Shemois 2025: Another Parable?

by devadmin | January 16, 2025 6:01 pm

Raboyseyee and Ladies,

Another Parable?

Nu, one Sefer down, four to go until Simchas Toirah and we start again. Sefer Bereishis covered 2,000 years in 50 chapters. Sefer Shmois covers less than 200 years in 40 chapters. The majority of Sefer Shmois covers just a few years, the first 16 chapters deal with slavery and freedom, let’s begin.

Zicher you remember that many parshas back, way back in Lech Lecho, the RBSO promised Avrom Ovenu that his children would one day be strangers (He meant slaves) in a nation that does not belong to them. Guess what? He didn’t forget and, in this week’s Parsha of Shmois, He makes good. Seemingly the RBSO has a long memory; that cannot be good news for most of us.

Lots to cover, and not enough time in one post. This week, we’ll stay focused on Moishe, events leading to his birth, the women that played a pivotal role in his life, the perverted slithering snake and more, ober (but) first a shtikel background. More specifically, we shall be discussing -for the very first time- a fellow by the name of Iyov (Job for the goyim).

It pains me mamish that I have to waste mamish an entire page and time chazering (reviewing) basic information with you, I’m disgusted for your parents who spent tens of thousands on your yeshiva education, and all you remember about the parsha is the farkakte ‘Baby Moishe’ song that you sang in nursery school; aroisgivorfeni gelt (money in the toilet), oy vey!

Yaakov’s family had been living in Mitzrayim (Egypt) and prospering -mistama taking advantage of the goyim wherever they could and, had grown from a large family into a nation. Yoisef passed away, as did -by this week’s parsha- all his brothers. A new king, who did not know Yoisef, came to rule over Egypt. There is a machloikes (dispute) in the heylige Gemora as to whether he was actually a new king, or whether it was the same Paroy, who enacted harsh decrees against the Jews, ignoring Yoisef’s great contributions to Egypt: What else is new? In our times, we have seen politicians, our own Senator from New York – one who is a Yid mamish but acts like a goy-  and even presidents flip flop.

The bottom line: Paroy, seemingly forgot that a Jew by the name of Yoisef saved him and the entire nation of Egypt: Not nice.  He looked at the ever-growing Jewish people and began to worry: Too many Jews!

Paroy feared a revolt. The supernatural, rapid increase in the Jewish population had made the Egyptians nervous — “there are too many of them, what if they rise up against us” – we need a plan- and Paroy issued a genocidal decree: Kill all the Jewish boys. You hear this Raboyseyee? Silly Paroy thought the Jews were fighters. What to do? He forced the Jews to do intense back breaking labor in order to crush their spirit and curtail their growth. The Yiddin (Jews) became his slaves and were forced to build two large cities, by hand mamish. Paroy was a genius and understood that Yiddin don’t enjoy manual labor. Of course, it took them 116 years to build them. When they fell behind, the Egyptians would beat them with whips.

In yeshiva we were taught that Paroy’s astrologers informed him that the male savior of the Jewish people would soon be born. We were also taught that Paroy took advice on his ‘Jew Problem’ from his inner circle of three advisors. Who were these people? The heylige Toirah does not identify them by name nor provide any information about this entire storyline but have no fear, as they appear -come to life mamish- all over the heylige Gemora and medrish. Let’s -for the very first time in Ois postings- meet them.

Says the heylige Gemora (Soita 11a with identical text in Sanhedrin 106a), this: Rebbe Chiya bar Abba said in the name of Rebbe Simai, “Three people were involved in the counsel to Paroy to vote upon the plan to drown the Israelite male babies.”

