Sotah 31A

״במקהלות ברכו אלהים ה׳ ממקור ישראל״.

“In full assemblies, bless God, YHWH, you that are from the source of Israel” (Psalms 68:27), indicating that even children that are in the “source,” i.e., their mother’s womb, blessed God when they gathered at the sea.

והא לא חזו? אמר רבי תנחום: כרס נעשה להן כאספקלריא המאירה וראו.

The Talmud asks: But the fetuses could not see, so how could they have honestly said: “This is my God and I will glorify him”? R' Tanḥum says: Their mother’s stomach was transformed for them like luminous crystal [aspaklarya], and they saw through it.

בו ביום דרש רבי יהושע בן הורקנוס שלא עבד איוב כו׳. וליחזי האי ״לא״, אי בלמד אלף כתיב ⁠— ״לא״ הוא, אי בלמד ויו כתיב ⁠— ״לו״ הוא?

§ On that same day R' Yehoshua ben Hyrcanus taught that Job served God only out of love, as it is stated: “Though He will slay me, still I will trust in Him [lo]” (Job 13:15). The Mishnah continues that the word lo in the verse is ambiguous as to whether it is indicative of Job expressing his yearning for God or his lack thereof. The Talmud asks: Let us see whether this word lo is written lamed alef, and therefore its meaning is: I will not trust, or whether it is written lamed vav, according to which its meaning is: I trust in Him. Why is there room for doubt with regard to the meaning of the verse?

וכל היכא דכתיב בלמד אלף, ״לא״ הוא? אלא מעתה ״בכל צרתם לא צר״, דכתיב בלמד אלף, הכי נמי ד״לא״ הוא?

The Talmud counters: But is it true that anywhere that the word lo is written lamed alef, its meaning is: Not? If that is so, then in the verse: “In all their affliction He was [lo] afflicted” (Isaiah 63:9), where the word lo is written lamed alef, so too, does it mean: Not, i.e., God was not afflicted in the afflictions of the Jewish people?