1O Reason of the sons, lord over the passions! O religion, that wast dearer to the mother than
2her children! The mother, having two choices before her, religion and the present saving alive of
3her seven sons according to the tyrant's promise, loved rather religion, which saveth unto eternal
4life according to Elohim (God). O how may I express the passionate love of parents for children? We stamp a marvellous likeness of our soul and of our shape on the tender nature of the child, and most of all
5through the mother's sympathy with her children being deeper than the father's. For women are softer of soul than men, and the more children they bear the more do they abound in love for them.
6But, of all mothers, she of the seven sons abounded in love beyond the rest, seeing that, having in