Ecclesiastes · Chapter 3

For everything there is a season. Let not one who accumulates possessions out of vanity rejoice, for although he possesses them now, they will ultimately pass on to the righteous, only the time has not yet arrived, for everything has a set time when it will be. — Notes: (1) The word עת [=time] is repeated 29 times in this section, corresponding to the number of days in a lunar month. (2) I.e., nothing is coincidental, rather there is a specific time for everything (Metsudas Dovid). Alternatively, one should not say that he has no time for Torah study or the performance of Mitzvos, because in reality לכל זמן, there is time for everything when, ועת לכל חפץ, if it is for an activity that he really desires [=חפץ], there is always time. (Kehilas Yaakov) For everything. For every thing [=חֵפֶץ. All things דְּבָרִים are called “חֲפָצִים” in the language of the Mishnah.

"To every thing there is a season" — men of balanced judgment interpret these "times" (ha-ittim) as pertaining to man's own [choice], for a man is obligated to do every thing in its [proper] time; but the first of the times and the last of them undermine their interpretation: the first being "a time to be born, and a time to die," and the last being "He has made every thing beautiful in its time." And some say that these twenty-eight times correspond to the twenty-eight forms of the zodiacal sphere (galgal ha-mazalot) in which the moon appears each month; this too is hevel (emptiness). And the correct view is that every matter under the heavens has its [own] time and season, for when the configuration (matkonet) that generates [life] deteriorates, the one born [under it] dies, and when a [new] configuration is renewed it will enrich him — and the opposite, of wealth [likewise] — for these are fixed, allotted times; and when the time comes, a man is moved toward that for which he is prepared, and his movements will be like the movement of a shadow (tzelem), as in the matter of "surely man walks about as a mere shadow" (Psalms 39:7) — and if so, "surely they are in tumult for hevel" (ibid.), meaning: they gather money; and like it, "than the abundance of many wicked" (me-hamon resha'im rabim) (Psalms 37:16); and so, "and whoever loves abundance (be-hamon) has no increase" (Ecclesiastes 5:9). And the proof is the completion of the verse: "he heaps up, and knows not who shall gather them" (Psalms 39:7).

