Midrash sa Job 4:9: Midrash Tanchuma, Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael & Midrash Tanchuma Buber

(Numb. 31:2:) “Exact vengeance [for the Children of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered unto your people].” R. Judah said, “If Moses had wanted to live for several [more] years, he could have remained alive; as the Holy One, blessed be He, had made his death dependent upon the vengeance against Midian.⁷Numb. R. 22:2. It is simply to show you the praise of Moses, as he did not say, ‘For the sake of my remaining alive, I shall delay the Children of Israel's vengeance on Midian.’ [Rather] immediately (in vs. 3), ‘Moses spoke unto the people, saying, “Arm some of your number (anashim) for the army, and let them fall on Midian.”’” [The word,] anashim, [implies that they were] righteous. So also elsewhere (in Exod. 17:9), “Choose anashim for us,”⁸Here also, as in Numb. 31:3, anashim implies that those chosen were righteous. [implies] righteous men. And so too (in Job 4:13), “in the falling of slumber upon anashim.” (Numb. 31:3, cont.:) “To render the vengeance of the Lord against Midian.” The Holy One, blessed be He, had said (in vs. 2), “the vengeance of the Children of Israel”; but Moses says (here in vs. 3), “the vengeance of the Lord.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “It is your judgment that is called for, because they caused Me to harm you.” [But] Moses said, “Master of the world, if we had been uncircumcised or practitioners of star worship or had denied [the binding force of] the commandments, they would not have persecuted us. On the contrary, [they have done so precisely] because of the Torah and commandments which You have given. The vengeance, therefore, is Yours.” Ergo (in Numb. 31:3), “to render the vengeance of the Lord against Midian.” (Numb. 31:4:) “[You shall send to the war] a thousand per tribe [from all the tribes of Israel].” Some say, “He sent two thousand from each and every tribe.” But others say, “Three thousand from each and every tribe, with twelve thousand armed shock troops, twelve thousand to guard the baggage, and about them it is stated (in Cant. 4:2), ‘Your teeth are like a flock of ewes…,’ and twelve thousand for prayer.”⁹Numb. R. 22:3. And where is it shown? Where it is stated (ibid.), “A thousand per tribe (literally, a thousand per tribe; a thousand per tribe).”¹⁰For the third thousand per tribe, Numb. R. 22:3 cites Numb. 31:5, which repeats: A THOUSAND PER TRIBE, for the third time. (Numb. 31:5:) “So from the thousands in Israel there were furnished a thousand per tribe.” What is the meaning of “were furnished?” That they were furnished for each other in pairs.¹¹Gk.: zeuge, zuga; Lat.: jugera. The probable meaning is that for each thousand who fought, there were a thousand replacements. Another interpretation [of “were furnished”]: They were furnished by force. Since Scripture had made the death of Moses dependent upon the vengeance against Midian, they said, “Shall we go against Midian and let Moses die?” They refrained from going. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Cast lots over the tribes, and they will be furnished automatically.” (Numb. 31:6:) “Then Moses sent them, a thousand per tribe [along with Phinehas ben Eleazar].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in vs. 2), “’Take vengeance,’ by yourself,” and he sent others?¹²Numb. R. 22:4. It was simply because he had been raised in Midian, he said, “It is not right for me to oppress those who have done good to me.” The proverb says, “Do not cast a stone into a cistern from which you have drunk water.” But some say that this is not the same Midian in which Moses was raised. As this one is next to Moab and it is [still] desolate until now. And why did He send Phinehas (instead of someone else)? He said, “Whoever has begun a commandment should finish it. [Phinehas] has (according to Numb. 25:11) ‘turned around My wrath’ (by executing an Israelite man copulating with the Midianite woman). Let him finish the commandment [that he undertook].” (Numb. 31:6, cont.:) “And the vessels of the sanctuary (haqodesh).” This refers to the ark (and its contents), since it is stated (in Numb. 7:9), “because they (i.e., the Children of Kohath) had the service of the holy (haqodesh) objects, which they carried on the shoulder.” R. Johanan said, “These were the priestly garments, in which were the urim and thummim, as stated (in Exod. 29:29), ‘And the sacred (haqodesh) garments of Aaron.’” (Numb. 31:8:) “They also killed Balaam ben Beor with the sword.” Now what was he doing there? He had simply gone to receive a reward for the twenty-four thousand from Israel that had fallen through his counsel. And about him is it stated (in Prov. 26:27), “He who digs a pit will fall in it.” [It is like the] proverb about the camel that goes to put on and claim horns, while the ears that it had are severed from it. (Numb. 31:11-12:) “Then they took all the plunder…. And they brought unto Moses and Elazar the Priest.” [This text serves] to show their excellence, for they did not want to take the spoils without permission. Rather they had brought all of it before them; and [only] after that, they took [them with his permission]. (Numb. 31:13:) “Then Moses, Elazar the Priest, and the princes of the congregation [went out to meet them.” This text serves] to show Moses' humility, for they all were disciples of his disciples.

