Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, delves into this very human experience, urging us to be mindful of our thoughts and words, especially when directed at those in positions of authority.
The verse from Ecclesiastes (10:20) sets the stage: “Even in your thought do not curse a king, and in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy, as a bird of the heavens will carry the sound, and a winged one will tell the matter.” It sounds almost like a fairy tale, doesn't it? But what does it really mean?
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon offers a striking interpretation: God essentially says, "I gave you intellect, unlike the animals, yet you use it to curse and blaspheme?" He points out that we share basic senses with animals, but unlike them, we have the capacity for speech and complex thought. We are given this gift, this capacity for articulate expression, but we misuse it. The midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in its poetic way, emphasizes the honor bestowed upon us, an honor that we often fail to recognize, echoing the sentiment in (Psalms 49:21): “Man does not understand the honor.”
But how does a curse uttered in the privacy of your own home get out? Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar suggests a rather intriguing explanation: ravens, through bird divination, might carry the secret! It's a vivid image, isn't it? The idea that even the walls have ears is explored, suggesting that secrets rarely stay buried.
The interpretation then shifts to a more profound level, suggesting that "the king" and "the wealthy" could also refer to God Himself. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, quoting Rabbi Levi, brings up the concept of sounds for good and sounds for evil. We find examples of both in the Torah. Words of praise and gratitude are received favorably, likened to the preparation of incense or the cleaning of the lamps in the Temple. But words of complaint and rebellion? Those lead to divine displeasure, as seen in (Deuteronomy 1:34).
Rabbi Abbahu, in the name of Rabbi Taḥalifa, his father-in-law, even touches upon the famous story of God's oath barring the Israelites from entering the Promised Land. While the oath was made in anger, God, in His infinite mercy, found a way to circumvent it, promising them a different resting place – the World to Come. Rabbi Beivai uses a beautiful analogy of a king who dismantles and rebuilds his palace to welcome his son back, fulfilling his oath while still showing compassion.
And then comes Rabbi Bon's mystical interpretation. When we sleep, our body communicates with our soul, which then relays the message to the spirit, and so on, up the chain of spiritual beings – angel, cherub, and finally, the seraph, the winged one who carries the message to God. It's a powerful reminder that our actions, even our thoughts, have cosmic consequences.
Finally, the text addresses cursing earthly leaders. It brings up the example of King David, who, according to this interpretation, may have spoken ill of Saul. David pleads with God to consider these transgressions as unintentional. The text also connects Moses to the idea of wealth, suggesting that he became wealthy from the residue of the tablets, even discovering a quarry of sapphires in his tent! Rabbi Ḥanin emphasizes that the carvings of the second set of tablets were for Moses' benefit.
So, what’s the takeaway here? It's a call for mindfulness, a reminder that our words, even our thoughts, have power. Whether you believe in literal eavesdropping birds or a more metaphorical interpretation, the message remains: be careful what you say, especially about those in positions of power, and perhaps even more importantly, be mindful of what you think, for even our most private thoughts can have far-reaching consequences. Are we truly masters of our own minds? Perhaps that's the question we should be asking ourselves.
“Even in your thought do not curse a king, and in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy, as a bird of the heavens will carry the sound, and a winged one will tell the matter” (Ecclesiastes 10:20). “Even in your thought do not curse a king” – Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: The Holy One blessed be He says to a person: Because I have given you intellect beyond that of the animal, the beast, and the birds, you curse and blaspheme before me? I gave you eyes and [the animal] eyes, you have ears and it has ears, you have hands and it has hands, you have feet and it has feet, you have a mouth and it has a mouth, he is like the beasts that perish [nidma].86This is an adaptation in the singular of Psalms 49:21. The verse compares people to beasts, but the midrash reads it as implying a difference between people and animals, that animals cannot speak. Nidma means nothing other than silence; I have silenced it before you.87Unlike people, animals cannot speak. See the honor that I have afforded you. But you do not understand all this goodness, “man does not understand the honor” (Psalms 49:21). Another matter: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” that is in your generation, “and in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy” – do not curse the wealthy of your generation. “As a bird of the heavens” – Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: This is the raven, by means of bird divination.88The king or wealthy people might find out what you said from the ravens, by means of bird divination. “And a winged one will tell the matter” – because the wall has ears. Another matter: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” – the King of the world; “and in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy” – the wealthy One of the world. “As a bird of the heavens will carry the sound” – Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi: There are some sounds that are for good and there are some sounds that are for evil. [There are] sounds for good, as it is stated: “The Lord heard the sound of your words…they have done well in everything that they spoke” (Deuteronomy 5:24). Ḥiyya bar Ada and bar Kappara: Ḥiyya bar Abba said: For good [hatava], as in the preparation of [hatavat] the incense. Bar Kappara said: For good, as in the cleaning of [hatavat] the lamps. [There are] sounds for evil, as it is stated: “The Lord heard the sound of your words, and He was enraged and took an oath…” (Deuteronomy 1:34). Rabbi Abbahu [said] in the name of Rabbi Taḥalifa his father in law: It is written: “As I took an oath in My wrath” (Psalms 95:11) – the Holy One blessed be He said: I took an oath in My wrath, but then I recanted; “that they89The generation of the wilderness, which left Egypt. will not enter My place of rest” (Psalms 95:11) – they will not enter this resting place,90The Land of Israel but they will enter another resting place.91The World to Come Rabbi Beivai said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: [This is analogous] to a king who was angry at his son and expelled him from his palace and took an oath that he would not allow his son to enter the palace. What did he do [once he reconsidered]? It was [already] built; he dismantled it and rebuilt it, and brought his son into it. He thereby brings his son in and [still] fulfills his vow. So too, the Holy One blessed be He said: I took an oath in My wrath and recanted. They will not enter this resting place, but they will enter another resting place. “And a winged one will tell the matter” – Rabbi Bon said: When a person sleeps, the body tells the soul [what it has done], the soul [tells it] to the spirit, the spirit to the angel, the angel to the cherub, and the cherub to the winged one. Who is that? It is the seraph. The seraph will bring the matter and tell it before He who spoke and the world came into being. Another matter: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” – do not curse a king who is before you. “And in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy” – a prominent person in your locale. “As a bird of the heavens will carry the sound” – the Holy One blessed be He said to David: Would you not say: “All my enemies shall be ashamed and frightened” (Psalms 6:11)? Who were your enemies? Was it not Saul? Would you not say: “On the day that the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (Psalms 18:1)?92Thus, you cursed the king I appointed over Israel. David said: Master of the universe: Do You calculate them for me as intentional transgressions? Consider them as unwitting transgressions [shegagot] for me. That is what is written: “A meditation [shigayon] by David, a song that he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Kush the Benjamite (Psalms 7:1).93Kush the Benjamite is a reference to Saul (see Moed Katan 16b). Another matter: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” – this is Moses, as it is stated: “There was a king in Yeshurun” (Deuteronomy 33:5). “And in your bedrooms do not curse the wealth” – this is Moses. From where did Moses become wealthy? It was from the residue of the tablets. Rabbi Ḥanin said: He discovered a quarry of sapphires in his tent, and from that Moses became wealthy, as it is stated: “Carve for you two tablets of stone…” (Exodus 34:1), its carvings will be for you.
