Bava Batra 16a — the Talmud in English

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Job a taste ![](pamud.bmp "

exact position on the page")

of something resembling the World to Come.

For concerning the World to Come it is said in Jeremiah, “She conceived and gave birth together,” meaning that the conception and the birth will take place on one day, as explained in tractate Shabbat [30b]; and something similar occurred in Job’s fields, for at the very time that the oxen plowed, immediately afterward the she-donkeys went after them and ate what had grown immediately at the time of the plowing.

Now the Gemara brings the verses at the beginning of the Book of Job and expounds them.

It is stated in Job, chapter 1, verses 16–22. ‘

While this one was still speaking, another came and said’

[the messenger to Job],

“A fire of God

fell from the heavens, burned among the flock and the lads, and consumed them” ...

While this one was still speaking, another came and said,

the messenger to Job: A force of

Chaldeans formed three heads

[they divided into three troops],

“and they fell upon the camels and took them,”

and they struck the lads with the sword ...

“Still”

“while this one was still speaking, another came and said: Your sons and your daughters are eating and drinking wine in the house of their firstborn brother, and behold, a great wind came from beyond the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell”

the house

“upon the lads”

and they died.

“And Job arose and tore his robe, and shaved his head, etc., and said: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord has given and the Lord has taken; may the name of the Lord be blessed.”

“In all this”

[despite the sufferings that came upon him]

“Job did not sin,”

“and he did not utter a disgraceful word against God.”

He did not speak words of foolishness and disgrace concerning the Holy One, blessed be He.

And the Gemara continues to bring the verses in the Book of Job [chapter 2, verses 1–2].

“And it came to pass on the day that the sons of God

[the heavenly host close to the Divine Presence]

“came to stand”

before the Lord, and the Satan also came among them to stand before the Lord.”

“And the Lord said to the Satan: From where do you come,”

from where have you come?

“And the Satan answered the Lord and said: From roaming throughout the earth”

and from walking about in it.”

And the Gemara explains the words of the Satan:

He said

the Satan

before Him,

before the Holy One, blessed be He:

“Master of the World! I roamed throughout the entire world, and I did not find anyone like Your servant Abraham, to whom You said,” ‘

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

and

even so,

“when he sought to bury Sarah, he found no place in which to bury her, and he did not question Your attributes” .

[Above, on 15a, the Gemara brought this exposition from another verse, in chapter 1, verse 7, whereas here it expounds it from the verse in chapter 2, verse 2; see the note.]

And the Gemara adds to bring the verses in the Book of Job [chapter 2, verse 3]. — ‘

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

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

“and”

despite the sufferings that came upon him,

“he still holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him”

to afflict him

“without cause.”’ —

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Were it not written in Scripture, it would be impossible to say it!

For the verse explicitly states that the Holy One, blessed be He, was, as it were, incited by the Satan,

like a person whom they incite, and he is incited .

In a metanita

in a beraita

it was taught:

This is the way of the Satan:

he descends

to the world

and misleads

human beings to sin,

and

after he causes them to sin

he ascends

to heaven,

and provokes

the anger of the Holy One, blessed be He, and

takes

from the Holy One, blessed be He

permission

to kill the sinners,

and takes

the

soul

of the sinner. And this is as we find concerning Job, that the Satan prosecuted him and was given permission to afflict him.

It is stated in Job [chapter 2, verses 4–6]: ‘

“And the Satan answered the Lord”

[after the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause”],

“and said:”

Is it not the way of people, when a person sees that a blow is about to come upon him, to give

“skin for skin,”

one limb in exchange for protection of the head, for a person protects his head with his hand? And if this is so with the limbs of a person, all the more so:

“and all”

property

“that a man has he will give for his life!”

Therefore, argued the Satan, Job did not deny the Lord after all that happened to him, because he thought that death had been decreed upon him, and in exchange for this everything he possessed was lost; therefore he accepted this with a pleasant countenance. ‘

“However, send forth Your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh,”

of Job, and then You will see

“whether he will not bless You to Your face!”’

