Introduction: A Supplementary Lesson on the Mystery of Job's Reincarnation
Having completed the Book of Job verse by verse, we dedicate this lesson to an entirely different dimension: the inner secret of these matters according to the holy Ari, the Zohar, the Rama of Fano, the Chida, and Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropol - who Job truly was, whose reincarnation he was, and why such suffering was decreed upon him of all people. Everything discussed here serves to illuminate the story as a whole: why the Holy One, blessed be He, ultimately restores Job's fortunes and blesses his latter end more than his beginning.
The Hint That Terah Was Reincarnated as Job
The reincarnation of Terah as Job is hinted at in the verses, and it is a truly wondrous hint, recorded over a century ago by the Agra DeKallah. The hint appears right at the seam between the parashiyot: "And Terah died in Haran. And the Lord said to Abram: Go forth..." Notice: Be-Haran gives the letter Beis; Vayomer gives Vav; Yud-Kei-Vav-Kei gives Yud; El Avram gives Alef. Reading from left to right (in reverse order), this spells Iyov (Job). Consider how precise this is: immediately following "and Terah died," "Iyov" is hinted at, and specifically in reverse - to teach that although he died, he was destined to return. Terah died, but he would return as Job. There is an additional hint here: the letter Nun of "be-Haran" is written inverted in the Torah scroll, which likewise hints at a reversal - that he was destined to return in a reincarnation.
The Name of Job
This is also hinted at in his name. If Job is Terah, who descended from him? Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And this forms the exact acronym of his name: Iyov (א-י-ו-ב) stands for Avraham, Yitzchak, Ve-Yaakov, Banav (his sons). They are literally his descendants, as Terah is the father of Abraham, as cited by the Rama of Fano. Furthermore, "Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov" equals the gematria of "Terah", showing that they are all traced back to Terah.
The Suffering That Abraham Deserved to Bear
The Midrash states: The Holy One, blessed be He, said that severe suffering and further trials were destined to come upon Abraham, but they will not come - for the suffering that came upon Job was destined to come upon Abraham. At that moment, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham: "Go, eat your bread with joy, for God has already accepted your works." Anyone who reads this Midrash without the premises discussed earlier and without the teachings of the holy Ari cannot understand it at all. First, what does it mean that one suffers "in place of" another? Does one person deserve suffering while another receives it in his stead? Surely, every man shall die for his own sin! Second, why would our forefather Abraham deserve severe suffering in the first place? What did he do?
According to the holy Ari, this becomes wonderfully clear. Our forefather Abraham feared that he would need to undergo further suffering - not as a punishment, but as a purification for his father's sins. He came into the world through an impure union, as the son of a niddah in the literal sense as explained previously, and originating from such a source requires extensive refining before the silver and gold are purged of their dross. It is written that the root of Terah's soul is from the waste of the root of Abraham's soul, which is also why Abraham labored so hard to bring his father to repentance. The Holy One, blessed be He, came and said to him: Know, Abraham, you need not suffer any further. Your father will settle his own account - Terah will return in a reincarnation as Job. And this is not Job paying on behalf of Abraham, but Job paying for himself, for he is paying for his previous lifetime as Terah. Abraham thought that he would have to undergo this refinement, but he is told: No, Terah will undergo it himself when he returns as Job, and it is not your duty to finish the work.
Hints in the Afflictions of Job
This is also hinted at in the Book of Job itself. The verse states: "And smote Job with severe boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head," and the holy Ari notes that the initial letters of Iyov bi-shechin ra mi-kaf (איוב בשחין רע מכף) form the name Avraham (אבר"ם). This indicates that he suffered in place of Abraham, in accord with the Midrash that Job would receive these afflictions. Likewise, as mentioned earlier, Va-ya'akod et Yitzchak beno ("And he bound Isaac his son") forms the acronym Iyov (א-י-ו-ב), teaching that from this point forward, Job would be the one to endure the suffering. Furthermore, the numerical value of bi-shechin ra ("with severe boils" - בשחין רע) equals that of hu hayah Terach ("he was Terah" - הוא היה תרח). The Chida also cites that the verse "And Abraham was old, advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed Abraham with everything" corresponds in gematria to Job.
