Oct 15, 2024
Kohelet 3 | To Everything a Season, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom
What is the wisdom hiding behind the famous "Song of the Seasons" in Kohelet 3?
The third chapter of Kohelet begins with a famous poem, where the author presents 28 "seasons", some positive and some drastic, noting that there is a time for each of them. The choice of these 28 "times" has long challenged commentators; even more difficult is the sequence and hierarchy of these choices or experiences. Using Kohelet's own weltanschauung and utilizing literary structural analysis, we propose an explanation that not only explains the selection of these "times", but also their unusual sequence.