Quotation for Ecclesiastes 2:16
כִּי֩ אֵ֨ין זִכְר֧וֹן לֶחָכָ֛ם עִֽם־הַכְּסִ֖יל לְעוֹלָ֑ם בְּשֶׁכְּבָ֞ר הַיָּמִ֤ים הַבָּאִים֙ הַכֹּ֣ל נִשְׁכָּ֔ח וְאֵ֛יךְ יָמ֥וּת הֶחָכָ֖ם עִֽם־הַכְּסִֽיל׃
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool!
Footnotes to Kohelet by Bruce Heitler
The acquisition of knowledge or even wisdom does not move us out of the world under the sun, and consequently the same frustration is the lot of the wise man and the fool. The transition to the perspective which is not under the sun involves a relationship with what is not subject to our control and not within our understanding or grasp. This is not merely a matter of intellect. Nevertheless, although wisdom is not adequate to cope with all of the eventualities which a person is subject to, still wisdom is preferable to foolishness since it tends to prevent unnecessary stumbling and bruises.
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