Bava Batra 15b — the Talmud in English

And the Gemara answers:

Say:

the intention of the beraita is not that he was born when they entered Egypt and departed when they left, but rather the intention of the beraita is to say that the number of years of Iyov’s life was

like

the number of years that passed

from the time that Israel entered Egypt until

the time

that they left.

For they are two hundred and ten years. And in any event, Iyov was one of those who returned from the Exile.

And this matter—that Iyov lived two hundred and ten years—is explained explicitly in the Book of Iyov. For in chapter 42, verse 10, it is stated: “And the Lord added all that Iyov had, twofold,” meaning that Iyov received from the Almighty double of all the good that he had before sufferings came upon him.

For example, the Almighty gave him fourteen sons in place of the seven that he had previously, as explained by Rashi in chapter 42, verse 13.

And included in this, an additional number of years of life, double the years that he had lived until he received his sufferings, was added to Iyov. And if so, when it is written afterward, in verse 16, “And Iyov lived after this one hundred and forty years,” we learn that when sufferings came upon him he was seventy years old. And for this the Almighty doubled it for him, and he received another one hundred and forty years; it follows that all the years of Iyov were two hundred and ten years—seventy before the sufferings and one hundred and forty afterward.

It was objected: Seven prophets prophesied to the nations of the world, and these are they: Bilam and his father

Beor,

and Iyov,

and likewise the four companions of Iyov:

Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, Zophar the Naamathite, and Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite.

And from this beraita it is proven that Iyov was a gentile, and it is difficult for Rabbi Yohanan and Rabbi Elazar, who said that Iyov was one of those who returned from the Exile and that his beit-midrash was in Tiberias.

And the Gemara answers:

But according to your reasoning,

that you hold that all the prophets enumerated in the beraita were from the nations of the world, it follows that

Elihu son of Barachel was not an Israelite

but was a gentile.

And

this is impossible, for

it is written:

“of the family of Ram,”

and from the fact that the prophet related him by his father’s name and by his family, it is to be learned that he was a Jew.

And it is difficult: How is he enumerated in the beraita together with the prophets of the nations of the world?

Rather,

necessarily, the intention of the beraita is that Elihu

did prophesy,

he prophesied

to the nations of the world,

although he himself was a Jew.

Here too

it may be said:

Iyov did prophesy

to the nations of the world,

but he himself was a Jew.

And the Gemara asks: According to your method, that not all seven prophets in the beraita were from the nations of the world, but rather they prophesied to the nations of the world, this is difficult: Is it so that

all the other prophets did not prophesy to the nations of the world?

Surely the other prophets, too, prophesied to the nations of the world; and what is the uniqueness of these prophets more than that of the other prophets?

And the Gemara answers:

There,

the other prophets,

the principal part of their prophecy was for Israel,

whereas

here,

the seven prophets enumerated in the beraita,

the principal part of their prophecy was for the nations of the world!

It was objected

another objection against those who hold that Iyov was an Israelite:

We learned in a beraita:

There was a pious man among the nations of the world, and Iyov was his name,

and he came into the world only in order to receive his reward,

the Almighty brought upon him

sufferings, and he began to blaspheme and revile

against Heaven, and therefore

the Almighty doubled his reward for him in this world

that was due to him for his piety

in order

to drive him from the World to Come

because he blasphemed and reviled. It is explicitly explained in the beraita that Iyov was from the nations of the world.

And the Gemara answers:

This matter—whether Iyov was from Israel or from the nations of the world—

is a dispute among the tannaim

the tannaim disagreed about this. And although from the earlier baraitot it is proven that Iyov was from the nations of the world, nevertheless other tannaim hold that Iyov was an Israelite—

as it was taught: Rabbi Elazar says: Iyov was in the days of

the period of

“when the judges judged”

as it is stated

in Iyov, chapter 27, verse 12, that Iyov said to his companions:

“Behold, all of you have seen

what is the end of the wicked,

and

since this is so,

why do you act so foolishly”

to be wicked. And Rabbi Elazar derives from what is stated, “you act so foolishly,” that Iyov was in the days of “when the judges judged,” for

what generation was entirely worthless,

such that even the best of the generation were “worthless” and were nothing?

You must say: This is the generation of “when the judges judged”!

As will be explained below, the one being judged would rebuke his judge, for the judge too had many sins.

