Midras Ayub 19:4: Vayikra Rabbah, Midrash Tehillim & Shemot Rabbah

Ḥizkiya taught: “Israel are scattered sheep” (Jeremiah 50:17). Israel is likened to sheep. Just as, if a sheep is struck on its head or one of its limbs all its limbs feel it, so it is with Israel; one of them sins and all of them feel it. “Shall one man sin, [and You will rage against the entire congregation?]” (Numbers 16:22). Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai taught: This is analogous to people who were sitting in a ship. One of them took a drill and began drilling a hole. His counterparts said to him: ‘What are you sitting and doing?’ He said to them: ‘Why do you care? Am I not drilling under myself?’ They said to him: ‘Because the water will rise and flood the ship we are on!’ So too, Job said: “If indeed I erred, with me my error rests” (Job 19:4). His counterparts said to him: “For he adds transgression to his sin, he extends [yispok] among us” (Job 34:37); you extend your iniquities among us.
Rabbi Elasa said: A certain gentile asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa: ‘It is written in your Torah: “Incline after the majority” (Exodus 23:2). We are more numerous than you are. Why do you not become like us regarding idol worship?’ He said to him: ‘Do you have children?’ He said to him: ‘You have reminded me of my troubles.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ He said to him: ‘I have many children. When they sit at my table, this one prays to the god of so and so and that one prays to the god of so and so, and they do not leave until each of them has cracked the skull of the other.’ He said to him: ‘Do you bring them to uniformity?’ He said to him: ‘No.’ He said to him: Before you get us to become [like you], go and bring your children to uniformity.’ He hurriedly went on his way.
When he left, his disciples said to him: ‘Rabbi, you rebuffed this one with a broken reed.²³It was not a particularly strong response to his question. What do you respond to us?’ He said to them: ‘Regarding Esau, six people are mentioned in the verse, and [the term] written about them is “souls” in plural, as it is written: “Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the souls [nafshot] of his household” (Genesis 36:6). Regarding Jacob, seventy people [are mentioned in the verses], and [the term] written about them is “soul” in the singular, as it is written: “All the souls [hanefesh] who emerged from Jacob's loins were seventy souls [nefesh] and Joseph was in Egypt” (Exodus 1:5). It is, rather, that Esau worshipped multiple gods, and therefore multiple souls are written in his regard. But Jacob worshipped one god, so one nefesh is written in his regard: “All the souls [hanefesh]…were.”

Thoughts on David. Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Levi that three things came out of David's mouth regarding Saul, and all three were fulfilled. As it is said (1 Samuel 26:10), "As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him." And so it was. Either his day will come and he will die, and so it was. Or he will go down in battle and perish, and so it was, as it is said (1 Samuel 31:6), "So Saul died, and his three sons." Rabbi Elazar said, "By the life of the Lord, I swear to the evil inclination that I will not do this thing." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said to Avishai ben Tzeruya, "By the life of the Lord, if you touch the blood of the righteous, I will mix your blood with his." And Saul had a concubine, as it is written (2 Samuel 3:7), "And David took more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem." And you compare yourself to Saul. Saul's feet were as swift as eagles; Rabbi Levi said he could travel sixty miles in one day. Rabbi Simon said "One hundred and twenty," and the rabbis say "One hundred and eighty." And when was this? When the Ark was captured. This is as it is written (1 Samuel 4:10-11), "And a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the city and told what had happened, the whole city sent up a cry." Just as Saul was compared to the man of Benjamin who ran to Shiloh, so too, a person who goes to a party should not bring his children with him because of appearances. But Saul went to war, and he knew that the judgment of the law would fall upon him, and he brought his children with him. And you say (2 Samuel 21:17), "You shall go out no more with us to battle." Saul ate non-sacred food in purity, as it is stated (1 Samuel 9:23-24), "The cook took up the thigh and what was attached to it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, 'This is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion, from the time I said, "I have invited guests."' And Saul ate with Samuel that day." Rabbi Yochanan says the thigh and the tail. Rabbi says the thigh and the breast. He ate non-sacred food in purity, and you compare yourself to Saul. This is what the Scripture says (Job 12:16), "With Him is strength and wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are His." Strength refers to Torah, as it is stated (Psalms 29:11), "The Lord will give strength to His people." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, "Why is it called wisdom? Because it gives strength to the body and the eyes." [Alternative: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Why is it called "Toshiyah" (wisdom or Torah)? Because it weakens (wears down) the strength, the body, and the eyes.] What is meant by (Job 12:16), "The deceived and the deceiver are His"? Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, "Prophets and prophetesses." Rabbi Shimon said "Shetia" and the Rabbis said "Sega". If a person makes a mistake in Torah study, the words of Torah correct him. This is what the verse means when it says, "Even though I have erred, the teaching has not strayed from me" (Job 6:10). It is not enough that the Torah waits for a person during his lifetime, it also waits for him at the moment of his death. David requested "Let my soul be redeemed from distress" (Psalms 25:17). Regarding the words of Kush the Benjamite, Rabbi Chanina bar Papa said, "Just as Joseph's mistress summoned him, as it says, 'Lie with me' (Genesis 39:7), so too did the Holy One, blessed be He, summon him, as it says, 'Come to me, the Hebrew slave' (Genesis 39:17). Similarly, Saul said, 'My sons have stirred up my servants against me to ambush me' (1 Samuel 22:8). Rabbi Acha said, "But isn't it true that someone who commits an abomination is not punished? So why did David say this about Saul?" It is because he sang a song to God, as it is written, "In the falling of your enemy, do not rejoice" (Proverbs 24:17).

