate, do not do to anyone. Don't drink wine until you're drunk... Bless the Lord God at all times" (4:5 ff.).

Tobias found a reliable fellow traveler who undertook to accompany him to a distant pagan land. He called himself Azariah (translated from Hebrew as "Help of the Lord"), but in fact it was the angel Raphael.

After seeing his son off on the road, Tobit remained waiting. Tobias and the angel came to the Tigris River in the evening of the same day. A strange incident happened to them there. When the young man was swimming, a large fish grabbed him by the leg, but he pulled it ashore. The travelers roasted it on the fire, and Azariah ordered to take the liver and bile with him. He taught Tobias how to make a potion from them to drive out evil spirits, and a cure for eye diseases. Already in the city, Azariah told the young man that there was no better bride for him than Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, for their family lived according to the Law of Moses. But Tobias had already heard about the sad end of all attempts to marry her, and he did not want to expose himself to the machinations of the demon. Azariah reminded him of the miraculous properties of the drug.

Raguel received the young man cordially, but when Azariah said that he asked for Sarah's hand for Tobias, the father was saddened. Azariah insisted, and soon the wedding was arranged. Left alone with his young wife, Tobias put the entrails of the fish on the incense burner, and from this smoke Asmodeus disappeared. The couple offered up a prayer of thanksgiving to God. "And Raguel arose, and went and dug a grave, saying, Is not this one also dead?"

When Tobias and his wife received the money, they returned to their father. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he put the fish's bile to Tobit's eyes, and Tobit regained his sight. The whole house rejoiced. The elder wanted to reward Azariah generously for his help, but he revealed himself to Tobit and all his household, declaring that he was an angel sent from God to save them. Everyone fell to the ground, and Raphael said: "Do not be afraid, peace will be to you. Bless God forever." After that, the angel became invisible.

The book ends with a thanksgiving doxology of Tobit and a description of his death.

4. The Teaching of Kn. Tobit. The prayer of the righteous man sums up, as it were, the entire theology of the book. It speaks of the blessedness of those who suffered but remained faithful, of the joy of people who have passed the test and found the mercy of God. Doxology goes beyond the peaceful boundaries of family virtues, personal faith and morality. It prophesies the punishment of Jerusalem and its restoration. When reborn, it will become a golden city, on the glittering streets of which "hallelujah" will not cease. However, it is not only the Old Testament Church that God "chastises and has mercy on, brings down to hell and exalts it" (13:2), but also the pagans. The Jews must carry out a universal mission: to bring one God into the world.

Children of Israel! Glorify him before the Gentiles; for he has scattered you among them. (13,3)