The Book of Theodicy: Translation and Commentary on the Book of Job is one of the books in the Yale Judaica Series. Its aim according to Yale University Press is the translation of ancient and medieval Jewish classics.
Saadiah’s commentary creates a link between Midrashic/drash interpretations and philosophic and pshat. Although Saadiah does employ Midrashic material, he does this only very selectively and very sparsely.
Saadiah was born in the city of Fayyum in 882 C.E. The city is located 100 miles southwest of Cairo and is known for its rice, flax, cotton, and fruit. It was home to a Jewish settlement starting in the 3rd century B.C.E.
He was generally considered to be of the philosophical school of Kalām. After leaving Egypt he spent time studying in Tiberia learning from Masoretics including Abū Kathīr. This is where he perfected his skills as a philologist. The training in philosophy and philology would be a mark of his future scholarship and polemical writings.
He was known as a vigorous defender of Rabbinic Judaism. His polemic attack, known as the Egron, was written in 905 C.E. Later he was called on to defend the Rabbinic notion of majority rule. This was the idea that Jewish law was decided based on the opinion of the majority of leading Jewish. Ben Meir proposed a change in the Jewish calendar which would result in a two days discrepancy in two years. Saadiah wrote the Sefer Zikkarim in order to refute the position of Ben Meir.
This was a successful defense and resulted in Saadiah being appointed as the senior fellow of the Academy of Pumbedita and in 928 C.E. he rose to the position of Gaon.
The Exilarch demanded a position that Saadiah was unwilling to concede. The conflict between the two resulted in the Islamic ruler removing Saadiah from leadership.
This period of time is reflected in the commentary on Job; he understands Job as a leader of his community who is suddenly removed from a position of authority, humiliated, and as in Saadiah’s case without justification.
However, this period of exile was a time of reflection and scholarship. He composed the Book of Beliefs and Convictions and this present commentary. In the end, like Job, Saadiah was restored to his position.
Sa'adiah used the tools of philosophy and philology to defend his traditional interpretation of Job as having a thematic unity as the story of an all-powerful God and a blameless man "Job".
In addition, Saadiah outlines for us why someone might experience suffering. Either it is for sin (punishment) that we have committed or it is a trial in which we must exercise forbearance and after it is concluded we will be rewarded for our patience.
Saadiah uses his philology skills by translating the Hebrew word tam with the Arabic word sahih that has the idea of someone with moral character avoiding the notion of absolute perfection.
From Saadiah point of view, request Job's request to know is not a sin.
This is contrary to the opinion of the Rabbis and the opinion of Bilhad. According to Saadiah, it is both natural and appropriate that Job should ask why this has happened to him
Saadiah’s commentary creates a link between Midrashic/drash interpretations and philosophic and pshat. Although Saadiah does employ Midrashic material, he does this only very selectively and very sparsely.
Saadiah was born in the city of Fayyum in 882 C.E. The city is located 100 miles southwest of Cairo and is known for its rice, flax, cotton, and fruit. It was home to a Jewish settlement starting in the 3rd century B.C.E.
He was generally considered to be of the philosophical school of Kalām. After leaving Egypt he spent time studying in Tiberia learning from Masoretics including Abū Kathīr. This is where he perfected his skills as a philologist. The training in philosophy and philology would be a mark of his future scholarship and polemical writings.
He was known as a vigorous defender of Rabbinic Judaism. His polemic attack, known as the Egron, was written in 905 C.E. Later he was called on to defend the Rabbinic notion of majority rule. This was the idea that Jewish law was decided based on the opinion of the majority of leading Jewish. Ben Meir proposed a change in the Jewish calendar which would result in a two days discrepancy in two years. Saadiah wrote the Sefer Zikkarim in order to refute the position of Ben Meir.
This was a successful defense and resulted in Saadiah being appointed as the senior fellow of the Academy of Pumbedita and in 928 C.E. he rose to the position of Gaon.
The Exilarch demanded a position that Saadiah was unwilling to concede. The conflict between the two resulted in the Islamic ruler removing Saadiah from leadership.
This period of time is reflected in the commentary on Job; he understands Job as a leader of his community who is suddenly removed from a position of authority, humiliated, and as in Saadiah’s case without justification.
However, this period of exile was a time of reflection and scholarship. He composed the Book of Beliefs and Convictions and this present commentary. In the end, like Job, Saadiah was restored to his position.
Sa'adiah used the tools of philosophy and philology to defend his traditional interpretation of Job as having a thematic unity as the story of an all-powerful God and a blameless man "Job".
In addition, Saadiah outlines for us why someone might experience suffering. Either it is for sin (punishment) that we have committed or it is a trial in which we must exercise forbearance and after it is concluded we will be rewarded for our patience.
Saadiah uses his philology skills by translating the Hebrew word tam with the Arabic word sahih that has the idea of someone with moral character avoiding the notion of absolute perfection.
From Saadiah point of view, request Job's request to know is not a sin.
This is contrary to the opinion of the Rabbis and the opinion of Bilhad. According to Saadiah, it is both natural and appropriate that Job should ask why this has happened to him
(א) אִ֛ישׁ הָיָ֥ה בְאֶֽרֶץ־ע֖וּץ אִיּ֣וֹב שְׁמ֑וֹ וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ הָאִ֣ישׁ הַה֗וּא תָּ֧ם וְיָשָׁ֛ר וִירֵ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְסָ֥ר מֵרָֽע׃
(1) There was a man in the land of Uz named Job. That man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.
(ב) אֹמַ֣ר אֶל־אֱ֭לוֹהַּ אַל־תַּרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי ה֝וֹדִיעֵ֗נִי עַ֣ל מַה־תְּרִיבֵֽנִי׃
(2) I say to God, “Do not condemn me; Let me know what You charge me with.