Midrasch zu Tehillim 85:3

“A handful of tranquility is better than two handfuls of toil and herding wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:6).
“A handful of tranquility is better” – one who studies halakhot and is familiar with them is better than one who studies halakhot and the hermeneutical principles but does not review them and familiarize himself with them. The parable says: One bound bird is better than one hundred that are flying. “And herding [urut] wind” – his wish [re’utei] is to be called “master of the mekhiltot.”¹⁴A reference to the midrash halakha on the book of Exodus, largely based on hermeneutical exposition of the verses.
Another matter: “A handful of tranquility is better” – one who performs minimal acts of charity with his own [funds] is better than one who steals, robs, or exploits others and performs great acts of charity from that of others. The parable says: She commits adultery for apples and distributes them to the poor. “And herding [urut] wind” – his wish [re’utei] is to be called “master of mitzvot.”
Another matter: “A handful of tranquility is better” – one who has ten gold pieces and conducts business and earns a livelihood from them is better than one who takes the property of others and squanders it and loses it. The parable says: It is not enough that he loses his own, but he loses that of others, what is his and what is not his. “And herding [urut] wind” – his wish [re’utei] is to be called a merchant.
Another matter: “A handful of tranquility is better” – one who rents one garden and eats its fruit is better than one who rents many gardens and leaves them fallow. The parable says: One who rents a garden will eat birds; one who rents many gardens, birds will eat them. “And herding [urut] wind” – his wish [re’utei] is to be called a property owner.
Rabbi Yaakov ben Rabbi Kurshai said: “A handful of tranquility is better” in the World to Come “than two handfuls of toil and herding wind” in this world. He would say: One hour of satisfaction in the World to Come is preferable to the entire life of this world, and one hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is preferable to the entire life of the World to Come, as the World to Come comes by virtue of this world.
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: “A handful of tranquility is better” – this is the Shabbat day; “than two handfuls of toil and herding wind” – these are the seven days of action, as Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Israel is redeemed only thanks to Shabbat, as it is stated: “In stillness [beshuva] and quiet [vanaḥat] you will be saved” (Isaiah 30:15), with cessation from work and rest you will be saved. “And herding wind” – his wish is to be called one who works and eats.
Rabbi Berekhya said: The trampling that the Holy One blessed be He trampled in the land of Egypt, as it is stated: “I will pass in the land of Egypt on that night” (Exodus 12:12), is better than two handfuls, than their two handfuls of furnace soot. Why? It is because in this one there is redemption and they were redeemed, and in this of furnace soot, they were not redeemed.
Rabbi Yitzḥak interpreted the verse regarding the tribe of Gad and the tribe of Reuben who came to the Land of Israel and saw the amount of room for sowing that was in it, the amount of room for planting that was in it. They said: “A handful of tranquility is better” in the Land of Israel, “than two handfuls of toil” across the Jordan. They reconsidered and said: Did we not cause this to ourselves, did we not say: “Let this land be given to your servants” (Numbers 32:5)?
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is written: “The cloud of incense will cover” (Leviticus 16:13). This cover, we do not know what it is, until David came and explained it, as it is stated: “You forgave the iniquity of Your people, [You covered all their sins]” (Psalms 85:3). The Holy One blessed be He, too, said: The poor person’s handful of the gift meal offering is dearer to Me than the High Priest’s two handfuls of the incense of the spices. Why? It is because this one comes for atonement and that one does not come for atonement, as it is written: “When a person [venefesh]¹⁵The connotation is that it is as though the person in sacrificing his soul [nefesh] and thereby gaining atonement. sacrifices a meal offering to the Lord” (Leviticus 2:1).

