In this week's Kohelet class, we discussed the world views of the Neheneh and began to speak about the Amal.
The Neheneh, in 2:24-3:22, begins by espousing the following splendidly joyous ideas: 1) It's good for man to rejoice in his work, to eat, and to drink for it is all from G-d. 2) G-d created the world for man to enjoy (Kohelet's first philosophical statement). 3) The person who uses what G-d gave him will experience happiness and joy, while the sinner just wishes to accumulate wealth. 4) Eat, drink, and be merry because that's what G-d wants from you.
The Neheneh then continues and says that to everything and every desire there is a time in this world. G-d is in control, and man is supposed to enjoy the world and serve G-d through this enjoyment. Through this perspective, the Neheneh resembles the outlook of Yitzchak, who recognized G-d in everything and elevated the physical. The ideas are also similar to Gan Eden, where G-d controlled the world and man was given everything to enjoy.
However, these perspectives are short-lived. Kohelet comes to the conclusion that if G-d is in control of everything, then man has no responsibility for his actions. If this is true, then man is no different than animals. And if man is no different than animals, Kohelet might as well enjoy himself because he has no other purpose in life #YOLO. This is a dangerous perspective, as it resembles that of hedonism.
Kohelet also saw that there is not only Tzedek U'Mishpat, but also injustice and evil. Both the righteous and the sinner will be judged in Shamaim by G-d. Everyone has the same fate, so Kohelet should just rejoice because who knows what will happen after he dies.
Suddenly, the Sefer flips to first person, and begins the tale of the Amal. The Amal says that the goal of man is to create, make an impact, and build. However, slight problem: nothing man creates will be perfect. Because man can't fulfill the role of being perfect, everything is Hevel. The Amal continues by refuting the Neheneh and rejecting the philosophy it brings, as it implies that there is nothing man can do to help the oppressed or make the world a better place. The Amal claims that he would rather have not been born than live in a world where man can't have an impact.
This controversy between the Neheneh and the Amal, and the ideas they brought, particularly in the realm of acts of kindness, made me think of the movie Pay it Forward. We watched Pay it Forward on Selichot night. Both perspectives struggle with the idea of perfection. Nothing man creates will ever be perfect, so therefore, HAKOL HEVEL. In Pay it Forward, some of the characters grappled with this too. Not entirely in those words (Hakol Hevel was never uttered), but along these lines. However, as the movie went on, the characters realized that even the smallest acts of kindness can make an impact on the world. Everything man does makes a difference, no matter how insignificant he/she thinks it is.
I liked the ending there. I totally agree. It's all about the small acts of kindness and paying it forward. For instance, on Friday I was getting flowers at Whole Foods and I was in the line for 15 items or less. The lady in front of me let me skip ahead because I only had flowers. This was really nice of her, and made me happy. Later, I was thinking of ways I could pay it forward. I don't remember if I did or not.. But I brought over the flowers to the Kutliroff's.. does that count?
ReplyDeleteNoga, I really liked how you connected Shlomo's situation with Pay It Forward. I think that if the movie had been published (? is that the right word?) only a few thousand years earlier, Shlomo could have learned a valuable lesson. I think he needs to realize that even the little things that may seem insignificant can actually have a huge impact on you and the world around you.
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