What gave the Gemora the right to concoct this storyline? How did Rebbe Chiya know that Paroy’s initial decree of servitude and the following decree to kill the male children were not independent decisions? That they were planned with the help and counsel of Paroy’s advisors? Ober raboyseyee, Reb Chiya was a lamdan (knew how to study the words of the heylige Toirah and other texts) and noticed that Paroy spoke in plural. “Let us deal smartly…,” emphasis on ‘us.’ As well, the description of the slavery is also in the plural: “And they placed upon them…” clearly indicating that he did not act alone. Case closed. Based on these words, (Shmois 1, 9-11), Reb Chiya and many others concluded that Paroy had partners planning the decree. Who were they?

The heylige Gemora names names of the advisors, three in all, all of whom are familiar characters- Bilam, Iyov, and Yisroy. Let’s read the entire Rebbe Chiya quote:

אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי סִימַאי: שְׁלֹשָׁה הָיוּ בְּאוֹתָהּ עֵצָה: בִּלְעָם, וְאִיּוֹב, וְיִתְרוֹ.

בִּלְעָם שֶׁיָּעַץ — נֶהֱרַג, אִיּוֹב שֶׁשָּׁתַק — נִידּוֹן בְּיִסּוּרִין. יִתְרוֹ שֶׁבָּרַח — זָכוּ מִבְּנֵי בָנָיו שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת סוֹפְרִים יוֹשְׁבֵי יַעְבֵּץ תִּרְעָתִים שִׁמְעָתִים שׂוּכָתִים הֵמָּה הַקִּינִים הַבָּאִים מֵחַמַּת אֲבִי בֵית רֵכָב״, וּכְתִיב: ״וּבְנֵי קֵינִי חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ׳״.

 

Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba says that Rabbi Simai says: Three noteworthy people were consulted by Pharaoh in that counsel where Pharaoh questioned what should be done with the Jewish people. They were Balaam, and Job, and Yisroy.

Rabbi Ciyya bar Abba teaches what occurred to each of them: Balaam, who advised Pharaoh to kill all sons born to the Jewish people, was punished by being killed in the war with Midian (see Numbers 31:8). Job, who was silent and neither advised nor protested, was punished by suffering, as detailed in the eponymous book in the Bible. Yisroy, who ran away as a sign of protest, merited that some of his children’s children sat in the Sanhedrin in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, as it is stated: “And the families of scribes who dwelt at Jabez, Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites, these were the Kenites who descended from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab” (I Chronicles 2:55). And it is written: “The children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law” (Judges 1:16). This teaches that the Kenites, descendants of Yisroy, the father-in-law of Moses, dwelt at Jabez [Yabetz], referring to the place where the Jewish people go for advice [eitza], i.e., the Chamber of Hewn Stone.

Ober, a glance at this esteemed list of the inner circle raises one major question: How did Paroy manage to gather these personalities from different ends of the heylige Toirah, skipping through time and space to assemble them on the banks of the Nile? Were these three all around at the same time? And all had jobs as Paroy’s advisors? And taka, the Chizkuni, among others, points out that this anachronistic meeting is realistically problematic:

“And if you say how is it that he [Bilam] lived so long- from before Moishe was born until the war with Midian in the fortieth year after they left Egypt? And we say in Perek Chelek [in case you never heard of it, it’s the tenth chapter of Sanhedrin] that it says in the Book of Bilam that Pinchas was thirty-three when he killed Bilam?!” The Chizkuni questions the veracity of the aforementioned medrish based on a Gemora which claims that Bilam was relatively young when he prophesized about the People of Israel, which makes it impossible for him to have served as advisor to Paroy before the enslavement in Egypt. Other commentaries agree that’s it’s kimat chronologically impossible for Bilam to have been around during that time period based on yet another posik which indicates that Bilam was killed in the time of Yehoshua. (Yehoshua 13, 22). Shoin! Either way, other sources that describe bibliographic details of Bilam’s life make it quite impossible for him to be an adult in Egypt in the time period in question. Oib azoy, was he or wasn’t he one of Paroy’s advisors? Ober not to worry because the Chizkuni proffers two different responses to his own question. One possibility is that this is not the same Bilam, but rather one of the ancestors of the Bilam we are familiar with, who bore the same name. Clever! He also raises the possibility that this assembly may have taken place at a later time, concerning a different piece of advice. What later time might that be? In the case where Yisroy and Iyov were consulted in Bilam’s scheme to make the Yiddin sin and fall prey to the hot shiksa Midianite and Moabite shiksas, a story we will read over the summer months. The bottom line: As to Bilam, he was or wasn’t one of the three in Paroy’s inner circle who helped crate policies detrimental to the Yiddin. Got all that? Veyter!

