Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Musar for Job 1:5

וַיְהִ֡י כִּ֣י הִקִּיפֽוּ֩ יְמֵ֨י הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֜ה וַיִּשְׁלַ֧ח אִיּ֣וֹב וַֽיְקַדְּשֵׁ֗ם וְהִשְׁכִּ֣ים בַּבֹּקֶר֮ וְהֶעֱלָ֣ה עֹלוֹת֮ מִסְפַּ֣ר כֻּלָּם֒ כִּ֚י אָמַ֣ר אִיּ֔וֹב אוּלַי֙ חָטְא֣וּ בָנַ֔י וּבֵרֲכ֥וּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים בִּלְבָבָ֑ם כָּ֛כָה יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אִיּ֖וֹב כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃ (פ)

And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said: ‘It may be that my sons have sinned, and blasphemed God in their hearts.’ Thus did Job continually.

Shaarei Teshuvah

They also said (Yerushalmi Yoma 5:7), “A burnt-offering atones for the meditations of the heart that come up in peoples’ souls and the thought of sins.” And likewise is it written (Job 1:5), “When a round of feast days was over, Job would send word to them to sanctify themselves, and, rising early in the morning, he would make burnt-offerings, one for each of them; for Job thought, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned and blasphemed God in their thoughts.’”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Mesilat Yesharim

This is as the matter of Bava Ben Buta who would bring an Asham Talui (undetermined guilt offering) every day (Keritut 25a). Likewise, Iyov, after his sons' feast, would rise early and bring burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For he told himself: "perhaps my children have sinned [and blasphemed G-d in their hearts]" (Iyov 1:5).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Mesilat Yesharim

Thus, we see that just like much contemplation is the way to acquire constant fear, so too interruption of thought and idleness of study is its greatest detriment, whether this is due to preoccupations or will - every interruption of thought is a nullification of the constant fear.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Previous VerseFull ChapterNext Verse