"To every thing there is a season" — Now, regarding the other constellations (mazalot), we have investigated and inquired whether everything depends on mazal (astrological fate) or on providence (hashgachah) according to the deeds of mankind, and there we mentioned the words of Rambam (Maimonides), of blessed memory, in his Shemoneh Perakim (Eight Chapters), who attributed to great foolishness and folly one who believes that mazal raises up and casts down — for if so, Heaven forbid, the entire Torah would collapse, along with reward and punishment. And he wrote that if so, why did the Torah command putting the murderer to death? Could he not exonerate himself by saying, "What is my sin, if I have slain a man to my wounding, and I was born under the mazal of Ma'adim (Mars), which obligates me to be a shedder of blood, while the one murdered was born under the mazal that obligated him to be killed?" And on the basis of these words and their like, we established that both this and that are true, and one does not contradict the other. Rather, it is that from the time God created the heavens and their constellations (kesilim), it was revealed before Him, blessed be He, all that a person would do, from good to evil, and all that would be fitting to bring upon him — good or suffering — according to his deeds. And from then, in His great wisdom, He stood and measured out and fixed the heavens in such a way that they would not judge a person except according to what is fitting for him according to his deeds, for He would not bring him into the world except at a time when his mazal would decree what is fitting for him. For if it were not so, man's free will (bechirah) would be nullified, and all the Torah's ethical rebukes against those who forsake it — warning them of the evils of this world — if these evils were according to mazal, what would his wickedness matter to him? And this is what Solomon says here in his wisdom, when he says "to every thing there is a season" — that is, the season of the mazal — "and a time to every purpose" — that is, man's free will — "under the heaven", for the season of the mazal and the purpose (chefetz, i.e., free will) are one, since the season is calibrated to match the purpose, as has been said. And this applies to every change of seasons: "a time to be born," etc. He will return again to the details of these times, with Hashem's help; and at the conclusion of his recounting of the times, in order to press home his statement, he says, "What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth" — after establishing that the times are appointed and obligate everything, what benefit is there in laboring in Torah and mitzvot to lengthen one's days, even in this world, as is known — for even in this world one can lengthen his days, as in the matter of Rabbah and Abaye, who lengthened their days through Torah and acts of lovingkindness, for through sacrifice and meal-offering one is not atoned, but only through Torah and acts of lovingkindness (gemilut chasadim). And this is the meaning of "what profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth" — even though he will have profit in the world above too, what benefit is there in this world, for which he labors, if mazal is what obligates the outcome regardless? And how can the verse be fulfilled which is written, "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Hashem," etc., "and Hashem will set thee on high," "blessed shalt thou be in the city," etc. — and what will he do if mazal opposes it? However, I have seen the matter which God has given to mankind, to answer and respond regarding this matter, and it is that He, blessed be He, made everything "beautiful in its time" — for He arranged the astrologers of the heavens (hovrei hashamayim) and the birth of every person in such a way that it would be beautiful in its time, and mazal would not contradict free will and its reward. And needless to say for a man such as myself — for I have seen through my wisdom, since my understanding shows how these matters are arranged — but rather, even "the world" (ha-olam) — that is, the multitude of the people — "Hashem has set in their heart," so that they say so by way of faith, without being able to find it out by investigation, etc. And it is that behold, if one were to say to a person who speaks in such a manner: Here before you, by way of parable, is a wholly righteous man, and evil does not depart from his house, according to my mazal, and in all that has been decreed upon him by his mazal — by it comes to him every quarrel and every affliction — how then can the judgment of his mazal be reconciled with his deeds? And likewise a wicked and worthless man in the eyes of God and man, and the recesses of his house are full of every good thing, according to his mazal. But the answer to this matter is in the words of Elihu to Job, that even providence is not directed toward a person according to his deeds of that particular time, but rather according to what is fitting for him from previous times; and there is a righteous man who is stricken for what came before, and there is a wicked man who consumes the merit of what came before. And as I have said regarding the saying of our Rabbis of blessed memory: "righteous and it goes well with him — a righteous man son of a righteous man; righteous and it goes ill with him — a righteous man son of a wicked man," etc. In such a way that, in order to verify this belief — that He made everything beautiful in its time, and the time and the purpose are one — it would be fitting for a person to know all that happened to a righteous man for whom things go badly, in previous times, so that he might see that according to providence, his misfortune is fitting for him; and likewise, by the same reasoning, for a wicked man for whom things go well — to know what preceded him. But Hashem placed in the heart of "the world" — the multitude — the belief that He made everything beautiful in its time, and the blend and the purpose are one, "without man being able to find" the deed that God performed in His providence from beginning to end — so that he would see how the good, or its opposite, that comes to a person, is just for him according to the order of his deeds, and according to what Hashem brought upon him from the beginning of his reincarnations (gilgulim) to their end. For it would be necessary for a person to grasp the entire deed of God that He performed in His governance of the world, from beginning to end, so that through this it would be revealed to him that in every person there is a time and a providence that are just. But instead, Hashem placed in their hearts this belief without proof or rational explanation. And why did Hashem do so? Behold, I know that there is no good in it for them, in this belief of theirs, except "to rejoice and to do good in his life" — for were it not for this belief, they would be sad, and would not serve Hashem, saying, "What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?" But with this belief, they will rejoice and do good. And do not wonder that I said "to rejoice and do good" and did not say "to eat and drink and rejoice and do good" — meaning, that his heart should be glad, and he should partake of both worlds through his joy. Is it not so, that not every person merits two tables, for it is a gift of Hashem, and who indeed attains both? Therefore I spoke only of what is usual, of the majority of cases. And this is the meaning of: "and also that every man should eat and drink" — he attains the good of the world to come — "and also see good," etc., for at the time of a person's passing, they show him all the wealth of Torah in which he labored, as our Rabbis of blessed memory said regarding the verse, "and she laugheth at the last day" — if one who ate and drank and delighted in this world merited that also at the time of his passing he saw good in all his labor of Torah and good deeds, and nothing was deducted from him on account of the good things of this world — this is a gift of God, and who, who indeed merits this? And this was the wonderment of Rabbi Abbahu, when at his passing they showed him thirteen rivers of afarsemon (balsam), and he said, "All these for Abbahu? And I had said, 'I have labored in vain,'" etc. And it is that behold, Rabbi Abbahu partook of the good things of this world, as is explicit in the Gemara, that even when he walked on the road he had two servants supporting his hands, one on each side, even though he was himself strong — for behold, when his servants fell into a pit, he lifted the two of them up with his two fingers. Therefore he had thought that something would be deducted from his merits; therefore he said, "All these for Abbahu?" — that is, all these, and they did not diminish my rewards? For I had said to myself that, on account of the abundance of the good things of this world, something would be deducted from my labor's reward. However, my judgment was with Hashem, which is the attribute of mercy (rachamim). And all this that I say is regarding the multitude of people, to whom this belief was given without knowledge. But as for me, since my wisdom is great enough to grasp the deed of God, I know that whatever God does regarding a person, nothing can be added to what He established of the heavens and their constellations, and nothing can be subtracted from it — except that from all this, the reward of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked seem to contradict it, for how could God say to the righteous man, "if thou shalt hearken diligently," etc., "blessed shalt thou be in the city," etc., "if thou wilt not hearken," etc., "cursed shalt thou be in the city," etc. — so that they would fear before Him — if everything depends on mazal? But since whatever God does, nothing can be added and nothing can be subtracted from it, how then can there be reward and punishment? Therefore God arranged it in such a way that they would fear before Him despite the mazal, for He set up the mazal to align justly with free will, as stated, in such a way that it would appear that a man is repaid according to his deed, and he would fear, upon being told that if he does wickedly, it will go badly for him. And should you say: but is it not plainly seen with our own eyes, a righteous man for whom things go badly, a wicked man for whom things go well? Do not wonder at this, for behold, "that which hath been is now" — that is to say, the man who already existed once or twice before is the one existing now, and the man who will exist in the future has already existed before; and therefore they bring upon him what is fitting for him, according to what preceded. And by this matter, "and God seeketh that which is pursued" is justified — and this is what we wrote above in the name of Rambam, of blessed memory, who wrote that if mazal were determinative, the Torah would fall, Heaven forbid, for why would it command us to put to death anyone who murders his fellow? For did not mazal obligate Reuben to kill and Simeon to be killed? Rather, certainly mazal is not determinative. And this is what Solomon says in his wisdom: Behold, I have said that mazal is not determinative, for everything is by providence — behold, in light of this, it fits that "God seeketh that which is pursued" from the hand of its pursuer, and commands that his fellow be put to death, because he did the deed by his own free will (bechirah).

"to everything there is a season" — meaning, nothing happens by chance, occurring at one time rather than another; rather, it comes at its [proper] time because of a preceding cause. "and a time to every purpose" — for all the things that a man desires, for this too there is a [proper] time, for he does not desire one thing at every time; rather, at one time he desires a certain thing, and at another time its opposite, as he will explain in the verses that follow. "under the heaven" — meaning, regarding all the things that are done in this world.

"Purpose" (chefetz) — its meaning is like "will/desire."

A time to be born. At nine months. And a time to die. The limit of the years of each generation. A time to plant. A nation and a kingdom. And a time to uproot. A time will come for it to be uprooted.

"A time to be born" — he mentioned the beginning of man and his end; and he also said that the [appointed] times are not allotted for man alone, for behold, plants are likewise [subject to them].

"a time to be born" — now he explains the things that at one time he desires, and at another time he desires their opposite. He says: at one time a man desires and longs to give birth, and at [another] time he wants the opposite, that the one born should die; and so it is with all of them until the end of the passage. "to pluck up that which is planted" — to uproot from the ground the tree that is planted.

"To plant" (la-ta'at) — from the language of planting.

A time to kill. An entire nation, when the day of its visitation comes, as it is stated, “and he will slay your remnant [with the sword].” — Notes: (3) Yeshayahu 14:30. And a time to heal. Their ruin, as the matter is stated concerning Egypt, “and they will repent to Hashem, and He will accept their prayer and heal them.” — Notes: (4) Yeshayahu 19:22. A time to wreck. The wall of the city, when it is decreed upon it, as it is stated, “and the wall of Yerusholayim is breached.” — Notes: (5) Nechemyah 1:3. And a time to build. As it is stated, “and I will build it up as in the days of old.” — Notes: (6) Amos 9:11.

