... דְּתָאנָא אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְּחָק נִשְׁמָתוֹ שֶׁל צַּדִּיק מִתְאַוָּה אֵימָתַי תֵּצֵּא מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה שֶׁהוּא הֶבֶל, כְּדֵי לְהִתְעַנֵּג בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
...We have learned that Rabbi Yitzchak said, The soul of the righteous feels great desire for the moment when it shall leave this world, which is worthless/hevel/breath, so that it may enjoy itself in the World to Come!
1. Opening Question
What, in your view, are some ingredients of a happy life?
My scroll of Kohelet
2. Plan for this class
- 3. In the eyes of the artist
- 4. Reflections on Tenuousness of Human Existence (Hevel/הבל)
- 5. After the introduction of Kohelet (1:1-11), the book proceeds with a royal autobiography. How might such an autobiography strengthen the arguments in the book?
- 6. Questions to consider for our text
- 7. Text: Kohelet 1:12-2:26
- 8. Discussion and Commentaries
- 9. Summary - Next Class
3. In the eyes of the artist
Vanitas Still Life. signed, upper right: J. V. Meulen. and dated on the sheet music, lower right: 1654.
Johannes van der Molen or Johannes Jan Vermeulen was a still-life painter during the Dutch Golden Age. He was active in Haarlem from 1638 to 1674. His specialty was the Vanitas, a style of painting meant to symbolize the transience of life. Many of them feature books. (Wikipedia)
Inscribed on two sheets of paper:
- MORS / OMNIA / VINCIT (Death Conquers All); and
- VANITAS / VANITATUM / ET OMNIA / VANITAS (Ecclesiastes 1:2, Vanity of Vanities, all is Vanity).
Oil on panel, 73.3 by 57.8 cm.
By Jan Vermeulen - Sotheby's, Sale N08952 (New York, 2013-01-31–2013-02-01), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24348921
4. Hevel - הבל - Breath, Vapor
Biblical reflections on the tenuousness of human experience
Some reflections in Tanach
(ג) ה' מָֽה־אָ֭דָם וַתֵּדָעֵ֑הוּ בֶּן־אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ וַתְּחַשְּׁבֵֽהוּ׃ (ד) אָ֭דָם לַהֶ֣בֶל דָּמָ֑ה יָ֝מָ֗יו כְּצֵ֣ל עוֹבֵֽר׃
(3) O LORD, what is man that You should care about him,
mortal man, that You should think of him? (4) Man is like a breath/hevel/הבל;
his days are like a passing shadow.
(יא) ה' יֹ֭דֵעַ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָדָ֑ם כִּי־הֵ֥מָּה הָֽבֶל׃
(11) The LORD knows the designs of men to be futile/hevel/הבל.
(י) אַ֤ךְ ׀ הֶ֥בֶל בְּנֵֽי־אָדָם֮ כָּזָ֢ב בְּנֵ֫י־אִ֥ישׁ בְּמֹאזְנַ֥יִם לַעֲל֑וֹת הֵ֝֗מָּה מֵהֶ֥בֶל יָֽחַד׃
(10) Men are mere breath/hevel/הבל;
mortals, illusion;
placed on a scale all together,
they weigh even less than a breath.
(ל) שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭חֵן וְהֶ֣בֶל הַיֹּ֑פִי אִשָּׁ֥ה יִרְאַת־ה' הִ֣יא תִתְהַלָּֽל׃
(30) Grace is deceptive,
Beauty is illusory/hevel/הבל;
It is for her fear of the LORD
That a woman is to be praised.
How do these sentiments compare to the refrain or motto of Kohelet?
(ב) הֲבֵ֤ל הֲבָלִים֙ אָמַ֣ר קֹהֶ֔לֶת הֲבֵ֥ל הֲבָלִ֖ים הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃
(2) Utter futility/hevel/הבל!—said Koheleth—
Utter futility! All is futile!
5. Introduction to the Royal Autobiography
How might such an autobiography strengthen the arguments in the book?
