Megillas Koheles explained with Rabbi Mordechai Goodman
Megillas Koheles (The Scroll of Ecclesiastes) was written around the Jewish year 2963 (797 BCE) by King Solomon and set by the Anshei Knesses Hagedolah (The Men of the Great Assembly) as one of the written works of the Torah. This is one of the most profound works in scripture. A superficial reading cannot grant understanding of this work. One must study it deeply, referencing concepts presented across the lexicon of classical Jewish writings to grasp the condensed wisdom in each verse.
Little, if anything, about this work can be understood (correctly) if one reads it superficially: It’s designed to be studied.
King Solomon, a man granted a Divine gift of wisdom as a child, wrote Koheles as a retrospective at the end of his life. He ponders events and times pointing to an underlying purpose. Written with cryptic depth, Koheles, one of Solomon’s personal names, frequently talks to the reader as a cherished student, pointing out pitfalls in life and how to avoid them, like a caring father admonishing a child about to embark on their life-path.
Even commentaries to the Megillah of Koheles aren’t easily understood. This lack of unhindered access reveals just how profound the work is and how much prerequisite background knowledge is expected before one commences such study.
When approaching this sobering, thought provoking work, different commentators present layered, complex ideas showing different facets of approaching the theme being discussed. Part of the challenge while researching this work is to thoroughly understand the background data before you can apply their explanations to the main text. The more you research it, the more you realise how condensed this work is.
Some of the topics discussed are: What is the ultimate wisdom? Why do the wicked seem to prosper while good people seem to suffer? What is the concept of the soul and how does it interface with the body? Do both body and soul receive reward, and if so, how? Are our lives predestined or do we have free will? What role does the Zodiac play in the system?
Can free will change destiny, and if so, how? What restraints on life’s pleasures are incorrect and what are desirable? Why is raising a family important for one’s own development? What’s reincarnation and what is the effect of it? How does the death process affect the soul? All in all, what should be the over arcing principles in life?
In this course, Rabbi Mordechai Goodman, of Jewish Education in Manchester (JEM), provides background and cultural placement of related ideas, chapter overviews and deep verse-by-verse analysis. This course also explores some of the essential themes running through Megillas Koheles.
We hope this will provide you deep insight into, and appreciation of, the messages of this most profound and deeply stimulating Megillah.