Ecclesiastes · Chapter 7

Better a good name than precious oil. A fine reputation for a person is better than precious oil, and on the day of [his] death that reputation is better than [it was] on the day he was born. For this reason, a good name is compared to oil in preference to other liquids, for [if] you put water into oil, it rises and floats, and is distinguishable, but other liquids, [if] you put water into them, it becomes absorbed. — Notes: (1) The Mishnah in Avos 4:13 states that there are three crowns, the crown of Torah, the crown of Kehunah and the crown of royalty, but the crown of a good name [כתר שם טוב], i.e., fine reputation, surpasses them all. Better a good name than precious oil. Precious oil runs down, as it is stated, “as the precious oil (on the head) runs down upon the beard.” But a good name rises to the top, as it is stated, “and I will make your name great.” Precious oil is temporary, but a fine reputation is forever, as it is stated, “may his name endure forever.” Precious oil [at best] flows from the flask to the palace, and no further, but a fine reputation [spreads] throughout the world. Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi Simon said, that we find that those who had good oil entered the place of life and emerged burnt up. These are Nadav and Avihu, who were anointed with the anointing oil. And we find those who possessed a fine reputation, who entered a place of death and emerged alive, [these are] Chananyah, Mishaeil, and Azaryah, who emerged [unscathed] from the fiery furnace. — Notes: (2) Tehillim 133:2. (3) Bereishis 12:2. (4) Tehillim 72:17. (5) The fragrance of good oil dissipates but a good name grows constantly stronger. (Metsudas Dovid) And the day of death than the day birth. When Miriam was born, no one knew what she was. But when she died, the well ceased to exist, and similarly with Aharon with the pillar of cloud, and Moshe with the manna. — Notes: (6) Alternatively, a fine reputation is better on the day of death than on the day of birth, because so long as one lives, his reputation is subject to possible future deterioration, whereas on the day of death there are no uncertainties. This thought is found in the Mishnah in Avos 2:4 wherein Hillel said, “do not believe in yourself until the day you die.” (Sforno) Or, it is good for one to consider his death [יום המות], beginning from the time that he is born [יום הולדו], and by doing so he will refrain from sinning. (Khilos Yaakov)

"a good name" — this verse, too, "a good name," is connected to the preceding ones, for the poor man who knows, whose deeds are good, has more honor — the [good] name is [better] for him than good oil, and [gives] more delight. And "the day of death" is better for one who has a good name than "the day of his birth," because on the day of his birth no one knows what will be, whether good or, alternatively, bad; whereas at his death his name is proclaimed, and it becomes known that he was a good man. And it is possible that the day of death is good for the possessor of a good name, because he will find rest and good reward, and will no longer see toil — which is not so on the day of his birth, for man is born to toil. And there are commentators who say that "the day of death" obligates a man to take "the day of death" to heart from "the day of his birth," and that the matter itself is good; but this is not the intent of the verse.

Apart from what the verse nearby states, this verse means to say, as our Sages of blessed memory taught: the anointing oil, which is the fine oil that runs down upon Aaron's beard — with it they anointed the Tabernacle and all its vessels, and the priests and the kings — and nothing was ever lacking from it, and its full measure remains intact to this day. On this basis it says, "a good name is better than good oil," for the entire virtue of the good oil is that it remains whole and is not diminished; whereas this [a good name], on the contrary, always increases. And the day of death becomes renowned and grows greater than the day of birth. This is because, when the righteous one comes into this world, they proclaim above, "the sun has risen" — and greater still is that his name becomes renowned on the day of his birth, in heaven and on earth. Or it may be said: one who possesses a good name is better than good oil — for with good oil the dead are anointed so that the body will be preserved and not decay, but with a good name, needless to say, not only will the body not decay, but it will retain life within it, as one asleep, like Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon and like Rabbi Achai bar Yoshiyah. And so our Rabbis of blessed memory said: there is no difference between righteous ones who have died and righteous ones who are alive except for speech alone. And moreover, the day of death has within it more life than the day of birth. Or it may be said: "a good name" illuminates the world more than fine, clear, shining good oil. This is based on what our Rabbis of blessed memory said, that concerning the birth of a righteous child it is said, "and the sun rose." And so it says: "a good name," which is like the sun that illuminates the world through his merit, is better than good oil, which illuminates only in the place where it is. And even though the death of the righteous one is likened to the setting of the sun, as they said regarding [the words] "and the sun set" — his light does not diminish at his death, for the day of death [is greater] than the day of birth, because from there he illuminates above and below, similar to the matter of "Remember Abraham...," etc. Or it may be said: "a good name," etc. — for good oil illuminates, but it itself is consumed; whereas a good name, which is one's merit, illuminates for a person and is not consumed, because the mitzvot themselves endure and live on, becoming lights and defending angels. Because of this, he need not grieve over the day of his death, for the day of death is better for him than the day of his birth. Now, Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai), in the Midrash, explained that "a good name" is better than the oil with which priests and kings are anointed; it appears his intent is that the crown of a good name is greater than the crown of priesthood and the crown of kingship. And it is worth noting: why did he not mention the category of the crown of Torah? But behold, Rabbi Yehudah, in resolving this, said that it is included within [the category of] "a good name," in that he said: "Fortunate is the one whose labor is in Torah... he grew great in his good name... concerning him Solomon said in his wisdom, 'a good name,' etc." Thus it is clear that, in his view, the one of whom "a good name" is said is the one whose days were spent laboring in Torah; and his view was that when it says "good name," it comes about through Torah — for were it not so, "an ignoramus cannot be pious." And in light of his view, I would think that the intent of the verse is: better are the crowns that a person acquires through his own choice than those acquired through inheritance — priesthood from Aaron, kingship from David. And what is the difference between the one and the other? That regarding the one acquired through choice, needless to say that at his death his crown does not depart from him — rather, it even increases in light and greatness for him — unlike those who hold the authority of kingship and the high priesthood, who at their death lose their crown, for there is no dominion on the day of death, as our Rabbis of blessed memory said, that on the day Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, he gathered Israel together not by means of trumpets, since there is no dominion in death, etc.

"A good name" — A good name that goes out for a man from afar on account of his proper deeds is better than good oil that wafts a pleasant fragrance afar, for it is the way of good oil to lose its scent over time, continually diminishing, but a good name's way is to go on and grow stronger each time. "and the day of death" — The day of death is better for a man than the day of his birth, for the good name that went out for him in his lifetime does not cease after death, but on the day of his birth it is not yet known whether he will merit a good name and whether that name will endure.

Better to go to a house of mourning. [Where] the type of conduct serves both the living and the dead. Than to go to a house of feasting. [Where] the type of conduct serves only the living. — Notes: (7) Upon going to a house of mourning a person realizes that he too will be mourned when his time comes. This will cause him to be humbled and make him aware of sin. (Metsudas Dovid) Alternatively, the kindness done for the dead is absolute and the level of kindness [חסד של אמת], for the provider does anticipate any payback because that is “the end of all men.” However, when going to a house of feasting, e.g., a wedding, the newly married couple “take to heart” to remember that act of kindness so that they can return the kindness. The latter type of kindness is somewhat inferior to the former, and therefore Koheles says, “it is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, etc. (Binah La’itim) (8) Frequenting the company of those who pursue honor and vanity arouses one’s lust and desire for those things, and that is the intent of this verse. (Mesilas Yeshorim) For that is the end of all men. Because mourning marks the end of every person. Every person will ultimately come to this. Therefore, “the living should take it to heart,” [to the fact that] whatever kindness I bestow upon the dead, I will need that they bestow [the same] upon me upon my death. He who raises his voice in lamentation, they will raise their voices in lamentation for him; he who bears the dead, they will bear him; he who eulogizes, they will eulogize him; he who escorts the dead, they will escort him. Another explanation: For that is the end of all men. For death is the end of all man’s days, and if he does not bestow kindness upon him now, he will no longer [be able to] bestow it upon him, but [if] he invited him to a house of feasting and he did not go, he can say to him, “a son will ultimately be born to you, and I will be there with you, the joy of your child’s wedding will come to you, and I will go there.” And the living should take it to heart. This matter, that if he does not bestow kindness now, he will no longer [be able to] bestow it upon him. — Notes: (9) Alternatively, if a person who is planning to do evil visits a house of mourning, he will surely “take it to heart” the matters dealing with death, and will thus abandon his plans and repent before God. (Targum)

"it is better to go" [to the house of mourning] — because of his seeing what is the end of every man, which is death; and while he is yet alive he should take it to heart.

"It is better to go," etc. — Now, it should have said "tov lechet" [good to go, without the doubled prefix], and furthermore, who does not know all this - that it is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to feasts and drunkenness? And what need was there to add, "for that is the end of all men" - who does not understand this, that the end of man in this world is death? But indeed, there is no doubt that he is not speaking of a discretionary feast (mishteh reshut), but rather of a feast of mitzvah, such as a wedding feast or a circumcision feast. This is because we should take note of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Whoever benefits from a wedding feast and does not gladden the groom," etc. - for is it not strange that this groom should need others to gladden him, of all people, precisely on the day of his wedding and on the day of the joy of his heart? But the reason is that one to whom Hashem has granted understanding and intellect will take it to heart on the day of his wedding, and will say: Why were we commanded to take a wife and be fruitful, if not because tomorrow he will die, and if he does not leave behind him offspring and descendants he will die childless and depart with nothing precious left behind - which would not be so if there were [eternal] existence for a man. Thus it emerges that his wedding was itself a preparation for death and a provision toward it. Therefore the wise man cannot help but understand this, and he grows sorrowful at heart when he remembers the day of his death. For this reason it is necessary to gladden him, and also those seated with him at his wedding feast ought likewise to take this matter to heart, and then their hearts will be humbled to return to Hashem, and not to take pleasure in the food of the groom's table set before them. And this was indeed the intent of Rav Hamnuna, when it was said to him, "Sing for us, master," and he answered, "Woe unto us, for we shall die" (vai lan de-mayitinan) - meaning, that marriage is a preparation for death, and were it not for death there would be no need for procreation. Thus, one to whom Hashem has given wisdom in his heart will understand, when he goes to the house of the feast of a bridegroom and bride, to look toward the ultimate end of the matter, and then he will be humbled - this being similar to what follows from going to a house of mourning, in remembering the day of death. But indeed, there is no doubt that even though the end result of marriage is death - since it is a preparation and a beginning leading toward it - its path is hidden from the one who goes to that house of feasting, and he pays attention only to what is immediately before him; which is not the case for the one who goes to a house of mourning, who sees with his own eyes the death of the pious and of the rest of the people, and takes to heart that the cup will pass over him too. And these are indeed the words of Kohelet, saying: Do not let your heart mislead you into saying, Behold, two paths present themselves to me - one, to go to the house of the feast of a royal bridegroom, and the other, to go to a house of mourning - for even though the effect that follows from going to a house of mourning is also to be found in going to a house of feasting, [and so one might conclude,] "I will go to the wedding [instead]." Therefore he said: it is not so, for "it is better to go," etc. - meaning: I need not even say that the act of going itself is better to a house of mourning than the going to a house of feasting; rather, even the mere preparation and the good will to go to a house of mourning is better than actually going in person to a house of feasting. And he explained the reason, saying, "for that is the end," etc. - meaning that even though in a house of feasting too a certain humbling follows, for there too there is a hint of death, it is not comparable, inasmuch as mourning is "the end of all men" - the one who goes there sees death with his own eyes and his heart understands that this is his own path as well; which is not so in a house of feasting, for it will not readily occur to him to consider the ultimate end, but only what is immediately before him. And this is [the meaning of] "for that is the end of all men." And through this, "the living will lay it to his heart" - the matter of death; but through that which is not [explicitly] the end of man, he will not lay it to his heart, even though the matter is hinted at within it. And to be precise about his saying "the living" and not "man" - this is possible once we draw out the connection to the preceding verse. It is this: after he said "a good name," etc. [in the previous verse], from which it might follow that one would say, "If so, then what is good and fitting, for the sake of an act of loving-kindness, is to go to a house of mourning [only] for the passing of one who had a good name, and not for another" - for two reasons: one, because from it his heart will be humbled, seeing that the righteous die; and also for the honor of that departed one ("that peace"). Therefore he juxtaposed this and said, "it is better to go to a house of mourning" - meaning, whether for a righteous person or a non-righteous person, and let it not seem in your eyes that in the house of mourning for a non-righteous person your heart need not be humbled. For behold, since "that is the end of all men" - the righteous just as the wicked - it cannot fail that "the living will lay it to his heart." For even if the one going to the house of mourning is himself a perfectly righteous person, he will grieve at heart and be humbled, for he too will come to understand that even the righteous person meets the mishap of death, and he will search his own deeds, for it is the end of all men. And also, do not set your mind on the honor of the deceased, to say that it is not fitting for your honor to go there because he was not righteous - for it is not so; for what I command you - that you go to a house of mourning - is not for the sake of the honor of the deceased, but rather for the benefit and good of the living one who goes there, so that he take it to heart. And this is [the meaning of] "and the living will lay it to his heart," and he did not say "and man." "Sorrow is better," etc. — Having said that it is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting of a mitzvah, even though from both of them together a humbling follows for one who understands, there was still room to say: since both are a mitzvah, is it not better for us to go to the house of joy? For through the joy the eyes of the intellect are opened, to understand and to grasp the end of the matter from its beginning - which is not so in a house of mourning, for one sees the mourners in anguish over their dead, and surely the one who goes there will grieve at heart and become sealed off from thinking the proper thoughts, which require clarity of mind (tzilusa). Therefore he said: "sorrow" (ka'as) that is found in a house of mourning is better than "laughter" that is found in a house of joy - for through the sadness of countenance that comes over the one who enters there and sees the mourner grieving, "the heart is improved," in that the living one will lay it to his heart, and it will improve him, rendering him fit and drawing him near to Hashem. That is to say, even though the mourner is grieving, this does not bring actual grief upon his visitors as well, but only a certain measure of sadness of countenance; therefore it does not prevent him from improving his heart - which is not the case through the laughter found in a house of feasting, which sweeps him away [from proper reflection]. And should you say: this would apply only if there is laughter in the house of feasting, but if there is none, is it not good to go there? For he would then also take to heart his own [transient] existence within the species, and that all stand destined for death, even without entering in the presence of a mourner - [the answer is that] through sorrow one is not enabled to attain the clarity needed to understand. Therefore he said, "the heart of the wise is in a house of mourning" - meaning, the heart of the wise, who perceive what is to come, is to be found in a house of mourning among those standing there, for there they take heed to see what will happen to them; but the heart of fools, who do not perceive what is to come, attends to death only regarding what is directly before them, while they are in a house of joy - even if there is no laughter of feasting there, no drinking, and no wine to inflame them, the joy itself makes them forget the day of death. In such a way, "the heart of fools" is to be found "in a house of mirth," wherever they may be.

