This week we finished Kohelet! By the end, all the characters had written themselves out of the book, except the Yeiri Elokim. Kohelet concluded that man will be judged for the actions they do in this world. If you realize that God is in  control and holds you accountable for everything. God is the only one who can knoow everything and is immortal. If you follow God's mitzvot you can find meaning through wealth, power, and getting rid of injustice. Life is about the journey and not about the destination. 

The conclusion responds to each of the characters. It tells the Nehena that man will be judged for their actions. Meaning that the Nehena cannot just do what he wants. It tells the Amal to realize God is the only one who can be perfect. It tells the Chacham that if you follow God's laws you will be able to get rid of injustice. It also responds to the Yeiri Elokim who knows you will be held accountable for everything.  

Shlomo realizes you cannot have both the Etz Hadaat and the Etz Hachaim. The only way to find meaning and enjoy life is by realizing you are mortal and God is immortal.   

Just When You Thought You'd Seen It All...Introducing Sparknotes: Bible.

Looking for a fitting way to say goodbye to our good friend Kohelet, I decided to come up with a strong ending point on this sefer that would give us all closure and not cause any tearful goodbyes. Being unable to come up with such an insight, I decided to use the trusty Google and peruse through other people's enlightening notes on the book, in the hopes that there was something interesting and relevant that could be tied in to our learning. Interestingly enough, as I glanced over the search results, something unusual caught my eye: a Sparknotes source explicity mentioning the name "Kohelet." This definitely piqued my curiosity, and so I decided to check it out. Apparently, Sparknotes has a less-well known section that overviews Biblical books, and I had just stumbled on Ecclesiastes. "Great," I thought, "I wonder how Sparknotes interprets it." I must say, Sparknotes has a unique interpretation.

They do have the basic gist, saying it is out to find the meaning of life, but they don't make many of our helpful connections or understand where it is coming from.They call the main character  "the Teacher," which sounded kind of creepy to me. They then go on to explain a basic understanding of the Neheneh's, Amal's, Chacham's , and Yirei Elokim's philosophies, but because they lack the understanding of these "characters," they don' t see how this flows, and what each is trying to prove. Rather, they think this is just crazy ravings that make little sense and keep contradicting each other. The organization of ideas here is different, because the text is grouped into sections such as wisdom/ meaning in life, trends of human activity (life cycles, human emotion, cooperation), foolish actions and how to avoid them, and positive recommendations and reflections on life. This is summed up with an analysis on the book repeating how it is repetitive, contradictory, and nonsensical. "Hakol Hevel" is translated as "vanity of vanities," and they do reference the word hevel, translating it as "breath of the wind" and leading towards the interpretation of  life being ephemeral.

Now, here comes the interesting part. Sparknotes states that Kohelet contrasts with the rest of the Old Testament because it questions receiving wisdom and ideals. They don't make the distinction here between Torah and Nach. They think these are just more "bible stories," and should be pondered and explained the same way. This, to me, is a pretty important distinction, and without it everything that can be gleaned from Kohelet is not the same. I think that, if they were aware of this difference, it would help them get more out of and have a deeper understanding of Kohelet. They also end on the note that a message of this book is that it is anti- "rigid or dogmatic wisdom." I didn't see this at all, but I think it might come from all the vague wording and metaphors. All in all, it's pretty interesting and worthwhile to check out! Here is a link : http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/oldtestament/section12.rhtml

Evil Ruins Everything

In פרק יב פסוק א it says, “וזכור את בוראיך בימי בחורותיך עד אשר לא יבואו ימי הרעה והגיעו שנים אשר תאמר אין לי בהם חפץ”. Translating to mean: recognize your creator in your youth before you become older and see evil. For example when you become older you won't enjoy swimming or doing the sports you love because you cannot physically do so. It is the same with this idea that is talked about in Kohelet. Just like your physical body prevents you from enjoying what you use to love to do, the evil in the physical world prevents you from seeing our creator.

There is an idea in the Torah about how a youth's prayers are so much stronger than an adult's. Maybe it is because of this idea that the youth mean what they are saying when they pray because they don't see any evil in the world yet. But once you get older, and you are thanking G0d could it really be sincere because of all the evil that happens around you? 

This concept, like Racheli's, links to what Charlie Harary talked about in one of his speeches. He talked about the idea that children who still haven't understood the world yet are the only ages that truly sincerely laugh at a joke or at something they think is funny. This can be the same type of concept as the one above. That they don't know their surroundings, and they are not aware of all the bad around them, so they don't have anything preventing them from laughing and having sincere fun.

The End of an Era

We're never satisfied, are we?

