Ecclesiastes · Chapter 8

Who is like the wise person. Who in the world is as important as a wise man? And who knows how to interpret things. [I.e.,] the solution פִּשְׁרוֹן of things, as we find regarding Daniyeil, because of his wisdom, for he was wise in the fear of Heaven, secret solutions פִּשְׁרוֹן were revealed to him. Who is like Moshe, who brought about compromises between Yisroel and their Father in Heaven? — Notes: (1) Alternatively, and “who is like the one who knows how to interpret things.” (Metsudas Dovid) And the boldness of his face is changed. From that of other people, to the extent that they feared “to approach him” [Moshe], “because the skin of his face was radiant.” — Notes: (2) Shemos 34:29, 30. (3) Alternatively, wisdom begets humility and does away with anger and arrogance (Ibn Ezra). Or, because of his wisdom, everyone admires and obeys him, giving him a jubilant countenance. (Metsudas Dovid)

"Who is like the wise man" — there is [a phenomenon whereby] a word draws itself and pulls another along with it [i.e., a word stated once is understood to apply again in a following clause without being repeated], like the word "al" (not) in "be-qotzp'kha tochicheini" (Psalm 38:2, "rebuke me not in Your wrath") [where the negation "al" is understood to carry over and apply likewise to the clause that follows]; [and] "yechi Reuven ve'al yamot" (Deuteronomy 33:6, "let Reuben live and not die") [where the negation is understood to extend also to "and let his men not be few in number"]; [and] "matan ba-seter yichpeh af" (Proverbs 21:14, "a gift in secret pacifies anger") [where "in secret" is understood to apply likewise to the bribe in the clause that follows]. And likewise one finds a letter that draws over for another, as in "me-El avicha ve-ya'azreka ve-et Shaddai" (Genesis 49:25) — [to be understood] as "u-me'et Shaddai" (and by the Almighty) — and this is confirmed by the verse before it, "mi-yedei avir Ya'akov" (Genesis 49:24, "from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob"): all of this comes to you from the God of your father, and He will help you forever. And Rav Saadia Gaon, of blessed memory, said that its meaning is: "I request from the God of your father that He help you." And according to both interpretations, an additional mem is required for "et" [in "ve'et Shaddai"]. And likewise "meisharim ahevukha" (Song of Songs 1:4, "rightly do they love you") — "meisharim" being a description of wine, as in "yithalekh be-meisharim" (Proverbs 23:31, "it goes down smoothly") and likewise "ka-yayin ha-tov holekh le-dodi le-meisharim" (Song of Songs 7:10, "like good wine that glides down smoothly for my beloved") — and "ahevukha" (they love you) refers back to the maidens mentioned in the first verse (Song of Songs 1:3). And likewise "mi ka-hechacham u-mi yode'a pesher davar" (who is like the wise man, and who knows the interpretation of a thing) — it is possible that the meaning of "mi ka-hechacham" is "one who knows the pesher (interpretation) of a matter" [i.e., a single continuous clause rather than two separate questions]. And the word "pesher" belongs to the Aramaic family [of words]. And the sense is: why do people occupy themselves reckoning many calculations that are of no benefit, when there is no one on the straight path, like the wise man who seeks wisdom and inquires to know the pesher of every matter — what purpose is in it, and why it is so. And it is possible that "pesher" is a transposed form, with its last letter placed within it, from [the root of] "ki lo phorash" (Numbers 15:34, "for it had not been specified"). And the meaning of "chochmat adam ta'ir panav" (a man's wisdom lights up his face) is: it places light in his face — meaning that it removes anger, as in the phrase "be-or penei melekh chayim" (Proverbs 16:15, "in the light of a king's face is life"). "And the boldness of his face is changed" — the brazenness of face departs from him, for wisdom gives birth to humility; for when the soul (neshamah) overpowers the spirit (ruach), anger and brazenness (azut metzach) depart.

"Who is like the wise man" — who in the world is as significant as a wise man? "and who knows" — the letter kaf ("like") of "ka-hechacham" ("like the wise man") does double duty, as if it said "and who is like the one who knows" — meaning: who in the world is as fortunate as a person who knows the interpretation of every matter; and this is a repetition of the same idea in different words. "makes his face shine" — for because of wisdom everyone cherishes his words and listens to him, and this is a thing that gladdens a person's heart and brightens the face. "and the boldness of his face" — the strength of the appearance of his face is changed for the better, more than the rest of mankind; and this is a repetition of the same idea in different words.

"pesher" (interpretation) — an expression of "solution" and "interpretation," as in "an interpreter [mefasher] of dreams" (Daniel 5:12). "ve-oz" (and boldness) — "strength." "yeshunneh" (is changed) — from the language of "changing" (hishtannut).

My [advice to you is] keep the King’s command. Therefore, I need to and I am prepared to observe the commandment of the King of the Universe, which is the best of them all. And do so because of the oath to God. Which we swore to Him at Choreiv, to keep His commandments. Another explanation: I am prepared to observe the command of the kings of the nations who rule over us with head taxes and property taxes. And do so because of the oath to God. Provided that they do not cause us to violate the oath [of allegiance] that we swore to the Omnipresent. And do so because of [the oath]. And alongside the oath of God, I will keep the command of the kings. And similarly we find with Chananyah, Mishaeil, and Azaryah, who said to Nevuchadnetzar, “they said, ‘O King Nevuchadnetzar, we are not worried about replying to you about this matter.’” If he was king why [call him] “Nevuchadnetzar,” and if Nevuchadnetzar, why [call him] “king”? But, this is what they said to him, “We say to you that you are our ‘king’ regarding work and the head taxes, but regarding your ordering us to worship idols, you are ‘Nevuchadnetzar,’ and not king.” — Notes: (4) I.e., I will obey the command of kings as long as it does not conflict with the oath of allegiance that we swore to God. (5) Daniyeil 3:16.

"I" — After he finished admonishing the wise man to guard himself from the snare of desire, he returns to warn him not to rely upon his own wisdom and thereby disdain the command of the king of his place, on account of being, by comparison, a fool. And the sense of "ani" [I counsel you] is: "I command you" or "I warn you" concerning two things that you must not rebel against: the first, that which issues from the mouth of the king; and the second, that which issues from your own mouth as well, concerning the glorious and awesome Name of Hashem — for the king will not acquit anyone who rebels against his word, and the King of truth will not acquit one who takes His Name in vain.

"I [say]: keep the king's command" — this is an elliptical verse (mikra katzar, a verse abbreviated in its wording), as if it said: I warn you and teach you: keep the king's command, so that you not rebel against the words of his mouth. "and that in regard of" — but when his command touches upon the matter of the oath by which God has made us swear, meaning: that it should not be contrary to the commandments of the Omnipresent, which we swore at Horeb to perform and to fulfill.

"ve-al" (and in regard of) — "and beside/near," as in "and those who camp beside it [alav]" (Numbers 2:12). "divrat" (regard/word) — from the language of "speech" (dibbur).

Do not hasten to leave His Presence. Do not be hasty and say that you intend to flee from His Presence to a place where He does not reign, for He reigns everywhere. Do not persist in doing evil. Do not persist to engage in evil matters. — Notes: (6) Alternatively, “do not pause at a bad thing,” i.e., an inauspicious verse. When reading from the Torah, the reader should begin and/or end at a good matter, e.g., he may stop in the middle of section dealing with blessings. However, he may not stop in the middle of the section dealing with curses, but he must read them all without interruption. (Midrash) For whatever pleases Him. To mete retribution upon you, He has the authority and ability to do so.

"Be not hasty to go" — We find this construction elsewhere: "venede'ah nirdefah" (Hosea 6:3, "let us know, let us eagerly follow on") and "al tarbu tedabberu" (I Samuel 2:3, "talk no more so very proudly"); and their essential sense is "venede'ah lirdof" (let us know, to pursue) and "al tarbu ledabber" (do not increase, to speak). But it is more correct that a shin is missing, which stands in place of "asher" (that/which), so that it would read "venede'ah she-nirdefah" (let us know that we pursue) and "al tarbu she-tedabberu" (do not increase, that you speak). And likewise this word "telech" (you shall go) [here means]: "al tevahel mipanav lalekhet" (do not hasten to go out from before him), or "al tevahel mipanav" (do not hasten from before him) — meaning: let your heart not hasten, thinking that you can go out from before him — from before the king — lest you persist in a matter that is evil in his eyes, for he can do to you according to his will.

