Midrash su Giobbe 40:23

You who are present today, all of you: You are the existence of this world and the world to come. When the Holy One, blessed be He, will come to give a goodly reward to the righteous, He will show them behemoths that crouch on a thousand mountains; and a thousand mountains will bring up grasses and they will eat. And from where [do we know] that they crouch on a thousand mountains? As it is stated (Psalms 50:11), "The behemoths on a thousand mountains." And they drink all [the water] that the Jordan draws, as it is stated (Job 40:23), "he is certain that he will draw the Jordan to his mouth." Rav Yosef said, "They take one swallow and draw all that the Jordan draws for six months. And it is a full verse (Job 39:24), 'With trembling and anger, he swallows the earth.'" And the Leviathan also crouches upon the deep. In the world to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, says to the ministering angels, "Come and fight with him." But when they descend to fight against him, he suspends his eyes and stares at them. And [then] they fear and flee, as it is stated (Job 41:17), "From his rising do the powers fears, the breakers are lacking." When he seeks to eat, he makes a wave in the sea. And [so] the fish think that it is [bringing] something edible, and they go to it; and he opens his mouth and swallows them. And not one of them escapes, but rather all of them enter into his mouth. And [then] the Holy One, blessed be He, says to the ministering angels, "Cast arrows." And they fling [them] at him, but he pays no attention, but they are rather considered like straw by him - as it is stated (Job 41:20), "The son of the bow does not make him flee." And [then] the Holy One, blessed be He, says to them, "Take projectile stones and hurl them at him." And they do it, but he thinks it is straw - as it is stated (Job 41:21), "The catapult is considered like straw." And if you say, where is he crouching; the Holy One, blessed be He, said, upon the clay that is better than gold - as it is stated (Job 41:22), "he reclines on the broken leaves of clay." And if you say [that] if he seeks to leave, he [can] leave - [hence] we learn to say, "he is enclosed with a narrow (tsar) seal" (Job 41:7) - I have closed in front of him, and sealed across from him and I have even restricted (hetsarti) him. And [so] how do the righteous ones eat [it]? Rather the Holy One, blessed be He, puts a spirit into the behemoths and also into the Leviathan, and they come and fight, one with the other - as it is stated (Job 41:8), "One approaches to the other." This one overturns the ground and quiets the behemoths, and these split the Leviathan. [Then] the righteous ones immediately gather around them, and the Holy One, blessed be He, says to each and every one [to eat]. And [each righteous one] eats according to his reward, as it is stated (Job 40:30), "Will the charmers (chavarim) repast upon him?" - Chizkiyah said, "These are [Torah] colleagues (chaverim)." Another [understanding]: "Will the charmers repast upon him?" - anyone who has charmed himself from doing [evil]. "Will it be divided by the traders?" (Job 40:30) - there are among men those that engage in trade: This one gives fifty gold pieces and this one gives ten; they purchase a pearl and it produces revenue. According to what each and every one gave do they take from the revenue. So did the Holy One, blessed be He, say - "Let anyone that was involved with Torah [study] and with [practice of] the commandments, come and take his reward"; as it is stated (Job 42:2), "There is no one so fierce as to rouse him; [and] who can stand (yityatsev) in front of Me?" Who are the ones that are eating in front of [God]? "You who are present." Said the Holy One, blessed be He, "You stood in front of Me in this world to accept the commandments; so too will I stand you in the world to come"; as it is stated (Isaiah 66:22), "For as the new heaven and the new earth, which I will make, shall stand in front of Me - speaks the Lord - so shall your seed and your name stand." Thus did Rabbi Tanchuma expound.

R. Juda in the name of Rab said further: "The Jordan's course is from the cavern of Pania." There is also a Baraitha to the same effect. The Jordan issues from the cavern of Pania, and flows to the sea of Sipchi, of Tiberias, until it reaches the ocean; thence it flows until it reaches the mouth of the leviathan, as it is said (Job 40, 23) He remaineth quiet, though a Jordan rusheth up to his mouth. Raba b. Ula raised the following objection: "Did not this verse speak of the cattle on the thousand mountains? Therefore," said he, "this verse must be interpreted thus: When are the cattle in question sure that they shall remain alive? When the Jordan reaches the mouth of the leviathan (i.e., as long as leviathan lives, they are also sure with life)."

On the sixth day He brought forth from the earth a beast (Behemoth) which lies stretched out on a thousand hills and every day has its pasture on a thousand hills, and overnight (the verdure) grows of its own account as though he had not touched it, as it is said, "Surely the mountains bring him forth food" (Job 40:20). The waters of the Jordan give him water to drink, for the waters of the Jordan surround all the earth, half thereof (flow) above the earth and the other half below the earth, as it is said, "He is confident, though Jordan swell even to his mouth" (Job 40:23). This (creature) is destined for the day of sacrifice, for the great banquet of the righteous, as it is said, "He only that made him can make his sword to approach unto him" (Job 40:19).

