קהלת רבה ו׳Kohelet Rabbah 6

Verse 1 · 1א׳

יֵשׁ רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ, אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר אַמֵּי, זוֹ מַחֲשַׁבְתָּן שֶׁל רַמָּאִין, כְּגוֹן הַמְעָרֵב מַיִם בְּיַיִן, מֵי בְּלַקְיָא בְּשֶׁמֶן, מֵי מָאִיס בִּדְבַשׁ, חֲלֵב חֲמוֹר בִּקְטָף, קוֹמוֹס בְּמוֹר, עֲלֵי גְפָנִים בְּפִלְיוֹן, סִקְרָא בְּצִיר, כַּרְשִׁנִּים בְּפִלְפְּלִין, קְנֵה מֹאזְנַיִם אָרֹךְ מִצַּד זֶה וְקָצָר מִצַּד זֶה. וְעַל כֻּלָּן אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי אוֹי לִי אִם אֹמַר אוֹי לִי אִם לֹא אֹמַר, אִם אֹמַר שֶׁמָּא יִלְמְדוּ הָרַמָּאִין, אִם לֹא אֹמַר שֶׁמָּא יֹאמְרוּ הָרַמָּאִין אֵין תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים בְּקִיאִין בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ, סוֹף סוֹף אֲמָרוֹ (הושע יד, י): כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי ה' צַדִּיקִים יֵלְכוּ בָם.

“There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is prevalent among men” (Ecclesiastes 6:1). “There is an evil that I have seen under the sun.” Rabbi Shmuel bar Ami said: This is the thought of swindlers, like one who mixes water into wine, poppy oil into [olive] oil, spring water into honey, donkey milk into balsam oil, sap into myrrh, grape leaves into valuable pollen, water dyed red into fish brine, vetch into pepper, [or one who uses] a scale beam that is long on one side and short on the other side. Regarding all these, Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said: Woe is me if I say it, and woe is me if I do not say it. If I say it, perhaps the swindlers will learn [new techniques for swindling]. If I do not say it, the swindlers will say: The Torah scholars are not conversant in our handiwork. Ultimately, he said it, “for the ways of the Lord are straight, the righteous walk in them [and the transgressors stumble in them]” (Hosea 14:10).

Verse 2 · 1א׳

אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים, רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא עָאל לִכְנִישְׁתָּא וּשְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי לֵוִי יְתִיב דָּרִישׁ הָדֵין פְּסוּקָא: אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים, עשֶׁר זֶה בַּעַל מִקְרָא, וּנְכָסִים זֶה בַּעַל מִשְׁנָה, וְכָבוֹד זֶה בַּעַל תּוֹסֶפְתָּא, וְאֵינֶנּוּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשׁוֹ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר יִתְאַוֶּה אֵלּוּ מִשְׁנָיוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת, כְּגוֹן: מִשְׁנָתוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, וּמִשְׁנָתוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי חִיָּא, וְשֶׁל רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה, וְשֶׁל בַּר קַפָּרָא, וְלֹא יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָאֱלֹהִים לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁאָסוּר לְהוֹרוֹת מֵהֶם, כִּי אִישׁ נָכְרִי יֹאכְלֶנּוּ זֶה בַּעַל תַּלְמוּד, שֶׁמְטַמֵּא וּמְטַהֵר אוֹסֵר וּמַתִּיר. עָמַד רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא נְשָׁקוֹ עַל רֹאשׁוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ אִלּוּ לֹא עָלִיתִי אֶלָּא לִשְׁמֹעַ מִפִּיךָ הַטַּעַם הַזֶּה דַּי. רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר (משלי כח, יא): חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו אִישׁ עָשִׁיר זֶה בַּעַל תַּלְמוּד, וְדַל מֵבִין יַחְקְרֶנּוּ זֶה בַּעַל הַגָּדָה.

“A man to whom God gives wealth, assets, and honor, and he lacks nothing for his soul of everything that he desires, but God does not give him power to partake of it; rather a stranger partakes of it. This is vanity, and it is a grave disease” (Ecclesiastes 6:2). “A man to whom God gives” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana entered a synagogue and he heard the voice of Rabbi Levi sitting and expounding this verse: “A man to whom God gives wealth” – this is one well-versed in Bible; “assets” – this is one well-versed in Mishna; “and honor” – this is one well-versed in Tosefta; “and he lacks nothing for his soul of everything that he desires” – like the mishna of Rabbi Akiva, the mishna of Rabbi Ḥiyya, of Rabbi Hoshaya, and of bar Kappara; “but God does not give him power to partake of it” – as it is prohibited to issue halakhic rulings on their basis; “rather a stranger partakes of it” – this is one well-versed in Talmud, who impurifies and purifies, prohibits and permits. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana rose and kissed him on his head. He said to him: ‘Had I entered only to hear this homily from you, it would have sufficed.’ Rabbi Yishmael says: “The wealthy is wise in his eyes” (Proverbs 28:11), this is one well-versed in Talmud; “and the impoverished one who understands will examine him” (Proverbs 28:11), this is one well-versed in aggada.