Kohelet is over, as you've probably heard, and I for one am not taking it that well. I'm pretty bummed out, feeling kind of sad. And being sad reminds me of having existential questions. And having existential questions reminds me of learning Kohelet... and then I'm reminded that we're not learning Kohelet. I think you get the point. Most of you guys did lovely jobs taking Kohelt into perspective and wrapping it all up on this lovely blog, so I'm not going to repeat any of you. Instead I will (you guessed it!) bring out some Calvin and Hobbes. Because I don't know when else I'll be able to so extensively blog about them. And that makes me sad. Oh, wait a second... I feel like we're just going around in circles- like this whole blog is cyclical. Is life, like this blog post, just one big cycle? Is it possible to make a difference in this blog, or in life? Oh, goodness! 

Right! Well, in no particular order, here are some Calvin & Hobbes comics that remind me of Kohelet. 

To me, this brings to light the whole question of man's power over nature. How much control do we really have? We like to think we're the masters of the universe and that we control for everything, but, ultimately, we are brought to realize that no, we are not in control. There are factors we cannot account for. Unlike what the amal would like to believe, man can't fix everything. Which is okay, says the Yirei Elohim. We just need to recognize the hierarchy. 

Mostly, this comic makes me happy. But I think we can relate it to Kohelet in the following way: oftentimes we are searching for happiness or meaning in the wrong places. We "wish" too high and get disappointed when our wishes aren't fulfilled. If we keep our heads on earth and are realistic about certain things in life, we can be happy individuals. If we are on the hunt for "big riches" and "power", we're not going to find meaning in our lives. Here are two other comics that echo the same ideas.

Looking for meaning in the wrongs places...

I'd advise Calvin to give Kohelet a good read through and then reevaluate some of these thoughts.

One of the other important things that Kohelet taught us is that finding happiness in ignorance is foolish. We must seek out answers and question. Even if we are unsatisfied with the answers we find and even if we don't find answers. Simply not thinking isn't really an option. It's in someways even "irresponsible", as Hobbes says, to live a life of ignorance. While learning Kohelet we grappled with some real difficult questions. Even though it was frustrating at times and I'm not completely pleased with all the answers, I'm glad that we spent the time discussing and delving on the hunt for answers and meaning. 

This reminds this of the "ein chadash tachat hashemesh" refrain that we saw a lot at the beginning of the text. Sometimes it does feel like it's just "school, school, school," don't you think? It's important for us to recognize that every day is different. We should all try to "go for the gusto" in a way in our lives- you know, mix things up a bit- just to remind ourselves that every day is different and wonderful.  

Sometimes we forget that believing in something means taking a leap of faith- putting faith in something that we can't see. 

Why do you suppose we're here? Big question, huh? How do you think Kohelet would have answered this question?

Why do good things happen to bad people and why do bad things happen to good people! This was the turning point of the Nehaneh, and something the Chacham also struggled with. What they didn't realize was the two tiered system of justice that God has. But, you've got to give it to them- those are some hard questions. It's hard to have undying faith all the time when things like this are happening in your life.

This one is just kind of silly. I'm not sure I can justify it. Any ideas? Hah. Sometimes it does seem like God has a goofy sense of humor,  though. 

Conclusion

Finally.. Kohelet is over. I never thought I would be sad that Kohelet was over!
I just wanted to share a few personal thoughts on the conclusion. Although we went through the whole Sefer from the perspective that the Amal, Yirei Elokim, Chacham, and the Nehene were all different characters.. when approaching it as if each is representative of a different side of Shlomo, it makes much more sense. When we look at Kohelet as an internal dialogue we can walk away with much more meaning. We can see each personality within Shlomo: wealth, wisdom, women, the BHMK. This give the יראי אלוקים depth.. it makes him more believable and gives him more credibility. Before I kind of thought that the יראי אלקים was pretentious and that he was making his philosophy seem much more easy than it is.. which really kind of angered me. It made me feel like: "what gives you the right to say that to me?" But instead, knowing that it's an approach that he came to on his own, that he wasn't just raised this way, it makes us more open to what he has to say. He had all of it, more physical experiences than we can imagine, money, power - yet he still comes to this conclusion: that recognizing that G-d's above us and we have accountability for our actions. This is what really gives his philosophy meaning, in my opinion.
I think it's really appropriate that we read this sefer on Sukkot. Sukkot is the Festival of Harvest - a time where we think we are in control (we grow our crops, water them, then harvest them.. where's G-d in that?). During Sukkot, we go outside and have a temporary home. We do this in order to show that we are not in control, that it's not about us, and that G-d is in control. This relates back to the Yirei Elokim's philosophy. It's a very appropriate message to the time, and gives us a lot to think about right at the beginning of the new year, a time in which many of us, especially myself, find it hard to stay connected and committed to all the things we promised at the beginning of the new year. We start slipping back into our normal life and Sukkot gives us an opportunity to rethink our goals and recommit ourselves. And most importantly, remind us that G-d is in control and that we are accountable for our actions.

Still searching for that meaning

The Yirei Elokim spends his final speech refuting the views of his fellow characters. To the Amal he says he should build, create, get rid of injustice, and make a difference, and he will eventually be judged positively for those actions. To the Chacham he warns that man is limited in power and it is important for him to accept his limitations and from there use his wisdom to make the world a better place. And lastly, he tells the Neheneh to recognize that there is a G-d in the world and He will hold the Neheneh accountable for his actions.

