욥기 3:31의 Musar

And through it [Torah study] one merits the world to come, as Chazal have said (Peah 1:1): “These are the things … and Torah study over and against all.” And Chazal have said (Bava Metzia 85b): “That which is written (Iyyov 3:19): ‘The small and the great are there [in the next world], and the servant free of his master.’ Do we not know that the small and the great are there? — [The intent is] rather, that all who make themselves small for Torah in this world are made great in the world to come, and all who make themselves servants for Torah in this world are made free men in the world to come.” And in Avoth 6:3: “There is no honor but Torah, as it is written (Mishlei 3:35): ‘The wise will inherit honor.’ Do not desire more honor than your learning and do not lust for the table of kings. For your table [in the world to come] is greater than their table in this world, and your crown is greater than their crown, etc.” And in Sanhedrin 100a: “All who blacken their faces in Torah study in this world, the Holy One Blessed be He brightens them in the world to come, as it is written (Song of Songs 5:15): ‘His countenance is as Levanon, choice as the cedars.’” And, similarly, in Midrash Rabbah: “R. Yehudah interpreted the verse as relating to Torah scholars. One verse states (Ibid. 11) ‘black as a raven,’ and another (Nachum 2:5): ‘Their appearance is like flames, they flash like lightning.’ These are the Torah scholars, who look ungainly and black in this world but whose appearance is flamelike in the next world.” R. Tanchum ben Chanilai said: ‘All who starve themselves for words of Torah in this world, the Holy One Blessed be He sates them in the world to come, as it is written (Psalms 36:9): ‘They will be sated with the fatness of Your house.’”

The premature death of minors is connected with the spiritual preparations a husband undergoes before sexual union with his wife. From every such [successful] union a soul is created, i.e. released from G–d's store of souls. If both father and mother at the time of their union were keenly aware of the sacred nature of the commandment they were performing, then the soul released from such emanation by the parents on earth will retain its original state of holiness and purity, if the parents failed to permeate their act of union with an awareness of the holy task they were performing, then that soul may be assigned to Lilith. This is what is meant by Job 3, 3: והלילה אמר הורה גבר, "And 'night' announced a male has been conceived." Our sages in Nidah 16 say that the angel that has been given domain over conceptions is called Laylah; when the parents have not sanctified themselves, however, Lilith oppresses, for the conception originated in the domain of זנונים, gratuitous self-gratification of the flesh. This brings us back to the weak spot in man, i.e. the גיד הנשה.

A man has two masters, and when he dies he is freed from both of them. As it is said, "The small and great are there alike; and the servant is free from his master" (Job 3:19). The two masters are the spirit and the life, for they think only of pleasures, of multiplying wealth, eating, drinking, and being happy, of doing according to all the thoughts of the heart and the sight of one's eyes, and of speaking vanities and of pleasing the body. But the soul turns those thoughts upside down and says, "What good is it and what profit will there be to a man in all of his work at which he labors when in one moment he ceases to be and the body withers away, and then where is his wisdom and his beauty? If so, then there is no good except to serve the Holy One, Blessed be He, and to cleave unto Him.

Other destroying angels, called “cursers of the day” (Iyov 3:7), are assigned over people who curse themselves in anger with an oath or malediction. These angels then take that curse and bring it to the “Twisted Snake” (Yeshayahu 27:1), which also derives its power from the Samech Mem. This enables it to lodge accusations and to bring on many terrible sorrows (Zohar, Pekudei 266a). Another class of destroying angels is assigned over those who make angry threats, which is also not the way of our holy Torah, or who throw vessels in their rage. Then these angels take those ill-spoken words and bring them before their council. “This is the sacrifice that So-and-so has offered to us,” they declare. “Woe to him, for he has strayed after, and worshipped, an alien god! (Zohar, Pekudei 263b).

Let us get back to Jacob's desire to settle in the land of Israel and lead a tranquil life, as indicated by the opening words of our פרשה. Bereshit Rabbah 84,3 quotes Job 3,26: לא שלותי ולא שקטתי ולא נחתי ויבא רוגז, "I had no repose--no quiet-- no rest and trouble came," as paralleling what Jacob said that he had not experienced repose from his trouble with Esau, nor quiet from Laban, nor rest from the rape of Dinah. Now, without respite, he was faced with the trouble involving Joseph. Some of our Kabbalists see all these four troubles Jacob experienced alluded to in the single word וישב. The letters in that word are the respective second letters in the words יוסף, דינה, עשו and לבן.

There are numerous references to this in our Midrashic literature. Shemot Rabbah 30,11, quoting Job 23,3-4, "would that I could find Him, reach His dwelling place, I would set out my case, משפט, before Him, fill my mouth with arguments," explains this in the following parable. A drunken prison guard rebelled, opened the gates to let the prisoners escape, cursed the picture of the ruler, and demanded to see the king, threatening that he would tell the king to his face what he thought true justice should be. He even went as far as stoning the king's image. He was shown the ruler sitting on a platform, dispensing punishment to a lady of aristocratic bearing, he observed the king handing down a verdict against his provincial governor, etc. At that point the palace guard became frightened and apologised, explaining that his drunken stupor had been the reason for his outrageous conduct, which included not recognising his king when he saw him. Similarly Job 23,4. When Job cursed the day he was born (Job 3,3/4) he in fact cursed the angel in charge of who will be born when and under what mazzal. This angel is called לילה. Later on Job reflected how G–d had punished Miriam for speaking out against Moses (Numbers 12,10); he further observed how G–d had punished Moses not allowing him to enter the Holy Land because he had struck the rock instead of merely speaking to it (Numbers 20,12). He also noted that G–d had blinded Isaac (for having loved the wicked Esau), see Genesis 27,1. He realised moreover that G–d had punished Abraham for having asked: "how do I know that I will inherit?" (Genesis 15,8) G–d had responded by telling Abraham that his descendants would be slaves in a foreign land for four hundred years before being liberated (Genesis 15,13). G–d had also קרב קיסין, struck at Jacob with a piece of wood, causing the latter to limp as a result of the nocturnal encounter with the שרו של עשו, the guardian angel of Esau, to use the words of the Midrash. When Job had reflected on all this, he begged G–d's forgiveness for having spoken out rebelliously, and he excused himself by having been drunk. This is why it says in Job 19,4: “ואף אמנם שגיתי, אתי תלין משוגתי,” If indeed I have erred, my error stays with me overnight." All of this, because he did not realise the power of דין. So far the Midrash.