(12) I, Koheleth, was king in Jerusalem over Israel. (13) I set my mind to study and to probe with wisdom all that happens under the sun.—An unhappy business, that, which God gave men to be concerned with! (14) I observed all the happenings beneath the sun, and I found that all is futile and pursuit of wind: (15) A twisted thing that cannot be made straight,
A lack that cannot be made good.
(טז) דִּבַּ֨רְתִּי אֲנִ֤י עִם־לִבִּי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אֲנִ֗י הִנֵּ֨ה הִגְדַּ֤לְתִּי וְהוֹסַ֙פְתִּי֙ חׇכְמָ֔ה עַ֛ל כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה לְפָנַ֖י עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְלִבִּ֛י רָאָ֥ה הַרְבֵּ֖ה חׇכְמָ֥ה וָדָֽעַת׃ (יז) וָאֶתְּנָ֤ה לִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת חׇכְמָ֔ה וְדַ֥עַת הוֹלֵלֹ֖ת וְשִׂכְל֑וּת יָדַ֕עְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶ֥ה ה֖וּא רַעְי֥וֹן רֽוּחַ׃ (יח) כִּ֛י בְּרֹ֥ב חׇכְמָ֖ה רׇב־כָּ֑עַס וְיוֹסִ֥יף דַּ֖עַת יוֹסִ֥יף מַכְאֽוֹב׃
(16) I said to myself: “Here I have grown richer and wiser/h.kh.m. than any that ruled before me over Jerusalem, and my mind has zealously absorbed wisdom/h.kh.m. and learning/y.d.`.” (17) And so I set my mind to appraise/y.d.`. wisdom/h.kh.m. and to appraise/y.d.`. madness and folly. And I learned/y.d.`.—that this too was pursuit of wind: (18) For as wisdom/h.kh.m. grows, vexation grows;
To increase learning/y.d.`. is to increase heartache.
To increase learning is to increase heartache.
Wisdom is superior to folly
As light is superior to darkness;
Whereas a fool walks in darkness.
But I also realized that the same fate awaits them both.
“A man’s wisdom lights up his face,
So that his deep discontent is dissembled”?
(מ"ר)
all who practice it gain sound understanding.
Praise of Him is everlasting.
יְֽהֹוָ֗ה בְּחׇכְמָ֥ה יָסַד־אָ֑רֶץ כּוֹנֵ֥ן שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם בִּתְבוּנָֽה׃
God founded the earth by wisdom; established the heavens by understanding; (Prov. 3:19)
רְאֵ֖ה קָרָ֣אתִֽי בְשֵׁ֑ם בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל בֶּן־אוּרִ֥י בֶן־ח֖וּר לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃
וָאֲמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּחׇכְמָ֛ה וּבִתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכׇל־מְלָאכָֽה׃
See, I have singled out by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft. (Exodus 31:2-3)
Midrash Tanchuma:
It is written: The Eternal by wisdom founded the earth (Prov. 3:19) and also: I have filled him with the spirit of wisdom (Exod. 31:3). This teaches us that the Tabernacle was equal both to all the world and to a human embryo, which is a world in miniature.
(לב) וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְ֝אַשְׁרֵ֗י דְּרָכַ֥י יִשְׁמֹֽרוּ׃ (לג) שִׁמְע֖וּ מוּסָ֥ר וַחֲכָ֗מוּ וְאַל־תִּפְרָֽעוּ׃ (לד) אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי אָדָם֮ שֹׁמֵ֢עַֽ֫ לִ֥י לִשְׁקֹ֣ד עַל־דַּ֭לְתֹתַי י֤וֹם ׀ י֑וֹם לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר מְזוּזֹ֥ת פְּתָחָֽי׃ (לה) כִּ֣י מֹ֭צְאִי (מצאי) [מָצָ֣א] חַיִּ֑ים וַיָּ֥פֶק רָ֝צ֗וֹן מֵיְהֹוָֽה׃ (לו) וְֽ֭חֹטְאִי חֹמֵ֣ס נַפְשׁ֑וֹ כׇּל־מְ֝שַׂנְאַ֗י אָ֣הֲבוּ מָֽוֶת׃
Understanding raising her voice. (2) She takes her stand at the topmost heights,
By the wayside, at the crossroads, (3) Near the gates at the city entrance;
At the entryways, she shouts, (4) “O men, I call to you;
My cry is to all mankind. (5) O simple ones, learn shrewdness;
O dullards, instruct your minds. (6) Listen, for I speak noble things;
Uprightness comes from my lips; (7) My mouth utters truth;
Wickedness is abhorrent to my lips. (8) All my words are just,
None of them perverse or crooked; (9) All are straightforward to the intelligent man,
And right to those who have attained knowledge. (10) Accept my discipline rather than silver,
Knowledge rather than choice gold. (11) For wisdom is better than rubies;
No goods can equal her.
