פירוש על קהלת 2:21

For there is a man. Its interpretation is according to its plain meaning. But the Midrash Aggadah in Tanchuma interprets it as an allegorical reference to the Holy One, Blessed Is He, concerning Whom it is stated, “and upon the likeness of the throne there was a likeness like the appearance of a man.”²³Yechezkeil 1:26.

“For there is a man whose toil is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill; yet to a man who has not toiled in it, he will leave it as his portion. This too is vanity and a great evil” (Ecclesiastes 2:21).
“For there is a man whose toil is with wisdom…” – Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Simon said: Great is the ability of prophets who liken the created to its Creator.⁶⁷The intent is the reverse; they portray God by means of human attributes. That is what is written: “I heard the voice of a man from the midst of the Ulai.” (Daniel 8:16). And Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Simon said: There is another verse that is clearer than that one: “And on the image of the throne, the image of a person” (Ezekiel 1:26). “With wisdom,”⁶⁸The midrash proceeds to cite attributes from the verse in Ecclesiastes and compare them to other verses where these attributes are attributed to God. – “the Lord founded the earth with wisdom” (Proverbs 3:19); “with knowledge” – “by His knowledge the depths were breached” (Proverbs 3:20). “And with skill” – Rabbi Berekhya [said] in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon: Not with toil and not with exertion did the Holy One blessed be He create His world, as it is written: “With the word of God the heavens were made” (Psalms 33:6). “Yet to a man who has not toiled in it, he will leave it as his portion” – this is the generation of Enosh and the generation of the Flood. “This too is vanity and a great evil,” as it is written: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth…” (Genesis 6:5).

Who labored with wisdom. As it is stated, “Adonoy founded the earth with wisdom ... with His knowledge the depths were split,”²⁴Mishlei 3:19-20. and to the creatures who had not labored in it, He left a share in it.²⁵This can be referring to a situation where one publicly shamed his friend, that according to our Sages his friend receives his share in Gan Eiden. (Kehilas Yaakov). Or, as the Gemara Maseches Chagigah 15a states that God created for every person a portion of Gan Eiden and a portion of Gehinnom, and when a wicked person fails to earn his portion in Gan Eiden, it is given to a righteous person in addition to his own portion that he earned.

This too is vanity and a great evil. And they became a generation of vanity and “the wickedness of man was great upon the earth,”²⁶Bereishis 6:5. The text in Bereishis which is referring to the generation of the flood, states “כי רבה רעת האדם” which is similar to the wording of this verse “רבה רעה” [and a great evil]. in the generation of the flood.