929/Iyov 8-12: The Problem With Monotheism

Iyov, The Sinner

א"ר חייא בר אבא א"ר סימאי שלשה היו באותה עצה בלעם ואיוב ויתרו בלעם שיעץ נהרג איוב ששתק נידון ביסורין יתרו שברח זכו מבני בניו שישבו בלשכת הגזית שנאמר (דברי הימים א ב, נה) ומשפחות סופרים יושבי יעבץ תרעתים שמעתים סוכתים המה הקנים הבאים מחמת אבי בית רכב וכתיב (שופטים א, טז) ובני קיני חתן משה וגו'

Sotah 11a:12-13

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba says that Rabbi Simai says: Three noteworthy people were consulted by Pharaoh in that counsel where Pharaoh questioned what should be done with the Jewish people. They were Balaam, and Job, and Yitro. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba teaches what occurred to each of them: Balaam, who advised Pharaoh to kill all sons born to the Jewish people, was punished by being killed in the war with Midian (see Numbers 31:8). Job, who was silent and neither advised nor protested, was punished by suffering, as detailed in the eponymous book in the Bible. Yitro, who ran away as a sign of protest, merited that some of his children’s children sat in the Sanhedrin in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, as it is stated: “And the families of scribes who dwelt at Jabez, Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites, these were the Kenites who descended from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab” (I Chronicles 2:55). And it is written: “The children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law” (Judges 1:16).

בבא בתרא ט״ו ב:ד׳

מֵיתִיבִי חָסִיד הָיָה בְּאוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם וְאִיּוֹב שְׁמוֹ וְלֹא בָּא לָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל שְׂכָרוֹ הֵבִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עָלָיו יִסּוּרִין הִתְחִיל מְחָרֵף וּמְגַדֵּף כָּפַל לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׂכָרוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה [כְּדֵי] לְטׇרְדוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא

Bava Batra 15b:4

There was a certain pious man among the nations of the world and his name was Job, and he came into the world only to receive his reward. The Holy One, Blessed be He, brought afflictions upon him, and he began to blaspheme and curse. The Holy One, Blessed be He, doubled his reward in this world in order to expel him from the World-to-Come.

Iyov, the Innocent Mechutzaf

איוב י״ג:כ״ג-כ״ד

(כג) כַּמָּ֣ה לִ֭י עֲוֺנ֣וֹת וְחַטָּא֑וֹת פִּֽשְׁעִ֥י וְ֝חַטָּאתִ֗י הֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃ (כד) לָֽמָּה־פָנֶ֥יךָ תַסְתִּ֑יר וְתַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאוֹיֵ֣ב לָֽךְ׃

Job 13:23-24

(23) How many are my iniquities and sins? Advise me of my transgression and sin. (24) Why do You hide Your face, And treat me like an enemy?

איוב ט׳:כ״ב-כ״ד

(כב) אַחַ֗ת הִ֥֫יא עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה׃ (כג) אִם־שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃ (כד) אֶ֤רֶץ ׀ נִתְּנָ֬ה בְֽיַד־רָשָׁ֗ע פְּנֵֽי־שֹׁפְטֶ֥יהָ יְכַסֶּ֑ה אִם־לֹ֖א אֵפ֣וֹא מִי־הֽוּא׃

Job 9:22-24

(22) It is all one; therefore I say, “He destroys the blameless and the guilty.” (23) When suddenly a scourge brings death, He mocks as the innocent fail. (24) The earth is handed over to the wicked one; He covers the eyes of its judges. If it is not He, then who?

איוב ט׳:ל״ב

(לב) כִּֽי־לֹא־אִ֣ישׁ כָּמ֣וֹנִי אֶעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָב֥וֹא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

Job 9:32

(32) He is not a man, like me, that I can answer Him, That we can go to law together.

איוב י׳:ג׳

(ג) הֲט֤וֹב לְךָ֨ ׀ כִּֽי־תַעֲשֹׁ֗ק כִּֽי־תִ֭מְאַס יְגִ֣יעַ כַּפֶּ֑יךָ וְעַל־עֲצַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים הוֹפָֽעְתָּ׃

Job 10:3

(3) Does it benefit You to defraud, To despise the toil of Your hands, While smiling on the counsel of the wicked?

