Introduction: Two Extremes of Vanity
In chapter 4 of Kohelet, King Solomon places two extreme opposites side by side. At one extreme stands the fool who folds his hands and does nothing, and at the other extreme - the person who toils endlessly, gathering and accumulating, yet has no one to do it for. In verse 8 we reach this second extreme, and this verse is expounded by the Rishonim and Midrashim in many wondrous ways. Let us examine them one by one.
יֵשׁ אֶחָד וְאֵין שֵׁנִי גַּם בֵּן וָאָח אֵין לוֹ וְאֵין קֵץ לְכׇל עֲמָלוֹ גַּם עֵינוֹ לֹא תִשְׂבַּע עֹשֶׁר וּלְמִי אֲנִי עָמֵל וּמְחַסֵּר אֶת נַפְשִׁי מִטּוֹבָה גַּם זֶה הֶבֶל וְעִנְיַן רָע הוּא׃ - There is one who is alone without a second, he has neither son nor brother, yet there is no end to all his toil; nor is his eye satisfied with riches: 'For whom then do I toil and deprive my soul of goodness?' This too is vanity and a grievous task.
The Malbim: The Solitary Intellect that Has No Companion
The Malbim in Eretz Chemdah explains that the verse is an allegory, and its subject is the intellect (sechel). "There is one who is alone without a second" - the intellect is solitary and has no companion. Desire and imagination have many helpers: the body and its faculties assist in bringing matters of desire and imagination to fruition. But the intellect has no helper; it is unique and companionless. "He has neither son nor brother" - any kinship of a son or brother is biological, whereas the intellect is spiritual, and therefore physical kinship does not apply to it at all; nothing is truly related to it, and on the level of the soul there is no such kinship.
From here the intellect asks: "For whom then do I toil and deprive my soul of goodness?" For whom am I exerting myself and depriving my soul of spirituality and the good uniquely suited to it? For physical pleasures? For acquiring possessions? After all, none of these connect to the intellect, none are a brother to the intellect, and none are kin to it. If so, what value is there in occupying itself with all this? What is worthwhile for the intellect? To look after itself: to grow wise in Torah and wise in deeper intellectual truths - this is its true excellence. But if it seeks companions in worldly desires and material matters, it will see that none of them offer the intellect and the soul anything at all.
Pesikta Zutarta: The Rich Man with No Heir
The Pesikta Zutarta explains the literal meaning of the verse: "'There is one evil matter, and none second to it' - there is a terrible circumstance with nothing worse than it." What is it referring to? A wealthy man who has everything and lacks nothing, yet has no one to inherit from him: neither son nor brother. "Yet there is no end to all his toil" - he labors ceaselessly, and you ask yourself: for whom? You have neither brother nor son. And perhaps you might think that at least he labors within limits? To this the verse states, "nor is his eye satisfied with riches" - he toils without boundary or end, and gives no tzedakah from his wealth. He does not pave his path to the World to Come in the spirit of "and your righteousness shall go before you," but merely wants more and more wealth for himself.
And he does not stop for a moment to think: "For whom do I toil?" In the end I will leave everything behind here, so for whom is all this exertion? Through this, he "deprives my soul of goodness" - all this toil only harms him: he deprives his soul of the goodness of Gan Eden, and deprives his soul today of fulfilling mitzvot. After all, with this money he could have brought merit to the public and increased Torah, and he certainly would have fulfilled the purpose for which he was created. Yet in this state a person leaves everything behind, with neither son nor brother. For whom did you labor? For whom did you toil so hard?
Ibn Ezra: The Middle Path
The Ibn Ezra suggests several possibilities for the words "without a second": he has no companion, he has no servant, or he has no wife to be a helper opposite him - and this last interpretation seems most likely. "Yet there is no end to all his toil" - he amasses wealth, but his soul is never satisfied or tranquil despite all the toil; rather, he continues gathering perpetually, never stopping to consider who will inherit all this fortune. And what is meant by "this too is vanity", what does the word "too" add? That the first fool is futile just like the latter fool: the person who folds his hands and does nothing is vanity, and the person who pours his entire being into accumulating wealth with no heir - this too is vanity.
