Midras Ayub 4:2: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Bereshit Rabbah & Aggadat Bereshit

Woe to the kingdom of Esau when the Holy One sees its works and arises to exact retribution from it. We have found in the case of Egypt that, when the Holy One exacted retribution from them, he exacted retribution from them in the early morning. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 14:24): THEN IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MORNING WATCH < THAT THE LORD LOOKED DOWN AT THE HOST OF THE EGYPTIANS FROM THE PILLAR OF FIRE AND THE CLOUD AND CONFOUNDED THE HOST OF THE EGYPTIANS >. What is written about Assyria (in II Kings 19:35)? < SO IT CAME TO PASS IN THAT NIGHT > THAT THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WENT OUT AND SMOTE < ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE THOUSAND > IN THE CAMP OF ASSYRIA…. In the case of Media it was at the hands of Mordecai and Esther. In the case of Greece it was at the hands of Mattathias and his sons. But in the case of Edom the Holy One said: There is no creature who will exact retribution from it. I myself will exact retribution against it. Where is it shown? (In Obad. vs. 1-2:) THE VISION OF OBADIAH. THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD TO EDOM: WE HAVE HEARD TIDINGS FROM THE LORD…. < BEHOLD I WILL MAKE YOU SMALL AMONG THE NATIONS >…. R. Berekhyah said: What did Obadiah see exacting retribution from Edom? He saw that, < if > the Holy One gives back recompense to those who love him, how much the more < would he do > so for those who hate him. So the Holy Spirit says through Eliphaz the Temanite (in Job 4:1-2): THEN ANSWERED ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE³²Eliphaz is identified as Esau’s eldest son in Gen. 36:4, 10-12, 15; 1 Chron. 1:35-36. Teman was a district of Edom. AND SAID: IF ONE TRIES YOU IN SOMETHING, DO YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH?³³This translation fits the context here better than a more traditional one, which would read, IF ONE VENTURES A WORD WITH YOU, WILL YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH? Eliphaz said to Job: Here you say: In what way am I not like Abraham? Thus have you said (in Job 30:19): < GOD > HAS CAST ME INTO THE MUD, AND I HAVE BECOME LIKE DUST AND ASHES.³⁴Cf. Gen. 18:27, according to which Abraham said: AND I AM DUST AND ASHES. Do you think that he is comparing you to him? R. Berekhyah said: Transpose the text and interpret it. (Job 30:19a:) AND I HAVE BECOME LIKE DUST AND ASHES < means >, "And he judges you like the generation of the dispersion (i.e., of the Tower of Babel), of which it is written in Gen. 11:3): NOW THEY HAD BRICKS FOR STONE < AND BITUMEN FOR MORTAR >. (Job 30:19a:) < GOD > HAS CAST ME INTO THE MUD. Eliphaz said to him: Are your works like < those of > Abraham? Abraham was tried in ten trials and endured all of them, but you < have only been > in one trial. (Job 4:2-3:) IF ONE TRIES YOU IN SOMETHING, DO YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH? < … > HERE YOU HAVE INSTRUCTED MANY. You would comfort all who were suffering. When a blind person came to you, you would say to him: The Holy One already knows what he is going to do. After all, he < was the one who > made that person blind. You also used to console him and say to him: If you had built a house and did not want to open windows, who would have protested your right? So the Holy One is going to be glorified in you, as stated (in Is. 35:5): THEN THE EYES OF THE BLIND SHALL BE OPENED. When a deaf person would come to you, [you would comfort him and say to him:] If you want to make a juglet,³⁵Gk.: kothon. < but > did not want to make ears for it, who would protest your right? So the Holy One is going to be glorified in you, as stated (in ibid., cont.): AND THE EARS OF THE DEAF SHALL BE OPENED. To a lame person you would say (in ibid., vs. 6): THEN THE LAME SHALL LEAP LIKE A DEER. So you would comfort him. (According to Job 4:4:) YOUR WORDS HAVE UPHELD THE STUMBLING. But now that it affects you, you are dismayed! (Job. 4:5:) BUT NOW THAT < TROUBLE > HAS COME UNTO YOU, YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH…. (Job 4:6:) IS NOT YOUR GODLY FEAR YOUR CONFIDENCE? After all, you have said: I am a righteous person; so why does he punish me? Have you ever seen a righteous person perishing? (Job 4:7:) PLEASE RECALL, WHAT INNOCENT ONE HAS PERISHED … ? Because Noah was righteous, he was saved from his generation. Abraham was saved from the furnace; Isaac was saved from the knife; Jacob was saved from the angel; Moses was saved from Pharaoh's sword. (Job 4:7:) PLEASE RECALL, WHAT INNOCENT ONE HAS PERISHED … ? He delivered Israel from Egypt, but he destroyed the Egyptians (according to Job 4:8): AS [I HAVE SEEN], THOSE WHO PLOW EVIL AND SOW TROUBLE, REAP IT. So what happened to them (according to vs. 9)? BY THE BREATH (NShMT) OF GOD THEY PERISH. It is so stated (in Exod. 15:10): YOU BLEW (NShMT) WITH YOUR WIND, AND THE SEA COVERED THEM. Also < with reference to > all the wicked who are going to arise, (according to Job 4:10) < there is > A LION'S ROAR AND A FIERCE LION'S VOICE. Job said to him (to Eliphaz): Please look at your father, Esau. He said to him: I am not concerned with him. (According to Ezek. 18:20): {THE} [A] SON SHALL NOT BEAR THE FATHER'S GUILT…. (Job 4:11:) THE STRONG LION PERISHES FOR LACK OF PREY. This < strong lion > is Esau in that he perishes for lack of < good > works. (Ibid., cont.:) AND THE OFFSPRING OF THE LIONESS ARE SCATTERED. These < offspring > are his chieftains. Job said to him: Now in your case, what do you have for yourself? (Job 4:12:) NOW A WORD WAS SECRETLY BROUGHT UNTO ME. I am a prophet. My only concern with him is to rebuke you (according to vs. 13) IN OPINIONS³⁶The Hebrew word here is a homonym of the reading in Masoretic Text, which denotes THOUGHTS. FROM NIGHT VISIONS. The Holy One said [to Eliphaz]: You have rebuked my servant Job through a vision. I am raising up a prophet from you who will exact punishment from your father's house (the Edomites) through a vision. [It is so stated (in Obad., vs. 1): THE VISION OF OBADIAH.] So R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: What did Obadiah see, since he only prophesied against Edom? The Holy One said: Esau grew up between two righteous people³⁷Jacob and Rebekah. So Sifre, Numb. 27:1 (133). without learning from their works; but Obadiah dwelt between two wicked people³⁸Ahab and Jezebel. So Sifre, Numb. 27:1 (133); Rashi on Sanh. 39b. See also Jerome’s introduction to his commentary on Obadiah. without learning from their works. Obadiah would come and exact punishment from Esau. Ergo (in Obad., vs. 1) THE VISION OF OBADIAH. And what is written in his prophecy (in vs. 18)? THE HOUSE OF JACOB SHALL BE FIRE, AND THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH A FLAME, AND THE HOUSE OF ESAU SHALL BE STRAW; THEY SHALL BURN IT AND CONSUME IT, AND THERE SHALL BE NO SURVIVOR TO THE HOUSE OF ESAU; FOR THE LORD HAS SPOKEN.

