Introduction
In this part of the chapter, King Solomon continues a major clarification: what is the pursuit of wealth really worth, and what is the true "good" that a person ought to seek for himself in his numbered days? First, he describes the life of one who chases after riches - darkness, anger, sickness, and wrath; and afterwards he presents the alternative: eating and drinking with proper conduct, rejoicing in one's portion, and utilizing wealth for eternal life. We will follow the order of the verses, with the explanations of the commentators and Midrashim as examined in the lesson.
"All his days also he eats in darkness" - The Price of the Pursuit
גַּם כָּל יָמָיו בַּחֹשֶׁךְ יֹאכֵל וְכָעַס הַרְבֵּה וְחָלְיוֹ וָקָצֶף׃ (טז) - All his days also he eats in darkness, and he has much vexation and sickness and wrath. (16)
"All his days also he eats in darkness" - as he toils to find sustenance for himself. "And he has much vexation" - says the Pesikta: he commits transgressions and angers his Creator, who then visits him with sickness and wrath, and this is "and sickness and wrath." In other words, when a person angers the Creator of the world, that very conduct brings wrath upon himself, as will be explained shortly.
The Imrei Shefer explains that here the text continues a dialogue with this person. You might say: look, there are wealthy people, there are successful people, look at the world of commerce and how nicely so many make a living. To this the verse replies: even if the days of trade are prolonged with much labor, the reality is that business is often difficult, and the merchant laments and groans over his situation: how much I wandered, how much I toiled, how much I traveled and exhausted myself - and in the end I gained nothing from this deal.
This is the lesson: people always see the rich man's successes, but no one sees the disappointments he suffered along the way. Sometimes along the path he experiences disappointments, crises, and heartache; sometimes he is sure he is embarking on the deal of a lifetime, unaware that this very deal will plunge him into debt. Some people say: how many years did I work on this project, whom didn't I recruit, and what loans did I take out - and everything collapsed. Such things have happened. Therefore, do not view the wealthy person through a one-sided lens that sees only success and prosperity; one must also recognize that "all his days also he eats in darkness" - the trouble, toil, and labor he invests in all those enterprises, and sometimes, after all that toil, he has gained nothing. Such is the lot of those who labor in this world, and who among them does not groan and complain in his lifetime?
"And he has much vexation" - for everywhere you will find those who will trip you up, those who want to profit as much as you or even more than you, and those who are envious. All commercial dealings bring much vexation. And are informants and people who turn to hostile authorities, tax officials, and all sorts of other scourges ever lacking, causing you damage and grief?
"And sickness and wrath" - Sickness and Wrath Are Twin Brothers
Note what the Imrei Shefer says here: sickness and wrath are twin brothers. Wrath brings about heart disease. It has been explained multiple times that when a person becomes angry, it causes heart problems. People suffer from heart trouble, high blood pressure, ulcers - all the "diseases of the modern world" - and they all stem from tension, stress, anger, and wrath.
Incidentally, individuals with Down syndrome do not suffer from any of these modern-day diseases. They may have a shortened lifespan for genetic reasons, which is unrelated; but their hearts are healthy, they do not suffer from ulcers, high blood pressure, or blood clots in the brain - none of the problems caused by stress affect them. Why? No complex scheming, no worries. When there are no worries, there are naturally no such diseases.
And not only that: once he already has heart disease and ailments begin to set in, his wrath increases further. There is a feedback loop here: wrath breeds illness, illness breeds irritation and wrath, and wrath breeds even more illness - a snowball that keeps growing larger. This is why he continues and says: "Behold that which I have seen."