It is possible to connect the verses that follow with the preceding verse, apart from what we have already written about it, and this is a discourse of great substance — namely, to remove from us the errors of corrupt opinions into which a person's heart may fall, and to steady us against that which makes a man's heart bitter when he sees the deed that God has done in making us swear concerning the Torah and concerning His service, in truth, by saying: has the power of the King of the kings of kings, Heaven forbid, weakened compared to that of a king of flesh and blood? For behold, whoever transgresses the ordinances and commandments that an earthly king commands his servants is deserving of death for rebelling against his word, even though the king did not bind an oath upon their souls. How much more so, then — would it enter anyone's mind that, without the King of the kings of kings making us swear, we would not be obligated in His service and His burden, and that only one who fails to fulfill everything that comes from His mouth would deserve death? Therefore, because of this matter, there was room for someone whose heart God had not touched to fall into the pit of one of two evil and alien opinions. The first: to remove, Heaven forbid, individual providence — [to say] that this is why He, may He be blessed, needed to make each person swear individually, because He, Heaven forbid, knows only in generalities, and has left the matter to the stargazers, so that every dispute and every affliction would be governed by them, and even the good we would receive from them. Or a second opinion, which holds that He, may He be blessed, does supervise particulars, but the oath was necessary because He, may He be blessed, follows His own will and does in His world whatever He desires, without regard to reward and punishment for particulars — for 'there is no reward for mitzvot in this world.' This is all the more so if the will itself is the actor, since once a thing arises in His will, He does not retract it; or, if one does not say the will is the actor but rather the utterance that goes forth from His mouth, may He be blessed — by means of the utterance the thing is made, as we explained regarding the verse, 'By the word of Hashem the heavens were made' (Psalms 33:6), that the utterance itself was the actor. Hence it says, 'By ten utterances the world was created,' for the utterances themselves were the creators, each utterance bringing its own matter into being; and it says, 'and by the breath of His mouth all their host' (Psalms 33:6), for the breath of His mouth, may He be blessed, was that which brought everything into being. And therefore the measure of reward and punishment is deficient in this world, for it operates solely according to His will, may He be blessed: whatever arose in His will to do, He does, and by means of that will or utterance He does not retract because of anyone — so that sometimes the righteous suffers and the wicked prospers in this world. And so there was room to say that this is why His oath, may He be blessed, was imposed — so that no one would refrain from serving Hashem upon seeing a righteous man to whom evil happens and a wicked man to whom good happens, but would instead know that the reward is reserved for the world to come. Now this second opinion is deeply entrenched and current in the mouths of the common people, who, upon seeing something that does not seem right to them regarding a righteous person — for instance, someone bereaved and widowed — say: 'The Holy One, blessed be He, does whatever He wishes in His world, and who can say to Him, "What are You doing?"' (cf. Job 9:12) — implying that the matter is nothing but the carrying out of His will without regard to righteous judgment, Heaven forbid. This is the very matter we wrote about in Chavatzelet HaSharon, which was in the heart of Nebuchadnezzar, and from which he turned back, drawing near instead to the cornerstone of the holiness of our Torah, which proclaims that 'all His ways are justice' (Deuteronomy 32:4). Therefore he says that it was on this point that Solomon, in his wisdom, opened his eyes and said: True indeed, that I myself — since I am wiser than all men — [say], 'keep the king's word,' even without regard to any oath. However, you who hear my words — I fear lest, on the matter of 'the oath of God,' you not become alarmed at why He needed to make us swear, and arrogant words go forth from your mouth, saying that ['from his presence you shall go' means] that your conduct and your affairs are not before Him but rather removed from His presence — removed from His providence, may He be blessed — and instead governed by the arrangements of the heavens, which stand 'away from His presence' and beyond, judging both the good and the evil themselves. And if you do not go quite that far, but still stand affirming [divine] providence, let your standing not be attached to 'an evil matter' — and this is [the meaning of] 'do not stand in an evil matter': namely, do not say that 'whatever He desires, He does' without regard to the suffering of the righteous and the prospering of the wicked in each individual particular within the general rule. And if you do not wish to elaborate the matter this much, you may instead say that, since 'the word of the king holds authority' (Ecclesiastes 8:4) — and this is the teaching of Rabbi Yochanan in Midrash Chazita and in Midrash Rabbah, where Rabbi Yochanan said that from every single utterance that goes forth from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, an angel is created — following what we wrote, that the utterance itself is the actor, having its own power and strength — this is what Solomon says here: do not say that, since 'the word of the king' — that is, the King of the world — [is decreed], the utterance itself is an angel, is an authority of which one may ask, 'who can say to Him, "What are You doing?"' — such that, as a result, if a decree goes forth to benefit a righteous man, and he then turns wicked, [the decree] does not retract, and it benefits him regardless; and if a royal decree goes forth to bring distress upon a wicked man, and he repents of his wickedness, his evil [decree] does not turn away from him — so that it comes out: a righteous man to whom evil happens, and a wicked man to whom good happens. And therefore you would say that this was the reason for 'the matter of the oath of God' — lest, upon witnessing conduct so contrary to what is right, people give up serving God — therefore He, may He be blessed, bound them by an oath, so that the reward would rest on faith until the world to come. But know, then, that all these opinions are false, for in fact everything operates by individual providence from Him, may He be blessed. And the proof is that 'he who keeps a commandment shall know no evil thing' (Ecclesiastes 8:5). This is seen in the fact that one may find a man for whom an unusual death has been decreed, who then performs a commandment unintentionally, and his life is saved — as in the incident of the daughter of Rabbi Akiva, of whom the astrologers told him that on the night of her wedding canopy she would die; and in the morning she found the pin of her jewelry lodged in the head of a fleeing serpent. Her father said to her, 'What did you do?' And she told him that a poor man had come and asked for a piece of bread, and no one was paying him any attention, so she rose from her bridal feast and gave it to him. Rabbi Akiva went out and expounded: 'And charity delivers from death' (Proverbs 10:2), etc. And likewise in the incident of Samuel and Ablet concerning the woodcutter, where Samuel went out and expounded, 'And charity delivers,' etc. And there is no providence greater than this, over against the stargazers — and by this, all those [aforementioned] opinions collapse entirely. And this is [the meaning of] 'he who keeps a commandment shall know no evil thing.' Now should you say: this is still no proof except against the first opinion — that He, may He be blessed, did not hand over the governance [of the world] to the constellations but rather governs by providence, since a commandment can overturn the constellation's decree — but perhaps the death was not decreed on that man because of sin at all, but rather according to the time of his birth it followed that at a certain hour a snake would bite him, and similar mishaps, and this was annulled by the commandment. If so, then, would we not object: if he was not caught on account of sin, then had he not performed the commandment and had died on account of his constellation, he would have perished without justice — why, then, would he die? What had he done [to deserve it]? Behold, we would then have to return to saying that 'whatever He desires, He does' — for it was His will that a man be born at a time such that death would be decreed upon him at a known hour according to his constellation, and, without sin, he would die before his natural time — for behold, 'whatever He desires, He does, and who can say to Him, "What are You doing?"' Therefore he says: if it is hidden from you whether, at the time that, according to the constellation, evil would befall him, he was also liable on account of sin, and so he perished by justice — behold, one who is wise knows that 'time' and 'judgment' were established together: the time decreed by the constellation, and the judgment for his sin. And this is [the meaning of] 'a time and a judgment' — that the wise heart knows that time and judgment coincide. And should you say: surely the sin that makes a man liable depends on [his own] choice, while the time depends on the motion of the celestial sphere — how, then, can the two coincide at the very same moment? To this he answers: 'for every matter' — that is, for every choice by which a person becomes liable, there is a time and a judgment together, for at the time the constellation makes him liable, it aligns justly with the judgment [of his sin]. And should you say: but what if he sinned days, or even a decade, before the time of the constellation's decree — how could the two come together at that particular time? To this he answers: know that a person is judged according to the majority [of his deeds] — whether his sins outweigh his merits — and it is also possible that the sin for which he ultimately died had occurred earlier, yet it was not decreed upon him until the time arrived when the scale of sins tipped, and that was at that very time. And this is [the meaning of] 'for the evil of man is great upon him' — for everyone has a time and a judgment, and it comes precisely when his evil becomes great upon him. And this is because He, may He be blessed, from the time He established the heavens, understood all their workings, and arranged them so that their decrees would align justly with each person's judgment, as is fully explained by us in Sha'ar HaMazalot (the Gate of the Constellations). It is also possible to explain his saying, 'and time and judgment the wise heart knows,' as referring back to Him, may He be exalted — that He knows how to unite time with judgment — and he then explained: 'for every matter,' etc., as discussed. And should you say: there are two difficulties with this. First: if time and judgment decreed an unusual death upon him for sin, and by performing a commandment there was power in it against the sin that had made him liable — then it should not merely remove him from an unusual death so that he dies the death of all mankind [instead], for Rabbi Akiva praised the Holy One, blessed be He, in a manner indicating that it saves not only from an unusual death but from death itself — in which case people would never die at all! For at the time and judgment when his days draw near to death, he would perform an act of charity and be saved from death altogether. And second: since He, may He be exalted, arranged the way in which time and judgment would be united according to His knowledge of all that a person would do — why did He arrange the decree of the constellation's time in the first place, after already knowing that this person would perform a commandment and annul the decree? It would have been far better had He, from the outset, never arranged a course that would lead to the judgment of that evil constellation at all. To this he answers, regarding the first [difficulty]: that the person does not know what is going to happen. That is, although the power of this commandment is great enough to annul time and judgment, it is not so for one who [already] knows he is going to die and performs charity so as not to die — for this power operates only when the commandment is performed unintentionally, regarding something sudden that he did not know would occur. And this is [the meaning of] his saying, 'for he does not know what will be' — for there are two elements here: first, that it is sudden and not like an ordinary, natural death; and second, that there is greater merit for one who performs a commandment of his own accord, regarding something he did not know [would help him], since it is done out of love — as compared to one who performs it with the deliberate intention of saving his life, which stems from fear of death. And regarding the second [difficulty], he answers: 'for when it happens, who can tell him?' — meaning, had the time not decreed that evil in the first place, the miracle would never have been recognized, for [only] 'when it happens' can one say [that it would otherwise have occurred]. But now, with the decree annulled, the person comes to know the matter and recognizes the miracle and the greatness of the merit of the commandment — just as Rabbi Akiva knew of the decree according to the time, saw what had happened, went out and expounded it, and praised Hashem before a great assembly.

