We begin with the text itself, studying Sefer Iyov in order. Right at the beginning of the book, the author reveals to us, as the Malbim notes, the reasons why Iyov suffered. Iyov himself will search for them throughout the entire book, but this is not a suspense novel where the solution is withheld until the end. We are told at the outset the reason for Iyov's suffering, even though Iyov himself is unaware of it, which is why he asks questions throughout the journey. At the very beginning, the book makes clear to us that Iyov's entire ordeal was a test, whereas Iyov argued that Divine Providence had abandoned him: how could a righteous person like him suffer such severe and terrible afflictions?
אִישׁ הָיָה בְאֶרֶץ־עוּץ אִיּוֹב שְׁמוֹ, וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ הַהוּא תָּם וְיָשָׁר וִירֵא אֱלֹהִים וְסָר מֵרָע׃ - There was a man in the land of Utz whose name was Iyov; and that man was wholesome and upright, God-fearing and shunning evil.
Rashi explains that the land of Utz is the land of Aram, a place bearing that name. Others explain that Utz refers to Iyov himself, as we have seen in other commentaries, meaning there was a man in the land whose name was Iyov, and he himself was Utz. And Chazal expounded: the land of Utz is a land where people took bad counsel (*etzot*) against the Holy One, blessed be He, from the expression "Devise a counsel (*utzu eitzah*) and it shall be thwarted." And what counsel did they take there? The counsel of the Tower of Bavel. For they would say: let us take the upper realms and leave Him the lower realms. Why should the Creator choose the heavens for Himself and cast us down below, in a shelter? We also want the upper realms. So they came to the land of Shinar, which had many deities and was a land of idols, and said, "Let us build a tower whose top reaches the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves." And "name" here refers to nothing other than idol worship, as it says, "And the name of other gods you shall not mention."
What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He sat in judgment over them and set up witnesses against them, as it says, "And Hashem descended to see the city and the tower." Does the Omnipresent truly need to descend? Is it not written, "The eyes of Hashem roam throughout the whole earth"? Rather, this comes to teach a halachah for all generations: that a court may judge only based on eyewitness testimony, as it says, "If he saw or knew." Thus, the place was called the land of Utz because in that place they devised schemes against the Creator of the universe.
Rashi explains: "Wholesome and upright" pertain to matters between man and his fellow, whereas regarding matters between man and his Creator, his righteousness had not yet been established. Therefore the verse adds, "God-fearing and shunning evil" - to tell you that in matters between man and the Omnipresent, he was also righteous. In the Gemara in Bava Batra (15b), Rabbi Yochanan says: Greater is that which is said of Iyov than that which is said of Avraham. For regarding Avraham it is written, "Now I know that you are a God-fearing man," whereas regarding Iyov it is written, "a wholesome and upright man, God-fearing and shunning evil" - the praises written of Iyov surpass the praises written of Avraham.
And what does "shunning evil" mean? Rabbi Abba bar Shmuel said: Iyov was generous with his money. The usual way of the world is that a person gives half a perutah to a shopkeeper and insists on receiving the change, but Iyov would waive what was his - he would tell the shopkeeper to keep the change. Chazal also say that anyone who received a perutah from Iyov was blessed: if you received a coin from him, you saw livelihood and blessing from it. This is the meaning of what is said later, "You have blessed the work of his hands."
Seemingly, it should have been written "and his name was Iyov," since when speaking of a righteous person, Scripture typically mentions the name before the person. The Ibn Ezra explains: Do not be surprised, for we also find wicked individuals whose names are placed first by Scripture, such as "and his name was Michayahu," and Michayahu was wicked, having fashioned an idol for foreign worship. Chazal spoke of the general rule, and there are exceptions to the rule.
The Malbim explains that poverty and affliction can befall a person for several reasons. One reason stems from his nature, character traits, and physical habits: a glutton and a drunkard consumes harmful foods, fats, and toxins, ultimately harming himself, while also squandering his wealth through his bad habits by spending everything on meat, wine, and liquor. Regarding this, the verse tells us that no such natural cause existed with Iyov, for he was "upright" - both in his intellect and in his character traits.
And if you might suggest that even an upright person sometimes strays from his uprightness due to external causes, such as an injury or misfortune that causes him to suffer, Scripture tells us that he was "wholehearted" (tam). And what is tam? The Malbim explains: a person who acts not for his own benefit, but for the sake of the deed itself. He does not ask, "What is in it for me?" but does everything for the honor of his Creator. Therefore, such a person never collapses, for his path is always sincere and upright.
