Ecclesiastes · Chapter 4

And I returned and considered. By means of the Holy Spirit. All the oppressions. Who were made to be oppressed in Gehinnom for the deeds that were committed. — Notes: (1) Alternatively, one cannot rejoice in view of the injustice and robbery committed in the world. (Ibn Ezra) Under the sun. תַּחַת [meaning] in exchange for the Torah. — Notes: (2) See above 2:18. And behold, tears of the oppressed. Weeping for their souls, which are oppressed in the hand of the destructive and cruel angels, and similarly it says, “Transgressors in the valley of weeping, transform it into a fountain,” these are the ones who descend to Gehinnom. And this verse too is expounded in this manner in Sifre. — Notes: (3) Tehillim 84:7. And from the hand of their oppressors [flows the] power. Their oppressors overwhelm them and attack them with force.

"But I returned" — As if to say: I retracted and returned from this matter that I had thought, that it is good for a man to rejoice — because he will not be able to rejoice, since there is violence (chamas) in the world, and his money is taken from him by force, and he becomes oppressed — oppressed by a minister, or a judge who takes bribes, or a thief. And the meaning of "and on the side of their oppressors there was power" is that power is in the hand of the oppressors, while the oppressed have no power in their own hand except to weep, and they have no comforter — for the way of a mourner weeping over the dead is that comforters come to him and he is comforted. And it mentions "and they had no comforter" twice, because his weeping and his crying out, time after time, are of no avail.

After having said above that, although he saw that 'in the place of judgment, there was wickedness' (Ecclesiastes 3:16), etc., and that there were many who were oppressed, he nevertheless took comfort by saying, 'for God shall judge the righteous and the wicked' (Ecclesiastes 3:17) — for He, may He be blessed, would execute their judgment and set their matter right — he now said: behold, after some time, when I thought that the oppressed had been set right, 'I returned' and I looked upon all the oppressed mentioned [above], and instead of finding that their wrong had been corrected, I saw — and even the gates of tears, which are always open, were shut before them — the tears of the oppressed, 'and they had no comforter,' from above. And also, in the matter where it is within the power of the judges of the earth and their officers to set things right — for it is within [their] power to save the oppressed from the hand of their oppressors — even so, 'they had no comforter,' neither from above nor from below. And so greatly did I come to loathe my life (katzti b'chayai) over this matter, that [I went on to say], 'Wherefore I praised,' etc., '[those] who have not seen,' etc.

"And I returned" — I went back and saw all the oppressions/wrongs that are done in the world. "And behold the tears of the oppressed" — meaning, the tears of weeping of those who are oppressed, behold, they flow and drip, and they have no one to comfort them. "And on the side of their oppressors there was power" — even though they are oppressed by their oppressors through force of arm, not through justice, nevertheless they have no comforter.

"And I returned" (ve-shavti) — from the language of returning and turning back. "The oppressed" (ha-ashukim) — an expression of injustice and quarrel/contention, like "and you shall be only oppressed (ashuk) and robbed" (Deuteronomy 28:29). "Comforter" (menachem) — from the language of "consolation" (tanchumin).

Who already died. Before the evil inclination overpowered them to push them back from the Holy One, Blessed Is He, like the early Patriarchs, ) for Moshe was answered only through them [i.e., their merit]. ) And like my father Dovid, for I was not answered with twenty-four praises ) until I said, “Remember the kind deeds of Your servant Dovid.” — Notes: (4) Alternatively, I am able to determine the praise of those who died [ושבח אני את המתים], by observing the conduct and type of life style of their children who are alive [מן החיים]. (Yalkot Eliezer) (5) Rashi answers the apparent contradiction between this verse which praises the dead and below [9:4]. Koheles states “for a live dog is better than a dead lion.” (Sifsei Chachomim (6) See Maseches Shabbos 30a. Moshe said many prayers and God did not answer, but when he mentioned the merit of the Patriarchs in his prayers, he was immediately answered. (Sifsei Chachomim (7) See Maseches Shabbos 30a. The Gemara there relates that the gates in the Bais Hamikdosh clung to each other when Shlomo attempted to place the Holy Ark into the Kodesh Hakadoshim. He said twenty-four expressions of entreaty and was not answered until he mentioned the kind deeds of Dovid. (Sifsei Chachomim (8) II Divrei Hayomim 6:42.

"And I praised" (ve-shibbach) — "ve-shibbach" is an adjective (shem ha-to'ar), like "yare ani" ("I am fearful"), and the chet is opened [vocalized with a patach] because it is one of the guttural letters. "Aden" (עדן, already) — it is lacking a heh, and it [in full] is "ad henah" (until now). And the point of saying that the dead are more praiseworthy than the living is directed against the case of the oppressed: for every person can accept whatever comes upon him from Heaven, but he cannot bear an oppression done to him by a fellow man who is like himself, and so he would choose death over life.

