Welcome back to Nach Daily, with Iyov, chapter 10.
We’re continuing Iyov’s response to Bildad’s belief of why humans suffer.
The Malbim explains that in this perek, Iyov takes a new stance on human suffering and specifically his own. Iyov actually denies free choice in light of God’s Oneness.
Verse 2 says, “Omar el Eloha: Al tarshe’eini hode’aini al ma t’revaini - I say to God: Keep me from doing wrong, and explain to me why you continue to persecute me.”
The Malbim explains that Iyov was asking Hashem to keep him from doing wrong because he’s destined to sin. Since You, God, have foreknowledge of everything that's going to happen, you must know that I’m going to sin. So if that's the case, Iyov says, “explain why You continue to persecute me.” My actions are predetermined, and I don't have free will to exercise choice.
The Malbim explains that now Iyov actually agrees to Divine providence, but asserts that we don't have free choice because Hashem knows everything that's going to happen.
In verse 7, Iyov says, “Al da’t’cha ki lo ersha v’ain m’yadcha matsil - You know that I will not do evil, and that there is none who can save me from Your hand,” meaning, I was destined to sin because Your foreknowledge decreed it.
I want to explain this a bit, because here we are really touching on yedia and bechira, knowledge and choice. Most people understand the question as: How do we have free choice if God knows what is going to happen in the end? This way of asking the question is in a certain way lax. It is possible to know the outcome of an event without actually interfering with someone's free choice.
But the question is even deeper. Since God is creating the world every second, He’s also created the reality that I see at this very moment. How is it possible for us to have free choice if God is creating the world every second, including my ability to choose and the outcome of any given circumstance? This is impossible to understand.
Iyov asserts that as God is oseh ma’aseh bereishis, continually creating the world, how can we have free choice?
Obviously this is all very deep. The Gemarah in Bava Basra 16a brings that Iyov actually wanted to free the whole world from judgment by explaining that ultimately everything, including our ability to choose, is up to God. Thus none of us are responsible for our decisions, and we should be exempt from punishment.
However, the Gemarah continues, Iyov’s friends responded that he is uprooting yiras Shamayim, the fear of Heaven, and the power of prayer. By saying that everything in life is predetermined, there's no point in having yiras Shamayim, keeping the Torah, or praying, because nothing will change anyway.
There is a grain of truth here. Everything in life is under exact hashgacha pratis. There is a certain level of predetermination in this world. However, “Hakol b’dei Shmayim chutz miyiras Shamayim - Everything is in the hands of God except for fear of Heaven.” We all have the ability to choose whether or not to serve God. There has been much ink spilled in this topic. Perhaps I’ll give a shiur in the future just addressing free will!
In the rest of the perek, Iyov goes on to grieve that God has turned into his persecutor. “You knew I would sin, and actually created that fact because we don't have free choice. Then you persecuted me for the sin that I didn't choose to do!
Iyov ends by describing the dark and gloomy nature of death.
Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily, when we hear from Iyov’s third friend, Tzofar.
Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.
