Midrash sur Job 20:26

Another interpretation (of I Sam. 2:9): HE SHALL PROTECT THE FEET OF HIS SAINTS. This refers to Jacob, when he set out to go to Haran; for the Holy One said this to him (in Gen. 28:15): SEE, I AM WITH YOU. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT THE WICKED SHALL PERISH IN DARKNESS. This refers to Esau, of whom it is stated (in Job 20:26): UTTER DARKNESS AWAITS HIS TREASURES; < AN UNFANNED FIRE SHALL CONSUME HIM >…. (Obad. 18:) THE HOUSE OF JACOB SHALL BE FIRE … AND THE HOUSE OF ESAU SHALL BE STRAW; < THEY SHALL BURN IT AND CONSUME IT >. When Esau set out to pursue Jacob, it was for ten hours that the Holy One concealed the day and made it evening. Accordingly, it is stated (in Gen. 28:11): WHEN HE CAME ACROSS A CERTAIN PLACE, < HE SPENT THE NIGHT THERE BECAUSE THE SUN HAD SET >. So Esau remained in the darkness and did not know where he was going. Thus it is stated (in I Sam. 2:9): BUT THE WICKED SHALL PERISH IN DARKNESS. Why? (Ibid., cont.:) BECAUSE ONE SHALL NOT PREVAIL BY STRENGTH. The Holy One said to him: Perhaps you think you are mighty! And in the world to come he (the Holy One) is also acting for Israel. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 97:11): LIGHT IS SOWN FOR THE RIGHTEOUS. It also says (in Prov. 4:18f.): BUT THE PATH⁶The Buber text has or (LIGHT) here instead orah (PATH). PATH not only fits better into the context, but also represents the traditional biblical text. OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS LIKE LUMINOUS SPLENDOR…. < BUT THE WAY OF THE WICKED IS LIKE DEEP DARKNESS; THEY DO NOT KNOW ON WHAT THEY WILL STUMBLE >. And if you have some doubts (about such treatment of the wicked), it has already happened in this world (to the Egyptians), as stated (in Exod. 10:23): NOR COULD ONE SEE HIS BROTHER.⁷As most translations recognize, the passage simply means that the Egyptians could not see each other under the plague of darkness; however, the midrash understands the Hebrew more literally as a parallel to Esau not being able to see his brother Jacob.

R. Judah the son of (R.) Shalum said in the name of R. Judah the son of Simon: At the time that Amraphel and his allies fought the Sodomites, they seized Lot; Abraham heard about it and set out to do battle with them. After he slew the kings, the Sodomites escaped, as it is said: And he divided himself against them by night (Gen. 14:15), and Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled (ibid., v. 10). Abraham reflected upon the matter, saying to himself: The kings that attacked the Sodomites have been slain, while they (the Sodomites) have fled, as is said; And they that remained fled to the mountains (ibid.). Surely if they had been unworthy, they would not have been allowed to escape. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: The fate of those that fled is alluded to in the verse: If he flee from the iron weapon, the bow of brass shall strike him through. He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body; yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall; terrors are upon him; all darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not blown by man shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tent (Job 20:24–26). Where was all the darkness laid up? It was in the area north of Sodom, which is at the right (south) of Jerusalem, as it is said: And thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters (Ezek. 16:46). What is meant by the words It shall go ill with him that is left in his tent? They mean that the fugitive who escaped will suffer misfortune in his tent. Who was one such? The wife of Lot, as it is said: But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:26).

