Midrash
Kohelet Rabbah 2:3 קהלת רבה ב׳:ג׳
Part of: Chapter 2
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תַּרְתִּי בְלִבִּי לִמְשׁוֹךְ בַּיַיִן, אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה: תַּרְתִּי בְלִבִּי לִמְשׁוֹךְ בַּיַּיִן, לִמְשֹׁךְ בְּיֵינָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, אֶת בְּשָׂרִי, וְלִבִּי נֹהֵג בַּחָכְמָה, בְּחָכְמָתָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה. וְלֶאֱחֹז בְּסִכְלוּת, רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּעָא קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי אַחָא מַהוּ דֵין דִּכְתִיב וְלֶאֱחֹז בְּסִכְלוּת, אָמַר לֵיהּ לֶאֱחֹז בְּסֻכְלָנוּתָא.
“I searched in my heart to tempt my flesh with wine, and, my heart conducting itself with wisdom, to grasp folly, until I will see which is best for the sons of man that they should perform under the heaven during the limited days of their lives” (Ecclesiastes 2:3).
“I searched in my heart to tempt [my flesh] with wine” – Solomon said: “I searched in my heart to tempt [my flesh] with wine,” to tempt my flesh with the wine of Torah; “and my heart, conducting itself with wisdom,” with the wisdom of Torah. “To grasp folly” – Rabbi Yudan raised a question before Rabbi Aḥa: What is this that is written: “To grasp folly [sikhlut]”? He said: To grasp with wisdom [sukhlenuta].11He interprets sikhlut to mean wisdom, as in the word sukhlenuta; this is the opposite of the common translation of sikhlut.
“I searched in my heart to tempt my flesh with wine, and, my heart conducting itself with wisdom, to grasp folly, until I will see which is best for the sons of man that they should perform under the heaven during the limited days of their lives” (Ecclesiastes 2:3).
“I searched in my heart to tempt [my flesh] with wine” – Solomon said: “I searched in my heart to tempt [my flesh] with wine,” to tempt my flesh with the wine of Torah; “and my heart, conducting itself with wisdom,” with the wisdom of Torah. “To grasp folly” – Rabbi Yudan raised a question before Rabbi Aḥa: What is this that is written: “To grasp folly [sikhlut]”? He said: To grasp with wisdom [sukhlenuta].11He interprets sikhlut to mean wisdom, as in the word sukhlenuta; this is the opposite of the common translation of sikhlut.