The Yirei Elokim leaves us off with the following thought: In this world, we must try to accomplish while knowing that one day we will be held responsible by G-d and accepting the fact that we can't know everything. He says that through this acknowledgement of the existence of G-d and the acceptance that we will never understand everything, only then can we find meaning in our lives. Then our world is completely transformed and the physical pleasures the Neheneh loves, the creativity and good that the Amal strives for, and the intellect of the Chacham can be used to find this meaning.

In class we were asked about our thoughts on this conclusion. Now that I've had some time to think about this, I'd like to share. In theory, the Yirei Elokim's beliefs sound amazing. It ties off all loose ends, considers every viewpoint, and makes a promising argument. Beautiful. But I have a few issues. We still don't have a clear "yitron" or purpose for life laid out for us. The Yirei Elokim seems to be saying that finding meaning is possible, but doesn't tell us exactly how to find this said meaning. I can't help but feel a little disappointed. Out of all the character's conclusions on life, the Yirei Elokim's is the best. But still, for me it is not good enough.

Maybe I will never be satisfied. Maybe finding meaning is a life-long pursuit. Surely it's not something that can be summed up on paper. Perhaps we won't know how to find real meaning or what that meaning looks like until it actually happens. Maybe one day it will just hit you right in the face and you'll have a moment of total clarity. Maybe meaning is something that takes it's time, dropping hints here and either until it finally all comes together. Who knows.

You Gotta Learn Kohelet With Empathy!

So bare with me while I try to relate something that has no relevance to Kohelet. It makes sense in my mind but I am not sure how it will go while I express it on paper.
So I was looking for a blog post to comment on and I came across Racheli's blog post about that they were all opinions and that they had experiences which created their opinions.
This made me think of something that we had learned in mussar: The difference between being sympathetic and empathetic.
Being sympathetic is feeling bad for someone while empathetic is actually experiencing it and feeling it with them.
In Kohelet, a lot of the times I disagree with the opinions of the Amal, Nehene, Chacham, and Y.E. Sometimes I even think that they are so ridiculous that I cannot even believe them.
In one particular instance I got really angered by the Chacham who was saying that G-d was not so extremely present in that time and he did not make miracles. I then got angered because I thought in this era G-d is rarely showing himself, even less than he did back then.
In mussar though, I realized that I do not know what it was actually like back then. I cannot be empathetic and feel how much G-d existed back then. I cannot feel the connection that the characters had with him either.
A lot of the times when I look at these philosophies and think they are crazy it is because I have never experienced them. I never really understood what Shlomo was saying through all of these character and philosophies. Okay, I learned about them and they made sense but they never made sense to ME. I always thought a lot of them were dumb and made no sense. Just like you always tell us, we have to get into the character and see it from their viewpoint. Kohelet is teaching me that it is extremely hard to understand the philosophies unless you are empathetic and actually get into character.

Why Can You be the One to Tell Us This?

When people talk to us and tell us their philosophies and their opinions, most of the time you will question that person on why they can be the one to tell us these things. How can it be right for one person to stand up in front of me and tell me what they think about the world and that I should listen and just be fine with what they say and it's their opinion and I should follow it?

With Kohelet it is different. He's not just standing up in front of you telling you his philosophies. He is telling you his life experiences. You can see all these personalities in Kohelet himself. He can tell you all of this through experience. It makes it easier to listen to him because we know he has experienced it all himself.

When Charlie Harary came to Memphis a few weeks ago, we had a Q & A session with him. We were allowed to ask him any question that we wanted to ask him and he would answer with his opinions. At first people were asking questions like why do we have to do this? Why does G-d care what we do? Then someone asked him why he has a right to tell us what to do and who to listen to?

I was very impressed by his answer. He basically answered the question with the almost the same answer that Kohelet could answer. He said the kid who asked the question was completely correct. No one had to listen to what he was saying. He was there to say what he had to say and hope people took something out of it. He was hoping that it would effect maybe one person. He said that he didn't grow up religious. He has been through it all. He knows exactly what it's like to be a teenager, but he went through a change. He went through a spiritual growth at some point and it changed his view on life completely. Yeah, we didn't have to listen to him, but he told us that he has been through it all and he knows what he is saying through experience.

Keep Calm and Break the System

         This week in Megillot, we ventured on towards the end of Kohelet. We're so close! We've just gone through Perakim י-יב and we discussed the final speech of the Yirei Elokim. In the last pasuk of Perek י, the Yirei Elokim responds to the Chacham, who had just given his opinion on the Yirei Elokim's philosophy in his last speech. The Yirei Elokim tells him that even though he thinks he knows everything and is better than G-d, the Chacham cannot hear private conversations or know the inner thoughts of a person like G-d can. The Yirei Elokim is also reinforcing the fact that the Chacham reprimanded everyone else for not accepting reality and now he is not accepting reality by complaining that he is not in control.

