What is the meaning of "[Al Tomar] Meh Hayah sheha'Yamim ha'Rishonim
Rav Sadya Gaon: What was from the early days.
Rashi: Do not be astounded at the good that came to the early Tzadikim, like Dor ha'Midbar, Yehoshua's generation and David's generation.
Ibn Ezra: Also this warns a Chacham to rejoice in his portion, and even if he is poor - Mah le'Oni Yode'a" (6:8), and to engage in acquiring money only for what suffices for him 1 .
Rashbam: Do not ask about what happens now, and say that the early days were better.
Ri Kara: Do not ask about previous days.
Rid: Do not say that it was easier to serve Hashem then than nowadays.
Seforno: Do not be astounded and angry about Hashem's conduct, that He did good to earlier people more than to later people.
That verse began "Ki Mah Yoser le'Chacham Min ha'Kesil." Ibn Ezra (there) - if a Chacham will seek money without limit, his Nefesh will not be satiated, like the Kesil's is not.
What do we learn from "sheha'Yamim ha'Rishonim
Torah Temimah citing Rosh Hashanah: Do not say, how will I come for judgment in front of judge Ploni? Is he like Moshe and Aharon, like Eldad and Meidad?! Rather, Yeruba'al in his generation is like Moshe in his generation, Bedan in his generation is like Aharon in his generation, Yiftach in his generation is like Shmuel in his generation. You have only the judge in your days.
Ibn Ezra: Kesilim say so when they descend from their grandeur. One who understands, he knows that the days are the same, and the supreme Ma'arachos are the same, only the recipients change 1 .
Ri Kara: If they will tell you Ploni was a great Chacham, and no one after him is like him, do not say 'I will not go to learn from a Chacham in our generation.' Similarly regarding income, if they will tell you that Ploni seeded and received 100 times more, "Yechayeh Ish Eglas Bakar u'Shtei Tzon; v'Hayah me'Rov Asos Chalav Yochal Chem'ah" (Yeshayah 7:21-22), one toiled a little and profited much
Why does it say "Lo me'Chachmah Sha'alta Al Zeh"?
Rashi: Everything is according to the merit of the generation. Seforno - surely the conduct changed due to the recipients!
Refer to 7:10:4:2.
Metzudas David #1: You did not ask this to Chachmah. Had you done so, Chachmah would have answered well, but man's Da'as is too small to understand this.
Metzudas David #2: You did not ask this amidst Chachmah, rather, amidst folly. A Chacham asks proper questions according to the depth of his Chachmah, and a Kesil asks question of no content, according to his folly.
