Carry That Weight

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Grief – It’s the weight that hurts.  The deep sense of sadness.  Not just about the world’s mad dash toward destruction.  Not just the unspeakable evil perpetrated upon the voiceless masses.  Not just the moral inequity of economic and…

Divine Prohibition

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Grief – Stay stupid!  Is that the solution to the problem?  If Qohelet is right, wisdom and knowledge are the last things we would seek.  They only bring sorrow and grief.  Despite our disclaimers to the contrary, I’m pretty…

The Feelings Wheel

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Sorrow – Yesterday we asked, “How can wisdom, a good thing, generate sorrow, a bad thing?”  Maybe we should have questioned the translation before we questioned the ethics.  In Hebrew, the word translated “sorrow” (NIV) is kaʿas.  Other English…

Toxic Hebrew

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Wisdom – “The Sages promulgated the principle ‘Not the study of but the performance of mitzvot is the essence of virtue.’  ‘One whose wisdom is more abundant than his deeds—to what is he compared?  To a tree whose branches…

The Painful Truth

For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases suffering.  Ecclesiastes 1:18  ISR Much grief – Well, it’s certainly not what we expected!  The general consensus of our culture is that knowledge and wisdom lead to power and power leads to control and control leads to a prosperous life.  If this…