"And I praised," etc. — Behold, it is known that there is a dispute between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel as to whether it is better for a person to have been created, etc.; and they were counted [voted] and concluded that it is better for a person not to have been created, but now that he has been created, let him examine his deeds. And this is [the meaning of] "And I praised," etc. "And better than both is he who has not yet been" (4:3) — for it is better for him not to have been created; and he makes the matter depend on this: that he will see with his own eyes the corruption in [divine] governance, and will ponder [doubtingly] and be lost. And he prefaced by saying "And I praised," etc., rather than simply saying "Better is he who has not yet been" — for had he said only that, see: a difficulty would be raised against him — "Where have you left aside a great and mighty reason, namely that it is better for him who has not yet been in that he is spared from tasting the taste of death, and gone instead to give as the reason that he has not seen the [evil] deed?" Therefore he prefaced by saying "And I praised," etc. — to say: I do not make the tasting of death the main point; for if I did, then Eliezer the servant of Abraham, and Serah the daughter of Asher, and Pinchas, etc. — who did not taste the taste of death — would be [considered] better than the Patriarchs, and Moses, and Aaron, and their like, who died. But that is not so. For behold, "And I praised the dead" — those who have already died and will not need to die again through reincarnations [gilgulim], as is said in the Zohar concerning the word "already" [she-kevar] — this is more praiseworthy in my eyes than the living, who are still alive from the day of their birth, like Pinchas and Elazar, etc. And this is because the death of those righteous ones is not like the death of every person, for it is only an expiring [gevi'ah] and a cleaving of the soul to its Maker; and it grants them further merit, that their souls rise higher and higher, more than if they still had a remnant of materiality in them insofar as they are still alive — for the tasting of death does not blemish the righteous. And nevertheless I say that "better than both is he who has not yet been" — not because he will not taste death, for that is no blemish, but rather because he has not seen the evil deed, etc., so that he will not be sickened and come to ponder [doubtingly] upon seeing the tears of the oppressed, etc., and the like, regarding the [conduct of divine] governance as it appears to the eye. And if you say: Israel, why do you say that it is better for a person not to have been created, on account of his heart envying sinners? But is it not that, against this, there are arguments to show that it is better for him that he was created — for is it not, on the contrary, that by his being created he is enabled, through the attribute of envy [kin'ah] of which you are afraid, to perfect through it both his spirit and his body? For [before its descent] the soul eats of its Father's bread for free, before its coming here; but now, upon its coming, it will don Torah and good deeds as ornaments, to adorn itself before its Maker, and it will eat by [the labor of] its own hands and not be ashamed. And also the body [matter] will be sanctified through the 248 commandments that it will perform with its 248 limbs. And all these come about through envy — for the envy of scholars increases wisdom, and the envy of men of [good] deeds strengthens the hands of those who see them, to do as they do. Behold: the very envy you invoked — [meant to argue] that it is good for a person to have been created — in fact, on the contrary, gives strength to the view that it is better for a person not to have been created. Therefore he [Solomon] says: "Behold, I stand firm at my post" (cf. Habakkuk 2:1) — that it is [still] better for him not to have been created. And I have seen your arguments, which are: [first,] "all labor" (4:4) of Torah and mitzvah, through which the soul is enriched by labor, whereas before it used to eat without labor, for free; and [second,] "skill of action" [keshron ha-ma'aseh], which is the practical commandments that perfect the body — for both this and that are [as the verse says] "a man's envy of his fellow" (4:4) — so that there would be room to say that it is better that he was created. But they are not valid arguments at all. For the second argument, which you raise, reckoning it as perfecting the body — that too is hevel. And the first, which you said perfects the spirit and soul — on the contrary, it is a "vexation" and a breaking of spirit and soul. For as to what you said, that through the attribute of envy the body is enriched by the work of its hands through the practical commandments — this holds true only for a rare individual, one in a generation, one wise of heart and strong of might against his [evil] inclination, whose body is enriched through the attribute of envy, and whose heart envies not sinners but rather [envies those who fear] Hashem. But the fool, on the contrary, does envy, yet folds his hands and refrains from engaging in mitzvot out of the vexation of his envy; and instead of perfecting his body, on the contrary, through the attribute of envy he "eats his own flesh" in the grave and destroys his body. And this is the statement of Rabbi Achai bar Yoshiah, to whom Rav Nachman said: How was his flesh not consumed, after so many years since he died? And he said to him: Shall I not recite to you [the verse] in Proverbs, as it is written, "But envy is the rottenness of the bones" (Proverbs 14:30) — one who has envy in him, his body rots. And he told him that, since in this world he never had envy, therefore he remained whole in his body and flesh. And this is what Solomon means to say: what I said — that through the attribute of envy a man's flesh is perfected — this holds only for one prepared for it, but the fool, who is devoid of wisdom, that is, the common people (for the opposite of a wise man is called a fool), will fold and gather in his hands from doing the mitzvot, and instead of perfecting his flesh, does the opposite: he "eats his own flesh" through the attribute of envy, which is the cause of his being eaten by maggot and worm. And as for the first argument, that is, "all labor" — that at first the soul used to eat little, since it had not labored for it, whereas this is not so once it is created, for it will labor, and from its labor it will eat — this too is not a [valid] argument. For is it not that "better is a handful of quietness" (4:6) — which is little, meaning without labor, as it had at first — "than two hands full of labor" — by which its merit would be doubled through labor in this world — since "vexation of spirit" follows thereafter, in that it is thereby destined to sin and break its own soul; whereas this is not so while it is still above, for its good will not be lacking even if it is little, and it will not fear "vexation of spirit." In this way, what I said was correct: that it is better for a person not to have been created. Or, the meaning of the matter may [instead] be [as an objection]: Are you not troubled lest the attribute of envy destroy you, in that your heart will envy over the evil deed that is done under the sun? But is it not that, against this, you also acquire worlds through envy? For behold, when you see the evil deed, you also see "all labor" of Torah and "skill of action" that follows from the envy of one person for another — for many engage in Torah and mitzvot, and the envious see and do likewise; it turns out, then, that what one envy corrupts, another envy repairs. But even this repair is itself hevel, and a vexation and breaking of spirit and soul. For behold, only a wise man envies over "labor" and "skill of action" — for great study leads to deed; but what is to be done, since the fool folds his hands from doing the deed, precisely because he envies the [others'] skill? For he is enticed by envy over the evil deed and destroys himself — since through the attribute of envy he "eats his own flesh," as in the statement of Rabbi Achai on the verse "envy is the rottenness of the bones." And this is [the meaning of] "his own flesh" — for the [additional] word "et" includes also his very bones. The sum of the matter: that it is better for a person not to have been created. And if you should say: But is it not that above, had he not been created, he would eat little for free, whereas now the soul will be filled, as discussed, with the reward of its deeds? — to this he answers: "Better is a handful of quietness," etc. And if you should say: If so, what will you do with the difficulty — if it is better for him not to have been created, why was he created at all? — to this he answers: "And I praised," etc.

"And I praised, etc." — meaning, it is good and pleasant for the dead, who know nothing of this and are not pained by it. "Who are already dead" — he said this for additional clarification. "More than the living" — more than the living who are still alive.

"Yet" (adenah) — still.

Yet. Yet עֲדַיִן=עֲדֶן. — Notes: (9) ‘עדן’ is a shortened version of עד הנה [=as yet]. (Ibn Ezra) Who has not seen the [evil] deed. I saw in Midrash Koheles that these are the 974 generations that were decreed to be created, but were not created. — Notes: (10) Of the one thousand generations that were decreed to be created before the giving of the Torah, 974 were not created. However, 26 generations after God created the world He gave the Torah. There were ten generations from Adam to No’ach, ten generations from No’ach to Avrohom, and six generations from Avrohom to Moshe. Thus 974 + 26 equals one thousand generations. See Rashi in Maseches Chagigah 14a.

"And better" — The word "eden" (עדן) is a composite, lacking a heh before the nun and after it, [in full] it would be "adenah." And the meaning is: the dead who have already died found rest and did not hear the voice of the oppressor, and this is better than the living; and better still are the dead who have not yet been created [born] until now — because the oppressed suffer in their bodies, like prisoners and captives, or those oppressed of their money, who are pained, whether they are alive; and as for the dead — even though he who has not yet been created does not exist now, they themselves were once oppressed too. And many have wondered, how can it be said, "and better," of one who has not been created [and does not exist at all]? And so too the Sages, of blessed memory, said, "Fortunate is he who was not created." And this is not to be wondered at, because of the limitation of language, which can speak only by way of comparisons — just as the masters of logical reasoning (chakhmei shekul ha-da'at) say that everything is either "existent" (yesh) or "non-existent" (ayin); and if it is spoken of as a thing, how can it be "non-existent"?

"But better than they both" — better than both the living and the dead is one who has not yet existed and has not been born; and he said this by way of figurative expression, for there is no [literal] room to say something is "good" for one who was never in the world. "Who has not seen" — because he has not seen at all the evil deed that is done in this world, namely, the oppression mentioned above.

"Yet" (aden) — still.

And I observed that all labor. These are the sins, which are toil in the eyes of the Holy One, Blessed Is He. And all skillful work. Which is not for the sake of Heaven, but for one’s envy of his friend, both of which are vanity. Is the result of man’s envy. Which is the result of man’s envy of his neighbor.

