The Tanakh Podcast

Bildad is the second friend of Iyov, He also offers accusation rather than support. In his attempt to justify God, he essentially claims that Iyov's children must have died for their sins; and that Iyov is innocent, he will soon be rewarded. His proofs come from nature. Interestingly, many of these arguments and metaphors are reflected in various Psalms, but Iyov will not accept these arguments. They do not apply to him; precisely because he is innocent.

In this chapter Iyov asks God why he is subject to such close scrutiny? How much attention do we want from God? Is God's attention a good thing or a bad thing?

Iyov and his friend Eliphaz are not merely having a philosophical argument, they are speaking at cross-purposes, they are engaged in different languages. In this podcast we speak about how we might approach someone who is experiencing pain and suffering.

Eliphaz appeals to Iyov, that in the broad long run of history, God might sometimes strike a bitter blow, but in the broad calculus of time: "He {God} injures, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands heal." We ask whether this is a convincing argument.

The first of Job's friends challenges Job's status as "wholesome and blameless" and he charges: "What innocent man ever perished?" In other words - If you are suffering, you MUST be guilty.

In this chapter, after 7 days of silence, Job begins to speak. He 1. curses the day he was born, and the night of his conception. 2. Longs for death when his pain will be over.

If ch.1 gave us the awful loss of Job's wealth and the death of his ten children, today we see Satan take a step forward and afflict Job with the agony of boils or sores over his entire body, from head to the soles of his feet. We discuss his conversation with his wife, and witness the visit of his 3 friends who sit with him for seven days in absolute silence.

What happens when the man who has it all loses everything? What happens when a world of order turns to disarray? What happens when Satan makes a wager with God?

We move from Sefer Mishlei, an ordered, ethical world, to Iyov - a cruel world in which the righteous suffer. Today we offer a few words of introduction to the book.

Who is this "woman of valour" who we sing about every Shabbat? How does this alphabetical poem fit into Sefer Mishlei?