Another matter, “these are [ve’eleh] the ordinances.” “It was on the third day when it was morning” (Exodus 19:16), in the morning the Torah was given, and in the evening the ordinances were given.⁴³The vav at the beginning of ve’eleh links the ordinances in the upcoming passage to the previous portion, in which the Torah was given. The midrash understands this to mean that they were given on the same day. That is what is written: “From morning to evening they are broken; [forever unaware, they perish]” (Job 4:20).⁴⁴The wicked are punished due to their having ignored the Torah, which was given in the morning, and the ordinances, which were given in the evening. This is analogous to two men who went to court,⁴⁵This translation is based on Etz Yosef; see also Matnot Kehuna. one was a professional [lawyer] and one was a layman. What caused the layman to be punished? It is that he had no one to teach him. So too, the Holy One blessed be He was standing on Mount Sinai and was holding back judgment, as it is stated: “My hand grasps judgment” (Deuteronomy 32:41). David said: “Judge me, Lord, in accordance with my righteousness” (Psalms 7:9). He checked, but he did not find anyone to teach him,⁴⁶He believed that he was righteous because there was no one to teach him the parameters of the divine attribute of justice. and he was punished. He began shouting: “Do not enter into judgment with Your servant” (Psalms 143:2). When was all this? It was before he organized the ordinances for himself, to realize what is stated: “From morning to evening they are broken; [forever unaware [mesim], they perish]” (Job 4:20).⁴⁷The term mesim is taken as an allusion to the ordinances, of which it is stated: “These are the ordinances that you shall place [tasim] before them.” Thus, the punishment is due to an insufficient knowledge of the ordinances, and of the extent to which an individual is held accountable in the Divine process of judgment.
Another matter, “these are the ordinances.” What is: “Forever unaware, they perish”? (Job 4:20). Job said to the Holy One blessed be He: “If only I could know and find Him…I would organize my case before Him” (Job 23:3–4). This is analogous to a ruffian who was intoxicated. He kicked the prison [door] and freed the prisoners. He stoned the statue of the governor of the city, cursed a policeman, and said: ‘Show me the place where the governor of the city is located and I will teach him justice.’ He entered; they showed him the mayor of the city sitting on the podium. [The governor] incarcerated a noblewoman and expelled a city official, blinded a duke, sentenced a judge, and placed a magistrate in stocks. When [the ruffian] saw the governor of the city doing so, he was afraid. He said: ‘I implore you, I was intoxicated and was unaware of the power of the governor of the city.’
So too, Job was standing and screaming: “If only I could know and find Him…I would organize my case before Him.” He stoned the image, as he said: “Perish the day I was born” (Job 3:3).⁴⁸Man is created in the image of God. By cursing the day of his birth, it was as though Job stoned the image of God. He kicked the prison and freed prisoners: “Let the stars of its twilight be dark” (Job 3:9).⁴⁹The stars are like prisoners imprisoned in darkness. He cursed the officer: “May that night be taken by blackness” (Job 3:6).⁵⁰Night is viewed as an officer in charge of darkness (see Bereishit Rabba 3:6; Maharzu). He saw the king sitting on the podium. [The King] incarcerated the noblewoman: “Behold, Miriam is leprous as snow” (Numbers 12:10). He expelled Moses: “Therefore, you will not bring this congregation [into the land which I have given them]” (Numbers 20:12). He blinded the duke, this is Isaac, as it is stated: “His eyes were dimmed from seeing” (Genesis 27:1). He sentenced Abraham, as it is stated: “Know that your descendants will be strangers” (Genesis 15:13). He placed Jacob in stocks: “He was limping on his thigh” (Genesis 32:32). When Job saw, he said: ‘I implore You, I was intoxicated,’ as it is stated: “Indeed I erred, my error rests with me’ (Job 19:4). Why to that extent? It is because they did not know the power of judgment.⁵¹They did not understand how exacting Divine judgment is. That is, “forever unaware, they perish.”