Comentario sobre Eclesiastés 9:18

Wisdom is better than weapons of war. The wisdom of Serach, of whom it is stated, “And the woman then went to [all] the people, in her wisdom,”⁴⁰Rashi apparently did not have כל in his version of the text. availed them more than the weapons that were in their hands, to wage war with Yo’av.⁴¹II Shmuel 20:22.

“Wisdom is better than instruments of battle, and one sinner destroys much good” (Ecclesiastes 9:18).
“Wisdom is better than instruments of battle” – this is the wisdom of Jacob; “than instruments of battle” – of Esau the wicked. Rabbi Levi said: He armed them¹¹¹Jacob armed his sons and the other members of his camp. with weapons on the inside and dressed them in white garments on the outside, and he prepared himself for three matters: for prayer, for a gift, and for war. For prayer, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “Please rescue me from the hand of my brother” (Genesis 32:12). For a gift, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “You shall say: From your servant Jacob, it is a gift sent” (Genesis 32:19). For war, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “He placed the maidservants [and their children first, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.] He passed before them and prostrated himself earthward” (Genesis 33:2–3). He said: It is preferable that he harm me and not my children.¹¹²Thus, Jacob was prepared for the fact that Esau might act violently upon their encounter. “Esau returned on that day on his way to Se’ir” (Genesis 33:16). Why to Se’ir? Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani, Rabbi Elazar said: It was due to a promissory note.¹¹³The descendants of Isaac were to receiv the Land of Israel and were to be enslaved in Egypt. Esau preferred to forgo the Land of Israel and forgo the enslavement in Egypt. The midrash refers to the coming enslavement as though it were a debt set forth in a promissory note. Rabbi Shmuel said: It was due to shame.¹¹⁴He was ashamed for having sold his birthright. “And one sinner destroys much good” – this is Esau who lost all the goodness and the gifts of the World to Come.

But one sinner destroys a multitude of good. Had she not slain Sheva the son of Bichri, they would all have been destroyed by him.⁴²Alternatively, the wisdom of Yaakov was more effective than Eisav’s weapons. (Midrash)

Another matter, “wisdom is better” – this is the wisdom of Seraḥ bat Asher, “than instruments of battle” – than the instruments of battle of Yoav, as it is stated: “A wise woman called from the city…[say to Yoav: Come close to here]” (II Samuel 20:16) – from here [it is derived] that he was far away. “He approached her, and she said to him” (II Samuel 20:17): You are not Yoav,¹¹⁵Yoav has the connotation of father [av]. you shorten,¹¹⁶You shorten the lives of the people. you do not correspond to your name. You are not a Torah personality and David is not a Torah personality. Is it not written in the Torah: “When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for peace” (Deuteronomy 20:10)? Perhaps for war?¹¹⁷Perhaps one might think that the army initiates battle immediately; the aforementioned verse therefore teaches otherwise. [This is] as is written: “She spoke, saying: They should have spoken initially…and the matter would have ended [hetamu]” (II Samuel 20:18). She said to him: ‘Is that all, have the words of the Torah ended [tamu], not to be fulfilled?’ He said to her: ‘Who are you?’ She said to him: ‘Who am I? “I am the loyal [shelumei] faithful of Israel” (II Samuel 20:19), it is I who completed [hishlamti] the tally of Israel in Egypt;¹¹⁸The Torah lists sixty-nine descendants of Jacob who descended to Egypt, and then states that the total number of his descendants who went to Egypt was seventy (see Genesis 46:8–27) The midrash (Bereshit Rabba 94:9) asserts that the seventieth individual was Seraḥ bat Asher. it is I who completed loyalty to Joseph and loyalty to Moses.¹¹⁹She revealed to Moses where Joseph was buried so he could take his bones and bury them in the Land of Israel. “And you are seeking to destroy a metropolitan city [ir ve’em] in Israel” (II Samuel 20:19); ir, this is Avel Beit Maakha,¹²⁰This was the name of the city that Yoav had besieged (see II Samuel 20:15). and me, who is a mother [em] in Israel.’
Immediately, “Yoav answered and said: Far be it from me…” (II Samuel 20:20) – far be it from Yoav, far be it from David, far be it from his kingdom. “The matter is not so. Rather a man from Mount Ephraim, his name is Sheva ben Bikhri, has raised his hand against the king, against David” (II Samuel 20:21). If [he already said] “against the king,” why [did he also say] “against David”; if “against David,” why “against the king”? Rabbi Azarya and Rabbi Yonatan ben Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon: This is to teach you that anyone who is impudent toward Torah scholars and a spiritual leader of the generation, it is as though he is impudent toward a king; all the more so, David, who was a king, a scholar, and a spiritual leader of the generation. Rabbi Yudan said: Anyone who is impudent toward the king it is as though he is impudent toward the Divine Presence, as it is written: “He raised his hand against the king, against David.” “Against the king” – that is the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, and then “against David” – this is David king of Israel.
[Yoav continued] “Turn him, alone, over, and I will go…[the woman said to Yoav: Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall]” (II Samuel 20:21). He said to her: ‘How do you know?’ She said to him: ‘Anyone who is impudent to the kingdom of the house of David incurs liability from above.’ Immediately, “the woman came to the people in her wisdom” (II Samuel 20:22). She said to them: ‘Will you not obey Yoav, will you not obey David? What nation has stood against them? What kingdom has stood against them?’ They said to her: ‘What does he demand?’ She said to them: ‘One thousand men.’ They said to her: ‘Each and every person will give in accordance with what he has.’¹²¹Each household will turn over a proportion of its members. She said to them: ‘I will go and appease him, perhaps he will [accept] fewer.’ She feigned going and returning. She said to them: ‘He demands five hundred men.’ They said to her: ‘Each and every person will give in accordance with what he has.’ She said to them: ‘I will go and appeal to him, perhaps he will [accept] fewer.’ She pretended as though she were going and returning. She said to them: ‘He demands one man, and he is a non-resident [of our city].’ They said to her: ‘If he was the best man in the city we would submit him to [Yoav].’ She said to them: ‘His name is Sheva ben Bikhri.’ Immediately, they took the head of Sheva ben Bikhri and cast it over the wall. “And one sinner destroys much good” – this is Sheva ben Bikhri.

