The Debate over the Canonicity of Ecclesiastes
Rabbi Simeon ben Menasya says, “Song of Songs defiles the hands since it was written with divine inspiration. Ecclesiastes does not defile the hands since it is only the wisdom of Solomon.” They said to him, “And did he [Solomon] write only this? Is it not stated: He wrote three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered one thousand and five (1 Kings 5:12)?” It is stated: Do not add to his words (Proverbs 30:6).
Translated by S. Berrin.
Notes
Text in brackets appears in the original translation.
Credits
t. Yadayim 2:14, trans. S. Berrin, from Lawrence Schiffman, Texts and Traditions: A Source Reader for the Study of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism (Hoboken, N.J.: Ktav, 1998), p. 120. Used with permission of the publisher.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
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