TTfT 1211. Sometimes in Torah a word is written one way, but our tradition indicates that it is meant to be pronounced or understood in a different way. Bible critics seize on such instances and say it must be a mistake. Yet careful study of the written and pronounced form yields secrets regarding the real message of the word or phrase. Join us on a Take Ten for Talmud lesson to discover the message between the lines.

The Mishna taught us that it I known that Iyov served Hashem on the high level of “Love” because the verse states, “Even if He afflicts me, to Him I will yearn.”

The Talmud wonders, Let us examine the verse and see if it is written with the letters lamed Alef which would mean “I do not yearn to Him,” or with the letters Lamed Vuv which means, I do yearn to Him.”

We know that the text is written Lamed Alef which means “I do not yearn to Him,” but it is read and translated as Lamed Vuv, meaning “I do yearn to Him.”

This is an example of a double message being implied by the verse. It is as if to say at face value you would expect that in time of affliction one would not yearn to God. But the reality is that it is precisely in times of affliction that a person most reliably yearns to God. As the expression goes, “There are no atheists in a foxhole.”

Another example of a critical word being written one way and understood (based on our tradition) in another way is…

“In all of their distress, there is distress to Him.” That is to say that God suffers- so to speak- with us. Yet the word is spelled Lamed Alef, which would indicate “He does not suffer.” But the following verse supports our tradition, “And His angel comes to their aid.” This indicates that indeed God commiserates with the distress and grants assistance. This supports the tradition that the word should be read/ translated as Lamed Vuv, meaning, ” In all of their distress, there is distress to Him.”

This indicates that although at face value it appears that God doesn’t care (because when he lets evil or hardship occur it looks like He doesn’t care,) the reality is that He does care very much and suffers with us. This is the illustration that was shown to Moshe at the burning bush. The bush was a thorn-bush which the commentaries explain was used to indicate that Hashem was feeling the distress of the Jews in Mitzrayim, just as when one is in a thorn-bush one is in a stressful situation unable to move in any direction without getting painfully pricked.

And so the Talmud concludes:

Indeed, there are two meanings indicated by the word.