And perhaps the suffering came through Divine Providence, that Hashem afflicted him because of his sins, since even if he was wholehearted and upright, perhaps he was not God-fearing? Scripture comes and states: "fearing God and shunning evil." This reason is dismissed as well. Right from the outset, Scripture shows us that there was neither a natural reason nor a spiritual reason for Iyov to suffer.
וַיִּוָּלְדוּ לוֹ שִׁבְעָה בָנִים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ בָּנוֹת׃ - And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
Sometimes a person collapses through natural causes because he has no sons and no household, with no one to help, support, or assist him. Scripture therefore tells us that seven sons and three daughters were born to him. The Metzudat David adds that this too was considered a blessing, as he had more than twice as many sons as daughters. The Malbim notes: his sons were like olive saplings around his table; thus, this could not possibly have been the cause of his downfall.
וַיְהִי מִקְנֵהוּ שִׁבְעַת אַלְפֵי־צֹאן וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אַלְפֵי גְמַלִּים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת צֶמֶד־בָּקָר וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת אֲתוֹנוֹת וַעֲבֻדָּה רַבָּה מְאֹד, וַיְהִי הָאִישׁ הַהוּא גָּדוֹל מִכָּל־בְּנֵי־קֶדֶם׃ - His possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and an abundant household staff; and that man was greater than all the people of the east.
It is possible for a person to be righteous with his family gathered around his table, yet his financial situation is dire, which is reason enough for a collapse. Therefore, Scripture rules out this reason as well: seven thousand sheep, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and an abundant household staff - meaning everything the land produces and yields.
"Greater than all the people of the east" - Chazal say: he was greater than all the people of the Generation of the Dispersion, about whom it is written, "as they journeyed from the east." Yet he was not greater than Avraham, for regarding Avraham it is written, "And Avram was very heavy with livestock, silver, and gold." Furthermore, he was great in their eyes, respected and crowned with a good name, beloved and esteemed by all. And it was precisely these three things that the wicked Haman boasted of: the glory of his wealth, the multitude of his sons, and how the king had elevated him, for this encapsulates complete human success.
וְהָלְכוּ בָנָיו וְעָשׂוּ מִשְׁתֶּה בֵּית אִישׁ יוֹמוֹ, וְשָׁלְחוּ וְקָרְאוּ לִשְׁלֹשֶׁת אַחְיֹתֵיהֶם לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת עִמָּהֶם׃ - And his sons went and made a feast in the house of each on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
At times, everything is going well for a person himself, but quarrels and discord among his children shatter the entire idyllic picture. We saw this with Yaakov Avinu: outwardly, everything seemed wonderful - happiness, children, wealth, and honor - until the tribes fell into discord and sold Yosef. From that point on, Yaakov sank into deep grief and said, "For I will go down to the grave mourning for my son," and he could not be comforted. Yaakov sought to dwell in peace, but strife among children can destroy everything.
Therefore, Scripture describes the harmony and brotherly love that prevailed among Iyov's children: his sons used to hold a banquet every day and eat together, so that in the course of a week each one hosted all his brothers at his table. There was neither jealousy nor hatred among them, and they would always invite everyone, including their sisters. Thus, this too was not the cause of Iyov's downfall.
וַיְהִי כִּי הִקִּיפוּ יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה וַיִּשְׁלַח אִיּוֹב וַיְקַדְּשֵׁם, וְהִשְׁכִּים בַּבֹּקֶר וְהֶעֱלָה עֹלוֹת מִסְפַּר כֻּלָּם, כִּי אָמַר אִיּוֹב אוּלַי חָטְאוּ בָנַי וּבֵרְכוּ אֱלֹהִים בִּלְבָבָם, כָּכָה יַעֲשֶׂה אִיּוֹב כָּל־הַיָּמִים׃ - And when the days of feasting had run their course, Iyov would send and sanctify them; he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt-offerings according to the number of them all, for Iyov said, "Perhaps my children have sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts." Thus did Iyov do all the days.
Perhaps there was love among them, but they were sinners, and you might think he was a righteous man whose household members were wicked, whom he failed to rebuke, and so he was punished for their iniquity? Scripture comes to show just how meticulous Iyov was regarding the sanctity of his children and shielding them from any sin or guilt. "When the days of feasting had run their course" - meaning a week had passed, during which each one dined each day at another brother's home, and before the next seven days began, Iyov would rise early in the morning and offer burnt-offerings corresponding to the number of them all.
Why specifically burnt-offerings (olot)? Because an olah comes to atone for improper thoughts of the heart. Iyov did not suspect his children of actual sins of action, for he knew they were not wicked; rather, he was concerned lest an impure thought crossed their minds. Therefore, he would say, "Perhaps my children have sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts," offering burnt-offerings once a week so that, Heaven forbid, there would be no accusation against them or against himself. And lest one think this was merely a one-time occurrence, the verse states, "Thus did Iyov do all the days."
