Kommentar zu Kohelet 5:7

Oppression of the poor, perversion of justice and righteousness, etc. If you see in the province that they oppress the poor and deprive justice and righteousness.

“If you see exploitation of the poor, and the perversion of justice and integrity in the state, do not marvel at the purpose; for one higher than high is watching, and there are high ones over them” (Ecclesiastes 5:7).
“If you see exploitation of the poor” – if you see one exploiting the poor and the indigent, and the Righteous One, who lives forever, bestows tranquility and good upon him, “see…in the state [bamedina],” see in him the sentence²⁹Bamedina is expounded as a portmanteau of bam dina, they will be sentenced. of Gehenna. “For one higher” – these are the angels; “and there are high ones over them” – this is the Holy One blessed be He.
Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina interpreted the verse regarding Esau. If you saw Esau in the great city of Rome³⁰The Sages considered the Romans to be descendants of Esau. exploiting the poor and robbing the indigent, and the Holy One blessed be He bestows tranquility upon him, you will [yet] see in him the attribute of justice.³¹Rome will eventually be punished. “Do not marvel” regarding what the old man³²Isaac said and his wish was fulfilled, as it is stated: “Behold, of the fat of the earth will be your dwelling” (Genesis 27:39). “For one higher” – these are the ministers, governors, and commanders. “And there are high ones over them” – this is the King who lives forever. Rabbi Aḥa said: From the “behold” of flesh and blood you learn of the “behold” of the Holy One blessed be He. Just as the “behold” of flesh and blood provided life for an entire people in this world, as it is stated: “Behold, I have given Haman’s house to Esther” (Esther 8:7), when the “behold” of the Holy One blessed be He comes, as it is stated: “Behold, a day of the Lord is coming, [and your spoil shall be divided in your midst]” (Zechariah 14:1), all the more so.³³If the “behold” of Aḥashverosh granted the Jews great wealth from Haman, who was a descendant of Esau, all the more so that the Jews will benefit when God upholds His prophecy beginning with “behold.”

Do not be astonished. About the will of the Omnipresent, when He exacts retribution upon them.

For One higher than the high watches. And sees their deeds, and there are higher ones⁶I.e., angels. over them who carry out the mission of the Omnipresent, and their hand is strong to punish them.

Perversion of justice. Deprivation of justice. Since it is in the construct [i.e., possessive] state, גֵּזֶל is vowelized with a small patach [=segol],⁷Apparently Rashi’s text is not like our edition where גזל is vowelized with a tzeireh. for were it not possessive, גָּזֵל would be vowelized with a kametz. Another explanation: If you see that they oppress the poor and deprive [them of] justice, and you see charity coming toward the city, [i.e.,] that the Holy One, Blessed Is He, lavishes goodness upon them and does not mete out retribution upon them, do not wonder about the will of the Omnipresent, for so is His custom, to be slow to anger.

For One higher than the high watches. He waits until their measure is filled.

And there are high ones. He has [many agents] over them to punish them when their time of visitation arrives, as in, “you do not wait תִּשְׁמוֹר for my sin,”⁸Iyov 14:16. [and as in,] “awaiting שֹׁמֵר the realization,”⁹Yeshayahu 26:2. [and as in,] “awaited שָׁמַר the matter.”¹⁰Bereishis 37:11. God waits, but ultimately He will punish them in the proper time.