Midras Pengkhotbah 2:4: Kohelet Rabbah & Vayikra Rabbah

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi interpreted the verse regarding Israel upon their entry into the land. “I increased my actions [maasai]” (Ecclesiastes 2:4) – “When you will come to the land of your dwellings.… you will perform [vaasitem] a fire offering to the Lord” (Numbers 15:2–3). “I built myself houses” (Ecclesiastes 2:4) – “houses filled with everything good” (Deuteronomy 6:11). “I planted myself vineyards” (Ecclesiastes 2:4) – “vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant” (Deuteronomy 6:11). “I made myself gardens and orchards” (Ecclesiastes 2:5) – Hadrian, may his bones be crushed, asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: ‘It is written in the Torah: “A land in which without poverty [you will eat bread; you will not lack anything there]” (Deuteronomy 8:9). Can you bring me three things that I request?’ He said to him: ‘What are they?’ He said to him: ‘Peppers, pheasants, and silk fabrics.’ [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya] brought him peppers from Nitzḥana, pheasants from Tzaidan, and some say from Akhberin, and silk fabric from Gush Ḥalav. “I made myself pools of water” (Ecclesiastes 2:6) – as it is written: “A land of streams of water” (Deuteronomy 8:7). “To irrigate from them a forest which grows trees” (Ecclesiastes 2:6) – even wood for the shafts of arrows was not lacking in the Land of Israel.
“I purchased myself slaves and maidservants” (Ecclesiastes 2:7) – “a mixed multitude [left with them]” (Exodus 12:38). “And I had stewards” (Ecclesiastes 2:7) – these are the Givonites, whom Joshua tasked as hewers of wood and drawers of water, as it is stated: “Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water” (Joshua 9:27). “I also had great possession of herds and flocks” (Ecclesiastes 2:7) – “[the children of Gad and the children of Reuben had a very great] multitude of livestock…” (Numbers 32:1). “I also gathered for myself silver and gold” – these are matters of Torah, as it is stated: “He took them out with silver and gold” (Psalms 105:37). “And the treasure of kings and countries” – these are the spoils of Og and the spoils of Midyan.²⁵See Numbers 21:35 and 31:9. “I acquired for myself songsters and songstresses” – male singers and women singers. “And the pleasures of people” – these are the pleasures of the children of Israel; “chests [shidda] and wagons [shiddot]” – indulgences and luxuries.

Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin began in the name of Rabbi Levi: “I expanded my projects: I built myself houses, planted myself vineyards” (Ecclesiastes 2:4). The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Go and say to the first patriarchs, I have acted generously with your descendants regarding everything that I stipulated with you.’ “I built myself houses,” as it is stated: “Houses full of everything good” (Deuteronomy 6:11). “Planted myself vineyards,” as it is stated: “Vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant” (Deuteronomy 6:11). “I made for myself pools of water” (Ecclesiastes 2:6), as it is stated: “And hewn cisterns that you did not hew” (Deuteronomy 6:11), and it is written: “Springs and aquifers” (Deuteronomy 8:7). “To irrigate from them a forest of growing trees” (Ecclesiastes 2:6); Rabbi Levi said: The Land of Israel did not lack even reeds for arrows. “I made for myself gardens and orchards” (Ecclesiastes 2:5), “a land of wheat and barley” (Deuteronomy 8:8). “And planted in them every fruit tree” (Ecclesiastes 2:5); that is what is written: “When you will come into the land and plant.”