If so, what is the proper path? Is everything then vanity? The Ibn Ezra explains: the wise person is one who walks the middle path, as in King David's prayer, "Give me neither poverty nor riches." Master of the Universe, let me not be at the extremes, neither impoverished nor wealthy, but in the middle.
The Blessing of Number Two
They tell of the author of Sefer HaToda'ah, Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov, that he would bless his children that they merit to be number two in the class. Not number one - number two. Why? Because if you are number one, why make an effort? You are ahead of everyone anyway, and there is no one challenging you. But when you are number two, on the one hand, you are in a good position, ahead of the rest, and that gives you a drive because you feel you are succeeding; on the other hand, you feel you have not yet reached perfection, there is still someone ahead to catch up with, who challenges you and makes you strive more. Being at the very bottom is not the way, and being at the very top is not the way either. "Give me neither poverty nor riches" - neither poverty nor wealth, but rather the middle state, which is the proper path.
The Midrash: Gevini ben Charson
The Midrash brings an example from a man named Gevini ben Charson. "And he has no second" - that he had no partner. "He has neither son nor brother" - that he was an only child to his mother. "And there is no end to all his labor" - concerning what his father left him, for his father was very wealthy and bequeathed everything to him. "And his eye is not satisfied with wealth" - why does it say "his eye" rather than "his eyes"? The Midrash explains: because Gevini was blind in one eye, and even the single eye remaining to him was not satisfied with wealth. And he never thought to himself, "For whom am I laboring and depriving myself of good?" The Midrash states: when Gevini died, Belshazzar was born and inherited all his wealth. Belshazzar came and emptied him of all his wealth. If so, what benefit did all this wealth bring you? This is what Shlomo tells us here, that a person toils and labors for vanity and emptiness.
The Midrash: The Verse Referring to the Yetzer Hara
The Midrash further interprets the entire matter as referring to the Yetzer Hara. "There is one" - this is the one who misleads mankind, as it says, "Yet together they are boorish and foolish," for the evil inclination causes man to become boorish and foolish. "And he has no second" - he has no partner in sin. "He has neither son nor brother" - neither subordinate to him nor comparable to him. Furthermore, the evil inclination causes the person himself to have neither son, brother, nor companion: he makes him sin, and because of this, he does not marry a wife, does not father children, and all his companions flee from him - people do not wish to be near him.
"And there is no end to all his labor" - there is no end to the sins the evil inclination brings about. "And his eye is not satisfied with wealth" - no matter how many sins are committed, he still does not rest. As the Gemara says: he goes up and incites, comes down and accuses, and ultimately he is the one who testifies against him in Heaven, takes his soul, and brings him to Gehennom. The evil inclination does a thorough job, and does not rest until he finishes everything. He never feels that there is an end to his labor; he works constantly without limit. "For whom am I laboring and depriving myself of good?" - if there are no righteous who conquer the evil inclination before the good inclination, for whom is he toiling? And if so, why did the Holy One, blessed be He, create His world? For that, too, would be vanity and pursuit of wind if everyone were to follow their inclination.
Rashi: The Person Who Does Everything in Solitude
Rashi explains: "There is one and he has no second" - there is a person who conducts all his affairs in solitude. "He has neither son nor brother" - if he is a Torah scholar, he does not acquire a student, who is like a son, even though it is said, "From my students I have learned more than from anyone." And he does not acquire a companion, as the Tanna says in Avot, "Make for yourself a Rav and acquire for yourself a companion" - so that at least you have a chavruta to study with, which is like one blade sharpening another. And if he is single, he does not take a wife to be like a brother and a helpmate to bear a son. And if he is a merchant, he does not take partners, but rather sets out on the road alone, instead of seeing how to work together with other merchants.