"A time to kill" — its meaning is like "to wound," and "to heal" indicates this; also, the times are allotted for places where there are no plants, such as "a time to break down" (et lifrotz).

"to kill" — meaning, even to put someone to death with [one's own] hands. "to heal" — that he himself should heal him from the illness so that he not die. "to break down" — to make breaches in a wall. "to build up" — to seal up the breaches.

A time to weep. On the ninth of [Menachem] Av. And a time to laugh. In the time to come, as it is stated, “Then our mouth will be filled with laughter.” — Notes: (7) Tehillim 126:2. A time to mourn. In the days of mourning. And a time to dance. With bridegrooms and brides. — Notes: (8) The Gra explains the reason why this verse does not have parallel structure, i.e., why is does not state עת לספוד ועת לרקוד, i.e., with a lamed as in the beginning עת לבכות ועת לשחוק. He says that it hints to the halachah stated in Maseches Kesuvos 17a, that on two occasions one interrupts his Torah study [= למד], lamed, to attend a wedding [רקוד] or to attend a funeral [ספוד].

"A time to weep" — with worry, until the worried one weeps; and a time to wail (sefod), and a time to dance with others.

"a time to mourn" — when one of his own has died, he desires to eulogize him, for in this the grief finds rest. "and a time to dance" — at a time of wedding joy and the like, then a person desires to dance and leap, to arouse joy.

"To dance" (rekod) — an expression of leaping and jumping out of joy.

A time to cast away stones. The youths of Yisroel scattered during the destruction of the Beis [Hamikdosh], as it is stated, “sacred gems are scattered.” — Notes: (9) Eichah 4:1. And a time to gather them from the exile, as it is stated, “And Hashem their God will save His people like sheep on that day, for the stones of the crown will be exalted over His land.” — Notes: (10) Zecharyah 9:16. A time to embrace. [As it is stated,] “For, just as a belt is fastened, etc.” — Notes: (11) Yirmiyahu 13:11. And a time to refrain from embracing. [As it is stated,] “And Hashem will drive the people far away.” — Notes: (12) Yeshayahu 6:12.

"A time to cast away" — even a chance occurrence has its time, such as a time to cast away stones that trouble him in his dwelling; [and] a time to gather those cast-away stones for his need. "A time to embrace" — even the desire (ta'avah) planted in the spirit of man has its time; and it [means] to embrace the one lying in [one's] bosom, and to distance oneself from her. "To embrace" (lachavok) — from the binyan kal (the light/simple conjugation). "And embracing" (u-mechabek) — from the doubled, heavy conjugation (binyan ha-dagush ha-kaved, i.e., the Pi'el); but the meaning is one and the same.

"to cast away stones" — he throws them out of the house so that he not stumble over them. "to gather stones together" — to build with them something needed. "to embrace" — to pursue the love of someone and to embrace him. "to refrain from embracing" — he further distances himself from him, so that he not come to the point of embracing.

"To gather" (kenos) — an expression of collecting and assembling. "To embrace" (lachavok) — this is the encircling of the arm around the body out of love.

A time to seek. As the matter is stated, “I will seek the lost,” concerning the scattered among Yisroel. — Notes: (13) Yechezkeil 34:16. And a time to abandon. And a time when He causes them to perish in the exile, as it is stated, “And you will become lost among the nations.” — Notes: (14) Vayikra 26:38. A time to preserve. [As it is stated,] “May Hashem bless you and safeguard you,” when you do His will. — Notes: (15) Bamidbar 6:24. And a time to discard. [As it is stated,] “And He cast them to another land.” — Notes: (16) Devarim 29:27.

"A time to seek" — and a time to lose what was sought; and a time to keep, and a time to cast away what was kept.

"to seek" — to search for the lost item. "to lose" — that item he loses, even with his own hands. "to keep" — so that no one take it. "to cast away" — in an ownerless place, so that whoever wishes may take it.

A time to rip apart. The kingship of the House of Dovid, [as it is stated,] “And I tore the kingship, etc.” — Notes: (17) When Bnei Yisroel act in an evil manner. (18) I Melochim 14:8. And a time to sew. [As it is stated,] “And they will become united in your hand;” [and] “neither shall they be divided any longer into two kingdoms.” — Notes: (19) Yechezkeil 37:17. (20) Ibid. Verse 22. A time to be silent. These are the times when a person is silent and receives a reward, as it is stated, “and Aharon was silent,” and he [therefore] merited that the Divine speech addressed him personally, as it is stated, “And Hashem spoke to Aharon, [saying] ‘Do not drink intoxicating wine.’” — Notes: (21) E.g., when a person is insulted and yet remains silent. (Metsudas Dovid) (22) Vayikra 10:3. (23) Ibid. Verse 8. And a time to speak. [As it is stated,] “Then Moshe sang,” [and,] “And Devorah sang,” [and,] “Take words with you.” — Notes: (24) Shemos 15:1. (25) Shoftim 5:1. (26) Hoshei’a 14:3.

"A time to rend" — [regarding] "to keep silence" (lachashot), from "hecheshu," which is a past-tense verb (pa'al avar), on the pattern of "he'elu" ("they put up [dust upon their heads]"); had it been an imperative form for the future [a command], the heh would be vocalized with a patach. And the sense is as when he said to them, "I also knew it; be silent" (2 Kings 2:3). And so Solomon made it clear that even speech has its [proper] time.

"to rend" — a garment or a sheet. "to sew" — the thing that he tore. "to keep silence" — so as not to respond to the one who insults him. "and a time to speak" — to respond to the one who insults him, according to what is in his heart.

"To keep silence" (lachashot) — an expression of silence, like "and their waves were stilled (va-yechshu)" (Psalms 107:29).

A time to love. [As it is stated,] “And He will love you.” — Notes: (27) Devarim 7:13. And a time to hate. [As] it is stated, “All their evil is in Gilgal; for there I hated them.” — Notes: (28) Hoshei’a 9:15.

"A time to love" — both love and hatred are dependent on time and season.

"to love" — one of these matters. "to hate" — this same matter. "a time for war" — at one time a person desires and longs to wage war with his enemy, and at another time he wishes for the opposite, to be at peace with him.

What benefit [then] has the worker. What is the benefit of the one who does evil, in all that he labors? He too, his time will come, and all [his ill gotten gains] will be lost.