The Parable of the Shepherd and the Wolf - Job Handed Over to Satan
It is written in Midrash Rabbah: Rav Chama bar Chanina said, at the hour Israel went out of Egypt, the angel Samael arose to prosecute them. A parable of a shepherd who was leading his flock across a river, and meanwhile a wolf came to attack the sheep. An experienced shepherd knows how to deal with wolves - what did he do? He took a large he-goat and handed it over to the wolf. Had he given it a small goat, the wolf would have finished it off immediately, but with a large goat it would wrestle for some time. He said: Let it grapple with this one until we cross the river, and afterwards I will bring it - I will finish taking the weak flock across, and then return and rescue the large goat from its jaws.
So too, at the hour Israel went out of Egypt, Samael arose to prosecute. He said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, until now these were idol worshippers, and You split the sea for them? These are idolaters and those are idolaters! What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He handed over to him Iyov, who was among Pharaoh's advisers, of whom it is written, "and Iyov was a blameless and upright man." He said to him: Behold, he is in your hands. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: While he is occupied with Iyov, Israel will enter the sea and come up out of it, and afterwards I will rescue Iyov.
And this is what Iyov said: "I was at ease, but He broke me apart; He seized me by the neck and shattered me" - to make me a target, as it says, "and set me up as His target." The arrows must fly somewhere, and the Holy One, blessed be He, says: Here is a target for you; take and occupy yourself with Iyov. And it is written, "God has handed me over to the unjust" - Hashem handed me over to an "el," a mighty power, "avel," an evildoer, which is Samael. Iyov says: They gave me over as a sacrifice into the hands of an evildoer, so that Israel would not be convicted in judgment. And that is, "and cast me into the hands of the wicked." At that hour, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe: Behold, I have handed Iyov over to the Satan; what is there for you to do? "Speak to the Children of Israel and let them journey" - there is already something to occupy the dog's bark.
Allusions to Iyov at the Splitting of the Red Sea
And this is hinted at in the Splitting of the Red Sea itself: "And Israel saw the great work that Hashem did against Egypt, and the people feared Hashem, and they believed in Hashem and in Moshe His servant." Notice the initials: "Vayir'u Ha'am Et Hashem" hint to Iyov. How did we cross the Red Sea? Through Iyov, who was handed over to the Satan. And likewise, "Vaya'aminu BeHashem UveMoshe Avdo" - the initials form Iyov, for he was the one who received the afflictions. And the Arizal says that this is also hinted at in the Song of the Sea: "Tar'otz oyev" (תִּרְעַץ אוֹיֵב - You crush the enemy) - the letters form "tzara'at Iyov" (צָרַעַת אִיּוֹב - the leprosy of Iyov). The leprosy that Iyov received was what removed the great enemy from us, the Satan, so that he could not prosecute. And yet another allusion: "Vayavo'u achareihem vayechasehu" - at an interval of every three letters in "achareihem vayechasehu" you find the name Iyov.
Iyov's Evil Counsel to Pharaoh
And it can be explained further: Iyov is the one who brought suffering upon the Jewish people. Who gave Pharaoh that evil counsel? Although Chazal state that Iyov remained silent, the holy Zohar writes that Iyov gave evil advice to afflict them. Iyov told Pharaoh: Do not kill them, but rather afflict them. And since you brought suffering upon the Jewish people through your advice, you will now protect them from suffering - you will absorb it and shield them. Measure for measure, Iyov suffers so that the Jewish people could cross the Red Sea.
The Chida: Four Hundred Years Corresponding to Terach
The depth of the matter is explained by the Chida in his work Simchat HaRegel. The Chida says: One of the reasons for the Egyptian exile was to atone for Terach, who worshipped idols. How many years did Terach live? Two hundred and five years, living a long life. Of those, for five years he cannot be held accountable, as he was a minor lacking understanding. That leaves two hundred years. And for the sin of idolatry, Hashem judges both the action and the thought: two hundred years of wicked action, and two hundred years of heretical thought, since heretical thought is akin to actual idolatry. Together, this amounts to four hundred years - corresponding to "and they shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years." And this was hinted to Avraham: "For your descendants will be strangers in a land not theirs" - in "ki ger yihyeh" (כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה), the letters kaf, gimmel, and yud total thirty-three, the gematria of "avicha" (your father). You ask why four hundred years? What can be done - your father: two hundred years of action and two hundred years of thought; because of him, rectification is needed. Therefore, Iyov was judged with suffering to atone for Terach.
