"There is nothing Worthwhile but...to enjoy" Kohelet (Ecclesiastes)

(1) The words of Koheleth son of David, king in Jerusalem.
(2) Utter futility!—said Koheleth—
Utter futility! All is futile!
(3) What real value is there for a man
In all the gains he makes beneath the sun? (4) One generation goes, another comes,
But the earth remains the same forever. (5) The sun rises, and the sun sets—
And glides back to where it rises. (6) Southward blowing,
Turning northward,
Ever turning blows the wind;
On its rounds the wind returns. (7) All streams flow into the sea,
Yet the sea is never full;
To the place [from] which they flow
The streams flow back again. (8) All such things are wearisome:
No man can ever state them;
The eye never has enough of seeing,
Nor the ear enough of hearing. (9) Only that shall happen
Which has happened,
Only that occur
Which has occurred;
There is nothing new
Beneath the sun!
(10) Sometimes there is a phenomenon of which they say, “Look, this one is new!”—it occurred long since, in ages that went by before us. (11) The earlier ones are not remembered; so too those that will occur later will no more be remembered than^-e those that will occur at the very end.
(12) I, Koheleth, was king in Jerusalem over Israel. (13) I set my mind to study and to probe with wisdom all that happens under the sun.—An unhappy business, that, which God gave men to be concerned with! (14) I observed all the happenings beneath the sun, and I found that all is futile and pursuit of wind: (15) A twisted thing that cannot be made straight,
A lack that cannot be made good. (16) I said to myself: “Here I have grown richer and wiser than any that ruled before me over Jerusalem, and my mind has zealously absorbed wisdom and learning.” (17) And so I set my mind to appraise wisdom and to appraise madness and folly. And I learned—that this too was pursuit of wind: (18) For as wisdom grows, vexation grows;
To increase learning is to increase heartache.

“I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good during their lifetime. Also, every man who eats and drinks, and sees good in all his toil; this, too, is a gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 3:12–13).
“I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good during their lifetime. Also, that every man who eats and drinks…” Rabbi Tanḥuma said that Rabbi Naḥman son of Rav Shmuel bar Naḥman said, and Rabbi Menaḥama, and some say, Rabbi Yirmeya and Rabbi Meyasha [said] in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak: Every instance in which eating and drinking is stated in this scroll, the verse is referring to Torah and good deeds. Rabbi Yona said: The paradigm for all of them is as it is stated: “[There is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat, drink, and rejoice]. That will accompany him in his toil [ba’amalo] […during the days of his life…]” (Ecclesiastes 8:15). In his world [be’olamo] – in this world. “During the days of his life” – to the grave. Is there food and drink in the grave, that it accompanies a person to his grave? Rather, these are Torah and good deeds.