"Be not hasty" — do not be hasty to say that you will go and flee from his presence so that he not overtake you to do you harm; I warn you: do not persist in an evil matter, rebelling against the king's word in this confidence, for whatever the king desires, he does; and if he desires your harm, he will overtake you in the very place to which you fled.

"be-davar ra" (in an evil thing) — "in an evil matter."

For the King’s word is all powerful. Because the word of the Holy One, Blessed Is He is the Ruler, and who will say to Him, “What are You doing?” But if you “preserve the commandment,” you will know no evil and it will not befall you. — Notes: (7) Below, verse 5. (8) Alternatively, verses 3-4 refer to a mortal king and are translated accordingly. (Metsudas Dovid)

"Forasmuch as" — In every place where the king's word is, there he has authority over you, and there is no one who can reprove him to save you from his hand, for everyone fears him. If this is so regarding flesh and blood, how much more so regarding the true King, whose glory fills [all], above and below.

"forasmuch as" — because the word of the king's command rules in every place, and there is no one found who can restrain his hand and say to him, "Why do you do such a thing?" — so it is difficult, therefore, to be saved from his hand.

And [the significance of] time and judgment is known by the wise man. The wise person perceives that there is a predetermined time for the visitation of punishment upon the wicked, and there are judgments before the Holy One, Blessed Is He, with which He will exact justice from them. Judgment is justice in O.F., and it refers to the punishment.

"Whoever keeps the commandment shall know no evil thing" — for [evil] will, for the most part, not come upon him. "And a wise man's heart discerns time and judgment" — Some commentators explain that "et" (time) here is like "chochmah" (wisdom), and they say it is similar to [the usage in]: "la'ut et ya'ef davar" (Isaiah 50:4, "to know how to sustain the weary with a word"), "be-yad ish itti" (Leviticus 16:21, "by the hand of an appointed man"), "yod'ei ha-ittim" (Esther 1:13, "those who knew the times"), "yod'ei vinah la-ittim" (I Chronicles 12:33, "who had understanding of the times"). But this is not correct, for the meaning of "la'ut et ya'ef davar" is "to set a time for him," and it continues, "ya'ir ba-boker ba-boker" ("He wakens him morning by morning"); and "ish itti" means one who is prepared to go at that appointed time, without delay; or its meaning is that it was his practice to go, at every [appointed] time of the year, to the wilderness mentioned there [i.e., for the scapegoat] — its sense being like "accustomed." And as for "yod'ei vinah la-ittim" — our Rabbis of blessed memory have already explained that these were those who calculated the intercalation of the years, and "yod'ei ha-ittim" are astrologers. And another interpretation: "whoever keeps the commandment" will not wish to know an evil thing; and the matter of "time and judgment" connects with the verse that follows it.

"and a time and judgment" — this means: although indeed one should not listen so as to transgress even one of Hashem's commandments, not all times are equal, for there is a time when the hour requires transgressing the commandment in order to heed the king's word, so as to make a fence and a safeguard; and likewise there is a matter of royal custom that is decreed upon all the people of the land, which it is proper to heed even if it means transgressing the commandments, for "the law of the kingdom is the law" (dina de-malkhuta dina).

"u-mishpat" (and judgment) — an expression of "custom," as in "and the custom [mishpat] of the priests" (I Samuel 2:13).

For every matter. When a person satisfies his desire and transgresses the law, a time to exact retribution [is cast], and justice and punishment are ready. When the evil of man overwhelms him. When man’s evil becomes exceedingly overwhelming and his measure overflows, then his punishment arrives; ‘וְכִי’ is used as an expression of “when,” as in, “When כִּי they have a concern, it comes to me.” — Notes: (9) Shemos 18:16.

"For to every" — The wise man knows that for every matter there is a time, and so he will not enter into strife with a man for whom the hour smiles [i.e., whose fortune is favorable]. And the meaning of "for the evil of man is great upon him" is: even though he knows that there is a time for every matter, he does not know when that time will arrive — and this is a great evil.

"ki" (for) — "when/as" (ka'asher). "ra'at" (evil) — its meaning is "thought," as in "You have understood my thought [le-re'i]" (Psalms 139:2). "rabbah" (great) — "great."

For he knows not what will be. When the wicked man sins, he does not give thought that the Holy One, Blessed Is He, is destined to bring him to judgment, and woe is to him because of this. — Notes: (10) Alternatively, man is unable to foresee specific future events. Ibn Ezra For when it comes to pass. The punishment, “who will tell him,” [i.e.,] to discuss [the matter] with him and to take advice and to ask permission, for it will suddenly befall him. — Notes: (11) Alternatively, when a person is about to sin, who will forewarn him of the consequences so that he will be more cautious. (Sforno)

"For he knows not" — He does not know what will be; and even if he does know, he knows things only in a general way, or from experiences he has tried; but who can tell him in detail how things will be when they actually occur?

"for he knows not" — this means: for at the outset of his thinking, a person does not know how to discern what will be in the end, so as to know from it the time and the judgment. "for when it shall be" — this means: and even if he does grasp, at the outset of his thinking, something of what will be in the end — this is only in a general way; but who will tell him the particulars of the matters as they will actually be at the time of their occurring? For the thought of the heart does not tell a person all this at the outset of his thinking, but only after deepening his thought with much study; then he will grasp and understand all these things, and accordingly he will be able to know the time and the judgment.

