The pursuit of success often collides with the unpredictable nature of reality. A person might invest their entire life, intellect, and character into building a legacy, only to see the fruits of their labor fall into the hands of someone who never worked for it. This frustrating reality raises profound questions about justice, providence, and the ultimate value of human effort.
The primary approach among commentators views this scenario as a reflection of the deep despair that comes from losing what one has worked so hard to build. It describes an individual who operates in the world and achieves their goals through wisdom, knowledge, and either deep integrity [מצודת ציון, צאינה וראינה] or practical capability [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The tragedy unfolds when this person is forced to pass on their heavenly allotted abundance [אבן עזרא] to someone who expended no effort. Commentators differ on when this painful transfer occurs. Many explain that it happens after death, when heirs who may entirely lack wisdom or skill effortlessly inherit the estate [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה]. Conversely, others suggest this harsh reality can strike during a person's lifetime, forcing them against their will to surrender their acquisitions to an unworthy recipient [מצודת דוד]. This distorted dynamic, where the diligent and honest lose their wealth to the uninvested, is seen as a profound emptiness and a great evil. It can drive a person to complete despair regarding the accumulation of wealth [מצודת דוד] and even trigger tragic doubts about the existence of Divine providence due to the glaring lack of visible justice [תעלומות חכמה].
Alongside this literal understanding, an alternative tradition shifts the focus from human struggles to the Divine realm. In this view, the narrative does not speak of a mortal, but of God Himself. God created the universe with ultimate wisdom and understanding. Although the creation is described in terms of immense exertion to convey its vast magnitude, God actually formed the world effortlessly through His word alone [רש"י, תורה תמימה]. God bestowed a perfect world and boundless abundance upon the earliest generations, such as the generation of the Flood, allowing them to enjoy the world's goodness without any toil. Yet, this Divine generosity also ended in emptiness and great tragedy. The complete lack of required effort led those generations to deep corruption and wickedness, ultimately compelling God to wipe them from the face of the earth [רש"י, תורה תמימה].
A final perspective applies this concept to the world of spiritual study, serving as a warning against improper spiritual commerce. While a forward-looking partnership between a wealthy supporter and a Torah scholar is appropriate, it is entirely different when a scholar who has already labored in wisdom attempts to retroactively sell the spiritual reward of his past study to someone who did not participate in the effort. Such an attempt is completely empty, as the wealthy buyer acquires absolutely nothing. Furthermore, it is a great evil for the scholar, who degrades the value of his own spiritual achievements by attempting to treat them as a tradable commodity [נחל אשכול].