Another explanation: But one sinner destroys a multitude of good. If Yisroel were half of righteous people and half of wicked ones, and one person came and sinned and made [the wicked] the majority, the result would be that he weighed them all down to be guilty.⁴³Alternatively, when a wise man becomes a sinner, many people will abandon their pursuit of wisdom by concluding that this person’s wisdom was of no avail. (Metsudas Dovid)

Another explanation: But one sinner destroys a multitude of good. If Yisroel were half of righteous people and half of wicked ones, and one person came and sinned and made [the wicked] the majority, the result would be that he weighed them all down to be guilty.⁴³Alternatively, when a wise man becomes a sinner, many people will abandon their pursuit of wisdom by concluding that this person’s wisdom was of no avail. (Metsudas Dovid)

Another matter, “wisdom is better” – this is the wisdom of Hezekiah king of Judah, “than instruments of battle” – of Sennacherib. Rabbi Levi said: Sennacherib exiled three exiles: The first time, he exiled the tribes of Reuben and Gad; second, [he exiled] the [rest of the] ten tribes; third, he came against [the kingdom of] Judah. Immediately, Hezekiah stood and armed them with weapons on the inside and dressed them in white garments on the outside, and he prepared himself for three matters, for prayer, for a gift, and for war. For prayer, as it is written: “Hezekiah prayed to God…” (Isaiah 37:15). For a gift, as it is written: “At that time Hezekiah stripped the doors of the Sanctuary and the omenot” (II Kings 18:16). What are omenot? Rabbi Levi said hoops, and the Rabbis say hinges. For war, as it is stated: “He made weapons in abundance and shields” (II Chronicles 32:5). He inserted a sword at the entrance of the study hall and said: ‘Anyone who does not engage in Torah study, let this sword pass over his neck.’¹²²Torah study is also comparable to warfare (Etz Yosef; see, e.g., Megilla 15b) and its merit can bring success in war. “Elyakim son of Hilkiya, who was in charge of the palace” (II Kings 18:37) – of the courts and administering punishment, “came, and Shevna the scribe” (II Kings 18:37) – in charge of the officials, “and Yoaḥ son of Asaf the secretary” (II Kings 18:37) – he was the elder of the house. “And one sinner destroys much good” – this is Sennacherib, as it is stated: “He returned in shame [to his land]” (II Chronicles 32:21), “and Esar Ḥadon his son reigned in his stead” (II Kings 19:37).