Chapter 2 - The Second Stage of the Test
In the previous chapter, we saw Iyov withstand the first trial heroically: his children died, his wealth was stripped away, and all his possessions were lost - yet he declared, "Hashem gave and Hashem took away, may the name of Hashem be blessed." Now, having successfully passed the first stage, Iyov proceeds to the second stage of the test. Our entire chapter deals with the question of what exactly is new about this trial, and why this specific test can prove whether Iyov serves Hashem out of love.
וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל ה', וַיָּבוֹא גַם הַשָּׂטָן בְּתֹכָם לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל ה'. - And it was on the day that the angels of God came to present themselves before Hashem, and the Satan also came among them to present himself before Hashem.
"And it was on the day" - the designated, appointed day when the advocates of merit and the advocates of guilt assemble. Which day is this? Rosh Hashanah, just as it was the first time.
Graduating One Faculty, Moving to the Next
This calls to mind a story from the time of the Chafetz Chaim. There was a wealthy man, a great ba'al tzedakah and chesed who gave generously - and then lost his fortune. People came to the Chafetz Chaim and asked: How could this be? A man who gives so much, a man of loving-kindness, a supporter of Torah - how could he lose his wealth? The Chafetz Chaim told them: When someone studies at a university and successfully completes one faculty, they transfer him to the next faculty. He finishes an undergraduate degree - he moves on to a master's degree. He finishes a doctorate - he advances toward professorship. This man successfully completed the test of wealth, and now they are transferring him to a different faculty: the test of poverty. He passed the test of wealth successfully, and now he is given a different trial. Exactly so with Iyov: he successfully passed the first faculty - the loss of his possessions, property, and children. Now we will see the next trial placed before him.
Why This Time "To Present Himself Before Hashem"?
The Malbim points out a fascinating nuance. The first time, the verse states, "the sons of God came to present themselves before Hashem, and the Satan also came among them" - and nothing more. This time, it says, "and the Satan also came among them to present himself before Hashem." Why specifically here, in the second affliction, does the verse add "to present himself before Hashem"?
The Malbim explains: there are several kinds of afflictions. The evils we witnessed in the first wave were evils "brought about through the general nature of destruction found in the elements" - meaning, afflictions that stem from nature: fire, wind, human beings harming one another, marauders who attack, or a storm wind that collapses a house upon its occupants. These are calamities inherent to the elements, inherent to nature. In contrast, the evil that will now come upon him is physical suffering: boils and illness. Until now, his body remained untouched; now, the Satan receives permission to strike his flesh.
And physical illness, generally speaking, results from poor nutrition and mistreatment of the body. When a person treats his body properly, the body remains protected; and if not, it does not. It is like a car: if you service it properly, it runs well, but if you put water instead of fuel and oil instead of water, it breaks down, sputtering and grinding until it dies. A person who does not eat properly, who does not care for his body and guard his health - as a result, boils strike him, and illness overcomes him.
Protecting the Tzaddik from Natural Calamities Is a Miracle; Protecting Him from Illness Is Nature
The Malbim explains: protecting the righteous person from calamities that arise from nature does not follow naturally from his righteousness itself. If a person is righteous, does that mean a storm wind will kill everyone else while leaving him alone? Is that how nature works? Nature does not distinguish between a tzaddik and one who is not. When a wind blows, it sweeps away everyone; when a fire rages, it burns everyone; when an enemy attacks, he slays everyone. This is what Chazal teach, that it does not distinguish between the righteous and the wicked. Something arising from nature is not naturally expected to spare the tzaddik any more than the rasha. How then is the tzaddik saved? Through Hashem watching over him and guarding him. Naturally speaking, the tzaddik would suffer just like the wicked, but Hashem shields him through Divine Providence: "Noach, enter the Ark" - there is a special ark, specific protection. Lot was in Sodom, and Hashem sent angels to rescue him; can a person naturally survive an overturned city? For that, a unique hashgachah pratit (Divine Providence) is required.
In contrast, for a tzaddik to be preserved from bodily illness and severe boils - that happens naturally. After all, he eats healthy food, avoids harmful things, and takes care of his body. Naturally, if you do not do harmful things to yourself, your body will endure. In fact, for him to become ill - that requires a miracle.
