"That which befalls the sons of men befalls the beasts"

18. Rabbi Chizkiyah and Rabbi Yesa were traveling along the road. Rabbi Yesa said to Rabbi Chizkiyah: I see by your face that you are thoughtful. He said: Certainly so, I read this verse, where Solomon said, "For that which befalls the sons of men befalls the beasts; even one thing befalls them both... " (Kohelet 3:19). We have learned that King Solomon's sayings are made unclear with grades of wisdom. If so, we must contemplate it, since we find an opening here for non believers.

19. He answered him: It is most certainly true THAT THERE EXISTS AN OPENING TO NON-BELIEVERS. It is important to be aware of it and pay attention to it. While talking, they noticed a man who approached them and asked for water, since he was thirsty and tired from the sun's strong heat. They said to him: Who are you? He responded: I am Jewish and I'm tired and thirsty. They asked him: Do you study Torah? He said to them, Before I engage in a conversation with you, let me climb this mountain. There I will take water and drink.

20. Rabbi Yesa took out a skin-hide full of water and presented it to him. After he drank, he said: Let us ascend with you TO THE MOUNTAIN for water. They climbed the mountain and found a narrow stream of water and filled a container. They sat down. That man said to them: Ask now, since I strive in the Torah through one of my sons that I have enrolled in the school, AND HE TAUGHT ME TORAH. For his sake, I have made gains in the Torah. Rabbi Chizkiyah said: If YOU MADE GAINS IN TORAH through your son, it is nice. However, I must elevate what we are discussing at present to another height, MEANING THAT HE IS NOT WISE ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN THEIR QUESTION. That man spoke: Speak up, since sometimes in the grain-receiver of the poor, THAT IS THE VESSEL ON TOP OF THE MILLSTONE, you will find a precious stone.

21. He quoted the verse that Solomon spoke, and related to him THE ENTIRE DILEMMA. He asked him: How are you different from other people who do not know? They replied to him: How DO YOU EXPLAIN THE VERSE? He said to them: Regarding it, Solomon said this verse, but he did not say it from his own IDEAS as HE SAID the rest; he simply repeated what the fools of the world say. What do they say? That is: "for that which befalls the sons of men befalls the beasts..." The fools who are not aware and do not see things with wisdom say that this world is led by chance. The Holy One, blessed be He, is not paying attention to them, but "that which befalls the sons of men befalls the beasts; even one thing befalls them both..."

22. When Solomon gazed at the fools who said this, he called them beasts, since they made themselves actual beasts by what they said. From where do we derive this? The preceding verse proves it, since it is written: "I said in my heart, after the speech of the sons of men, that the Elohim has chosen them out, but only to see that they themselves are but as beasts" (Kohelet 3:18). "I said in my heart" and I planned to observe. Observe what? "The speech of the sons of men" and the foolish sayings that they utter, THAT THE WORLD CONTINUES BY CHANCE. "That the Elohim has chosen them out," MEANING THAT ELOHIM HAS PICKED THEM OUT to be separated and they should not join with other people that have faith, "but only to see that they themselves are but as beasts." "TO SEE" MEANING that those who have faith will see that these are really beasts, and they think like animals. "They themselves" MEANS THAT they are on their own and they shall not bring these foolish ideas to those who are faithful. Therefore, it is "they themselves" and not others. What is their idea? ABOUT THIS, THE VERSE CONCLUDES: "That which befalls the sons of men befalls the beasts; even one thing befalls them both..." Let these beasts die, these foolish ones who are faithless. Woe to them and woe to their souls. It would have been better to them if they would not have come into this world.

23. And what did Solomon respond to them? This FOLLOWS in the next verse and says: "Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upwards, and the spirit of the beast goes downwards to the earth" (Ibid. 21). "Who knows" these foolish who are not cognizant in the reverence of the High King and do not look into the Torah. "The spirit of man goes upwards," MEANING to a higher place, to a precious place, to a holy place. It goes upward to be sustained by the supernal light, by the light of the Holy King, to be bound in the bundle of life and to be in the presence of the Holy King as a pure burnt offering (Heb. olah). That is the meaning of "goes upwards (Heb. olah)."