Incidentally, some ask: why does it say "Make for yourself a Rav and acquire for yourself a companion," but does not say "Make for yourself a student"? Some explain that a student learns where his heart desires, and you cannot force this yourself - as the Maharal explains, it is not fitting for a person to run around telling people, "Come learn from me." But the Tosafot Yom Tov explains simply: it was already stated several Mishnayot earlier, "and raise up many disciples," and that is "make for yourself a student." And some say that "Make for yourself a Rav" itself means: make yourself into a Rav - by teaching others, and then you will have students, through whom you will be able to delve into the Torah with greater depth.
"And there is no end to all his labor" - all these ways of solitude are not the right path. If he is a Torah scholar, he labors over the text; had another person been with him, he would have helped him understand properly, and they would have clarified the matters together. And if he is a merchant, he toils in commerce, whereas if he had a partner, it would be much easier for him. "And his eye is not satisfied with wealth" - one who studies Torah alone will never be satisfied with the reasons and depths of the Torah.
And why? Because much of the depth and reasoning of the Torah a person receives from others, and much he learns from his students. From the students' questions, the lesson is clarified: the maggid shiur comes with a certain approach to the sugya, and suddenly a student asks - wait, how can that be? That does not fit with what is written elsewhere. Then the scholar must make a distinction and say: in this case the law is such, and in a case like that one the law is different. And where did he arrive at this distinction? Only from the student's question. Through this, the matters are clarified, and the person is satisfied with the depths of the Torah and satisfied with wealth - spiritual wealth. But one who studies alone, his eye will never be satisfied with wealth.
And if we speak of wealth: he constantly pursues money, and therefore does not want others with him. Yet when a person engages in commerce with others, he succeeds, whereas when he insists on working entirely alone, this stems from an obsessive lust for money, and ultimately he also loses out. For when there are partners, wealth multiplies, there are more merchants, and there is a larger market. "And for whom do I toil?" - since he does not raise disciples and does not marry a wife to bear children, all his labor turns out to be devoid of purpose.
A Perplexing Midrash: "There is one" - this is the Holy One, blessed be He
There is a Midrash that appears very puzzling. The Midrash states: "'There is one' - this is the Holy One, blessed be He, as in 'Hear, O Israel: Hashem is our God, Hashem is One.' 'And there is no second to Him' - He has no partner in His world. 'Neither has he child nor brother' - these are the Jewish people, who are called children, as it says, 'You are children to Hashem your God,' and are called brothers, as it says, 'For the sake of my brothers and companions.'" Yet the Midrash seemingly contradicts itself on the spot: you just said that He has neither child nor brother, and immediately you say that these are the Jewish people who are His children - which means He does have them!
Some explain this simply, suggesting that "ein lo" (he has not) is expounded like "ayein alav" (look into it) - just as the Gemara often interprets "ein" in the sense of "ayein" - meaning: if you look closely, you will find that He indeed has them.
In the book Shema Shlomo by Rabbi Shlomo Algazi, however, a wonderful explanation is offered. According to him, the meaning of the verse is: "'There is one and no second to Him' - this is the Holy One, blessed be He, Who has no second; 'Neither has he child nor brother' - meaning, for His child and brother as well, who are the Jewish people, 'there is no second to him' - they have no second." In other words: the Holy One, blessed be He, is One and has no second, and His children and brothers - "You are children to Hashem your God," "For the sake of my brothers and companions" - also have no second. This reflects what the Gemara says: "You made Me a unique entity in the world" - that the Holy One, blessed be He, is singular in His world - "and I will make you a unique entity, for I have no other nation like you; just as there is no second to Me, so there is no second to you." According to this, the Midrash is explained wonderfully: "'These are the Jewish people who are called children' - children to Hashem, who likewise have no second."
"And there is no end to all his labor" - to all that the Holy One, blessed be He, created during the six days of Creation. "For whom then do I toil and deprive my soul of good?" - the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, says: if the righteous do not perform mitzvot and good deeds before Me, why was it worthwhile to create this entire world? If man does not recognize the good the Creator did for him and does not serve Him, is this not futility - that Hashem, as it were, toiled and labored so greatly, yet human beings use all of it for futility and grasping of the wind instead of the service of Hashem?
The Midrash: "Abraham was one"
The Midrash applies the verse to several other contexts as well. One approach applies it to Avraham Avinu: "'One' - this is Avraham, as in 'Abraham was one.' 'And no second to him' - for he had no partner. 'Neither has he child nor brother' - when he descended into the fiery furnace, he was alone. 'And there is no end to all his labor' - in mitzvot and good deeds. 'For whom then do I toil and deprive my soul of good?' - if not to cling to His ways? And anyone who does not follow in the ways of Avraham Avinu, Scripture says of him, 'This too is vanity.' The purpose of the world's creation is for man to cling to the ways of the Patriarchs, and the purpose of man's creation is to cling to Hashem, with the Patriarchs serving as the model and paradigm.
The Midrash: The Tribe of Levi
The Midrash also applies the verse to the tribe of Levi. "'Neither has he child nor brother' - when Moshe said to them, 'Go back and forth from gate to gate... and slay every man his brother,' and it is stated, 'Who said of his father and mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brothers': he has neither child nor brother, recognizing no one, for all that matters to him at that moment is the honor of Heaven. 'And there is no end to all his labor' - in the service of the Mishkan. 'Neither is his eye satisfied with riches' - these are the sacrifices. 'For whom then do I toil' - if not to cling to His ways; and to anyone who does not act as they did, Scripture says, 'This too is vanity, and it is a bad business.' Rather, a person must immerse himself, like the tribe of Levi, in the service of the Creator.
The Midrash: What a Person Forfeits When Going to Commit a Sin
The Midrash further states: "'There is one and no second to him' - this is the evil inclination, which has no equal partner in sin. 'Neither has he child nor brother' - when a person sets out to commit a sin, Heaven forbid, he fails to realize that he has a child who may die on account of his iniquities. It is as if 'he has neither child nor brother' - meaning he might end up without a child as a consequence of that sin. This is akin to the Midrash that when the Holy One, blessed be He, demanded: 'Bring Me guarantors,' they said to Him: 'Whom shall we bring? We have no guarantors.' He said to them: 'Your children shall be guarantors' - and some read that the Jewish people themselves said, 'Our children will be our guarantors.' And he also has no spouse, as it says, 'Why should he take away your bed from under you?' And regarding 'brother,' the Midrash explains: he does not realize that he has a brother who will be shamed and disgraced on his account. When a person stumbles, it is often a disgrace for the entire family; one child who strays from the path brings a bad name upon the whole family - in admissions to educational institutions, in shidduchim, and wherever the father goes. It is a profoundly painful feeling. 'And there is no end to all his labor' - in his evil deeds, 'neither is his eye satisfied with riches' - for he only continues to amass more and more wrongdoing all his days.
The Imrei Shefer: The "Ascetics of Vanity" in Our Generation
The Imrei Shefer takes the verse in a very fascinating direction, one deeply relevant to our own reality. At first glance, it seems strange to suggest that such a reality existed in Shlomo's day, but it is well known that Shlomo's words speak to every generation and every era according to its needs. "And I returned" - Shlomo says: I am observing the other extreme. One extreme is the fool who folds his hands, and now I look at the other extreme, and see a vanity under the sun that is worse than the first.
These are his words: There is in our generation a sect of "ascetics of vanity." Unlike a nazir who takes an ascetic vow in holiness to draw closer to the Holy One, Blessed is He, these are ascetics for reasons of vanity, saying: Why take upon our necks the yoke of a wife and children, when in all our actions a wife will stand as an adversary? Is it not better for one to dwell alone, doing whatever he desires without adversary or hindrance? Thus they sit in solitude for days on end and commit all manner of evil abominations, may the Merciful One save us.
This is precisely the argument heard today: Why get married? It is much better to stay single; you are free, you can do whatever you want and enjoy life. And what about children? Who needs children? "Children are a joy" - yes, after eleven at night when they are already asleep; when they are underfoot, not so much. I don't want children - what for? So they can use me as an ATM and devour my money? So they can demand things from me constantly? Then you also have to find a babysitter, drive them to after-school activities, get notes from school, and run to the doctor's office. Spare me all this headache! And since he has no wife at home, he has no restraint, and he is liable to transgress every abomination.
