This post is kind of a sequel (READ: left over notes from) last year's post: "Koheles, This Bud's For You"
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Here are some somewhat random thoughts on my favorite megillah - Koheles (Ecclesiastes).
I was happy to see that my favorite line from Yom Kippur comes up in Koheles.
All came from the dust and all return to the dust. (3:20)True dat.
While I agree with a lot of what Koheles has to say (his very comfortless look on life in particular) he is wrong in a number of places. Despite what he says in 1:9 there are new things under the sun. To take two examples from Koheles itself (11:5) we can predict the wind (to a certain point). And we can be pretty sure about the gender of an embryo. His science was also way off (the sun also doesn't go around the sky at night 1:6).
Interestingly, Koheles stops questioning the injustice of the world and gets behind God when he talks about not questioning The King/God's authority. And even seems to make a threat:
5:1 don't mess around with what you say to god
5:3 if you promise something to god pay up quick
5:7 don't question what you see as injustice. There are higher ups working on it and you dont know what's going on.
10:20 you shall not curse a king... For the bird of heaven shall carry the voice
Is Koheles really fearful of god? Or was he actually a real ruler (Shlomo?) and used this text as back-handed way of saying "don't screw with me/the King"?
Finally, I think all skeptics can agree with 1:18 - "He who increases knowledge increases pain."
Ain't that the truth.
A gutten moed everyone.
2 comments:
I think Ecclesiastes is a collection of pithy-sayings, so-called "wisdom literature" akin to Proverbs.
Looking up the verses you mentioned... one lesson Ecclesiastes is teaching is that one should not promise too much or criticize too loudly, lest he disappoint or fail to deliver or make enemies.
5:7 is particularly interesting, as the sourcetext for Watchmen. I'm not sure how the verse makes sense, although certainly that kind of injustice is still going on. Nothing new under the sun, I suppose.
I like the post, and I definitely agree with the direct correlation between knowledge and pain.
On the other hand, "ignorance is bliss" is true only until ignorance bites you in the ass. If you are ignorant about the fire starting in the next room, you are screwed.
And some of us seem to be utter masochists and search for knowledge that we know will pain us, because we care more about what is true than what is comfortable, something that theists and religious people don't seem to understand.
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