24. "And the spirit of the beast goes downwards to the earth:'' It is not to the same place designated for all the humans, about whom it is written, "For in the image of Elohim made He man" (Beresheet 9:6), and, "The soul of man is the candle of Hashem" (Mishlei 20:27). How could these fools, those who are not of the Faithful, say, "They have all one breath" (Kohelet 3:19)? Let them breathe their last. About them, it is written: "Let them be as chaff before the wind; the angel of Hashem thrusting them" (Tehilim 35:5). They shall remain in Gehenom, in its lower levels, and shall not ascend from there for generations to come. About them, it is written: "They will be consumed out of the earth, and the wicked will be no more. Bless you Hashem, O my soul, Haleluyah" (Tehilim 104:35). Rabbi Chizkiyah and Rabbi Yesa approached and kissed his head. They said: there is so much in you, yet we did not know. Happy is this time that we have met with you.

25. Furthermore, he said: Did Solomon wonder about this alone? We find him saying something similar on another occasion. He opened the discussion with the verse: "This is an evil in all things that are done under the sun" (Kohelet 9:3). "This is an evil:'' Certainly, what is evil? That is one who spills his seed in vain and destroys his path, since he does not reside with the Holy One, blessed be He, and will not have a part in the World to Come. This is what is written: "For you are not an El that has pleasure in wickedness: nor shall evil dwell with You" (Tehilim 5:5). About this, he said, "This is an evil," for he will have no dwelling above, "that there is one event to all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart" (Kohelet 9:3). While they live, foolishness is stuck in their heart. They are lacking faith and have no part in the Holy One, blessed be He, or in these faithful ones, not in this world and not in the World to Come, as it is written: "And after that they go to the dead" (Ibid.).

26. Come and see that the Holy One, blessed be He, warns the people and says, "Therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live" (Devarim 30:19). That is the life of that world. And these wicked who lack Faith, what do they say? "For to him that is joined (choose) TO ALL THE LIVING THERE IS HOPE" (Kohelet 9:4). Although the man will choose that world, as he says, it means nothing, as we have this tradition handed to us. "To all the living there is hope," MEANING THE LIFE IN THIS WORLD. They have that tradition handed to them, "for a living dog is better than a dead lion" (Ibid.). How can we have life in that world? Therefore, "this is an evil" and certainly they will not dwell by the King up high and will have no part in Him. And although you could find other supports to the friends, NAMELY INTERPRETATIONS, for all these verses, yet most certainly Solomon came to reveal to the wicked lacking Faith that they have no part in the Holy One, blessed be He, not in this world nor in the World to Come.

27. They said to him: Would you like us to join you so that you will go with us? He replied to them: If I do this, the Torah calls me a fool and not only that, I would be risking my life. They asked him why. He replied to them: Since I am a messenger sent on a mission, and King Solomon said, "He that sends a message by the hand of the fool cuts off his own feet, and drinks in damage" (Mishlei 26:6). Come and see: The spies, because they were found to be unfaithful and untrustworthy messengers, risked their lives in this world and the World to Come. He kissed them and left.

28. Rabbi Chizkiyah and Rabbi Yesa continued traveling along. As they went, they met some people. Rabbi Chizkiyah and Rabbi Yesa asked about him. They said: What is the name of that person? They replied: That is Rabbi Chagai and he is a friend among the friends. The friends sent him from Babylon to find out about things from Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the rest of the friends. Rabbi Yesa said: That must be the Rabbi Chagai who all his life did not wish to show off what he knows and, therefore, he told us that his son has merited the gain of his Torah knowledge. Since he said: "See you a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope of a fool than of him" (Mishlei 26:12). He most certainly is a faithful messenger and praised is he who dispatches his matters by the hand of a faithful messenger.

29. Come and see that Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, was from the children of Canaan, as it is written: "As for the merchant (Heb. knaan), the balances of deceit are in his hands" (Hoshea 12:8). About Canaan, it is written: "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brethren" (Beresheet 9:25). Because Eliezer was a faithful messenger, it is written about him: "Come in, you blessed of Hashem" (Beresheet 24:31), really blessed of Hashem. Therefore, it is written so in the Torah since he has emerged from the curse OF CANAAN, and became blessed. He was not only excluded FROM THE CURSE, but he was also blessed it the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. And I learned that an angel came and inserted this - THAT HE SHOULD CALL HIM "BLESSED OF HASHEM" - into the mouth of Laban.