מדרש אויף איוב 1:17

“Both of them died, Maḥlon and Kilyon, and the woman was bereft of her two children and of her husband” (Ruth 1:5).
“Both of them died, Maḥlon and Kilyon.” Rabbi Ḥunya, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Rabbi Avin, and Rabbi Zavda, son-in-law of Rabbi Levi [said]: The all-Merciful [God] never exacts retribution against a person himself initially. From whom do you learn this? From Job, as it is stated: “There came a messenger to Job, and said: ‘The oxen were plowing [and the donkeys grazing beside them; and Sheba fell upon them, and took them; they smote the servants by sword; and only I by myself escaped to tell you]’” (Job 1:14–15).⁹⁰God did not initially kill Job or even afflict him with bodily pain; He struck Job’s property. Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: The Holy One blessed be He showed him a representative taste of the World to Come, “the plowman will meet the reaper” (Amos 9:13).⁹¹Donkeys do not typically graze in fields where oxen have just plowed. This was Job’s taste of the World to Come, when produce will be ready to be reaped as the field is still being plowed.
“Sheba fell upon them [and took them and smote the lads by sword].” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: They emerged from the village of Kerinos⁹²In Media. and went on all the rural paths until Migdal Tzabba’im⁹³In the Land of Israel. and they died there.⁹⁴At first they were attacked and taken captive along with the herd. Only later were they killed. “And only [rak] I by myself [levadi] escaped.” Rabbi Ḥanina said: [The term] Rak is restrictive; he, too, was broken and stricken. Rabbi Yudan said: Levadi.⁹⁵In the sense of bedding, meaning that the messenger was bedridden. The word leved means felt, which can be used for bedding. “This one was still speaking” (Job 1:16); he, too, once he stated his tidings, he died.
“This one was still speaking and that one came and said: The Chaldeans deployed in three columns…” (Job 1:17). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: When Job heard, he began mobilizing his armies for war. He said: ‘How many armies can I enlist, how many troops can I muster? This is the most despicable nation in the world: “Behold, the land of the Chaldeans, this is a people that is not” (Isaiah 23:13). If only it had not been.⁹⁶If only the Chaldeans had never come into existence. It comes to intimidate me?’ But once [the messenger] said to him: “The fire of God fell from the heavens” (Job 1:16), [Job] said: ‘It is from the heavens; what can I do?’ – “I was silent and I did not go out the door” (Job 31:34).
Immediately, “he took an earthenware shard to scratch himself” (Job 2:8).⁹⁷This was after he was afflicted with boils. His body was afflicted only after his property was damaged. So it was in Egypt, as well: “He struck their vines and their fig trees” (Psalms 105:33). Then, “He subjected their livestock to the hail” (Psalms 78:48). And then, “He smote every firstborn in Egypt” (Psalms 78:51). Regarding leprosy, too, the same is true: Initially it afflicts his house. If he repents, excellent; if not, they require removal, as it is stated: “The priest shall command and they will remove [the stones]” (Leviticus 14:40). If he repents, excellent; if not, they require demolition. If he repents, excellent; if not, [the signs of leprosy] come upon his garments and they require laundering. If he repents, excellent; if not, they require rending, as it is stated: “He shall rip it from the garment” (Leviticus 13:56). If he repents, excellent; if not they require burning, as it is stated: “He shall burn the garment” (Leviticus 13:52). Then [leprosy] comes upon his body. If he repents, excellent; if not, he goes and comes.⁹⁸He leaves the camp for seven days and then returns. If he repents, excellent; if not, “he shall dwell in isolation, his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:46). Regarding Maḥlon and Kilyon, too, the same is true. Initially, it was their horses, their donkeys, and their camels. Then “Elimelekh died.” Then, “both of them died, Maḥlon and Kilyon.”
“And the woman remained bereft,” Rabbi Ḥanina said: She became the remnants of the remnants [of meal offerings].⁹⁹When her husband died, she was like the remnant; now that her sons died, she was like the remnant of the remnant.

Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua bar Avin and Rabbi Zekharya, son-in-law of Rabbi Levi, in the name of Rabbi Levi: The Merciful One does not afflict human beings first. From whom do you derive it? From Job, as it is stated: “The oxen were plowing [and the donkeys grazing beside them, and Sheba fell upon them and took them]” (Job 1:14–15).¹¹Before afflicting Job himself, God took away his possessions. This teaches that the Holy One blessed be He showed him a sample of the World to Come, as it is stated: “The plowman will encounter the reaper” (Amos 9:13).¹²The midrash makes an ancillary point based on the fact that the donkeys were grazing alongside the oxen that were plowing. Generally there is nothing to graze in a field that has just been plowed. The midrash therefore derives that God gave a glimpse of the future reality described in Amos, in which the plowmen and reaper will work in the field at the same time because the produce will grow immediately. “Sheba fell upon them and took them; [they smote the lads by the sword]” (Job 1:15). Rabbi Avin bar Kahana said: They went from the village of Kerainos, traveled through all the intervening towns, and arrived at the tower of Tzivaya and they died there.¹³The lads were taken captive along with the animals, and died of their wounds only after they had travelled with their captors. “Only [rak] I, alone, escaped to tell you” (Job 1:15). Rabbi Yudan said: Everywhere that rak is stated, it is a limitation. He, too, was broken and stricken. Rabbi Yudan said: “Alone,” and it was incumbent upon me alone to tell you. He, too, once he heard, he immediately died.¹⁴Once Job heard the testimony of the lone survivor, that survivor died.
“This one was still speaking, and that one came and said: The Chaldeans set three columns [and staged a raid against the camels and took them; they smote the lads by the sword and only I alone escaped to tell you]” (Job 1:17). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: When Job heard this he immediately began mobilizing his armies for war. That is what is written: “Because I feared the great horde and the contempt of families breaking me” (Job 31:34). He said: ‘This nation is contemptible,’ as it is stated: “Behold, the land of the Chaldeans, this people that was not” (Isaiah 23:13) – that did not come other than to impose fear. Since it is stated: “A fire of God fell from the heavens” (Job 1:16), he said: ‘What can I do?’ “A voice fell from the heavens” (Daniel 4:28). ‘What can anyone do?’ “I would be silent and not go out of the entrance” (Job 31:34). “He took for himself a potsherd to scratch with it” (Job 2:8).¹⁵This is because he was afflicted with severe boils (see Job 2:7).
The same is true in Egypt. “He delivered their livestock to hail, their cattle to bolts of lightning” (Psalms 78:48). Then, “it struck their vines and their fig trees, and it broke the trees of their border” (Psalms 105:33). Then, “He smote every firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their vigor” (Psalms 105:36).¹⁶First God struck the Egyptians’ property and only then did He smite human beings.
The same is true of Maḥlon and Kilyon. Initially, the attribute of justice affected their property, and then, “both of them, Maḥlon and Kilyon, died” (Ruth 1:5). Regarding leprosy that befalls a person, initially it befalls his house. If he repents, it requires removal;¹⁷Removal of the stones; see Leviticus 14:40. if not, it requires demolition.¹⁸See Leviticus 14:45. It befalls his garments. If he repents, it requires laundering; if not, it requires burning.¹⁹See Leviticus 13:54–55. It befalls his body. If he repents, he is purified; if not, “he shall dwell in isolation” (Leviticus 13:46).

“Utz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel, father of Aram” (Genesis 22:21).
Another interpretation, he [Abraham] feared experiencing suffering.⁸He feared that God would test him yet again, this time with physical suffering. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You need not [fear], the one who will experience it [suffering] has already been born. “Utz his firstborn, and Buz his brother.”’⁹Utz refers to Job, as the Midrash goes on to explain.
When did Job live? Reish Lakish said in the name of bar Kappara: He lived in the days of Abraham, as it is stated: “Utz his firstborn” and it is written: “There was a man in the land of Utz, Job was his name” (Job 1:1).¹⁰The Midrash interprets this to mean that Utz had another name, namely Job. Rabbi Yaakov bar Kahana said: He lived in the days of Jacob, as Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Dina was Job’s wife, as it is written regarding Job’s wife: “You are speaking like one of the disgraceful women [hanevalot] speak,” (Job 2:10), and it is written in Dina’s regard: “For he had committed an outrage [nevala] in Israel” (Genesis 34:7).
Rabbi Levi said: He lived in the days of the Tribes.¹¹The twelve sons of Jacob. That is what is written: “[This I have seen, and I shall tell of it,] that wise men speak up and do not withhold from their fathers” (Job 15:17–18) – this refers to Reuben and Judah.¹²They both spoke up and admitted that they had committed grievous sins (see Sota 7b). What reward did they receive for this? “To them alone the land was given” (Job 15:19).
Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta: While they [Jacob’s family] were going down to Egypt, he [Job] was born, and while they were going up [from there], he died. You find that the sum of Job’s years was exactly two hundred and ten years, and Israel spent two hundred and ten years in Egypt. Satan came [before God] to present accusations [against Israel],¹³For worshiping idols while they were in Egypt. but He incited him instead against Job.
Rabbi Ḥananya son of Rabbi Aḥa said: This is analogous to a shepherd who was standing and watching over his flock. A wolf came and confronted him. He said [to his assistants]: ‘Throw him one goat so he can satisfy his aggression with it.’ Rabbi Ḥama said: This is analogous to someone who was sitting at a feast. A dog came and confronted him. He said [to his attendants]: ‘Give him a loaf of bread so he can satisfy his aggression with it.’ So, too, Satan came [before God] to present accusations [against Israel] and He incited him instead against Job. That is what is written: “God hands me over to the unjust one, and by means of the wicked, He misdirects me” (Job 16:11) – would that it had been for righteous people,¹⁴I would not care so much if Satan’s malice had been redirected to me in order to protect righteous people from him, but in fact the people of Israel were sinful at that time. but they were wicked people.
Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda says: He [Job] lived during the days when the judges judged. That is what is written: ‘“Behold, all of you have seen it; why do you accuse me of worthlessness?” (Job 27:12).¹⁵It is the generation of the Judges that is described to as being worthless (see Bava Batra 15b). You have seen my actions and the actions of my generation. You have seen my actions: Mitzvot and good deeds; the actions of my generation: They seek to pay the fee of prostitutes from the threshing floor.’¹⁶The first thing they do with their hard-earned grain is to spend it on immoral behavior. It is not the way of the righteous to pay the fee of prostitutes from the threshing floors.¹⁷They spend their money on mitzvot and good deeds, not on sinful activity. That is what is written: “You have loved the prostitute’s fee upon every threshing floor of grain” (Hosea 9:1).
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He [Job] lived in the days of the Chaldeans, as it is stated: “The Chaldeans set three columns” (Job 1:17). Rabbi Natan said: He lived during the kingdom of Sheba, as it is stated: “Sheba fell upon them and took them” (Job 1:15). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said: He lived during the days of Aḥashverosh, in whose regard it is written: “Let them seek for the king virgin young women who are of fair appearance” (Esther 2:2), and it is written: “No women as beautiful as the daughters of Job were found in all the land” (Job 42:15).
Reish Lakish said: Job did not exist at all.¹⁸The entire book of Job is an allegory, not a narration of a true story. Did Reish Lakish reverse his opinion? For elsewhere, Reish Lakish said in the name of bar Kappara: He lived in the days of Abraham, but here he says that Job did not exist at all. [No, he did not change his opinion.] What did he mean by: [Job] did not exist at all? [He meant only that] he did not actually experience the suffering that was written about him. Why, then, was it written about him? The intent was to say that if it had befallen him, he would have been able to withstand it.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: He [Job] was one of those who came up from the [Babylonian] exile. He was an Israelite, and he had a Torah academy in Tiberias. That is why they learned the laws of rending one’s garments¹⁹Upon hearing tragic news (see Job 1:20). and the blessing of mourners²⁰See Job 1:21. from his actions. That is what is written: “Job rose, and he rent his robe” (Job 1:20) – from here we learn that a person must rend his garments while standing.
Rabbi Ḥanina said: He was [not an Israelite, but] a gentile. Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: [God said:] ‘One righteous gentile arose for Me among the nations of the world, I gave him his reward²¹In this world (see Job 42:12). and dismissed him.’²²From the World to Come. Who was that? It was Job.
“Utz his firstborn […and Kemuel, father of Aram]” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Laban is the same as Kemuel. Why was he named Kemuel? It is because he arose [kam] against the nation of God [El].
“And his concubine, and her name was Re'uma, she, too, bore, Tevaḥ, and Gaḥam, and Taḥash, and Maakha” (Genesis 22:24).
“And his concubine, and her name was Re’uma…” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: All of them were named with the idea of punishment:²³For they were all wicked. Tevaḥ – they are slaughtered [tevaḥun]; Gaḥam – they are excised [gemaḥun]; Taḥash – they are weakened [teḥashun]; Maakha – they are crushed [me’akhun].