Kohelet Rabbah

270 texts in Midrash Rabbah

No One Rules the Spirit or Controls the Day of Death

Kohelet Rabbah 8:1

to (Ecclesiastes 8:8): “There is no man who rules the spirit to retain the spirit, and there is no rule over the day of death. There is no release in war, and wickedness will not r...

AngelsMosesKing DavidSolomon

When One Person Has Authority Over Another to Harm

Kohelet Rabbah 9:1

Specifically, in (Ecclesiastes 8:9), it says, "All this I have seen and taken to my heart, for every action that is performed beneath the sun, when man had authority over man, it w...

Hell/GehennaSolomonProphecyJudgment

The Wicked Buried With Honor While the Just Forgotten

Kohelet Rabbah 10:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, grapples with this constantly. And one particular verse, (Ecclesiastes 8:10), has sparked a lot of fascinating interpr...

HeavenJosephMosesSolomon

Why God Delays Punishment for the Wicked

Kohelet Rabbah 11:1

Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, as it’s known in Hebrew, dives deep into this very conundrum. And in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on Ecclesiastes, we find a p...

SolomonJudgmentDivine justiceSin

Why the Wicked Prosper While the Righteous Suffer

Kohelet Rabbah 13:1

You're not alone. The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it’s known in Hebrew, grapples with this very question, and the rabbinic interpretations in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection o...

Hell/GehennaSolomonMessiahJudgment

Wisdom of Solomon of Rabbis

Kohelet Rabbah 15:1

You're not alone. King Solomon, the wisest of men, grappled with this too. In (Ecclesiastes 8:15), he declares, "I praised joy, as there is nothing better for man under the sun tha...

SolomonTorahJoyWisdom

Rabbis — Wisdom of Solomon

Kohelet Rabbah 16:1

(Ecclesiastes 8:16) says, "When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the matters that are performed on the earth, as both during the day and during the night, one does not...

SolomonRepentanceWisdomDeath

Solomon and Moses of Although

Kohelet Rabbah 17:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, as it's known in Hebrew, grapples with this very feeling. "I saw all the work of God, as man is unable to discover the work that is performed ...

MosesSolomonTorahProphecy

There Is One Fate for the Righteous and the Wicked

Kohelet Rabbah 1:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, certainly does. And the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in Kohelet Rabbah, wrestled with it too. Specifica...

CreationNoah & FloodMosesKing David

A Living Dog Is Better Than a Dead Lion and What It Means

Kohelet Rabbah 1:2

It all starts with a verse from Ecclesiastes (9:4): "For anyone who is joined to any of the living there is hope, as a living dog is better than a dead lion.” Now, that seems prett...

Noah & FloodSolomonJobTemple

Rabbi Yehoshua's Shabbat Spice Stumps Emperor Hadrian

Kohelet Rabbah 4:1

There’s a fascinating story in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Ecclesiastes, that tackles this very question. It involves a sharp-tongued rabbi...

MosesEgyptShabbat

The Living Know They Will Die but the Dead Know Nothing

Kohelet Rabbah 5:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, puts it starkly: "For the living know that they will die; but the dead do not know anything, and they no longer have a reward, as their memory...

PatriarchsMosesSolomonProphecy

Even Their Love Has Already Perished

Kohelet Rabbah 6:1

The verse that really gets us thinking is (Ecclesiastes 9:6): "Even their love, even their hatred and even their envy, have already perished; they will never again have a portion i...

SolomonMessiahPrayerHoly Land

God Has Already Accepted Your Actions

Kohelet Rabbah 7:1

It tells us: “Go, eat your bread joyfully, and drink your wine goodheartedly, as God has already accepted your actions” (Ecclesiastes 9:7). But what does that mean? Kohelet Rabbah,...

CreationAngelsAdam & EvePatriarchs

White Garments and Oil as Symbols of Good Deeds

Kohelet Rabbah 8:1

It all starts with the verse, "May your garments be white at all times, and may the oil on your head not be lacking" (Ecclesiastes 9:8). Now, what does that even mean? Is it litera...

