Midrash sur L’Ecclésiaste 4:8
יֵ֣שׁ אֶחָד֩ וְאֵ֨ין שֵׁנִ֜י גַּ֣ם בֵּ֧ן וָאָ֣ח אֵֽין־ל֗וֹ וְאֵ֥ין קֵץ֙ לְכָל־עֲמָל֔וֹ גַּם־עיניו [עֵינ֖וֹ] לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֣ע עֹ֑שֶׁר וּלְמִ֣י ׀ אֲנִ֣י עָמֵ֗ל וּמְחַסֵּ֤ר אֶת־נַפְשִׁי֙ מִטּוֹבָ֔ה גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֛בֶל וְעִנְיַ֥ן רָ֖ע הֽוּא׃
Voici un homme isolé, sans compagnon, qui n’a même pas de fils ni de frère, et il ne met pas de bornes à son labeur! Ses yeux ne sont jamais rassasiés de richesses. [II ne se demande pas:] "Pour qui est-ce que je peine? Pour qui refusé-je à mon âme la moindre jouissance?" Encore une vanité et une triste condition!
Devarim Rabbah
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Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer
Esau said to Jacob: Divide all that my father has left into two portions, and I will choose (first), because I am the elder. || Jacob said: This wicked man has not satisfied his eye with wealth, as it is said, "Neither are his eyes satisfied with riches" (Eccles. 4:8). What did Jacob do? He divided all that his father had left as the one part, and the other part was to be the land of Israel and the Cave of Machpelah. What did Esau do? He went to Ishmael in the wilderness in order to consult him, as it is said, "And Esau went unto Ishmael" (Gen. 28:9). Ishmael said to Esau: The Amorite and the Canaanite are in the land, and Jacob trusts (in God) that he will inherit the land, therefore take all that thy father has left, and Jacob will have nothing.
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