Pt1 The Biblical Books Nearly Suppressed: Reconciling Contradictions in Ecclesiastes and Proverbs (Shabbat 30b)
This is the first part of a two-part series. The outline for the series is below.
Outline
Suppression of the Book of Ecclesiastes Considered and Rejected
Value Under the Sun: Reflections on Torah Study Vs. Worldly Labor in Ecclesiastes 1:3
The Purpose of Creation: Interpretations of 'The Whole Man' in Ecclesiastes 12:13 Highlighting the Central Role of God-Fearing Jews
Resolving Contradictory Statements in Ecclesiastes Regarding Laughter and Joy: This World vs. the World-to-Come (Ecclesiastes 7:3, 2:2, 8:15)
Joy as a Prerequisite for Divine Inspiration (II Kings 3:15), Halachic Discussion, and Good Dreams
Contradictory Wisdom: The Consideration of Suppressing the Book of Proverbs
Wisdom in Context: Reconciliation of Contradictory Proverbs on Engaging with Fools (Proverbs 26:4-5)
The Passage
Suppression of the Book of Ecclesiastes Considered and Rejected
Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat (רב יהודה בריה דרב שמואל בר שילת) said in the name of Rav: The Sages (חכמים) considered suppressing1 the book of Ecclesiastes (קהלת) due to its internal contradictions (fearing it might confuse readers).
However, they ultimately allowed it to remain the biblical canon because both the beginning and end of the book address matters of Torah (therefore, the book is valuable and worth canonizing as part of the Bible).
אמר רב יהודה בריה דרב שמואל בר שילת, משמיה דרב:
בקשו חכמים לגנוז ספר קהלת
מפני שדבריו סותרין זה את זה.
ומפני מה לא גנזוהו?
מפני שתחילתו דברי תורה, וסופו דברי תורה.
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.
And why did they not suppress it?
Because its beginning consists of matters of Torah and its end consists of matters of Torah. The ostensibly contradictory details are secondary to the essence of the book, which is Torah.
Value Under the Sun: Reflections on Torah Study Vs. Worldly Labor in Ecclesiastes 1:3
The Talmud explains how the Book of Ecclesiastes begins and ends with matters of Torah:
Ecclesiastes begins with the verse, “What profit has man of all his labor which he labors under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3).
This verse is homiletically interpreted by the Sages of R' Yannai’s school to mean that while “under the sun” (i.e. worldly/material labor)2 yields no ultimate profit, “before the sun” (i.e. studying Torah, which existed before the sun), does.3
תחילתו דברי תורה
דכתיב:
״מה יתרון לאדם בכל עמלו,
שיעמול תחת השמש״
ואמרי דבי רבי ינאי:
תחת השמש הוא דאין לו.
קודם שמש — יש לו.
The Gemara elaborates: Its beginning consists of matters of Torah,
as it is written:
“What profit has man of all his labor
which he labors under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3),
and the Sages of the school of R' Yannai said:
By inference: Under the sun is where man has no profit from his labor;
however, before the sun, i.e., when engaged in the study of Torah, which preceded the sun, he does have profit.
The Purpose of Creation: Interpretations of 'The Whole Man' in Ecclesiastes 12:13 Highlighting the Central Role of God-Fearing Jews
The Talmud now explains how the Book of Ecclesiastes also ends with matters of Torah:
Ecclesiastes ends with the verse, “The end of the matter, all having been heard: Fear God, and keep His mitzvot; for this is ‘the whole man’ (כל האדם)” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
The Talmud discusses the meaning of “the whole man” in this verse:
R' Eliezer interprets it as signifying that the world was created solely for “this” ( זה; i.e. the person who fears God, and keeps His mitzvot).
R' Abba bar Kahana interprets the verse as saying that such a person is equivalent4 to the entire world.
Shimon ben Azzai, or possibly Shimon ben Zoma, interprets the verse as saying that the entire world was created solely to serve as a companion (צוות) for this person.5
סופו דברי תורה,
דכתיב:
״סוף דבר, הכל נשמע
את האלהים ירא
ואת מצותיו שמור
כי זה כל האדם״.
מאי ״כי זה כל האדם״? —
אמר רבי (אליעזר) [אלעזר]: כל העולם כולו לא נברא אלא בשביל זה.
רבי אבא בר כהנא אמר: שקול זה כנגד כל העולם כולו.
שמעון בן עזאי אומר, ואמרי לה שמעון בן זומא אומר: לא נברא כל העולם כולו אלא לצוות לזה.
Its ending consists of matters of Torah,
as it is written:
“The end of the matter, all having been heard:
Fear God,
and keep His mitzvot;
for this is the whole man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
With regard to this verse, the Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the phrase: For this is the whole man?
R' Eliezer said: The entire world was only created for this person.
R' Abba bar Kahana said: This person is equivalent to the entire world.
Shimon ben Azzai says and some say that Shimon ben Zoma says: The entire world was only created as companion to this man, so that he will not be alone.
לגנוז - from Persian ganj, literally meaning “to archive, to store”; i.e. excluding it from the Biblical canon.
On the Jewish apocrypha (books excluded from the Jewish biblical canon), see my piece at my Academia page “An Introduction to the Seforim Chitzonim“.
Compare the Aristotelian term “sublunar”, meaning “under the moon”. (Referred to in my recent piece on Maimonides, “Pt1 The Celestial Spheres According to Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah (Laws of Foundations of the Torah 3:1-9)“, section “Properties of the Celestial Spheres“. )
This term reflects the intuitive perception of the Earth as being "beneath" the sun or moon, in contrast to metaphysically higher concepts like the Torah, which are seen as being "above" or "preceding" the sun.
