전도서 4:11의 유대 사상

And this is the principle behind the generation of the dispersal [dor hapalagah] and their punishment, concerning which the expositors have left us so much in the dark that we are almost like the blind groping for the wall. For what did these people do? What is their offense and what is their sin? If they wished to form a common bond, should they not merit a goodly reward for their labors? For we see all of Scripture directing us in this path, so much so that our sages have declared (Sifrei 42): "Even idolators, so long as there is peace among them, the attribute of justice is not stretched out against them," basing this upon the verse (Hosea 4:17): "Ephraim is joined [in unison] to idolatry — let him alone." And though there are midrashim dealing with the reasons for their being punished, they do not accord with the plain meaning of the verses. For according to the view (Genesis Rabbah 38) that they made a compact to ascend to the heavens, this is indeed to be wondered at. How could all of humanity concur in such folly? And if their sight was withheld and the eyes of their intellect blinded, then their ignorance itself should have protected them from punishment, it being written about such as these (Psalms 2:4): "He who sits in heaven will laugh; the L-rd will mock them." What is more, the plain meaning would indicate that they were being punished not for what they had already done but for the potential repercussions of their deeds, it being stated (Genesis 11:16): "Behold, they are one people, and there is one language for all of them, and this is the beginning of their doing, and now nothing will be withheld from them…" This verse makes it perfectly clear that their punishment was prompted not by what they had already done but by a concern as to the possible consequences of their deeds. All of this places the thinker in perplexity and demands explanation. [The explanation is as follows.] All of this proceeds from and is founded upon the above-stated principle: the company of the wicked and their gathering is injurious, whether they are actively engaged in the performance of evil or not, just as the company of the good is beneficial, whether they are actively engaged in the doing of good or not, as intimated in the verse (Ecclesiastes 4:11): "Also, if two lie down, they will be warm."