Ecclesiastes · Chapter 9

To make [all this] clear. And to clarify — All this. I clarified and tested. That the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. He helps them and He judges them in order to benefit them in their end. And their works. These are their students, their servants, who follow [in] their ways. Whether it be love or hate. The rest of mankind neither knows nor perceives what would make them become beloved by the Omnipresent and what causes them to become hated. — Notes: (1) Alternatively, man is unable to comprehend what inspires him to love or to hate. (Metsudas Dovid) All is before them. Before the righteous and the wise. — Notes: (2) Alternatively, all preceded them, i.e., all was decreed before they were born. (Ibn Ezra)

"For all this... to make clear all this" [ve-lavor] — This word should properly have been vocalized with a cholam (the vowel "o"), like "yaron" (he will sing) and "sameach" (glad), since both of these are geminate verbs (pa'alei ha-kefel, roots with a doubled letter). And it ["lavor"] is like "livror" (to make clear), from "my lips shall speak knowledge clearly" (Job 33:3). "For I saw the righteous and the wise and their deeds" — [this explains "ve-avdeihem," their works], as in "therefore He takes note of their deeds" (Job 34:25). They are not in their own hand, but only in the hand of God. Also, all that they love or hate, they do not know when it will all come before them, and they do not perceive it. Or, the meaning of "before them" is: before they even exist, whatever has been decreed upon them has already been decreed.

"for all this" — that stated above I set to my heart, and to clarify from it all this: that the righteous and the wise themselves, and their deeds which they do, are all in the hand of God, and they have no control, neither over themselves nor over their deeds. "whether love" — even the love that they love someone, and also the hatred that they hate someone, man does not know what the cause of it is. "all is before them" — all these were decreed from Heaven before their coming into being.

"ve-lavur" (and to make clear) — "and to clarify" (u-levarer). "ve-avdeihem" (and their works) — "their deeds," as in "therefore He regards their deeds [ma'avdeihem]" (Job 34:25).

All things come alike to all. All perceive when the occurrence happens to all mankind, and they know that ultimately each person is recompensed according to his ways. The same fate [awaits]. And [they] know that ultimately everyone, whether righteous or wicked, will die, and they all have one fate in this world. All this they know, but nevertheless, they choose for themselves the proper path, because they know that there is a distinction between them in the World to Come. The righteous. Such as No’ach. And the wicked. [Such as] Pharaoh Necho. This one became crippled, and that one [No’ach] became lame. The good. This is Moshe. — Notes: (3) Those who do good with others. (Metsudas Dovid) And the pure. This is Aharon. — Notes: (4) Those who have pure thoughts. (Metsudas Dovid) And the impure. These are the spies; these spoke well in praise of the land of Yisroel, but those spoke derogatorily about it. Neither these entered the land, nor those entered the land, hence, they have the same fate. — Notes: (5) Those who focus on impure thoughts and levity. (Metsudas Dovid) To him who brings offerings. This is Yoshiyahu, as it is stated, “And Yoshiyahu offered a sacrifice.” — Notes: (6) II Divrei Hayomim 35:7. The reading of the text is, “And Yoshiyahu separated” [וירם יאשיהו] instead of “ויזבח יאשיהו.” Rashi apparently did not have our version of the text. And to him who does not bring offerings. This is Achav, who abolished [Bnei] Yisroel’s festival pilgrimages [to the Beis Hamikdosh]. and that one [Yoshiyahu] was killed by arrows. — Notes: (8) See I Melochim 22:34-35. As is with the good man. This is Dovid. So is it with the sinner. This is Nevuchadnetzar. This one [Dovid] built the Beis Hamikdosh, and that one destroyed it; this one reigned forty years, and that one reigned forty years. As is with one who swears [easily]. This is Tzidkiyahu, who swore falsely, as it is stated, “And he also rebelled against King Nevuchadnetzar, who had made him swear, etc.” — Notes: (9) See II Divrei Hayomim 35:23-24. So is it with the one who fears an oath. This is Shimshon, as it is stated, “And Shimshon said to them, ‘Swear to me, that you, yourselves, will not strike me.’” We learn that he was strict in his observance of an oath. This one died after his eyes were gouged out, and that one [Tzidkiyahu] died after his eyes were gouged out. Therefore— — Notes: (10) II Divrei Hayomim 36:13. (11) Shoftim 15:12. (12) See Shoftim 16:21.

"All things..." — All things come to them just as they come to everyone; one event happens to the righteous and to the wicked, with no difference between them — to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean. Now "unclean" in this place stands as the opposite of "good" and "clean," just as there is "pikeach" (sighted) in the verse "Who has made man's mouth?" (Exodus 4:11), used as the opposite of "blind"; and "shome'a" (hearing) likewise, as in "to open blind eyes" (Isaiah 42:7) [and] "the opening of ears" (Isaiah 42:20). And [as for] the grammar of "as the good, so the sinner" — the double kaf in the holy tongue is like "as the servant, so his master" (Isaiah 24:2), for it makes the servant like the master and the master like the servant, with no difference between them; and likewise "as I am, so are you; as my people, so your people" (1 Kings 22:4), "as darkness, so is light" (Psalm 139:12). And the one who explains ["like the days that you dwelt," comparing it to] "the days" — there is no sense at all to this interpretation, for what would be the point of "you dwelt at Kadesh many days" [being explained by] "like the days that you dwelt"? Rather, the correct view is that the spies set out from Kadesh, and in the fortieth year they came to Kadesh, a city, and behold, all those years they were in the wilderness of Kadesh. And this is the meaning of "and you dwelt in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you dwelt there" (Deuteronomy 1:46) — until the return of those who had scouted [the land], similar to "according to the number of days that you scouted the land" (Numbers 14:34); for when the spies came [back], they [the people] said, "Here we are, and we will go up to the place" (Numbers 14:40). It is possible for a person to be righteous or wicked in his deeds, clean or unclean in his body, a sacrificer through his wealth, good or a sinner in his heart, and one who swears in his speech.

