Rabbi Israel Chait

Iyove Rabbi Israel Chait

"Iyove: God's Justice" are student's notes from Rabbi Israel Chait's extensive lectures on the book of Iyove (Job). The lectures were given in the 1970s. Rabbi Chait stated, "Sefer Iyove may be summed up as an account of a man who was perfect in all areas, except for his philosophy, regressing from one level to the next." Despite his perfectly righteous life and abstention from all sin, Iyove suffered severe tragedies and acute pain. Iyove knew he did not sin. He discussed his pains and questions on God's justice with his three friends, Bildad, Tzofar and Eliphaz. Each offered their own explanation for his tragedies, from the theory of compensation, ignorance of God's ways, and punishment. Iyove rejected all three views. He accused his friends of siding with God, fearful of accepting Iyove's questions as valid. He described his physical and mental anguish, including his sadness at the loss of his friends through their refusal to accept his words as true. Elihu, a fourth friend, provided Iyove with a new view. Iyove then realized his philosophy was incorrect. Accepting Elihu's words as truth, he raised his intelligence, and only then, God addressed him. Iyove finally admitted his error and affirmed God's righteousness, which previously he questioned. God returned Iyove's health, success and family to a level greater than his beginning. The book of Iyove explores the difficult question of why a good man suffers, presenting many views still held today, Iyove's analysis of those views, his reasons for rejecting them, and finally, God's view on the subject. Maimonides' words on Iyove, reprinted herein verbatim from his Guide for the Perplexed, direct our minds to the clues of the enigmatic portions of this book.