Midrash sur Job 5:23

(Gen. 28:11, cont.:) THEN HE TOOK SOME¹⁴Traditional translations assume that Jacob TOOK ONE OF THE STONES, but the midrash assumes that there were more. OF THE STONES OF THE PLACE, < SET THEM UNDER HIS HEAD, AND LAY DOWN IN THAT PLACE >.¹⁵See Gen. R. 68:11. He thought in his heart: My grandfather Abraham sired a righteous < son > and a wicked < son > from two women. Isaac was righteous, and Ishmael was wicked. Then Daddy Isaac sired a righteous < son > and a wicked < son > from one woman. As for me, since I am to take four wives, how many wicked < sons > will there be from me? The Holy One said to him: Heaven forbid! (According to Cant. 4:7) YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL ALL OVER, MY BELOVED; THERE IS NO BLEMISH IN YOU. When he arose in the morning, he found that all of the stones were one stone. He was glad that his bed was whole, as stated (in Gen. 28:18): THEN JACOB AROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING, <TOOK THE STONE WHICH HE HAD PUT UNDER HIS HEAD, SET IT UP AS A PILLAR >…. The Holy One said to him: By your life, just as all these stones have become one, so shall all of your sons be righteous. Thus it is stated (in Job 5:23): FOR YOU SHALL HAVE A COVENANT WITH THE STONES OF THE FIELD, AND THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD SHALL BE AT PEACE WITH YOU.

