Welcome back to another episode of NachDaily with the 8th perek

of Koheles.

The perek opens with the words “Mi k’hechacham u’mi yodeah peisher davar. Chochmas adam ta’ir panav v’oz panav yishuneh – Who is like the wise man, and who knows the meaning of the thing? A man’s wisdom lights up his face, and the austerity of his countenance is transformed.”

The simple meaning is that you can see people’s wisdom, a certain light or presence about them, shining from their faces.

The Ramad Walli explains at length that in previous generations you would see great tzaddikim with light shining on their faces. Moshe Rabbenu had to wear a mask near the end of his life to hide the light. Tzaddikim like the Ari’zal had tremendous light emanating from them.

There is a tzaddik in Eretz Yisrael today, Rav Itchy Meir Morgenstern in Yerushalayim, who has tremendous light shining from his face. It’s something really unique and special. Don’t pass up an opportunity to see him if you can.

The Ramad Walli gives 3 reasons why we rarely find Tzaddkim on that caliber today. First, the chochma, wisdom, of people now is not even close to the rarified chochma of the tzaddikim of yesteryear.

Second, machlokes, dissention, has unfortunately increased amongst tzaddkim, increasing darkness in the world. And third, we breathe the impure tamei air of eretz amim, the land outside of Eretz Yisrael. This causes our faces to “blacken” in a sense.

In verses 2 through 8, Shlomo declares that he obeys the “King’s orders,” and that a person who keeps the mitzvos properly will know no evil.

Shlomo relates that everything in life has a reason. Mankind becomes overwhelmed by its evil, and we don’t know how to begin to prepare ourselves for bad things that will happen in the future.

Ultimately even war and evil won’t be able to save someone who’s

up to no good. The Targum explains that this is referring to the Yetzer Hara, who isn’t going to defend us on the day of Judgment.

Shlomo observes that people try to rule over one another, and there’s constantly a change in dominance. This can either be understood as world leaders sparring for power, or on the individual level, people putting others down in an attempt to receive honor.

In verse 13, Shlomo realizes that serving God provides the benefit of being awed by His Presence, while the wicked are like a fleeting shadow who, will not have “arichas yomim,” long days.

Rebbe Nachman explains that some people can live long lives down here on earth, but when they get to Shamayim they see that their time in Gan Eden is very short. There are those who can live for a short amount of time here on earth yet have very long days of Gan Eden afterwards.

What this means is that the main point of this world is occupying ourselves with Torah, mitzvos, and tefilos. People can have very long days here on earth that didn’t accomplish what they were supposed to. Therefore, when they get up to Shamayim, their days are very short. On the other hand, people could have lived a very short life here on earth, but since they filled their days with Torah, mitzvos and tefilah, they have very long days in the next world, true arichas yomim. Therefore, when we give people a blessing for arichos yomim, we hope that they will spend their time serving Hashem with great simcha and simplicity down here on earth.

In verse 14, Shlomo shares that you will find tzaddkim with the same lot in life as reshaim and vice versa. This too is hevel.

Verse 15 says “V’shibachti ani es hasimcha asher ain tov la’adam tachas hashemesh ki’ im le’echol v’lishtos – I therefore praise enjoyment, for the only good man can have under the sun is to eat and drink and enjoy himself.”

Rashi explains that the main thing is to be happy with our lot in life, understanding that everything we have is what Hashem thinks we need.

The chapter ends in verses 16 and 17 with Shlomo telling us how he would lose sleep over trying to understand Hashem’s ways. No matter how wise you are, ultimately whatever you understand about God is nothing. Therefore, Shlomo concludes, this too is futile and worthless.

Stay tuned for the next episode of NachDaily. Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.