1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
<html><b>To utter a word before God.</b> To speak critically toward [God] above.1<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, “do not let your heart be hasty” to voice complaints before God, “for He is in heaven and you are on earth,” i.e., He alone knows what is good for you and whatever he does is for the best. See Maseches Berachos 61a and Maharsha there. </i> <b>For God is in heaven and you are on earth.</b> And even if the weak one is above, and the strong one below, the fear of the weak one is upon the strong one, how much more so when it is the strong one [=God] Who is above and the weak one who is below. </html>
<html><b>For a dream comes with many subjects.</b> For it is usual for a dream to come because of the many thoughts upon which a person ponders and thinks during the day, and it is usual for the speech of a fool to come with excessive words, because by increasing his words, he utters foolishness from his mouth, for transgression is inevitable; therefore I say, “let your words be few.”2<i class=“footnote”>Scripture in Mishlei [17:28] states, “even a fool who is silent will be considered wise, [and] when he seals his lips [he will be considered] understanding.” </i> </html>
<html><b>He has no desire in fools.</b> The Holy One, Blessed Is He, has no pleasure in the wicked who vow and do not pay. </html>
<html><b>Do not permit your mouth.</b> [By uttering] a vow. <b>To bring guilt on your flesh.</b> That He should visit the iniquity upon your children.3<i class=“footnote”>According to Rashi, בשרך means children, as in, “and do not hide yourself from your kin [ומבשרך],” in Yeshayahu 58:7. Alternatively, it can be understood literally, i.e., do not let the vain vows made by your mouth to bring punishment upon your flesh [=yourself=בשרך]. See Maseches Shavuos 39a. </i> <b>Nor say before the angel.</b> The representative who comes to demand of you the charity that you publicly pledged.4<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, “an angel of God” who keeps and records all of man’s utterances (Ibn Ezra); or מלאך refers to “a Torah scholar” who is called upon to annul vows. (Sforno) </i> <b>That it was an error.</b> I pledged it in error, I thought that I would have the ability to give. <b>And destroy the work of your hands.</b> [I.e.,] the commandments that were in your hands, that you had already performed, will cause them to be lost [=destroyed].5<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, מעשה ידיך refers to the “children” of one who fails to fulfill his vows, who die as a result. </i> It is expounded in this manner in the Midrash. <b>By your voice.</b> Because of your voice.</html>
<html><b>For in the multitude of dreams, etc.</b> For all that they tell you — dreams, false prophets, and idle chatter — to separate from the Omnipresent. <b>Man should fear God.</b> [The word] כִּי is an expression of “rather,” [i.e.,] do not obey the dreams, rather, “fear God.” </html>
<html><b>Oppression of the poor, perversion of justice and righteousness, etc.</b> If you see in the province that they oppress the poor and deprive justice and righteousness. <b>Do not be astonished.</b> About the will of the Omnipresent, when He exacts retribution upon them. <b>For One higher than the high watches.</b> And sees their deeds, and there are higher ones6<i class=“footnote”>I.e., angels. </i> over them who carry out the mission of the Omnipresent, and their hand is strong to punish them. <b>Perversion of justice.</b> Deprivation of justice. Since it is in the construct [i.e., possessive] state, גֵּזֶל is vowelized with a small <i>patach</i> [=<i>segol</i>],7<i class=“footnote”>Apparently Rashi’s text is not like our edition where גזל is vowelized with a tzeireh. </i> for were it not possessive, גָּזֵל would be vowelized with a <i>kametz</i>. Another explanation: If you see that they oppress the poor and deprive [them of] justice, and you see charity coming toward the city, [i.e.,] that the Holy One, Blessed Is He, lavishes goodness upon them and does not mete out retribution upon them, do not wonder about the will of the Omnipresent, for so is His custom, to be slow to anger. <b>For One higher than the high watches.</b> He waits until their measure is filled. <b>And there are high ones.</b> He has [many agents] over them to punish them when their time of visitation arrives, as in, “you do not wait תִּשְׁמוֹר for my sin,”8<i class=“footnote”>Iyov 14:16. </i> [and as in,] “awaiting שֹׁמֵר the realization,”9<i class=“footnote”>Yeshayahu 26:2. </i> [and as in,] “awaited שָׁמַר the matter.”10<i class=“footnote”>Bereishis 37:11. God waits, but ultimately He will punish them in the proper time. </i> </html>