דָּבָר אַחֵר, אִלּוּ אַחֵר אָמַר הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת וגו', הָיִיתִי אוֹמֵר זֶה שֶׁלֹא קָנָה לוֹ שְׁתֵּי פְּרוּטוֹת מִיָּמָיו הוּא פִּירֵת בְּמָמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם וְאוֹמֵר הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים,
אֶלָּא זֶה, שְׁלֹמֹה, שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (מלכים א י, כז): וַיִּתֵּן הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת הַכֶּסֶף בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם כָּאֲבָנִים, וְלֹא הָיוּ נִגְנָבוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ אַבְנֵי עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת וְאַבְנֵי שְׁמוֹנֶה אַמּוֹת, וּמִשְׁקָלוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה שֶׁל זָהָב הָיוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א י, כא): אֵין כֶּסֶף לֹא נֶחְשָׁב בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה לִמְאוּמָה, לָזֶה נָאֶה לוֹמַר הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים. לָמָּה אָמַר הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים, רָאָה הָעוֹלָם וְהֶעָתִיד לִהְיוֹת בְּסוֹפוֹ.
(1) ...Had someone else [i.e., other than Solomon] said: “Vanity of vanities, said Kohelet…” (Ecclesiastes 1:2), I would have said: Someone who never acquired even two perutot worth [of property] in his life ridicules all the property in the world and says: “Vanity of vanities”?!
However, this one, Solomon, of whom it is written: “The king made the silver in Jerusalem as stones…” (I Kings 10:27), but they were not stolen, as they were ten cubit stones and eight cubit stones. The weights during the reign of Solomon were made of gold, as it is stated: “None of silver, as it was not considered anything during the reign of Solomon” (I Kings 10:21), for him it is appropriate to say: “Vanity of vanities.” Why did he say: “Vanity of vanities”? He saw the world and what would ultimately occur.
6. Questions to consider for our Text
- Can you find 'leading words' in our text?
- A Leitwort (“leading word”) is a word or word-root deliberately repeated as a literary technique, for the sake of emphasis or to establish an underlying theme. Leitworte occur in many different works of literature, and traditional humanists who work to interpret those texts apply their literary expertise to discern those occurrences and explain their function. from: "Leitwort Detection, Quantification and Discernment,"Racheli Moskowitz, Moriyah Schick, Joshua Waxman, Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University New York, NY, (2020) https://aiucd2020.unicatt.it/aiucd-Moskowitz_et_al.pdf
- In Hebrew, a Leitwort is called a מילה מנחה/milah manchah (leading word)
- Where does the term hevel/vapor, breath, futile, futility, vanity/הבל appear here?
- How does this passage describe Kohelet as a king? What aspects of kingship are present? Is anything missing?
- Do any of the verses in this passage strike you as wise sayings or proverbs?
- What role does God play in this passage?
- How does Kohelet refer to people and places?
- What stands out for you in this passage? What questions come to mind?
7. Our Text: Kohelet 1:12 - 2:26
(12) I, Koheleth, was king in Jerusalem over Israel. (13) I set my mind to study and to probe with wisdom all that happens under the sun.—An unhappy business, that, which God gave men to be concerned with! (14) I observed all the happenings beneath the sun, and I found that all is futile and pursuit of wind: (15) A twisted thing that cannot be made straight,
A lack that cannot be made good.
(טז) דִּבַּ֨רְתִּי אֲנִ֤י עִם־לִבִּי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אֲנִ֗י הִנֵּ֨ה הִגְדַּ֤לְתִּי וְהוֹסַ֙פְתִּי֙ חׇכְמָ֔ה עַ֛ל כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה לְפָנַ֖י עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְלִבִּ֛י רָאָ֥ה הַרְבֵּ֖ה חׇכְמָ֥ה וָדָֽעַת׃ (יז) וָאֶתְּנָ֤ה לִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת חׇכְמָ֔ה וְדַ֥עַת הוֹלֵלֹ֖ת וְשִׂכְל֑וּת יָדַ֕עְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶ֥ה ה֖וּא רַעְי֥וֹן רֽוּחַ׃ (יח) כִּ֛י בְּרֹ֥ב חׇכְמָ֖ה רׇב־כָּ֑עַס וְיוֹסִ֥יף דַּ֖עַת יוֹסִ֥יף מַכְאֽוֹב׃
(16) I said to myself: “Here I have grown richer and wiser/h.kh.m. than any that ruled before me over Jerusalem, and my mind has zealously absorbed wisdom/h.kh.m. and learning/y.d.`.” (17) And so I set my mind to appraise/y.d.`. wisdom/h.kh.m. and to appraise/y.d.`. madness and folly. And I learned/y.d.`.—that this too was pursuit of wind: (18) For as wisdom/h.kh.m. grows, vexation grows;
To increase learning/y.d.`. is to increase heartache.
