וְֽיָרְד֞וּ מֵאָנִיּֽוֹתֵיהֶ֗ם כֹּ֚ל תֹּפְשֵׂ֣י מָשׁ֔וֹט מַלָּחִ֕ים כֹּ֖ל חֹבְלֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ יַעֲמֹֽדוּ׃
Semua orang yang memegang dayung, para pelaut, dan semua juru mudi di laut akan turun dari kapal-kapal mereka; mereka akan berdiri di darat.
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
R. Elazar also said: "In the future all the professional men will become farmers, as it is said (Ez. 27, 29) And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, will come down from their ships and stand upon the land." R. Elazar said further: "There is no poorer occupation than with land, for it is said (Ib.) and they will come down." R. Elazar once noticed a field being ploughed widthwise. He remarked: "Even if you would plough it lengthwise (i.e., over and over again), nevertheless trading in business yields more profits than thou dost." When Rab entered a path [between fields] and saw the ears waving, he used to say: "Toss yourselves (be as proud as thou wilt), trading in business yields more profits than thou dost." Raba said: ["If a man invests] one hundred Zuzim in business, he can afford to eat meat and drink wine every day; but with one hundred Zuzim invested in land, one can merely eat salted vegetables; and not only this, but the investment causes him to sleep on the ground, [to watch it], and causes him also to quarrel with others." R. Papa said: "Have provisions of your own production and do not buy it, even though it may cost you the same price, for it is more blessed; buy ready made and do not spin. This, however, refers only to furniture, but not to clothing, because one may not be able to get just what he needs. Fill up [a hole when made in the wall in time] that thou needst not repair; you may even repair it expensively, but do not rebuild it, for whoever is occupied in the building business becomes poor [at the end.] Be always ready to sell land, but be slow (careful) in taking a wife. Go down a step when taking a wife, but go up a step in choosing a groomsman."
Kohelet Rabbah
“The advantage of land is in every way, a king is subservient to a field. One who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, nor one who loves abundance with produce; this too is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 5:8–9).
“The advantage of land is in every way” – Rabbi Yehuda says: Even matters that you consider superfluous in the world are [an important] part of the existence of the world, like fiber to make rope, a thorn bush to fence a garden; they are [an important] part of the existence of the world.
“A king is subservient to a field” – even a king who reigns from one end of the world to the other end, “he is subservient to a field” – he asks and says: Has the field produced? Has the field not produced? Therefore, “one who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, nor one who loves abundance with produce,” as anyone who avidly pursues riches, but does not have land, what benefit does he have?
Rabbi Yishmael ben Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Ḥanin say: It is written: “Everyone who grasps an oar will disembark from their ships; sailors and all navigators of the sea will stand upon the land” (Ezekiel 27:29). Do we not know that it is land on which they stand? Rather, if the ship of one of them sinks and he has land ashore, it supports him.34If one’s livelihood is only from trade, he can easily lose everything if his ship goes down at sea. If he owns land, he can plant crops and be sustained in a less risky manner. If he has no land, there is no greater vanity.
“The advantage of land is in every way” – Rabbi Yehuda says: Even matters that you consider superfluous in the world are [an important] part of the existence of the world, like fiber to make rope, a thorn bush to fence a garden; they are [an important] part of the existence of the world.
“A king is subservient to a field” – even a king who reigns from one end of the world to the other end, “he is subservient to a field” – he asks and says: Has the field produced? Has the field not produced? Therefore, “one who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, nor one who loves abundance with produce,” as anyone who avidly pursues riches, but does not have land, what benefit does he have?
Rabbi Yishmael ben Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Ḥanin say: It is written: “Everyone who grasps an oar will disembark from their ships; sailors and all navigators of the sea will stand upon the land” (Ezekiel 27:29). Do we not know that it is land on which they stand? Rather, if the ship of one of them sinks and he has land ashore, it supports him.34If one’s livelihood is only from trade, he can easily lose everything if his ship goes down at sea. If he owns land, he can plant crops and be sustained in a less risky manner. If he has no land, there is no greater vanity.
Vayikra Rabbah
“Any man from the house of Israel who will slaughter a bull, or a sheep, or a goat, in the camp, or who slaughters it outside the camp” (Leviticus 17:3).
“Any man from the house of Israel who will slaughter a bull, or a sheep, or a goat” – that is what is written: “The advantage of land is in every way” (Ecclesiastes 5:8). Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda said: Even matters that you consider to be superfluous for the world are beneficial for the world; palm fiber to make rope; a thorn bush to fence a garden, “A king is subservient to a field” (Ecclesiastes 5:8); even if he is king and he rules from one end of the world to the other, “he is subservient to the field.” If the field produces, he will be successful; if the field does not produce, there is nothing. Therefore, “one who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver” (Ecclesiastes 5:9); one who loves money will not be satisfied with money, “nor one who loves abundance, with produce…” (Ecclesiastes 5:9), as anyone who avidly pursues money, but has no land, what benefit does he have?
Rabbi Yishmael ben Rabbi Tanḥum and Rabbi Ḥanin son of Rabbi in the name of Rabbi Yirmeya: It is written: “They will disembark from their ships…they will stand on the ground” (Ezekiel 27:29). Do we not know that they would stand on the ground? Rather, one whose ship sinks at sea and he has land on the shore, he will recover. If he does not have land, you do not have any greater futility.1If someone’s livelihood is entirely dependent on trade, he can easily lose everything if his ship goes down at sea. If he also owns land, he can plant crops and be sustained in a less risky manner.