Verse 3 · 1א׳

אִם יוֹלִיד אִישׁ מֵאָה, זֶה קַיִן שֶׁהוֹלִיד מֵאָה בָנִים. וְשָׁנִים רַבּוֹת יִחְיֶה, שֶׁחָיָה שָׁנִים הַרְבֵּה. וְרַב שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי שָׁנָיו, שֶׁלֹא שָׂבַע נַפְשׁוֹ מִמָּמוֹנוֹ וְלֹא שָׂבַע מִטּוּבוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, וְגַם קְבוּרָה לֹא הָיְתָה לּוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה תָּלוּי בְּרִפְיוֹן וּבָא הַמַּבּוּל וּשְׁטָפוֹ, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית ז, כג): וַיִּמַּח אֶת כָּל הַיְקוּם, מַהוּ הַיְקוּם, קִיּוּמָא. רַבִּי בּוֹן אָמַר אוֹקוּמֵינֵי. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר הַיְקוּם הוּא הַמָּמוֹן שֶׁמַּעֲמִיד רַגְלָיו שֶׁל בְּעָלָיו. רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר הַיְקוּם זֶה קַיִן, שֶׁנִּשְׁטַף. טוֹב מִמֶּנּוּ הַנָּפֶל, זֶה הֶבֶל אָחִיו. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אִם יוֹלִיד אִישׁ מֵאָה, זֶה אַחְאָב שֶׁהוֹלִיד מֵאָה בָּנִים. אָמַר רַבִּי אַחָא וְהָכְתִיב (מלכים ב י, א): וּלְאַחְאָב שִׁבְעִים בָּנִים בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן, אָמַר רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ שִׁבְעִים בָּנִים בְּשׁוֹמְרוֹן כָּךְ הָיָה לוֹ שִׁבְעִים בָּנִים בְּיִזְרְעֶאל, וְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵהֶן הָיוּ לוֹ שְׁתֵּי פַּלְטֵרִיּוֹת, אַחַת לַקַּיִץ וְאַחַת לַחֹרֶף, דִּכְתִיב (עמוס ג, טו): וְהִכֵּיתִי בֵּית הַחֹרֶף עַל בֵּית הַקָּיִץ. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר תְּרֵי לְקַיְיטָא וְתַרְתֵּי אוֹחְרָנַיְיתָא לְסִיתְוָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עמוס ג, טו): וְאָבְדוּ בָּתֵּי הַשֵּׁן. רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי שִׁשָּׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עמוס ג, טו): וְסָפוּ בָּתִּים רַבִּים. וְשָׁנִים רַבּוֹת יִחְיֶה, שֶׁחָיָה שָׁנִים רַבּוֹת. וְנַפְשׁוֹ לֹא תִשְׂבַּע מִן הַטּוֹבָה מִמָּמוֹנוֹ. וְגַם קְבוּרָה לֹא הָיְתָה לוֹ, דִּכְתִיב (מלכים א כא, יט): בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר לָקְקוּ הַכְּלָבִים וגו'. טוֹב מִמֶּנּוּ הַנָּפֶל, זֶה נִפְלָהּ שֶׁל זוֹנָה.

“If a man begets one hundred, and lives many years, and the days of his years are many, but his soul is not sated from the good, and he did not have a burial; I say, a stillborn is better than he” (Ecclesiastes 6:3). “If a man begets one hundred” – this is Cain who begot one hundred sons; “and lives many years” – as [Cain] lived many years; “and the days of his years are many [but his soul is not sated from the good]” – his soul was not sated by his possessions and was not sated from the good of the world; “and he did not have a burial” – he was in abeyance, weakening, and the flood came and washed him away, as it is written: “He obliterated all the yekum” (Genesis 7:23). What is the yekum? It is existence [kiyyum]. Rabbi Bon said: The sustainers [okuminei]. Rabbi Elazar says: The yekum are the possessions that bolster the standing of their owner. Rabbi Shmuel says: The yekum is Cain, who was washed away. “The stillborn is better than he” – this is Abel, his brother. Another matter, “If a man begets one hundred” – this is Ahab, who begot one hundred sons. Rabbi Aḥa said: But isn’t it written: “Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria” (II Kings 10:1)? Rabbi Hoshaya said: Just as he had seventy sons in Samaria, so, too, he had seventy sons in Yizre’el, and each and every one of them had two palaces, one for the summer and one for the winter, as it is written: “I will smite the winter house with the summer house” (Amos 3:15). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: Two for the summer and two others for the winter, as it is stated: “and the ivory houses will perish” (Amos 3:15). The Rabbis say: Six, as it is stated: “And many houses will be destroyed” (Amos 3:15). “And lives many years” – as he lived many years; “but his soul is not sated from the good” – from his possessions; “and he did not have a burial” – as it is written: “In the place where the dogs licked [the blood of Navot, dogs will lick your blood as well]” (I Kings 21:19). “The stillborn is better than he” – this is the stillborn of a prostitute.