What emerges from this entire introduction? We have no cause, neither natural nor spiritual, to which we can attribute Iyov's suffering. Iyov was complete in every respect; no mishap, damage, illness, or sorrow should have befallen him, for none of the worldly causes of affliction existed in his life - not a single one.
וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל־ה', וַיָּבוֹא גַם־הַשָּׂטָן בְּתוֹכָם׃ - Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Satan also came among them.
Our Sages say: That day was Rosh Hashanah. On Rosh Hashanah all stand in judgment, and the Satan comes to bring accusations against the Jewish people and all creations. There are those who suggested - namely, Rav Saadia Gaon - that the Satan here does not describe an angel but rather a human adversary who envied Iyov; however, that is certainly not the simple meaning of the text. The plain meaning, as generally learned, is that this is the Satan himself, who sought to prosecute Iyov.
And who are the "sons of God"? These are those who come to advocate merit, the angels who recount the mitzvot of Israel. "And the Satan also came among them" - for judgment never consists solely of defense without prosecution. Whenever judgment is held, "God has made one corresponding to the other": balancing the advocates of merit, there are also advocates of guilt.
The Malbim prefaces that the Rambam enlightened our understanding with the principle that all evils, whether collective or individual, stem solely from matter (chomer). This is a profound insight, and the Malbim explains it: any physical entity undergoes destruction due to the physical matter within it, for by nature, all matter is subject to decay and cannot endure endlessly. If damage befalls something, it does not come from its spiritual component, for the spiritual component endures forever. And if you ask, does not the spiritual component also undergo destruction? The Rambam replies: the spiritual aspect experiences loss only through its attachment to matter, and the moment the matter perishes, it too is affected.
An analogy from human life: a person dies, and the soul departs from his body, separating from physical life. But what caused this? The body. A person dies when the body withers, is damaged, or suffers injury. The soul did not cause the death of the body; rather, the reverse is true: the material element is the cause of destruction, and the spiritual element suffers loss only because it was bound to it. And as the Rambam puts it, the true nature of matter is that it can never escape the company of privation (he'eder) - privation being the state in which it ceases to exist in the world.
The Rambam further states that all of man's transgressions and sins follow his physical matter. We express this in the Vidui - from the murky body, "for I am flesh and blood." Physical reality is what pulls a person downward, toward desires and corporeal pleasures. In contrast, all of man's virtues follow the form (tzurah), which is the soul. Every spiritual attainment, every prayer, every piece of Torah study, and every ascent does not stem from the body - the body does not demand this nor seek it. The body craves pizza, the body craves ice cream; the body has no desire to learn, pray, elevate itself, or attain closeness to God. The soul is what yearns, and the body is drawn after it and elevated. In the words of the Rambam: man's food, drink, cohabitation, most of his appetites, anger, and every bad character trait found in him - all follow his matter; while his good character traits and spiritual aspirations - all follow the form, the spiritual component within him.
Based on this, the Malbim explains: the "sons of God" (bnei ha-Elohim) are the forces present throughout all of creation, which are the children of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the work of His hands, and they came to present themselves before Hashem. For the Holy One, blessed be He, sustains all of existence, and at every single moment He creates reality, as it were, ex nihilo (yesh me'ayin). This is continuous creation. It is not like a contractor who built a room, finished his job, collected his pay, and left, leaving no need for him to hold up the balcony so it does not collapse. The Creator of the world never ceased creating: "He Who in His goodness renews each day, continually, the work of Creation." Were it not for His constant will at every single moment, the work of Creation would cease to exist. It is not something that occurred in the past and became history, but something renewed each and every day from its inception.
For anyone who understands the reality of atoms, this concept is plain and simple. The atom is the innermost part of all matter and cannot be perceived by the eye - no one has ever seen an atom, even though we draw circles and electrons orbiting the nucleus. Yet scientific research makes it clear to all of us that an atom contains an infinitesimal amount of actual matter; what you perceive as solid matter is not truly solid substance, but electrons moving at tremendous speed, creating the sensation that solid matter is there. This is comparable to a fan spinning rapidly, which appears as a solid disk, but when stopped, one sees it is only two blades. The same is true of the electrons around the nucleus. Theoretically, if they were to decide not to spin around the nucleus but to shift to the right, the cup would move to the right. And how much actual matter is in the cup? It is said that all the net physical matter of planet Earth could fit inside a tennis ball.
