Ecclesiaste 3:11 Cabala: Be'ur Eser S'firot & Sefer HaBahir

Answer. Like it's impossible for a ship to not have a captain, so it's impossible for the world to not have a Ruler. And the Ruler is the Infinite One for God's honor and God's word - as the matter is written, "I have seen an end to every purpose; but Thy commandment is exceeding broad." (Ps. 119:96), and it is written, "That God will call every creature to account for everything unknown, be it good or bad." (Ecc. 12:14) And what is this that is hidden, without end or beginning, and without detail and without anything outside of it? And the sages of the investigation agree that this is a thing without end and without detail and without border, the causes of all causes, and the reason behind all reasons. And the way of the Ruler that we have seen is without end and all of God's actions are hidden from one who investigates the issue, as its written, "God hath set the world in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end." (Ecc. 3:11) And its also written, "though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it." (ibid, 8:17). And about this the text cautions, "... lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe..." (Deut. 29:17) And its written, "that he bless himself in his heart, saying: 'I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart...'" (ibid, 18) that is to say, that there's no believer in name and in image except for he that believes in the Infinite and draws from God strength for himself - and he doesn't do so through the virtue of name. And regarding one who has denied the name, it is written, and in him God protests God's name in order to contend with him and his image. And the one that believes in God will believe that there is a Ruler of the world, and the believer in the Infinite. But the one who doesn't believe that there is a Ruler of the world, but instead says that the world is degraded and happened by chance, about him it is written, 'If you walk contrary to me..." (Lev. 26:21) And it's written, "...then I will walk contrary to you in fury." (ibid, 28) That is to say, that each and every person is measured by God in the same measure of desire, and in him is the path which is established for him.

Rabbi Bun said: What is the meaning of the verse (Proverbs 8:23), "In the distant past I was fashioned, At the beginning, at the origin of earth." What is the meaning of "in the distant past"? (m'Olam) This means that it must be concealed (he-elam) from the world. It is thus written (Ecclesiastes 3:11), "He also puts eternity (ha-Olam) in their mind." Do not read ha-Olam (eternity), but he-elam. (concealment) The Torah said, "I was first, so that I might be the head of the world." It is thus written, "In the distant past I was fashioned, At the beginning," You may think that the earth was before it. It is therefore written, "before the earth." It is thus written (Gen. 1:1), "In the beginning, when God began to create heaven and earth" What is the meaning of "created"? He created everything that was needed for all things, and then God, only after that is it written "the heaven and the earth."