Of merriment, “What good is that?”
(3) I ventured to tempt my flesh with wine, and to grasp folly, while letting my mind direct with wisdom, to the end that I might learn which of the two was better for men to practice in their few days of life under heaven.
(ד) הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי מַעֲשָׂ֑י בָּנִ֤יתִי לִי֙ בָּתִּ֔ים נָטַ֥עְתִּי לִ֖י כְּרָמִֽים׃ (ה) עָשִׂ֣יתִי לִ֔י גַּנּ֖וֹת וּפַרְדֵּסִ֑ים וְנָטַ֥עְתִּי בָהֶ֖ם עֵ֥ץ כׇּל־פֶּֽרִי׃ (ו) עָשִׂ֥יתִי לִ֖י בְּרֵכ֣וֹת מָ֑יִם לְהַשְׁק֣וֹת מֵהֶ֔ם יַ֖עַר צוֹמֵ֥חַ עֵצִֽים׃ (ז) קָנִ֙יתִי֙ עֲבָדִ֣ים וּשְׁפָח֔וֹת וּבְנֵי־בַ֖יִת הָ֣יָה לִ֑י גַּ֣ם מִקְנֶה֩ בָקָ֨ר וָצֹ֤אן הַרְבֵּה֙ הָ֣יָה לִ֔י מִכֹּ֛ל שֶֽׁהָי֥וּ לְפָנַ֖י בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ (ח) כָּנַ֤סְתִּי לִי֙ גַּם־כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב וּסְגֻלַּ֥ת מְלָכִ֖ים וְהַמְּדִינ֑וֹת עָשִׂ֨יתִי לִ֜י שָׁרִ֣ים וְשָׁר֗וֹת וְתַעֲנֻג֛וֹת בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם שִׁדָּ֥ה וְשִׁדּֽוֹת׃ (ט) וְגָדַ֣לְתִּי וְהוֹסַ֔פְתִּי מִכֹּ֛ל שֶׁהָיָ֥ה לְפָנַ֖י בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם אַ֥ף חׇכְמָתִ֖י עָ֥מְדָה לִּֽי׃ (י) וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָֽׁאֲל֣וּ עֵינַ֔י לֹ֥א אָצַ֖לְתִּי מֵהֶ֑ם לֹֽא־מָנַ֨עְתִּי אֶת־לִבִּ֜י מִכׇּל־שִׂמְחָ֗ה כִּֽי־לִבִּ֤י שָׂמֵ֙חַ֙ מִכׇּל־עֲמָלִ֔י וְזֶֽה־הָיָ֥ה חֶלְקִ֖י מִכׇּל־עֲמָלִֽי׃ (יא) וּפָנִ֣יתִֽי אֲנִ֗י בְּכׇל־מַעֲשַׂי֙ שֶֽׁעָשׂ֣וּ יָדַ֔י וּבֶֽעָמָ֖ל שֶׁעָמַ֣לְתִּי לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת וְהִנֵּ֨ה הַכֹּ֥ל הֶ֙בֶל֙ וּרְע֣וּת ר֔וּחַ וְאֵ֥ין יִתְר֖וֹן תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
(4) I multiplied my possessions. I built myself houses and I planted vineyards. (5) I laid out gardens and groves, in which I planted every kind of fruit tree. (6) I constructed pools of water, enough to irrigate a forest shooting up with trees. (7) I bought male and female slaves, and I acquired stewards. I also acquired more cattle, both herds and flocks, than all who were before me in Jerusalem. (8) I further amassed silver and gold and treasures of kings and provinces; and I got myself male and female singers, as well as the luxuries of commoners—coffers and coffers of them. (9) Thus, I gained more wealth than anyone before me in Jerusalem. In addition, my wisdom remained with me: (10) I withheld from my eyes nothing they asked for, and denied myself no enjoyment; rather, I got enjoyment out of all my wealth. And that was all I got out of my wealth. (11) Then my thoughts turned to all the fortune my hands had built up, to the wealth I had acquired and won—and oh, it was all futile and pursuit of wind; there was no real value under the sun!
