Midrash sobre Jó 31:39

(Job 31:38:) IF MY LAND CRIES OUT AGAINST ME. [The Holy One] said to him: Job, do you have anything more than four cubits of soil at the time of your death?³³Tanh., Deut. 4:15; PRK 10:7. So should you say (ibid.]): IF MY LAND HAS CRIED OUT AGAINST ME? And is this the work of your hand? R. Hiyya the Great and R. Simeon ben Halafta <differed>. R. Hiyya the Great said: It is comparable to one who had a mantle (tallit) for sale in the bazaar.³⁴Itlis. Buber’s note 65 suggests that the Hebrew word has lost an initial quf and comes from the Greek katalusis, which can denote a lodging or resting place. When someone passed by and saw it, he said to him: That is mine. He said to him: Wrap yourself in it. If it fits you, then it is yours; but if it does not, it is not yours. Similarly the Holy One said to Job: (Jer. 23:24:) DO I NOT FILL THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH? Yet you say (in Job 31:38): IF MY LAND CRIES OUT AGAINST ME. Is this the work of your hand? Then R. Simeon ben Halafta said: It is comparable to one who had a bondmaid for sale in the bazaar. When someone passed by and saw her, he said: She is mine. He said to him: Rebuke her. If she heeds you, she is yours; but if not she is not yours. Similarly the Holy One said to Job: It is written of me (in Ps. 104:32): WHO (i.e., the LORD) LOOKS ON THE EARTH AND IT TREMBLES. Yet you say (in Job 31:38): IF MY LAND CRIES OUT AGAINST ME. Is this the work of your hand? At that time Job said: Sovereign of the Universe: I did not mean that. Rather [what I meant by these words, IF MY LAND CRIES OUT AGAINST ME, was] "If I did not take out its tithes properly. "(Ibid., cont.:) AND <IF> ITS FURROWS WEEP TOGETHER <means> "If I planted it <unlawfully> with mixed seeds." (Job 31:39:) IF I HAVE EATEN ITS PRODUCE WITHOUT PAYMENT (literally: WITHOUT MONEY). This refers to the second tithe, as stated (in Deut. 14:25): THEN YOU SHALL CONVERT IT INTO MONEY…. (Job 31:39, cont.:) AND DISAPPOINTED ITS OWNERS. This refers to the tithe for the poor.³⁵The midrash identifies the OWNERS of Job 31:39 with the poor who actually work the land. If I have not done <all> this, (then in vs. 40): MAY THORNS COME UP INSTEAD OF WHEAT…. Rabbi Hosha'ya taught: Torah teaches you proper procedure. A field that grows thorns (when unplanted) is fine to sow wheat in. A field that grows stinkweed is fine to sow barley in. What is the evidence? That which is written (in Job 31:40:) MAY THORNS COME UP INSTEAD OF WHEAT, AND STINKWEED INSTEAD OF BARLEY. (Ibid., cont.:) THE WORDS OF JOB ARE ENDED. [Beyond this point] Job foresees and prophesies any number of prophecies. But <here> you say: THE WORDS OF JOB ARE ENDED. It is simply that Job meant: If I have not fulfilled these <conditions> (of vss. 38–39), may my words be ended, and let me not have a pretext for saying to you (in Deut. 26:13 regarding the second tithe): I HAVE REMOVED THE CONSECRATED PORTION FROM THE HOUSE.³⁶MSh 5:10. For that reason Moses warned Israel (in Deut. 14:22): YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE.

(Deut. 14:22:) “You shall surely tithe.” This is related to the verse (in Job 31:38), “If my land cries out against me.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job, “Do you have anything more than four cubits of soil at the time of your death?²⁰PRK 10:7. So should you say (ibid.), ‘If my land has cried out against me?’ And is it your handiwork?” R. Hiyya the Great and R. Simeon ben Halafta [differed about the matter]. R. Hiyya the Great said, “It is comparable to one who had a mantle (tallit) for sale in the bazaar.²¹Itlis. Buber’s note 65 suggests that the Hebrew word has lost an initial quf and comes from the Greek katalusis, which can denote a lodging or resting place. When someone passed by and saw it, he said to him, ‘That is mine.’ He said to him, ‘Wrap yourself in it. If it fits you, then it is yours; but if it does not, it is not yours.’ Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job, (Jer. 23:24), ‘”Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” Yet you say (in Job 31:38), “If my land cries out against me.” Is it your handiwork?’” Then R. Simeon ben Halafta said, “It is comparable to one who had a bondmaid for sale in the bazaar. When someone passed by and saw her, he said, ‘She is mine.’ He said to him, ‘Rebuke her. If she heeds you, she is yours; but if not she is not yours.’ Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job, ‘It is written of Me (in Ps. 104:32), “Who (i.e., the Lord) looks on the earth and it trembles.” Yet you say (in Job 31:38), “If my land cries out against me.” Is it your handiwork?’” At that time Job said, “Master of the universe, I did not say that. Rather [what I meant by the words, ‘If my land cries out against me,’ was] if I did not take out its tithes properly; (ibid., cont.:) ‘and [if] its furrows weep together’ [means] if I planted it [unlawfully] with mixed seeds. (Job 31:39:) ‘If I have eaten its produce without payment (literally, without money),’ this refers to the second tithe, as stated (in Deut. 14:25), ‘Then you shall convert it into money […]’; (Job 31:39, cont.) ‘and disappointed its owners,’ this refers to the tithe for the poor.²²The midrash identifies the OWNERS of Job 31:39 with the poor who actually work the land. If I have not done [all] this, (then in vs. 40), ‘May thorns come up instead of wheat […].’” R. Hosha'ya taught, “The Torah teaches you proper procedure. A field that grows thorns (when unplanted) is fine to sow wheat in. A field that grows stinkweed is fine to sow barley in. [What is the reason (evidence)?] That which is written (in Job 31:40), ‘May thorns come up instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.’” (Ibid., cont.:) “The words of Job are ended.” Up to here, Job foresees and prophesies any number of prophecies, and [here] you say, “The words of Job are ended?” It is simply that Job was saying, “If I have not fulfilled these [conditions] (of vss. 38-39), may my words be ended, and let me not have a pretext for saying to you (in Deut. 26:13 regarding the second tithe), ‘I have removed the consecrated portion from the house.’”²³MSh 5:10. For that reason Moses warned Israel (in Deut. 14:22), “You shall surely tithe.”