<html><b>The profit of the earth is desired by all.</b> And the loftiness of the earth’s dwellers, who are haughty and provoke the Omnipresent; “is desired by all,” in everything, he performs His mission to punish them, even through gnats, as He did to Titus.11<i class=“footnote”>See Maseches Gittin 56b for details of Titus’ punishment. When God created His world, He did not create a single thing without a purpose, according to the Gemara in Maseches Shabbos 77b. </i> <b>The king himself is subject to the soil.</b> The Holy One, Blessed Is He, became subservient to Tzion to demand from her destroyers for [their] mistreatment [of Tzion], and to reward her builders. </html>
<html><b>He who loves money will never be satisfied with money.</b> Whoever loves [to perform God’s] commandments never has his fill of them.12<i class=“footnote”>See the Gemara in Maseches Makkos 10a which interprets that this verse is referring to Moshe. </i> <b>And he who loves abundance.</b> Of many commandments <b>Will have no produce.</b> And among them none has a specific and distinguishable commandment, e.g., the building of the Beis Hamikdosh or a synagogue, or [writing] a beautiful Torah scroll. <b>This too is vanity.</b> So are these two verses expounded upon in the Midrash, and there are other suitable interpretations, but I stated this one first because it is related to the matter of, “and there are higher ones over them,” which Scripture juxtaposed to them. Another explanation: <b>The profit of the earth is desired by all.</b> The reward for tilling the soil is most important of all, for even the king must be subservient to the field; if the earth produces fruits, he will eat, otherwise, he dies from hunger. <b>He who loves money will never be satisfied with money.</b> He will not eat money. <b>And he who loves abundance.</b> Of money. <b>Will have no produce.</b> That he does not gather for himself produce, this too is vanity.13<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, “one who loves [an] abundance” of slaves, maidservants and other household members, “will have no produce,” i.e., he will be unable to sustain his household staff, for they will consume everything (Metsudas Dovid). </i> Another explanation: <b>The profit of the earth is desired by all.</b> The reward of Yisroel is in all aspects of Torah, be it in Scripture, in Mishnah, or in Gemara. <b>The king himself is subject to the soil.</b> If the king is well versed in Scripture and Mishnah, he must still be subservient to the one well-versed in Gemara, because he arranges before him the practical decisions regarding prohibition and permissibility, ritual impurity and purity, and practical laws. <b>He who loves money.</b> Whoever loves Torah [study], never has his fill with it. <b>And he who loves abundance.</b> Torah [study]. <b>Will have no produce.</b> One who has [knowledge of] Scripture and Mishnah, but has no [knowledge of] Gemara, what benefit does he have? All these are [expounded] in Vayikra Rabbah. </html>
<html><b>As goods increase.</b> When the [Bnei] Yisroel improve their deeds. <b>So do those who consume them.</b> The giving of the reward for [fulfilling] the commandments. <b>And what advantage has the owner.</b> [I.e.,] to the Holy One , Blessed Is He, with all the improvement of their deeds.14<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, “and what good is the owner’s skill [=כשרון],” as in 2:21 above. </i> <b>Except beholding them with his eyes.</b> That He sees that they are subservient to Him, and He has satisfaction, that He commanded and His will was done, and so is the matter concerning the sacrifices. <b>As goods increase so do those who consume them.</b> When they bring many freewill offerings, the <i>kohanim</i> who eat it increase. <b>And what advantage has the owner.</b> Before the Holy One, Blessed Is He. <b>Except beholding them with his eyes.</b> That He commanded, and His will was done. </html>