(Numb. 28:1–2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, ‘Command the Children of Israel, [and say unto them], “My offering, My bread for My fire offering….”’” Let our master instruct us: Regarding the meal offerings that were offered upon the altar, how were they offered? Thus have our masters taught (in Men. 5:1–2):³³See above, Lev. 1:7. All meal offerings were offered unleavened except the leavened [cakes] in the thank offering and the two loaves (of Pentecost) which were offered leavened. R. Meir says, “The leaven is separated from its own [dough], and [it is from this that] they are leavened.” R. Judah says, “Even that is not the best [method]; one should bring the leaven, put it into the [measure], and fill the measure [with flour].” [The sages] said to him, “Even that [method] resulted in too little or too much.” All meal offerings were kneaded in lukewarm water and one watched them lest they become leavened; and if the remnants of it became leavened, one transgressed a negative commandment, as stated (in Lev. 2:11), “No meal offering which you offer to the Lord shall be made with leaven.” Thus one may become culpable in the kneading of [leaven], in rolling it, and in baking it. There is nothing more pleasing for you than the offerings. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Say to those Israelites, ‘I did not tell you to offer me sacrifices because I have a need for them, since the whole world is Mine, and I created the animal from which you offer a sacrifice in front of Me.’”³⁴Numb. R. 21:16; see Men. 110a; PRK 6:1; PR 16:1; 48:3; Tanh., Exod. 8:14. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 50:12), “If I am hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and everything in it belong to Me.” R. Judah bar Simon said, “It is not that I require to eat anything which I commanded you to offer as My offering, My bread; as there is not eating or drinking in front of Me.” R. Simon said, “There are thirteen attributes of mercy that are written about the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Exod. 34:6), ‘And the Lord passed over his face….’ Is there a merciful one that delivers his victuals to a cruel one?” Ergo (in Ps. 50:12), “If I am hungry, I would not tell you.” R. Judah bar Simon said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘I have delivered ten [kinds of] clean animals to you (for food).³⁵See also PR 16:1; Numb. R. 20:5; 21:16. Three are in your possession, and seven are not in your possession. Now these are those which are in your possession (according to Deut. 14:4), “the bull, the sheep, and the goat.” And these are those which are not in your possession (according to Deut. 14:5), “The deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.” I did not burden you to have you seek them in the mountains and the hills, in order to bring Me a sacrifice from those [which are not in your possession]. Rather [your sacrifices come] from those which are in your possession, which grew up at your feeding trough.’” Ergo (in Ps. 50:12), “If I am hungry, I would not tell you.” R. Isaac said, “It is written (in Numb 28:2), ‘My offering, My Bread, for My burnt offering.’ Is there eating and drinking in front of Me? And if you say there is eating and drinking in front of Me, [you should] learn from the ministering angels, as stated (in Ps. 104:4), ‘His servants flaming fire.’” From what are they [then] sustained? R. Judan said in the name of R. Isaac, “They are nourished from the radiance of the Divine Presence, as stated (in Prov. 16:15), ‘The light of the king’s face is light.‘” R. Simeon ben Laqish said, [Regarding (Numb. 28:6),] “The regular burnt offering done at Mount Sinai,” “And did they do it at Mount Sinai? It is simply that if you will say that that there is eating and drinking in front of Him, learn from Moshe, our teacher. Observe what is written about him (in Exod. 34:28), ‘And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water.’ If there was eating and drinking in front of Me, he would have eaten and drank from what I eat and drink. And if Moses who [only] fulfilled the errand of God, ‘neither ate bread nor drank water,’ all the more so is it true of the Holy One, blessed be He.” Ergo (in Ps. 50:12), “If I am hungry, I would not tell you.” R. Hiyya bar Abba said, “So did the Holy One blessed be He say: ‘My [other] creatures do not need My creatures (people). In your days have you heard one saying, “Let this vine produce wine,” and it produces much wine, [or] “Let this olive tree produce oil,” and it produces much wine. My creatures do not need My creatures and I should need My creatures?’” R. Jannai said, “It is customary that when a man is walking by a river, it is impossible for him not to drink two or three log. Now all the water that is in the world would fill the hollow of My hand, as stated (in Is. 40:12), ‘Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?’ But [yet] I have written about your log (in Numb. 28:7), ‘to be poured in the sacred precinct as an offering of fermented drink to the Lord,’ which is an expression of drinking, an expression of satiation, an expression of inebriation.” I have created one animal in My world, and you are not able to support its victuals. And which is it? That is (in Psalms 50:10), “the behemoths on a thousand mountains.” R. Johanan, R. Joshua ben Levi and the Sages [disagreed about this]. R. Johanan said, ‘It was one animal crouching on a thousand mountains and it would pasture on a thousand [different] mountains each day, as stated, (in Job 40:20), ‘The mountains yield him produce.’” R. Joshua ben Levi says, “It was one animal crouching on a thousand mountains and a thousand mountains would produce many types of food, for the righteous to eat in the future to come, as stated (in Is. 65:10), ‘Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, And the Valley of Achor a place for cattle to lie down.’” And the Sages say, “It crouches upon the thousand mountains, and the thousand mountains produce animals every day and it eats [them].” What is the explanation? As it states (in Job 40:20, cont.), “and all the beasts of the field play there.” Is it possible for a grazing animal to eat a grazing animal? R. Tanchuma says, “Great is the work of our God and how great are His acts.” And from where does it drink? R. Joshua ben Levi and the Sages [disagreed about this]. R. Joshua ben Levi says, “It drinks up with one swallow all that the Jordan produces in six months, as stated (in Job 40:23), ‘He can restrain the river from its rushing; [he is confident the Jordan will gush at his command].’ [And the sages say, “Twelve months….”]³⁶See Numb. R. 21:18. But it only has a moistening of the mouth [from it].” And [so] from where does it drink? R. Shimon ben Gamliel taught (form Gen. 2:10), “’A river issues from Eden to water the garden’ and its name is Yuval, as stated (in Jer. 17:8), ‘sending forth its roots by a stream (yuval),’ and it drinks from it.” R. Chiya taught in the name of R. Meir (from Job 12:7), “’But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, they will tell you’: ’But ask the beasts,’ this is the behemoth; ‘the birds of the sky,’ this is the ziz of the Omnipresent (a giant bird). (Job 12:8:) ‘Or speak to the earth, it will teach you; the fish of the sea, they will inform you’: ‘Or speak to the earth,’ this is the Garden of Eden; ‘The fish of the sea,’ that is the leviathan. (Job 12:9:) ‘Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?’” You have one king and his name was Solomon, as stated (about the lavishness of his meals in I Kings 5:2-3), “Solomon’s daily provisions consisted of thirty kor of semolina, and sixty kor of [ordinary] flour, ten fattened oxen….” R. Yehuda bar Zvidah said, “Solomon had a thousand wives and each and every one would make him like this every day, as she thought he would eat with her. [And] Nehemiah the governor did not [even] have the ability to reckon his meal, as stated (in Neh. 5:18), ‘And although what was prepared for each day came to one ox….’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘My children, it is not because there is eating and drinking in front of Me. Rather it is because of the smell, that you shall be pleased and give the pleasant smell in front of Me.’”

