Koheles

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim

1:13 — I (had) set my mind to study and to probe with wisdom all that happens under the sun. An evil matter God gave men to with which to be afflicted. 

1:14 — I observed all happenings beneath the sun, and I found that all is futile and a troubling pursuit. 

1:15 — A twisted thing that cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be made good. (Koheles 1:13-15).

Life is God’s creation, it cannot be an evil matter. Rather, “evil” here pertains to choosing between evil and good. This is not an accusation of what God created because King Solomon repeats that he searched out all that has been “performed,” referring to man's choices, not God’s creation. And the last phrase in verse 13 does not mean afflict, but it means for man to "answer" the question of whether one should follow good or evil. 

Verse 1:14 says that it is all is futile and a vexation of spirit. This is due to man's poor choices. Just like saying it is “better to be a live dog than a dead lion” (Ibid. 9:4), and also, “the wise and the fool perish the same” (Ibid. 2:14,16), both sound like accusations of a poor state of affairs. But here too King Solomon speaks cryptically where one could misunderstand him as accusing God of giving man a evil matter to afflict him, as he says at the end of verse 13. This cryptic style better engages the average man as it appeals to his own sensibilities. Because if you oppose the public in your opening statements, they will close the book before giving it any opportunity to read. But if you talk as if you agree with their complaints, they’ll read on so they arrive at the true values King Solomon shares.

So, verse 1:13 describes the choices God gave man, 1:14 discusses man futile choices, and 1:15 refers to man’s failure “You can't fix what is crooked and what is lacking you can't count.” This states the reason why all that man does is is a vexation of his spirit and is futile, for whatever he chases is crooked, it inherently cannot provide happiness, like the pursuit of money and lusts, which end in frustration. Something which is lacking is a quantitative critique, “that cannot be counted” means man assumes happiness will be secured with greater quantity of times performing something: “next time it'll be better.” King Solomon teaches two reasons why man's pursuits are vexation: 1) the very quality of the act cannot give any satisfaction; 2) man's assumption that repetition will increase his happiness is false.