A profound tragedy unfolds when a human being, gifted with incredible potential, entirely misses their life's purpose. Failing to recognize the true value of existence reduces a person to the most basic, animalistic level of survival.
The primary approach among commentators is that humanity's unique honor refers to the eternal soul, the intellect, and the capacity for deep knowledge [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, המאירי ואלשיך]. This spiritual essence is the true glory that sets people apart from the animal kingdom. Others view this honor as the lifelong opportunity to choose a path of goodness and live a life of true respect [רש״י]. Conversely, some understand this status in a purely material sense, describing a person whose sole focus in the world is the pursuit of physical wealth, prestige, and power [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Despite possessing such high potential, there is a fundamental failure to understand. Throughout their lives, these individuals fail to learn or embrace the ways of the soul [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, המאירי]. They are unable to recognize what is genuinely good [רש״י], ultimately trading their eternal spiritual existence for the empty illusions of the physical world [מלבי״ם, אלשיך]. Those who are deeply absorbed in the chase for wealth place all their trust in their possessions, mistakenly believing that material success is the ultimate goal. They are completely blind to what holds true meaning and what will inevitably vanish the moment death arrives [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
The direct result of this spiritual blindness is a life that mirrors that of a beast. When a person abandons the distinct human advantages of intellect and moral awareness, their daily existence becomes indistinguishable from an animal living without higher consciousness [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This tragic resemblance extends beyond how they live and dictates how their story ends. Just as the physical bodies of humans and animals share the same fate, so too does their death. A person who neglects to nurture their soul and fails to hold onto spiritual values will find that their inner self perishes at death, leaving behind neither hope nor memory, exactly like a passing animal [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].