מַסִּ֣יעַ אֲבָנִ֔ים יֵעָצֵ֖ב בָּהֶ֑ם בּוֹקֵ֥עַ עֵצִ֖ים יִסָּ֥כֶן בָּֽם׃
Siapa memindahkan batu-batu akan bersusah payah karenanya; siapa membelah kayu akan menghangatkan diri dengannya.
Kohelet Rabbah
“One who transports stones will be saddened by them; and one who splits wood will benefit from it” (Ecclesiastes 10:9).
“One who transports stones will be saddened by them” – one who transports himself from his studies will ultimately be sorry. He will seek a matter but will not find it.48He will seek to recall some detail of his Torah study but will not remember it.
“And one who splits wood will benefit [yisakhen] from it.” As long as he toils in it, he will benefit from it, just as you say: “She will be an attendant [sokhenet] for him” (I Kings 1:2).
Another matter: “One who transports stones” from place to place “will be saddened by them”; “and one who splits wood will benefit from it.”49Previously the midrash interpreted the phrase “one who transports stones” to refer to one who removes himself from Torah study, as stones are an allusion to the tablets given at Sinai. Now the midrash interprets the verse literally as referring to one who moves stones from place to place. Unscrupulous individuals might remove stones from their fields to the public domain, but ultimately it is they who will stumble (Midrash HaMevo’ar). Rabbi Meyashya said: In reward for the two logs that Abraham chopped on Mount Moriah, he was privileged to have the sea split for his descendants into twelve strips.
“One who transports stones will be saddened by them” – one who transports himself from his studies will ultimately be sorry. He will seek a matter but will not find it.48He will seek to recall some detail of his Torah study but will not remember it.
“And one who splits wood will benefit [yisakhen] from it.” As long as he toils in it, he will benefit from it, just as you say: “She will be an attendant [sokhenet] for him” (I Kings 1:2).
Another matter: “One who transports stones” from place to place “will be saddened by them”; “and one who splits wood will benefit from it.”49Previously the midrash interpreted the phrase “one who transports stones” to refer to one who removes himself from Torah study, as stones are an allusion to the tablets given at Sinai. Now the midrash interprets the verse literally as referring to one who moves stones from place to place. Unscrupulous individuals might remove stones from their fields to the public domain, but ultimately it is they who will stumble (Midrash HaMevo’ar). Rabbi Meyashya said: In reward for the two logs that Abraham chopped on Mount Moriah, he was privileged to have the sea split for his descendants into twelve strips.
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
R. Zera in the name of Rab said: "What is the meaning of (Prov. 15, 15) All the days of the afflicted are evil? This refers to the masters of Gemara [because they must find out how to decide the laws from the Mishnayoth, which always need an explanation]. "But he that is of a cheerful heart," etc., refers to the one who is a master in Mishnah. Rabba, however, maintains the reverse. And this is what R. Mesharshia said in the name of Raba: "What is the meaning of the passage (Eccl. 109) He that moves stones will be hurt through them, he that cleaveth wood will be endangered thereby, i.e. he that moves stones will be hurt by them, refers to the masters of the Mishnah; he that cleaveth wood will be endangered thereby, refers to the masters of Gemara, because they do not always succeed in finding out the correct decisions." R. Chanina said: "All the days of the afflicted, etc., refers to one who has a bad wife, but he who is of a cheerful heart, etc., refers to one who has a good wife." R. Janai said: "And the days of the afflicted, etc., refers to one who is fastidious; and he that is of a cheerful heart, etc., refers to one who has a good physical constitution." R. Jochanan said: "All the days of the afflicted are evil. refers to one whose nature is merciful, and who takes to heart everything which happens to his fellow-men; but he that is of a cheerful heart, etc., refers to him who is merciless." R. J. Joshua b. Levi said: "All this, etc., refers to one who is pendantic; but he, etc., refers to him whose mind is worldly."