         In the beginning of Perek יא, the Yirei Elokim responds to the Amal. He tells him that there is a point to work, create, and prepare, even if you don't know when disaster may strike. We can't be perfect but we must act in this world, even thought we can't predict what will happen. The Yirei Elokim also tells the Amal that his previous notion that all of the nature cycles were pointless was incorrect because these cycles spread new seeds and cause new things to grow. He also adds that only G-d knows everything and only He is perfect. However, you can still do things in the world and try to make progress.

         In the middle of Perek יא, the Yirei Elokim addresses the Chacham once more. He tells him that wisdom is like the sun- sometimes it will provide enlightenment and understanding, but there will also be times where it will be dark and we won't have a full understanding of what's going on. The Yirei Elokim decides that knowledge can be used for good if you recognize that you don't know everything and incomprehensibility is הבל.

         Continuing on in Perek יא, we see that the Yirei Elokim finds a way to respond to all three characters in one pasuk. He tells them all that you have to participate in the world and know that you will ultimately be held accountable for your actions. The only thing man knows is that he doesn't know everything.

         To the Amal, the Yirei Elokim says that people are judged positively for what you do in this world, and you can fulfill your potential. He tells the Chacham that man is limited and you must accept these limitations and then use your wisdom and knowledge to make the world a better place. He responds to the Neheneh, telling him to recognize that there is a G-d and that he'll be held accountable for his actions. Through the end of Perek יא until the beginning of Perek יב he tells the Neheneh, through a description of the decay of the human body, that he should have recognized when he was young and partying that he would die someday and his body will fail him. It will return to dust and his soul will return to G-d.

           So what is the Yirei Elokim's ultimate conclusion? Unlike the rest of the characters, he actually finds meaning in life. He seems to be saying that if you recognize that there is a G-d who controls the world and will hold you accountable for your actions and you realize that you are limited in power and knowledge, then, and only then, can you find meaning. Then everything is transformed and you can use the physical (Neheneh), the creative (Amal), and the intellectual (Chacham) to find meaning in this world.

         Personally, I really liked the Yirei Elokim's approach. I mean, how can you not? It's a refreshing new view, one that doesn't include too much הבל and one that actually finds meaning in life! When looking back on all of the characters and the summary of the Yirei Elokim, I found a connection to the book Divergent. If you haven't read this book yet, you're missing out and you should go buy it right away.

         This book takes place (kind of like the Hunger Games) is a post-war world sometime far in the future. After a terrible world war, the rest of the human race alive came together to form a "perfect" society. The civilization is divided into 5 factions, Candor, Erudite, Dauntless, Abnegation, and Amity, each one representing the one trait that those particular people believe caused the world to fall into disarray. Each faction believed that their trait specifically was perfect.

         I can see the characters of Kohelet being placed in each of these different factions: the Chacham in Erudite, where they strived for knowledge, the Neheneh in Dauntless, where they weren't afraid of anything and simply did whatever they wanted, the Amal in Candor, where they strived for ultimate honesty and perfection, and the Yirei Elokim as a Divergent, someone who broke the system. The only problem with these factions is that they were extremely strict- you had to be honest about everything, happy about everything, etc. In the end, the civilization begins to fall apart, which isn't surprising, seeing as it was built on impossibility.

         Although this book isn't spot on with Kohelet, I think there are enough similarities to show us what could happen if everyone followed the views of the Amal, the Neheneh, or the Chacham. I think each of the characters in Kohelet had certain fatal flaws that completely ruined their whole ideas. The Yirei Elokim was the only one who broke the system and found a way to find a purpose.

       

We MUST Work Together to Achieve Success

"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." - Henry Ford.

I think that no other quote embodies Kohelet as well as this one does. When we started to learn Kohelet, we are introduced to Shlomo HaMelech in our studies of Melachim for background information. Once we delved into Kohelet itself, which is believed to be written by Shlomo, we were introduced to 4 subcounscious characters that Shlomo, himself, personisfied.

As the book goes on, we learn about each character, and what they find "hevel" in the world. We could understand this as worthless, or ephemeral. Throughout the book, each character came to their final realization, in which 3 out of the 4 of them got "were voted off the island." The fourth character gave his final speech in the last couple perakim and finally taught us what the meaning of life is. He said that the meaning of life is have a faith, and belief in a higher power.

While reading the book, I kept telling myself that all the characters would somehow come to an agreement by the end and find the meaning of life. While only one character told us the true meaning of life, I believe that there was a little bit of every character in that fourth character. The four of them represented four very important parts of life. The neheneh represented our weak spots that all of us have. We can all easily fall into a depression and just "eat, drink, and be merry," like the neheneh. Next, we had the Amal who works towards perfections. I think at times in our lives we all work towards perfection and when we can't reach it we get frustrated. The third was the chacham, who embodied wisdom, but haughty wisdom. I think that all of us have pretentious side to us in which we think that we are smarter than everyone else, and because of that we can rule the world. But, once we reach the fourth character, the Yirei Elokim, we all have that faith in G-d that we must include in our lives. No matter if you embody the neheneh, the amal, or the chacham, we ALL embody the Yirei Elokim.

