כִּי יֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁעֲמָלוֹ בְּחָכְמָה וגו', אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן גָּדוֹל כֹּחָן שֶׁל נְבִיאִים שֶׁמְדַמִּים אֶת הַצּוּרָה לְיוֹצְרָהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דניאל ח, טז): וָאֶשְׁמַע קוֹל אָדָם בֵּין אוּלָי. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן אִית קְרָיָיה חוֹרָן דְּהוּא מְחוּוָר יַתִּיר מִן דֵּין (יחזקאל א, כו): וְעַל דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם. בְּחָכְמָה, (משלי ג, יט): ה' בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ. בְּדַעַת, בְּדַעְתּוֹ תְּהוֹמוֹת נִבְקָעוּ. וּבְכִשְׁרוֹן, רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר רַבִּי סִימוֹן לֹא בְעָמָל וְלֹא בִיגִיעָה בָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ, דִּכְתִיב (תהלים לג, ו): בִּדְבַר ה' שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ. וּלְאָדָם שֶׁלֹא עָמַל בּוֹ יִתְּנֶנוּ חֶלְקוֹ, זֶה דּוֹר אֱנוֹשׁ וְדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל. גַּם זֶה הֶבֶל וְרָעָה רַבָּה, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית ו, ה): וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ וגו'.
“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. 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,” – “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).