Rabbi Yoḥanan interpreted the verse regarding the incense of the house of Avtinas.²⁸⁴The house of Avtinas was a priestly family that would prepare the incense to be used in the Temple. See, e.g., Mishna Shekalim 5:1. “A bundle of myrrh,” this is one of the eleven spices that one places in it. Rabbi Huna said in its regard: “The Lord said to Moses: Take spices for you [stacte and onycha and galbanum; spices and pure frankincense; each part shall be equal]” (Exodus 30:34). [Take spices for you], these are two.²⁸⁵The word spices is plural. “Stacte and onycha and galbanum,” these make five. “Spices,” if you say that these are two, “spices” was already stated. “Each part shall be equal,” give five corresponding to five, these are ten. “And pure frankincense,” these are eleven. From here, the Sages examined and found that these eleven spices alone are optimal for incense.
“Lying between my breasts,” as it was confined between the two staves of the Ark.²⁸⁶The cloud created by the burning of incense in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur was confined to the area between the two staves of the Ark (Matnot Kehuna). “A cluster of henna [eshkol hakofer],” as it atones [mekhaper] for the iniquities of Israel. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Cluster, as it would rise in a column until the rafters and then spread and descend like a cluster. Hakofer, as it atones [mekhaper] for the iniquities of Israel.
And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is written: “The incense cloud will cover” (Leviticus 16:13). We did not know what this covering was until David came and explained it: “You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered [all of their sins]” (Psalms 85:3). “In the vineyards of Ein Gedi,” due to the conditions that I stipulated to Abraham your patriarch between the pieces, as it is stated: “On that day, the Lord established a covenant with Abram, saying…” (Genesis 15:18).²⁸⁷The covenant was based on the animals that would be sacrificed by Abraham’s descendants, including the kid [gedi].
The verse is speaking of Abraham, as it is stated: “After these matters, the word of the Lord was to Abram in a vision” (Genesis 15:1). Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥama: There were ruminations that took place there.²⁸⁸This was after Abraham’s victory over the four kings (see Genesis chapter 14). Who ruminated? Abraham ruminated, and said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, You made a covenant with Noah that You would not eliminate his descendants from the world, and I arose and amassed good deeds before You, and the covenant with me overrode the covenant with him.²⁸⁹Abraham had just eliminated a significant number of his descendants. Perhaps another man will arise and amass more mitzvot and good deeds than me, and the covenant with him will override the covenant with me.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘“Fear not, [Abram,] I am your shield” (Genesis 15:1). From Noah I did not produce protectors and righteous people, but from you I will produce protectors and righteous people. Moreover, when your descendants perform transgressions and evil deeds, I will see who the great man among them is, who is able to say to the attribute of justice: Enough, and I will take him as collateral on their behalf, as it is stated: Eshkol, a man in whom there is everything [ish shehakol bo], Bible, Mishna, Talmud, Tosefta, and aggadot. Hakofer, who atones for the sins of Israel. “In the vineyards of Ein Gedi,”²⁹⁰The Hebrew can also be translated “for the sake of the vineyard…” and it is understood here as a reference to Israel, which is referred to as God’s vineyard (see Isaiah 5:7) (Matnot Kehuna). I take them as collateral on their behalf.’
Another matter, eshkol—ben Gezira said: This is the Holy One blessed be He, a Man in whom there is everything. Hakofer, who renounced the nations of the world and acknowledged Israel. When did He renounce the nations of the world? Say it was during the war of Yehoshafat; that is what is written: “It was thereafter that the children of Moav and the children of Amon, and with them some Amonites, came against Yehoshafat to war” (II Chronicles 20:1). You find Israel coming by virtue of Abraham, and Amon and Moav coming by virtue of Lot. These waged war with those and these fell into the hands of those. Yehoshafat, his God aided him and he prevailed. That is [what is stated] that He renounced the nations of the world. If a person will say to you that the verse is not speaking of Yehoshafat, say to him: “Ein Gedi” is stated here, and it is stated below: “In Hatzetzon Tamar, which is Ein Gedi” (II Chronicles 20:2). Just as Ein Gedi, that is stated below, the verse is speaking of the war of Yehoshafat, here, too, the verse is speaking of the war of Yehoshafat. Rabbi Levi bar Zekharya said: If, in this world, where it is written regarding the Holy One blessed be He: “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a zealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24), He renounced the nations of the world and acknowledged Israel, in the future, where He is likened to dew, as it is stated: “I will be like dew for Israel” (Hosea 14:6), all the more so.

And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon (Exod. 30:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart (Prov. 27:9). This verse refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, and to Israel. How is that? When the high priest was officiating on the Day of Atonement, he would place the incense in a pan and bring it into the innermost part of the Holy of Holies, as it is written: And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar. What else is written there? Ye shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the ark cover (Lev. 16:12–13). What is the meaning of may cover? It is an expression that indicates forgiveness, as in the verse Thou hast covered up all their sins (Ps. 85:3). Whenever the cloud of incense ascended and spiraled upward, like a cluster of grapes, on the Day of Atonement, he knew that Israel’s sins were forgiven, as it is said: My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna in the vineyards of En-gedi (Song 1:14). If the smoke of the incense resembled a cluster and rose straight upward, he knew that Israel was forgiven and his service was acceptable, but if the smoke of the incense did not cover the ark-cover he knew that he would die, as it is said: That the cloud of the incense may cover the ark-cover that is upon the testimony, that he die not (Lev. 16:13). Consequently, the high priest and all Israel trembled from the moment the high priest entered the innermost Sanctuary until he withdrew in peace. When he departed from the Sanctuary a great rejoicing took place among the Israelites, since it meant that it (the offering) had been received favorably, as it is said: Ointment and incense rejoice the heart (Prov. 27:9).