The New Jew: A Field Guide

Hebrew

הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא יִהְיֶה לְעוֹלָם עָלָיו אֵין לְהוֹסִיף וּמִמֶּנּוּ אֵין לִגְרֹעַ
וְהָאֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה שֶׁיִּרְאוּ מִלְּפָנָיו׃ מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר הוּא וַאֲשֶׁר לִהְיוֹת
כְּבָר הָיָה וְהָאֱלֹהִים יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־נִרְדָּף׃ וְעוֹד רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
מְקוֹם הַמִּשְׁפָּט שָׁמָּה הָרֶשַׁע וּמְקוֹם הַצֶּדֶק שָׁמָּה הָרָשַׁע׃ אָמַרְתִּי
אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי אֶת־הַצַּדִּיק וְאֶת־הָרָשָׁע יִשְׁפֹּט הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי־עֵת לְכָל־חֵפֶץ
וְעַל כָּל־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שָׁם׃ אָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי עַל־דִּבְרַת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְבָרָם
הָאֱלֹהִים וְלִרְאוֹת שֶׁהֵם־בְּהֵמָה הֵמָּה לָהֶם׃ כִּי מִקְרֶה בְנֵי־הָאָדָם
וּמִקְרֶה הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִקְרֶה אֶחָד לָהֶם כְּמוֹת זֶה כֵּן מוֹת זֶה וְרוּחַ אֶחָד
לַכֹּל וּמוֹתַר הָאָדָם מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה אָיִן כִּי הַכֹּל הָבֶל׃ הַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ אֶל־
מָקוֹם אֶחָד הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן־הֶעָפָר וְהַכֹּל שָׁב אֶל־הֶעָפָר׃ מִי יוֹדֵעַ רוּחַ
בְּנֵי הָאָדָם הָעֹלָה הִיא לְמָעְלָה וְרוּחַ הַבְּהֵמָה הַיֹּרֶדֶת הִיא לְמַטָּה
לָאָרֶץ׃ וְרָאִיתִי כִּי אֵין טוֹב מֵאֲשֶׁר יִשְׂמַח הָאָדָם בְּמַעֲשָׂיו כִּי־הוּא
חֶלְקוֹ כִּי מִי יְבִיאֶנּוּ לִרְאוֹת בְּמֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָיו׃ וְשַׁבְתִּי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה
אֶת־כָּל־הָעֲשֻׁקִים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשִׂים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה ׀ דִּמְעַת
הָעֲשֻׁקִים וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם וּמִיַּד עֹשְׁקֵיהֶם כֹּחַ וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם׃
וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת־הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ מִן־הַחַיִּים אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה חַיִּים
עֲדֶנָה׃ וְטוֹב מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עֲדֶן לֹא הָיָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־רָאָה אֶת־
הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הָרָע אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ וְרָאִיתִי אֲנִי אֶת־כָּל־עָמָל
וְאֵת כָּל־כִּשְׁרוֹן הַמַּעֲשֶׂה כִּי הִיא קִנְאַת־אִישׁ מֵרֵעֵהוּ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל
וּרְעוּת רוּחַ׃ הַכְּסִיל חֹבֵק אֶת־יָדָיו וְאֹכֵל אֶת־בְּשָׂרוֹ׃ טוֹב מְלֹא כַף
נָחַת מִמְּלֹא חָפְנַיִם עָמָל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ׃ וְשַׁבְתִּי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה הֶבֶל תַּחַת
הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ יֵשׁ אֶחָד וְאֵין שֵׁנִי גַּם בֵּן וָאָח אֵין־לוֹ וְאֵין קֵץ לְכָל־עֲמָלוֹ
גַּם־עֵינָו לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע עֹשֶׁר וּלְמִי ׀ אֲנִי עָמֵל וּמְחַסֵּר אֶת־נַפְשִׁי מִטּוֹבָה
גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וְעִנְיַן רָע הוּא׃ טוֹבִים הַשְּׁנַיִם מִן־הָאֶחָד אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ־לָהֶם
שָׂכָר טוֹב בַּעֲמָלָם׃ כִּי אִם־יִפֹּלוּ הָאֶחָד יָקִים אֶת־חֲבֵרוֹ וְאִילוֹ הָאֶחָד
שֶׁיִּפּוֹל וְאֵין שֵׁנִי לַהֲקִימוֹ׃ גַּם אִם־יִשְׁכְּבוּ שְׁנַיִם וְחַם לָהֶם וּלְאֶחָד אֵיךְ

