Bava Batra 29

ועל ידי שלשה בני קרח

and the three sons of Korah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To Adam are ascribed the verses, Thine eyes did see mine imperfect substance etc. (Ps. CXXXIX, 16); to Melchizedek Ps. CX; to Moses, Ps. XC. Abraham is identified with Ethan the Ezrahite (Ps. LXXXIX). ');">¹</span> Jeremiah wrote the book which bears his name, the Book of Kings, and Lamentations. Hezekiah and his colleagues wrote (Mnemonic YMSHK)<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] = Yeshaiah (Isaiah); [H] = Mishle (Proverbs); [H] = Shir ha-Shirim (Song of Songs); [H] = Koheleth (Ecclesiastes). The word 'wrote' here seems to have the meaning of 'edited' or 'published'. ');">²</span>

ירמיה כתב ספרו וספר מלכים וקינות חזקיה וסיעתו כתבו (ימש"ק סימן) ישעיה משלי שיר השירים וקהלת אנשי כנסת הגדולה כתבו (קנד"ג סימן) יחזקאל ושנים עשר דניאל ומגילת אסתר עזרא כתב ספרו ויחס של דברי הימים עד לו

Isaiah,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to Rashi, Isaiah was executed by Manasseh before he could reduce his own prophecies to writing. ');">³</span> Proverbs,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Prov. XXV, 1. ');">⁴</span>

מסייעא ליה לרב דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב לא עלה עזרא מבבל עד שיחס עצמו ועלה ומאן אסקיה נחמיה בן חכליה

the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes. The Men of the Great Assembly wrote (Mnemonic KNDG)<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] = Ezekiel; [H] = Shenem 'Asar (Twelve minor prophets); [H] = Daniel; [H] = Megillath Esther (The Scroll of Esther). ');">⁵</span> Ezekiel,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi supposes that the reason why Ezekiel did not write his own book was that he lived out of Eretz Yisrael. The same reason applies to Daniel. ');">⁶</span>

אמר מר יהושע כתב ספרו ושמונה פסוקים שבתורה תניא כמאן דאמר שמונה פסוקים שבתורה יהושע כתבן דתניא (דברים לד, ה) וימת שם משה עבד ה' אפשר משה (מת) וכתב וימת שם משה אלא עד כאן כתב משה מכאן ואילך כתב יהושע דברי ר"י ואמרי לה ר' נחמיה

the Twelve Minor Prophets,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who apparently did not publish their prophecies themselves because they were too small. ');">⁷</span> Daniel and the Scroll of Esther. Ezra wrote the book that bears his name<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This includes Nehemiah. ');">⁸</span>

אמר לו ר"ש אפשר ס"ת חסר אות אחת וכתיב (דברים לא, כו) לקוח את ספר התורה הזה אלא עד כאן הקב"ה אומר ומשה אומר וכותב מכאן ואילך הקב"ה אומר ומשה כותב בדמע כמו שנאמר להלן (ירמיהו לו, יח) ויאמר להם ברוך מפיו יקרא אלי את כל הדברים האלה ואני כותב על הספר בדיו

and the genealogies of the Book of Chronicles up to his own time. This confirms the opinion of Rab, since Rab Judah has said in the name of Rab: Ezra did not leave Babylon to go up to Eretz Yisrael until he had written his own genealogy. Who then finished it [the Book of Chronicles]? — Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. The Master has said: Joshua wrote the book which bears his name and the last eight verses of the Pentateuch. This statement is in agreement with the authority who says that eight verses in the Torah were written by Joshua, as it has been taught: [It is written], So Moses the servant of the Lord died there.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXIV, 5. ');">⁹</span>

כמאן אזלא הא דא"ר יהושע בר אבא אמר רב גידל אמר רב שמונה פסוקים שבתורה יחיד קורא אותן לימא (ר"י היא) ודלא כר"ש אפילו תימא ר"ש הואיל ואשתנו אשתנו:

