Iyov/Job: A New Translation with a Commentary Anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic & Rabbinic Sources

by Moshe Eisenmann

In this work, one of the outstanding thinkers of the Torah world unlocks the treasures of Job. Rabbi Moshe Eisemann brings to this task a lifetime of immersion in the Talmud and the works of such seminal thinkers as the Maharal and the Ramchal. He has pro

Genres: Judaism

375 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1994

Reviews

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am researching the book of Job and wanted a Jewish point of view. In general, most commentators see Job as a book about suffering. There is nothing wrong with that view. But in my study, that is not the only meaning for the Book. I see it as a history of God's Plan for humanity.

Job's nine speeches correspond to the revelations of the last nine Manifestations (Prophets of God Who brought a Revelation, a Book for that Revelation and founded a new Religion) in my opinion.
In that research, I found some interesting paragraphs which give a perspective from the Jewish point of view which support the view of evolution. Even though it is from a Jewish point of view, it may be useful in conversations with those Christians who have a problem with evolution because first, this argument is based on the Bible and second, because it is from a religious point of view. Since it is part of the midrash and from Rashi, a rabbi who lived long before Darwin, (The rabbi lived from 1040 until 1105), those who are against evolution might be more amenable to the discussion. Since evolution is the primary reason for the feeling that science and religion are opposites, I wonder if it will help with that conversation.

The relevant paragraphs are shared below and are from the Midrash (commentaries from various rabbis about the text of the Torah/Old Testament). They are from Ivov/Job: A New Translation with a Commentary Anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and Rabbinic Sources by Rabbi Moshe Eisemann. The paragraphs are from page 344.

“To Genesis 2:7 where we learn how God breathed life into the earth and form of man which he had created, Rashi quotes the Midrash: in man, God combined both the lower and the upper spheres – his body from the lower, his soul from the upper. This, because on the first day heaven [upper] and earth [lower] were formed; on the second day – the firmament [upper]; on the third day – the sea and the dry land [lower]; on the fourth day – the heavenly bodies [upper]; and on the fifth day – the teaming animal world of the sea [lower]. Therefore, in order to avoid jealousy between the upper and the lower spheres, that one should not have one day more than the other allotted to them, God created man – a combination of the upper and the lower – on the sixth day.
“Unique, then, among all of God’s creatures, man must cope with a crisis of identity. He is combined from two, basically antagonistic, elements. He is neither angel nor beast, can feel fully at home in neither world. Clearly, in order to function positively and productively he must make peace with both his disparate halves. One must dominate, the other must subsume itself so that it can interact in harmonious and constructive counterpoint.

“Which half is to preponderate? Is man to identify with his soul, his nonmaterial essence, and have his body serve as loyal handmaiden in pursuit of the goals of the spirit, or is his real place among the creatures of the lower sphere, to which the spiritual longings of his soul must defer?”

Thus, the Midrash supports the Baha'i viewpoint that humanity is a combination of the physical and spiritual. The body is from the lower sphere (the physical) while the soul is from the upper sphere (the spiritual). When they are joined, a human being is created.

The Baha'i viewpoint is explained in Some Answered Questions, Chapter 46, paragraphs 4-7:

“So if we were to imagine a time when man belonged to the animal kingdom, that is, when he was merely an animal, existence would have been imperfect. This means that there would have been no man, and this chief member, which in the body of the world is like the mind and the brain in a human being, would have been lacking, and the world would thus have been utterly imperfect. This is sufficient proof in itself that if there had been a time when man belonged to the animal realm, the completeness of existence would have been destroyed; for man is the chief member of the body of this world, and a body without its chief member is undoubtedly imperfect. We regard man as the chief member because, among all created things, he encompasses all the perfections of existence. Now, what we mean by “man” is the complete human being,… (para 46.4-5)

“Let us give another, more subtle proof: The innumerable created things that are found in the world of existence—be they man, animal, plant, or mineral—must each be composed of elements. There is no doubt that the completeness seen in each and every thing arises, by divine creation, from the component elements, their appropriate combination, their proportionate measure, the manner of their composition, and the influence of other created things. For all beings are linked together like a chain; and mutual aid, assistance, and interaction are among their intrinsic properties and are the cause of their formation, development, and growth. It is established through numerous proofs and arguments that every single thing has an effect and influence upon every other, either independently or through a causal chain. In sum, the completeness of each and every thing—that is, the completeness which you now see in man, or in other beings, with regard to their parts, members, and powers—arises from their component elements, their quantities and measures, the manner of their combination, and their mutual action, interaction, and influence. When all these are brought together, then man comes into existence. (para 46.6)

And if a thousand million years hence, the component elements of man are brought together, measured out in the same proportion, combined in the same manner, and subjected to the same interaction with other beings, exactly the same man will come into existence. (Para 46.7)

Cynthia McDaniel

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the realm of English translations, the Artscroll translation is a good one, albeit a little flowery - my guess is that the translator's intention is to reflect the poetic nature of the book (Note: when compared to the Artscroll Tanach, the translations differ with the Tanach being much more reader friendly/straight forward without the literary flourish). My chavruta (study partner at synagogue) and I have been "learning" with the volume for about a year now, taking turns reading the Hebrew and translating what we've read. It must be said upfront that although Iyov is a difficult book, it's a pleasure to study in depth. It's a story that is loaded with puns, well crafted, leaving me with the impression that whoever wrote it was brilliant. That aside, the commentary in this volume is very well curated from traditional sources and comprehensive. The commentary doesn't use (secular) scholarly sources, so if that's important to you, you many want to supplement this commentary with another (The Book of Job: A Biography by Mark Larrimore, for example). The commentary also summarizes each character's dialogue at its conclusion, which is a helpful tool to provide extra clarity to the multi-party exchange going on between Iyov and his so-called friends. If you're looking for a commentary on Iyov, this is a good place to start.

[Skylar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure I understood even half of that. That is DEEP.