"All things come alike to all" — this seems senseless. Now, in order to arrive at the matter, our Sages, of blessed memory, are cited in Exodus Rabbah, chapter 40, as follows: While Adam was still lying as an unformed mass (golem), the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him every single righteous person destined to arise from him: there is one suspended on Adam's head, one on his hair, one on his forehead, one on his eyes, one on his nose, one on his mouth, one on his ear, etc. And know, that when Job sought to argue with the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, "Oh that I knew where I might find Him" (Job 23:3), etc., the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: "You seek to argue with Me? Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (Job 38:4) — what is meant by "where" (eifoh)? Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Job, tell Me your "where" — where were you, in what place were you suspended: on his head, on his forehead, or on which of his limbs? — end of quote. Now, even though we will not apply our minds to the intent of every detail of this statement, in general terms it teaches us that Adam, the first man — his soul was a spirit encompassing all the souls destined to come into the world, for it was an all-encompassing power; and so it is found in the book of the Zohar. And this is the intent of the statement as a whole: that there is a soul with respect to a quality pertaining to one thing, and there is [a soul] with respect to another, as is spelled out in the statement. With this we come to the matter, which is: behold, there is a very great difficulty in everyone's eyes. Is it not this: since Adam sinned, must all his offspring be found guilty? And why, through his sin, should all the people of the world die, rather than he alone perishing for his own iniquity? For is it not so that, like the soul of the father, [so is] the soul of the son — they both belong to Him, blessed be He — and [only] "the soul that sins, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4)? Now, it would be possible to answer this by saying that since matter is the cause — for it is impossible for matter to endure forever, and so it must in any case ultimately decay — and had he not sinned, he would have lived until his matter deteriorated on its own; and moreover, the soul cannot attain the bliss of cleaving to its Maker while in the body's company, until it is refined after death. Or, a second reason: this is based on what our Sages, of blessed memory, said — that every person who is to die, upon encountering Adam the first man, [says], "Is it not you who sinned and caused my death?" He answers him: "I committed one sin, but you committed many" — meaning that there is no person put to death for whom [his own sin] is lacking, for that is not absent from any person. Or, a third reason: it is that the holy soul, which is from above, cannot bear forever being separated from its Father in Heaven within turbid matter, unless it perfects itself through the commandments and ascends to its God; rather, it must wait until the matter is refined of its turbidity in the crucible of the earth, and then, at the resurrection, it will return to it. All the more so must a wicked person die, for it is a rectification for the holy soul within him, so that it returns to God who gave it, after it is purified upon its departure. Or, a fourth reason: is it not this, that a person does not recognize His greatness, blessed be He, in this world, because the evil inclination (yetzer hara) restrains him? Therefore, death is better for him than [the alternative]: were he to live and never see death at all, he would never perfect himself in doing the will of his Maker; therefore he dies, and thereby rests from his inclination and is purified of his guilt, and then, when he arises [at the resurrection], he will be devoid of the evil inclination. And this is similar to what our Sages, of blessed memory, said in Genesis Rabbah: Why was death decreed upon the righteous? So that they might rest from the battles of their inclination. And upon the wicked? So that they might cease provoking the Holy One, blessed be He. But behold, against each one of these four reasons there is a rebuttal. For behold, Moses — the man who went up to God and sat there with Hashem forty days and forty nights, this on three occasions — and who is purer from the turbidity of matter than he, whose body did not restrain him at all from that entire bliss, for he did not even eat bread, and his soul attained, through its bond with his body, [more] than any other person, to the point that it was only bound to depart from him at his passing? Now if [death exists] for that first reason, why did he die? And if for the second reason, why did the four die because of the counsel of the serpent, though they were pure of all sin and iniquity? And if for the fourth reason, why did Abraham our father die — and who did the will of his Maker as he did, to the point of preparing to slaughter his own son for His sake, so that his inclination was utterly subdued, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said regarding "and found his heart faithful" (Nehemiah 9:8) — that even his evil inclination served Hashem and was faithful to Him, blessed be He? If so, why did he too die? And if so, for what reason did all who come into the world die because of Adam's sin? Therefore it says, "All things come alike to all" — meaning that every part among the parts of "the all," all who derive from it, as befalls "the all," so too will befall it. And therefore, as Adam died, so shall all who derive from him die — do not wonder at the decree. For was he not comprehensive of all who were destined to come, since he was "the all," and all mankind is a part of him, as per the words of our Sages that we mentioned, that "the all" was contained within him, as in Hashem's statement to Job, "Where were you," etc. And therefore, when the root was struck, all its branches were struck. And this is [the meaning of] "all things come alike to all" — for it happens as it happened to Adam, who is "the all." And therefore one fate, namely the fate of death, encompasses both the righteous and the wicked. And not even one of the difficulties that arose regarding the four reasons we mentioned applies according to this reason. For according to those other reasons, the death of Moses was difficult to explain, as was the death of the four who died because of the serpent's counsel, and the death of Abraham. But according to this reason, it is valid that this fate applies to "the good one" — that is Moses, as taught homiletically in the midrash on "and she saw him, that he was good" (Exodus 2:2). And likewise, the death of the four pure ones — pure of sin — who died because of the serpent's counsel, is valid according to this; and of them it says "and to the pure one," who is pure of sin, for the shoots follow after the root. Also, it is valid to explain why Abraham, who was prepared to sacrifice his son, died like one who did not sacrifice — and this is what it says: "as the one who sacrifices, so is the one who does not sacrifice." And there is yet another difficulty resolved by this reason, which was not resolved by the other reasons — namely, that according to all of them it is difficult to explain why He, blessed be He, does not make a distinction between the death of the righteous and the death of the wicked, lest people err and say that "the righteous and the wicked are the same" — for behold, as is the death of this one, so is the death of that one. But now, since it is all due to the root having been struck, it is not surprising that they are equal in death, since the occurrence of death for both of them is for one reason — and this is why it says "as the good one, so the sinner" — meaning that, by virtue of the reason stated, it is valid that the fate is the same for the good one as for the sinner. For if not so, the death of the one who swears, who thereby destroys the world, would not be fitting — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said regarding "because of swearing the land mourns" (Jeremiah 23:10) — and they also said that when the Holy One, blessed be He, said "You shall not take [Hashem's name in vain]" (Exodus 20:7), the world trembled, along with the fate of the death of one who fears an oath. And this is why it says "as the good one," etc., and does not say "to the good one, to the sinner, to the one who swears, to the one who fears an oath," in the order of the preceding clauses. And also, according to this approach, it is valid to explain why it did not say "and to the good" with a conjunctive vav, etc., after saying "to the righteous and to the wicked" — in general, it began with the specific details for the reason mentioned.

"All things come alike to all" — Everything will come to them just as it comes to everyone, and he then goes on to explain: "there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked," etc. "to the good" — the one who does good to people. "and to the clean" — one who thinks about matters of holiness. "and to the unclean" — one who thinks about disgraceful matters and levity. "and to the one who sacrifices" — sacrifices to Heaven. "as is the good, so is the sinner" — regarding the matter of chance, as it is with the good, so it is with the sinner, and as it is with the sinner, so it is with the good. "he who swears" — one who is accustomed to swearing, and does not worry lest he be unable to fulfill it. "as he who fears an oath" — one who refrains from swearing, because he fears lest he be unable to fulfill it.

"ka-tov ka-chotei" (as is the good, so is the sinner) — it comes with two comparative kaf's, indicating complete equivalence; likewise, "my people are as your people [ke-ammi ke-ammekha]" (I Kings 22:4).

The hearts of men are filled with evil. For they say that there is no judgment of retribution for the wicked. Everything is attributed to chance, [benefitting] sometimes the righteous, and sometimes the wicked. And afterwards they join the dead. And they ultimately descend to Gehinnom.

"This is evil" — There is nothing done under the sun more grievous than this; therefore "the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness is in their heart" throughout their life, while they are still alive. And it goes on to speak concerning the dead: "and after that, to the dead" — this ["after it"] refers back to "the heart of the sons of man" [i.e., after living, it goes to the dead]. And he said, in this matter, "the sons of man," for it is more grievous for all the young/lesser ones, because of their limited understanding.

He said: Behold, if there were no sufficient reason for the death of all who are born, it would not be surprising that the people do not tremble over the day of death - for, on the contrary, from this they would grow brazen to do evil, saying, 'Why should those who do not deserve to die, die for the sin of Adam?' - especially seeing that, as with the righteous so with the wicked, the death of this one is like the death of that one. But now that there is a valid reason [for death], the wonder is this: how can their heart be as gross as fat, that they do not tremble though they see death [all around them]? For who takes it to mind that he too will die, and takes it to heart to repent and correct what he has perverted? This is what he meant - like one groaning from his heart - 'this is evil': that is to say, this fate that I have spoken of is an evil encompassing everything that is done under the sun, for none escapes it except that which is above the sun, namely the all-encompassing daily sphere. Is this not [proven] by the fact that 'one fate befalls all' - namely, death? That is to say, why does no man take to heart that the cup will pass over him as well? And yet, despite all this, the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and death does not restrain them from it. Now, if this were true of them only while they are still at the birthstool - that is, children under thirteen years old, who have only one heart, namely the evil inclination (yetzer hara) - but that afterward, when the good inclination (yetzer hatov) arrives, they would take to heart the dread of death in order to correct themselves - I would say nothing [i.e., this would not trouble me]. But behold, at the outset, while they have but one heart, it is full of evil, for 'the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth' (Genesis 8:21). This is what he meant by 'and also the heart... is evil.' But the difficulty is that even once they have two hearts - the evil inclination and the good inclination, which comes from age thirteen onward - even then there is madness (holelut) in their heart(s); this is said of the time when they have two hearts, as is known from the difference between 'lev' [heart, singular] and 'levav' [heart, in its doubled form] - for 'levav' represents the two inclinations. For then they act madly and grow arrogant, being drawn after the good things of this world, which is called 'madness' (holelut), for they say that they wish to rejoice in their lives, and that after death they will [simply] go to the dead. This is what he meant by 'in their lives they hold fast to madness,' and after it - that is, after the aforementioned fate - '[they go] to the dead.' For in the joy of their lives they pay no heed to what comes after death: that they go to the dead, and not [join] with the righteous, who even in their death are alive.

"This is an evil," etc. — meaning: among all that is done in the world there is nothing as evil and harsh as this, that one and the same event happens to all the sons of men. "indeed also" — because of this, also the heart of the sons of men is full of thoughts of evil, to think that there is no providence and no judgment. "and madness" — all the days of their lives there is stupor and confusion of mind in their heart. "and after that" — after the stupor, they go down to the dead; meaning, the stupor does not leave them until they die and lie in the grave with the dead, and thus their hope and their expectation perish.

For to him that is joined to all the living, there is hope. For as long as he lives, even if he is wicked and he associates with the wicked, as it is stated, “to all the living,” [including] even the wicked, there is hope that he will repent before his death. — Notes: (13) See II Melochim 25:7. (14) For the lowliest person, as long as he is alive, can grow spiritually, whereas the wisest and most righteous who are dead cannot. (Metsudas Dovid) For a live dog is better than a dead lion. And they are both wicked. It was better for Nevuzaradan, who was a wicked slave and became a proselyte, that death did not overtake him sooner than Nevuchadnetzar, his master, who is called a “lion,” as it is stated, “A lion has come up from his thicket,” and who died in his wickedness, in Gehinnom, while his slave [Nevuzaradan] is in the Garden of Eden. Our Rabbis expounded upon this, that we may butcher a carcass for dogs on Shabbos, but a human corpse, lying in the sun, may not be moved unless one places a child or a loaf on it. — Notes: (15) The written text is יבחר [=will choose], to indicate that only those having the ability to choose have hope, but for the dead, being that they are unable to choose, all hope is lost. (Ibn Ezra)

"For to the one who..." — This is the thinking of the sons of man, who say that anyone who is joined to the living has confidence/security. And another interpretation: "for whoever is joined" — from among the dead, meaning: one should not be joined [again] together with all who have been separated from him; rather, only to all the living is there confidence, and not to the dead. And it is written "yivchar" (he will choose) [Ketiv], but its meaning [as read, "yechubar," he is joined] — for the dead cannot choose.

