전도서 3:2의 주석

A time to be born. At nine months.

“A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot that which is planted” (Ecclesiastes 3:2).
“A time to be born, and a time to die” – Rabbi Berekhya said: Is all of Solomon’s wisdom that he said, “a time to be born, and a time to die”? What is [the meaning of this verse]? Happy is the person whose time of death is like the time of his birth; just as at the time of his birth he was clean [of sin], so, too, at the time of his death he is clean.
“A time to be born, and a time to die” – at the time when a woman sits on the birthing stool, they call her ḥaita. Why do they call her ḥaita? Because she is on the verge of dying, and she lives [ḥayya]. Why do they call her meḥabalta? It is because she is mortgaged in the hands of death, just as you say: “if you take as security [ḥavol taḥvol] your neighbor’s garment” (Exodus 22:25). Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Natan of Beit Guvrin said: “The grave and the barren womb” (Proverbs 30:16) – why is the grave juxtaposed to the womb? It is to say to you: Just as one is removed from the womb with loud cries, so too, one will be removed from the grave with loud cries.²Cries of thanksgiving to God when the dead are resurrected.

And a time to die. The limit of the years of each generation.

Another matter, “a time to be born [and a time to die]” – even the angel of death becomes her prosecutor.³The reference is to a woman in childbirth. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: For three transgressions women die during childbirth…⁴These are: Failure to observe the laws of menstruation, failure to separate ĥalla from dough, and failure to kindle the Shabbat lamp (Mishna Shabbat 2:6). During a time of danger, such as childbirth, one is more vulnerable to being punished for one’s sins. The same is true of the dangerous circumstances the midrash mentions in the next sentence. and in three circumstances men die: One who is located in a rickety house, one who sets out on the road alone, and one who sets sail in the Mediterranean Sea; the accuser becomes his prosecutor, as Rabbi Levi said: The accuser commonly prosecutes [people found] in three places: One who is located in a rickety house, one who sets out on the road alone, and one who sets sail in the Mediterranean Sea. Rabbi Shimon bar Abba, in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: All roads are in a presumptive state of danger. When Rabbi Yannai would depart on a highway he would leave instructions for his household.⁵Instructions on what to do in case he died while on his journey. Rabbi Ḥelbo and Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: All who are ill are in a presumptive state of danger. Rabbi Natan Kohen, brother of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, was setting out to sea. He said to his brother: ‘Pray for me.’ [His brother] said to him: ‘How can I pray for you? From when you bind your lulav, moor your ship.⁶From Sukkot until the summer, do not set sail. If you entered the synagogue and heard the voice of the congregation praying for rain, do not rely on my prayer.’⁷The prayer for rain is recited between Sukkot and Passover. Rainy weather brings with it dangerous sailing conditions.
Rabbi Yehoshua son of Rabbi Tanḥum ben Rabbi Ḥiyya, of the Agon village, was in Asia Minor. He sought to set sail between Sukkot and Hanukkah. A certain noblewoman said to him: ‘Is this the period to set sail?’ But he did not heed her words. He saw his father in a dream saying: ‘My son will be without a grave, “neither did he have a burial”’ (Ecclesiastes 6:3). He did not heed the words of this one or to the words of that one, and so it befell him.

A time to plant. A nation and a kingdom.

