The Scroll

8 - Eli

The door opened, and a face appeared in the shadows.

It was Eli.

"Ah, you are awake," he said. "How are you feeling, my friend? Benjamin told me you were not doing well and had to stay inside. I hope it is not because you had to work so hard in my shop yesterday."

Kohelet rose to his feet as Eli closed the door behind him. "No, no. I mostly stayed in the shade of your stall. This is just my age creeping up on me."

"I saw you rubbing your chest and arms. You have been doing that a lot more lately." Eli held out a basket. "Maybe this will help you feel better. My figs are all sold, but the new apples are crisp and sweet. There is also bread and cheese, and a little wine."

Kohelet took the basket from his hands and placed it on his desk. "You are a good friend, Eli. Come in and sit awhile. Benjamin is out for the day."

Eli sat on the corner of the bed. "I saw him briefly. He was looking for some bread for you when a woman came to find him. They talked briefly, and Benjamin became quite agitated—you don't see that very often! He said he had to leave right away and asked if I could bring you something to eat."

"Thank you, Eli." Kohelet took an apple from the basket and polished it. "Did you see who was with him?"

Eli shook his head. "Never seen her before. One of his people, I believe. Striking features."

That had to be Deira. What had come to light now? "I guess we will have to wait until he returns."

"I can only stay a short while," Eli said with an apologetic shrug. "I am meeting Reuben. He says he has a new proposition for me to consider." He stroked his beard. "I used to care a lot more about competing with Reuben's fruit stand, but those days are gone now. I might just let him take mine over. I have no son to pass it on to anyway."

Kohelet bit his apple. Eli had lost much of his drive to succeed after his wife suddenly died. Before that time he always worked hard to make sure his fruit stand was the best in the market. His competition with Reuben was not mean spirited, but it was all consuming. Now Eli regretted spending so much time with his work instead of with his wife.

"Perhaps Reuben thinks I will be more receptive on a Sabbath. I don't think Reuben has ever observed a day of rest. Now there's a man that will have heart problems."

"I was just writing about that when you came up."

"Let me hear it. It's been a while since I have been able to listen to you teaching at the well."

Kohelet picked up the scroll and read,

"'I noted that all the energy and skill we pour into our work is motivated by the envy of our neighbors. This competition is as futile as racing the wind, but I also saw a fool who lazily folded his hands and ruined his life. I concluded that one handful with rest is better than two handfuls with toil and grasping for the wind.'"

"That's Nabal," Eli said. "He thinks he will enjoy life more by avoiding work and filling his time with relaxation. In my observations of him, it occurred to me that avoiding work is actually a difficult task as it often requires more energy than the work itself."

"Good point. But on the other hand, when a competitive person makes money, it only fuels their desire to grasp for even more. Look at Reuben. He has no wife or child to provide for, no business partner to be accountable to, and yet he works day and night to try to get ahead. I wrote about him as well.

'I witnessed a fitting example of a futile life under the sun. There was a man all alone, with neither son nor brother, yet there was no end to his toil and his eyes were never satisfied with his wealth. Too late in life he asked, "For whom am I working so hard, and why am I denying myself enjoyment?" His solitary work was futile—a miserable task.'"