Introduction
In the final two verses of Chapter 10, Kohelet moves from praising diligence to his great warning regarding money - what its power is, what its function is, and what it might do to a person - and from there to a piercing warning about the tongue and even about thought: that even what is spoken in the innermost chambers is heard and ascends on high. Let us follow the order of the verses.
"Bread is Made for Laughter" - The Reward of Labor
לִשְׂחוֹק עֹשִׂים לֶחֶם וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח חַיִּים וְהַכֶּסֶף יַעֲנֶה אֶת־הַכֹּל׃ (י, יט) - Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens the living, and money answers everything. (10:19)
The Pesikta Zoutreta explains according to the plain meaning (peshat): One who has a field, sows it, and produces bread to eat from it has laughter, which denotes joy. This person labored in his field, has produce, and will not die of hunger. This is the exact opposite of the indolent person mentioned earlier, for whom "the beams sag" and "the house leaks." Likewise, "and wine gladdens the living" - one who has a vineyard, harvests it, and produces wine from it also rejoices in his lot, and the wine brings joy to human life.
"And money answers everything" - but one who possesses wealth, says the Pesikta Zoutreta, arranges everything in his home without toil. He who labored with wheat will have bread, and he who labored with grapes will have wine, but he who has money has everything: bread, wine, a home, and all household necessities, as he purchases them. "Answers" (ya'aneh) here is like "Hashem made everything for His purpose (lema'anehu)," meaning for its arrangement: money arranges everything for him.
Rashi interprets differently: "Bread is made for laughter" - for the joyful celebrations of grooms and kings, a feast is made. "Laughter" refers to a time of rejoicing, such as a wedding, and for this purpose they prepare a feast. And "bread" is an expression for a meal, as we find in Daniel, "King Belshazzar made a great feast (lechem rav)" - a lavish banquet. At this banquet, wine is also served, bringing joy to life. And how does one attain all of this? "And money answers everything" - if there is no money, there is no banquet. Hence, Rashi explains, a person should not be too lazy to work, so that he will have the means to provide.
Laziness Disguised as Bitachon
Seemingly, this is merely financial advice, but in truth it applies to all of human life. Rav Dessler points this out: often, a person is simply lazy, does not want to work, and idles his time away instead. If only he sat and learned all day, went to a yeshivah, studied in a kollel - he would at least be investing himself in spirituality. But some people do neither: wandering here, wandering there, going out, coming in, pacing back and forth. You ask him: Why don't you do something with yourself? Why don't you work? He replies: "I will lose my National Insurance stipend." And how much do you receive? "Two thousand shekels." Can anyone survive on two thousand shekels? No. And why aren't you getting married? For a simple reason: Who wants to marry someone who has two thousand shekels, barely enough to cover electricity, water, and telephone bills before it runs out? This is "through indolence" - this person does nothing with himself.
And what will you hear from him? Rav Dessler notes that he often recites: bitachon. One must trust in Hashem; livelihood comes from Heaven, and whatever is destined for a person, he will receive. Do you want to see how much falsehood lies in this? Say to that same person: "Come work just for today, and you will receive three thousand shekels." Immediately: "Where is it? Where?" Wait, a moment ago you spoke of bitachon, claiming that everything is decreed and that labor is a curse. What turns out? Labor for modest pay is a curse, but for high pay it becomes a blessing. How ridiculous this is. It proves that this person is merely seeking halachic justifications to rationalize his laziness.
