Semuchim M'yad - Connecting Koheles With the End of Mishlei

Okay, again, fetal everyone. I could yumtif. Okay, we also were trying to find the connection between safer Koheles and the previous safer in Tanakh, like we did for each of the parshas, and we've done this for previous megillas. For example, we did it with Esther, we did it with Eicha, we did it with Rus and Tehillim. So, the first thing we need to identify is, okay, what safer is Koheles connected to? So, the Gemara says in Bava Basra, daf yud alef amud beis, sidron shel kesuvim, the order of kesuvim is Rus and safer Tehillim. Ve'Iyov, u'Mishlei, Koheles. That means Koheles is connected to Mishlei. Koheles is connected to Mishlei. What's the connection? So, obviously, simply, they're both written by HaMelech. Okay, but that alone is not enough, the fact that they're both written by HaMelech. These are not the only two books he wrote. Actually, there's a big machlokes, which book did HaMelech write first? Did he write Shir HaShirim? Did he write Mishlei? Did he write Koheles? So, Reb if you look in the Koheles Rabbah Aleph or Shir HaShirim Rabbah Aleph, Reb Chiya HaGadol says, he first wrote Mishlei, then Shir HaShirim, then Koheles. According to that, there's there's not really a hemshech between Mishlei and Koheles because he did not write it in that order. First, he wrote Mishlei, then Shir HaShirim, then Koheles. But then, in a braisa of Reb Chiya HaGadol, it says he wrote them all at the same time. Reb Yochanan ben Zakkai says Shir HaShirim, then Mishlei, then Koheles. According to the Yona son, the sidron, the smukhim is very clear. The reason why Koheles comes out of after Mishlei is cuz first he wrote Mishlei and right after he wrote Koheles. But I want to share with you two two connections between Mishlei and Koheles. At the end of Mishlei it says sheker hachein, v'hevel hayofi. You know the last perek of Mishlei is eishes chayil. So it says sheker hachein, v'hevel hayofi. Eesha yiras Hashem hi tis'halal, says Rashi. A woman of grace and beauty is not inherently praiseworthy. It's hevel. Sheker hachein. Her beauty is hevel. What's valued? Eesha yiras Hashem hi tis'halal. So that flows beautifully. Sheker hachein. V'hevel hayofi. Beauty is hevel. Beauty is hevel. What has value is yiras Hashem. And then says, "Havel havalim, amar Koheles. Havel havalim, hakol havel." And he repeats that at the end of the sefer. And what is that What has value? "Sof davar, hakol nishma." So just like Mishlei ends, sheker hachein, hevel hayofi. What has value? Yiras Shamayim. Koheles begins also, "Havel havalim." The The empty values of this world are valueless. What has value is "Sof davar, hakol nishma." Here's one one additional idea. Rashi says at the end of Mishlei that the whole eishes chayil, don't tell this to your wife, this is not a song praising the woman of valor. It's praising the Torah. Your wife thinks Friday night you come home and you sing her like uh a tribute. There is no reason you should dispel her of that notion. However, it's not it's a it's a a song of tribute to the Torah because Shabbat is the day of learning of Torah. It's also a song for your wife, why not? And therefore Rashi explains how the whole Aishes Chayil is referring to the Torah. Rashi says Tanu la mipri yada. Reward those who engage in Torah when la'asid lavo in the future. Mipri yada, what will she achieve in Olam Haba? Tiferes, Gedulah, Oiz, Pe'er, Memshalah. And in the beginning of Koheles, what does it say? Ma yisron la'adam b'chol amalo sheyamo tachas hashemesh. Rashi says, what reward will a person gain if he engages in something instead of the sun? The sun is a reference to Torah. There's no real achievement if you engage in pursuits in exchange of Torah. So say Chacham explains, whatever you do in this world instead of learning Torah, it has no real advantage. But if you engage in Torah, it has a great s'char in Olam Haba. So therefore, Mishlei ends Tanu la mipri yada, it ends with the great reward for Talmid Torah in the world to come. As so too Koheles begins, Ma yisron la'adam, you don't really have a real uh reward for pursuits in this world at tachas hashemesh in lieu of Talmid Torah. So that's another connection between the end of Mishlei and the beginning of Sefer Koheles. Okay, I want to share with you one other item. >> Recording stopped.