איוב, פרק כ״א, פסוק כ״א

A common belief suggests that the wicked ultimately face justice when their children suffer after they are gone. Yet, this concept faces a sharp challenge when considering the actual experience of the deceased. If a wicked person lives a life of peace and comfort, imposing a delayed penalty on his offspring offers no real consequence to the offender himself.

Once a person passes away, they lose all connection to the events of the living world. While alive, a parent naturally worries about their children's well-being and feels their pain. However, after departing this world, a person has no knowledge of what happens to their family, feeling neither sorrow in their distress nor joy in their success [רמב״ן, מלבי״ם, תקות אנוש]. Because of this disconnect, any punishment inflicted on the children will never touch the deceased parent or teach them a lesson [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective focuses on the material world, questioning what benefit a person actually gets from all the wealth and abundance left behind once they are gone [אבן עזרא].

This dynamic highlights a profound difference in how righteous and wicked individuals view their families. A righteous person would much rather endure personal suffering than watch their children bear the burden of their mistakes. In stark contrast, a wicked person simply wants to live a quiet, comfortable life. They harbor no fear or concern about the disasters that might strike their household after they die, remaining entirely indifferent even if their children will one day weep over their troubles [אלשיך, רש״י].

When looking at how the lifespan of such an individual is measured, several viewpoints emerge. The primary approach among commentators is that their allotted time is simply gathered and completed; their months pass by peacefully, allowing them to enjoy their full share of life before passing away [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. Others understand this measurement as a strict cutting or allotting, meaning their lifespan was predetermined and fixed [רלב״ג, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ], or that their time on earth was completely severed and separated from the era of their children [רמב״ן]. Alternatively, this passage of time is compared to an arrow, emphasizing that their life ended and vanished swiftly in flight [תקות אנוש]. Finally, another view suggests a sense of order, where the individual's months were neatly arranged and structured until the very end [מלבי״ם].