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Why does Koheles include exile among inevitable life cycles when it seems conditional on our sins? The principle of true protection requiring eventual independence explains both Yishmael's banishment and Jewish exile as divine mercy. Galus forces Jews to bond across ethnic divisions, while Yishmael gained the independence to develop away from destructive influences.
Rabbi Zweig analyzes Koheles 3:6, where King Shlomo states 'there is a time to guard and a time to throw away,' which Rashi (רש"י) explains as referring to when Hashem (ה׳) guards us versus when He casts us out of Israel. Unlike other verses in Koheles that describe natural life cycles, this seems to imply that exile is not inevitable but conditional on our sins. This raises the question of why it belongs in a list of universal human experiences. The analysis begins with the story of Sarah's demand that Avrohom send away Yishmael due to his involvement in idolatry, adultery, and attempts to kill Yitzchok. When Hashem tells Avrohom to listen to Sarah's voice, Rashi emphasizes 'voice' (kol) rather than simply 'Sarah,' indicating divine inspiration rather than mere spousal authority. Critically, Hashem prefaced this command by telling Avrohom 'it should not be bad in your eyes' regarding sending away the boy.
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Koheles 3:6
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Why does God hide our time of death from us when this creates contradictory impulses - living morally as if death is imminent while remaining productive as if we have years ahead? The shiur uses Rashi's dual explanation to show that death isn't intrinsic to our bodies, so we feel vibrantly alive and can build for the future. When facing imminent death, the perspective shifts entirely to emphasizing eternal existence rather than temporal endings.