Man has no power over the spirit. [I.e., over] the spirit and inclination of the emissary of the Omnipresent, to retain and withhold from him the spirit in his body, so that the angel of death should not take it. — Notes: (12) I.e., the angel of death. We find the term רוח [=spirit] referring to angels in Tehillim 104:4, “He makes the רוחות His messengers.” He has no power. [The power] of any king [is not] discernable on the day of his death. Everywhere [in Scripture] you find [that Dovid is referred to as], “King Dovid,” but on the day of his death [it states], “And the days of Dovid drew near that he should die,” and no kingship is mentioned here. — Notes: (13) Alternatively, all the power of the ruler is thwarted on the day of his death, i.e., to save himself from death. (14) I Melochim 2:1. (15) Though in Shemos 2:23 it states “the king of Egypt died,” that is speaking of a historic event that happened in the past, however, when Scripture speaks of the event as it is occurring, kingship is not mentioned. (Likutei Yehudah) Nor dispatch in battle. [In] this [battle by] saying, “I will send my son or my servant instead of me.” — Notes: (16) Rashi interprets משחת as dispatch or send [שלוח]. Alternatively, משחת means weaponry, as in II Divrei Hayomim 32:5 and Nechemyah 4:11. Accordingly, this phrase means that weaponry [prepared for war] is of no avail to save one who is destined to die.

"There is no man" — And even if he knew when he would die, what benefit would that be to him? For there is no man who has the power to restrain the spirit (ruach). And this verse indicates that the spirit is like one confined in a prison-house, as I began to explain at the outset of my words. "Neither has he power" — Kingship will not avail the king, nor will weaponry prepared for war; and "mishlachat" is like "neshek" (weaponry), similar to "ve-chayato me'avor ba-shelach" (Job 33:18, "and his life from perishing by the weapon") — its meaning being the discharge of war. And some commentators explain "in war" as [referring to] the war waged by the [bodily] constitution that guards the body until the appointed time, against the sickness that enters the body; and if the constitution weakens, the person dies. And the interpretation of "resha" (wickedness) is excessive agitation and contentiousness, similar to "ve-hu yashkit u-mi yarshia" (Job 34:29, "and when He grants quiet, who can condemn?") and "u-vekhol asher yifneh yarshia" (I Samuel 14:47, "and wherever he turned he brought guilt"). And some commentators explain that it refers to wealth, most of which is amassed through wickedness.

After stating that fate (mazal) does not raise up or bring down, but rather that divine judgment (mishpat elohi) operates according to the deeds of mankind, he now states four necessary proofs to nullify the rule of the constellations. These are: The first: the argument of one who claims that the world is conducted according to the decrees of the constellations rests only on the notion that arises in their minds that Hashem is high, removed from having His glory upon the earth — for if we were to concede that indeed the glory of God dwells upon the earth, they would not conclude that governance belongs to the constellations. And furthermore, two more arguments were written by the author of Sefer Ha'Ikkarim (Rabbi Joseph Albo) to negate the absolute attribution of governance to the astrologers (those who read the heavens), from the four corners of the world. These are they: The first: if fate is the ruler, why is it that when there is a plague in a city, countless people die, and how can it be that not a single person among all who die in the plague — small and great alike — is missing, even though the moisture of his root and the measure of his days according to his fate had not yet been completed? Why should he die? And lest you say that perhaps the fate of the majority compelled the minority to die along with them, like their brethren — he therefore brought a second proof, from war: if the king's fate — he being a single individual — requires that he fall, why should the thousands and myriads of his army and people fall together with him, whose time to be gathered has not yet arrived? And why should the judgment of fate for the many be nullified for the sake of the fate of one? But there is no doubt that everything is in the hands of Heaven. A fourth argument was written by Rambam (Maimonides), of blessed memory, in the eighth of his Eight Chapters (Shemoneh Perakim) to tractate Avot: that if — heaven forbid — everything is absolutely dependent on fate, then the Torah and its justice would be nullified, for a crooked judgment would result. For if a man should plot maliciously against his fellow to kill him by cunning, behold he would exempt himself from judgment by saying, 'If I killed a man, it is not my transgression and not my sin, for fate compelled me — since I was born under a fate decreeing, "I shall spill blood," and the man who was struck was born under a fate decreeing that he would die by the sword' — and the law would be with him, for ones rachmana patrei ('one who is coerced, the Merciful One exempts him'). Now, I think that these four arguments were all stated by Solomon in these verses. Regarding the first — to prove that 'the whole earth is full of His glory' — he said, 'There is no man who has power over the wind,' etc. This is by way of alluding to the statement of our Sages, of blessed memory, in Midrash Shocher Tov, whose words are: 'The soul that is within a person, at every hour it rises and descends, and it seeks to depart, but it sees the Holy One, blessed be He, that the whole earth is full of His glory, and it turns back.' End of quote. Now, elsewhere we explained this statement; indeed, the force of its intent is this: since everything strives and yearns to cling to its root and foundation, it would necessarily follow that the soul of man — which is from beneath the Throne of Glory — should not linger within a turbid, material body; how could it not ascend heavenward? Rather, the answer is that it sees the Holy One, blessed be He, that the whole earth is full of His glory, and it turns back. This is because, since His glory, may He be blessed, also fills the whole earth, it follows that even while the soul is here, it is not far from its root, for His glory, may He be blessed, is present here too — for otherwise the soul could not remain here, in a place devoid of the glory of God from which it was hewn. And this is what Solomon means to say: See that Hashem has not abandoned the earth, but rather the whole earth is full of His glory; for otherwise man — who is called adam, from adamah (ground) — would have no power over the ruach (spirit/wind) within him, to restrain the spirit from returning to its source. But there is no doubt that the whole earth is full of His glory, and so he is able to restrain it. If so, how can they say that Hashem is high, and that His glory is only over the heavens, so that the astrologers are the rulers over the earth, deciding for good or for evil? And regarding the two arguments that we cited in the name of the author of Sefer Ha'Ikkarim — one concerning those who die in a plague, and the second concerning those who die in war — regarding the first he said, 'and there is no rule on the day of death,' meaning: on the known day of death, which is a day of plague, a day of death for all — there is no rule, that is, no one's fate has power to save from death the soul of any single person found there, even if his life were supposed to be long according to their fate. Rather, this is nothing but proof that One higher than the highest decrees and confirms, and who among the stars of heaven and their constellations can stand before Him to save souls that would not otherwise die at that time according to their fate? And regarding the second argument, he said, 'and there is no discharge in war' — for there is no exemption or discharge in war by the power of anyone's fate, for a whole multitude falls together. And if everyone's life depended on fate, why would those whose portion in life, according to their fate, had not yet ended not be sent away free from battle? But this is nothing other than proof that everything is from Him and in His hand, may He be blessed. Thus he has proven the three reasons mentioned. And as for the fourth — the reason of Rambam, of blessed memory — that if everything were in the hands of fate, every murderer could exempt himself and escape through his wickedness — therefore he said, 'and wickedness shall not deliver its possessor.' For if fate necessitated that Reuben kill Shimon, it would be fitting that the wickedness itself could deliver its own owner by saying, 'Had I not been born under a fate decreeing, "I shall spill blood," I would not have killed him' — and why then did the Torah command that the murderer be put to death? But this is not so; rather, fate does not compel — only man's choice, to do evil or to do good. Now, when he finished stating all these proofs, he said, 'All this I have seen' — and nevertheless, that which I set my heart to understand regarding every deed done under the sun that is not governed by the judgments of the stars, is concerning a different matter: namely, a time when man rules over man to his own harm. This is a time when, according to the time decreed, man rules over man; and I saw that it was harmful to the ruler himself, for through this came his own downfall. For example, the matter of Haman: the king promoted him and set his throne above all the officers, and through this his heart grew bold to destroy all the Jews — and it turned out for his own harm, for through this they hanged him and his sons upon the tree. Now, was this not something I recognized as not stemming from fate? For fate does not raise a man higher and higher and then bring him down in an instant; fate lowers or raises gradually, slowly, according to its own movement — not from the height of the firmament to the depths of the earth in rapid succession. And how much more so, since the very elevation itself was the cause of his downfall — and this is not the way of fate, that the very thing which raises a person is designed to cast him down, for fate does not act by cunning design. But this is nothing other than proof that everything is from Him, may He be blessed, and He raises up the wicked in order to cast him down from a height, in accordance with his wickedness.