“I administer an oath to you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field, that you will not awaken, and you will not rouse love, until it pleases” (Song of Songs 2:7).
“I administer an oath to you, daughters of Jerusalem.” By what did He administer the oath? Rabbi Eliezer says: He administered the oath by the heavens and the earth;⁸⁰Just as heaven and earth constantly act in the manner prescribed for them from God, so too Israel should not violate its oath (Etz Yosef). “by the gazelles [bitzvaot],” by the host [tzava] of the heavens and by the host of the earth, with two hosts [tzevaot]; that is bitzvaot. “And by the hinds of the field,” these are the beasts of the field, just as it says: “For your covenant will be with the rocks of the field, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you” (Job 5:23).
Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon, Rabbi Ḥanina said: He administered an oath to them by the patriarchs and the matriarchs. Bitzvaot, these are the patriarchs [avot], who established My stature [tzivyoni], and I imbued My stature in them. “And by the hinds of the field,” these are the tribes, just as it says: “Naphtali is a hind let loose” (Genesis 49:21).
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: He administered an oath by circumcision; bitzvaot, by a mitzva that has a sign [ot]; “and by the hinds of the field,” who shed their blood like the blood of the gazelle and the hind.⁸¹See, for example, Leviticus 17:13; Deuteronomy 15:22–23.
The Rabbis say: He administered an oath by the generation of persecution.⁸²Like the generation of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. Bitzvaot, as they established My stature [tzivyoni] in the world, and I imbued My stature in them. “And by the hinds of the field,” who shed their blood for the sanctification of My name, like the blood of the gazelle and the hind. That is what is written: “For we are killed all day over You” (Psalms 44:23). Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: If a person would say to me: Give your life for the sanctification of the name of the Holy One blessed be He, I will give it, provided that they kill me immediately. However, in the generation of persecution, I would not be able to withstand [the persecution]. What would they do in the generation of persecution? They would bring iron balls and heat them until they were white hot and place them under their [victims’] armpits and would take their lives. Or they would bring stalks of reeds⁸³Thin, sharp shards, similar to needles. and place them under their fingernail and would take their lives.⁸⁴In both examples cited, the victims would suffer a slow, torturous death. That is what David said: “To You, Lord, I lift [esa] my soul” (Psalms 25:1), I will give up [asi] is written,⁸⁵In fact, the word is written esa in the verse, not asi. The midrash means to say that the word esa should be interpreted as though it read asi, as David would not take his own life, as implied by the word esa, but might give up his life by maintaining his allegiance to God in the fact of enemies who would seek to prevent him from doing so. for they would give their lives for sanctification of the name of the Holy One blessed be He.
Rabbi Oshaya said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Wait for Me⁸⁶Until the end of days. and I will render you like the host of the heavens.’ Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Meir: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘If you fulfill My oath I will render you like the heavenly host, and if not, I will render you like the earthly host.’ Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: There are two oaths here, one for Israel and one for the nations of the world. He administered an oath to Israel that they would not rebel against the kingdoms, and He administered an oath to the nations that they would not impose a harsh yoke upon Israel, for if they impose a harsh yoke upon Israel, they will cause the end of days to come before its time. Rabbi Levi said: It is written: “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness” (Isaiah 32:1). The Holy One blessed be He enthrones a wicked king over His nation only until He collects its debt and liquidates it.⁸⁷God grants wicked kings power over Israel only in order to punish Israel for its sins. Rabbi Abahu said in the name of Rabbi Tanḥum: What did the foremen of Israel say to Pharaoh? That is what is written: “Straw is not given to your servants… [your servants are beaten] and it the fault of your people” (Exodus 5:16). You are sinning against your people,⁸⁸Israel, the people who have come under your dominion (Matnot Kehuna). you are sinning against your nation,⁸⁹The Egyptians, who will be held accountable for Israel’s suffering. and you are causing your kingdom to be taken from you and to be given to another nation.
Rabbi Ḥelbo says: There are four oaths here.⁹⁰This is based on the fact that the expression “I administer an oath to you” appears four times in Song of Songs: 2:7, 3:5, 5:8, and 8:4 (Etz Yosef). He administered an oath to Israel that they would not rebel against the kingdoms; would not accelerate [the advent of] the end of days;⁹¹They should not over-engage in prayer that the end of days should arrive (Matnot Kehuna). would not reveal their secrets to the nations of the world; and they would not ascend as a wall from the Diaspora.⁹²They should not forcefully stage a mass immigration to Israel. If they did, why would the messianic king come to gather the exiles of Israel? Rabbi Onya said: He administered to them four oaths corresponding to the four generations that sought to accelerate [the advent of] the end of days, and failed, and they are: One during the days of Amram; one during the days of Deinai;⁹³He was one of the Jerusalem zealots during the period leading to the destruction of the Second Temple. See Sota 47a. one during the days of ben Kozeva;⁹⁴Shimon bar Kokhva. and one during the days of Shutelaḥ ben Ephraim, as it is stated: “The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows [yet they turned back on the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God]” (Psalms 78:9–10). Some say: One during the days of Amram; one in the generation of persecution; one during the days of ben Kozeva; and one during the days of Shutelaḥ ben Ephraim, as it is stated: “The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows.” They had calculated the decree was issued when the Holy One blessed be He spoke with Abraham our patriarch between the pieces, but it began when Isaac was born.⁹⁵God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign land for four hundred years, and they would be enslaved (Genesis 15:13). Members of the tribe of Ephraim assumed that the four hundred years began from when God spoke to Abraham, but in fact they began thirty years later, when Isaac was born. What did they do? They gathered and went to war and they suffered many casualties. Why? It is because they did not believe in the Lord and did not trust His salvation. They violated the end of days and they violated the oath.⁹⁶They attempted to forcefully bring about redemption before the proper time.
“That you will not awaken, and you will not rouse [love, until it pleases],” Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Yudan said: The love that Isaac had for Esau, as it is stated: “Isaac loved Esau” (Genesis 25:28). What is “until it pleases”? Until it becomes the wish of the elder.⁹⁷From the fact that the verse does not say “you will not rouse the end of days,” or “you will not rouse redemption,” the midrash derives the idea that the love referred to in the verse is a factor that prevents the redemption of Israel. Thus, the midrash states that Isaac’s love for Esau, which was due to the honor he accorded Isaac, is a source of merit for Esau’s descendants, and prevents Israel from being redeemed from their dominion. This will be the case “until it becomes the wish of the elder,” i.e. Isaac, meaning until the merit of Esau has been used up (Midrash HaMevoar). Rabbi Berekhya said: The love that the Holy One blessed be He had for Israel, as it is stated: “I have loved you, said the Lord” (Malachi 1:2).⁹⁸The midrash is now interpreting the love mentioned in the verse as a cause of redemption for Israel. What is “until it pleases”? [Until it pleases] the heavenly kingdom: When the attribute of justice will so desire in and of itself, I will bring it with loud voice and will not delay. Therefore, it says: “Until it pleases.”

R. Elazar b. Azaryah said: If Israel are righteous, why are they afraid of wild animals? Is it not written (Job 5:23) "For with the stones of the field will be your covenant, and the animals of the field will make peace with you"? And if you ask, why did Joshua undergo all of those exertions (to conquer the nations)? (The answer:) When Israel sinned, they came under the decree of "Little by little I will drive them out from before you." (For it was known to Him that they would sin.)