Now is it possible that Moses being dead could have written the words, 'Moses died there'? The truth is, however, that up to this point Moses wrote, from this point Joshua wrote. This is the opinion of R. Judah, or, according to others, of R. Nehemiah. Said R. Simeon to him: Can [we imagine the] scroll of the Law being short of one word, and is it not written, Take this book of the Law?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXI, 26. And this was said by Moses before he died. ');">¹⁰</span> No; what we must say is that up to this point the Holy One, blessed be He, dictated and Moses repeated and wrote, and from this point God dictated and Moses wrote with tears, as it says of another occasion, Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words to me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. XXXVI, 18. ');">¹¹</span>

יהושע כתב ספרו והכתיב (יהושע כד, כט) וימת יהושע בן נון עבד ה' דאסקיה אלעזר והכתיב (יהושע כד, לג) ואלעזר בן אהרן מת דאסקיה פנחס

Which of these two authorities is followed in the rule laid down by R. Joshua b. Abba which he said in the name of R. Giddal who said it in the name of Rab: The last eight verses of the Torah must be read [in the Synagogue service] by one person alone?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Apparently this means that it is not requisite that another person should stand by him, as in the case of the rest of the Torah. Or it may mean that these eight verses must always be read to (or by) one person only. ');">¹²</span> — It follows R. Judah and not R. Simeon. I may even say, however, that it follows R. Simeon, [who would say that] since they differ [from the rest of the Torah] in one way, they differ in another.

שמואל כתב ספרו והכתיב (שמואל א כח, ג) ושמואל מת דאסקיה גד החוזה ונתן הנביא

[You say that] Joshua wrote his book. But is it not written, And Joshua son of Nun the servant of the Lord died?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. XXIV, 29. ');">¹³</span> — It was completed by Eleazar. But it is also written in it, And Eleazar the son of Aaron died?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 33. ');">¹⁴</span>

דוד כתב ספר תהלים על ידי עשרה זקנים וליחשוב נמי איתן האזרחי אמר רב איתן האזרחי זה הוא אברהם כתיב הכא (תהלים פט, א) איתן האזרחי וכתיב התם (ישעיהו מא, ב) מי העיר ממזרח צדק [וגו']

— Phineas finished it. [You say that] Samuel wrote the book that bears his name. But is it not written in it, Now Samuel was dead?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. XXVIII, 3. ');">¹⁵</span> — It was completed by Gad the seer and Nathan the prophet. [You say that] David wrote the Psalms, including work of the ten elders. Why is not Ethan the Ezrahite also reckoned with? — Ethan the Ezrahite is Abraham. [The proof is that] it is written in the Psalms, Ethan the Ezrahite,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LXXXIX, I. ');">¹⁶</span>

קא חשיב משה וקא חשיב הימן והאמר רב הימן זה משה כתיב הכא הימן וכתיב התם (במדבר יב, ז) בכל ביתי נאמן הוא תרי הימן הוו

and it is written elsewhere, <i>Who hath raised up righteousness from the East</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XLI, 2. The word 'ezrahi' is also taken to mean 'eastern', while 'Ethan' (strong) is regarded as equivalent to 'righteous'. ');">¹⁷</span> [The passage above] reckons both Moses and Heman. But has not Rab said that Moses is Heman, [the proof being] that the name Heman is found here [in the Psalms] and it is written elsewhere [of Moses], <i>In all my house he is faithful</i>?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The word 'heman' is also taken to mean 'faithful'. ');">¹⁸</span>

משה כתב ספרו ופרשת בלעם ואיוב מסייעא ליה לר' לוי בר לחמא דא"ר לוי בר לחמא איוב בימי משה היה כתיב הכא (איוב יט, כג) מי יתן אפוא ויכתבון מלי וכתיב התם (שמות לג, טז) ובמה יודע אפוא

— There were two Hemans. You say that Moses wrote his book and the section<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Var. lec., rpx 'the book'.] ');">¹⁹</span>

