(Qo 1:2; 2:21-23)

Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, says Qohelet,

vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 2:21 For what does the wise man find after all his labour and after all the toil of his heart in which he has toiled at his work in this life? Even this is vanity and a great misfortune.

Ecclesiastes 2:22 What profit has a man from all his labour and from the striving of his heart with which he toils under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 2:23 All his days are full of pain and sorrow; even at night his heart is not at rest. This too is meaningless!

The Hebrew word Qohelet comes from the verb qahal. A Jewish commentary explains that Qohelet was so named because it refers to 1 Kings 8:1, where qahal is the assembly to which Solomon preaches. Thus, Qohelet is the Preacher. The corresponding term Ecclesiastes derives from the Greek "ekklesia", which means "church" or "assembly". Qohelet is the master preacher, who offers a reflection on human life.

Qohelet begins his reflection with a powerful truth. He states that everything is vanity. The word 'vanity' (Hebrew: 'hevel') is the first word in Qohelet's discourse and is also the key word of the entire book. The primary meaning of the word is 'vapour/breath', and, figuratively, the term is used to describe something that has no substance, something that is, but immediately afterwards is not, something evanescent, empty, fleeting. Today we would say 'a rip-off'. For Qohelet, all life is an immense void, a fog, a breath, an illusion, an absurdity, a rip-off.

According to Gianfranco Ravasi, in his commentary on Qohelet, the expression 'vanity of vanities' is somewhat the antithesis of the Song of Songs. In both cases, the nouns that form the phrase are presented in their superlative form, but while Qohelet speaks of a 'void of voids', the Song of Songs 'is instead the superlative song of love'. Just as the Song of Songs is the superlative of the joy given by love, so vanity of vanities is the superlative of the frustration given by the emptiness of life.

'Hevel' is also the Hebrew name of another biblical character, Abel, the second son of Adam. Abel is a fleeting vapour that will disappear without a trace. Hevel has been translated as 'vanity' to convey the idea of emptiness.

As a noun, hevel is used in reference to idols, precisely to describe them as meaningless, useless, ineffective. Compared to the God of Israel, who throughout history has intervened on behalf of his people, other deities are described as hevel, having the same consistency as vapour.

By repeating 'vanity' several times, Qohelet wants the listener to stop their mind and focus only on this thought. If the listener reflects as he has reflected, they will see that this is how things are. Vanity is human life; it is empty, lacking in vital content. Things exist, but what gives them value is missing. Qohelet begins to meditate, questions himself, loses his certainties. What am I looking for? What am I fighting for? Vanity! What am I toiling for? Vanity!

In Jewish tradition, the book of Ecclesiastes is read at Sukkot, during the Feast of Tabernacles, the feast that commemorates the transience of life, when the Israelites lived in huts in the desert.

For example, when the fruit of honest and intelligent labour falls into the hands of the lazy and idle (v. 21), what is the point of all this toil? It is as if Qohelet senses a great injustice in what happens at the moment of death. One works wisely and successfully, and at the moment of death must leave his share to another who has not worked for it at all. Not only is this an injustice, it is also a great evil. It is vanity. An honest and industrious existence, which spares itself no effort or pain, which always thinks for the best, allowing little rest, must it then end in bitterness, that all has been perfectly vain and useless?

What does Qohelet, or rather, the Word of God, want to teach us? First of all, it reveals the consequences of death. Death strips man of everything that is material. The soul will appear 'naked' before God. If leaving the fruits of one's labour to others is wrong, how can we transform our efforts into something eternal or something that we can take with us? Everything that is material belongs to the earth and must be left to the earth. The soul takes with it only what is spiritual, both good and bad. This is precisely wisdom: transforming the fruit of one's labour into spiritual reality. The Word of God points to this path in charity. Those who make their lives an act of charity lose nothing, take everything with them, and gain eternal reward.Man's life on earth is full of pain and suffering. His heart does not rest even at night. If he then has to leave the earth empty-handed, it is absolute emptiness. This is why it is necessary to find a solution to transform vanity into fulfilment. If this solution is not found, life remains empty. No man should live an empty life. He needs fulfilment. However, there is only one way. The transformation of matter into spirit, into virtue, into love, gives true fulfilment to life. 

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Apocalypse – exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, true God and true Man in the mystery of the Trinity

The Prophetic Discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants in comparison – In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St. Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)