Midrash su Ecclesiaste 9:8

(Lev. 17:3:) “If any single person from the House of Israel.” This text is related (to Ps. 51:20–21), “Make Zion prosper in Your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall delight in sacrifices of righteousness, burnt offerings, and whole offerings….” To what is the matter comparable? To a rich and noble man, who has no wife. His house was not [really] a house. Why? When the tenants came, he said to them, “Go rest in another place.” Why? Because he had neither house nor wife. He took a wife. He said to them, “Whatever you bring me, from now on bring them up to the house.” Thus all the days before Moses erected the tent of meeting, they offered sacrifices [in] any place, as stated (in Exod. 24:5), “Then he sent youths of the Children of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings….” And so it says (in Exod. 8:23), “Let us go a distance of three days into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God.” When the tabernacle was raised, the [Holy One, blessed be He,] said to Moses, “From now on you are only permitted to offer sacrifice in the tent of meeting”; and there they offered up the [gift]⁶⁷Gk.: doron. to the Holy One, blessed be He. It is so stated (in Deut. 12:13-14), “Take heed that you do not offer up your burnt offerings in any place that you see. But only in the place that the Lord will choose.” And where did the Holy One, blessed be He, choose? Jerusalem, as stated (in Ps. 132:13), “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling.” Moses therefore warns Israel, saying (in Lev. 17:3-4), “If any single person from the House of Israel [slaughters an ox, a lamb, or a goat in the camp]…. And does not bring it unto the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a sacrifice… [bloodguilt shall be imputed to that person].“ The Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that the Temple was going to be destroyed; so the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “As long as the Temple exists, you shall sacrifice within it, [and] there will be atonement for you; but when the Temple does not exist, how will there be atonement for you? Occupy yourselves with the words of Torah, because they are comparable with offerings, and they will atone for you.” Thus it is stated (ibid.), “This is the thing (literally: word).” So also the prophet says (in Hos. 14:3), “Take words with you, and return unto the Lord.” The words of Torah resemble all the offerings. One offers wine as a libation upon the altar, as stated (in Numb. 15:5), “And a quarter hin of wine for a libation”; and Torah resembles wine, as stated (in Prov. 9:5, where wisdom says), “and drink of the wine I have mixed.” One offers bread upon the altar, as stated (in Numb. 28:2), “My offering, My bread for My fire offering; and so it says (in Exod. 25:30), “And you shall set the [show]bread upon the table before Me always”; and Torah resembles bread, as stated (in Prov. 9:5, where wisdom says), “Come and eat of my bread.” One offers oil upon the altar, as stated (in Lev. 2:5), “fine flour mixed with oil”; and Torah resembles oil, as stated (in Eccl. 9:8), “Always let your clothes be white, and let there be no lack of oil upon your head.”⁶⁸Cf. Eccl. R. 9:8:1, which also understands this verse as referring to Torah.

[(Lev. 17:2:) THIS IS THE THING.] The Holy One foresaw that the Temple was going to be destroyed; so the Holy One said: As long as the Temple exists, you shall sacrifice within it, < and > there will be atonement for you; but when the Temple does not exist, how will there be atonement for you? Occupy yourselves with the words of Torah, because they are comparable with offerings, and they will atone for you. Thus it is stated (ibid.): THIS IS THE THING (literally:WORD). So also the prophet says (in Hos. 14:3 [2]): TAKE YOUR WORDS WITH YOU, < AND RETURN UNTO THE LORD…; LET US RENDER AS BULLOCKS THE OFFERING OF OUR LIPS >. The words of Torah resemble all the offerings. One offers wine as a libation upon the altar, as stated (in Numb. 15:5): AND A QUARTER HIN OF WINE FOR A LIBATION; and Torah resembles wine, as stated (in Prov. 9:5, where Wisdom says): AND DRINK OF THE WINE I HAVE MIXED. {And Torah resembles bread, as stated} [One offers bread upon the altar, as stated (in Numb. 28:2): MY OFFERING, MY BREAD FOR MY FIRE OFFERING; and so it says] (in Exod. 25:30): AND YOU SHALL SET THE [SHOW] BREAD UPON THE TABLE [BEFORE ME ALWAYS]; and Torah resembles bread, as stated (in Prov. 9:5, where Wisdom says): COME AND EAT OF MY BREAD. One offers oil upon the altar, as stated (in Lev. 2:5): FINE FLOUR MIXED WITH OIL; and Torah resembles oil, as stated (in Eccl. 9:8): ALWAYS LET YOUR CLOTHES BE WHITE, AND LET THERE BE NO LACK OF OIL UPON YOUR HEAD.⁸²Cf. Eccl. R. 9:8:1, which also understands this verse as referring to Torah.

(Fol. 143a) There (in the Mishnah) we are taught that R. Eliezer said: "Repent one day before thy death." His disciples asked R. Eliezer: "Does a man know on what day he will die (in order to repent before that day)?" Whereupon R. Eliezer said to them: "So much the more let him repent today, lest he die to-morrow; doing thus it will be found that he will repent every day of his life." Thus also said Solomon in his wisdom, (Ecc. 9, 8.) At all times, let thy garments be white, and let oil not he wanting on thy head. R. Jochanan b. Zakai said: "This may be likened unto the king who invited his attendants to a banquet, but did not set an exact hour. The wise among them dressed themselves and stood ready in front of the palace, for they said: 'In a king's house, nothing is missing, [we might be called any moment].' The fools, however, went about their business saying, 'Can then a banquet be given without preparation for it?' Suddenly the king called in his attendants. The wise went in attired becomingly, but the fools entered wearing their working clothes. The king, being well-pleased with the wise and angry at the fools, said: 'Those that are properly attired for the banquet shall sit down at the table, and eat and drink; but those that are not properly attired, shall stand and look on.'" The son-in-law of R. Meier, in the name of R. Meier, said that if they were waiting on those who were at the table [there would be no shame]. "But," said he, "both parties will sit down at the table, and while one will eat, the other will hunger; while one will drink, the other will be thirsty, as it is said (Is. 65, 13.) Thus hath the Lord Eternal said, 'Behold, my servants shall eat, hut ye shall he thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be made ashamed.'" The passage can be explained in another way: at all times let thy garments be white, refers to Tzitzith, and let oil not be wanting on thy head, refers to Tephilin.