(12) “I, Wisdom, live with Prudence;
I attain knowledge and foresight. (13) To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way,
And duplicity in speech. (14) Mine are counsel and resourcefulness;
I am understanding; courage is mine. (15) Through me kings reign
And rulers decree just laws; (16) Through me princes rule,
Great men and all the aAccording to some Heb. mss. and printed editions, “judges of the earth.”righteous judges.-a (17) Those who love me I love,
And those who seek me will find me. (18) Riches and honor belong to me,
Enduring wealth and success. (19) My fruit is better than gold, fine gold,
And my produce better than choice silver. (20) I walk on the way of righteousness,
On the paths of justice. (21) I endow those who love me with substance;
I will fill their treasuries.
(22) “The LORD created me at the beginning of His course
As the first of His works of old. (23) In the distant past I was fashioned,
At the beginning, at the origin of earth. (24) There was still no deep when I was brought forth,
No springs rich in water; (25) Before [the foundations of] the mountains were sunk,
Before the hills I was born. (26) He had not yet made earth and fields,
Or the world’s first clumps of clay. (27) I was there when He set the heavens into place;
When He fixed the horizon upon the deep; (28) When He made the heavens above firm,
And the fountains of the deep gushed forth; (29) When He assigned the sea its limits,
So that its waters never transgress His command;
When He fixed the foundations of the earth, (30) I was with Him as a confidant,
A source of delight every day,
Rejoicing before Him at all times, (31) Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
Finding delight with mankind. (32) Now, sons, listen to me;
Happy are they who keep my ways. (33) Heed discipline and become wise;
Do not spurn it. (34) Happy is the man who listens to me,
Coming early to my gates each day,
Waiting outside my doors. (35) For he who finds me finds life
And obtains favor from the LORD. (36) But he who misses me destroys himself;
All who hate me love death.”
מַה יִּתְרוֹן לָאָדָם, אָמַר רַבִּי בִּנְיָמִין בִּקְשׁוּ חֲכָמִים לִגְנֹז סֵפֶר קֹהֶלֶת מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמָּצְאוּ בוֹ דְּבָרִים מָטִין לְצַד מִינוּת, אָמְרוּ הֲרֵי כָּל חָכְמָתוֹ שֶׁל שְׁלֹמֹה שֶׁבָּא לוֹמַר מַה יִּתְרוֹן לָאָדָם בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ, יָכוֹל אַף בַּעֲמָלָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, חָזְרוּ וְאָמְרוּ לֹא אָמַר בְּכָל עָמָל, אֶלָּא בַּעֲמָלוֹ, בַּעֲמָלוֹ אֵינוֹ עָמֵל אֲבָל עָמֵל הוּא בַּעֲמָלָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה.
“What profit is there for man in all his toil that he toils under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3).
“What profit is there for man?” Rabbi Binyamin said: The Sages sought to suppress the book of Kohelet because they found in it matters that tend toward heresy. They said: All of Solomon’s wisdom that he seeks to impart is: “What profit is there for man in all his toil,” but one might [think that he meant] even in the toil of Torah. They then said: He did not say “in all toil,” but rather in his toil; in his toil he does not [profit from his] toil, but he does [profit from his] toil in the toil of Torah.