וְגַם זֹה רָעָה חוֹלָה כָּל-עֻמַּת שֶׁבָּא כֵּן יֵלֵךְ. הָא הֵיךְ מַה דַּאֲתָא בַּחֲלִיטִין כֵּן יֵיזֵיל לֵיהּ בַּחֲלִיטִין. אָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס כְּשֵׁם שֶׁפָּתַח הָעוֹלָם בְּאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת, חָתַם בְּאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת. פָּתַח בְּאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית יד, ט): אֵת כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר מֶלֶךְ עֵילָם וְתִדְעָל מֶלֶךְ גּוֹיִם וְאַמְרָפֶל מֶלֶךְ שִׁנְעָר וְאַרְיוֹךְ מֶלֶךְ אֶלָסָר, וְחָתַם בְּאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת, בָּבֶל, יָוָן, מָדַי, וֶאֱדוֹם. וּמַה יִתְרוֹן לוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל לָרוּחַ, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לָאָדָם חָרַשְׁתָּ, וְזָרַעְתָּ, וְקָצַרְתָּ, וְעִמַרְתָּ, וְדַשְׁתָּ, וְעָשִׂיתָ אוֹתוֹ תְּבוּאָה וַעֲרֵמָה, אִם אֵין אֲנִי מוֹצִיא רוּחַ שֶׁתִּזְרֶה לָךְ מֵהֵיכָן אַתְּ חָיֵיה, הָא אֵינָן נוֹתְנִין הָעֹמֶר אֶלָּא שְׂכַר אוֹתוֹ הָרוּחַ, הֱוֵי: וּמַה יִּתְרוֹן לוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל לָרוּחַ.
“This too is a grievous evil; just as he came, so he will go; and what is the advantage for him that he will toil for the wind?” (Ecclesiastes 5:15). “This too is a grievous evil; just as he came, so he will go” – just as he came into the world eating soft foods, so he will go eating soft foods. Rabbi Pinḥas said: Just as He began the world with four kingdoms, He concluded with four kingdoms. He began with four kingdoms, as it is stated: “Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, Tidal, king of Goyim, Amrafel, king of Shinar, and Ariokh, king of Elasar” (Genesis 14:9), and concluded with four kingdoms: Babylon, Greece, Media, and Edom. “And what is the advantage for him that he will toil for the wind?” – The Holy One blessed be He said to man: You plowed, sowed, reaped, gathered, threshed, and created a pile of grain. If I do not provide wind to winnow for you, how will you live? They give the omer as payment for that wind; that is, “What is the advantage for him that he will toil for the wind”?