If a person will say: We do see some righteous people whose sustenance only becomes available to them after much hard work and toil, while we find many sinners who are at peace and live good and pleasant lives.

וְאִם יֹאמַר הָאוֹמֵר, הִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ רוֹאִים מִקְצָת צַדִּיקִים לֹא יִזְדַּמֵּן לָהֶם טַרְפָּם אֶלָּא אַחֲרֵי הֶעָמָל וְהַיְגִיעָה, וְרַבִּים מֵאַנְשֵׁי הָעֲבֵרוֹת בְּשַׁלְוָה וְחַיֵּיהֶם בַּטּוֹב וּבַנְּעִימִים.

How can this be, when we explained earlier that the righteous are not required to make efforts to pursue their livelihood?

We will respond by saying that the prophets and the pious have already preceded us in questioning this matter.

נֹאמַר, כִּי כְּבָר קָדְמוּ הַנְּבִיאִים וְהַחֲסִידִים לַחֲקוֹר עַל זֶה הָעִנְיָן,

For example, Jeremiah said (Jeremiah 12:1): Why has the way of the wicked prospered?

מֵהֶם מִי שֶׁאָמַר "מַדּוּעַ דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים צָלֵחָה" (ירמיה יב, א),

Another prophet said (Chabakuk 1:3): Why do You show me iniquity and look upon mischief without repaying the wicked? Plunder and violence are before me, and the one who bears quarrel and strife endures. And he continues in the following verse (ibid. 4): For a wicked man surrounds the righteous , and he said (ibid. 13): Why are You silent when a wicked man swallows up one more righteous than he?

וְאָמַר הָאַחֵר "לָמָּה תַרְאֵנִי אָוֶן וְעָמָל תַּבִּיט וְשֹׁד וְחָמָס לְנֶגְדִּי, וַיְהִי רִיב וּמָדוֹן יִשָּׂא" (חבקוק א, ג), וְאָמַר "כִּי רָשָׁע מַכְתִּיר אֶת הַצַּדִּיק" (חבקוק א, ד), וְאָמַר "תַּחֲרִישׁ בְּבַלַּע רָשָׁע צַדִּיק מִמֶּנּוּ" (חבקוק א, יג),

Another said ( King David in Psalms 73:12): Behold, these are the wicked, and they are ever tranquil; they have gained much wealth , and he said in the following two verses (ibid. 13-14): Surely I have purified my heart in vain and washed my hands in cleanliness; for I was afflicted all day, and my rebuke came each morning.

וְאָמַר אַחֵר "הִנֵּה אֵלֶּה רְשָׁעִים וְשַׁלְוֵי עוֹלָם הִשְׂגּוּ חָיִל" (תהלים עג, יב), וְאָמַר "אַךְ רִיק זִכִּיתִי לְבָבִי וָאֶרְחַץ בְּנִקָּיוֹן כַּפָּי, וָאֱהִי נָגוּעַ כָּל הַיּוֹם וְתוֹכַחְתִּי לַבְּקָרִים" (תהלים עג, יג־יד).

Another prophet related about the people of his generation (Malachi 3:15): They also tempt G‑d, and they have nevertheless escaped . And there are many other similar verses.

וְאָמַר אַחֵר עַל אַנְשֵׁי דוֹרוֹ "גַּם בָּחֲנוּ אֱלֹהִים וַיִּמָּלֵטוּ" (מלאכי ג, טו), וְהַרְבֵּה כָּזֶה.

This question of why the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper is a recurring one in Scripture.

Yet, while the prophets asked this question, they did not offer a response that explains the reason. This is because the reason that a particular righteous person is tested with poverty, and a particular wicked person experiences good in this world, is different for each.

אַךְ הִנִּיחַ הַנָּבִיא הַתְּשׁוּבָה בְּבֵאוּר עִלַּת זֶה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעִלַּת כָּל אֶחָד מִן הַצַּדִּיקִים הַנִּבְחָנִים, וְכָל אֶחָד מִן הָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁהֵם בַּטּוֹבָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, זוּלַת עִלַּת הָאַחֵר.

Different for each. Were there to be one guiding principle explaining G‑d’s judgment of the world, then “the prophet” would have surely shared it. However, since individual cases differ, Scripture tersely states that this question belongs in the category of The hidden things belong to G‑d. (Nedar Bakodesh).

Each person’s story is unique. G‑d judges each according to his status, and the reason for each person’s suffering or prosperity is completely different from that of another (Marpei Lanefesh).

The point is that human beings have limited capacity of understanding and cannot understand the ways of G‑d (Pat Lechem).

Bottom line
Human beings have limited capacity of understanding and cannot understand the ways of G‑d

Therefore, this matter is merely commented on in general terms, when it says (Deuteronomy 29:28): The hidden things belong to the L-rd, our G‑d, but the revealed things apply to us and to our children . Similarly, the wise man, King Solomon, said (Ecclesiastes 5:7): If you see oppression of the poor and deprivation of justice and righteousness in the province, wonder not about the matter . And the verse says (Deuteronomy 32:4): The deeds of the [Mighty] Rock are perfect, for all His ways are just.

לָכֵן הֵעִיר עַל זֶה בְּאָמְרוֹ "הַנִּסְתָּרוֹת לַה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְהַנִּגְלוֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ" (דברים כט, כח), וְאָמַר הֶחָכָם בְּדוֹמֶה לָזֶה "אִם עֹשֶׁק רָשׁ וְגֵזֶל מִשְׁפָּט וָצֶדֶק תִּרְאֶה בַמְּדִינָה, אַל תִּתְמַהּ עַל הַחֵפֶץ" (קהלת ה, ז), וְאָמַר הַכָּתוּב "הַצוּר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ, כִּי כָל דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט" (דברים לב, ד).

These verses state that the ways of G‑d are fair, but it is beyond our ability to understand them.