Musar sobre Jó 40:33

The ninth section: One who honors evildoers in a way of peace. However he does not speak well about the evildoer and does not act to honor him in a way in which people will think that he is honoring him because he is honorable and precious in his eyes. Rather he only shows him respect in the way that people honor the rich, in the way of dignification; and with the hope of benefit, since their path has been successful - and not because of the grace of his arrangement. Nevertheless there is a sin and guilt in this thing. If it is permitted to honor the rich, it is not so with the evildoers - as it is stated (Job 40:11-12), “see every proud man and bring him low. See every proud man and humble him, and bring down the evildoers where they stand.” Nevertheless this section is permitted in the case of worry about something - lest the evildoer injure him and cause him a loss, at the time when the evildoer is strong and his time is brazen; and we do not have the ability to humble him, and to put him him down [with our soldiers]. Hence it is permitted to honor him in the way we honor very intimidating people out of fear and terror, by rising for them, noting them and that which is similar to these. However, one should not praise him, nor speak well about him to people. And likewise did our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, say (Sotah 41b), “It is permissible to flatter evildoers in this world.”

As he ages, let him pray every night and let him arrange his prayers as petition. Let him restrain himself from approaching a woman, and let him eat less meat, and drink less wine, and let him occupy himself with the needs of the poor and the sick. Let him accompany the dead to their burial. Let him go to the graves of the dead each week, and let him stand alone among them, and let him remind his soul of that estate, just as a certain man did who was most depraved and lawless. People told of his abominable deeds in the presence of the king, and one man among them spoke up and said, “Your Majesty, know that now he has done much more evil than he has previously done, for I testify before you that I heard him in the middle of the night going to the graves to steal the shrouds of the dead, for my home is in the wall of this city.” The king commanded two of his faithful servants to search into the matter, and they followed the man in the night until they saw him enter a certain tomb, and from there he removed a chain of iron, and he bound this chain around his neck and he pulled it mightily with his hand, and he said, “Woe to you, O bruised body, O wretched substance, O desolate soul, O dejected spirit, O foolish reason, O incurable mortal, O man of earth, what is your hope, and what will your repentance be in the day that you lie down in this place and what will your answer be, you who are the enemy of His own soul, you who are the troubler of His spiritual good, why have you sold yourself to evil and dealt presumptuously, and concerning this state you did not think, and on whom did you rely, and where are your helpers, and where are those who are supposed to love you and be faithful to you, and where are your acquaintances now? Let them arise if they can help you at this evil time. You did the evil and now you must bear its consequences. You sowed and now you must reap. You rejected and now you will be rejected. Humble yourself, O foolish soul who blasphemes its Rock and profanes its glory. Know your foundation and discern your source. Behold now your home and your glory. The clod and the worm will subdue you and worms will divide you and bolts of flaming fire will devour you, and what will you do when you come to this place, a house of darkness and the shadow of death, a house of terror and confusion, a house of sorrow and wrath? The heavens will grow dark over you and the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood and the stars will withhold their light from you. Whither will you flee, whither will you escape? This is your home and your dwelling place. What need have you of the houses of men and magnificent temples? You thought spacious upper chambers to be your legacy; do you not know that just as others go forth from them, so will you go forth from them? O, my heart, my heart! Behold your house, narrow and dark and without light. Its lamps are extinguished as stars are extinguished. Here you will be as though you never were. You will die as though you never lived. You have done enough! Return to your God! Keep this hour in mind, for if you were able to escape from it, you would surely do so. And I too would praise you that your right hand has been able to help you (Job 40:14), but since your end is to be in this state and here you will lie in sorrow, know that there is no fruit for your labor except repentance.” When the king heard about this matter, he was astounded, and he wondered exceedingly concerning this man’s repentance, and the king humbled himself because of his evil deeds, and he and many men among the outlaws of his people repented.

This is what Shlomo said: "those who forsake the Torah praise the wicked, but those who keep the Torah contend with them" (Mishlei 28:4). For those who praise the wicked on his wickedness and do not rebuke his deeds to his face, behold, they are the "forsakers of Torah" who abandon it to be desecrated, G-d forbid. But the guardians of the Torah who strengthen themselves to strengthen it, will certainly contend with the wicked and be unable to restrain themselves and be silent. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Iyov: "Scatter forth the wrath of your anger; see every arrogant man and submit him; tread down the wicked in their place; press them in the earth together, push their faces in the ground" (Iyov 40:11-13). For this is the intense love that he who truly loves His Creator can demonstrate, and it is written: "those who love G-d hate evil" (Tehilim 97:10).

