“The man said: The woman whom You gave…” – that is what is written: “I would speak, and I would not fear Him; for it is not so that I am, with myself [imadi]” (Job 9:35) – I am unlike the one who said: “The woman whom You gave to me [imadi]…” He heeded his wife’s words, but I did not heed my wife’s words.51Job’s wife told him, “Blaspheme God and die” (Job 2:9). Unlike Adam, Job didn’t take his wife’s advice.
This is why Job said that he was unlike imadi, a word that alludes to Adam. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Dina52Jacob’s daughter. was Job’s wife. That is why he said to her: “You are speaking as one of the disgusting women [nevalot] would speak.53Regarding Dina it is written: “As he performed a disgusting act [nevala] in Israel to lie with Jacob's daughter” (Genesis 34:7). Shall we accept the good from God, [and not accept the bad]?” (Job 2:10).
“Shall I accept,” is not written here, but rather, “shall we accept [nekabel]”54Although it was only Job who was suffering. – should we be pleased with the good but not be pleased with the bad?55Nekabel is interpreted as “pleased [na’im] about accepting [kabel].” That was a rhetorical question. “With all this, Job did not sin with his lips” (Job 2:10) – [the implication is:] with his lips he did not sin, but in his heart he did sin.
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: “And I ate [veakhalti]”56This is unambiguously in past tense. is not written here, but rather, “vaokhel”57This word may indicate past or future tense. – I ate and I will eat again.58He defiantly declared that he would do it again. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Adam the first man was banished only after he blasphemed and spoke sacrilegiously.59By being defiant towards God, as was just explained.
That is what is written: “He hoped to produce grapes, but it produced sour grapes” (Isaiah 5:2). “The Lord God said to the woman: What is this you have done? The woman said: The serpent enticed me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13). “The woman said: The serpent enticed me [hishiani], and I ate” – [hishiani has three meanings:] It enticed me, it brought liability upon me, and it misled me.
It enticed me, as it says: “The enemy will not entice [yashi] you” (Psalms 89:23). It brought liability upon me, as it says: “When you lend [tashe] to your neighbor” (Deuteronomy 24:10).60Through the loan, monetary liability is created, and the serpent’s evil behavior brought her liability for sin. It misled me, as it says: “Now, do not allow Hezekiah to mislead [yashi] you” (II Chronicles 32:15).