This question has been debated for centuries, and today, we're diving into a fascinating discussion about it from the ancient text of Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes.
The passage opens with a stark observation: “a time to be born” – from the time to be born, it is the time to die. Heavy. It suggests that from the moment we enter this world, the length of our days is already determined. But, like many things in Jewish tradition, it's not quite that simple.
Rabbi Akiva, a prominent sage, believed that the number of years a person will live is decreed at birth. According to his view, if we live righteously, we'll fulfill that predetermined lifespan. If not, our lives will be cut short, echoing (Proverbs 10:27): “The fear of the Lord will increase days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.”
But other Rabbis disagreed. They argued that our actions can actually extend our lives. As we see in (Isaiah 38:5), God tells King Hezekiah, “Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days.” They believed that if we merit it, our lives can be prolonged.
Rabbi Akiva countered with an interesting point about Hezekiah. He suggested that the extra fifteen years weren't really extra at all. Instead, they were a restoration of Hezekiah's original, intended lifespan. To prove this, he pointed to the prophecy in I (Kings 13:2) about the birth of Josiah, who was Hezekiah's great-grandson. Since Josiah was prophesied to be born "to the house of David" long before Hezekiah's near-death experience, Hezekiah must have always been meant to live long enough to father Menashe, Josiah's grandfather!
The other sages weren't convinced. They argued that the prophecy didn't specifically say Josiah would be born from Hezekiah’s line, only from the house of David. It could have been another branch of the royal family.
To further illustrate their point, the Rabbis share a story about Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta. This story, found within Kohelet Rabbah, is wild.
Picture this: Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta is traveling with some others to a circumcision ceremony in Tzippori. On the way, some young lads demand that he dance for them. He refuses, but they persist. Seeing their impudence, Rabbi Shimon realizes the courtyard before which they stand is about to be destroyed as punishment! He instructs the boys to call out a warning to the owner of the courtyard. The owner awakens, takes everything out of the courtyard, and moments later, it's completely destroyed.
Later, at the circumcision feast, the father of the baby offers everyone aged wine, expressing his hope to share wine with them again at his son's wedding. The guests offer a blessing that he should indeed bring the boy to Torah and marriage.
As Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta heads home that night, he encounters the malach ha-mavet, the angel of death. The angel asks him why he's out at such an hour. Rabbi Shimon asks why the angel looks so forlorn, and the angel explains that he's upset because he knows this baby is fated to die in thirty days, and the blessing given by the guests threatens to change that decree!
Rabbi Shimon, curious, asks to see his own fate, but the angel says he has no power over Rabbi Shimon or his colleagues because they dedicate themselves to Torah, mitzvot (good deeds), and acts of righteousness. Because of this, God adds years to their lives. Rabbi Shimon then prays that the angel will have no power to violate their words of blessing for the baby. And, the story concludes, the baby lived.
This story is a powerful argument against Rabbi Akiva's view. It suggests that prayer and good deeds can alter a person's predetermined lifespan.
But Rabbi Akiva remains unconvinced. He counters with a verse from (Exodus 23:26): “I will fill the number of your days.” He argues that even Moses, who performed countless mitzvot, was told, “Behold, your days are approaching to die” (Deuteronomy 31:14). In other words, even the most righteous among us have a predetermined time to die.
The passage then shifts to another interpretation of “a time to be born and a time to die.” It suggests that God waits until a man is twenty years old to marry. If he reaches that age unmarried, God considers it a "time to die" for him, meaning he has missed his opportunity to have children. Some say it's even better to marry before twenty, to avoid any potential danger. Finally, the text briefly mentions "a time to plant" (in peacetime) and "a time to uproot that which is planted" (in wartime).
So, what do we take away from all this? Is our fate sealed at birth, or do we have the power to influence our destiny? Kohelet Rabbah presents us with compelling arguments on both sides. Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Maybe we are given a certain framework, but within that framework, our choices, our actions, and our prayers can indeed shape the course of our lives. It's a thought-provoking idea, and one that continues to resonate with us today.
