Midrasz do Hioba 10:24

These are: The duty with regard to menstruation,¹A woman must remain apart from her husband during her menstrual period. for it is written: And if a woman have an issue of her blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days (Lev. 15:25); the duty of the levy of dough,²A portion of the dough, removed before baking bread, that is dedicated to God. During the Temple period it was given to the priest, but after the destruction of the Temple it was burned. for it is written: Of the first of your dough ye shall set apart a cake for a gift (Num. 15:20); and the duty of lighting the Sabbath lights, for it is written: And call the Sabbath a delight (Isa. 58:13). If one chooses to sit in darkness, the Sabbath would not then be a delight, since darkness is imposed upon those condemned to Gehenna,³Hell. One of the seven things formed two thousand years before creation. as it says: A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself (Job 10:22).

(Ib. 10, 7) Still it is within Thy knowledge that I am not wicked, and there is none that can deliver me out of Thy hand. Raba said: "Job wanted to exempt the whole world from punishment. He said thus: 'Sovereign of the Universe! Thou hast created an ox with parted hoofs, and an ass with closed hoofs. Thou hast created Paradise, and Thou hast created Gehenna; Thou hast created the righteous (through the good inclination) and Thou hast created the wicked (through the evil inclination). Who can prevent Thee?' But what did Job's colleagues answer him? (Ib. 15, 4) Yea, thou truly makest void the fear (of God), and diminishest devotion before God: i.e., the Holy One, praised be He! has created the evil spirit, and He has created the Torah as a remedy against it."

Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness (Exod. 10:21). Where did the darkness come from? R. Judah and R. Nehemiah discussed this question. R. Judah held: It descended from the darkness of the upper regions, as it is said: He made darkness His hiding place, His pavilion round about Him (Ps. 18:12). While R. Nehemiah argued that it ascended from the darkness of the netherworld, as it is stated: A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself, a land of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness (Job 10:22).

(Exod. 10:21:) STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND TOWARD THE HEAVENS <THAT THERE MAY BE DARKNESS OVER THE LAND OF EGYPT>…. Where did the darkness come from? R. Judah and R. Nehemiah disagree.³Tanh., Exod. 3:2; Exod. R. 14:2. R. Judah says: From the darkness above, as stated (in Ps. 18:12 [11]): HE MADE DARKNESS HIS HIDING PLACE. R. Nehemiah says: From the darkness of Gehinnom, as stated (in Job 10:22): A LAND OF UTTER DARKNESS, LIKE THE DARKNESS OF <THE SHADOW OF DEATH, WITHOUT ORDER>.⁴Cf. M. Pss. 18:16. R. Joshua ben Levi said: In three places we hear that a person makes known his teaching near to his death. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 22:20–21): <DID I NOT WRITE DOWN FOR YOU A THREE-FOLD⁵Heb.: shalishom. These cosonants(with different vowels) normally indicate an adverb meaning “three days ago” or simply “formerly.” The translation in the biblical context is uncertain but certainly contains the concept of three. The translation of the word here is that of the new JPS version. LORE…> TO MAKE KNOWN TO YOU FAITHFUL AND TRUE WORDS, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO ANSWER TRUE WORDS TO THOSE WHO SENT YOU? So also Solomon said (in Eccl. 12:13): <HERE IS> THE END OF THE MATTER WHEN EVERYTHING HAS BEEN HEARD: <FEAR GOD, KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, FOR THIS COMPRISES THE WHOLE PERSON. > What (in Job 10:22) is the meaning of THE SHADOW OF DEATH < WITHOUT ORDER>? When someone is in the shadow of death, he puts his teaching in order. R. Tanhuma bar Abba [said]: When one comes to pass away, his ministering angels say (Ps. 68:35 [34]) to him: ASCRIBE POWER TO GOD…. So also it says (in Ezek. 31:15): THUS SAYS THE LORD [GOD]: IN THE DAY THAT HE WENT DOWN TO SHEOL, <I CAUSED HIM TO MOURN; I COVERED HIM WITH THE DEEP>. Ergo (in Job 10:22): A LAND OF UTTER DARKNESS, LIKE THE DARKNESS OF <THE SHADOW OF DEATH, WITHOUT ORDER>. R. Judah says: With what are the wicked covered when they go down to Sheol?⁶Below, Numb. 1:1. With darkness. Hezekiah said: In the case of a vat, with what does one cover it? With a lid of earthenware, <i.e.,> of the same material.⁷Tanh., Exod. 3:2, and Exod. R. 14:2 identify Hezekiah as Hezekiah b. Rabbi. Cf. Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 2:8; Tanh., Lev. 8:5; Gen. R. 33:1; Lev. R. 27:1; and PRK 9:1 which attribute the parable to various authorities, all of whom bear the name Judah. Just as <the vat> is of earthenware, so one covers it with nothing but earthenware. So <also> it is with the wicked. What is written about them (in Is. 29:15): AND THEIR WORKS ARE IN DARKNESS…. And therefore the Holy One brings them down to Sheol, which is darkness, and covers them with the deep, for it <also> is darkness, as stated (in Gen. 1:2): WITH DARKNESS UPON THE FACE OF THE DEEP. Here is the same darkness which came upon Egypt. It came from the midst of Gehinnom. And how thick was this darkness?⁸Exod. R. 14:1. Our masters have said: As thick as a denarius⁹A standard coin of gold or silver. Originally a Roman silver coin of 3.8 grams first minted in 268 BCE, its value varied from place to place and from age to age. In general a gold dinarius was worth twenty-four times that of a silver dinarius. of Gordianus {i.e., the name of a place}, EVEN (according to Exod. 10:21) A DARKNESS THAT CAN BE FELT.

