Comentário sobre Eclesiastes 5:10

As goods increase. When the [Bnei] Yisroel improve their deeds.

“With the increase of good, those who consume it increase; what use is there for its owner, other than the sight of his eyes?” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).
“With the increase of good, those who consume it increase” – Rabbi Ḥananya and Rabbi Yonatan asked Menaḥem the confectioner, and Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Ḥananya: Menaḥem the confectioner asked them:⁵⁴The midrash is presenting two traditions as to whether they asked Menaḥem or he asked them. ‘What is that [which is stated]: “He afflicted you and starved you” (Deuteronomy 8:3)? Was the manna that the Holy One blessed be He gave to the Israelites food of starvation?’ What did he do? He brought before them two cucumbers, one whole and one broken.⁵⁵The whole cucumber and the broken one were the same size. He said: ‘This whole one, how much [is it worth]?’ They said to him: ‘Two maneh.’ ‘And this broken one, how much [is it worth]?’ They said to him: ‘One maneh.’ He said to them: ‘Is the destiny of this one not to become like that one?’⁵⁶Ultimately, in the process of eating the whole one, it will become like the broken one. Why, then, is its price double? He said: ‘They are not comparable, for just as one enjoys the taste, so too he enjoys the appearance.’
Rabbi Elazar [said] in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Zimra: Three matters were stated regarding the fig tree: It is good for eating, attractive to the eyes, and adds wisdom, and the three of them appear in a single verse. “The woman saw that the tree was good for eating” (Genesis 3:6) – from here that it was good for eating; “and that it was an enticement to the eyes” (Genesis 3:6) – from here that it is attractive to the eyes; “and that it was desirable for wisdom [lehaskil]” (Genesis 3:6) – from here that it adds wisdom. That is what is written: “A contemplation [maskil] of Eitan HaEzraḥi” (Psalms 89:1).
Likewise, Isaac says: “Prepare tasty food for me” (Genesis 27:4). He said to him: ‘Initially, I enjoyed the appearance; now I enjoy only the taste.’⁵⁷This is because Isaac’s eyes had grown dim; see Genesis 27:1. Likewise, Solomon says: “With the increase of good, those who consume it increase” – there is no comparison between one who sees his food basket empty and is hungry, and one who sees his food basket full and is satiated.⁵⁸The meaning is that seeing one’s food basket empty makes one feel hungry and seeing one’s food basket full makes one feel satiated.
A certain Samaritan asked Rabbi Meir, he said to him: ‘Will the dead [yet] live?’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘Yes’. He said to him: ‘In private or publicly?’ He said to him: ‘Publicly.’ He said to him: ‘From where can you show me [that it is so]?’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘It is not from the Bible, and not from the Mishna, but rather, from the way of the world that I respond to you.’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘There is a trustworthy person in our city, and everyone deposits with him in private and he returns it to them publicly. If one deposited it with him publicly, how will he return it to him, in private or publicly? Is it not publicly?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘Do your ears not hear what your mouth speaks? People [privately] deposit with their wives a white drop, and the Holy One blessed be He publicly returns that drop to them as a fine, whole person. The dead, who goes publicly, is it not all the more so that he will come publicly? Just as he went with loud cries,⁵⁹Of mourning so he will come with loud cries.’⁶⁰Of joy and thanksgiving Rabbi Yonatan said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan of Beit Guvrin: It is written: “The grave, the barren womb” (Proverbs 30:16). What does this have to do with that? It is to say to you: Just as [a child emerges from a barren womb with loud cries, so too [the dead emerge from] the grave with loud cries.
[The Samaritan] said [to Rabbi Meir]: ‘How do they come, unclothed or clothed?’ He said to him: ‘Clothed.’ He said to him: ‘From where can you show me [that it is so]?’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘It is not from the Bible, and not from the Mishna, but rather, from the way of the world that I respond to you.’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘Have you ever sown beans?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ He said to him: ‘How did you sow them, unclothed or clothed?’ He said to him: ‘Unclothed.’⁶¹Beans are planted individually rather than encased in a pod. He said to him: ‘How do they come [out of the ground when they grow], clothed or unclothed?’ He said to him: ‘Clothed.’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘Do your ears not hear what your mouth is saying? If beans, when you sow them unclothed, they arise clothed, the dead person who goes [to the grave] clothed [in shrouds], is it not all the more so that he will come [back to life] with a garment?’
Rabbi Aivu [said], and some teach it in the name of Rabbi Natan: It is written: “It will be transformed like clay under the seal; and they stand like a garment” (Job 38:14). A garment that descends with a person to the grave in this world comes with him [when he comes to life] in the future.
[The Samaritan] said to [Rabbi Meir]: ‘Since they come alive and clothed, who provides them with food?’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘Have you ever been to Ḥamat Gader?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ He said to him: ‘In season or not in season?’⁶²Ḥamat Gader is the site of natural hot springs. The time of year when many people would gather there to bathe for medical reasons is referred to here as “in season” (Rabbi David Luria). He said to him: ‘In season and not in season.’ He said to him: ‘How was the food there, available?’ He said to him: ‘Available.’ He said to him: ‘In season or not in season?’ He said to him: ‘In season and not in season; because of the crowds, [people] bring [food] to sell and to buy.’⁶³Because of the large crowds at certain times of year, the location developed an active market all year round. [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘So too, the One who brings the crowds brings their food, as it is written by Solomon: “With the increase of good, those who consume it increase” – when the consumers of good increase, the good will increase.’ [The Samaritan] said to him: ‘Since they come [back] alive, clothed, and sustained, why do you cry over them [when they die]?’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘May a curse come upon that person.⁶⁴This is a reference to his interlocutor, the Samaritan. Is there a person who loses something precious to him and does not cry? Rather, just as he came [into the world] with loud cries, so he leaves with loud cries.’