<html><b>Sweet is the sleep of the laborer.</b> One who tills the soil sleeps, and he enjoys his sleep, whether he eats little or a lot, for he is already used to it.15<i class=“footnote”>The Midrash relates that when Rabbi Boon died, Rabbi Zeira incorporated this verse, “sweet is the sleep of the laborer,” in his eulogy for Rabbi Boon who was only twenty-eight years old at his death. He said that Rabbi Boon accomplished in his life what would normally take one hundred years. </i> But the satiety of the rich <b>will not permit him to sleep.</b> But the satiety of possessions of the rich man, who owns much merchandise, does not allow him to sleep because he thinks about it all night.16<i class=“footnote”>The same idea is expressed in Mishnayos Avos 2:7, “the more possessions, the more worry.” </i> Another explanation: The year שָׁנָה שֶׁל=[שְׁנַת of the one who serves God is sweet; whether he has a short life or a long life, he will partake of his reward, the one [who lives few years] like the one who [lives] many [years]. [E.g.,] Moshe led Yisroel forty years, and Shmuel the prophet led them ten years, and Scripture equates them one to another, as it is stated, “Moshe and Aharon among His <i>kohanim</i>, and Shmuel among those who invoke His name, etc.”17<i class=“footnote”>Tehillim 99:6. </i> So is it expounded upon in Tanchuma. <b>But the satiety of the rich.</b> The one with many traditions. <b>Will not permit him to sleep.</b> In the grave, as it is stated, “causing the lips of the sleeping to murmur.”18<i class=“footnote”>Shir Hashirim 7:10. </i> Every Torah scholar, in whose name a traditional law is recited, his lips murmur in the grave.19<i class=“footnote”>See Maseches Yevamos 97a. </i> </html>
<html><b>Wealth preserved by its owner to his own detriment.</b> Like the wealth of Korach, because of which he became haughty and descended into the grave.20<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, a person’s wealth jeopardizes his personal safety by exposing him to robbery, kidnap, or even death. (Sforno). Or, “wealth stored by its owner,” i.e., he stores his wealth and does not spend it to aid the needy, “to his own detriment,” i.e., resulting in the visitation of punishment upon him. </i> </html>
<html><b>He will have nothing in his hand.</b> Not even the merit of his ancestors.</html>
<html><b>He will take nothing for his labor.</b> When he dies, he will not take with him any merit of charity that he did with his money during his lifetime. </html>
<html><b>As he came.</b> That money, so will it go. </html>
<html><b>[He has] illness.</b> וְחָלְיוֹ means] the same as ‘וְחֹלִי,’ and the <i>vav</i> is superfluous, just as the <i>vav</i> of, “beast חַיְתוֹ of the forest.”21<i class=“footnote”>Tehillim 104:20. </i> </html>
<html><b>For one to eat and drink and to enjoy the good.</b> To engage in Torah [study],22<i class=“footnote”>Rashi is consistent with the Midrash Aggadah he cited in 8:15 below, “that all mention of ‘eating and drinking’ in Koheles refers only to the study of Torah.” </i> which is a good doctrine; but he should not accumulate much wealth, rather he should rejoice with the portion given him, for that is his portion. </html>
<html><b>And the power to enjoy them.</b> In his life. <b>To take his share.</b> After his death, that he merited to engage in Torah [study] and in [the performance of] commandments during his life, which enabled him to receive reward. </html>
<html><b>For there are not many.</b> For there is no longevity in this world. <b>Let him remember the days of his life.</b> For they are few and not many; so why then should he bother to accumulate wealth? Let him labor with something that endures for him in the World to Come during his lifetime. <b>While God answers [provides] him, etc.</b> The Holy One, Blessed Is He, bears a permanent testimony about this eternally.23<i class=“footnote”>According to Rashi מענה means, “bears testimony” as in, “you shall not bear false testimony [לא תענה] in Shemos 20:13. Alternatively, מענה means “answers” as in “may Adonoy answer [יענך] you,” in Tehillim 20:2. (Ibn Ezra) </i> <b>With the joy of his heart.</b> That he rejoiced to do good in his lifetime, and I saw in the Midrash, that this refers to Elkanah, who led Yisroel up to Shiloh on the festivals, and on the route that he brought them up on one year he did not bring them back the following year, in order to publicize the matter and to accustom them. Therefore, Scripture praises him, “This man would go up from his city, etc.”24<i class=“footnote”>I Shmuel 1:3. </i> I believe that this Midrash is at the end of the verse, “for God answers [provides] him with the joy of his heart.” This is Elkanah, whom the Holy One, Blessed Is He, established in Scripture, and testifies about him, “this man would go up from his city.”25<i class=“footnote”>Ibid. </i> <b>Answers [provides] him.</b> This is vowelized with a small <i>pasach</i> [=<i>segol</i>].. Therefore, I explain it as a noun, as in, “for there was no answer מַעֲנֶה in the mouth[s] of the three men.”26<i class=“footnote”>Iyov 32:5. </i> <b>With the joy of his heart.</b> That he was happy on the festival.</html>