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Zohar on the Torah |
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Waking Up in the Mourning Rabbi Yehuda opened his discourse with a quote from Job 34:2 where Elihu, [the youngest of his friends,] starts his words of comfort to the mourning Job by saying; “Hear my words you wise men; listen to me you who have knowledge.” Come and see what is written (Job 32:3) “And his (Elihu’s) anger flared up against his three friends, because they had found no answer (to Job’s complaints against G‑d), and yet condemned Job (because he continued misconstruing the tragic events which befell him and blamed HaShem).” They said words of comfort to Job, but these didn’t ease his mourning. From here we learn that he who goes into a mourner’s house to comfort a mourner should [beforehand] think out the words he will say [so that they should be fitting and appropriate to the mourner being comforted]. After all, Job’s friends all said truthful [and wise] things, but they were not [wise enough to know how] to comfort him. The reason is because to comfort a mourner you have to say things that will make him give thanks [to HaShem] for that which he has. This is not easy to do because a mourner feels agonized and tormented and is full of pain and suffering. As a result you need to strengthen his feeling of self-worth and praise his ability to accept pain and suffering with love. By doing this, the mourner is encouraged to accept the harsh penalty with love, and give thanks to the Holy One. If a mourner can be drawn to give thanks for his predicament, then he can come back to viewing reality as it is, orchestrated by a loving G-d. Mourning is a form of punishment/din. By accepting the suffering as justified, the mourner himself becomes justified and rectified and is vindicated from the judgment hanging over him. This is the concept of midda kenegged midda, or measure for measure. As you behave to others, including HaShem, so will those others, behave towards you. What is written? (Job 32:4) “And Elihu waited to speak to Job, because they [his other friends] where older than he in days [but not in wisdom]. The word “waited” or chika, used in this verse is also used in Psalms 33:20 “Our soul waits for the L‑rd; He is our help and our shield”. Just as that verse indicates a specific form of “waiting” - anticipation of imminent salvation, so our text uses the word “waiting” to describe the effect of Elihu’s words in encouraging him to look forward to better days and his personal salvation. That he succeeded is shown by Job’s response. For Job subsequently gave thanks to the Holy One, blessed be He, and accepted upon himself the justice wrought by the Heavenly Court. Simcha Treister is a lawyer from New Zealand who made aliya to Safed with his family in 1993 to study Zohar, and continues doing so to this day. |
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