And according to what we have said, the two reasons complement each other and are not contradictory. On the one hand, there is the counsel to enslave the Jewish people; on the other hand, the exile came to atone for Terach - and this is the very same thing: the entire exile is because of you, Iyov, and it came to atone for you, as you are Terach! And instead of rectifying, what do you do? You even advise to enslave them. We are suffering on your account, and you sit among Pharaoh's advisers and even offer advice on how to burden us further? Therefore, Hashem multiplied Iyov's afflictions.
The Missing One Hundred and Ninety Years
Israel left Egypt after two hundred and ten years, and the four-hundred-year rectification was not yet complete. The Satan prosecutes: Master of the Universe, four hundred years were required to atone for Terach, and they left after two hundred and ten - one hundred and ninety years are still missing! This is the inner depth of the claim, "These are idolaters and those are idolaters": Terach is still an idolater, meaning the rectification is not complete. For regarding what Israel worshipped now, it is difficult to hold them fully culpable, as they were under duress; but Terach worshipped idols willingly. They went down to rectify, and the rectification was not finished.
Based on this, we can understand the words of the Midrash. The Holy One, blessed be He, hands Iyov over to the Satan - and who is Iyov? Whom did we want to rectify in the first place? Terach. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: Terach will be reincarnated, and you, the Satan, will receive him into your hands for personal treatment, and through this you will make up for those years during which you claim the Jewish people did not suffer. Now this becomes wonderfully clear: this is not a scapegoat tossed to the Satan whenever a problem arises; rather, he himself is the problem and the cause of all the trouble. When a problem arises, the person who caused it is handed over - Iyov must endure the suffering due to him in order to complete the rectification of Terach.
"In the Beginning Our Forefathers Were Idolaters"
Through this we can also understand what we say in the Haggadah: "In the beginning our forefathers were idolaters, Terach the father of Avraham." Two questions arise here: First, why mention our disgrace and search for flaws in ourselves? Second, since when do we trace our lineage to Terach? "Our forefathers" are Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, not Terach!
Rather, the entire Haggadah deals with the exile in Egypt, and its roots must be understood: Why were four hundred years of exile decreed? Because in the beginning our forefathers were idolaters - Terach worshipped idols, and atonement had to be made for him. The Maggid begins by telling you: Know that everything you read from here on began because Terach was an idolater. This is how the Chida explains it.
The Reincarnation of Yaakov Avinu in Iyov
The kabbalists wrote that Yaakov Avinu was also reincarnated in Iyov, because he married two sisters. Yaakov also had a deficiency in this that required rectification, and therefore he too was reincarnated in Iyov. This is hinted at in the verse: "Do not take a woman alongside her sister as a rival, to uncover her nakedness" - the final letters of "do not take" (לא תקח), "as a rival" (לצרר), and "to uncover" (לגלות) are chet, reish, tav - spelling Terach (תרח). This teaches that Yaakov was reincarnated in Iyov, who is the reincarnation of Terach, on account of "do not take a woman alongside her sister." Furthermore, the initials of "ואשה אל אחתה לא" (and a woman alongside her sister, do not) have the numerical value of thirty-eight, twice Iyov (איוב = 19), to teach that he would have to be reincarnated for this matter in Iyov.
This is also hinted at in another verse: "If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and they bear him sons." Skip three letters in "שנואה וילדו לו בנים" (unloved, and they bear him sons) and you will get the word Iyov (איוב). For it is written, "Hashem saw that Leah was unloved" - "If a man has two wives" - and he would later have to be reincarnated in Iyov to rectify this. Furthermore, the final letters of "שנואה וילדו לו בנים" - hei, vav, vav, mem - equal the gematria of "yevamah" (יבמה, levirate widow), teaching that he would have to return and there would be levirate marriage involved here, as Iyov was the son of a yevamah. Moreover, "beloved" (אהובה) equals the gematria of Iyov, to teach that they would need to rectify this through reincarnation in Iyov.