"It Is Good and Fitting to Eat and Drink" - The Desired Purpose
הִנֵּה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי אָנִי טוֹב אֲשֶׁר יָפֶה לֶאֱכוֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וְלִרְאוֹת טוֹבָה בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מִסְפַּר יְמֵי חַיָּו אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי הוּא חֶלְקוֹ׃ (יז) - Behold, that which I have seen: it is good and fitting to eat and to drink, and to see good in all one's labor that he toils under the sun, the number of the days of his life which God has given him, for it is his portion. (17)
What is good and fitting for man? "That which I have seen" - what is good in itself, and also fitting. "Fitting" (*yafeh*), explains the *Imrei Shefer*, means that in addition, it is pleasing in the eyes of people: that a person should eat and drink from his labor. That is, that which you toil for should provide your food and drink; do not scheme and search for ways to hoard wealth, but rather see good in your labor, eat well, drink well, and sleep well. In simple words: the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not want a person to live here in torment. While there are levels of ascetic self-affliction, and that is a measure of piety (*chassidut*), in the normal course of life - that a person should eat, enjoy this world, and see good in all his labor that he toils under the sun - this is the desired purpose.
Torah and good deeds are the true good, and when a person lives this way, he has time for Torah and time for good deeds. This is "the number of the days of his life which God has given him" - a person's days are numbered, and there is a purpose for which he was created, which he must fulfill within a fixed time. "For it is his portion" - this is the good and genuine portion that remains with a person forever: to fill the number of the days of his life which God gave him with charity, kindness, Torah study, and good deeds. In doing so, he has fulfilled his purpose.
"Fitting" Eating - Proper Conduct at the Table
The *Michlol Yofi* explains that the words "it is good and fitting to eat and to drink" hint that one should eat and drink in a "good and fitting" manner - in an aesthetic and dignified way: in clean clothes, with a clean tablecloth, at an orderly table. After all, the table is like an altar. One should not be like those who eat at a soiled table. A scene once witnessed in public illustrates this: a man wanted some hummus, and lacking room on his plate, he simply poured it directly onto the tablecloth and began wiping it with his bread - in public, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. There are people who eat chicken or wings, and because they lack space on their plate, they place them directly on the table. "May their table become a snare before them." A person must eat with *derech eretz*, in a dignified and proper manner.
When a person eats while his table is dirty, no spirit of holiness rests there, as it says, "And your camp shall be holy." The table is akin to an altar, and the resting of the Shechinah upon a person corresponds to his table: to what degree a person conducts himself properly at his table, and how careful he is with his food. Therefore, it is hinted here that one must eat and drink in a fitting manner.
The holy Zohar teaches that there are ten practices one should observe during a meal. The first of them is to set the table in honor of the Holy One, Blessed be He. Furthermore, one must eat aesthetically - gracefully, not ravenously. There are people who, when they eat, make it seem as though the food is about to run away from them; one cannot understand the rush and pressure, consuming food like a vacuum cleaner, Heaven spare us. Eating in a dignified way means that a person is not greedy for food, but behaves as though even if the food were taken away, he would not mind. When a person eats in haste - grabbing from here, taking from there, "pass me that," "put some of this on my plate" - you see a person laboring; this is not the *derech eretz* of eating.
It is related of great sages, evidently of the Alter of Slabodka, that he would never bend down to his soup plate to eat. He would sit upright, lifting the soup with his spoon and bringing it to his mouth. His reasoning was clear: an animal bends down to the feeding trough. Man is created in the image of God, and as an image of God, one must bring the food to oneself and not bend down to the food; bending down has an element of animalistic conduct. This is not referring merely to someone walking down the street with a shawarma taking monstrous bites, but even to people who dine neatly at home - even for them there are guidelines for how one should eat. Therefore, it is written that one should not eat a piece larger than an egg (*k'beitzah*) nor hold a large piece in one's hand; only on Shabbat is it permitted to break off a large piece, but not on an ordinary weekday. Several other details and halachot are stated regarding this.
Indeed, regarding a portion of falafel, although some raised objections, arguing that holding a large portion in hand appears gluttonous, the Poskim rule that today this is considered the standard way of eating. Even so, refined people who value *derech eretz* will not take a whole portion; they will take a half-portion, and sometimes even cut that in half - that is, a quarter - in order to conduct themselves in a more dignified manner when seated at the table.
