I’ll be honest. Kohelet (known as Ecclesiastes) isn’t my favorite book in the Bible. It’s kind of a dismissive, almost depressing work, sobering and reflective but it is just not uplifting. Its for this reason that many communities read it on the Shabbos of Sukkot, to temper or keep in the check the joyous celebratory experience of “the festival of our rejoicing.” Maybe this is another reason why Chabad (always looking for ways to increase joy) doesn’t have this public-reading custom.
Having said that, there are some verses in Kohelet that pop right off the page, they jump out at me, for their extraordinarily meaningful message or for the uplift. Many verses are familiar to me from Talmudic passages or Chassidic texts. I’ll try to share a few here.
All rivers flow into the sea (1:7)
A similar expression says, G-d has many messengers and pathways. There’s more than one way to arrive at the desired destination.
A crooked thing that can’t be straightened, a void that can’t be counted. (1:15)
This isn’t the most positive message, but its included on this page because we just came across it in our Sunday Talmud class at UAlbany where the Talmud interprets this to mean someone who misses the time for the morning or evening Shema or prayer or if friends got together to do a Mitzvah and you refrained from joining.
It also somehow reminds me of a Yiddish expression that Zeide Moshe Rubin used to share: There’s nothing as straight as a crooked ladder, nothing as crooked as a razor-sharp barb, and nothing as whole as a broken heart.
This is my portion from all my efforts. (2:10)
Again from my Zeide Moshe. He would often say this at family Simchas, like at a grandson’s Bar-Mitzvah or when hearing good news about our studies and accomplishments. He used this verse from Koheles as a way of saying: “This is what I have to show for all my struggles and life-journeys”. He survived WWII with his brother, the rest of his family was wiped out by the Nazis. They lived through the hunger of the war years in Shanghai. Life wasn’t so easy for him. But Nachas (pride and joy from family) made it all worth it.
I saw there’s advantage in wisdom over folly like light that comes from darkness. (2:13)
The basic explanation is that we appreciate light much more when it is contrast to darkness. Black and white as they say, vivid clear contrast. Chabad Chassidic texts take it a step further. Light that comes from darkness has an advantage over pure light that was never challenged. This is oft-repeated all over the place in Chabad teachings, whether in terms of understanding the Tzimtzum in the creation of the worlds or the life-struggle of the Benoni.
The wise one has his eyes in his head. (2:14)
This verse can be understood as Pirkei Avot advocates: long-term vision, foresight.
Tanya 35 quotes this verse and the Zohar’s question: “Where else do people have eyes?” The explanation is based on Kabbalistical imagery of the human as a candle, we are the wick, the flame is the soulful Shechina (G-d’s presence in our lives) and the oil/fuel are the Mitzvot we do to keep the flame burning. Eyes in your head is understood as eyes on your head! Keep focused on the spiritual flame which burns above us, that we are the wick for. Let us not run low on fuel!
Everything has its season… a time to born, and a time to die… a time to cry and a time to laugh.. (3:1-8)
This is so relevant and poignant and true, that even The Byrds’ made a song of it. (It actually holds the record of the greatest hit with the oldest lyrics). Life may seem full of contradictions and mixed feelings, but everything has its time and place.
The world was put into their hearts. (3:11)
I’m not sure what the basic meaning is, but Chassidus has two interpretations of this verse. (1) Each of us individuals is a micro of the macro world. The world in our hearts means everything you see out there has parallels within our lives, and in some mystical, cosmic way what we do in our own lives influences, affects and changes the big wide world out there. (2) The Hebrew for world “Olam” is related to the world “Helem” which means concealment. The concealment was put there for our hearts, so that we can dig beneath it, get past it, or even transform the darkness to light.
The spirit of man rises upwards, while the animal spirit descends toward earth. (3:21)
This is a
Two together are better than one alone. (4:9)
Rashi’s poetic rhyming one-line Talmudic commentary on this biblical quote sticks with me. It’s about the tremendous blessing of companionship vs. loneliness. It also recalls the Talmud Shabbos that when two people carry an object together, it shifts the physics and weight, more than the sum of two individuals.
Better a poor wise boy than an old foolish king. (4:13)
This is an old description of the evil inclination, the old foolish king. Not to take it lightly, because this old foolish king can be quite clever and manipulative, but he’s called foolish because he operates best with a smoke-screen of foolishness or folly that obstructs our clarity and perception of the truth. Why old? Because the animalistic/natural soul is the first to take root in our consciousness, it has an older default setting in our minds and hearts than the G-dly/spiritual soul which buried deeper within us and takes longer to develop and reveal.
The advantage of land is supreme, even a king is subservient to soil. (5:8)
You can’t eat diamonds when you are hungry, all the apoclayptic books say that. Riches can not insulate us from the dependency we have on basic nature and lowly dirt.
In Chassidic texts this verse is understood to show how all the upper Sefirot rely on Malchut which is on the bottom of the list.
The workman’s sleep is sweet. (5:11)
Some people do suffer from insomnia, sleep apnea and other such things. But for those who don’t, a simple solution to falling asleep is to put in a full day’s work.
Better a good name than fine oil. (7:1)
As Pirkei Avot says, “There are three crowns, but the crown of a good name rises above them all.” A good name is what we earn from how we treat others.
