איוב, פרק ט״ז, פסוק כ״ב

Faced with the approaching end of his life, Job contemplates the finality of human existence to justify his demand for divine justice. A person is allotted only a small, counted number of years from the very beginning. While these years steadily arrive [רש"י, מצודת ציון], they also pass quickly and come to a swift end [אבן עזרא]. Job recognizes that he is walking the path of death, a one way journey from which there is no return to the world of the living [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The primary approach among commentators is that Job uses the reality of his impending death to argue directly with God. Since his time on earth is naturally short, he questions why he has been condemned to suffer so intensely [רמב"ן]. His severe agony and endless pain only speed up this inevitable end, draining his life force and bringing death even closer [מצודת דוד]. In his despair, Job completely rejects the comfort offered by his friends, who promise him a spiritual reward in the afterlife. He argues that precisely because he is leaving this world and will never return, he deserves to see true justice and receive the reward for his good deeds here and now, while he is still alive [מלבי"ם, מצודת דוד].

Beyond this direct understanding, a mystical approach views Job's one way journey through the lens of reincarnation. In this context, not returning means the soul will not have to come back to this world for another lifetime. Generally, a person who lives a long life has enough time to study Torah, fulfill commandments, and completely repair their soul, freeing them from the need to reincarnate. However, someone whose life is cut short or who damages their soul through sin is forced to return to complete their spiritual task [חומת אנך]. Viewed this way, Job actually accepts his terrible suffering with a sense of peace. He prefers to endure intense pain during his few remaining years so that his soul will be completely repaired now. By doing so, he ensures that he will earn perfect rest after death and will never be forced to reincarnate into this world again [אלשיך].