Sephardi

ha'elohim hu yihyeh le'olam alav ein lehosif umimenu ein ligroa
veha'elohim asah sheyir'u milfanav: mah-shehayah kevar hu va'asher lihyot
kevar hayah veha'elohim yevakesh et-nirdaf: ve'od ra'iti tachat hashemesh
mekom hamishpat shamah haresha umekom hatzedek shamah harasha: amarti
ani belibi et-hatzadik ve'et-harasha yishpot ha'elohim ki-et lechol-chefetz
ve'al kol-hama'aseh sham: amarti ani belibi al-divrat benei ha'adam levaram
ha'elohim velir'ot shehem-beheimah hemah lahem: ki mikreh venei-ha'adam
umikreh habeheimah umikreh echad lahem kemot zeh kein mot zeh veruach echad
lakol umotar ha'adam min-habeheimah ayin ki hakol havel: hakol holech el-
makom echad hakol hayah min-he'afar vehakol shav el-he'afar: mi yodea ruach
benei ha'adam ha'olah hi lema'lah veruach habeheimah hayoredet hi lematah
la'aretz: vera'iti ki ein tov mei'asher yismach ha'adam bema'asav ki-hu
chelko ki mi yevi'enu lir'ot bemeh sheyihyeh acharav: veshavti ani va'er'eh
et-kol-ha'ashukim asher na'asim tachat hashamesh vehineh dim'at
ha'ashukim ve'ein lahem menachem umiyad oshkeihem koach ve'ein lahem menachem:
veshabeyach ani et-hametim shekevar metu min-hachayim asher hemah chayim
adenah: vetov mishneihem eit asher-aden lo hayah asher lo-ra'ah et-
hama'aseh hara asher na'asah tachat hashemesh: vera'iti ani et-kol-amal
ve'et kol-kishron hama'aseh ki hi kin'at-ish merei'eihu gam-zeh hevel
ure'ut ruach: hakesil chovek et-yadav ve'ochel et-besaro: tov melo chaf
nachat mimelo chafnayim amal ure'ut ruach: veshavti ani va'er'eh hevel tachat
hashemesh: yesh echad ve'ein sheni gam ben va'ach ein-lo ve'ein ketz lechol-amalo
gam-einav lo-tisba osher ulemi ani amel umechaser et-nafshi mitovah
gam-zeh hevel ve'inyan ra hu: tovim hashnayim min-ha'echad asher yesh-lahem
sachar tov ba'amalam: ki im-yipolu ha'echad yakim et-chavero ve'ilo ha'echad
sheyipol ve'ein sheni lahakimo: gam im-yishkevu shenayim vecham lahem ule'echad eich

English

that whatever God does will be forever. There is no adding to it, there is no taking away; and God has made quite sure that He be feared. That which has been is already here, and that which is to be has already been. And God is seeking after the pursued. Another thing that I saw beneath the sun: In a place of judgment – there are the evils. In a place of justice – evil is there. I said to my mind: God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, for the time comes for every deed, for all that is done, there. And I said to my mind of the sons of man: God set them apart, to find that they are nothing but cattle. For the fate of man is the fate of cattle; the same fate awaits them both, the death of one is like the death of the other, and their spirits are the same, and the pre-eminence of man over beast is nothing, for it is all but shallow breath. All end in the same place; all emerge from dust and all go back to dust. Who can say that the spirit of a man rises up while the spirit of a beast sinks into the ground? I saw that there is no good at all but for man to take pleasure in his works; for that is his share. For who will bring him to see what will become of it all when he is gone? But I turned again and saw all those made victims beneath the sun. There they were: the victims' tears and none to console them; power at the hands of their oppressors, and none to console them. And I thought the dead more fortunate, who have died already, than the living who yet live. But better than either are those who are yet to be, for they have seen none of the evil that is wrought beneath the sun. And I saw all the labor that is performed, all the skill – saw that it is all but one man's jealousy for another; this too is shallow breath and courting the wind. The fool crosses his hands and eats his own flesh. Better a handful of peace than two hands full of labor and courting the wind. I turned again and saw shallow breath beneath the sun. It happens that a man may be alone, with no fellow, no child even, or brother, and there may be no end to all his labor. His eye, too, will never see enough of riches; and who, after all, am I laboring for, and starving my spirit of good? This too is shallow breath and a wretched business. Two are better than one, for they have some good return for all their labor. For if they fall down, they will help each other rise. But pity the one who falls alone, for who will ever raise him? Two people lying down together are warm; but how can one ever be warm