קהלת, פרק ו׳, פסוק ו׳

The endless pursuit of longevity and wealth loses all meaning when a person fails to find satisfaction or purpose in their days. Imagine being granted an unusually long existence. The primary approach among commentators is that this envisions a lifespan of two thousand years. Yet, [אבן עזרא] expands this concept even further, describing an unimaginably vast period of a million years. Taking a more spiritual perspective, [תעלומות חכמה] explains that this does not refer to a single, continuous existence, but rather to two distinct lifetimes, or reincarnations, each lasting a thousand years.

Despite having such an immense amount of time on earth, this individual fails to experience anything good. Most commentators explain that this describes a person who spent their life eagerly acquiring wealth but never actually enjoyed the fruits of their labor [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, this failure to see the good implies that the person never used their accumulated wealth to perform good deeds [צאינה וראינה].

Ultimately, every path leads to the exact same destination. Commentators universally agree that this shared endpoint is the grave. An exceptionally long life offers no true advantage if it is devoid of personal enjoyment or acts of kindness, because death serves as the ultimate equalizer. The wealthy individual who endlessly hoarded possessions will return to the dust exactly like the most destitute person, leaving absolutely nothing of their material achievements behind [רש״י, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה]. However, following the spiritual view of multiple lifetimes, reaching this final destination carries a much heavier consequence. For someone who was granted extended lifetimes but still failed to correct their ways, this end represents the complete and total loss of both body and soul [תעלומות חכמה].