וְעַתָּ֡ה קְחֽוּ־לָכֶ֣ם שִׁבְעָֽה־פָרִים֩ וְשִׁבְעָ֨ה אֵילִ֜ים וּלְכ֣וּ ׀ אֶל־עַבְדִּ֣י אִיּ֗וֹב וְהַעֲלִיתֶ֤ם עוֹלָה֙ בַּֽעַדְכֶ֔ם וְאִיּ֣וֹב עַבְדִּ֔י יִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֧י אִם־פָּנָ֣יו אֶשָּׂ֗א לְבִלְתִּ֞י עֲשׂ֤וֹת עִמָּכֶם֙ נְבָלָ֔ה כִּ֠י לֹ֣א דִבַּרְתֶּ֥ם אֵלַ֛י נְכוֹנָ֖ה כְּעַבְדִּ֥י אִיּֽוֹב׃
Kaya ngayon, kumuha kayo ng pitong toro at pitong lalaking tupa, at pumunta kayo sa Aking lingkod na si Job, at maghandog kayo ng handog na susunugin para sa inyong sarili. Ipapanalangin kayo ng Aking lingkod na si Job, sapagkat siya ang Aking tatanggapin, upang hindi Ko kayo gawan ng kahiya-hiyang bagay, sapagkat hindi kayo nagsalita nang tama tungkol sa Akin, gaya ng Aking lingkod na si Job.”
Kol Dodi Dofek
The Holy One said to the friends of Job, “Now, therefore, take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to My servant Job and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering, and My servant Job shall pray for you” (Job 42:8). Behold, I will test Job yet another time. Let him be tested publicly. Does he now know how to pray for others and participate in their travail? Did he learn anything in the hour of retribution and divine anger? Did he adopt for himself a new style of collective prayer that encompasses the community? If he pleads for you, he will bring his salvation and yours; “For to him I will show favor” (Job 42:8). Then you shall know that Job was redeemed from the narrow straits of egotism and entered into the vistas of communal empathy; and that social isolation has ended and communal affiliation has appeared in its stead. A wonderful thing happened. Job suddenly understood the nature of Jewish prayer. He discovered in one moment its plural voice and the attribute of loving-kindness that sweeps man from the private to the public domain. He began to live a communal life, to feel the community’s hurts, to mourn its disasters and rejoice in its moments of celebration. Job’s sufferings found their true repair in his escape from the prison in which he had found himself, and God’s wrath was assuaged. As it is written: “And the Lord changed the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends” (Job 42:10).