The Ten-Man Line and Job's Friends on Seeking Forgiveness

(Genesis 21:1:) "And the LORD visited Sarah." Let our master teach us: If there was a quarrel between a person and his fellow, how is atonement made for him on the Day of Atonement? Thus our Rabbis taught: Transgressions that are between a person and the Omnipresent, the Day of Atonement atones; those that are between a person and his fellow, the Day of Atonement does not atone, until he appeases his fellow. If he went to appease him and he did not accept, what shall he do? Rabbi Yose ben Dormaskit said: Let this be a sign in your hand — so long as you show mercy upon your fellow, you have One who shows mercy upon you; and if you do not show mercy upon your fellow, you have none who shows mercy upon you. What shall he do? Rabbi Samuel bar Nachman said: Let him bring ten people and set them up in a single row (shurah), and say before them: "My brothers, there was a quarrel between me and so-and-so, and I went to appease him and he did not accept." Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, sees that he has humbled himself before him, and He shows mercy upon him, as it is said (Job 33:27): "He arranges a row [yashor] of people and says, I have sinned and perverted what was right [yashar]." What is written there (Job 33:28)? "He has redeemed his soul from passing into the pit." And it is written (Proverbs 28:13): "But he who confesses and forsakes shall obtain mercy." Rabbi Yehuda said: He who confesses on condition to forsake shall obtain mercy. And so you find: all the days that Job was insistent against his companions, and his companions against him, the measure of justice was stretched out against him, as it is said (Job 30:1): "But now they that are younger than I have me in derision." He said to Eliphaz: "And are you not the son of Esau? Had your father stood and asked that I set him to be fed among my dogs, I would have rejected him," (Job 30:1) "whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock." And his companions said: "Are you the aged one to yourself alone? We too have aged ones," as it is said (Job 15:10): "[With us] are both the gray-headed and the aged." And when the Holy One, blessed be He, was revealed to them, He said to them: "Why do you stand? Go and appease Job," as it is said (Job 42:8): "And now take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams... and My servant Job shall pray for you." Immediately they went and did so. What is written there? (Job 42:10) "And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job." When? (Job 42:10) "When he prayed for his companion." So too Abimelech (Genesis 20:17): "And Abraham prayed..." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Abraham has sought mercy for Abimelech; I shall visit her immediately. (Genesis 21:1) "And the LORD visited Sarah."