This is something Chazal strongly opposed, which is why they said: "Flay a carcass in the marketplace and do not depend on others." To go and ask of people - why? Are you disabled, are you incapacitated, are you unable to work? Then there is the person who is willing to work, but only willing to start as a vice president. He already understands that one doesn't start at the very top as CEO, so he is graciously willing to start as VP... People live in illusions. Did your father start out like that? We hear about prominent figures - this contractor or that wealthy man - or someone who has owned a building supply store for decades, a substantial enterprise with a very handsome income, someone who built whole apartment buildings; yet those who grew up with him in the same neighborhood remember him as a boy selling ice pops on the beach, gradually advancing step by step. The point here is not to offer business advice, but to convey what Chazal teach: a person must work to earn a living and sustain himself, and then he can marry and establish his household properly. Do not reinvent the wheel - we have paths charted for us by Chazal. Granted, one should not chase after wealth - and that itself is what Shlomo teaches us - but to say "I will do nothing," to say "I will remain idle" - there is nothing worse than idleness, nothing more destructive.
The Alshich: Money as a Response to the Two Voices
The holy Alshich protests here against people who eat, drink, and make merry without caring for the needy, failing to gladden the hearts of the crushed and lowly. "A feast is made for laughter" - "bread" (lechem), as Rashi explains, denotes banquets, as in "made a great feast" (avad lechem rav). Instead of giving bread to the poor, they throw lavish feasts for themselves. And so too with wine: wine was created only to comfort mourners, yet instead of gladdening mourners and lifting them from their sorrow with wine, they use it for lavish banquets. "For laughter" - merriment that is not for the sake of a mitzvah, frivolous laughter and levity, rather than for the needs of mourning, which is the opposite of laughter. And their wine gladdens those who are called "living" and not those who are called "dead" - for a poor person is considered as dead; whereas if you had given bread and wine to the pauper, you would have gladdened him and revived the heart of the lowly and crushed.
And what does the Holy One, blessed be He, do? "And money answers for all." Here there are two voices: one is the voice of the wealthy man in his feasts, which you hear loud and clear, contented and raising his voice. And a second voice is heard from the other side - the voice of the pauper in his destitution, weeping because he has nothing to eat. These feast on delicacies with laughter and levity, while this one sits in his poverty and weeps. And what does the Holy One, blessed be He, do? The money will provide an appropriate response to both sides: the rich man who, instead of giving to the poor, went and held parties and celebrations - the Holy One, blessed be He, takes his money from him and transfers it to the pauper. And the money passing from one to the other will "answer for all": it will quiet the rich man from all his shouts of joy and lust, and it will quiet the poor man from his weeping over his poverty and difficult plight. The money will serve as a fitting response to both factions.
"Ya'aneh" (Answers) or "Ye'aneh" (Afflicts)
The Midrash cites in the name of Rabbi Levi that one can read the word as ya'aneh (answers) or as ye'aneh (afflicts). In this context, we may mention what was already noted, that in Selichot many make a mistake: one must say "Aneinu, Avinu aneinu" with an unaccented nun - meaning, answer us; and not, Heaven forbid, an expression of affliction (inuy). And some go even further, saying "Aneh me'aneinu" in reverse - which means, answer those who answer us; whereas the correct phrasing is "Aneh me'aneinu" - afflict those who afflict us.
Rabbi Levi says: Sometimes money answers, and sometimes it afflicts. Sometimes it answers - when one uses it for tzedakah, for then "money answers for all": with your money, you support, help, answer, and assist the needy person. And sometimes it afflicts - when the money itself becomes a prosecutor against the person. The money Hashem gave you to help others becomes an accusation against you: you could have helped others, so why did you not help? And who brings trouble upon you afterward? That very money itself - it is what afflicts the person.
Rabbi Yisrael Salanter and the Lottery Ticket
It is told that once the wife of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter bought a lottery ticket, where the potential winnings were very substantial sums of millions of rubles. When he heard of this, he stated that he vowed to derive no benefit from her property - he wanted no part of any money she might win. People asked him: What is so terrible? If the Rav has some money, surely he will do good things with it! He replied to them: You do not realize how great a claim money brings against a person. And indeed, they tell of him that when he passed away, he left almost nothing behind - a small vessel of saffron, perhaps his tefillin, and a few other meager possessions.