"It is better to go" — It is better to go to the house of mourning to hear lamentations and wailings that sadden the heart, than to go to the house of feasting to see rejoicing and dancing that gladden the heart. "for that" — Because the occurrence of mourning is the end of every man — for all will die and be mourned for — and the living person who goes to the house of mourning, even while he is still alive, will take to heart that people will also mourn for him when the time of his passing comes; and through this his heart will tremble and be humbled, and he will be kept from sin.

Better vexation than levity. If one is pursued by the [Divine] standard of justice, he should not be depressed. It would have been better for the generation of the flood if the Holy One, Blessed Is He, had showed them an angry countenance because of their sins, rather than the laughter that He laughed with them, for had He shown them a slight expression of displeasure, they would have returned to [do] good. It would have been better for Adoniyahu had his father caused him grief for every sin that he committed, rather than the laughter that he showed him, and for which he was ultimately killed. — Notes: (10) Alternatively, “better vexation stemming from levity,” i.e., when a situation calls for vexation [e.g., a teacher with his student], it should be only an appearance on the outside of anger, but not an emotional, true feeling, of anger. In the words of the Mesilas Yeshorim [Chapter 11] “any anger shown should be anger of the face and not anger of the heart.” (11) See Maseches Shabbos 30b. The heart is made better. It will reverse man’s heart and cause him to improve his ways. — Notes: (12) Alternatively, as a result of the drought and retribution inflicted upon the world, the righteous will pray to God for mercy. (Targum)

"Vexation is better" — The scholars of proof [i.e., rational demonstration] have already explained that a person has three souls. The first is the vegetative soul (nefesh ha-tzome'ach); the matter is that just as there is in the various species of plants, grasses, and every tree a power — call it "soul," or whatever you wish — that causes the bodily mass of the plant to grow, to rise, and to broaden, so too is there in man [such a power]. This soul strengthens up to an appointed time, and this is the soul that desires and needs to eat. The second soul is the animal soul (nefesh ha-behemah), which possesses the five senses and possesses the faculty of motion that goes from place to place; this soul, too, is in man. And man alone has a third soul, which is called neshamah — it is the one that speaks, that discerns between truth and falsehood, and that possesses wisdom. The second soul is intermediate between the two [other] souls. And God planted intellect in man — this is what is called the heart (lev) — so as to fulfill the desire of each soul in its proper time; and He also aided him with commandments, so that every matter should remain in its proper measure. This book is not the place to speak of the secret of the soul, for it is deep, and no one who understands can arrive at the truth of it except after reading many books. And had I not needed to mention the parts of the soul for the sake of explaining these verses, I would not have hinted at it at all, neither in general nor in detail. The essential need is this: people see in the words of Solomon in this book difficult matters — among them, that in many places he says one thing, and elsewhere says the opposite of that thing. And because of this, the Sages of Israel, of blessed memory, said: "The Sages sought to suppress the book of Kohelet, because its words contradict one another." He says, "vexation is better than laughter," and the opposite of this, "for vexation rests in the bosom of fools." And so too, "for in much wisdom is much vexation," and the opposite of this, "and remove vexation from your heart." And so too, "good, that it is fitting to eat and to drink," and the opposite of this, "it is better to go to a house of mourning." And so too, "and I praised joy," and the opposite of this, "and of joy, what does it accomplish?" And so too, "for what advantage has the wise man over the fool," and the opposite, that "there is an advantage to wisdom." And so too, "so I praised the dead," and the opposite of this, "for a live dog is better [than a dead lion]." And so too, "for there is no work, nor reckoning, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in Sheol," and the opposite, "for there is a time for every purpose." And so too, "and it shall not be well with the wicked, nor shall he prolong his days," and the opposite, "there is a wicked man who prolongs [his days] in his evildoing." And so too, "that it shall be well with those who fear God," and the opposite, "there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous." And whoever searches well will find still more such [pairs] in this book. Now it is known that even the least of the wise would not compose a book and thereby obscure his own words within it. And one of the commentators was compelled to explain the word "Kohelet" on the analogy of "the assembly (kehillat) of Jacob," and said that [Solomon's] disciples composed the book, and each one spoke according to his own opinion. But this is not correct at all, because [Scripture says], "and Kohelet was, moreover, a wise man" — and behold, he is a single individual. Moreover, [it is written], "Kohelet sought to find delightful words." And the conclusive proof is, "I, Kohelet, was king." And since Scripture testifies concerning Solomon that after him no wise man like him would arise, we know that there is no contradiction in his words; rather, they are all straightforward to one who understands, and upright to those who attain knowledge. Now I will explain them briefly. Even though the three souls are called by a single name because of their union — for the neshamah is [at times] called ruach and nefesh — I will therefore assign [distinct] names to them, so that I need not elaborate at length in describing each one. The soul that desires to eat and to rejoice, and the desire for intercourse, shall be called nefesh. The soul that possesses sensation, and that seeks dominion and greatness, shall be called ruach. And the soul of wisdom shall be called neshamah. Rabbeinu Saadia Gaon, of blessed memory, likewise divided them [in this manner]. And it is known that when the nefesh grows strong, the neshamah grows weak, and has no strength to stand before it, because it [the nefesh] belongs to the body, and all its [bodily] drives assist it; therefore one who is preoccupied with eating and drinking will never grow wise. But when the neshamah joins together with the ruach, they overcome the nefesh; then the eyes of the neshamah are opened a little, to understand the wisdoms of physical bodies [i.e., the natural sciences] — but it still cannot attain the higher wisdoms, because of the power of the ruach, which seeks dominion, and it is this that generates vexation (ka'as). And this, then, is the explanation of "vexation is better than laughter." And the meaning of "for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad" — "sadness [of countenance]" is worry, as in "why is your face sad?" And the meaning of "heart" is the intellect. And after the neshamah has overcome the nefesh with the help of the ruach, the neshamah needs to occupy itself with wisdom, which will help it until it overcomes the ruach as well, so that the ruach comes under [its] control. And this is the explanation of "do not hasten in your spirit to be vexed." And the meaning of "for vexation rests in the bosom of fools" is that it remains with them always and never departs from them, whereas with the wise man it is found only in its proper time, when needed. And the meaning of "for in much wisdom is much vexation" is like the matter of "be not overly wise" — for an abundance of wisdom will increase his vexation over the vanities of the world and over the people of the world, and he will depart from settled society, as in the matter of "why should you be desolate?" — and die before his time. Therefore it is good for a person to weigh all his words and affairs in righteous scales, and to give each soul its portion in its proper time. And the meaning of "remove vexation from your heart" is that the ruach should not rule over you. And likewise, "and put away evil from your flesh" refers to desire (ta'avah) — for if he eats every food that he desires, he will bring evil upon his flesh; and likewise, if he increases his indulgence in intercourse, he will bring sick evil upon his flesh. And the meaning of "flesh" is his body. And behold, he mentioned in this verse that a person should weaken, with all his ability, the ruach that possesses vexation, and the nefesh that possesses desire. And the meaning of "good, that it is fitting to eat and to drink" is directed against the fool who labors to gather wealth and does not enjoy it — [whereas] "it is better to go to a house of mourning" is the truth. And the meaning of "for what advantage has the wise man" is: if the wise man acts like the fool, so that his soul is not satisfied, what advantage does he have? And that "there is an advantage to wisdom" — that is the truth. And likewise, "and I praised joy" — because among those who toil in the world and do not seek wisdom, the joyful are more praiseworthy than those who worry over mourning; and "and of joy, what does it accomplish?" — that is the truth. And the explanation of "so I praised the dead" is directed against the oppressed. And the meaning of "for a live dog is better [than a dead lion]" — these are the words of [ordinary] men; and it is also written above, "and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness is in their heart" — and so too, "for there is no work nor reckoning" are [merely] their words. And the meaning of "for there is a time for every purpose" — that is the truth. And the meaning of "and it shall not be well with the wicked, nor shall he prolong his days like a shadow" — he speaks of the majority [of cases]. And the meaning of "there is a wicked man [who prolongs his days in his evildoing]" refers to what is found [only] on a few occasions. And I have already mentioned at the beginning of the book that on account of a small amount of evil, the higher wisdom does not withhold a great [amount of] good; and so too in the book of Proverbs, where it says, "but he who gathers little by little will increase" — that is the truth. And [elsewhere], "there is one who scatters and yet increases further" — that is the rare case. And likewise, "there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous" — which you will find stated as one thing in this book, and a second time it appears that he states the opposite of that thing. Indeed, you will also find [the like] in the book of Proverbs, such as "do not answer a fool... answer a fool." And likewise also in the words of the Prophets and in the Torah of our God, which is the essential [source] — such as "howbeit there shall be no poor among you" [and] "for the poor shall never cease" — and all of them are true.

"Vexation is better" — If a person sins against his fellow, and the offended party shows him vexation, this is more beneficial to him than if he shows him a smiling face. For by showing him a displeased, angry face, the wrath settles and the heart is put at ease, and he will not take revenge further, for such is nature. But if he shows him a smiling face, the hatred remains hidden in his heart, and he will show no mercy on the day of vengeance, when the opportunity presents itself.

The heart of the wise [will reflect on] the house of mourning. Their thoughts ) are [focused] on the day of death. — Notes: (13) The literal translation is somewhat difficult because the heart of the wise is located in the same place as everyone else, therefore Rashi explains that it refers to their thoughts. (Sifsei Chachomim (14) These are their thoughts even when they are not visiting a house of mourning. As a result they subordinate their desires and avoid sin. (Metsudas Dovid) (15) Alternatively, the heart of the wise mourns over the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh and grieve over Yisroel’s exile. (Targum) But the heart of the fools [are attracted] to the house of feasting. They do not fear the[ir] day of death, and their heart is as sound as a palace. — Notes: (16) They are always thinking about joy and levity which brings a person to sin. (Metsudas Dovid) (17) Alternatively, the heart of fools is involved in mockery, in eating, drinking and seeking enjoyment, and they have no concern over the suffering of their brethren. (Targum)

"The heart of the wise" — After he mentioned that it is good to go to the house of mourning, he says that the wise of heart — even when they do not go to the house of mourning — the house of mourning is always in their heart.

"The heart of the wise" — The thought of the wise is on the house of mourning; at all times they think about matters of mourning, so that their heart will be humbled and be kept from sin. "in the house of mirth" — They constantly think about the joy of dancing and the levity that habituates a person to transgression.

"It is better" — It will be better for one who is not wise to hear a wise man's rebuke directed at him, and it will benefit him more; and if the rebuke benefits, how much more so words of wisdom [in general]. And the point is that even a wise man's rebuke, which is [an expression of] anger, benefits more, and the soul takes greater pleasure in it, than in hearing the song of fools.

After he said, 'It is good to go to the house of mourning' etc. (Ecclesiastes 7:2), and 'the living should take it to heart,' consider: we might say, what benefit is there in going to the house of mourning? Do not many go to the house of mourning without it making any impression on them, since the matter has become for them like [mere] habit? For this reason he said, 'It is better to hear...' etc., meaning that presumably it cannot be avoided that in the house of mourning — all the more so if the deceased was a distinguished person — sages will come to eulogize him, and as part of the eulogy he will speak words that subdue the heart and mention the day of death before the listeners, and many will grow wise and take musar (moral instruction) from this — unlike the house of feasting, where instead one finds there the song of fools, like songs of lust, laughter, and mockery, which brings its listeners to inherit Gehinnom (the netherworld). This is [the meaning of] 'It is better to hear...' etc., 'than a man...' etc. And since it is not certain that one will hear there the rebuke of a sage, and also because in the house of feasting — even though the song of fools is there — nothing sticks to the hand of the listener from the fool's song, for the fault of the matter rests on the fool who sings the song alone — for this he said: 'It is better to hear,' even though it is not certain that [one will hear] the rebuke of a sage — [still,] a person's very intent to go and listen [for such rebuke] is better than the man himself who listens to the song of fools. And do not be puzzled and say: if the fool walks in darkness and sings songs of mockery and jest, [why should it be that] the man who listens has nothing at all stick to him? To this he said: 'Listen now, and I will give you a parable — to what is this comparable? To thorns crackling under a pot' (cf. Ecclesiastes 7:6) — for behold, when they burn, being dry, they give forth sound upon sound, and you see a blaze, a flame of fire, from them, yet in truth they are consumed and burnt up. So it is with the laughter of the fool: it gives forth sounds of laughter and makes the face glow, yet in truth he is burnt up and lost from the world. And just as in the parable the pot that sits over the burning thorns cannot avoid becoming sooty and turning blackened, so too the man who listens to the song of fools cannot avoid — beyond what happens to the fool himself — becoming sooty, with something of the ban (cherem) contained in the laughter and vulgar speech that he hears sticking to him, and he is lost — to the point that the mere merit of the wish to hear the rebuke of a sage is greater than the whole quality of this [listening to fools]. And even this [hearing the rebuke of a sage] is itself hevel (vanity/breath) — for even hearing the rebuke of a sage, though it is better than [being] the man who listens [to the song of fools], is hevel in comparison to what a person truly needs: to subdue his yetzer (inclination) and purify himself before his Maker. 'For oppression...' etc. (Ecclesiastes 7:7) — he said: what I warned you about — to go to the house of mourning in order to subdue your heart, and not to the house of feasting, and also to hear the rebuke of a sage — this applies even if you are wise and your heart grows haughty to say, 'surely my wisdom will stand by me so that I will not err, even if I go to the house of feasting and do not hear the rebuke of a sage' — do not say so! For behold, the oppression that a person sees in the world — the matter of 'the wicked surrounding the righteous' (cf. Habakkuk 1:4), and 'the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter' (cf. Ecclesiastes 4:1) — brings the wise man to act like a madman through his musing after Divine providence and His attributes, blessed be He. Therefore one must seek a way to subdue his heart from arrogance in [such] musing. And this is [the meaning of]: 'for oppression maddens a wise man' — to the point that he loses the heart that is a gift. This is because a person has two hearts, as our Sages of blessed memory said [regarding] 'with all your heart' (Deuteronomy 6:5) — with your two inclinations, the yetzer tov (good inclination) and the yetzer hara (evil inclination). Now, one of them is natural to man — that is the evil inclination — while the other is a gift from Him, blessed be He, [given] in the thirteenth year [of life], to assist him in the service of his Maker. He said that oppression maddens the wise man to such a degree that he loses from himself his good inclination — that is, the heart that is a gift given to him from Him, blessed be He — for it becomes as though nullified, unable to stand up against the evil inclination to keep him far from musing and from sin. Now should you, Israel, say: 'If so, then, is it not the reverse? Why did you say that it is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, seeing that even at the feast there is remembrance of death, as discussed above? And is it not [true] that after a person has been saddened, brought to judge within himself over the oppression [he has seen], it would truly be better for him to go to the house of feasting? For he will rejoice and be comforted from his sadness, and in his joy he will be prepared to look toward the ultimate purpose of the joy of the wedding feast — which concerns the day of death, [death] being a permanent feature of the [human] species — and he will be humbled. Unlike going to the house of mourning, where sadness will be added upon his sadness — all the more so if the person who died was a wholly righteous man not full of years, and he will muse [in rebellion] all the more!' To this he responded: 'Better is the end of a matter than its beginning' (Ecclesiastes 7:8) — meaning: regarding the remembrance of death itself, that the living should take to heart, while alive, the day of his death — [going] from the house of feasting is [only] its beginning, for it is [merely] the start and the initiation toward the matter of death, and the living [there] does not [truly] take it to heart. And as for what you said, that through the house of mourning, which is the end of the matter, he will be sadder still over his musing about the oppression, and therefore the house of feasting would be better to temper his sadness — it is not so! For the patience (orech ruach, length of spirit) acquired in the house of mourning is better than the haughtiness of spirit (govah ruach) that one would acquire in the house of feasting. For instead of his musing, on the day of death he will speak with the haughtiness of his heart, [saying] that Hashem, Heaven forbid, will not call to account what is in his heart regarding the oppression. But in the house of mourning he takes to heart that he too will die, and woe to him if he must give judgment and reckoning for his musing — therefore he acquires patience, saying: 'though the judgment tarries, I will wait for it, for it will surely come' (cf. Habakkuk 2:3). And this is [the meaning of] what he says: 'Do not be hasty in your spirit' (Ecclesiastes 7:9) — meaning, what I said about haughtiness of spirit: do not be hasty in your spirit by being haughty of spirit in the house of feasting, so that out of your coarseness of spirit you become angry upon seeing the oppression you had mused about in your heart, and now you rouse yourself in haughtiness of spirit; and do not rely on your wisdom, thinking you will not err — for behold, when anger comes, wisdom departs from you. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said, that anyone who becomes angry, his wisdom departs from him. And this is [the meaning of]: 'for anger rests in the bosom of fools' — meaning that anger does not rest and settle except in the heart of fools who lack wisdom, for 'fool' is a term that is the opposite of 'wise,' as in the phrase 'a wise son... and a foolish son...' etc. (cf. Proverbs 10:1). Or, alternatively, he may mean 'Better is the end...' etc. — that is: have I not said that oppression maddens a wise man, and you might say, 'if so, then, with what shall our heart be comforted regarding this oppression that is observed?' Do not set your heart [to worry over this], for know: the end of the matter — that is, the end of the world — will be good, and needless to say better than what it is now; rather, even from its beginning, at its founding, it was full of goodness. And I will further inform you that patience is good — [for one] who holds fast to faith and hopes. And as for what I say, that patience is good — this is because this trait derives from loftiness of spirit, for one whose spirit and soul are exceedingly lofty is a person of patience, who endures and forbears and does not muse [in rebellion] — as in the case of Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our Teacher), who was exceedingly humble, and endured; and the Patriarchs did not muse against His attributes, blessed be He, as our Sages of blessed memory said — for after He, blessed be He, had promised him, 'and I will make you [into a great nation]' etc. (Genesis 12:2), regarding coming into the land, immediately upon his coming, 'and there was a famine' etc. (Genesis 12:10), and he was cast about, and his wife was taken (cf. Genesis 12:15), yet he did not muse [in complaint]. And so too the reasoning at the Akedah (the Binding of Isaac, Genesis 22), and likewise with the rest of the Patriarchs, and with Hillel the Elder, and many such great-souled individuals. But you, if your spirit is not on that level, do not be hasty in your spirit to become angry over the aforementioned oppression, for it is a trait that will never leave you — for in the bosom, the dwelling-place of the heart of fools, there it settles, as if it had a resting-house for a dwelling, so as to cause you loss and destroy you. And this is what they, of blessed memory, said: 'anyone who becomes angry is as though he denied the ikkar (the fundamental principle [of faith])' — for little by little it causes him to sin, until it destroys him. And do not raise a difficulty against me by asking, 'What was [meant by], "the former days"' etc. (Ecclesiastes 7:10: 'Do not say, why were the former days better than these?') — that is to say: [one might object,] if, as [I] have said, that the end of a matter is better than its beginning, then the world should be continually returning and being repaired little by little, and every day the world should rise and be repaired, until it reached the point of the end of the matter truly being better than its beginning. Yet, on the contrary, the world's goodness continually diminishes from generation to generation, for behold, 'the former days were better than these.' [To this he answers:] Behold, it is not from wisdom that you ask this — meaning rather: had you known wisdom, the secret of gilgul (the transmigration of souls) would not have been hidden from you, as our Sages of blessed memory said — that in every generation the world diminishes, because the remnants of souls go on being purified, and in each generation there are more types [of souls in need of correction], until they are purified, refined, and made [pure as] white, until in the end, the end of the matter will [truly] be better than its beginning.

