יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל אֶ֣ל עֲוִ֑יל וְעַל־יְדֵ֖י רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִרְטֵֽנִי׃
Allah menyerahkan aku kepada orang lalim, dan menjerumuskan aku ke dalam tangan orang-orang fasik.
Shemot Rabbah
Another interpretation: “Why are you crying out to Me?” – that is what is written: “Have you composed your prayer [shuakha] with no trouble?”3Most translations translate shuakha as “your wealth” or something similar. The midrash understands it to mean “your prayer” or “your cry.” (Job 36:19). What is this? Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat said: The parable says: Honor your doctor before you need him. Rabbi Shimon says: Compose your prayers before your Creator, so you will not have enemies on high. Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: When Israel departed from Egypt, Samael the angel arose to prosecute them. Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina explained it in the name of his father: This is analogous to a shepherd who was crossing his flock over a river. A wolf came to threaten the flock. What did the expert shepherd do? He took a large ram and gave it to it. He said: Let him scuffle with it until we cross the river, then I will bring it. So, when Israel departed from Egypt, Samael the angel arose to prosecute them. He said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Until now these were worshipping idols, and you are splitting the sea for them?’ What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He gave him Job, who was one of Pharaoh’s advisers, of whom it is written: “A wholehearted upright man” (Job 1:1). He said to him [Samael]: ‘Here he is, in your control.’ The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘While he is busy with Job, Israel will enter and emerge from the sea, and then I will rescue Job.’ That is what Job said: “I was at peace and He crushed me” (Job 16:12). I was at peace in the world and He crushed me, “He took me by the nape and shattered me” (Job 16:12) in order to render me as protection [matara] for His people, as it is stated: “He established me as a target [matara]” (Job 16:12). And it is written: “He has handed me over to an evil angel” (Job 16:11), He handed me into the hand of the accuser so that Israel would not emerge guilty at trial. That is why He cast me into his hands; that is: “He hast cast me into the hands of the wicked” (Job 16:11). At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘I handed Job to the accuser. What should you do? “Speak to the children of Israel and have them set forth.”’
Bereshit Rabbah
“Utz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel, father of Aram” (Genesis 22:21).
Another interpretation, he [Abraham] feared experiencing suffering.8He feared that God would test him yet again, this time with physical suffering. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You need not [fear], the one who will experience it [suffering] has already been born. “Utz his firstborn, and Buz his brother.”’9Utz refers to Job, as the Midrash goes on to explain.
When did Job live? Reish Lakish said in the name of bar Kappara: He lived in the days of Abraham, as it is stated: “Utz his firstborn” and it is written: “There was a man in the land of Utz, Job was his name” (Job 1:1).10The Midrash interprets this to mean that Utz had another name, namely Job. Rabbi Yaakov bar Kahana said: He lived in the days of Jacob, as Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Dina was Job’s wife, as it is written regarding Job’s wife: “You are speaking like one of the disgraceful women [hanevalot] speak,” (Job 2:10), and it is written in Dina’s regard: “For he had committed an outrage [nevala] in Israel” (Genesis 34:7).
Rabbi Levi said: He lived in the days of the Tribes.11The twelve sons of Jacob. That is what is written: “[This I have seen, and I shall tell of it,] that wise men speak up and do not withhold from their fathers” (Job 15:17–18) – this refers to Reuben and Judah.12They both spoke up and admitted that they had committed grievous sins (see Sota 7b). What reward did they receive for this? “To them alone the land was given” (Job 15:19).
Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta: While they [Jacob’s family] were going down to Egypt, he [Job] was born, and while they were going up [from there], he died. You find that the sum of Job’s years was exactly two hundred and ten years, and Israel spent two hundred and ten years in Egypt. Satan came [before God] to present accusations [against Israel],13For worshiping idols while they were in Egypt. but He incited him instead against Job.
Rabbi Ḥananya son of Rabbi Aḥa said: This is analogous to a shepherd who was standing and watching over his flock. A wolf came and confronted him. He said [to his assistants]: ‘Throw him one goat so he can satisfy his aggression with it.’ Rabbi Ḥama said: This is analogous to someone who was sitting at a feast. A dog came and confronted him. He said [to his attendants]: ‘Give him a loaf of bread so he can satisfy his aggression with it.’ So, too, Satan came [before God] to present accusations [against Israel] and He incited him instead against Job. That is what is written: “God hands me over to the unjust one, and by means of the wicked, He misdirects me” (Job 16:11) – would that it had been for righteous people,14I would not care so much if Satan’s malice had been redirected to me in order to protect righteous people from him, but in fact the people of Israel were sinful at that time. but they were wicked people.
Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda says: He [Job] lived during the days when the judges judged. That is what is written: ‘“Behold, all of you have seen it; why do you accuse me of worthlessness?” (Job 27:12).15It is the generation of the Judges that is described to as being worthless (see Bava Batra 15b). You have seen my actions and the actions of my generation. You have seen my actions: Mitzvot and good deeds; the actions of my generation: They seek to pay the fee of prostitutes from the threshing floor.’16The first thing they do with their hard-earned grain is to spend it on immoral behavior. It is not the way of the righteous to pay the fee of prostitutes from the threshing floors.17They spend their money on mitzvot and good deeds, not on sinful activity. That is what is written: “You have loved the prostitute’s fee upon every threshing floor of grain” (Hosea 9:1).
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He [Job] lived in the days of the Chaldeans, as it is stated: “The Chaldeans set three columns” (Job 1:17). Rabbi Natan said: He lived during the kingdom of Sheba, as it is stated: “Sheba fell upon them and took them” (Job 1:15). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said: He lived during the days of Aḥashverosh, in whose regard it is written: “Let them seek for the king virgin young women who are of fair appearance” (Esther 2:2), and it is written: “No women as beautiful as the daughters of Job were found in all the land” (Job 42:15).
Reish Lakish said: Job did not exist at all.18The entire book of Job is an allegory, not a narration of a true story. Did Reish Lakish reverse his opinion? For elsewhere, Reish Lakish said in the name of bar Kappara: He lived in the days of Abraham, but here he says that Job did not exist at all. [No, he did not change his opinion.] What did he mean by: [Job] did not exist at all? [He meant only that] he did not actually experience the suffering that was written about him. Why, then, was it written about him? The intent was to say that if it had befallen him, he would have been able to withstand it.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: He [Job] was one of those who came up from the [Babylonian] exile. He was an Israelite, and he had a Torah academy in Tiberias. That is why they learned the laws of rending one’s garments19Upon hearing tragic news (see Job 1:20). and the blessing of mourners20See Job 1:21. from his actions. That is what is written: “Job rose, and he rent his robe” (Job 1:20) – from here we learn that a person must rend his garments while standing.
Rabbi Ḥanina said: He was [not an Israelite, but] a gentile. Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: [God said:] ‘One righteous gentile arose for Me among the nations of the world, I gave him his reward21In this world (see Job 42:12). and dismissed him.’22From the World to Come. Who was that? It was Job.
“Utz his firstborn […and Kemuel, father of Aram]” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Laban is the same as Kemuel. Why was he named Kemuel? It is because he arose [kam] against the nation of God [El].
“And his concubine, and her name was Re'uma, she, too, bore, Tevaḥ, and Gaḥam, and Taḥash, and Maakha” (Genesis 22:24).
“And his concubine, and her name was Re’uma…” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: All of them were named with the idea of punishment:23For they were all wicked. Tevaḥ – they are slaughtered [tevaḥun]; Gaḥam – they are excised [gemaḥun]; Taḥash – they are weakened [teḥashun]; Maakha – they are crushed [me’akhun].
Another interpretation, he [Abraham] feared experiencing suffering.8He feared that God would test him yet again, this time with physical suffering. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You need not [fear], the one who will experience it [suffering] has already been born. “Utz his firstborn, and Buz his brother.”’9Utz refers to Job, as the Midrash goes on to explain.
When did Job live? Reish Lakish said in the name of bar Kappara: He lived in the days of Abraham, as it is stated: “Utz his firstborn” and it is written: “There was a man in the land of Utz, Job was his name” (Job 1:1).10The Midrash interprets this to mean that Utz had another name, namely Job. Rabbi Yaakov bar Kahana said: He lived in the days of Jacob, as Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Dina was Job’s wife, as it is written regarding Job’s wife: “You are speaking like one of the disgraceful women [hanevalot] speak,” (Job 2:10), and it is written in Dina’s regard: “For he had committed an outrage [nevala] in Israel” (Genesis 34:7).
Rabbi Levi said: He lived in the days of the Tribes.11The twelve sons of Jacob. That is what is written: “[This I have seen, and I shall tell of it,] that wise men speak up and do not withhold from their fathers” (Job 15:17–18) – this refers to Reuben and Judah.12They both spoke up and admitted that they had committed grievous sins (see Sota 7b). What reward did they receive for this? “To them alone the land was given” (Job 15:19).
Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta: While they [Jacob’s family] were going down to Egypt, he [Job] was born, and while they were going up [from there], he died. You find that the sum of Job’s years was exactly two hundred and ten years, and Israel spent two hundred and ten years in Egypt. Satan came [before God] to present accusations [against Israel],13For worshiping idols while they were in Egypt. but He incited him instead against Job.
Rabbi Ḥananya son of Rabbi Aḥa said: This is analogous to a shepherd who was standing and watching over his flock. A wolf came and confronted him. He said [to his assistants]: ‘Throw him one goat so he can satisfy his aggression with it.’ Rabbi Ḥama said: This is analogous to someone who was sitting at a feast. A dog came and confronted him. He said [to his attendants]: ‘Give him a loaf of bread so he can satisfy his aggression with it.’ So, too, Satan came [before God] to present accusations [against Israel] and He incited him instead against Job. That is what is written: “God hands me over to the unjust one, and by means of the wicked, He misdirects me” (Job 16:11) – would that it had been for righteous people,14I would not care so much if Satan’s malice had been redirected to me in order to protect righteous people from him, but in fact the people of Israel were sinful at that time. but they were wicked people.
Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda says: He [Job] lived during the days when the judges judged. That is what is written: ‘“Behold, all of you have seen it; why do you accuse me of worthlessness?” (Job 27:12).15It is the generation of the Judges that is described to as being worthless (see Bava Batra 15b). You have seen my actions and the actions of my generation. You have seen my actions: Mitzvot and good deeds; the actions of my generation: They seek to pay the fee of prostitutes from the threshing floor.’16The first thing they do with their hard-earned grain is to spend it on immoral behavior. It is not the way of the righteous to pay the fee of prostitutes from the threshing floors.17They spend their money on mitzvot and good deeds, not on sinful activity. That is what is written: “You have loved the prostitute’s fee upon every threshing floor of grain” (Hosea 9:1).
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He [Job] lived in the days of the Chaldeans, as it is stated: “The Chaldeans set three columns” (Job 1:17). Rabbi Natan said: He lived during the kingdom of Sheba, as it is stated: “Sheba fell upon them and took them” (Job 1:15). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said: He lived during the days of Aḥashverosh, in whose regard it is written: “Let them seek for the king virgin young women who are of fair appearance” (Esther 2:2), and it is written: “No women as beautiful as the daughters of Job were found in all the land” (Job 42:15).
Reish Lakish said: Job did not exist at all.18The entire book of Job is an allegory, not a narration of a true story. Did Reish Lakish reverse his opinion? For elsewhere, Reish Lakish said in the name of bar Kappara: He lived in the days of Abraham, but here he says that Job did not exist at all. [No, he did not change his opinion.] What did he mean by: [Job] did not exist at all? [He meant only that] he did not actually experience the suffering that was written about him. Why, then, was it written about him? The intent was to say that if it had befallen him, he would have been able to withstand it.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: He [Job] was one of those who came up from the [Babylonian] exile. He was an Israelite, and he had a Torah academy in Tiberias. That is why they learned the laws of rending one’s garments19Upon hearing tragic news (see Job 1:20). and the blessing of mourners20See Job 1:21. from his actions. That is what is written: “Job rose, and he rent his robe” (Job 1:20) – from here we learn that a person must rend his garments while standing.
Rabbi Ḥanina said: He was [not an Israelite, but] a gentile. Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: [God said:] ‘One righteous gentile arose for Me among the nations of the world, I gave him his reward21In this world (see Job 42:12). and dismissed him.’22From the World to Come. Who was that? It was Job.
“Utz his firstborn […and Kemuel, father of Aram]” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Laban is the same as Kemuel. Why was he named Kemuel? It is because he arose [kam] against the nation of God [El].
“And his concubine, and her name was Re'uma, she, too, bore, Tevaḥ, and Gaḥam, and Taḥash, and Maakha” (Genesis 22:24).
“And his concubine, and her name was Re’uma…” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: All of them were named with the idea of punishment:23For they were all wicked. Tevaḥ – they are slaughtered [tevaḥun]; Gaḥam – they are excised [gemaḥun]; Taḥash – they are weakened [teḥashun]; Maakha – they are crushed [me’akhun].