While there is plenty to say about all three, our focus this week is in one fellow by the name of Iyov who according to the Gemora abstained on the plan and was ultimately punished with afflictions as a corrective action from the RBSO for allowing the Yiddin to physically suffer and lose their property. Iyov (aka: Job)? Who was he and what’s he doing in our parsha? Shoin, since you asked, let’s find out. The heylige Gemora and other early rabbinic works present multiple opinions as to the identity of Iyov (with a minority opinion characterizing his narrative as a metaphor, more on that opinion, below). Although there is no clear consensus as to who he was or when he lived, the dominant view places Iyov’s birth at the time the Yiddin made their way down to Mitzrayim and his passing at the time of the Exodus. If this is emes, he would have lived a long life, some 210 years. If this is emes, it would synch up nicely Reb Chiya’s teaching that Iyov was in fact one of three royal advisors to Paroy who deliberated over the plot to murder all the male Jewish newborns. How did he vote? Seemingly, he was indifferent and did not protest the decree, and it was because of his inaction that the RBSO later brought immense suffering upon him. In fact, an entire Sefer – the book of Iyov is about his life, the misfortune and losses he suffered and described how in a single day, he loses all his children, many of his servants and livestock, the remaining animals are captured and stolen- and his reaction to the pain and suffering he was put through by the Soton, the RBSO’s adversarial angel who seems to wreak havoc wherever he goes.

The bottom line: if what Reb Chia taught is correct, that he was taka one of Paroy’s advisors, his suffering came about because he did not speak up when asked to vote. Abstaining was a yes vote: Think back to the UN vote against Israel and positions taken by Obama, the antisemite. Iyov should have spoken up and voted against this plan thereby securing a majority against this evil. By abstaining, Paroy did not see a clear majority either way and proceeded. The RBSO punished Iyov.

Ober let’s read this! The heylige Zoihar (2:33a) says it’s not emes! Instead, he says, Iyov initiated the plan of confiscation of the Yiddin’s’ property and subsequent slavery rather than killing them which Paroy had initially suggested. Iyov felt that this alternative was the lesser of evils. Oib azoy, if that’s the case, why was he later punished by the RBSO so severely? Was he an upstanding citizen, a good guy? Or, was he a bad actor? And was Iyov even a real person?

Even though Iyov was sincere, upright, and feared the RBSO – so says the very first posik of the book named after him (Iyov 1:1)- his advice, offered under pressure, did not meet with divine approval and he was punished mida-kineged-mida (measure for measure). He lost his property as punishment for his advice of confiscation and suffered afflictions for his advice of slavery. On the other hand, as a reward for advising Paroy not to kill the Israelites, he was in the end, similarly protected from murder by Soton (ibid. 1:12).

