Commentaire sur L’Ecclésiaste 1:18

“For with much wisdom is much vexation; and one who increases knowledge increases pain” (Ecclesiastes 1:18).
“For with much wisdom is much vexation” – as long as a person amasses wisdom he amasses vexation, and as long as he amasses knowledge he increases suffering. Solomon said: ‘Because I amassed wisdom I amassed vexation, and because I amassed knowledge I amassed suffering.’ Rav said: A Torah scholar does not require forewarning.¹²⁵An example of suffering is that, as opposed to others who are not punished without forewarning, Torah scholars are punished without forewarning. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Like fine linen garments that come from Beit She’an; if one of them was blackened, how much money is it worth? Coarse linen garments from Arbel; if one of them is blackened, what are they and what is their value?¹²⁶Since they were cheap to begin with, the loss incurred is negligible. To what is this matter analogous? It is analogous to two [people] who entered a shop; one ate coarse bread and legumes, and one ate fine bread and choice meat and drank aged wine and types of dessert wine, and he emerged ill. This one ate light foods and he was harmed, and that one ate coarse foods and was not harmed. Likewise, have you ever seen a donkey shuddering or a camel shuddering? Rather, where is suffering found? It is in people.
Rabbi Yishmael taught: The load corresponds to the camel.¹²⁷So too, a person’s suffering corresponds to his wisdom and knowledge. Rabbi Meir taught: Because the snake’s wisdom was superior, its punishment corresponded to its wisdom, as it is stated: “The snake was more cunning than all beasts of the field” (Genesis 3:1); therefore, he was “more accursed than all animals and all beasts of the field” (Genesis 3:14). Some amassed wisdom for their benefit, and some amassed wisdom to their detriment; those who amassed for their benefit were Moses and Solomon, and those who amassed to their detriment were Do’eg and Aḥitofel. Some increased their might for their benefit, and some increased their might to their detriment; those who increased for their benefit were David and Judah, and those who increased to their detriment were Samson and Goliath. Some amassed wealth for their benefit, and some amassed wealth to their detriment; those who amassed for their benefit were David and Solomon, and those who amassed to their detriment were Koraḥ and Haman. Some amassed children for their benefit, and some amassed children to their detriment; those amassed for their benefit were the sons of Jacob and David, [and those] to their detriment, the sons of Ahab and Eli, as it is stated: “The sons of Eli were wicked men…” (I Samuel 2:12). [Similarly,] the sons of Ahab did not accept the yoke of Heaven upon themselves, “they did not know the Lord” (I Samuel 2:12), as they said there is no kingdom of Heaven.