איוב, פרק כ״ב, פסוק י״ב

Eliphaz directs a sharp accusation at Job, suggesting that his questioning of Divine justice stems from a deeply flawed view of the universe. Rather than acting out of awe, Job is accused of looking at the sheer, overwhelming scale of the cosmos and making a mistaken logical leap. He supposedly believes that the vast physical and spiritual distance between the Creator and the world makes it impossible for God to watch over human beings [רמב״ן, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, תקות אנוש].

To illustrate this mindset, Eliphaz points toward the absolute highest and most elevated reaches of existence [מלבי״ם]. This concept goes beyond mere physical distance to describe complete spiritual elevation. It refers to the highest firmament, the infinitely pure and spiritual realm containing the Throne of Glory [אלשיך]. He then directs Job's focus to the highest and first stars [מלבי״ם]. These exist in the uppermost sphere that holds the constellations, serving to demonstrate the unimaginable gap between the heavens and the earth [רלב״ג, תקות אנוש].

The primary approach among commentators is that Eliphaz is projecting a specific line of reasoning onto Job. The argument assumes that if the highest stars are incredibly far from the earth, then God, who exists infinitely higher than those celestial spheres, must be even further removed. Because of this massive gap between the upper and lower realms, Job allegedly concludes that God does not lower Himself to observe lowly creatures [רש״י, רמב״ן], nor does He involve Himself with the murky, physical world [אלשיך].

This misunderstanding is compared to the way physical distance plays tricks on human senses. Just as the highest stars are truly massive in size but appear tiny to the human eye because they are so far away, Job is making a similar error in judgment. He mistakenly believes that the immense physical and spiritual distance prevents God from clearly seeing and judging the actions of people on earth [אלשיך].