The New Jew: A Field Guide

Hebrew

וָקָצֶף׃ הִנֵּה אֲשֶׁר־רָאִיתִי אָנִי טוֹב אֲשֶׁר־יָפֶה לֶאֱכוֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וְלִרְאוֹת
טוֹבָה בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ ׀ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת־הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מִסְפַּר יְמֵי־חַיָּיו אֲשֶׁר־נָתַן־
לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי־הוּא חֶלְקוֹ׃ גַּם כָּל־הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים
עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְהִשְׁלִיטוֹ לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ וְלָשֵׂאת אֶת־חֶלְקוֹ וְלִשְׂמֹחַ
בַּעֲמָלוֹ זֹה מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִיא׃ כִּי לֹא הַרְבֵּה יִזְכֹּר אֶת־יְמֵי חַיָּיו כִּי
הָאֱלֹהִים מַעֲנֶה בְּשִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ׃ יֵשׁ רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
וְרַבָּה הִיא עַל־הָאָדָם׃ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן־לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים
וְכָבוֹד וְאֵינֶנּוּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשׁוֹ ׀ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יִתְאַוֶּה וְלֹא־יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ
הָאֱלֹהִים לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי אִישׁ נָכְרִי יֹאכְלֶנּוּ זֶה הֶבֶל וָחֳלִי רָע הוּא׃
אִם־יוֹלִיד אִישׁ מֵאָה וְשָׁנִים רַבּוֹת יִחְיֶה וְרַב ׀ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי־שָׁנָיו וְנַפְשׁוֹ
לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע מִן־הַטּוֹבָה וְגַם־קְבוּרָה לֹא־הָיְתָה לּוֹ אָמַרְתִּי טוֹב מִמֶּנּוּ
הַנָּפֶל׃ כִּי־בַהֶבֶל בָּא וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ שְׁמוֹ יְכֻסֶּה׃ גַּם־שֶׁמֶשׁ
לֹא־רָאָה וְלֹא יָדָע נַחַת לָזֶה מִזֶּה׃ וְאִלּוּ חָיָה אֶלֶף שָׁנִים פַּעֲמַיִם
וְטוֹבָה לֹא רָאָה הֲלֹא אֶל־מָקוֹם אֶחָד הַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ׃ כָּל־עֲמַל הָאָדָם
לְפִיהוּ וְגַם־הַנֶּפֶשׁ לֹא תִמָּלֵא׃ כִּי מַה־יּוֹתֵר לֶחָכָם מִן־הַכְּסִיל מַה־
לֶעָנִי יוֹדֵעַ לַהֲלֹךְ נֶגֶד הַחַיִּים׃ טוֹב מַרְאֵה עֵינַיִם מֵהֲלָךְ־נָפֶשׁ גַּם־זֶה
הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ׃ מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ וְנוֹדָע אֲשֶׁר־הוּא אָדָם
וְלֹא־יוּכַל לָדִין עִם שֶׁהַתָּקִיף מִמֶּנּוּ׃ כִּי יֵשׁ־דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מַרְבִּים
הָבֶל מַה־יֹּתֵר לָאָדָם׃ כִּי מִי־יוֹדֵעַ מַה־טּוֹב לָאָדָם בַּחַיִּים מִסְפַּר
יְמֵי־חַיֵּי הֶבְלוֹ וְיַעֲשֵׂם כַּצֵּל אֲשֶׁר מִי־יַגִּיד לָאָדָם מַה־יִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָיו
תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ טוֹב שֵׁם מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב וְיוֹם הַמָּוֶת מִיּוֹם
הִוָּלְדוֹ׃ טוֹב לָלֶכֶת אֶל־בֵּית־אֵבֶל מִלֶּכֶת אֶל־בֵּית מִשְׁתֶּה בַּאֲשֶׁר
הוּא סוֹף כָּל־הָאָדָם וְהַחַי יִתֵּן אֶל־לִבּוֹ׃ טוֹב כַּעַס מִשְּׂחוֹק כִּי־בְרֹעַ
פָּנִים יִיטַב לֵב׃ לֵב חֲכָמִים בְּבֵית אֵבֶל וְלֵב כְּסִילִים בְּבֵית שִׂמְחָה׃
טוֹב לִשְׁמֹעַ גַּעֲרַת חָכָם מֵאִישׁ שֹׁמֵעַ שִׁיר כְּסִילִים׃ כִּי כְּקוֹל הַסִּירִים
תַּחַת הַסִּיר כֵּן שְׂחֹק הַכְּסִיל וְגַם־זֶה הָבֶל׃ כִּי הָעֹשֶׁק יְהוֹלֵל חָכָם