"Atom" is a Latin word meaning indivisible: the fundamental material core of all matter, which cannot be divided or split any further. And when it is split - as those working in nuclear reactors describe as nuclear fission, the splitting of the atom - immense energy is released, which produces the atomic bomb. We learn from this that within all physical matter there is an active animating force (nefesh po'elet) sustaining it. The Rambam explains that even the celestial spheres possess an active soul. And what is a soul? Vibration, vitality. In every physical object there is vitality - that motion within every material object that appears to you stable and stationary, yet in truth contains something spiritual that enlivens it.
It follows that if the Holy One, blessed be He, were to withdraw His will for a single moment, everything would collapse and revert to its primordial matter, and not even a grain of dust would remain of the cup. What enlivens it and gives it the existence you now perceive? The will of Hashem, blessed be He, that the electrons continue to spin and produce the sensation of solid matter. Thus, this is not something from the past, but something spinning right now, and Someone is spinning it: the Prime Cause (Mesovev Kol HaSibot) spins the electrons and atoms as well. Creation is not history; at every single moment, His will is present in this cup, in this table, in this tablecloth, and in each and every one of us - for were it not so, we would all revert to non-existence, to what the Ramban calls in the account of Creation "the primordial hylic matter" (chomer hayyuli). The Ramban explains that the Holy One, blessed be He, brought forth a one-time creation ex nihilo (yesh me'ayin), which is the primordial hylic matter, and thereafter, everything else in Creation was formed substance from substance (yesh mi-yesh). And what is that primordial hylic matter? It is the atom. Hashem created the atom, and from it, everything in the world could then be fashioned.
As we explained, Divine wisdom connects with the human form: Hashem connects with man and with the soul by uniting spirit and body here in physical reality - a spirit that is an integral part of God above (chelek Elokah mi-ma'al), and a body that is a coarse, physical entity originating from matter. As stated, all transgressions stem from matter and physical desires, while all the mitzvot a person performs stem from the spiritual soul, which seeks to fulfill them and ascend. Incidentally, mitzvot can also be performed out of physical inclination - when a person fulfills a mitzvah not because of its spiritual significance, but because he feels like it, because it is tasty, comfortable, or enjoyable to him. That becomes a mitzvah performed shelo lishmah (not for its own sake), depending on the degree of shelo lishmah.
The Holy One, blessed be He, gave the spiritual component within us - the soul that is a portion of God above - the power to overcome the body, to subdue it, rule over it, and direct it as it wills. If not, the body will dominate the spiritual component, steering and pulling wherever it desires.
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־הַשָּׂטָן הֲשַׂמְתָּ לִבְּךָ עַל־עַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב, כִּי אֵין כָּמֹהוּ בָּאָרֶץ אִישׁ תָּם וְיָשָׁר יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים וְסָר מֵרָע׃ - And Hashem said to the Satan, "Have you set your heart upon My servant Iyov, for there is none like him on earth, a man blameless and upright, God-fearing and shunning evil?"
The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Satan, as it were: Iyov is a person who gave absolute dominion to his soul over his body. Bodily desires and cravings have no hold over his soul or his spiritual dimension. Iyov embodies a kind of perfection in the service of Hashem - a blameless and upright man, God-fearing and shunning evil - and you have no power over him.
First, it says "My servant." And what is a servant? A person who has nothing of his own, and who is entirely devoted to his master. A servant cannot ask his master, "Why did you wake me up now?" for the master could just as well tell him not to sleep at all. A servant is someone wholly subjugated to his master from the moment he opens his eyes until he closes them, all his days. Concerning Iyov, the Holy One, blessed be He, says "My servant" - meaning that nothing material has any control over him.
Furthermore, it says "there is none like him on earth." The Malbim explains: "Earth" alludes to material, earthly existence, and with Iyov there is no earthliness. He is blameless and upright, and in him the soul rules; the spirit governs the body. Therefore, the Satan has nowhere to gain an entry, and what could he possibly say against him?
The text begins by presenting Iyov's perfection and ruling out in advance, one by one, every ordinary reason a person might suffer: not his nature and character traits, for he was blameless and upright; not his sins, for he was God-fearing and shunned evil; not a lack of children, for seven sons and three daughters were born to him; not poverty, for he was greater than all the children of the East; not discord among his children, for brotherly love prevailed among them; and not even the sins of his children, for he continually offered burnt offerings on their behalf. Once all these reasons have been ruled out, Scripture brings us to the real cause: "Now it fell on a day, that the sons of God came to present themselves before Hashem, and the Satan came also among them." According to the Rambam and the Malbim, all evils stem from matter, whereas all virtues flow from the form; and Iyov, who gave his soul absolute dominion over his body, is "My servant" and "there is none like him on earth" - the Satan has no hold over him, and everything that befell him was nothing other than a trial.