Satan preceded him on the way, saying (Job 4, 2-6) If we essay to address a few words to thee, wilt thou be wearied… . Behold, thou hast (ere this) corrected many, and weak hands thou wast wont to strengthen. Him that stumbled, thy words used to uphold, and to sinking knees thou gavest vigor. Yet now, when it cometh to thee, thou art wearied; it toucheth even thee, and thou art terrified. And Abraham answered him (Ps. 26, 11) But as for me, I will walk in my integrity. And Satan said again (Job. 4) Is not then thy fear of God a stupidity? And Abraham answered: (Ib.) Remember, who ever perished being innocent. When Satan saw that Abraham did not listen to him, he said to him: (Ib. 12) But to me a word came by stealth. "I have heard from behind the [heavenly] curtain that a ram will be for a burnt-offering, but not Isaac a burnt offering." Abraham remarked: "This is the punishment of liars, that even when they tell the truth, nobody believes them." R. Levi, however, said: ["The above-cited verse, after these things, means] after the exchange of words between Ismael and Isaac. Ismael said to Isaac: 'I am greater than thee in performing the commandments of the Lord, as I was circumcised when I was thirteen years of age, and thou when thou wert only eight days.' To which Isaac answered: 'Thou art proud against me because thou hast offered only one member of thy body; if the Holy One, praised be He! should command me to sacrifice my whole body to Him I would do it immediately,' hence, and God tempted Abraham."

Satan preceded him on the way, saying (Job 4, 2-6) If we essay to address a few words to thee, wilt thou be wearied… . Behold, thou hast (ere this) corrected many, and weak hands thou wast wont to strengthen. Him that stumbled, thy words used to uphold, and to sinking knees thou gavest vigor. Yet now, when it cometh to thee, thou art wearied; it toucheth even thee, and thou art terrified. And Abraham answered him (Ps. 26, 11) But as for me, I will walk in my integrity. And Satan said again (Job. 4) Is not then thy fear of God a stupidity? And Abraham answered: (Ib.) Remember, who ever perished being innocent. When Satan saw that Abraham did not listen to him, he said to him: (Ib. 12) But to me a word came by stealth. "I have heard from behind the [heavenly] curtain that a ram will be for a burnt-offering, but not Isaac a burnt offering." Abraham remarked: "This is the punishment of liars, that even when they tell the truth, nobody believes them." R. Levi, however, said: ["The above-cited verse, after these things, means] after the exchange of words between Ismael and Isaac. Ismael said to Isaac: 'I am greater than thee in performing the commandments of the Lord, as I was circumcised when I was thirteen years of age, and thou when thou wert only eight days.' To which Isaac answered: 'Thou art proud against me because thou hast offered only one member of thy body; if the Holy One, praised be He! should command me to sacrifice my whole body to Him I would do it immediately,' hence, and God tempted Abraham."