תלמוד על איוב 2:19

From where the overturning of beds³⁶Levi Ginzberg noted correctly that all the sermons here point only to the overturning of beds on which one sleeps, not couches on which one sits. The Yerushalmi does not address the question whether during the day the mourner has to sit on the ground or may sit on an overturned couch.? Rebbi Crispus³⁷“Curly haired” (Latin, a Roman surname). A student of Rebbi Joḥanan and R. Simeon ben Laqish, and teacher of Rebbis Jonah and Yose. in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: (Job 2:13) “They sat with him towards the ground.” It does not say here “on the ground” but “they sat with him towards the ground,” on something close to the ground. It follows that they were sleeping³⁸Since the friends were sitting with Job for seven days and seven nights, they must have slept “towards the ground”. on overturned couches. Bar Qappara said: A beautiful form³⁹Greek εἰκών “image”, also “phantom”. I had in your house and you caused me to overturn⁴⁰The parallel Megillah 3:5 has לכופתה “to overturn it” (Babylonian Talmudic Hebrew.) The form לכופפה has no parallel in the Yerushalmi and might be a scribal error.
Bar Qappara seems to think that persons die because of the sins of their relatives. This is appropriate only for children who cannot die for their own sins since nobody below the age of 20 is liable before the heavenly court. The following, alternate version also shows that Bar Qappara speaks about mourning for small children. it, you also overturn your bed! Some quote it by the expression “let him overturn; overturn⁴¹The imperative כפה “overturn!” is missing in the parallel Moëd Qaṭan 5:3. The agent is the bed on which one not only sleeps but also has sex. Hence, the couch is the agent which produces the birth of a new baby. the agent!” Rebbi Jonah and Rebbi Yose, both in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish. One said, why does he sleep on an overturned coach? So that he should wake up in the night and realize that he is a mourner. The other one said, since he sleeps on an overturned bed he wakes up in the night and realizes that he is a mourner.

Between both of them⁸⁶Ex. 22:10. it will never move from between them. If the one forcing the oath forces the oath lying, at the end it⁸⁹The oath will destroy him. will come over him. If the one swearing swears lying, at the end it will come over him. What is the reason? I shall take it out, oracle of the Eternal Sabaot, and it will come into the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely in My Name⁹⁰Sach. 5:5. “It” is the curse mentioned in v. 4., etc. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said, destructive angels have no joints. What is the reason? From roving about the Earth and walking there⁹¹Job2:2, Satan’s answer. Having no joints at knees or ankles, he could never sit down. The order of topics is better in Lev. rabba6(1) where it is explained that the Satan has to move perpetually because he has no joints but the curse of a false oath comes and dwells at length in the house of the swearer.. But here, it will destroy its wood and its stones⁹⁰Sach. 5:5. “It” is the curse mentioned in v. 4.. Come and see, things which the fire will not burn, a vain oath will destroy. Rebbi Jonah said, about falsehood. Rebbi Yose said, even on truth. ⁹²The Aramaic of the following paragraph shows that this is a sermon, rather than a halakhic discussion. In slightly different form Lev. rabba6(1).Ḥaggai was preaching following Rebbi Yose. There was a case about a woman who went to knead dough with another and had two denarii bound into the seam of her head cover. These fell out and were rolled into a loaf. She went back to he house, wanted them and did not find them. She returned to her and said to her, give me the two denarii which fell from me in your house. She told her, I do not know. If she⁹³As always in rabbinic literature, in relating bad things about oneself one always used the third person (“this man, this woman”) instead of the first. The woman must have used an oath formula to be punished for vain oaths. would know of it, she should bury her son. She buried him. When they returned from his grave, she heard a voice saying, if she had not known about them she would not have buried him. She said, if this woman⁹³As always in rabbinic literature, in relating bad things about oneself one always used the third person (“this man, this woman”) instead of the first. The woman must have used an oath formula to be punished for vain oaths. knows about them, she should bury her other son. She buried him. They came to console her and cut one loaf and found two denarii rolled into the loaf. This says, whether innocent or guilty, never swear an oath⁹⁴It is better to pay, or not to sue and not collect money, than force or swear any oath..