The living should take to heart. (7:2)
The Rebbe hammered home this verse repeatedly during the year after his wife’s passing in 5748/1988. We ought to always ask, what’s the message for us? What’s the takeaway lesson? What legacy did the departed leave for us? What do we learn from how he/she lives his/her life?
Don’t be too righteous. (7:16)
Righteousness is a good thing, but self-righteousness isn’t. In fact, it’s a contradiction in terms.
Deep, so deep, who can fathom its depth? (7:24)
A king’s word is law. (8:4)
In Chassidic/Kabbalistic texts this verse is understood metaphorically, in a totally different way from the literal meaning. Malchut is the lowest of the hierarchy of the Ten Sefirot or soul-powers. It acts as a transistor or transmittor, connecting one set of Sefirot and spiritual worlds to the next. Both authority and speech/communication are associated with “Malchut” and this verse brings together both the king and his word and the effect both have going forward. All this may sound technical or esoteric, but a rich understanding of these concepts is rich in a Chassidic understanding our world and spiritual mission. Besides, Malchut is an enigmatic Sefirah, it is a recipient and a giver, a reflection of above and a creator, and by functioning as it does it elicits and draws from the highest and innermost levels.
Go eat your bread with joy. (9:7)
This was the post-Yom-Kippur synagogue announcement, at least in 770, the Rebbe’s synagogue. It’s like the saying “eat in good health”. Eat happily knowing that G-d has forgiven you and there’s a big load off your shoulders.
May your garments always be white. (9:8)
There are certain Jewish sects that wear only white on the Sabbath. Many more Jews have the custom to wear white on Yom-Kippur. White symbolizes purity. If you are worries about food or dirt stains, colored clothing masks it better than white which makes everything else stand out. May our garments always be white is a wish and prayer to be as free of sin (spiritual stain) as possible.
May your head not lack oil. (9:8)
This goes back to that Tanya 35 piece about “the wise men’s eyes are in his head”. We humans being the wick in the metaphor, with the flame of the Shechina Divine Presence upon our heads, need to be sure that this flame burns brightly and has enough Mitzvah fuel to keep going.
The words of the wise are heard gently. (9:17)
Like the small still voice of G-d that spoke to Elijah. If you are confident and believe in the message there’s no need to shout and scream and drown anyone else out. In fact, they are more likely to be heard and appreciated if the voice mirrors the message and is said with the respect of one’s audience, in a gentle, pleasant way. This doesn’t mean it has to be a whisper. We have nothing to hide. But it ought to be conveyed as pleasantly as possible.
Don’t leave your place. (10:4)
Generally, the Rebbe was very encouraging and supportive of Rabbis and communal leaders continuing their work and not seeking other positions. Keep growing of course, but stick to your mission and post. It’s a life-mission, not a job. This is one reason for the long-term longevity of Chabad Shluchim in posts that often have much higher turnover rates.
I’ve heard a fascinating story, where the Rebbe uses this verse to balance two different extremes, each having their place and playing their role. There was a Conservative Rabbi from the Metro NY area who would frequent the Rebbe’s weekday farbrengens for some time. Another weekday farbrengen attendee was Rabbi Dovid Hollander, a strong and principled veteran Orthodox Rabbi. Rabbi Hollander would walk out in protest when this Conservative Rabbi would come. After a few times, the Conservative Rabbi who noticed this, asked the Rebbe, perhaps it would be best if he stayed home and listened via the phone hookup to avoid this unpleasant confrontation. The Rebbe answered: “Don’t leave your place. Each of you should do what they need to do. You should come, Rabbi Hollander should walk out. One is not a contradiction to the other.”
Cast your bread upon the waters, after many days you will find it. (11:1)
When I was younger I read a few stories in the Talks and Tales series about this theme of long-term vision and investment. Sometimes a seed is planted years or decades earlier. There are no guaruantees of course, and often no way to control or influence the results when you “case your bread upon the waters.” But often that selfless giving and trusting act, with no expectation or guarantee of results, comes back years later to bear surprising fruit and even benefit you (as those stories illustrated).
For the light is sweet and good for the eyes. (11:7)
The Alter Rebbe uses this line in his introduction to Tanya, referring to the spiritual light of Torah – that might be hard to realize and discover without the appropriate aids and support. I like this expression “light that is sweet and good for the eyes”. Sometimes light can be harsh and glaring, overwhelming or intimidating; but a light that is sweet and good on the eyes, is pleasant and beneficial. Easy on the eyes, as they say.
Rejoice, young man with your youth. (11:9)
“Youth is wasted on the young” is a quote attributed to Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain and even Benjamin Franklin. Whoever said it, there’s truth to it.
The sum of it all is to fear G-d, keep His commandments, for this all of man. (12:13)
This verse is “the bottom line” of all of Kohelet/Ecclesiastes. All the dismissive and sobering talk all boils down to this productive, constructive statement of obligation and commitment.
BTW, “for this is all of man” is translated in Artscroll as “for this is our whole duty.” This expression is paraphrased in Tanya 33 and in the Rebbe’s 12 Pesukim to mean this is the definition and purpose of our creation, this is what we should be all about.