Talmud - Bava Batra 16a בבא בתרא ט״ז א׳

of the World-to-Come, when plowing and harvesting will take place at the same time. Here too, the oxen plowed and the donkeys grazed on the crops that grew from that effort.

The Gemara continues to interpret verses from the book of Job. “While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said: The fire of God has fallen from heaven, and has burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them…While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said: The Chaldeans formed three bands, and fell among the camels, and have carried them away, and have slain the servants with the edge of the sword…While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said: Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house; and, behold, there came a great wind from across the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead…Then Job arose, and rent his coat, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground and prostrated himself. And he said: I came naked out of my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor did he lay reproach on God” (Job 1:16–22).

“Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Satan came also among them to present himself before God. And the Lord said to the Satan: From where do you come? And the Satan answered the Lord, and said: From going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it” (Job 2:1–2). The Satan said before God: Master of the Universe, I have gone to and fro across the entire world and have not found anyone as faithful as your servant Abraham, to whom you said: “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it to you” (Genesis 13:17). And when he wanted to bury Sarah, he could not find a place to bury her, and yet he did not criticize Your ways, or accuse You of having failed to keep Your promise.

About this it says: “And the Lord said to the Satan: Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God and turns away from evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you moved Me against him, to destroy him without cause” (Job 2:3).

Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Were it not explicitly written in the verse, it would be impossible to say this, as it would be insulting to God’s honor. The verse states: “You moved Me against him,” like a person whom others persuade and allows himself to be persuaded, as if God had not wanted to do anything, but allowed Himself to be persuaded to bring harm to Job.

It was taught in a baraita with regard to the methods of the Satan: He descends to this world and misleads a person into sinning. He then ascends to Heaven, levels accusations against that very sinner, and inflames God’s anger against him. He then receives permission to act and takes away the sinner’s soul as punishment.

The Gemara returns to discuss the text of the book of Job: “And the Satan answered the Lord, and said: Skin for skin, for all that a man has he will give for his life. But put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse You to Your face. And the Lord said to the Satan: Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life. So the Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with vile sores from the sole of his foot to his crown” (Job 2:4–7). Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Satan’s suffering was more difficult than that of Job. This can be explained by means of a parable involving a servant whose master said to him: Break the barrel but save its wine. Here too, God told the Satan that he could do whatever he liked short of taking Job’s life, and that limitation caused Satan to suffer.

Reish Lakish says: Satan, the evil inclination, and the Angel of Death are one, that is, they are three aspects of the same essence. He is the Satan who seduces people and then accuses them, as it is written: “So the Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with vile sores” (Job 2:7). He is also the evil inclination, as it is written there: “The impulse of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continuously” (Genesis 6:5); and it is written here: “Only upon himself do not put forth your hand” (Job 1:12). The verbal analogy between the various uses of the word “only” teaches that the evil inclination is to be identified with the Satan. He is also the Angel of Death, as it is written: “Only spare his life” (Job 2:6); apparently Job’s life depends upon him, the Satan, and accordingly the Satan must also be the Angel of Death.

Rabbi Levi says: Both Satan, who brought accusations against Job, and Peninnah, who tormented Hannah, mother of Samuel the prophet, acted with intent that was for the sake of Heaven. As for Satan, when he saw that the Holy One, Blessed be He, inclined to favor Job and praised him, he said: Heaven forbid that He should forget the love of Abraham. With regard to Peninnah, as it is written: “And her rival wife also provoked her sore, to make her fret” (I Samuel 1:6), i.e., Peninnah upset Hannah in order to motivate her to pray. Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov taught this in Paphunya, and Satan came and kissed his feet in gratitude for speaking positively about him.

The Gemara considers the character of Job. The verse states: “In all this Job did not sin with his lips” (Job 2:10). Rava says: A close reading of the verse indicates that he did not sin with his lips, but he sinned in his heart. What did he say that suggests that he had wicked thoughts? “The earth is given into the hand of the wicked, he covers the faces of its judges; if not he, then who is it?” (Job 9:24). Rava says: Job sought to turn the bowl upside down, that is to say, he alluded here to a heretical thought, as he said that the earth is given into the hand of the wicked, indicating that he had God in mind. Abaye said to him: Job was referring here only to the Satan, he being the wicked one into whose hands the land was given.

The Gemara comments: This is parallel to a dispute between tanna’im, as it was taught in a baraita: “The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.” Rabbi Eliezer says: Job sought to turn the bowl upside down; Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: Job was referring here only to the Satan.