And so writes the Rambam: anyone who conducts himself according to everything I have written here is guaranteed not to fall ill, unless struck by an epidemic. For an epidemic, the Rambam takes no responsibility - it is an exclusion not covered by the policy, like the fine print in any insurance contract. But regarding general bodily health, he guarantees it. This means that maintaining your health depends on your own actions. In general, the Rambam's view is that most evils are brought upon a person by himself - through his diet and his conduct. "The foolishness of a man perverts his way, and his heart frets against Hashem": the financial losses a person brings upon himself out of foolishness and thoughtlessness. A person who walks into a hazardous area with a slippery surface, falls, and breaks his leg - what will you say about him? A fool; he harmed himself. A person who smoked and, as a result, Hashem have mercy - the same thing. He might ask, "Master of the Universe, why did I deserve this?" - ask yourself why you shot yourself in the foot! Most evils are those that a person brings upon himself.
The Difference Between the First Afflictions and the Second Affliction
To return to our subject: it turns out that naturally, Iyov should have been protected from the blow Hashem was about to strike him with - from the boils and bodily illnesses. For "A tzaddik eats to satisfy his soul": Iyov guarded his body, ate only what was necessary, avoided anything that damages the body, was not drawn after the desires of this world to consume harmful things, and did not engage in activities that could induce disease. Natural law, then, dictated that he should not fall ill.
And this is precisely the difference between the previous chapter and our chapter. In the previous chapter, when a calamity strikes, the tzaddik is swept up in it as well, since naturally there is no distinction between the righteous and the wicked. But in our chapter, when dealing with illnesses, naturally the tzaddik is spared, for a person who protects his body is not supposed to fall ill.
Therefore, explains the Malbim: the first time, the Satan came to destroy his possessions and kill his children, and none of that required special divine providence. The moment a wind blows, the house collapses and the children die. The moment marauders arrive, they plunder the spoils and leave. There was no need for Hashem to actively put them to death; it was enough that Hashem did not intervene to protect them, and they died on their own. It is like an enemy carrying out ethnic cleansing, killing everyone he meets: there is no need for special providence to kill this one and that one - it is enough that Hashem withdraws His protection, and automatically, by the very course of nature, disaster ensues.
In contrast, regarding the illness in our chapter - naturally, Iyov should not have contracted boils, as he guarded his health. For him to become ill, a special providence was required to inflict the disease upon him. In the first round of afflictions, it was enough for Hashem to remain passive; but with bodily harm, if Hashem were passive, Iyov would not fall ill. Hashem had to be active, bringing the illness upon him directly. This is the meaning of "to present themselves upon Hashem": that Hashem Himself must step in and actively bring the illness, arranging through Divine providence that Iyov become sick, because naturally he should not have fallen ill. In the first trial, the removal of providence was enough - no special providence was needed for evil to befall him.
"From Where Do You Come?" - The Second Question
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל הַשָּׂטָן: אֵי מִזֶּה תָּבֹא? וַיַּעַן הַשָּׂטָן אֶת ה' וַיֹּאמַר: מִשּׁוּט בָּאָרֶץ וּמֵהִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּהּ. - Hashem said to the Satan: "From where do you come?" And the Satan answered Hashem and said: "From roaming the earth and walking about in it."
"Ei mizzeh" means: where is the place of which you can say to Me, "From this place I come"? The Malbim explains the difference between the two occasions: the first time, Hashem asked the Satan, "Mei'ayin tavo" ("From where do you come?"), and the second time, "Ei mizzeh tavo" ("From which of these do you come?"). In Lashon Hakodesh, there is a distinction between the two. "Mei'ayin" is used when there is no underlying premise, not the slightest assumption of a specific place; the entire world is equally in doubt - it could be Australia, it could be the moon, or it could be Jerusalem. But "ei mizzeh tavo" is used when I already know you were in Haifa, in the Krayot, and in Akko, and I am asking which one of them you came from. I already have specific known options, and I am asking which one applies.
And although asking a question does not literally apply to the Creator of the universe, we find something similar with Adam HaRishon, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, asked, "Where are you?" Does the Holy One, blessed be He, not know where Adam HaRishon was? Rather, He wished to open a dialogue with him. Furthermore, the masters of Mussar explain that "Where are you" means: where have you vanished to; where did you lose all your greatness? But the plain meaning was simply to engage him in conversation. Here, says the Malbim, the question holds an additional depth.
Initially, the Satan was referring to all kinds of damage in the world, answering, "From roaming the earth and walking about in it." For from where do damages stem? From the earth, not from heaven; in heaven there is neither deficiency nor damage. The Satan is the father of damages; all harms stem from him, and where does he roam? On earth. But now Hashem asks: "Ei mizzeh tavo" - from which category of damage do you come now? It is already known to Me that you come from the earth to inflict your harm, but tell Me which specific type. For as we will see momentarily, he was coming now to inflict an entirely new category of harm: unlike the previous ones - loss of property and the death of his children - this was harm inflicted upon his very body.
