רבי יהושע בן קרחה אומר איוב בימי אחשורוש היה שנאמר (איוב מב, טו) ולא נמצא נשים יפות כבנות איוב בכל הארץ איזהו דור שנתבקשו בו נשים יפות הוי אומר זה דורו של אחשורוש ואימא בימי דוד דכתיב (מלכים א א, ג) ויבקשו נערה יפה התם בכל גבול ישראל הכא בכל הארץ
R. Joshua b. Korhah says: Job was in the time of Ahasuerus, for it says, And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job XLII, is.
');"><sup>10</sup></span> What was the generation in which fair women were sought out? You must say that this was the generation of Ahasuerus. But perhaps he was in the time of David [in connection with whom] it is written, So they sought for a fair damsel?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings 1-3.
');"><sup>11</sup></span>
Shenei Luchot HaBerit
This is alluded to in Numbers 23,23: כי לא נחש ביעקב קסם בישראל, כעת יאמר ליעקב ולישראל מה פעל השם. "For there is no augury in Jacob, no divining in Israel; Jacob is told at once, yea Israel, what G–d has accomplished." [the traditional translation of this verse bears no semblance to the author's interpretation, and is presented only to demonstrate how far the author departs from the plain meaning, פשט. Rashi brings a similar explanation. Ed.] As a first step in his rise to lofty spiritual regions, Jacob got rid of נחש and its powerful influence. Once he had attained the stature of ישראל, not even a vestige of such an influence i.e. קסם remained The word Kessem is the same as קיסם, a sliver, splinter, something very small and insignificant. Israel continues to ascend higher and higher until a time comes when the ministering angels say to Jacob turned Israel who has penetrated and surpassed their ranks: "What did G–d do?"
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