Rabbi Abba bar Kahana began: “Of laughter, I said it is confounded, [and of joy, what does it accomplish?]” (Ecclesiastes 2:2). If this laughter is confounded,15If the laughter is mixed with mourning, of what use is it? The term meholal, translated here as confounded, is understood in the sense of mixed, as above, based on Isaiah 1:22 (Etz Yosef). of what use is joy? There was an incident involving one of the prominent leaders of Kavul, who was marrying off his son.
On his Wednesday,16Weddings were performed on Wednesdays (see Mishna Ketubot 1:1). he invited guests to join him. Once they ate, drank, and made their hearts merry, he said to his son: ‘Ascend and bring us a barrel [of wine] from the attic.’ When he ascended, he was bitten by a snake and he died. [The father] waited for him to descend, but he did not descend. He said: ‘I will ascend and see what the status of my son is.’
He ascended and found that a snake bit him and he died, and he was cast between the barrels. He waited until they finished their feast. He said to them: ‘My masters, did you not come to recite the blessing of the bridegrooms for my son? Recite over him the blessing of the mourners.
Did you not come to bring my son into his wedding canopy? Come and bring him into his grave.’ Rabbi Zakkai of Kavul concluded: “Of laughter, I said it is confounded.”