כָּל־עֲמַ֥ל הָאָדָ֖ם לְפִ֑יהוּ וְגַם־הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ לֹ֥א תִמָּלֵֽא׃
Segala jerih payah manusia adalah untuk mulutnya, namun keinginan jiwanya pun tidak pernah terpenuhi.
Aggadat Bereshit
Chapter 3: Writings [1] For an educated conductor, a song of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, saying, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” (Psalm 52:1-2) This is what the scripture said: "You will be sheltered from the scourging and burning tongue." (Job 5:21). The language of evil is harder to retract than a sword or a knife, for how can one who has a sword in his hand and wants to kill his fellow man and then regrets it, retract his hand and not kill him? But one who seeks to kill his fellow man with an arrow cannot retract it once it has left his hand. And one who speaks evil about his fellow man, even if he wants to retract it, cannot do so. Why? Just as the arrow is likened to the language of evil, as it says, "Their tongue is a sharpened arrow, deceitful speech in their mouth, etc." (Jeremiah 9:7), so too, King Solomon says, "All of man’s earning is for the sake of his mouth, etc." (Ecclesiastes 6:7), even if he dies, there is no atonement for him. Come and learn from Doeg, who even though he died, our sages said he has no share in the world to come, as it says, "But the soul that sins, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20). Therefore, Job said, "The language of concealment is in my mouth." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said it refers to Jacob, and Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani said it refers to David. "You will redeem my soul in peace from the battle that is upon me" (Psalm 55:19). When he fled and came to Ahimelech and was hungry, and he ate the holy bread, as it says, "And the priest gave him the holy bread, etc." (1 Samuel 21:7). "and in war by the hand of the sword." (Job 5:20). When he went down to Goliath and killed him, as it says, "And David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, etc.'" (1 Samuel 17:45). "In a smooth tongue you will hide, when Doeg came and spoke evil about him, as it is said about Doeg the Edomite, 'and he told'." (Psalm 52:2) "You shall laugh at destruction and famine" (Job 5:22). i will take care of Ahithophel, "And have no fear of wild beasts." (Job 5:22). Saul of Benjamin is compared to a predator, as it is said, 'Benjamin is a ravenous wolf' (Genesis 49:27)."
Vayikra Rabbah
Another matter, “when a person [nefesh] will sin…” – that is what the verse said: “All the toil of man is for his mouth” (Ecclesiastes 6:7). Rabbi Shmuel bar Ami said: As much as a person amasses mitzvot and good deeds, it is insufficient to counterbalance the hot air that emerges from his mouth.6It does not repay God for the very act of being able to breathe. Alternatively, it does not counterbalance the sins of improper speech that he commits (Rabbi David Luria).
“But his soul is also not filled” (Ecclesiastes 6:7). Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Kartzifa in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan say: Like ropes though a round hole.7Thick ropes that are pulled through a ring on a ship that is roughly the same size as the rope. This and the upcoming descriptions represent the process of removing the soul from a person at the time of death. Rabbi Ḥanina said: Like a nail that comes through the round hole. Shmuel said: Like a damp, inverted thorn that emerges from the trachea.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: All the mitzvot and good deeds that a person amasses are for his mouth, but not for the mouth of his son and not for the mouth of his daughter.8They benefits him but not his children. The Rabbis say: For his mouth and not for a foul odor.9It is for a good reputation and not for a bad reputation. Because the soul knows that all the exertion that it expends, it expends for itself; therefore, it is never satiated of mitzvot and good deeds. Rabbi Levi said: This is analogous to a villager who was married to the daughter of kings; even if he feeds her all the delicacies in the world, he does not fulfill his obligation.10He does not satisfy her. Why? It is because she is exalted.
Three are ingrates: The earth, the woman, and the soul. The earth, as it is stated: “The earth is not sated with water” (Proverbs 30:16). The woman, from where is it derived? “[So is the way of an adulterous woman:] She eats, and wipes her mouth, and says: I did not do wrong” (Proverbs 30:20). The soul, from where is it derived? “But his soul is also not filled” (Ecclesiastes 6:7). Three take abundantly and give abundantly: the earth,11The earth takes rainwater and produces crops. the sea,12Water flows into the sea and evaporates from it to produce rain. and the government.13The government collects taxes and sees to the needs of the public.
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: “Soul” is written here six times14The term soul [nefesh] is written six times in the Torah in the context of sin. corresponding to the six days of Creation. The Holy One blessed be He said to the soul: ‘Everything that I created during the six days of Creation, I created only for your sake, and you emerge and sin? “When a person will sin.”’