'For whoever is joined' etc. He said: Behold, that which I have resolved to say - that after the event of death they are lost - is [proven by the fact that]: who among them could be selected as one so good, so worthy of being chosen [as an exception to this]? For behold, all the living have the assurance to say that they will yet be rectified - and this goes without saying regarding one who already has some measure of merit; rather, even a brazen dog (an audacious, shameless dog), so long as he is alive, is better than a mighty lion who has conquered his [evil] inclination, once that lion has already died. And what I mean by saying that these people are 'dead in their lifetime' is this: the living know that they will die, and through this they return to Hashem; but the dead know nothing at all. Therefore I declare and say that those who do not remember death are not truly alive, but are rather dead, without feeling. And as for the good they have now, in that they pursue the revelries of the goods of this world - they consume their entire merit here, and there remains for them no further reward for any commandment they performed, for they have already consumed it in this world. And afterward, even their memory is forgotten, as is known from the sages of truth (the Kabbalists), that even there they forget, in that [other] world. This is what is meant by 'for their memory is forgotten.' And should you say: from the reward of mitzvot they indeed have no more, but they will still have [reward] from what they chose in this world - behold, then, when their memory is forgotten, so too is their love that they loved: the goods of this world, such as eating and drinking, joy and gladness, and the gathering of gold and silver and the like - which is that through which they sinned between man and the Omnipresent, and also that through which they sinned between themselves and their fellows, which came about through envy and hatred. Behold, all of this - already at that time - was lost from the very outset, for from the moment of their departure [from the world], everything is abandoned. In sum: they have no portion any longer, ever, in anything that is done under the sun in this world - neither from mitzvot nor from the goods of this world which they chose.

"For who" — of the sons of men, even if he is wicked and a sinner. "who is joined" — who joins himself to all the living, even if they too are wicked; nevertheless, as long as he is still alive he has assurance to inherit olam haba (the world to come) — perhaps he will take it to heart and repent before his death. "for a living dog" — of the living dog it is said that he is better than the dead lion; and it is as if to say, so it is among the sons of men, that the living is better than the dead, since the living has assurance.

For the living know that they will die. And perhaps they will be mindful of the day of death, and they will repent of their ways, but once they die, they do not know anything, and they no longer earn reward for the actions that they do from their death and onwards, for “whoever toils on the eve of Shabbos will [have what to] eat on Shabbos.” — Notes: (16) Yirmiyahu 4:7. (17) And even if they were to have perception, it is too late for them to repent. (Metsudas Dovid) (18) Alternatively, ואין להם עוד שכר כי נשכח זכרם means “there is no reward for them, when [= כי] their memory is forgotten,” i.e., when those who die leave no legacy of good deeds for others to follow. However, for the righteous who leave a legacy of good deeds for others to follow [i.e., their memory is not forgotten], there is further reward. (Kehilas Shlomo)

"For the living..." — The living, even if they are fools, know that they will die; but the dead, even if they are wise, know nothing at all, and they have nothing to hope for, for their name and their memory are forgotten.

"know that they shall die" — and therefore they fear judgment and regret their transgression. "know not any thing" — meaning, they have nothing to know, and there is no benefit in knowledge, for after death regret does not help. "neither have they any more a reward" — there is no longer any place to perform further mitzvot in order to receive the reward for the deed. "for the memory of them is forgotten" — rather, their memory is forgotten; for when a person is alive and regrets his transgression or performs a mitzvah, he is then remembered for good, which is not so with the dead.

Also their love. That they loved folly and scorn. [Also] their hate. That they hated knowledge. [Also] their jealousy. That they provoked the Holy One, Blessed Is He, with their [evil] deeds. And a portion they will never again have, etc., in anything that is done, etc. The merit of a son or a daughter did not avail those wicked men who worshiped idols, and they have no atonement after death.

"As well their love..." — [this refers to] when they were alive; and their hatred and their envy — they have no portion in the whole world, ever.

"As well their love... has long ago perished" — meaning, from now on there is no benefit in their having loved knowledge and hated wickedness and been zealous with the zeal of the Omnipresent, to be angered at those who transgress His will. "neither have they any more a portion," etc. — from now and forever they no longer have any portion in anything that is done in this world.

Go eat [your bread] in joy. But you, the righteous man, who the Holy One, Blessed Is He, has already accepted your good deeds and who will merit the World to Come, “go, eat [your bread] in joy.” — Notes: (19) See Maseches Avodah Zarah 3a.

"Go, eat..." — This is the speech of the heart of the sons of man, and it is madness/folly. And the meaning is: since the dead have no portion in the world, then while you are alive, "go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart," for these are the deeds that God wants (desires) you to do.

"Go your way" — After he found fault with those who pursue the good things of this world and its pleasures, he now comes and speaks in the singular, but [really means] one among the many who will incline his ear to his words, and he says, "Go, eat," etc., meaning: turn away from the aforementioned deeds of yours. And do not be vexed, thinking that I am about to command you to take on afflictions and harsh suffering, and to strip you of joy and gladness of heart, for you would not be able to bear it — for behold, even now, "eat your bread with joy"; that is to say, not superfluities, but rather you shall be content with bread, whatever your bread may be, and not [bread gained] through oppression, but rather [through] the toil of your hands that you eat; and then, eat with joy — rejoice in your portion, for "who is rich? One who is happy with his portion". Further, he intended: you shall not eat your bread with laughter and levity, but rather with joy, as stated — and not like an optional feast [without religious purpose]. And also from wine I will not restrain you; but beware, for excessive wine brings about the beginning of the yetzer hara's (evil inclination's) drawing of a person, [dragging him] down toward Sheol. Rather, drink it only on this condition: that it be "with a good heart." For every person has two hearts — the yetzer hara (evil inclination) and the yetzer tov (good inclination). When you drink, it should not be in conjunction with the yetzer hara, with the intention of [mere physical] pleasures and the like, but rather in conjunction with the good heart, which is the yetzer tov. And this is [the meaning of] "and drink your wine with a good heart" — that it should be for the delight of Sabbaths, Festivals, and the days of Purim, and for mitzvah feasts, and likewise with food, to sustain the constitution of your body in order to serve Hashem — for all of this is in the company of the yetzer tov. And moreover, this shall be "your wine" — your own — and not wine [obtained] through punishable acts and oppressions. And what I said, "eat with joy," etc., applies when God has already accepted your deeds — that is, when you have returned in repentance before your Maker through remorse and confession as is fitting, done out of love and not out of fear. And this is the statement of our Sages, of blessed memory, in the Gemara, that one who repents out of love — his willful sins are made into merits for him. And this is [the meaning of] "for [God] has already accepted" — that all your deeds have already become accepted and meritorious, which comes about through your having returned out of love, so that your earlier deeds — God has accepted them; in place of the fact that you once despised them, they have become accepted and meritorious. Or, the meaning of the verse is: "Go... with joy," etc., meaning: go and turn away from your aforementioned deeds — from the reveling of your heart in the good things of this world — for you shall repent of them; and if so, you shall transform the eating and drinking that you used to do for the pleasures of this world into service of Hashem: eating a piece of bread alone, of your own, with joy, being content with your portion, and drinking with a good heart, which is the yetzer tov, as has been said — for then God has already accepted your deeds, since through the bread and wine with which you used to sin you have now been turned to the good. Further, it is possible that he intended: as for what I said, "eat with joy," etc. — and I did not say that you should fast and weep over your sins — this is because I am speaking of one who has already had his deeds accepted by God through fitting repentance and its conditions, for after that you shall rejoice and exult in Hashem.

"Go, eat" — meaning, it is not fitting for you to grieve and afflict yourself, for "go, eat," etc. "for [God] has already accepted" — meaning, this is to say: if God has already accepted your deeds, in that you did what is good and right and your deeds are acceptable before the Omnipresent, then you shall delight and rejoice.

"lekh" (go) — this is an expression of "urging/exhortation." "ki" (for) — "if" (im).

At all times, let your garments be white. Prepare yourself at all times with good deeds, so that if you die today, you will enter [the Hereafter] in peace. And Shlomo likened this to a man whom the king invited for a day of feast, without setting a date for him. If he is wise or clever, he will immediately launder his garments, bathe, and anoint himself. And similarly [he will do] tomorrow until such time that he will be summoned to the feast, all this time his garments are white [=laundered] and he is bathed and anointed. So did our Rabbis expound it in Maseches Shabbos. — Notes: (20) Koheles addresses the righteous man to “go eat your bread in joy.” True happiness is achieved by eating “your own” bread that you have labored for, as indicated in Tehillim 128:2, “when you eat the labor of your hands you are praiseworthy and it is well with you.” Also, be satisfied with life’s basic necessities [represented by bread] without getting involved in life’s luxuries. Mesilas Yeshorim in Chapter 15 states, that once food has been swallowed, its memory is forgotten as if it had never existed, and therefore enough black bread will satiate one to the same extent as fattened swans. (21) According to Targum, ושמן על ראשך refers to a good reputation, i.e., do not lack a good reputation. (22) White garments were worn on festive occasions and are symbolic of purity.

