Of the five megillot in the Tanakh, only Kohelet does not describe a historical event or tell a personal story. Rather, it relates life lessons, with frequent confusing or even conflicting messages. This makes it one of the most challenging biblical books to comprehend. Yet, if the Sages included it in the biblical canon, it must have a lesson for all generations. We traditionally read Kohelet every Sukkot. Can we return home, this year, with an understanding of its message?
In this groundbreaking work, David Curwin draws from traditional sources and modern scholarship to take us on an eye-opening journey through Kohelet and other books of the Tanakh. Starting with a look at the life of King Shlomo, whose successes and failures are reflected in the teachings of Kohelet, the author then presents linguistic and thematic evidence suggesting strong parallels between the life of Adam and that of Shlomo, and between the book of Kohelet and the opening chapters of Bereshit.