Commentary: On Ecclesiastes

Do not say: “How was it that the former days were better than these?” for it is not out of wisdom that you inquire concerning this. (Ecclesiastes 7:10)

Truly, ignorant people lament their [bygone] times and praise the days that have already passed. The reason for this is that chronicles and historiographies report the best, the nicest, and the most marvelous matters and leave aside everything else, as it is not useful for the person who hears about it. [Solomon] said: Do not praise what has already passed, that it was such and such, that those days and that time were better than this, since your assertion has no basis in either transmitted wisdom or rational argument. As for transmitted wisdom, the reason you say this is because you have heard only about the good things, not about the bad. But this is only according to the narrator, not in reality, since in reality not only those good things that are mentioned occurred, but many bad things as well. As for rational argument, you know that in the course of time one empire follows the other, and the proportion of one generation over another with regard to what is good, evil, or mediocre is like the proportion of one people over another with regard to what is good, evil, or mediocre in every period of time. Just as good does not accrue disproportionately to one person over the course of time, [so, too,] it does not accrue disproportionately to one generation over the course of time; [the situation] will [always] be as it is right now. The reasons why natural existing beings are like that are well known and well defined. [ . . . ]

And besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs (Ecclesiastes 12:9). [ . . . ] It says: He [Solomon] spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fish. (1 Kings 5:12–13)

Perhaps these [writings] are from among those not reported to us, or they were reported but not preserved. That is because many of the sciences were lost along with the obliterated past, both abolished together. This nation has wandered up and down, suffering the loss of its excellent qualities, as well as the death of its excellent individuals. Some extraordinary [early traditions] were preserved during the [period of the] Second Temple, as reported by the Prophets, but most of what was preserved until now comes from the [period of the] Second Temple [itself]. And those [people] of distant places, who were not familiar with the Second Temple, were not familiar with [those early traditions] either, except for something like those scarce extraordinary [traditions] that were transmitted to them with the exiles of Ezra.

Source: Oxford Bodleian Library MS Pococke 274.