God Does No Evil

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim

King Solomon wrote:

I set my mind to study and to probe with wisdom all that happens under the sun: it is an evil matter which God gave the sons of man to be afflicted with. I observed all the happenings beneath the sun, and I found that all is futile and a heartache (Koheles 1:13,14)

God’s plans cannot be evil, as Micha says, “From God’s mouth does not emanate evil or good. [But] about what shall a living man complain? Each one of his own sins!” (Lam. 3:38,39). Rashi comments:

Every man should bemoan his sins, because they are what bring the evil upon him. They did not emanate from the Almighty. Rabbi Yochanon said, “From the day that the Holy One, Blessed is He said, ‘See, I have placed before you today the life and the good, etc.,’ (Deut. 30:15) neither evil nor good has come from His command.” Rather the evil comes by itself to the one who commits evil, and the good to the one who does good. Therefore, about what should one complain? Why should a man be angry [about misfortunes] if not about his sins?

Rashi teaches that God created man with free will. He also created the world to favor one who performs good, and afflict one who is evil. Thus, man causes his own evil and good fortune, as Micha states. Just as physics (nature) determines that you bleed when you carelessly cut yourself, and that you maintain health when you eat properly…God’s metaphysics (providence) blesses one following Torah and curses the sinner. God designed both nature and providence to benefit one choosing rational choices, and to harm one who violates those laws.

King Solomon means the “evil matter which God gave the sons of man” is a matter that is regarding choosing between evil and good, not that God callously afflicts man, planning inescapable earthly torture. It's not an accusation of what God created because the king repeatedly says that he searched out all that has been “performed,” meaning man's choices—not God’s natural and providential laws. And the last word in verse 13 “la’annos” does not mean to afflict, but it means for man to "answer" the question of whether man should follow good or evil. 

“All is futile and a heartache” 

This refers to man's poor choices, not God’s mischief. King Solomon’s work Koheles says “better to be a live dog than a dead lion” (9:4), and “Both the wise and the fool equally perish. So I reflected: The fate of the fool is also destined for me; to what advantage, then, have I been wise?” And I came to the conclusion that that too was futile” (Ibid. 2:14,15). Both thoughts sound like King Solomon’s accusations of a poor state of human affairs. But in fact, these two verses are common man’s opinions which the king quotes in his examinations: man thinks life outweighs the afterlife, so a live dog is superior. Man errs thinking death is the end, so man wrongly feels being wise is of no use since you die. 

King Solomon speaks cryptically where one could misunderstand the king himself holds these opinions, accusing God of giving man an evil matter to afflict him, as he stays at the end of verse 13. Why then does the king employ such a misleading style? This cryptic style engages the reader more as it might appeal to his own values: “Yea, King Solomon agrees with me, what more has he to say?” So the reader will read further. But if you initially oppose public opinion, people will close the book before giving it any opportunity. So the king draws in the reader, and finally exposes the truth…a clever tactic to reach those with wrong ideas.

“You can't fix what is crooked and what is lacking you can't count” (Koheles 1:15)

This explains why all that man does is a vexation of his spirit and is futile. For whatever man chases which is crooked, inherently cannot provide happiness. “Crooked cannot be fixed” means that something inherently dissatisfying like the pursuit of money ending in frustration will always be that way, it can’t be corrected. And the second part of the verse “that which is lacking which is (a quantitative critique) cannot be counted” means that people assume “Next time it'll be better, I’ll gain satisfaction if I just try it once more.” These are two reasons why man's pursuits are a vexation: 1) matters are “crooked,” i.e., the very “quality” of the pursuit cannot give any satisfaction; 2) man's wrong assumption that repetition will finally attain happiness—“the more I do something or the next time I do it, it'll be better”—this is also foolish as experience rejects this as false. 

1:13 discusses the existence of man's condition, all is heartache as he must choose regarding good and evil. God didn’t perform evil, but it means man’s choices concern evil. 1:14 discusses man's activities—“happenings beneath the sun are futile,” as man chooses poorly. And 1:15 explains that man’s poorly chosen activities cannot provide happiness. 

So it is  not God who causes evil, but it is man’s poor choices. Where does man find happiness? Happiness is found at all times in the pursuit for which man alone was designed: God’s wisdom. But foolish man is disenchanted with such a solitary activity, which offers no fame, riches or lustful satisfaction. People are bent on applause, luxury and instincts. But God did not build man for such a life. If man will study the wisest men like King Solomon, who experimented with all assumed pleasures, man will arrive at the king’s conclusion as wise and true: over all else, we enjoy unraveling God’s insights and lessons regarding nature, providence, philosophy, psychology, morality, justice, commandments and relationships. 

We are amazed at the universe, its vastness and startling natural laws responsible for billions of stars and planets, and the natural laws that brought them into existence and sustains them. We marvel at the spectrum of animal life, and the design of biology. We will certainly marvel at all God’s wisdom He determined we study in His Torah.