"It is better to hear" — It is better to hear a rebuking reproof from the wise man — even though it alarms the heart, it is nevertheless counted for good — for it is not the way of the wise man to voice a rebuking reproof except to straighten the way; if so, that rebuke is for the benefit of the one who hears it. "than a man" — That is to say, even if he is an important, God-fearing man who would not become frivolous on account of hearing the song — and there is accordingly some good in this, for it gladdens the heart and removes sorrow — nevertheless, since it is fools who are the singers, it is impossible that they will not make the listener's ear hear some matter of levity, and for the moment a thought of levity will enter his heart.

For like the crackling of thorns. Thorn wood, espines in O.F. Under a pot. Under a copper pot turned over a fire of thorns, and they rattle into it. Rabbi Yehoshua the son of Leivi said, that all [other] woods when they are kindled, their sound does not travel [far], but when thorns are kindled, their sound travels [far], as if to say, “We, too, are of wood”. They publicize, “We too are wood, and we are needed.” So do fools speak excessively, [as if] to say, “We, too, are important.” — Notes: (18) The crackling of thorns in the fire lasts only a brief moment and then is gone. So, too, the laughter of the fool has no useful purpose or lasting value. Or, the verse conveys the thought that the wise grieve because they are fearful that they are lacking in their service to God, whereas fools are generally satisfied and happy because they feel they have totally fulfilled their obligation in their service to God. This too is vanity. And it is labor, which the Holy One, Blessed Is He, gave the people to toil in and to be vexed with.

"For like the sound of thorns [crackling under a pot]" — [sirim, סירים] is like "thorns" (kotzim), from the language of "Behold, I will hedge up (sakh) your way with thorns (sirim)" (Hosea 2:8); and the point is that he places thorns and briars on their way. And [as for] "under the pot" (sir) — [sir] is like "when we sat by the pot (sir) of meat" (Exodus 16:3); so sir ["pot"] and sirim ["thorns"] are brought together here even though they are not from the same root, and this is a kind of witty wordplay (leshon tzachut), like "those who ride on thirty donkeys (ayarim)... and had thirty cities (arim)" (Judges 10:4) [the same word used for two different meanings]. And he says "this too is vanity (hevel)," referring back to the song of fools and to their laughter and joy — there is no substance to it, and the point is that it is nothing but noise and outcry, like the sound of thorns [crackling under a pot].

"like the sound of thorns" — Like the sound of burning thorns under the pot, which make a crackling, rattling noise in the pot, and does not come in an orderly, pleasant manner the way sound comes from a musical instrument. "so is the laughter" — So is the laughter of the joy of song from the fool, for it does not come in an orderly manner the way proper song does, but he mixes into it words of levity. "this too is vanity" — Therefore this too is vanity: even though there is some good in song, in that it gladdens the heart and removes sorrow, nevertheless it is vanity, since he mixes into it words of levity.

"ha-sirim" (the thorns) — thorny branches, as in "like tangled thorns [sirim sevukhim]" (Nahum 1:10). "ha-sir" (the pot) — this is what a copper cooking pot is called, as in "every pot [sir] shall be" (Zechariah 14:21); and he speaks in a play on words (a pun on "sirim"/"sir").

For quarreling makes the wise foolish. When the fool provokes the wise person, he confuses his thoughts, and he too, stumbles. Dasan and Aviram taunted Moshe, by saying, “may Hashem look down upon you and judge, etc.,” and they confused him and caused his wisdom to depart and to speak in anger against the Holy One, Blessed Is He, and he said, “and You did not save Your people,” and he was punished for this matter, when He replied to him, “now you will see,” but you will not see the war of the thirty-one kings. — Notes: (19) Shemos 5:21. (20) A wise person should distance himself from being involved in discussion with fools because it will cause his own wisdom to suffer. (Metsudas Dovid) (21) Ibid. Verse 23. (22) Ibid. 6:1. And a gift [corrupts] the heart. The heart of wisdom, which is a gift to man, as it is stated, “For Hashem gives wisdom.” — Notes: (23) I.e., the provocation by the wicked, causes the wise to forfeit their wisdom, which is God‘s gift to man. (24) Mishlei 2:6. Quarreling. An expression of conflict and provocation. There are other interpretations, but they separate the verses one from the other, but “כִּי” [=for] which is stated at the beginning of the verse proves that it is connected to the preceding verse.

"For oppression" — He mentioned that it is good for a wise man not to occupy himself with matters of mirth, and now he mentions a thing that can turn him into a madman (meholal) — namely, oppression. And a word is elided before "a gift" (matanah), since [the verb] "destroys" (ye'abbed) is in the masculine form, whereas "a gift" is grammatically feminine — similar to the matter of "and he who hates gifts [bribes] shall live" (Proverbs 15:27); and likewise, "till iniquity was found in you" (Ezekiel 28:15).

"For oppression" — As if to say: even if this wise man rebukes the fools when he hears them speaking words of levity, it is nonetheless not good to listen to them, for when he rebukes them, they too will respond with words of scorn, and they will confound the wise man's understanding, and he will lose the heart of wisdom and speak without understanding as well; therefore it is better to walk away.

"ha-oshek" (oppression) — an expression of "vexation" and "contention," as in "all the oppressed [ha-ashukim]" (above, 4:1). "yeholel" (turns into a fool) — an expression of "confusing the mind," as in "and He makes judges act foolishly [yeholel]" (Job 12:17). "lev mattanah" (heart, a gift) — meaning "a heart of wisdom," which is a gift given to man from the Omnipresent, as it is said, "for Hashem gives wisdom" (Proverbs 2:6).

Better is the end of a matter than its beginning. [To be interpreted] according to its apparent meaning, [i.e.,] at the beginning of a matter, we do not know what will be its outcome, but when the outcome is good, it ends well. — Notes: (25) And we are therefore unable to evaluate it properly. Another explanation: Better is the end of a matter than its beginning. When it is good from its beginning, [i.e.,] that they had good intentions when they started it. Rabbi Meir stood and expounded the entire matter as referring to Elisha the son of Avuyah, ) in Midrash Koheles. — Notes: (26) Alternatively, immediately at the beginning of a matter, a person should reflect on its repercussions, and by doing so he will constantly improve himself, as the Gemara in Maseches Tamid 32a states, “Who is wise? He who discerns what is about to come to pass.” (Ksav Sofer) (27) Rashi should not be translated literally, that Rabbi Meir expounded this matter etc., rather Rabbi Meir was in the midst of expounding when Elisha clarified to Rabbi Meir what Rabbi Akiva expounded pertaining to this verse. (Sifsei Chachomim Patience. One who is slow to anger and is not easily provoked. — Notes: (28) See Mishnayos Avos 5:11.

"Better is the end of a thing than its beginning" — He says that the wise man should not love gifts [bribes]; in whatever he does, he should look to what its end will be, for that is the main point. Do you not see that the wise man will eat a medicine that is bitter at first, because it will benefit him in the end, and he will restrain himself from eating something sweet, which is good at the beginning but bad in the end? And [as for] "patient in spirit" (arekh ruach) — arekh (ארך) is an adjective (shem ha-to'ar), on the pattern of yeled (ילד, "child"); and it likewise occurs in helekh (הלך, "a wayfarer"), as in "va-yavo helekh" ("and a wayfarer came," 2 Samuel 12:4), [and] yeter se'et (יתר שאת, "excelling in dignity," Genesis 49:3).

"At all times," etc. — Behold, we know from the sages of truth and righteousness that from the deeds of the commandments a person performs in this world, honored garments of light are made for him from the light of his commandments: one, from the deed itself, [goes] to the nefesh (soul) in the lower Garden of Eden; and one, from the good intentions within them, [goes] to the ruach (spirit) in the upper Garden of Eden. We further know that for the righteous person, the light of his commandments draws a bond of light between the righteous one and his Father in Heaven. But when he commits sins, that illumination and that bond is severed — as in the words of the prophet: "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God." But when a person turns back from his evil way, that light and bond return — and this is [as] our Sages of blessed memory [said]: "Great is repentance, for it reaches until the Throne of Glory" — for through it, the bond returns to Him, blessed be He; that is, repentance brings the person up to the Throne of Glory. Only, this is not visible to the eye except to one who has merited exceedingly — like Rabbi Natan of the tzitzit story, of whom they said in the Gemara that when he repented, they would see a crown of light upon his head. Now let us come to the matter. He says: Have I not commanded you to turn back from your ways that are not good, after your having sinned? Now I say to you — it need not be said that you should not return to sin, thinking, "I will sin and then repent" — rather, it would be good, truly good, to take care never to sin at all, as our Sages of blessed memory said: David stated, "Happy is the one who has sinned and has had his transgression forgiven," etc., through repentance. But better than this is one who never sinned at all, for "Happy is the man against whom Hashem does not reckon iniquity" — ever. And this is what is meant by "At all times let your garments be white" — that you should act in such a way that there will never be a time when your garments are stained with the stains of sins and guilt; rather, let them always be pure and white. "And let oil not be lacking on your head" — this is the light that rests upon the head of the righteous man, whose nefesh within him cleaves to Hashem his God — so that your iniquities should not diminish it and separate between you and your God. And He called that light "oil," just as He, blessed be He, called the anointing oil of holiness "the crown of his God" — meaning that it corresponds to His own light, blessed be He, which flows down upon it, since oil itself is a source of light in the world. Further, it is possible [to explain] that the very nature of the commandment is holiness, and when a person performs it, the light of that commandment rises up before Him, blessed be He, as is written in the Zohar, that it is the way of the Shechinah that the light of the commandments a person performs in this world rises upward, and then a great outpouring of light is poured down from above, and the light of the commandment shines — the bond that they [the commandment's light] create in the nefesh and ruach shines upon his head. It follows, then, that the light of the deeds of the commandments a person performs is a preparation for Him, blessed be He, to shine upon it from above in overflow — and in this respect it resembles oil, which is a preparation for light. And this is [the meaning of] "and let oil not be lacking on your head" — for you bring the oil so that He, blessed be He, may shine upon it even more with His great light. And the reason it is likened to oil is by virtue of its being a preparation for the supernal light — but not in respect of the deficiency found in natural oil, which gives light and is thereby diminished and used up; rather, that oil has a supernal light cleaving to it, and it is not diminished. And the sense of the verse is: do not act in such a way that you sin, [intending] to repent right afterward; rather, "at all times let your garments be white," and also let "oil be upon your head" at all times — oil that shall not be lacking, unlike natural oil — for I likened it to oil only in that it is a preparation for the supernal light to cleave to it, so as to shine forth in overflow. And should you say: why have you burdened me with never sinning at all? Is it not so that "in the place where penitents stand, even the wholly righteous cannot stand"? If so, then even if I sinned and returned in repentance, that too would be very good! Do not say so. For it is true that they will place you higher than the [wholly] righteous; but the reason I command you and choose this path for you is that you will gain far, far greater good. And this is because — behold, we wrote above, from our Sages of blessed memory, that while the nefesh is still in the body, when it draws near to departing, in order to set their minds at ease as they [body and soul] separate, He shows them together all the good that has been prepared for them — as with Rabbi Abbahu, who was shown thirteen rivers of balsam. And in the Zohar it is said that all the days on which the righteous person did the will of his Maker — even though the existence of those days is [in itself] hevel (vanity/breath), which has no substance — are nonetheless alive and enduring, for they have acquired existence and permanence from the quality of the Torah and commandments performed within them; and they themselves draw near, at the time of death, in the actual joy of the commandment. Now let us come to the matter. He says: "Enjoy life," etc. — meaning: act in such a way that you will enjoy life all the days of your hevel. That is: if you sin for some time and afterward return to Hashem, then when the days of your eternal life come to be seen and your days draw near to be beheld, only the days from the time of your repentance onward will draw near, while the earlier days, in which you sinned, will fall away. But if you never sin at all, from the very start of all your days, you will merit that all the days of your life draw near in complete joy — whatever you did in them — for all of them will acquire permanence, existence, and holiness; and the joy of all your days is better for you than the joy of [only] the few days from the day of repentance onward. And [as for] "the wife" — this is [the meaning of] "Enjoy life," etc. — that they show you, while you are still with the wife whom you love — she is the nefesh — before it separates from you. And what you will enjoy as life is all the days of your hevel — for all the days that you live, which are all hevel in their [present] existence, you will now see as living and enduring; and even though their existence is hevel, in saying "the days of your hevel," they will acquire existence and vitality through the commandments [performed] all your days. And the matter is: "Enjoy life" while you are still with the nefesh that you love — with whom will you enjoy it? All the days of the life of your hevel, and not merely some of your days, from when you repent onward. For what He has given you is your allotted measure of days under the sun — all the days of your hevel — meaning, all of them were the days of your hevel, and not [that] only the years of the life of your hevel were days of hevel without substance [while the rest were exempt]; but now the years of the life of your hevel become made into days of life. And thus I derive [this reading] — that the word "kol" (all) is vocalized with a cholam, [indicating] that it is not in construct (semichut) with the word following it; rather, it means "the whole of it — that is, the days of your hevel" — in the manner of its saying "kol shatah tachat raglav" ("all He put beneath His feet"), which means "He put everything beneath [His feet]," etc. And so too it teaches us by saying "kol asirei aretz" ("all the prisoners of the earth"), which means "all of them are the prisoners of the earth"; and likewise "kol pa'al Hashem lema'anehu" ("Hashem has made all for His own purpose"), which is like "He made everything" — and so too for the rest of such instances of "kulam." And it says, "for that is your portion," etc. — meaning: what they show you is the portion that is yours in the life of the world to come, for all Israel have a portion in the world to come; and also, the good that is stored up for your souls in the life of the world to come is joined to your labor, in which you labor — in the light [of Torah] and commandments under the sun — which is joined together with you.