And thus you find that the L–rd exacted punishment of the men of the generation of the flood and of the men of Sodom with a strong east wind, viz. (Iyyov 4:9) "By the breath of G–d they go lost, and by the wind of His wrath they perish": "By the breath of G–d they go lost" — the generation of the flood; "and by the wind of His wrath they perish" — the generation of Sodom.

Woe to the kingdom of Esau when the Holy One sees its works and arises to exact retribution from it. We have found in the case of Egypt that, when the Holy One exacted retribution from them, he exacted retribution from them in the early morning. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 14:24): THEN IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MORNING WATCH < THAT THE LORD LOOKED DOWN AT THE HOST OF THE EGYPTIANS FROM THE PILLAR OF FIRE AND THE CLOUD AND CONFOUNDED THE HOST OF THE EGYPTIANS >. What is written about Assyria (in II Kings 19:35)? < SO IT CAME TO PASS IN THAT NIGHT > THAT THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WENT OUT AND SMOTE < ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE THOUSAND > IN THE CAMP OF ASSYRIA…. In the case of Media it was at the hands of Mordecai and Esther. In the case of Greece it was at the hands of Mattathias and his sons. But in the case of Edom the Holy One said: There is no creature who will exact retribution from it. I myself will exact retribution against it. Where is it shown? (In Obad. vs. 1-2:) THE VISION OF OBADIAH. THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD TO EDOM: WE HAVE HEARD TIDINGS FROM THE LORD…. < BEHOLD I WILL MAKE YOU SMALL AMONG THE NATIONS >…. R. Berekhyah said: What did Obadiah see exacting retribution from Edom? He saw that, < if > the Holy One gives back recompense to those who love him, how much the more < would he do > so for those who hate him. So the Holy Spirit says through Eliphaz the Temanite (in Job 4:1-2): THEN ANSWERED ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE³²Eliphaz is identified as Esau’s eldest son in Gen. 36:4, 10-12, 15; 1 Chron. 1:35-36. Teman was a district of Edom. AND SAID: IF ONE TRIES YOU IN SOMETHING, DO YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH?³³This translation fits the context here better than a more traditional one, which would read, IF ONE VENTURES A WORD WITH YOU, WILL YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH? Eliphaz said to Job: Here you say: In what way am I not like Abraham? Thus have you said (in Job 30:19): < GOD > HAS CAST ME INTO THE MUD, AND I HAVE BECOME LIKE DUST AND ASHES.³⁴Cf. Gen. 18:27, according to which Abraham said: AND I AM DUST AND ASHES. Do you think that he is comparing you to him? R. Berekhyah said: Transpose the text and interpret it. (Job 30:19a:) AND I HAVE BECOME LIKE DUST AND ASHES < means >, "And he judges you like the generation of the dispersion (i.e., of the Tower of Babel), of which it is written in Gen. 11:3): NOW THEY HAD BRICKS FOR STONE < AND BITUMEN FOR MORTAR >. (Job 30:19a:) < GOD > HAS CAST ME INTO THE MUD. Eliphaz said to him: Are your works like < those of > Abraham? Abraham was tried in ten trials and endured all of them, but you < have only been > in one trial. (Job 4:2-3:) IF ONE TRIES YOU IN SOMETHING, DO YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH? < … > HERE YOU HAVE INSTRUCTED MANY. You would comfort all who were suffering. When a blind person came to you, you would say to him: The Holy One already knows what he is going to do. After all, he < was the one who > made that person blind. You also used to console him and say to him: If you had built a house and did not want to open