Torah Portion
The Search For Happiness
Starts With Involvement
sun, in the place of justice, the wicked-
ness that was there; and in the place of
righteousness that wickedness was there
... But I returned and considered all the
oppressions that are one under the sun,
and beheld the tears of such that were
oppressed; and they had no comforters,
and on the side of their oppressors
there was power ..."
The prophets of Israel also saw what
hemeni Atzeret, the eighth day
Ecclesiastes
saw, but they were stirred
of the festival of Sukkot, is
by indignation. They were aroused to
marked by the reading of
excoriate, to denounce, the evils of
the book of Ecclesiastes, or
their time. They sought to uplift the
in
Hebrew.
Kohelet
fallen, to raise the weak and
As we read Kohelet, we accompany a
to bring succor to those in
gentle cynic on a tour of life.
distress. They demanded that
We join a witty, but somewhat
man repent and that the
skeptical philosopher on his
institutions of society
journey. The author is in quest
become cleansed from moral
of happiness. His discerning
corruption. They expressed a
and critical eye roams every-
profound and moving pathos
where. He goes from place to
for the afflictions of the
place; he engages in pursuit
downtrodden. They carried
after pursuit, but to no avail.
the burden of anguish of the
Neither pleasure nor posses-
dispossessed. And they thun-
sions, nor mirth, nor friend-
RABBI IRWIN
dered that "justice well up as
ship, nor knowledge — brings
GRO NER
the water and righteousness
to him the desired happiness.
Specia 1 to the
as a mighty stream."
He concludes again and
Jewish News
Ecclesiastes looks at his
again after every experiment,
age with detachment, with
"Vanity of vanities, all is
disinterest. He scrutinizes people as a
vanity." It is strange indeed to come
in
the
botanist examines his species. He
Kohelet
upon the author of
impales his subjects on a scalpel for
Bible. For this cynic rubs elbows with
study. He looks at humanity through
patriarchs, with God-intoxicated
a microscope, [he is] the remote and
psalmists, with faith-inflamed teach-
neutral man of research. Because he is
ers, with religion-centered historians.
uninvolved, his work lacks the moral
The author's eye uncovers many phe-
passion and the spiritual power of
nomena that are true. He describes facts
other books of the Bible.
that cannot be denied. But this interpre-
Jewish tradition asserts that happiness
tation of the facts, the conclusions he
can be found in the privilege of being a
draws from them, the philosophy he
co-worker with God in the ongoing act
erects upon them — these can and
of creation. Emily Dickinson found the
ought to be questioned and challenged.
worthwhileness of life in small acts of
Kohelet's conclusions derive not so
goodness, writing: "If I can stop one
much from the facts, as from his own
heart from breaking, I shall not live in
aloofness, his melancholy and his
vain. If I can ease one life from aching or
seeming inability to be more than an
cool one pain or help one fainting robin
observer. This book exudes a detach-
to his nest again, I shall not live in vain."
ment unwarmed by sympathy, unin-
We wish that Ecclesiastes could have
formed by love.
found the goal of his search for happi-
Kohelet doesn't identify with the
ness. Kohelet's failure to find happiness
people around him. He stands, as it
can teach us where to search for it. 1-1
were, outside the fence, as people at
the zoo do, watching the antics with-
in. He never steps down from his lofty
observation post to enter the lives of
humanity, to share their struggles, to
experience sympathetically their pains
List some things that make you
or to rejoice in their joy.
happy; how do they fit into the
For example, in the third and fourth
idea that "all is vanity"? In what
chapters, Ecclesiastes makes certain
ways can we share in the lives of
observations about justice and evil, say-
our fellow man without being
ing: "And moreover, I saw under the
invasive? How can we "work with
Shabbat Shemini Atzeret:
Deuteronomy 14:22-
16:17; Numbers 29:35-
30:1; I Kings 8:54-66
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Conversations
God" in bettering life on earth?
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek.