Chapter 21 is Iyov's great reply. Up to this point, we have heard the three companions express their views on the question of "the wicked who prospers" - for the beginning of Sefer Iyov dealt with the question of "the righteous who suffers", and later Iyov asked about the flip side as well: How do you explain the success of the wicked? Now Iyov comes to answer all three of his companions on all their claims, one by one.
In their replies, the companions argued that the afflictions Iyov is suffering are precisely what the wicked receive here in this world. That is: even if you see a wicked person achieve some success, it has no permanence and no future. And here you yourself are the example - you enjoyed success, and ultimately look at what blows you have suffered.
To this Iyov replies: You cannot present me as an example, when against one like me there are a thousand other examples of wicked people who prosper and do not suffer at the end of their days. Even according to your premise, that I am wicked and serve as the symbol that the wicked do not succeed in the long run - you found one such person, suppose you found me; but against every single wicked person who falls, I will show you a thousand who have not fallen and a thousand who prosper. With that, your entire answer collapses.
Eliphaz argued that the wicked always live in fear, insecure in their success, anxious lest they fall, lest they be pursued, lest they lose their wealth. Iyov replies to him: I will show you thousands who do not live in this fear at all. Bildad the Shuchite argued that nothing will remain of them and they will have no continuity. Iyov replies to him: Come and I will show you wicked people whose children live and prosper, a second, third, and fourth generation of the wicked.
And against the argument that although the wicked person prospers in this world, nothing will remain of him in the World to Come and his soul will be cut off - as we recall, Iyov rejected the survival of the soul. Therefore, he contends: Who can know what happens after a person's passing? After all, death visits everyone equally, and if so, what difference is there between the wicked and the righteous? And if you say that the righteous goes to Gan Eden and the wicked to Gehinnom - who knows where each one goes? Neither I nor you have seen what becomes of the righteous or what becomes of the wicked.
And also to Tzophar the Naamatite, who claimed that the wicked will die suddenly and descend alive into Sheol, Iyov replies: On the contrary, a wicked person who dies suddenly is better off than a righteous person who suffers until his death. A wicked person who reaches the age of sixty and dies - dies in good health, in pleasure, while all is well with him; he is better off that way than suffering another ten years of illnesses, troubles, and agony and then dying. And Iyov himself, who is enduring immense suffering, constantly pleaded: Why does Hashem not take me already? Indeed, he was kept here against his will, as the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Satan, "Only spare his life." Thus Iyov already yearned to die in his condition, and it is better to die in a single moment than to be tormented.
And if you say that he has no continuity - what does the wicked person care, after he dies, that his children do not continue in his path? According to Iyov's conception, there is no life in Sheol, and death is a sort of slumber; if so, why should he care what happens later with his children? This is not a punishment for the wicked person. On the contrary, it would be proper for the wicked person to remain here and witness his own downfall, so that he would realize his way was corrupt and flawed, and perhaps even repent and understand that he paid a price for his deeds. But a punishment that comes after he has already died - he has no sorrow from it; he feels nothing. With this, Iyov refutes all the arguments of his companions. Let us now turn to the verses themselves.
וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃ שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וּתְהִי־זֹאת תַּנְחוּמֹתֵיכֶם׃ - Iyov answered and said: Listen attentively to my words, and let this be your consolations.
Iyov comes to answer his three companions for vindicating Hashem's judgments regarding the question of "the wicked who prospers". He says to them: You are supposed to comfort me; your friend is in a dire state and you should have come to console him. At the very least, listen closely to my words, and let this be instead of consolations - in this I will find comfort.
שָׂאוּנִי וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר וְאַחַר דַּבְּרִי תַלְעִיג׃ - Bear with me and I will speak, and after I have spoken, you may mock.
If you wish to argue with me and refute my claims, this is what I ask of you: let me finish my words. "Bear with me" - bear the burden that I wish to express, that is, hear everything I have to say. And if you wish afterward to mock me and say that I spoke nonsense - "and after I have spoken, you may mock," after I finish, say what you will.
