Welcome to NachDaily with Iyov perek 41, which completes the sefer!

This is a great accomplishment, as we’ve thoroughly delved into the arguably the hardest sefer of Nach. We’ve explored and had lengthy discussions of the most difficult questions in the world to understand: why bad things happen to good people and good things to bad people, Hashem’s Hashgacha Pratis, free will, reward and punishment, and Olam Habah.

Daily listeners or readers can certainly be happy with this amazing accomplishment. Even if you’re a casual follower and only check in once in a while, any amount of learning this unexplored sefer is truly something to be proud of. And even if you just see the emails in your inbox and don’t really open them, just thinking that you’d like to learn more is a good thing. Stay strong, hold tight, and Hashem will eventually shine His light upon you.

For those who have been following NachDaily all the way from Sefer Yehoshua, im yirtza Hashem, we are not far off from finishing the entire Tanach. With over 700 classes, and 2,500 daily subscribers, we now have listeners literally throughout the globe. The end is in sight. As we join together little by little, perek by perek, the hours of Torah add up. Mazel tov to everyone for finishing.

Next we will be starting the 5 Megilos.

Before we begin the perek, I must thank Pinny Rosenbaum, who has volunteered his time since we began to disseminate NachDaily close to 6 years ago, starting with sefer Yehoshua, for sending out the loading and the daily emails, WhatsApp group, and SoundCloud. Thank you for helping to spread Torah to the thousands.

I’d like to publicly thank Mrs. Miriam Greenwald, my editor since sefer Tehilim, who graciously volunteers her time and expertise to edit the transcripts in a beautiful way for all to read. Many see problems, but few step up to do something about it.

Now let’s begin the perek.

The perek opens with Iyov confessing his error, admitting that he was mistaken. In verse 2 he says to Hashem, “Yadati ki chol tuchal v’lo yibatzer mimcha mizima – I know You can do anything, and that no plan is impossible for You.”

The Ibn Ezra and Ramban point out that Iyov now admits his realization that he can only understand what God allows to be understood.

The Malbim explains, as the discussion comes to an end, that Iyov is revealing what was in his heart the whole time. He did believe in the essentials of faith, but felt the need to clarify and further develop the truth with his friends. He wanted to be able to understand, in a more intellectual manner, the truths he already believed.

This is what the passuk indicates when Iyov says “Ya’dati – I knew.” Deep down I knew these truths all along.

In verse 5 he asserts, “Because of what I heard, I obeyed You, but now my eyes have seen You! Although I believed in You, Hashem, now I understand these concepts much more deeply.

In the path of chassidus, Iyov first says that he originally “heard You,” ending with “now I see You.” Hearing is always considered a lower level than seeing. Perhaps Iyov was saying, “Prior to Hashem testing me I was on the level of shemiya, hearing, but after passing my tests, I was raised to the higher level of clarity of re’eah, seeing.

We learn from here that every yerida is le’tzorech aliya, every descent is for the purpose of ascent. Although Iyov’s suffering was beyond human comprehension, he was able to see that it was for the purpose of being raised to a higher level that could have only been accomplished in this way. As we will see in a moment, Iyov will receive a double bracha from Hashem.

In verses 7 through 9, Hashem now turns towards Iyov’s friends, Eliphaz Hateimoni, Bildad Hashuchi, and Tsofar Hanamasi, rebuking them for not speaking words of truth. Even as they argued with Iyov, they didn’t really believe what they were saying, while Iyov was coming from a place of honesty and sincerity.

The friends are instructed to bring sacrifices to atone for their sins. In the meantime, Iyov, “My servant,” will daven for them to be forgiven.

The Gemarah in Bava Basra 16b learns from this that a person is not held responsible for things said under duress or in moments of anguish. Iyov also spoke incorrectly, but is still called “avdi– My servant.”

In pessukim 10 through 15, after Iyov davened, he was restored to his former status and position in life. People came to comfort and console him, and Hashem gave him twice as much as of everything that he’d had in the past.

Iyov’s days ended in prosperity, and all his former possessions, including his 7 sons and 3 daughters, were given back. There’s a debate in the Meforshim about this. Some say that Iyov had more children to replace those lost, but the Ramban and others learn that they never died. Their “deaths” were an illusion of the Satan. In the beginning of the sefer, the Satan had told Iyov through a messenger that his children died, but had just hidden them. Literally all of his possessions were thus returned to him.

Iyov renamed his daughters to reflect the new increased beauty they received from his blessings. The names are Yemima, Ketzia and Keren Haphuch. They were the most beautiful in all the land.

The last two pessukim, verses 16 and 17 say, “Vayechi Iyov acharei zos, mei’ah v’arbaim shanah, vayireh es banav v’es v’nei banav arb’aah doros. Vayamas Iyov zaken u’svah yamim – After this Iyov lived 140 years, seeing 4 generations of his sons and grandsons. Iyov died an old man, contented with his days.”

On this the Gemarah in Bava Basra 17a brings that when Rav Yochanon would finish sefer Iyov he would say, ‘The end of man is death. The end of an animal is to be slaughtered. We are both waiting to die. “Ashrei mi shegadol baTorah, v’amal baTorah v’oseh nachas leyotsro, hu gadol b’shem tov, v’niftar b’shem tov, Praiseworthy is a person who was raised in Torah and works hard in learning Torah, who grew up and died with a good name.” And on this Shlomo Hamelech would say, “Better a good name than fine oil. Better one’s day of death than his birthday.’”

I want to congratulate you on this awesome siyum. Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily when we’ll begin the 5 Megilos, beginning with Shlomo Hamelech’s Shir HaShirim. I am looking forward to learning this with everyone as Shir Hashirim is Kodesh Kedoshim.

Mazel Tov!

Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day!