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Why does Koheles 9:7 speak of eating and drinking with joy after God has approved our deeds? Two contrasting Midrashim about divine forgiveness reveal that true teshuva (תשובה) restructures obligations rather than erasing them completely. This maintains human dignity by requiring meaningful contribution within one's abilities - a principle with applications to chinuch and social policy.
Rabbi Zweig analyzes Koheles 9:7 - "Go eat your bread with joy and drink with a good heart your wine, for God has already approved of your deeds" - through the lens of two different Midrashim that present contrasting approaches to divine forgiveness. The first Midrash, from Midrash Tanchuma in Parshas Emor, uses the parable of a king forgiving a city's tax debt in stages, relating this to the forgiveness process from Erev Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, culminating in Sukkos (סוכות). This approach suggests complete discharge of obligations, similar to bankruptcy, but requires future responsibility demonstrated through mitzvah (מצוה) observance on Sukkos. The second Midrash, found in Midrash Rabbah on Koheles, focuses solely on the Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur period without mentioning Sukkos, suggesting a payment restructuring rather than complete forgiveness. Rabbi Zweig draws a parallel to modern bankruptcy law, explaining that while bankruptcy discharges debts to incentivize future productivity, it can also create unhealthy dependency. The Torah (תורה) approach, he argues, never completely discharges obligations but rather restructures them to manageable levels. This allows people to maintain dignity by contributing something within their means - whether through fasting, prayer, or other forms of service.
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Koheles 9:7
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Why does Koheles call Torah study, marriage, and work all forms of 'seeing life'? The shiur develops that these three activities share a unique power to redefine identity through bechirah - not just choosing actions, but choosing to become someone new. True marriage means internalizing your spouse's worldview, meaningful work actualizes your destined identity, and Torah transforms your essence.