This is what Shlomo said: "those who forsake the Torah praise the wicked, but those who keep the Torah contend with them" (Mishlei 28:4). For those who praise the wicked on his wickedness and do not rebuke his deeds to his face, behold, they are the "forsakers of Torah" who abandon it to be desecrated, G-d forbid. But the guardians of the Torah who strengthen themselves to strengthen it, will certainly contend with the wicked and be unable to restrain themselves and be silent. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Iyov: "Scatter forth the wrath of your anger; see every arrogant man and submit him; tread down the wicked in their place; press them in the earth together, push their faces in the ground" (Iyov 40:11-13). For this is the intense love that he who truly loves His Creator can demonstrate, and it is written: "those who love G-d hate evil" (Tehilim 97:10).

We can explain this by means of a statement in Baba Batra 75a, where Rabbi Yonatan says that when Leviathan is hungry his mouth emits so much heat that all the oceans of the world dry up, since we read in Job 41,23: "He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron." If he would not place his head within גן עדן, no creature could stand the stench of Leviathan. This is also proved from Job 41,23: "He makes the sea boil like an ointment pot." When the said Leviathan is thirsty, his wake in the ocean is like a luminous path, and he makes the Deep seem white-haired (Job 41,24). Rabbi Acha said that the Deep does not revert to its former state for seventy years, since we read in Job 41,24: "He makes the Deep seem like a שיבה,” and that word is never used for someone under seventy years of age. Rabbah, quoting Rabbi Yochanan, said that in the World To Come G–d will prepare a feast for the righteous at which the "meat" of Leviathan will be served for it is written in Job 40,30: יכרו עליו חברים, and the word כירה always means a repast, as we read in Kings II 6,23: "He prepared a lavish feast (כרה) for them and they ate and drank." The word חברים refers to Torah scholars as we know from Song of Songs 8,13: "She who sits in the gardens and חברים listen to your voice; let Me hear it." The leftover of that meal will be divided up by traders in the market-places of Jerusalem since it is written (Job 40,30) "he will be divided up among the Canaanites," and Canaanites are merchants as we know from Hosea 12,8: "A Canaanite trader who uses false weights to oppress the one who thinks the trader is his friend." You may also prove this point from Isaiah 23,8: "whose traders are nobles, whose traders (כנעניה) were the most respected ones on earth."

Rabbah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that in the future G–d will make a hut for the righteous out of the hide of Leviathan as we know from Job 40,31: התמלא בשכות עורו, ובצלצל דגים ראשו.” [The traditional translation of this verse is too different from this aggadah to be relevant. Ed.] If the person is deserving, G–d will make a סוכה, hut, for him; if not, a shade-giving heave-to without walls. If he is still less deserving, G–d will make him some kind of jewelry as we know from Proverbs 1,9: "and graceful ornaments around your neck." If he is still less deserving, G–d will make him an amulet, seeing that we have a verse in Job 40,29: "And you will tie it around your maidens." G–d will scatter the remainder on the walls of Jerusalem, and its glitter will sparkle from one end of the earth to the other, as we read in Isaiah 60,3: "And nations will walk by your light; kings by your shining radiance." Thus far the Talmud in Baba Batra 75.

Rabbah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that in the future G–d will make a hut for the righteous out of the hide of Leviathan as we know from Job 40,31: התמלא בשכות עורו, ובצלצל דגים ראשו.” [The traditional translation of this verse is too different from this aggadah to be relevant. Ed.] If the person is deserving, G–d will make a סוכה, hut, for him; if not, a shade-giving heave-to without walls. If he is still less deserving, G–d will make him some kind of jewelry as we know from Proverbs 1,9: "and graceful ornaments around your neck." If he is still less deserving, G–d will make him an amulet, seeing that we have a verse in Job 40,29: "And you will tie it around your maidens." G–d will scatter the remainder on the walls of Jerusalem, and its glitter will sparkle from one end of the earth to the other, as we read in Isaiah 60,3: "And nations will walk by your light; kings by your shining radiance." Thus far the Talmud in Baba Batra 75.