And Rabbi Yisrael explained to them: Imagine that at the edge of town there is a child who has not attended Talmud Torah for two weeks because his mother is a widow and has no money to pay tuition. When I arrive in the World of Truth, they will say to me: "Rabbi Yisrael, did you know that in your city there were children who did not attend Talmud Torah because they lacked money?" And I will reply: "It breaks my heart to hear it, but what does that have to do with me?" They will say: "What do you mean? You received her money! Your wife won the lottery - and where did that money come from?" It is written that when the Holy One, blessed be He, gives wealth to a rich person, it is actually the money of the poor, which He deposits in the rich man's hands so that he may perform tzedakah with it and merit life in the World to Come, yet you took the money for yourself! He said: Can I bear the responsibility that another person's money was entrusted to me, and I did not give him what he needed? In fact, this is an explicit verse: "If you lend money to My people, to the poor person with you" (Shemot 22:24) - the poor person's money is with you, says Hashem; I deposited it in your care. Thus, money "will afflict (ye'aneh) all," for in the end it brings its owner to affliction, as it becomes an accusation against him: Why did you not perform the good deeds for which it was given to you?
The Affliction of the Pursuit
And one can explain more simply that today we see in reality how "money afflicts (ye'aneh) all." People are caught in an endless pursuit of wealth: taking on another job, more overtime, staying up late, keeping the business open until one's dying breath. There are a few more clients, a few more orders to close, another deal and yet another deal. One asks him: Don't you have a life? Perhaps close at five and go to a Daf Yomi shiur, perhaps utilize a bit of time for spirituality as well? And what afflicts him so that he lives such a grueling life? The money. Someone once aptly noted that the Holy One, blessed be He, gives money to people who have no time to enjoy it. The hired worker earning six thousand shekels finishes work at four and has plenty of time - except he has no money to eat at a restaurant. The wealthy man can afford any restaurant - but at midnight he is still closing his final meeting, so when does he have the time? The pauper has plenty of time and no money, while the rich man has money and no time to enjoy it. Thus, money afflicts the person instead of bringing him enjoyment.
Targum Yonatan: Money as a Witness
Targum Yonatan explains: "A feast is made for laughter" - the bread with which the righteous sustain the hungry poor will become a source of laughter and joy for them. "And wine gladdens the living" - the wine with which they give drink to the thirsty will become gladness for them in the World to Come. "And money answers for all" - the money with which they fed and provided drink to the needy will testify on their behalf. Several commentators similarly explain ya'aneh as a term of testimony, as in "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (lo ta'aneh ve-re'acha ed shaker): the money will testify about everything, proving that these people were decent and righteous, and that they gave, helped, and assisted the needy from their funds.
Rav Saadia Gaon: There Is Nothing Money Calls To That Does Not Answer
Rav Saadia Gaon explains ya'aneh ("answers") in the sense of a response: when you are called, you answer. He cites in the name of one of the sages that there is nothing money calls that does not answer. And if you say: look, money called and was not answered - they tell you: add a little more money, and you will see that it answers. There is no such thing! Unless one is dealing with great, righteous individuals, for whom money is held in contempt, and no amount of wealth moves them from their principles. But with anything you wish to buy with money, if you did not succeed - add a little more, and you will see that you succeed.
In his time, Ben-Gurion wanted to establish a Sanhedrin - for the very same reason he founded the Chief Rabbinate. For many years, and even to this day, there are those who do not set foot in Heichal Shlomo, because it was established by the Zionists, and at the time there was fierce opposition to it, since Ben-Gurion established the entire institution of the Rabbinate in order to control it: "They receive the money from me, and they will be forced to do what I want." And indeed there was once someone who permitted mamzerim on order. For this reason, he also wanted to establish a Sanhedrin, and approached Rabbi Herzog. Rabbi Herzog thought to himself: How can I explain this to such a person? He said to him: "This is a problem; it is rare to find suitable people. They must be men who hate unjust gain, who despise bribery in judgment - do you know such people?" Ben-Gurion replied: "Listen, my friend, life has taught me: add a little more money, and you will find even those who hate unjust gain." That is how it is: people who are completely tied to money believe that spiritual people can also be bought with money.
