Kommentar zu Kohelet 5:15
וְגַם־זֹה֙ רָעָ֣ה חוֹלָ֔ה כָּל־עֻמַּ֥ת שֶׁבָּ֖א כֵּ֣ן יֵלֵ֑ךְ וּמַה־יִּתְר֣וֹן ל֔וֹ שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖ל לָרֽוּחַ׃
Das ist gewiss ein arges Übel, dass er ganz, wie er gekommen, weggehen muss, denn welchen Vorzug gewährt es, dass er in den Wind gearbeitet?
Rashi on Ecclesiastes
As he came. That money, so will it go.
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Kohelet Rabbah
“This too is a grievous evil; just as he came, so he will go; and what is the advantage for him that he will toil for the wind?” (Ecclesiastes 5:15).
“This too is a grievous evil; just as he came, so he will go” – just as he came into the world eating soft foods, so he will go eating soft foods. Rabbi Pinḥas said: Just as He began the world with four kingdoms, He concluded with four kingdoms. He began with four kingdoms, as it is stated: “Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, Tidal, king of Goyim, Amrafel, king of Shinar, and Ariokh, king of Elasar” (Genesis 14:9), and concluded with four kingdoms: Babylon, Greece, Media, and Edom.
“And what is the advantage for him that he will toil for the wind?” – The Holy One blessed be He said to man: You plowed, sowed, reaped, gathered, threshed, and created a pile of grain. If I do not provide wind to winnow for you, how will you live? They give the omer as payment for that wind; that is, “What is the advantage for him that he will toil for the wind”?
“This too is a grievous evil; just as he came, so he will go” – just as he came into the world eating soft foods, so he will go eating soft foods. Rabbi Pinḥas said: Just as He began the world with four kingdoms, He concluded with four kingdoms. He began with four kingdoms, as it is stated: “Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, Tidal, king of Goyim, Amrafel, king of Shinar, and Ariokh, king of Elasar” (Genesis 14:9), and concluded with four kingdoms: Babylon, Greece, Media, and Edom.
“And what is the advantage for him that he will toil for the wind?” – The Holy One blessed be He said to man: You plowed, sowed, reaped, gathered, threshed, and created a pile of grain. If I do not provide wind to winnow for you, how will you live? They give the omer as payment for that wind; that is, “What is the advantage for him that he will toil for the wind”?
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