"Better is the end of a thing" — That is to say: just as the end of a matter is better than its beginning — for at the beginning of a matter it is not known what will become of it, but once the matter is finished, everything becomes known — so too, one who is slow to anger and does not hasten to quarrel is better than one who is haughty of spirit and on that account hastens to become enraged. For one who hastens to become enraged still stands at the beginning of the quarrel, and it is not known what will happen in the end when his fellow humiliates him; but if he is patient, the quarrel will settle down of itself, as though the matter were already finished.

"ruach" (spirit) — its meaning is "anger," as in "they have set my anger [ruchi] at rest" (Zechariah 6:8). "gevah ruach" (proud in spirit) — an expression of "excessive pride."

Do not quicken. Do not rush.

"Be not hasty" — The meaning of tibbahel (תבהל) is like "do not hurry" (al temaher), and likewise "and they hurried (vayavhilu) to bring Haman" (Esther 6:14). And I have already explained this verse in [my comment on] the verse "Better is anger than laughter" (tov ka'as mi-schok) (Ecclesiastes 7:3).

"Be not hasty in your spirit" — At the time you become angry, do not hasten to show your anger, for the showing of anger has found for itself a resting place, safeguarded in the bosom of fools, and it is not abandoned by them, because they do not consider that their fellows will humiliate them for it. Therefore, the intelligent man will remain silent at that time and not become enraged quickly.

"al tevahel" (be not hasty) — "do not hurry."

Do not say, was it that the former days, etc. Do not wonder about the goodness that was bestowed upon the righteous men of yore, such as the generation of the wilderness, the generation of Yehoshua and the generation of Dovid. For it is not out of wisdom that you ask. For everything depends upon the merit of the generations. — Notes: (29) Alternatively, the answer to this question is beyond human comprehension. (Metsudas Dovid)

"Say not you" — He continues to command and warn the wise man that he should rejoice in his portion, even if he is poor, as was written above, "what advantage has the poor man..." (Ecclesiastes 6:8). And he says that he should not occupy himself with matters of acquiring wealth, but only with what suffices him, and he should not be angered because a fool has more wealth than he, and he should be patient in spirit. And let him not say "what has happened," as the fools say when they fall from their greatness, [thinking] that the world has been overturned — for the one who understands knows that the days are equal, and the supernal arrangements (ha-ma'arakhot ha-elyonot) are the same; only the recipients change, each man according to his portion.

"Say not" — Do not wonder why it was that the former days, such as the generation of Joshua and the generation of David, were better than these days; for then they found abundant good, the like of which is not found in these days. "for it is not out of wisdom that you inquire concerning this" — This question was not asked out of wisdom itself, for had you asked it of wisdom, it would have answered its words with good sense and knowledge; but a person's understanding is too limited to grasp this. Or: that question was not asked from the side of wisdom but from the side of foolishness. (For it is the way of the wise man to ask fitting questions in accordance with the depth of his wisdom, and the way of the fool to ask questions devoid of substance, in accordance with his folly.)

It is good to have wisdom, etc. Their wisdom stood for them together with the heritage of the merit of their forefathers, for wisdom is good. — Notes: (30) Alternatively, נחלה refers to a monetary inheritance or a skill that is handed down from father to son (Ibn Ezra). Thereby, one is able to immerse himself in his studies without having the burden of financial worries (Alshich). See Mishnayos Avos 2:2 which states that the study of Torah is good when combined with an occupation, for the exertion of them both makes sin forgotten. Or, wisdom is good as an accompaniment to an inheritance, for without wisdom, the wealth he came into will not endure. (Metsudas Dovid) And [such wisdom] benefits those who see the sun. Wisdom is a benefit for all mankind. Those who see the sun. This refers to all mankind, as it was taught in the Mishnah, “He who vows not to benefit from those who see the sun, is also forbidden [to benefit] from the blind.” The intention [of this phrase] is to [include] anyone who benefits from the sun. — Notes: (31) Mishnayos Nedarim 3:7.

"Wisdom is good" — And if it is possible for the wise man to have an inheritance, that is good for him, and it is even better for "those who see the sun" (ro'ei ha-shemesh), for they will honor him on account of his wealth.

To arrive at the explanation, let us recall the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, who said: 'those who are insulted but do not insult others, who hear their own disgrace but do not respond,' etc. — of them Scripture says, 'and they that love Him are as the sun when it goes forth in its might' (Judges 5:31). It is fitting to consider: what is the connection of the sun to those who are insulted, etc.? And what is the sun's 'might'? Now, it is known from the words of our Sages, of blessed memory, that when God created the two great lights, the moon said before the Holy One, blessed be He: 'It is impossible for two kings to make use of one crown.' This was an insult to the sun, yet it remained silent. Then He, blessed be He, was zealous on behalf of its [the sun's] insult, and said to her [the moon]: 'Go and diminish yourself.' With this, it explains 'those who are insulted but do not insult others' — meaning, they are insulted by people who speak to them directly; or 'they hear their own disgrace' — meaning that Reuben speaks to Simeon and tells of Levi's disgrace, and he [Levi] hears it and does not respond. This is like the matter of the sun: the moon was speaking with the Holy One, blessed be He, and the sun heard its own disgrace, yet did not respond — and this failure to respond did not come from fear of the one insulting it, but rather only from love of Hashem; and one who accepts the insult as yisurei ahavah (afflictions of love) is like the sun, which was silent not out of fear, but only out of love for Hashem, wishing to do Hashem's will, even though it would receive the moon's accusation and have its light diminished. Or it may mean that the sun rejoices in afflictions, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said in [tractate] Nedarim, that the sun does not go forth until it is struck with arrows, which are afflictions, and nevertheless, 'it rejoices as a strong man to run its course, like a bridegroom coming forth from his chamber' (Psalms 19:6). With this we come to the explanation of the verse. It says, 'Wisdom is good with an inheritance' — that there be an inheritance from which to be sustained, so as to occupy oneself with wisdom free of the burden of seeking one's livelihood — even though it is possible that one might acquire some measure of pride through one's wealth. But it will be even more good 'to those who see the sun' — those who look at the sun, which bore its insult and did not respond, being of the category of 'those who are insulted,' etc. — who saw and looked at the deed of the sun: that one who, despite having wisdom and wealth, does not acquire a trace of pride, but on the contrary is among 'those who are insulted,' etc. — that is, exceeding humility — this person has a very great advantage. Or it may mean: the way of the scholar who benefits from others who support him is that it is enough for him merely to sustain himself. But there will be a greater advantage for those who, along with their inheritance, are 'seers of the sun' — that is, of the sun which gives its light to others, as is known regarding the moon, which receives from it, and the like — so too, for 'those who see' and understand this, one acts as it acts, giving from his wealth to the poor as well. 'For in the shade,' etc. — behold, our Sages, of blessed memory, said that in the future the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a shade and a canopy for one who supports those who study Torah, just as for the Torah scholar himself. But is he not considered like an outsider [to Torah study]? For behold, our Sages said: 'All the prophets prophesied only concerning those who support [Torah scholars],' etc., 'but for those who occupy themselves with it, no eye has seen' (cf. Isaiah 64:3). And so it is stated explicitly in the Gemara that Rabbah, who occupied himself with Torah, had twenty years added to him, and Abaye, who occupied himself with Torah and with gemilut chassadim (acts of kindness), had forty years added to him — from which it appears that this applies specifically to one who occupies himself with Torah, but had one only supported a Torah scholar without himself studying, this would not have applied to him. For the verse that is written, 'She is a tree of life to those who hold fast to her' (Proverbs 3:18) — 'she' refers to olam haba (the world to come), correctly, for the merit of supporting [Torah scholars] with money establishes him in the aforementioned shade. But the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom is that the wise man's wisdom gives life to both of 'her possessors' — the wise man himself and the one who sustains him, for he too is a possessor — therefore it says 'her possessors' in the plural. However, the point in common between them is that both the Torah scholar and the one who benefits him have shade and a canopy, but the happiness, light, and delight will not be equal for the one as for the other. And the proof is that for one who occupies himself with Torah, life is added, for 'length of days is in her right hand' (Proverbs 3:16); but for the one who benefits the Torah scholar, it is not added in this world, but only olam haba. And this is what it means: did I not say, 'wisdom is good with an inheritance,' that the Torah scholar benefits from another — is it not that he thereby has a double merit, the merit of engaging in Torah study and the merit of the one who benefits him? And this is the meaning of 'for in the shade,' etc. — that the one who has wisdom will have it that he is 'in the shade of wisdom, in the shade of money' — not that the reward of the one is equal to that of the other, for the point in common is 'in the shade of wisdom, in the shade of money,' that when this one is in shade, this one too is in shade. But the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom over the one who benefits with money is that it gives life to its possessor, as with Rabbah and Abaye, who, because they occupied themselves with its knowledge, lived on beyond when their time of death arrived — which the money of the one who benefits a Torah scholar does not do; it does not give life to its possessor. With this, it is fitting to understand why it says 'in the shade of money' and does not say 'and in the shade of money' — for if the intention were only to inform us that there would be two shades, it would have said 'and'; but it also intended to say that the point in common is 'for in the shade,' etc., as discussed. And let it not seem small in your eyes that wisdom adds to and gives life to its possessor. For behold, 'the work of God' is Adam, the first man, as it is said, 'Let us make man' (Genesis 1:26) — for 'who can repair what He has twisted' — that is death forever, for it endures perpetually, and no good deeds can repair it. If so, that which suffices to add life of several years is a great thing. Or it may mean: know how Torah is superior in giving life to its possessor over all other good deeds. For behold, [it speaks of] man — 'for who can repair' so as to remove death entirely? That is to say, who can do this? And you will find none but the Torah, for it is 'charut (engraved) on the tablets' (Exodus 32:16) — do not read charut (engraved) but cherut (freedom) from the Angel of Death. Or it may mean: do not say, 'If wisdom gives life, why does it not prevent death entirely?' For behold, 'consider the work of God' — it is Adam: because of his great importance, in that he was 'the work of God,' the flaw of his sin was so great that 'who can repair what he has twisted' so as to nullify death entirely? Therefore it is enough merely to add days. Or it may mean: 'wisdom is good with an inheritance' — that one occupies himself with Torah out of wealth and tranquility. But it will be even better 'to those who see the sun' — those who study and occupy themselves with Torah out of yisurin (afflictions), like the sun, which serves Hashem and performs His commandment to go forth each day out of affliction. This is based on what our Sages, of blessed memory, said, that it does not go forth to shine upon the earth each day until it is struck with several pulsei denura (fiery lashes), as it is said, 'at the light of Your arrows they go' (Habakkuk 3:11). And with this it means: what I said, 'wisdom is good,' etc., is that he merits to be 'in the shade of wisdom, in the shade of money,' as above; and what I said, that it is good for one who studies out of affliction, is because the yetzer hara (evil inclination) is powerful, and who can restrain him from becoming haughty? For is a person greater than the handiwork of the Holy One, blessed be He? Yet it [the evil inclination] sufficed to cause him [Adam] to sin, a flaw that was never repaired, forever. And this is the meaning of 'consider the work of God' — the handiwork of He, blessed be He — 'for who can repair' what the yetzer hara twisted in man; this is the meaning of 'that he has twisted.' And how much more so now will it incite you, when it finds an opportunity through that which draws you, so that your heart become haughty and you kick [rebel].

"Wisdom is good" — If someone has found a house and wealth, an inheritance from his fathers, nevertheless wisdom is good in addition to it, for without it his inheritance will not remain in his possession. "and a profit" — And there is even greater need for wisdom for those who "see the sun," meaning those who gaze upon the arrangement of the heavens in order to draw down influence for themselves from them, for they have nothing in hand and all their trust is in the arrangement of the heavens — for this one needs wisdom. (And it mentions the sun because it is the greatest of all [the heavenly bodies] and acts greatly upon the lower world, and it is therefore called "malkat hashamayim" (queen of the heavens), from the term malkah (queen), as is written at the beginning of the book.)

