The New Jew: A Field Guide

Hebrew

לַכֹּל מִקְרֶה אֶחָד לַצַּדִּיק וְלָרָשָׁע לַטּוֹב וְלַטָּהוֹר וְלַטָּמֵא וְלַזֹּבֵחַ
וְלַאֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ זֹבֵחַ כַּטּוֹב כַּחֹטֵא הַנִּשְׁבָּע כַּאֲשֶׁר שְׁבוּעָה יָרֵא׃ זֶה
רָע בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי־מִקְרֶה אֶחָד לַכֹּל וְגַם לֵב
בְּנֵי־הָאָדָם מָלֵא־רָע וְהוֹלֵלוּת בִּלְבָבָם בְּחַיֵּיהֶם וְאַחֲרָיו אֶל־הַמֵּתִים׃
כִּי־מִי אֲשֶׁר יְבֻחַר אֶל כָּל־הַחַיִּים יֵשׁ בִּטָּחוֹן כִּי־לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב
מִן־הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת׃ כִּי הַחַיִּים יוֹדְעִים שֶׁיָּמֻתוּ וְהַמֵּתִים אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים
מְאוּמָה וְאֵין־עוֹד לָהֶם שָׂכָר כִּי נִשְׁכַּח זִכְרָם׃ גַּם אַהֲבָתָם גַּם־שִׂנְאָתָם
גַּם־קִנְאָתָם כְּבָר אָבָדָה וְחֵלֶק אֵין־לָהֶם עוֹד לְעוֹלָם בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־
נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ לֵךְ אֱכֹל בְּשִׂמְחָה לַחְמֶךָ וּשְׁתֵה בְלֶב־טוֹב יֵינֶךָ
כִּי כְבָר רָצָה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־מַעֲשֶׂיךָ׃ בְּכָל־עֵת יִהְיוּ בְגָדֶיךָ לְבָנִים
וְשֶׁמֶן עַל־רֹאשְׁךָ אַל־יֶחְסָר׃ רְאֵה חַיִּים עִם־אִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר־אָהַבְתָּ
כָּל־יְמֵי חַיֵּי הֶבְלֶךָ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לְךָ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כֹּל יְמֵי הֶבְלֶךָ כִּי הוּא
חֶלְקְךָ בַּחַיִּים וּבַעֲמָלְךָ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר
תִּמְצָא יָדְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ עֲשֵׂה כִּי אֵין מַעֲשֶׂה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְדַעַת וְחָכְמָה
בִּשְׁאוֹל אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה הֹלֵךְ שָׁמָּה׃ שַׁבְתִּי וְרָאֹה תַחַת־הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי לֹא
לַקַּלִּים הַמֵּרוֹץ וְלֹא לַגִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּלְחָמָה וְגַם לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם וְגַם
לֹא לַנְּבֹנִים עֹשֶׁר וְגַם לֹא לַיֹּדְעִים חֵן כִּי־עֵת וָפֶגַע יִקְרֶה אֶת־כֻּלָּם׃
כִּי גַּם לֹא־יֵדַע הָאָדָם אֶת־עִתּוֹ כַּדָּגִים שֶׁנֶּאֱחָזִים בִּמְצוֹדָה רָעָה
וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחֻזוֹת בַּפָּח כָּהֵם יוּקָשִׁים בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְעֵת רָעָה כְּשֶׁתִּפּוֹל
עֲלֵיהֶם פִּתְאֹם׃ גַּם־זֹה רָאִיתִי חָכְמָה תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּגְדוֹלָה הִיא אֵלָי׃
עִיר קְטַנָּה וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט וּבָא־אֵלֶיהָ מֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל וְסָבַב אֹתָהּ וּבָנָה
עָלֶיהָ מְצוֹדִים גְּדֹלִים׃ וּמָצָא בָהּ אִישׁ מִסְכֵּן חָכָם וּמִלַּט־הוּא אֶת־
הָעִיר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ וְאָדָם לֹא זָכַר אֶת־הָאִישׁ הַמִּסְכֵּן הַהוּא׃ וְאָמַרְתִּי
אֲנִי טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִגְּבוּרָה וְחָכְמַת הַמִּסְכֵּן בְּזוּיָה וּדְבָרָיו אֵינָם
נִשְׁמָעִים׃ דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים בְּנַחַת נִשְׁמָעִים מִזַּעֲקַת מוֹשֵׁל בַּכְּסִילִים׃
טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִכְּלֵי קְרָב וְחוֹטֵא אֶחָד יְאַבֵּד טוֹבָה הַרְבֵּה׃ זְבוּבֵי

