That's what some of our sages suggest when interpreting the famous verse from Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) 2:24: "There is nothing better for a man than for him to eat and drink, and indulge his soul through his toil. This too, I saw, that it is from the hand of God."
Now, on the surface, it sounds like a pretty straightforward endorsement of simple pleasures. But as we know, Jewish tradition loves to delve beneath the surface. It loves to ask, "What's really going on here?"
The Midrash Kohelet Rabbah grapples with this very question. It opens by repeating the first part of the verse: "There is nothing better for a man than for him to eat and drink."
And then it gets interesting. Rabbi Tanḥuma relays an interpretation from Rabbi Naḥman son of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman and Rabbi Menaḥama (or, according to another version, Rabbi Yirmeya and Rabbi Meyasha) in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak. Quite the chain of transmission. What did they all have to say?
They suggest that every time "eating and drinking" is mentioned in Ecclesiastes, it's not actually about physical food and drink. Instead, it's a metaphor. It's referring to Torah and good deeds. : we often talk about "nourishing" our souls, "feeding" our minds.
So, what's the connection? Why would the text use such a seemingly misleading metaphor?
Rabbi Yona offers an explanation. He points to another verse in Ecclesiastes (8:15): "There is nothing better…than to eat, drink, and rejoice…That will accompany him in his toil [baamalo]."
Now, here's the key. Rabbi Yona cleverly reinterprets the word "toil" (baamalo), reading it as "in his world" (beolamo), meaning in this world. The verse continues: "During the days of his life" – until… the grave.
And that's where the question arises: Is there food and drink in the grave? Does a nice glass of wine accompany a person to their final resting place? Obviously not.
So, if literal food and drink don't last, what does? According to this interpretation, it's Torah and good deeds. These are the things that truly accompany us, that have lasting value, even beyond this life.
The Kohelet Rabbah is offering us a powerful message: that the deepest joys and most lasting sustenance come not from fleeting pleasures, but from engaging with wisdom and acting with kindness. Maybe the verse isn't about denying ourselves simple pleasures. But maybe it is a reminder to find pleasure in things that truly matter, in investments that pay dividends in this world and beyond. So, the next time you're studying Torah or doing a good deed, remember: you're not just fulfilling a mitzvah (a commandment). You're feasting. You are nurturing your soul with the kind of nourishment that truly lasts.