Avraham vs. Job

Hi,

What differences do you see between Avraham's declaration below, and Job's?

"Rabbi Levi said: Two men said the same thing, Avraham and Job. 

"Avraham said (Bereishit 18:25, regarding the destruction of Sodom), 'It would be a disgrace for You to do something like this, to kill the righteous with the wicked.'

"Job said (Job 9:22), 'It is all one, thus I have said: Complete and wicked, he destroys.'

"But Avraham was rewarded, and Job was punished! For Avraham said something mature; Job said something underripe."

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 49:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Job and the Jews

Hi,

[The following midrash triggers many questions, of course...]

"Yirmiyahu said: When I ascended to Jerusalem I lifted my eyes and saw a woman seated atop the mountain… 

"Yirmiyah said to her: Your blows resemble the blows of Iyov:
Iyov's sons and daughters were taken from him, and your sons and daughters were taken from you. 
I took Iyov's silver and gold, and I took your silver and gold. 
I cast Iyov into the heap, and I made you a heap of manure. 

"And just as I returned and comforted Iyov, so I will return and comfort you:
I doubled Iyov's sons and daughters, and I will double your sons and daughters. 
I doubled Iyov's silver and gold, and I will do so for you. 
I moved Iyov from the heap, and regarding you (in Yeshayah 52:2) it says, "Shake yourself from the dust, arise, return to Jerusalem"…"

(Midrash, Psikta Rabti 26)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Rambam on the Identity of Job

Hi,

"The incredible matter of Iyov is of the type we have been discussing, a parable to explain human views regarding Divine supervision. You already know their explanation, and how some have said, 'Iyov did not exist and was not created; he was a parable,' and how those who thought he existed and was created and that his story is about a real event knew neither his time nor his location… This strengthens the view that he did exist and was not created…"

(Rambam, Moreh haNevuchim 3:22)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

How to read the book of Job

Hi,

"The narrative does not stop with the start of Iyov's complaint; rather, it continues throughout the book. Each presentation is another layer in the narrative… 

"The narrative and the conversations (presentations) complete each other and need each other. We could not understand the conversations unless we would first read the narrative at the start of the book. And the story itself would be neither complete nor comprehensible if we would skip the presentations and pass from the story at the start to the story at the end. And even the story at the start and the story at the end include conversations, which are essential to understanding the flow of ideas in the book…"

(Amos Chacham, Daat Mikra Introduction to Iyov, pg. 9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The tent with four doors

Hi,

"Your house should be open wide. How so? This teaches that one’s house should be open wide to the south, east, north and west, as Job prepared four entrances to his house. Why did Job prepare four entrances to his house? So that the needy would not pain themselves to circumnavigate the entire house. One who came from the north could enter normally, one who came from the south could enter normally, and so from each direction. Therefore Job prepared four entrances to his home."

(Midrash, Avot d'Rabbi Natan 7:1)

המצפה לישועה,

Mordechai

The Satan's positive motivation

Hi,

[This source addresses the question of why the 'Satan' tried to incite Gd to attack Job, at the start of the book of Job.]

"The Satan saw that Gd became inclined toward Job and he said, 'Might Gd forget His love for Avraham, Gd-forbid?'"

(Talmud, Bava Batra 16a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai