It is the standard Ashkenazic custom to read the book of Kohelet on the intermediate Shabbat of Sukkot. The Sukkot holiday is described in our liturgy as zeman simchateinu –the time of our joy. Why was this book chosen to be read on the holiday of joy? One possibility is Kohelet’s focus on the concept of simchah, perhaps best translated as joy. What is Kohelet’s message regarding joy?

The book of Kohelet can be confusing at first read. The Talmud informs us that the sages considered excluding Kohelet from our Jewish canon because it includes many contradictions.

תלמוד בבלי – שבת ל:

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר שִׁילַת מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב: בִּקְּשׁוּ חֲכָמִים לִגְנוֹז סֵפֶר קֹהֶלֶת מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדְּבָרָיו סוֹתְרִין זֶה אֶת זֶה…וּמַאי דְּבָרָיו סוֹתְרִין זֶה אֶת זֶה? …כְּתִיב: {קהלת ח׳:ט״ו} ״וְשִׁבַּחְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת הַשִּׂמְחָה״ וּכְתִיב: {קהלת ב׳:ב׳} ״וּלְשִׂמְחָה מַה זֹּה עוֹשָׂה!?

Since contradictions in Ecclesiastes were mentioned, the Gemara cites additional relevant sources. Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, said in the name of Rav: The Sages sought to suppress the book of Ecclesiastes and declare it apocryphal because its statements contradict each other and it is liable to confuse its readers…

Likewise in one verse it is written: “So I commended joy” (Ecclesiastes 8:15), and in another verse it is written: “And of joy: What does it accomplish?” (Ecclesiastes 2:2).

One example of the contradictions referenced in the Talmud is the following two verses:

קהלת פרק ב – ב לִשְׂח֖וֹק אָמַ֣רְתִּי מְהוֹלָ֑ל וּלְשִׂמְחָ֖ה מַה־זֹּ֥ה עֹשָֽׂה:

Kohelet Chapter 2 - a 2 Of laughter, I said, "[It is] mingled"; and concerning joy, "What does this accomplish?“

קהלת פרק ח – טו וְשִׁבַּ֤חְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ אֶת־הַשִּׂמְחָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֵֽין־ט֤וֹב לָֽאָדָם֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשֶּׁמֶ֔שׁ כִּ֛י אִם־לֶֽאֱכֹ֥ל וְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹת וְלִשְׂמ֑וֹחַ וְה֞וּא יִלְוֶ֣נּוּ בַֽעֲמָל֗וֹ יְמֵ֥י חַיָּ֛יו אֲשֶׁר־נָֽתַן־ל֥וֹ הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ:

Kohelet Chapter 8 - 15 And I praised joy, for there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be merry, and that will accompany him in his toil the days of his life that God gave him under the sun.

The solution to the contradiction requires an understanding of King Solomon’s broader approach in Kohelet. King Solomon highlights a series of lifestyles, demonstrates man’s failure to find satisfaction in each, and highlights the fallacy underlying each pursuit. We follow the empire builder, the pleasure seeker, the ascetic religionist. None of these lifestyles provide satisfaction. Through many examples, Kohelet shows that if a person is pursuing satisfaction and fulfillment in some particular endeavor, it will remain elusive.

The holiday of Sukkot is also referred to as the chag ha’asif –the holiday of gathering. It comes at the end of the harvest season. The produce has been finally collected. Whether the crop was small or great, whether it was below expectations or exceeded expectations, the obligation to rejoice remains the same. We are commanded to rejoice in the holiday. The book of Kohelet directly discusses enjoying the fruits of one’s labors.

קהלת פרק ג – יב יָדַ֕עְתִּי כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין ט֖וֹב בָּ֑ם כִּ֣י אִם־לִשְׂמ֔וֹחַ וְלַֽעֲשׂ֥וֹת ט֖וֹב בְּחַיָּֽיו: יג וְגַ֤ם כָּל־הָֽאָדָם֙ שֶׁיֹּאכַ֣ל וְשָׁתָ֔ה וְרָאָ֥ה ט֖וֹב בְּכָל־עֲמָל֑וֹ מַתַּ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽיא:

Kohelet Chapter 3 - 12 I knew that there is nothing better for them but to rejoice and to do good during his lifetime. 13 And also, every man who eats and drinks and enjoys what is good in all his toil, it is a gift of God.

קהלת פרק ה – יז הִנֵּ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֣יתִי אָ֗נִי ט֣וֹב אֲשֶׁר־יָפֶ֣ה לֶֽאֱכ֣וֹל־וְ֠לִשְׁתּ֠וֹת וְלִרְא֨וֹת טוֹבָ֜ה בְּכָל־עֲמָל֣וֹ | שֶׁיַּֽעֲמֹ֣ל תַּֽחַת־הַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ מִסְפַּ֧ר יְמֵֽי־חַיָּ֛ו אֲשֶׁר־נָֽתַן־ל֥וֹ הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־ה֥וּא חֶלְקֽוֹ: יח גַּ֣ם כָּֽל־הָֽאָדָ֡ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָֽתַן־ל֣וֹ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֩ עֹ֨שֶׁר וּנְכָסִ֜ים וְהִשְׁלִיט֨וֹ לֶֽאֱכֹ֤ל מִמֶּ֨נּוּ֙ וְלָשֵׂ֣את אֶת־חֶלְק֔וֹ וְלִשְׂמֹ֖חַ בַּֽעֲמָל֑וֹ זֹ֕ה מַתַּ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽיא:

Kohelet Chapter 5 - 17 Behold what I saw; it is good, yea, it is beautiful, to eat and drink and to experience goodness with all his toil that he toils under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God gave him, for that is his portion. 18 Also every man whom God has given riches and property and has given him power to eat thereof and to take his portion and to rejoice with his toil; that is a gift of God.

There are many barriers we face in enjoying life, appreciating the gifts granted to us by God. We expected more than what we received. Our neighbor amassed more than us. The produce didn’t taste as good as we had hoped. The Vilna Gaon is quoted as saying that the most difficult mitzvah to fulfill was to be happy during the entire 7 days of the holiday. There is an art to enjoying life, and despite the bounty life offers, joy is not automatic.

Properly enjoying life is one of the fundamental themes in the book of Kohelet. The larger book discusses many variations, but an approach emerges from a careful read. Pleasure is wonderful accompaniment to life. Life filled with subtle pleasures is a blessing. In contrast, a life of pleasure-seeking is miserable. Pleasure is a spice of life. It’s not its main course. It doesn’t provide meaning inherently. Just like making a meal out of spices is empty and frustrating, a life looking for meaning in pleasure is unsatisfying. But learning to enjoy moments of pleasure is a delightful accoutrement to a life well-lived. According to Kohelet, it is a gift granted to us by God.

References

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

Steinsaltz, A., In Weinreb, T. H., In Schreier, J., & Hotsaat Koren (Jerusalem),. (2017). Koren Talmud Bavli, the Noe edition: Talmud Bavli. Retrieved from: https://shas.alhatorah.org/

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