So do those who consume them. The giving of the reward for [fulfilling] the commandments.

It is taught: When a fetus is formed in its mother’s womb, there are three partners in it, the Holy One blessed be He, its father, and its mother. Its father injects the white substance, from which come the white [substances of the body], and the brain, the nails, the white of the eye, the bones, and the tendons. Its mother injects the red substances, from which come the blood, the skin, the flesh, the hair, and black of the eye. The Holy One blessed be He, may His name be blessed and His memory exalted, places ten matters in it, and these are: Spirit, soul, countenance, eyesight, hearing of the ears, speech of the lips, lifting of the arms and walking of the legs, wisdom and understanding, counsel and knowledge, and strength. When the time of his passing arrives, the Holy One blessed be He takes His portion and leaves the portion of his father and his mother before them, and his father and his mother cry. The Holy One blessed be He says to them: ‘Why are you crying? Did I take anything of yours? I took only what was Mine.’ They say before Him: ‘Master of the universe, as long as Your portion was intermingled with our portions, our portions were protected from maggots and worms. Now that You have taken your portion from the midst of our portions, our portions are cast aside and subject to maggots and worms.’
Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi would analogize it; to what is the matter analogous? It is to a king who had a vineyard and entrusted it to a sharecropper. The king said to his servants: ‘Go and harvest my vineyard, take my portion, and leave the portion of the sharecropper in its place.’ Immediately, they went and acted in accordance with the king’s command. The sharecropper began screaming and weeping. The king said to him: ‘Did I take anything of yours? Did I not take only what was mine?’ He said to him: ‘My lord, the king, as long as your portion was with my portion, my portion was protected from plunder and theft. Now that you have taken your portion, my portion is cast aside for plunder and theft.’ The king [in the analogy] is the King, king of kings, the Holy One blessed be He. The sharecropper, this is a person’s father and mother. As long as the soul is in the person, he is protected. When he dies he is given to maggots and worms, as it is stated: “How much less so man, a maggot” (Job 25:6) – these are the lice [that afflict him] during his lifetime; “the son of man, a worm” (Job 25:6) – these are the worms that creep under him after his death.
Shimon ben Elazar says: Even a living one-day-old does not require protection from a weasel, nor from mice, nor from snakes. The dog sees [him] and flees. The snake sees [him] and flees. But when dead, even one [mighty] as Og king of Bashan requires protection from a weasel and from mice and snakes. As long as a person is alive, his fear is cast on all creatures, beasts, and creeping creatures, as it is stated: “And your fear and your dread shall be upon every beast of the earth…” (Genesis 9:2). When a person dies, the fear of him is removed, and he requires protection.
A living one-day-old baby, one may desecrate Shabbat on his behalf; [but even for] David king of Israel, [when he is] dead, one does not desecrate Shabbat on his behalf. This is as Solomon said: “For a living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4), and like what Rav Yehuda said that Rav said, as Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: What is it that is written: “Lord, inform me of my end, and the measure of my days, what it is” (Psalms 39:5)? David said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, inform me of my end.’ [God] said to him: ‘It is decreed before Me that one does not reveal the end of flesh and blood.’ [David said: ‘Let me know] “the measure of my days, what it is.”’ He said to him: ‘It is a decree of Mine not to reveal the measure of a person’s days.’ He said to Him: “Let me know how short-lived I am” (Psalms 39:5). He said to him: ‘You will die on a Shabbat.’ He said to Him: ‘Let me die on a Sunday.’ He said to him: ‘The [time for the] kingship of your son Solomon will have already arrived, and one kingdom does not overlap with another even one hairbreadth.’ He said to Him: ‘Let me die on the day before Shabbat.’ He said to him: ‘“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand” (Psalms 84:11) – a single day in which you sit and engage in Torah is preferable to Me than the thousand burnt offerings that your son Solomon will offer before Me on the altar.’
Each Shabbat he would sit and study all day. He had a garden behind his house, and when that day [arrived],⁶⁵The day David was meant to die. the Angel of Death came and shook the trees. [David] went out to see [what the source of the noise was]. As he was climbing the stairs, a stair broke beneath him, he was silent, and died. Solomon sent [word] to the study hall: Father died and is lying in the sun, and the dogs of father’s house are hungry. What should I do? They sent to him: Cut up a carcass and place it before the dogs. And your father, place a loaf or an infant on top of him, and move him [out of the sun].⁶⁶A corpse may not be moved on Shabbat due to the prohibition of muktze; however, if a loaf or an infant is placed on the corpse, it may be moved due to the presence of the non-muktze item. Did Solomon not say appropriately: “For a living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4)?

And what advantage has the owner. [I.e.,] to the Holy One , Blessed Is He, with all the improvement of their deeds.¹⁴Alternatively, “and what good is the owner’s skill [=כשרון],” as in 2:21 above.

And what advantage has the owner. [I.e.,] to the Holy One , Blessed Is He, with all the improvement of their deeds.¹⁴Alternatively, “and what good is the owner’s skill [=כשרון],” as in 2:21 above.

Except beholding them with his eyes. That He sees that they are subservient to Him, and He has satisfaction, that He commanded and His will was done, and so is the matter concerning the sacrifices.

As goods increase so do those who consume them. When they bring many freewill offerings, the kohanim who eat it increase.

And what advantage has the owner. Before the Holy One, Blessed Is He.

Except beholding them with his eyes. That He commanded, and His will was done.