"power over the wind" — he is not master over the will of the agent of the Omnipresent who comes to take the soul, for he cannot nullify his [the agent's] will, so as to confine the soul within the body so that it cannot be taken. "and there is no power" — dominion does not avail on the day of death to be saved thereby from death. "and there is no discharge in war" — the weaponry prepared at the time of war does not avail to save from death. "neither shall wickedness deliver" — the dread and confusion that a man of might instills, terrifying and confounding the one who stands against him — that dread will not deliver its possessor from the hand of the agent of the Omnipresent who comes to take the soul.

"ba-ru'ach" (over the wind/by his own will) — "by will." "likhlo" (to retain) — from the language of "prison house" and "confinement." "ha-ru'ach" (the wind/spirit) — its meaning is "the breath-spirit of man." "mishlachat" (discharge) — its meaning is "weaponry" and "arms," as in "and he made weapons [shelach] in abundance" (II Chronicles 32:5). "resha" (wickedness) — its meaning is "distress" and "confusion," as in "and wherever he turned he caused confusion [yarshia]" (I Samuel 14:47).

All this I have seen. What is mentioned above. And I applied my heart to [understand] all the work. And also to all mankind’s work I applied my mind, and I saw the time that a man ruled over another and overpowered him, and ultimately it turned to his own detriment. [E.g.,] Amoleik overpowered Yisroel, and ultimately [it states about Amoleik], “and his end will be that he will be lost forever.” And the same happened to Pharaoh, and the same with Nevuchadnetzar, and the same with Sancheiriv. — Notes: (17) Because, “God seeks the pursued,” see above 3:15. (18) Bamidbar 24:20.

"All this" — He is still on the subject of warning the wise man not to rebel against the word of the king; and it means: "that I have seen" — after I applied my heart — a time when one man had power over another like himself, to his harm, and did evil to him. And this matter connects with "for to every matter there is a time and judgment."

"all this" — that stated below, "all the work that is done," I saw with my eyes and set my heart upon them, to understand them. "under the sun" — meaning, in this world. "a time" — behold, I saw and understood that there is a time when men rule over one another to do evil to each other, because the ability is given into the hand of the one who wishes to harm his fellow.

And so. And then. I have seen how the wicked were buried. In this prophecy, I saw wicked men buried, who were worthy of being buried in the dust, for they were held in contempt by the nations, about whom it is stated, “this people has never been,” and they ruled over the Beis [Hamikdosh] of the Holy One, Blessed Is He, which is a holy place. And when they went from there to their land, they boasted in their city that they did such and such in the Beis [Hamikdosh] of the Omnipresent. Do not read ‘וְיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ’, [=and they will be forgotten,] but ‘וְיִשְׁתַּבְּחוּ’, [=and they will boast]. So did our Rabbis of blessed memory expound it. Concerning the forgetting, it is expounded as follows in the Aggadah: And ultimately, their name and their remembrance will be forgotten from that very city, that they did so therein, as it is stated, “I will gather all the nations [and I will take them down] to the Valley of Yehoshophot.” In the place where they angered Him, He will mete out retribution upon them, and so it states, “O Hashem, in the city, You will despise their form.” — Notes: (19) Yeshayahu 23:13. (20) See Maseches Gittin 56b. (21) I.e., the wording of the written text [וישתכחו]. (22) Yoel 4:2. (23) Tehillim 73:20. This too. Is one of the vanities that were given to the world to weary mankind, for the Holy One, Blessed Is He, does not rush to mete out retribution upon evildoers, and [therefore] mankind thinks that there is neither judgment nor Judge.

"And so" — The commentators have gone astray on this verse. Some explain "keburim" (buried) as meaning kept/guarded in their palaces, and explain "uva'u vayelchu" (they came and went) as meaning that they did as they pleased; and they explain "ve-yishtakechu" (were forgotten) on the basis of the Targum's [rendering of the same root as] "ve-yimtze'un" (they are found). And others said that "uva'u" means "they were hidden," like "uva ha-shemesh" (Leviticus 22:7, "and the sun set"). But this too is not correct, for this sense [of "ba"] is found only in regard to the sun, because it is the opposite of "yatza" (it went out/rose); and so it says, "ha-shemesh yatza al ha-aretz" (Genesis 19:23, "the sun had risen upon the earth"). And some commentators say [the phrase means] "he came in his reward," which is close to this, but it is not so; rather, it means: this thing befell him — that he was not paid his reward. And so, too, many liturgical poets erred, saying [in their compositions] "her light [is hidden]" and completing it with "kumi ori ki va orekh" (Isaiah 60:1, "arise, shine, for your light has come") — and their words contradict one another unless they complete the verse [properly]. And this is its meaning: your ancient light was hidden, "vezarach alayikh kevod Hashem" (Isaiah 60:1, "and the glory of Hashem has shone upon you"); and so he goes on to explain, "lo yihyeh lakh od ha-shemesh le-or yomam" (Isaiah 60:19, "you shall no longer need the sun for light by day") — this is the meaning of that verse. "Uvechen" (and so) is like the Targum's rendering "az" (then); and the sense is: when I applied my heart, then I saw wicked men who had power over people and did evil to them; they died without suffering, buried in their grave, similar to "ki ein chartzubot le-motam" (Psalm 73:4, "for there are no pangs at their death"). "Uva'u" (and they came) [means] into the world a second time — meaning that their sons come and stand in their place, and their memory endures. "And those [who went] from the holy place walked away" — meaning that the holy ones who die without a son are forgotten in the city where they lived — and they are the ones who did what is true. Just so, the daughters of Zelophehad spoke in wonder (Numbers 27:1-4): how is it that the memory of the righteous is cut off and all the good he did is forgotten, while the wicked man dies in tranquility and leaves sons in his place? This too is vanity.

After he said "all this I saw," etc. — meaning that this was seen in a vision of ruach hakodesh (the holy spirit) — he said, and so, in that vision I saw yet more of the wicked, etc. The matter is this: up until now he had spoken of a remedy (tikkun) by which man might attain his perfections, and he had determined that there is nothing comparable to wisdom. Now, one might say: but surely there is another necessary remedy for every person besides this, namely gilgul (the wheel of reincarnation), of which our Rabbis of blessed memory said that no man can avoid being reincarnated up to three times, and He, blessed be He, will grant him understanding each time, so that he may rectify what he corrupted the first time. To this he said that he saw a vision, by which he recognized that this too is hevel (vanity), for the tikkun is not assured. For behold, I saw wicked people who, after they had been buried, returned and came in gilgul into this world, and in the very place where they were meant to make tikkun, on the contrary, they became [more] corrupted. For it is known that when a man sins he begins to separate from the source of holiness, and the more he continues to sin, the more the root of his soul becomes detached from holiness. Therefore gilgul exists in order to return and draw close to holiness, by his coming back here to rectify what he had corrupted. And he said that he saw wicked people who, after they died and were buried, came in gilgul into this world, and in the very place [meant] for tikkun and for drawing close to holiness, on the contrary, they added to their sin, and walked away from the holy place and separated from it. And who caused them this harm? It is that if, upon their second coming, they had remembered their evil deeds for which they had returned to rectify, they would indeed have made tikkun; but instead, "and were forgotten in the city" — meaning that upon their coming into a small city, which is the body, they did the same as they had done the first time, in accordance with the deeds they are doing now. If so, this too is hevel, for it is not a tikkun that is assured for everyone.

"and so I saw" — then I saw wicked men who had fallen and were in a low state, and people thought they would never again rise to return to their former condition, as if they were already buried in the ground. "and they came" — and afterward, it was as if they returned and came from their grave and were restored to their former condition. "and from the holy place they walked" — and the righteous, who walk from a holy place, whose whole way is from holiness to holiness. "and they were forgotten in the city" — and they, once they fell, rose no more, and were forgotten from the heart, in that very city where they had done what was true and proper. "this also is vanity" — meaning, even though there is some benefit in this — for since it is so, there is great reward for one who holds fast to righteous deeds, seeing the rising again of the wicked after their fall and the loss of the righteous — nevertheless, with all this, it is deemed vanity, as he explains in the verse that follows.