הֶאָנֹכִי לְאָדָם שִׂיחִי וְאִם־מַדּוּעַ לֹא־תִקְצַר רוּחִי׃ - Is my complaint addressed to man? And why should my spirit not be short?
The answers you gave me regarding the wicked person's success - that he lives in fear and has no joy in his success, as Eliphaz said, or that his offspring will be cut off, or that he will die suddenly, as Tzofar said - are all directed at me. You intend to use me as the example: behold, you had dread, just as you said, "For the fear that I feared has come upon me"; you had no joy in your wealth; behold, your children were cut off; behold, in a single moment you fell from the highest roof into the deepest pit; you are the archetype of the wicked person, and this is the end of the wicked.
To this Iyov replies: Did I ask about just one man? Did I ask about a specific individual, why he prospers when he is wicked? Had I asked about myself, perhaps you could say that you have an explanation for me. "Is my complaint to man?" - my question was universal, regarding all the wicked in the world. "And why should my spirit not be short?" - did I ask you about my impatience and inability to endure suffering, that you answer me saying I am wicked and that is why I suffer? I asked about the wicked as a whole, why they prosper, and to that you gave no answer. Even if you hold me up as an example of a wicked person who fails and suffers, you have no response regarding the generality of the wicked: most of them do not have the dread of death before their eyes, their offspring are not cut off, they do not die in a single instant, and you see second and third generations continuing in their wickedness. Your arguments do not address the substance of the question, but only my personal person, and I was not asking about myself.
פְּנוּ־אֵלַי וְהָשַׁמּוּ וְשִׂימוּ יָד עַל־פֶּה׃ וְאִם־זָכַרְתִּי וְנִבְהָלְתִּי וְאָחַז בְּשָׂרִי פַּלָּצוּת׃ - Turn to me and be astonished, and lay a hand upon your mouth. Even when I remember, I am terrified, and trembling seizes my flesh.
Turn to me and listen closely to what I am asking; and even if you are astonished - "and be astonished" - lay a hand over your mouth, meaning do not speak. For I am about to show you how greatly the wicked prosper, to the point that merely recalling it terrifies me and shuddering takes hold of my flesh. Like a person saying: when I speak about this, my blood boils.
מַדּוּעַ רְשָׁעִים יִחְיוּ עָתְקוּ גַּם־גָּבְרוּ חָיִל׃ - Why do the wicked live, grow old, and even become mighty in power?
This is a sweeping question concerning the wicked in general: Why do the wicked live? You claimed that they die prematurely, yet I see them living long lives. And if you say that they are weak and powerless - "they grow old, and even become mighty in power," they possess courage and strength; they are mighty men.
זַרְעָם נָכוֹן לִפְנֵיהֶם עִמָּם וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶם׃ - Their seed is established before them with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
And if you say that they have no continuation and their seed does not endure after them - I see that their seed is established before them. Not only do they survive, but they are right there with them, like "your children like olive shoots around your table." They do not scatter to beg for bread, but live well off the wickedness of their parents. And not only the grown children, but also the grandchildren - "and their offspring before their eyes," constantly before them; they do not die in infancy, and there is no question of them lacking a subsequent generation.
בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפָּחַד וְלֹא שֵׁבֶט אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶם׃ - Their houses are peaceful, free from fear, nor is the rod of God upon them.
And if you should say that they do not have a single moment of joy in life and live in constant dread - they have no fear at all: neither on account of their homes, nor on account of their households, nor on account of afflictions, for "the rod of God is not upon them." A "rod" (shevet) is a staff: they receive no blows from the staff of the Holy One, blessed be He.
שׁוֹרוֹ עִבַּר וְלֹא יַגְעִל תְּפַלֵּט פָּרָתוֹ וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּל׃ - His bull breeds and does not fail; his cow calves and does not miscarry.
And if you should say that their acquisitions and possessions will be ruined and lost - "his bull breeds," successfully impregnating the cow, "and does not fail," meaning its seed is not discharged in vain but accomplishes conception. The bull is healthy to fertilize, and the cow is healthy to bear: "his cow calves and does not miscarry" - she neither loses her fetus nor gives birth to a stillborn calf. In simple terms: complete success in all his holdings, his herds steadily multiply, and he suffers neither calamity nor financial loss.
