Halakhah su Ecclesiaste 7:16

Perhaps a person might say: "Since envy, lust and glory and the like, are bad character traits that remove a man from the world, I will completely abstain from them, and keep away from them entirely," to the point that he will not eat meat, nor drink wine, nor marry a woman, nor live in a comfortable dwelling, nor wear decent clothes, but he will put on a sackcloth, or something similar; this too is a bad way of life, and it is forbidden to follow it. Anyone who follows this life-style is called a sinner. For in regard to the nazir it is written,²¹Numbers 6:11. (Nazarite) "To atone for him who sinned by the dead,"²²מֵאֲשֶׁר חָטָא עַל הַנֶפֶשׁ—is translated by the Rabbis as “for committing a sin against his soul,” “against himself,” by denying himself things which are permitted. and [our Rabbis] of blessed memory said, "If a nazir who abstained only from drinking wine, needs an atonement, a person who abstains from everything, how much more so does he need [an atonement]."²³Ta’anis 11a. Therefore, our Rabbis of blessed memory ordained that you should abstain only from those things which the Torah prohibits, but do not prohibit to yourself, things which are permitted by means of vows and oaths. Thus said our Sages of blessed memory, "Is not what the Torah forbids enough for you that you have to prohibit to yourself things which are permissible?"²⁴Yerushalmi, Nedarim 9:1. And our Rabbis of blessed memory have forbidden us to inflict pain on ourselves with more fasting than is required. Concerning all these and similar matters, King Solomon, peace be upon him, said, "Do not be excessively righteous, nor overly wise, why destroy yourself."²⁵Ecclesiastes 7:16. And he said [in the same vein],²⁶Proverbs 4:26. "Measure well the path of your foot then you will stay on a straight course."²⁷Malbim explains the word paleis as a form of peles, the name of a measuring instrument. Man should measure carefully to find the middle road of life, staying clear of the extremes.

There were two people. One did not want to burn the flies. His friend said to him, " 'Be not righteous overmuch' (Ecclesiastes 7:16). Better to burn the flies so that they shall not fall into the food and drink. [Then] one who swallows them will sin. Therefore it is written 'Be not righteous overmuch.' "

“Be not righteous overmuch” (Eccl. 7:16). Behold, there is a woman drowning in the river and it is possible for you to rescue her, do not say, “I will let her drown for how can I see her nakedness?”¹Sotah 21b. How dare you not act, it will be held against you as a wrong and you will be punished. Go and learn from Saul who had pity on Agag and engaged in an erroneous syllogism, because of which he was banished. ²Yoma 22b.And thus, “And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his fellow by the word of the Lord, ‘Smite me, I pray thee’” (I Kings 20:35). And through this he was punished, a lion struck him and killed him.³I Kings 20:36.