"At all times..." — The early commentators (kadmonim) explained this as referring to a single matter: if you know that God has approved your deeds, "go, eat your bread with joy"; and you need your garments to be white — meaning that your deeds should not be sullied; and the meaning of "let oil not be lacking on your head" is that he should have a good name/reputation. And He commanded him to take a wife and not go astray after a strange woman; and "whatsoever your hand finds" of good to do in this world, do — for the world to come is not a world of deed, but rather a world of recompense. But the correct interpretation is that the verses above and below are connected, and this is the speech of the heart of the sons of man, as if [the heart] were speaking with its own soul — "his heart" being a term standing in for his soul — and it says: eat and drink, wear clean garments, anoint yourself always with oil, and rejoice with the wife whom you desire — and all these are pleasures of the body alone.

"at all times" — you shall also delight in clean clothing, and at all times your garments shall be white and clean, and upon your head oil shall not be lacking, for at all times you shall anoint your head with oil in order to delight.

See [to enjoy] life with the wife you love. See and understand to learn a skill by which to earn a livelihood, together with Torah study that you possess. — Notes: (23) 153a. (24) See Maseches Kiddushin 30b. For that is your portion in life. If you have done so, your share will be life in this world, by earning a livelihood from the skill, and in the World to Come, because laboring in both [i.e., work and Torah study] causes sin to be forgotten. — Notes: (25) Alternatively, אשה refers to one’s soul [=נשמה]. (Alshich)

"Enjoy life," etc. — Or he may mean: behold, every person has three "wives" — nefesh, ruach, neshamah (the three levels of the soul) — and the most beloved of them all is the neshamah, and not every person merits it; only those of very great perfection [do], and even they do not [attain it] quickly, but only after many years. He [Kohelet] says: Behold, I commanded you regarding merit, to be wholehearted from your beginning, and I now add and say: you shall gain even more — to the point that not only will this give you light in the World to Come after your soul departs from this world, but [you shall] "enjoy life" here, with the wife whom you loved and desired — she is the neshamah — if possible, all the days of the life of your vanity in this world. For through her, [these days] shall be called "days of life" — whereas until now, what Hashem gave you to live in this world were nothing but all the days of your vanity, and not days of life; for they [now] shall acquire vitality and true being, for through her it shall be said of you, "for that is your portion." And He, may He be blessed, shall be called your portion. This may be understood by attending to the verse, "Hashem is my portion, says my soul," and the verse, "I said, Hashem is my portion," etc. For it is just the reverse: behold, He, may He be blessed, is the whole, and the soul of the righteous is [merely] a part proceeding from Him, blessed be He — so how can one say, "Hashem is my portion"? But indeed, this is the way of the part: to desire and be drawn after the whole, and it is not reversed. However, this is His kindness, blessed be He, toward the perfected one [the righteous person] — that He desires the part more than the part desires Him. For this is why our Sages, of blessed memory, said: Why were the Matriarchs barren? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, longs for the prayer of the righteous — and so too regarding the acceptance of repentance, and His crediting a good intention as though it were a deed, and there is no end to such examples. And regarding this the composer of the Lament (Eichah) said, "Hashem is my portion, says my soul" — meaning: I see that He, blessed be He — the whole — desires me, the part, as though He were my portion; therefore I will hope, and I will not despair of [His] mercies. And likewise David says, "I said, Hashem is my portion" — so that an a fortiori inference follows: "I will keep Your words" — for since He, blessed be He, the whole, desires me, how much more should I [desire] You; therefore I will keep Your words with desire. Now let us come to the point: he [Kohelet] says that through your attaining the neshamah, He will desire you so greatly that He will be, as it were, joined to you as a portion — and this is [the meaning of] "for that is your portion." And this is the bond that He, blessed be He, will have with you — whether you are alive and occupied with Torah and mitzvot, or whether you are occupied with your labor in which you toil in matters that are "under the sun" — that is, worldly affairs whose character is "under the sun" — in all of these you shall remain attached to the neshamah and to Him, blessed be He, so long as it is labor necessary for you, and you do not make worldly matters your primary concern.

"see life" — now he speaks in general terms: see to it that your life be life, meaning, to delight in what is good, for a life of suffering is not called life. "with a wife" — you too shall delight, and also the wife whom you loved to take as your wife — her eye shall not begrudge you — therefore with her you shall delight all the days of the life of your hevel (vanity/breath) which the Omnipresent has apportioned and given you to live in the world (and he calls the days of a person's life "the days of the life of hevel" because they are not eternal). Or it means: dwell in peace with your wife, so that your life be life, for a life of quarreling is not called life. "all the days of your vanity" — so shall you conduct yourself all the days of your hevel. "for that" — this thing alone is your portion in the days of life, and no more. "and in your labor" — in all the toil and exertion in which you toil in this world, you have no portion in them except this alone.

Whatever you are able to do. The will of your Maker— as long as you have your strength—do. — Notes: (26) See Mishnayos Avos 2:2. For there is neither deed, etc., in the grave. For your merit after you die, and if you did so, you have no reckoning in the grave to worry about. The [text of the] verse is transposed [meaning], “for there is neither deed nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave for the wicked, nor reckoning for the righteous, when the wicked give an accounting and reckoning, and so is it expounded in the Midrash. And one who interprets it without transposing it, but according to its apparent meaning, interprets ‘חֶשְׁבּוֹן’ as an expression of “thought,” what more can he still do to exempt himself from judgment. — Notes: (27) Alternatively, whatever charity and good deeds you are able to do, do them with all your strength. (Targum) (28) For them to use as an excuse for their sins. (29) I.e., once one is in the grave, there is nothing more he can think of doing to exempt himself from judgment.

"Whatsoever..." — Everything that you find to do of matters of pleasure, do; for there is [only] deed, but no reckoning about the deed, and no thought, and no knowledge, and no wisdom, in Sheol, which is the grave. For Sheol applies also to the righteous, [as] with him, as in "for I will go down to my son, mourning, to Sheol" (Genesis 37:35).

Behold, this verse appears, heaven forbid, to loosen the reins of restraint; but it may be explained by what we know: that our Sages of blessed memory said that when the righteous person departs from the world, they lead him through Gehinnom, so that the relatives who are worthy to ascend by his merit may ascend together with him, as is known. Now, some of the righteous had a fear lest, as they passed through, some arousal of the attribute of judgment come upon them on account of some matter in which they fell short of perfection. This is why Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said, moreover, "I do not know by which path they are leading me," whereas David the king, peace be upon him, boasted that he was confident of this, saying, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil," etc. (Psalms 23:4). Now let us come to the matter. He [Solomon] said: lest you say in your heart, "Your warnings upon me are many; I will labor with kishron (skill/proficiency) all the days of my hevel (vanity/fleeting breath)," and then, behold, what shall I do if it happens that all this does not avail me? For is there not, indeed, no end to the fulfillment of the commandments? And who is the man who departs from the world with all six hundred and thirteen commandments in hand [fulfilled], or with all the knowledge and wisdom of the Torah in hand — not even half of it, not even one part in a thousand of it — for it has no end or limit, resembling God who gave it? And behold, I know that if I pass through Gehinnom, which is the place of all the forces of wrath, they will demand of me only what I was able to do; but as I pass through there, perhaps there will be some stirring [of judgment] against me over some matter, and I will be seized. He said: do not fear. For behold, whatsoever your hand finds to do by your strength, according to your ability and the strength of your effort — do it, and do not fear. For behold, there is no such thing as "deed and reckoning" whereby they would ask of you only that you perpetually do commandments, and also a reckoning of them all — that is to say, "Why did you not complete the reckoning of all the commandments?" For after you have spent your days in the performance of the commandments, you are not obligated to complete them all. Likewise, they do not ask of you complete knowledge and wisdom; for if your mind's capacity did not attain to both of them together, but only to one of them, they ask only what you were able to do. And lest you say: if only they would not lead me by way of Sheol, I would not fear — as was said above — this is why it says "in Sheol" with the cantillation note zakef gadol, like one who raises his voice and says: "Are you afraid of Sheol? There is no fear! For Sheol has no power to rule or to be aroused against you, except when they lead you to Sheol; but not when you go there yourself, which is to benefit others." And this is the meaning of "where you go" — for since it is you who go there, and they do not lead you, do not fear.

"Whatsoever," etc. — while you are still alive, do all that your hand attains to do by your strength, whether it be the performance of mitzvot or the performance of pleasures. "for there is no work... in the grave" — for when you are in the grave, there is no performance of pleasure and no thought of understanding and knowledge of wisdom there. "where you go" — since at every moment the day of death draws nearer, to arrive at the grave, therefore it says "where you go," as though you were walking, drawing near to the grave.