"Again, I considered" — most of man's labor, and also the excellence of their deeds, are on account of the sons of man envying one another, and each wanting to boast over his fellow, and not wanting to be lesser than him in his dwelling, his clothing, his children, his food, his wisdom, and his good name.

"All labor" — these are the transgressions, which are "toil" in the eyes of the Omnipresent and evil before Him; and in order to make it intelligible to the ear, he used an expression that applies to a human being, for whom it is counted as toil and exertion if someone disobeys his word. "And all excelling in work" — a worthy and upright deed, which arises from a man's envy of his neighbor; meaning, he did not do it for its own sake, but rather out of envy, upon seeing the glory of his neighbor on account of the excellence of his deeds; so he becomes envious of him and takes up similar deeds, so that his neighbor's glory should not become greater than his. "This also is vanity (hevel)" — even though he performed an excellent deed, nevertheless it is a thing without substance. "And a striving after wind" — for he does not do it willingly, but rather does the deed against his will, and so his will is broken.

"Excelling" (kishron) — an expression of uprightness/skill. "That it is" (ki hi) — which is.

The fool. The wicked person. — Notes: (11) Alternatively, “the fool.” (Targum) Folds his hands. And does not toil, and he eats only from robbery. And eats his own flesh. On the Day of Judgement, when he sees the righteous bestowed with honor, while he is being judged. It is expounded in this manner in Sifre. — Notes: (12) Alternatively, because he did not toil, he eventually dies from starvation (Ibn Ezra); or בשרו refers to “his relatives” that suffer on his account. See Rashi below 5:5 and also in Yeshayahu 58:7.

"The fool" — there are also among men foolish, lazy people who have no envy and do not occupy themselves with work by which they might live, but rather fold their hands and eat whatever they have, and end up without sustenance. And since he eats all that he has and does not labor to add [more], it is as though he eats his own flesh, since he will die of hunger.

"Folds his hands together" — he clasps them one within the other; meaning, he does not move his hands to do work with them in order to sustain himself. "And eats his own flesh" — in the end he has nothing to eat, and against his will he [must] eat his own flesh; and this is a figurative expression, meaning that from the fat of his flesh he grows thin on account of hunger, as though he had eaten it, for lack of food.

"Folds" (chovek) — an expression of encircling the hand around something.

Better is a handful [earned] in contentment. To acquire few possessions, but with his toil, so that his Creator should have satisfaction from them. Than two handfuls [earned]. Many possessions [acquired] through sin, which is toil and grief to the Omnipresent. — Notes: (13) Alternatively, the verse refers to giving charity, i.e., better a lesser amount given to a poor person but with a pleasant demeanor, than giving twice as much, but causing the poor man to feel uncomfortable. (Nachal Eshkol)

"Better" — these are the words of the fool, who says: "It is enough for me to have a handful of bread in quietness, rather than two handfuls in labor and striving after wind" — [this refers to] one who thinks to speak of the future, [wondering] what he will eat tomorrow, when he does not [even] know what a day may bring forth.

"Better" — it is better to earn a little, a handful, and be at rest and quiet, than to earn much, two handfuls, and be in great toil and with broken will; meaning, to do something to which his mind is not inclined and in which he has no desire.

"Handful" (kaf) — the palm of the hand. "Quietness" (nachat) — from the language of rest. "Both hands" (chofnayim) — thus are called the two palms of the hands joined to one another.

Under the sun. Is the same as, “under the heavens.”

"Then I returned" — I turned away from considering the words of this fool, and I saw another fool, the opposite of the first.

"Behold, I concluded, saying, better than both of them is he who has not yet been" (Ecclesiastes 4:3) — for it is better for a person not to have been created. If so, then what shall a person do, so that he not be lost at the hand of his yetzer (inclination)? And furthermore — is it conceivable that God created man and breathed into his nostrils the soul of life from beneath His Throne of Glory, in a condition destined for ruin, such that it should be said of him that it would have been better had he not been created? Therefore he said this: "Then I returned and saw vanity..." etc. He likened a light matter to hevel (vanity/breath) — meaning that one should be as swift as an eagle and as fleet as a gazelle in doing the will of his Maker, and in subjugating his yetzer beneath him. And this is by recalling the words of our Sages, of blessed memory, in Midrash Shocher Tov, on the verse "the sins of my youth" (Psalm 25:7): A parable of a king who made a great feast and told his servants to invite guests, but that they should be important people. They returned and said to the king: If you seek only important people, behold, they are few, and your feast will be wasted. Therefore, be content with ordinary people. So too David said: "Behold, how abundant is Your good..." "which You have hidden..." (Psalm 31:20) — for if You give Your good only to the great righteous, what will You do with Your abundant good, for who will consume it for us? According to Your kindness, remember me — me and those like me. And this is the meaning of "for the sake of Your goodness, Hashem" (Psalm 25:7) — that it should not go to waste. Behold, all the happiness that He created and prepared for the righteous is very great, and it belongs to Israel, who are close to Hashem. And behold, our Sages of blessed memory went so far as to say that the whole world and its fullness God created in six days, but from then until the end of the world He creates reward and good for the righteous, as it is said, "the new heavens..." "which I make" (Isaiah 66:22) — it does not say "which I made," etc. Now let us come to the matter. He said: "I saw a matter as light as hevel under the heavens" — for is there anyone so foolish as to take this to heart, and not run like a mighty man to serve Hashem, and return to Him, and guard himself from sin? Instead, he runs to do an easy commandment and flees from transgression, reasoning thus: Behold, there is One — may He be blessed — and He has no second, Heaven forbid, to give from His good to a second; nor does He have a son or a brother to give from His good to them; and there is no end to all His labor, for He labors to act on behalf of those who take refuge in Him. As we have written, ever since He created the world He has been producing lights and good; and even the eyes of one who gazes into the distance would not be satisfied by the wealth of happiness He continues to bring about without end. It follows that all this happiness — is it not for us, if we do His will? If so, why should I say, "for whom do I labor" (Ecclesiastes 4:8), busying myself with the trifling affairs of this world, and depriving my own soul of the good that He, may He be blessed, has wrought and will continue to work? And how could I deprive my soul of the Blessed One's abundant goodness, and not strengthen myself like a mighty, ruthless warrior, night and day, without ever letting up? Behold, this too is hevel, and it is easy for a person's heart to fall prey to this reasoning — and it is a wicked thing that a person should not consider this, and should never turn aside from the way of goodness.

"Then I returned" — I went back and saw a vain thing that is done in the world.

There is one who is alone with none other beside him. There is a person who does his work alone. He has neither son nor brother. If he is Torah scholar, he neither acquires for himself a disciple, who is like a son, nor a companion, who is like a brother. And if he is a bachelor, he does not take a wife, to be to him like a brother, as a helper and to beget a son. And if he is a merchant, he does not acquire partners for himself, but he goes out on the road by himself. Yet there is no end to his labor. He toils in study, and if he is a merchant, he labors in business. Neither is his eye ever satisfied with riches. He will not be sated from the insights of Torah, for a person learns much Torah from his students, and regarding money, he constantly pursues money. And for whom do I labor. Since I do not develop students, and I do not take a wife to beget children.