Rabbi Joshua ben Korha says: Iyov was in the days of Ahasuerus,

as it is stated

in Iyov, chapter 42, verse 15:

“And there were not found

women as beautiful as the daughters of Iyov in all the land.”

And Rabbi Joshua ben Korha derives:

Which is the generation in which beautiful women were sought? You must say: This is the generation of Ahasuerus!

And if

he says to him

the judge:

“Remove a splinter from between your eyes,”

withdraw and separate yourself from the minor transgression that you have [a minor transgression is likened to a thin splinter],

he says to him

the person being judged answers his judge: Before you rebuke me to separate myself from the minor transgression in my possession,

remove

you

a beam from between your eyes

separate yourself from the grave transgression that you have [a great transgression is likened to a beam].

And likewise, if

he says to him

the judge:

“Your silver has become dross” [

which is the wording of the verse in Isaiah 1:22, and its explanation is that they would make copper coins and cover them with silver in order to deceive with them. And if the judge said to the person being judged, “Your silver has become dross,”

he said to him,

the person being judged answered with the latter part of the verse:

“Your wine is mixed with water.”

You too engage in deception, for your wine is mixed with water, and you sell it to people deceptively.

Rav Shmuel bar Naḥmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan:

Anyone who says that the Queen of Sheba was a woman is nothing but mistaken.

Rather,

what is the Queen of Sheba?

The kingdom of Sheba!

Now the Gemara begins to explain the verses at the beginning of the Book of Job.

It is stated in Job [chapter 1, verses 6–7]: “

And it came to pass one day,

that the sons of God came to stand before the Lord, and the Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to the Satan: From where have you come? And the Satan answered: From roaming throughout the earth and from walking about in it”

And the Gemara explains the verses:

The Satan said

the Satan

before Him,

before the Holy One, blessed be He:

“Master of the Universe, I have roamed through the entire world and have not found anyone as trustworthy as Your servant Abraham, to whom You said:”

“Arise, walk through the land, through its length and through its breadth, for I will give it to you,”

and even so,

even though You promised him the land,

when he found no place to bury Sarah [

until he purchased it for four hundred shekels of silver],

until he bought it for four hundred shekels of silver ],

he did not question Your attributes

And this is what the Satan said to the Holy One, blessed be He: “and from walking about in it”—I come from the one to whom You said, “Walk through the land” .

And the Gemara continues to explain the continuation of the verses. [Verse 8.] “

And the Lord said to the Satan: Have you set your heart upon My servant Job, for there is none like him on earth,”

a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.

Rabbi Yohanan said: What is stated concerning Job is greater than what is stated concerning Abraham.

For concerning Abraham it is written: “

For now I know that you are God-fearing,”

whereas

if

concerning Job it is written: “

a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”

Thus more was stated concerning Job than what was stated concerning Abraham .

Now the Gemara explains what is stated concerning Job, “and turning away from evil”:

What is “and turning away from evil”?

Rabbi Abba bar Shmuel said: Job was generous with his money,

for

the practice of the world

is that when one hires a laborer for a small task and wishes to give him half a pruta as his wage, the practice of the world is to

give half a pruta to the shopkeeper,

for the homeowner buys a loaf or eggs from the shopkeeper for a pruta and shares this with the laborer. But

Job would forgo it

the half-pruta, and gave the laborer

from his own,

for it was evil in his eyes to be exact about a minor matter that is not considered “money” .

And the Gemara continues to explain the continuation of the verses. [Verse 9.] “

And the Satan answered the Lord and said,”

Is it for nothing that

Job fears God? Surely You have protected him

You have shielded him

and his household

and all that is his, around him; You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock has spread throughout the land.”

What is “

You have blessed the work of his hands”?

Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak said: Anyone who takes a pruta from Job is blessed!

What is “

and his livestock has spread throughout the land”?

Rabbi Yose bar Ḥanina said:

What is written, “livestock in the land,” means:

Job’s livestock breached the boundary of the world; the practice of the world is that wolves kill goats,

but with

Job’s livestock, the goats killed the wolves.

And the Gemara continues to explain the verses:

The Satan said to the Holy One, blessed be He [verse 11]: “

But send forth Your hand now and touch all that is his,”

Job’s, and then we shall see whether

if

then

he will not bless You to Your face

will he not curse and blaspheme upward .