“Reading in the Torah.” Rebbi Joḥanan said, nobody was saying anything to him²⁴⁸Job 2:13., not even a word from the Torah. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said to him, he himself would not have died if he had stated²⁴⁹Since a person who studies continuously cannot be touched by the Angel of Death. Babli 24a.. What about it? As Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazi said in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan, because they²⁵⁰Job’s companions. were at a loss how to start with him, whether about his body, or his money, or the souls of his sons and daughters. A student of Rav Ḥisda became sick. He sent him two students to study with him. He turned before them into a kind of snake; they interrupted and he died²⁵¹If the Angel of Death is commanded to take the soul of a certain person who is studying permanently, he has to create a diversion which leads to an interruption of study. Babli 24a.. A student of Bar Pedaya became sick. He sent him two students to study with him. He turned before them into a kind of (oil cake) [a star]²⁵²The Venice editor replaced the כוסבא by the familiar כוכבא “star” which in the situation is most unlikely. One may read כוסבא as Arabic kisba “oil cake”.; they interrupted and he died. It was stated: But he may study a subject not familiar to him. As the following: Something happened to Rebbi Yasa²⁵³A close relative died.. Rebbi Joḥanan sent him two students to study with him. If because it is permitted we do not know; or if because it was a subject not familiar to him we do not know. What was not familiar to Rebbi Yasa²⁵⁴Since R. Yasa was an overriding authority, he must be assumed to be conversant with all talmudic subjects.? But for example rabbinic decisions people are asked about and it is for him as if not familiar²⁵⁵Decisions by others which might disagree with his own views.. Something happened to Rebbi Yose bar Petrus the first father-in-law of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi. Bar Qappara sent him two students to study with him. If because it is permitted we do not know; or if because he was ardent for words of the Torah we do not know. And it was stated thus: If he was ardent for words of the Torah it is permitted.

From where the overturning of beds²⁴⁴So it cannot be used.? Rebbi Crispus in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: They sat with him towards the ground²⁴⁵These three items are to be read in the negative: Not wearing shoes, not having sexual relations, not bathing.. It does not say here “on the ground” but they sat with him towards the ground, on something close to the ground. It follows that they were sleeping on overturned couches²⁴⁶This proves that Rebbi did not insist in his own family that particular rules should be followed. The case shows that it was not done that a person of rank would be seen in public without having his head wrapped in a kefiyah.. Bar Qappara said: A beautiful form²⁴⁷To change the general practice in Galilee not to wear shoes during the Seven days of mourning. I had in your house and you caused me to overturn it, you also overturn your bed! Some quote it by the expression “overturn the agent!²⁴⁸Job 2:13.” Rebbi Jonah and Rebbi Yose, both in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish. One said, why does he sleep on an overturned coach? So that he should wake up in the night and realize that he is a mourner. The other one said, since he sleeps on an overturned bed he wakes up in the night and realizes that he is a mourner.