"There is one who is alone" — It is possible that there be a second: a companion (chaver), or a servant, or a wife who is "a helpmate corresponding to him" (ezer kenegdo) — and this is the more correct [reading]. "Yet is there no end of all his labor" — The matter is that he has riches without end, yet his soul is not satisfied, nor does it rest from toil. And why does he not consider in his heart: for whom do I labor, and why do I deprive my soul of all pleasure? For behold, there is no one to inherit from me, so that my soul would rejoice that I leave my sons or brothers in prosperity. "This also is vanity" — He added "also" to teach that the first fool is vanity just like the last one. And since both of them are fools, the wise man will be like the one who says, "give me neither poverty nor riches" (Proverbs 30:8).

"There is one" — there is a man who does his deeds alone and has no second [partner] with him, for he does not join with anyone to assist him in the toil of his labors. "Also he has neither son nor brother" — to inherit the wealth that he gathered through toil. "And there is no end to all his labor" — at all times he toils and does not rest. "Is not satisfied" — it [his eye] is not satisfied with the riches he has already gathered, for it is not enough for him, and therefore he does not rest, for he desires to increase it still further. "For whom then do I labor" — meaning, he does not think to say, 'for whose sake do I labor and deprive myself of the good of quiet and rest? Do I not have a son or brother to inherit from me, so that I would then be leaving my wealth to others?' "This also" — meaning, although idleness is disgraceful, nevertheless an excess of toil is vanity and an evil matter.

Two are better. In all aspects. Than one. Therefore, a person should acquire for himself a companion and marry a woman, for they have a greater return in their labor. Much work is accomplished by two, because [there are tasks that] an individual would not start on his own.

"Two are better" — This refers back to the fool who is alone, and it is saying: would it not be better for him to have someone join with him and help him? Then they would have a good reward for their labor, namely food and drink.

If you should say to me: 'See, your words are good and correct, in this good thought — that "the living should take it to heart" (Ecclesiastes 7:2) and never falter, so that "for an everlasting remembrance he will be righteous" (Psalms 112:6) — but look and see how evil and bitter his evil inclination (yetzer hara) is: who can overcome it, and who can withstand the power of its enticement and its stratagems before it? For behold, it has three powers over the good inclination (yetzer tov): First, the power of its enticement and its persistence — for it does not rest until it causes [a person] to stumble, lurking like a lion day and night, whether inadvertently or intentionally; wherever it turns, it deals wickedly. Second, that it is a king, and many are with it — the two hundred forty-eight limbs [the traditional count of the body's limbs], all of them its counselors, submitting to its command, exulting in its pride — while the good inclination is like a lone shrub in the wilderness (cf. Jeremiah 17:6) with none to help it. Third, that the evil inclination is trained in warfare from its youth, for from the very moment the child emerges from his mother's womb, it is already with him — an old man of the household — while the good inclination is like a child born after thirteen years, utterly new. And how could a newborn child prevail against that evil old man?' Therefore Solomon comes, as it were speaking to the heart of the good inclination, and takes up his proverb (mashal) and says — regarding the first [difficulty]: Do not fear and do not be dismayed, for behold, many are with you; you are not alone. For behold, "two are better" — they are the good inclination and the soul — than "the one," which is the evil inclination, for it alone remains [without a partner]. And do not worry, saying: perhaps the two of them will not set their heart to rouse themselves to fight against it continually, since it does not slumber and does not sleep, stirring up wars every day. For behold, the opposite is true: doubly more than the evil inclination, they will help each other fight against it. For behold, these two — aside from doing the will of their Maker — both have a good reward for the labor by which they labor to fight against it; for the good inclination, too, is a spiritual force, as is known from the book of the Zohar, Parashat Vayishlach, which writes of the evil inclination that it receives no reward for causing to sin the one whom it defeats. And if so, say from now on: these two stand to gain blessing more than the evil inclination stands to bring about the curse. And should you say: But how many times do both of them bow and fall before the evil inclination, and it causes the person to sin in one of three ways — either inadvertently, regarding a prohibitive commandment (mitzvat lo ta'aseh); or the evil inclination casts drowsiness upon both of them so that they do not rouse themselves to fulfill a positive commandment (mitzvat aseh); or, after these, if it prevails, it becomes master of the house and seizes the person against his will and overpowers him to make him sin deliberately — so how then are "the two better," seeing that it does all three of these things to them? — To this he answers: Nevertheless, there is hope for both of them to prevail over it. For if they fall — this being the first category, that it fells them into sin, meaning inadvertent sin — behold, there is hope, for the one will raise up his fellow and be his help, and repentance to Hashem will not be withheld from him. Indeed, if you merit to fell the evil inclination, how great is your gain! For since it alone remains [without a partner], it is like "the one who falls and has no other to lift him up" (cf. Ecclesiastes 4:10) — so you find yourself close to reward and far from loss: for even if it should overpower both of them and fell them, they will help each other rise; but if the two fell it, it will not rise again. Therefore strive to fell it, for it has none to raise it up. Also, if the two should "lie down" — this being the second category, that it lulls them to sleep away from a positive commandment — they too have a secure hope. For behold, "if two lie together, they will be warm" (Ecclesiastes 4:11) — their heart will grow warm; and even if for some days they remain asleep, they will not continue so, for soon they will awaken from their sleep, and this one will call to that one and say, "Why are you asleep?" (cf. Jonah 1:6) "Arise, and let us arise to do the will of our Maker" — for their heart is warm within them, for the fire of Hashem and His love burns within them. Since it is a positive commandment, it cannot be withheld from him that, after some days, his heart will grow warm to return from his way. But as for "the one" — the evil inclination — if you can lull it to sleep, how will it grow warm? Then it will be subdued forever. Thus, the two are better and stronger to prevail over their opponent. And even should it be the third category — that "the one," namely the evil inclination, overpowers, strengthening its hand over the person and causing him to sin deliberately, becoming master of the house — even then, do not despair of mercy, for a covenant has been made with the people of Hashem, that thoughts of repentance will not be lacking to them, little by little (kav la-kav, cf. Isaiah 28:10), until the two unite and stand against it — meaning, they will not even need to fight, but merely stand against it, for "one who comes to be purified is helped [from Above]" (Talmudic dictum), and Hashem will help them, as we have written in [our comments on] Parashat Ki Teitzei. Now, all of this holds true even granting that the good inclination has no helper besides the soul alone. How much more so, since behold, yet a third power joins the two of them, and becomes "a threefold cord [that] is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12). And he explains what this third power is by saying, "Better is a poor and wise child..." (Ecclesiastes 4:13) — this is our comment on the verse "a foolish woman is boisterous," etc. (Proverbs 9:13). For Solomon, in his wisdom, comes to remove the complaint of those who say: How does the evil inclination differ from the good inclination, if not in this — that the evil inclination is boisterous and presses and pleads relentlessly, day and night, never resting until it accomplishes its desire? If the good inclination were to act the same way — pressing until its will was done — we would all be righteous. But it does not act so; it arouses and hints only once, and does not repeat itself. But the answer is well known: it is that the evil inclination does not speak with sense (da'at), for who would listen to it if it said, "Sin against Hashem, destroy your soul, and inherit Gehinnom"? But the good inclination — all its words are words of knowledge and good sense, for through them one cleaves to Hashem from eternity to eternity, and "happy are those who keep its ways." Therefore it opens its mouth in wisdom [only] once, and whoever desires life will listen; and if he refrains, so be it — [the loss is his own]. But the evil inclination prescribes a death-potion, and who would listen to it in such a matter? For what fool would turn to obey it? Therefore it clings to persistence, and is boisterous and importunes continually, until it entices and prevails. And this is what is meant: "if you see a foolish woman" being boisterous continually — which is not so with the good inclination. "Do not marvel at the matter" (Ecclesiastes 5:7) — for behold, her boisterousness is folly, etc.; therefore she chose importuning, as has been said. Behold, then: the good inclination's words are words of good sense and knowledge, while the evil inclination is folly. Therefore he called [the good inclination] "a poor and wise child," and called the old king — that is, the evil inclination — "a foolish king." And the sense of the verses, and "the threefold cord" — that is, the soul, the good inclination, and da'at (knowledge/reason) — "is not quickly broken." And he explains his statement by saying "better is a child..." etc., addressing also the second and third points — namely, [the evil inclination's] being a king, and its being old — concerning which it is written, regarding the good inclination, "do not be troubled" — for inasmuch as the child is wise, since his words are spoken in wisdom, therefore even though the evil inclination is a king and old, once the words of knowledge of the good inclination enter a person's heart, the evil inclination cannot rise, and no longer knows how to guard itself against the good inclination, for its stratagems and follies are no longer of any effect, and neither its being a king nor its being old will help it. For behold, all its kingship is hevel (vanity) — for indeed, "out of the prison-house he went forth to reign" (Ecclesiastes 4:14) — that is, from the child's emerging from the pit [i.e., the womb], out of his mother's belly; and the soul preceded it, from the time the child was formed in his mother's womb, as Rabbi [Yehudah HaNasi] taught Antoninus (cf. Sanhedrin 91b). And as for its being old from birth until thirteen years of age — that amounts to nothing, for even in its "kingship," "he was born poor" (Ecclesiastes 4:14) — for at the beginning of its reign it is vanity, since its limbs were as though they did not exist, and only the time of its growth is counted. And then the good inclination comes with its aforementioned powers, and it has the capacity to cast the evil inclination down to the ground, with none to shame it. Now, since Solomon's words proceed dialectically — like one who raises an objection and then answers it — he speaks as one posing a difficulty against the one who says, "I have seen all the living..." (Ecclesiastes 4:15) etc., as if to say: "I will take no proof except from direct observation." For behold, "I have seen all the living that are [walking] under the sun" — those who conduct themselves in the affairs of this world, which is characterized as "under the sun" — even though they are with "the second child," namely the good inclination, which arises and stands in the place of the aforementioned first one [the evil inclination] — for after subduing it, the second arises in its place — nevertheless, the evil inclination [still] prevails, and they turn back and make the essence of their conduct in the world consist of dealings that are "under the sun," rather than what is above the sphere of the sun, in the upper world; and the good inclination fails to establish itself firmly in its powers. And yet no evil comes upon them for their evil, and they live on and endure — as it says, "I have seen all the living," etc. Solomon answers this and says: if you see many living and prospering even though they are with "the second child," swept away by the vanities of the world — "do not marvel at the matter" (Ecclesiastes 5:7). For as to "there is no end to all the people" (Ecclesiastes 4:16) — that the end does not come upon them — this is not due to their own merit, but rather for the sake of what preceded them: it is due to the merit of those who came before them, or to what preceded in their [prior] reincarnations (gilgulim), which came before what they are now. And the lamed of le-khol ("to/of all the people") is a lamed meaning "for the sake of." And there is yet another argument: that even these latter ones, who endure by virtue of the former ones, do not truly rejoice in it — in the evil inclination to which they cling — for their end will not be good. And even granting that they do rejoice in it, that very joy is grief, for this too is hevel — for all the good things of this world are hevel: they receive their reward here — a benefit to the body, but heartbreak and frustration for the soul. And this is [the meaning of] "and vexation of spirit" — for "[Hashem] repays those who hate Him to their face" (Deuteronomy 7:10), etc.

