Job Chapter 35
Elihu is Awful; He Assumes that G-d is Worse
He can't really be that stupid, can he? I've suffered through three chapters of this guy and he's just getting worse. Not only was he arrogant enough to insert himself into a strangers' argument, he's now telling them exactly what G-d thinks. This is a sadly common practice. It's still obnoxious. When someone tells you EXACTLY what G-d thinks and feels, that person is saying that they know everything. They don't need to be curious. They don't need to listen to anyone else. After all, G-d is on their side. G-d created elephants and revenge porn.
Like all tankies and fascists, Elihu thinks that he knows everything. And like people who “know everything”, Elihu is not smart. He's not insightful. He's an entitled asshole without a shred of empathy. Of course, he assumes that G-d is just as bad. If Elihu imagined a G-d that was better than him, he'd have to think about his failings. That's not Elihu's way.
Chapter 35 begins and ends with Elihu insulting Job, a man who is crying out in pain over the death of his children, but the meat of the chapter is Elihu telling us that G-d doesn't care. Look up in the heavens; look at the clouds. Do you think that G-d is paying attention? Oh Job, your righteousness pleased G-d? You believed that shit? Sins don't hurt G-d. G-d doesn't care. Eat pork. Kill the king. Fuck your sister. Steal a candy bar. G-d isn't paying attention.
This is what Elihu says to defend G-d.
Then Elihu makes a good point. Everyone cries to G-d when they are suffering. They beg for release from chains and wicked men. But who cries out in praise? If you wake up in the arms of the person you love, do you thank G-d? G-d is your maker who crafts songs and birds and chocolate and wisdom. Yet, the people only cry out to G-d when they need things.
Naturally, Elihu ruins it. As far as Elihu is concerned, G-d ignores the cries of the oppressed because they didn't praise him. Because Elihu is a petty bitch, Elihu argues that G-d is a petty bitch. So of course, G-d doesn't care about Job. Elihu can't imagine a G-d that would take pity on any humans who speak out in pain.
Elihu is a cruel stupid man. Even when he invokes G-d, he proclaims that G-d agrees with everything he says. Sadly, we have two more chapters of this guy's bullying.
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To get the bad taste of Elihu out of your mouth, read some Victor Frankl.
If you can tolerate AI voices (sorry I don’t have the money to hire a real Voice Actor), I put Rashi by Maurice Liber on Audible.