Whether he will not revile and blaspheme toward Heaven, because bodily pains are more severe than the loss of property and children.

“And the Lord said to the Satan: Behold, he is in your hand,”

and you are permitted to bring bodily sufferings upon him,

“but guard his soul,”

so that he does not die.

“And the Satan went out from before the Lord and struck Job”

with a terrible inflammation, from the sole of his foot to his crown.’ —

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The

was

distress of the Satan

who was required to guard that Job’s soul should not depart from the great amount of suffering

more than

the sufferings

of Job.

This may be compared to a servant whose master said to him: Break the barrel, but guard its wine,

so that it should not spill. So the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Satan concerning Job: Strike Job, but guard that his soul should not depart.

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: He is the Satan, he is the evil inclination, he is the angel of death!

And the proof of this is:

He is the Satan,

for the one who prosecuted Job was the Satan,

as it is written: ‘

“And the Satan went out from before the Lord,”

and if so, it should be proved that

he

also is

the evil inclination,

as

it is written there

in Genesis, chapter 6, verse 5, concerning the evil inclination: “And every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was

only evil all day long,”

and it is written here

that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Satan: ‘

“Only”

“guard his soul,”

and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish learned a gzera shava from the word “only” stated concerning the evil inclination to the word “only” stated concerning the Satan, and from this he learned that the Satan is the evil inclination. —

And Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish explains his proof that the Satan

is the angel of death, as it is written:

the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Satan: ‘

“But his soul”

of Job

“guard,”’

from this it follows

that we learn that

it is within his power

to take the soul, but the Holy One, blessed be He, warned him not to do so.

Rabbi Levi said:

the

Satan

who prosecuted Job,

and Peninnah

who vexed Hannah over the fact that she had no children,

intended [their actions] for the sake of Heaven!

And the Gemara explains:

The Satan, once he saw

that he saw

the Holy One, blessed be He, that His mind was inclined

of the Holy One, blessed be He

after

Job,

said:

the Satan:

“Heaven forbid, Abraham’s compassion will be forgotten by Him,”

the merit of Abraham will be forgotten before the Holy One, blessed be He; therefore the Satan prosecuted Job. It follows that his prosecution of Job was for the sake of Heaven, so that the merit of Abraham would not be forgotten.

And likewise

Peninnah

intended [her actions] for the sake of Heaven.

As it is written

in I Samuel [chapter 1, verses 2–6]: “And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children” ...

“And her rival vexed her”

[Peninnah caused Hannah distress]

“also with vexation”

[distress after distress] over the fact that she had no children], etc., and her intention was —

“in order to make her thunder,”’

so that Hannah would pray to the Holy One, blessed be He. It follows that Peninnah’s action was for the sake of Heaven. —

Rav Aḥa bar Ya'akov expounded

this exposition, that the Satan and Peninnah intended [their actions] for the sake of Heaven,

in Paphonia

[a place where he lived] .

The Satan came and kissed

and kissed

his feet,

the feet of Rav Aḥa bar Ya'akov, because he expounded that his intention had been for the sake of Heaven.

It is further stated in Job, chapter 2, verse 10:’ ‘

“In all this,”

despite the sufferings that came upon him,

“Job did not sin with his lips.”’ —

Rava said:

Even though

“he did not sin with his lips,”

as explained in the verse, nevertheless

“he sinned in his heart!”

What did he say?

What did Job say from which Rava learned that he sinned in his heart? ‘

“The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges. If it is not so,”

“who is it!?”’

[Job, chapter 9, verse 24].

Rava said

concerning this verse:

“Job sought to turn the bowl upside down.”

That is, to uproot the honor of the Holy One, blessed be He. For this verse consists of words of reviling and blasphemy toward the Holy One, blessed be He. And from here Rava learned that Job sinned in his heart.

