וישמע יתרו וגו' (שמות יח א). זש"ה ובכן ראיתי רשעים קבורים ובאו (קהלת ח י). וכי יש רשעים קבורים [באים] ומהלכים, ששלמה אמר קבורים ובאו, אלא אמר ר' סימון אלו הרשעים שהן קבורים ומתים בחייהם, שנאמר כל ימי רשע הוא מתחולל (איוב טו כ), מהו מתחולל, שהוא מת וחלל.
(Exod. 18:1:) NOW JETHRO <PRIEST OF MIDIAN, MOSES' FATHER-IN-LAW>, HEARD <ALL THAT GOD HAD DONE FOR MOSES>…. This text is related (to Eccl. 8:10): AND THEN I SAW THE WICKED BURIED, AND THEY CAME BACK. Are there wicked buried who [come back] and go about?1Tanh., Exod. 5:1. <It is even> as Solomon said (ibid.): BURIED, AND THEY CAME BACK. However, R. Simon has said: These are wicked, in that they are dead and buried during their lifetimes.2Eccl. R. 8:10:1; see Ber. 18b; Gen. R. 39:7. Thus it is stated (in Job 15:20): A WICKED PERSON WRITHES IN TORMENT ALL HIS DAYS. What is the meaning of WRITHE IN TORMENT (mitholel)? That he is dead (met) and writhing (holel).
2
ד"א ובכן ראיתי רשעים מדבר בגרים, שהם באים ועושין תשובה, וממקום קדוש יהלכו (קהלת שם), אלו בתי כנסיות ובתי מדרשות.
Another interpretation (of Eccl. 8:10): AND THEN I SAW THE WICKED < BURIED, AND THEY CAME BACK>. It speaks of proselytes who (after backsliding) come to repent. (Ibid.: cont.:) AND THEY GO OUT FROM THE HOLY PLACE. These are the synagogues and schools.3According to Eccl. R. 8:10:1, they went into a holy place, namely the synagogue and the school.
3
ד"א וממקום קדוש יהלכו, ממקום שישראל [מהלכים, ישראל] נקראו קדושים, וישתכחו בעיר (שם), שהן משכחין מעשיהם הרעים.
Another interpretation (of Eccl. 8:10): AND THEY GO OUT FROM THE HOLY PLACE. From the place where Israel [goes about, < where > Israel] is called holy. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT THEY ARE FORGOTTEN IN THE CITY, in that they make <people> forget their evil deeds.
4
ד"א וישתבחו, שמשתבחין במעשיהם הטובים, גם זה הבל (שם), שאין זה הבל שאומות העולם רואין אותן היאך הם באין ומתגיירין ונכנסין תחת כנפי שכינה ואינן מתגיירין, גם זה הבל, מי היה זה שבא ונתגייר גר של אמת, זה יתרו, שנאמר וישמע יתרו וגו'.
Another interpretation (of Eccl. 8:10): <BUT THEY ARE FORGOTTEN (yishtakkehu) >. They take pride (yishtabbehu) in that they take pride (mishtabbehim) in their good deeds.4See Git. 56b. (Ibid., cont.:) THIS ALSO IS VANITY. Is this not vanity when the peoples of the world see them, <when they see> how they come, convert to Judaism, and enter under the wings of the Divine Presence, while they < themselves > do not convert to Judaism? THIS ALSO IS VANITY. Who was this person who came and converted to Judaism as a true proselyte? This was Jethro, as stated (in Exod. 18:1): NOW JETHRO <PRIEST OF MIDIAN, MOSES' FATHER-IN-LAW>, HEARD5In Hebrew this verb also tends to imply heeding and obeying. <ALL THAT GOD HAD DONE FOR MOSES>….
וישמע יתרו וגו' (שמות יח א). זש"ה ובכן ראיתי רשעים קבורים ובאו (קהלת ח י). וכי יש רשעים קבורים [באים] ומהלכים, ששלמה אמר קבורים ובאו, אלא אמר ר' סימון אלו הרשעים שהן קבורים ומתים בחייהם, שנאמר כל ימי רשע הוא מתחולל (איוב טו כ), מהו מתחולל, שהוא מת וחלל.
(Exod. 18:1:) NOW JETHRO <PRIEST OF MIDIAN, MOSES' FATHER-IN-LAW>, HEARD <ALL THAT GOD HAD DONE FOR MOSES>…. This text is related (to Eccl. 8:10): AND THEN I SAW THE WICKED BURIED, AND THEY CAME BACK. Are there wicked buried who [come back] and go about?1Tanh., Exod. 5:1. <It is even> as Solomon said (ibid.): BURIED, AND THEY CAME BACK. However, R. Simon has said: These are wicked, in that they are dead and buried during their lifetimes.2Eccl. R. 8:10:1; see Ber. 18b; Gen. R. 39:7. Thus it is stated (in Job 15:20): A WICKED PERSON WRITHES IN TORMENT ALL HIS DAYS. What is the meaning of WRITHE IN TORMENT (mitholel)? That he is dead (met) and writhing (holel).
ד"א ובכן ראיתי רשעים מדבר בגרים, שהם באים ועושין תשובה, וממקום קדוש יהלכו (קהלת שם), אלו בתי כנסיות ובתי מדרשות.
Another interpretation (of Eccl. 8:10): AND THEN I SAW THE WICKED < BURIED, AND THEY CAME BACK>. It speaks of proselytes who (after backsliding) come to repent. (Ibid.: cont.:) AND THEY GO OUT FROM THE HOLY PLACE. These are the synagogues and schools.3According to Eccl. R. 8:10:1, they went into a holy place, namely the synagogue and the school.
ד"א וממקום קדוש יהלכו, ממקום שישראל [מהלכים, ישראל] נקראו קדושים, וישתכחו בעיר (שם), שהן משכחין מעשיהם הרעים.
Another interpretation (of Eccl. 8:10): AND THEY GO OUT FROM THE HOLY PLACE. From the place where Israel [goes about, < where > Israel] is called holy. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT THEY ARE FORGOTTEN IN THE CITY, in that they make <people> forget their evil deeds.
ד"א וישתבחו, שמשתבחין במעשיהם הטובים, גם זה הבל (שם), שאין זה הבל שאומות העולם רואין אותן היאך הם באין ומתגיירין ונכנסין תחת כנפי שכינה ואינן מתגיירין, גם זה הבל, מי היה זה שבא ונתגייר גר של אמת, זה יתרו, שנאמר וישמע יתרו וגו'.
Another interpretation (of Eccl. 8:10): <BUT THEY ARE FORGOTTEN (yishtakkehu) >. They take pride (yishtabbehu) in that they take pride (mishtabbehim) in their good deeds.4See Git. 56b. (Ibid., cont.:) THIS ALSO IS VANITY. Is this not vanity when the peoples of the world see them, <when they see> how they come, convert to Judaism, and enter under the wings of the Divine Presence, while they < themselves > do not convert to Judaism? THIS ALSO IS VANITY. Who was this person who came and converted to Judaism as a true proselyte? This was Jethro, as stated (in Exod. 18:1): NOW JETHRO <PRIEST OF MIDIAN, MOSES' FATHER-IN-LAW>, HEARD5In Hebrew this verb also tends to imply heeding and obeying. <ALL THAT GOD HAD DONE FOR MOSES>….