Pt2 Talmudic Theodicy: Moses’ Requests, Divine Responses, and the Mystery of Divine Justice (Berakhot 7a-b)

This is the second and final part of a two-part series. Part 1 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.

R' Yoḥanan citing R' Shimon ben Yoḥai - Abraham was the first to call God “Master” (Adonai) - Genesis 15:8

אמר רבי יוחנן, משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי:

מיום שברא הקדוש ברוך הוא את העולם,

לא היה אדם שקראו להקדוש ברוך הוא ״אדון״,

עד שבא אברהם וקראו אדון,

שנאמר:

״ויאמר אדני אלהים

במה אדע כי אירשנה״.

Until now, the Talmud has cited statements made by R' Yoḥanan in the name of the tanna, R' Yosei.

Now, the Talmud begins to cite what R' Yoḥanan said in the name of R' Shimon ben Yoḥai:

From the day that God created the world

there was no person who called Him “Master”¹

until Abraham came and called Him “Master”.

As it is stated:

“And he said, ‘My Lord,² God (אלהים)

by what shall I know that I will inherit it?’” (Genesis 15:8).

Rav - Daniel’s prayer was accepted due to Abraham’s merit - Daniel 9:17

אמר רב:

אף דניאל לא נענה אלא בשביל אברהם,

שנאמר:

״ועתה שמע אלהינו אל תפלת עבדך ואל תחנוניו

והאר פניך על מקדשך השמם למען אדני״,

״למענך״ מבעי ליה.

אלא — למען אברהם שקראך ״אדון״

[…]

The Talmud cites another statement extolling that virtue of Abraham is mentioned, as Rav said:

Even Daniel’s prayers were only answered on account of Abraham,

as it is stated:

“And now listen, God, to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication;

and cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate Temple, for the sake of the Lord (אדני)” (Daniel 9:17).

The verse should have said: And cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate Temple, “for Your sake”, as Daniel was addressing YHWH.

Rather, this verse contains an allusion that the prayer should be accepted for the sake of Abraham, who called You “Lord”

Daniel utilized that name of God in order to evoke Abraham’s virtue and enhance his prayer.

[…]

R' Yoḥanan citing R' Shimon ben Yoḥai - Leah was the first person to thank God - Genesis 29:35

(See footnote.)³

ואמר רבי יוחנן, משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי:

מיום שברא הקדוש ברוך הוא את עולמו

לא היה אדם שהודה להקדוש ברוך הוא,

עד שבאתה לאה והודתו,

שנאמר: ״הפעם אודה את ה׳״.

And R' Yoḥanan said in the name of R' Shimon ben Yoḥai:

From the day God created the world,

no one thanked (הודה) Him,

until Leah came and thanked Him,

as it is stated: “And she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and she said, ‘This time I will give thanks to God,’ and thus he was called Judah” (Genesis 29:35).

R' Elazar - Leah named Reuben to contrast her son’s lack of envy with Esau’s jealousy - Genesis 25:33, 27:36; 37:21

(See footnote.)⁴

ראובן.

אמר רבי אלעזר:

אמרה לאה:

ראו מה בין בני לבן חמי.

Tangential to the mention of Leah’s son, Judah, and the reason for his name, the Talmud explains the sources for other names, including Reuben.

R' Elazar said:

Reuben’s name should be considered a prophecy by Leah, as Leah said:

See [re’u] the difference between my son [beni] and the son of my father-in-law, Esau, son of Isaac.

Esau’s unreasonable hatred of his brother Jacob after Esau willingly sold his birthright to Jacob (Genesis 25:33, 27:36,41)

דאילו בן חמי —

אף על גב דמדעתיה זבניה לבכירותיה,

דכתיב: ״וימכר את בכרתו ליעקב״,

חזו מה כתיב ביה: ״וישטם עשו את יעקב״.

וכתיב:

״ויאמר הכי קרא שמו יעקב

ויעקבני זה פעמים״ וגו׳

As the son of my father-in-law, Esau —

Even though he knowingly sold his birthright to his brother Jacob,

as it is written: “And he sold his birthright to Jacob” (Genesis 25:33),

nonetheless, behold what is written about him: “And Esau hated Jacob” (Genesis 27:41).