"timtza" (attains) — "you shall reach and be able" (tassig ve-tukhal). "ve-cheshbon" (nor device) — a reckoning of understanding (machshevet binah). "bi-she'ol" (in the grave) — "in the burial place" (ba-kever).

Again I saw. Like ‘זָכוֹר’[=remebering continually], wedant in O.F. The race is not to the swift. Isohel’s swiftness did not avail him when his time [to die] arrived. — Notes: (30) See II Shmuel 2:18. (31) His swiftness allowed him to catch up with Avneir, who killed him. See II Shmuel 2:23. Nor the battle to the strong. Avner’s might did not avail him when his day [to die] arrived. Nor does bread [come] to the wise. For example, I, whose daily bread was “thirty kor of fine flour, etc.,” and now, “this [was] my portion [reward] from all my labor,” my staff and my cup. — Notes: (32) I Melochim 5:2. (33) Above 2:10. Being wise is no guarantee for having food. Metsudas Dovid) Nor riches to men of understanding. Such as Iyov. In the beginning, “His livestock consisted of, etc.,” But when his time came, he said, “Have pity on me, you, my friends.” — Notes: (34) Iyov 1:3. (35) Ibid. 19:21. Alternatively, this phrase is connected with the preceding one. The reason that bread does not come to the wise is because wealth is not bestowed upon men of understanding, for if it were, they would share their wealth and provide the wise with bread so they would not lack anything. (Hafla’ah) Nor favor to the learned. Referring to Moshe; there was no one more knowledgeable or wiser than he in Yisroel, and yet he did not find favor with his prayer to enter the land [of Yisroel]. — Notes: (36) Alternatively, knowledge does not always earn only the acclaim of his fellow man. For time and chance. [To be interpreted] as its apparent meaning. Another explanation: “For time” will befall them, and to entreaty and supplication they should be accustomed, that these things should not befall them. — Notes: (37) Alternatively, “for time and death [=פגע] happen to them all.” (Metsudas Tzion)

"I returned" — Solomon said: I retracted and went back on what I had said in praising joy, and on [my claim] that the good which a person should seek is pleasure; because a person cannot rejoice in the wealth of this world, nor take pleasure in it, for I have seen the swift stumble, and those who have no strength to run flee and escape. "nor the battle to the mighty" — like the matter of "a mighty man is not delivered by great strength" (Psalms 33:16). "nor yet bread to the wise" — for it would be fitting for them to rule over fools, yet they are poor, and the matter is reversed most of the time. "nor yet favor to men of skill" — regarding the matter of governance, that people would love him and turn to obey him. "but time and chance happen to them all" — the meaning of "them all" is: the wise, the fools, the mighty, and the weak. And what seems correct in my eyes is that "them all" refers back only to those just mentioned. And the matter is that it is not in a person's power to bring this about; and the proof is that the wise, the possessors of knowledge, the masters of crafts, have no bread, while those who say, "whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your strength," commit folly, and the matter shall not stand. And the interpretation of "time" [et] is that which exists in the configuration of the supreme, first order [of the heavens]; and the interpretation of "chance" [pega] is the encounter of one member of that order with one of the seven [planets], which is the half [aspect], and its half before it and after it, and its third [aspect], and its half before it and after it. And know that the word et is missing a nun, and now I will explain: know that in the Holy Tongue there is no letter that is reversed, exchanged, absorbed, added, or removed except for the letters alef, heh, vav, yod, as Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi David, the grammarian, of blessed memory, explained. And the letter nun is found, at the beginning [of a word], absorbed and missing, and likewise in the middle and at the end: as in naso ["to journey"], whose nun is absorbed into the following dagesh, [as in] va-yisa ["and he journeyed"]; and likewise va-yisa ["and he lifted"], va-yiten ["and he gave"], va-yita ["and he planted"], va-yidor ["and he vowed"], va-yipol ["and he fell"], va-yigof ["and he struck"], va-yibol alehu ["and its leaf withered"]. And in the participle the nuns all appear: nosea ["traveling"], nosei ["lifting"], notein ["giving"], notei'a ["planting"], noder ["vowing"], nofel ["falling"], nogef ["striking"], novel ["withering"]. And in the imperative the nuns are missing, as in kumu se'u ["arise, journey"], se'u et rosh ["lift up the head," i.e. take a census], tenu yad la-Hashem ["give a hand to Hashem"]. And sometimes the nuns remain in their [normal] form, as in naflu aleinu ["they fell upon us"]. And in the middle [of a word], it is found absorbed as a second nun in the word shtei ["two," feminine construct], for it derives from [the same root as] lo ashaneh lo ["I will not alter it"]; and likewise bat ["daughter"] is missing the nun that appears in ben ["son"]; and likewise et ["time"] is [really] enat, and similarly, in the words of our sages of blessed memory: onah ["a set time"]; and likewise in the Aramaic language: ve-cha'ets ve-cha'anat. And the dagesh of the tav in ito ["its time"] serves to absorb the nun, like the dagesh of the tav in hato, and the nun of ani ["I"] in the word atah ["you"]; and likewise chitim ["wheat"] — both of these [phenomena] are apparent in Aramaic. And the tav of amito ["its truth"] — for its root is from emunah ["faithfulness"], and the tav is a feminine marker, as is shown by "and truth was found wanting" (Isaiah 59:15); and likewise the tav of et is a feminine marker, as this shows. And by this grammatical rule there remains la'ut et ya'ef ["to sustain the weary," Isaiah 50:4] alone, without a parallel in Scripture.

"I returned, etc." — Now, it would have been possible to explain that the attainment of the things sought can be attributed either to diligence and effort, or to nature, or to chochmah (wisdom) — and within chochmah there are three aspects: chochmah (wisdom), tevunah (understanding), and da'at (knowledge), which are stated regarding Betzalel, "and He filled him, etc." (Exodus 31:3). Concerning effort it says, "the race is not to the swift"; concerning nature it says, "nor the battle to the strong"; concerning chochmah it says, "neither yet bread to the wise"; concerning binah it says, "nor yet riches to men of understanding"; and concerning da'at it says, "nor yet favor to men of skill" — meaning, favor in the eyes of the Creator, to complete what they sought, since they had attained the level of da'at, which comes after chochmah and binah — "for time, etc." But according to the flow of the passage, it is more correct to explain this with regard to man's self-perfection, [bringing him] to his completion, to give a judgment and accounting before his Maker. The matter is this: what a person receives from his teacher is called the nechamah (comfort/sustenance) of Torah, which is the primary thing; but this is not sufficient until he perfects himself in binah, [deriving] one matter from within another. And above this is one who attains the third level, which is the last of the three ranks that were found in Betzalel, as it is written, "and He filled him, etc., with chochmah, with tevunah, and with da'at" (Exodus 31:3) — these are the three [attributes] with which He, may He be blessed, created the world, as it is said, "Hashem founded the earth with wisdom; He established the heavens with understanding; by His knowledge, etc." (Proverbs 3:19-20). Let us now come to the matter itself. Among the people who come into this world: there is one who comes to perfect himself in positive commandments, which he needs to complete in this incarnation (gilgul); and there is one who [needs] to perfect himself by guarding against negative commandments; and there is one who [needs] to perfect himself in chochmah, which is the "bread" of Torah; and there is one [who needs to perfect himself] in tevunah, to attain a vast abundance of the details of Torah, and this is called "riches," as we have written concerning "and the abundance of the rich does not let him sleep" (Ecclesiastes 5:11); and there is one who comes to perfect himself in the third level, which is da'at, as was the case with Betzalel — this being the attainment of a level above chochmah and binah, namely the attainment of the higher secrets, on account of which he attains favor (chen) in the eyes of the Blessed One for his attachment to the essence itself. Now, regarding the first category — one who needs only the positive commandments, since he is not among those who sin through negative commandments, and the perfection he needs is [fulfilling] positive commandments — there is one who does not exert himself in these in his youth, because he relies on his own alacrity, [thinking] that when the days of old age come, he will then be decisive and hasten and make haste, and will run like a gazelle to gather good deeds (ma'asim tovim) like dust. And regarding one whose needed perfection is to fight with his yetzer (inclination) so as to keep away from the transgressions to which he has grown accustomed — there is likewise one in this category who relies [on the future] and toys with the idea of not fighting his yetzer regarding negative commandments until the greater part of his days have passed, saying, "I am mighty as a lion to fight my yetzer, and even though I do not do so now, there is yet a vision for an appointed time (Habakkuk 2:3), and I will do it [then]." And regarding one whose need, according to the disposition of his soul, is to perfect himself in chochmah — he begins with laziness, saying that from now until the days of our years, seventy years (Psalms 90:10), he will attain and reach his goal; and likewise the understanding person delays until he comes to attain binah, until he is credited with "riches"; and likewise the one whose concern is da'at says in his heart, "I have already attained it, but to reach my goal, to be in favor in the eyes of the Blessed One, will come le'at lo (gradually, at its own pace), lasting until the very limit of human life." And concerning all of these, Solomon comes to say that not even one of them departs from the world with even half of his perfection in hand. For regarding the first: "the race is not to the swift" — to perform the commandments urgently at the end of his days, lest he not have the chance; and likewise "nor the battle to the strong," concerning the struggle with their yetzer — therefore one must act immediately, not allowing them to take root, for [only] in that way will he be able to prevail afterward. And likewise, regarding the second category, he will not have the chance to be among "the wise" who have the "bread" of Torah, for he will not complete the obligation that he needs according to the disposition of his soul; and likewise "nor riches to men of understanding," and also "nor yet favor to men of skill" — this is the fifth [category] — for he will not have the chance to reach this limit, because behold, "time" — that is, a time to die; and also "chance" (pega) — for before his time, the destroyer will strike him, in the manner of the teaching, "once permission has been given to the destroyer, it does not distinguish, etc." (cf. Bava Kamma 60a). It turns out that one of the two [fates] is unavoidable for him, and they will not be delayed, for no one knows the measure of his days; and sometimes what one reckons to be seventy years turns out to be forty, and so on. It turns out that even "time" itself becomes for him like "chance," relative to one who dies at seventy compared to one who dies at forty. And this is [the meaning of] "chance befalls them all" — for both "time" and "chance" alike are attributed to happenstance; even "time" itself, relative to one who has not reached the years of seventy, [becomes mere happenstance]. In such a way that for all five that were mentioned, there will be lacking the time to complete [their perfection], on account of their laziness.