For wisdom shelters [as well] as money shelters. Whoever is in the shade of wisdom is in the shade of money, for wisdom causes eventual wealth. — Notes: (32) Alternatively, just as wisdom of the Torah gives life [i.e., shelters] in the World of Come, so does money that is given to charity provide life [i.e., shelters] in the World to Come. (Targum) But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who possesses it. And moreover, wisdom has an advantage over money, because wisdom preserves the life of its possessors. — Notes: (33) Wisdom is not subject to death or consumption. The idea that “wisdom preserves the life of him who possesses it,” may be in reference to the Gemara in Maseches Yevamos 97a, which states that the lips of a deceased scholar in whose name a traditional statement is reported in this world, move gently in the grave. (Reb Tzvi Charif)

"For in the shadow [of wisdom, in the shadow of money]" — Then the wise man will be sheltered in the shadow of wisdom and in the shadow of money; however, there is a difference between the shadow of wisdom and the shadow of money — wisdom gives life to its possessor, for wisdom is the form of the supernal soul (tzurat ha-neshamah ha-elyonah), which does not die with the death of the body.

"For wisdom is a defense" [lit. in the shadow of wisdom] — One who takes shelter in the shadow of wisdom is as one who takes shelter in the shadow of money, for sometimes a person can sustain himself sufficiently through wisdom just as through money. "and the excellency" — There is yet a further advantage in the knowledge of wisdom, for it gives life to the one who possesses it; but money is sometimes a cause of death for its owner, for murderers will rise up against him to take his wealth.

Consider the deeds of God. How everything is prepared according to man’s actions, the Garden of Eden for the righteous and Gehinnom for the wicked. Consider to which you should cling. For who [else] can straighten. After death that which he made crooked during his life? — Notes: (34) Alternatively, only God can straighten what He made crooked on account of the inequity of the generation, e.g., the Gemara in Maseches Rosh Hashanah 17b states, that if little rain had been decreed on account of the inequities of the generation and afterwards the people improved their ways, God will rectify what He made crooked and cause the rain to fall in its proper time and place without the loss of a drop. (Metsudas Dovid)

"Consider" — And the wise man who has no inheritance and money should rejoice in his wisdom and not be angered over his poverty, for what was decreed upon him was already decreed from the six days of Creation (sheshet yemei bereshit). And those who understand the work of the heavens will understand — and this is the explanation of "which God created" — for God, in all His work, placed a power [conforming] to the original pattern (ha-demut ha-rishonah); and one whose arrangement (ma'arakhto) is crooked in the matter of money or some other matter has no remedy.

"Consider" — Observe the work of God, how upright and well-ordered they are; for what human being could straighten out the thing that was made crooked? But the Omnipresent, blessed be He, is able to straighten out the thing that was made crooked through the sin of the generation — just as our Rabbis of blessed memory said in [tractate] Rosh Hashanah: if, because of the sin of the generation, a decree of scanty rains was issued, and afterward they improved their deeds, He rectifies the distortion, for He brings the rains down in their proper time and in the place where they are most needed, and wastes not a single drop.

"ivvato" (made crooked) — an expression of "distortion/corruption."

On a day of goodness [prosperity], be in good spirits. On a day in which you have the ability to do good, be among those who do good. — Notes: (35) Alternatively, on a day of good fortune be happy and enjoy it. (Metsudas Dovid) And on a day of adversity reflect. When evil comes upon the wicked, be among the observers, as it is stated, “And they will go out and see the corpses of the people, etc.,” and you will not be among those who are seen, “and they will be a sight for all mankind.” — Notes: (36) Adversity is caused by being sinful. Therefore, examine your deeds and remove any sins by repenting (Sforno). Alternatively, on a day of adversity, reflect and be hopeful for a day of goodness to come. (Likutei Yehudah) (37) Yeshayahu 66:24. (38) Ibid. The one was set up against the other. The good and the reward for its performance, in contrast to the evil and the ensuing punishment for doing it. — Notes: (39) Alternatively, “one set up against the other,” refers to the punishment that was set up against the evil deeds, i.e., the concept of מדה כנגד מדה, that is, the manner of punishment corresponds to the sin, and it is never meted out in a greater amount than warranted. That man should not find anything after him. To be critical of the Holy One, Blessed Is He.

"In the day" — And the wise man who is master of an inheritance and money — why should he rejoice in a thing that will not endure? It is as if they are saying to him: when you are in a good day, be in good [spirits] and rejoice — therefore he must look ahead, for a day of evil will come, similar to the matter of "Rejoice, young man" (Ecclesiastes 11:9), where it is said to him: rejoice, and walk in the way of your heart's desire and your eyes; but know concerning all these [things, that God will bring you to judgment] — and behold, the point is: do not rejoice [without restraint]. "Also, this corresponding to that" (zeh le'umat zeh) — similar to what is said in Sefer Yetzirah [the Book of Formation], "the seven doubled letters, BeGeD KePoReT" [ב-ג-ד-כ-פ-ר-ת]. And "al divrat" (על דברת) is like "be'avur" (בעבור, "because of, for the sake of"), and it is like [the usage in] "on account of (al devar) that they did not meet you [with bread and water]" (Deuteronomy 23:5); and similarly, "al divrati Malki-Tzedek" (על דברתי מלכי צדק, "after the order of Melchizedek") (Psalms 110:4), [meaning] "for the sake of truth" (al devar emet), "and meekness, and righteousness" (Psalms 45:5) — and the yod is added, like the yod in "malati mishpat" ("she was full of justice") (Isaiah 1:21), "rabbati va-goyim" ("great among the nations"), "sarati ba-medinot" ("a princess among the provinces") (Lamentations 1:1). And after this it returns to [the subject of] God — and the point is that He made "this corresponding to that," and a person cannot object, because the deficiency comes from the recipient (ha-mekabel), as I explained at the beginning of the book.

This continues from the preceding verse, to say: "Consider the work of God" — this is Adam, the first man, the work of His hands, as in the verse, "Let us make man" (Genesis 1:26). Yet despite the abundance of good bestowed upon him, he was drawn after the desire of the yetzer hara (the evil inclination), to the point of bringing about "who can straighten what He has twisted" — that is, the blemish of death. And if the very handiwork of His own hands could not prevail against his own inclination, how much more so must you, now! Therefore, as for "the day of prosperity" — it was so with him as well; so always be found in good, that is, occupied with the commandments of charity and the like, and not the opposite, such as feasts and drinking bouts, which are the desire of the eyes. And as for "the day of adversity, consider" — examine within the evil what wrong you have committed, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "One who sees that sufferings are coming upon him should examine his deeds." And let not your heart mislead you into thinking that a day of adversity is an indication of sin while a day of prosperity is an indication of merit, so that you need not fear to engage in the good — for behold, this too: the day of prosperity corresponds to the day of adversity; they are parallel to one another. And this is with regard to the phrase "so that man should find nothing after him," etc., for their character is identical: this one and that one both exist so that man will find nothing after him — the evil and the sufferings, so that nothing of his sins will be found after his death; and the day of prosperity, so that no merits will be found remaining after him. Therefore, be careful on the day of prosperity, lest you be drawn after desire. And the meaning of the verse is: on the day of prosperity, be careful, and "be joyful" (that is, occupy yourself with good deeds); and on the day of adversity, "consider" and examine yourself, so that it may serve as atonement for your sins. And do not say: "What is fitting is that I should be distressed and examine myself on the day of adversity, but that on the day of prosperity there should be fear upon my head — is it not, on the contrary, that my being prosperous is an indication of my abundance of merit, and that I am being fed the fruits of my deeds in this world?" Do not rely on this. For just as it is possible that this is so, it is equally possible that "God has made even the one as well as the other" — for just as the sufferings exist so that man will not be found to have anything remaining of his sins, so too it is possible that the prosperity exists to feed you your merits, so that nothing will be found remaining after you. Therefore, be careful, and be joyful (through doing good).

"In the day of prosperity" — On the day that good comes into the world, be of good cheer, meaning: accept the good and delight yourself with the richness of your soul. "and in the day of adversity" — At the time that evil comes into the world, consider the evil so as to understand why it came, and accept it in order to cleanse away the sin. "even the one" — meaning the evil itself the Omnipresent sent; He made it, too, corresponding to the sin — that is, measure for measure. "to the end that" — And He did this so that a person would find nothing to suspect against Him, for from the recompense of the punishment a person will come to understand the transgression that resembles it.

"al divrat" (to the end that) — "on account of," as in "on account of the money [al devar ha-kesef]" (Genesis 43:18).

There is a righteous man who perishes [despite] his righteousness. Although he is perishing, he is nonetheless steadfast in his righteousness. There was an incident concerning Yoseif the son of Pinchas the kohen who had an ulcerating sore on his leg. They called the physician to amputate his leg. He said to him, “when you are about to reach the last remaining hairbreadth [of completing the amputation], let me know,” and he did so. He then called his son Chunya and said to him, “My son , until now, you were obligated to care for me. But, from now on, you are no longer obligated to care for me, because a kohen may not become ritually impure from a limb cut off from his father while he was alive.” — Notes: (40) Alternatively, “there is a righteous man who perishes because of his righteousness,” i.e., were he not righteous, he might not have been punished at all. God is more demanding with the righteous, as stated in Maseches Yevamos 121b (Metsudas Dovid and Alshich). Avrohom, Yaakov, Yoseif, Dovid, Michal and Chizkiyah are examples of righteous people who did not escape judgement because of a slight indiscretion on their part. (Mesilas Yeshorim)

"All things [have I seen]" — "there is" (yesh) refers to something found [only] on rare occasions. And the meaning of "perishes in his righteousness" ('oved be-tzidko) is that his [very] righteousness destroys him — like one who fasts constantly and prolongs [afflicts] himself. And [as for] "prolongs his days in his wickedness" — [this refers to one] who eats, drinks, rejoices, and provides pleasures for the body.

He comes, in his demonstrated way, to raise a difficulty on what was said — a difficulty from which destruction (churva) would emerge — after which he brings a correction to the matter, rejecting the difficulty and establishing us on the truth. And this is it: he had said that His way, may He be blessed, is to act in such a manner that the righteous man is purified through sufferings, so that after his death nothing at all is found remaining of his sins; and likewise the wicked man is treated well in this world, so that nothing at all is found remaining of his merits, which are consumed by the good done to him. Now he says, as if by way of proof: 'All this I have seen in the days of my hevel (vanity/breath)' — meaning, in a short time, the few days that are attributed to hevel, for all his days did not exceed fifty-two years, and when he composed this book his days were still few. And he said that 'all' refers to two categories: I have seen a righteous man who through sufferings purges away his guilt, and a wicked man who, through an abundance of good, has his merits entirely consumed. However, here destruction (churva) emerges from this: for there is a righteous man who perishes precisely because of his righteousness. For when he sees that, even though he is completely righteous, he is constantly beset by suffering, he broods until he perishes, saying, 'It is in vain to serve God' — God forbid. It turns out that he perishes because of his righteousness, for had he not been righteous, He, may He be blessed, would not have desired to crush him in order to purify him, and he would not have perished. And likewise there is a wicked man who, seeing that as he goes on in wickedness he acts and prospers, says, 'This is the way I shall walk in,' and he continually prolongs his life in his wickedness. Therefore, it would seem [right] to advise a person to flee from the extremes. For behold, He, may He be blessed — 'round about Him it storms greatly' (Psalm 50:3) — these being the very greatest of the righteous, for 'whom Hashem loves, He rebukes' (Proverbs 3:12). Therefore, 'do not be overly righteous' — for it is better for you to have a little merit than to be abundant in piety, lest on account of it you become destined to perish. And likewise, 'do not be excessively wise' in the extreme, for Torah [attainment] comes only through sufferings, and in proportion to the abundance of your wisdom your sufferings will multiply, until you will not be able to withstand it — as if to say: 'Shall everyone who draws near, who draws near to Hashem, thereby increase his suffering?' (compare Numbers 17:28) — in such a way you would come to brood and perish. This is [the meaning of] 'why should you destroy yourself?' But be careful also of the other extreme, namely: 'do not be overly wicked' — do not act in such a way that your sins come to outweigh your merits. This is [the meaning of] 'overly,' in 'do not be overly wicked.' And also, regarding the matter of wisdom of which I said 'do not be overly wise,' guard yourself from the [opposite] extreme, namely: 'do not be a fool' — an am ha'aretz (unlearned person), utterly devoid of wisdom. 'Why should you die before your time?' — meaning: behold, the way of people is that they are not called dead until the time comes for them to die, when their soul departs. But you, if you are wicked, or an am ha'aretz whose habit is to sin constantly — for 'an unlearned man (bur) cannot be fearful of sin' (Avot 2:5) — you will be dead before your time comes for your soul to depart. For the wicked, in his lifetime, is called dead, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said on the verse, 'And Benaiah… the son of a living man' (2 Samuel 23:20) — meaning that the attachment (deveikut) of your soul to the living God is severed and separated, as the prophet said, 'your iniquities have separated between you and your God' (Isaiah 59:2). And this is [the meaning of] 'why should you die before your time' — that is, the time of death allotted to you, such that you would be called dead while [still] alive. And it is known that a man is called 'wicked' when his sins are the majority. This is [the meaning of] 'do not be overly wicked,' as has been said — in that the extremes are dangerous. Rather, choose the middle path. This is [the meaning of] 'hold onto this one' — namely, righteousness exceeding sins — 'and also from that do not withhold your hand' — namely, wisdom — which is the middle path in both matters. And should you say: 'If so, then where shall I sit in that world [i.e., the World to Come]? Not among the completely righteous, and not among the great sages, for I have attained perfection in neither of them' — do not fear, for behold, 'one who fears God shall go out with them all' — for the word et (את) serves, in most places, in place of im (עם, 'with'). And the matter is: since your choosing the middle path stems from fear of God — so that you not stray from following Hashem your God — it is reckoned to you as righteousness, and you shall be called one who fears God, and you shall go out together with them all. Behold, this is the first [answer] that would occur to a person's heart in order to resolve the aforementioned destruction (churva). But Solomon, in his wisdom, comes and says: this is not the way, Heaven forbid. Rather, one should become as wise as possible and be exceedingly righteous. For that which you feared — that in proportion to abundant wisdom many sufferings would befall you — the opposite is true. On the contrary: one who labors intensely in Torah, sufferings are kept far from him, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said regarding the verse, 'and the sons of resheph fly high' (Job 5:7) — that there are forces of wrath, each one appointed over a particular category of suffering, called 'sons of resheph,' and it is said that through Torah they fly high, away from those who study it. This is [the meaning of] 'kept far from him' — referring to those forces; for the sufferings themselves cannot properly be spoken of in terms of choice, [such as] the expression 'flying off' — rather, that expression belongs to those forces themselves. And the matter is that one who engages in Torah becomes attached (davuk) to Him, may He be blessed, and which of those forces could approach him? Along the lines of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: that so long as David was engaged in Torah on the day of his passing, the Angel of Death could not have power over him. And this is [the meaning of] 'wisdom gives strength to the wise man' (Ecclesiastes 7:19) — that it grants him strength so that those forces cannot rule over him. And from where is there proof of this? For this he says: 'more than ten rulers who were in the city' (Ecclesiastes 7:19). This is: behold, when Moses ascended on high, the ministering angels sought to rule over him and to burn him with the breath of their mouths, but by virtue of the Torah — through which he took hold of the Throne of Glory — they were unable to prevail against him. Now, all the categories of angels number ten, as the Rambam, of blessed memory, enumerated them by their number and their names. And [this establishes] a kal vachomer (an a fortiori argument): if ten rulers — comprising the totality of all categories of angels — could not prevail against him by virtue of the Torah, how much more so, now, would the forces of suffering — which do not even belong to their category — be unable to prevail against one who engages abundantly in Torah. And when he says 'that were in the city' — he calls the heavenly heights 'a city,' and Moses 'a wise man,' as in the verse: 'A wise man went up to the city of the mighty, and brought down the stronghold of its confidence' (Proverbs 21:22), as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: 'A wise man went up' — this is Moses, who ascended on high, which is 'the city' of the ministering angels, who are called 'mighty in strength, who perform His word' (Psalm 103:20); 'and brought down' — the Torah, which is called 'the stronghold of its confidence.' And also, the advice that 'you should not be overly righteous' is not good. For why, indeed, did you choose this, if not so as not to perish upon seeing sufferings come upon you? And so [the reasoning would run]: if you are not overly righteous, they will not come upon you, and if they do come, it is at first only for a small measure of guilt. But behold: even were you to be more righteous than anyone else on earth, you would not perish through suffering. For indeed, 'there is no righteous man on earth who does [only] good' (Ecclesiastes 7:20) — and even in his good deeds, he does not fail to sin through some improper motive, how much more so in that which is not good. Therefore, even were you to be greater than every [other] righteous man, you would have grounds on which to hang [any] suffering [that might come upon you], and you would not perish.