And yet, says the Imrei Shefer, there is no curb to their lust for gain, and the burden of chasing the wind is not lifted from them. These people spend all their days toiling - and for what? There are people who are workaholics. They have no time for a wife, no time for children, no time for anything, because right now they are working on a project. And when will this project finish - when you are eighty years old? And what about your life: building a home, a wife, children? No, he does not need that.
Regarding them, Shlomo HaMelech says: "There is one who has no second" - a person who lives in isolation and does not marry. Everything alive has a counterpart; all were created male and female, both animals and human beings, yet he chose to remain solitary. And consequently, "neither has he child nor brother" - a brother refers to relatives, and sons are also referred to as brothers, as when Yaakov said to his brethren, "Gather stones," and his brethren were his sons. Furthermore, a "brother" refers to anyone who is a "brother born for adversity," someone who stands by him in his hour of distress. But a person who sits in isolation - if trouble befalls him, who will come to his aid?
And we often see such situations. You hear about a solitary, childless person - what happened? They tell you: he fell in his home and there was no one there; he lay there, and only when the neighbors smelled something terrible did they realize a tragedy had occurred. How many such stories are there! Why was there no one to help? Because he has neither child nor brother; a person who never married and never established a home.
It must be emphasized: sometimes a person remains alone due to circumstances beyond his control and not by choice - he wanted, he tried, and he made efforts. Shlomo is not speaking about such people. Shlomo is speaking about people who, out of deliberate choice and pure selfishness, decided: I do not want a wife, and I do not want to give anyone anything of my own. If I have a wife, I will have to give to her; if I have a child, I will have to give to him; and he does not want to give anything of his own. This is the pinnacle of selfishness. And if trouble comes upon him - there is no one with him, no brother, friend, or son to help and support him, no one to sustain him in his old age.
"Yet is there no end to all his labor, neither is his eye satisfied with riches" - he possesses, says the Imrei Shefer, the traits of Bilam the wicked: an evil eye and an arrogant, covetous soul; the more his wealth grows, the more he covets the money of others. Nor does he consider: "For whom do I labor and bereave my soul of good?" Ask any ordinary person why he exerts himself, and he will tell you: I have to support my wife and children. But you - why are you exerting yourself, when you already have enough? Thus it turns out that he bereaves his soul of good, and therefore "this also is vanity, and a grievous business." This is the other extreme, the opposite of the fool who folds his hands: worse than him is the person who toils and labors all his days solely for himself, unwilling to let anyone else benefit from what he has.
In summary:
A single verse - "There is one who has no second" - is expounded in many facets: The Malbim sees in it the solitary intellect, which has no companion and finds no benefit in bodily matters, but only in gaining wisdom through Torah and intellectual truths. The Pesikta and Midrash portray the wealthy man who amasses boundlessly and has no heir, like Gevini ben Harsom, whose entire wealth passed to Belshazzar. The Ibn Ezra teaches that the path of the wise is the middle way, "Give me neither poverty nor riches." Rashi shows the harm of one who does everything alone - in Torah, in the home, and in commerce - for through students and study partners matters are clarified, and a person is satisfied with the flavors of Torah. The Midrash expounds the verse regarding the evil inclination, which does not rest until it consumes a person; regarding the Holy One, Blessed is He, Who has no second, and His children Israel, who likewise have no equal; regarding Avraham, who stood alone in the fiery furnace; and regarding the tribe of Levi, who gave themselves over for the honor of Heaven. And the Imrei Shefer applies these words to the "ascetics of vanity," who choose isolation out of selfishness. The conclusion is one: a person who does not give of his own, does not raise future generations, and does not labor for a spiritual purpose - all his toil is vanity and a grievous business. Only labor for Torah, mitzvot, and cleaving to the ways of our forefathers gives true meaning to all our toil.