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How can Rashi (רש"י) say thieves don't outlive their crimes when they clearly benefit and leave inheritances? The analysis of Yaakov at the well reveals a money-driven culture in Aram where people lacked professional pride, working only for revenue rather than craftsmanship. When theft or work becomes purely about money rather than professional satisfaction, people lose the ability to enjoy true fulfillment.
Rabbi Zweig begins by analyzing a seemingly paradoxical statement in Rashi (רש"י) on Koheles 1:4. The verse states 'A generation goes, a generation comes, and the earth endures forever,' which Rashi interprets as referring to thieves who don't outlive their ill-gotten gains. The difficulty is that thieves do seem to benefit from their crimes during their lifetime, passing wealth to their children, so how can Rashi say they don't outlive their actions? Rabbi Zweig explains that Rashi is troubled by the unusual word order - the verse says the generation 'goes' before the new one 'comes,' which contradicts natural order where new generations are born before old ones die. This leads Rashi to interpret 'going' not as dying, but as departing without true benefit from their crimes. The main teaching emerges through Rabbi Zweig's analysis of the story of Yaakov at the well in Bereishis. He points out several peculiarities in the text: the Torah (תורה) consistently refers to the flocks without mentioning shepherds, creating grammatical confusion where sheep seem to water themselves and roll stones. Yet when Rochel appears, the Torah specifically and unnecessarily identifies her as a shepherdess. Additionally, Yaakov's behavior seems inappropriate - he tells complete strangers how to do their jobs, whether they're employees or owners.
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Koheles 1:4
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