Midrasch zu Kohelet 1:15

(Ib. b) We are taught in a Baraitha: That which is crooked cannot be made straight. To what does this refer? To one who neglects the reading of the S'hm'a of morning or evening, the prayer of morning or evening. (Ib) And a wanting that cannot be numbered; this refers to one who was numbered among his colleagues for a religious duty, and who refused to be numbered among them. Ben Hei Hei asked Hillel: "What is the meaning of the passage (Mal. 3, 18) And ye shall return and see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that has not served Him. What is the difference between the righteous and the servant of God, or the wicked and him who does not serve God? Is it not the same?" And he answered: "Both he who serves God and he who serves not are really upright men, but you cannot compare one who repeats his chapter of the Law one hundred times to him who repeats it one hundred and one times." Ben Hei Hei then said to Hillel: "Is it possible that because the men did not repeat the one hundredth and first time, he should be called, He served not God." "Yes," replied Hillel "go and learn from the market-place, where asses are hired. When one hires an ass for ten miles, he pays one Zuz, but if for eleven, he must pay two."

He said: “The crooked cannot be mended, and deficiency cannot be counted” (Ecclesiastes 1:15) – in this world, one who is crooked can be mended, and one who is mended can become crooked. But in the future, one who is crooked cannot be mended, and one who is mended cannot become crooked. “And deficiency cannot be counted” – there are wicked ones who associate with one another in the world; one of them repented before his death, and one did not repent. It turns out that this one stands in the company of the righteous, and that one stands in the company of the wicked. He [the one who did not repent] sees him [the other one] and says: ‘Woe is me, perhaps there is favoritism in this matter? [Both] I and that one have stolen, both I and that one have killed; yet that one is standing in the company of the righteous, and this one [referring to himself] is standing in the company of the wicked.’ They [the angels] respond and say to him: ‘Fool of the world, you were despicable, and you were cast aside after your death for three days; did they not drag you to the grave with ropes? “Beneath you maggots are spread and worms are your cover” (Isaiah 14:11). When your friend understood this, he repented from that path. You, too, had the opportunity to repent, but did not do so.’ He says to them: ‘Allow me to go and repent,’ and they respond to him and say: ‘Fool of the world, do you not know that this world is like Shabbat, and the world from which you came is like the day before Shabbat. If a person does not prepare on the day before Shabbat, what will he eat on Shabbat? Moreover, this world is like the sea, and the world from which you came is like dry land. If a person does not prepare on dry land, what will he eat at sea? Moreover, this world is like the wilderness, and the world from which you came is like civilization. If a person does not prepare in civilization, what will he eat in the wilderness?’ What does he do? He folds his hands and eats his flesh, as it is stated: “The fool folds his hands and eats his flesh” (Ecclesiastes 4:5). He says: ‘Allow me to see my friend in his glory [in heaven].’ They say to him: ‘Fool of the world, we are commanded from the mouth of the Almighty, that the wicked will not stand alongside the righteous, and not the righteous alongside the wicked, not the impure alongside the pure, and not the pure alongside the impure. About what are we commanded? It is about this gate, as it is stated: “This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter into it”’ (Psalms 118:20).

Variantly: "Listen, O heavens, and I will speak": The Holy One Blessed be He said to Moses: Tell Israel: Look at the heavens that I have created to serve you. Have they changed their courses? Does the solar orb ever cease from rising in the east and lighting the entire world, viz. (Koheleth 1:15) "and the sun rises and the sun sets"? And, what is more, it revels in doing My will, viz. (Psalms 19:6) "He is like a groom emerging from his bridal canopy, rejoicing like a hero to run the course!"