Sephardi

Vakatzef: Hineh asher-ra'iti ani tov asher-yafeh le'ekhol velishtot velir'ot
tovah bechol-amalo sheya'amol tachat-hashemesh mispar yemei-chayav asher-natan-
lo ha'Elohim ki-hu chelko: Gam kol-ha'adam asher natan-lo ha'Elohim
osher unechasim vehishlito le'echol mimenu velaset et-chelko velismoach
ba'amolo zoh matat Elohim hi: Ki lo harbeh yizkor et-yemei chayav ki
ha'Elohim ma'aneh besimchat libo: Yesh ra'ah asher ra'iti tachat hashemesh
verabbah hi al-ha'adam: Ish asher yiten-lo ha'Elohim osher unechasim
vechavod ve'einenu chaser lenafsho mikol asher-yit'aveh velo-yashlitenu
ha'Elohim le'echol mimenu ki ish nochri yochlenu zeh hevel vacholi ra hu:
Im-yolid ish mei'ah veshanim rabot yichyeh verav sheyihyu yemei-shanav venafsho
lo-tisba min-hatovah vegam-kevurah lo-hayetah lo amarti tov mimenu
hanafel: Ki-bahevel ba uvachoshech yeilech uvachoshech shemo yechuseh: Gam-shemesh
lo-ra'ah velo yada nachat lazeh mizeh: Ve'ilu chayah elef shanim pa'amayim
vetovah lo ra'ah halo el-makom echad hakol holech: Kol-amal ha'adam
lefihu vegam-hanefesh lo timalei: Ki mah-yoter lechacham min-hakesil mah-
le'ani yodea lahaloch neged hachayim: Tov mar'eh einayim mehalach-nefesh gam-zeh
hevel ure'ut ruach: Mah-shehayah kevar nikra shemo venoda asher-hu adam
velo-yuchal ladin im shehatakif mimenu: Ki yesh-devarim harbeh marbim
havel mah-yoter la'adam: Ki mi-yodea mah-tov la'adam bachayim mispar
yemei-chayei hevlo veya'asem katzeil asher mi-yagid la'adam mah-yihyeh acharav
tachat hashemesh: Tov sheim mishemen tov veyom hamavet miyom
hivaldo: Tov lalechet el-beit-evel milechet el-beit mishteh ba'asher
hu sof kol-ha'adam vehachai yiten el-libo: Tov ka'as missechok ki-vero'a
panim yitav lev: Lev chachamim beveit evel velev kesilim beveit simchah:
Tov lishmoa ga'arat chacham mei'ish shomea shir kesilim: Ki kekol hasirim
tachat hasir kein sechok hakesil vegam-zeh havel: Ki ha'oshek yeholel chacham

English

This is what I have seen that is good: the beauty of eating and drinking and seeing some good of all the labor one toils over beneath the sun, all the days of the life God has given one - for this is one's share. For if God gives any man wealth and belongings, and grants him the power to eat of them, to take hold of what is his, to take pleasure in his labors - that is a gift from God. For he will not think too much about the days of his life; for God has given him the joy of his heart to be occupied with. There is an evil I have seen beneath the sun, and it is rife among men. There will be a man to whom God gives wealth and possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires. And then God will not grant him the power to partake of it, and a stranger will consume it all; this is shallow breath and an evil sickness. And a man may have a hundred children and live for many years, and as many as his years may be, his soul will never be satisfied with all that goodness; though he may not receive even a burial, I say a stillborn child is better off than he. For he came at a breath and leaves in darkness, and in darkness is his name covered over. That child will never see sunlight and never know; and yet he has more peace than such a man. If one lives a thousand years twice over, and sees no goodness - well, do we not all go to the same place in the end? All of man's labor is only for his mouth; his soul will never be filled. What advantage does a wise man hold over a fool? And what does an oppressed man profit from knowing how to walk with life? Better what the eyes can see than what the soul goes walking after. Both are empty breath and courting the wind. Whatever has been was called forth by name - and it is known by now that this is but a man, who cannot contend with one more powerful than he. There are so many things, such proliferation of empty breath, and what profit do they bring to man? For who knows what is good for a man in his lifetime; during the numbered days of his breath, that he lives as a shadow; for who can tell what his fate will be beneath the sun? Better a good name than fine oil. Better the day of death than of birth. Better to frequent a house of mourning than a feast; for that is the end of all men, and the living had better keep that in mind. Better bitterness than laughter, for while the face is troubled, the mind is bettering itself. A wise man's heart is in the house of mourning, and a fool's is in the house of celebration. Better to heed the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. For those fools' cackling is like the crackling of thorns under the pot. And that too is empty breath. For oppression turns a wise man delirious, and bribery comes at the cost of one's mind.