The kabbalists wrote that Yaakov Avinu received suffering in his reincarnation as Iyov corresponding to the Ten Plagues with which Egypt was stricken. This is hinted at in the verse, "And Yisrael saw the great hand that Hashem wielded against Egypt" - Yisrael is Yaakov Avinu; and he endured suffering just as Hashem had executed in Egypt. For who caused the suffering in Egypt? Iyov, who is Terach. Iyov caused the suffering, and Iyov himself is afflicted with that very same suffering.
Rav Shimshon of Ostropoli: The Soul's Root in Adam HaRishon
Rav Shimshon of Ostropoli explains a deeper dimension here. It is written that every Jew's soul originates from a specific point in Adam HaRishon. To Rav Chaim Vital, for example, the holy Ari revealed that his soul originated from the hair on the shoulder of Adam HaRishon, telling him: If you only knew what immense stature you possess, you would never cease rejoicing all the days of your life; and the entire purpose of my coming into the world was solely to rectify you.
And where do we come from? Ikveta deMeshicha (the heels of Mashiach) - from the lowest point of Adam HaRishon, from the heel. And not only the lowest, but also the hardest: the skin there has no sensation. That is why today we hardly feel anything. In the past, you would see people praying and bursting into tears; today, if a person cries even at Ne'ilah, we consider it a blessing. It is dead skin that feels nothing. A person hears of tragedies, hears of troubles, and is unmoved; in the past, someone would hear of such things and break down in tears. There is no feeling of holiness, no awakening. We are ikveta deMeshicha, literally from the heels of Adam HaRishon.
And what is the origin of Yaakov Avinu? Rav Shimshon of Ostropoli says: From the two hairs on the crown of the head of Adam HaRishon. This is an exceedingly high place - the skull (karkafta) is a very exalted level in Kabbalah, and the hairs of the skull are higher still. It is written that when Adam HaRishon was still an unformed mass (golem), the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him every generation and its leaders, every generation and its sages, and He showed him Yaakov clinging to his hair. He showed him that just as no single hair touches another and they do not draw nourishment from the same follicle, so too he should not have married two sisters.
Two sisters are like two hairs drawing nourishment from a single follicle. And Yaakov Avinu stumbled in this with no choice - the one who caused his downfall was Lavan the Aramean, who forced him to marry two sisters because he thought that through this he could overpower him. Therefore, Yaakov needed to be reincarnated to rectify marrying two sisters, and he was reincarnated in Iyov.
"I am blameless; I know not my soul"
Now let us notice: Iyov says, "I am blameless; I know not my soul." "I am blameless" [tam] - I know what my root is; I come from the root of Yaakov, an ish tam [a wholesome man]. And Iyov repeats this description many times: "Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man," "Though I am blameless, He would make me perverse," "He destroys the blameless and the wicked." He repeatedly defines himself as "tam," just like Yaakov Avinu, an ish tam. And this is what he is saying: I am tam, I come from Yaakov Avinu, I am complete - yet I know not my soul: why must I suffer so greatly and be afflicted, if I descend from such a tzaddik?
"Out of the Whirlwind" - From Between the Hairs of Man's Head
We read, "Then Hashem answered Iyov out of the whirlwind," where "se'arah" [whirlwind] is spelled with a sin [שׂ]. Chazal expounded: "out of the se'arah" - from between the se'arot [hairs] of a person's head. In terms of the literal meaning, we have already explained this and will not repeat it, but see how wondrous this is according to Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropoli. The mystical secret of the matter: from between the hairs of Adam HaRishon's head. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to him? If you knew where your soul's grasp in Adam HaRishon was, you would have no difficulties at all. Where were you? In the two hairs on the crown of Adam HaRishon's head. And what was hinted to you there? That two hairs do not draw nourishment from a single follicle, and you must not marry two sisters - yet you married two sisters. This was the answer to Iyov: understand that even being a tam, that is, like Yaakov, even as a reincarnation of a tzaddik, even a tzaddik has what to rectify; your soul's root is from the hairs, and this is what you need to rectify.
