Midrasz do Hioba 28:23

(Fol. 16b) Rabba b. b. Chana became ill and was visited by R. Juda and Raba, who came to find out his condition. The latter asked Rabba b. b. Chana concerning a divorce document, and while they were thus discussing it (Fol. 17) a Parsee came and took away the light from them. Rabba b. b. Chana thereupon said: "O Merciful! either let us live under Thy shadow (protection), or under the shadow of the son of Esau (Rome)." Shall we assume that the Romans are better natured than the Persians? Behold it was taught in the house of study of R. Chiya: What does the passage (Job 28, 23) God understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof, mean? This means that The Holy One, praised be He! knoweth very well, that Israel could not bear the evil decrees [against the study of the Torah] which the Romans enacted. He therefore exiled them in Babylonia [amongst the Persians.] Hence the Persians are better natured? This is not difficult to explain, the latter means prior to the entrance of the Parsees, and the former means after the Parsees had entered [the Jewish colonies in Babylonia.]

R. Chiya was taught: "What is the meaning of the passage (Job 28, 23) God alone understandeth her way, and He knoweth her place; i.e., the Holy One, praised be He! knoweth that Israel could not bear the tyrannical behest of the Syrians and Ishmaelites, and for that reason He exiled them into Babylon." R. Elazar said: "The Holy One, praised be He! would not have exiled Israel into Babylon but for the reason that Babylon is as low as the grave; as it is said (Hosh. 13, 14) From the power of the grave would I ransom them, from death would I redeem them." R. Chaninah said: "[They were exiled into Babylon] because the language there is similar to that of the Torah." R. Jochanan said: "Because He sent them into their native country." This may be likened unto a man who became angry at his wife. Where does he send her? to her mother's home; and this is intended to mean, as R. Alexander said, that three things returned unto their origin, viz., Israel, the Egyptians' wealth, and the Script of the Tablets. 'Israel,' as was stated above; concerning 'the Egyptians' wealth, as it is written (I Kings 14, 25) And it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak, the king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem, and he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house, etc.; concerning the Tablets, as it is written (Deu. 9, 17) And I broke them before your eyes. It was taught: The Tablets were broken and the letters inscribed therein flew off. Ulla said: "[The reason why Israel was exiled into Babylon is] that they might be able to eat (Fol. 88) dates [cheaply bought] and thus easily study the Torah." Ulla once happened to come into Pumpaditha, and they brought him a basket full of dates. "How many such baskets could be bought for one Zuz? "Three," they answered him. Whereupon Ulla said: "A big basket of honey for one Zuz, and still the Babylonians do not study the Torah [sufficiently]" At night, [after he had eaten too many dates], it proved injurious to him. Thereupon he said: "A whole basket full of poison for one Zuz, and still the Babylonians study the Torah!"

When Moses died, the Holy One Blessed be He said to the angel of death: "Go and bring Me Moses' soul." He went and stood before him, whereupon Moses said: Where I sit, you have no right to stand, and you say "Give me your soul!" He rebuked him and he left scorned. The angel of death went and repeated Moses' words to the Almighty, who again said to the angel of death: "Go and bring Me Moses' soul." He went to his place and sought him, but he could not find him. He went to the Red Sea and said to it: Have you seen Moses? It answered: From the day that Israel crossed in my midst, I have not seen him. He went to the mountains and valley, and said to them: Have you seen Moses? They answered (Iyyov 28:23) "G-d understands its way" — G-d has secreted him for life in the world to come, and no one knows of him, viz. (Devarim 34:6) "And He (Himself) buried him in the valley, etc."