Bereishit Rabba 57 Core Texts

(2) “Like cold water on a weary soul is good tidings from a distant land” (Proverbs 25:25) – we learned there in a mishna: Upon rainfall and upon hearing good tidings, one recites the blessing: ‘Blessed [are You]…Who is good and Who bestows good.’ Why did they see fit to juxtapose good tidings to rainfall? Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Levi: It is based on: “Like cold water on a weary soul is good tidings from a distant land” – just as over “good tidings” [one recites:] ‘Blessed [are You]…Who is good and bestows good,’ so, too, over “cold water” [one recites:] ‘Blessed [are You]…Who is good and bestows good.’ Another interpretation, “Like cold water on a weary soul,” so is “good tidings from a distant land” – this refers to Abraham, who, while he was still at Mount Moriah, received the tidings that the [future] spouse of his son was born, as it is stated: “Behold, Milka, she too has borne…”

(3) “It was after these matters [devarim]” – after the words [devarim] that were being contemplated there. Who contemplated [these words]? Abraham contemplated and said: ‘Had he [Isaac] died on Mount Moriah, would he not have died childless? Now, what am I going to do? I am going to marry him off to one of the daughters of Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre, who are righteous. What do I care about lineage?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You need not do that; Isaac’s spouse has already been born.’ “Behold, Milka, she too has borne” – “she,” “she too.” Just as with [the descendants of] this one [Sarah], there were eight children born to the main wives [of Jacob] and four children born to concubines; so, too, with that one [Milka], there were eight children born to the main wife, and four children born to the concubine.

Another interpretation, he [Abraham] feared experiencing suffering. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You need not [fear], the one who will experience it [suffering] has already been born. “Utz his firstborn, and Buz his brother.”’ When did Job live?

Reish Lakish said in the name of bar Kappara: He lived in the days of Abraham, as it is stated: “Utz his firstborn” and it is written: “There was a man in the land of Utz, Job was his name” (Job 1:1).

Rabbi Yaakov bar Kahana said: He lived in the days of Jacob, as Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Dina was Job’s wife, as it is written regarding Job’s wife: “You are speaking like one of the disgraceful women [hanevalot] speak,” (Job 2:10), and it is written in Dina’s regard: “For he had committed an outrage [nevala] in Israel” (Genesis 34:7).

Rabbi Levi said: He lived in the days of the Tribes. That is what is written: “[This I have seen, and I shall tell of it,] that wise men speak up and do not withhold from their fathers” (Job 15:17–18) – this refers to Reuben and Judah. What reward did they receive for this? “To them alone the land was given” (Job 15:19). Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta: While they [Jacob’s family] were going down to Egypt, he [Job] was born, and while they were going up [from there], he died. You find that the sum of Job’s years was exactly two hundred and ten years, and Israel spent two hundred and ten years in Egypt. Satan came [before God] to present accusations [against Israel], but He incited him instead against Job. Rabbi Ḥananya son of Rabbi Aḥa said: This is analogous to a shepherd who was standing and watching over his flock. A wolf came and confronted him. He said [to his assistants]: ‘Throw him one goat so he can satisfy his aggression with it.’ Rabbi Ḥama said: This is analogous to someone who was sitting at a feast. A dog came and confronted him. He said [to his attendants]: ‘Give him a loaf of bread so he can satisfy his aggression with it.’ So, too, Satan came [before God] to present accusations [against Israel] and He incited him instead against Job. That is what is written: “God hands me over to the unjust one, and by means of the wicked, He misdirects me” (Job 16:11) – would that it had been for righteous people, but they were wicked people. Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda says: He [Job] lived during the days when the judges judged. That is what is written: ‘“Behold, all of you have seen it; why do you accuse me of worthlessness?” (Job 27:12). You have seen my actions and the actions of my generation. You have seen my actions: Mitzvot and good deeds; the actions of my generation: They seek to pay the fee of prostitutes from the threshing floor.’ It is not the way of the righteous to pay the fee of prostitutes from the threshing floors. That is what is written: “You have loved the prostitute’s fee upon every threshing floor of grain” (Hosea 9:1). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He [Job] lived in the days of the Chaldeans, as it is stated: “The Chaldeans set three columns” (Job 1:17). Rabbi Natan said: He lived during the kingdom of Sheba, as it is stated: “Sheba fell upon them and took them” (Job 1:15). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said: He lived during the days of Aḥashverosh, in whose regard it is written: “Let them seek for the king virgin young women who are of fair appearance” (Esther 2:2), and it is written: “No women as beautiful as the daughters of Job were found in all the land” (Job 42:15). Reish Lakish said: Job did not exist at all. Did Reish Lakish reverse his opinion? For elsewhere, Reish Lakish said in the name of bar Kappara: He lived in the days of Abraham, but here he says that Job did not exist at all. [No, he did not change his opinion.] What did he mean by: [Job] did not exist at all? [He meant only that] he did not actually experience the suffering that was written about him. Why, then, was it written about him? The intent was to say that if it had befallen him, he would have been able to withstand it. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: He [Job] was one of those who came up from the [Babylonian] exile. He was an Israelite, and he had a Torah academy in Tiberias. That is why they learned the laws of rending one’s garments and the blessing of mourners from his actions. That is what is written: “Job rose, and he rent his robe” (Job 1:20) – from here we learn that a person must rend his garments while standing. Rabbi Ḥanina said: He was [not an Israelite, but] a gentile. Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: [God said:] ‘One righteous gentile arose for Me among the nations of the world, I gave him his reward and dismissed him.’ Who was that? It was Job. “Utz his firstborn […and Kemuel, father of Aram]” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Laban is the same as Kemuel. Why was he named Kemuel? It is because he arose [kam] against the nation of God [El]. “And his concubine, and her name was Re'uma, she, too, bore, Tevaḥ, and Gaḥam, and Taḥash, and Maakha” (Genesis 22:24). “And his concubine, and her name was Re’uma…” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: All of them were named with the idea of punishment: Tevaḥ – they are slaughtered [tevaḥun]; Gaḥam – they are excised [gemaḥun]; Taḥash – they are weakened [teḥashun]; Maakha – they are crushed [me’akhun].