The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, grapples with this very question. And in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of Rabbinic interpretations on Ecclesiastes, we find some fascinating perspectives on the verse, "The earth abides forever" (Ecclesiastes 1:4).
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa offers a striking interpretation. He suggests the verse should have said, "The earth passes and the earth comes, but the generation abides forever." Why? Because that would highlight that the people endure, not the earth. He asks a crucial question: Was the earth created for humanity, or humanity for the earth? Surely, he argues, the earth was created for us. So, why does the earth "abide forever" while generations fade? His answer is a bit of a rebuke: because humanity sometimes fails to live up to its responsibilities to the Holy One, blessed be He. The earth, in its steadfastness, does fulfill its purpose.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai takes a different tack, drawing on the prophet Isaiah: "For like the days of the tree will be the days of My people" (Isaiah 65:22). Now, "tree," he says, is synonymous with Torah, as Proverbs tells us, "It is a tree of life for those who grasp it" (Proverbs 3:18). So, which came first, the Torah for Israel, or Israel for the Torah? The Torah, of course, was given for Israel. Therefore, Rabbi Shimon argues, if the Torah, created for Israel's sake, is eternal, then surely Israel, for whom everything was created, is even more so!
Then we have Rabbi Yitzḥak, who provides a historical lens: Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, but Israel endures. That, he says, is what "the earth abides forever" truly means.
Rabbi Shmuel, quoting Rabbi Pelatya of Naveh, finds support in a seemingly odd verse from Judges (18:30) about Yehonatan and his sons being priests "until the day of the exile of the land." Wait a minute... does a land go into exile? No! Rabbi Shmuel explains that "land" here refers to Israel, echoing (Malachi 3:12): "All nations will praise you; as you will be a land of delight" – you will be called a land of delight. Israel is the land.
Perhaps one of the most poetic interpretations comes from Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. He suggests that everything the Holy One, blessed be He, created in humanity, He created a parallel for the earth. He goes through a fascinating litany:
* Man has a head – and the earth has a head, the "beginning" of the dust of the world (Proverbs 8:26).
* Man has eyes – and the earth has eyes; the "face" of the earth (Exodus 10:5).
* Man has ears – and the earth has ears: "Listen, earth" (Isaiah 1:2).
* Man has a mouth – and the earth has a mouth: "The earth opened its mouth" (Numbers 16:32).
And so on, covering eating, drinking, vomiting, hands, thighs, a navel, nakedness, and even feet! The earth "abides" or "stands" (omadet) forever, implying it has feet to stand on.
Rabbi Aḥa and the Rabbis offer a final perspective on the word omadet. Rabbi Aḥa says it means the earth "fulfills" its duties, while the Rabbis say it "produces" its food. This leads Rabbi Shimon ben Yosei ben Lakoneya to reflect on the imperfections of our current world. In this world, we build houses that others inhabit, plant trees whose fruit others enjoy. But, he assures us, in the future, this won't be the case. Drawing again on Isaiah (65:22), "For like the days of the tree will be the days of My people, and My chosen will outlive their handicraft," he envisions a world where our efforts directly benefit us and endure.
So, what does it mean for the earth to abide forever? Is it a statement about geological permanence, a reflection on humanity's role, or a promise of a future where our actions have lasting meaning? Perhaps it's all of these things, woven together in a tapestry of Jewish thought. It leaves you wondering: what kind of legacy are we building, and how can we ensure that our actions, like the earth's, truly abide?
“And the earth abides forever” (Ecclesiastes 1:4). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said: The verse should have said only: “The earth passes and the earth comes, but the generation abides forever.”28This would indicate that the earth is transient, and the people last forever. Which was created for the sake of the other, was the earth created for the sake of the generation, or was the generation created for the sake of the earth? Was it not the earth [that was created] for the sake of the generation? Rather, because the generation did not perform the duties [assigned to it by] the Holy One blessed be He; therefore, it wastes away. The earth, because it performs the duties [assigned to it by] the Holy One blessed be He; therefore, it does not waste away. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: It is written: “For like the days of the tree will be the days of My people” (Isaiah 65:22). Tree means nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “It is a tree of life for those who grasp it” (Proverbs 3:18). Which was created for the sake of the other; the Torah for the sake of Israel, or Israel for the sake of the Torah? Was it not the Torah [that was created] for the sake of Israel? Rather, the Torah that was created for the sake of Israel exists for ever and ever; Israel, for whose sake [everything] was created, all the more so. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A kingdom enters and a kingdom leaves, but Israel stands forever; that is: “The earth abides forever.” Rabbi Shmuel in the name of Rabbi Pelatya of Naveh derived it from this verse: “Yehonatan son of Gershom son of Menashe, he and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the exile of the land” (Judges 18:30). Does a land go into exile or wander? Rather, these are Israel, who are called land, as it is stated: “All nations will praise you; as you will be a land of delight” (Malachi 3:12) – you will be called a land of delight. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: Everything that the Holy One blessed be He created in man, He created its parallel for the earth. Man has a head and the earth has a head [rosh], as it is stated: “[He had not yet made earth and fields, or] the beginning [rosh] of the dust of the world” (Proverbs 8:26). Man has eyes [einayim] and the earth has eyes, as it is stated: “They will cover the face [ein] of the earth” (Exodus 10:5). A person has ears and the earth has ears, as it is stated: “Listen, earth” (Isaiah 1:2). Man has a mouth and the earth has a mouth, as it is stated: “The earth opened its mouth” (Numbers 16:32). Man eats and the earth eats, as it is stated: “A land that consumes its inhabitants” (Numbers 13:32). Man drinks and the earth drinks, as it is stated: “[But the land]…by the rain of the heavens it drinks water” (Deuteronomy 11:11). Man vomits and the earth vomits, as it is stated: “So the land will not vomit [you out]” (Leviticus 18:28). Man has hands and the earth has hands [yadayim], as it is stated: “The land is spacious [raḥavat yadayim]” (Genesis 34:21). Man has thighs and the earth has thighs [yerekhayim], as it is stated: “I will gather them from the ends [miyarketei] of the earth” (Jeremiah 31:8). Man has a navel [tabbur] and the earth has a navel, as it is stated: “Dwellers in the middle of [betabbur] the earth” (Ezekiel 38:12). Man has nakedness and the earth has nakedness, as it is stated: “To see the nakedness of the land you have come” (Genesis 42:9). Man has feet and the earth has feet, as it is stated: “And the earth abides [omadet] forever” (Ecclesiastes 1:4).29The term omadet literally means standing, implying that it has feet. What is omadet? Ma’amedet. Rabbi Aḥa and the Rabbis, Rabbi Aḥa said: It fulfills [ma’amedet] its duties. The Rabbis said: It produces [ma’amedet] its food. Rabbi Shimon ben Yosei ben Lakoneya said: Because in this world a person builds a building and another spends time in it, [a person] plants a sapling and another eats [its produce]. But in the future, they will not build and another will settle, they will not plant and another will eat, as it is stated: “For like the days of the tree will be the days of My people, and My chosen will outlive their handicraft” (Isaiah 65:22).
