The Book of Steps

[if it] should return, the world would quickly wither and decay. As the soul is to the body, so the righteous are to the earth; when the soul departs, the body falls and is dissolved from its state. As the eyes are to the body, so the righteous are in the world; if the eye is blinded, the body loses its form and becomes corrupted, it begins to stumble at midday as if in the night, and does not direct its steps on the straight path. The righteous are the medicine of life in this world; if they did not exist within it, the world would be dissolved, and it would be brought to ruin by wrath. The world, containing the righteous, rejoices like a garden irrigated by fountainsoriginal: "fontibus irriguus". If the fountain dries up, the fruits of the garden will wither, and they will no longer be of any use or refreshment for the soul; its branches also will be torn out and burned with fire; but if vines are found that gladden the husbandman, they are cultivated with greater care, and they provide fruitoriginal: "fructum praebent". The world is continuously preserved by the prayer of the righteous, just as a mass of dough is preserved by the power of leaven. Indeed, this world is ruled by the righteous just as a ship is steered by the skill of its sailors; the ship is tossed by raging waves and is carried here and there by violent motion; but cautious captains stand and watch, so that the ship may...

Because of this, while the righteous are upon the earth, the earth is established. And just as the soul is placed in the body and gives it life, so the righteous are the soul of the world. And just as if the soul departs from the body, the body falls and is corrupted, so if the righteous are not in the world, the world is ruined. And just as the eye gives light to the body, so the righteous give light to the world. And just as if the eye is blinded, the whole body is darkened, so if the righteous are not there, the whole world is darkened. The righteous are the medicine of life for the world, and if the righteous are not in the world, the world is corrupted. And just as a garden that is watered by springs gives fruit, and if the springs dry up, the fruits of the garden dry up, and just as a vine that does not give fruit is cut off and cast into the fire, and just as a vine that gives fruit is repaired and nourished, so the righteous are the leaven of the world. And just as a ship that is moved by waves and by winds is shaken to every side, and those who are in the ship look and are shaken, and those who steer it look and are shaken... The OCR source contains a repetitive sequence of the final phrase in the Syriac column, likely a transmission error or artifact of the transcription process, which has been truncated here to maintain readability.