R. Joshua the son of Levi declared: We are informed by three verses that man should cause his learning to be heard (by others) at the time of his death. Where do we learn this? It is written: That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of death, that thou mightest bring back words of truth to them that send thee (Prov. 22:21). Similarly, Solomon declared: The end of the matter, all having been heard, fear God (Eccles. 12:13). And by the verse Shadow of death and without order (Job 10:22). When a man is about to enter the shadow of death, he must systematize his studies, for it is said: The shadow of death, without any order²That is, he should arrange his teachings so that others can learn from him. R. Tanhuma the son of Abba held: When a man is about to die, the ministering angels proclaim: “Give glory unto the Lord.” Hence, a land of thick darkness, as darkness itself (Job 10:22).

And it shall be if you listen to listen (Deuteronomy 28:1): If you listened a little, your end will be to listen much. Another interpretation: You will make your studies heard in front of the Holy One, blessed be He. When will you make your studies heard? Rabbi Yehudah says, "At the time that he comes to part from the world, as it is stated (Ecclesiastes 12:13), 'The end of the matter, everything is heard.'" And Rabbi Meir says, "until he completes his soul, as stated (Job 10:22), 'gloom and not arranged,' as he arranges his study." Another interpretation: "If you surely listen," your prayer will be heard, like Choni the Circle-maker. At the time that Israel required rain, they went into him and said to him, "Pray for us, as we need rain." Immediately, he drew a circle and stood inside it, to fulfill that which is stated (Habakuk 2:1), "I will stand on my watch." The rain began to drizzle. He said, "This is not what I requested, but rains of desire, blessing and freewill." The rain [then] began to fall in its accustomed way. What caused him to be one who prays, such that the Holy One, blessed be He listens to his prayers? [It was] because he listened to the words of the Torah. Another interpretation: If you listen in this world, you will listen [to it] in the world to come from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He. Rabbi Yonah the father of Rabbi Manna said in the name of Rabbi Levi who said in the name of Rabbi Abba, "The Torah was not supposed to have been given to Israel in this world. Why? Because everyone will learn it from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the future, in the world to come. [So] why was it given to them in this world? So that when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to teach them in the world to come, everyone will know in what section He is occupied." Therefore, if you listen in this world, you will listen in the world to come from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He. Another interpretation: If you merited to listen to words of the Torah that were given with many voices, you will merit to hear that voice about which it is written (Jeremiah 7:34), "the voice of gladness and the voice of joy." Another interpretation [of] "if you listen to listen": If you have listened to the voice of your teacher, your end is that others [will] listen to you. "To guard to do" (Deuteronomy 28:1). You should only study in order to do. Rabbi Yochanan said, "Anyone who studies [Torah] but does not do [what he studied], it would have been better had his placenta turned over his face (died in the womb). But if you merited to guard and to do, 'the Lord your God will set you high above (elyon)' (Deuteronomy 28:1)." Rabbi Levi said, "What is [the meaning of] elyon? It is like this thumb (alyon). If you merited, behold you will be above the four fingers, 'and the Lord your God will set you high above,' on condition. But if not, 'the stranger that is in your midst will rise higher and higher' (Deuteronomy 28:43)." "Blessed shall you be in your coming" (Deuteronomy 28:6), on condition [that it is] in your coming to the synagogues and study halls; "and blessed shall you be in your going," from the synagogues and study halls. "You shall be blessed in the city and you shall be blessed in the field" (Deuteronomy 28:3). It should have said, "You shall be blessed in the field and you shall blessed in the city," as it is from what he brings in from the field that he is blessed in the city. Rather what do we learn to say [from,] "You shall be blessed in the city and you shall be blessed in the field?" If you have come to the commandment in the city, do not say, "I was only commanded in the field to extract the priestly tithes and the [other] tithes outside." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Open your hand [to give tithes] also in the city." Another interpretation: "You shall be blessed in the city," with the commandments that you do in the midst of your house in the city, such as sukkah, mezuzah and parapet. "You shall be blessed in the field," [with the commandments that you do in the field], such as [leaving] gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and the corner [of the field]. Another interpretation: A man should not say, "If the Holy One, blessed be He, had given me a field, I would have extracted tithes from it. [But] now that I do not have a field, I will not give anything." The Holy One, blessed be He, says [in response], "See what I have written in My Torah, 'You shall be blessed in the city,' for those living in the city; 'and you shall be blessed in the field,' for those that have fields." "Blessed shall be your basket" (Deuteronomy 28:5). These are the first-fruits that you you bring up to Jerusalem, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 26:4), "And the priest shall take the basket from your hand." "And your kneading bowl" (Deuteronomy 28:5), that is the challah tithe. "[Blessed shall be...] the calving (shegar) of your herd" (Deuteronomy 28:4). Rabbi Yehudah bar Shalom said, "That they shall be moving (shegurin) and coming out [effortlessly] like [from] the mouth of a box; 'and the lambing (ashterot) of your flock' (Deuteronomy 28:4), that they should be as strong as boulders (ashterot)." Another interpretation: "You shall be blessed in the city," this [refers to] Jerusalem, which is called a city, as it is stated (Lamentations 2:15), "Is this the city that they said was the perfection of beauty?" "And you shall be blessed in the field," this [refers to] Zion, as it is stated (Jeremiah 26:18), "Zion shall be plowed for a field." And when will the Holy One, blessed be He, show this blessing to Israel? When Jerusalem is rebuilt and the exiles are returned within her, as it is stated (Psalms 133:3), "As the dew of Hermon which runs down on the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, life forever." [May it happen] speedily in our day, Amen!

"There is not a day in which the curse, etc." Said Raba: "There is not a day in which the curse increases from that of its previous day, as it is said (Deut. 28, 67) in the morning thou wilt say, 'Would it were even,' and at the even thou wilt say, 'Would it were morning. Shall I assume that this means that the morning refers to the morrow; if so what does he know what will happhen to-morrow that he works for it, we must therefore say that it refers to the previous day. And since the curse is so great, on what merits does the world exist? Upon the merits of reciting K'idusha D'Sidro, K'dushah (desology) after the lesson of the day, and upon reciting the Amen, mentioned in the Kaddish after the lecture, as it is said (Job 10, 22) A land of utter gloom, as of the darkness of the shadow of death, without and order, and the light of which is like utter gloom." "And the dew does not come down with a blessing, and the fruits have not their proper tastes." We are taught in a Baraitha, R. Simon b. Elazar says: "The cleanliness which ceased from Israel destroyed the proper taste of fruit and their smell; the abolition of Tithes caused the loss of the fat of the grain." R. Huna found a certain fat fig of a certain place Chanuni, he wrapped it in his cloak and when his son Rabba came he said to him: "I smell a fine odor from you," he said to him: "My son thou possessest a spirit of cleanliness," and therefore he gave it to him. Meanwhile Raba, the latter's son, came and took it away from him, and R. Huna then said to his son: "My son thou hast rejoiced my heart, hut hast at the same time blunted my teeth." And this is meant by the maxim of the people, the love of a father for his son, and the love of a son for his children. R. Acha b. Jacob helped along his grandson R. Jacob. When the latter grew old, whenever his grandfather asked him for a drink of water he said: "Am I your son? I am only your grandson." And this is also meant by the Maxim of the people. "Raise me, raise me, nevertheless I will only remain your grandchild."

