July 18, 2019 · 00:03:29
Welcome back to Nach Daily, with Iyov, chapter 10. We’re continuing Iyov’s response to Bildad’s belief of why humans suffer. The Malbim explains that in this perek, Iyov takes a new stance on human suffering and specifically his own. Iyov actually denies free choice in light of God’s Oneness. Verse 2 says, “Omar el Eloha: Al tarshe’eini hode’aini al ma t’revaini - I say to God: Keep me from doing wrong, and explain to me why you continue to persecute me.” The Malbim explains that Iyov was asking Hashem to keep him from doing wrong because he’s destined to sin. Since You, God, have foreknowledge of everything that's going to happen, you must know that I’m going to sin. So if that's the case, Iyov says, “explain why You continue to persecute me.” My actions are predetermined, and I don't have free will to exercise choice. The Malbim explains that now Iyov actually agrees to Divine providence, but asserts that we don't have free choice because Hashem knows everything that's going to happen. In verse 7, Iyov says, “Al da’t’cha ki lo ersha v’ain m’yadcha matsil - You know that I will not do evil, and that there is none who can save me from Your hand,” meaning, I was destined to sin because Your foreknowledge decreed it. I want to explain this a bit, because here we are really touching on yedia and bechira, knowledge and choice. Most people understand the question as: How do we have free choice if God knows what is going to happen in the end? This way of asking the question is in a