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.