The book *Eretz Chemdah* cites that what is written here, "it is good and fitting to eat and to drink, and to see good," refers to inviting a Torah scholar to one's table to share words of Torah, and through this, one has "good" at the table - for there is no "good" other than Torah, as it is written: "For I have given you a good doctrine."
"This Is the Gift of God" - Wealth as an Instrument for Eternal Life
גַּם כָּל הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְהִשְׁלִיטוֹ לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ וְלָשֵׂאת אֶת חֶלְקוֹ וְלִשְׂמֹחַ בַּעֲמָלוֹ זֹה מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִיא׃ (יח) - Also, every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has empowered him to eat from it, to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor - this is the gift of God.
What is meant by "to take his portion"? The Pesikta Zutarta explains: that he should have a portion in the World to Come provided by the wealth he possesses in this world. Thus, he possesses both this world and the World to Come - the money of this world serves him to acquire eternal life. God gave him this wealth in order "to take his portion and to rejoice in his labor": in this world, rejoice in your labor, and through that very act, carry your portion forward to the World to Come, using that wealth for the fulfillment of mitzvot and good deeds.
"This is the gift of God" - the Midrash notes: this quality does not apply to all people, but only to one whom the Holy One, blessed be He, favors. One whom Hashem favors possesses riches and wealth, and Hashem grants him mastery to eat from it, unlike what we saw earlier where others consume the fruit of his labor and strangers seize his toil. He carries his portion and rejoices in his labor, is happy with his wealth, is not burdened by it, and is not constantly stressed as we observed before. Meriting this is granted only to one whom Hashem favors, and it is a gift from Hashem. But this is on condition that he "takes his portion" - that he still carries with him a portion into the life of the World to Come.
Yet if one were to say: "Look, so-and-so is satisfied, he enjoys every worldly comfort right here" - what did he actually receive? On the contrary, you have received your world during your lifetime. A story is told of a man who met a rabbi and began debating matters of this world and the World to Come. The man spoke dismissively of the future world. The rabbi asked him: "Where is your 'this world'?" The man said: "What, I don't have this world?" and began listing his possessions: such a villa, such a Volvo, such a swimming pool. The rabbi said to him: "Until now you have been showing me your World to Come - now tell me, what do you have here in this world? Everything you showed me is your World to Come; they paid you out here for pennies, they gave it to you for pocket change. You showed me your World to Come - but where is your this world?"
And in truth, where is the peace of mind? Where is the genuine joy in what a person does? A person who sits and learns Torah, rejoicing in the Torah, truly possesses this world; he enjoys life here, possessing complete joy. But someone who is consumed with earning a living, constantly running here and there, forever filled with anxieties and distractions - does he truly have this world? Only one who delves into the Torah possesses this in full, and such people are the happiest individuals in the world. That is the true "this world."
"Gave" versus "Will Give" - The Nuance Noted by the Chavot Yair
The sefer Eretz Chemdah cites the Chavot Yair on Parashat Matot: in the next chapter, Shlomo presents the exact antithesis to our verse here. In our verse: "Also, every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has empowered him to eat from it, to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor - this is the gift of God." Yet there (Chapter 6, Verse 2): "A man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all that he desires, yet God does not empower him to eat from it, but a stranger consumes it - this is vanity and an evil disease." The question arises: Why does our verse say "natan" (gave), in the past tense, whereas there it says "yiten" (will give / gives), in the future tense?
He explains this wonderfully: such a rich man deposits most of his wealth in his vaults, and neither he nor anyone else benefits from it, as we saw earlier; and when he passes away, he leaves it to someone else. The reason he continues to hoard wealth is that whatever he possesses still seems meager in his eyes. He is always looking ahead toward greater wealth and vast profits, constantly complaining against the attributes of Hashem: "Look, there was a deal here where I could have earned a fortune; why was I blocked, why wasn't I allowed to succeed?"