[And the words of the Gemara require explanation, for if Job said this, it follows that he also sinned with his lips, since he said this verse with his mouth; see the note] .

Abaye said to him: Job spoke

in this verse

only against the Satan.

He said this verse concerning the Satan, but did not intend to revile toward Heaven.

And this dispute of Abaye and Rava in explaining the verse is

like

a dispute

of tannaim,

who disagreed concerning this verse.

And thus we learned in a beraita: ‘

“The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.”’

Rabbi Eliezer says: “Job sought to turn the bowl upside down.”

For this verse contains words of reviling and blasphemy.

Rabbi Joshua said to him: “Job spoke only toward the Satan!”

It is further stated in Job, chapter 10, verse 7:’

Job said to the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘

“You know that I shall not be wicked, and there is none who can deliver from Your hand!”’

And the Gemara explains the verse —

Rava said: “Job sought to exempt the entire world from judgment,”

on the claim that the entire world is compelled by the evil inclination. And this is what he said to the Holy One, blessed be He: “You know that I shall not be wicked.” Had You desired it, I would not have become wicked!

And so

Job

Job

said before Him: Master of the Universe, You created an ox, its hooves split.

For this is the sign of its purity, and it is permitted to eat it. And conversely,

You created a donkey,

and

its hooves are unsplit.

And therefore it is forbidden to eat it.

And if so, surely You created all this, and there is no possibility of changing it.

And likewise

You created the Garden of Eden,

and

You created Gehinnom. You created the righteous

through the good inclination, and

You created the wicked

through the evil inclination.

Who restrains You

from inclining the heart of the wicked to be righteous? Surely You are the One who decides in whom the good inclination will prevail and in whom the evil inclination will prevail. And if so, since You are the One who inclines the heart of the righteous and the wicked, a person has no choice; and just as a donkey has no choice to become pure, so the wicked person has no choice to be saved from the evil inclination. And if the evil inclination prevails over him, he is coerced.

And what did they answer him?

What did

his companions

of Job

answer him concerning this claim? “

You too,

who say these things, thereby

you annul fear!

You annul the fear of human beings.

And you diminish speech before God.”

And because of these words of yours, people will not pray to the Holy One, blessed is He.

And the answer to your claim is: Indeed,

the Holy One, blessed is He, created the evil inclination,

but opposite it

He created the Torah as its spice.

The Torah is the spice, the power that nullifies the evil inclination.

It follows that choice is still in the person’s hands, and he is not coerced to sin, for even if the evil inclination prevails over him, he can defeat it through the Torah.

Rava expounded: What is the meaning of that which is written

in Job, chapter 29, verse 13: “

The blessing of the perishing shall come upon me, and I would make the heart of the widow sing”?

Rava explains this verse: “

The blessing of the perishing shall come upon me”—

this teaches that

Job

would rob a field from orphans, and

after the robbery he would

improve it and return it to them

the field when it was improved more than what he had taken. And this is what Job said: “The blessing of the perishing”—that is, the blessing of one who thought that his field had been lost and received it back when it was improved—“shall come upon me.” —

And the Gemara explains the continuation of the verse. “

And I would make the heart of the widow sing.”

For wherever there was

every place where there was

a widow whom they would not marry,

who did not find someone who would marry her,

he would go

Job would go and

cast his name upon her,

and he would spread word that she was his relative, or he would take care to speak about her in order to marry her off.

And they would come and marry her,

and they would come to marry her.

It is further stated concerning Job, chapter 6, verse 2: “

Would that my anger were weighed

if they would weigh

my deeds and my calamity

my evil deeds opposite the punishments that I received [see note] and

they would bear them together on scales” , “

for now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas.”

And the explanation of this verse is that Job complained that he had received a punishment greater than what was due him for his sins.

Rav said:

It is fitting to throw

dust into the mouth

into the mouth

of Job,

who spoke before the Holy One, blessed is He, like

a companion toward Heaven.

