Understanding Suffering? Book of Job and 9th of Av

Job 31

16Did I refrain from the desire of the poor, or did I cause the eyes of a widow to fail?		טזאִם אֶמְנַע מֵחֵפֶץ דַּלִּים וְעֵינֵי אַלְמָנָהאֲכַלֶּה:
17Did I eat my morsel alone and did no orphan eat therefrom?		יזוְאֹכַל פִּתִּי לְבַדִּי וְלֹא אָכַל יָתוֹם מִמֶּנָּה:
18For, from my youth it raised me like a father, and from my mother's womb I led it.		יחכִּי מִנְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַנִי כְאָב וּמִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אַנְחֶנָּה:
19Did I see a person perishing without a garment or that a needy person had no covering?		יטאִם אֶרְאֶה אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת לָאֶבְיוֹן:
20Did not his loins bless me, and with the fleece of my lambs [did he not] warm himself?		כאִם לֹא בֵרְכוּנִי חֲלָצָיו (כתיב חֲלָצָו) וּמִגֵּז כְּבָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּם:
21If I raised my hand against an orphan because I saw my help in the gate,		כאאִם הֲנִיפוֹתִי עַל יָתוֹם יָדִי כִּי אֶרְאֶה בַשַּׁעַר עֶזְרָתִי:
22may my shoulder fall from its shoulder-blade and may my arm be broken from its bone.		כבכְּתֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָה תִפּוֹל וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָה תִשָּׁבֵר:
23For the misfortune from God is fear to me, and I cannot bear its weight.		כגכִּי פַחַד אֵלַי אֵיד אֵל וּמִשְּׂאֵתוֹ לֹא אוּכָל:
24If I put my hope in gold, and to jewelry I said, 'My confidence,'		כדאִם שַׂמְתִּי זָהָב כִּסְלִי וְלַכֶּתֶם אָמַרְתִּי מִבְטַחִי:
25If I rejoiced because my wealth was great and because my hand found much;		כהאִם אֶשְׂמַח כִּי רַב חֵילִי וְכִי כַבִּיר מָצְאָה יָדִי:
26If I saw light shining and the moon becoming brighter,		כואִם אֶרְאֶה אוֹר כִּי יָהֵל וְיָרֵחַ יָקָר הֹלֵךְ:
27And my heart was secretly enticed, and my mouth kissed my hand,		כזוַיִּפְתְּ בַּסֵּתֶר לִבִּי וַתִּשַּׁק יָדִי לְפִי:
28this too is iniquity that bears punishment, for I would have denied God above.		כחגַּם הוּא עָו‍ֹן פְּלִילִי כִּי כִחַשְׁתִּי לָאֵל מִמָּעַל:

– Avot de Rabbi Natan 7 on Genesis 21:33

When the great calamity befell Job, he pleaded with the Holy One. “Master of the Universe, did I not feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, as it is written, “Have I eaten bread alone, and orphans not eaten from it?” ( Job 31:16). And did I not clothe the naked, as it is written, “Was he not warmed by the fleece of my sheep?” ( Job 31:20).

However, the Holy One answered Job, “Job, you have not yet reached half the measure [of hospitality] extended by Abraham. You sat in your house waiting for guests to come to you. To him who was accustomed to eat wheat bread, you gave wheat bread; to him who was accustomed to eat meat, you gave meat; and to him who was accustomed to drink wine, you gave wine.

But Abraham did not act this way. He went out, getting about in the world. When he met prospective guests, he brought them to his home. Even to him who was not accustomed to eat wheat bread, he gave wheat bread; to him who was not accustomed to eat meat, he gave meat; and to him who was not accustomed to drink wine, he gave wine. Not only that, but he got busy and built spacious mansions along the highways, and stocked them with food and drink, so that whoever entered ate, drank, and blessed Heaven. Therefore, unusual satisfaction was given to Abraham, and whatever any person requested was to be found in his house.

Shabbat 119b

Abaye said: “Jerusalem was destroyed only because the Sabbath was desecrated therein”;…Rav Abbahu said: “Jerusalem was destroyed only because the reading of the Shema, morning and evening, was neglected”;…Rav Hamnuna said: “Jerusalem was destroyed only because they neglected the [education of] school children”; …Rav Isaac said: “Jerusalem was destroyed only because the small and the great were made equal….”

JOB 5

17Behold, fortunate is the man whom God reproves; so do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.		יזהִנֵּה אַשְׁרֵי אֱנוֹשׁ יוֹכִיחֶנּוּ אֱלוֹהַּ וּמוּסַר שַׁדַּי אַל תִּמְאָס:
18For He brings pain and binds it; He wounds, and His hands heal.		יחכִּי הוּא יַכְאִיב וְיֶחְבָּשׁ יִמְחַץ וְיָדָיו (כתיב וְיָדָו) תִּרְפֶּינָה:
19In six troubles He will save you, and in the seventh no harm will touch you.		יטבְּשֵׁשׁ צָרוֹת יַצִּילֶךָּ וּבְשֶׁבַע | לֹא יִגַּע בְּךָ רָע:
20In famine, He redeemed you from death, and in war, from the power of the sword.		כבְּרָעָב פָּדְךָ מִמָּוֶת וּבְמִלְחָמָה מִידֵי חָרֶב: