The New Jew: A Field Guide

Hebrew

מָוֶת יַבְאִישׁ יַבִּיעַ שֶׁמֶן רוֹקֵחַ יָקָר מֵחָכְמָה מִכָּבוֹד סִכְלוּת מְעָט׃ לֵב
חָכָם לִימִינוֹ וְלֵב כְּסִיל לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ׃ וְגַם־בַּדֶּרֶךְ כְּשֶׁהַסָּכָל הֹלֵךְ לִבּוֹ
חָסֵר וְאָמַר לַכֹּל סָכָל הוּא׃ אִם־רוּחַ הַמּוֹשֵׁל תַּעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ מְקוֹמְךָ
אַל־תַּנַּח כִּי מַרְפֵּא יַנִּיחַ חֲטָאִים גְּדוֹלִים׃ יֵשׁ רָעָה רָאִיתִי תַּחַת
הַשָּׁמֶשׁ כַּשְּׁגָגָה שֶׁיֹּצָא מִלִּפְנֵי הַשַּׁלִּיט׃ נִתַּן הַסֶּכֶל בַּמְּרוֹמִים רַבִּים
וַעֲשִׁירִים בַּשֵּׁפֶל יֵשֵׁבוּ׃ רָאִיתִי עֲבָדִים עַל־סוּסִים וְשָׂרִים הֹלְכִים
כַּעֲבָדִים עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃ חֹפֵר גּוּמָּץ בּוֹ יִפּוֹל וּפֹרֵץ גָּדֵר יִשְּׁכֶנּוּ נָחָשׁ׃
מַסִּיעַ אֲבָנִים יֵעָצֵב בָּהֶם בּוֹקֵעַ עֵצִים יִסָּכֶן בָּם׃ אִם־קֵהָה הַבַּרְזֶל
וְהוּא לֹא־פָנִים קִלְקַל וַחֲיָלִים יְגַבֵּר וְיִתְרוֹן הַכְשֵׁיר חָכְמָה׃ אִם־יִשֹּׁךְ
הַנָּחָשׁ בְּלוֹא־לָחַשׁ וְאֵין יִתְרוֹן לְבַעַל הַלָּשׁוֹן׃ דִּבְרֵי פִי־חָכָם חֵן
וְשִׂפְתוֹת כְּסִיל תְּבַלְּעֶנּוּ׃ תְּחִלַּת דִּבְרֵי־פִיהוּ סִכְלוּת וְאַחֲרִית פִּיהוּ
הוֹלֵלוּת רָעָה׃ וְהַסָּכָל יַרְבֶּה דְבָרִים לֹא־יֵדַע הָאָדָם מַה־שֶּׁיִּהְיֶה
וַאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה מֵאַחֲרָיו מִי יַגִּיד לוֹ׃ עֲמַל הַכְּסִילִים תְּיַגְּעֶנּוּ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־
יֵדַע לָלֶכֶת אֶל־עִיר׃ אִי־לָךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ נָעַר וְשָׂרַיִךְ בַּבֹּקֶר יֹאכֵלוּ׃
אַשְׁרַיִךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן־חוֹרִים וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יֹאכֵלוּ בִּגְבוּרָה וְלֹא
בַשְּׁתִי׃ בַּעֲצַלְתַּיִם יִמַּךְ הַמְּקָרֶה וּבְשִׁפְלוּת יָדַיִם יִדְלֹף הַבָּיִת׃ לִשְׂחוֹק
עֹשִׂים לֶחֶם וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח חַיִּים וְהַכֶּסֶף יַעֲנֶה אֶת־הַכֹּל׃ גַּם בְּמַדָּעֲךָ מֶלֶךְ
אַל־תְּקַלֵּל וּבְחַדְרֵי מִשְׁכָּבְךָ אַל־תְּקַלֵּל עָשִׁיר כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ
אֶת־הַקּוֹל וּבַעַל הַכְּנָפַיִם יַגִּיד דָּבָר׃ שַׁלַּח לַחְמְךָ עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם כִּי־
בְּרֹב הַיָּמִים תִּמְצָאֶנּוּ׃ תֶּן־חֵלֶק לְשִׁבְעָה וְגַם לִשְׁמוֹנָה כִּי לֹא תֵדַע
מַה־יִּהְיֶה רָעָה עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃ אִם־יִמָּלְאוּ הֶעָבִים גֶּשֶׁם עַל־הָאָרֶץ יָרִיקוּ
וְאִם־יִפּוֹל עֵץ בַּדָּרוֹם וְאִם בַּצָּפוֹן מְקוֹם שֶׁיִּפּוֹל הָעֵץ שָׁם יְהוּא׃ שֹׁמֵר
רוּחַ לֹא יִזְרָע וְרֹאֶה בֶעָבִים לֹא יִקְצוֹר׃ כַּאֲשֶׁר אֵינְךָ יוֹדֵעַ מַה־דֶּרֶךְ
הָרוּחַ כַּעֲצָמִים בְּבֶטֶן הַמְּלֵאָה כָּכָה לֹא תֵדַע אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים
אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֶת־הַכֹּל׃ בַּבֹּקֶר זְרַע אֶת־זַרְעֶךָ וְלָעֶרֶב אַל־תַּנַּח יָדֶךָ
כִּי אֵינְךָ יוֹדֵעַ אֵי זֶה יִכְשָׁר הֲזֶה אוֹ־זֶה וְאִם־שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד טוֹבִים׃

Sephardi

mavet yav'ish yabi'a shemen roke'ach yakar mechochmah mikavod sichlut me'at: lev
chacham limino velev kesil lismo'lo: vegam-baderech keshehasachal holech libo
chaser ve'amar lakol sachal hu: im-ruach hamoshel ta'aleh alecha mekomcha
al-tanach ki marpei yani'ach chata'im gedolim: yesh ra'ah ra'iti tachat
hashemesh kashegagah sheyotze milifnei hashallit: nitan hasechel bamromim rabim
va'ashirim bashefel yeshvu: ra'iti avadim al-susim vesarim holechim
ka'avadim al-ha'aretz: chofer gummats bo yipol uforetz gader yishchenu nachash:
masi'a avanim ye'atzev bahem boke'a eitzim yisachen bam: im-kehah habarzel
vehu lo-fanim kilkal vachayalim yegaber veyitron hachshir chochmah: im-yishoch
hanachash belo-lachash ve'ein yitron leva'al halashon: divrei fi-chacham chein
vesiftot kesil teval'enu: techilat divrei-fihu sichlut ve'acharit pihu
holelut ra'ah: vehasachal yarbeh devarim lo-yeda ha'adam mah-sheyiheyeh
va'asher yihyeh me'acharav mi yagid lo: amal haksilim teyag'enu asher lo-
yeda lalechet el-ir: i-lach eretz shemalkech na'ar vesarayich baboker yocheilu:
ashrayich eretz shemalkech ben-chorim vesarayich ba'et yocheilu bigvurah velo
basheti: ba'atzaltayim yimach hamekareh uvishflut yadayim yidlof habayit: lisechok
osim lechem veyayin yesamach chayim vehakesef ya'aneh et-hakol: gam bemada'acha melech
al-tekalel uvechadrei mishkavcha al-tekalel ashir ki of hashamayim yolich
et-hakol uva'al hakenafayim yagid davar: shalach lachmecha al-penei hamayim ki-
berov hayamim timtza'enu: ten-chelek leshiv'ah vegam lishmonah ki lo teda
mah-yiheyeh ra'ah al-ha'aretz: im-yimal'u he'avim geshem al-ha'aretz yariku
ve'im-yipol eitz badarom ve'im batzafon mekom sheyipol ha'etz sham yehu: shomeir
ruach lo yizra vero'eh ve'avim lo yiktzor: ka'asher eincha yodea mah-derech
haruach ka'atzamim beveten hamle'ah kachah lo teda et-ma'aseh ha'elohim
asher ya'aseh et-hakol: baboker zera et-zar'echa vela'erev al-tanach yadecha
ki eincha yodea ei zeh yichshar hazeh o-zeh ve'im-sheneihem ke'echad tovim:

English

than honor – is one small dose of foolishness. A wise man's mind is to his right hand; and the mind of a fool to his left. Even as he walks along the way, a fool's mind is missing, telling every passerby that he is a fool. If a ruler's spirit turns against you, do not leave your place, for appeasement can lay great sins to rest. Here is an evil I have seen beneath the sun, like an error coming forth from the ruler's mouth: fools are raised to the greatest heights, while rich men sit in the gutter. I have seen slaves riding on horseback, and princes walking like slaves on the ground. He who digs the pit may fall into it, and he who tears down walls – a snake may bite him. He who quarries the stone will come to grief by it; and he who chops the tree may by that tree be harmed. If the axe grows blunt and is not polished, then the one who wields it must add force; for skill yields profit only through wisdom. If the snake that cannot be charmed bites, there is no profit to the charmer then. The words of the wise bring favor, while the lips of a fool will swallow him up. His speech begins with foolishness, and ends with evil delirium. Yet the fool speaks on and on. Man does not know what will be; yes, who may tell him what will come after? The labor of fools exhausts them; they know not even the way to the city. I pity you, the land whose king is a boy, whose princes feast in the morning. Happy the land whose king is a nobleman, and whose princes eat at the right time, strong, without drunkenness. The roof caves in for much laziness; and hands laid down spring leaks in the house. Feasts are made for laughter, and wine fills life with joy – and money will answer for everything. Never curse a king, not even in your mind, nor a rich man, even in your innermost room. For a bird of the sky will carry that voice; a winged creature will repeat the word. Cast your bread out onto the waters, for in the long passage of days you will find it again. Give of what is yours to seven, to eight, for on this earth you cannot know what evil may yet come. If the clouds fill with rain, they must empty it onto the earth. If a tree falls to the south, to the north – wherever that tree falls, there it will lie. One who watches for the wind will never sow; one who gazes at the clouds will never reap. And just as you know not the way of the wind, nor what frame fills a pregnant woman's womb, so you cannot know the work of God; and everything is His work. Sow your seeds in the morning, and by evening do not lay your hands down – for you do not know which will prove fit, these seeds or those, or whether the two are