King Solomon said: “All have I seen in the days of my vanity” (Eccl. 7, 15). In the days of King Solomon the moon was full, and Solomon was the wisest of men and he saw all:
Now, when the righteous are numerous in the world, this “All” does not depart from the Sun, and receives all anointing and joy from above to unite with the Moon, for whose sake it is thus enriched.
But when sinners are numerous in the world, and the Moon is darkened, the “Righteous One perisheth in his righteousness”, that is, he loses all this as he cannot unite with the Moon. Then, too, all the side of the left is aroused, and the prosperity of sinners is prolonged; hence it is written, “and there is a wicked man who prolongeth his life in his evildoing”.
Also we may interpret the words, “there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness”, to mean that when sinners multiply and judgement impends, the righteous man is seized for their sins, like my father, who has been punished for the sins of the townsfolk who are all law-breakers, because he did not chide them or try to stop them, taking as his guide the verse, “Quarrel not with evildoers, be not zealous against them that work unrighteousness”.’ His father said: ‘In truth God has punished me for this, because I had the power to prevent them and I did not do so, and I did not reprove them either openly or secretly.’
His other son then cited the verse: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground”, etc. (Gen. 2, 7). ‘Man was formed with two inclinations, the good and the evil, one corresponding to Water and the other to Fire. The word “man” (adam) indicates a combination of male and female. The dust from which he was formed was that of the Holy Land, of the Sanctuary.
פָּתַח וְאָמַר (קהלת ז׳:ט״ו) אֶת הַכֹּל רָאִיתִי בִּימֵי הֶבְלִי יֵשׁ צַדִּיק אוֹבֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ וְיֵשׁ רָשָׁע מַאֲרִיךְ בְּרָעָתוֹ. הַאי קְרָא אוֹלִיפְנָא בֵּי רִבִּי דּוֹסְתָּאי סָבָא, דְּהֲוָה אָמַר מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי יֵיסָא סָבָא. אֶת הַכֹּל רָאִיתִי בִּימֵי הֶבְלִי, וְכִי שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא דְּהֲוָה חַכִּים עַל כֹּלָּא, אֵיךְ אָמַר הָכִי דְּאִיהוּ חָמָא כֹּלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִיהוּ אָזִיל בַּחֲשׁוֹכֵי עָלְמָא דְּהָא כָּל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בַּחֲשׁוֹכֵי עָלְמָא, לָא חָמֵי מִדִי, וְלָא יָדַע מִדִי.
King Solomon said: “All have I seen in the days of my vanity” (Eccl. 7, 15). In the days of King Solomon the moon was full, and Solomon was the wisest of men and he saw all:
אֶלָּא הָכִי אִתְּמַר, בְּיוֹמוֹי דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, קַיְּימָא סִיהֲרָא בְּאַשְׁלְמוּתָא, וְאִתְחַכָּם שְׁלֹמֹה עַל כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, וּכְדֵין חָמָא כֹּלָּא, וְיָדַע כֹּלָּא. וּמַאי חָמָא. חָמָא כֹּ"ל, דְּלָא אַעְדֵּי מִן סִיהֲרָא. וַהֲוָה נָהִיר לָהּ שִׁמְשָׁא (ס"א ליה כשמשא). הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב אֶת הַכֹּל רָאִיתִי בִּימֵי הֶבְלִי. מַאן הֶבְלִי. דָּא סִיהֲרָא דְּאִתְכְּלִילַת מִן כֹּלָּא, מִן מַיָּא וְאֶשָּׁא וְרוּחָא כַּחֲדָא. כְּהֶבֶל דְּנָפִיק מִן פּוּמָא, דְּכָלִיל מִכֹּלָּא.
he saw “All” attached to the Moon and illuminating her like the sun.
וְהוּא חָמָא כֹּ"ל, בְּהַהוּא הֶבֶל דִּילֵיהּ, דְּאָחִיד בֵּיהּ. יֵשׁ צַדִּיק אוֹבֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ, תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּזִמְנָא דְּאַסְגִּיאוּ זַכָּאִין בְּעָלְמָא, הַאי כֹּ"ל לָא אַעְדֵּי מִן סִיהֲרָא לְעָלְמִין, וְהַאי כֹּ"ל נָטַל כָּל מְשַׁח וּרְבוּ וְחֵדוּ דִּלְעֵילָּא, וְאִתְמְלֵּי (ס"א ידוי ורוי) וְחַדֵּי וְרַבֵּי, בְּגִין לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בְּסִיהֲרָא, וְהוּא רָוַוח בְּגִינָהּ.
Now, when the righteous are numerous in the world, this “All” does not depart from the Sun, and receives all anointing and joy from above to unite with the Moon, for whose sake it is thus enriched.
