Happy New Year from Ecclesiastes

To all who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, a big Happy New Year from Legal Planet.

And what would a Jewish holiday on a legal website be without a text?  In this case, the text is Kohelet Rabbah, the 8th Century CE rabbinic commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes.  The rabbis read Ecclesiastes’ line (7:13), “See the work of God..”, and commented:

When the Holy One, Blessed be He, created Adam, He took him and caused him to pass before all the trees of the Garden of Eden.  He said to him, ‘See how beautiful and praiseworthy are my works; and all that I have created, I have created for your sake.  Take heed that you do not damage and destroy My world, for if you do, there will be no one else to repair it.’

It’s a good meditation to bring in the New Year.  Shanah Tovah u’Metukah.

Ecclesiastes, Judaism, Religion, religious stewardship