Through this we can see that coming together is a beginning because it gets everyone thinking, staying together is quite hard and is progress. We saw this through the characters giving up, but lastly, they all worked together in the end to achieve success and find the meaning in life.

Just one more before we leave Kohelet...

I don't know why, but when I woke up this morning, I started thinking about the statement that "G-d helps those who help themselves." When I began thinking about that idea, I realized something. We've been talking a lot about how the mentalities of the עמל and the חכם are so prevalent in our 21st century lives, but this idea portrays something different. This idea is the exact opposite of the Amal, in that it attributes all of man's successes to G-d even when man DOES work toward it. It seems to be much more the partnership idea of the ירא א-לוקים, saying that G-d is in complete control, but man still has to take steps on his own to make something happen.
This just kinda gave me a little hope that our society isn't as self-centered and "it's-all-about-man" as it appears.

We are almost at the end of Kohelet. This past week we started learning the final speech of the ירא אלקים. He starts by responding to the חכם by saying he can't hear what people think so he is not better then God. We do not always have an understanding of things. Knowledge is sometimes limited. The ירא אלקים tells the עמל that things are accomplished and we, and the plants, do make progress. He tells the נהנה that there is a God and you will be held accountable for your actions. The ירא אלקים says to participate in the world and know you will be held responsible for your actions. I think this does make sense. He is telling everyone their reality. The ירא אלקים is making a good point right now. Why not try? It is good to keep in mind that you will be judged in the future.

The Ultimate Purpose of Man

Alas, my friends, we are nearing the end of of Kohelet. This week, we discussed the final speech of the Yirei Elokim, the sole individual on the island. He begins by responding to the tirade of the Chacham in his last speech. The Chacham thought he knew everything and was superior to G-d. The Yirei Elokim then stated to the Chacham that he (the Chacham) could not hear private conversations or know the inner thoughts of a person. Only G-d knows. In this response, the Yirei Elokim is also referencing the fact that the Chacham rebuked everyone for not accepting reality. However, now he is not accepting reality by complaining that he's not in control.

Anyways, the Yirei Elokim then addresses issues regarding the approach of the Amal. When we saw him last, the Amal was so terrified of imperfection that he didn't do what he had wanted to accomplish. The Yirei Elokim reassures him by acknowledging the fact that he can't be perfect; nothing will be perfect. However, he still has to act in the world, and continue to build and attempt to get rid of injustice. He also re-emphasizes the idea that the Amal cannot know everything. However, he CAN do things in the world and try to make progress.

The second issue the Yirei Elokim targets is that concerning the approach of the Chacham. He tells him that chachma can be good; it can provide enlightenment and understanding at times. But, there are also times that will be dark, when man realizes he is limited and cannot know/understand everything. However, if he accepts his limitations, he can use his wisdom to make the world a better place.

The Yirei Elokim then takes a break to collectively respond to all three characters. He urges them to participate in the world, but know that ultimately, they will be held accountable. The only thing that man knows is that he doesn't know everything.

Finally, the Yirei Elokim discusses the Neheneh. He beseeches him to recognize while he is still young, that he will die and that his body will eventually fail him. When he dies, his body will return to dust, but his soul will return to G-d. The Neheneh originally said that there was no G-d, nothing that controlled the world. The Yirei Elokim refutes him; recognize that there's a G-d and that you will be held accountable.

To summarize, the Yirei Elokim believes that if one recognizes that there's a G-d and who will hold you accountable for your actions in the world, and if you realize that you're limited in power and knowledge, then you can find meaning. Only then is everything transformed and you can use the physical (the Neheneh), the creative (the Amal), and the intellectual (Chacham) to find meaning in this world! Huzzah!

I personally like the approach of the Yirei Elokim. I think that this is how we live our lives as Jews. We recognize that we are not all-powerful. We will never be. Once we internalize that fact, we are able to find meaning in our lives. Ultimately, our purpose is to fear G-d and follow G-d's mitzvot. The problem with the first three characters was their attempt to evade that purpose, and that led them to find no meaning. The Yirei Elokim has an interesting and very realistic perspective. He tells them that their aspirations still have value. However, first they must recognize the power of G-d and that they will be judged for their actions. And then, only then, can they combine their aspirations to find this meaning they were all so desperately pursuing.

What do you think about the Yirei Elokim's approach? Do you think it satisfies/will satisfy any of the characters? If yes, how so?

Opinions of the Kohelet Crew on Free Will

This shabbos we ran a learning group at Baron Hirsch in which we discussed the idea of free will in Judaism. The basic idea was if G-d is in full control, then do we have free will? And to what extent do we have the ability to choose between right and wrong?