Antonius questioned Rabbi again "At what time does the soul come into the body — at the moment of conception, or at the time the embryo is already formed?" He answered him: "When it is already formed." Antonius said to him: "Is it possible that a piece of flesh shall keep three days or more without being salted, and it shall not smell badly?" Rabbi replied: "It must therefore be at conception." "This thing, said Rabbi, "I was taught by Antonius, and the following passage is a support to him: (Job 10, 12) (Upakad'ta) And thy providence watched over my spirit." Antonius questioned Rabbi again: "At what time does the evil spirit reach man? At the time the embryo is formed, or when it comes out from the womb?" "At the time it is formed," he answered. "If so," rejoined Antonius, "the embryo would kick the entrails of the mother and go out; therefore it must be from the time it comes out." And Rabbi said: "This thing was taught to me by Antonius, and the following passage supports him (Gen. 4, 7) Sin lieth at the door."

"And Moses stretched out his hand to the heavens and a behold, a thick darkness." Where did this darkness come from? Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Nechemia [debate]. Rabbi Judah says the darkness came from above as it says (Psalms 18:12) He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him... Rabbi Nechemia says the darkness comes from below (gehinom) as it says (Job 10:22) A land of gloom, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order...

... Another possibility: "When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male" [Leviticus 12:2] Thus when it is written "Life and lovingkindness you have given me, Your care has guarded my spirit" [Job 10:12] Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said three [things]: In the way of the world if a person takes a purse of money and places the opening downward, does not the money scatter?! A fetus that rests in the womb of his mother, The Holy Blessed One guards him so he does not fall and die, is this not praiseworthy?! Thus - "Life and lovingkindness you have given me." Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said also: It is the way of the world that an animals breasts are in the place of the womb and the newborn nurses in a shameful place. But a woman, her breasts are in a beautiful place, and the newborn nurses in a place of honor. Is this not "life and lovingkindness?" Thus - "Life and lovingkindness you have given me." Rabbi Elazar said, if a person tarries in a hot place for one hour, does he not die? Yet the womb of the woman boils, and the fetus which is placed inside the womb, The Holy Blessed One protects it, it is not aborted in the shape of a bag, it is not aborted as the placenta, nor aborted in the shape of a sandal - is this not "life and lovingkindess?" Thus - "Life and lovingkindness you have given me." Rabbi Tachalifa of Cesaerea If a person eats one portion of food after another portion of food, does not the second portion expel the first? But no matter how much food a woman eats or how much liquid she drinks, the fetus is not expelled - is this not "life and lovingkindness?" Rabbi Simon said, the womb of a woman is made with many cavities, many coils, and many bands. At the moment that a woman sits on the birth chair, (the baby) does not get cast out all at once. There is a saying, "If one band is loosened, two bands are loosened". Rabbi Meir said: All nine months that a woman does not see blood, she really should have seen it. What did The Holy Blessed One do? He removed (the blood) upward to her breasts and made it milk, so that when the baby was born there would be food for him to eat. Even more if it was a male child, as it says: "When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male."

