Chapter 40 continues the Holy One, Blessed be He’s response to Iyov. After everything that was said to Iyov in Chapter 39, Iyov remained silent and did not answer a word. But the Holy One, Blessed be He, knows what is in his heart and knows that he still has arguments remaining. Therefore, He turns to him and prompts him to speak. The chapter divides into two: Iyov's initial reply and confession, followed by the opening of the Holy One, Blessed be He’s second response from the whirlwind, which addresses the question of why the wicked prosper.
וַיַּעַן יְהֹוָה אֶת־אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃ הֲרֹב עִם־שַׁדַּי יִסּוֹר מוֹכִיחַ אֱלוֹהַּ יַעֲנֶנָּה׃ - Hashem answered Iyov and said: Shall one who contends with the Almighty admonish Him? Let him who rebukes God answer it!
The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to him: At first, I afflicted you with suffering, and then, while you were under severe afflictions, you stood up to contend with Me. You asked: Master of the Universe, let us debate face to face; I have what to say to You. Now that I have begun to speak with you, and this discussion is purely a matter of rebuke and presenting evidence, your afflictions have departed from you, and I stand before you merely as one offering reproof. If you spoke while you were suffering, all the more so now, when I have withdrawn My hand from you and am not afflicting you, but rather approaching you through debate, you have every reason to state your arguments.
In other words: one could have argued that you had reason not to speak then, for the hand of God was upon you and you were suffering so acutely, yet you spoke nonetheless. Now, when I have removed My hand from upon you and begun appealing to your intellect and presenting you with proofs, you suddenly fall silent? Speak now! Does something I am saying not find favor in your eyes, or seem inaccurate to you? This is the meaning of "Shall one who contends with the Almighty admonish [yissōr]": when I afflicted you with suffering [yisurin], you quarreled with Me (rov, from the root of contention); "let him who rebukes God answer it" - so why now, when I have come to rebuke and reason with you, do you not answer? All the more so you should have responded.
וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב אֶת־יְהֹוָה וַיֹּאמַר׃ הֵן קַלֹּתִי מָה אֲשִׁיבֶךָּ יָדִי שַׂמְתִּי לְמוֹ־פִי׃ - Iyov answered Hashem and said: Behold, I am of little worth; what can I answer You? I put my hand over my mouth.
Iyov says: Regarding all that I argued until now concerning the suffering that came upon me without cause, and the claims I leveled against Divine Providence, I now see that "I am of little worth" - meaning, I erred in this matter, and my words were spoken without wisdom. Concerning this, I have nothing to answer You. I now see that You supervise with complete and thorough providence.
First, from the very fact that the Holy One, Blessed be He, speaks to human beings. As noted earlier, the very existence of prophecy is proof of the immortality of the soul, for Hashem speaks to the eternal soul; this proves that the soul clings to God, and it also proves that there is full Providence, for Hashem opens His mouth and addresses man. And second, from the fact that Iyov saw that he was healed of his suffering: You claimed that "the righteous perish"? Behold, you see, Iyov, you are righteous and you did not perish; I have healed you from your afflictions. Therefore Iyov says: What can I answer You? I realize that I was mistaken. "I put my hand over my mouth" - I place my hand over my mouth because it is now clear to me that in return for the suffering I endured there is the World to Come, and You will ultimately grant a good reward to those who believe in You and to the righteous. Concerning myself, I have no more questions.
אַחַת דִּבַּרְתִּי וְלֹא אֶעֱנֶה וּשְׁתַּיִם וְלֹא אוֹסִיף׃ - Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.
Iyov's debate revolved around two issues. The first was why the righteous suffer ("tzaddik v'ra lo"), and on this he had already received an answer: the righteous person is not destroyed, there is eternal reward, and the soul is eternal. But a second issue remained: why the wicked prosper ("rasha v'tov lo"). There are wicked people who devastate the world, so why does the Master of the World not deal with them? Why do You not remove them from human settlements so they can no longer do harm? On this, too, I want an answer.
And this is what he means when he says: "Once have I spoken, but I will not answer" - regarding that one argument I voiced, I will offer no further reply, and you will no longer hear "and Iyov answered and said" concerning the righteous who suffer, for I have received my answer. "And twice" - but regarding the second question, Master of the World, give me an answer, and then "I will proceed no further" - I will not ask any more questions.