(12) NJPS: The order of the two sentences in this verse is reversed in the translation for clarity.
For what will the man be like who will succeed the one who is ruling- over what was built up long ago?
My thoughts also turned to appraising wisdom and madness and folly.
(13) I found that
Wisdom is superior to folly
As light is superior to darkness; (14) A wise man has his eyes in his head,
Whereas a fool walks in darkness.
But I also realized that the same fate awaits them both. (15) So I reflected: “The fate of the fool is also destined for me; to what advantage, then, have I been wise?” And I came to the conclusion that that too was futile, (16) because the wise man, just like the fool, is not remembered forever; for, as the succeeding days roll by, both are forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies, just like the fool!
(כד) אֵֽין־ט֤וֹב בָּאָדָם֙ שֶׁיֹּאכַ֣ל וְשָׁתָ֔ה וְהֶרְאָ֧ה אֶת־נַפְשׁ֛וֹ ט֖וֹב בַּעֲמָל֑וֹ גַּם־זֹה֙ רָאִ֣יתִי אָ֔נִי כִּ֛י מִיַּ֥ד הָאֱלֹקִ֖ים הִֽיא׃ (כה) כִּ֣י מִ֥י יֹאכַ֛ל וּמִ֥י יָח֖וּשׁ ח֥וּץ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ (כו) כִּ֤י לְאָדָם֙ שֶׁטּ֣וֹב לְפָנָ֔יו נָתַ֛ן חׇכְמָ֥ה וְדַ֖עַת וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה וְלַחוֹטֶא֩ נָתַ֨ן עִנְיָ֜ן לֶאֱסֹ֣ף וְלִכְנ֗וֹס לָתֵת֙ לְטוֹב֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹקִ֔ים גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃
(24) There is nothing worthwhile for a man but to eat and drink and afford himself enjoyment with his means. And even that, I noted, comes from God. (25) For who eats and who enjoys but myself? [Some mss. and ancient versions read mimmennu, “by His doing.” ] (26) To the man, namely, who pleases Him He has given the wisdom and shrewdness to enjoy himself; and to him who displeases, He has given the urge to gather and amass—only for handing on to one who is pleasing to God. That too is futile and pursuit of wind.
8. Discussion and Commentaries
- 1:12 King.../was king
- The deeds of a king ... the deeds of Solomon
- The faults of King Solomon -- Midrashim about Solomon deposed
- 1:15 A twisted thing...
- 2:4ff houses...vineyards...gold...
- 2:10 I withheld from my eyes nothing
- 2:26 the good...the sinner
(12) I, Koheleth, was king in Jerusalem over Israel.
Davis Hankins and Brennan W. Breed, New Oxford Annotated Bible, comment to 1:12-2:26
...Qohelet adopts the persona of a king who enjoys unlimited access to precious objects and pleasurable activities. In this persona, Qohelet undertakes a thought experiment to test the hypothesis that 'all is vanity' (v.14)
Crenshaw, Ecclesiastes
Was: The verb has the meaning: "I have been and still am."
King: 'the subsequent account of royal achievements...is silent about his most celebrated innovation, the widespread use of horses and chariots.'
(26) Solomon assembled chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot towns and with the king in Jerusalem.
And what about the building of the First Temple?
“ GOD has chosen
To abide in a thick cloud: (13) I have now built for You
A stately House,
A place where You
May dwell forever.”
(14) Then, with the whole congregation of Israel standing, the king faced about and blessed the whole congregation of Israel.
The rabbis of the Midrash took seriously the idea that Solomon left the throne during his lifetime--something that the book of Kings is silent about. Why would the rabbis think that Solomon should ever have left the throne?