"All things" — All the things that come into being and occur in the world I observed with much contemplation all my days, in order to know the substance of things and the depth of the matters. "in the days of my vanity" — Thus are the days of man called, because they are not eternal. "there is a righteous man" — Now I understood that there is a righteous man who is lost from the world when he sins but a little — and this is because of the abundance of his righteousness, for the Holy One, blessed be He, is exacting with the righteous to a hairsbreadth; and had he not been a completely righteous man, he would not have been punished for this. "prolongs [his life] in his evil-doing" — prolongs days of good [in this world] — and this is because his evil has grown overwhelming, for then He prolongs his days of good, so that he will be excluded from the world to come.

Be not exceedingly righteous. Like Shaul, who tried to display his righteousness and [misdirected] his mercy on the wicked. Nor overly wise. To deduce from a foolish inference from a minor case to a major case, [namely,] that for [the murder] of one person, said the Torah, bring a decapitated heifer, etc. — Notes: (41) This Rashi refers back to the preceding one and explains the misdirected logic which led Shaul to spare Amoleik.

"Be not [righteous overmuch]" — If you pray from morning until evening, and fast, and do similar things [in excess], you will "be desolate" (tishomem) — meaning that you will depart from the way of settled civilization (derekh ha-yishuv), as the hermits (ha-Romiti) do in the land of Edom and Ishmael [i.e., the ascetic monastics of Christendom and Islam]; and likewise if you seek to become overly wise. And the word tishomem (תשומם) is of the nif'al construction (binyan nif'al); and some say that the doubling (dageshut) of the shin is not due to the omission of the nun of the nif'al, but rather due to the omission of the tav of the hitpa'el, and it should properly have been tishtomem (תשתומם) — for the nif'al construction is not found among geminate verbs (pe'alei ha-kefel) in which both [doubled root letters] appear; that is found only in the hitpa'el construction, among verbs whose middle root letter ('ayin ha-po'al) is not intact [i.e., defective/weak verbs], like tibaneh (תבנה, "it will be built") and tikonen (תכונן, "it will be established").

"Be not righteous overmuch" — to forbid yourself what the Torah permitted, in order to make a fence and a safeguard. "neither make yourself overwise" — beyond what His wisdom, blessed be He, has decreed. "why should you destroy yourself" — why should you do such a thing, to sit desolate, with no one coming to associate with you because of the abundance of your asceticism, so that you become separated from other people?

"tishomem" (destroy yourself) — from the language of "desolation" (shimamon).

Be not excessively wicked. Even if you have been somewhat wicked, do not continue to act wickedly. Why should you die before your time. As Shaul did, as it is stated, “and Shaul died for his transgressions that he committed [against Hashem],” in the case of Nov, the city of kohanim, and in the case of Amoleik. — Notes: (42) I Divrei Hayomim 10:13. (43) See I Shmuel 22:16-19. (44) See I Shmuel 15:8-15.

"Be not overmuch wicked" — Because excessive wickedness brings a person to danger, he says, "why should you die before your time?" And know that wickedness consists of being preoccupied with the affairs of this world; he says that you should occupy yourself [only] with what suffices you, and do not be foolish at all, for foolishness kills before its time.

"Be not overmuch wicked" — If something frightening happens to you, do not be overly frightened, and do not confound your understanding. "neither be you foolish" — so as to feel nothing at all about the frightening matter. "why should you die before your time" — why should you do such a thing on account of which you would die before your days are complete? For one who is excessively frightened — behold, the fright kills him; and one who feels nothing is not guarded against the frightening thing, and death lies ready at hand for him.

"tirsha" (be wicked) — an expression of "distress" and "confusion," as in "and wherever he turned he caused confusion [yarshia]" (I Samuel 14).

It is best to take hold of one, etc. Grasp both, righteousness and wickedness. If the righteous prophet told you something that appears to you as being evil, e.g., what Shmuel said to Shaul, let it not be taken lightly by you to doubt it. Will discharge his duty to both. Both of them, to preserve the righteousness and the wickedness according to their rule.

"It is good" — I have already explained, in [my comment on] the verse "Better is anger than laughter" (tov ka'as mi-schok) (Ecclesiastes 7:3), a little about the portions of the soul (chelkei ha-nefesh). And the person of understanding (ish ha-sekhel) gives to each [faculty of the] soul its portion in its proper time, and he need not search for what he should do — he need only follow the Torah of our God and not turn from it to the right or the left, and keep the commandments "which a man shall do and live by them" (Leviticus 18:5), in both worlds [olamot]. And with this matter he concluded his book, truly: "for he who fears God shall discharge himself of them all."

"It is good, etc." — meaning, to be frightened by the frightening thing. "also from the other, etc." — meaning, to fortify the heart so as not to feel overly much, to be excessively troubled. "for he who fears God" — One who fears God discharges himself of both of these — a little fright and a little fortifying of the heart. For one who is excessively frightened is as if he removes his trust from Hashem, and one who feels nothing at all is as if he is unconcerned about the decree of the Omnipresent who sent the fright upon him.

"tannach" (withdraw) — from the language of "laying down" and "leaving."

Wisdom gives [more] strength to the wise. Since it stated, “be not excessively wicked,” if you have been somewhat wicked, do not add to it, rather examine your deeds and regret the sin. He states, “wisdom gives [more] strength to the wise,” because it leads him to repentance. ) — Notes: (45) Above, verse 17. (46) Rashi explains the juxtaposition of verse 17 with this verse is to teach that in the event a person sinned slightly, his wisdom will encourage him to repent his way. (Sifsei Chachomim Than ten rulers. We find regarding Yoshiyahu, that Scripture testified about him, “the likes of him there had never been a king before him, etc.” Therefore, his wisdom remained with him, and he examined his actions, and it was better for him than “ten rulers” who acted wickedly and did not repent. — Notes: (47) II Melochim 23:25. (48) Alternatively, the חכם refers to Yoseif, and the ten rulers refer to Yoseif’s brothers. (Targum) Of the city. In Yerusholayim. [The ten were,] Rechovam, Aviyah, Achazyah, Yo’ash, after the death of Yehoyada, ) Amatzyah, Achaz, Menashe, Amon, Yehoyakim, and Tzidkiyahu. — Notes: (49) For as long as Yehoyada was alive, Yo’ash was completely righteous. (Sifsei Chachomim

"Wisdom" — Because he said "do not be overly wise" (Kohelet 7:16), he now returns to explain that there is no quality greater than it; rather, he warned only that one should not occupy himself with it constantly, but should give a portion to the body so that it may live. And he said that wisdom has more strength and power than the might of many rulers. And the number ten — because it is the total sum of the count, and it is the "head" of the whole, for everything above it consists of repeated units. And because the essence of anything is its beginning, its middle, and its end, the alef in the holy tongue stands at the beginning, and the yod at the end, while the heh and the vav are in the middle. These four letters serve for prolongation [i.e., they function as vowel-letters], and it is not possible to find any letter or vowel without one of them being drawn along with it. The alef and the yod, in their numerical value, are "guardians of themselves," like a boundary-marker, while the heh and the vav are a "circular" number. And there is a great secret contained in all of these regarding the honored and awesome Name [Hashem], which is not a name denoting an attribute, and which is composed of the letters mentioned. And the point of "who were in the city" is to show their strength, in their all joining together in one place, in one accord. Some explain that this alludes to the celestial spheres, adding one — but this is not correct.

"is a stronghold to the wise man" — gives strength to the wise man. "more than ten" — more than that by which a person would be strengthened through the stronghold of ten rulers who were in a city to govern it (and it says "the number of ten" because it is a round, summary figure).

For there is not a righteous man on earth. Therefore, he must examine his actions. — Notes: (50) Rashi is explaining the previous verse [Above 7:19], where one could question that instead of stating that wisdom encourages a person to repent, would not wisdom deter one from sinning altogether. Therefore Scripture declares that “there is not a righteous man...who...never sins.”

"For man" — He returns to explain the matter of "do not be overly righteous" (Kohelet 7:16), and its meaning is: know that you cannot avoid sinning, for there is no man who does not sin, whether in deed, in speech, or in thought — as is written in the book of Proverbs, among the seven abominations, "a heart that devises wicked thoughts" (Proverbs 6:18). And the point is that there is no one who does good always and never sins, ever.

Or it may be said [regarding] "and wisdom, etc." in light of what our Sages, of blessed memory, mention in the fourth chapter of tractate Nedarim, and this is their wording: "'And wisdom [shall give strength to the wise], etc.' — this is repentance and good deeds; 'more than ten rulers' — two eyes, two ears, two hands, two feet, the head of the body, and the mouth." End of quote. And their meaning is that these are the things without which no transgression can be committed except through one of these limbs; but the heart is not counted among them, for the Holy One, blessed be He, does not join an evil thought to a deed. And their intent is that repentance and good deeds should overpower these [limbs] and prevent them from doing evil. Now, we shall in any case adopt [the view] that the explanation of "ten rulers" is the ten limbs mentioned, and we shall carry the verses forward toward another matter. Behold, it comes to teach us a great principle in the rectification and perfection of man, and this is the conclusion of our Rabbis, of blessed memory: study is great, for it brings one to action. And so, too, they said that the absence of study brings about sin, even when a person thinks he is performing a mitzvah — as in the incident of Rabbi Akiva, for the beginning of his attending upon the Sages was when he found a neglected corpse (met mitzvah) and carried it four parasangs on his shoulder to the cemetery, and the Sages said to him: "With every step you took, you shed blood, for a met mitzvah acquires its own place." And from then on he took it upon himself never to move from among the feet of the Sages. And they also said: "If this despicable one assails you, drag him to the study hall." And so, too, they said that an [unwitting] error of study is accounted as deliberate sin. Now let us come to the matter itself, which is this: behold, man is a small city, the evil inclination is the old king, and the limbs are the few men within it. And these ten limbs that we mentioned — two eyes, etc. — rule over all of them, performing every deed in actual practice together with all of them. And these, from the side of the evil inclination, are the men of its army, and their hand is strong, for they preceded the good inclination; and its [the good inclination's] power is not sufficient to nullify their power, nor to give a person strength and might to fight against them in order to serve Hashem, except through the wisdom of Torah, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said: "If this despicable one assails you, etc." And this is what [the verse] says: wisdom gives a person strength to serve Hashem against the ten rulers arrayed against him, even though they preceded the good inclination and are rooted from the outset together with the evil inclination. And this is [the meaning of] "that were in the city" — that is, the body, which is called a small city. For behold, there is no righteous person on earth devoid of wisdom who does good and does not sin through that very good deed — as in the incident of Rabbi Akiva, who, through the good deed he did in bestowing kindness upon the dead, sinned in doing it. Behold, then, that wisdom — that is, the wisdom of Torah — helps a person not to sin, for had he known the law, which is wisdom, he would not have sinned. And how much more so, by an argument from the lesser to the greater: if, while thinking he was doing good, he sins through lack of wisdom, how much more so now, when he is not even thinking of performing a mitzvah.

"For there is not a righteous man, etc." — There is no righteous man anywhere on earth who always does good and never sins; and wisdom serves as a stronghold for the wise man, for it is his counsel to examine his deeds and to hasten to repent.

Furthermore, of all the words, etc. Because he is speaking of Shaul, who accepted slander regarding Nov the city of kohanim, and concerning him it is stated, “ Be not excessively wicked,” he says, “Furthermore of all the words that are spoken,” to you by talebearers, “take them not to heart,” to accept them. — Notes: (51) Above, verse 17. Lest you hear your own servant curse you. It is not good that you incline your ear to hear your servant cursing you. ) — Notes: (52) As Dovid did with Shimi the son of Geira. See II Shmuel 16:5-13. (Sifsei Chachomim Another explanation: Than ten rulers. These are the ten things that condemn a person. His two eyes show him sinful things, his two ears which enable him to hear idle talk, his two hands with which he robs and plunders, his two feet which lead him to sinful things, and his mouth and his heart. Another explanation: Wisdom gives [more] strength to the wise. This is No’ach. Than ten rulers. More than the ten generations that were before him. Another explanation: To the wise. This is Avrohom. Than ten rulers. More than the ten generations that were before him. Another explanation: To the wise. This is Yoseif. Than ten rulers. These are his brothers. Another explanation: To the wise. This is Moshe. Than ten rulers. [The] ten organs that minister to food ingested by the body. From his mouth to the esophagus, from the esophagus to the stomach, etc., as it is [stated] in Midrash Koheles, but Moshe’s wisdom stood for him so that he did not need food for forty days and forty nights. All these interpretations are in the Midrash, but I am unable to reconcile them with the verse following, “For there is not a righteous man on earth.” — Notes: (53) Above, verse 20.

"Also to all" — He says to the wise man: if you wish to find rest, do not pay heed to every word people speak, even if it is your own servant cursing you — for if you pay heed to their words, you will become angry, and the light of the soul's wisdom will be darkened.

Have I not said that the wisdom of the Torah is a remedy for all of Hashem's commandments? And is it not also [true] that for most of Hashem's commandments — which are the ones you are to refrain from doing — that wisdom helps; but behold, against evil speech (lashon hara) it does not help, as is known from the words of our Sages of blessed memory, that a covenant has been made regarding evil speech, that it be accepted [believed]. For who is greater than David? Yet with all his wisdom he did not have the strength to keep himself from accepting it from Ziba. Therefore it says, 'also to all the words that are spoken' — this connects to the wisdom of which I have spoken, and what follows from it is: 'do not give your heart [to it].' This means that you should set your heart upon two commandments, namely: 'before the blind you shall not place a stumbling block,' and the commandment 'and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.' For so as not to transgress these two sins, which are included within the wisdom of the Torah, that wisdom should serve you so as not to accept an evil report. This is so: for if you accept it and become angry at the one about whom they told you the evil report — needless to say if he should curse you even were he a person of your own standing, but all the more so if it is your own servant cursing you — you would become guilty, for you would transgress 'before the blind you shall not place a stumbling block,' inasmuch as you cause him to transgress 'you shall not curse the deaf,' and 'you shall not curse a leader among your people.' This is [the meaning of] 'lest you hear your servant cursing you.' And this is the very matter that happened to David when he accepted the report from Ziba, so that Mephibosheth cursed him to his face — as our Sages of blessed memory said, that when he said, 'let him take it all,' following 'Hashem has brought you home in peace,' he meant, 'Would that He had not brought you home in peace' — as [the Gemara] forces [this reading]. And the point is this: whether the evil report is false, or whether the matter is true, you should hear it without becoming angry, and let it pass — because many times your own heart knows that you too have cursed others. This is [the meaning of] 'and you shall love your neighbor as yourself' — for just as you cursed others and wished to be forgiven, so too you should forgive. 'All this I have tested,' etc. — he speaks in the manner of one reasoning it through: Behold, all this that you have kept — that through the wisdom of the Torah a person is set right — 'I have tested through wisdom,' and I see that it is so. But what is to be done, since wisdom in its completeness is nearly impossible to attain? For behold, I said, 'I will be wise' — and this is the definition of a wise man: one who knows what his teachers have taught him. Yet wisdom is still far from me, for the completeness of the wisdom of the Torah does not lie in what one learns from his teachers, unless he afterward understands one thing from another, and likens one matter to another. For there are many matters of prohibition and permission that are not made explicit in the received tradition, unless the sage understands them from what he has learned, through the breath of his own understanding — which is called 'binah' (understanding) — and so: behold, whatever even a veteran disciple is destined to originate through the breath of his own understanding, his soul [already] received at Sinai; and if so, you should easily be able to bring it to remembrance. But behold, this too is not so simple, for what was [received] long ago is remote, distant in its very essence, until now. And even though there is support, in that I am drawn up by means of the cords of the general principles by which the Torah is expounded [i.e., the hermeneutic rules], behold, it is deep, exceedingly deep, so that even what I had at first — if it is lost to me, who will find it again? Therefore it says, 'I turned about, I and my heart' — '[I turned about,] I,' by means of what I have learned; 'and my heart,' to understand from within what I have learned. This explains what I meant by 'I': it is to know the thing learned in itself, so as not to forget it. And what I meant by 'and my heart': it is 'and to search out' (la-tur) — like this scout who investigates and searches, from what he sees with his eye, the hidden and secret places of the city — so too he searches all that he has learned, and investigates it, to understand one thing from another, and not to rely upon his own understanding alone, but also 'to seek' from others, until arriving at the full clarity of the matter. And not wisdom alone, but 'wisdom and reckoning (cheshbon)' — this is the [practical] deed — namely, to know the future reckoning before my Maker: how shall I fare? For behold, the greatness of study lies in that it leads to action (ma'aseh), and there [in judgment] everything is [reckoned] according to the abundance of deeds. And also to know, by means of wisdom and understanding, how there comes to be 'the wickedness of folly,' and how there comes to be 'the folly of madness.' And this is what was current in the mouths of our Sages of blessed memory: 'A person does not sin unless a spirit of folly has entered him.' This is [the meaning of] 'the wickedness of folly' — that it is wickedness that comes from folly (kesil). And so too the Tanna said: 'an unwitting error in study is counted as a willful sin.' And this is [the meaning of] 'and the folly of madness' — that the folly, which consists in treating the Torah and its laws foolishly, is [the] madness — it becomes deliberate sin, through an evil madness, through pride and haughtiness of heart, for 'an unwitting error in study is counted as a willful sin,' which is an evil madness. And this is because one who does not occupy himself with wisdom and understanding cannot discern within himself the difference between [his state] before he sinned and after he sinned — how this comes about through the confusion of a spirit of folly, so that it seems to him almost as though his present view were the same as his former one, or that his present view is [simply] correct. But one who is immersed in the holiness of wisdom, understanding, and reckoning will sense within himself, when he goes astray, the confusion of a spirit of folly, which was not his character from the outset; then he will recognize and know how there comes to be 'the wickedness of folly,' and will also recognize how 'the folly is madness.' For after his study, in and of itself, he will recognize and know how the folly that he had from the outset was distorting him toward deliberate sin — so that this evil matter should not befall him again, for now his eyes are enlightened.

"Also take not heed to all words" — meaning, wisdom is of further use: also regarding all the things spoken about you — words of scorn and disgrace — do not take them to heart to be troubled by them; and through wisdom you will chart your path so that you will not hear your servant cursing you — that is, you will not be troubled by them, as if you had not heard, even though you could take revenge on your servant.

"For also" — [The word] "pa'am" ("time/instance"), throughout the holy tongue, is formed like a masculine noun, yet it is always of feminine gender — except for this one case, "akh hapa'am hazeh" ("only this time"), regarding Samson, where it is masculine. And the sense is: do not concern yourself with the words of those who demean and curse you, for you already know that you too have cursed others, whether with your own mouth or in your thoughts.

"for oftentimes also" — meaning, not once and not twice, but even many times your own heart knows and you recall that you too have cursed others; and wisdom will teach you to consider: why then should my heart be grieved that others curse me?

“All this I have probed with wisdom,” refers to the verses below (other texts: and not) and [to the verses] above. — Notes: (54) Below, verse 23. I have probed with wisdom. With the [wisdom of the] Torah. I said I will be wise. To know the wisdom [of Torah]. — Notes: (55) Alternatively, if I consider myself a wise person [=אמרתי אחכמה], then it is beyond doubt that wisdom is very distant from me [=והיא רחוקה ממני]. (Rabbi of Kotzk) But [it proved to be] far beyond me. And what is this? — Notes: (56) Alternatively, the reason why the Torah proved to be far, i.e., I am unable to comprehend it, is because of me [=ממני] and not, God forbid, that the Torah is lacking. (Amtachas Binyomin)

"All this" — All that I have told you, I tested it all through wisdom, and I sought to become wiser still, and I found that this is a far-off thing; and this relates to the matter of "do not be overly wise" (7:16), for the essence of what has been is very far from man's grasp, and what is coming is very deep. Another interpretation: I sought wisdom and found it far off; nevertheless, I attained it and became wise.

"All this" — All that I have said, all of it I tested with great application of wisdom. "I said: I will get wisdom" — meaning, I thought to become wiser still, in order to attain everything, but that attainment is far from me and cannot be reached.

"nissiti" (I tried) — from the language of "testing" (nissayon).

That which was is far beyond me. The distant things that were in the Creation. And so very deep it is; who can find it, for I am not permitted to delve into them, what is above and what is below, what is before and what is after. Furthermore— — Notes: (57) See Maseches Chagigah 11b.

"Far off is that which has been" — the meaning is that what has been is far off in itself, and it is a thing that has not passed and that a man could search for until he finds it. And this is the meaning of "deep, deep — who can find it?" — like the matter of "counsel in a man's heart is like deep waters, but a man of understanding will draw it out" (Proverbs 20:5).

"far off is that which was" — The thing that has already occurred is far from being attained. "and exceeding deep" — meaning, even that thing, if it is a deep matter, cannot be attained, since it is deep — who, then, could find it out?

So I turned about. To know and to search out and to seek the wisdom [=meaning] of the section dealing with the Red Heifer and the computation of the End [of exile] for Redemption. — Notes: (58) The numerical value [gematria] of “והיא רחוקה” equals 341, the same as “פרה אדומה.” (59) The Gemara in Maseches Yoma 14a states, that verse 7:23 above “I said, ‘I will be wise but it proved far beyond [והיא רחוקה] me,’” is referring to the Red Heifer, whose ashes render ritually clean one who has become contaminated by contact with a corpse, and yet these same ashes contaminate one who is ritually clean. And to know that wickedness is folly. To foresee the ultimate end of heresy, and “foolishness is madness,” [i.e.,] the confusion and madness therein.

"I turned about" — I turned my face, and my thoughts in my heart, to know whether wisdom would join together with "cheshbon" (reckoning) — which is an explanation of "the design of knowledge" — or whether it would join with wickedness, and folly, and madness.

"I turned about, I and my heart" — I turned my face about, and the thoughts of my heart, to know, to search out, and to seek the matter of wisdom. "and the account" — this means a thought of understanding, to understand one thing from another thing, arrived at through much thought and deep study. "and to know" — this means, from them, to compare and to know the deficiency of the wickedness that is in a foolish person, and the folly that is in madness and stupor; for nothing is recognized except by way of its opposite.

"ve-latur" (and to search out) — an expression of "searching" and "investigating." "ve-cheshbon" (and the reason) — from the language of "thought" (machashavah); likewise, "for there is no work, nor device, nor reckoning [cheshbon]" (below, 9:10). "kesel" (folly) — from the language of "kesil" (fool). "ve-ha-sikhlut" (and foolishness) — "folly." "holelut" (madness) — "stupefaction."

And I find more bitter than death. Which is the severest of the ten harsh things that were created in the world, as it is [stated] in [Maseches] Bava Basra, in [the chapter entitled] “The Partners.” “And I find more bitter” and severe than it, “the woman,” this refers to heresy. — Notes: (60) 10a. Whose her heart is full of [traps and] nets. An expression of a net, as in, “he catches them in his net and gathers them in his trawl.” — Notes: (61) Chavakuk 1:15. Her hands as chains. Once she seizes a man, he is as though bound with thick ropes. Chains. אֲסוּרִים is] a noun meaning “bonds,” as in, “and his bonds אֱסוּרָיו melted,” meaning his bonds, and so did Menachem explain it. — Notes: (62) Shoftim 15:14.

"And I find" — the "finding" of desire (ha-cheshek) blinds the eyes of the wise, perverts their thoughts, and swallows up their wisdom. And the word "motzei" (finds) is a verb on the pattern of "korei" (one who calls); whereas [the form in] "motzi ruach me-otzrotav" (who brings forth wind from His storehouses) [Psalm 135:7] is from the "heavy" construction [hifil, causative], and it too is a verb-participle. It ought to be [written] "motzi," and it comes with the accent on the penultimate syllable [milel] because the accent of the word that follows it falls on its own first letter [causing the accent to retreat]. And "metzudim" (snares) is from the root tzayin-yod-dalet ("to hunt"), and its pattern is like "meromim" (heights), and it belongs to those verbs whose middle root-letter is not "whole" [i.e., a hollow root]. And "cheramim" (nets) is like the term "reshet" (net) — "mishtach charamim" (a place for spreading nets) (Ezekiel 26:5) is similar to it. And the sense is that the woman's heart and her thoughts, at every moment, are for nothing but spreading nets to ensnare souls, and her hands are like a prison-house. And the meaning of "shall be caught by her" is caught in her net. And he said that death is better for the wise man than desire.

