wever, ascribe the origin of evil to man; they take as a
negation rather than a question the verse in Lam. III, 38: "Do not evil
and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?" Thus they refer this to
the words of Deuteronomy, "Behold, I have set before you this day life and
good, death and evil; choose thou life!"(527)

Such medieval thinkers as Abraham Ibn Daud and Maimonides did not ascribe
to evil any reality at all.(528) Evil to them is the negation of good,
just as darkness is the negation of light, or poverty of riches. As evil
exists only for man, man can overcome it by himself. Before God it has no
essential existence. Unfortunately, such metaphysics does not equip man
with strength and courage to cope with either pain or sin. The same lack
is evident in that modern form of pseudo-science which poses as a
religion, Christian Science, which has made propaganda so widely among
both Jews and non-Jews. Christian Science declares pain, sickness, and all
evil to be merely the "error of mortal mind," which can all be dispelled
by faith; such a view neither strengthens the soul for its real struggles
nor convinces the mind by an appeal to facts.(529)

4. Frail mortals as we are, we need the help of the living God. Thus only
can we overcome physical evil, knowing that He bears with us, feels with
us, and transforms it finally into good. We need it also to overcome moral
evil, in the consciousness that He has compassion upon the repentant
sinner and gives him courage to follow the right path. The modern
philosophers of pessimism had the correct feeling in adopting the Hindu
conception, and emphasizing the pain and misery of existence, repeating
Job's ancient plaint over the hard destiny of mankind. The shallow
optimism of the age would rather conceal the dark side of life and indulge
in outbursts of self-sufficiency. Yet if we measure it only by a physical
yardstick, life cannot be called a boon. Against shallow optimism we have
the testimony of every thorn and sting, every poisonous breath and every
destructive element in nature's household, as well as all vice and evil in
the world of man. The world does not appear good, unless we measure it by
the ideal of divine holiness. If God is the Father watching over the
welfare of every mortal, all things are good, because all serve a good
purpose in His eternal plan. Every hindrance or pressure engenders new
power; every sting acts as a spur to higher things. Short-sighted a