וַיַּעַן־יְהֹוָה אֶת־אִיּוֹב מִן סְעָרָה וַיֹּאמַר׃ אֱזָר־נָא כְגֶבֶר חֲלָצֶיךָ אֶשְׁאָלְךָ וְהוֹדִיעֵנִי׃ - Then the Lord answered Iyov out of the whirlwind, and said: Gird up your loins like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
Therefore, Hashem answers him from the whirlwind regarding this question of the wicked who prosper as well. The foundation of the answer is this: You ask why Hashem allows the wicked to do whatever enters their mind - to destroy, kill, murder, and harm - without punishing them. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: You could ask this very same question about the whole of creation. After all, I created awesome and immense creatures and beasts that strike terror and dread into all living things, and there are animals that prey on those below them. You might ask: Why were such fearsome creatures created? Just as you ask why there are wicked people in the world, you could ask why destructive, predatory, and lethal creatures were created.
Today, we are less familiar with this reality because we do not live in places where wild beasts roam. But in their times, forests, open spaces, and wilderness bordered human settlements. Today there are destructive foxes, but who encounters such things? Where could a fox even enter in central metropolitan areas? A car can barely get through! Wild animals keep away from densely populated areas. But back then, when people lived far apart from one another, wild beasts were plentiful, and a lion might kill people along the road - something virtually unheard of today.
So you might come and ask: Why did Hashem create fearsome, terrible, dangerous beasts, and why does He leave them alone instead of eliminating them from existence? The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: Know that this question is foolish. What do you expect, that Hashem should create only cats and mice, roaches and ants? That He should fill His world only with worms, parasites, and lowly creatures, leaving no formidable beast at all? On the contrary, the Creator's glory is reflected in the existence of fearsome beasts. There is the shark, there is the leviathan, there is the lion, there is the terrifying, awe-inspiring wild ox (re'em). It is through this that His glory is magnified, that the Holy One, blessed be He, rules even over the most terrifying creatures. To create a kingdom, one must also create such mighty beings. What would you want - that He fill His world with worms and snails and run His kingdom with those?
And if you ask: Won't they destroy everything, creating a reality where weaker, lower animals cannot survive? The Holy One, blessed be He, says: I provided all animals with tools to cope with predators. A weaker animal can be saved from a stronger one through the abilities I gave it. We have already mentioned many examples of this. For instance, a cat is far stronger than a hen, but the hen has a beak, which the cat dislikes, causing the cat to be startled and flee. A cat will prey on chicks, but not on adult chickens. What is a fowl compared to a cat? Yet Hashem gave it defensive tools: its beak and its claws.
Similarly, there is a butterfly whose appearance is intimidating: it has markings intricately patterned like a pair of bat-like eyes staring back at you. When a lizard approaches, it sees those eyes and retreats in flight, because it fears the bird that preys upon it, the owl and the screech owl. Here is a weak creature, a powerless butterfly, and yet Hashem endowed it with traits to save itself.
And the nimshal: Know that there are also mighty and powerful human beings. What do you expect, that Hashem should create only weaklings? Hashem also creates strong, courageous people, and unfortunately, through their strength and free will, they sometimes go out and cause harm and trouble. But Hashem says to him: Just as I provided animals with defensive tools, so too did I provide human beings with defensive tools. I ensured that man would naturally love justice, righteousness, and integrity, and that through wisdom and understanding he would be able to establish courts of law, police, and an army - forces that prevent the wicked from doing harm, just as animals were given defenses to prevent predators from wiping them out. And if humans fail to do so, they have only themselves to blame. There are wicked people, you are right, but why did you not properly guard against them?
הַאַף תָּפֵר מִשְׁפָּטִי תַּרְשִׁיעֵנִי לְמַעַן תִּצְדָּק׃ וְאִם־זְרוֹעַ כָּאֵל לָךְ וּבְקוֹל כָּמֹהוּ תַרְעֵם׃ - "Will you even annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me so that you may be justified? And do you have an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like His?"
The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: "Gird your loins like a man" - now I will ask you questions, and you will answer Me. Suppose you had strength like God, and I were to grant you, as it were, My own power, enabling you to rule over all the wicked and all living creatures. Would you even then annul My judgment, claiming that My governance is flawed, and condemn Me just so that you are vindicated in the debate? When you possess My power and see things from the perspective from which I see them, would you not act precisely as I act, and govern your world exactly as I govern it, without questioning why I do what I do? If you were in My place, I am ready, so to speak, to grant you My power and see whether you would not run your world in the very same way.
