Commentaire sur L’Ecclésiaste 1:9

"That God created to do/make." These are the ten things that were created on the eve of the Sabbath at twilight: [1] the mouth of the earth, [2] the mouth of the well, [3] the mouth of the donkey, [4] the rainbow, [5] the manna, [6] the letters, [7] the writing, [8] the tablets, [9] the grave of Moses and [10] the ram of Abraham, our father. [...] For all these God created to do miracles and mighty deeds. [...]

"That God created to do/make." These are the ten things that were created on the eve of the Sabbath at twilight: [1] the mouth of the earth, [2] the mouth of the well, [3] the mouth of the donkey, [4] the rainbow, [5] the manna, [6] the letters, [7] the writing, [8] the tablets, [9] the grave of Moses and [10] the ram of Abraham, our father. [...] For all these God created to do miracles and mighty deeds. [...]

That which has been is what will be, etc. In whatever he learns, in a matter that is an exchange for the sun, there is nothing new. He will see only that which already was, which was created in the six days of creation.³⁴It is interesting to note that the Tiferes Yehonasan explains the verse dealing with the generation of separation in Bereishis 11:3, “ונלבנה לבנים [let us make bricks],” that the people attempted to build rocket ships [moon=לבנה] and venture into outer space. But one who engages in the study of Torah constantly finds new insights therein, as the matter is stated, “her breasts will satisfy you at all times.”³⁵Mishlei 5:19. Just as this breast, whenever the infant feels it, he finds a taste in it, so are the words of Torah, and likewise we find in Maseches Chagigah,³⁶See Maseches Eiruvin 54b where the foregoing is discussed. However, the account of Rabbi Eliezer son of Horkenos does not appear in Maseches Chagigah. that Rabbi Eliezer son of Horkenos said things that the ear had not heard, concerning the account of the “Celestial Chariot.”

“What was is what will be, and what was done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
“What was is what will be” – the Rabbis say: In the future, the generations will gather before the Holy One blessed be He and say before Him: ‘Master of the universe, who will recite songs before You first?’ He will say to them: ‘In the past, it was only the generation of Moses that recited songs before Me, and now no one but him will recite songs before Me.’ What is the reason? It is as it is stated: “Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth; descenders into the sea, and all that fills it…” (Isaiah 42:10).
There was an incident in which the [Roman] government sent to the Rabbis and said to them: ‘Send us one of your torches.’ They said: ‘They have so many torches, yet they ask us for one torch? How many collections of torches they have, how many gems and pearls they have. It seems to us that they are asking us only for one who illuminates aspects of halakha.’ They sent them Rabbi Meir. They would ask him and he would respond, they would ask him and he would respond. Ultimately, they asked him, ‘why is [a pig] called ḥazir [in Hebrew]?’ He said to them: ‘Because it is destined to restore [lehaḥzir] the kingdom to its owner.’ Moreover, Rabbi Meir sat and expounded: ‘The wolf is destined to be sheared of fine wool and a dog of ermine.’ They said to him: ‘Enough, Rabbi Meir, “there is nothing new under the sun.”’
The Rabbis say: In the future, the Holy One blessed be He will dispatch a herald and proclaim and say: ‘Anyone who has never eaten pig meat, let him come and collect his reward.’ Many of the nations of the world who never ate pig meat will come to collect their reward. At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He will say: ‘Shall these be rewarded in two worlds? Is it not enough that they enjoyed this world, but they seek to enjoy the world of My children, too?’ At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He will dispatch a herald a second time, and proclaim and say: ‘Anyone who has not eaten the meat of animal carcasses and mauled animals, repugnant creatures and creeping animals, if he did not eat of his own, he ate another’s.’⁸⁵Gentiles are not careful to refrain from eating this meat outside the home. That is, why is [a pig] called ḥazir? It is because it is destined to restore [lehaḥzir] greatness and kingdom to its owner.
What are taḥash hides? Rabbi Yehuda says: Colored hides. Rabbi Neḥemya says: Ermine. Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The Holy One blessed be He showed Moses a large beast, and he used it for the purpose of the Tabernacle. [God then] stored it away. Rabbi Avin said: Its name was keresh. Rabbi Hoshaya taught: It had one horn on its forehead, as it is stated: “It shall please the Lord better than a horned [makrin] and hooved ox” (Psalms 69:32). But doesn’t makrin indicate two?⁸⁶It is in the plural. Rabbi Ḥanina bar Yitzḥhak said: Makrin is written.⁸⁷It is without a yod. Although it is vocalized in the plural, it is written in the singular.
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak:⁸⁸This is another exposition of the verse: “What was is what will be, and what was done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.” Like the initial redeemer, so will be the ultimate redeemer: Just as regarding the initial redeemer, it is stated: “Moses took his wife and his sons, and mounted them on the donkey” (Exodus 4:20), so too, regarding the ultimate redeemer it is stated: “[Your king is coming to you…] humble and riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Just as the initial redeemer brought down the manna, as it is stated: “Behold, I will cause bread to rain down from the heavens for you” (Exodus 16:4), so too, the ultimate redeemer will bring down the manna, as it is stated: “There will be an abundance of grain in the land” (Psalms 72:16). Just as the initial redeemer brought up the spring, so too, the ultimate redeemer with bring up the water, as it is stated: “A spring will emerge from the house of the Lord and will irrigate the Shittim valley” (Joel 4:18).