전도서 10:25의 Quotation

A warmer. “A warmer,”⁴Koheles 10:9. and similarly, “and he who chops wood will be warmed [יסכן] by them.”⁵Alternatively, סכנת means that she should be “near” to him.—Targum

His¹¹³R. Joshua ben Levi’s grandson. grandson suffered from choking; there came one, whispered something in the name of Jesus ben Pandera¹¹⁴This name (or Panṭera) is unexplained. [Perhaps a distortion of Greek πανταρκής, Latin Pantarces, “all-helping”, a surname of Jupiter (E. G.)]. and he could breathe. When he left, he asked him¹¹⁵R. Joshua ban Levi asked the Christian missionary., what did you say over him? He answered, such and such words. He said, it would have been better for him had he died and not heard these words. It happened to him¹¹⁶The grandson died., like an erroneous order from a ruler.

Especially in the case of something that is of pure and consistent quality, a slight defect can contaminate the whole. However, an unexpected, foreign element may also provide an advantage. The notion of “brainstorming” endorses the idea that silly ideas may be the most valuable. Thinking of a silly example may expose a deeper underlying view. Einstein’s innovation that light travels at the same speed independent of the frame of reference appeared silly at first, as did Cantor’s idea that there are mathematical infinities of different sizes. Being able to look ridiculous may be necessary to demonstrate a deeply important truth. Compare King David dancing, and the critique of his wife Michal, daughter of Saul.

The sentence turns on the homonym in Hebrew between the word "to leave" and "to be gentle". Hence the phrase could be understood as, "When the government arises against you, do not leave your place, for gentleness cures great wrongs." Alternatively, it could be, "Do not leave your place, since the cure makes even great wrongs depart." Perhaps what is essential is the ambiguity itself in this phrase, since we are often unable to discern surely whether gentleness and passivity is to be preferred or actively getting out of the situation.

The phrase also turns on homonyms which can reverse the meaning entirely. The word "to carve" (ye-atzev) can also mean "to sadden". Thus the phrase could read, "The one who moves the stones will be saddened by them." Similarly, the word "to shelter" (sakan) could also come from the root which means "to endanger". This would yield a meaning, "The one who fells the tree will be endangered by them (falling)." One could align these phrases with the sense of the preceding lines which caution us about being quick to intervene in the natural course of things.