Esau was not only angry over Isaac’s blessing, but he was angry about another matter as well, as it is written:

“And he said, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob,

for he has supplanted me twice? He took my birthright, and behold, now he has taken my blessing’” (Genesis 27:36).

Despite having sold his birthright, he refused to relinquish it.

Reuben saved his brother Joseph even though Reuben’s birthright had been transferred to Joseph (I Chronicles 5:1; Genesis 37:21)

ואילו בני —

אף על גב דעל כרחיה שקליה יוסף לבכירותיה מניה,

דכתיב:

״ובחללו יצועי אביו

נתנה בכרתו לבני יוסף״,

אפילו הכי — לא אקנא ביה,

דכתיב:

״וישמע ראובן

ויצלהו מידם״

While my son, Reuben —

even though Joseph took his birthright from him by force,

as it is written:

“And the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, for he was the firstborn; but, since he defiled his father’s bed,⁵

his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, son of Israel” (I Chronicles 5:1).

Nevertheless, he was not jealous of him,

as it is written when Joseph’s brothers sought to kill him:

“And Reuben heard

and he saved him from their hands, saying ‘Let us not take his life’” (Genesis 37:21).

R' Yoḥanan - Ruth was named thus because David “inundated” God with praise

רות, מאי ״רות״?

אמר רבי יוחנן:

שזכתה ויצא ממנה דוד

שריוהו להקדוש ברוך הוא בשירות ותשבחות.

Continuing on the topic of names, the Talmud asks: What is the meaning of the name Ruth?

R' Yoḥanan said:

That she had the privilege that David would descend from her⁶

who inundated (ריוהו) God with songs (שירות) and praises (תשבחות)

The name Ruth [Rut] is etymologically similar in Hebrew to the word inundate [riva].

R' Eliezer - A person’s name can determine their fate - Psalms 46:9

מנא לן דשמא גרים?

אמר רבי אליעזר,

דאמר קרא: ״לכו חזו מפעלות ה׳ אשר שם שמות בארץ״,

אל תקרי ״שמות״

אלא ״שמות״.

Regarding the basic assumption that these homiletic interpretations of names are allusions to one’s future, the Talmud asks: From where do we derive that the name affects⁷ one’s life?

R' Eliezer said that

the verse says:

“Go, see the works of YHWH, who has made desolations [shamot] upon the earth” (Psalms 46:9).

Do not read the word as shamot,

rather as shemot, names.

The names given to people are, therefore, “the works of YHWH upon the earth.”

R' Yoḥanan citing R' Shimon ben Yoḥai - Wayward children are harder than the war of Gog and Magog - Psalms 3:1–2 vs. Psalms 2:1

ואמר רבי יוחנן, משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי:

קשה תרבות רעה בתוך ביתו של אדם

יותר ממלחמת גוג ומגוג.

שנאמר: ״מזמור לדוד, בברחו מפני אבשלום בנו״,

וכתיב בתריה: ״ה׳! מה רבו צרי, רבים קמים עלי״,

ואילו גבי מלחמת גוג ומגוג —

כתיב: ״למה רגשו גוים? ולאמים יהגו ריק?״.

ואילו ״מה רבו צרי״ לא כתיב.

And R' Yoḥanan said other aggadic statements in the name of R' Shimon ben Yoḥai:

The existence of wayward⁸ children in a person’s home is more troublesome

than the war of Gog and Magog, the ultimate war, the climax of the travails of Messianic times.

As it is stated: “A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son, Absalom” (Psalms 3:1).

And it is written thereafter: “YHWH, how numerous are my enemies, many have risen against me” (Psalms 3:2).

While concerning the war of Gog and Magog —

which is alluded to in the second chapter of Psalms, it is written: “Why are the nations in an uproar? And why do the peoples speak for naught? The kings of the earth stand up and the rulers take counsel together, against YHWH, and against His anointed…He that sits in heaven laughs, YHWH mocks them” (Psalms 2:1–4).

Yet in this chapter describing the war of Gog and Magog “how numerous are my enemies” is not written, as it is not as difficult as raising a wayward son like Absalom.

R' Shimon ben Avishalom - David rejoiced when he saw Absalom was the fulfillment of God’s threat—it wasn’t a slave or a mamzer - II Samuel 12:11

״מזמור לדוד בברחו מפני אבשלום בנו״,

״מזמור לדוד״?!