"I returned, and saw" — I returned and saw in the world that pursuit did not avail the swift of foot, for they did not escape by fleeing from before the pursuer. "nor the battle to the strong" — valor did not avail the strong to attain victory in battle. "neither yet bread to the wise" — wisdom did not avail the wise to obtain the bread of their food. "nor yet riches to men of understanding" — understanding did not avail men of understanding to obtain riches. "nor yet favor to men of skill" — knowledge did not avail those who know many varied things, to find favor thereby in the eyes of people. "but time and chance" — an evil time and the mishaps of death happen to them all, the swift and the strong, etc.

"ki" (that) — "asher" (that/which). "ha-meruts" (the race) — from the language of "running" and "pursuing." "u-fega" (nor chance) — its meaning is "a deadly blow," as in "go, strike him down [pega bo]" (II Samuel 1:15). "yikreh" (happens) — from the language of "chance/happenstance" (mikreh).

As fish that are caught in a weak net. Like large fish that are caught in an inferior and weak net, and our Rabbis explained: This is a fishhook, which is no more than a type of needle, by which a large fish is caught. Like them, [men] are snared. With a small and weak trap, like the weak net and the snare. People stumble at the time of the visitation of their evil, when their time comes for evil to fall upon them suddenly, in an inferior trap, malweise in O.F. Like them. Like them.

"For also" — He said that time and chance prevent a person from doing what he wishes; and furthermore, there is another, harder matter: that it is possible for death to come upon him suddenly, without his knowing it; and he compared human beings to fish and to birds, which do not know [of the danger] until they have fallen [into the trap], and cannot be saved. And the word yukashim ["are ensnared"] is an adjective. Rabbi Yehudah the grammarian, of blessed memory, said [that there are] four words in Scripture that have no fifth [parallel], which follow the pattern of po'alim [active form] yet function as pe'ulim [passive]; and these are: ve-haseneh einenu ukal ["and the bush was not consumed," Exodus 3:2], im oti lukach me'itach ["if I be taken from you," 2 Kings 2:10], ve-regel mo'edet ["and a foot out of joint," Proverbs 25:19], and like these, yukashim bnei ha-adam ["the sons of men are ensnared"]. And Rabbi Yonah, may he rest in Eden, added another word, a fifth, which is la-na'ar ha-yulad ["to the child that is born," Judges 13:8]. And Rav Shmuel HaNagid said that the heh of ha-yulad stands in place of asher ["that/which"], like the heh of ha-holelah, with a past-tense verb form coming in place of a future. Rabbi Moshe HaKohen, may he rest in Eden, said that they are only four; therefore the word mo'edet should be removed from the count, and in its place should be the word ha-yulad, because, in their reckoning, yukashim, tukhal, ve-lukach, and ve-yulad are from transitive verbs, while mo'edet is from an intransitive verb. And he said that the shuruk [vowel] stands in place of a cholam, and it ought to have been on the pattern of u-vachomah hi yoshevet ["and she dwelt within the wall," Joshua 2:15]. And the mem of pit'om ["suddenly"] is added, and from [the same root] comes peta'im ["simple, naive ones"]; and likewise shilshom ["heretofore"]. And it is more correct that the mem is a marker, [as in] ha-yom ["today"] and etmol ["yesterday"].

He [Solomon] says: also in general terms, there is yet another sore evil for man — even for those who reach old age — namely, that man also does not know his time. And this is an open rebuke to all mankind, for how many and how many people are lazy about returning to Hashem and correcting their deeds, saying, 'the vision is yet for the appointed time' (Habakkuk 2:3), because death seems far off in their eyes, to the point that even if one should live seventy years, it will come upon him suddenly. And some of them say in their hearts that when they see themselves drawing near to death, then they will confess and turn back from their evil way, and they will call upon Him on high, and He will accept their repentance even in their haste. But behold, there are times when they will not merit to confess close to their death, for askara (a throat-choking illness) or something similar to it will come and strangle his throat, so that he cannot confess; and there are times when he is able to speak, but this is not the repentance that Hashem has chosen for him, because it stems from the fear of death, and it is not comparable to one who anticipates prayer before the trouble [arrives]. And this is the statement of Solomon: for behold, our Rabbis of blessed memory said, 'like fish,' etc. Let us come to the matter. He says: I am distressed over you, my brother — will you be lax about returning and correcting your deeds until the time of death? For behold, man also does not know his time, and you ought to return today, lest you die tomorrow or an hour from now; and do not say that you will confess and repent on the day of death. For behold, two things befall the sons of man: there are some who are caught, like fish, in an evil net — that is, a hook — who are seized by the barb in their throat; so is one who dies the death of askara or something similar to it, who is seized in his throat and cannot confess at all, and so he departs from the world without any repentance at all. And should you say: surely only eight in a thousand die in a manner that they cannot confess — to this he answers: and like the birds caught in the snare, whose way it is to chirp all the more in the bitterness of their soul once caught — so too it happens to man: he becomes ill with the sickness from which he will die, and his mouth and throat are open to confess. But even this is not sufficient, for just as the birds chirp only after they have been caught in the snare — for then is their way to chirp, whereas beforehand they were silent, and it does not help them, because they are already being led to their death — so it happens to you also now: before you were caught you were silent, and now that you are caught you chirp in the bitterness of your soul. And this is not a complete repentance, sufficient to be rescued from the hand of Sheol forever, for the judgment of Gehinnom will not entirely depart from them for some time — unlike one who had repented before the time of death, who is properly shielded every day and every hour. Behold, these are the two categories by which the sons of man are ensnared, in these two ways — for even the second is not good, how much more so the first. And this is [the meaning]: granted that 'for an evil time' refers to the appointed time of death, 'when it falls upon them suddenly' — that death was not always before him, so that it comes suddenly, because he forgot it, and it falls upon them suddenly — unlike others who did not forget it. Or, he may mean: 'for man also does not know,' etc. — that is: have I not told you that time and chance befalls them all (Ecclesiastes 9:11)? And now will you seek a pretext and say that man does not know his time, and therefore he repeats his folly innumerable times and is lax about returning? But had Hashem arranged for man to know his time, would he not from afar prepare provisions for his journey and correct his crookedness in the corridor (perozdor) in order to enter the banquet hall (traklin)? He answers: also in this you are not right, I will answer you. Is it not that even though man does not know his own time, he should look at what befalls others, and see, and take instruction (musar)? For behold, like fish that are caught, etc., and like birds, etc. — so are the sons of men, others besides himself, ensnared for an evil time. And why does he not take from them a lesson of wisdom (musar ha-sekhel) — that they die without attaining the fulfillment of their desire? For he is swept away by desire for this world from his youth, and sometimes he attains the good of this world, yet beneath it lies the mark of his ruin — like fish caught in an evil net, which is a hook, as explained above: for on the point of the barb of the hook there is food, which he eats and desires, and he does not know that beneath it lies the barb, which will pierce his throat, and he will die. So too, out of desire for the good things of this world, which are good as food, he will die afterward. And there are some who, before they even enjoy the good things, die — and this is like the birds caught in the snare, in which a kernel of wheat or barley is tied, and the bird comes to peck at it and does not get to eat it, and is caught, and does not enjoy it. Behold, like these, the sons of men are ensnared without giving thought to death, and they despair of it, thinking it far off, until it comes upon them suddenly. It is also possible to explain that 'man does not know his time' applies even when he falls sick in his bed with the illness from which he will die: he does not know his time, that he is dying from that illness, and so he does not repent and confess, thinking that this is nothing but the result of having eaten food that harmed him, and he makes a remedy to purge it. And this is like the fish caught on the hook: for on the point of the barb, food is placed, and the fish swallows it; and when it is caught, it thinks that the food harmed it, and does not know that beneath it lies the barb, and it exerts itself to pull itself backward — and the more it exerts itself, the more it endangers itself, for thereby the barb becomes more deeply embedded in its throat. So likewise man thinks that it is from the food that he is sick, and does not know that beneath it lies the sin (avon), which is what is coming to bring death upon him. And whatever remedies he makes to be healed from the food, without removing the sin, only make it worse. And some attribute it to weariness and exertion — thinking that he went to such-and-such a place to seek his livelihood and grew weary, or that the air of that place harmed him — and he does not pay attention that it is the sin that is the true cause. And this is like the birds caught in the snare, which walked on their feet in pursuit of the wheat and barley that is in the snare, and are trapped by their feet, and the bird thinks that its walking there was the cause, and does not know that to the Angel of Death it makes no difference whether it is here or there.

