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Bava Basra 15b

בבא בתרא ט״ו ע״ב

Bava Batra 15b

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Topic

Who איוב was, when he lived, and the opening story of ספר איוב

Overview

The גמרא first rereads a ברייתא to say that איוב lived as long as Israel's stay in מצרים, not during that exact time. Two ברייתות then suggest that איוב was not Jewish. The first is a list of seven prophets to the nations, and it is pushed off: those on the list mainly prophesied to the nations, even if they were Jewish. The second ברייתא calls איוב a חסיד among the nations. The גמרא answers that this is a dispute among תנאים. It brings a ברייתא with five opinions on when איוב lived, ranging from יעקב's time to אחשורוש's. Every opinion except the last one dates him after משה, so they must hold that he was Jewish, since after משה the שכינה no longer rested on the nations. רבי יוחנן and others then explain related phrases: the immoral generation, the generation that judged its judges, and מלכת שבא. Finally, the גמרא explains the opening scene of ספר איוב: the שטן's praise of אברהם, ה׳'s greater praise of איוב, and the special blessings on איוב's money and livestock. רבי יוחנן's explanation of the oxen and donkeys continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אֵימָא: כְּמִשָּׁעָה שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִצְרַיִם,

Say: as long as from the time Israel entered Egypt,

וְעַד [שָׁעָה] שֶׁיָּצְאוּ.

until [the time] that they left.

מֵיתִיבִי: שִׁבְעָה נְבִיאִים

They challenged: Seven prophets

נִתְנַבְּאוּ לְאוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם –

prophesied to the nations of the world –

The steps (31)

  1. Resolutionאיוב's lifespan matched the length of the Egypt period
  2. ChallengeChallenge from the list of seven prophets to the nations
  3. RejectionCounter-question: אליהוא was Jewish yet is on the list
  4. ResolutionThe list means they prophesied to the nations, even if they were Jewish
  5. ChallengeDidn't all prophets prophesy to the nations?
  6. ResolutionThese seven mainly prophesied to the nations
  7. ChallengeChallenge: איוב was a חסיד among the nations
  8. ResolutionIt is a dispute among the תנאים, and רבי אלעזר places איוב in the time of the Judges
  9. Statementרבי יהושע בן קרחה: איוב lived in the time of אחשורוש
  10. ChallengeWhy not the time of דוד, when they also searched for a beautiful girl?
  11. Resolutionדוד's search was only in Israel, but איוב's daughters were the most beautiful in the whole land
  12. Statementרבי נתן says the kingdom of שבא; the חכמים say the time of the כשדים
  13. StatementSome say איוב lived in the time of יעקב and married דינה
  14. ConclusionAll these opinions hold that איוב was Jewish, except the last one
  15. ProofProof: after משה, the שכינה did not rest on non-Jews
  16. StatementThe generation of איוב was full of immorality
  17. ChallengeMaybe חזיתם means prophecy
  18. ResolutionThe rest of the פסוק shows it is criticism
  19. StatementA generation that judged its judges
  20. Statementמלכת שבא means the kingdom of שבא
  21. StatementThe פסוק: the שטן comes before ה׳
  22. StatementThe שטן praises אברהם's faithfulness
  23. Statementאיוב's praise is greater than אברהם's
  24. QuestionWhat does 'turns away from evil' mean?
  25. Responseאיוב gave up small sums owed to him
  26. QuestionThe שטן's reply and the meaning of 'You blessed his work'
  27. ResponseAnyone who took a פרוטה from איוב was blessed
  28. QuestionWhat does 'his livestock broke out' mean?
  29. Responseאיוב's goats killed wolves
  30. QuestionThe שטן gets permission, and the גמרא asks about the oxen and donkeys
  31. Responseרבי יוחנן: ה׳ gave איוב a taste