"What profit" — since all things are dependent on time and season, what profit is there for a man in all his labor, seeing that a time may come that will destroy his labor and remove his wealth, and he will be left empty-handed?

"what profit" — this refers back to the above, to say: since the way of man is such that at one time he desires a certain thing and at another time he wants the opposite of it, then what profit comes to a person who labors at a thing in order to achieve his desire? For is there not a time for every desire, and perhaps tomorrow he will desire its opposite — and if so, his labor would be to his own detriment.

The matter. The behavior. To be afflicted. To behave.

"I have seen" — as I saw all the affairs of man with which they busy themselves.

"I have seen the task" — I have seen the matter which God gave over to the sons of men, to make use of it and to do it at whatever time they wish. "to be exercised with it" — meaning, as if He handed it over into their hands in order to afflict them with it; for they will make use of it to do it at a time other than its proper time, and by this they are afflicted and made to suffer through it — whereas had they done these things in their proper time, it would have been good for them.

"Given" (natan) — an expression of handing over/entrusting. "To be exercised with it" (la'anot) — from the language of affliction and suffering.

Beautiful in its time. In its proper time, it is beautiful that reward be given for good deeds, but at the time of evil, it is appropriate for meting out punishment for evil deeds. — Notes: (29) Alternatively, “beautiful in its time,” refers to God’s provision of sustenance to all in a timely fashion (Sforno). Or, everything He made is “beautiful when used in its designated time.” (Metsudas Dovid) Even [a sense of] the external world He has set in their heart, etc. Also the wisdom of the world that He instilled into the hearts of mankind, He did not instill it all into each one’s heart, rather a little to this one and a little to that one, in order that man should not fully grasp the workings of the Holy One, Blessed Is He, to know it; [and thereby] he will not know the day of his visitation [death] and on what he will stumble, in order that he put his heart to repent, so that he will be concerned and say [to himself], “Today or tomorrow I will die.” Therefore, ‘הָעֹלָם’ is written here defectively [i.e., without a ‘vav’], an expression of “hidden,” for if man knew that the day of his death was near, he would neither build a house nor plant a vineyard. Therefore, he says that, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” The fact that there is a time for death is a beautiful thing, for a person optimistically says [to himself], “Perhaps my death is far off,” and he builds a house and plants a vineyard; and it is beautiful that it is concealed from people. — Notes: (30) Alternatively, “העלם” means eternity and the verse is translated as “even a sense of eternity [העלם] He has set in their heart, etc.” and therefore they act as if they will live forever. (Ibn Ezra) (31) Alternatively, העלם is referring to forgetfulness.

"Every thing" (et ha-kol) — I recognized that God made every thing beautiful in its time: death at the time of old age, and every matter in its [proper] time, according to the arrangement (matkonet) of the supernal wisdom. And the word "olam" is not found anywhere in Scripture except [in the sense of] time and eternity (netzach); thus "the everlasting God, Hashem" (Isaiah 40:28) is like [saying] "the God of eternity" or "the God of old" (Elohei kedem); and likewise, "and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27). And the meaning of "also, He has set the world (ha-olam) in their heart" is that people busy themselves as if they will live forever, and because of their preoccupation they do not understand the work of God from beginning to end. And some interpret this "olam" as it is used in the language of our ancients, of blessed memory, meaning "worldly desire" (ta'avat ha-olam).

"everything" — everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created and made in His world is beautiful, but only when making use of them in their own proper time, not at a time other than that time. "also the world" — also all the ways of the world and its benefits He placed in the heart of the sons of men, to understand them to their end, if they delve deeply with great intellect. "without" — meaning, apart from this — that man has not found sufficient wisdom to know and understand the work, etc. "from the beginning even to the end" — even though indeed he is able to grasp something of them, nevertheless he cannot comprehend all of it to its ultimate end.

"Mibbeli" (so that... not) — its meaning is like "milvad" (besides/apart from).

I know. Now, since the time of visitation [death] is concealed, that there is nothing better for man than to rejoice with his portion and to do that which is good in his Creator’s eyes, while he is yet alive.

"I know" — these verses, up to "And moreover I saw," are connected [to one another]. And he has already stated that there is nothing good for man except that he eat and drink; and he is not speaking of every man, but of the man mentioned [above] who busies himself day and night gathering money; and he said that he has nothing from it except what he eats, for it is possible that he is guarding it for whoever finds favor in the eyes of God, [for him] to take it. And he also mentioned this matter a second time on account of "the times"; and the sense is: behold, the matter of the times applies to every thing — to rise to wealth or to descend from it — and to it nothing can be added, and from it nothing can be diminished. Therefore there is nothing good for the toiler except to rejoice in his portion or in his wealth, to do good in his life so that he may live a good life; or perhaps its meaning is that he should do good in his life so that he may receive a good reward at his death.

"I know" — and behold, I have gained the wisdom to know the ways of the world and its benefits, and thus I know that there is no good and happiness among the sons of men, except for one whose way is to rejoice and to do good — kindness and charity — while he is alive.

And enjoys the good. The Torah and the commandments.

"But also" — and also this, that he said he should rejoice — he will not be able to rejoice if the time is not right for him, according to the gift of God at the beginning of his creation.

"and also every man" — even one who did not attain this understanding on his own, but rather his nature inclined his heart to eat and drink and to see good — meaning, to choose to do charity and kindness with the wealth he gathered through labor and toil. "is the gift of" — meaning, this is a gift from the Omnipresent, blessed be He, which was engraved thus in his nature.

"The gift" (mattat) — from the language of "gift" (matanah).

I know that whatever [God] does. The Holy One, Blessed Is He, in the Creation, is fit to be eternal, and it cannot be changed, either by adding or by subtracting, and when it is changed, [it is because] God commanded and caused it to be changed, in order that they should fear Him. The ocean broke through its boundary in the generation of Enosh and inundated a third of the world, and God did this so that they would fear Him. Seven days, the course of the sun was changed in the generation of the flood, to rise in the west and set in the east, in order that they fear Him. [Also,] the sun went back ten degrees in the days of Chizkiyahu; and in the days of Achaz his father, the day was shortened and the night was lengthened on the day of his death, so that he should not be eulogized. All this was so that they would fear Him. Therefore, there is nothing better for a man to occupy himself with than with [fulfilling] His commandments and to fear Him. — Notes: (32) See the Gemara in Maseches Shabbos 31b which states that God created His world only that men should fear Him, i.e., that they should have awe and reverence for Him.