HALAKHAH: “Rebbi Joshua said, who would remove the dust from your eyes, Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai,” etc. ¹⁵⁴The parallel is in Babli, Baba Batra 15a/b. When was Job? Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish in the name of Bar Qappara: He was in the days of our father Abraham; that is what is written: “¹⁵⁵Job 1:1. A man was in the land of Oz, his name was Job.” And it is written, “¹⁵⁶Gen. 23:21, in the list of Aramean Naḥor tribes. Oz his firstborn.” Rebbi Abba said¹⁵⁷In the Babli, this is the opinion of R. Nathan in an alternate version., in the days of our father Jacob and Dinah was his wife; that is what is written: “¹⁵⁸Job 2:10. You speak like one of the impious ones”, and it is written: “¹⁵⁹Gen. 34:7. For an impiety he did in Israel.” Rebbi Levi said, he was in the days of the tribes; that is what is written: “¹⁶⁰Job. 15:18. The previous verse ends: This I have seen, I shall tell it; the verses are interpreted as referring to Judah and Reuben who confessed their sins; cf. Chapter 1, Note 195. What Sages would tell, they did not conceal from their fathers.” Rebbi Yose ben Ḥalaphta said, he was born when they descended into Egypt and he died when they left¹⁶¹This is an anonymous tannaïtic opinion in the Babli. The traditional duration of the tribes’ stay in Egypt is 210 years; cf. the author’s The Scholar’s Haggadah, pp. 283–284. Job lived another 140 years after his tribulations (Job 42:16). Since God gave double restitution for everything he had lost, it is concluded that he suffered in his 70th year and lived for 210 years.. A parable of a shepherd when a wolf came and attacked his flock. What did he do? He put up a ram against him¹⁶²In the Babli, 14b, this is hinted at by the statement that Job’s goats were able to attack wolves, being supernaturally safe from predators.. That is what is written: “¹⁶³Job 16:11. He delivered me to the evil one, he threw me amongst evildoers.” Rebbi Ismael stated: Job was one of Pharao’s servants, a great one in his government¹⁶⁴In the later Midrash, Ex. rabba1(12), this is extended to include in Pharao’s council Bileam, who voted for killing the Jewish children and was killed, Job who abstained from voting and suffered, and Jethro who voted against Pharao’s decree and was rewarded in that his descendants sat in the Synhedrion.’¹⁶⁵Familia as a term for government is from the time of the principate when the emperor ran the state by his freedmen and slaves, his familia.. That is what is written: “¹⁶⁶Ex. 9:20. One who feared the word of the Eternal etc.”, and it is written about him, “¹⁵⁵Job 1:1. a man, artless and straight, fearing God and fleeing from evil¹⁵²Job 1:1.”. Rebbi Yose bar Jehudah¹⁶⁷In the Babli, R. Eleazar. says, he was in the days when the Judges judged; that is what is written: “Behold, you all did see, why do you turn all into vapor¹⁶⁸Job 27:12..” You saw what my generation did, that they collect tithes on the threshing floors; “you loved whore’s wages on all grain threshing floors¹⁶⁹Hos. 9:1. Since it is in the hand of the farmer to whom to give his tithes; the Levite or Cohen who comes to the threshing floor to collect his tithes is an extortionist (Cf. Demay 6:3, Note 69)..” Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan¹⁷⁰In the Babli, R. Nathan.: He was in the days of the queen of Seba, as it is said: “Seba attacked and took them¹⁷¹Job 1:15..” Rebbi Nathan¹⁷²In the Babli, the anonymous Sages. said, he was in the days of the Chaldeans, as it is said: “The Chaldeans attacked from three sides.¹⁷³Job 1:17.” Rebbi Joshua ben Qorḥa¹⁷⁴Same argument in the Babli. said, he was in the days of Asuerus, as it is said: “One shall look for beautiful virgins for the king¹⁷⁵Esth. 2:2..” And it is written, “no women were found like Job’s daughters¹⁷⁶Job 42:15..” Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, he was of the returnees of the diaspora. Rebbi Joḥanan said, He was of the returnees from the diaspora and was a Jew¹⁷⁷In the Babli, R. Joḥanan and R. Eleazar.. Therefore Rebbi Joḥanan learned from him the rules of mourning. “Job got up and tore his coat¹⁷⁸Job 1:20.”; Rebbi Jehudah ben Pazi in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: From here [one learns] that a mourner has to tear [his garment] while standing¹⁷⁹In Mo‘ed Qaṭan 3:7, Babli 20b, the verse is quoted without asking whether Job was Jewish or not.. Rebbi Ḥiyya¹⁸⁰In the Babli this is an anonymous tannaïtic statement. stated: In My world I had one just Gentile, I gave him his reward and removed him from My world¹⁸¹Since Job, in contrast to Jewish saintly persons, received his reward in this world, he seems to be excluded from the World to Come.. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish¹⁸²In the Babli, 14a, this is the opinion of an anonymous author who proves that Scripture in effect contains tales that do not correspond to reality, such as Nathan’s tale of the poor man and his sheep. said, Job did not exist and will never live. The opinion of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish is inconsistent: There, Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said in the name of Bar Qappara: He was in the days of our father Abraham, but here he says so? But he did exist but his suffering did not. Then why is it written about him? To tell you that if it had come upon him, he would have withstood it.