יְשַׁלְּחוּ כַצֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶם וְיַלְדֵיהֶם יְרַקֵּדוּן׃ - They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
And if you should say that the wicked man is in hiding, dwelling in desolate cities as his companions depicted him, terrified of human contact lest people plunder his wealth and living in constant fright - in truth, they live completely free of fear and dread. They send their little children outside like a flock of sheep, and their children dance about without coming to any harm. They do not shut themselves away, nor do they live in anxiety over their wickedness; I see them living freely, their children leaving home without apprehension and dancing without fear.
יִשְׂאוּ כְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר וְיִשְׂמְחוּ לְקוֹל עוּגָב׃ יְכַלּוּ בַטּוֹב יְמֵיהֶם וּבְרֶגַע שְׁאוֹל יֵחָתּוּ׃ - They sing to the tambourine and lyre, and rejoice at the sound of the flute. They spend their days in prosperity, and in a moment descend to the grave.
And if you should argue, as Tzofar did, that the wicked will die suddenly in an untimely death - on the contrary, that is precisely what they desire. Listen to their songs and you will see what their aspiration is, what they expect from life: "They spend their days in prosperity, and in a moment descend to the grave" - their ambition is to conclude their lives in a single instant while still in good health and comfort, rather than in a lingering decline of sickness and degradation leading to death. You cause him no grief when you take him at the zenith of his success; that is how he wants it. He does not wish to die wretchedly in a nursing home with Parkinson's, but while healthy and mentally clear, at his peak. So how can you come and tell me that they die while healthy rather than through prolonged illness? On the contrary, that is their very wish.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וְדַעַת דְּרָכֶיךָ לֹא חָפָצְנוּ׃ - Yet they say to God, 'Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.'
Regarding the righteous, one of the arguments offered was that the suffering righteous person is not truly righteous - he merely appears righteous, but fails to perform what is demanded of him. With the wicked, however, one cannot offer such an excuse: I am speaking of genuinely wicked people, through and through, who explicitly say to God, "Depart from us." In matters between man and God - "We do not want You, Master of the Universe." And in matters between man and his fellow man - "For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways." The ways of Hashem are lovingkindness, mercy, and compassion, and He desires that a person conduct himself with kindness, justice, and integrity toward his neighbor; yet they declare, "We desire none of this."
מַה־שַּׁדַּי כִּי־נַעַבְדֶנּוּ וּמַה־נּוֹעִיל כִּי נִפְגַּע־בּוֹ׃ - Who is the Almighty that we should serve Him? And what do we profit if we plead with Him?
They deny the existence of Hashem, and they say: even if you argue that He exists - what is He that we should serve Him? And even if we were to serve Him, "and what will we gain if we plead with Him?" - "Nifga" is an expression of prayer, as in b'mafgia (pleading): what good will it do to pray? It will yield you nothing. We are dealing, then, with wicked people whose wickedness is unquestionable, yet they enjoy goodness and prosperity. How can you come and claim that the wicked do not enjoy this world?
הֵן לֹא בְיָדָם טוּבָם עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶנִּי׃ - Behold, their prosperity is not in their hands; the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
Their good and their success is not in their own hands - it comes to them only from Hashem. And if so, "the counsel of the wicked is far from me": I cannot comprehend the counsel of Hashem in His governance of the wicked. From whom does all the good of the wicked come? From Hashem, Blessed be He. And why does Hashem continue to give to them and bestow bounty upon them? This I do not understand.
כַּמָּה נֵר־רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ וְיָבֹא עָלֵימוֹ אֵידָם חֲבָלִים יְחַלֵּק בְּאַפּוֹ׃ - How often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out, and their ruin comes upon them, He portions out sorrows in His anger!