"u-vekhen" (and so) — "and then," as in "and so I will go in to the king [u-vekhen avo el ha-melekh]" (Esther 4:16). "ve-yishtakechu" (and were forgotten) — from the language of "forgetting" (shikhechah). "ken" (right) — its meaning is "true" and "right," as in "the daughters of Zelophehad speak rightly [ken]" (Numbers 27:7).

Because the execution of sentence. Punishment for the evil deeds [is not done] quickly. For the Holy One, Blessed Is He, does not rush to mete out retribution upon the evildoers, and therefore, they think that there is no judgment, and they are encouraged to do evil.

"Because" — Since an act of vengeance, payment, and requital for an evil deed is not carried out speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is full of desire within them to do evil, for fear has departed from them.

"Because," etc. — After he had sought, up until now, ways to bring about man's tikkun — whether by going to the house of mourning, or by hearing the rebuke of a wise man, or by cleaving to wisdom — he saw [that one could raise an objection], namely: could we not say, did you not yourself say that there is nothing to fear from the yetzer hara (the evil inclination), for "better a poor and wise child" etc. — the wise child being the yetzer hatov (the good inclination) — "than a king," etc. [the king being the yetzer hara]; and that it is closer/more natural to heed the yetzer hatov than the yetzer hara; and that it possesses faculties that serve to awaken it and to assist the yetzer hatov; and moreover that its words are words of wisdom, the opposite of the yetzer hara, all of whose words are folly, knowing nothing? If so, why should you fear it, to the point of digging through dry ground to escape it? To this he said: behold, it [the yetzer hara] has a help working in its favor, namely: "because sentence" — that is, the decree — "against the evil deed is not executed speedily" — meaning that they leave its punishment until after death — "the heart of the sons of men is full in them" — that is, of the two hearts [inclinations], the heart that is "in them" from their own beginning, by themselves, is the yetzer hara; it is full to do evil, because it comes bearing an argument against the yetzer hatov. And should you say, its argument is no argument, for the reason they extend [time] for it is that perhaps he will repent, since choice is free — behold, against this too there is an argument: that if one transgresses a sin once or twice, there is indeed hope that he will repent from it; but [as for] "one who does evil a hundred [times]" (me'at) — this is [an instance of] the construct form of the tav attaching to a word that is supplied orally, as in the phrase "a wife of beautiful form" (eshet yefat to'ar), which means "a man's wife" (eshet ish) [with "ish" understood], and likewise "sleep to my eyes" (shenat le-einai), which means fixed, perpetual sleep (shenat keva) [with "keva" understood]. And similar to these is [the phrase] "one who sins and repeats" (ha-chote u-shoneh) — up to this count, such a person will no longer repent from evil, because it has become for him complete license (heter gamur); and nevertheless they continue to delay [punishment] for him — therefore they grow brazen (yitpakru) to do evil. And should you say: behold, there is also an answer to this, namely, that if He, blessed be He, were to punish at once, all the people would see and fear that punishment, so that their service of Hashem would come about through fear of the punishment and not out of [service] before Him, blessed be He, inasmuch as He is a true God (Elohei emet); therefore sentence against the evil deed is not executed speedily. That is why he said what I said, that because sentence against the evil deed is not executed speedily, therefore "[the heart] is full," etc. This answer has not escaped me — that He, blessed be He, desires that they serve Him for His own sake (lishmah), since He, blessed be He, endures forever, and not out of fear. For behold, I too know this answer, that it is good for those who fear God that they not fear on account of the punishment, but rather [fear] before Him, since He is a true God. But I was not troubled by this, and it is because: behold, if this argument were sufficient, the result would be that the wicked man should not be struck with sufferings for his wrongdoing — but at the very least, he should also not be held guilty, nor should he be blessed either. And this is [the meaning of] "and it shall not be well with the wicked" — at the very least, he shall have no harm, and also no good, and he shall not prolong his days, since he does not fear even the measure of punishment; and this is [the meaning of] "he who does not fear before God." And should you say: behold, there is another answer regarding the good things the wicked have in this world, namely, that it is in order to feed them the reward of their commandments, so that they may depart [this world] cleansed of them — as the verse states, concerning "when [the wicked] flourish," etc., "it is that they may be destroyed," etc. (Psalms 92:8) — and this is a matter of Torah: "and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them" (Deuteronomy 7:10) — the opposite of the sufferings of the righteous, which serve to purge their debts, so that they emerge cleansed of their iniquities. But this too does not equal [a full answer to] this difficulty, for behold, were it that all the righteous were people of suffering and all the wicked were sated with good, I would be silenced, for I would say: this is nothing other than Hashem's desire to feed the wicked their merits in this world and to purge the guilt of the righteous, and therefore it goes ill with the righteous here, and well with the wicked. But what troubles me is that within each of these two groups there are [really] two [conflicting] phenomena: for there are righteous people to whom evil comes just as [it does] to the deeds of the wicked — and not all of them, only some; and likewise there are wicked people to whom good comes just as [it does] to the deeds of the righteous — but not all of them, as stated, only some. And according to this reasoning, it would be fitting for good to come to every wicked man, and suffering to every righteous man. Therefore I said that this too is hevel, for this answer of theirs does not resolve the difficulty that I raised.

"because sentence [against an evil work] is not executed" — now he explains why it is deemed vanity, and says: because it is not done quickly — for while he is still alive, no payment of recompense is made for the evil deed — therefore the thoughts of men's hearts are filled within them to do evil, thinking that there is no providence and no judgment.

"pitgam" (sentence) — its meaning is like "word/matter" (davar); likewise, "and the king's decree [pitgam] shall be heard" (Esther 1:20).

Though a sinner, etc. Because they see that the sinner does evil a hundred thousand and myriads [of times], and the Holy One, Blessed Is He, grants him an extension without meting out retribution. — Notes: (24) As Iyov [24:12] complained, “From the city people groan, and the souls of the slain cry out; yet God does not impute it for unseemliness.” (Metsudas Dovid) A hundred times. This is an ellipsis, and it is connected to [the words] preceding it, meaning, a hundred days, a hundred years, a hundred thousand. And similarly, [what Scripture states], “and drunk וּשְׁכֻרַת,” is an ellipsis, and it is missing drunk “from wrath” but not from wine, like other drunkenness. — Notes: (25) I.e., the omission of a word or words necessary for complete construction but understood in the context. (26) Yeshayahu 51:21. Nevertheless I know. For despite all this, that He does not rush to mete retribution upon the wicked to make a distinction, between the righteous and the wicked, I know that each one will ultimately receive his due, and that those who fear Him will fare well.

"Because a sinner" — For they see one sinner do evil a hundred times, and God prolongs his days for him; yet even though those who have understanding among men know this, I too know that it will be well for those who fear God — even if it does not happen quickly.

"because a sinner" — also because they see that a single sinner rules and does evil to a hundred men, and God is patient with him and does not repay him recompense; and such a wicked man, who destroys many souls, it does not seem plausible to people that the Omnipresent should be patient with him — just as Job complained, saying, "From the city men groan..." etc. (Job 24:12). "though yet I know" — as if to say, let no one think that I am like one of them, that because of this my own heart too is filled within me to do evil; for it is not so. Rather, just as the wise, who understand the ways of Hashem, know the truth of the matter, so I too know that in the eternal world it will be well only for those who fear God, and as a reward for their fearing before Him.

And it will not be well with the wicked. Because he does not fear God. — Notes: (27) Based on this verse, the Gemara in Kiddushin 33b states that any scholar who does not rise before his teacher is considered wicked, will not live long and will forget his learning.

"But it shall not be well with the wicked" — in his end; and there are some of them whose days will not be prolonged, [being] like a shadow. And since "wicked" applies to many different things, he explains here that this "wicked one" is one who does not fear before God.

"but it shall not be well with the wicked" — in the eternal world it will not be well with the wicked; his soul will quickly be cut off, and he will not prolong his days there; and he will be like this shadow, which does not remain long in one place, for it quickly moves on from its place as the sun shifts. "because he fears not" — this will happen to him as recompense for his not fearing before God.