עֲדֵה נָא גָאוֹן וָגֹבַהּ וְהוֹד וְהָדָר תִּלְבָּשׁ׃ הָפֵץ עֶבְרוֹת אַפֶּךָ וּרְאֵה כָל־גֵּאֶה וְהַשְׁפִּילֵהוּ׃ - "Deck yourself now with eminence and loftiness, and clothe yourself with glory and splendor. Scatter the furies of your wrath, and look upon every proud one and bring him low."
Hashem says to him: Behold, I grant you the power and might that I possess; go ahead and try. "Adeh" comes from the root of ornament and jewelry (adi): adorn yourself with eminence and loftiness, and clothe yourself in majesty and splendor, just as it is written, "You are clothed in glory and majesty," so that you possess, as it were, power like Hashem Himself, blessed be He. Then, with that Divine power in hand, "scatter the furies of your wrath" - unleash your fury to humble every arrogant one. In other words, leave only the ants, the snails, and the weakest creatures in the world.
רְאֵה כָל־גֵּאֶה הַכְנִיעֵהוּ וַהֲדֹךְ רְשָׁעִים תַּחְתָּם׃ טָמְנֵם בֶּעָפָר יָחַד פְּנֵיהֶם חֲבֹשׁ בַּטָּמוּן׃ - "Look upon every proud one and subdue him, and crush the wicked in their place. Bury them together in the dust; bind their faces in the hidden place."
Anyone who is arrogant in mind, subdue him until his heart is humbled as well. Through this, "and crush the wicked in their place" - when they no longer have the capacity for pride, no more wicked people will arise to exalt themselves and harm society and the world. "Bury them together in the dust" - bury them in the earth so they are wiped out of existence and return to their dust. "Bind their faces in the hidden place" - a hidden place is where something is concealed, and binding is akin to confinement in prison: bring about their total subjugation, down to the dust.
וְגַם־אֲנִי אוֹדֶךָּ כִּי־תוֹשִׁעַ לְךָ יְמִינֶךָ׃ - "Then I, too, will praise you, for your own right hand can save you."
If you can lead the world with such governance and still retain the title of God, of Creator and Maker, I too will concede to you and affirm your words, acknowledging that you succeeded and that your right hand brought you victory. But what kind of ruler is one who governs only snails and ants?
הִנֵּה־נָא בְהֵמוֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂיתִי עִמָּךְ חָצִיר כַּבָּקָר יֹאכֵל׃ - "Behold now Behemoth, which I made along with you; he eats grass like an ox."
Following the poetic challenge He presented to him earlier - to eliminate all the mighty, powerful creatures and leave only insignificant beings in the world - He says to him: If so, where must you inevitably begin? With the largest and most fearsome creatures. There are two formidable creatures in creation: one on land, exemplified by the re'em, and one in the sea, exemplified by the Leviathan. And He begins with the massive, terrifying land beast named "Behemoth" (as in behemot sadai), and though it is fearsome, "he eats grass like an ox."
הִנֵּה־נָא כֹחוֹ בְמָתְנָיו וְאוֹנוֹ בִּשְׁרִירֵי בִטְנוֹ׃ - Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his might is in the sinews of his belly.
Carnivorous beasts derive their strength from their claws and teeth, or from their venom, which is what they need to capture prey. But these herbivores, which have no need to hunt, since "he eats grass like an ox," have their primary strength centered in their loins and abdominal muscles, and they require no specialized teeth.
יַחְפֹּץ זְנָבוֹ כְמוֹ־אָרֶז גִּידֵי פַחֲדָו יְשֹׂרָגוּ׃ עֲצָמָיו אֲפִיקֵי נְחֻשָׁה גְּרָמָיו כִּמְטִיל בַּרְזֶל׃ - He stiffens his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are like bars of iron.
"He stiffens his tail like a cedar": When he feels desire and lust, his organ stiffens like a cedar. "The sinews of his thighs are knit together": Pachadav refers to his testicles, whose sinews are intertwined like the thick branches and boughs of trees. "His bones are tubes of bronze": His bones resemble channels of copper from their immense strength. "His limbs are like bars of iron": like a heavy load of forged iron.
הוּא רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכֵי־אֵל הָעֹשׂוֹ יַגֵּשׁ חַרְבּוֹ׃ - He is the first of the ways of God; only his Maker can draw His sword against him.
