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Why did Iyov remain silent when Pharaoh asked how to deal with the Jewish people, and why was he punished with suffering? The shiur develops a profound yesod: suffering strips away external layers—reputation, health, comfort—forcing a person to discover his true essence. When properly understood, yissurim become an opportunity for tremendous growth, enabling a person to connect with his sechel rather than his physical drives and discover an invincible core that transcends all setbacks.
Rabbi Zweig opens with a fascinating Gemara (גמרא) from Sotah that describes Pharaoh convening three advisors—Yisro, Bilam, and Iyov—to determine what to do about the Jewish people. Yisro fled and was rewarded by becoming Moshe's father-in-law. Bilam advised killing them and was himself killed. Iyov remained silent and was punished with suffering. The Gemara establishes a principle of midah k'neged midah for each response, but the question arises: why was Iyov's silence punishable, and how does suffering constitute an appropriate measure-for-measure response? The Bes Kolov explains that Iyov's silence indicated he wasn't pained by the Jews' potential destruction. The midah k'neged midah is that Hashem (ה׳) brought him suffering to teach him that people scream not because it helps, but because it hurts. When something truly hurts you, you cry out regardless of efficacy. Iyov didn't cry out, revealing he wasn't genuinely hurt by the Jews' plight. Rabbi Zweig, however, finds this explanation insufficient. Why would Iyov think his opinion wouldn't matter when Pharaoh specifically sought counsel from three advisors? If two had voted to save the Jews, that advice might well have carried the day.
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Sotah (Gemara regarding Pharaoh's advisors); Brachos, Taanis (yissurim and Torah)
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