Another matter, “a time to be born” – from the time to be born, it is the time to die. From the moment that a person is born, it is decreed upon him how many years he will live. If he merits, he will complete his years. If not, his life will be shortened, as it is written: “The fear of the Lord will increase days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened” (Proverbs 10:27). This is the opinion of Rabbi Akiva. The Rabbis say: If he merits, his life will be extended; if not, his life will be shortened. If he merits, his life will be extended, as it is stated: “Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days” (Isaiah 38:5). He said to them: From his own it is added to him.8If one had his original life expectancy shortened, it will be restored. Thus, regarding the verse cited from Isaiah, the fifteen years restored Hezekiah to his original life expectancy. Know [that this is so,] as it is written: “Behold, a son is born to the house of David, Josiah is his name…” (I Kings 13:2), and Menashe9The order of the succession of the monarchy was Hezekiah, Menashe, Amon, Josiah. had not yet entered the world.10The prophecy about Josiah had been delivered hundreds of years earlier. When Hezekiah was granted the additional fifteen years, Menashe, his son, had not yet been born. Clearly, from the outset, Hezekiah was always supposed to have lived long enough to beget Menashe, Josiah’s grandfather. They said to him: Is it written: A son will be born to the house of David from Hezekiah? That is not stated, but rather “to the house of David,” [and it could have been] a son from a different [branch] of the royal house of David. This supports what the Sages, our rabbis said: There was an incident involving one of the prominent men of Tzippori, who had occasion to circumcise [his son], and the residents of Ein Te’ena came up to honor him and Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta came up with them. When they came to the city gates, they came across the sound of lads standing and playing before one courtyard. They saw Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta, who was distinguished and handsome. They said to him: ‘You will not move from here until you dance for us a bit.’ He said to them: ‘This is inappropriate for me, as I am an elderly man.’ He reprimanded them, but they were not daunted and did not submit. He lifted his glance and saw that the courtyard [was going to be] overturned.11Due to their impudence in insisting that Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta dance for them, the courtyard would be destroyed. He said to them: ‘Repeat after me what I say: Go and say to this owner of this courtyard: “If you are sleeping, awaken, as the beginning of sin is sweet but its end is bitter.”’ From the sound of their words the owner of that courtyard awakened, and he emerged, and fell at [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta’s] feet. He said: ‘Rabbi, I beg of you, do not pay attention to their words, as they are young and foolish.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘What can we do for you, the edict has already been issued.12The courtyard will be destroyed. However, I will delay it for you [so you have enough] time to take out everything that you have in the courtyard.’ When he had taken out everything that he had in the courtyard, that courtyard was lifted up and then crashed down [and was destroyed]. They went to fulfill the mitzva of circumcision, and the father of the boy was giving them aged wine to drink, and saying: ‘Drink of this fine wine, as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will [also] give you to drink of it at his wedding.’ They answered him: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ From the sound of their words, Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta emerged into the darkness,13He set out to return home even though it was night. he was accosted by the emissary of the people.14The angel of death. [The angel of death] said to him: ‘Is it because you rely on your good deeds that you are going out at a time that is not a time?’15For people to be outside. [Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘You, who are you?’ He said to him: ‘I am the emissary of the people.’ He said to him: ‘Why do you look forlorn?’ He said: ‘It is from the sound of the harsh words that I hear from people every day.’ He said to him: ‘What are they?’ He said to him: ‘That baby that you circumcised today, I have the document of his [fate, which states] that I am to take him from here in thirty days. His father gave you to drink and said: “Drink this fine wine as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will give you to drink of it at his wedding.” I heard and I was sad, because your prayer16The prayer the guests had said to the father: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ abrogates it.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘By your life, show me my fate.’ He said to him: ‘I have no control over yours and not over your colleagues.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ He said: ‘It is because each and every day you exert yourself in Torah and mitzvot and perform acts of righteousness, and the Holy One blessed be He adds years to your lifetimes.’ He said to him: ‘May it be the will of the Holy One blessed be He that just as you do not control our fates, so you will not have license to violate our words and our plea for mercy from Heaven.’ The baby lived.17This proves that, contrary to Rabbi Akiva’s statement, people can live beyond their predetermined life expectancy. Rabbi Akiva said: What is [the significance of] this incident for us? I do not have an incident, but rather a verse: “I will fill the number of your days” (Exodus 23:26). Moses, how many mitzvot did he fulfill and how many acts of righteousness, and ultimately, it was stated to him: “Behold, your days are approaching to die” (Deuteronomy 31:14); that is: “A time to be born [and a time to die].” Another matter, “a time to be born and a time to die” – when a man is born, the Holy One blessed be He waits up to twenty years for him to marry a woman. If he reached the age of twenty and did not marry a woman, the Holy One blessed be He says to him: It is “a time to be born” for you,18A time for you to have children. but you did not wish to do so; this is nothing other than “a time to die.” Some say: One waits only a bit before that which will burn him.19Since a man is liable to lose his life if he is not married by the age of twenty, he would do well not to wait until close to that age, and marry even before the age of twenty. “A time to plant,” in peacetime; “and a time to uproot that which is planted,” in wartime.