Now that I have supposedly granted you God-like power to wipe out all the mighty and fearsome creatures, the first one you would have to eradicate is this one: "He is the first of the ways of God" - he is the one you must destroy first. Yet this is no simple matter at all, for he is an exceedingly fearsome creature, and who could ever prevail against him? "Only his Maker can draw His sword against him" - only the One Who made him and formed him has the power to approach and slay him.
The Gemara relates that King David once climbed what he thought was a hill, and was suddenly terrified when the hill began to rise. It turned out that it was not a hill at all, but a re'em, and he was sitting upon it, mistaking it for an enormous hill. He then prayed to Hashem and said, "Answer me from the horns of the re'emim" - up there on the summit, beside the horns of the re'em, from there You answered me, and the re'em crouched down so that King David landed safely.
כִּי־בוּל הָרִים יִשְׂאוּ־לוֹ וְכָל־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה יְשַׂחֲקוּ־שָׁם׃ - For the mountains yield food for him, and all the beasts of the field play there.
He says to him: If you destroy the re'em, there would indeed be advantages. "For the mountains yield food for him" - the produce and crops on the mountains will finally bear fruit, for until now these massive beasts consumed everything, and with his destruction there would be an abundant harvest on the mountains. "And all the beasts of the field play there" - until now, all the wild beasts fled in terror from him, but once you destroy him, they will be grateful to you and will be able to play there, fearing him no longer.
תַּחַת־צֶאֱלִים יִשְׁכָּב בְּסֵתֶר קָנֶה וּבִצָּה׃ יְסֻכֻּהוּ צֶאֱלִים צִלְלוֹ יְסֻבּוּהוּ עַרְבֵי־נָחַל׃ - Under shady trees he lies, in the covert of the reed and the marsh. Shady trees cover him with their shade; the willows of the brook surround him.
After you destroy him, he will lie under shady trees in the covert of reed and marsh: his carcass will be cast into a hidden place covered in shadows, a shaded spot. The shadows will form a kind of canopy over him, and the carcass itself will be like a mere shadow, for compared to the living creature, all that remains of him is his shadow. "The willows of the brook surround him" - willows will grow around him and cover him until he is completely concealed from view.
הֵן יַעֲשֹׁק נָהָר לֹא יַחְפּוֹז יִבְטַח כִּי־יָגִיחַ יַרְדֵּן אֶל־פִּיהוּ׃ - Behold, he oppresses a river, yet he does not hasten; he is confident though the Jordan surge into his mouth.
Now He turns to speak with him about the second formidable creature, the one of the sea - the Leviathan, whose very name evokes dread, devouring all the creatures of the water. He says to him: When he comes to rob the river and the creatures within it, stop him from rushing in to plunder; restrain him and kill him! For he is confident "though the Jordan surge into his mouth" - confident that if he so desires, he could swallow the entire Jordan River, as it were, in a single gulp.
בְּעֵינָיו יִקָּחֶנּוּ בְּמוֹקְשִׁים יִנְקָב־אָף׃ - He takes it with his eyes; with snares he pierces his nose.
"He takes it with his eyes" - he seeks to take the Jordan along with its springs. "And with snares he pierces his nose" - he opens the nostrils of his nose, which are full of snares (the word mokesh, snare, is related to a baited trap). This Leviathan merely opens his nose and immediately ensnares everything, drawing all into himself; his nostrils act as a snare, drawing in all the creatures of the sea.
תִּמְשֹׁךְ לִוְיָתָן בְּחַכָּה וּבְחֶבֶל תַּשְׁקִיעַ לְשֹׁנוֹ׃ הֲתָשִׂים אַגְמֹן בְּאַפּוֹ וּבְחוֹחַ תִּקֹּב לֶחֱיוֹ׃ - Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a reed-rope through his nose, or pierce his jaw with a barb?
Hashem says to him: Now that you have all the power in your hands and have begun to destroy the mighty creatures, the second creature you will need to deal with is Leviathan. Draw out Leviathan with a fishhook - a specialized hook used to hunt the great sea creatures - and press down his tongue with a cord so that he can no longer destroy the fish of the sea. Yet you require a specialized tackle; you cannot hunt him as small fish are caught, with a reed or a thorn. An agmon is a fishing rod made of reed or rush from a marsh, which was once used to fashion fishing rods. Could you capture Leviathan with such a reed? Or with a thorn, piercing his jaw as small fish are caught with a simple hook? You cannot treat him as tender creatures are treated, where one inserts a small hook and easily pulls them out of the water.
