A biblical book with a message for Sukkot
By Rabbi Louis Jacobs
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew,
is one of the five scrolls (megillot), each of which is read on a
different holiday. Kohelet, often called “the preacher,” is read in the
synagogue on the holiday of Sukkot. One traditional explanation is that
Kohelet, who is writing in the autumn of his life, is comparable to the Fall
harvest. The autumn is a reminder of the winter to come, and the death of
plants and trees. Kohelet’s views are those of a mature individual, closer to
the end of life than to the beginning which would be represented by the buds of
Spring. Reprinted with permission from The
Jewish Religion: A Companion, Oxford University Press.
The opening verse of the book: 'The words of Kohelet, the
son of David, king in Jerusalem' were understood in the Jewish tradition to
mean that the author was none other than King Solomon but modern biblical
scholarship is unanimous in holding that the book was compiled at a much later
date, although opinions differ as to when and by whom the book was actually
composed.
The Talmud (Shabbat 30b)
states that, at first, the sages wished to hide the work (i.e. they refused to
endow it with the sanctity of sacred Scripture) because some of its statements
contradict the Torah and are even self‑contradictory. Eventually,
however, the book was accepted as a biblical book on the grounds that it begins
and ends with "the fear of heaven." In other words, for all the book's
skepticism and pessimism about the human condition, the teaching which shines
through is: "Fear God and keep His commandments" (12: 13). The usual
Midrashic interpretation of the book is that the description of all human life
"under the sun" as "vanity of vanities" applies only to
earthly pursuits ("under the sun"), not to the way of the Torah,
which is "above the sun," eternal and beyond time.
Ecclesiastes is read in the synagogue on the festival of
Tabernacles [Sukkot], the festival of joy; an odd choice on the face of it, for
a book that seems to question life's values. But, here again, the
interpretation holds good that the philosophical probings of the book do not
lead ultimately to unbelief but, on the contrary, to an appreciation of the
higher values which promote true happiness. The book has served as a reminder
that Judaism does not necessarily frown on a sincere quest for life's meaning
and significance. For this reason, the book is, in a sense, the earliest
encounter between faith and reason, a debate which has been continued by the
philosophically inclined throughout the history of Jewish thought. The very
admission of such a book into the Bible demonstrates how precarious it is to
try to draw a picture of Judaism in simple terms.
Louis Jacobs, a British rabbi and theologian, currently
serves as rabbi of the New London Synagogue. Rabbi Jacobs lectures at
University College in London and at Lancaster University. He is the author of
numerous books including Jewish Values, Beyond Reasonable Doubt, and
Hasidic Prayer.
Reprinted from The
Jewish Religion: A Companion, Oxford University Press. © Louis
Jacobs, 1995. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. No
part of this material may be stored, transmitted, retransmitted, lent, or
reproduced in any form or medium without the permission of Oxford University
Press.
