Tafsiran Pengkhotbah 5:19: Tze'enah Ure'enah, Rashi & Kohelet Rabbah

“For” [5:19]. The life of the person is short. He remembers his days on this world that are not many. Why should he accumulate money? It is better he should study Torah. Thus, he will take a good reward to the world to come and the Holy One will be his witness that he was happy and did good during his life.⁷⁴Rashi, Ecclesiastes, 5:19.

For there are not many. For there is no longevity in this world.

“For let him remember the days of his life that they are not many, as it is God who responds with the joy of his heart” (Ecclesiastes 5:19).
“For let him remember the days of his life that they are not many” – this is the generation of Eli.⁷⁶This is a reference to the prophecy that Eli’s descendants would not have long lives, due to the behavior of Eli and the sins of his sons. See I Samuel 2:27–36 (Etz Yosef). “As it is God who responds with the joy of his heart” – this is Elkana, who would guide Israel and take them up to Jerusalem⁷⁷This is a textual error, and should read Shilo instead of Jerusalem (Maharzu). each and every year on a different route. That is why the verse lauds him: “This man ascended from his city from year to year” (I Samuel 1:3).

Let him remember the days of his life. For they are few and not many; so why then should he bother to accumulate wealth? Let him labor with something that endures for him in the World to Come during his lifetime.

While God answers [provides] him, etc. The Holy One, Blessed Is He, bears a permanent testimony about this eternally.²³According to Rashi מענה means, “bears testimony” as in, “you shall not bear false testimony [לא תענה] in Shemos 20:13. Alternatively, מענה means “answers” as in “may Adonoy answer [יענך] you,” in Tehillim 20:2. (Ibn Ezra)

With the joy of his heart. That he rejoiced to do good in his lifetime, and I saw in the Midrash, that this refers to Elkanah, who led Yisroel up to Shiloh on the festivals, and on the route that he brought them up on one year he did not bring them back the following year, in order to publicize the matter and to accustom them. Therefore, Scripture praises him, “This man would go up from his city, etc.”²⁴I Shmuel 1:3. I believe that this Midrash is at the end of the verse, “for God answers [provides] him with the joy of his heart.” This is Elkanah, whom the Holy One, Blessed Is He, established in Scripture, and testifies about him, “this man would go up from his city.”²⁵Ibid.

Answers [provides] him. This is vowelized with a small pasach [=segol].. Therefore, I explain it as a noun, as in, “for there was no answer מַעֲנֶה in the mouth[s] of the three men.”²⁶Iyov 32:5.

With the joy of his heart. That he was happy on the festival.