וּפָנִ֤יתִֽי אֲנִי֙ לִרְא֣וֹת חָכְמָ֔ה וְהוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְסִכְל֑וּת כִּ֣י ׀ מֶ֣ה הָאָדָ֗ם שֶׁיָּבוֹא֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־כְּבָ֖ר עָשֽׂוּהוּ׃
Puis, je me mis à passer en revue sagesse, folie et sottise: "Car, me disais-je, que [pourra faire] l’homme qui viendra après le roi? Celui-ci aura déjà tout fait."
Tze'enah Ure'enah
“And I turned” [2:12]. I will turn away from all these deeds and will study Torah and the punishments for the transgressions so that the Holy One should not issue an evil decree against me. When the decree goes forth from the Holy One, no pleading helps. Therefore, I want to see ahead so that it should not come to a decree from the Holy One.24Rashi, Ecclesiastes, 2:12.
Rashi
I [then] turned my attention to behold wisdom. I turn away from all my affairs to delve into Torah, and madness and folly, [i.e.,] the punishment for transgressions.
Rashi
For what value is the man who would come after the king. To supplicate him concerning a decree that they decreed upon him, and they already executed the decree and it is already in effect. It is better for him to consider at first his actions, and he would not find it necessary for him to appeal.