Another matter, “a time to be born” – from the time to be born, it is the time to die. From the moment that a person is born, it is decreed upon him how many years he will live. If he merits, he will complete his years. If not, his life will be shortened, as it is written: “The fear of the Lord will increase days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened” (Proverbs 10:27). This is the opinion of Rabbi Akiva. The Rabbis say: If he merits, his life will be extended; if not, his life will be shortened. If he merits, his life will be extended, as it is stated: “Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days” (Isaiah 38:5). He said to them: From his own it is added to him.⁸If one had his original life expectancy shortened, it will be restored. Thus, regarding the verse cited from Isaiah, the fifteen years restored Hezekiah to his original life expectancy. Know [that this is so,] as it is written: “Behold, a son is born to the house of David, Josiah is his name…” (I Kings 13:2), and Menashe⁹The order of the succession of the monarchy was Hezekiah, Menashe, Amon, Josiah. had not yet entered the world.¹⁰The prophecy about Josiah had been delivered hundreds of years earlier. When Hezekiah was granted the additional fifteen years, Menashe, his son, had not yet been born. Clearly, from the outset, Hezekiah was always supposed to have lived long enough to beget Menashe, Josiah’s grandfather. They said to him: Is it written: A son will be born to the house of David from Hezekiah? That is not stated, but rather “to the house of David,” [and it could have been] a son from a different [branch] of the royal house of David.
This supports what the Sages, our rabbis said: There was an incident involving one of the prominent men of Tzippori, who had occasion to circumcise [his son], and the residents of Ein Te’ena came up to honor him and Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta came up with them. When they came to the city gates, they came across the sound of lads standing and playing before one courtyard. They saw Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta, who was distinguished and handsome. They said to him: ‘You will not move from here until you dance for us a bit.’ He said to them: ‘This is inappropriate for me, as I am an elderly man.’ He reprimanded them, but they were not daunted and did not submit. He lifted his glance and saw that the courtyard [was going to be] overturned.¹¹Due to their impudence in insisting that Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta dance for them, the courtyard would be destroyed. He said to them: ‘Repeat after me what I say: Go and say to this owner of this courtyard: “If you are sleeping, awaken, as the beginning of sin is sweet but its end is bitter.”’ From the sound of their words the owner of that courtyard awakened, and he emerged, and fell at [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta’s] feet. He said: ‘Rabbi, I beg of you, do not pay attention to their words, as they are young and foolish.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘What can we do for you, the edict has already been issued.¹²The courtyard will be destroyed. However, I will delay it for you [so you have enough] time to take out everything that you have in the courtyard.’ When he had taken out everything that he had in the courtyard, that courtyard was lifted up and then crashed down [and was destroyed].
They went to fulfill the mitzva of circumcision, and the father of the boy was giving them aged wine to drink, and saying: ‘Drink of this fine wine, as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will [also] give you to drink of it at his wedding.’ They answered him: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ From the sound of their words, Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta emerged into the darkness,¹³He set out to return home even though it was night. he was accosted by the emissary of the people.¹⁴The angel of death. [The angel of death] said to him: ‘Is it because you rely on your good deeds that you are going out at a time that is not a time?’¹⁵For people to be outside. [Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘You, who are you?’ He said to him: ‘I am the emissary of the people.’ He said to him: ‘Why do you look forlorn?’ He said: ‘It is from the sound of the harsh words that I hear from people every day.’ He said to him: ‘What are they?’ He said to him: ‘That baby that you circumcised today, I have the document of his [fate, which states] that I am to take him from here in thirty days. His father gave you to drink and said: “Drink this fine wine as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will give you to drink of it at his wedding.” I heard and I was sad, because your prayer¹⁶The prayer the guests had said to the father: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ abrogates it.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘By your life, show me my fate.’ He said to him: ‘I have no control over yours and not over your colleagues.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ He said: ‘It is because each and every day you exert yourself in Torah and mitzvot and perform acts of righteousness, and the Holy One blessed be He adds years to your lifetimes.’ He said to him: ‘May it be the will of the Holy One blessed be He that just as you do not control our fates, so you will not have license to violate our words and our plea for mercy from Heaven.’ The baby lived.¹⁷This proves that, contrary to Rabbi Akiva’s statement, people can live beyond their predetermined life expectancy.
Rabbi Akiva said: What is [the significance of] this incident for us? I do not have an incident, but rather a verse: “I will fill the number of your days” (Exodus 23:26). Moses, how many mitzvot did he fulfill and how many acts of righteousness, and ultimately, it was stated to him: “Behold, your days are approaching to die” (Deuteronomy 31:14); that is: “A time to be born [and a time to die].”
Another matter, “a time to be born and a time to die” – when a man is born, the Holy One blessed be He waits up to twenty years for him to marry a woman. If he reached the age of twenty and did not marry a woman, the Holy One blessed be He says to him: It is “a time to be born” for you,¹⁸A time for you to have children. but you did not wish to do so; this is nothing other than “a time to die.” Some say: One waits only a bit before that which will burn him.¹⁹Since a man is liable to lose his life if he is not married by the age of twenty, he would do well not to wait until close to that age, and marry even before the age of twenty.
“A time to plant,” in peacetime; “and a time to uproot that which is planted,” in wartime.

And a time to uproot. A time will come for it to be uprooted.