הֲיַרְבֶּה אֵלֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִים אִם־יְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ רַכּוֹת׃ הֲיִכְרֹת בְּרִית עִמָּךְ תִּקָּחֶנּוּ לְעֶבֶד עוֹלָם׃ הַתְשַׂחֶק־בּוֹ כַּצִּפּוֹר וְתִקְשְׁרֶנּוּ לְנַעֲרוֹתֶיךָ׃ - Will he make many supplications to you, or speak soft words to you? Will he make a covenant with you, that you take him as a servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird, or tie him for your maidens?
Is he like docile animals that bleat and whimper, as it were pleading with man? He is a terrifying beast, and you cannot subjugate him beneath your dominion. "Will he make a covenant with you?" - you cannot capture and domesticate him the way horses are captured and tamed into domestic steeds; he will not strike a covenant with you nor agree to submit to you and serve as your perpetual servant, fulfilling your will. Nor can you capture him for sport, the way formidable bulls are sometimes captured to be placed in an arena for amusement, or the way a bird is kept for play.
In this context, it is well known that many animals, especially aquatic creatures, die in captivity if captured, even when provided with ideal conditions, and it is said that they die of depression. Whales, sharks, and many marine creatures cannot be captured and tamed, and when confined, they simply lose the will to live.
יִכְרוּ עָלָיו חַבָּרִים יֶחֱצוּהוּ בֵּין כְּנַעֲנִים׃ - Will partners feast upon him? Will they divide him among merchants?
There is no remedy for him other than the knife. And when he is captured, "will partners feast upon him" - groups of people gather to feast upon his flesh, if they can manage to consume it at all before it spoils, given the immense quantity of meat. "Will they divide him among merchants?" - Canaanites refers to small merchants, as in the verse "there shall no longer be a merchant [Kena'ani]," meaning traders. In other words, however much they feast upon him will not suffice to consume it all, and they will have to sell half of it to merchants for trade. Furthermore, the word yikhru connotes both commerce and a kerah, a great banquet.
הַתְמַלֵּא בְשֻׂכּוֹת עוֹרוֹ וּבְצִלְצַל דָּגִים רֹאשׁוֹ׃ - Can you cut through his hide with knives, or his head with fish cleavers?
Hatmalei is related to lemalol (to sever): Can you sever and cut off its head with sukkot? Sukkot is related to sakin (knife), as in "and place a knife at your throat" (Mishlei 23:2). Can you cut off its head with knives, the way you remove a fish's head with a knife? Or will you sever its head with tziltzal dagim, which is a cleaver, an axe-like tool used to chop off the heads of larger fish, since a knife is insufficient for large ones and a cleaver is required? Yet against this Leviathan, neither knife nor axe can prevail.
שִׂים־עָלָיו כַּפֶּךָ זְכֹר מִלְחָמָה אַל־תּוֹסַף׃ - Lay your hand upon him; remember the battle, you will do so no more!
Once I give you the power that I possess, it is enough for you to lay your hand upon him - you merely lower your hand upon him, and you have already finished him off. There is no need for a knife or a cleaver, for I have endowed you with godlike strength. "Remember the battle, you will do so no more" - you will not remember at all that you once had to fight him through conventional warfare, in a state where you could not overpower him; rather, with My power in your hand, you eliminate him with a gentle touch. With this, the Holy One, blessed be He, asks Iyov: Could you truly do this, and run your world in a manner where you simply eradicate the formidable creatures?
In this chapter, Iyov admits that he was mistaken regarding his complaint about the righteous person who suffers: he sees that Hashem speaks to man - proof of Divine Providence and the immortality of the soul - and he sees that he has been healed from his suffering, and therefore he places his hand over his mouth. However, a second question remained for him: the wicked person who prospers. To this, the Holy One, blessed be He, opens His response from the whirlwind. The essence of the answer: just as the Creator's glory is reflected in the existence of formidable creatures in His world and not merely worms and snails - while He nevertheless provided every weaker creature with defensive tools against those stronger than it - so too among human beings there are mighty individuals, and mankind was endowed with the love of justice, righteousness, and the wisdom to establish courts of law, police, and an army to restrain the wicked. If humanity fails to do so, they have only themselves to blame. Finally, the question is turned back upon the questioner: If you possessed godlike power and were commanded to destroy Behemot and the Leviathan, leaving only ants and snails in the world, would you truly run the world any differently than I do?