Wisdom from King Solomon teaches the key to a meaningful life - opinion

When I bought my house in Israel and spent my first rainy week there, I was greeted by an unexpected surprise: water dripping from the ceiling right into my salon. I absolutely lost it – I mean, I couldn’t cope. I found myself frantically running around, grabbing buckets and bowls, trying to contain the deluge. 

And all I could think was: How on earth had I spent over 50 years in Manchester, England – a city famous for little else but its football teams and incessant rain – without ever having rain come inside my house?

Yet here I was, in the dry Middle East, in a city that gets a mere fraction of Manchester’s annual rainfall, and water was pouring in like we were in the middle of a monsoon.

Since then, I’ve mellowed out quite a bit. I’ve come to realize that in Israel, a leaking house is almost a rite of passage.

Everyone’s roof leaks at some point, and chasing after total dryness is a fool’s errand. So, I’ve learned to take it in stride – mostly. But my newfound calm was put to the test this week when things took a decidedly more unpleasant turn.

The drains blocked, and before we knew it, raw sewage began bubbling up from beneath the toilet and bathroom cupboards. It was one of those moments when you just can’t believe what’s happening right in front of you. My wife and I did a very passable impression of King Canute attempting to stem the encroaching tide of pooh armed only with a humble magav (mop).

Our local plumber came to the rescue, and after three and a half hours of being literally up to his arms in you know what, the problem was solved.

My wife was super-impressed with my laid-back approach, and, to be honest, so was I.

I was assisted by a shiur (Torah lesson) I had given just two days earlier about the book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) for a project of learning and self-improvement in my community. It was time for me to practice what I preached.

The Book of Kohelet has long been considered one of the most enigmatic and thought-provoking texts in the Hebrew Bible.

On the surface, it appears to be the melancholic musings of an old and weary King Solomon, who looks back on his life and sees it as futile. “Vanity of vanities,” he declares. “All is vanity.” It is easy to read Kohelet as a bleak and nihilistic reflection on the pointlessness of human existence. Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest of kings, seems to lament that all his pursuits – whether they be of wealth, power, wisdom, or pleasure – have been in vain. 

The refrain “There is nothing new under the sun” punctuates the text, reinforcing the notion that everything is repetitive and ultimately meaningless. The book appears to suggest that since we are all destined to die, the accumulation of material wealth and achievements is merely chasing the wind.

Looking deeper at Kohelet to find meaning 

However, to interpret Kohelet solely as a treatise on the futility of life would be to miss a crucial aspect of its message. 

Upon closer examination, the book is punctuated by passages that discuss joy – seven distinct moments when Solomon reflects on the importance of finding joy in life, despite its inherent difficulties. These moments of joy offer a counterpoint to the overarching theme of vanity and help us understand the deeper meaning of the text.

The key message of Kohelet is not that life is devoid of meaning, but rather that meaning is not found in the relentless pursuit of material pleasures and external achievements. 

Indeed, life can be challenging, and if one spends it solely chasing after wealth, power, or pleasure, the result will be a sense of emptiness and futility. Yet, within the rhythm of life’s daily struggles and inevitable hardships, there are moments of joy – moments that should be recognized, cherished, and savored.

Kohelet teaches us the importance of differentiating between happiness and joy. People often perceive happiness as a constant state of contentment and fulfillment.

However, this kind of happiness is elusive and difficult to maintain, especially in a world fraught with challenges and uncertainties. For instance, how many people in our country can truly say they are happy today? We face implacable enemies from all sides and threats to our very existence; our hostages are being held in a hellhole and then murdered; and the rising tide of antisemitism around the world lingers like the stench of sewage from our blocked drain. In such a reality, happiness is hard to come by.

Appreciating the moments of joy during adversity 

However, even in the midst of such adversity, we can still experience moments of joy. These are the fleeting, precious instances that pierce through the gloom and remind us of what is truly valuable in life. 

Joy is found in the celebrations that mark our lives: the simcha (joyous occasion) in the family, the brit milah (circumcision), the bar mitzvah, the wedding. It is also found in much simpler, everyday moments – the joy of seeing a child achieve a milestone, such as finishing another year of school, riding a bike for the first time, or learning to swim.

These moments of joy are not grand or extraordinary; they are the small, everyday events that bring us closer to our loved ones and help us feel connected to the world around us. 

My seven-year-old granddaughter called me while I was in the middle of writing this article to show me a picture she had painted for me. That simple act of love and creativity filled me with joy – a joy that is meaningful precisely because it arises amid the ordinary, and sometimes difficult, moments of life.

Kohelet teaches us to appreciate these moments of joy, especially in the face of life’s apparent vanities. The book is not a rejection of life but rather a guide to living it wisely.

It reminds us that while the pursuit of material wealth and pleasures may ultimately prove unsatisfying, the experiences that bring us true joy are those that connect us to others, to our families, and to our communities. These moments are what give life its meaning and richness.

In this way, Kohelet offers a profound and timeless message. Life is not about the endless quest for happiness through external means. Instead, it is about recognizing and savoring the moments of joy that come our way, even – perhaps especially – when life is tough. 

By embracing these moments, we find a deeper and more enduring sense of purpose and fulfillment in a world that often seems chaotic and uncertain. 

This is the wisdom that Kohelet imparts: In a world full of vanities, savoring the moment of joy is the key to a meaningful life.

The writer is a rabbi and physician who lives in Ramat Poleg, Netanya, and is a cofounder of Techelet-Inspiring Judaism.