Not so the wealthy man who rejoices in his lot: everything Hashem gives him is viewed as an unearned kindness. On the contrary, he says: "I am not worthy of this; according to my deeds, it would be fitting for everything to be taken from me, but Hashem in His abundant mercy had compassion on me and gave to me. After all, there are people better than I who did not receive, yet He gave specifically to me - a sign that everything is pure mercy from Him, blessed be He." Therefore, he gives thanks for whatever Hashem grants him.
This is what Shlomo precisely expressed in his wisdom: in our verse, regarding the person whom Hashem empowered to eat from it, the text says "which God has given him" (natan), in the past tense, for it seems to him that he has more than enough. He is content with his lot, and what Hashem gave him is "the gift of God," truly wonderful. But the begrudging rich man, who constantly wants to gather more and whom God has not empowered to enjoy his wealth, is always rushing to grow richer. Therefore, it says of him, "to whom God gives" (yiten): his entire mind is focused on what else God will give him, how much more He will add for him. He is constantly making demands and requests, wanting more and more. He already has, yet he constantly seeks more - and ultimately, neither he nor anyone else benefits from it, and this is an evil disease.
Is Wealth Inherently Bad, Then? The Answer of the Imrei Shefer
The Imrei Shefer continues with an imaginary dialogue involving the person whom Shlomo is trying to persuade to stop pursuing wealth. The person might argue: "You are trying to convince me of something that runs contrary to all human perception! Being rich is bad, and being poor is good? Human understanding holds the exact opposite: being rich is good, and being poor is bad! Who has ever heard of such an upside-down notion? Everyone strives for wealth, and even the rich man wants to remain rich and does not wish to descend into poverty. How can you come and try to convince me that poverty is good and wealth is bad?"
He replies to him: Know that I understand your words and your perspective. Certainly, if Hashem has granted a person wealth and possessions and enabled him to partake of them in this world, while also carrying his portion into the World to Come and rejoicing in his labor - this is surely a gift of God, and such wealth is certainly better than poverty; if someone is granted such a gift, he certainly should not neglect or abandon it. That was not what was being addressed. Rather, a person should not make wealth the primary aim of his life and the ultimate longing of his soul, because such people are exceedingly rare: those who possess wealth and assets and Hashem has empowered them to partake of them, while also earning eternal life through it without losing their world on account of their riches - for wealth often draws a person after desires and pleasures, leaving him with no restraints to prevent any evil or sin, since he has ample means for every wrongdoing. Among those rare few, wealth did not corrupt; on the contrary, it elevated them and brought them closer to the service of Hashem. Do not object, then, by pointing out, 'Behold, such people exist!' - true, they do, but what about the majority? The majority do not fall into this category. Therefore, it is advisable not to seek wealth, and it is far better to choose, as seen above, an occupation that, although backbreaking and arduous - like working the field - brings peace of mind, rather than choosing to pursue riches with all the drawbacks enumerated.
"For He Will Not Much Remember the Days of His Life"
כִּי לֹא הַרְבֵּה יִזְכֹּר אֶת יְמֵי חַיָּיו כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים מַעֲנֶה בְּשִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ׃ (יט) - For he will not much remember the days of his life, for God answers him through the joy of his heart. (19)
Rashi explains: There is no longevity here in this world - a person's days of life are few. If so, why should he exert himself so intensely and toil over the affairs of this world for something that will not endure for him into the World to Come? And if he does amass wealth, let it be solely for the sake of eternal life.
"For God answers [ma'aneh] through the joy of his heart" - the Holy One, blessed be He, stands as constant testimony to the joy of his heart, meaning how much a person rejoices in doing good during his life. "Ma'aneh" is related to "You shall not bear false witness [lo ta'aneh] against your neighbor," in the sense of testimony: the Holy One, blessed be He, bears witness to a person regarding the joy of his heart. And based on what? Based on the person's service of Hashem. And such is reality: the further a person is from the service of Hashem, the more he lacks joy. Look at the distressing reality of our times, where people support psychologists left and right. Nor should one assume that the psychologists themselves are exempt - studies they conducted themselves have shown that they are the ones most in need of psychologists; people who constantly hear about the troubles of others end up affected themselves.