SolomonJobTorahMessiah

Enjoy Life With the One You Love Says Ecclesiastes

Kohelet Rabbah 9:1

Turns out, the book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, might just have the answer. Kohelet 9:9 says, "Enjoy life with a woman whom you love all the days of your life of vanity which He h...

CreationAdam & EveMosesSolomon

Whatever You Can Do With Your Strength Do It Now

Kohelet Rabbah 10:1

Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, wrestles with this very question. And it’s a question that hits at the heart of how we live ou...

HeavenJosephKing DavidSolomon

The Dream Where Two Sages Debated the Afterlife

Kohelet Rabbah 10:2

Jewish tradition certainly has opinions, and some intriguing stories to tell. to one found in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes. ...

CreationHeavenTempleProphecy

Bar Kappara and the Heavenly Realms

Kohelet Rabbah 10:3

The grief is so intense that the townspeople declare a ban: anyone who dares announce the Rabbi's death will face dire consequences. Can you imagine the tension? The air thick with...

HeavenMosesSolomonTemple

Bible — Jacob at the Dawn of Creation

Kohelet Rabbah 11:1

The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible grapples with these very feelings. There's a verse in chapter 9, verse 11, that really gets to the heart of it: "I again saw under the sun tha...

CreationHell/GehennaPatriarchsJoseph

Time and Chance Happen to Moses Too

Kohelet Rabbah 11:2

It’s a feeling as old as time, and the ancient rabbis grappled with it too. Kohelet Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes, dives deep into this very idea, using...

AngelsMosesKing DavidTorah

Pillars of Existence of Berekhya

Kohelet Rabbah 12:1

Like you're going along, minding your own business, and suddenly – BAM! – you're caught in something you never saw coming? The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as we call it in Heb...

CreationHeavenKing DavidSolomon

The Wisdom of Deceit Under the Sun

Kohelet Rabbah 13:1

And they weren’t afraid to call it out. In Kohelet Rabbah, a commentary on the book of Ecclesiastes, we find a fascinating passage tied to the verse, "This, too, I have seen as wis...

SolomonTorahMysticismWisdom

Enosh and Noah of Rabbis

Kohelet Rabbah 14:1

In fact, it's echoed in ancient texts that speak to the timeless struggle between humanity and… well, something much bigger than ourselves. Let’s turn to Kohelet Rabbah, a collecti...

Noah & FloodSolomonWarDivine justice

Noah's Greatest Failure Was Not Rebuking His Generation

Kohelet Rabbah 15:1

Jewish tradition grapples with this very human experience, and it does so in a fascinating way, using the story of Noah. We find this exploration in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of...

CreationNoah & FloodSolomonWisdom

Joseph and Creation of Egypt

Kohelet Rabbah 15:2

Jewish tradition is full of stories of forgotten heroes, and one of the most poignant comes to us from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Ecclesia...

CreationJosephMosesWisdom

Egypt — Kingdom of Joseph

Kohelet Rabbah 15:3

It starts with a small city, a vulnerable one. “There was a small city,” the text says, and the rabbis interpret this city as none other than Egypt. “And few men in it” – these, re...

CreationPatriarchsJosephWisdom

Egypt as the Small City in Ecclesiastes' Parable

Kohelet Rabbah 15:4

Take this one, from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes. It's a powerful allegory, and one we can all relate to. The story begins: ...

JosephMosesProphecyMiracles

Moses and the Torah of Sinai

Kohelet Rabbah 15:5

Jewish tradition is full of such stories, and one of my favorites comes from a surprising source: Kohelet Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes. The passage sta...

MosesTorahWisdomEgypt

Golden Calf and the Lawgiver

Kohelet Rabbah 15:6

It's part of the human condition. But have you ever considered that this struggle might be… a cosmic drama playing out on a miniature scale, right inside of you? That’s the kind of...

MosesKing DavidWisdomHoly Land

The Synagogue as a Small City Under Siege by the Accuser

Kohelet Rabbah 15:7

Kohelet Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, offers a powerful image of what a synagogue, and the community within it, truly represents. It begins with the verse, "a sm...

JobWisdomWarFamine

The Small City Besieged by the Evil Inclination

Kohelet Rabbah 15:8

Kohelet Rabbah, a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic compilation on the Book of Ecclesiastes, uses a powerful allegory to describe this very struggle. It speaks of a "sma...