It would be fitting that the lamp of the wicked be extinguished - that the sun of their great success be snuffed out and they cease to prosper. And not only that, but "and their ruin comes upon them," that ruin should strike them themselves - note: not their children, for the wicked person no longer sees his children, and what has been gained by that? And third: "He portions out sorrows in His anger" - "chevel" means a portion, as in "my allotted portion and inheritance." It would be proper for Hashem in His anger to apportion their punishment in measured doses, bit by bit, which is far more fitting than dying all at once. Let him suffer and suffer, like the wicked Pharaoh who received ten lessons! Why does the Holy One, Blessed be He, bring death upon them in a single moment, at a time when they themselves welcome it?
יִהְיוּ כְּתֶבֶן לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְמֹץ גְּנָבַתּוּ סוּפָה׃ - They should be like straw before the wind, and like chaff swept away by a storm.
They ought to be like straw before the wind, which the wind blows away one stalk at a time - in that same manner, Heaven should have dismantled the wicked bit by bit, and only at the end, "and like chaff swept away by a storm" - like chaff, the husk of the grain, which a storm sweeps away all at once. That is to say: afflict the wicked slowly and incrementally, until they take him away entirely.
אֱלוֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָיו אוֹנוֹ יְשַׁלֵּם אֵלָיו וְיֵדָע׃ - God stores up his iniquity for his children; let Him repay him, so that he will know it.
You say that Hashem does not punish the wicked person himself, but rather "God stores up his iniquity for his children" - "ono" is from the word aven, an evil deed; the Holy One, Blessed be He, hides away and preserves the punishment for his children. But I argue that this is not how it should be: "Let Him repay him, so that he will know it" - it is proper that the wicked person himself receive it, rather than having it reserved for his children. First, through this he will know and recognize that there is a God judging in the earth, because he will see that he committed an evil deed and now he is paying the price for it.
יִרְאוּ עֵינָו כִּידוֹ וּמֵחֲמַת שַׁדַּי יִשְׁתֶּה׃ - Let his eyes see his destruction, and let him drink from the wrath of the Almighty.
"Kido" is related to kad (a jug): let him see with his own eyes the jug of bitter poison set before him, and let him drink it "from the wrath of the Almighty" - from Hashem, Blessed be He, Himself. Let him see, feel, and understand for himself what he brought upon himself through his wicked deeds. This is how it ought to be: first, that the wicked recognize his error; second, that the sinner himself pay the price. But when Hashem punishes his children, the wicked person does not recognize his error, for he is no longer here - and according to Iyov's view, having denied the immortality of the soul, he understands nothing, sees nothing, and knows nothing. Moreover, the sinner himself did not pay the price.
כִּי מַה־חֶפְצוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו וּמִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו חֻצָּצוּ׃ - For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months is cut off?
Indeed, as long as a person is alive, he desires that his children succeed him, and if his children perish, it causes him immense pain and grief. But once he has died - what does he care about his household after him? What difference does it make to him whether his children carry on or not, seeing as he is already dead? He has no desire or interest in his household, and he does not feel their pain. "When the number of his months is cut off" - his months and years were set according to their measure and have come to an end, and he does not care what happens afterward, because he no longer exists. Death, according to Iyov, means cessation, and once a person ceases to be - what does he care about what happened after him?
הַלְאֵל יְלַמֶּד־דָּעַת וְהוּא רָמִים יִשְׁפּוֹט׃ - Can anyone teach God knowledge, seeing that He judges those on high?
Does God need to be taught knowledge of how and in what manner to punish the wicked according to his wickedness? If so, I ask: how does He "judge those on high" - judging the haughty, the wicked, issuing decrees upon them from on high that I cannot comprehend?
זֶה יָמוּת בְּעֶצֶם תֻּמּוֹ כֻּלּוֹ שַׁלְאֲנַן וְשָׁלֵיו׃ עֲטִינָיו מָלְאוּ חָלָב וּמֹחַ עַצְמוֹתָיו יְשֻׁקֶּה׃ - One dies in his full strength, completely serene and tranquil. His flanks are full of milk, and the marrow of his bones is well-moistened.
