Today, we're going to talk about Job, a righteous man who, according to tradition, almost made it into the inner circle.
The Book of Job, of course, tells the story of a man who suffers immensely, testing his faith. But the Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, adds layers to this familiar narrative. It paints Job as exceptionally righteous, “the most pious Gentile that ever lived,” even calling him "the servant of God"—a high honor indeed! But get this: he was also doubly related to Jacob, making him almost part of the family. He was both a grandson of Esau (Jacob’s brother) AND the son-in-law of Jacob, having married Dinah as his second wife. Talk about connections!
So, why isn’t it "the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Job"? What kept Job from reaching that ultimate level of recognition?
According to the legends, Job’s downfall was his lack of unwavering faith during his trials. He “murmured against God.” Had he remained steadfast, the honor of having his name joined to God’s in prayer would have been his. Imagine that! People would call upon "the God of Job" just as they call upon the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Pretty powerful stuff.
God, as the legends tell it, even remonstrated with Job. "Why didst thou murmur when suffering came upon thee?" He asks, in so many words. "Do you think you are better than Adam, who I punished with death for a single transgression, and he didn't complain? Are you greater than Abraham, whom I tested relentlessly, and who never murmured? Are you more worthy than Moses, who I denied entry into the Promised Land, and yet he accepted it silently? Or even Aaron, who experienced the tragic loss of his sons without complaint?"
Wow. Talk about putting things into perspective.
The contrast between Job and the Patriarchs is stark. As Ginzberg points out, Abraham, addressing God, said, "That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked." In contrast, Job exclaimed against God, "It is all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked." Both spoke their minds, but their perspectives—and their fates—differed greatly. Abraham was rewarded, and Job... well, Job was punished, or at least, severely tested.
Job, convinced of his innocence, even dared to accuse God of injustice. As Ginzberg phrases it, Job had the audacity to say to God: "O Lord of the world... Thou createst the righteous and also the wicked. There is none to hinder, Thou canst do as seemeth good in Thy sight." In other words, "You made everything, so if things are bad, it's on you!"
His friends, of course, jumped in to defend God. "It is true, God hath created the yetzer hara (evil inclination)," they argued, "but He hath also given man the Torah as a remedy against it." The Torah, in this view, provides the tools to overcome our base impulses. Therefore, the wicked can't just blame God for their actions.
But why did Job go so far? Why these "extravagant utterances"? The legends suggest it was because Job didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. He only saw earthly rewards and punishments. Thus, he concluded that his suffering must be a mistake; God must have confused him with someone else.
God, in response, delivers a powerful, almost poetic rebuke, highlighting the intricate precision of the universe. "Many hairs have I created upon the head of man, yet each hair hath its own sac... Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another?" And so on, with rain drops, thunderbolts, gazelles, and hinds. The message is clear: The universe is meticulously crafted and maintained. Nothing is random. How could God possibly make such a fundamental mistake as to inflict suffering on the wrong person?
Even with Job’s harsh words, God wasn’t happy with his friends’ harsh judgment. After all, "A man may not be held responsible for what he does in his anguish," and Job’s suffering was immense.
So, what can we take away from this? Job's story reminds us that even the most righteous among us can falter in the face of extreme adversity. It's a story about faith, doubt, and the immense challenge of accepting what we don't understand. And perhaps, it’s a reminder that even when we feel like God has made a mistake, there might be a larger, incomprehensible plan at play. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s a testament to the importance of unwavering faith, even when the world seems to be falling apart.
Job, the most pious Gentile that ever lived, one of the few to bear the title of honor "the servant of God," was of double kin to Jacob. He was a grandson of Jacob's brother Esau, and at the same time the son-in-law of Jacob himself, for lie had married Dinah as his second wife. He was entirely worthy of being a member of the Patriarch's family, for he was perfectly upright, one that feared God, and eschewed evil. Had he not wavered in his resignation to the Divine will during the great trial to which he was subjected, and murmured against God, the distinction would have been conferred upon him of having his name joined to the Name of God in prayer, and men would have called upon the God of Job as they now call upon the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But he was not found steadfast like the three Fathers, and he forfeited the honor God had intended for him. The Lord remonstrated with him for his lack of patience, saying: "Why didst thou murmur when suffering came upon thee? Dost thou think thyself of greater worth than Adam, the creation of Mine own hands, upon whom together with his descendants I decreed death on account of a single transgression? And yet Adam murmured not. Thou art surely not more worthy than Abraham, whom I tempted with many trials, and when he asked, 'Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit the land?' and I replied, 'Know of a surety that thy seed will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years,' he yet murmured not. Thou dost not esteem thyself more worthy than Moses, dost thou? Him I would not grant the favor of entering the promised land, because he spake the words, 'Hear now, ye rebels; shall we bring you forth water out of this rock?' And yet he murmured not. Art thou more worthy than Aaron, unto whom I showed greater honor than unto any created being, for I sent the angels themselves out of the Holy of Holies when he entered the place? Yet when his two sons died, he murmured not." The contrast between Job and the Patriarchs appears from words spoken by him and words spoken by Abraham. Addressing God, Abraham said, "That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked," and Job exclaimed against God, "It is all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked." They both received their due recompense, Abraham was rewarded and Job was punished. Convinced that his suffering was undeserved and unjust, Job had the audacity to say to God: "O Lord of the world, Thou didst create the ox with cloven feet and the ass with unparted hoof, Thou hast created Paradise and hell, Thou createst the righteous and also the wicked. There is none to hinder, Thou canst do as seemeth good in Thy sight." The friends of Job replied: "It is true, God hath created the evil inclination, but He hath also given man the Torah as a remedy against it. Therefore the wicked cannot roll their guilt from off their shoulders and put it upon God." The reason Job did not shrink from such extravagant utterances was because he denied the resurrection of the dead. He judged of the prosperity of the wicked and the woes of the pious only by their earthly fortunes. Proceeding from this false premise, he held it to be possible that the punishment falling to his share was not at all intended for him. God had slipped into an error, He imposed the suffering upon him that had been appointed unto a sinner. But God spake to him, saying: "Many hairs have I created upon the head of man, yet each hair hath its own sac, for were two hairs to draw their nourishment from the same sac, man would lose the sight of his eyes. It hath never happened that a sac hath been misplaced. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another? I let many drops of rain descend from the heavens, and for each drop there is a mould in the clouds, for were two drops to issue from the same mould, the ground would be made so miry that it could not bring forth any growth. It hath never happened that a mould hath been misplaced. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another? Many thunderbolts I hurl from the skies, but each one comes from its own path, for were two to proceed from the same path, they would destroy the whole world. It hath never happened that a path hath been misplaced. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another? The gazelle gives birth to her young on the topmost point of a rock, and it would fall into the abyss and be crushed to death, if I did not send an eagle thither to catch it up and carry it to its mother. Were the eagle to appear a minute earlier or later than the appointed time, the little gazelle would perish. It hath never happened that the proper minute of time was missed. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another? The hind has a contracted womb, and would not be able to bring forth her young, if I did not send a dragon to her at the right second, to nibble at her womb and soften it, for then she can bear. Were the dragon to come a second before or after the right time, the hind would perish. It hath never happened that I missed the right second. Should I, then, have mistaken Job for another?" Notwithstanding Job's unpardonable words, God was displeased with his friends for passing harsh judgment upon him. "A man may not be held responsible for what he does in his anguish," and Job's agony was great, indeed