He [Kohelet] is still engaged in his debate, for he had tested through wisdom how it is the repair of everything; and upon seeing that what he had learned from his teachers was not sufficient to settle him firmly in wisdom and understanding regarding all the parts he had mentioned, he now says: "After I did this, I looked, after my looking" — and behold, there is a thing that disturbs and causes sin, and no wisdom at all avails to escape it, and that is the woman. For "she is more bitter than death, whose heart is snares and nets" — that is, the desires of her heart: whether in pursuing the desire of her bed [i.e., marital intimacy], or the desire for her jewelry, and the desires of her heart in countless particulars — which are snares to hunt his soul, whether through the neglect of Torah [study], or through numberless stumbling-blocks, whether through excessive intercourse. It happens at times, unintentionally, that the time of her niddah (menstrual impurity) arrives while he is still with her; or she errs in her reckoning [of the days] and her husband thereby sins; or he touches her, or takes something from her hand when she is not pure; or he looks upon her flesh in a place that is ordinarily kept covered; or perhaps there was some uncertainty about her immersion (tevilah). Such things, of various kinds, are without number to enumerate — besides what results from fulfilling the desires of her heart for her jewelry and her other cravings, so that he is not scrupulous in his business dealings in order to provide more for her, and does not keep his distance from exploitation and the like. And do not say: but is she not, in contrast, "a helper opposite you" (ezer kenegdo), as is said in Tana d'vei Eliyahu — how is she a help? For if a man brings wheat — wheat, does he gnaw it raw? If he brings flax — flax, [does he wear it] raw? Rather, she grinds and bakes, etc., and spins the flax so that he may wear it, and while she is occupied [with these things], the man is occupied with Torah. But behold, her hands are indeed restrained from doing anything [in a case such as his own] — so it follows that there is only harm in her and not benefit, and the matter does not depend on the wisdom of Torah but on aptitude (kishron): "he who is good before God shall escape from her," so as not to fall into her snare, "but the sinner shall be caught by her." And to [the question] how can you say that everything is repaired through the wisdom of Torah, Solomon answers by saying, "See, this..." etc. This is to be understood by paying attention to the fact that it says "amerah" (she-said) in the feminine form. However, in passing, there falls upon him the obligation to explain a difficulty in his own words against his own words — for Solomon himself is the one who says, "A woman of valor is a crown..." etc. — and also, where then are the matriarchs, the prophetesses, and the righteous women? Therefore he [the author] says that what happened to Solomon is like what happened, as told in the Gemara, to Rav Acha of Difti — of whom it is said in the Gemara: "All to whom Heaven has done ill, Heaven does not quickly do good to," while Rav Acha of Difti said: "They never do him good." And it is said there: "But that is not so — Rav Acha spoke thus because of an incident that had occurred [to him]." That is: out of his great worry and anxiety over the fact that they were about to appoint him head [of the academy] in Pumbedita and it did not happen, he spoke in that way; but in truth even he would agree that one cannot say, God forbid, that they never do him good, but only that they do not quickly do him good. Let us come to the matter itself. Solomon had been burned by woman, for he was greatly pained over the multitude of his wives and over Pharaoh's daughter, as is known, who sapped his strength and his good like a female. This is what he means by "See..." etc. That is: behold, he says, "I find more bitter than death..." etc. — it is possible that this concerns one particular woman who is [merely] evil, so that it would be true only of her; or it concerns every woman in the manner mentioned, that every husband is destined for snares and nets. He says, "See, this I have found" — meaning, this I have found [to be] more bitter than death, without remedy — and not concerning one particular woman, but rather one thing after another, "to find the reckoning," for after he examined each one, it proved so of her. If he says this of himself, it is not that he said it with the whole of his understanding, but rather it is "said" (feminine) insofar as he was, in his weakened state — weakened like a female — on account of the matter of women; and this is why it is expressed in the feminine form. But now he further says, "which yet my soul sought, but I found not" — after that, meaning, "and I did not find," as I said, that the woman [is] more bitter than death — for were there not many good women in the world? Rather, what I saw, after my looking, when my soul further sought, is this: "one man among a thousand have I found" — a righteous and upright one, of whom "found" applies without qualification; "but a woman among all these have I not found" — meaning, within a thousand [I did not find one], but among more than a thousand you would find a good one. And it is possible that with this he intended to disparage the thousand wives that he had. Or he may mean, "among all these" found in his own generation, but not in other generations — for where are the matriarchs and the prophetesses, and who would listen to him saying such a thing about them? However, the conclusion of the matter was the opposite: to cast the flaw upon himself. It is as though he meant to say that, instead of what he said — "and I find more bitter than death, the woman" — it is he alone [of whom it should be said], "See, this I have found" — namely, that this is more bitter than death, for which there is no remedy in the wisdom of Torah: namely, "God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices." And this is what happened to him: he sought out devices, reasoning, "Why did the Torah say, 'he shall not multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away' — I will multiply them and not turn away." And the same reasoning applies to all who are like this, who follow the devices of their own understanding, who rationalize against the decree of the Torah. And should you say, why do you cast blame in this case — did not Moses, master and greatest of all in wisdom, do the same? For he reasoned, "Why did the Torah command the mitzvah of onah (conjugal duty)? In order to fulfill His blessed commandment I will separate from my wife and not sin, for Hashem did not command this regarding one such as myself" — and he separated from his wife and was not punished; indeed, on the contrary, the Blessed One's own will agreed with him. Therefore he [Solomon] says: I am not like Moses — for who is so wise, known that none in the world equals him in the wisdom of Torah, and who knows the interpretation of a matter (pesher davar) as he does, so that he could resolve it and say, "In this manner was His blessed commandment [meant], and not in another manner"? And the proof is that one need not even say merely that he did not lose thereby, but rather that his wisdom illuminated his face, as it is written, "for the skin of his face shone" — which is what our Sages, of blessed memory, meant when they said: from where did Moses merit the shining of his face? Rather, when he was writing [the Torah], some [ink] remained on his quill and he wiped it on his head — which we have explained elsewhere to mean that, because something remained which was not written down but stayed with him by oral transmission, and it was all in his head, it shone and illuminated his face outward. And had not every interpretation of the Torah's meaning been true, the Oral Torah would not have illuminated his face. And nevertheless, "the boldness of his face shall be changed," in that Aaron and Miriam shamed him about the matter, and his face changed — for although the will of the Most High had agreed [with him], and in what he distinguished he was not shown to be wrong, still he had not asked permission beforehand. And what shall one who is not he [Moses] do? For a man like Moses knows the interpretation of a matter of Torah, and is able to state and to distinguish concerning what Hashem commanded — but I do not have the power to distinguish and to say that what Hashem commanded applied to other men and not to one like myself; for [as Scripture says], "I say: keep the word of the king" — that which goes forth from the mouth of the King of the world — I am like the rest of mankind, and may not distinguish between myself and others. And moreover, I do not fulfill His statement merely because He made me swear to keep the Torah, for on account of the greatness of His divinity, whatever goes forth from His blessed mouth is fitting to keep because it is the mouth of a King, even had He not made me swear. And also, "and on account of..." (ve'al divrat), etc. — meaning: on account of the reason for the oath, and not on account of the oath itself. For the reason for the oath was for our own merit, like a father with a son, who devises various contrivances to draw him close, out of his great love for him — and because of this, it is fitting that we intend, in performing His commandments, [to do so] because He has cherished us.

"and I find" — as if to say: indeed, through this I recognized the debasement of wickedness, etc., and one must be very careful of it; and behold, among these things I found something more bitter than death, and it is fitting to choose death over this. "the woman" — this means: and this is the adulterous woman, who is an instrument of hunting, to hunt the souls of those enticed after her. "and nets is her heart" — her heart is like a net, for by the thought of her heart she ensnares men. "bands are her hands" — her hands are like bonds, for once she grasps someone it is impossible to part from her. "whoever is good, etc." — whoever has found merit before the Omnipresent will escape from her before she turns him aside with the abundance of her enticement. "shall be taken by her" — and once he is taken, it is no longer possible for him to part from her so as to save his soul.

"metzodim" (snares) — the name of an implement among the implements of hunters; likewise, "in an evil net [metzodah]" (ibid., 9:12). "ve-cheramim" (and nets) — "nets," as in "he gathers it in his net [cherem]" (Habakkuk 1:15). "asurim" (bands) — "bonds," as in "and his bonds [asurav] were loosed" (Judges 15:14).

See, this is what I have found, says Koheles, adding one to another to find an accounting. All the commandments that the righteous perform, and the transgressions that the wicked commit, are counted before the Holy One, Blessed Is He, one [is placed next] to the other, and they combine to a large amount. So did our Rabbis explain it in Maseches Sotah. — Notes: (63) 8b. Says Koheles. Said the collection of wisdom, [i.e.,] said his intellectual soul which collects [his] wisdom. Koheles. This קֹהֶלֶת is a feminine noun, and when it is used in the masculine form, it refers to the one who gathers it, i.e., Shlomo. We find in the Midrash, Rabbi Yirmiyah the son of Elazar said, that the Holy Spirit sometimes speaks in the masculine gender and sometimes it speaks in the feminine gender. One verse states, “you are my help עֶזְרִי and my rescuer,” and another verse states, “you are my help עֶזְרָתִי and my rescuer.” [Also,] one verse states, “a herald מְבַשֵּׂר proclaiming peace,” and another verse states, (the voice of) “the herald מְבַשֶּׂרֶת of Tzion.” — Notes: (64) Tehillim 70:6. (65) Ibid. 40:18. (66) Nachum 2:1. (67) The text in the parenthesis is not part of the verse. (68) Yeshayahu 40:9.

"Behold" — He is still speaking about the matter of the woman [from the verses above], and the phrase "amerah Kohelet" (says Koheleth) is uttered in the voice of Wisdom. The interpretation of "cheshbon" (the reckoning) is "machashevet" (a concept/thought), and the sense is that a person cannot find the concept he desires until he joins one thing to another — for it is known that one construction [clause] consists of a subject and a predicate, and so too a second construction; but they can only [combine to produce new meaning] when they are joined — the predicate of the first to the subject of the second, or the two predicates, or the two predicates set equal to one another — and then a third idea is born between the two constructions. And behold, this is so with matters of the soul — all the more so with [physical] bodies. And the sense is that it is not fitting for a wise man to join with a woman at all, were it not that it is impossible to leave one's likeness in one's place — which is a "third" [being, i.e., a child] — except through the joining of father and mother. And another interpretation: that this verse is connected to the one following it, and the interpretation of the word "cheshbon" would then be "machashevet" (thought) or "minyan" (count). And the sense is: when you reckon anything, you will find that it does not exist alone, until it is joined to another — like "great" and "small," for a thing is not called "great" except in relation to something smaller than it, and "small" is the reverse; and so too "wise" and "foolish," and so too "righteous" and "wicked" — likewise in counting. For when one unit joins to another, the "head of the count" arises; and when one joins to the head, it becomes like an "end"; and when one joins to the end, it becomes "bounded" (nigdar); and when one joins to the bounded, it becomes "round" (agol); and the round becomes "straightened" (meyushar); and the straightened becomes "whole/complete" (shalem); and the complete becomes a "body" (guf). And the sense is that even though no man can be found who possesses intellect, wisdom, and fear [of Heaven] all together — that is, the truly upright man — such a man can be found only relative to other people, and even among males alone, one will be found in a thousand. And the word "achat" (one) is feminine. And know that the letters divide into two groups: half of them are "servile" (meshartim) at times and "root" letters (ikarim) at other times; the servile ones are kaf, shin, tav, yod, and lamed; aleph and bet; heh, mem, vav, and nun — and the rest are always root letters. Root letters are never doubled, except in reduplicated [geminate] roots, such as "shecharchoret" (blackish, Song of Songs 1:6); and likewise they are never omitted, except in geminate verbs, such as the elision of a dalet in [the noun] "shod" (violence/plunder), from [the verb] "shadad" (he ravaged). And likewise, when the root's tav joins with the tav of direct address, the root's [tav] is elided, as in "oto tashchit" and "v'charat." And likewise, when the root's nun joins with the nun of the feminine plural, the root's nun is elided, as in "be-tzel dalyotav tishkonah" (Ezekiel 17:23, "in the shade of its branches they shall dwell") — it is absorbed. And likewise the word "mesharat et ha-melekh" (I Kings 1:15, "ministering to the king," feminine) — because of the joining of the root's tav with the feminine tav, the root's tav was elided and the resh was given a patach, to indicate the feminine, so as to distinguish it from "mesharet Moshe" (Joshua 1:1, "the minister of Moses"), which is masculine. And likewise, when a single dalet — which is soft, without dagesh — joins with a soft tav denoting the feminine, since they are close in point of articulation, the dalet, though it is the root letter, is elided; and this is what occurs in "harah lalet" (I Samuel 4:19, "with child, about to give birth"). And some say that the two roots share one meaning, and so explain "ach lo fadoh yifdeh ish" (Psalm 49:8, "a brother cannot redeem, a man cannot redeem") and "ve'asah ach" (Ezekiel 18:10) in relation to "achat" (one), like "echad" — but this is far-fetched. Rather, the meaning of "ach lo fadah" is: no brother can redeem the soul of a man, or: no man can redeem the soul of his brother; and "ach" would be either the subject or the object [of the verb], and what follows indicates which — namely, "and the redemption of their soul is costly" (Psalm 49:9). And the sense is that people cannot redeem their brothers or their loved ones from death — and how could they redeem them, when they are too weary [even] to redeem their own soul? And as for the interpretation of "ve'asah ach" [Ezekiel 18:10], "ach" being either subject or object: in the sense of subject, it means "and he acts as a fellow Israelite"; in the sense of object, it means "he commits a transgression that is a sister to those transgressions mentioned," or "an evil thing that is akin to them." And further, how could the interpretation of "ve'asah ach" be "one"? For what follows it is "me'achat me'eleh" (one of these), so that it would read: "ve'asah echad me'achat" (he does one of these).

"Behold, this" — that which is stated at the end of the verse. "says Koheleth" — the soul of the one who gathers the opposing views said [this] (and he speaks of himself as of another speaker, and such is the way of Scripture in many places). "one thing to another, to find the account" — one cannot find a thought of understanding except by comparing one thing to another, meaning: to compare a thing to its opposite, for then he will understand and grasp which is fitting.

"amrah Kohelet" (says Koheleth) — the word "nefesh" (soul) is elided, and it is therefore stated in the feminine, because it speaks of the nefesh, as if it said "the soul of Kohelet [said]"; similarly, "and David's [soul] longed" [va-tekhal David] (I Samuel 13:39), [where likewise "nefesh" is elided]. "cheshbon" (the account) — a reckoning of understanding (machshevet binah).

For which yet my soul searches. In addition to those [quests] mentioned above, which I sought and did not find, my soul sought a proper one among women, but I did not find one, because they are all lightheaded. One [worthy] man among a thousand I have found. It is customary in the world, [that out of] a thousand who enter [a school] to [learn] Scripture, emerge from them— successful and capable of [the study of] Mishnah— only one hundred. And of those hundred who enter [to study] Mishnah, only ten of them emerge for [the study of] Gemara, and of those ten who enter to [study] Gemara, only one emerges who is capable of rendering decisions [pertaining to religious matters], the result being one out of a thousand. But a [worthy] woman among all of them. Even in a thousand; therefore, you must be cautious regarding her.

"Which" — the word "bikshah" (she sought) is from the heavy construction [pi'el], and the chirik [vowel] indicates this, though the dagesh is missing from the qof — like "shilechu va-esh mikdashecha" (Psalm 74:7, "they have set Your sanctuary aflame") and like "hatel bi" (mock me), which is from "vayehatel bahem Eliyahu" (I Kings 18:27, "and Elijah mocked them") — and it has no equal among all the complete verbs in the masculine singular; by "complete" is meant apart from the guttural letters. And all these revert to the "thousand" mentioned [in the verse], for such indeed was the number of Solomon's wives: seven hundred princesses, and three hundred like concubines (I Kings 11:3).

"which yet my soul sought" — which my soul sought much more than usual, to find a thing without comparing it to its opposite, but I was not able to find it. "a man, etc." — from among a thousand men I found one man upright and fitting even without comparing him to his opposite, for by virtue of himself it was recognizable that he was an upright man. "but a woman among all these" — but an upright and fitting woman, without comparing her to her opposite, I did not find among all these women who belonged to me, who numbered a thousand — seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines, as is explained elsewhere — as if to say: it is very difficult to find a thing without comparing it to its opposite, for even among men I found, without such comparison, only one out of a thousand, and among women I did not find even one out of a thousand without comparing her to her opposite.

"od" (yet) — its meaning is "much more than what is usual and customary," as in "and he wept on his neck a great while more [od]" (Genesis 46:29).

See, this only have I found. And which brought to the world a stumbling block through her. That [God] made. The Holy One, Blessed Is He [created] Adam perfectly upright. — Notes: (69) As God stated in Bereishis 3:22 regarding Adam, “Behold, the man has become like one of us to know [what is] good and [what is] evil.” But they. When his wife Chavah was paired up with him, and they became two and were called “they.” — Notes: (70) Rashi is explaining the reason for the change to plural [“they”] when the subject is singular [“man”]. Sought out many stratagems. Plans and designs of sin. So is it expounded in the Midrash.

"Only" — the plural of "cheshbon" (reckoning) is formed on the feminine pattern, though [cheshbon] is [grammatically] masculine — like "avonot" (iniquities). And the sense is that God made man to be upright, walking in the way — yet how many have sought out crooked paths! And this matter, too, is connected to the verse above: "one woman is sufficient for a man."

"only, behold this I have found" — this is a transposed verse (mikra mesuras, a verse whose words are out of their expected order), and it should properly read "behold, this alone I have found," meaning: consider that this alone I found — namely, an upright man; him alone I found to be upright without comparing him to his opposite. "that God made" — this is because I know that God created man to be upright, meaning: to walk on the middle path with regard to character traits — anger, sorrow, compassion, and the like — without inclining to either extreme; and a man who possesses these is recognizable by virtue of himself (but such a woman was not found, and she is not recognizable by virtue of herself, but only by comparing her to her opposite is it then seen of her that she is upright and fitting in that comparison). "but they" — human beings are the ones who seek out many devices to incline at times toward one extreme; and this refers to when a person sees that his heart has inclined toward the one extreme of which the wise say that it is then proper for him to incline toward the other extreme in order to arrive at the middle, for this is the straight path, and its possessor is recognizable by virtue of himself, without comparing him to his opposite.