ואימא בימי יצחק דכתיב (בראשית כז, לג) מי אפוא הוא הצד ציד ואימא בימי יעקב דכתיב (בראשית מג, יא) אם כן אפוא זאת עשו ואימא בימי יוסף דכתיב (בראשית לז, טז) איפה הם רועים

of Balaam and Job. This supports the opinion of R. Joshua b. Levi b. Lahma who said that Job was contemporary with Moses — [The proof is that] it is written here [in connection with Job], O that my words were now [efo] written,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job XIX, 23. ');">²⁰</span> and it is written elsewhere [in connection with Moses], For wherein now [efo] shall it be known.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXXIII, 16. ');">²¹</span>

לא ס"ד דכתיב (איוב יט, כג) מי יתן בספר ויוחקו ומשה הוא דאיקרי מחוקק דכתיב (דברים לג, כא) וירא ראשית לו כי שם חלקת מחוקק ספון

But on that ground I might say that he was contemporary with Isaac, in connection with whom it is written, Who now [efo] is he that took venison?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXVII, 33. ');">²²</span> Or I might say that he was contemporary with Jacob, in connection with whom it is written, If so now [efo] do this?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XLIII, II. ');">²³</span>

רבא אמר איוב בימי מרגלים היה כתיב הכא (איוב א, א) איש היה בארץ עוץ איוב שמו וכתיב התם (במדבר יג, כ) היש בה עץ מי דמי הכא עוץ התם עץ הכי קאמר להו משה לישראל ישנו לאותו אדם ששנותיו ארוכות כעץ ומגין על דורו כעץ

or with Joseph, in connection with whom it is written, Where [efo] they are pasturing?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXXVII, 16. ');">²⁴</span> — This cannot be maintained; [The proof that Job was contemporary with Moses is that] it is written [in continuation of the above words of Job], Would that they were inscribed in a book, and it is Moses who is called 'inscriber', as it is written, And he chose the first part for himself, for there was the lawgiver's [mehokek, lit. 'inscriber's'] portion reserved.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXIII, 21. ');">²⁵</span>

יתיב ההוא מרבנן קמיה דר' שמואל בר נחמני ויתיב וקאמר איוב לא היה ולא נברא אלא משל היה אמר ליה עליך אמר קרא איש היה בארץ עוץ איוב שמו

Raba said that Job was in the time of the spies. [The proof is that] it is written here [in connection with Job], There was a man in the land of Uz, Job was his name,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job 1, 1. ');">²⁶</span> and it is written elsewhere [in connection with the spies], Whether there be wood [ez] therein.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XIII, 20. ');">²⁷</span>

אלא מעתה (שמואל ב יב, ג) ולרש אין כל כי אם כבשה אחת קטנה אשר קנה ויחיה וגו' מי הוה אלא משל בעלמא הכא נמי משל בעלמא א"כ שמו ושם עירו למה

Where is the parallel? In one place it is Uz, in the other EZ? — What Moses said to Israel was this: [See] if that man is there whose years are as the years of a tree and who shelters his generation like a tree. A certain Rabbi was sitting before R. Samuel b. Nahmani and in the course of his expositions remarked, Job never was and never existed, but is only a typical figure.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To teach men the virtue of resignation. ');">²⁸</span>

רבי יוחנן ורבי אלעזר דאמרי תרוייהו איוב מעולי גולה היה ובית מדרשו בטבריא היה מיתיבי ימי שנותיו של איוב משעה שנכנסו ישראל למצרים ועד שיצאו

He replied: To confute such as you the text says, There was a man in the land of Uz, Job was his name. But, he retorted, if that is so, what of the verse, The poor man had nothing save one poor ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XII, 3. This was Nathan's parable to David. ');">²⁹</span> Is that anything but a parable? So this too is a parable. If so, said the other, why are his name and the name of his town mentioned? R. Johanan and R. Eleazar both stated that Job was among those who returned from the [Babylonian] Exile, and that his house of study was in Tiberias. An objection [to this view] was raised from the following: 'The span of Job's life was from the time that Israel entered Egypt till they left it.' —