Is the world we live in 'vanity'?

[Robert_Sock]

Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun? . . . That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages which were before us. There is no remembrance of earlier things, and also of the later things which will occur; there will be for them no remembrance among those who will come later still.
–Ecclesiastes 1:2-3, 7–11

 

[Qoeleth]

“All you see when awake is death- all you see when asleep is dream.”- Heraclitus

“Life is a vain opinion; the world is a passing scene.”- Democritus

 

[Neildown]

Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun? . . . That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages which were before us. There is no remembrance of earlier things, and also of the later things which will occur; there will be for them no remembrance among those who will come later still.
–Ecclesiastes 1:2-3, 7–11

I do think one needs to look at the Bible in its full capacity as opposed to interpreting each book separately from the rest. Looking at Ecclesiastes alone, one will obviously come to the conclusion you appear to have made. The Bible, however, is complimentary to itself, and when you take it in as a whole, a different message will probably be conveyed.

I can’t say I’ve read the entire Bible, but I have read Ecclesiastes and at least 5 other books. The message that it sends to me is simply that “our world is mortal - that being said, don’t get cocky about earthly achievements, and take care of your spiritual life just as much as your earthly one.” It’s a stressing of the fact that our world is now one of life and absence of life.

God, being the source of life and goodness, would not create a world specifically modeled to draw us away from Him. He made everything good, but through the abuse of our free will we’ve made things into a trial.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun? . . . That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages which were before us. There is no remembrance of earlier things, and also of the later things which will occur; there will be for them no remembrance among those who will come later still.
–Ecclesiastes 1:2-3, 7–11

Vanity is a character flaw, the world is the sum total of all existing forms of matter, their functioning, interactionen, orderednes. So the world could not be vanity. Further, when God was finished creating the world he said it was " very good. "

 

[Robert_Sock]

Vanity is a character flaw, the world is the sum total of all existing forms of matter, their functioning, interactionen, orderednes. So the world could not be vanity. Further, when God was finished creating the world he said it was " very good. "

The following describes the Jewish meaning of ‘very good’:

NATURAL IMPULSE
THE good impulse (yetser tov) and the evil impulse (yetser ra) are pictured in Jewish literature as wrestling in perpetual conflict within the heart of man. Satan is usually identified with the yetser ha-ra, the evil impulse. In the book of Job, Satan’s function is described as that of testing the sincerity of men’s characters. In Talmudic literature, Satan’s function is to strengthen man’s moral sense by leading him into temptation. It has been said that every man living shall assuredly meet with an hour of temptation, a certain critical hour, which shall more especially try his mettle.

According to a midrashic statement (Genesis Rabbah 9:9), the existence of the yetser ha-ra in the heart of man and the struggle to overcome it lends high value to the good that emerges from the inner battle. The two conflicting impulses, the good and bad tendencies, are said to be implanted in man as a consequence of his having been formed from the dust and endowed with a soul (Genesis 2:7).

According to rabbinic thinking, the evil impulse is to be found in man at birth; the good impulse begins to develop when he is thirteen years old. The teachings of the Torah are referred to as the antidote to the yetser ha-ra. Similarly, Ben Sira (21:11) states: “The man who keeps the Law controls his natural tendency.”

In commenting on the two yods in the word " ", (Genesis 2:7), the rabbis declare that God created both the yetser tov and the yetser ra (Berakhoth 61a). The command to love God “with all your heart” they interpret to mean “with both your impulses” (Berakhoth Ma), since both human elements can be employed in the service of God. “Were it not for the yetser ha-ra, no man would build a home or get married or follow an occupation” (Genesis Rabbah 9:9). The phrase “very good” (Genesis 1:31) is therefore explained, as alluding to the yetser ha-ra, frequently used in the sense of the productive urge.

Taken from the Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts

Genesis 1:31
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

The following describes the Jewish meaning of ‘very good’:

NATURAL IMPULSE
THE good impulse (yetser tov) and the evil impulse (yetser ra) are pictured in Jewish literature as wrestling in perpetual conflict within the heart of man. Satan is usually identified with the yetser ha-ra, the evil impulse. In the book of Job, Satan’s function is described as that of testing the sincerity of men’s characters. In Talmudic literature, Satan’s function is to strengthen man’s moral sense by leading him into temptation. It has been said that every man living shall assuredly meet with an hour of temptation, a certain critical hour, which shall more especially try his mettle.

According to a midrashic statement (Genesis Rabbah 9:9), the existence of the yetser ha-ra in the heart of man and the struggle to overcome it lends high value to the good that emerges from the inner battle. The two conflicting impulses, the good and bad tendencies, are said to be implanted in man as a consequence of his having been formed from the dust and endowed with a soul (Genesis 2:7).

According to rabbinic thinking, the evil impulse is to be found in man at birth; the good impulse begins to develop when he is thirteen years old. The teachings of the Torah are referred to as the antidote to the yetser ha-ra. Similarly, Ben Sira (21:11) states: “The man who keeps the Law controls his natural tendency.”

In commenting on the two yods in the word " ", (Genesis 2:7), the rabbis declare that God created both the yetser tov and the yetser ra (Berakhoth 61a). The command to love God “with all your heart” they interpret to mean “with both your impulses” (Berakhoth Ma), since both human elements can be employed in the service of God. “Were it not for the yetser ha-ra, no man would build a home or get married or follow an occupation” (Genesis Rabbah 9:9). The phrase “very good” (Genesis 1:31) is therefore explained, as alluding to the yetser ha-ra, frequently used in the sense of the productive urge.

Taken from the Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts

Genesis 1:31
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

Well, the struggle within man between good and evil I would agree with. God however created nothing evil. However this was not your question. You asked if the world is " vanity " You are mixing apples and oranges. God created the world. He did not create vanity. Man’s attitude toward actions in the world can often be described as vanity. Example, it is vanity to seek honors and wealth for their own sake while we are alive in the world since our purpose is to love and serve God in this world and to be with him in the next.