״קינה לדוד״ מיבעי ליה!

אמר רבי שמעון בן אבישלום:

משל למה הדבר דומה?

לאדם שיצא עליו שטר חוב.

קודם שפרעו היה עצב,

לאחר שפרעו שמח.

אף כן דוד,

כיון שאמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא: ״הנני מקים עליך רעה מביתך״,

היה עצב,

אמר: שמא עבד או ממזר הוא, דלא חייס עלי.

כיון דחזא דאבשלום הוא — שמח.

משום הכי אמר ״מזמור״.

Regarding the opening phrase of the psalm, which serves as its title, the Talmud wonders: It is said: “A Psalm of David, when fleeing his son, Absalom.”

A Psalm of David?!

It should have said: A lament of David.

R' Shimon ben Avishalom said

a parable: To what is this similar?

It is similar to a person about whom a promissory note was issued stating that he must repay a debt to the lender.

Before he repaid it, he was despondent, worried how he will manage to repay the debt.

After he repaid it, he was glad.

So too was the case with David.

When God told him, through Natan the prophet, after the incident with Bathsheba, “Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your house” (II Samuel 12:11),

David was despondent.

He said: Perhaps it will be a slave or a mamzer who will rise up in my house, a person of such lowly status, who will have no pity on me.⁹

But once David saw that Absalom was the one through whom the prophecy was to be fulfilled, he rejoiced, as he was certain that Absalom would show him mercy.

That is why David said a psalm, not a lament, thanking God for punishing him in the least severe manner possible.

Provoking the wicked

R' Yoḥanan citing R' Shimon ben Yoḥai - One may provoke the wicked in this world - Proverbs 28:4

ואמר רבי יוחנן, משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי:

מותר להתגרות ברשעים בעולם הזה,

שנאמר:

״עזבי תורה יהללו רשע

ושמרי תורה יתגרו בם״.

And R' Yoḥanan said in the name of R' Shimon ben Yoḥai:

One is permitted to provoke (להתגרות) the wicked in this world. Though the ways of the wicked prosper, one is still permitted to provoke them and need not fear (Maharsha),

as it is stated:

“Those who abandon the Torah will praise wickedness,

and the keepers of the Torah will fight them” (Proverbs 28:4).

R' Dostai ben Matun - Same: one may provoke the wicked - Proverbs 28:4

תניא נמי הכי,

רבי דוסתאי ברבי מתון אומר:

מותר להתגרות ברשעים בעולם הזה,

שנאמר: ״עזבי תורה יהללו רשע״ וגו׳.

That statement was also taught in a baraita,

as R' Dostai, son of R' Matun, says:

One is permitted to provoke the wicked in this world,

as it is stated: “Those who abandon the Torah will praise wickedness, and the keepers of the Torah will fight them.”

“Don’t compete with the wicked” = don’t be like the wicked (Psalms 37:1; Proverbs 23:17)

ואם לחשך אדם לומר:

והא כתיב:

״אל תתחר במרעים

אל תקנא בעשי עולה״ —

אמור לו: מי שלבו נוקפו אומר כן.

And if someone whispered to you, saying, on the contrary,

isn’t it also written:

“Do not compete with evil-doers,

and do not envy the unjust” (Psalms 37:1),

meaning that one should avoid provoking the wicked,

say to him: Only one whose heart strikes him (נוקפו) with pangs of conscience over sins that he committed says this.

אלא:

• ״אל תתחר במרעים״ —

  • להיות כמרעים,

• ״אל תקנא בעשי עולה״ —

  • להיות כעושי עולה.

ואומר:

״אל יקנא לבך בחטאים

כי אם ביראת ה׳ כל היום״.

Rather, the true meaning of the verse is:

• “Do not compete with evil-doers” --

  • to be like the evil-doers,

• “and do not envy the unjust” --

  • to be like the unjust.

The Talmud cites proof from another verse.

And it says:

“One shall not envy the unjust,

but be in fear of YHWH all the day” (Proverbs 23:17).

In this context, to envy means to seek to emulate the unjust.

R' Yitzḥak - Do not provoke the wicked when they are prospering - Psalms 10:5

[...]

אמר רבי יצחק:

אם ראית רשע שהשעה משחקת לו --

אל תתגרה בו,

שנאמר: ״יחילו דרכיו בכל עת״.