"And He Still Holds Fast to His Integrity"
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל הַשָּׂטָן: הֲשַׂמְתָּ לִבְּךָ אֶל עַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב, כִּי אֵין כָּמֹהוּ בָּאָרֶץ אִישׁ תָּם וְיָשָׁר יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים וְסָר מֵרָע, וְעֹדֶנּוּ מַחֲזִיק בְּתֻמָּתוֹ, וַתְּסִיתֵנִי בוֹ לְבַלְּעוֹ חִנָּם. - 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? And he still holds fast to his integrity, though you incited Me against him to destroy him for nothing."
The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: Consider Iyov. Naturally speaking, he could never fall ill, for he is a God-fearing man, and his nature dictates that he would not suffer illness because he cares for his body - for the righteous eat only to satisfy their hunger and are meticulous in safeguarding their physical health. And as for your claim that I removed divine providence from him and left him in your hands, thinking this would cause a change in him - even that proved unjustified, for in reality he withstood the trial, "and he still holds fast to his integrity."
Through this it became clear that Iyov serves Hashem out of love. After all, when a person who serves out of fear suffers damage, what does he say? "That's it, it's no longer worth it; I thought that if I served Him He would protect me, and look what He is doing to me." If that is how one thinks, it turns out that all his service was not out of love for Hashem, but because it paid off; the moment it stops paying off, he quits. But Iyov, who suffered damages and endured afflictions with nothing gained, yet still holds fast to his integrity - this is a sign that he serves out of love. Therefore, Hashem says to the Satan: Your inciting Me to destroy him was for nothing.
"Skin for Skin"
וַיַּעַן הַשָּׂטָן אֶת ה' וַיֹּאמַר: עוֹר בְּעַד עוֹר, וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לָאִישׁ יִתֵּן בְּעַד נַפְשׁוֹ. - And the Satan answered Hashem and said: "Skin for skin, and all that a man has he will give for his life."
Rashi explains: Limb for limb. It is human nature that when a person sees a sword coming at his head, he raises his arm to shield himself. And what happens? The arm gets injured. This is "skin for skin": a person is willing to let his arm be hurt, so long as his head is not harmed. One can live without an arm; without a head, that is impossible. Therefore, the Satan argues: Iyov is willing to accept these blows, for "all that a man has he will give for his life" - as long as they do not touch him personally, but only his surroundings, he is like someone raising an arm to protect his head: willing to sacrifice the arm so that the head remains intact. So too, Iyov is willing for his children and possessions to be harmed, provided that he himself remains intact. Therefore, what must truly be tested is his body.
And the Malbim explains the Satan's argument: This trial still does not prove that Iyov serves out of love. What do we see here? That Iyov is not shaken by the loss of his children and possessions - and why? Because his own body is dearer to him than his children and his wealth. And if you might say: "He has nothing left to lose, yet he still serves Hashem - which is proof of genuine fear of Heaven"; to this the Satan responds: Not so. Iyov still has something he fears losing if he rebels - his body, his very self. Iyov tells himself: Be careful, if you open your mouth they will strike your body as well; better to justify God's judgment. Is that proof that he serves out of love? He still has something to fear, because there is still something left to take from him.
The Satan says: Master of the Universe, when can You truly say that Iyov genuinely fears God and serves out of love? When he has nothing left to lose. When nothing remains to him, and he does not fear further retribution because there is nothing left that can be done to him - then it will be clear that he serves Hashem out of love. But we have not yet reached that stage. And in order to reach it: "Stretch forth Your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh."
The Two Garments of Skin
The Malbim further explains "skin for skin" by way of a parable: A person has two garments of skin. There is the skin covering his flesh, as the verse states, "With skin and flesh You clothed me" - this itself is called a garment. And there is an additional layer of skin: when a person wears a leather coat, he has another skin garment over the skin of his flesh. "Skin for skin" - a person is willing to surrender the outer garment, the leather coat, to save the skin attached to his flesh. If a robber attacks you and says, "Either your coat or I slash you" - what will you do? You will hand over the coat. Skin for skin.