The bottom line: according to both the heylige Gemora and the Zoihar, it appears that Iyov was either a bag guy, or, at least, partially bad. Ober, is the entire story even true? Believe it or not, the heylige Gemora debates the actual identity of these advisers in the face of conflicting texts about their lives. In other words: at least one of the advisors mentioned, may never have existed! What? For example, Bilam is identified as an adviser before the birth of Moishe which is more than 120 years before his death at the war against Midian. Ober, the heylige Gemora (Sanhedrin 106b) states that Bilam did not live longer than 34 years. Moreover, let’s check out the medrish (Bereishis Rabbah 57:4 and the Gemora (Buba Basra 15a,b) where we find different opinions about the time when Iyov lived. According to the medrish, he lived in the days of Avrohom and or days of Yaakov (Heylige Gemora ibid. 15b) and ending at the time of Mordechai and Esther (Medrish and Heylige Gemora ibid. 15b), a period of over 1,300 years. In addition, the heylige Gemora (Bava Basra 15a) considers the possibility that the story of Iyov is not literal but a parable about divine justice. A parable? The entire story we are permitted to read on Tishe Be’ov, the second saddest day in our calendar, is fake news? Well, blow me down! Even though this opinion is eventually rejected by the Gemora, no lesser a giant than the Rambam himself (Guide for the Perplexed 3:22) accepts the thesis that the story of Iyov is a parable in view of the wide range of historical dates of Iyov’s life. Well, blow me down with a feather and what else is fake news? And if he’s a fake or maybe an early avatar or Ai generated, what about Yisroy, Moishe’s father in-law? Was he fake too? Is the entire story about Paroy seeking advice on the Jew issue fake news? Ober not so fast because when it comes to Yisroy at least, the Gemora concludes that since there are no conflicting opinions about Yisroy’s life, therefore his life should be interpreted literally. To resolve the apparent contradictions in lifespan the heylige Gemora commentators opine that Bilam and Iyov may not be the actual advisers at the time of Paroy, rather their names are meant to imply:

  1. Similar character types.
  2. Descendants of their namesakes.
  3. Transmigration of souls of their name sakes גלגול.

The Rambam summarizes the various opinions about when Iyov lived: “His time and his place are unknown, but some sages said he was in the time of the forefathers, and some said in the time of Moishe, and some said in the time of David, and some said he was one of the immigrants from Babylon [to Israel in the Second Temple period].” (Guide to the Perplexed 3, 22). Due to the vast and extreme range of opinions, the Rambam draws the following conclusion: “And this strengthens the claim of those who said he is not real and never existed.” Wow!

Assuming Iyov was a real person, when did he come from and live? Let’s check out the heylige Gemora (Buba Basra 15a15b) which provides many options for us to consider; you decide when he lived. Some of them are derived from Scriptural verses, and some of them are questioned.

 

And we close with this: if your mind was blown reading that the entire Iyov narrative may be nothing but a parable to teach us some lesson, Reb Hai Goan says something even more shocking. Though written in very colorful detail -mamish in the heylige Toirah, he is of the opinion that the entire narrative between Bilam and his donkey was nothing but a dream or a vision; it too never happened, at least not literally. OMG!

Rabbi Hai Gaon, is expressing the idea that the Book of Job might not be a literal historical account, but rather a parable or allegory meant to explore profound themes such as suffering, divine justice, and human faith. In this view, the story of Iyov serves as a vehicle for grappling with existential questions and theodicy (the problem of reconciling the RBSO’s justice with the presence of evil and suffering in the world). Rabbi Hai Gaon’s stance suggests that the focus of the story should be on its lessons and not on its literal historical accuracy.


There is no talking horse (with the exception of Mr. Ed of course) and there was no talking donkey. So happens -and this is a true story- that a rabbi once mentioned this Bilam dream in shul and got some push back from certain of his more rightwing congregants. They said the rabbi should not be talking about such matters as it could shake the faith of those Yiddin who may be weaker in their belief. The rabbi was distraught and went to seek the counsel of Rabbi Soloveitchik (I don’t know which one specifically). He shared how he mentioned to his congregants that the entire Bilam talking ass story might never have taken place and the reaction he drew. Rav Soloveitchik responded with this:  As a rabbi having dealt with many congregants myself, of course I can believe in asses talking. Of course he didn’t use these words, but you get the point.

A gittin Shabbis!

The Heylige Oisvorfer Ruv

Yitz Grossman

 

Source URL: https://oisvorfer.com/shemois-2025-another-parable/