On the way, R. Eleazar started to expound the following verse: There is a vanity (hebel, lit. breath) which is done upon the earth, that there be righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity (Eccl. 8, 16). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has been esoterically explained as follows. King Solomon, in this book, treated of seven “vanities” (habalim, lit. breaths) upon which the world stands
namely the seven pillars1i.e. Sefiroth. which sustain the world in correspondence with the seven firmaments, which are called respectively Vilon, Rakia, Shehakim, Zebul, Ma’on, Machon, Araboth. It was concerning them that Solomon said: “Vanity of vanities, said Koheleth, all is vanity” (Ibid. 1, 1).
As there are seven firmaments, with others cleaving to them and issuing from them, so there are seven habalim and others emanating from these, and Solomon in his wisdom referred to them all
to convey the following esoteric lesson. There is a certain “breath”1Malkuth.. emanating from those supernal “breaths” upon which the world is sustained, closely connected with the earth and fed from it. It depends, in fact, on the souls of the righteous who have been gathered from the earth while still pure before they have committed any sin, and while their savour is still sweet: for instance, Enoch, of whom it is written, “And he was not, for God took him” (Gen. 5, 24). God took him away before his time and had delight in him.
And so it is with all the righteous, for we have been taught that the righteous are removed from this world before their time for one of two reasons: one for the sins of their generation, for when there is much sin in the world the righteous are penalized for its guilt; the second is that when the Holy One, blessed be He, is aware that they would commit a sin if they lived longer, He removes them before their time. And this is the meaning of the verse quoted above: “there are righteous to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked”, as was the case with R. Akiba and his colleagues; the judgement from above came upon them, as if they had committed the sins and actions of the wicked.
On the other hand, “there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous”: they live in peace and comfort in this world, and the judgement does not come upon them, as if they performed the deeds of the righteous.
Why so? Because the Holy One foresees that either they are about to repent, or that they will bring forth virtuous offspring, as, for instance, Terah, who brought forth Abraham, and Ahaz, who brought forth Hezekiah. Thus, as we have said, there is a “breath” (hebel) on one side as well as on the other, a “breath is made upon the earth” in order that the world may be sustained.
Another interpretation of the verse is as follows. “Vanity is done upon the earth”, for instance, when a “work of the wicked”, the temptation to commit some sin, approaches the righteous and they remain steadfast in the fear of their Lord and refuse to defile themselves, like so many of whom we know who did the will of their Master and sinned not.
On the other hand, “it happeneth that wicked men do the works of the righteous” on certain occasions, as, for instance, the Jew who belonged to a gang of robbers on a mountain, and who, whenever he saw a fellow Jew pass, warned him of the danger, so that R. Akiba applied to him the words of the second half of this verse;
or the man in the neighbourhood of R. Hiya who once seized a woman with the intention of violating her, but who, when she said to him “Honour thy Master and do not sin with me”, mastered his passion and let her go.
The Holy One has made both righteous and wicked, and, as He is glorified in this world by the works of the righteous, so is He glorified by the wicked when they happen to do a good deed: “He hath made everything beautiful in his time” (Eccl. 3, 11). But woe to the sinner who makes himself wicked and cleaves obstinately to his sin!
R. Eleazar further said: ‘King Solomon, when wisdom was given to him, saw all “in the time of his hebel“, i.e. in the time when the moon (the Holy Spirit) ruled. He saw the Righteous (Zaddik), the Pillar of the world, “perishing in his righteousness” in the time of the exile, for when Israel is in exile He is with them, and the supernal blessings do not reach Him. Thus “there is a righteous that perisheth in his righteousness” (Eccl. 95, 15).
On the other hand, he saw “a wicked person that prolongeth his life in his evil” (Ibid.), namely Samael, who causes Edom (Rome) to continue in her prosperity through the help of his “Evil”, his spouse, the loathsome Serpent. And the same applies to the prosperity of all the other kingdoms of this world; until the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, shall raise up from the dust “the booth of David that is fallen” (Amos 9, 11).’
פָּתַח ר' אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר (קהלת ח׳:י״ד) יֶשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יֶשׁ צַדִּיקִים אֲשֶׁר מַגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים וְגוֹ' אָמַרְתִּי שֶׁגַּם זֶה הָבֶל. הַאי קְרָא (בראשית ט"ז ע"ב) אוּקְמוּהָ וְאִתְּמַר, אֲבָל יֵשׁ הֶבֶל, שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא עָבֵד סִפְרָא דָּא, וְאוֹקִים לֵיהּ עַל שִׁבְעָה הֲבָלִים, דְּעָלְמָא קַיְּימָא עָלַיְיהוּ.
On the way, R. Eleazar started to expound the following verse: There is a vanity (hebel, lit. breath) which is done upon the earth, that there be righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity (Eccl. 8, 16). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has been esoterically explained as follows. King Solomon, in this book, treated of seven “vanities” (habalim, lit. breaths) upon which the world stands
וְאִינּוּן שִׁבְעָה עַמּוּדִין סַמְכִין דְּעָלְמָא, לָקֳבֵל שִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִים, וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן: וִילוֹ"ן. רָקִי"עַ, שְׁחָקִי"ם זְבוּ"ל. מָעוֹ"ן. מָכוֹ"ן. עֲרָבוֹ"ת. וּלֳקָבְלַיְיהוּ הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָבֶל.
namely the seven pillars1i.e. Sefiroth. which sustain the world in correspondence with the seven firmaments, which are called respectively Vilon, Rakia, Shehakim, Zebul, Ma’on, Machon, Araboth. It was concerning them that Solomon said: “Vanity of vanities, said Koheleth, all is vanity” (Ibid. 1, 1).
כְּמָה דְּאִינּוּן שִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִין, וְאִית אַחֲרָנִין דְּדַבְקֵי בְּהוּ, וּמִתְפַּשְּׁטֵי וְנַפְקֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ, הָכִי נָמֵי אִית הֲבָלִים אַחֲרָנִין, דְּמִתְפַּשְּׁטֵי וְנַפְקֵי מֵאִלֵּין, וְכֻלְּהוּ אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה.
As there are seven firmaments, with others cleaving to them and issuing from them, so there are seven habalim and others emanating from these, and Solomon in his wisdom referred to them all
וְהָכָא רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא אִית בֵּיהּ. יֵשׁ הֶבֶל, דְּנַפְקָא מֵאִינוּן הֲבָלִים עִלָּאִין, דְּעָלְמָא קַיְּימָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וְדָא נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ, וְאִתְקַיַּים בְּקִיוּמֵיהּ, וְאִתְתַּקַּף בְּתוּקְפֵּיהּ בְּעוֹבְדֵי אַרְעָא, וּבִסְלִיקוּ דְּסַלְּקָא מֵאַרְעָא, וְדָא אִתְמָנָא עַל אַרְעָא, וְכָל תּוּקְפָּא וְקִיּוּמָא דִּילֵיהּ, בְּאִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא, דְּאִתְלְקִיטוּ מֵאַרְעָא, כַּד אִינּוּן זַכָּאִין, עַד לָא סָרְחוּ, בְּעוֹד דְּיָהֲבֵי רֵיחָא טָב, כְּגוֹן חֲנוֹךְ, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ, (בראשית ה׳:כ״ד) וְאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי לָקַח אוֹתוֹ אֱלהִים. וְנָטַל לֵיהּ עַד לָא מָטָא זִמְנֵיהּ, וְאִשְׁתַּעֲשַׁע בֵּיהּ, וְכֵן שְׁאַר זַכָּאִין דְּעָלְמָא.
to convey the following esoteric lesson. There is a certain “breath”1Malkuth.. emanating from those supernal “breaths” upon which the world is sustained, closely connected with the earth and fed from it. It depends, in fact, on the souls of the righteous who have been gathered from the earth while still pure before they have committed any sin, and while their savour is still sweet: for instance, Enoch, of whom it is written, “And he was not, for God took him” (Gen. 5, 24). God took him away before his time and had delight in him.
דְּתָנֵינָן, עַל תְּרֵין מִלִּין, צַדִּיקַיָּא מִסְתַּלְּקֵי מֵעָלְמָא עַד לָא יִמְטֵי זִמְנַיְיהוּ, חַד, עַל חוֹבֵי דָּרָא, דְּכַד אַסְגִּיאוּ חַיָּיבַיָּא בְּעָלְמָא, אִינּוּן זַכָּאִין דְּמִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בֵּינַיְיהוּ, אִתָּפְסוּן בְּחוֹבֵיהוֹן, וְחַד כַּד אִתְגְּלֵי קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּיִסְרְחוּן לְבָתַר, סָלִיק לוֹן מֵעָלְמָא, עַד לָא מָטָא זִמְנַיְיהוּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (קהלת ח׳:י״ד) אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ צַדִּיקִים אֲשֶׁר מַגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים, מָטֵי עָלַיְיהוּ דִּינָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, כְּאִילּוּ עָבְדוּ חוֹבִין וְעוֹבָדִין דְּרַשִׁיעַיָּיא.
And so it is with all the righteous, for we have been taught that the righteous are removed from this world before their time for one of two reasons: one for the sins of their generation, for when there is much sin in the world the righteous are penalized for its guilt; the second is that when the Holy One, blessed be He, is aware that they would commit a sin if they lived longer, He removes them before their time. And this is the meaning of the verse quoted above: “there are righteous to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked”, as was the case with R. Akiba and his colleagues; the judgement from above came upon them, as if they had committed the sins and actions of the wicked.
דְּהָא זִמְנָא חֲדָא, שָׁאִיל רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב, אִישׁ כְּפַר אוֹנוֹ בְּזִמְנָא דְּרִבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְחַבְרוֹי אִסְתָּלָקוּ מֵעָלְמָא, וּמִיתוּ בְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא, לְרִבִּי מֵאִיר, אָמַר לֵיהּ, וְכִי כְּתִיב דָּא בְּכָל אוֹרַיְיתָא כֻּלָהּ, אָמַר לֵיהּ וְלָא, וְהָא אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה, אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ צַדִּיקִים אֲשֶׁר מַגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים. מָטֵי עָלַיְיהוּ דִּינָא מִלְּעֵילָּא, כְּאִילּוּ עָבְדוּ חוֹבִין וְעוֹבָדִין דְּרַשִׁיעַיָּיא. וְיֵשׁ רְשָׁעִים שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַצַּדִּיקִים, יַתְבֵי בְּשֶׁקֶט וּשְׁלָם בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, דִינָא לָא מָטָא עָלַיְיהוּ, כְּאִילּוּ עָבְדוּ עוֹבָדִין דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא.
On the other hand, “there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous”: they live in peace and comfort in this world, and the judgement does not come upon them, as if they performed the deeds of the righteous.
אֲמַאי, אִי בְּגִין דְּאִתְגְלֵי קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּיתוּבוּן בְּתִיוּבְתָּא, אוֹ דְּיִפּוֹק מִנַיְיהוּ זַרְעָא, דִּיְהֵא קְשׁוֹט בְּעָלְמָא, כְּגוֹן תֶּרַח דְּנָפַק מִנִּיהּ זַרְעָא דִּקְשׁוֹט, אַבְרָהָם. אָחָז, דְּנָפַק מִנֵּיהּ חִזְקִיָּהוּ. וּשְׁאַר חַיָּיבִין דְּעָלְמָא. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, בְּסִטְרָא דָּא, וּבְסִטְרָא דָּא, הֶבֶל דְּקָאַמְרָן, נַעֲשָׂה וְאִתְתָּקַף עַל הָאָרֶץ, כִּדְקָאמְרַן.
Why so? Because the Holy One foresees that either they are about to repent, or that they will bring forth virtuous offspring, as, for instance, Terah, who brought forth Abraham, and Ahaz, who brought forth Hezekiah. Thus, as we have said, there is a “breath” (hebel) on one side as well as on the other, a “breath is made upon the earth” in order that the world may be sustained.
דָּבָר אַחֵר יֵשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ, כִּדְקָאמְרַן דְּאִתְתָּקַּף (ואתתקף) עַל עָלְמָא. בְּמַאי, בְּגִין דְּיֵשׁ צַדִּיקִים אֲשֶׁר מַגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים, מָטָאן לִידַיְיהוּ כְּאִינּוּן עוֹבָדִין דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא, כְּגוֹן בַּת עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, אוֹ חַד מֵאִינוּן עוֹבָדִין, דְּאִינּוּן מִמַּעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים, וְאִינּוּן קַיְימֵי בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ, מִדְּחִילוּ דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, וְלָא בָּעָאן לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא, כְּגוֹן כַּמָּה זַכָּאֵי קְשׁוֹט דְּמָטוּ לִידַיְיהוּ כְּעוֹבָדִין אִלֵּין, וְאִינּוּן גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹחַ, דְּעַבְדֵי רְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, וְלָא חָטְאוּ. וְעַל דָּא, הֶבֶל נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ וְאִתְתָּקַף בְּתוּקְפֵּיהּ.
Another interpretation of the verse is as follows. “Vanity is done upon the earth”, for instance, when a “work of the wicked”, the temptation to commit some sin, approaches the righteous and they remain steadfast in the fear of their Lord and refuse to defile themselves, like so many of whom we know who did the will of their Master and sinned not.
וְיֵשׁ רְשָׁעִים שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַצַּדִּיקִים, מָטֵי לִידַיְיהוּ חַד מִצְוָה, דְּאִיהוּ עוֹבָדָא דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא, וְזַכָּאן בָּהּ, וְעַבְדִין יָתָהּ. כְּגוֹן לִסְטִים מְקַפְּחָא הֲוָה מִשְׁתְּכַח בְּטוּרַיָיא, בַּהֲדֵי אִינּוּן לִסְטִים עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְכַד הֲוָה יוּדָאי אַעְבַר תַּמָּן, הֲוָה מַשְׁזִיב לֵיהּ, וְנָטִיר לֵיהּ מִנַּיְיהוּ, וַהֲוָה קָרֵי עָלֵיהּ רִבִּי עֲקִיבָא, יֵשׁ רְשָׁעִים אֲשֶׁר מַגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַצַּדִּיקִים.
On the other hand, “it happeneth that wicked men do the works of the righteous” on certain occasions, as, for instance, the Jew who belonged to a gang of robbers on a mountain, and who, whenever he saw a fellow Jew pass, warned him of the danger, so that R. Akiba applied to him the words of the second half of this verse;
וּכְגוֹן הַהוּא חַיָּיבָא, דְּהֲוָה בְּשִׁבְבוּתֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי חִיָּיא, דְּלֵילְיָא חַד פָּגַע בָּהּ בְּהַהִיא אִתְּתָא דַּהֲוַת אַזְלַת לְבֵי בְּרַתָּהּ. בָּעָא לְמִתְקַף בָּהּ, אָמְרָה לֵיהּ, בְּמָטוּ מִינָךְ, אוֹקִיר לְמָרָךְ, וְלָא תֶּחֶטָא גַּבָּאי. שַׁבְקָהּ וְלָא חָב בָּהּ. הוֵי אוֹמֵר, וְיֵשׁ רְשָׁעִים אֲשֶׁר מַגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַצַּדִּיקִים אָמַרְתִּי שֶׁגַּם זֶה הָבֶל, כְּמָה דְּאִתְתָּקַּף הַהוּא הֶבֶל, בַּהֲדֵי אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא, דְּמָטוּ לִידַיְיהוּ עוֹבְדֵי דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא, וְלָא חָטָאן. אוּף הָכִי, אִתְתַּקַּף בַּהֲדֵי אִינּוּן חַיָּיבַיָּא, דְּמָטֵי לִידַיְיהוּ עוֹבָדֵי דְּאִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא, וְעַבְדֵי לְהוּ.
or the man in the neighbourhood of R. Hiya who once seized a woman with the intention of violating her, but who, when she said to him “Honour thy Master and do not sin with me”, mastered his passion and let her go.
דְּתָנֵינָן עָבֵד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא צַדִּיקִים וּרְשָׁעִים בְּעָלְמָא. וְכַמָּה דְּאִתְיָיקַר אִיהוּ בְּעָלְמָא, בְּעוֹבְדֵי דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא, הָכִי נָמֵי אִתְיָיקַר אִיהוּ בְּרַשִׁיעַיָּיא, כַּד עַבְדֵי עוֹבָדָא טָבָא בְּעָלְמָא. כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, (קהלת ג׳:י״א) אֶת הַכֹּל עָשָׂה יָפֶה בְעִתּוֹ. וַוי לַחַיָּיבָא, כַּד עָבִיד גַּרְמֵיהּ רַע, וְאִתְתָּקַּף בְּחוֹבֵיהּ, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו ג׳:י״א) אוֹי לָרָשָׁע רָע וְגוֹ'.
The Holy One has made both righteous and wicked, and, as He is glorified in this world by the works of the righteous, so is He glorified by the wicked when they happen to do a good deed: “He hath made everything beautiful in his time” (Eccl. 3, 11). But woe to the sinner who makes himself wicked and cleaves obstinately to his sin!
תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר, אֶת הַכֹּל רָאִיתִי בִּימֵי הֶבְלִי וְגוֹ'. הַאי קְרָא אוּף הָכִי אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא, אֲבָל כַּד אִתְיְהִיב חָכְמָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה, חָמָא כּוֹלָּא, בְּזִמְנָא דְּשַׁלְטָא סִיהֲרָא, יֵשׁ צַדִּיק דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְּעָלְמָא. אוֹבֵד: כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיה ג') הַצַּדִּיק אָבָד, בְּזִמְנָא דְּגָלוּתָא בְּצִדְקוֹ: בְּגִין דְּהִיא שְׁכִיבַת לְעַפְרָא, צֶדֶק דָּא, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, אִיהִי עִמְּהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא, וּבְגִין כַּךְ, (קהלת ז׳:ט״ו) צַדִּיק אוֹבֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ. דְּהָא לָא מָטָאן לְגַבֵּיהּ אִינּוּן בִּרְכָּאן עִלָּאִין.
R. Eleazar further said: ‘King Solomon, when wisdom was given to him, saw all “in the time of his hebel“, i.e. in the time when the moon (the Holy Spirit) ruled. He saw the Righteous (Zaddik), the Pillar of the world, “perishing in his righteousness” in the time of the exile, for when Israel is in exile He is with them, and the supernal blessings do not reach Him. Thus “there is a righteous that perisheth in his righteousness” (Eccl. 95, 15).
וְיֵשׁ רָשָׁע מַאֲרִיךְ בְּרָעָתוֹ, דָּא סמאל, דְּאוֹרִיךְ שֶׁקֶט וְשַׁלְוָה לֶאֱדוֹם, בְּמַאי בְּרָעָתוֹ. בְּהַהִיא רָעָה אִתְתֵּיהּ, (נ"א אשה רעה אשת זנונים) (הושע א') נָחָשׁ תַּקִּיפָא, דְּהָא לָא מָטָא עָלַיְיהוּ שֶׁקֶט וְשַׁלְוָה, אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאִתְדַּבָּק בְּהַהִיא נוּקְבָּא. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא לִשְׁאַר מַלְכְּוָון, עַד דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָקִים מֵעַפְרָא, לְהַהִיא סוּכַּת דָּוִד הַנּוֹפֶלֶת, דִּכְתִּיב, (עמוס ז') אָקִים אֶת סֻכַּת דָּוִד הַנֹּפָלֶת.
On the other hand, he saw “a wicked person that prolongeth his life in his evil” (Ibid.), namely Samael, who causes Edom (Rome) to continue in her prosperity through the help of his “Evil”, his spouse, the loathsome Serpent. And the same applies to the prosperity of all the other kingdoms of this world; until the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, shall raise up from the dust “the booth of David that is fallen” (Amos 9, 11).’