And maybe, just maybe, that's part of the point.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 tells us, "Just as you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of one who is pregnant; so you will not know the work of God, who does everything." It's a powerful verse about the limits of human understanding. But what exactly can't we know?

Kohelet Rabbah, a classic Rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, dives deep into that question. It identifies seven specific things that are obscured from us. Think of them as mysteries woven into the fabric of existence.

First, the day of our death. Morbid, perhaps, but undeniably true. As Ecclesiastes 9:12 reminds us, "Man [also] does not know his time." We might plan and prepare, but ultimately, the timing is out of our hands.

Next, the day of consolation. When will we truly find comfort in times of sorrow? Isaiah 60:22 offers a glimmer of hope: "I am the Lord; at its time I will hasten it." Consolation will come, but in God's time, not necessarily ours.

Then there's the profundity of judgment. Deuteronomy 1:17 states plainly, "For judgment is God’s." We can strive for justice, but understanding the full scope of divine judgment? That's beyond us.

And how about how one profits? What brings success and prosperity? It can feel random, can't it? Ecclesiastes 5:18 suggests a perspective: "This is the gift of God." Maybe our efforts matter, but so does something more.

What about the hidden depths of another person's heart? Ever wonder what someone really thinks? Jeremiah 17:10 tells us, "I am the Lord, who probes the heart." Only God truly knows what lies within.

The mystery of what's happening in a woman's pregnancy… It's a miracle unfolding in secret, isn't it? As our original verse says, "Or how the bones grow in the womb of one who is pregnant." Even with modern science, there's a profound sense of wonder and unknowability about it.

Finally, the fall of Edom. Now, Edom is often interpreted in Jewish tradition as a symbol for Rome, and later, for the forces of oppression and evil in the world. When will these forces finally be defeated? Isaiah 63:4 offers a powerful image: "For it is a day of vengeance in My heart." The end will come, but its timing rests in the divine plan.

So, what does this all mean? Are we doomed to wander in ignorance? I don't think so. Recognizing these limits, acknowledging the things we can't know, might actually be freeing. It can humble us, make us more compassionate, and perhaps even open us up to a deeper kind of understanding. Maybe true wisdom lies not in knowing everything, but in knowing what we can't know, and trusting in the One who does.