The Kli Yakar: "A Person Is Recognized by His Pocket"
In Parashat Chayei Sarah, the Kli Yakar explains "and money answers for everything" in the sense of testifying, along the lines of the Chazal saying that a person is recognized by his pocket. To what extent a person's hands are open, how willing he is to give and share with others - that testifies about him more than anything else. Based on this, he explains the words of Chazal beautifully: "A bride whose eyes are beautiful, her entire body requires no examination." Seemingly, this requires explanation - is it not possible that her eyes are beautiful yet she still has a physical blemish? Rather, "her eyes are beautiful" is the opposite of "her eyes are begrudging": one person treats you with generosity and another with stinginess. If you examined her character traits and found that she has a generous eye - that she has no pettiness and performs acts of kindness - her entire body requires no examination, and you need no further tests of her other character traits. This was Eliezer's test of Rivkah: he tested whether she had a generous spirit regarding possessions and saw that she acted with openhandedness. From this, it answers and testifies to everything, and there is no need to examine anything beyond it.
The Imrei Shefer: Laughter of Many and Joy of the Individual
The Imrei Shefer explains that there is a difference between laughter and joy: laughter is something that causes many people to rejoice, as we find with Shimshon, "that he may make sport before us," and with the young men, "let the young men arise and play before us" - laughter in the sense of gladdening others. Joy, on the other hand, is the joy of an individual, where a person is joyful on his own. According to this: "A feast is made for laughter" - when people want to rejoice together, they make bread, that is, a grand meal, and everyone rejoices with one another; there is a collective joy here. Moreover, someone who wishes to enjoy his meal, if he eats alone it is like bread of mourners, whereas when he eats with others he experiences joy. Therefore, for the Purim seudah, for instance, a person should not eat alone unless he has no choice; under normal circumstances, he should make sure to have people with him, because a gathering of people at a meal brings joy. "And wine makes life glad" - the virtue of wine is that it cheers a person even when he is alone: even if he has no drinking partners, he drinks wine and feels happy and content.
However, know, says the Imrei Shefer, that both of these forms of joy are fleeting vanity: the joy of the meal - once the guests disperse, all joy is gone and annulled; and the joy of wine - once the wine wears off, those feelings leave him as well. If so, what purpose did they serve? But there is something that truly benefits: "and money answers for everything" - whatever you ask, money can provide and fulfill your request. And the advice is: do not squander your money on feasts and wine, meaning do not use money to pursue physical desires, for these desires are temporary. Money can answer for everything and give you all that you seek, especially since money can also acquire spiritual matters that constitute eternal joys; whereas anything physical is transient, the spiritual things purchased with money endure forever.
"Even in Your Thought, Do Not Curse a King"
גַּם בְּמַדָּעֲךָ מֶלֶךְ אַל־תְּקַלֵּל וּבְחַדְרֵי מִשְׁכָּבְךָ אַל־תְּקַלֵּל עָשִׁיר כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת־הַקּוֹל וּבַעַל כְּנָפַיִם יַגֵּיד דָּבָר׃ (י, כ) - Even in your thought do not curse a king, and in your bedchamber do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the skies will carry the sound, and a winged creature will tell the matter. (10:20)
Rashi explains mada'acha ("your thought") as your mind, meaning your thoughts - even without speech. And "do not curse" means do not provoke the King of the Universe. We have already explained that tekalel does not strictly mean a curse, but stems from the root kal (light, slight) - as in "and those who despise Me shall be degraded" - meaning disparagement, which is also considered disgrace and a curse. Thus: even in your thoughts, do not treat the King of the Universe lightly. Rashi also brings another interpretation, according to its plain sense - a king of flesh and blood, as we will see below in an example from the Gemara.
"For a bird of the skies will carry the sound" - several commentators explain that this refers to the soul, which is destined to fly up to the heavens, and is therefore called "a bird of the skies"; "and every person's hand seals it" - the soul ascends above and signs off on what a person did during the day, and it is what carries the sound. "And a winged creature will tell the matter" - this refers to the angel that accompanies you, as it is written, "For He will give His angels charge over you." And as we saw with the person who spoke lashon hara in the sukkah - the angel created from that lashon hara is the one that goes and reports it. In our time, we no longer say Hitchabdu mechubadim ("Be honored, honored ones") upon entering the restroom, because we do not consider ourselves such tzaddikim that holy angels accompany us - and if there are angels, they might be destructive angels; we harbor no illusions. Nevertheless, even if you do not feel it, know that there is someone tracking and knowing everything you do.
Walls Have Ears - and Eyes
According to the literal meaning, that this refers to a flesh-and-blood king, the message is that someone is always listening. There is a saying, "walls have ears," and if we once thought it was only ears - today it turns out there are eyes as well. In the past, when a person committed sins, he did so in secret, but today the verse is fulfilled in us: "The end of the matter, all having been heard" - everything is seen, everything is recorded, everything is known. People think they are doing things in secret, and suddenly it leads the evening news. All kinds of disgraceful acts that people intend to carry out in the dark - today everything is documented, and whoever is certain that no one caught on and no one knows, discovers that three people filmed him. Cameras are everywhere, and everything comes to light in the end. In their day, it was passersby: you thought no one saw you, and someone happened to walk by and catch you. Therefore, take this into account: "A bird of the heavens will carry the sound, and a winged creature will tell the matter" - you must be wary of every creature, for someone is always listening and telling others.
Pesikta Zutreta: The Chain of Transmission
The Pesikta Zutreta first explains according to the plain meaning: "Even in your thought do not curse a king" - a king in your generation; "and in your bedchambers do not curse a rich man" - a rich man in your generation; "for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound" - even though you spoke in your bedchamber, walls have ears; someone will hear, go, and tell. He further explains on "and a winged creature will tell the matter," that Rav Avin said: When a person is asleep, the soul tells the body, the body tells the angel, the angel tells the cherub, the cherub tells the winged creature, and the winged creature reports the matter before the One Who spoke and the world came into being. There is a whole chain in conveying the message until it reaches before the One Who spoke and the world came into being.
The Alshich: The Condition of the Poor Person
The holy Alshich connects this verse to the preceding one. After speaking about a rich man who provides no benefit to the poor man, and a poor man who receives nothing from the rich man, and stating that money answers everything - meaning that the Holy One, blessed be He, takes from one and gives to the other, which is an appropriate response to all - he adds a condition here: "Even in your thought do not curse a king." The poor man might sit and be bitter toward the Master of the World: Why is there injustice? Why was I created poor? Why must I suffer? Why did Hashem not distribute the wealth in the world rationally? Why do a tiny percentage of people possess most of the money in the world? Along with all kinds of heretical thoughts concerning the Creator's very governance. If you do this - do not expect the Holy One, blessed be He, to take from the rich and give to you. Everything that was said, that money answers everything and Hashem will take from the rich and give to the poor, is contingent on the condition that "even in your thought do not curse a king," that you do not raise complaints against the Master of the World.
"And in your bedchambers do not curse a rich man" - the embittered poor man lies in his hunger and curses the rich man: look how much money he has, yet he will not give even a little. The Alshich says: this is on condition that you do not curse the rich man. As for the rich man - the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to him; and had He given to you, would you want people to curse you? Do not wonder and say: How can I be held accountable for a sin I never uttered with my lips, which was only in my thoughts and in my bedchamber, and told to no one? Know that "a bird of the heavens will carry the sound" - this is the soul within you, which ascends and testifies before the Holy One, blessed be He, each night. The soul is called "a bird of the heavens," as explicitly stated in Daniel, "and in its branches the birds of the heavens dwelt," which metaphorically refers to souls that are like the birds of the heavens. And what you uttered with your lips in your bedchambers - regarding that as well, "a winged creature," who is the angel Gabriel, will testify on High, and you will be punished for it.