King DavidProphecyWisdomYetzer Hara (Evil Inclination)

Rabbi Akiva and Solomon of Judges

Kohelet Rabbah 16:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, as it's known in Hebrew, grapples with this very feeling. "I said: Wisdom is better than courage, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, ...

SolomonTorahPrayerWisdom

The Soft Words of the Wise Outweigh a Fool's Shout

Kohelet Rabbah 17:1

That idea is right at the heart of a beautiful passage from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes. The verse in question is (Ecclesia...

MosesSolomonMysticismWisdom

Levi — Jacob at the Dawn of Creation

Kohelet Rabbah 18:1

Our sages grappled with it too, and one place where they explore this idea is in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes. The verse in ...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Wisdom of Yoav

Kohelet Rabbah 18:2

The passage starts with a simple statement: "wisdom is better." Better than what? Better "than instruments of battle." Kohelet Rabbah illustrates this with a remarkable tale involv...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsJoseph

How Hezekiah's Wisdom Defeated Sennacherib's Army

Kohelet Rabbah 18:3

Sometimes, the answer isn’t just in swords and shields. Sometimes, it's in something far more powerful: wisdom. Our story comes from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interp...

Hell/GehennaTorahTempleProphecy

Dead Flies Ruin the Perfumer's Precious Oil

Kohelet Rabbah 1:1

(Ecclesiastes 10:1) puts it bluntly: "Dead flies spoil and froth a perfumer’s oil; a little folly is weightier than wisdom, than honor." It's a powerful image, isn’t it? How someth...

Hell/GehennaSolomonTorahProphecy

How One Sin Can Spoil a Lifetime of Good

Kohelet Rabbah 1:2

It seems Kohelet Rabbah, the collection of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes, thought so too. It uses that very image – "Dead flies spoil and froth a perfumer's oil" ...

CreationHeavenHell/GehennaMoses

Yehuda — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Kohelet Rabbah 2:1

But it’s actually a question pondered in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Ecclesiastes. to the fascinating ways our Sages understood the seem...

CreationPatriarchsSolomonWisdom

How a Fool Reveals Himself Just by Walking

Kohelet Rabbah 3:1

It's like they're walking around with a spotlight shining on everyone else but themselves. Well, Kohelet Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, has some thoughts on that,...

SolomonWisdomAdam & EveKings

Do Not Forsake Your Place When the Ruler's Spirit Rises

Kohelet Rabbah 4:1

Kohelet Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes, tackles this idea head-on with the verse: "If the spirit of the ruler comes u...

CreationHeavenNoah & FloodKing David

The Error That Emerges From Before the Ruler

Kohelet Rabbah 5:1

Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of Rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, explores this very human experience with the verse, "There is an evil that I have seen under t...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsMatriarchs

When Fools Sit in High Places and Nobles Sit Low

Kohelet Rabbah 6:1

The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, certainly did. And the rabbis of old, in their interpretations, saw that same topsy-turvy world reflected in their own times. Kohelet Rabbah, ...

SolomonProphecyHoly LandExile

Joseph and Creation of Akiva

Kohelet Rabbah 7:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, certainly did. It observes, "I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking on the ground like servants" (Eccle...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsJoseph

Dina — Pharaoh at the Dawn of Creation

Kohelet Rabbah 8:1

Take the verse from Ecclesiastes (10:8): “One who digs a pit will fall into it; and one who breaches a fence, a serpent will bite him.” It's a powerful image. But what does it real...

CreationHell/GehennaAdam & EvePatriarchs

Transporting Stones as a Metaphor for Torah Study

Kohelet Rabbah 9:1

It’s a book known for its wisdom, but sometimes couched in rather…opaque language. Take this verse from (Ecclesiastes 10:9): "One who transports stones will be saddened by them; an...

PatriarchsMosesSolomonTorah

Sharpen Your Axe Before You Start Chopping

Kohelet Rabbah 10:1

It all starts with a verse from Ecclesiastes (10:10): “If the iron is dull, and one did not whet the edge, he must intensify his exertion; the advantage is in preparation with wisd...

JosephSolomonProphecyRepentance