"I know" — the meaning of "and God has so made it" is that no created being can add to His work or diminish from it, so that men should fear before Him.

"it shall be forever" — such is the measure that He set as a limit. "to it" — regarding this measure, no one has the power to add, and no one has the power to subtract or diminish from it. "and God has so made it" — indeed, what God did with this measure, He did not do for the sake of its own benefit, but rather so that creatures should fear before Him and not rebel against His word; and only through this measure is there an entryway to fear, and not through a different measure — though we do not know why, this is due to the limitation of our understanding.

That which already was. That which was before us, was already done, and we either saw it or heard it from others who saw it, and we can attest to it, for we saw that the Holy One, Blessed Is He, seeks the pursued. Yaakov was pursued, Eisav was a pursuer, [and Scripture states,] “And I loved Yaakov. But I hated Eisav.” The Egyptians pursued Yisroel; the Egyptians drowned in the sea, and [Bnei] Yisroel were victorious. — Notes: (33) Malachi 1:1-2. And that which is. Destined to be at the end is a model of what already was. As it was in the beginning, so will it be at the end. The Holy One, Blessed Is He, does not change His standards [by which He sustains] the world. And God seeks the pursued. To punish the pursuer. Therefore, what benefit is derived by one who does evil in what he labors? Ultimately he will have to pay [for it].

"That which is" — the work of God follows one consistent manner. And "that which has been already, it is" — its meaning is that "it" (hu) has a counterpart; and "that which is to be has already been" is like it [in construction]. And the "pursued" (nirdaf) is the "enduring" (ha-omed), which he called by the term "hu"; and it stands between past and future. And the sense is that God sought, of time, that it be [continually] pursued — time pursuing after time, without ceasing — for the time that has passed returns [and] stands [again], and that which is to be returns just as that which has passed; thus time, in its returning, is one, even though it divides into future time and past time. And this matter is illustrated by the [celestial] sphere (galgal): that every part of it pursues the middle point, which is the "mutzak" (the fixed/constricted point), called "mutzak" on account of the straits (tzukei) of that place. And the first line is the "breadth" (ha-rachav); thus, "wide, with no mutzak beneath it" (Job 36:16). And the part that was in the east returns to the west, and vice versa; and the place of the sphere's motion has no starting point from which it begins, for every beginning is an end and every end is a beginning; and the thing pursued is the "mutzak." And so he has made clear to us that every work of God follows one consistent manner.

"that which is has already been" — that which was long ago has already been done, and it cannot be reversed; meaning, if someone pursued his fellow and did evil to him, what he did is done. "and that which is to be" — and likewise that which is yet destined to happen in the future, that someone will pursue his fellow to do evil to him, the decree already existed before he did it, and the power would be in his hand to fulfill his desire. "and God" — but despite all this, God will seek out the pursued one and exact payment from the pursuer.

In the place of justice, etc. I saw with the Holy Spirit, the place of the Chamber of Hewn Stone in Yerusholayim, which was, “full of justice,” there they judge wickedly, as it is stated, “Her leaders judge for bribes,” and I saw their punishment. — Notes: (34) Yeshayahu 1:21. (35) Michah 3:11. And in the place of righteousness. The middle gate, which was the place where laws were established. There was wickedness. There sat Sarsachim, the chief captain, Nergal Saretzer, the chief officer, and Nevuchadnetzar and his armies, and they judged Yisroel with harsh tortures and death sentences. — Notes: (36) See Yirmiyahu 39:3. There was wickedness. The accent mark is above [i.e., before the last syllable], indicating that it is a noun like [the preceding] ‘הָרֶשַׁע [wickedness].’ (It should have been vowelized with a segol under the resh, but since it is at the end of the verse, it is changed to be vowelized with a kamatz gadol, although we do not find another instance [of this word] , and the pei of the second פצע is vowelized with a kamatz because of the esnachta. (Sifsei Chachomim) where it changes in the case of an esnachta or a sof pasuk). — Notes: (37) Alternatively, הרשע is “the wicked person.” (Targum) (38) But we do find instances of other words that change, as in Shemos 21:24, it states “פצע תחת פצע [=a wound for a wound],” the pei of the first “פצע” is vowelized with a segol

"And moreover" — the place where justice ought to have been, there wickedness was; and the matter is doubled, as in "I behold him, but not near" (Numbers 24:17), [and] "Rise up, Balak, and hear" (Numbers 23:18); and most of the prophecies are so.