Sephardi

lakol mikreh echad latzadik velarasha latov velatahor velatamei velazove'ach
vela'asher einenu zove'ach katov kachote hanishba ka'asher shevu'ah yare: zeh
ra bechol asher-na'asah tachat hashemesh ki-mikreh echad lakol vegam lev
benei-ha'adam male-ra veholelut bilvavam bechayeihem ve'acharav el-hametim:
ki-mi asher yevuchar el kol-hachayim yesh bitachon ki-lekelev chai hu tov
min-ha'aryeh hamet: ki hachayim yod'im sheyamutu vehametim einam yod'im
me'umah ve'ein-od lahem sachar ki nishkach zikhram: gam ahavatam gam-sin'atam
gam-kin'atam kevar avadah vechelek ein-lahem od le'olam bechol asher-
na'asah tachat hashemesh: lech echol besimchah lachmecha usheteih velev-tov yeinecha
ki chevar ratzah ha'elohim et-ma'asecha: bechol-et yihyu vegadecha levanim
veshemen al-roshecha al-yechsar: re'eh chayim im-ishah asher-ahavta
kol-yemei chayei hevlecha asher natan-lecha tachat hashemesh kol yemei hevlecha ki hu
chelkecha bachayim uva'amalecha asher-atah amel tachat hashemesh: kol asher
timtza yadcha la'asot bekochacha aseh ki ein ma'aseh vecheshbon veda'at vechochmah
bish'ol asher atah holech shamah: shavti vera'oh tachat-hashemesh ki lo
lakalim hamerotz velo lagiborim hamilchamah vegam lo lachachamim lechem vegam
lo lanevonim osher vegam lo layod'im chein ki-et vafega yikreh et-kulam:
ki gam lo-yeda ha'adam et-ito kadagim shene'echazim bimtzodah ra'ah
vechatziporim ha'achuzot bapach kahem yukashim benei ha'adam le'et ra'ah keshetipol
aleihem pito'om: gam-zoh ra'iti chochmah tachat hashemesh ugedolah hi eilai:
ir ketanah va'anashim bah me'at uva-eilehah melech gadol vesavav otah uvanah
aleihah metzodim gedolim: umatza vah ish misken chacham umilat-hu et-
ha'ir bechochmato ve'adam lo zachar et-ha'ish hamisken hahu: ve'amarti
ani tovah chochmah migvurah vechochmat hamisken bezuyah udvarav einam
nishma'im: divrei chachamim benachat nishma'im miza'akat moshel baksilim:
tovah chochmah miklei krav vechote echad ye'abed tovah harbeh: zevuvei

English

for all. The same fate awaits the righteous and the wicked, the good and the pure and the impure, the one who brings offerings and the one who does not. For a good man just as for a sinner; the one who swears falsely with the one who fears his oath. This is the evil in all that is done beneath the sun: the same fate attends everyone. And the hearts of man are weighed down with evil; delirium clouds their minds all their lives – and then they go to the dead. For one who is still bound to life has something to rely upon: Better to be a living dog than a dead lion. For the living know at least that they must die; while the dead know nothing. No more reward for their actions; their names are forgotten. Their love, their hate, their passions – all are already lost. And they have no more share, no longer; no part in what is done beneath the sun. Go, eat your bread in joy, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has accepted your deeds. Let your clothes at all times be white; let your head never lack anointing oil. Live well, with the woman you love, all the days of the shallow breath He has given you here beneath the sun, for this is your share in life, and in all the toil over which you labor beneath the sun. Whatever you find it in your hands to do – do that with all your strength. For there is no work or reason, no understanding or wisdom, in the grave to which you are going. Then I turned again and saw beneath the sun – that the race is not given to the swift, nor the war to the mighty; bread is not promised to the wise, nor to the understanding, wealth; no more to the knowing, favor; for time, for misfortune, comes to them all. And man never knows when his time will come: as fish are entrapped in the deadly net, as birds are trapped in the snare, so too are people caught, at just that time of harm that will fall upon them without warning. This too I saw of wisdom beneath the sun, great beyond my understanding. A small town. Few people in it. A great king came and surrounded it and built great siege-walls all around. And one poor wise man was there to be found, able to save the whole town by his wisdom; and not a soul remembered that poor man. And I said: Wisdom is better than might; but the wisdom of a poor man is scorned, his words unheeded. The quiet words of the wise are heeded more than the shout of a ruler among fools. Better wisdom than weaponry – yet one lone sinner can destroy much good. Dead flies ferment and putrefy perfumer's oils. More costly than wisdom,