"In his full strength" - without any illness, with his body intact and unblemished, free of affliction. "Completely serene and tranquil" - the word shalanan is a combination of sha'anan (at ease) and shalev (tranquil), immersed entirely in tranquility. "His flanks" (atinav) relates to the udders of an animal: he dies amidst wealth, abundance, sheer prosperity, and physical pleasures - not from breakdown, not from a downfall, and not from a disease that broke him. This seems to be the exact opposite of what should happen to a wicked person.
וְזֶה יָמוּת בְּנֶפֶשׁ מָרָה וְלֹא־אָכַל בַּטּוֹבָה׃ - And another dies with a bitter soul, having never tasted of goodness.
By contrast, the righteous person dies with a bitter soul, in sickness and pain, and throughout his life he never tasted goodness, his days spent in poverty and utter lack. How can such a thing be, that the wicked dies in peace and prosperity while the righteous dies in poverty and privation?
יַחַד עַל־עָפָר יִשְׁכָּבוּ וְרִמָּה תְּכַסֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם׃ - Together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them.
And if you say that after death lies the world of retribution and reward - righteous and wicked alike ultimately descend to the grave, and worms cover them all. If so, there is a glaring injustice here. And what is Iyov's own explanation? As he stated at the beginning: everything stems from the celestial order, from the configurations of the stars and constellations. This is how Iyov resolved for himself the question of "the righteous who suffers and the wicked who prospers": the Holy One, blessed be He, an exalted and transcendent God, handed the governance of the world over to the cosmic system, and according to the stars and constellations, this is what befalls me - without justice, without truth, and not according to the law; and evil did not descend from Hashem, but from the stars and constellations.
הֵן יָדַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם וּמְזִמּוֹת עָלַי תַּחְמֹסוּ׃ כִּי תֹאמְרוּ אַיֵּה בֵית־נָדִיב וְאַיֵּה אֹהֶל מִשְׁכְּנוֹת רְשָׁעִים׃ - Behold, I know your thoughts, and the schemes with which you wrong me. For you say: 'Where is the house of the nobleman, and where is the tent of the dwelling places of the wicked?'
I know your thoughts: everything you answered regarding the success of the wicked - that ultimately he will be broken, that he will suffer ruin, that he lives in fear his entire life, that his children will not succeed after him - as we discussed in the previous lesson, you speak with cunning language. Ostensibly you are talking about some generic wicked person, but in your allegory, the subject is me. "And where is the tent of the dwelling places of the wicked?" - here you say: where is the house of the nobleman, the one who was supposedly generous, who helped and gave to everyone? Behold, it turned out that he was wicked, and therefore, where are his dwellings? For Iyov and his household - his household in the broader sense, all his children after him - everything is gone. And even though you did not state explicitly that I am the wicked person in the story, I know your thoughts and your schemes against me. But to this I argue: even according to your words, my question was not about a specific individual, but about the wicked in general.
הֲלֹא שְׁאֶלְתֶּם עוֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ וְאֹתֹתָם לֹא תְנַכֵּרוּ׃ - Have you not asked wayfarers? You will not deny their signs.
I suggest you ask the wayfarers, people who travel from place to place. In those days, an ordinary person had no idea what was happening in the wider world: there were no news broadcasts, travel between places took immense amounts of time, and the transmission of letters and information was very limited. In such a reality, anyone who wanted to stay informed had to inquire of world travelers - those who sailed on ships and journeyed to distant lands, who had seen the world and knew what was happening everywhere. They will tell you how much the wicked prosper and how much blessing there is in their affairs. "You will not deny their signs" - this evidence, in the sense of a sign and wonder, you will not be able to disown and claim it is untrue. I am not the subject here; my question is about the wicked in general - and how will you answer for them?
כִּי לְיוֹם אֵיד יֵחָשֶׂךְ רָע לְיוֹם עֲבָרוֹת יוּבָלוּ׃ - That the evil man is spared for the day of calamity; they are led forth to the day of wrath.
