Why Do We Suffer? Insights from the Book of Job

Have you ever pondered the profound question of why we suffer? Many misquote the phrase “a righteous person suffers while the wicked thrive,” yet this phrase does not fully capture the complexity of the world. In the Talmud (Brachot 7a), our sages recount that Moses asked Hashem, “Master of the Universe, why are there righteous people who suffer, while others live in prosperity?”

In truth, not every righteous person suffers, and not every wicked person prospers. We see righteous individuals who live blessed, joyful lives, and others who endure hardship. We also see wicked individuals who experience success, while others face suffering.

The World Is Not Black and White

We encounter wealthy and famous people trapped in depression, broken relationships, and endless inner turmoil. At the same time, there are righteous individuals with modest means who live joyful lives within warm families and devoted marriages, immersed in Torah learning. Reality is not divided neatly between righteous suffering and wicked flourishing. There are righteous who thrive and righteous who struggle, just as there are wicked who prosper and wicked who fall.

What becomes clear is that we do not grasp the intricate inner workings of the world. What we do know is that there is a Creator, and that behind every life stands a hidden plan and purpose.

Many find the statement “the ways of Hashem are hidden” unsatisfying, yet it remains a genuine and honest answer when spoken with humility before the Creator of the universe. Acknowledging “I do not know” regarding Hashem’s ways is not weakness but truth. Much remains beyond our comprehension in this world and will only become clear in the world to come. This was the core of Job’s misunderstanding.

Job’s Error and Human Assumptions

Job, despite his suffering, mistakenly concluded that Hashem does not supervise individual lives. He believed fate strikes righteous and wicked alike, similar to the indifference of nature. This reasoning led him to think that either divine justice must always be transparent, or that there is no divine supervision. He could not imagine a third possibility: that justice exists, but is hidden from human understanding. This was Job’s trial.

Some distant from Judaism adopt a similar view, attributing suffering to random “flaws in creation” rather than divine providence. This recalls the story of a rabbi who spoke with a non-observant motorcyclist. The rider claimed Hashem approved of his lifestyle because he survived a dangerous fall. The rabbi responded, “You should thank Hashem for saving you. But consider this: who do you think pushed you toward that cliff?”

Some recognize salvation comes from Hashem yet forget that challenge and danger also come from Him. A narrow escape should prompt reflection, not denial of providence.

People hesitate to attribute suffering to Hashem because they imagine a loving Creator would not allow pain. This too was Job’s mistake. The real question is not whether Hashem is good, but whether we truly believe He is wiser than us.

Everything we know exists because He created our minds, our emotions, our compassion. He understands reality infinitely more deeply than we do. The Creator who fashioned the universe, the laws of physics, and the complexity of life surely comprehends the meaning behind suffering.

Consider that the smallest cell in the human body is more complex than any man made infrastructure. If creation itself reveals such wisdom, how much more so must divine governance.

There Are No Coincidences

There are no accidents in Hashem’s world. What appears to us as evil is part of a broader design. Even a mosquito bite follows a precise biological and ecological purpose. The mosquito requires nutrients to reproduce. It is equipped with tools and chemicals that minimize detection and allow the process to occur. Even irritation is part of a purposeful system. Nothing is random.

Our sages teach (Arachin 16b) that even minor inconveniences fall under divine precision. Everything, including what appears to be imperfection, forms part of a calculated design.

Many need glasses, yet Hashem designed both the limitation and the human wisdom to develop correction. This reflects how the world was created incomplete, inviting human participation in its refinement. As Bereishit Rabbah teaches, everything created requires completion.

This was Hashem’s essential message to Job: not that suffering lacks purpose, but that its purpose is too complex for the human mind to grasp within the confines of this world.

Are Past Lives the Explanation?

Job’s friends believed his suffering must stem from hidden sins. Their accusations wounded him more than his suffering. In contrast, Aaron accepted divine judgment in silence after the death of his sons, and our sages praise his response.

Yet Hashem still called Job “My servant.” The Malbim explains that extreme suffering weakens a person’s judgment, and therefore Job was not held accountable for his words.

Hashem rebuked Job’s friends for speaking wrongly and for failing to offer comfort. From here we learn not to speculate about hidden sins, not to assign blame, and not to invent explanations for suffering. Our duty is empathy and silence, not judgment.

Reincarnation is a deep concept, but it must never be used to explain another person’s pain. We lack the spiritual clarity to make such claims. Job’s friends erred precisely in this way.

Our sages warn that suspecting a righteous person leads to harm. It is better to say we do not know and trust in Hashem’s justice.

What Was the Answer Given to Job?

Hashem never explained Job’s suffering in practical terms. Instead, He revealed the vastness of creation, the complexity of nature, and the depth of divine wisdom. The message was not that there is no answer, but that the answer transcends human language and understanding.

Even Moses could not grasp every aspect of divine justice. If suffering could be explained simply through past sins, Hashem could have revealed that to Job. Instead, He demonstrated that the true explanation lies beyond the boundaries of the human mind.

Hashem revealed that suffering is tied to the entire structure of creation. Each soul plays a role in a grand design established before the world began. Each life, each struggle, is a piece of an immense puzzle.

This means that every person has a unique role so essential that without it, the world itself would lack completion.

The Talmud teaches that life circumstances are determined before birth. Our environment, challenges, and opportunities are designed, while only moral choice remains fully in our hands. Each life contributes to a larger divine plan.

Suffering is therefore not chaos. It is part of a system whose goodness will only be fully visible beyond this world.

The Silence of Job

Job ultimately fell silent, not because he received an explanation, but because he encountered the majesty of Hashem. He understood that the question was not whether Hashem is just, but whether human beings can ever grasp divine wisdom.

Isaiah states that no eye has seen what Hashem prepares for those who trust in Him. The reward of the righteous transcends imagination.

Can we fully comprehend how individual suffering connects to the creation of the universe? What our precise mission is? Why we face specific trials? These are questions we can begin to explore, but their complete answers lie beyond this world.