Aligned sentence by sentence
. . , ,
Section 3. I further say: I find that the affliction of the righteous in this world takes two forms. The first is for their minor lapses, as I have already explained.
, , .
The second is an initiatory trial with which God tests them when He knows they will persevere — and then He recompenses them for it with good things — as He said: 'The Lord is righteous; He examines the righteous, but the wicked and the lover of violence His soul hates' (Ps 11:5).
Aligned sentence by sentence
,
— 'You shall serve foreign gods in your land; so you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours' (Jer 5:19) —
.
and there is benefit in this, for it leads him to desist from his sin.
,
And when a servant is afflicted by a trial and asks his Lord to make known to him the reason, He has ordained that He will make it known — as He said: 'When they ask, "For what reason has the Lord our God done all these things to us?" you shall say to them: "As you have forsaken Me..."' (Jer 5:19).
, , ,
But when the servant afflicted by a trial asks and has not been given that reason, He has ordained that He will not make it known — as Moses our Master said: 'Why have You dealt ill with Your servant?' (Num 11:11) — and it was not explained to him; and Job asked: 'Make known to me why You contend with me' (Job 10:2) — and it was not explained to him.
.
There is benefit in this too: so that the endurance of the righteous will not be diminished in people's eyes through someone saying he only endured because he knew the magnitude of his reward.
, , ,
I also say that even the fully perfect person may be tried and compensated — for I find that children suffer pain, and I have no doubt they will be compensated. The Wise One's afflicting them is like a father's disciplining them through striking and confinement, to restrain them from harmful acts;
Aligned sentence by sentence
, ,
and like giving them bitter, unpleasant medicines to cure their illness — as the Torah says: 'You shall know in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you' (Deut 8:5).
.
And He said in the same vein: 'For the one the Lord loves He reproves, as a father the son he favors' (Prov 3:12).
? ,
If someone asks: could He not simply give them the reward without any suffering? We answer him with our first answer, given at the opening of creation and the world to come:
, .
We said He inclines us toward the more abundant share — for the reward along the path of compensation is greater than along the path of pure gift.
,
I further say: As for the prosperity of unbelievers in this world and the indulgence shown them, this occurs in six forms.
, .
Among them is one whom God knows will repent, and so He gives him respite to complete his repentance — as we find He gave Manasseh twenty-two years until he repented.
, , .
Among them is one He indulges so that a righteous child will issue from him — as He indulged Ahaz and Hezekiah issued from him, and indulged Amon and Josiah issued from him.
.
Among them is one He indulges in order to recompense him for the few merits he has performed — as we have explained.
, .
Among them is one He indulges so as to use him to punish a people more corrupt than he is — as He said of Assyria: 'Against a godless nation I send him; against a people of My wrath I command him, to plunder plunder and to loot loot' (Isa 10:6).
.
Among them is one He indulges because of a righteous person's intercession for something that benefits his situation — as He said to Lot: 'Behold, I have also granted your request in this matter' (Gen 19:21).
, .
And among them is one He indulges so as to intensify the punishment upon him — as Pharaoh survived ten plagues and was then drowned in the sea.
Aligned sentence by sentence
, ,
Along these lines, Jeremiah asked his Lord about those great peoples — to one who knows the reason, not by way of protest against Him — saying: 'Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?' (Jer 12:1).
.
He was told it was for the last reason — to punish them with severe punishment — as He said in the passage that follows: 'How long will the land mourn, and the grass of every field wither, because of the evil of those who dwell in it?' (Jer 12:4).
,
Having explained what was needed regarding the categories of righteous and wicked, I add further: what Scripture means when it says 'but one sinner destroys much good' (Qoh 9:18).
,
He uses as a simile for it a fly that has fallen into aromatic oil — as He says afterward: 'Dead flies make the perfumer's oil ferment' (Qoh 10:1) —
, , ,
this is only in terms of naming — a servant has two hundred deeds, one single determining act — among them one hundred merits and one hundred sins — so his case is balanced.
, .
If the single determining deed is a merit, he is called righteous; if it is a sin, he is called wicked.