IYOV 8

And now a new contestant enters the ring... He’s a lightweight rising star... all the way from Buz... put your hand together for... EEELLLIIIIIHHUUUU!!!!!!!!!

Ok so IYOV’s three friends have all been knocked out and now there is new blood in the game, his name is Elihu, and he is angry. Until now he has been holding back hopping his older partners will do the job, but now he has realised if he wants something to happen, it’s gonna have to be him doing it.

Elihu tells off the three friends saying, they should have answered IYOV better, and shouldn’t have just blamed him.

He starts with a very basic logic to IYOV, g-d CAN’T be wrong. By the same true logic that Hashem exists and is perfect, it must be that (whatever the explanation is) g-d is “just” as he is the definition of right and wrong.

Elihu explains why he hasn’t spoke until now originally he thought that the men before him had more experience with life and were wiser. Now he realises that the deepest truths are not gained by experience or wisdom but given by a higher source, knowledge that; g-d exists, we have free choice and even that I myself exist is a knowledge given to you by a higher source, a spiritual knowledge.

IYOV seemed to be saying that g-d is out there to accuse and catch you out and demands everything perfect. Elihu explains Hashem knows what he is doing he gives every man a test he can handle, no more. G-d’s only request is that we try to use the little we can do to serve him.

Elihu also takes care of another point, IYOV said g-d is hiding his knowledge from us and doesn’t tell us anything. Well Elihu says sometimes g-d communicates through dreams and other methods.

Now IYOV’s point that g-d passed order over to another power called nature and if someone has to suffer it’s just the course of nature. To this Elihu gives a moshul there is a king and a loyal subject comes to him and says “my lord why have you been so harsh to me” and the king replies “don’t worry I’m mean to everyone the same” so because hashem has created nature which is equally mean to everyone just trying to get to one goal therefore it’s ok.

Now Elihu talks to IYOV about the fact that g-d doesn’t punish the wicked. He says who are you to judge g-d, firstly he needs there to be a certain amount of doubt in the world for bechirah, and secondly often these even men act as the beating stick of the lord and he even makes them powerful so they complete the job, and when it’s all over he will snap the stick and throw it away.