windows, who would have protested your right? So the Holy One is going to be glorified in you, as stated (in Is. 35:5): THEN THE EYES OF THE BLIND SHALL BE OPENED. When a deaf person would come to you, [you would comfort him and say to him:] If you want to make a juglet,³⁵Gk.: kothon. < but > did not want to make ears for it, who would protest your right? So the Holy One is going to be glorified in you, as stated (in ibid., cont.): AND THE EARS OF THE DEAF SHALL BE OPENED. To a lame person you would say (in ibid., vs. 6): THEN THE LAME SHALL LEAP LIKE A DEER. So you would comfort him. (According to Job 4:4:) YOUR WORDS HAVE UPHELD THE STUMBLING. But now that it affects you, you are dismayed! (Job. 4:5:) BUT NOW THAT < TROUBLE > HAS COME UNTO YOU, YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH…. (Job 4:6:) IS NOT YOUR GODLY FEAR YOUR CONFIDENCE? After all, you have said: I am a righteous person; so why does he punish me? Have you ever seen a righteous person perishing? (Job 4:7:) PLEASE RECALL, WHAT INNOCENT ONE HAS PERISHED … ? Because Noah was righteous, he was saved from his generation. Abraham was saved from the furnace; Isaac was saved from the knife; Jacob was saved from the angel; Moses was saved from Pharaoh's sword. (Job 4:7:) PLEASE RECALL, WHAT INNOCENT ONE HAS PERISHED … ? He delivered Israel from Egypt, but he destroyed the Egyptians (according to Job 4:8): AS [I HAVE SEEN], THOSE WHO PLOW EVIL AND SOW TROUBLE, REAP IT. So what happened to them (according to vs. 9)? BY THE BREATH (NShMT) OF GOD THEY PERISH. It is so stated (in Exod. 15:10): YOU BLEW (NShMT) WITH YOUR WIND, AND THE SEA COVERED THEM. Also < with reference to > all the wicked who are going to arise, (according to Job 4:10) < there is > A LION'S ROAR AND A FIERCE LION'S VOICE. Job said to him (to Eliphaz): Please look at your father, Esau. He said to him: I am not concerned with him. (According to Ezek. 18:20): {THE} [A] SON SHALL NOT BEAR THE FATHER'S GUILT…. (Job 4:11:) THE STRONG LION PERISHES FOR LACK OF PREY. This < strong lion > is Esau in that he perishes for lack of < good > works. (Ibid., cont.:) AND THE OFFSPRING OF THE LIONESS ARE SCATTERED. These < offspring > are his chieftains. Job said to him: Now in your case, what do you have for yourself? (Job 4:12:) NOW A WORD WAS SECRETLY BROUGHT UNTO ME. I am a prophet. My only concern with him is to rebuke you (according to vs. 13) IN OPINIONS³⁶The Hebrew word here is a homonym of the reading in Masoretic Text, which denotes THOUGHTS. FROM NIGHT VISIONS. The Holy One said [to Eliphaz]: You have rebuked my servant Job through a vision. I am raising up a prophet from you who will exact punishment from your father's house (the Edomites) through a vision. [It is so stated (in Obad., vs. 1): THE VISION OF OBADIAH.] So R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: What did Obadiah see, since he only prophesied against Edom? The Holy One said: Esau grew up between two righteous people³⁷Jacob and Rebekah. So Sifre, Numb. 27:1 (133). without learning from their works; but Obadiah dwelt between two wicked people³⁸Ahab and Jezebel. So Sifre, Numb. 27:1 (133); Rashi on Sanh. 39b. See also Jerome’s introduction to his commentary on Obadiah. without learning from their works. Obadiah would come and exact punishment from Esau. Ergo (in Obad., vs. 1) THE VISION OF OBADIAH. And what is written in his prophecy (in vs. 18)? THE HOUSE OF JACOB SHALL BE FIRE, AND THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH A FLAME, AND THE HOUSE OF ESAU SHALL BE STRAW; THEY SHALL BURN IT AND CONSUME IT, AND THERE SHALL BE NO SURVIVOR TO THE HOUSE OF ESAU; FOR THE LORD HAS SPOKEN.