The Gemara continues to discuss Job’s statements: “Although You know that I am not wicked, and there is none that can deliver out of Your hand” (Job 10:7). Rava says: Job sought to exempt the whole world from judgment, claiming that all of a person’s actions are directed by God, and therefore one cannot be held culpable for his misdeeds. Job said before God: Master of the Universe, You created the ox with split hooves, making it kosher, and You created the donkey with closed hooves, making it forbidden; You created the Garden of Eden, and You created Gehenna; and similarly, You created righteous people and You created wicked people; who can restrain You? Seeing that You created people as either righteous or wicked, You cannot later complain about their actions.

And how did Job’s friends answer him? “You do away with fear, and impair devotion before God” (Job 15:4) with such statements. True, the Holy One, Blessed be He, created the evil inclination, but He also created the Torah as an antidote to counter its effects and prevent it from gaining control of a person.

Rava interpreted a verse homiletically: What is the meaning of that which is written, Job saying about himself: “The blessing of him that was lost came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy” (Job 29:13). “The blessing of him that was lost came upon me” teaches that Job used to steal a field from orphans, cultivate it, improve it, and then return it to them; consequently, they would bless him for the field they had lost. “I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy” teaches that anywhere that there was a widow whom no one would marry, he would go and cast his name upon her, i.e., he would start a rumor that she was related to him, and then somebody would come forward and marry her.

Job further said: “O that my vexation were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances” (Job 6:2). Rav says: Dust should be put in the mouth of Job, meaning, he should not have spoken in such a manner, as if he were weighing his deeds against those of God; may one act as if he is in a friendship with Heaven? And similarly, Job said: “There is no arbiter between us, who may lay his hand upon us both” (Job 9:33). Rav says: Dust should be put in the mouth of Job for saying this; is there a servant who rebukes his master? Job also said: “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a virgin?” (Job 31:1). Rava says: Dust should be put in the mouth of Job for saying this; he did not look at other women, but Abraham did not even look at his own wife, as it is written: “Now I know that you are a beautiful woman” (Genesis 12:11). One may learn by inference that initially he did not know how beautiful she was because he had not gazed at her.

Job further said: “As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to the grave shall come up no more” (Job 7:9). Rava says: From here it may be inferred that Job denied the resurrection of the dead, as he said that one who goes down to the grave will not come up and live again, just as a cloud that dissipates will not return. He also stated: “He crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause” (Job 9:17). Rabba says: Job blasphemed with mention of a tempest and he was answered with mention of a tempest.

Rabba explains: He blasphemed with mention of a tempest [bise’ara], as it is written: “He crushes me with a tempest.” Job said before God: Master of the Universe, perhaps a tempest passed before You and You confused Iyov, Job, with oyev, enemy. He was answered with mention of a tempest, as it is written: “Then the Lord answered Job out of the tempest, and said: Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now your loins like a man, for I will demand of you and let me know your answer” (Job 38:1–3).

What is the meaning of “out of the tempest”? God said to him: I have created many hairs [nimin] on a person, and for each hair I created its own follicle through which the hair is sustained, so that two hairs should not draw from one follicle. As were two hairs to draw from one follicle, they would impair a man’s vision. Now, if I do not confuse one follicle with another, would I confuse Iyov with oyev? The Hebrew word for tempest, se’ara, is phonetically identical to the Hebrew word for hair.

God further said to Job: “Who has divided a channel [te’ala] for the torrent of rain, or a path for the lightning of thunder”? (Job 38:25). I have created many drops of water in the clouds, and for each drop I created its own channel, so that two drops should not emerge from the same channel. As were two drops to emerge from the same channel they would destroy the earth and it would not yield produce. Now, if I do not confuse one drop with another, would I confuse Iyov with oyev? Incidentally, the Gemara asks: From where may it be inferred that this term te’ala means a channel? Rabba bar Sheila said: As it is written with regard to Elijah the prophet: “And he fashioned a channel [te’ala] about the altar, as great as would contain two se’a of seed” (I Kings 18:32).

The second half of the aforementioned verse in Job states: “Or a path for the lightning of thunder,” which is interpreted as follows: God said: I have created many thunderclaps in the clouds, and for each and every thunderclap I created its own path, so that two thunderclaps should not issue forth from the same path. As were two thunderclaps to issue from the same path, they would destroy the world. Now, if I do not confuse one thunderclap with another, would I confuse Iyov with oyev?

It is further stated there: “Do you know when the wild goats of the rock give birth? Can you mark when the hinds do calve?” (Job 39:1). This goat is cruel to her young and shows them no pity; when she squats

Traduction : The William Davidson digital edition of the Koren Noé Talmud, with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz.

BavaBatra 16a explores Job's calamities and his enduring faith, alongside Satan's dialogue with God comparing Job to Abraham's steadfast trust.