"Two are better" — two who work together are better than the one who works alone, for the two have a good profit in their labor, since they earn much, but not so the man who is alone.

"Reward" (sakhar) — an expression of gain.

For if they fall. [To be understood] according to its apparent meaning. And regarding Torah studies, if his studies are too difficult for him, his companion will review them with him, or if he errs and is not exact in what he heard from his teacher, his companion will set him on the truth[ful course]. — Notes: (14) The Gemara in Maseches Berachos 63b states that Torah scholars who sit alone and engage in Torah study become foolish and will eventually sin [by erring]. But woe to him. But woe to him וְאוֹי לוֹ=וְאִי לוֹ. ) — Notes: (15) Rashi renders this interpretation because ואילו is spelled ‘full’, i.e. with a yud. (Sifsei Chachomim

"For if" — And if illness befalls him, or if this one or that one falls, his companion will help him. And the word "i" (woe) is like "oy" (woe), and it has no parallel except in this book: "woe to you, O land" (Ecclesiastes 10:16).

"For if they fall" — even if both of them fall into a low state, nevertheless the one will raise up his fellow in some manner or another. "But woe to" — but woe to the one who falls and has no second [companion] to raise him up.

"Woe to the one" (ve-ilo ha-echad) — "and woe to him"; and similarly, "woe (i) to you, O land" (below, 10:16).

They can be warm. [To be understood] according to its apparent meaning, regarding male and female, who are aroused by one another and procreate. — Notes: (16) Alternatively, these verses refers to the performance of a mitzvah, i.e., if each one performs a mitzvah on his own then if he slackens off, there is no one to encourage him and “uplift him.” However, when two people perform a mitzvah together, it adds “warmth” to their performance of the mitzvah. (Divrei Avrohom)

"Again" — When bodies join together they become warm, similar to the matter of "and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may be warm" (1 Kings 1:2).

"Again, if two lie together" — he brings an example from the tangible/sensory realm: behold, when two lie together at a time of cold, do they not warm one another? But for one lying alone, how is it possible to become warm? It is as if to say: so it is likewise in all matters, that two are better than one.

And if an individual attacks. If thieves came to attack him, if they are two, they will stand up to them, and certainly, if they are three, “and the threefold cord is not quickly severed.” Another explanation: Whoever is a Torah scholar, as well as his son and his grandson, the Torah will never cease from his seed, as [Scripture] states, “[My words] will not depart from your mouth nor from the mouth of your offspring nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring.” Another explanation: [And] “the threefold cord,” [i.e., one well versed] in Scripture, Mishnah, and [having] good manners, will not quickly sin. It is expounded in the Midrash in other ways, “There is one who is alone with none other beside” Him, but the sequence of all these verses does not correspond with their interpretations. — Notes: (17) Yeshayahu 59:21. (18) Above Verse 8.

