IYOV 4

Previously on IYOV: Bildad just explained to IYOV that for g-d to let “fate” or “nature” or whatever he is calling it do harm to people this would make g-d evil, and IYOV is probably being pained for his own good like a rose being replanted.

So this is how IYOV argues back, when g-d made the world (last week) he made it so that everything physical in this world naturally deteriorates, nothing lasts forever and everything ages, he did this for some very good reasons like maintaining bechira and stuff like that but that is how he designed nature. So if in a few years time, all the stars in the universe run out of hydrogen forming millions of black holes, red dwarves and fat monkey, leading to the destruction and implosion of the entire universe (thus creating the ultimate philosophical question if the whole universe explodes and no one was there to hear it would it make a sound, yes it would sound like this cabbbooooghghgmm!) would anyone call that evil on g-d’s part, well not really that’s just the nature he put into the world that nothing lasts forever. So it if by the same principle a earthquake hits a mountain killing thousands is that evil on g-d’s part or is it nature, and even more so if one guy (miniscule in perspective to the universe) was given many pains not from the hand of g-d but just because that’s the way nature works that wouldn’t make g-d evil. As you can see IYOV is struggling with two contradictions as I said earlier. He is being punished and g-d can’t be evil.

Now IYOV answers Bildad’d idea of how a tzadik can be hurt for his own good, he shows there are five possibilities for this and none of them fit IYOV (a lot of this logic has questions one could ask, some given in the book I have but IYOV’s logic still has validity)

1) The suffering was needed for a good outcome, which will give the tzadik a reward – this is like working hard in a field and you get pain but the end of the year you get food, but IYOV’s suffering was not natural and could have no natural connection to reward.

2) The reward is given for the suffering and is directly proportionate to it – if so why are so many people telling IYOV to strengthen his heart and take the suffering with joy, he should let the suffering truly effect him so that he should get more reward and the pain can be over sooner.

3) The pain is to make the person pray and do teshuvah getting him more reward – first he argues how do you expect an innocent man to beg like a villain, and then he says if g-d didn’t listen to my good deeds why would he listen to my prays, and how can pray CHANGE the mind of g-d and infinite being (an age old question there are a few good answers).

4) It is a test that you will be rewarded for passing through- but if you die, where is the redemption? The test was to trust in g-d and he didn’t actual help in the end.

5) Being punished now so that one doesn’t sin later – not vary fair, to get punished for a sin one may do later. (Interestingly this idea does come up in Judaism in concept like bes sora umora the rebellious son and in chagiga 5a, and we see the opposite by Yishmoel and the well. if you want me to talk more about it, or any other subject that I have just touched upon please email me, and I would be more than happy to write something about it)

IYOV finishes off with the age old paradox of how can we have free will if g-d knows what we are going to do, please no one tell me the analogy of the guy watching a replay on television because it doesn’t answer the question and embarrasses the question, of course the guy on television has no free will and you are not watching free will take place again, in truth freewill is one of the hardest concepts to understand for a few reason. Daniel Rowe calls it one of the few things impossible to prove that everyone just has to know for themselves, that it exists. (Again if anyone wants me to explain the problems with free will and some of the thoughts I have come up with please email me)

Hope you are enjoying IYOV please email me with any questions.