The Sefer HaChinuch said, when speaking to the victim who is now seeking revenge, that all actions are caused by G-d. Sforno said that when a sequence of actions are necessary to fulfill a Divine purpose then the actions were influenced by G-d. Rabbi Mayer Twersky said that the sinner has the ability to choose between right and wrong, but the victim should not blame the sinner because he was going to be punished anyway by G-d, whether it came from that guy or a different one.

This whole argument about man's free will got me thinking about what our favorite Kohelet characters would say about this. I could see them all having strong opinions on an issue that has to do with G-d's control versus man's control in the world and over himself. So, here's what I'm thinking about what their responses would be.

Amal: Man has complete free choice. G-d has no affect on what man chooses to do. Man has complete control Tachat HaShemesh and man should choose to fight off injustice and build the world up. Since we're going to die anyway, though, it doesn't even matter what we choose because we can't take our toils with us once we die and we can never be perfect or have everything. Basically, everything is hevel. And by hevel, I mean everything is fleeting because you can never have everything and you can't take anything you do have with you once you die.

Nehene: 
Originial philosophy: Nah, man, G-d is in control. Everything comes from G-d, even our decisions. G-d created the world and is in complete control. We should enjoy what he's given us, you know. We should eat, drink, and party but anything we do is really caused by what G-d wants because He is the one in control. That's why man is not accountable for his actions. G-d controls all of our actions because He is the one in control. Since everything we do is directed by G-d and we don't have free choice, we don't have accountability either which makes us no different than animals.
Final Philosophy: Of course we have free will. I have looked at the world and I have seen mercy and judgement. Good things happening to bad people and bad things happening to good people. If both can exist in the same world, then there is chaos and anarchy so there must not be a G-d after all. If theres not G-d, then there is no afterlife and no accountability. After death, we are gone. We are not remembered and there is nothing after death. Since there's no G-d or accountability than how could there not be free choice? Nothing we choose will actually matter for anything but we definitely have the ability to choose what we want to do. It seems like the only choice we can make is to spend our lives eating, drinking, and partying. There's nothing else to live for. Life is hevel, meaning its worthless. There's nothing to live for. No G-d. No meaning. Nothing after death.

Chachum:
Original Philosophy: Yes, there is free choice, but G-d is in control. Our actions do matter. Man is not meant to be perfect and all men sin. If we can sin, then we must have the ability to choose between right and wrong. There are things that are out of our control, like the ability to be perfect. We just need to look at the reality of the situation and realize that man does sin, but he has the choice of whether or no he will.
Final Philosophy: Does man have free will? I won't even answer that question. There is no logical evidence that G-d judges man for his actions so how should I even know if man's actions matter at all? Maybe G-d controls our actions so that is why no one is judged. But that can't be true because why would G-d make such a foolish person a leader? I guess this whole system is just dumb. I should be the leader. The world is messed up. Everything is hevel-incomprehensible. If I can't understand it all, then how can I answer a question about G-d influence on our actions?!

Yirei Elokim: Man does have free will, but everything is influenced by G-d. It is a partnership. G-d has the ability to see into all the most private aspects of our lives and can control everything, but man's actions can impact the world. Man has the ability to choose between right and wrong but G-d is involved in the process. This doesn't mean everything is all about man, if it were than the nothing would have meaning. Man has the ability to choose how he will find meaning in life--through pleasure, building, or even wisdom. All he has to do is recognize G-d and that man is limited. What man chooses affects his journey through life and where his destination may be. So, man does have free choice and what he chooses can help him find meaning in life as long as he understands that he cannot know everything, man is limited, and G-d is in control. But, ultimately, man's actions will be judged and he will be held responsible for the choices he makes.

Nelson Mandela's Legacy

I'm sure everyone has already heard the news of the passing of Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest revolutionaries of the twentieth century. He completely changed South Africa. He fought apartheid before fighting apartheid was cool. (Yes, that makes him a hipster.) He used his power and influence to change the way the world as a whole viewed racial segregation. He made a huge difference! Now, he has passed away and can't add any more to his legacy. Sound familiar?

Although the Ammal was officially voted off the island, we haven't really talked about how his philosophy fits in with Kohelet's conclusion. Maybe it's obvious. Maybe it's not. Anyway, at the start of Kohelet, the Ammal's major issue with the world at large was that, as hard as he tried, he could not achieve perfection and any perfection he achieved in this life would end with his death. To the Ammal, death was the great equalizer when he wanted to rise above normal men. It was also his fatal flaw as all of his hard work ended in his death. Part of this was the fact that he didn't feel that he had a proper heir. While Shlomo did have way too many wives and most likely way too many children as well, he didn't feel like any of them were worthy of being his heir. Actually, G-d didn't find it appropriate. G-d told Shlomo that the kingdom would be split and that everything he tried to build up would crumble. In that moment, the Ammal's philosophy was born. In summary, Shlomo's most pressing concern was his legacy. Would people remember him? Would people know what he did and what he achieved?

