מדרש על איוב 8:8

(Deut. 14:22:) YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE <ALL>. Moses said: Sovereign of the World, does it follow from here that one takes out a tithe? The Holy One said to him (in Job 8:8, 10): SO PLEASE ASK A FORMER GENERATION, AND CONFIRM THE RESEARCH OF THEIR ANCESTORS…. WILL THEY NOT INSTRUCT YOU AND TELL YOU….? How so? (I Chron. 1:1:) ADAM, SETH, ENOSH. From Adam up to Noah there are ten generations,¹I.e., Adam, 2. Seth, 3. Enosh, 4. Kenan, 5. Mahalalel, 6. Jared, 7. Enoch, 8. Methuselah, 9. Lamech, and 10. Noah. See Tanh., Gen. 9:1; TDER (16), p. 80 (Friedmann). and I took the tenth.²Probably Noah (Gen. 6:9), but possibly Enoch (Gen. 5:21). See PRK 23:10. From Noah to Abraham there are ten generations,³I.e., 1. Noah, 2. Arpachshad, 3. Shelah, 4. Eber, 5. Peleg, 6. Reu, 7. Serug, 8. Nahor, 9. Terah, 10. Abraham. and I took the tenth, which was Abraham. So it is therefore written (in Job 8:10): WILL THEY NOT INSTRUCT YOU AND TELL YOU to take out one tenth? (Deut. 15:20:) YEAR BY YEAR. If you have taken out a tithe during a given year, you gain merit for another year. R. Abba bar Kahana said: The importance of tithes is <mentioned> throughout all the Torah (in the Law, in the Prophets, and in the Writings). It is written (in Deut. 6:16): DO NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST <AS YOU PUT HIM TO THE TEST THROUGH A TAX (MSH)>.⁴So the midrash understands this verse. Since Deut. 6:16 refers to an incident at Massah (MSH) in Exod. 17:1–7, biblical translations render the bracketed clause to mean, AS YOU PUT HIM TO THE TEST AT MASSAH. Exod. 17:1–7 also explains in vs. 7 that MASSAH means “test.” The midrash, however, either revowels MSH as MISSAH, a word which means “tribute,” “contribution,” or “quota,” in this case the tithe, or perhaps understands the name as a form of mas, which had come to mean “tax.” Also in reference to tithes it is written (in Mal. 3:10): [BRING ALL THE TITHE <INTO THE STOREHOUSE, THAT THERE MAY BE FOOD IN MY HOUSE>]. SO PLEASE TEST ME IN THIS, <SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS>. And who tested the tithes? The generation of Hezekiah, as stated (in II Chron. 31:9–10): THEN HEZEKIAH {THE KING} QUESTIONED <THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES> ABOUT THE HEAPS (of produce). SO THE CHIEF PRIEST AZARIAH OF THE HOUSE OF ZADOK SPOKE [UNTO HIM] <AND SAID: EVER SINCE PEOPLE BEGAN TO BRING THE TERUMAH (i.e., the priestly tithe on produce) TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD,> WE HAVE EATEN {AND HAVE DRUNK} [AND HAVE BEEN SATISFIED], WHILE LEAVING OVER <FOOD IN GREAT AMOUNTS>. Why? (Ibid., cont.:) BECAUSE THE LORD HAS BLESSED HIS PEOPLE. The Holy One said: In this world I have blessed one generation, but hereafter in the world to come, I am blessing <all the generations of> Israel, as stated (in Jer. 31:22 [23]): AGAIN THEY SHALL SAY THIS THING {ON THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD, IN JERUSALEM, AND IN ALL THE CITIES OF JUDAH} [IN THE LAND OF JUDAH AND ITS CITIES, WHEN I RESTORE THEM AS BEFORE]: MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU, O HABITATION OF {RIGHTEOUS HOLINESS} [RIGHTEOUSNESS], O HOLY MOUNTAIN.

(Gen. 25:1:) THEN ABRAHAM TOOK AN ADDITIONAL³⁹Again the translation of the verse has been changed to fit the midrashic context. WIFE. This text is related (to Job 8:7): THOUGH YOUR BEGINNING WAS TRIFLING, YOUR END SHALL GREATLY FLOURISH. R. Simeon ben Laqish said in the name of R. Eleazar: You learn from here that an addition of the Holy One is more than the original.⁴⁰Below, 7:20; see Gen. R. 61:4. Abraham had previously sired no one but Isaac. When the Holy One made an addition for him, he made his addition < even > more, as stated (in Gen. 25:2): AND SHE BORE HIM < ZIMRAN, JOKSHAN, MEDAN, MIDIAN, ISHBAK, AND SHUAH >. Thus you find in the case of the first Adam that when < Eve > gave birth, she bore Cain (Gen. 4:1). Then afterwards (in Gen. 4:2): AND IN ADDITION SHE BORE < HIS BROTHER ABEL >. And so you find in the case of Rachel that she bore Joseph and said (in Gen. 30:24): MAY THE LORD ADD ANOTHER SON FOR ME. He added Benjamin for her and his twin sister. Where is it shown to be so? Here (in Gen. 35:17), < where > "This is a son for you" is not written, but FOR THIS ALSO IS A SON FOR YOU. And so you find in the case of King Hezekiah, all the days of his reign were fourteen years; but when the Holy One made an addition for him, he added fifteen years. (Is. 38:5; cf. II Kings 20:6:) SEE, I AM ADDING [FIFTEEN YEARS] TO YOUR LIFE. Now when the prophets saw that an addition of the Holy One was more than the original, they began to bless Israel with an addition. Moses said (in Deut. 1:11): MAY THE LORD [GOD OF YOUR ANCESTORS] ADD TO YOUR NUMBERS A THOUSAND TIMES [MORE THAN YOU ARE]…. David said (in Ps. 115:14): MAY THE LORD ADD TO YOUR NUMBERS. Also in the world to come the Holy One has procured an addition (rt.: YSP) for his people, as stated (in Is. 11:11): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY, THE LORD WILL EXTEND (rt.: YSP) HIS HAND A SECOND TIME < TO PROCURE THE REST OF HIS PEOPLE >.