גַּם שֶׁמֶשׁ לֹא רָאָה וְלֹא יָדָע, מָשָׁל לִשְׁנֵי בְנֵי אָדָם שֶׁהָיוּ בָּאִים בַּסְּפִינָה, כְּשֶׁהִגִּיעוּ לַלִּמֵּן, יָרַד אֶחָד מֵהֶם וְנִכְנַס לַמְדִינָה וְרָאָה שָׁם כַּמָּה מַאֲכָל כַּמָּה מַשְׁקֶה וְשַׁלְוָה, כְּשֶׁחָזַר בַּסְּפִינָה אָמַר לַחֲבֵרוֹ לָמָּה לֹא עָלַלְתָּה לִמְדִינְתָּא, אָמַר לֵיהּ וְאַתְּ שֶׁיָּרַדְתָּ וְעָלַלְתָּ מָה חֲמֵית תַּמָּן, אָמַר לוֹ רָאִיתִי כַּמָּה מַאֲכָל כַּמָּה מִשְׁתֶּה וְשַׁלְוָה. אָמַר לוֹ כְּלוּם נֶהֱנֵיתָ, אָמַר לוֹ, לֹא. אָמַר לוֹ אֲנָא דְּלָא עֲלָלִית נוֹחַ לִי סַגְיָן מִינָּךְ, דְּלָא נְחָתִית וְלָא חֲמֵיתִי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: נַחַת לָזֶה מִזֶּה.
“He has also not seen the sun, and did not know there is more gratification for that than for this” (Ecclesiastes 6:5). “He has also not seen the sun, and did not know.” This is analogous to two people who were coming on a ship. When they reached the port one of them disembarked and entered the country, and he saw there much food, much drink, and tranquility. When he returned to the ship he said to his fellow: ‘Why did you not enter the country?’ He said to him: ‘You, who disembarked and entered, what did you see there?’ He said to him: ‘I saw much food, much drink, and tranquility.’ He said to him: ‘Did you enjoy it at all?’ He said to him: ‘No.’ He said to him: ‘I, who did not enter, am better off than you, as I did not disembark and did not see.’ That is what is written: “There is more gratification for that than for this.”