As a teenager living a good two thousand five hundred years after Shlomo, it is hard for me to understand his concern. In the modern world, even the non-religious know Shlomo's name and what he accomplished as king. No, the world didn't forget him after his death. In fact, he is one of the best-remembered men in all of history.

Fast forward to 1964, when Nelson Mandela was tried for treason against the apartheid government and sentenced to life imprisonment. During his 27-year imprisonment, Mandela became a symbol of resistance against apartheid. During those years, he probably thought that he would die in prison and that the movement that he had promoted would die with him. This is not how history ultimately played out. Mandela was incredibly lucky to have lived to see the anti-apartheid movement take on a life of its own. The people carried on his legacy. He was even elected president of the newly integrated South African government. This incredible achievement was his "building" and he came close to achieving perfection. Now that he's gone, he will surely be remembered. 

What's the take-home lesson here? Striving for progress is good. Working towards a goal is great. Achieving the goal is ideal, although it does not often happen in one's lifetime. Finally, don't worry about your legacy; if you make a big enough impact on the world, you will be remembered.

Why take Everything to the Extreme???

While we have been learning Kohelet, I have been wondering and writing many of my blogs about why all the characters took everything to the extreme. It made no sense that they would be happy with their philosophies, but then take them to the extreme, and conclude that everything is hevel.

For example, the Amal. The Amal, closer to the beginning of sefer, had the goal is building and impact. He then finds a solution. Two is better than one. Why then does he continue and say even better is three? If he already found a solution why is he still looking for one? Even after he says that three is better than two, he adds on that a king is even better than three. Why stretch it out even more? He already found a solution. Now he is just going to end up concluding that everything is Hevel. 

I think that after learning all the final speeches of the characters an thinking about their train of thoughts, I understand. All humans, although start out just wanting a small amount of something, become greedy and want more and more. A lot of times we give an example of fame. Someone who's dream is to be well known, will become well known, but then will become greedy and do anything they can for more attention. It's common for all humans to make this mistake. Even Shlomo Hamelech made this mistake. 

This week Mrs. Perl reminded us that all of the different characters of Kohelet aren't real people, they are just thoughts in Shlomo's head. Shlomo was given power, wisdom, and materialistic things. It makes sense, that just like all other humans, he would become greedy and start off just wanting to do something small, like build and make an impact, but then once that is achieved, want more, like getting rid of injustice and being perfect.  

This is why I know completely agree with the Yirie Elokim's solution to finding meaning. At first I didn't like his solution. He told us how to find meaning, but didn't tell us the meaning. I then asked, well if we don't know the meaning, how do we know there is one? I know understand that we become greedy when we want just power, just wisdom, or just materialistic things. If we want to know everything, we become greedy, when we know a lot, and begin to think we are more important then everyone else. We need to remember that there is someone who is greater than anyone we can become. G-d. 

If we combine a little of the physical, a little of the intellectual, and a little of the creativity, you will have everything G-d wants you to have, and will be able to spend your life focusing on your actions, because there will be judgement at some point and we will be accountable for our actions.

Neheneh + Chacham = Teen of the 21st century

Yesterday, in our session about what aspect of Judaism is most worth fighting for, Mrs. Perl mentioned how a sense of meaning and connectedness in Judaism as the aspect that she is the most passionate about. She also mentioned that if you combine the Chacham and Neheneh together, you come up with what is basically the average teenager of the 21st century, who is lacking this important sense of purpose in their life. These two personalities are based off of lifestyles in which a person is most concerned with themselves, and their own instant gratification. The Neheneh finds this gratification through eating, drinking, and enjoying the world, while the Chacham finds his own gratification by looking for wisdom through his own intellect. In both cases, these philosophies' themes are centered around how things are or appear to be to the individual involved. As we see later, because of this "fatal flaw," neither the Neheneh or the Chacham can later find meaning, because their ideologies end up collapsing on themselves at the end; there is simply no base to hold them up because they are supported by themselves. This highlights why the system of finding meaning that the Yirai Elokim suggests- recognizing that there is a higher power and living a lifestyle that goes with this idea- is so important to stay grounded in this world. Without the knowledge that there is something above you keeping you firmly rooted, it becomes much easier to drift. When a person is drifting in situation like this without realizing this important point, it is possible that they may never learn this important point, and will not be able to anchor themselves down and be secure in their sense of meaning in life.

Criticizing G-d?

The realization came to me that there are many parts of Kohelet that seem to criticize G-d.

For example, in 8:14-17 the Neheneh brings up the idea of gamul, or theodicy, the question of why bad things happen to good people and vice versa. The Neheneh says that if G-d was merciful the bad would  go unpunished and the good would be rewarded, and if G-d was just, the bad person would be punished and the good person would be somewhat punished. The Neheneh declares that, because of this, there is no system in this world, that we live in a world of chaos and anarchy, seeming to suggest that G-d really isn't in control. He goes on to say that there will be no accounting for our actions in the next world, and once you're dead, that's it. Adios, muchacho. At the end of his final speech, the Amal is essentially an atheist. 