(יא) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה' לִשְׁלֹמֹ֗ה יַ֚עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָֽיְתָה־זֹּ֣את עִמָּ֔ךְ וְלֹ֤א שָׁמַ֙רְתָּ֙ בְּרִיתִ֣י וְחֻקֹּתַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֖יתִי עָלֶ֑יךָ קָרֹ֨עַ אֶקְרַ֤ע אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה֙ מֵעָלֶ֔יךָ וּנְתַתִּ֖יהָ לְעַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
(1) King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Phoenician, and Hittite women, (2) from the nations of which GOD had said to the Israelites, “None of you shall join them and none of them shall join you, lest they turn your heart away to follow their gods.” Such Solomon clung to and loved. (3) He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned his heart away. (4) In his old age, his wives turned away Solomon’s heart after other gods, and he was not as wholeheartedly devoted to the ETERNAL his God as his father David had been. (5) Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Phoenicians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. (6) Solomon did what was displeasing to GOD and did not remain loyal to GOD like his father David. (7) At that time, Solomon built a shrine for Chemosh the abomination of Moab on the hill near Jerusalem, and one for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites. (8) And he did the same for all his foreign wives who offered and sacrificed to their gods. (9) GOD was angry with Solomon, because his heart turned away from the ETERNAL, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice (10) and had commanded him about this matter, not to follow other gods; he did not obey what GOD had commanded. (11) And GOD said to Solomon, “Because you are guilty of this—you have not kept My covenant and the laws that I enjoined upon you—I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants.
...אֲנִי קֹהֶלֶת הָיִיתִי מֶלֶךְ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲוֵינָא כַּד הֲוֵינָא וְכַדּוּ לֵית אֲנָא מִידֵי.
רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר כַּד הֲוֵינָא הֲוֵינָא, וְכַדּוּ לֵית אֲנָא שָׁוֵי מִידֵי. שְׁלשָׁה עוֹלָמוֹת רָאָה בְּיָמָיו וּבְחַיָּיו,
רַבִּי יוּדָן וְרַבִּי אוֹנְיָה,
רַבִּי יוּדָן אָמַר מֶלֶךְ וְהֶדְיוֹט וּמֶלֶךְ, חָכָם טִפֵּשׁ וְחָכָם, עָשִׁיר עָנִי וְעָשִׁיר. מַאי טַעְמָא (קהלת ז, טו): אֶת הַכֹּל רָאִיתִי בִּימֵי הֶבְלִי, לֵית בַּר נָשׁ מְתַנֵּיהוּ אֲנוּקֵי דִידֵיהּ אֶלָּא בִּשְׁעַת רִוְוחֵיהּ, כְּשֶׁיַּחֲזֹר לְעוּתְרֵיהּ.
וְרַבִּי אוֹנְיָה אָמַר הֶדְיוֹט מֶלֶךְ וְהֶדְיוֹט, טִפֵּשׁ וְחָכָם וְטִפֵּשׁ, עָנִי עָשִׁיר וְעָנִי. וּמַה טַּעַם אֲנִי קֹהֶלֶת הָיִיתִי מֶלֶךְ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלָיִם.
... “I, Kohelet, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.” I was when I was, but now I am nothing.
Rabbi Ḥanina bar Yitzḥak said: When I was, I was, but now I am not worth anything. He saw three worlds during the days of his life.
Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Onya [shared contrasting perspectives on Kohelet 1:12]:
Rabbi Yudan said: King, commoner, king; wise man, fool, wise man; wealthy man, poor man, wealthy man. What is the reason? “I have seen everything in the days of my vanity” (Ecclesiastes 7:15) – a person relates his distress only at a time when he has gained relief, when his wealth is restored.
Rabbi Onya said: Commoner, king, commoner; fool, wise man, fool; poor man, wealthy man, poor man. What is the reason? “I, Kohelet, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.”
A midrash: The demon Asmodeus deposes Solomon and impersonates Solomon for a time.
Ashmedai said to him: Take the chain engraved with God’s name off me and give me your ring with God’s name engraved on it, and I will show you my strength. Solomon took the chain off him and he gave him his ring. Ashmedai swallowed the ring and grew until he placed one wing in the heaven and one wing on the earth. He threw Solomon a distance of four hundred parasangs. With regard to that moment Solomon said: “What profit is there for a person through all of his toil under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3). With Solomon deposed from the throne, Ashmedai took his place. With regard to the verse: “And this was my portion from all of my toil” (Ecclesiastes 2:10), the Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the expression: “And this”? This expression is always an allusion to an item that is actually in his hand or can be shown. Rav and Shmuel disagree with regard to the meaning of this phrase. One said: This is referring to Solomon’s staff that remained in his hand. And one said: This is referring to his cloak. Solomon circulated from door to door collecting charity, and wherever he arrived he would say: “I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:12). When he finally arrived at the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem the sages said: Now, an imbecile does not fixate on one matter all of the time, so what is this matter? Is this man perhaps telling the truth that he is Solomon?