18 R. Hiyya bar Abba said, “My creatures do not need My creatures. In your days, have you heard one saying, ‘Water this vine with wine, so that it will produce much wine,’ [or] ‘Water this olive tree with oil, so that it will produce much oil.’ My creatures do not need My creatures and I should need My creatures?” R. Jannai said, “It is customary that when a man is walking by a river, it is impossible for him not to drink two or three log. Now all the seas and all the water would fill the hollow of My hand, as stated (in Is. 40:12), ‘Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?’ But [yet] I have written about your log (in Numb. 28:7), ‘poured as an offering of fermented drink,’ [which is] an expression of drinking, an expression of satiation, an expression of inebriation.”

19 I have created one animal in My world, and man is not able to support its victuals. And which is it? That is (in Ps. 50:10), “the behemoths on a thousand mountains.” R. Johanan, R. Simeon ben Laqish and the sages [disagreed about this]. R. Johanan said, “It was one animal crouching on a thousand mountains and a thousand mountains would produce many types of food, for the righteous to eat in the future to come, as stated (in Is. 65:10), ‘Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for cattle to lie down.’” And the Sages say, “It crouches upon the thousand mountains, and the thousand mountains produce animals every day and it eats [them].” What is the explanation? [As] (in Job 40:20, cont.), “and all the beasts of the field play there.” Is it possible for a grazing animal to eat a grazing animal? R. Tanchuma says, “Great is the work of our God and how great are His acts.” And from where does it drink? R. Joshua ben Levi says, “It drinks up with one swallow all that the Jordan produces in six months, as stated (in Job 40:23), ‘He can restrain the river from its rushing; he is confident the Jordan will gush at his command.’ And the sages say, “It drinks up with one swallow all that the Jordan produces in twelve months, as stated (in Job 40:23), ‘He can restrain the river from its rushing; he is confident the Jordan will gush at his command.’ But it only has a moistening of the mouth [from it].” R. Huna said in the name of R. Joseph, “It did not [even] have a moistening of the mouth.” And [so] from where does it drink? R. Simeon ben Yochai taught (form Gen. 2:10), “’A river issues from Eden to water the garden’ and its name is Yuval, as stated (in Jer. 17:8), ‘sending forth its roots by a stream (yuval),’ and it drinks from it.” R. Chiya taught in the name of R. Meir (from Job 12:7), “’But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, they will tell you’: ’But ask the beasts,’ this is the behemoth; ‘the birds of the sky,’ this is the ziz of the Omnipresent (a giant bird). [(Job 12:8) ‘Or speak to the earth, it will teach you; the fish of the sea, they will inform you’:] ‘Or speak to the earth,’ this is the Garden of Eden; ‘The fish of the sea,’ that is the leviathan. (Job 12:9) ‘Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?’”