It wasn't just about accumulating knowledge, but about understanding the very essence of reward, redemption, and the mysteries of the universe. Let's delve into a fascinating passage from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Ecclesiastes, to explore this idea.

The verse from Ecclesiastes (12:9-10) tells us: "Beyond the fact that Kohelet was wise, moreover, he taught the people knowledge, considered and analyzed, composed many proverbs. Kohelet sought to find words of delight, and what was written uprightly, words of truth." But what does it mean that Kohelet – another name for Solomon – sought "words of delight" (ḥefetz)?

The Midrash teases out layers of meaning. It suggests that Solomon wasn't simply looking for pleasantries. He yearned to grasp the reward for performing mitzvot, commandments. He looked for the delight that God takes in our actions. As the prophet Jeremiah (9:23) says, "For in these I delight [ḥafatzti], the utterance of the Lord." God, in effect, tells Solomon that the true reward is already inscribed "in the Book of Uprightness," a biblical reference to the Torah itself. This is echoed in Psalms (31:20): "How great is the goodness that You have stored for those who fear You."

Furthermore, Solomon sought to comprehend the reward for studying Torah. Proverbs (8:11) states that “All objects [ḥafatzim] cannot equal it.” Again, God responds that this reward is already written in the Book of Uprightness, a truth so profound that "No eye has seen, God, besides You" (Isaiah 64:3). It’s a reward beyond human comprehension!

But Solomon didn't stop there. He even sought to understand the end of days, when redemption will finally arrive. He pondered the verse in Song of Songs (2:7): "That you not awaken, and you not rouse love, until it desires [sheteḥpatz]." The Midrash relates that God tells Solomon that the timing of the end of days is also written in the Book of Uprightness. Isaiah (63:4) proclaims, "For the day of vengeance is in My heart, [and the year of My redemption has come]." The key phrase here is "in My heart."

Rabbi Shaul of Naveh, quoting Rabbi Shimon, offers a powerful lesson: if someone asks you when redemption will come, point them to this verse. The day of vengeance is in God's heart. It's a secret held close.

Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon, in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, adds a poignant illustration. The Torah provides three specific details about Moses' burial place – "in the canyon, in the land of Moav, opposite Beit Peor" (Deuteronomy 34:6) – and yet, the very same verse concludes, "no man knows his burial place." Why? The Midrash explains: If the heart does not reveal to the mouth, to whom will the mouth reveal?

The location of Moses' grave is a secret guarded by God. Similarly, the timing of redemption is a secret held within God's heart. We may yearn to know, we may search with all our wisdom, but some things are simply beyond our grasp.

So, what can we take away from Kohelet's quest? Perhaps it's the understanding that true wisdom lies not in knowing all the answers, but in appreciating the mysteries that bind us to the Divine. It’s about recognizing that some delights, some rewards, some redemptions are best left to unfold in God's own time, a secret whispered only in the heart.