No, tragedies do not cancel each other out as they succeed one another. On the contrary, they multiply and accumulate, becoming more unjust with every blow. True, every man suffers alone—yet his suffering is never limited to himself. Suffering begets suffering ever sharper, deeper and more harrowing. In other words, Job’s anguish, however similar to Abraham’s, however reminiscent of Abraham’s, cannot be explained by it. The fact that Job’s torments had a precedent does not imply that they have a meaning. In this respect, Jewish tradition differs from the Buddhist concept: to insert individual anguish into cosmic anguish does not resolve, but on the contrary, aggravates the problem. Therein lies its universality. Every individual is both beginning and end; that is why he deserves an answer, not a consolation, unless the consolation itself becomes an answer.

• • •

One attempt at an answer is provided by the Book of Job, right at the beginning, in the sixth verse. We at once learn the name of the culprit: Satan, one of the bnei Elokhim, God’s children, who takes a particular interest in human affairs. God is described as listening to Satan’s travel impressions.

The eternal instigator of man against God is shown here in the role of instigator of God against man. He challenged Him, and Job’s faith became both instrument and stake of that challenge.

Job: a battlefield, a living example, a subject for debate, with immeasurable and, surprisingly, unforeseeable repercussions.

The dialogue between God and Satan was friendly at first, almost casual: Did you happen to see My good servant Job? Is he not the most pure and loyal of men? — Why wouldn’t he be? came Satan’s retort; he is good because You are good with him; he is charitable because You are charitable with him. He has everything he wants. Try shaking him, making him suffer, and we shall see his true face . . . And thus Job became the object of a superhuman, inhuman contest, the protagonist in a drama whose rules and points of reference he did not know and could not comprehend. He did not, he could not, understand what was happening to and around him. He was being pulled and pushed in all directions and he did not know that it was all part of a plan. At first he wondered whether his was not a case of mistaken identity, of terrible misunderstanding.

A legend: More in bewilderment than in sorrow, Job turned to God: Master of the Universe, is it possible that a storm passed before You causing You to confuse Iyov [Job] with Oyev [Enemy]?

Strange as it may seem, of all the questions raised by Job, only this one was answered. And God’s voice roared in the tempest: Pull yourself together, man, and listen! Many hairs have I created on the human head, and every single hair has its root; I don’t confuse roots, how could I confuse Iyov and Oyev? Many drops have I created in the clouds, and every single drop has its own source; I confuse neither drops nor clouds, how could I confuse Iyov and Oyev? Many thunderbolts have I created and for each bolt a path of its own; I don’t mistake one bolt for another, how could I confuse Iyov and Oyev? Know also that the wild goat is cruel with its young. As they are about to be born she climbs to the top of a very high rock and lets the little ones drop from the precipice. So I prepared an eagle to catch them on his wings, but were the eagle to arrive one moment too early or too late, they would fall to the ground and be crushed. I don’t confuse moments, or lightning bolts, or drops, or roots—and you are asking Me if I am confusing Iyov and Oyev, Job and Enemy!