איוב, פרק ל״ג, פסוק י״ז

God actively intervenes in human life to shape moral character and prevent spiritual failure. Whether through unsettling dreams or physical suffering, these divine messages serve as a protective barrier, keeping individuals from straying down a destructive path.

The primary purpose of this divine intervention is to pull a person away from negative behavior. God communicates this either through a warning in a dream [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, רמב״ן] or through the painful experience of illness [רש״י, אלשיך]. Commentators differ on the exact nature of the behavior being prevented. It may be a harmful habit that a person has already grown accustomed to [ביאור שטיינזלץ], or perhaps a misdeed that they have only just begun to plan in their mind [רש״י]. Alternatively, the warning serves as a preemptive strike to stop a future sin before it is ever committed [רמב״ן]. In a completely different approach, humanity itself is viewed simply as an instrument of action, emphasizing our inherent role as doers whose actions must be carefully guided [רמב״ן].

Beyond simply stopping bad actions, this intervention targets the root of human failing. The primary approach among commentators is that God seeks to eliminate human pride. By sending warnings or suffering, God humbles the individual, stripping away the arrogance that so often leads to rebellion. Because pride is fueled by what the eyes see, the process is described as a covering or blinding of that haughty vision [אבן עזרא]. Furthermore, this humbling experience effectively hides the person's pride from the view of others [אלשיך].

A contrasting approach views the target of God's intervention not as pride, but as the physical body or the inner depths of the soul [רלב״ג, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ, רמב״ן]. In this light, the goal is to stop a person from acting solely on physical urges and bodily needs [ביאור שטיינזלץ], or to metaphorically cover the body itself [רמב״ן]. Taking this a step deeper, the body and soul contain hidden depths where negative traits like anger and cruelty lurk. When a divine dream startles a person, it forces them to suppress these dark tendencies, burying them back into the depths of the soul so they remain covered and never materialize into real-world action [מלבי״ם].