Ecclesiastes Rabbah 12:11

¹“The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails well fastened are the collectors of wisdom; they are given from one shepherd” (Ecclesiastes 12:11). “The words of the wise are like goads [ kadorvonot ]” – like a girls’ ball [ kadur shel banot ]. Just as the ball is passed from hand to hand and does not fall to the ground, so too, “not one word of it has fallen short…” (Joshua 23:14). Just as they pass the ball with their hands and it does not fall, so too, Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets transmitted it to the members of the Great Assembly, etc. Another matter: “Like goads” – like the goad that guides the cow to plow in order to give life to its owner, so too, matters of Torah guide the heart of those who study them from the path of death to the path of life. It is called by three names, dorvan , malmad , marde’a ; malmad , because it trains [ melamed ] the cow; marde’a , because it imparts knowledge [ moreh de’a ] to the cow; dorvan , because it causes understanding to dwell [ dayer bina ] in the cow, in order to plow its furrows to give life to its owner. Can these matters not be inferred a fortiori ? If for his cow a person crafts a goad, for his evil inclination, which instigates him [to commit acts that will cause him to be banished] from this world and from the World to Come, all the more so. “And like nails well fastened [ netuim ]” – the verse should have said only: “Like trees that are planted [ netuim ], is commonly used in reference to trees, while a different verb is generally used regarding nails. but you say: “And like nails well fastened”? Rather, it teaches that they have the advantage of a plant and the round heads of iron nails. Another matter: “Like nails well fastened” – just as the nail, even though you remove it from its place, its impression remains, so, anyone whose iniquities cause the Sages to extend their hand against him, even if he repents, its impression remains. Another matter: “Like nails well fastened” – all the days of Rabbi Eliezer the people practiced in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua. 59b) ( Etz Yosef ). After Rabbi Eliezer died, they reverted to their initial practice. 7b). “The collectors of wisdom [ baalei asupot ]” – when are matters of Torah stated properly? It is when its possessors hear it in gatherings [ asupot ]. From where is it derived that if one heard from a person of Israel it shall be for him as though he heard from a Sage? It is as the verse states: “That I command you today” (Deuteronomy 6:6). Not as though he heard it from a Sage, but rather from the Sages, as it is stated: “The words of the wise are like goads.” Not as though he heard it from the Sages, but rather from the Sanhedrin, as it is stated: “Gather [ esfa ] to Me seventy men” (Numbers 11:16). Not as though he heard it from the Sanhedrin, but rather as though he heard it from Moses, as it is stated: “They are given from one shepherd”; this is Moses. Not as though he heard it from Moses the shepherd, but rather from the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “From one shepherd,” and “shepherd” is none other than the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Shepherd of Israel, listen” (Psalms 80:2). And “one,” is none other than the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). There we learned: A man may not go out with a spiked sandal, and not with a single [sandal] when there is no wound on his foot. 6:2. This mishna is cited here because the verse the midrash is commenting on mentions nails. How many spikes may it have? Rabbi Yoḥanan said five, corresponding to the five books of the Torah. Rabbi Dosa ben Ḥananya says: Seven, corresponding to the seven days of the week. Rabbi Ḥanina says: Nine, corresponding to the nine months of gestation. Rabbi Yosei ben Ḥanina said: A nail shaped like tongs is not included in the tally of the spikes. Rabbi Ze’eira [said] in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Zavda: 6:2) the text reads: Rabbi Ze’eira asked Rabbi Abba bar Zavda. ‘What is [the law] regarding placing them on a shoe for Shabbat?’ He said to him: ‘It is permitted.’ ‘What is [the law] regarding switching them?’ He said to him: ‘It is permitted.’ ‘What is [the law] regarding placing them one atop the other?’ He said to him: ‘It is permitted.’ Rabbi Ḥiyya would place eleven on this side and thirteen on that side, corresponding to the twenty-four books [of the Bible]; just as the books are twenty-four, so too, the priestly watches are twenty-four; and just as the priestly watches are twenty-four, so too, the spikes are twenty-four.