"Because I Gave You Knowledge"
Our Sages expound: Rav Yehudah bar Simon said, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to man - because I gave you more knowledge than an animal, you revile and blaspheme before Me? This is the meaning of "Even in your thought do not curse a king": mada'acha ("your thought" or "knowledge") refers to your advantage over other living creatures, in that you possess intellect and knowledge. Just because I gave you knowledge, will you curse the King? An animal does not blaspheme its King because it lacks intellect - yet you, because you received intellect, with that very intellect you rebel against Hashem's word?
The Imrei Shefer explains that there are parallel clauses here: "And in your bedchambers do not curse a rich man" corresponds to "for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound," meaning that even if you think no one heard, know that the words are heard. And "even in your thought do not curse a king" corresponds to "and a winged creature will tell the matter," meaning that even if you said it only in your heart and mind and no sound was heard, nevertheless "a king's heart is in the hand of Hashem," and therefore the spiritual winged creatures, the angels, watch over it and report to the King of the Universe that you desecrated the honor of the King. Therefore, be exceedingly careful in this.
The Story of Herod and Bava ben Buta
Here we find the very famous story at the beginning of Tractate Bava Batra, on page 3b: "Herod was a servant of the Hasmonean house." Herod was a servant who rose to become king: a slave of the Hasmonean house who rose up, murdered his masters, the people of the Hasmonean house, and seized the throne. He was a deranged person and a megalomaniac, and horrifying and gruesome descriptions of him appear in historical chronicles. He even murdered those closest to him, lived in perpetual dread that someone was pursuing him and plotting his downfall, built massive monuments, investing vast fortunes in them and squandering endless human lives on them - an entirely mad individual, as is also evident from the story.
The Gemara relates: He set his eyes upon a certain maiden - a young girl of the Hasmonean royal family. One day, that man [Herod] heard a Heavenly voice (*bat kol*) say: "Any slave who rebels now will succeed." He rose up and killed all his masters, sparing only that young maiden. When that maiden saw that he wished to marry her - and his sole purpose was to legitimize his lineage, to claim, "I am of the Hasmonean house, I am married into royalty" - she went up to the roof, raised her voice, and said: "Whoever comes and says that he is from the house of the Hasmoneans is a slave, for none of them survived except this maiden, and this maiden is now falling from the roof to the ground." Having finished speaking, she jumped. Whoever would subsequently claim to be of Hasmonean lineage - she was the very last, and none remained.
He preserved her body in honey for seven years. Some say he engaged in relations with her corpse, while others say he did not. According to those who say he did, he preserved her to satisfy his desire; and according to those who say he did not, he preserved her so that people would say he had married a king's daughter, having evidence to show: "Look, here she is in honey, she is the one I married."
He thought: Who expounds, "From among your brothers you shall appoint a king over yourself"? Who is making problems for me and refusing to accept my legitimacy? The Rabbis. He rose up and killed all the Sages. He spared Bava ben Buta so that he could seek counsel from him when needed. Yet, fearing that he too might act against him, he placed a crown of hedgehog bristles around his eyes and blinded him.
One day, he was still unsettled, uncertain whether Bava ben Buta was secretly undermining him. He came and sat before him, while Bava ben Buta, being blind, did not recognize him. Herod said to him: "Look, Master, see what this wicked slave has done! What should I do to him?" He was speaking about himself. Bava ben Buta said to him: "What can I do to him?" Herod replied: "Let the Master curse him." Bava ben Buta answered: "It is written, 'Even in your thought, do not curse a king.'" Herod said: "He is no king!" Bava ben Buta replied: "Even if he were merely a wealthy man, it is written, 'and in your bedchambers, do not curse a rich man.'" Herod said: "And even if he were considered a leader (nasi), it is written, 'and a leader among your people you shall not curse.'" Look at how Herod knew a thing or two of Torah. Herod argued: "That applies only when he acts as 'your people' should act, but this man does not act like your people - 'a leader among your people' means one who acts in accordance with your people, not one who does not!"