Allusions to Yaakov's Reincarnation in Iyov
Yaakov's reincarnation in Iyov is also alluded to in the Torah. It is written: "He is Esav, the father of Edom. And Yaakov dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan." Note this: "Edom" begins with alef [א], "Vayeshev" begins with vav [ו], "Yaakov" begins with yud [י], "be'eretz" begins with beit [ב] - spelling out Iyov [איו"ב], meaning the reincarnation of Yaakov. Furthermore: "Yaakov" begins with yud [י], "be'eretz" with beit [ב], "megurei" with mem [מ] - forming the word yabam [יב"ם, levir], as we mentioned that Iyov was the son of the yevamah. Moreover, "aviv" [אביו, his father] has the same letters as "Iyov" [איוב] - "in the land of his father's sojournings [megurei aviv]," to tell you that he was destined to dwell in the land where Iyov would live. In addition, "hachi kara shemo Yaakov" - the final letters spell out Iyov, and in the phrase "kara shemo Yaakov vaya'akveini," at an equidistant skip of four letters, it spells Iyov, and you can trace it.
"And You Shall Go to Your Fathers in Peace" - A Difficulty in the Covenant Between the Parts
The holy Ari further says: At the Covenant Between the Parts, Hashem informs Avraham: "Know for sure that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. And also that nation, whom they will serve, will I judge; and afterward they shall come out with great substance. And you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." There is a very great difficulty here, such that when one hears it, one wonders how we did not notice it ourselves.
Hashem tells him: Your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, they will enslave them and afflict them, and that nation I will judge, and afterward they will leave with great wealth. What should have been written immediately afterward? "And in the fourth generation they shall return here" - when they leave with great wealth, where will they go? To the Holy Land, "for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." Yet right in the middle enters: "And you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age." How did this get inserted here? After all, these verses speak of events occurring long after Avraham's death: they are in Egypt, enslaved and afflicted, and afterward they leave and enter the Land - what is the relevance of "and you shall go to your fathers in peace" right in the middle?
This is especially puzzling according to what Chazal expounded, that here Hashem informed him that Terach was destined to repent - for otherwise, how could he "go to your fathers in peace"? It turns out that right in the midst of the subjugation and right in the midst of the redemption, Scripture inserts a prophecy that Terach would repent. What is the connection, and why here?
Rather, as we said: Terach was reincarnated in Iyov, and through the suffering, Terach receives his rectification. And Iyov also had an independent reason to be stricken with suffering, for he was one of Pharaoh's advisers, and according to the holy Zohar, he gave wicked advice - to afflict Yisrael but not take their souls, meaning not to kill them.
The Language of the Zohar
In Chazal it is written that Iyov remained silent, while the holy Zohar states that Iyov advised Pharaoh to afflict the Jewish people. This is the wording of the Zohar: "Just as he judged, so was he judged, for Iyov was among Pharaoh's close advisors." "And when Pharaoh rose up against Israel, he sought to kill them" - Pharaoh wanted to slaughter us. "[Iyov] said to him: No, rather take their money and rule over their bodies with harsh labor, but do not kill them" - enslave them with hard labor, but do not kill them. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: By your life, with that very same judgment shall you be judged - whatever you advise to do to My people, so shall you be judged! What is written? "However, stretch forth Your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, but spare his soul." This is precisely the advice you gave Pharaoh, and now it is being tested upon you.
Measure for measure, Iyov is afflicted with suffering, and through the power of these sufferings Iyov repents. This is also hinted at in the verses: "The children of Israel groaned from the labor... and God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Avraham, with Yitzchak, and with Yaakov" - the initials of "et Avraham, et Yitzchak, ve-et" (את אברהם את יצחק ואת) equal the gematria of Iyov. What did Hashem remember? He remembered Iyov. Likewise, "And God saw the children of Israel, and God knew" - "Bnei" (ב) "Yisrael" (י) "Vayeida" (ו) "Elokim" (א) spell Iyov. This teaches that all the evil and the groaning came on account of Iyov: first, because he came to rectify the sins of Terach, and therefore we suffered four hundred years; and second, because he was the one who gave the evil counsel.
The Order of the Verses at the Covenant Between the Parts Is Explained
Now let us return to the explanation of the verses. "You shall surely know that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and afflict them four hundred years" - and who advised this? Iyov; therefore Iyov is afflicted with suffering, and as a result, he repents. "And also the nation whom they will serve I will judge, and afterward they will go out with great wealth" - at the splitting of the Yam Suf I will judge Egypt, and they will merit great wealth at the spoils of the sea. And what happened at the Yam Suf? Hashem handed Iyov over to the Satan, and Iyov suffered, and through his suffering he atoned for Terach.
And immediately: "And you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age" - Iyov repents in the wake of his suffering, the suffering purifies him, and the Holy One, blessed be He, says to Avraham: You can be at peace, your father has reached his rectification. These matters are interdependent; this is not a side story inserted into the narrative of Egypt. Rather, there in Egypt Iyov gave evil counsel and there he receives his afflictions, and through this, the gilgul of Terach is also rectified, and consequently "you shall go to your fathers in peace." And when will this take place? When they leave Egypt. Therefore, this is also the order of the verses: after "and they will enslave them and afflict them" and "also the nation whom they will serve I will judge" comes "and afterward they will go out with great wealth" - for the spoils of Egypt were the small wealth, and the spoils of the sea were the great wealth. At that very time, Iyov is handed over to the Satan and Terach is rectified, and only then, "and you shall go to your fathers in peace," when everything is already complete. This is the explanation of the holy Arizal.
Avraham Out of Love and Iyov Out of Fear
The holy Arizal further says: Avraham Avinu served his Creator out of love, as it says, "Avraham who loved Me"; whereas Iyov served out of fear, as it says, "that man was wholesome and upright, God-fearing and shunning evil." Therefore, Avraham withstood his trials and did not fear the attribute of strict justice, because his divine service stemmed from love; whereas Iyov was tested with one trial and did not withstand it completely. Even so, Chazal say, with his lips he did not sin.
And this is what his wife said to him: "Do you still hold fast to your integrity?" Her intention was: all your wholesome and upright conduct stemmed from being God-fearing, from being afraid all the time. Who is a God-fearing person? Someone who fears suffering - he does not want Gehinnom, he does not want punishments, he does not want illness. Out of this fear you became righteous. And now, "that which I dreaded has come upon me" - the suffering has indeed come upon you. If so, "bless God and die" - what did all your righteousness help you? You became righteous so that you would not suffer, yet despite your integrity and uprightness, the Holy One, blessed be He, afflicts you. And why? Because the suffering comes for what you ruined with me in the previous gilgul, when you were Terach and I was Amatlai bat Karnevo!
Iyov said to her: "You speak as one of the base women speaks." What is the meaning of this epithet? He hinted to her: Know that we are reincarnated from the time about which it was said, "for he had committed an outrage (nevalah) in Israel by lying with the daughter of Yaakov." And who is the daughter of Yaakov? Dinah - and that is you, for Iyov's wife was Dinah. That generation of "an outrage committed in Israel" still needs to be rectified. What do you think, that I have no rectification through this suffering? You are mistaken - it is a test for me, and it came to rectify me.
And this is what he told her: "Shall we accept the good from God and not accept the evil?" The Arizal explains that this is with an exclamation mark, not a question mark: We shall indeed accept the good, and we shall not accept the evil! For we are supposed to receive immense evil for our previous gilgul - I had sins and you had sins, and we are supposed to suffer for them. But Hashem wants to spare us that evil in the future, so that we will receive the good in the future and not receive the evil. How does He do this? He brings evil upon us now, through the suffering we endure at present, in order to save us from future evil. This is how the Arizal explains it in Sefer HaLikkutim.
Summary: Six Reasons for Iyov's Suffering
Let us enumerate, then, six reasons for Iyov's afflictions. First: he was the reincarnation of Terach, who sinned through idolatry and through the sin of niddah. Second: he was a reincarnation of Yaakov, who married two sisters. Third: when there is an accusation, the Holy One, blessed be He, hands over a mighty ram to the Satan to grapple with, and Iyov, who was a tzaddik, was handed over to him. Fourth: he was one of Pharaoh's advisors and advised to afflict Israel, and the Zohar says that afflictions were decreed upon him precisely corresponding to what he advised.
Fifth - this is an addition we have not yet mentioned, found in the Zohar: Iyov offered many sacrifices, but made all of them burnt offerings (Olah). An Olah offering is consumed entirely to Hashem, and Iyov gave nothing to the Sitra Achra (the "Other Side"), offering everything solely to Hashem; therefore, the Sitra Achra prosecuted against him. The Zohar explains that a person must also bring peace offerings (Shelamim), and when one makes everything an Olah, the Sitra Achra brings accusations. This is why on Yom Kippur we send the scapegoat to Azazel. This does not mean, Heaven forbid, that we sacrifice to Samael; rather, we perform what Hashem commanded, but the Torah reveals to us where it goes - to Azazel, in order to silence him. The same applies to Mayim Acharonim (the final water before the Grace after Meals), which is "the portion of a wicked man from God" - the portion that goes to the Sitra Achra. There, too, we do not intend, Heaven forbid, to act for the Sitra Achra, but rather intend to fulfill what Hashem commanded; yet know that this is the portion Hashem gives to the Sitra Achra to remove accusation from the meal. Iyov did not grasp this; he offered only Olot and did not throw even a bone to the Sitra Achra - and therefore it incited against him.