There is a vanity. Something that confounds mankind. There are righteous men. To whom evil happens [as though] they acted wickedly, and there are wicked to whom good happens [as though] they acted righteously. I said that this too is one of the vanities that prevails in the world. However, our Rabbis expounded it in a different manner in Maseches Horiyos, but it is not explained satisfactorily to me, according to the words that the wise man concludes by saying, “This too is vanity.” — Notes: (28) Alternatively, there are righteous men who acquire a bad reputation as though they acted wickedly, is referring to a foolish righteous person who takes the practices of his piety to ridiculous levels (Sforno). Mesilas Yeshorim states that one must not decide upon the saintliness of a deed on the basis of its surface appearance alone, rather he should view the deed, including its consequence(s), from every angle of human intelligence, and then determine whether or not to perform the deed. (29) 10b.

"There is a vanity" — From the beginning of this verse until the verse "gam zu ra'iti chochmah" (Ecclesiastes 9:13, "this too I saw as wisdom") there are sixteen verses, connected in a single subject; this verse, too, belongs to the matter above: there are righteous men to whom happens what should rightly have happened to the wicked — that is, all their deeds turn out the opposite [of what they deserve] — and when I saw this I said, "all is vanity," regarding both righteous and wicked, similar to the matter of "va'ani kim'at natayu raglai" (Psalm 73:2, "and as for me, my feet had almost slipped"), "ki qineti be-holelim" (Psalm 73:3, "for I envied the arrogant").

"upon the earth" — in this world. "according to the work of the wicked" — that which ought to have befallen the wicked for their deeds. "according to the work of the righteous" — that which ought to have befallen the righteous for their deeds. "I said that this also is vanity" — meaning, even though it is only for a little while that good befalls the wicked and evil befalls the righteous, and there is some benefit in this — for if good always befell the righteous and evil always befell the wicked, free choice would be almost nullified, since it would be as though man were compelled toward righteous deeds by the punishment of the wicked and the reward of the righteous, and the reward of the righteous would then be almost negligible — nevertheless, with all this, it too is deemed vanity; for in any case, during that time, all deeds of righteousness become slack in people's hands, when they then see the good fortune of the wicked and the evil fortune of the righteous.

Rejoicing. That he should be happy with in his lot and engage in the “upright commands,” which “cause the heart to rejoice,” and he should not be immersed in increasing his wealth by means of usury, interest and robbery. Whoever is not happy with his lot and is immersed in amassing wealth, eventually commits the sins of robbery, fraud, and usury. Also, one who is not happy with his lot concerning the love of his wife, is immersed in [a passionate lust for] women, and harbors sinful thoughts about married women. — Notes: (30) Alternatively, I extolled the virtuous trait of rejoicing, i.e., the trait of being able to accept every occurrence in life with happiness and joy. (Derech Hachayim) (31) Tehillim 19:9. (32) The Gemara in Maseches Shabbos 30b sees an apparent contradiction between this verse which extolls the concept of rejoicing, and the verse above [2:2], which states, “and of joy, what does it accomplish.” The Gemara explains that the verse here is speaking of a celebration or rejoicing of a mitzvah, e.g., a marriage, therefore rejoicing is extolled, whereas verse 2:2 above speaks of rejoicing without purpose, and is therefore frowned upon. To eat and drink. From that which the Holy One, Blessed Is He, graciously granted him, and to be happy with his lot. And the Midrash Aggadah [states], that all mention of “eating and drinking” in Koheles, refers only to the study of Torah, as the matter is stated, “go, buy, and eat, etc.” — Notes: (33) Yeshayahu 55:1. And this will accompany him. Will join him, as the matter is stated, “and your righteousness shall go before you.” — Notes: (34) Ibid. 58:8. [All] the days of his life which God has given him. He shall do so, and the end of the verse is connected to its beginning, and it is a transposed verse [whose meaning is], “there is nothing better for man in [all] the days of his life that God has given him than to eat and drink and be joyful, and this will accompany him in his toil.”

"So I commended" — then I commended joy, for there is no good thing for man except eating and drinking; and the meaning of "yilvenu ba-amalo" (it shall accompany him in his labor) is: this thing — namely, that he rejoices and takes pleasure — accompanies him.

Have I not said [above] that whoever sets his heart upon seeing that the righteous have happen to them the same as the deeds of the wicked, and the wicked have happen to them [the same, etc.], will become bewildered? He said: Behold, I have praised the one who does not set his heart to these investigations and inquiries, for he will become grieved at heart upon seeing these opposites, and besides the distress of his brooding he will also fail to serve Hashem with joy, out of his abundance of sorrow. For it is better for a man to have joy without setting his mind upon it, but only to eat and be merry, and this will accompany him. That is to say, it is only in this that the aforesaid pleasure and good spoken of will accompany the aforesaid man, and join him in his own labor peculiar to him — namely, the labor of engaging in Torah, for [as the Sages say,] Talmudic dialectic (shema'ta) requires clarity of mind (tzilluta) and joy, and this is simply his own peculiar labor, as the Tanna said: 'If you have studied much Torah, do not take credit for yourself, for it is for this that you were created' (Avot 2:8). And do not say: was intellect and heart given to man for nothing, if not to investigate as far as his mind can reach, so as to grasp the true depth of matters? Do not err [in thinking so], for you will only weary yourself, for you will surely wither and not find [the answer] (cf. Exodus 18:18). And from me you shall see and derive an a fortiori argument (kal vachomer): for behold, when I set my heart to know wisdom — I, who was wiser than all men — and also set my heart to see and observe the matter that is done on earth, of a righteous man to whom evil happens and a wicked man to whom good happens, to such a degree that even by day and by night, my aforesaid heart — sleep did not come to its eyes, which are the eyes of contemplation; I did not see [sleep], for my eyes and my heart were always open, like one who does not sleep by day or by night, never resting — and I saw, after this great toil of his wisdom, all the doing of God. And the conclusion (nafka mina) I derived from this is that man, insofar as he is man, of the earth (adam min ha'adamah), cannot find the deed that is done under the sun [to be] a cause for the distress of the righteous man and the good fortune of the wicked man, and likewise for there being a righteous man to whom good happens among some of them, and some wicked men to whom what happens is like the deeds of the wicked — these being the four divisions that our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said (Berakhot 7a) that Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, asked of the Holy One, blessed be He, etc. And I did not say that there is no reason in the matter, in the righteousness of His judgment, blessed be He — heaven forbid! Rather, [I meant] that whatever man toils [to find], he will not find, for insofar as he is man, in respect of his toiling to attain these things, he is unable to find [them]. This is what I meant when I said that it is better for him not to grieve his heart over investigations, and [that] I praised joy, etc. But before Him, blessed be He, there is a true and correct reason and a [right] judgment for every single thing. And lest you say: 'Do not interpretations belong to God?' (Genesis 40:8) — and so man can indeed know the true reason through correct reasoning, as we find in the Gemara, where the Holy One, blessed be He, answered Moses: 'a righteous man to whom good happens' is a righteous man son of a righteous man; 'a wicked man [to whom evil happens]' — meaning, a wicked man son of a wicked man; 'a righteous man [to whom evil happens]' — meaning, a righteous man son of a wicked man; 'a wicked man [to whom good happens]' — a wicked man son of a righteous man. I think the intent is that it calls the first incarnation [gilgul] 'father' in relation to the one who proceeds from it and comes a second time. And this is [the meaning of] 'a righteous man to whom good happens' [being] 'a righteous man son of a righteous man' — for his soul did not sin the first time, and it has come [into the world again] to complete some matter. '[A righteous man] son of a wicked man' — [meaning] he was wicked the first time, and now he is purging the stain of his soul that was defiled the first time. And these indeed are the very consolations Elihu gave Job, telling him not to wonder if there be a righteous man to whom evil happens, 'for God does all these things twice, three times, with a man' (Job 33:29) — and now perhaps he is purging the stain of his impurity from the first time. And likewise, in this manner, 'a wicked man [to whom evil happens]' — meaning that it is for what he sinned the first time, for otherwise they would extend [patience] to him until he repents. '[A wicked man] to whom good happens' — 'a wicked man son of a righteous man' — meaning that his soul, the first time it was in him, was that of a righteous man. And they said further in the Gemara, another way: that He, blessed be He, told him [Moses]: 'a righteous man to whom good happens' is a completely righteous man; 'a righteous man to whom evil happens' is a righteous man who is not complete; 'a wicked man to whom evil happens' is a completely wicked man; 'a wicked man to whom good happens' is a wicked man who is not complete. Now [one might ask]: behold, there are reasons and ways to answer the matter — so why should the verdict be issued absolutely, that man will toil to seek a reason and not find it? To this he [Solomon] answered: True indeed, there is a reason and a knowledge, but this is only in the respect that a wise man might state one of the reasons truly told to Moses. But if we were to say to that wise man, following the first way, concerning 'a righteous man to whom good happens,' that it is because the man whose soul was in him the first time was righteous — would that wise man be able to determine explicitly that the first [incarnation] was indeed righteous? He can only rely on Hashem, to say that presumably it was so. And likewise regarding 'a righteous man to whom evil happens' — who could determine that he was wicked in his first incarnation? And the same reasoning applies to the other two categories. And likewise, following the second way, that 'a righteous man to whom good happens' is a completely righteous man — could the wise man determine that this one is completely righteous? Does not man see only with the eyes (cf. 1 Samuel 16:7)? And likewise, 'a righteous man to whom evil happens,' that he is a righteous man who is not complete; and 'a wicked man to whom evil happens,' that he is a completely wicked man; and 'a wicked man to whom good happens,' that he is a wicked man who is not complete — who is wise enough, and who understands hearts and inmost feelings (cf. Psalms 7:10), to know that this is indeed so? It is found, then, that one still must leave the matter to Him, blessed be He. If so, then from now on as well, it is good to leave the matter to Him without investigations and inquiries. And this is Solomon's statement: 'Indeed I knew that there is a reason' — but nevertheless, even if a wise man claims to know the reason — that it is the reason mentioned — this amounts to nothing but knowing that there exists some knowledge of a reason; but he cannot truly find that it is actually so, that he can grasp the matter in its essence, [namely] how the good and the evil become due to the righteous man or to the wicked man, as discussed. Therefore it is very good ('tov tov') to leave the matter to the Master of all, blessed be He, without investigating the matter. For behold, all of this — [including] finding in essence how the good comes to be drawn toward this one and the evil toward that one — I, who was wiser than all men, set all of this to my heart; that is to say, and nevertheless I arrived at the conclusion not to investigate. And in order to clarify and elucidate all of this for you, I will tell you a true line of reasoning by which the matter will become clear to you: namely, that all the righteous, men of [good] deeds, and the wise who occupy themselves with Torah — their deeds are their [true] agents — whether good deeds or evil ones — are in the hand of God, before Him in essence, and not before any other than Him, blessed be He. And they [these deeds] are the defenders (sanegorim) produced by good deeds and the accusers (kategorim) produced by evil deeds — all of them are before Him. And therefore, since everything is before Him, He conducts Himself according to them, whether to do evil or to do good — unlike us human beings, for we do not know the deeds of the righteous man and the wicked man, so as to properly discern what is fitting for every person. And deduce and see from everything that is before you: for behold, 'both love and hatred man does not know' (Ecclesiastes 9:1) — for even when people sit together, can one recognize who bears love for his fellow in his heart, or who bears hatred toward him? He does not know, for it is possible that this one conceals his hatred, and that one does not reveal his love. And this is [the meaning of] 'both love and hatred man does not know' — even though everything is before them, [each appearing] as a lover or as a hater in the eyes of other people, nevertheless no man knows what is in the heart of the person before him, whether the one loved or the one hated; even those standing near them do not know whether Reuben or Simeon hates him, even though everything is [outwardly] before them. How much more, then, could a person know [another's] merits or sins, which are not before them at all but only before Hashem, and know his deeds from a first incarnation, which is not before them in any way! In such a way that it is very good ('tov tov') to leave the matter to Hashem, the everlasting God.

