It grapples with the very human experience of seeking knowledge, stumbling, and trying to make sense of it all.
The verse we're looking at today is (Ecclesiastes 2:12): "I turned to behold wisdom, debauchery, and folly, as who is the person who would come after the king, to that which they have already done." It's a loaded verse, isn't it? Full of questions about legacy, wisdom, and the cyclical nature of human experience.
The rabbis in Kohelet Rabbah really dig into this. "I turned [ufaniti] to behold wisdom," the text says. But one interpretation suggests we should read ufaniti as ufiniti – "I emptied." Like a bowl, sometimes full, sometimes empty. This resonates deeply. Haven't we all had moments of clarity, followed by periods of forgetfulness, where the wisdom we thought we grasped seems to vanish? The text suggests that even Solomon himself, famed for his wisdom, would study Torah and then, at times, forget it. Talk about relatable!
Then the text moves into interpretations of "debauchery and folly." Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa sees "debauchery" as the corruption of the kingdom, and "folly" as the heavy-handedness of those in power. Harsh taxes on the "foolish masses," as he puts it. Rabbi Simon offers a different take: "Debauchery" is the debauchery of heresy, and "folly" is just plain foolishness. It's fascinating how the rabbis use this verse as a lens to critique the society around them.
And what about that phrase, "As who is the person who would come after the king..."? The text takes this as a challenge to human arrogance. If you can't even understand the motivations of a human king, how can you presume to understand the ways of the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He? It's a humbling thought.
Rabbi Naḥman offers two powerful parables to illustrate this point. One is about a field of reeds so dense that no one can enter. A clever person figures out how to cut through it, paving the way for others. The other is about a vast palace with so many entrances that people get lost inside. Someone uses a skein of reed grass to create a trail, allowing everyone to find their way in and out. Each of these parables highlights the importance of finding a path, a method, for navigating the complexities of the world. A way to make sense of the seemingly incomprehensible.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai adds another layer with his analogy of a king who builds a palace. Passersby critique the palace, suggesting improvements. But, he asks, is it appropriate for people to critique themselves in the same way? Should a person wish for three hands, three eyes? The verse says "asuhu," which means "they have already done" (plural), not "asahu" (singular). It's as if God and His court deliberated over our creation, designing us with intention and purpose. As (Deuteronomy 32:6) says, "He made you and established you."
Rabbi Levi bar Ḥaita uses the image of a palace again. If a human king placed the drainpipe at the entrance, it would be ugly and inappropriate. But God placed our "drainpipe" – our nose – at our entrance, and it's part of our beauty and worth. Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon emphasizes this idea of divine artistry. God is the Tzur, the Rock, a beautiful sculptor (tzayar). He takes pride in His creation, inviting us to admire the sculpture He has sculpted.
And finally, Rabbi Pinḥas, citing Rabbi Levi, points to the verse "behibare’am" (Genesis 2:4), meaning "when they were created." He interprets this as "He created them with the letter heh [beheh bera’am]." The letter heh is the easiest to pronounce, suggesting that creation required no exertion on God's part.
So, what does it all mean? Perhaps it's a reminder that wisdom is a journey, not a destination. That even in our moments of doubt and forgetfulness, we are part of something larger, a creation crafted with intention and love. It's an invitation to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the world, and to trust in the divine wisdom that shaped us.
“I turned to behold wisdom, debauchery, and folly, as who is the person who would come after the king, to that which they have already done” (Ecclesiastes 2:12). “I turned [ufaniti] to behold wisdom” – [the word] ufaniti [should be read] ufiniti, I emptied, like this bowl that is filled at times and spilled at times. So, Solomon studied Torah at times, and at times forgot it. “To behold wisdom, debauchery, and folly” – Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Simon: Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa says: “Debauchery” – this is debauchery of the kingdom;33This is a critique of the behavior of government officials. “folly” – this is heavy-handedness.34They impose harsh taxes on the foolish masses. Rabbi Simon says: “Debauchery” – this is debauchery of heresy; “folly” – this is foolishness. “As who is the person who would come after the king…” – if a person were to say to you: ‘I am able to ascertain the foundations of the world,’ say to him: ‘You are unable [to ascertain the considerations] of a king of flesh and blood, but [the considerations] of the King, king of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, you are able [to ascertain]?’ Rabbi Naḥman said two [parables]: This is analogous to a field of reeds into which a person is unable to enter. What did one clever person do? He cut and entered, cut and entered through the cut area and emerged through the cut area.35Each wise person, in his area of expertise, paves the way for everyone else to follow. Rabbi Naḥman said [another parable]: This is analogous to a large palace with multiple entrances. Everyone who entered it would lose his way. There was one clever person who took a skein of reed grass and tied it opposite the entrance.36He unraveled the skein as he continued into the palace and in that way, found his way out. Everyone entered by means of the skein and exited by means of the skein. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: To what is this matter analogous? It is to a king of flesh and blood who built a palace. All the passersby entered it and said: Were its columns higher, it would be beautiful. Were its walls higher, it would be beautiful. Were its ceiling higher, it would be beautiful.37It is appropriate for people to critique a palace built by people. Shall a person come and say: If I had three hands, three eyes, three ears, or three feet I would be beautiful? The verse states: “[As who is the person who would come after the king,] to that which they have already done [asuhu].” It is not written here asahu,38Singular but rather, asuhu.39Plural It is, as it were, that the Holy One blessed be He and His court did it. They were counted on each and every one of your limbs and established you in accordance with what is best for you.40God, as it were, consulted the members of His heavenly court and acted based on a vote of its members. If you say there are two authorities, is it not already stated: “He made you and established you” (Deuteronomy 32:6)? Rabbi Levi bar Ḥaita said: [When] a king of flesh and blood builds a palace, if he places its drainpipe at its entrance, it is neither beautiful nor worthy, but the Holy One blessed be He created man and placed his drainpipe at his entrance. What is it? It is his nose, and it is his beauty and his worth.41The nose contributes significantly to each person’s distinctive appearance. Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon said: It is written: “The Lord God formed man” (Genesis 2:7); why does the verse state: “That He formed” (Genesis 2:8)? Rather, the Rock (haTzur) is a beautiful sculptor [tzayar]. As it were, He takes pride in His world and says: See the creation that I created and the sculpture that I sculpted. And Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon said: “This is the chronology of the heavens and the earth when they were created [behibare’am]” (Genesis 2:4) – He created them [hu bera’am], He praises them; who denigrates them? If their Creator praises them, who finds fault with them? Rather, they are beautiful and praiseworthy, as it is stated: “This is the chronology of the heavens and the earth [when they were created, on the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens]” (Genesis 2:4). Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Behibare’am, He created them with the letter heh [beheh bera’am].42The letter heh is the easiest to pronounce, indicating that there was no exertion on the part of the Creator.