After I concluded that "there is a time for every purpose" — that the time governing the ruling and judgment of the mazal (the constellation/fate assigned to a person) is just for every purpose, and man's own choice according to what befits him, whether for good or for bad — I saw yet another matter that runs counter to this: "the place of judgment" — that is, what happens to a person when kings and judges render a verdict condemning him in law — there was the wickedness, in that he who in truth deserved to be vindicated in judgment [was condemned instead]. And "the place of righteousness" — where they acquit him — there was the wickedness, in that he deserved to be condemned in judgment. Now, in this there are two evils. First, concerning those being judged — that they condemn a righteous man and acquit a wicked man. Second, concerning the kings or judges — for how can we say that reward and punishment are just, given the workings of the mazal? Is it conceivable that justice and the mazal are both correct together in this matter? For in any case of liability or merit, it is possible that the outcome followed the mazal and not justice. This question stands both from the perspective of the discerning and from the perspective of the judges: is it conceivable that, if it was decreed by the mazal that certain men should become leaders of the people, it should also be God's will thereby to pervert the judgment of the whole people and corrupt the world? Now, what I said in my heart about this is as follows. "The righteous and the wicked" (Ecclesiastes 3:17) — who are the ones being judged — regarding the first evil, which causes judges to acquit the wicked and condemn the righteous — one may answer: as for "the righteous and the wicked," even if the court's judgment was rendered honestly [in good faith, yet in error], God will judge, and He will render judgment above. Him whom the court wrongly condemned though he was deserving, He, may He be blessed, will make up his loss from elsewhere; and him whom the court wrongly acquitted though he was liable, Hashem will diminish from elsewhere. And do not object: but at the time when money was taken from the deserving party and given to the liable party, was this not in accordance with the time set by the mazal's judgment — that the liable party should be benefited in judgment, and the reverse befall his fellow? And so whatever is rectified afterward, it must be that the mazal and justice were not both right together at that original time. To this he answers: "there is a time for every purpose" — meaning that the time which acquitted the liable party was not ruling in accordance with his own constellation so that things should go well for him, nor the reverse for the other party; rather, [the decree of the time] takes effect only once the desire that was chosen joins together with the deed. That is: when they first came before the court, the liable party's desire was merely to rob his fellow — this was mere choice, not yet an act. Then, when it was awarded to him by the judges, he carried out the deed. Afterward it is set right: He, may He be blessed, restores to the deserving party what was taken from him, and takes away from the liable party what he had gained — for what the time decreed from the outset was precisely what would come to pass after the desire and the deed, namely, that each man would in the end stand with what is properly his own; that is the rectification that comes afterward. But the mazal decreed nothing at all at the moment the liable party wrongfully took [what he took]; it was not given to him by the mazal, nor was it taken from his fellow by the mazal. And this is [the meaning of] "for there is a time" — that is, the time governed by the mazal, from that point forward, determines what pertains to "every purpose" that he chose — namely, to rob his fellow — and to every deed that he performed in seizing it from his hand; and also the deed which He, may He be blessed, rectified afterward — that, too, was from the outset the ruling of the time. And Scripture says "there" [i.e., "for every purpose and for every deed there"] to indicate that although here, in this world, these are separate matters, there, Above, the time decreed everything together — both "every purpose" and "every deed" — for from potential into actuality, at the ultimate completion of the rectification, what belongs to each of them is exactly what the time had determined from the very outset. And concerning the second evil, that of the judges — namely, how they might be led astray in accordance with the mazal and thereby corrupt the world through the corruption of justice — he says, "I said in my heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:18): that because the generation is corrupt, He, may He be blessed, selects for it judges who are corrupt, just like it. And this is [the meaning of] "concerning the sons of man" (Ecclesiastes 3:18) — that regarding the people of that generation, in order to sift and clarify them, God selected for them their own judges, so that He, may He be blessed, might show that the people of that generation are [like] beasts; therefore those very judges are indeed fitting for them. And forasmuch as they are [like] beasts — for they do not recognize the true stature of man, and regard themselves as beasts — therefore it is not accounted, [in their view,] a perverted judgment when they acquit the wicked and condemn the righteous, since they see matters pertaining to man as equal to those pertaining to beast; and therefore they imagine that man and beast alike are whole and the same, and thereby they trespass upon the very foundations of the faith. And this shows itself in several matters. First: although the end of man is death and the end of beast is slaughter, this is [the meaning of] "for the fate (mikreh) of the sons of man and the fate of the beast" (Ecclesiastes 3:19) — that is, there is a fate particular to man, and a fate particular and proper to beast; nevertheless, they conclude that there is one and the same fate for all, namely, that as this one dies so that one dies, for the death of most beasts resembles the death of man. Second, they see that there is one spirit for all, for man and beast, when their spirit departs, expire alike, and there is no difference between them. And should you object: but did they not observe that speech belongs to the living, speaking being [man alone] — why then do they equate them? [The answer is:] do they not regard this very advantage as belonging to man only during his lifetime? For at his death, man's advantage is removed; and so that "advantage" was but hevel (vanity/breath), since after his death it no longer exists. And this is [the meaning of] "and the advantage of man" (Ecclesiastes 3:19) — they conclude that there is nothing beyond the death just mentioned; therefore they agree that all is hevel. Further, third, they see that everything goes to one place, for man and beast alike return to their dust; and this is [the meaning of] "all came from the dust, and all returns to the dust" (Ecclesiastes 3:20). And should you perhaps ask: why do they not take note of the difference in destination — that man's spirit goes to one place and the beast's spirit goes to another? [The answer] is that they judge only by what meets their eyes, and they do not perceive the journey of the spirit; for which of them knows "the spirit of the sons of man that goes upward," etc., "and the spirit of the beast that goes downward," etc. (Ecclesiastes 3:21)? For they neither know nor understand anything except what they see with their own eyes; therefore, to them, man and beast alike are the same. And therefore such men are regarded as beasts, and therefore their judges too are given to them in correspondence with what they themselves are.

"under the sun" — in this world, the place where the sun shines. "the place of justice" — the place designated for sitting there to judge between a man and his fellow. "that wickedness was there" — it turned to become there a place of wickedness, for men of worthlessness sat there, scheming to devise wicked stratagems. "and in the place of righteousness" — the seat where the men of righteousness sit, there the wicked one sits also, and incites them after corrupted views.

I said in my heart, etc. Therefore, I say everything is judged by the Holy One, Blessed Is He, in due time, and even though the matter [appears] delayed, it will eventually reach its time, for there is a time for everything, even for retribution and for the visitation of judgement there is a time that comes. And for every deed that man did, they will judge him there when the time of the visitation arrives; there at that time, a time is given for every deed, to be judged for it. At the gate of the fold there are words, but in the stall are there is strict accounting. — Notes: (39) See Maseches Shabbos 32a. The shepherd waits until the goats are by the gate of the fold, and then he rebukes and punishes them.

"I said" — After I had wondered how it happens that it is the deed of God, I knew that the righteous and the wicked God will judge. And the meaning of "there" (sham) alludes to the world to come, just as "and naked shall I return there" (Job 1:21) alludes to the place of the grave. And if he returns there to the ground from which he was taken, this matter too applies after he dies.

"the righteous" — who sits there, being enticed to follow the view of the wicked one. "and the wicked" — the one who entices and leads astray. "God will judge" — to repay them with evil recompense, this one like that one. "for there is a time" — for a time of recompense will come for every desire and for every deed done there; meaning, the Omnipresent will repay whether they actually carried out a wicked deed or whether they had not yet done it but only desired to do it and it did not succeed in their hand.

"Purpose" (chefetz) — will/desire.

I said to myself. When I observed all this. Concerning the state of man. Who adopted the trait of haughtiness, to exert rulership and superiority over those smaller than they. [God] has set them apart. (Other texts: [God] should clarify for them.) The Holy One, Blessed Is He, to notify them that their rulership is nought, and to show them and also the princes and the kings — They themselves are as beast. Like other beasts and animals they are to themselves.