וּבְזִמְנָא דְּאַסְגִּיאוּ חַיָּיבִין בְּעָלְמָא, וְסִיהֲרָא אִתְחַשְּׁכַת, כְּדֵין צַדִּיק אוֹבֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ, צַדִיק נֶאֱבַד לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא צַדִּיק אוֹבֵד, דְּהָא לָא אִתְחֲזֵי (נ"א אתחבר) בְּסִיהֲרָא, וְלָא נָטִיל מְשַׁח וּרְבוּ וְחֵדוּ לְמַלְיָּא לָהּ, וּלְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא עִמָּהּ. וְעַל דָּא צַדִיק אוֹבֵד, בְּצִדְקוֹ, דָּא סִיהֲרָא, דִּבְגִין סִיהֲרָא דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַחַת לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא עִמֵּיהּ, הוּא אָבִיד, דְּלָא שָׁאִיב מֵחֵידוּ כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה עָבִיד. וּכְדֵין כָּל סְטָר שְׂמָאלָא אִתְּעַר, וְחַיָּיבִין מַאֲרִיכִין בְּשַׁלְוָה בְּעָלְמָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, וְיֵשׁ רָשָׁע מַאֲרִיךְ בְּרָעָתוֹ. מַאי בְּרָעָתוֹ בְּהַהוּא סְטָר (נ"א בההיא רעה) דְּאִתְדְּבַק בֵּיהּ.
But when sinners are numerous in the world, and the Moon is darkened, the “Righteous One perisheth in his righteousness”, that is, he loses all this as he cannot unite with the Moon. Then, too, all the side of the left is aroused, and the prosperity of sinners is prolonged; hence it is written, “and there is a wicked man who prolongeth his life in his evildoing”.
תּוּ יֵשׁ צַדִּיק אוֹבֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ, דְּכַד חַיָּיבִין סְגִיאוּ בְּעָלְמָא, וְדִינָא תַּלְיָא (בחובייהו) צַדִּיק אוֹבֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ, אִיהוּ אִתְּפַס בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ, כְּגוֹן אַבָּא דְּאִתְפַּס בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ דִּבְנֵי מָאתֵיהּ, דַּהֲווֹ כֻּלְּהוּ חֲצִיפִין (לגביה), וְהוּא לָא אַסְהִיד בְּהוּ וְלָא אַכְסִיף לְהוּ לְעָלְמִין, וּמָחֵי בִּידָן, דְּלָא נִתְגְּרֵי בְּהוּ בְּרַשִׁיעַיָּא (נ"א ולא מחי בידיהון דלא מתגרו בהו). וַהֲוָה אָמַר לָן, (תהילים ל״ז:א׳) לְדָוִד אַל תִּתְחַר בַּמְּרֵעִים אַל תְּקַנֵּא בְּעוֹשֵׂי עַוְלָה. אָמַר אֲבוּי, וַדַּאי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַעְנִישׁ לִי בְּדָא, דְּהָא הֲוָה רְשׁוּ בִּידִי לִמְחֳאָה בִּידַיְיהוּ, וְלָא עֲבָדִית, וְלָא אַכְסִיפְנָא (נ"א אוכיחנא) לְהוּ, לָא בִּטְמִירוּ, וְלָא בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא.
Also we may interpret the words, “there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness”, to mean that when sinners multiply and judgement impends, the righteous man is seized for their sins, like my father, who has been punished for the sins of the townsfolk who are all law-breakers, because he did not chide them or try to stop them, taking as his guide the verse, “Quarrel not with evildoers, be not zealous against them that work unrighteousness”.’ His father said: ‘In truth God has punished me for this, because I had the power to prevent them and I did not do so, and I did not reprove them either openly or secretly.’
תּוּ פָּתַח בְּרֵיהּ אָחֳרָא וְאָמַר, (בראשית ב׳:ז׳) וַיִּיצֶר יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה וְגוֹ'. וַיִּיצֶר יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים, בִּתְרֵי יוֹדִין, בִּתְרֵין יִצְרִין, יֵצֶר טוֹב וְיֵצֶר רָע, חַד לָקֳבֵל מַיָּא, וְחַד לָקֳבֵל אֶשָּׁא. יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים, שֵׁם מָלֵא. אֶת הָאָדָם, כָּלִיל דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא. עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה, דָּא עַפְרָא דְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּמִתַּמָּן אִתְבְּרֵי, וְהוּא אֲתַר דְּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא.
His other son then cited the verse: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground”, etc. (Gen. 2, 7). ‘Man was formed with two inclinations, the good and the evil, one corresponding to Water and the other to Fire. The word “man” (adam) indicates a combination of male and female. The dust from which he was formed was that of the Holy Land, of the Sanctuary.