"For [man] also" — before the time and the mishap come, man does not know the time of their coming, for they come suddenly. "as the fishes" — like the fish that are suddenly caught in an evil, painful net, and like the birds that are suddenly caught in a snare. "even so" — like these, so a snare comes suddenly upon the sons of men, at the time evil comes, when it falls upon them suddenly.

"she-ne'echazim" (that are taken) — from the language of "seizing" and "catching." "ba-metzodah" (in the net) — from the language of "hunting" (tzayid); it is like a net with which one hunts. "ra'ah" (evil) — meaning "painful/hurtful." "ba-pach" (in the snare) — this is "the net/trap." "kahem" (even so) — "like them" (kemotam). "yukashim" (snared) — from the language of "mokesh" (trap/snare).

"This also" — because he said "nor yet bread to the wise" [9:11], he now says the opposite matter, to praise the wise man.

Our Sages of blessed memory (Chazal) said: "a small city" (Ecclesiastes 9:14) — this is the body; "and few men within it" — these are its limbs; "and there came against it a great king" — this is the evil inclination (yetzer hara). And why does it call the evil inclination "great"? Because he is greater than the good inclination (yetzer tov) by thirteen years. "And besieged it," and "built against it great siege-works" — like kamnon and ikmon (siege-engines); "and found in it a poor wise man" — this is the good inclination. And why does it call him "poor"? Because he is not found among all creatures, and most of creation does not heed him. "And he delivered the city by his wisdom," etc. Now this is very difficult, for their words appear to contradict one another. For it said that the evil inclination precedes [the good inclination] by thirteen years — so how can it then say afterward that the king is the evil inclination, and that he found the poor man who is the good inclination? Surely it should be the reverse, for it is the good inclination, who comes later, who finds the one who preceded him! And furthermore, how can Solomon say of his wisdom, "it seemed great to me"? Is that which is true of every righteous person — that the good inclination subdues the evil inclination — something that should seem wondrous in his eyes alone? However, to come to the matter, let us pay attention to the language of the verse: it should properly have said "poor and wise" (masken ve-chacham) with a vav [the conjunction "and"], not "poor wise" without it. But behold, he said above, "the race is not to the swift," etc. (9:11), whose meaning, as we have written, is to teach us understanding, that we should not put off using our capability until old age — for in the race, within but a few days, many people already grow careless about their own required alacrity; for once the evil inclination has become rooted and grown strong, who can withstand it? And from this matter comes forth an arrogant statement from the mouth of a man who has gone to excess in wickedness, who speaks and says: "What is the use of my returning to array myself against the evil inclination, after the king has grown strong over all my limbs for so many years, and has multiplied transgressions — each one of which becomes an angel of destruction, and they stand like mighty towers against the good inclination, serving as a help against him (cf. Genesis 2:18) to cause a person to sin, for one transgression drags another after it"? And therefore he despairs of repentance (teshuvah), Heaven forbid. And should one also act so as to put faintheartedness into the hearts of those who come to repent? But is this not fatal thinking? For how many have been seen in the land who sinned wickedly to no end, and yet girded themselves against their own inclination and prevailed, even though it possessed all its many and mighty powers — like Rabbi Elazar ben Dordaya, Yokim Ish Tzerudot, and Menasheh son of Chizkiyahu, and others like them! Therefore he [Solomon] returns and says: "Even though I have said not to relent until the evil inclination has grown very great, do not despair of mercy. For behold, this too I have seen: the wisdom of the good inclination is like 'a poor and wise child' (cf. Ecclesiastes 4:13) under the sun." But I have not set this down as a general rule that would explain why it is great to me but for someone else it would not be so great; rather, [I say it] because my own inclination is greater than others', for whoever is greater than his fellow, his inclination is greater than his. And he explains what this great wisdom of the good inclination is: that the body is "a small city," and "the men within it" — few — are its limbs; and "there came against it a king" — this is the evil inclination; "and besieged it" with all his powers, and "built against it great and mighty siege-works" — these are the vast multitude of destroyers that he amassed by committing many great transgressions, which are like siege-works and mighty towers, so as not to allow the good inclination to cross into his territory. Now, by what way could the good inclination destroy him and break down and demolish his whole structure? And he said that he saw under the sun that it happened that the evil inclination found the good inclination — the poor one, deprived of the help of the limbs and of the mitzvot — yet found him so wise, to such a degree, that despite all the fortifications of the evil inclination, he delivered the city from his hand by his wisdom — and this is astonishing. In such a way that the intent is not that the evil inclination discovered the very existence of the good inclination — for surely he preceded him [in time] — but rather that he found him so wise that he defeated him by his wisdom and delivered the city from his hand. And he is like Rabbi Elazar ben Dordaya and others like him. And lest you say: if the power of the poor good inclination is so fine, how is it that the wicked multiply in the world, and the power of their good inclination lacks the strength to turn against the pursuer and destroy him? Do not wonder at this, for behold, "man did not remember that poor man" (Ecclesiastes 9:15) — meaning that the power of the wisdom of the good inclination does not have the strength to offer itself so freely by its own wisdom, unless a person comes to purify himself, in that he remembers his good inclination in his heart and arouses it — for then they assist his good inclination from Heaven. But "man did not remember that poor man" — for they forget him entirely, and by this means my strength is weakened.

"This also have I seen" — since he said above, "neither yet bread to the wise," he now returns to praise the wise man, as if to say: even though wisdom does not avail to obtain bread, nevertheless one should not cast wisdom aside, for "this also have I seen" — a matter of wisdom in this world. "and it seemed great" — this wisdom is significant in my eyes.

"A little city" — The early commentators said that this is by way of parable: "a little city" is the body of a person, and the "few men" within it are the powers of procreation, the servants of the soul; and the "great king" is the yetzer [the evil inclination]; and the "poor man" is the intellect. But what seems correct to me is that it is not speaking by way of parable, but rather according to its plain meaning; and its subject is the wise man who has no bread, and he himself is like the one of whom [Scripture says], "what does the poor man who is wise [have]?" (Ecclesiastes 6:8) — even though his wisdom does not benefit him in this world most of the time, there are nonetheless times when his wisdom benefits him more than a kingdom. He said "a little city," corresponding to [what follows]: "and there came against it a great king with a large force," and there were few men in it, and it was situated in a low place, such that [the besieger] could build siege-works against it higher than it; and so there was no doubt that it would be captured, with none to save it. And the word metzudim ["bulwarks"] — like le-matzad David (1 Chronicles 11:7), metzudat Tziyon (2 Samuel 5:7), and the mem is [part of] the root.

"a little city" — I saw a little city, and it is an easy matter to conquer a little city, since it is possible to surround it. "and few men within it" — to fight against the enemy coming upon it. "and there came against it" — to conquer it. "a great king" — meaning, with a great people. "and built [bulwarks] against it" — above it, and higher than it, he built great fortifications in height, so that they might climb up on them to hurl stones and instruments of destruction down into the city below; and it is as if to say, this being so, there is no doubt that the city would be captured.

"metzodim" (bulwarks) — as in "rocky strongholds [metzedot sela'im]" (Isaiah 33:16).

Yet no person remembered. No one attributed any importance to him.

"And there was found in it a poor man" — [mesucan, "poor"] is an adjective, and misconut ["poverty"] is the [abstract] noun, and the mem is added, and this form is known in Aramaic. And the meaning of "yet no man remembered" is that that wise, poor man had no remembrance in the mouths of the people of the city formerly, before he saved them. Some grammarians said that "remembrance" is not a matter of the mouth, and the matter is that every instance of zecher and yizkor is remembrance of the heart, while the word azkirah, which is from the heavy [intensive] conjugation, refers to [remembrance] in the mouth; and they needed to explain in this way [the verse] "the chief cupbearer did not remember" [Joseph] (Genesis 40:23) — that he [Joseph] did not come up upon his heart; and the word "and he forgot him" is then a duplicate expression [of the same idea]. But what seems more correct to me is that the word "remembrance" sometimes refers to the heart and sometimes to the mouth, and this is shown by "and the burden of Hashem you shall mention no more" (Jeremiah 23:36), whose meaning is: "and you shall no longer mention to me by mouth the phrase 'burden of Hashem'" — for what would be the sense of "let not the remembrance of a burden come up upon your heart"?

