Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, dives right into that tension. And Kohelet Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, unpacks it for us with layers of meaning. Let's look at one short but powerful verse: "I observe the king’s command, and the word of an oath to God" (Ecclesiastes 8:2).
Seems simple. Obey the king, keep your promises to God. But as is so often the case in Jewish tradition, there's more here than meets the eye.
Rabbi Levi, in Kohelet Rabbah, takes us on a journey, connecting the earthly king to the King of Kings – God. He reads "I observe the king's command" not as a reference to a flesh-and-blood ruler, but as a commitment to observing the word of God. And it's not just any word, but the very first words spoken at Sinai: "I am the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:2).
Suddenly, the verse takes on a whole new weight. It's not about political obedience, it's about covenant. It's about acknowledging the ultimate authority in our lives.
And what about that "word of an oath"? Rabbi Levi doesn't leave us hanging. He connects that to the second of the Ten Commandments: "You shall not have [another god before Me]" (Exodus 20:3). And then to the commandment about oaths: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7).
So, what's happening here? Rabbi Levi, through his interpretation, is essentially collapsing the earthly and the divine. The obligation to the king becomes an obligation to God. The oath to God is tied directly to those fundamental commandments we received at Sinai.
It's a powerful reminder that our actions in the world, even seemingly mundane ones, have spiritual implications. Every choice we make, every promise we keep (or break!), reflects our relationship with the Divine. How often do we treat our commitments – to our friends, our families, our communities – as sacred? How often do we see our daily lives as opportunities to fulfill the "king's command," to live in accordance with God's will?
This short verse, as interpreted by Rabbi Levi, challenges us to see the sacred in the everyday. To recognize that even the simplest act of obedience, the smallest promise kept, can be an act of devotion. What if we approached every commitment – large or small – with the same reverence we would bring to an oath sworn in God's name? What kind of world would we create?