Let us go even deeper: "And all that a man has he will give for his life." If the choice is between his life and his skin, a person will even give up his skin. If someone were asked, Heaven forbid, whether he would rather have his skin flayed or die, he would prefer to have his skin flayed rather than die. A person wants to live, and is prepared to surrender his skin as long as he stays alive. Thus we find: a person is willing to give up the outer skin for the sake of the inner skin, and he is willing to give up the inner skin for the sake of his life.
And this is the Satan's argument: Iyov still says, "Well, they left me my skin" - the skin on my body, and all the more so my soul, are still mine. All the possessions taken from him are like a leather coat, the outer skin, and a person gladly gives that up to protect his own skin. If so, there is still no proof that he serves out of love. Only if You also take from him the inner skin - strike his flesh - then we will see; this will be the true gauge to know whether Iyov truly loves Hashem.
אוּלָם שְׁלַח נָא יָדְךָ וְגַע אֶל עַצְמוֹ וְאֶל בְּשָׂרוֹ, אִם לֹא אֶל פָּנֶיךָ יְבָרְכֶךָּ - "However, stretch out Your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh; see if he will not curse You to Your face!"
"His bone" refers to his bones; "his flesh" refers to his flesh. Here, the Satan argues, is a clear test: if You strike his bone and his flesh, not merely his skin but deep into flesh and bone, to the point where he despairs of any cure and no longer believes that his flesh and skin can ever be restored - as we will see later - and then, when he has no more hope in You and expects nothing from You, realizing that as far as he is concerned he has lost everything, yet despite this he remains clinging to You - then, Master of the Universe, You can say that he truly loves Hashem.
"Only Spare His Soul"
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל הַשָּׂטָן: הִנּוֹ בְיָדֶךָ, אַךְ אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ שְׁמֹר - "And Hashem said to the Satan: Behold, he is in your hand, only spare his soul."
Hashem says to him: I place both his bone and his flesh into your hand, but spare his soul. And Chazal state: The anguish of the Satan was greater than the anguish of Iyov, for this is comparable to a person who was told, "Break the barrel, but preserve its wine." It is like giving someone a cup and telling him: Pierce it, cut it, tear it to pieces - but be careful that not a drop spills. This is precisely what happened with Iyov: the Satan was commanded to inflict upon him the absolute maximum suffering a person could endure, yet be careful that his soul does not depart.
This, incidentally, is a well-known dilemma among interrogators in totalitarian regimes, and they often miscalculate: how to torture an interrogatee right up to the brink of death without actually killing him - for if he dies, the source of intelligence is lost. And sometimes they misjudge, and you hear that someone died under interrogation because the severity was too high, Rachmana litzlan. In this manner, the Satan was instructed: Bring the suffering to such a pitch without taking his life. And why? Because Hashem had plans to grant Iyov even more in the future, as we will see, once he withstands the test - and for that, his soul was still needed.
The Satan's Anguish - The Power of Absence and the Power of Existence
What is the meaning of the sages' statement that, as it were, the Satan's anguish was greater than Iyov's? The Malbim explains: Within man there is a power of existence, stemming from his vitality itself, and there is a power of absence, which seeks to extinguish him from the world - and this is symbolized by the Satan. A person lives because the power of existence, that which animates him, is stronger than that which seeks to end his life. But when the destructive force outweighs the life-giving force, a person would naturally die. And this was Iyov's condition: the power of absence overwhelmed the power of life within him. Chazal expressed this figuratively when they said that "the anguish of the Satan was greater" - meaning that the Satan's power and domain in Iyov were greater; the destruction and damage within him were far greater than what remained intact, and yet he remained alive. And why? Because Hashem commanded the Satan not to take his soul.
Summary:
Iyov successfully passed the first stage - the loss of his property and his children - and therefore he was moved on to the next test. The Malbim teaches us that the distinction between the two trials is fundamental: natural catastrophes strike the righteous just as they do the wicked, and only special Providence protects against them; hence, it was sufficient for Hashem merely to withdraw His protection for the initial afflictions to arrive. But physical illness is not supposed to strike a righteous person who cares for his health, and therefore active intervention was required here - which is the meaning of "to stand before Hashem." The Satan's argument was that "skin for skin": a person gives up the outer skin for the sake of the inner skin, and everything for his life; therefore, as long as Iyov retained his health, he still had something to lose, and there was no definitive proof that he served out of love. Consequently, Iyov was placed in his hands, "only spare his soul" - break the barrel and preserve its wine. And even though the power of absence overcame the power of existence within him, Iyov remained alive because Hashem decreed it so. From this point forward, it would become clear whether his love of Hashem would endure even when he had nothing left to lose.