And one further point: it is written in the Zohar that Iyov was among Pharaoh's advisors, and since he was righteous, as long as he was among Pharaoh's advisors he shielded and protected Pharaoh. What did Hashem do? He struck Iyov, and when Iyov was stricken, he no longer had the strength to shield Pharaoh, whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon Pharaoh the severe plagues and suffering that He brought upon him.
From Curse to Blessing
There is also a later addition - that Iyov, the sage Avdan who lived in the days of Rebbi, and the sage Aibu were all reincarnations of Terach - but we will not delve into that now. Let us conclude with a beautiful hint: Iyov's situation, which at first was exceedingly difficult and later was restored to him with far greater abundance than before, is hinted at in the Torah through equidistant letter skips. In the verse, "Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field": starting from the letter Alef of "atah" (אתה), skipping every five letters - Tav, Hei, Beit, Ayin of "ba'ir" (בעיר), and so on - spells out Iyov (איוב). Iyov experienced "cursed be the day," enduring the most terrible curses. On the other hand, there is the verse, "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field," and with the exact same skip of five letters, the name Iyov appears there as well - to teach you that Hashem blessed Iyov, restored his captivity, and returned his standing with a blessing far greater and more immense than what he had before.
וַיהֹוָה שָׁב אֶת שְׁבוּת אִיּוֹב בְּהִתְפַּלְלוֹ בְּעַד רֵעֵהוּ, וַיֹּסֶף יְהֹוָה אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לְאִיּוֹב לְמִשְׁנֶה. (מב, י) - And Hashem restored the fortunes of Iyov when he prayed for his friends, and Hashem gave Iyov twice as much as he had before. (42:10)
וַיהֹוָה בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַחֲרִית אִיּוֹב מֵרֵאשִׁתוֹ, וַיְהִי לוֹ אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר אֶלֶף צֹאן וְשֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים גְּמַלִּים וְאֶלֶף צֶמֶד בָּקָר וְאֶלֶף אֲתוֹנוֹת. (מב, יב) - And Hashem blessed the latter end of Iyov more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. (42:12)
And another place where this is hinted at: "If he comes in alone, he shall go out alone; if he is married, then his wife shall go out with him." We explained that Terach and Amatlai bat Karnevo were both reincarnated, he as Iyov and she as his wife Dinah. If we count in letter skips, beginning with the letter Alef and skipping six letters, we reach the Yud of "yavo" (יבא), the Vav of "begapo" (בגפו), and the Beit of "yetzei im ba'al" (יצא אם בעל) - spelling Iyov (איוב). This teaches: "If he comes in alone, he shall go out alone," but "if he is married, then his wife shall go out with him" - he will have to return in reincarnation and his wife will come with him, in order to rectify what both of them had blemished.
In summary: We have seen in this lesson the mystery of Iyov according to the holy Ari, the Zohar, the Rama of Fano, the Chida, and the Sar Shalom of Ostropoli: Iyov was the reincarnation of Terach, who came to complete the rectification for which the four hundred years of Egyptian exile were decreed, and also a reincarnation of Yaakov Avinu for marrying two sisters; he was among Pharaoh's advisors and advised to afflict Israel, and was judged with those exact same afflictions; he was handed over to the Satan at the splitting of the Red Sea like the large he-goat in the parable, so that Israel could cross through the sea; and he offered only Olot without giving any portion to the Sitra Achra. Yet through all this, the afflictions came only to refine and rectify - and ultimately, "Hashem restored the fortunes of Iyov" and "Hashem blessed the latter end of Iyov more than his beginning," from curse to blessing. May the Holy One, blessed be He, help us to learn and to teach, to safeguard, perform, and fulfill His will with a whole heart, Amen and Amen.