Another interpretation (of Numb. 3:40), “enroll every first-born male.” But look, we find two hundred and seventy-three first-born, who were found to be in excess of the [number of] the Levites at the time that Moses numbered them.¹⁰⁷Numb. R. 4:7. According to Numb. 3:43, there were 22,273 first-born, while Numb. 3:39 put the number of Levites at 22,000. The problem for Moses was that he had been commanded (in Numb. 3:44-45) to replace all the first-born with Levites. R. Judah and R. Nehemiah [differ about this].¹⁰⁸Numb. R. 4:10; ySanh. 1:4 (19c). R. Judah says, “This is what Moses did: he took [twenty-two thousand] lots¹⁰⁹Gk.: pittakia (“tickets”); Lat.: pittacia (“ticket”). and wrote ‘Levite,’ on each of them. Then he took two hundred and seventy-three more lots and wrote ‘five sela'im’¹¹⁰A sela‘ is equal to one sacred or two common shekels. Thus five sela‘im matches the payment of five shekels required in Numb. 3:46-47. [on each of them]. He mixed them up and put them in an urn.¹¹¹Gk.: kalpe. For more details about such an urn, see Yoma 39a. Then the father of a first-born would put his hand into the urn. If there came up in his hand a lot on which was written ‘Levite,’ he was redeemed (by a Levite) and exempted from the five sela'im; but if there came up in his hand a lot on which was written ‘five sela'im,’ he handed over five sela'im.” These are the words of R. Judah. R. Nehemiah says, “There is still a difference of opinion on the matter, because one could say to him, ‘There is no lot [remaining] here on which “Levite" is written.¹¹²Sanh. 17a. That is the reason it did not come up in my hand.’ Instead this is what Moses did: He took lots according to the number of all the first-born, and wrote ‘Levite’ on them. Then again he took other lots according to their number and wrote ‘five sela'im’ on them. He mixed them up and put them in an urn. Then the father of a first-born would reach into the urn. If a lot with ‘Levite’ came up in his hand, he knew that a Levite had redeemed him, and had exempted him from the five sela'im; but if a lot with ‘five sela'im’ came up in his hand, he handed over five sela'im. Then the officer said to him, ‘Was there not another lot there on which "Levite" was written? So you are not worthy of being redeemed by a Levite.’” (Numb. 3:40:) “Enroll (rt.: pqd) every first-born male.” There is [a use of] the root pqd for the first born, as stated (ibid.), “enroll (rt.: pqd) every first-born male.”¹¹³Numb. R. 4:4. There is [a use of] the root pqd for children (in I Sam. 2:21), “For the Lord visited (rt.: pqd) Hannah; so she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters.” There is [a use of] the root pqd for watching over (in Job 10:12), “and Your providence (rt.: pqd) has watched over my spirit.” There is [a use of] the root pqd for peace (in Is. 60:17), “and I will appoint peace as your overseer (rt.: pqd).”

[Another interpretation] (of Numb. 3:40:) ENROLL (rt.: PQD) EVERY FIRST-BORN MALE. There is <a use of> the root PQD for the first born, as stated (ibid.): ENROLL (rt.: PQD) EVERY FIRST-BORN MALE.¹³⁵Tanh., Numb. 1:21, cont.; Numb. R. 4:4. There is <a use of> the root PQD for children (in I Sam. 2:21): FOR THE LORD VISITED (rt.: PQD) HANNAH; SO SHE CONCEIVED AND BORE THREE SONS <AND TWO DAUGHTERS>. There is <a use of> the root PQD for watching over (in Job 10:12): AND YOUR PROVIDENCE (rt.: PQD) HAS WATCHED OVER MY SPIRIT. There is <a use of> the root PQD for peace (in Is. 60:17): AND I WILL APPOINT PEACE AS YOUR OVERSEER (rt.: PQD).