Like a person who argues with his fellow and says: Let us see who owes what to whom.

It is further stated concerning Job, chapter 9, verse 33—

Job said to the Holy One, blessed is He: “

Would that

there were between us”—

if only there were between us—

an arbiter,

someone who could clarify the matters between us, who

would place his hand upon both of us.”

Rav said:

It is fitting to throw

dust into the mouth

into the mouth

of Job.

Is there such a thing

as

a slave who rebukes his master?!

It is further stated concerning Job, chapter 31, verse 1—Job was praising himself and saying: “

I made a covenant with my eyes

not to look at a married woman,

and how could I contemplate a maiden?

I do not contemplate even a maiden.

Rava said,

He,

Job, did not look

at other women,

at foreign women, but

Abraham, even at his own

wife

did not look.

For it is written that Abraham said to Sarah: “

“Behold now I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance.””

Вот, теперь я знаю, что ты женщина прекрасного вида».

By implication

you learn this:

at first,

before he said this to her,

he did not know her.

He had not looked at her and did not recognize her.

It is stated concerning Job, chapter 7, verse 9—

Job said: just as “

a cloud is consumed and goes away, so

the dead who

descends to Sheol

to the grave

will not ascend.”

Rava said: From here that Job denied the resurrection of the dead .

It is stated concerning Job, chapter 9, verse 17: “

Who crushes me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause,”

and the Gemara explains the verse:

Rabba said: Job blasphemed through a storm, and through a storm they answered him.

He blasphemed through a storm, for it is written: “

Who crushes me with a storm.”

He said before Him: Master of the Universe, perhaps a storm-wind passed before You, and Job was exchanged for enemy.

and

they answered him through a storm, for it is written

in Job, chapter 38, verse 1: “

And the Lord answered Job from the storm

and said …

Gird your loins now like a man

—awaken from your sufferings and your illnesses—

and I shall ask you

the questions below

and inform me. —

He said to him

the Holy One, blessed is He, to Job:

Many hairs

hair

I created in a person, and for each and every hair I created a separate follicle,

from which the hair grows,

so that two

hairs

would not draw nourishment from one follicle; for if two drew nourishment from one follicle, they would darken the light of a person’s eyes. [ [A0165]]And this is “from the storm,” an expression related to hair ]—

and so the Holy One, blessed is He, said to Job: if

between one follicle and another I was not confused,

would it enter your mind that

between Job and enemy I was confused?!

The Holy One, blessed is He, further said to Job: “

And a channel for the lightning of thunder”—

and the Gemara explains this verse:

Many drops I created in the clouds

in the clouds,

and for each and every drop I created a mold

like a channel through which the drop descends

separately, so that two drops would not emerge from one mold; for if two drops emerged from one mold, they would muddy the entire world

making the earth like mud

and it would not produce fruit. —

And so is the explanation of the verse: “Who divided a channel for the downpour [for the rain]—a mold —

And the Holy One, blessed is He, said to Job: if

between one drop and another I was not confused,

would

between Job and enemy I be confused?!

And we challenge this:

From where is it understood that this

the word

“channel”

written in the verse

is an expression for a mold?

Rabba bar Shila said, for it is written

in Kings I, chapter 18, verse 32, concerning Elijah:

“And he made a channel”

around the altar

“like the area of two seahs of seed.”

The Holy One, blessed is He, further said to Job: “

And a path for the lightning of thunder”—

and the Gemara explains the verse:

Many thunderclaps I created in the clouds, and for each and every sound I created a separate path, so that two sounds would not emerge from one path; for if two sounds emerged from one path, they would destroy the entire world .

And the Holy One, blessed is He, said to Job: if

between one sound and another I was not confused,

would it enter your mind that

between Job and enemy I was confused?!

The Holy One, blessed is He, further said to Job—

“Did you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch over the calving of the does?”

[Job 39:1].

And the Gemara explains the verse:

This is the mountain goat,