Based on Ahavas Chesed vol. 3 chapter 4

Koheles 9:9 teaches, “Enjoy life with a woman you love all the days of your futile life that have been given you under the sun—all your futile days – because that is your portion in life.” The next verse continues, “Everything that is within your ability to do, do it with all your might, because there is no deed, no accounting, no knowledge and no wisdom in the grave, which is where you are going.” (Pretty grim, I know. Be patient – surprises are coming!)

The Chofetz Chaim understands these verses through a parable: Imagine a wealthy man who is also knowledgeable in numerous disciplines and has the luxury to pursue studies in his many areas of interest. Unfortunately, he lost his wealth and had to go seeking employment. He thought that he could find a job paying six figures a week (to use our terminology) based on how learned he was. Unfortunately, he was in for a rude awakening when he discovered that no one required his particular skill set (such as it was). After knocking on many doors, he came to realize that he was going to starve to death if he didn’t change his approach, and fast! Rather, he had to accept any job he could find. He found a menial position with a modest salary and was grateful to have it. He later ran into a friend and told him of his new occupation.

“That’s no job for someone like you!” the friend exclaimed. “Someone with your education should be doing something intellectual and making six figures a week!”

“I thought so, too,” the man said, “but such jobs were not to be found and it became a matter of survival. I’m grateful for any employment Hashem sends my way!”

Let’s now apply this to our verses from Koheles.

There are three things a person must pursue in this world. In descending order of importance, they are:

1. Torah study, the reward for which is greater than all other mitzvos (as well as the consequence of neglecting it);
2. Teshuvah (reprentance), which is also something God values greatly in us; and
3. Pursing other mitzvos and good deeds. Mishlei 21:21 teaches, “One who pursues tzedakah and chesed will find life, righteousness and honor.”

One more thing we must know as we analyze these verses is that our Sages understand the wisdom and knowledge in these verses to refer to Torah, which is the origin of all wisdom and knowledge. “Accounting” refers to teshuvah, which comes about through introspection (see Baba Basra 78a).

Okay, now let’s reevaluate those verses.

“Enjoy life with a woman you love” – A wife is a symbol for Torah (see Kiddushin 30b), and to “love” her means to pursue study in those areas of Torah about which you are most passionate (Avodah Zarah 19a).

“all the days of your futile life” – We shouldn’t let even a single day go by without Torah study, which, as we have said, is the single most important thing. Strengthening ourselves in Torah will lead to us do teshuvah and perform good deeds. (We see this chain of events reflected in the Shemoneh Esrei’s bracha for teshuvah, which first asks that we be drawn near to Torah and the service of God.)

“Everything that is within your ability to do, do it with all your might” – Sometimes we’re preoccupied – so preoccupied that we don’t have the presence of mind to study Torah or perform the introspection necessary for teshuvah. And if we don’t have the presence of mind for Torah and teshuvah, which are #1 and #2 on the list, we might bow out of doing mitzvos, which is #3. That’s the wrong attitude, which is why Shlomo (the author of Koheles) exhorts us to do whatever we can. You know why? Because there is no deed (mitzvos), no accounting (teshuvah), and no knowledge or wisdom (Torah) in the grave, which is where we’ll all end up eventually. So, whatever we can do in the here and now, we should do while we’re able!

Now consider the words “with all your might.” What does this add? Let’s emphasize the word “your.” Whatever you can do, you should do, and not delegate it to your heirs. Earn your own place in the next world and don’t rely on your kids to do things to elevate your soul for you. If you think your too busy to study Torah and do mitzvos for yourself, what makes you think that they’ll have time to do it for you? No, they’ll rely on their kids, in a never-ending chain of procrastination. That’s what Shlomo teaches that whatever we can do, we should do ourselves.

Also, sometimes a person waits until the end of his life and then writes a will instructing his children to give tzedakah, study Torah, etc. This is not a great approach for a number of reasons. First, who says he’ll have the presence of mind to draft such a document? And besides, many people die unexpectedly. Also, even if one leaves such a will, there’s no guarantee that his children will follow it. Therefore, “everything that is within your ability to do, do it” – put your affairs in order while you’re still of sound mind. Designate the money you want donated and implement a system of trustworthy agents to ensure that your wishes are carried out. And, if possible, invest the money in something that will generate income that supports Torah study or acts of chesed. By doing so, “you will see your world in your lifetime” (Brachos 17a).

At this point, the Chofetz Chaim cites Sefer Chasidim (Yehuda HeChasid, 12^th century, Germany). The author of that sefer writes that he has seen many people give deathbed instructions that weren’t followed. He says that this is to what Shlomo was referring when he wrote “so that you should be wise at your end” (Mishlei 19:20). If one does procrastinate in making his will until the end, he should at least make sure that he has witnesses to it and not rely on his family alone.

The Chofetz Chaim explains that last point: the deceased’s heirs might justify, “Pop no longer needs the money,” when in fact he needs it now more than ever! The mitzvos that could be performed with that money can save him from strict judgment.

The Midrash (Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer 34) illustrates this idea with a parable. A certain man knew three people – a close friend, a casual acquaintance and a virtual stranger. The king summoned this man, which threw him into a panic. (Imagine getting an unexpected letter from the IRS. It’s like that.) The man approached his close friend and asked him to come along as a character witness, but the friend firmly refused. So the man approached his casual acquaintance with the same request. The acquaintance agreed to accompany the man to the palace in order to protect him on the journey but not to appear before the king. Left with no choice, the man approached the virtual stranger, who readily agreed to accompany the man and to advocate for him until he achieves acquittal.

The close friend represents our money; we love it so much in life, but it doesn’t accompany use at all when we depart. You’ve heard the saying “you can’t take it with you”? Well, Tehillim (49:18) teaches, “his honor (i.e., his wealth) will not be lowered (into the grave) after him.”

The casual acquaintance represents our friends and families. They escort us as far as burial, but they can do no more at that point and have to go back home.

The virtual stranger who agrees to act as advocate represents teshuvah and good deeds. We ignore and undervalue these things, but they’re what’s going to save us. To this point, Sefer Yeshayahu (58:8) teaches, “Your righteousness will go ahead of you.”

All of these idea can be found in the Torah. Bamidbar 5:10 teaches, “What a man sanctifies will be his; what a man gives a kohein will be his.” This means that the deeds we do in life don’t accomplish anything except for those deeds that result in holiness, like performing mitzvos. These actions generate spiritual advocates that will stay with him forever. Even our families members can’t accompany us into the Next World, but these merits can and do. Only the sanctity one brings into the world is truly his. It therefore behooves us to generate as many such friends as we can while we have the opportunity to do so.

And what about the end of the verse, “what a man gives a kohein will be his”? This refers to the money that earn in our lives. As noted, we can’t take it with us – except for the money that we donate to charity and use in the pursuit of chesed. That money “will be his.”

The Gemara (Baba Basra 11a) discusses King Munbaz, who took the treasury his predecessors accumulated and donated it to charity, explaining that he was really transferring it to the Heavenly “treasury.”

(As for the use of the word “kohein” in the verse, our prototypical tzedakah was supporting the kohanim and Leviim. All the other Tribes owned land in Israel, but the kohanim and Leviim, who served as religious functionaries, relied on gifts and tithes to survive.)

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