Malbim: On Hashgachas Hashem and Human Responsibility (1 of 2)

This year I learned and taught Sefer Iyov (the Book of Job) for the first time. I immediately became hooked on the Malbim's commentary, and relied heavily upon it to guide my learning (though I switched to the Rambam for the conclusion of the sefer). The Malbim, takes every word seriously, as is his style. He expresses his ideas clearly and explicitly, leaving no room for ambiguity. 

Although I found many insights in the words of the Malbim, one portion of his commentary stood out to my mind so fundamental and so eye-opening that I knew I had to share it . But I was apprehensive. Sefer Iyov is "longer in measure than the earth and wider than the sea" (Iyov 11:9). It should be learned in the manner of embarking on a journey - not as one browses postcards in a gift shop. I worried that by presenting this excerpt of the Malbim's commentary without the foundation and context of the rest of Sefer Iyov, one might be led to false conclusions. 

In the end, I decided that it was worth sharing, in spite of this risk. Think of this as a catalyst for further inquiry, not as a comprehensive treatment of the topic. To be safe, I decided to begin with this disclaimer:

DISCLAIMER:

You are about to read an excerpt from the Malbim's commentary on Sefer Iyov about the nature of reward and punishment. Sefer Iyov is 42 chapters long, and this excerpt represents only a fraction of the total picture. Thus, what you are about to read should NOT be taken as the "be-all and end-all" on the topics of reward and punishment, hashgachah pratis, and God's justice. There are many aspects of these topics which the Malbim does not address, and many questions which cannot be answered on the basis of these concepts alone. While it might be tempting to attempt to build an entire worldview based on the ideas set forth here, such an endeavor would be flawed from its inception. Think responsibly. 

I hope that message was loud enough and clear enough. Without further ado, let us proceed with the Malbim. Due to the length of the excerpt, I've decided to split it into several parts. 

We'll begin with the pesukim which the Malbim will be explaining. Part 1 will only cover his commentary on the first pasuk. 

Iyov 35:8-14: (8) Your wickedness injures only someone like yourself, and your righteousness is helpful only to another human being. (9) People will unite in the face of oppression, and they will cry out to be rescued from the oppressor's strong hand. (10) No [bird] inquires, “Where is God, my Maker?” who grants them nightly song [for their protection]. (11) Let us learn from the beasts of the field and gain wisdom from the birds of heaven. (12) There people will cry out, and [God] will not answer them because the wicked have grown so in strength. (13) But it is false to claim that [God] does not hear and that the Almighty does not see them. (14) Even though you say that you cannot perceive [Divine Providence], there is judgment before Him and you were created to implement it.

From here on out is the commentary of the Malbim, which speaks for itself. The paragraph divisions and emphasis in bold are my own: 

Malbim on Iyov 35:8: Your wickedness injures only someone like yourself. The wickedness that you commit that harms others only injures another human being like yourself [but does not affect God at all]. Similarly, the evil that man does to himself is damaging only to him. In the same vein, your righteousness is helpful only to another human being. That being said, how can you seek out [extrinsic] reward from Hashem for this, or [request] that He intervene in the particulars mete out punishment to the rasha? [To demand this would be] to suggest that [man’s actions] benefit Him or harm Him. 

This may be compared to the following: an ill patient doesn't seek out a reward from his physician [in payment] for obeying his instructions to safeguard his health, nor does the physician punish the patient if he fails to heed his warnings, for the reward and punishment are consequent upon the action itself. If he obeys [the physician’s instructions], he will be healed from his sickness, and that is his reward. If he doesn't obey, he will die, and that is his punishment. [This reward and punishment are not meted out] by the physician, but by [the patient] himself.  

Similarly, the reward [for good actions] is the good path itself, since he acquires perfection of his soul [by following it]; and if he does good for others, he will enjoy benefits from the society [in which he lives]. Conversely, “one who does evil corrupts his soul and his flesh” (Mishlei 11:17), and if he does evil to others, he will suffer from the wickedness of the society.  

The reason for this is because Hashem created man to be social, by nature, and [He intended] that the people of a society should help each other to attain their needs, and that they should have societal regulations and righteous laws to protect the community from all evil. If all people in the community join together to do goodness and kindness to their fellows, and take care not to harm each other in any way, and to diligently execute justice to all who violate these regulations – then everyone will live in peace and prosperity and no societal harm will befall any individual. The same is true for the species as a whole: if it is founded on righteous statutes and laws, then all of its individual members will be protected from every evil and harm, and its members would help each other [to attain their needs].  

But if all of them behave like wolves and agree to [follow] wicked laws [which enable] oppression and violence, then each [member of the society] will [consequently] be subject to wickedness. They will not be safe from the robber and the violent oppressor for even a moment. “Their lives will hang in the balance” (cf. Devarim 28:66) from the threat of their enemies, the perversion of justice, and the threat of murder. They will be like the fish of the sea, where each individual is swallowed alive by its neighbor.  

Hashem arranged the creation of man in such a way that reward and punishment are embedded in nature, both with regard to the individual and with regard to the preservation of the society. With regard to the individual: if a person follows the path to [true] happiness with proper ethical conduct and control of his lusts, and the like, then he will naturally enjoy a happy physical existence. And [if he lives in the] opposite manner, he will naturally suffer harm: “for the guzzler and the gorger will be poor, and slumber will clothe you in rags” (Mishlei 23:21), and “the lust of the lazy person will kill him” (ibid. 21:25); “for anger will annihilate the fool” (Iyov 5:2) and “envy causes bones to rot” (Mishlei 14:30), and “sharp wounds purge evil” (ibid. 20:30). And if an individual indulges in pleasure to excess, he will become seriously ill, “for the harlot will kill many a strong man” (cf. Mishlei 7:26). The same is true of one who sins against his society – the members of his society will come to exact justice, and the zealous will be the first to strike him. And the opposite with the opposite (i.e. the person who treats the members of his society well will receive reciprocal kindness from them).

I hope, after reading just one part of the Malbim's commentary here, that you can see what I mean about being "fundamental" and "eye-opening." Stay tuned for the continuation of this post, which I will try to post on the 17th of Tammuz.