"and there was found in it" — There was found within the city a poor man who was extremely wise, and he, by his wisdom, delivered the city from the hand of the king who came against it. "yet no man" — Before he delivered the city, none of the sons of man remembered that same poor man, for he was despised in everyone's eyes and his memory did not arise on people's lips. It is as if to say: had he been esteemed from the outset on account of his wisdom, it would not have been so wondrous that he delivered the city, for [prior] esteem would have contributed to the wisdom's effect; but since he was regarded as nothing at all, it follows that wisdom alone accomplished this.

"misken" (poor) — "poor and destitute," as in "a poor [misken] child" (above, 4:13).

And [yet] I said. When I saw this, “Wisdom is better than might,” for this one’s wisdom was despised by all, but now, they were all rescued through him. The Midrash Aggadah [expounds as follows]: A small city. This is the body. — Notes: (38) See Maseches Nedarim 32b. With few men within it. These are the limbs of a person. A mighty king. This is the evil inclination, which all his limbs feel. A poor [wise] man. This is the good inclination.

"Then I said: Wisdom is better than strength" — even though the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded, nevertheless, at the time of need, wisdom accomplishes what the mighty cannot accomplish. And the word "and [the poor man's] wisdom" is missing an [implied] "im" ["though"], as if it said: "...and though the wisdom of the poor man is despised..." — like the construction ve-tzamit ve-halachta el ha-kelim ["and when you are thirsty, go to the vessels," Ruth 2:9, understood as] "and if you are thirsty"; and there are many [examples] like these.

He speaks by way of a dialectical argument: "I, Solomon, said in my heart" — this being an aspect of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) — [wondering:] What is this, that a person inclines after the counsel of the yetzer hara (evil inclination) rather than after the counsel of the yetzer tov (good inclination), even though the latter is wisdom, while the words of the yetzer hara are folly, and it knows not what it is about? For who does not know that its counsels are meant to destroy him? But this is so for two reasons. The first: because "the wisdom of the poor man is despised" — for it [the yetzer tov] counsels a person only by way of humiliation: that he should be despised in his own eyes, disdained, seeing that he comes from a putrid drop and is going to a place of dust, worm, and maggot; that he should wear sackcloth and spread out ashes as his bed, afflict himself with fasting, and weep day and night over having sinned against his own soul. Now an arrogant man finds no pleasure in this wisdom, for it is a wisdom of degradation. But the yetzer hara instead says to him: "Eat of the rich foods, and drink sweet things, and dress in scarlet with finery," with pride and haughtiness of heart, [as if to say] "for who is like you?" — and so people incline after it. And there is a further, second reason, namely that "his words are not heeded." This is because: had the yetzer tov urged and pursued a person, [demanding] that he heed its counsel, just as the yetzer hara does — never resting until the matter is accomplished — then all the people would be righteous. But in fact the yetzer tov only hints, as it were in an offhand manner, whereas the yetzer hara behaves like the master of the house, domineering — indeed lording it over all the limbs, the men of its counsel, almost shouting and rebuking them. And this is [the meaning of] "and his words are not heeded" — for they are heard only just barely, by way of a hint, the very opposite of the yetzer hara. Therefore the Holy Spirit answers him and says: Do not say that the words of the yetzer tov are not heeded, for the reason they are not heeded is only that a person rushes headlong, immediately, after the counsel of his evil inclination. But were a person to say, "What is this haste? It would be good — good indeed — that I be calm and settle my mind, and consider whether I should act or refrain," then he would indeed hear the words of the yetzer tov in truth. For "the words of the wise, spoken gently, are heeded" — when spoken gently, they are heeded more than "the cry of a ruler" — that is, the yetzer hara — "among fools," namely the limbs, the simple ones who are drawn after it. For you said that its voice is heard as one who rebukes and shouts at the limbs, who are its servants, to carry out its will — the opposite of the yetzer tov, whose voice is not heard [in that way]. Know that through calmness it will be heeded more than the cry of a ruler is heeded among those subjugated to him. And lest you say: even though I remain calm and settle myself to hear what the yetzer tov will speak within me, is it not within the power of the yetzer hara to have with it weapons of war with which to fight the yetzer tov? — these being all the forces of impurity that were brought into being through one's sins, which assist it, for "one transgression drags [another] transgression" after it, this being through those very forces, as explained by us elsewhere — do not fear, for behold, "wisdom is better" — the wisdom of the yetzer tov is better than the weapons of war of its adversary. And what is this wisdom? Is it not this: that a single sin can destroy much good. And this is [based on] what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "A person should always view himself as though he were half liable and half meritorious, and as though the whole world were half [liable and half meritorious], etc. If he commits a single transgression, woe to him, for he has tipped the whole world onto the scale of guilt; if he performs a single commandment, fortunate is he, for he has tipped the whole world [onto the scale of merit], etc." And this is what the yetzer tov places in a person's heart, so that he may stand against all the weapons of war that have been aimed with hairsbreadth precision to make him sin (lit. "miss the mark") — and this is prudent counsel.

"Then I said" — Seeing this, I said, wisdom is better than strength, since it was by means of wisdom that the city was delivered from the hand of the mighty king. "yet the poor man's wisdom is despised" — For behold, wisdom alone accomplished this, since the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not accepted, and he did not acquire esteem on account of his wisdom; thus there was in him no [prior] esteem that could have contributed to the wisdom's effect in delivering the city.

Are received with pleasure. They are accepted by mankind. — Notes: (39) Alternatively, the words of the wise [spoken] gently are heard, i.e., בנחת [gently] modifies דברי [the spoken words of the wise] as opposed to בנחת נשמעים [=are received with pleasure]. (Metsudas Dovid) More than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Moshe passed away many years ago, yet his decrees are still accepted by Yisroel, and how many kings of the nations issue decrees over Yisroel, but their words do not endure.

"The words" — Some interpret the preceding verse [9:16, "Wisdom is better than might"] this way: even though the wisdom of the poor man is despised, all the more so are his words heeded, since he speaks in a lowly, quiet voice, more than the words of a ruler among fools spoken in a shout; for the words of the wise are like nails planted in the soul. And some say: the words of a single wise man are not heeded until they are joined together with others. And some say that these wise men are wealthy. But what seems correct to me is that he is not speaking of one particular occasion, as I have explained; and even if the wisdom of the poor man is despised, there is a time when his words will be heeded more than the words of the king.

"are more acceptable... in quiet" — Even though he speaks quietly, without an outcry, his words are heard and accepted. "than the cry" — more than the words of the outcry of a ruler who is counted among the fools, meaning, one of the fools. (A thing said with an outcry is more urgent than a thing said quietly and in a low voice.)

"be-nachat" (in quiet) — meaning "in a low voice."

Wisdom is better than weapons of war. The wisdom of Serach, of whom it is stated, “And the woman then went to [all] the people, in her wisdom,” availed them more than the weapons that were in their hands, to wage war with Yo’av. — Notes: (40) Rashi apparently did not have כל in his version of the text. (41) II Shmuel 20:22. But one sinner destroys a multitude of good. Had she not slain Sheva the son of Bichri, they would all have been destroyed by him. — Notes: (42) Alternatively, the wisdom of Yaakov was more effective than Eisav’s weapons. (Midrash) Another explanation: But one sinner destroys a multitude of good. If Yisroel were half of righteous people and half of wicked ones, and one person came and sinned and made [the wicked] the majority, the result would be that he weighed them all down to be guilty. — Notes: (43) Alternatively, when a wise man becomes a sinner, many people will abandon their pursuit of wisdom by concluding that this person’s wisdom was of no avail. (Metsudas Dovid)

"Better" — Wisdom has no need of weapons of war. He has already said, "Wisdom is better than might" [9:16], meaning better than strength of heart, and it saves and protects a mighty man more than weapons of war do. Thus wisdom is found to save its possessor, and others together with him, as in the case of the men of the small city [9:14-15]. And the opposite of this: "but one sinner destroys much good" — and this refers back to the "ruler among fools" mentioned above.

"Wisdom is better" — More benefit comes from wisdom than comes from weapons of war, for by means of wisdom one can be saved from death more than he is saved by means of weapons of war. "but one sinner" — If among the possessors of wisdom there is found one sinner, then many withdraw their hands from wisdom, saying, 'What good did wisdom do for this sinner?' Thus this one sinner destroys much good, for on account of him many withdrew their hands from the wisdom that brings good.

"mi-klei krav" (than weapons of war) — "instruments of war," as in "who trains my hands for war [la-krav]" (Psalms 144:1).