It is written (in Job 20:23): LET IT BE FOR FILLING HIS BELLY, LET HIM CAST HIS BURNING ANGER AT HIM, AND LET HIM BRING DOWN RAIN UPON {THEM} [HIM] IN HIS FLESH (LEHUM).³⁴Tanh. 4:7. The retribution which came upon the Sodomites was for filling their belly, because they had filled their belly with transgressions, violence, and plunder. Therefore, when retribution came upon them, it filled their belly, as stated (ibid.): LET HIM CAST HIS BURNING ANGER AT {THEM} [HIM]. R. Me'ir said about the destruction of Sodom: The Scripture says (ibid.): AND LET HIM BRING DOWN RAIN UPON {THEM} [HIM] IN HIS LEHUM. (Gen. 19:24:) THEN THE LORD RAINED DOWN UPON SODOM. What is the meaning of IN HIS LEHUM (rt.: LHM)? < That it happened > because of the wars (rt.: LHM) which they had fought with the Holy One. Thus it was stated (in Gen. 13:13): NOW THE PEOPLE OF SODOM WERE EVIL AND SINFUL AGAINST THE LORD, EXCEEDINGLY SO.³⁵Gen. R. 41:7; ARN, A, 36; B, 30. < They were > EVIL to each other AND SINFUL in adultery, AGAINST THE LORD in idolatry, EXCEEDINGLY SO in bloodshed. R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite said in the name of R. Johanan bar Nahman: When Amraphel and his associates came to fight with the Sodomites, because they had captured Lot, Abraham went out to fight against them. So he killed the kings, and they fled, just as it is written (in Gen. 14:10): NOW THE VALLEY OF SIDDIM WAS FULL OF BITUMEN PITS; [AND THE KINGS OF SODOM < AND GOMORRAH > FLED] < AND FELL THERE >. Abraham began reflecting: The kings came to fight with the Sodomites. So the kings fell, but those < of Sodom and Gomorrah > fled. Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.): AND THOSE WHO REMAINED FLED TO THE MOUNTAIN.³⁶The following argument is to explain that, while some escaped, such sinners could not evade divine judgment forever. Perhaps you will say: There were worthy ones among them. The Holy One said to him (in Job 20:24-26): SHOULD HE FLEE FROM THE IRON WEAPON, < THE BOW OF BRASS SHALL PASS THROUGH HIM >; HE DRAWS IT OUT, AND IT COMES OUT OF HIS BODY … UTTER DARKNESS IS LAID UP IN RESERVE FOR HIM; < AN UNFANNED FIRE SHALL CONSUME HIM; IT SHALL BE BAD FOR A SURVIVOR IN HIS TENT >. UTTER DARKNESS IS LAID UP concerns Sodom, since it lies to the south³⁷Literally: “to the right.” Parallel texts in Yalqut, Job, 908, and Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34, ad loc., read, “to the left,” i.e., “to the north.” Although this reading agrees neither with geographical fact nor with what follows, “to the north” does make sense in terms of Job 20:26, where the words IN RESERVE FOR HIM could be vocalized to mean, “for his northern regions.” Note also that the Yalqut consistently reads “north” for SOUTH in Ezek. 16:46, which follows. of the land of Israel. Thus it is stated (in Ezek. 16:46): AND YOUR YOUNGER SISTER [THAT DWELLS SOUTH OF YOU IS SODOM AND HER DAUGHTERS]. What is the meaning of SHALL CONSUME THE SURVIVOR IN HIS TENT? That, even if a single survivor is left {of them} [from there], the evil of evil < SHALL CONSUME THE SURVIVOR > IN HIS TENT. Which < survivor > ? This is Lot's wife, Edith, of whom it is stated (in Gen. 19:26): BUT HIS WIFE LOOKED BACK, AND SHE BECAME A PILLAR OF SALT.³⁸The name Edith suggests the Hebrew ‘ed, which means “witness”; and indeed, as a pillar of salt, Edith did become a witness to all who saw her.

R. Elazar said again: "A house in which the words of the Torah are not heard during the night will finally be burned, as it is said (Job 20, 26) Entire darkness is laid by for his treasures: a fire not blown by man will consume him; it will destroy anyone (Sarid) left in his tent. Sarid refers to a scholar, as it is said (Joel 3, 4) Among the remnant (shridim) whom the Lord calleth." R. Elazar said again: "He who does not benefit scholars with his estate will never come into any manner of blessing, as it is said (Job 20, 21) Nothing was spared (Sarid) from his craving to eat; therefore shall his wealth not prosper. And the word Sarid refers to a school, as it is said (Joel 3) Among the remnant (Shridim) whom the Lord calleth." And from the same passage, R. Elazar said again: "He who does not leave any bread after his meal will not reap the fruits of any blessing, as it is said (Job 20) Nothing was spared (Sarid) from his craving, and Sarid refers to a scholar as above. But did not R. Elazar say elsewhere that he who left pieces of bread after his meal is considered as if he were worshipping idols, as it is said (Is. 65, 11) That set out a table for the god of fortune and that fill for destiny the drink-offering. This presents no difficulty. In the latter saying he means, that he puts a whole loaf on the table [which is prohibited], but in the former passage he speaks of leaving some crumbs of bread for the poor. R. Elazar said again: "He who changes his word is considered as if he were to worship idols; it is written here (Gen. 27, 12) I will seem to him as a deceiver; and it is written (Jer. 10, 15) They are vanity, the work of deception." R. Elazar said again: "A man shall always remain obscure (without an office) and he will live." R. Zera said: "We have also taught so in the following Mishna: If there seems to be leprsoy in a house which is dark, windows must not be opened for investigation." Hence it is inferred as above.