Rabbi Neḥemya said: “The advantage of land is in every way” – even matters that you consider superfluous to the giving of the Torah, e.g., the halakhot of ritual fringes, phylacteries, and mezuza; they, too, are included in the giving of the Torah, as it is stated: “The Lord gave me the two tablets of stone inscribed with the finger of God and on them were all the matters [kekhol hadevarim]” (Deuteronomy 9:10). And it is written: “All the mitzva [hamitzva] that I [command you this day you shall take care to perform]” (Deuteronomy 8:1). Kol, kekhol; devarim, hadevarim; mitzva, hamitzva2These words contain superfluous prefixes, as the verses could have said kol, devarim, and mitzva, but instead says kekhol, hadevarim, and hamitzva. All these prefixes are amplifications that serve to include the types of Torah study detailed in the midrash. – [to teach that] Bible, Mishna, halakha, Talmud, addenda, aggadot, and even what a distinguished disciple is destined to say before his teacher, all these were stated to Moses from Sinai, as it is stated: “There is a matter regarding which one would say: See, this is new” (Ecclesiastes 1:10), his counterpart responds to him: “It has already been, in the ages [that were before us]” (Ecclesiastes 1:10).
“A king is subservient to a field,” Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: “King,” this is an expert in Talmud; “is subservient to a field,” this is an expert in Mishna, as he arranges the halakha before him. Rabbi Neḥemya says: “King,” this is an expert in Mishna; “is subservient to a field,” this is an expert in Talmud, as he receives the halakha before him.3The expert in Mishna must sit before the expert in Talmud in order to receive practical instruction. Therefore, “one who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver,” – one who loves Torah will not be satisfied with Torah. “Nor one who loves abundance, [with produce]” as anyone who avidly pursues Torah, but does not have Talmud, what benefit does he have? Rabbi Elazar says in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: One who studied but does not teach, you have no greater futility than this.
“Any man from the house of Israel who will slaughter a bull, or a sheep, or a goat” – that is what is written: “The advantage of land is in every way” (Ecclesiastes 5:8). Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda said: Even matters that you consider to be superfluous for the world are beneficial for the world; palm fiber to make rope; a thorn bush to fence a garden, “A king is subservient to a field” (Ecclesiastes 5:8); even if he is king and he rules from one end of the world to the other, “he is subservient to the field.” If the field produces, he will be successful; if the field does not produce, there is nothing. Therefore, “one who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver” (Ecclesiastes 5:9); one who loves money will not be satisfied with money, “nor one who loves abundance, with produce…” (Ecclesiastes 5:9), as anyone who avidly pursues money, but has no land, what benefit does he have?
Rabbi Yishmael ben Rabbi Tanḥum and Rabbi Ḥanin son of Rabbi in the name of Rabbi Yirmeya: It is written: “They will disembark from their ships…they will stand on the ground” (Ezekiel 27:29). Do we not know that they would stand on the ground? Rather, one whose ship sinks at sea and he has land on the shore, he will recover. If he does not have land, you do not have any greater futility.1If someone’s livelihood is entirely dependent on trade, he can easily lose everything if his ship goes down at sea. If he also owns land, he can plant crops and be sustained in a less risky manner.
Rabbi Neḥemya said: “The advantage of land is in every way” – even matters that you consider superfluous to the giving of the Torah, e.g., the halakhot of ritual fringes, phylacteries, and mezuza; they, too, are included in the giving of the Torah, as it is stated: “The Lord gave me the two tablets of stone inscribed with the finger of God and on them were all the matters [kekhol hadevarim]” (Deuteronomy 9:10). And it is written: “All the mitzva [hamitzva] that I [command you this day you shall take care to perform]” (Deuteronomy 8:1). Kol, kekhol; devarim, hadevarim; mitzva, hamitzva2These words contain superfluous prefixes, as the verses could have said kol, devarim, and mitzva, but instead says kekhol, hadevarim, and hamitzva. All these prefixes are amplifications that serve to include the types of Torah study detailed in the midrash. – [to teach that] Bible, Mishna, halakha, Talmud, addenda, aggadot, and even what a distinguished disciple is destined to say before his teacher, all these were stated to Moses from Sinai, as it is stated: “There is a matter regarding which one would say: See, this is new” (Ecclesiastes 1:10), his counterpart responds to him: “It has already been, in the ages [that were before us]” (Ecclesiastes 1:10).
“A king is subservient to a field,” Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: “King,” this is an expert in Talmud; “is subservient to a field,” this is an expert in Mishna, as he arranges the halakha before him. Rabbi Neḥemya says: “King,” this is an expert in Mishna; “is subservient to a field,” this is an expert in Talmud, as he receives the halakha before him.3The expert in Mishna must sit before the expert in Talmud in order to receive practical instruction. Therefore, “one who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver,” – one who loves Torah will not be satisfied with Torah. “Nor one who loves abundance, [with produce]” as anyone who avidly pursues Torah, but does not have Talmud, what benefit does he have? Rabbi Elazar says in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: One who studied but does not teach, you have no greater futility than this.