וְאִלּוּ חָיָה אֶלֶף שָׁנִים וגו', כָּל עֲמַל הָאָדָם לְפִיהוּ, אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל כָּל מַה שֶּׁיַּעֲמֹל אָדָם וִיסַגֵּל מִצְווֹת וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, אֵינוֹ מַסְפִּיק לַהֶבֶל הַיּוֹצֵא מִתּוֹךְ פִּיהוּ. וְגַם הַנֶּפֶשׁ לֹא תִמָּלֵא, אֲפִלּוּ הוֹצָאָתָהּ אֵינָהּ מְמַלָּא אֶת הַגּוּמָא, כֵּיצַד הוֹצָאַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ, רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר כַּקַּפִּיטוֹרִין מִתּוֹךְ הַוֵּשֶׁט. רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אָמַר כַּצִּיפּוֹרֶן מִתּוֹךְ הַוֵּשֶׁט. רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בְּרַבִּי אָמַר כְּסִילוֹן רָטוֹב וְהָפוּךְ מִן הַוֵּשֶׁט. אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן יִצְחָק, כָּל מַה שֶּׁיַּעֲמֹל אָדָם מִצְווֹת וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, לְפִיו וְלֹא לְפִי בְּנוֹ וְלֹא לְפִי בִּתּוֹ. וְגַם הַנֶּפֶשׁ לֹא תִמָּלֵא, שֶׁהַנֶּפֶשׁ יוֹדַעַת כָּל מַה שֶּׁהִיא עֲמֵלָה, לְעַצְמָהּ הִיא עֲמֵלָה, לְכָךְ אֵינָהּ שְׂבֵעָה לֹא תוֹרָה וְלֹא מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים. מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה לְעִירוֹנִי שֶׁנָּשָׂא בַּת מְלָכִים, אִם יָבִיא לָהּ כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּעוֹלָם אֵינָן חֲשׁוּבִין לָהּ כְּלוּם, לָמָּה, שֶׁהִיא בַּת מֶלֶךְ. כָּךְ הַנֶּפֶשׁ אִלּוּ הֵבֵאתָ לָהּ כָּל מַעֲדַנֵּי עוֹלָם אֵינָם כְּלוּם לָהּ, לָמָּה, שֶׁהִיא מִן הָעֶלְיוֹנִים. שְׁלשָׁה אֵין מַחֲזִיקִין טוֹבָה לְבַעֲלֵיהֶן, הַנֶּפֶשׁ, וְהָאָרֶץ, וְהָאִשָּׁה. הַנֶּפֶשׁ מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְגַם הַנֶּפֶשׁ לֹא תִמָּלֵא. הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ל, טז): אֶרֶץ לֹא שָׂבְעָה מַיִם. אִשָּׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ל, כ): אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ. שְׁלשָׁה נוֹתְנִין בְּשֶׁפַע וְנוֹטְלִין בְּשֶׁפַע, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: הַיָּם, וְהָאָרֶץ, וְגַם הַמַּלְכוּת. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין אָמַר, שִׁשָּׁה פְּעָמִים כְּתִיב בָּהּ נֶפֶשׁ, כְּנֶגֶד שֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְרֵאשִׁית. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַנֶּפֶשׁ, כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָאתִי בְּשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְרֵאשִׁית בִּשְׁבִילֵךְ בָּרָאתִי, וְאַתְּ גּוֹזֶלֶת וְחוֹטֵאת וְחוֹמֶסֶת.
“Were he to live one thousand years twice, but did not see good, does everything not go to one place? All the toil of man is for his mouth, but the soul, too, is not filled” (Ecclesiastes 6:6–7). “Were he to live one thousand years…all the toil of man is for his mouth.” Rabbi Shmuel said: All a person’s toil to amass mitzvot and good deeds in this world does not suffice for the breath that emerges from his mouth. “But the soul, too, is not filled” – even its removal does not fill the hole. How is the soul removed? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is like a rope [pulled] through a small hole. Rabbi Ḥanina said: It is like a knotted rope [pulled] through a small hole. Rabbi Shmuel ben Rabbi said: It is like a moist, inverted thorn [pulled] from the esophagus. Rabbi Ḥanina ben Yitzḥak said: All a person’s toil [to amass] mitzvot and good deeds, it is for his mouth, and not for the mouth of his son and not for the mouth of his daughter. “But the soul, too, is not filled” – as the soul knows that in everything that it toils, it toils for itself; therefore, it is never sated with Torah and good deeds. This is analogous to a villager who married a princess. Were he to bring her everything in the world, it would still be worthless to her. Why? It is because she is the king’s daughter. So, too, the soul, [even] if you were to bring it all the delicacies of the world, it is nothing to it. Why? Because it is from the heavens. There are three who do not feel a sense of gratitude to their keepers: the soul, the earth, and the woman. From where is this derived [regarding] the soul? It is as it is stated: “But the soul, too, is not filled.” Land, as it is written: “The earth that is not satisfied with water” (Proverbs 30:16). Woman, as it is stated: “She eats and wipes her mouth” (Proverbs 30:20). Three give bountifully and take bountifully, and they are: the sea, the earth, and also the kingdom. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said: “Soul” is written in it six times, corresponding to the six days of Creation. The Holy One blessed be He said to the soul: Everything that I created during the six days of Creation, I created for you, yet you rob, sin, and commit acts of violence.