He went to the sorcerer on the first day of the week and his father’s corpse was brought up. That occurred also on the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth day of the week, but on the Sabbath day it did not ascend. Then, on the first day of the next week, it reappeared. He asked his father’s corpse: “Now that you are dead, why do you behave as a Jew, observing the Sabbath?” He replied: “My son, everyone among you who does not observe the Sabbath as it is decreed will do so unwillingly when he arrives here.” He asked him: “What work do you do on weekdays? He answered: “On weekdays we are judged, but on the Sabbath we rest until the Sabbath ends and the Sabbath reading is completed. When the Sabbath reading is concluded, the angel in charge of souls comes and takes the souls of those people and casts them back into the pit of the earth that is called A land of thick darkness as darkness itself; a land of the shadow of death, without any order (Job 10:22).” What is meant by tzalmavet (“shadow of death”)? It means tze’u lemavet (“they go out to death”), since they have already completed reading the text for the Sabbath. He then asked him: “If that is so, then why does the Holy One, blessed be He, work on that day?” He replied: “He is like one who walks about a courtyard four cubits in size. Furthermore, the river Sabbatyon³⁸The legendary river Sabbatyon flowed, and therefore was impassable, on the six weekdays, but was still on Sabbaths and holy days. According to legend it formed the boundary of the territory in which the ten lost tribes were exiled. See Gen. R. Chapter 73, sect. 6 and San.h. 65b testifies to this fact, for it carries stones and sand throughout the week, but on the Sabbath it rests.” He said to him: “Do you intend to fob me off (with this answer)?” He said to him: “It is written: He rested on the seventh day from all His labors (Gen. 2:2) (My answer is intended seriously).”

And Ad-nai said to his heart (Gen. 8:21) - The wicked are under control of their heart: 'The fool has said in his heart' (Ps. 14:1); 'And Esav said in his heart' (Gen.27:41); 'And Yerovoam said in his heart' (I Kings 12:25); 'Now Haman said in his heart' (Est. 6:6). But the righteous have their hearts under their control since it is written 'Now Hannah, she spoke at her heart' (I Sam. 1:13); 'And David said to his heart' (I Sam. 27:1); 'But Daniel put to his heart' (Dan. 1:8); [so too] 'And the Lord said to his heart: I will not again/add curse to the ground' (Gen. 8:21): He did not add to it, and let that indeed suffice. The Rabbis interpreted: I will not add [curse] to the children of Noah; I will not add [curse] to future generations. 'Because the devisings of man's heart [yetzer lev] is evil'. Rabbi Hiyya the Elder said: How terrible must be the dough when the baker himself testifies it to be bad! 'Because the inclination of man's heart [yetzer lev] is evil from his youth' Abba Jose the potter said: How terrible must be the leaven when he who created it testifies that it is bad, as it is written 'For He knows our inclinations, it is remembered that we are dust' (Ps. 103:14). The Rabbis said: How terrible must be the plant when the planter himself testifies that it is bad as it is written 'For the Lord of hosts, that planted you, has spoken evil of you (Jer. 1:17). Antoninus asked our teacher: ‘When is the evil inclination placed in a person, from the moment one comes out of the womb of one's mother or before one comes out of the womb of one's mother?’ ‘Before one comes out of the womb of one's mother’ he replied. [Antoninus] replied ‘It can't be, if [the yetzer] is put before one comes out from the womb, one would dig through the womb and emerge! Rabbi agreed with him, because his view corresponds with that of Scripture: 'Because the inclination of man's heart [yetzer lev] is evil from his youth [mine'urav]'. Rabbi Yudan said: This is written mine'urav (from his awakening), which means, from when he awakes [nin'ar] to the world. Antoninus asked our Teacher further: “When is the soul [neshama] put in a person, from the moment one comes out of the womb of one's mother or before one comes out of the womb of one's mother?’ He answered: ‘When one comes out of the womb of one's mother.’ [Antoninus] replied ‘It can't be! This is comparable to meat left without salt for three days - will it not putrefy?' Our Teacher agreed with him, for Scripture supports him: 'You bestowed on me life and care; Your providence watched over my spirit[ruach].' (Job 10:12) - hence, when did You place the spirit in me? When You gave me Your providence.

(Bamidbar 12:9) "And the wrath of the L-rd burned in them, and He departed": After He apprised them of their offense, He decreed ostracism upon them. Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If He who spoke and brought the world into being did not vent His wrath upon flesh and blood until He apprised them of their offense, how much more so should flesh and blood not vent his anger upon his neighbor until he apprises him of his offense! R. Nathan says: He apprised them of their offense and then decreed ostracism upon them so that they not say as Iyyov did (Iyyov 10:2) "Apprise me of what You accuse me!"