"And if [a man] prevails" — If one man grows strong against him, the two will stand against him. And the word "yitqefu" (they prevail) is one of the transitive verbs (pe'alim yotz'im), like "titqefehu la-netzach" ("You prevail against him forever") (Job 14:20), and it comes here deficient of a nun or a heh (chaser nun/chaser heh — a weak-verb pattern), like "ve-zeh shemo asher yiqra'u" ("and this is his name whereby he shall be called") (Jeremiah 23:6). And there are those who say that the vav of "yitqefu" is superfluous (added), but this is far-fetched — a superfluous vav at the end of a word is not found except in nouns alone, such as "le-ma'yeno mayim" ("into a fountain of water") (Psalms 114:8) [and] "beno be'or" ("son of Beor") (Numbers 24:3). "And a threefold cord" — If the meaning of "and has not a second" is the helper, then the third strand would be the son, as in the matter of "they shall not be put to shame when they speak with enemies in the gate" (Psalms 127:5).

"And if [a man] prevails" — if one of the men of might should attack one of them by force, the second will come to help him, and so the two of them will stand against the attacker and overcome him. "And a threefold cord" — a cord woven of three strands is not quickly torn, and this is stated as a parable; meaning, if three join together, there is none above them.

"Prevails" (yitkefo) — from the language of "strong/mighty" and force, and taking hold with great strength, like "he cannot contend with one who is mightier (she-hitkif) than he" (below, 6:10). "Is broken" (yinnatek) — an expression of tearing away and rending, like "and he snapped (va-yinatek) the cords" (Judges 16:9).

Better a poor but wise child. This is the good inclination, and why is it called “child”? Because it comes to a person only at the age of thirteen years. — Notes: (19) Alternatively, this verse refers to Avrohom who had a Divine prophecy at the age of three years old and refused to bow before Nimrod’s idols. (Targum) Poor. Because the limbs do not obey it, as [they obey] the evil inclination. — Notes: (20) According to Rashi that this verse is referring to the good inclination and evil inclination, the expression “better” is somewhat difficult, because “better” implies that both are “good” and one is “better” that the other, but what “good” can be attributed to the evil inclination. The Amtachas Binyomin therefore suggests that the first mem of ממלך does not mean “than” rather it means “as a result of”, i.e., it is better to follow the good inclination “as a result of defeating, after a struggle, the evil inclination, as opposed to one who has not been exposed to the evil inclination, where the probability is a greater that he will be enticed. Wise. Which gives a person intelligence to [follow] the right way. Than an old and foolish king. This is the evil inclination, which rules over all the limbs. “Old,” for when a child is born, it comes to him, as it is stated, “sin rests at the opening.” And foolish. Because it misleads him in the way of evil. It is expounded in the Midrash in this manner. — Notes: (21) The evil inclination is referred to as “king” because all obey it, and “old” because it becomes part of man long before the good inclination. (22) Bereishis 4:7. Who no longer knows how to be vigilant. Because he has aged and no longer accepts reproof.

"Better" — Now that he has finished explaining that the matter of the fool — even though he has great riches — is vanity, he mentions that the good is the wise man, even if he be poor. For "misken" (poor) is like "dal" (needy), as in "asher lo be-miskenut" ("a land in which you shall eat bread without scarceness") (Deuteronomy 8:9). And "child" is set against "old man," and "poor" is set against "king," and "wise" is set against "fool." And the matter of the "child" is that every day he adds wisdom, while the old man no longer knows how to take care, because he has grown old in his folly.

"Better is a ... child, etc." — a wise man is better, even if he is still a child and even if he is poor — these being factors that cause his words not to be so heeded — nevertheless he is better than a foolish man, even if he is a king and old in years — these being factors that would cause his words to be heeded — "who knows not how to receive admonition any more." This is a transposition of the verse['s word order, to be read as]: "who does not yet know how to receive admonition"; meaning, this is because he has this further [fault] in him, that he does not know how to be careful in his deeds, for he considers himself wise. For had he recognized his own worth and been careful, then the matter would not have been so bad.

"Poor" (misken) — poor and destitute, like "and the poor man's (ha-misken) wisdom is despised" (below, 9:16). "To receive admonition" (le-hizzaher) — its meaning is like alertness and guarding against harm.

Even though he [the child] emerged from prison to be king. From the place of filth and stench [=הָסוּרִים, as Targum renders, ‘וַיִּבְאַשׁ’, “and it became putrid וּסְרִי.” Even though in his own kingdom. Since he reigned over man, the poor one was born; who was better than he, and who came out of purity, not out of the filth of the womb. So it was expounded in the Midrash. Another explanation: “Better a poor but wise child, etc.” [to be understood] according to its apparent meaning, “[one] who no longer knows to be vigilant,” for he has already aged in his wickedness and foolishness. “Even though he [the child] emerged from prison to be king.” For the poor child; it will ultimately be said about him that he went out to reign from the midst of his affliction and from his prison cell, for the samech of הָסוּרִים is punctuated without a dagesh, which is the equivalent of הָאֲסוּרִים. (Some editions: As in, “And no Arab will pitch יַהֵל his tent there,” which is the same as “יַאֲהֵל.”) For so we find that Yoseif reigned following his being freed from prison, and so Dovid, “I have taken you from the sheepcote, from following the flocks.” — Notes: (23) Yeshayahu 13:20. (24) II Shmuel 7:8. Even though in his own kingdom he was born a pauper. For it is fitting and proper that he should reign, because even in his kingship, he changed from the tradition of the ruling class and he humbled himself to the sages, which is characteristic of the poor. And so, “and from [one who is like] a wild donkey, a man will be born,” [meaning,] that he will be changed and converted from what he was, resembling a wild donkey, and he will become a man. — Notes: (25) Iyov 11:12. He was born. נוֹלַד means] “becomes,” and it is in the present tense.

"For" — It is possible that the child who is wise will [become] king, even though he is in the prison house (beit ha-surim). And the word ["ha-surim"] is missing an aleph, like "malefenu mi-behemot aretz" ("who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth") (Job 35:11), which is from the same [root] as "va-alalefkha chokhmah" ("and I will teach you wisdom") (Job 33:33). And this child is like Joseph, whose wisdom made him a lord. And Solomon said: do not be amazed at how the wise man emerges from the reverse [circumstance] — for even the old man who is king was born poor, as in the matter of "naked came I forth from my mother's womb" (Job 1:21).

"For out of the house of prisoners" — for this poor child saved himself by his wisdom from the house of prisoners where he had been confined, and went out to reign in the land, just as happened to Joseph in Egypt. "For even in his kingdom he was born poor" — meaning, he was fit for kingship, for they even said of him, 'behold, this poor man was born into kingship' — that is to say, he is worthy of kingship as if he had been born a king.