"I said, I" — I said in my heart, concerning the sons of man whom God chose from among all the creatures of the earth, and I saw that they are like beasts — so in their own minds, in their own thoughts. The word "al divrat" (על דברת) is like "ba'avur" (because of), as in "al divrati malki tzedek" ("after the manner of Malki-tzedek," Psalms 110:4), meaning "because you are a righteous king." And the lamed of "levoram" (לברם, to sift them) is like the lamed of "imri li: achi hu" ("say of me: he is my brother," Genesis 20:13). And "voram" (ברם) is of the pattern of "re'em" (a wild ox), and it is from [the root of] "beru lachem ish" ("choose you a man," 1 Samuel 17:8). And some say that "levoram" is an infinitive (shem ha-po'al), and that the resh ought to have had a dagesh (doubling-dot), its true form being "levorram," like "le-varer" (to clarify) and "le-lalben" (to whiten) — but this is far-fetched, for in the doubled pi'el conjugation the second root-letter is never found "swallowed" [i.e., its doubling disappears without a trace]. And it calls them "beheimah" (beast), meaning "like a beast" — similarly, "and man is born a wild ass's colt" (Job 11:12) [i.e., like a wild ass's colt], and "He is a devouring fire" (Deuteronomy 4:24) [i.e., like a devouring fire], for it says, "Hashem God is a sun and a shield" (Psalms 84:12) [i.e., like a sun and shield]. And should a grammarian ask: how does the lamed attach to what looks like a past-tense verb, when there is nothing else like it? — the answer is that bet and lamed are "brothers" [interchangeable in function], and this combination is like that combination, for there is one pattern for all; and we find [a like case] in "ba-hakhin lo David" ("when David had prepared [a place] for it," 2 Chronicles 1:4), and it too stands alone [as a unique form].

"concerning the matter of" — concerning the matter of the sons of men, how they conduct themselves and what they do. "that God may sift them" — meaning, that they may clarify and examine the great exaltedness of God, and see, upon intellectual examination, that they are like beasts in themselves; as if to say: but compared to the exaltedness of God, they are as nothing.

"Al divrat" (because of/concerning) — concerning the matter, like "al devar ha-kesef" (concerning the matter of the money) (Genesis 43:18); and since it is construct with "benei ha-adam" (the sons of men), it therefore says "divrat," like "ozi ve-zimrat Yah" (my strength and song is Yah) (Exodus 15:2). "That He may sift them" (le-varam) — from the language of clarifying a matter and testing.

For the fate of men, etc. This is the reason for the matter, that the Holy One, Blessed Is He, gave a fate and a mishap to mankind, and there is a fate and a mishap to the beasts, and He gave one fate to them both, for just as this one dies, so does that one die. And the superiority of man over beast is nil. And the superiority and the success of man over beast is not apparent after he dies, for everything is converted to nothingness by returning to the dust. — Notes: (40) This is true when a person spends his life only in the accumulation of wealth. (Metsudas Dovid)

"For that which befalls" — This verse concerns the thoughts of the sons of man who did not grow wise and understand; for upon seeing that one and the same fate befalls man and beast, in life and in death, they thought that there is one spirit for all, and that man has no "motar" (preeminence) over the beast. "Motar" (מותר) is a noun of the pattern of "moshav" (dwelling), from the heavy conjugation, and the quiescent letter [vav] stands in place of the first root-letter, which is a yod. And "yitron" (יתרון, advantage) is a noun from the light conjugation (the simple, kal form), with the nun added [as a suffix].

"for that which befalls" — for there is an occurrence unique to the sons of men alone, such as the occurrence of sorrow and the like. "and befalls beasts" — and there is an occurrence unique to the beast alone, on account of its lack of understanding. "even one thing befalls them" — and there is one occurrence common to both of them, for as this one dies, so does that one die. "indeed, they have all one breath" — while they are yet alive, all of them have the life-breath, this one like that one; as if to say: and therefore they are like the beast, for while they are yet alive, the life-breath belongs to this one like that one, and the occurrence of death happens to this one like that one; and even though there is an occurrence unique to the beast alone which does not apply to man, is there not, in contrast, an occurrence unique to man alone which does not apply to the beast? "so that man has no pre-eminence" — and there is no superior advantage of man over the beast. "for all is vanity" — meaning, this is so if all of man's deeds were vanity, in that he occupied himself only with amassing possessions and the like; but it is not so if he occupied himself with Torah and good deeds.

"And preeminence" (u-motar) — from the language of "profit/advantage" (yitron). "There is no" (ein) — its meaning is like "there is not" (lo yesh). "For" (ki) — [meaning] "but/rather" (im).

"All" — This is attached to the verse above, for all is hevel (vanity), since their place is one.

"all" — whether man or beast, all go to one place, which is what it states at the end of the verse: to the dust. "all are of..., etc." — meaning, just as the formation of the first man and every living creature was from the dust, so too all of them, at their death, will return to the dust.

Who knows. As in, “Whoever knows, let him repent,” [i.e., he] who understands, knows that “the spirit of man” ascends on high and stands in judgment, “and the spirit of the beast” descends to the earth, and does not have to give a justification and reckoning. [Therefore,] one must not behave like a beast which does not [have to] care about its deeds. — Notes: (41) Yoel 2:14. (42) However, there are a very few who understand and know this distinction which differentiates the spirit of man from beast. (Metsudas Dovid)

