Midrash su Ecclesiaste 12:11

And Moshe went and spoke these words to all of Israel: The expression "went" is nothing but [an indication of] rebuke, as it is stated (Psalms 46:9), "Go and see the wonders of God." At the end of Ecclesiastes, it is written (Ecclesiastes 12:11), "The sayings of the wise are like goads" - just like this goad directs the cow to its furrows, so [too] do the words of Torah direct the heart of those that learn it to the good path. "And it is like nails (masmerot) that are planted" - just like this nail is planted, so [too] are words of Torah. And just like a planting (sapling) is fruitful and multiplies, so [too] do the words of Torah become fruitful and multiply to find an explanation about them. "They are given from one shepherd" - even though these are rendering impure and those are rendering pure, these are forbidding and those are permitting, Moshe said all of them from the mouth of the Almighty. But it is written, "And it is like shifts (mishmerot) that are planted," with a [letter], shin, to say that there are twenty-four books in the Torah (Bible) - like the number of shifts that David established. Therefore it is written with a shin. And so [too,] in Chronicles, David is spelled fully ( dalet-vav- yod-dalet), as its gematraia (numerical equivalent) is twenty-four - corresponding to the twenty-four shifts that David established.

... [What about all] the praise of Joseph, who exceeded in the honor of his father? And yet he did not enter into him all the time, such that were it not that they came to tell him, "Your father is sick," he would not have known! Rather this is to inform you of his righteousness. For he did not want to be alone with his father, lest he say to him, "How did your brothers act with you?" And [then] he would curse them.... Hence he did not go to his father all the time.)

(Numb. 11:16:) “Gather Me seventy men.” This text is related (to Eccl. 12:11), “The words of the wise are like goads (kedarbanot) [...].” Kedarbanot [signifies] kadur shel banot (a ball for girls). Just like a ball for girls is thrown here and there, so were the words [of Torah] thrown at Sinai. Another interpretation of “like goads.” Just as a goad brings living (hayyim) [animals] to their yoke (l'wlm) so do the words of Torah bring life (hayyim) to the world (l'wlm).⁵⁸See ySanh. 10:1 (28a); Numb. R. 14:4; 15:22; Eccl. R. 12:11:1; PR 3:2. It is so written (in Deut. 30:20), “[To love the Lord your God, heed His commands, and hold fast to Him] for that is your life and your length of days.” [Another interpretation (of Eccl. 12:11), “The words of the wise are like goads”:] Just as the goad directs the cow to plow and even out the furrows;⁵⁹TSot. 7:11; Sifre to Deut. 11:13 (41); Hag. 3b; ARN A 18. so do the words of Torah direct those who study them to say, “Forbidden,” over what is forbidden, [to say,] “Permitted,” over what is permitted; and [the words of the wise also] show interpretations and directives from the Torah. (Eccl. 12:11:) “The words of the wise are like goads.” Three names are applied to it (i.e., to a goad), darban, mardea', malmad.⁶⁰PRK 23:7; Lev. R. 29:7. Why is it named malmad (mlmd)? Because it teaches (mlmd) the cow to plow. Mardea'? Because it teaches knowledge (moreh de'ah) to the cow for plowing. Darban? Because it (the goad) dwells (dar) in it (bah, i.e., in the cow) as understanding (binah) for plowing.⁶¹See Targum Eccl. 12:11. And therefore the words of the wise are compared to goads, as it teaches knowledge and understanding to people. And if you say, “Just as the goad is removable, so are the words of Torah removable,” the text reads (ibid. cont.), “and like implanted nails (msmrwt).” (Eccl. 12:11, cont.:) “Those that are gathered in collections.” What is the meaning of “those that are gathered in collections?” When are they implanted in a man? When their masters are gathered (dead) from them. The whole time that his master is alive, [the student] asks him. [When] his teacher dies, he toils day and night to fulfill his teaching, as there is no one for him to ask. Hence it is written, “those that are gathered in collections.” (Eccl. 12:11:) “And like implanted nails (msmrwt).” R. Berekhya the Priest Berabbi said, “It is written, ‘like the watches (mshmrwt),’ but we read it ‘like nails (msmrwt).’ [This is to teach that] just as the watches (mshmrwt) of the priests number twenty-four, so also do the books [of the Bible] number twenty-four.” Another interpretation: Why is it written, “like the watches (mshmrwt),” but we read it “like implanted nails (msmrwt)?” To teach you that if you have implanted them like a nail in your heart, they will watch you. Another interpretation (of Eccl. 12:11 cont.), “and like implanted nails.” From here the sages have said, “It is forbidden to read in the profane (chitzoniot) books.” It is therefore stated (ibid.), “and like implanted nails (msmrwt).” (Ibid. cont.:) [“(The masters of) collections.”] These [masters] are the Sanhedrin.⁶²Gk.: synedrion. And if you say, “This person permits what another forbids, this one declares unfit what another declares fit, this one declares unclean what another declares clean, R. Eliezer obligates while R. Joshua exempts, and Bet Shammai prohibits while Bet Hillel permits; to whom should I listen?” [That is why] the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Nevertheless (according to Eccl. 12:11 end) ‘all of them were given from one shepherd.’” This [shepherd] was Moses, as stated about him (in Exod. 3:1), “And Moses was a shepherd.” [And] he received it from the One of the world. And they are unified words, except that this one gives one explanation, and that one gives another explanation. Hence it is stated, “all of them were given from one shepherd.”