The contrasting of worldly labor and Torah study is a common trope in talmudic literature. For another example, see the especially extreme phrasing in the prayer in Berakhot.28b.5:
ביציאתו מהו אומר?
״מודה אני לפניך, ה׳ אלהי
ששמת חלקי מיושבי בית המדרש
ולא שמת חלקי מיושבי קרנות.
שאני משכים, והם משכימים:
אני משכים לדברי תורה,
והם משכימים לדברים בטלים.
אני עמל, והם עמלים:
אני עמל ומקבל שכר,
והם עמלים ואינם מקבלים שכר.
אני רץ, והם רצים:
אני רץ לחיי העולם הבא
והם רצים לבאר שחת״.
Upon his exit [from the study hall], what does he say?
I give thanks before You, Lord my God,
that You have placed my lot among those who sit in the study hall,
and that you have not given me my portion among the “sitters of keronot” (יושבי קרנות - this term likely refers to shopkeepers; see here, here, and here).
I rise early (משכים), and they rise early.
I rise early to pursue matters of Torah,
and they rise early to pursue frivolous matters (דברים בטלים).
I toil and they toil.
I toil and receive a reward (שכר),
and they toil and do not receive a reward.
I run and they run.
I run to the life of the World-to-Come
and they run to the pit of destruction (באר שחת).
The term “pit of destruction“ (באר שחת) is biblical, in Psalms.55.24:
ואתה אלהים
תורדם לבאר שחת
For You, O God,
will bring them down to the pit of destruction (באר שחת)
General analysis: This prayer is a reflection of rabbinic self-perception, using literary devices like parallelism, antithesis, and metaphor to craft a stark contrast between sacred and secular lives, as a powerful affirmation of Torah study's centrality.
Structure and Parallelism
The prayer employs a highly structured parallelism, in three stanzas, to contrast the speaker's life of Torah study with the presumed futility of others' pursuits. The repetition of key verbs—"I rise early," "I toil," "I run"—creates a rhythmic cadence. This structure reinforces the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane, while underscoring the superiority of the speaker’s choices.
Use of Metaphor
The metaphor of "running" and its divergent destinations—"to the life of the World-to-Come" versus "to the pit of destruction" (a biblical metaphor, as mentioned)—provides a vivid and eschatological dimension. The imagery evokes a sense of urgency and stakes, framing life as a race with eternal consequences.
Theological Assumptions
Critically, the prayer assumes a zero-sum moral framework: individuals are either aligned with Torah study and divine reward or with frivolity and existential failure. This sharp dichotomy invites reflection on the exclusivity of the rabbinic worldview and its implications for broader social dynamics.
Tone and Purpose
The tone is self-congratulatory and didactic, reinforcing the speaker's gratitude while implicitly critiquing those outside the study hall. From a literary perspective, this serves to bolster the identity and cohesion of the rabbinic community, setting it apart as an elite group devoted to eternal truths.
Compare also Hebrew Wikipedia, עם הארץ, section “דברי חז"ל בגנאי עם הארץ“, based on Pesachim.49a.21-49b.12:
The Talmud on the Disparagement of the Am Ha’aretz (=commoner):
The Talmud enumerates several prohibitions regarding interactions with commoners (amei ha’aretz):
One should not marry their daughters.
One should not accept their testimony.
One should not reveal secrets to them.
They should not be appointed as trustees over charitable funds or the property of orphans.
One should not travel with them.
They are forbidden to eat meat.
One is not obligated to return their lost property.
שקול - literally: “weighs”, i.e. metaphorically “weighs” the same as the entire rest of the world.
I.e. the rest of the world ensures that Torah scholars are not alone, and the rest of the world provides services to Torah scholars, providing for their material needs.
See two similar elitist statements by Ben Zoma, in my previous piece on the blessings on crowds, “Pt2 From Babylon’s Ruins to Jewish Multitudes: Talmudic Blessings for Idolatry, Crowds, and Leadership (Berakhot 57b-58a)“, section “Ben Zoma’s Blessing over a Large Crowd of Jews in Late Second Temple Jerusalem and His Happiness for His Freedom from Manually Producing Food and Clothing“ (with adjustments to the translation and interpretation of ed. Steinsaltz, as needed):
בן זומא ראה אוכלוסא על גב מעלה בהר הבית,
אמר:
״ברוך … חכם הרזים
וברוך … שברא כל אלו לשמשני״.
הוא היה אומר:
כמה יגיעות יגע אדם הראשון עד שמצא פת לאכול:
[…]
ואני משכים ומוצא כל אלה מתוקנים לפני.
כל אומות שוקדות ובאות לפתח ביתי,
ואני משכים ומוצא כל אלו לפני.
Ben Zoma [once] saw a large crowd (אוכלוסא) [while] on an elevation on the Temple Mount.
He recited:
Blessed…Knower of secrets (חכם הרזים)
and Blessed…Who created (ברא) all these to serve me (לשמשני).
He [=Ben Zoma] used to say:
How much effort (יגיעות) did Adam (אדם הראשון) exert before he found bread to eat?!
[…]
And I, on the other hand, wake up (משכים) and find all of these prepared (מתוקנים) before me.
All nations (אומות) diligently (שוקדות) come to the entrance of my home,
and I wake up and find all of these before me.
Ed. Steinsaltz adds “a large crowd of Jews”. However, see Hebrew Wikipedia on this blessing (hyperlinked above), that the Jerusalem Talmud doesn’t mention Jews for this blessing.
Consequently, it’s likely that the second part as well—”all nations”—is referring to non-Jews who come to the Temple—”my home”. Compare Steinsaltz’s interpretation there.