Musar for Ecclesiastes 1:16

When the Psalmist goes on to say פקודי ה' ישרים, משמחי לב, this is in the same spirit as ולבי ראה הרבה חכמה, "and my heart has seen much wisdom," in Kohelet 1,16. The great spiritual visions of a prophetic nature are usually the result of feelings of joy. The expression "פקודי" used by the Psalmist alludes to a מפקד, supervisor, suggesting that G–d has appointed a פקיד, clerk, to make direct access to Torah difficult.

The principal components of our food are bread, meat, and wine. The Torah's legislation concerning these foods is comprehensive, and when one has observed all the various observances necessary to ensure that one consumes only what has been approved by the Torah, one may consider the act of eating as similar to the altar consuming a sacrifice. One's body will acquire varying degrees of sanctity in accordance with the care taken in selecting what one eats. When the Psalmist (Psalms 84,3) speaks about: לבי ובשרי ירננו אל-אל חי, "My body and soul shout for joy to the living G–d," the לב, heart, is perceived as the home, משכן, of the soul, as I have already explained. The soul has seen much חכמה. The body, בשרי is described as being on a par with the soul in this Psalm by the sons of Korach.