God Does Not Err

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim

Restrain [both] your mouth from excitement and your heart from quickness from bringing forth a matter before God. For God is in heaven and you are on Earth, therefore let your words be few. Because dreams come from many matters and the voice of a fool with much speech. (Koheles 5:1,2)

King Solomon warns of the psychological flaws and self-deception that occurs when man tries to justify his claims against God’s justice. What does excited, rushed speech reflect about the speaker? And what is the difference between speech and a hasty heart? 

Excited, rushed speech refers to “compulsion”; acting without thought. One does so as he is desperate to state his claim against God. “Speaking before God” refers to critiquing God (Rashi). However, as one has doubts about the silent whims of his heart, such insecurity conflicts with his need for certainty. So he can’t keep his views under his tongue. How does he escape painful conflict? He quickly voices his opinion to feel his thoughts are true, for he foolishly feels the spoken word now gains reality, as others now know his opinion; his peers are his sense of “reality.” Insecurity drives the need to arrive at some determination, and speech fools one into thinking that society’s recognition of his words determines truth. King David said people use speech to say “great things” (Psalms 12:4). Meaning the speaker feels his word are great and true. It’s amazing what fools a person into believing something…he thinks that on the societal recognition dictates realty. But soon enough, reality exposes emotional views as false.

But also in one’s heart, there exists impulsivity which too is generated from the conviction that our feelings are justified. “Follow your heart” we hear often. But Torah depicts this very severe mistake: 

When hearing the words of Torah’s curses, one may imagine a immunity from these curses, thinking, “I shall have peace [safety], because I follow my own willful heart” (Deut. 29:18).

Such a person receives God’s complete set of curses, he is never forgiven and God erases his name (Ibid.). This severity is sensible and righteous, as he denies God’s Torah, so there is no hope for his teshuvah, explaining why he is never forgiven: he condemns Torah and justifies idolatry. King Solomon says “All who go to her (idolatry) cannot return” (Prov. 2:19).

Returning to Koheles, King Solomon’s remedy is to be mindful that “God is in heaven.” Heaven refers to God’s world, the world of wisdom, of truth. That metaphysical world which includes laws of nature and justice, determines man’s earthy existence. God dictates our earthly reality. Therefore, man is foolish to complain against God, to suggest the world operates wrongly. One cannot tell an architect that his house is to large, since the architect alone determines his plans. Similarly, one cannot tell God He made errors in creation. King Solomon advises us to accept God’s authority even when we feel justified in a complaint. Rashi elaborates: 

And even if the one above is weak (if one feels God is wrong/weak), and the strong one (man’s confident accusations) is below, the dread of the weak one (God) must remain upon the strong one (man). How much more so when the one above is strong (correct) and the one below is weak (incorrect)!

Rashi means that regardless of one’s flawed convictions that God erred, one cannot accuse God of errors: God made the world, and it operates on His terms alone. In this case when man suspects God, the fear of heaven should remain on man and he should speak little. And certainly, as in fact God made no errors, “How much more so” God is the strong (correct) one, so one should speak little, he must not accuse God of His creation and governance. 

King Solomon then provides support for his ridicule of too much speech:

Because dreams come from many matters and the voice of a fool [comes] with much speech

One can't start a sentence with “because,” unless it is explaining a previous statement. King Solomon is contrasting the proper life “let your words be few” to the distorted life “much speech.” Here, King Solomon identifies abundant dream topics and abundant speech as distorted. Dreaming is a purely emotional state, and the abundance of dream content shows that emotions flourish with a variety of topics; emotional pleasure requires variety. Therefore the dream state at night is a rush of much imagery and feelings. The fool while awake, is like everyone asleep: a preponderance of emotions guides all thoughts, speech and actions. The fool who is purely emotional speaks of numerous matters, jumping from this to that, as his emotions drive his speech and his life. He has no organization or ordered thoughts, just like dreams. King Solomon provides us with two examples of a second reason to limit our speech: multiple topics in dreams and much speech of the fool displays man giving vent to his emotional side, which we must guard against. For the emotions are not “preceptors of reality” focussing outwards on God’s creation that reveals His wisdom. Rather, emotions are mere drives to satiate lusts. 

The lesson is to humble ourselves before God, even when feeing justified, as God makes no mistakes. “For Torah is not an empty matter” (Deut. 32:47). Beraishis Rabba 1:14 says, “If you do view Torah as empty, it is you who is empty.”