Avraham and Iyyov/0

Avraham and Iyyov

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Introduction

The Bavli Bava BatraBava Batra 15a-16bAbout the Bavli, while discussing Iyyov, compares him to Avraham:

 

א"ר יוחנן גדול הנאמר באיוב יותר ממה שנאמר באברהם דאילו באברהם כתיב {בראשית כ"ב:י"ב} כי עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלהים אתה ובאיוב כתיב {איוב א':ח'} איש תם וישר ירא אלהים [וסר מרע].

 

This comparison is not the only place where Chazal note parallels between Avraham and Iyyov: the same parallel regarding "יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים" is found already in Tosefta SotahSotah 6:1About Tosefta Sotah, and other parallels are mentioned by Tosefta Bava KammaBava Kamma 9:11About the Tosefta and Bereshit Rabbah49:957:4About Bereshit Rabbah. These comparisons are presumably motivated by the facts that Avraham and Iyyov were two of the most devout believers in God found in Tanakh, and that they managed to preserve that faith despite tests and hardship. In fact, as seen below, these two characters, who on the surface seem to have nothing to do with one another, are in fact extremely similar.

Content Parallels

The stories of Avraham and Iyyov contain a number of similarities:

• Heavenly test
• Both Avraham and Iyyov are tested by Hashem (Bereshit 22 and Iyyov 1-2), and each of their tests involve mortal danger to children (Avraham is commanded to kill his son, Satan kills Iyyov's children).
• Both figures are shown to be truly God-fearing (Avraham is told he is "יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים", and Iyyov is tested in attempt to prove he is not).¹
• Both also feature an angelic figure (Avraham is stopped from killing his son by an angel who informs him that he passed his test, while Iyyov's test was instigated by the Satan).²
• Prayer for others³ – Both Avraham and Iyyov pray that others should recover and be spared from the wrath of God (Bereshit 20 and Iyyov 42). In both cases, a negative interaction with Avraham or Iyyov (Avimelekh taking Avraham's wife, and Iyyov's friends' conversation with him) results in God contacting them directly and threatening them (Avimelekh is told in a dream he will die, and Iyyov's friends are just told Hashem is angry with them). God tells them that the only way to appease Him is to ask Avraham or Iyyov to pray for them. Avraham and Iyyov then indeed pray, and their prayers are followed by Hashem blessing them with children.
• Riches – Both Avraham and Iyyov are described as being very wealthy, both before (Bereshit 13:2 and Iyyov 1:3) and after (Bereshit 24:1,35 and Iyyov 42:12) their major test.
• Three associates – Avraham is described as having three allies (Bereshit 13:14), and Iyyov has three companions (Iyyov 2:11).
• Single escapee – Each of Avraham and Iyyov are informed by a lone escapee of the disasters which have befallen their family members.  Avraham is notified by a refugee that his nephew was kidnapped (Bereshit 14:11-13) and Iyyov is told of the four disasters, each time by a single escapee (Iyyov 1:14-19).

Literary Allusions

The Iyyov stories contain a number of literary allusions to the Avraham narratives:

• תָמִים and יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים – Avraham is once commanded to be תָמִים (Bereshit 17:1), and is described as יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים (Bereshit 22:12). Iyyov is similarly described as תָּם וְיָשָׁר וִירֵא אֱלֹהִים (Iyyov 1:1,8, 2:3).
• אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדךָ – Avraham is commanded by the angel to avoid harming Yitzchak with the phrase "אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדְךָ אֶל הַנַּעַר" (Bereshit 22:12), while the Satan is warned against harming Iyyov with the nearly identical phrase "רַק אֵלָיו אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ" (Iyyov 1:12).
• עָפָר וָאֵפֶר – Both Avraham and Iyyov describe themselves using the phrase "עָפָר וָאֵפֶר" (Bereshit 18:27 and Iyyov 30:19, 42:6).
• וַיהֹוָה בֵּרַךְ – Hashem blessed ("וַיהֹוָה בֵּרַךְ אֶת") Avraham and Iyyov at the end of their lives with riches including sheep, cattle, camels, and donkeys (Bereshit 24:1,35 and Iyyov 42:12).
• וַיָּמׇת... זָקֵן וְשׂבעַ – After recounting Avraham's long life-span, the Torah describes him as dying "בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה זָקֵן וְשָׂבֵעַ" (Bereshit 25:7-8). Similarly, after the remainder of Iyyov's years are counted, he dies "זָקֵן וּשְׂבַע יָמִים" (Iyyov 42:16-17).
• עוּץ – Avraham has a nephew named עוּץ (Bereshit 22:21), and Iyyov lives in the land of עוּץ (Iyyov 1:1).⁴

Analysis

• Degree of similarity – 
• עוּץ – While the word used in both stories is identical, by Avraham it is referring to a person, and by Iyyov it is referring to a place.
• Distinctive phrases – 
• יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים – While not unique, the description "יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים" is found only rarely in Tanakh.⁵
• אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדךָ – These three words in this exact order are unique.⁶
• עָפָר וָאֵפֶר – These are the only three occurrences of this combination.
• וַיהֹוָה בֵּרַךְ – These are the only occurrences of this exact phrase.
• זָקֵן וְשׂבעַ – This combination is found in only one other place.⁷

Points of Contrast

While Avraham was tested to see whether he could give the ultimate sacrifice, Iyyov was tested to see his reaction to the ultimate punishment. This caused a number of differences between the tests:

• Divine instructions – While Avraham was explicitly told what was expected of him, Iyyov was left without guidance.
• Actual death – Since Avraham had clearly shown he was willing to sacrifice his son, the angel could prevent Avraham from actually killing. However, since Iyyov's test only began after the death of his children, Satan had to actually kill them.
• Cause of death – Avraham was commanded to kill his own son, against God's promises and his moral imperatives. Iyyov's children, however, were killed by brigands, without Iyyov being forced to betray his beliefs.
• Complaints – Avraham does not complain about the command, neither before nor after the test. In contrast, Iyyov spends the rest of his book questioning God.

Conclusions

¹ See Tosefta SotahSotah 6:1About the Tosefta which comments on this similarity.

² See also Jubilees17:19-2518About Jubilees, who adds in משטמה to Akeidat Yitzchak, giving him a parallel role to Satan's role in Iyyov, adding to the similarities between the two stories.

³ See Tosefta Bava KammaBava Kamma 9:11About the Tosefta which mentions this parallel.

⁴ See Bereshit Rabbah57:4About Bereshit Rabbah, where Bar Kapara uses this as proof that Iyyov and Avraham were contemporaries.

⁵ The exact form is only found in Kohelet 7:18, but similar forms can be found in Shemot 18:21, Devarim 25:18, Tehillim 66:16, and Kohelet 8:13. Other characters who are fearful of God include Yosef (Bereshit 42:18), the Midwives (Shemot 1:17,21), and Yonah (Yonah 1:9).

⁶ While the phrases are not an exact match, since in Bereshit it says "יָדְךָ" and in Iyyov it says "יָדֶךָ", the letters are unique, and the only similar phrase is "וְיָד אַל תִּשְׁלְחוּ" in Bereshit 37:22.

⁷ The additional case is the death of Yitzchak (Bereshit 35:29), which is an even closer parallel to Iyyov: "וַיָּמׇת... זָקֵן וּשְׂבַע יָמִים".