Midrash for Job 29:19

[(Gen. 27:28:) SO MAY GOD GIVE TO YOU.] It is written (in Job 29:19): MY ROOT IS OPEN UNTO WATER.⁵¹Cf. Gen. R. 66:1. Who spoke this verse? Job spoke it about himself, about the Temple, and about Jacob. In what way did he say about himself: MY ROOT IS OPEN … ? The doors of his house were open to those passing by, especially to Torah scholars. What is the meaning of UNTO (ele) WATER? To the rams (ele) of Torah and its warriors. It is just as you say (in Dan. 8:4): I SAW THE RAM CHARGING SEAWARD AND NORTHWARD. ["To water"] is not written here (in Job 29:19), but UNTO (ele) WATER, because the house of Job was opened to < such > wayfarers. Therefore (in Job 29:19, cont.): AND DEW SHALL LODGE ON MY BRANCHES (qatsir). R. Hanina said: Everybody saw that when Job harvested his field, there were clouds gathered over his harvest (qatsir) because it would not have recovered its freshness from the burning heat.⁵²Cf. MS 1240 from the De Rossi library in Parma: “Because he would plant it away from the burning heat.” Ergo (in Job 29:19): AND DEW SHALL LODGE ON MY BRANCHES (qatsir).

Another interpretation (of Job 29:19): MY ROOT IS OPEN UNTO WATER. This refers to the Temple because its gates were open to the Torah. Thus it is stated (in Is. 55:1): HO, ALL WHO ARE THIRSTY, COME TO THE WATERS (of Torah). < It is > just as our masters have taught (in Sanh. 11 [10]:2):⁵³Cf. THag. 2:9; TSanh. 7:1; ySanh. 1:4 (19c); Sanh. 88b. THERE WERE THREE LAW COURTS THERE: ONE AT THE OPENING TO THE TEMPLE MOUNT, ONE AT THE OPENING TO THE TEMPLE COURT, AND ONE IN THE HALL OF HEWN STONES. Ergo (in Job 29:19): MY ROOT IS OPEN < UNTO WATER (of Torah) >…. What is the meaning (of ibid., cont.): AND DEW SHALL LODGE ON MY BRANCHES. That the dew does not [move] from there, as stated (in Ps. 133:3): LIKE THE DEW OF HERMON < WHICH COMES DOWN UPON THE HILLS OF ZION >.

Another interpretation (of Job 29:19): MY ROOT IS OPEN UNTO WATER. This was Jacob pursuing < the water of Torah > in the academies which were open to the Torah. Therefore (ibid., cont.): AND DEW SHALL LODGE ON MY BRANCHES? For, when he comes to his father to receive ten blessings, he begins for YOU with dew (in Gen. 27:28): SO MAY GOD GIVE YOU FROM THE DEW OF HEAVEN….