• ולא עוד אלא שזוכה בדין,

  • שנאמר: ״מרום משפטיך מנגדו״.

• ולא עוד אלא שרואה בצריו,

  • שנאמר: ״כל צורריו יפיח בהם״

[...]

R' Yitzḥak say:

If you see a wicked person upon whom the hour is smiling¹⁰ —

do not provoke him. As long as he is enjoying good fortune, there is no point in confronting him.

As it is stated: “His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments are far beyond him; as for his adversaries, he snorts at them” (Psalms 10:5).

The verse teaches us that the ways of the wicked will always succeed.

• And not only that, but he emerges victorious in judgment,

  • as it is stated: “Your judgments are far beyond him,” meaning that even when he is brought to justice, it does not affect him.

• And not only that, but he witnesses his enemies’ downfall,

  • as it is stated: “As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.”

Rav Huna - the wicked “swallowing” the righteous - Habakkuk 1:13

[...]

אמר רב הונא:

מאי דכתיב,

״למה תביט בוגדים

תחריש

בבלע רשע צדיק ממנו״,

[...]

Rav Huna said:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“Why do You look on those who deal treacherously

and hold Your peace?

When the wicked swallows the man more righteous than he?” (Habakkuk 1:13).

(Psalms 37:32–33; Proverbs 12:21)

וכי רשע בולע צדיק?!

• והא כתיב:

  • ה׳ לא יעזבנו בידו,

• וכתיב:

  • ״לא יאנה לצדיק כל און״.

This verse is difficult to understand.

Do the wicked swallow the righteous?

• Isn’t it written:

  • “The wicked looks to the righteous and seeks to kill him; YHWH will not leave him in his hand, nor allow him to be condemned when he is judged” (Psalms 37:32–33),

• and it is written:

  • “No mischief shall befall the righteous” (Proverbs 12:21)?

Completely righteous vs. not completely righteous

אלא:

• צדיק ממנו —

  • בולע,

• צדיק גמור —

  • אינו בולע.

[...]

Rather, in light of these verses,

• the verse: “The wicked swallows the man more righteous than he” means: The man who is more righteous than he, but not completely righteous --

  • he swallows.

• The completely righteous --

  • he does not swallow.

[...]

R' Yoḥanan citing R' Shimon ben Yoḥai - One who sets a fixed place for prayer defeats his enemies - II Samuel 7:10

ואמר רבי יוחנן, משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי:

כל הקובע מקום לתפלתו --

אויביו נופלים תחתיו.

שנאמר:

״ושמתי מקום לעמי לישראל

ונטעתיו ושכן תחתיו

ולא ירגז עוד

ולא יסיפו בני עולה לענותו

כאשר בראשונה״.

And R' Yoḥanan said in the name of R' Shimon ben Yoḥai:

Setting a fixed place for prayer is so important that one who sets a fixed place for his prayer,¹¹

his enemies fall beneath him,

as it is said:

“And I will appoint a place for My nation, Israel,

and I will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place.”

Through setting aside a place for prayer, they will merit to “be disturbed no more;

neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them anymore,

as in the beginning” (II Samuel 7:10).

Rav Huna - The goal of Israel’s enemies evolves from affliction to annihilation - II Samuel 7:10 vs. I Chronicles 17:9

רב הונא רמי

• כתיב ״לענותו״,

• וכתיב: ״לכלותו״.

• בתחילה —

  • לענותו,

• ולבסוף —

  • לכלותו.

This verse, cited by the Talmud, leads to an additional point.

Rav Huna raised a contradiction:

• In the book of Samuel, in this verse it is written: “To afflict them,”

• while in the parallel verse in I Chronicles (17:9) it is written: “To destroy them.”.

The Talmud resolves this contradiction:

• The enemies of Israel intend first —

  • to afflict them,

• and, ultimately —

  • to destroy them entirely.

1. אדון - Adon - “master”.

2. אדני - Adonai - “my master(s)”.

Compare my piece here, “Appendix - The Nine Sacred Names of God That Must Not Be Erased and the Ten Divine Descriptives Permitted to Erase (Shevuot 35a)“, where the name Adonai is list item #6 of names of God that may not be erased (“alef dalet“ - the first two letters of the name).