"so I commended mirth" — I praise the matter of joy, that there is nothing better for a man in the world than to eat and drink according to his soul's desire. "and to be merry" — because eating and drinking bring about joy. "and that this" — the joy should accompany him at the time he labors, so that he not be greatly pained by the toil of his labor. "all the days of his life" — the joy should accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God gave him to live in this world.

"yilvennu" (should accompany him) — an expression of "joining/accompanying," as in "Assyria too has joined [nilvah] with them" (Psalms 83:9).

When I applied my heart. This “כַּאֲשֶׁר” is not used as an expression of an example, as in, “as כַּאֲשֶׁר he did, so shall it be done,” rather it is an expression of time, as in, “When כַּאֲשֶׁר Yoseif came,” [and as in,] “when כַּאֲשֶׁר they finished eating, etc.” This too is so, When כַּאֲשֶׁר I applied my heart “to know, to explore, etc.,” then, “I saw all the works of God.” — Notes: (35) Vayikra 24:19. (36) Bereishis 37:23. (37) Ibid. 43:2. (38) Above 7:25. [Neither] does he see sleep with his eyes. The wicked person who has a passionate lust for money and for forbidden women. — Notes: (39) According to Rashi, the subject of the phrase, “neither does he sleep...,” is the wicked person, who does not sleep because he is so engrossed in his activities. Alternatively, שנה [=sleep] can also be a reference to death, as in Daniyeil 12:2, “many of those who sleep [מישני] in the dusty earth [i.e., the dead] will awaken.” The wicked person never considers his death, and that ultimately, he will have to give a reckoning for his activities, and therefore he does not repent. (40) Alternatively, the subject of this phrase is Koheles, who says that he was so engrossed in his study “to know wisdom and to observe etc.” that sleep eluded him. (Ibn Ezra)

"When" — I had almost commended joy, when I applied my heart to know this matter — why it happens to the righteous man according to the deed of the wicked — until my sleep fled from my eyes, day and night, out of much reflection; and the vav of "einav" (his eyes) refers back to "libi" (my heart).

"when" — this refers back to the above, to say when it was that I commended joy; and he says: when I set my heart to know wisdom and to reflect upon it, and to observe with the senses the thing that is done, in order to comprehend from them the conduct of man. "for even" — my heart thought so many thoughts, that my sleep fled from my eyes, day and night. "with his eyes he sees not" — this refers back to "the heart," meaning: my eyes and my heart; and he speaks this by way of a borrowed term (she'elah, a figurative loan-usage), it being a matter of rhetorical figure (melitzah).

And I saw all the works of God. That He gave over to mankind. That man cannot discover, etc. Mankind is unable to fathom the ways of the Holy One, Blessed Is He, what the reward is for all the work that is done under the sun, for they see wicked men prospering and righteous men declining. And though a man labor to seek. Because I saw many [people] toiling to seek and to fathom this matter, but they are unable. And even though a wise man declares. That he understands it, he will not be able to, for Moshe our teacher could not comprehend this matter, when he said, “please make Your way known to me.” — Notes: (41) Even a wise man is unable to fathom the ways of God. (Metsudas Dovid) (42) Shemos 33:13.

"Then I beheld" — the edges [i.e., a limited portion] of the work of God, and I understood their essence; therefore this evil deed that is done under the sun I cannot understand, for the wise men of mankind wearied themselves and labored to find out this matter — and why is it that they did not find it? And the meaning of "beshel" is like "be'avur" ("because of"/"for the sake of"), as in "ki beshel-i ha-sa'ar ha-gadol" (Jonah 1:12, "for my sake this great storm [has come] upon you"). And concerning this matter Job the righteous cried out.

"then I beheld" — then I looked and considered all the work of God, and I understood that man cannot find out and know the truth of the deed that is done in this world. "because" — for if a man labors to seek and to know, he will not be able to find it. "indeed further" — even if a wise-hearted man thinks to know, he will not be able to find it, for all his great wisdom; and this refers back to the above, to say: when I set my heart to know wisdom and saw this, then I commended joy — since in any matter other than this, man labors and does not attain his hope.

"be-shel" (because/further) — its meaning is like "on account of" (ba'avur); likewise, "on my account [be-shelli] this great storm" (Jonah 1:12).