Welcome to NachDaily with Iyov, Perek 5. We’re continuing the second half of Eliphaz’s initial response to Iyov’s denial of God’s exacting hashgacha pratis for all the people on the earth.

After Eliphaz described the answer that he received through nevuah, he explains that Iyov shouldn’t be surprised that God used him (Elipihaz) as a messenger to deliver His message of Divine providence. Since Iyov denied the concept, it was only fitting for Eliphaz to be chosen over him to receive the prophecy.

Don’t envy people who deny that Hashem is active in this world, he says. We’re constantly being guided with Hashem’s loving kindness. He is not separate from this world. The Kabbalistic Seforim call this “maleh kol almin v’sovev kol almin – Hashem fills and surrounds all the worlds.” Not only does God see the world from a distance, kaviyachel, but His divine light fills all of the worlds. Nothing could exist without a spark of divinity contained within it.

Keep in mind that Iyov believed in God, but denied His involvement with us. Iyov believed that life was predetermined, but Eliphaz countered that man’s success is dependent on hard work and toil.

Verse 7 famously says, “Ki Adam l’amal yulad. U’v’nei reshef yagbihu uf – For man is born to toil, unlike fiery angels who ascend in flight.” In other words, life is not predetermined. We have the ability to work hard to better our state in life.

Rashi relates that as humans it’s impossible not to mess up and sin. We are meant to work hard to overcome our challenges, in contrast to fiery angels who have no desire to sin.

In other words, Eliphaz was saying that we’re human! It’s only natural to mess up and do things we’re “not supposed to.” We need to embrace our humanity by understanding that we’re expected to fall and miss the target. In fact, the word cheit actually comes from the word “machita,” an archer who misses the target. We all miss the target and point of life at times, leading us to do aveiros. The Torah wasn’t given to angels. If God wanted us to be perfect, He would have created us like them. He wants humans, with all of our shortcomings, to serve Him, working hard no matter where we find ourselves in life. Adam l’amal yulad.

After maintaining that man has complete free choice, Eliphaz addresses a more subtle point. If man has free choice, why don’t things always work out the way we plan? It’s obvious that although people often try their hardest to bring about a certain result it doesn’t always work out. Iyov maintained that this was because of the mazalos, astrological forces.

The Malbim explains: Eliphaz asserted that at times when it seems a higher power or force is driving your actions and it appears as if you don’t have free choice, it’s not true. God can override a person’s free choice when He sees fit. In those cases when human choice is nullified, and our actions seem to be compelled by an external force, this must be attributed to God.

Verse 9 says that Hashem is “Oseh g’dolos v’ein cheiker, nifla’os ad ein mis’par – God performs great unfathomable deeds and infinite wonders.”

“God is big,” Elpihaz tells Iyov. There are infinite depths to His ways. There is no way to fully wrap our minds around them. We understand so little!

Eliphaz proceeds to give 2 proofs for hashgacha pratis. We will explain them based on the Malbim. 1) In certain places in the world like Africa and Egypt, the water vapor from the rain doesn’t just rise back to the sky. It actually accumulates underground and flows to a river to provide drinking water to sustain people. The Malbim cites the Nile as such a river. Although water usually evaporates back into the atmosphere, in some places God has the water accumulate into a life providing river. This is only one of the ways that He is involved in the world for the betterment of mankind.

The second proof of hashgacha pratis, based on the Malbim’s explanation of the pessukim, is finding examples of people’s direct plans for harm being deterred. In Shmuel Beis, chapter 17, for example, Achitophel gave advice to Avshalom which would have led to Dovid’s death, but Hashem influenced him not to take it.

This is a very deep proof because it shows that not only does God control the external events, but people’s minds as well. He sends them new thoughts, insights and realizations to guide them through life.

Included in hashgacha pratis are our thoughts and feelings, which are all Divine in nature. Three times a day, when we say “Ata chonen l’adam da’as” in Shemoneh Esrei,” we ask God for insight to guide us through life.

Eliphaz ends his argument by continuing to maintain that the suffering inflicted by Divine providence upon a person is for the good. He lists 7 benefits that one with Emunah will receive.

Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily to find out if Eliphaz won the argument and left Iyov with no response.

Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.