Nature Lover

איוב ה׳:ט׳-י״א

(ט) עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלוֹת וְאֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר נִ֝פְלָא֗וֹת עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃ (י) הַנֹּתֵ֣ן מָ֭טָר עַל־פְּנֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְשֹׁ֥לֵֽחַ מַ֝֗יִם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י חוּצֽוֹת׃ (יא) לָשׂ֣וּם שְׁפָלִ֣ים לְמָר֑וֹם וְ֝קֹדְרִ֗ים שָׂ֣גְבוּ יֶֽשַׁע׃

Job 5:9-11

(9) Who performs great deeds which cannot be fathomed, Wondrous things without number; (10) Who gives rain to the earth, And sends water over the fields; (11) Who raises the lowly up high, So that the dejected are secure in victory;

איוב י״ב:ז׳-י׳

(ז) וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמ֣וֹת וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְע֥וֹף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃ (ח) א֤וֹ שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃ (ט) מִ֭י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע בְּכׇל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֥י יַד־יקוק עָ֣שְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃ (י) אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדוֹ נֶ֣פֶשׁ כׇּל־חָ֑י וְ֝ר֗וּחַ כׇּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃

Job 12:7-10

(7) But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; The birds of the sky, they will tell you, (8) Or speak to the earth, it will teach you; The fish of the sea, they will inform you. (9) Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this? (10) In His hand is every living soul And the breath of all mankind.

בבא בתרא ט״ז א:י״ב

"עַל דַּעְתְּךָ כִּי לֹא אֶרְשָׁע וְאֵין מִיָּדְךָ מַצִּיל" אָמַר רָבָא בִּקֵּשׁ אִיּוֹב לִפְטוֹר אֶת כׇּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ מִן הַדִּין אָמַר לְפָנָיו רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם בָּרָאתָ שׁוֹר פַּרְסוֹתָיו סְדוּקוֹת בָּרָאתָ חֲמוֹר פַּרְסוֹתָיו קְלוּטוֹת בָּרָאתָ גַּן עֵדֶן בָּרָאתָ גֵּיהִנָּם בָּרָאתָ צַדִּיקִים בָּרָאתָ רְשָׁעִים מִי מְעַכֵּב עַל יָדְךָ

Bava Batra 16a:12

The Gemara continues to discuss Job’s statements: “Although You know that I am not wicked, and there is none that can deliver out of Your hand” (Job 10:7). Rava says: Job sought to exempt the whole world from judgment, claiming that all of a person’s actions are directed by God, and therefore one cannot be held culpable for his misdeeds. Job said before God: Master of the Universe, You created the ox with split hooves, making it kosher, and You created the donkey with closed hooves, making it forbidden; You created the Garden of Eden, and You created Gehenna; and similarly, You created righteous people and You created wicked people; who can restrain You? Seeing that You created people as either righteous or wicked, You cannot later complain about their actions.

איוב ט׳:י״ג

(יג) אֱ֭לוֹקַּ לֹא־יָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ תַּחְתָּ֥ו שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב׃

Job 9:13

(13) God does not restrain His anger; Under Him Rahab’s helpers sink down.

Wheels & Ladders

איוב ט׳:ה׳-ט׳

(ה) הַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃ (ו) הַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַּלָּצֽוּן׃ (ז) הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃ (ח) נֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדּ֑וֹ וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ עַל־בׇּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם׃ (ט) עֹֽשֶׂה־עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן׃

Job 9:5-9

(5) Him who moves mountains without their knowing it, Who overturns them in His anger; (6) Who shakes the earth from its place, Till its pillars quake; (7) Who commands the sun not to shine; Who seals up the stars; (8) Who by Himself spread out the heavens, And trod on the back of the sea; (9) Who made the Bear and Orion, Pleiades, and the chambers of the south wind;

איוב י״ב:י״ז-כ״ג

(יז) מוֹלִ֣יךְ יוֹעֲצִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְֽשֹׁפְטִ֥ים יְהוֹלֵֽל׃ (יח) מוּסַ֣ר מְלָכִ֣ים פִּתֵּ֑חַ וַיֶּאְסֹ֥ר אֵ֝ז֗וֹר בְּמׇתְנֵיהֶֽם׃ (יט) מוֹלִ֣יךְ כֹּהֲנִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְאֵ֖תָנִ֣ים יְסַלֵּֽף׃ (כ) מֵסִ֣יר שָׂ֭פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִ֑ים וְטַ֖עַם זְקֵנִ֣ים יִקָּֽח׃ (כא) שׁוֹפֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וּמְזִ֖יחַ אֲפִיקִ֣ים רִפָּֽה׃ (כב) מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָא֣וֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ (כג) מַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גּוֹיִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃

Job 12:17-23

(17) He makes counselors go about naked And causes judges to go mad. (18) He undoes the belts of kings, And fastens loincloths on them. (19) He makes priests go about naked, And leads temple-servants astray. (20) He deprives trusty men of speech, And takes away the reason of elders. (21) He pours disgrace upon great men, And loosens the belt of the mighty. (22) He draws mysteries out of the darkness, And brings obscurities to light. (23) He exalts nations, then destroys them; He expands nations, then leads them away.