Еврейская мысль к Ийова 41:3

Man lives on three planes. 1) He relates exclusively to himself. 2) He relates to his immediate family. 3) He relates to society as a whole. Whereas at first glance one may think that as far as man's relations with himself are concerned, there could be no question of his being unjust or immoral, this is in fact not so. True, the Talmud acknowledges that he who inflicts injury upon himself is not held accountable for a misdemeanour. However, this pertains only to outward manifestations of man's conduct. If man develops his intellectual capacities without developing his moral capacities at the same time, he will develop a split personality, able to commit injustice and immorality against himself.

While it is a truism that G'ds love for man preceded man's love for Him,- since without the ability to recognise certain truths man could never hope to become a servant of the Lord,- such demonstration of G'ds love for man did not prejudice man's freedom of choice. When we read in Genesis 18, 18, "I have loved him...so that he will command his sons and his household after him to observe the way of the Lord to do righteousness and justice," G'd means that He has created man in a manner that would insure that man would instruct his offspring to observe traditional values. By the same token, however, man has also been equipped in a manner that enables him to reject the ways of G'd so that he can enjoy true freedom of choice.