"Ha-surim" (prison) — [written] deficient of the alef; and it should [properly] be "ha-asurim" (the imprisoned/bound). "Poor" (rash) — poor and destitute.

I observed that all the living, etc. I found in the Midrash of this Book, that this refers to the generation of the flood, about which it is stated, “And of every living thing.” — Notes: (26) Bereishis 6:19. Were supportive of the young successor. Who will exist instead of that generation, i.e., No’ach and his sons.

"With the child, the second" — Who is king in place of the old man; and he is called "second" because, being a child, he came after him and stood in his place.

"I saw" — with my own eyes I saw all the diligent and energetic men who walk about in the world. "With the second child" — I saw them together with the second child, who was born after this poor child who saved himself by his wisdom and went out to reign. "Who was to stand in his stead" — whom I judged in my mind would stand in the kingship in place of the first, who reigns after the old king. As if to say: since I saw all the diligent and energetic men, and I also saw him, and I weighed his wisdom against their wisdom, and they were as nothing compared to him, therefore I judged that he would reign.

"All the living" (kol ha-chayyim) — a diligent and energetic person is called by people "a living man." "That walk" (ha-mehalkhim) — an expression of strolling/walking about.

There was no limit to all the peoples. They were fruitful and multiplied too much, as it is stated, “their children are [well established] in their sight,” a woman would conceive and bear in three days, “They send out their infants [i.e., carefree] like sheep.” — Notes: (27) Iyov 21:8. (28) Ibid. Verse 11. To all of them whom he lead. There was no end to all the good that they had, but all was lost, and in an instant descended to the grave. Even though [it is so now] those who come after [the next generation]. The generation of dispersion. Will not rejoice. Also they, with the good that was given into their hands. For this too. Its end is that of vanity and frustration, when a person follows his [evil] inclination.

"There was no end" — Even though he is wise, not all the living will rejoice in him, for the laws of kingship are harsh. And the addition of "also/even," [placed] before [the mention of] the last ones, comes to teach concerning those who preceded them — that they, too, did not rejoice in the old fool. And there are those who explain that "the second child" is the generation that arises after him. And the matter is that he saw the living walking under the sun, and they, together with their heirs who would arise in their place — just as they had been together with the earlier ones who came before them — and neither these nor those find joy in the world.

"there was no end" — In the days of the reign of the old king and in the days of the reign of the first youth, there was no end to all the people; and it goes back and explains "of all whom he led before them," meaning: it was not enough for them — there was no end to all the good that was before them, for they did not rejoice in their portion. It is as if to say: just as they were [discontent] before the foolish old king, so they were before the wise youth who reigned in his place, for despite all his wisdom it was not within his power to turn them from their way. "even those that come after" — Even the people who will exist later, in the days of the reign of the second youth — they too will not rejoice in the good of the wealth that will be in their hands, for they will desire to increase it still further. Even though two wise men will reign over them one after the other, it is not within their power to turn their hearts to rejoice in their portion. "surely this too is hevel (vanity)" — Even the appointing of wise men as kings is hevel and a frustration of the will, for it is not within their power to guide the understanding of the people toward the correct path. If so, there is no benefit and no fulfillment of desire.

Guard your foot when you go to the House of God. [“Watch”] how you go, if you bring a thanksgiving offering or a peace offering, that is good. But “watch” yourself that you should not have to go and bring sin offerings or guilt offerings. — Notes: (29) Alternatively, this verse refers to one’s behavior when entering the House of God, i.e., he should enter in a manner that reflects reverence for God; or, one should make sure that his shoes are clean before entering. Come near. To obey the words of the Holy One , Blessed Is He, and be good and near the Holy One, Blessed Is He. Rather than offer sacrifices like the fools. That he should sin and bring a sacrifice. For they do not know that they do evil. The fool does not realize that he is harming himself. — Notes: (30) The fool thinks that it is okay to sin as long as he brings a sin offering. (Metsudas Dovid)

"Guard [your foot]" — Most of the commentators explained "your foot" like [the phrase] "he had not tended his feet" (2 Samuel 19:24). But the plain sense (derekh peshuto) is this: since he had mentioned the king, and that those close to him do not rejoice in him because they fear him, and one who comes to his palace must be careful with his garments and the words of his mouth — he said: all the more must you be careful when you go to the house of God. And the meaning of "guard your foot" is like a man who says, "such-and-such a place is dangerous, and if you do not know how to be careful, [at least] guard your foot." And the meaning of "and ready to hearken" — Even though I have told you to guard your foot, God is not distant like a king of flesh and blood; rather, He is nearer, to accept your words, if you call upon Him in truth. "Sacrifice" — Which the fools give, for they know only how to do evil, similar to "there is nothing good for a man except that he eat and drink" (Ecclesiastes 2:24) — the meaning being that they have no proper understanding to do good. And there are those who say that the fools do not even know how to do evil, which is close to the inclination (yetzer) of man's heart, let alone the good. And there are those who say that the interpretation of "ra" (evil) here is like "ratzon" (will/desire).