When does a person truly have joy of heart? When he serves Hashem: "And you shall serve Hashem your God with joy," and the Holy One, blessed be He, wants a person to rejoice in His service - "And you shall rejoice there before Hashem your God." Any other joy is mere frivolity, a fleeting pleasure. A person rejoices in his new car - how long does that last? How long does the plastic wrap stay on the seats? What inevitably happens is that he loses interest and looks for the next thing: the next model, the next brand. He feels compelled to upgrade his car, upgrade his phone, move to a new apartment, acquire new assets - an endless cycle of replacement, yet genuine joy eludes him. Material pursuits do not confer real joy, only momentary pleasure. True happiness - as Hashem Himself testifies - exists only when a person serves the Holy One, blessed be He, and fulfills his purpose in closeness to God. For "in the light of Your countenance You gave us a Torah of life, lovingkindness, righteousness, mercy, blessing, and peace" - everything comes solely from the light of Hashem's countenance. How could a person possess any of this if he distances himself from the light of Hashem's countenance? On the contrary, he finds himself in sadness, darkness, and alienation - and the reality seen in the streets proves it.
Elkanah - "For God Answers Through the Joy of His Heart"
The Midrash states, as cited by Rashi: Of whom does the verse speak? Of Elkanah, who would guide Israel to ascend to Shiloh on the Pilgrimage Festivals, and the route he took to lead them up one year was not the route he took the next. In his day, there was no great awakening to make the pilgrimage, and it was Elkanah who inspired it. How so? For each festival he traveled by a different route, meeting people along the way and asking them: "Where are you heading? Let us go to the House of Hashem; we are making the pilgrimage to prostrate ourselves before Hashem and rejoice before Him." Each time he gathered people from a different place, until he created a widespread movement and the nation began to ascend on pilgrimage.
Therefore, Scripture ascribed praise to him: "And that man went up from his city" - "that man" is an expression of acclaim. Rashi explains that this Midrash is based on the conclusion of our verse: "For God answers [or bears witness] through the joy of his heart" - this refers to Elkanah, about whom Hashem bore witness and rewarded him according to the joy of his heart. And what was the joy of his heart? The joy with which he rejoiced on the festival. In that merit, he was granted the greatest joy: that a son like Shmuel HaRamati was born to him. You awakened the pilgrimage and closeness to God - you will merit a son who will be closest to God after Moshe and Aharon: "Moshe and Aharon among His priests, and Shmuel among those who call upon His Name." And the Holy One, blessed be He, recorded it in Scripture and testified about him: "And that man went up from his city."
Two Interpretations of "Yizkor" - Imrei Shefer
The Imrei Shefer explains that the word "yizkor" [he will remember] applies to both parts of the statement. First: "For he will not remember the days of his life as many" - he should remember that the days of his life are not numerous. If a person thinks they are plentiful, it is only because he is young; once a person matures, he suddenly realizes that days pass quickly and years race by. A study on this subject once observed that for young people, say between the ages of ten and twenty, the years seem to pass very slowly; whereas for older adults, at forty, fifty, or sixty - suddenly it is Rosh HaShanah again, Elul again, and time flies. The young assume everything still lies ahead, but as one grows older, one realizes that time is rushing forward.
Furthermore, even if a person attains the desired goal he yearned for - who knows how much time he will have to enjoy it? One may achieve his ambition, only for that day to be the last day of his life. There was a man who invested heavily in building a villa in Rosh Ha'Ayin, inviting guests to see the home. He would regularly attend the Torah class in Psagot; it was a large, beautiful villa with rooms here and there - and the poor man had never married. When someone came to visit him because he was afflicted with the dreaded illness, he described it with great excitement: 'Now I have finished; just now they came and assembled this closet, and here we placed this.' About a month and a half later, God forbid, people were attending his funeral, may the Merciful One protect us. He had invested a fortune there - it was the ancestral home, accompanied by architectural plans, bitter quarrels with siblings, and endless strife - and in the end, no sooner had he moved into the house than he was carried to another house altogether: his eternal home.
