Commento su Ecclesiaste 8:16
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֤תִּי אֶת־לִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת חָכְמָ֔ה וְלִרְאוֹת֙ אֶת־הָ֣עִנְיָ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י גַ֤ם בַּיּוֹם֙ וּבַלַּ֔יְלָה שֵׁנָ֕ה בְּעֵינָ֖יו אֵינֶ֥נּוּ רֹאֶֽה׃
Quando ho applicato il mio cuore per conoscere la saggezza e vedere gli affari che si svolgono sulla terra—poiché né il giorno né la notte gli uomini vedono dormire con i loro occhi—
Rashi on Ecclesiastes
When I applied my heart. This “כַּאֲשֶׁר” is not used as an expression of an example, as in, “as כַּאֲשֶׁר he did, so shall it be done,”35Vayikra 24:19. rather it is an expression of time, as in, “When כַּאֲשֶׁר Yoseif came,”36Bereishis 37:23. [and as in,] “when כַּאֲשֶׁר they finished eating, etc.”37Ibid. 43:2. This too is so, When כַּאֲשֶׁר I applied my heart “to know, to explore, etc.,”38Above 7:25. then, “I saw all the works of God.”
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Kohelet Rabbah
“When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the matters that are performed on the earth, as both during the day and during the night, one does not see sleep in his eyes” (Ecclesiastes 8:16).
“When I applied my heart…one does not see sleep41Sleep [shena] is expounded to mean that he does not see change [shinui] in his eyes. in his eyes.” One does not see repentance,42One does not see the need for repentance, or possibly, the opportunity for repentance. and does not perform it. There are two good matters that are close to you and distant from you, distant from you and close to you. Repentance is close to you and distant from you,43If you believe that repentance is easily accessible, it will be distant from you. distant from you and close to you.44If you acknowledge how difficult it is, your repentance will be effective. Death is close to you and distant from you, distant from you and close to you.45Awareness that death may be imminent will lead to repentance and postponing death.
“When I applied my heart…one does not see sleep41Sleep [shena] is expounded to mean that he does not see change [shinui] in his eyes. in his eyes.” One does not see repentance,42One does not see the need for repentance, or possibly, the opportunity for repentance. and does not perform it. There are two good matters that are close to you and distant from you, distant from you and close to you. Repentance is close to you and distant from you,43If you believe that repentance is easily accessible, it will be distant from you. distant from you and close to you.44If you acknowledge how difficult it is, your repentance will be effective. Death is close to you and distant from you, distant from you and close to you.45Awareness that death may be imminent will lead to repentance and postponing death.
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Rashi on Ecclesiastes
[Neither] does he see sleep with his eyes. The wicked person39According to Rashi, the subject of the phrase, “neither does he sleep...,” is the wicked person, who does not sleep because he is so engrossed in his activities. Alternatively, שנה [=sleep] can also be a reference to death, as in Daniyeil 12:2, “many of those who sleep [מישני] in the dusty earth [i.e., the dead] will awaken.” The wicked person never considers his death, and that ultimately, he will have to give a reckoning for his activities, and therefore he does not repent. who has a passionate lust for money and for forbidden women.40Alternatively, the subject of this phrase is Koheles, who says that he was so engrossed in his study “to know wisdom and to observe etc.” that sleep eluded him. (Ibn Ezra)
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