Komentarz do Koheleta 10:5
יֵ֣שׁ רָעָ֔ה רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ כִּשְׁגָגָ֕ה שֶׁיֹּצָ֖א מִלִּפְנֵ֥י הַשַּׁלִּֽיט׃
Jest zło, którem widział pod słońcem jako błąd, który wyszedł od władcy.
Rashi on Ecclesiastes
Like an error emanating from the ruler. He is like a ruler who unintentionally let an error out of his mouth, and it is irrevocable. So does the Holy One, Blessed Is He, speak, and [His decrees] cannot be retracted.
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Kohelet Rabbah
“There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, like an error that emerges from before the ruler” (Ecclesiastes 10:5).
“There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, like an error that emerges from before the ruler” – so said Jacob to Laban: “With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live […and Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them]” (Genesis 31:32). So it was, “like an error that emerges from before the ruler,” and Rachel died.
The son of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi had something that he swallowed [lodged in his throat]. [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi] went and brought one of the disciples of bar Pandeira20Jesus of Nazareth to extricate what he had swallowed.21He wanted him to heal him with traditional medicine, but he recited an incantation, mentioning the name of his mentor, and the bone was extricated. He said to him: ‘What did you recite over him?’ He said to him: ‘This passage after that.’22Referring to phrases in the incantation. He said: ‘It would have been preferable for him to be buried and not have you recite that passage over him.’ So it was, “like an error that emerges from before the ruler.”23Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi’s son died. Rabbi Yirmeya of Shabashta took a crown of olive branches and tied it on his head.24This was at his wedding. The Sages had issued a decree after the destruction of the Temple prohibiting crowns for grooms. Rabbi Yirmeya thought that only gold crowns were included in the decree. Shmuel heard and said: ‘It would have been preferable for him to be beheaded and not to have done so.’ So it occurred to him.25He was eventually beheaded.
Antoninus the younger, grandson of Antoninus the elder, was asking our holy Rabbi,26Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi he said: ‘Who will die first, me or you?’ He said to him: ‘I will.’ His students said to him: ‘Our Rabbi, the whole world is praying for your good life, and this is what you say?’ He said to them: ‘If my time arrives [first] what of it? And if the angel of death comes to take him [first], what will he say to him: Do not come to me [first], I am not coming? Moreover, if it will be so,27If I will die before him. the gentiles will say: Blessed is the God of the Jews, as they even know the time of their death.’ So it occurred to him, “like an error that emerges from before the ruler.”28Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi died first.
Another matter: “There is an evil that I have seen…like an error that emerges from before the ruler” – this is Eli the priest, who said to Samuel: My sons will not inherit my position, so, too, your sons will not inherit your position.29This is explained further in the Gemara (Makkot 11a). Eli demanded that Samuel tell him what prophecy God had revealed to him, and cursed him if he would not reveal the prophecy (see I Samuel 3:17). Although Samuel did reveal the prophecy, Eli’s curse came true nonetheless. So it was, “like an error that emerges from before the ruler.”
“There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, like an error that emerges from before the ruler” – so said Jacob to Laban: “With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live […and Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them]” (Genesis 31:32). So it was, “like an error that emerges from before the ruler,” and Rachel died.
The son of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi had something that he swallowed [lodged in his throat]. [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi] went and brought one of the disciples of bar Pandeira20Jesus of Nazareth to extricate what he had swallowed.21He wanted him to heal him with traditional medicine, but he recited an incantation, mentioning the name of his mentor, and the bone was extricated. He said to him: ‘What did you recite over him?’ He said to him: ‘This passage after that.’22Referring to phrases in the incantation. He said: ‘It would have been preferable for him to be buried and not have you recite that passage over him.’ So it was, “like an error that emerges from before the ruler.”23Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi’s son died. Rabbi Yirmeya of Shabashta took a crown of olive branches and tied it on his head.24This was at his wedding. The Sages had issued a decree after the destruction of the Temple prohibiting crowns for grooms. Rabbi Yirmeya thought that only gold crowns were included in the decree. Shmuel heard and said: ‘It would have been preferable for him to be beheaded and not to have done so.’ So it occurred to him.25He was eventually beheaded.
Antoninus the younger, grandson of Antoninus the elder, was asking our holy Rabbi,26Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi he said: ‘Who will die first, me or you?’ He said to him: ‘I will.’ His students said to him: ‘Our Rabbi, the whole world is praying for your good life, and this is what you say?’ He said to them: ‘If my time arrives [first] what of it? And if the angel of death comes to take him [first], what will he say to him: Do not come to me [first], I am not coming? Moreover, if it will be so,27If I will die before him. the gentiles will say: Blessed is the God of the Jews, as they even know the time of their death.’ So it occurred to him, “like an error that emerges from before the ruler.”28Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi died first.
Another matter: “There is an evil that I have seen…like an error that emerges from before the ruler” – this is Eli the priest, who said to Samuel: My sons will not inherit my position, so, too, your sons will not inherit your position.29This is explained further in the Gemara (Makkot 11a). Eli demanded that Samuel tell him what prophecy God had revealed to him, and cursed him if he would not reveal the prophecy (see I Samuel 3:17). Although Samuel did reveal the prophecy, Eli’s curse came true nonetheless. So it was, “like an error that emerges from before the ruler.”
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