A lack that cannot be made good.
Mordechai Zer-Kavod, Commentary to Ecclesiastes (1:15) (Da'at Mikra Series, Hebrew):
A twisted thing...a lack...: Thus are the deeds and thoughts of humans.
(א) מְעֻוָּת. בְּחַיָּיו לֹא יוּכַל לִתְקֹן מִשֶּׁמֵּת. מִי שֶׁטָּרַח בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת יֹאכַל בְּשַׁבָּת. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵרְשׁוּ עַל הַבָּא עַל הָעֶרְוָה וְהוֹלִיד מַמְזֵר, אוֹ עַל תַּלְמִיד חָכָם הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהָיָה יָשָׁר מִתְּחִלָּתֹוֹ וְנִתְעַוֵּת:
(ב) וְחֶסְרוֹן לֹא־יוּכַל לְהִמָּנוֹת. זֶה שֶׁחִסֵּר עַצְמוֹ מִמִּנְיַן הַכְּשֵׁרִים, לֹא יוּכַל לְהִמָּנוֹת עִמָּהֶם בְּקִבּוּל שְׂכָרָם:
(1) That which is crooked. [One whose deeds were crooked] during his lifetime, will not be able to be straightened after he dies. Whoever toiled on the eve of Shabbat may eat on Shabbat. And our Sages explained this as referring to one who had illicit relations with a woman and begot a mamzer, or to a Torah scholar who abandoned the Torah. He was originally straight, and became crooked.
(2) And that which is wanting cannot be counted. [One who was absent cannot be counted] One who absented himself from the quorum of the righteous, cannot be counted with them to share their reward.
(8) I further amassed silver and gold and treasures of kings and provinces; and I got myself male and female singers, as well as the luxuries of commoners—coffers and coffers of them.
(1) And it took Solomon thirteen years to build his palace, until his whole palace was completed. (2) He built the Lebanon Forest House with four rows of cedar columns, and with hewn cedar beams above the columns. Its length was 100 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits.
(11) Solomon had a vineyard
In Baal-hamon.
He had to post guards in the vineyard:
A man would give for its fruit
A thousand pieces of silver.
(10) I withheld from my eyes nothing they asked for, and denied myself/lit. 'my heart' no enjoyment; rather, I got enjoyment out of all my wealth. And that was all I got out of my wealth.
from the Third Paragraph of the Shema
(39) That shall be your fringe/tzitzit; look at it and recall all the commandments of ה' and observe them, so that you do not follow your heart and eyes in your lustful urge.
(26) To the man, namely, who pleases Him/tov lefanav He has given the wisdom and shrewdness to enjoy himself; and to him who displeases/ve'la'chote', He has given the urge to gather and amass—only for handing on to one who is pleasing to God. That too is futile and pursuit of wind.
2:26 To the man...who pleases Him:
M. Zer-Kavod: והוא האדם שעושה את-הטוב בעיני ה׳ / that is, one who does that which is good in the eyes of the Lord/Hashem.
2:26 ...to him who displeases ולחוטא
Zer-Kavod: ולחוטא לפני הא-לקים To one who sins before God.
(22) A good man/tov has what to bequeath to his grandchildren,
For the wealth of sinners/chotei' is stored up for the righteous.
Crenshaw
[26] This verse takes the traditional categories, wise person and fool (sinner), and empties them of moral content. Qohelet's predecessors used țôb and hôțe' as ethical terms for good and bad people. Here, the two terms mean simply 'fortunate and unfortunate, lucky and unlucky.' For Qohelet hôțe' almost retains its original neutral connotation of errant, missing the mark.
9. Summary and Next Class
Kohelet iii
- 3:1-15 A Time for Everything
- 3:16-4:3 The Experience of the Oppressed