“But his soul is also not filled” (Ecclesiastes 6:7). Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Kartzifa in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan say: Like ropes though a round hole.7Thick ropes that are pulled through a ring on a ship that is roughly the same size as the rope. This and the upcoming descriptions represent the process of removing the soul from a person at the time of death. Rabbi Ḥanina said: Like a nail that comes through the round hole. Shmuel said: Like a damp, inverted thorn that emerges from the trachea.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: All the mitzvot and good deeds that a person amasses are for his mouth, but not for the mouth of his son and not for the mouth of his daughter.8They benefits him but not his children. The Rabbis say: For his mouth and not for a foul odor.9It is for a good reputation and not for a bad reputation. Because the soul knows that all the exertion that it expends, it expends for itself; therefore, it is never satiated of mitzvot and good deeds. Rabbi Levi said: This is analogous to a villager who was married to the daughter of kings; even if he feeds her all the delicacies in the world, he does not fulfill his obligation.10He does not satisfy her. Why? It is because she is exalted.
Three are ingrates: The earth, the woman, and the soul. The earth, as it is stated: “The earth is not sated with water” (Proverbs 30:16). The woman, from where is it derived? “[So is the way of an adulterous woman:] She eats, and wipes her mouth, and says: I did not do wrong” (Proverbs 30:20). The soul, from where is it derived? “But his soul is also not filled” (Ecclesiastes 6:7). Three take abundantly and give abundantly: the earth,11The earth takes rainwater and produces crops. the sea,12Water flows into the sea and evaporates from it to produce rain. and the government.13The government collects taxes and sees to the needs of the public.
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: “Soul” is written here six times14The term soul [nefesh] is written six times in the Torah in the context of sin. corresponding to the six days of Creation. The Holy One blessed be He said to the soul: ‘Everything that I created during the six days of Creation, I created only for your sake, and you emerge and sin? “When a person will sin.”’
Kohelet Rabbah
Another matter, “all the rivers,” all the Torah that a person studies is only in the heart. “Yet the sea is not full” – but the heart is not full and the soul is never sated, as it is stated: “But the soul is not filled” (Ecclesiastes 6:7). You might say that from the moment that a person expresses his learning to another, it will never return to him; the verse [therefore] states: “They go there again,” as it is written: “These matters that I am commanding you today shall be upon your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6).
A certain noblewoman asked Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta, she said to him: ‘What is that which is stated: “He granted wisdom to the wise [and knowledge to those with understanding” (Daniel 2:21)? The verse should have said: “He granted wisdom to the unwise, and knowledge to those without understanding.”’ He said to her a parable: ‘If two people come to you to borrow money from you, one of them wealthy and one of them poor, to which of them would you lend, to the wealthy one or the poor one?’ She said to him: ‘To the wealthy one.’ He said to her: ‘Why?’ She said to him: ‘Because if the wealthy man were to lose my money, he has [funds] with which to repay, but if the poor person were to lose my money, with what would he repay me?’ He said to her: ‘Don’t your ears hear what you utter with your mouth? Had the Holy One blessed be He granted wisdom to the foolish, they would be sitting and pontificating in its regard in bathrooms, theaters, and bathhouses. Rather, the Holy One blessed be He granted wisdom to the wise, and they sit and pontificate in its regard in synagogues and study halls. That is, “He granted wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those with understanding.”’
A certain noblewoman asked Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta, she said to him: ‘What is that which is stated: “He granted wisdom to the wise [and knowledge to those with understanding” (Daniel 2:21)? The verse should have said: “He granted wisdom to the unwise, and knowledge to those without understanding.”’ He said to her a parable: ‘If two people come to you to borrow money from you, one of them wealthy and one of them poor, to which of them would you lend, to the wealthy one or the poor one?’ She said to him: ‘To the wealthy one.’ He said to her: ‘Why?’ She said to him: ‘Because if the wealthy man were to lose my money, he has [funds] with which to repay, but if the poor person were to lose my money, with what would he repay me?’ He said to her: ‘Don’t your ears hear what you utter with your mouth? Had the Holy One blessed be He granted wisdom to the foolish, they would be sitting and pontificating in its regard in bathrooms, theaters, and bathhouses. Rather, the Holy One blessed be He granted wisdom to the wise, and they sit and pontificate in its regard in synagogues and study halls. That is, “He granted wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those with understanding.”’