What fool would toil for an entire year just to earn a single penny, one day's sustenance? Even if you achieved it - how much time does a person have left to live off what he attained? Anyone who reflects on this will see that this is the reality for most people: most reach the peak in their later years, at age fifty or sixty, when there is no longer much enjoyment to be had from everything they possess, and life already begins to smell of the end. How much a person is willing to toil - and for what? For something from which he will not derive enjoyment for many years.
And the second point: "remember" also relates to "for God answers with the joy of his heart" - that a person should remember that Hashem alone is the answer to the joy of his heart; if there is joy in a person's heart, it comes solely from Him, blessed be He. If so, it is very possible that you will exhaust yourself, exert effort, and strive to arrive - and in the end achieve nothing. Why, then, should a person toil for the wind? When he understands this, he will realize that there is no point in straining oneself all one's days, for few are the privileged ones whom Hashem empowers to eat from their wealth and honor. Even if one does merit it - perhaps he will attain it only at the end of his days, and the lifelong toil was simply not worth it. Therefore Kohelet tells us: do not chase after riches, do not wear yourself out to become wealthy; be satisfied with little.
Spiritual Joy - The Baal Shem Tov
The Baal Shem Tov cites in the name of the words of Kohelet that what is written, "for God answers with the joy of his heart," means: if a person wants to rejoice with true joy, he will achieve this only if he contemplates the greatness of God. For true joy is solely spiritual joy. Every material pleasure leaves a person lacking and creates yet another need, like saltwater that makes a person drink more and more: a person purchases something, and immediately afterward - what is the next thing? By contrast, spiritual joy fulfills him.
Proof of this: a person performs a mitzvah - it fills him, he feels happiness and joy; he helped someone - his heart sings. But someone who ate something delicious, what does he have left of it after a week? Perhaps a stomach ache; he has nothing left, only a historical memory. In contrast, when a person did a good deed, he will remember it after a year and after a decade, and his heart will sing and feel joy. Why? Because spirituality fills, whereas materiality empties.
And by the way, what is the pleasure closest to spiritual pleasure here in this world? Honor. That is why one consumes the reward of the World to Come through honor in this world. Notice that honor also shares these same measures: a person who was honored twenty years ago, brought up to the podium, had something hung around his neck, and received words of praise - whenever he recalls it, his heart fills up anew. This is not like a physical pleasure, which yields nothing when remembered; honor is a spiritual pleasure, where when I recall the honor shown to me, I recall the kind words spoken and the praises uttered. Perhaps they sold me nonsense, and usually that is the case - usually people are told empty words - but it does not really matter: they told me, and I judge favorably, assuming the person is decent and upright, and evidently saw qualities in me that I do not see in myself, and because of my humility I do not recognize the special things he said. In short, even if they sold him nonsense - a person feels good about himself, they spoke well of him, and he remembers it for years. Thus, the matter of honor is a type of spiritual pleasure, through which a person can also consume from the life of the World to Come. Yet true joy will be his only if he contemplates the greatness of our God, for only spiritual joy is truly called joy.
In summary:
Kohelet describes the life of one who pursues wealth: "all his days he eats in darkness" - toil, disappointments, anger, and rage, which breed sickness, and the sickness breeds further rage in a never-ending cycle. In contrast, he presents what is truly good: to eat and drink and see good in one's toil, with derech eretz and in a dignified, honorable manner, with words of Torah at the table, while remembering that one's days are numbered and that their purpose is Torah, charity, kindness, and good deeds. One who was granted wealth and whom Hashem empowered to eat from it, to carry his portion to the World to Come, and to rejoice in his toil - this is a gift of God, and such people are few; therefore, let a person not make the pursuit of wealth the purpose of his life. "He gave" is said of one who rejoices in his portion, and "He will give" of one who continually pursues more and more and never enjoys his wealth. And finally: true joy comes only from Hashem - like Elkanah, who rejoiced on the festival and merited Shmuel - for materiality empties while spirituality fulfills, and only one who contemplates the greatness of his Creator merits enduring joy.