Then, in 10:11-14 the Chacham responds to the Yirei Elokim's belief in G-d's system of judgement: in this world there is a partnership between man and G-d and if we sin G-d gives us the opportunity to repent. In the next world, G-d is in complete control over us and will hold us accountable for our sins and punish us accordingly. The Chacham responds, saying that he is simply unable to the G-d's hand in this world and can't believe in the YE's system.

As you can see, much of Kohelet discusses G-d in a negative light. I find this to be very interesting for some reason. Perhaps it is because it's hard to see this book being included in the Tanach. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure there is any other book in the Tanach that discusses or criticizes G-d in this manner. 

Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think Kohelet addresses some very real concerns that people still struggle with. I know that I myself have had some of the same doubts as the Neheneh and the Yirei Elokim. It can be incredibly difficult for me to see G-d's hand in this world sometimes. This is part of why the book of Kohelet is so fascinating to me. It holds nothing back. There is no censorship or subtlety. It gets straight to the point, exploring controversial and difficult subjects that, I think, are on our minds even to this day. 

The חכם

In the beginning of the חכם's philosophy we had some liking to him and his ideals. But once we saw his conclusion we realized he was just like the rest, concluding his big finale with everything is הבל. The חכם has two main philosophies that he focuses on. From his first speech to his last, one changes drastically and the other stays the exact same. 

In פרק ז ט-טז he brings up the issue of perfection. He responds to the עמל, who strives for only perfection, by saying that man was not made to be perfect. They were not creating in the intentions to create perfect things. You do not have control over the world, therefore how are you going to make anything perfect. In his last speech he speaks about exactly the opposite. In פרק ט the חכם creates a metaphor. One dead fly destroys a huge vat of perfume. The dead fly represents the נהנה, and the perfume represents himself. Just one small imperfection destroys a large amount of good. 

The other aspect of his philosophy that stays the same throughout קוהלת is the worth of חכמב. In the beginning he explains that חכמה is the only thing that can lead you to enlightenment. There is nothing better than knowledge. Later in his philosophy he starts to become haughty about who he is. If you build a structure without architecture (wisdom), your structure will collapse. You need חכמה to guide you and help you. He also explains that you should fix your problem before it breaks. How do you do that? Only with wisdom this is possible. He even goes to the extent of saying that the leaders are corrupt because they don't have my wisdom. What the חכם needs is a little bit of manners and respect. He is too haughty and egotistical. 

Fool, the insult of the century

            Looking through Kohelet a commonly used word is fool. Every time some one says something, someone else comes in and says, "you are a fool." They don't even try to look at the fact that someone else could be saying something worth listening to. They are all in a mindset that they are the only person who could be right and if someone else has a different life style it must be wrong.
           Unfortunately this is also a problem in our world today. Each of us lives our lives in the way that we see best and the people who aren't doing what we are doing must be crazy. It may be that you are doing something right and someone else is doing something wrong but we have to look at what everyone else is doing and learn from it. Just because you think someone is doing something wrong it doesn't necessarily mean they are and it doesn't mean that you still can't learn from it.
           Instead of just calling everyone a fool and not going deeper into what they have to say we and the characters of Kohelet could try to work with them to find a greater solution. If we and they acknowledge what other people have to say we might find that our opinions are not always the only ones and other people might be right.

Wise Guy?

Looking at the final speech of the chacham it shows that he actually wasn't that wise, in my opinion. To me, he was just creating an illusion by making everyone think he was wise by giving them a reality check and making it seem as though he was better than them. He tried to be better than the others' philosophies. He would give them a reality check, but once they gave him a reality check, he was done. 

All the chacham wanted was to rule and that was all that mattered. He didn't care about wisdom or qualities. He just wanted to show everyone that he was better and he should rule. If people didn't have wisdom, they were nothing to him or anyone else. It didn't matter who you were or what type of person, if you didn't have wisdom, you didn't matter. 

In the beginning of the sefer, he started off saying that there is a time for every action and every emotion. Some people try to understand the world, but they can’t. He thought that he could figure everything out. He wanted to recognize the reality of the world. He said that it's not all about man. G-d creates things and you can't fix things that He broke. He said that life will never be perfect.

The chacham had a problem with the fact that man can't see other man's punishment if they do something wrong, so man can just do all evil because they are never punished. When the Yirei Elokim came and responded to him, he went ballistic. The yirei elokim told him that G-d has a system and after death people are held accountable for the actions they took in their lifetime. When the chacham heard this he went crazy. He said that the system is flawed and that men will just sin all the time because they can't see other man being punished.

He concludes with his final speech. In his final speech he says that man will get no where in life if they have no wisdom. He says that man doesn't know what will happen next and there is no one that could tell him what will happen next. He wasn't willing to take the leap of faith. He says that man should fix the problem before it even becomes a problem. He finished by saying that a wise person should be leading them and if a wise person isn't leading them, the world will be ruined.