THE reasoning of our father El`azar, like a firstrate pilot, steering the vessel of piety in the sea of passions,
and flouted by the threats of the tyrant, and overwhelmed with the breakers of torture,
in no way shifted the rudder of piety till it sailed into the harbor of victory over death.
Not so has ever a city, when besieged, held out against many and various machines, as did that righteous man, when his pious soul was tried with the fiery trial of tortures and rackings, move his besiegers through the observant reasoning that shielded him.
For father El`azar, projecting his disposition, broke the raging waves of the passions as with a jutting promontory.
O priest worthy of the priesthood! you did not pollute your sacred teeth; nor make your appetite, which had always embraced the clean and Lawful, a partaker of profanity.
O harmonizer with the Torah, and sage devoted to a divine life!
Of such a character ought those to be who perform the duties of the Torah at the risk of their own blood, and defend it with generous sweat by sufferings even unto death.
You, father, have gloriously established our right government by your endurance; and making of much account our service past, prevented its destruction, and, by your deeds, have made credible the words of philosophy.
O aged man of more power than tortures, elder more vigorous than fire, greatest king over the passions, El`azar!
For as father Aharon, armed with a censer, hastening through the consuming fire, vanquished the flame bearing angel,
so, El`azar, the descendant of Aharon, wasted away by the fire, did not give up his reasoning.
And, what is most wonderful, though an old man, though the labors of his body were now spent, and his fibres were relaxed, and his sinews worn out, he recovered youth.
By the Ruach Tokechah, and the reasoning of Yitschaq, he rendered powerless the many headed instrument.
O blessed old age, and reverend gray head, and life obedient to the Torah, which the faithful seal of death perfected.
O if, then, an old man, through faith, despised tortures even unto death, confessedly observant reasoning is ruler of the passions.
But perhaps some might say, It is not all who conquer passions, as all do not possess wise reasoning.
But they who have meditated upon the faith with their whole heart, these alone can master the passions of the flesh;
they who believe that to Elohiym they die not; for, as our forefathers, Avraham, Yitschaq, Ya`aqov, they live to Elohiym.
This circumstance, then, is by no means an objection, that some who have weak reasoning, are governed by their passions:
Since what person, walking in observance by the whole rule of philosophy, and believing in Elohiym,
and knowing that it is a blessed thing to endure all kinds of hardships for virtue, would not, for the sake of the faith, master his passion?
For the wise and brave man only is lord over his passions.
Whence it is, that even boys, imbued with the philosophy of observant reasoning, have conquered still more bitter tortures:
For when the tyrant was manifestly vanquished in his first attempt, in being unable to force the old man to eat the unclean thing.