איוב, פרק ל״ו, פסוק י״ג

Human suffering serves as a profound test of faith. While the trials of life can draw a person closer to their Creator through prayer, periods of distress often drive others away, filling them with anger and a stubborn refusal to seek salvation.

This insincerity of the heart takes several forms among the wicked. Some simply give in to temptation, flattering their own darker impulses [מצודת דוד]. Others suffer from religious hypocrisy, having served God only for the sake of reward rather than out of pure, genuine faith [מלבי״ם]. A different perspective views this as a form of self-flattery and self-righteousness. These individuals convince themselves they are entirely free of sin and claim their suffering is completely unjustified, an attitude that hints at Job's own behavior [רמב״ן, מלבי״ם]. Looking at this through a historical lens, this exact hypocrisy was present among the Israelites in Egypt. Outwardly, they claimed to want redemption, but deep down, they remained deeply attached to Egyptian culture and its idols [אלשיך].

When afflictions strike, these individuals only increase their anger. The primary approach among commentators is that they direct this rage upward. Instead of humbling their hearts, they curse, complain, and question God's character and His management of the world [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. They blame their pain on the stars or blind fate, furious at the natural order and convinced that prayer is entirely pointless [מצודת דוד]. Alternatively, this anger can be understood as flowing in the opposite direction: through their stubborn actions, they actively awaken God's anger, bringing further wrath upon themselves [ביאור שטיינזלץ, רמב״ן].

Driven by this distorted view of the world, they refuse to pray, cry out for salvation, or beg God for mercy [רלב״ג, רש״י, מלבי״ם]. This tragic silence was even evident during the slavery in Egypt, where some chose never to cry out to God despite the crushing weight of their bondage [אלשיך]. This entire dynamic unfolds when God binds them in the chains of poverty, pain, and suffering [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם, תקות אנוש]. Ultimately, their choices create a closed, tragic cycle. Because they respond to the suffering God places upon them with anger rather than prayer and repentance, God does not release them from their chains or heal their wounds [רש״י, רמב״ן].