Halakhah su Ecclesiaste 10:1

(Vav) And see that which our teacher Rabbi Moshe Almosnino (Greece, 16th century) [writes] in his commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes (on Ecclesiastes 10:1), “Dead flies turn the perfumer’s ointment fetid and putrid; so a little folly outweighs massive wisdom.” As he writes that those that have straight minds are not so incisive; as incisiveness comes as a result of confusion. [And] since those whose minds are not straight have limitations on their [thinking], when [they are therefore required to] push their minds, it brings great incisiveness. [This is] as we see with the burning of a fire – when a little water is poured upon it, the fire grows and has bigger flames; with ‘greater height and greater power’ [coming] from the bonfire than before, without the water. So is this thing: If the mind has a little bit opposing it – which is “the little folly” – then the mind will push against it and the mind will become more incisive. See there. And with this it appears that [we can] explain the statement of the Sages, may their memory be blessed, “‘And behold, it was very good’ (Gen. 1:31) – ‘good,’ that is the good impulse; ‘very good,’ that is the evil impulse” (Bereishit Rabbah 9:7). And that is because the evil impulse is called a fool and the good impulse is called a wise man.²⁷Kohelet Rabbah 4:13. Therefore when there is opposition from the side of folly, which is the evil impulse, against the approach of wisdom, which is the good impulse; the mind, which is the good impulse, pushes against the folly and rises to much [higher] levels than it was before. [And this] would not be the case if there was no evil impulse opposing it – there would [then] not have been this overcoming. And [so] it would have only been good from the angle of itself, but not “very [good].” However through the opposing evil impulse, the good impulse pushes and becomes “very good.” And this appears to be the intention of the statement of the Sages, may their memory be blessed, “‘Happy is the man who fears the Lord’ (Ps. 112:1) – happy is the man, but not the woman? Rav Amram said that Rav said, ‘Happy is he if he repents when he is [still a] man’” (Avodah Zarah 19a). [This is] meaning, that [when he is still young enough], he has opposition from the side of the evil impulse and overcomes it. For then he will very much desire His commandments. (Hence, this is “very good.”) But if he is old and his desires have withered and his impulse has become weak – even though he desires the commandments, it will not be [in a state of “very”], as mentioned above.