[1] To the Synod. Translation: "Is not a time on earth appointed for man, and is not his days the same as the days of a hireling?" (Job 7:1).

[2] That is, the two sons of the Thebes king Oedipus, whose actions are dramatically depicted in the tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles.

[3] Gorgo or Gorgon is a fabulous monster, represented by Greek poets with a head covered with snakes instead of hair, and petrifying anyone who saw it.

IN ADDITION, STAGIRISM

On Despondency

THIRD WORD

In

Let us turn to the saints themselves, and from Joseph let us pass on to Moses.

Could he, not wanting to live or be inscribed in the book of God, without their salvation (Exodus 32:38)

Thus, unable to persuade or compel his pretended father to revoke the brutal and murderous command, he himself finally decided to share the misfortunes with them. However, I am not so much surprised at this, as I am amazed at the flame of sorrow which Moses carried within himself in the previous time, and which I conclude from the murder he committed. Whoever was driven by sorrow to murder, through the latter revealed the power of the former. Of course, he would not have taken such cruel revenge on the Egyptians, if he had not lamented the misfortunes of their children more than the parents themselves. What, then, after he had avenged and relieved his soul somewhat from such sorrow, did he have time to fully enjoy the joy given him by this vengeance? Scarcely had the second day come, when another sorrow befell this blessed one, heavier than the first, and such fear seized him, which compelled him to depart from Egypt altogether. It is difficult to hear bad things from anyone; but when any of the benefactors speak evil, he will reproach him for the good deeds done to him, and reproach him thus: "Do you not think to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?" (Exodus 2:14), then, then the offense is unbearable and can even lead the offended person out of patience; Such is what it produces irritation along with sorrow! But Moses added to this a third thing - the fear of the king, which so took possession of the soul of the righteous man that even expelled him from all the country there. Thus becomes a fugitive - the king's son!

Having become a fugitive, he comes to a man who was an idolater and a foreigner; and to enjoy the hospitality of a man who has devoted himself to the service of demons for so long is not an unimportant cause for sorrow. Here Moses, having taken charge of the man's flock, spent forty years in this occupation. If this does not seem in the least difficult to anyone, then let us remember those who leave their homeland and hide not out of fear and fear, but leave home voluntarily for a short time, how they languish, how sad, what a blessing they consider their return to their homeland! And when fear and misery are added to this, and the most burdens and sorrows seem lighter than the desired return to his homeland, then imagine the picture of Moses' misfortunes! Do not simply listen to what is said that Moses "tended the sheep" (Exodus 3:1), but remember the words of Jacob, with which he complained to his father-in-law: "Thou hast exacted from me, whether by day what was lost, whether by night it was lost; I languished by day with heat, and by night with cold, and my sleep fled from my eyes" (Gen. 31:39,40). All this, of course, was also the case with Moses, and for a still greater number of years and to a greater degree, since the country (Midian) was more desolate than the country (Mesopotamia). If Moses did not complain about this, then the blessed one would not have said such words, if he had not been driven to a great extreme and forced to do so by the ingratitude of his father-in-law. Thus, a foreign land in itself can oppress a person, even if he left his homeland only out of necessity. "As a bird," says the all-wise, "that hath forsaken its nest, so hath a man that hath forsaken his place" (Proverbs 27:8). Moreover, Moses could not then be sure even of his own safety; but just as a servant who has fled from a cruel master is constantly afraid and fears that he will not be caught, so the blessed Moses lived in constant fear. This is evident from the fact that even when God commands him to return to Egypt after such a long time, he refuses and delays, although he has heard that "all who sought his life are dead" (Exodus 4:19).

2. But when he obeyed and went into Egypt, being compelled to leave his wife and children, then there again began reproaches, and insults, and threats from the then king of Egypt, and complaints and curses from those who received benefits. He says: "Why do you, Moses and Aaron, distract the people from their works? go to your work" (Exodus 5:4). And the Israelites say: "May the Lord see and judge you, because you have made us hateful in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have given them a sword in their hands to kill us" (Exodus 5:21).

Who would not fall into despondency when, having promised to put an end to such great calamities, after the promise he himself saw the addition of others, even more grievous calamities? Moses was discouraged, as it is natural for one to be discouraged when he hears and sees such things; However, he did not fall under the weight of this tribulation, but remained unyielding, although events not only did not correspond to, but even contradicted his promises. Turning to God and speaking about this, he wept a lot and said: "Lord! Why hast thou subjected this people to such calamity, why hast thou sent me? for from the time that I came to Pharaoh and spoke in Thy name, he began to deal worse with this people; but to deliver, Thou hast not delivered Thy people" (Exodus 5:22,23). Shedding tears and hearing again from God the same command as before, he again announces this to the Israelites, but they do not heed him, because their souls were oppressed with sorrow and despondency. "They did not listen," says the Scriptures, "to Moses because of his faint-heartedness and the burden of his labors" (Exodus 6:9). And this grieved him not a little. When miracles followed, and Pharaoh laughed at him many times, he bravely endured these mockery as well. When at last he came out of Egypt, and together with the Jews began to hope for deliverance, he had not yet had time to fully rest, when he was seized by his former or even much greater fear. In less than three days the Israelites saw the barbarians armed before them, and they experienced the same experience as some fugitive slaves feel when they suddenly find themselves in a foreign land before the eyes of their masters, or what they themselves would experience if they happened to see themselves in a pleasant dream in freedom, and when they awoke to find themselves again in Egypt and in the same calamities. However, I do not know what can be called their dream, whether three days of freedom, or the terrible and terrible sight that now presented itself to them: such a haze of despondency covered the eyes of all of them. And Moses was seized with even greater darkness: he feared not only the Egyptians, like the rest of the Israelites, but also the latter along with the former. Both now looked upon him as a deceiver and a seducer, some with mockery and readiness to attack, and others with anger and sorrow. However, why judge the despondency of this man by conjectures, when his sorrow can be fully understood from the words of those who came down from above? When he was silent and did not even dare to open his mouth, God said to him: "Why do you cry out to Me" (Exodus 14:15)? - with this one word explaining to us the confusion of his soul.

3. When this fear had passed, then even greater troubles arose again. Those who were led by Moses and received through him many blessings throughout the whole journey behaved worse towards him than the Egyptians and Pharaoh. In the first place, they acted with great boldness, demanding of him the flesh of Egypt: they did not thank him for the present, but wanted the former; This was the hardest of all.