Behold, he says "the house of God" — this could refer to the study hall (beit midrash) or to the house of prayer (beit tefillah, i.e. the synagogue), and we will explain, with the help of Heaven, both this and that. And if it refers to the study hall, he says — take note, for on the word raglecha ("your foot") there is a revia, which is one of the cantillation notes (te'amim) that pause somewhat, and likewise on the word telech ("you go") there is a kadma, which is also somewhat of a pause. And the matter is this: after he had stated several ways to stand against the evil inclination (yetzer hara), he says further, now, "guard your foot" — meaning, if this scoundrel assails you, do not wander excessively about the land, lest your eyes become brokers of transgression, roaming about to see vanity (shav); rather, guard your foot and stay in your house, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said regarding Reuben the son of Jacob and regarding Amnon, who confined themselves at home in their sackcloth and their fasting. And "wherever you go" should be to the house of God, and not to other places, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "if this scoundrel assails you...drag it to the study hall." And being near to hear words of Torah there is "better than the giving" of sacrifice by fools — and this is the teaching concerning Rabbi Akiva, who found an unattended corpse (met mitzvah) and carried it four parasangs on his shoulder to the burial ground. They said to him: "with every step you have shed blood," for a met mitzvah acquires its own place [as its burial site, and should not be moved]. From then on he accepted upon himself never to move from between the feet of Torah scholars (talmidei chachamim). And the same inference (hekesh) applies to all who do not labor in Torah: they are prone to transgress a number of commandments, since the prohibitions are hidden from them; and the remedy is constancy in Torah study, lest one err and need to bring an offering for his unwitting sin (shegagah). And regarding this he says: "and being near to hear" Torah "is better than the giving," by those who are foolish regarding Torah, "of a sacrifice" for their sin, in that they err through lack of learning; for one who hears Torah will not need to bring a sacrifice, since he will not err. And if you should say (ve-she'ta): but is not the sacrifice, too, a service [of God], accomplished by means of repentance and confession? — Therefore he says, "for they do not know to do evil," meaning that such an unwitting sin — which is an unwitting sin due to [lack of] learning — is accounted as a deliberate sin (zadon); for since the willful [sinner] refrained from learning what is forbidden, whereby he was certain to end up erring, he is [reckoned as] deliberate from the very start. And this is what he means: that what they do not know is itself a preparation for doing evil, since the lack of knowledge will surely bring them to do evil. And after your study, do not be hasty and rush to make [your teaching] heard, to teach, even that which is "on your mouth" — which is fluent in your mouth — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, that a person is obligated to review a halachah four times before stating it, as it is said, "then he saw it, and declared it" (Job 28:27), etc. And also, when you deliberate in your heart to understand one thing from another, let your heart not hasten to bring the matter forth before God in the study hall, where God is [present], to render the ruling that you understood in your own heart — until you have been extremely diligent and deliberate. For if you err, the error will remain forever, since there is no Moses in the world to teach us the truth, or [no one] with whom Hashem is present, who could say, "stand, and let me hear," etc. (cf. Numbers 9:8) — but now it is not so, for "God is in heaven, and you are upon the earth" (Ecclesiastes 5:1), and there is no one to correct even an error — as it was in the days of mourning for Moses, when several hundred halachot were forgotten, and they wished to stone Joshua; for after the death of Moses there was no remedy, until Othniel restored them through his dialectical reasoning (pilpul). And behold, had there been any error in Othniel's understanding, it would not have been possible to correct it except through his own wisdom and his deliberateness of understanding — since now, an unwitting error in a legal ruling causes damage that cannot be repaired. Behold, I derive for you yet another practical lesson (nafka mina), namely: "therefore let your words be few" (Ecclesiastes 5:1), when you teach your students. And this is the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory: a person should always teach his students in a concise manner, with brief rules, so that they will be able to grasp and remember the matters as they are, lest an abundance of words confuse and bewilder them — so that your words should not be worse than the words of a dream. For behold, there is no dream without idle matters (devarim beteilim), but its idle matters are the minority, while the substance is the majority — and this is [the meaning of] "for the dream comes with much matter" (Ecclesiastes 5:2). But one who multiplies words in his teaching is worse than this, for it comes through an abundance of words — the words are many, but the substance is scant; and therefore he is called a fool, and this is [the meaning of] "and the voice of a fool [is known] by many words," etc. And if what he says, "the house of God," [refers to] the synagogue (beit ha-knesset), then "guard your foot," etc., means to say that, in order to stand against the evil inclination, one needs prayer and charity (tzedakah); and regarding prayer he says "guard," etc., and regarding charity he says "when you vow," etc. And the matter is: do not make your prayer a casual, occasional thing (arai); rather, "guard your foot" from hurrying out when you go to the house of God — that you not rush to pray and leave as one throwing off a burden, but rather be like a member of the household before Him, may He be blessed. And by this means, He, may He be blessed, "is near to hear" your prayer — [which is] "better than the giving" of a sacrifice by sinful fools for their unwitting sin. And if you should say: but is it not that one who has sinned and erred, and afterward repents and fulfills a positive commandment by means of the sin-offering he brought and his confession — that even if he had sinned deliberately and repented out of love, his deliberate sins become merits — how much more so now, when he sinned unwittingly, that aside from his repentance he has fulfilled a positive commandment through the sacrifice of his sin-offering! And how much more so, since in the place where penitents (ba'alei teshuvah) stand, even the wholly righteous are unable to stand — so how could hearing prayer be better than [a sacrifice from] him, even granting that he who prays is righteous? Is a penitent more beloved than he? Therefore he says, "for they do not [know]," etc., meaning that sinners are not all equal: there is one who sins but rarely, once in many days, and there is one who is habituated in the matter continually; and behold, this latter one's sacrifice will not be accepted with favor — the matter depends on what the cause of the unwitting sin was. There is one who errs though the law is not hidden from him, but rather he errs about the fact — he thought it was permitted fat (shuman) and it was forbidden fat (chelev), or an unwitting sin regarding the Sabbath, where he did not know it was the Sabbath but was aware regarding the [forbidden] labor — and the same reasoning applies to all the commandments. And there is the opposite of this: one who is ignorant of the laws and errs in them, so that in the case of every prohibitive commandment he thinks it is permitted; and such a person will err constantly in his ignorance of all the prohibitions — unlike one who is expert in the laws, who errs [only] as a rare wonder, about the fact. And it is regarding that category — one who is ignorant of the prohibitions, whose sacrifice will not be accepted with favor — that he says, "the giving of fools": in which category do I mean? "For they do not know to do evil" — meaning that the folly of their unwitting sin is that they do not know [that it] is evil [i.e. forbidden], though they do know what the fact is; for such people become accustomed to repeat [their error] continually. And when you pray, [pray] calmly and not in haste and hurriedly, even that which is fluent in your mouth — and this is [the meaning of] "your mouth" — and also pray with [proper] intent (kavanah), and this is [the meaning of] "and your heart," etc. For sometimes a person prays, and his thought wanders here and there among idle matters, and yet he does not omit even a single letter from all the words of his prayer, and he bows at Modim, and at the first blessing, and at Hoda'ah — and he does not know what he is speaking or what he is saying. And is it not astonishing how, of itself, [his mouth] articulates the letters and arranges the words from beginning to end, and bows with the bows appropriate to it — that is, at Modim, where one must bow low — and yet he does not know [what he is saying]? But this is because it comes from the power of the heart, which distributes power to the limbs. And therefore, once he has resolved in his heart to pray and begins his prayer, then, by the power of the heart, a fixed capacity (kinyan) is produced in the limbs to bring forth all the words of the prayer by themselves, without his knowing what he says. And concerning this he warns and says, "and your heart" should not be hasty to actualize a matter that is before God, and not before you — for it is not revealed to you what you utter from your mouth; and then I do not hear you, and I do not draw near to you — on the contrary, the hearing [of your prayer] is withdrawn. And this is what is meant by "for God is in heaven, and you are upon the earth" — therefore, in order that you be able to focus your intent well, brevity is best; therefore, "let your words be few," for with few [words] you retain the strength to focus, more than with an abundance [of words]. And do not be worse than one who dreams a dream, for a dream comes through an abundance of matter, and the minority [within it] consists of idle things; whereas the "voice of a fool" is like one who multiplies words — [his words] come through an abundance of words, but the substance is scant.

"Guard your foot," etc. — When you go to the House of the Temple, do not let your feet go there for a matter that is evil in the eyes of the Omnipresent, such as bringing sin-offerings and guilt-offerings; for it is better that you not sin, and not [need to] bring atonement. "and be ready to hearken" — A person draws all the more close to the Omnipresent, blessed be He, by giving heed to hearken to His voice and by being careful to avoid sin. "than the giving" — Than the giving of sacrifice by the fools, who sin and [then] bring an atonement-offering. "for they know not" — Meaning, they do not pay heed to know what constitutes an evil deed, and in their shallow-mindedness they think it is good in the eyes of the Omnipresent to sin and [then] bring an atonement-offering.

"When... give" (tet) — from the language of giving, like "on the day Hashem gave (tet)" (Joshua 10:12).