Forgiving God A Jewish Perspective on Evil and Suffering

This paper proposes forgiveness—human forgiveness for divine abuse—as a religious response to the suffering of the innocent. It is divided into three sections. The first section examines the logical space within which forgiveness is possible. It shows that forgiveness presupposes the possibility of a meaningful relationship between valuable moral agents who have certain fundamental rights and who may seriously compromise each other’s happiness. The second section discusses the nature of forgiveness, arguing that forgiveness is distinguished from reconciliation and has to do primarily with the overcoming of one’s resentment of one’s assailant, which does not require the assailant’s repentance or a more favorable view of one’s assailant. The third section discusses Job’s relationship with God as an instance of a victim‐assailant relationship and shows that, while Job transcended his resentment toward God and forgave God for the unjust suffering that He had inflicted on him, he was not willing to be reconciled with Him. Forgiveness, even in cases lacking divine response, is thus presented as a viable option for the abused believer for sustaining a minimal relationship with God.