"Who knows" — It is known that the heh of definiteness (heh ha-yedi'ah), if followed by one of the guttural letters alef-chet-ayin-resh, is usually vocalized with a qamatz, whereas the heh of interrogation (heh ha-temihah) is always vocalized with a patach. And [in] "ha-olah" ("that goes up") it is [the heh of definiteness, with] a qamatz, [meaning the spirit that goes] "upward." Also, there is a dagesh in the yod that follows the heh of definiteness, as in "ha-yoshevet" ("she who dwells") — whereas had it been [the heh] of interrogation, there would be a shva and patach under the heh, and the yod would be without a dagesh (rafeh, undoubled). And the meaning is: who — indeed, who among the sons of man — knows the difference between the spirit of man and the spirit of the beast? And the point is that not one in a thousand can be found [who knows this], for the knowledge of the spirit is deep and requires proofs, and not even a few of them are able to understand it, except the enlightened ones (maskilim) whose thinking has been clarified in the scales of wisdom and in its four foundations, three of which are sefer (a written text), sefer/sofer (a reckoning), and sippur (a narration), with a fourth compounded from these two. And from the Torah of our God one is able to understand [this]: for behold, concerning the kinds of plants it says, "Let the earth put forth grass" (Genesis 1:11) — so the earth has power to sprout vegetation by the word of God; and since that which sprouts is a body, from it they came forth and to it they shall return, and what the earth brought forth does not endure except for a limited number of days, because there is a limit to its growth, and once it has stopped growing it reverts backward. And so too it says, "Let the waters swarm with soul" (Genesis 1:20) — so the waters brought forth the soul of every creature of the earth, fowl, and fish, by the word of God; and likewise it says, "Let the earth bring forth the living soul after its kind" (Genesis 1:24). But concerning man, the Torah does not say "the soul (nefesh) of man"; rather it says, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26), and it mentions that He created his body from the ground, and afterward, "And He breathed into his nostrils the soul (neshamah) of life" (Genesis 2:7) — and it alludes to "life" because it endures and does not perish like the nefesh of the beast. And there is a difference between neshamah and nefesh, for we do not find "neshamah" anywhere in the whole of Scripture except regarding the sons of man, as in the matter of "He gives neshamah to the people upon it" (Isaiah 42:5); and every instance of "the neshamah of the spirit of life in his nostrils" (cf. Genesis 7:22) refers to man alone. And Solomon says at the end of the book that the spirit of the sons of man returns to God, and not to the dust.

"who knows" — meaning, few are those who attain the wisdom to know the distinction that the spirit of the sons of men is of significance, in that it rises after death upward to the source from which it was hewn, while the spirit of the beast is lowly, in that it descends after death downward to the earth from which it was hewn; and this refers back to the above, to say: since not many gain the wisdom to understand this, therefore they consider themselves to be like beasts to themselves.

I perceived. In all of these. That there is nothing better. For man. That man should rejoice in his work. He should rejoice and eat in the toil of his hands, but not to widen his desire like the grave, to covet riches, to accumulate that which is not rightfully his. For that is his lot. The toil of his hands, that is the portion given him from Heaven, and with it he should rejoice. For who will bring him to see. After he dies, what his children will have; if they, too, will be successful with the wealth that he accumulated and left over for them, or whether they will not prosper. — Notes: (43) Alternatively, for who will bring him to see the reward and punishment after death.

"Wherefore I perceived" — For these who think that they are like the beasts, there is nothing good for them except that they should rejoice in their lives, for they have no other portion; so why should they occupy themselves with things that will be left behind after them?

To come to the matter, let us first preface that none of the teachings of the Mishnah were absent from any of our ancients, such as David, Solomon, and their like — even what is stated in them in the name of a single [Sage], and how much more so when there is no dissent. Now our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said that Moses our teacher, peace upon him, found the Holy One, blessed be He, saying: 'Eliezer, My son, says: a heifer a year old (parah bat shenatah), etc.' And so too regarding the statement, 'Moses received the Torah from Sinai' (Avot 1:1), etc. — which ought rightfully to have been said at the beginning of Seder Zeraim, since that is the very first of all the orders of the Oral Torah — they said that this is to teach that even all the ethical teachings found in [Tractate] Avot, where each and every man stated his own moral rebukes, were all received by Moses from Sinai and handed down from generation to generation. Among these is: 'Ben Zoma says... etc.: Who is rich? He who is happy with his portion (chelko), as it is said, "When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy and it shall be well with you"' (Psalms 128:2; Avot 4:1), etc. Furthermore, it is worth taking note: how does he derive 'happy with his portion' from the verse 'when you eat the labor of your hands'? For surely one who has nothing to eat except from his own labor has no 'portion' [in this sense] such that one could say 'happy with his portion.' Rather, the matter is this: one who is not troubled over the good things of this world, and eats from his own labor, is thereby shown to be happy with his portion — for all Israel have a portion in the world to come (olam haba), and it is with his portion in the world to come that he is happy. Now let us come to the matter of the verse. It is that, after speaking of the corrupt judgment done in the city on account of the corruption of men — a thing over which a person would grieve upon seeing that evil, and [wonder] how he could then serve Hashem with joy and gladness of heart, as befits those who love His blessed Name — he therefore said: 'And I perceived that there is nothing better for this than that a man should rejoice in his works' — meaning his own particular works, that is, his good deeds, for through them it will be well for him in the world to come, since that is his portion, concerning which it is said, 'Who is rich? He who is happy with his portion' — namely, his portion in the world to come. And this is what he means: 'he should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion' — so that he is found to be happy with his portion, and he is rich, and fortunate is he in this world (olam hazeh), and it will be well for him in the world to come. Now should you ask: why do I comfort a man over the corruption of justice — that 'in the place of judgment, there was wickedness' (Ecclesiastes 3:16), etc. — [merely] by [telling him] to rejoice in his own deeds, saying that there is nothing better to remedy this, rather than comforting him with [the promise of] what he is destined to see — the vengeance of Hashem upon those who justify the wicked and condemn the righteous, as the prophet said, 'who justify the wicked... etc., and it shall be as when the stubble is consumed... their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust,' etc. (Isaiah 5:23-24)? The reason is this: perhaps the one who grieves over the matter will not live until the time of the reckoning of those who justify the wicked and condemn the righteous — and who then will bring him afterward to see their downfall? And this is what he means by saying, 'for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him' — that is to say, [that is the reason] for what I said, that there is nothing better than that he should rejoice, etc., and that I did not choose [to comfort him] with the prospect of seeing their downfall — it is because 'who shall bring him [to see it]', etc.

"wherefore I perceived" — in light of these matters, I perceived through intellectual examination that there is no good and happiness in any matter greater than that a man should rejoice with the wealth he has gathered through the work of his hands, to eat and rejoice from it. "for that is his portion" — his joy in this world with the wealth he has gathered, this alone is his portion and no more; for when he dies and leaves the wealth to his sons after him, who will bring him back after his death to this world to see, with joy and goodness, what will be for his sons after him with the wealth he gathered, so that they may rejoice in their goodness?