Vigils Reading

The wisdom of Ben Sirach –

from a book by Fr Evode Beaucamp, O.F.M.  [1]

At a time when Greek civilization and culture are about to submerge the Near East, the Book of Ben Sirach prepares Israel so that it will not allow itself to be swallowed up. This was not the first time the Chosen People, strong in the privilege of their election, had withstood the unifying force of history. They owed their success to their prophets and their allies of the Temple and royal house. Already Israel had reached to the gods of Canaan; already David’s small kingdom in the Fertile Crescent had been one of the last States to succumb to the attacks of the invaders from Assyria and Babylon. Even then, in spite of the frightful crisis of the seventh century, branded by Zephaniah and Jeremiah, and even into the Exile itself, the best part of Israel was fiercely obstinate in safeguarding its personality and in believing in the independence of its absolute destiny.

But now, since the Macedonian invasion Jewish exclusiveness will have to face up to an entirely new kind of imperialism and a new type of danger. While other conquerors were content with imposing their military, social and political domination upon the vanquished, along with the dangerous presence of their pantheon, Alexander intended to bend the minds of the Barbarians and render them pliant to a wisdom with universal pretensions.  Hence it was inevitable that the Jews themselves would be called upon to welcome the civilization of the conqueror and to commune with the rest of the world in the ideal he made of beauty, truth and humanism.

At the time when Ben Sirach  was working on his book, Judea was in the process of changing its rulers. It appeared to Antiochus III that the only way to bring about unity was to impose Hellinization upon all. He set to work and was very successful, except in the case of the Jews who opposed his efforts with great energy. They were resolved never to be dispossessed of the Wisdom which they regarded as the best part of their patrimony.

Sirach must be seen as the first builder of this resistance which would end in victory for the Jews. Their intransigence can be explained only by their enthusiastic and powerful faith. It was not up to Israel to dispose of this Wisdom since it did not chose her, but she came and established herself in Israel. If she imposes herself invincibly upon Israel, it is because she has issued from the mouth of God. The people have not in any way taken part in building her up; and if they enjoy her it is because the Lord has granted her as a free gift to whomever he pleases. As Sirach says: “All wisdom comes from the Lord and is with him for ever. The sand of the sea, the drops of the rain, and the days of eternity, who can  count them? The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth, the abyss, and wisdom, who can search them out?  Wisdom was created before all things, and prudent understanding from eternity. The root of wisdom, to whom has it been revealed? The Lord himself created wisdom; and he supplied her to those who love him.” (1: 1-10)

[1]  Man’s Destiny in the Books of  Wisdom – Evode Beaucamp, OFM – Alba House – Staten Island, NY – 1970 – pg 116 f