Bava ben Buta said to him: "I am afraid of him." After all the persuasion, he simply said: "I am afraid." Herod said to him: "You have nothing to fear; no one will go and tell him, there is only you and me here." Bava ben Buta answered him: "It is written, 'For a bird of the skies will carry the sound, and a winged creature will tell the matter.'" In other words: even though it is only you and me here - and in their day, one could not hide recording devices or cameras - still, a bird of the skies will carry the sound and a winged creature will tell the matter, just as our verse states.
When Herod saw that all his attempts to persuade him to utter a curse were unsuccessful, he said: "I am he." Incidentally, it is doubtful there is another example like this in the entire Talmud and Midrash, where a person begs someone to curse him: Herod stands before a Sage and begs to be cursed! Herod said to him: "Had I known that the Rabbis were so cautious, I would not have killed them. Now, what is the rectification for that man - meaning, what is my rectification?" Bava ben Buta replied: "He extinguished the light of the world, as it is written, 'For a mitzvah is a lamp and Torah is light,' by killing the Sages; let him go and occupy himself with the light of the world, which is the Beit HaMikdash, of which it is said, 'And all nations shall stream (*venaharu*) unto it.'" Some say he told him: "He blinded the eye of the world, as it is said, 'If it be done away from the eyes of the congregation'; let him go and occupy himself with the eye of the world, which is the Beit HaMikdash, of which it is said, 'Behold, I will profane My Sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes.'"
Herod said to him: "I am afraid of the kingdom" - meaning Rome, to which he was subordinate. Bava ben Buta told him: "Send an emissary; let the emissary travel for a year, delay there for a year, and take a year to return. In the meantime, demolish the existing Temple and rebuild a new one." Observe the tactics: you will tell them, "I sent an emissary, what could I do if he was delayed?" The Gemara relates: He did so. After three years, they sent him a letter in reply: "If you have not demolished it, do not demolish it; if you have demolished it, do not rebuild it; and if you have already demolished it and rebuilt it, you are called a wicked servant - for is it customary to act first and only then ask for counsel?"
The Gemara continues, describing the materials with which he built it, with marble stones and the like, and how Bava ben Buta orchestrated this. It then asks: Was not Daniel punished for offering good counsel to Nebuchadnezzar, so how could Bava ben Buta do so for Herod? The Gemara resolves that an *eved* (Canaanite slave) is obligated in mitzvot, and in any case, Herod as a slave was bound by mitzvot, whereas Nebuchadnezzar was a wicked Gentile king. Others explain that the Beit HaMikdash is different, for it can only be built through royal authority, which is why he acted through the king. The Gemara elaborates further on the matter, but this suffices for our purpose.
In summary: The conclusion of the chapter imparts two profound warnings. The first concerns money: Do not be lazy about work, and do not seek halachic justifications for laziness, for money "answers everything," providing for a person's needs; yet know that this very same money can turn into that which "afflicts everything" (*ye'aneh et hakol*) - prosecuting the one who failed to give from it to the needy, and tormenting with the pursuit of it the one who chases after it. Money testifies to a person's character more than anything else, and one who possesses a generous spirit regarding wealth need not have his other character traits investigated. The second warning concerns speech and thought: "Even in your thought, do not curse a king" - neither the King of the Universe nor a flesh-and-blood king, neither with the mouth nor in the heart, for the soul and the angels elevate everything on High, and even in this world, nothing remains hidden for long. As we learned from the episode of Bava ben Buta, it was this very caution that protected the Sages, until Herod himself testified concerning them: "Had I known that the Rabbis were so cautious, I would not have killed them."