Compare also, in general, my related “The Many Names of God: Divine Epithets in the Talmud“.

3. See Wikipedia, “Judah (son of Jacob)“, section “Etymology“:

The Hebrew name for Judah, Yehuda (יהודה), literally "thanksgiving" or "praise," is the noun form of the root Y-D-H (ידה), "to thank" or "to praise."

His birth is recorded at Gen. 29:35; upon his birth, Leah exclaims, "This time I will praise YHWH," with the Hebrew word for "I will praise," odeh (אודה) sharing the same root as Yehuda.

4. Compare Wikipedia, “Reuben (son of Jacob)“, section “Etymology“ (with adjustments):

The text of the Torah gives two different etymologies for the name of Reuben […]:

1. the first explanation given by the Bible is that the name refers to Yahweh having witnessed Leah's misery, concerning her status as the less-favorite of Jacob's wives, implying that the etymology of Reuben derives from Hebrew: רָאָה בְּעָנְיִי, lit. 'He looked in my eyes';

2. the second explanation is that the name refers to Leah's hope that Reuben's birth will make Jacob love her, and thus his name means "He will love me".

Another Hebrew phrase to which Reuben is particularly close is "Behold, a son!", which is how classical rabbinical literature interpreted it. Some of these sources (=our sugya) argue that Leah used the term to make an implied distinction between Reuben and Esau, his uncle.

5. The Talmud elsewhere discusses this episode, see my “Pt1 ‘Whoever says that [X] sinned is mistaken’: Reinterpretations of Sins In Defense of the Biblical Righteous (Shabbat 55b-56a)“, section “Part 1: Reuben and Bilhah (Genesis 35, 49)“.

6. On this, see my “Book of Ruth 2-3 Through Talmudic Eyes: Intelligence, Modesty, and Davidic Descendants (Shabbat 113b-114a)“, and my appendices there.

7. גרים - literally: “causes”.

On the Talmudic idea of the influence of names on character, see my “Pt1 What's in a Talmudic Name? Unpacking the World of Personal Names in Talmudic Literature“, section “The Power of a Name: Aptronyms, Etymologies, and Wordplay“.

8. תרבות רעה - on this expression, see the footnote at my piece “Pt2 Rabbinic Elitism and the Am Ha’aretz: Hierarchy, Hostility, Hatred, and Distrust (Pesachim 49b)”, on section “The Hierarchy of Animosity Toward Torah Scholars: Am Ha’aretz, Their Wives, and Those Who Studied Torah but Later Abandoned It”.

9. Based on the common Talmudic assumption that fellow Jews will be more compassionate than anyone else, even as a violent enemy in wartime. For example, see Mishnah_Sotah.8.1 (=Sotah.42a.9):

ואמר אליהם (שם):

"שמע ישראל!

אתם קרבים היום למלחמה על איביכם"

ולא על אחיכם,

לא יהודה על שמעון,

ולא שמעון על בנימין,

שאם תפלו בידם --

ירחמו עליכם

The Torah dictates the priest’s address: “And he shall say to them:

Hear Israel!

you draw near today to battle against your enemies; let not your heart faint; fear not, nor be alarmed, and do not be terrified of them” (Deuteronomy 20:3).

The priest expounds: “Against your enemies” and not against your brothers.

This is not a war of the tribe of Judah against Simon

and not Simon against Benjamin,

such that if you fall into their hands --

your brothers will have mercy on you

The Mishnah then cites a prooftext from II Chronicles 28:15.

10. שעה משחקת לו - an idiom meaning that he currently has good luck (based on an astrological view).

Compare the usage of this idiom in my “Pt1 Rabbinic Advice: Practical Guidance from the Talmud (Pesachim 112a-114a)“, section “R' Akiva's advice to R' Yehoshua (his son): Don’t study in a city’s high point; don’t live in a city governed by Torah scholars; knock before entering your home/others’; never go barefoot; eat early in summer/winter; treat Shabbat like a weekday to avoid reliance; work with the fortunate“, list item #7:

והוי משתדל עם אדם שהשעה משחקת לו

And exert yourself to join together with a person upon whom the hour smiles, i.e., a (currently) successful person.

11. קובע מקום לתפלתו.

On this in general, see Michlol, entry “קביעת מקום לתפילה“.