It Is Better And More Satisfactory To

The Third Class Of Evils Comprise Those Which Everyone Causes To Himself By His Own Action. This Is The Largest Class, And Is Far More Numerous Than The Second Class. It Is Especially Of These Evils That All Men Complain, - Only Few Men Are Found That Do Not Sin Against Themselves By This Kind Of Evil. ...this Class Of Evil Originates In Man's Vices, Such As Excessive Desire For Eating, Drinking, And Love; Indulgence In These Things In Undue Measure, Or In Improper Manner, Or Partaking Of Bad Food. This Course Brings Diseases And Afflictions Upon The Body And Soul Alike.

The Prophets Even Express Their Surprise That God Should Take Notice Of Man, Who Is Too Little And Too Unimportant To Be Worthy Of The Attention Of The Creator; How, Then, Should Other Living Creatures Be Considered As Proper Objects For Divine Providence!

Whatever Form It Has, It [matter] Will Be Disposed To Receive Another Form; It Never Leaves Off Moving And Casting Off The Form Which It Has In Order To Receive Another. ...it Is Therefore Clear That All Corruption, Destruction, Or Defect Comes From Matter.

At Times The Truth Shines So Brilliantly That We Perceive It As Clear As Day. Our Nature And Habit Then Draw A Veil Over Our Perception, And We Return To A Darkness Almost As Dense As Before. We Are Like Those Who, Though Beholding Frequent Flashes Of Lightning, Still Find Themselves In The Thickest Darkness Of The Night.

The Strange And Wonderful Book Of Job Treats Of The Same Subject As We Are Discussing; Its Contents Are A Fiction, Conceived For The Purpose Of Explaining The Different Opinions Which People Hold On Divine Providence. ...this Fiction, However, Is In So Far Different From Other Fictions That It Includes Profound Ideas And Great Mysteries, Removes Great Doubts, And Reveals The Most Important Truths. I Will Discuss It As Fully As Possible; And I Will Also Tell You The Words Of Our Sages That Suggested To Me The Explanation Of This Great Poem.