What will you say? That the Holy One, blessed be He, spares the evil man for the day of calamity, meaning He waits for him until the day of his death and only then does he receive his due. "Eid" means ruin: Hashem waits for the day of his downfall, as if saying to him, wait until we meet, and there he will face Gehennom and suffer punishments, which is why he is not repaid here in this world - as Bildad the Shuchite claimed. "They are led forth to the day of wrath" - to the day of death. The word "avorot" can be understood in the sense of wrath and fury, or the day on which he passes to the next world, where he will receive what he deserves.
מִי־יַגִּיד עַל־פָּנָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וְהוּא־עָשָׂה מִי יְשַׁלֶּם־לוֹ׃ - Who will declare his way to his face? And for what he has done, who will repay him?
First, it is fitting that the wicked person should receive his punishment in the very place where he committed his wicked deeds, for that is where the witnesses who testify to his evil ways are found. But there, after his death, who will declare his way to his face, and who will testify against him? Chazal have already answered this question: the beams of a person's house are what testify against him if he acted wickedly. And second, "and for what he has done, who will repay him?" - someone must be found to repay him, but according to Iyov's view there is no Gehennom, and if so, who will repay him?
וְהוּא לִקְבָרוֹת יוּבָל וְעַל־גָּדִישׁ יִשְׁקוֹד׃ - Yet he is brought to the graves, and keeps watch over the tomb.
"Yet he is brought to the graves" - and there, no one is present to testify against him that he committed wicked deeds, corresponding to "Who will declare his way to his face?" And corresponding to "who will repay him?" - "and over the tomb keeps watch": he is buried beneath the mound, in a place beyond the judge's reach. Nor is this temporary, but rather "keeps watch," constantly, never emerging from there. The judge, as it were, cannot seize him to bring him out and judge him.
מָתְקוּ־לוֹ רִגְבֵי־נָחַל וְאַחֲרָיו כָּל־אָדָם יִמְשׁוֹךְ וּלְפָנָיו אֵין מִסְפָּר׃ - The clods of the valley are sweet to him; every person will draw after him, and before him without number.
And if you should say that the grave itself is the place of judgment - "the clods of the valley are sweet to him," the clods of earth are pleasant and sweet to him; he lies there securely and suffers no distress in his grave. "And after him every person draws" - this is the end of all mankind, "and before him there are countless" - and before him as well, countless people have died.
וְאֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמוּנִי הָבֶל וּתְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם נִשְׁאַר־מָעַל׃ - "How then can you comfort me in vain, when of your answers there remains only faithlessness?"
In your answers "there remains only faithlessness" - they contain no real answer to my question, but only betrayal and deceit: you betray me by coming to declare that I am wicked, rather than coming to comfort me. All your arguments are vanity, for I have proven that no proof can be brought from me, as most of the wicked prosper and their children endure after them. And regarding death - death overtakes every person in the end, "every person draws [after him]," and before us countless people have died, and all will die in the end. If so, where are reward and punishment? As we have said, for us this is no difficulty, for we already know the answer; but Iyov, according to his premise that there is no immortality of the soul, searches for where a person is brought to judgment - inside the grave? Where does it take place? And because he does not believe in the survival of the soul, from his perspective this is an unanswerable question.
In chapter 21, Iyov dismantles all three answers of his companions. He asks that they listen to him fully, and argues that his question was never about himself, but about the wicked in general. He describes their prosperity in detail: longevity and vigor, seed and offspring surrounding them, homes free of fear and without the rod of God, fertile flocks, children going out and dancing without care, and a swift death that is itself their heart's desire. And these are truly wicked people, who say to God, "Depart from us," and deny the value of divine service and prayer. In his view, it would be proper for punishment to strike the wicked person himself, little by little, until he acknowledges his error and feels that he is drinking from the wrath of the Almighty; whereas the punishment of his children after his death is no punishment at all, since he does not feel it. And because Iyov denies the immortality of the soul, death - which levels the righteous and the wicked alike - seems to him a complete contradiction to justice. He therefore attributes everything to the system of the stars and constellations, concluding that the comforts of his companions are vanity and their answers nothing but faithlessness.