22 (Numb. 11:16:) “Gather Me seventy men”: This text is related (to Eccl. 12:11), “The words of the wise are like goads (kedarbanot) [...].” Kedarbanot [signifies] kadur shel banot (a ball for girls). Just like a ball for girls is thrown here and there, so were the words [of Torah] thrown at Sinai. Another interpretation (of Eccl. 12:11 cont.), “and like implanted nails”: From here the sages have said, “It is forbidden to read in the profane (chitzoniot) books.” It is therefore stated (ibid.), “implanted nails.” [“Like nails (msmrwt)” – this is to teach that] just as the watches (mshmrwt) of the priests number twenty-four, so also do the books [of the Bible] number twenty-four.” (Ibid. cont.:) [“(The masters of) collections.”] These [masters] are the Sanhedrin.⁴⁸Gk.: synedrion. And if you say, “This person permits what another forbids, this one declares unfit what another declares fit, this one declares unclean what another declares clean, R. Eliezer obligates while R. Joshua exempts, and Bet Shammai prohibits while Bet Hillel permits; to whom should I listen?” [That is why] the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Nevertheless (according to Eccl. 12:11 end) ‘all of them were given from one shepherd.’”

(Numb. 11:16:) GATHER ME <SEVENTY PEOPLE FROM THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL>. This text is related (to Eccl. 12:11): THE WORDS OF THE WISE ARE LIKE GOADS. Just as a goad brings living (hayyim) <animals> to their yoke (L'WLM voweled as la'ullam) so do the words of Torah bring life (hayyim) to the world (L'WLM voweled as la'olam).⁹²Tanh. Numb. 3:15; see ySanh. 10:1 (28a); Numb. R. 14:4; 15:22; Eccl. R. 12:11:1; PR 3:2. It is so written (in Deut. 30:20): <TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD, HEED HIS COMMANDS, AND HOLD FAST TO HIM > FOR THAT IS YOUR LIFE AND YOUR LENGTH OF DAYS. [Another interpretation (of Eccl. 12:11): <THE WORDS OF THE WISE ARE LIKE GOADS.] Just as the goad directs the cow to plow the furrows evenly;⁹³TSot. 7:11; Sifre to Deut. 11:13 (41); Hag. 3b; ARN A 18. so do the words of Torah direct [those who study them] to say: Forbidden, over what is forbidden, <to say:> Permitted, over what is permitted; and <the words of the wise also> show texts and interpretations from the Torah. (Eccl. 12:11:) THE WORDS OF THE WISE ARE LIKE GOADS. Three names are applied to it (i.e., to a goad): Darban, mardea', malmad.⁹⁴PRK 23:7; Lev. R. 29:7. Why is it named malmad (MLMD)? Because it teaches (MLMD) the cow to plow. Mardea'? Because it teaches knowledge (moreh de'ah) to the cow for plowing. Darban? Because it (the goad) dwells (dar) in it (bah, i.e., in the cow) as understanding (bineh).⁹⁵See Targum Eccl. 12:11. It is therefore stated (in Eccl. 12:11): THE WORDS OF THE WISE ARE LIKE GOADS. And if you say: Just as the goad is removable, so are the words of Torah removable, the text reads (ibid. cont.): AND LIKE IMPLANTED NAILS (MSMRWT).⁹⁶In the Buber text the S here is a samekh instead of the Masoretic sin to indicate that the sound is s and not Sh. In the unvoweled Masoretic Text however the letter in question could be either S or Sh. LIKE GUARDS (MShMRWT) is what is <also> written. If you have inserted them as a nail (MSMR), they are guards (MShMRWT) and will preserve you.

(Devarim, Ibid. 13) "Which I command you this day.": Whence is it derived that if one heard a word (of Torah) from a minor it is as if he heard it from a sage? From (Koheleth 12:11) "The words of the wise are like goads, etc."

And if one hears from Sanhedrin, it is as if he hears from Moses, viz. (Koheleth, Ibid.) "given by one shepherd (Moses)." And (Isaiah 63:11) "And they remembered the days of old, Moses and his people. Where is he who brought them up from the Sea? the shepherd of His flock? who placed in their midst His holy spirit?"