The New Jew: A Field Guide

Hebrew

וּמָתוֹק הָאוֹר וְטוֹב לַעֵינַיִם לִרְאוֹת אֶת־הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ כִּי אִם־שָׁנִים הַרְבֵּה
יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם בְּכֻלָּם יִשְׂמָח וְיִזְכֹּר אֶת־יְמֵי הַחֹשֶׁךְ כִּי־הַרְבֵּה יִהְיוּ כָּל־
שֶׁבָּא הָבֶל׃ שְׂמַח בָּחוּר בְּיַלְדוּתֶךָ וִיטִיבְךָ לִבְּךָ בִּימֵי בְחוּרוֹתֶיךָ וְהַלֵּךְ
בְּדַרְכֵי לִבְּךָ וּבְמַרְאֵי עֵינֶיךָ וְדָע כִּי עַל־כָּל־אֵלֶּה יְבִיאֲךָ הָאֱלֹהִים
בַּמִּשְׁפָּט׃ וְהָסֵר כַּעַס מִלִּבֶּךָ וְהַעֲבֵר רָעָה מִבְּשָׂרֶךָ כִּי־הַיַּלְדוּת
וְהַשַּׁחֲרוּת הָבֶל׃ וּזְכֹר אֶת־בּוֹרְאֶיךָ בִּימֵי בְּחוּרֹתֶיךָ עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־
יָבֹאוּ יְמֵי הָרָעָה וְהִגִּיעוּ שָׁנִים אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵין־לִי בָהֶם חֵפֶץ׃ עַד
אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תֶחְשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהָאוֹר וְהַיָּרֵחַ וְהַכּוֹכָבִים וְשָׁבוּ הֶעָבִים
אַחַר הַגָּשֶׁם׃ בַּיּוֹם שֶׁיָּזֻעוּ שֹׁמְרֵי הַבַּיִת וְהִתְעַוְּתוּ אַנְשֵׁי הֶחָיִל וּבָטְלוּ
הַטֹּחֲנוֹת כִּי מִעֵטוּ וְחָשְׁכוּ הָרֹאוֹת בָּאֲרֻבּוֹת׃ וְסֻגְּרוּ דְלָתַיִם בַּשּׁוּק
בִּשְׁפַל קוֹל הַטַּחֲנָה וְיָקוּם לְקוֹל הַצִּפּוֹר וְיִשַּׁחוּ כָּל־בְּנוֹת הַשִּׁיר׃ גַּם
מִגָּבֹהַּ יִרָאוּ וְחַתְחַתִּים בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְיָנֵאץ הַשָּׁקֵד וְיִסְתַּבֵּל הֶחָגָב וְתָפֵר
הָאֲבִיּוֹנָה כִּי־הֹלֵךְ הָאָדָם אֶל־בֵּית עוֹלָמוֹ וְסָבְבוּ בַשּׁוּק הַסּוֹפְדִים׃
עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יֵרָחֵק חֶבֶל הַכֶּסֶף וְתָרֻץ גֻּלַּת הַזָּהָב וְתִשָּׁבֶר כַּד עַל־
הַמַּבּוּעַ וְנָרֹץ הַגַּלְגַּל אֶל־הַבּוֹר׃ וְיָשֹׁב הֶעָפָר עַל־הָאָרֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָה
וְהָרוּחַ תָּשׁוּב אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר נְתָנָהּ׃ הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר הַקּוֹהֶלֶת
הַכֹּל הָבֶל׃ וְיֹתֵר שֶׁהָיָה קֹהֶלֶת חָכָם עוֹד לִמַּד־דַּעַת אֶת־הָעָם וְאִזֵּן
וְחִקֵּר תִּקֵּן מְשָׁלִים הַרְבֵּה׃ בִּקֵּשׁ קֹהֶלֶת לִמְצֹא דִּבְרֵי־חֵפֶץ וְכָתוּב
יֹשֶׁר דִּבְרֵי אֱמֶת׃ דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים כַּדָּרְבֹנוֹת וּכְמַשְׂמְרוֹת נְטוּעִים בַּעֲלֵי
אֲסֻפּוֹת נִתְּנוּ מֵרֹעֶה אֶחָד׃ וְיֹתֵר מֵהֵמָּה בְּנִי הִזָּהֵר עֲשׂוֹת סְפָרִים
הַרְבֵּה אֵין קֵץ וְלַהַג הַרְבֵּה יְגִעַת בָּשָׂר׃ סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע אֶת־
הָאֱלֹהִים יְרָא וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָיו שְׁמוֹר כִּי־זֶה כָּל־הָאָדָם׃ כִּי אֶת־כָּל־
מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים יָבִא בְמִשְׁפָּט עַל כָּל־נֶעְלָם אִם־טוֹב וְאִם־רָע׃

Sephardi

umatok ha'or vetov la'einayim lir'ot et-hashamesh: ki im-shanim harbeh
yichyeh ha'adam bechulam yismach veyizkor et-yemei hachoshech ki-harbeh yihyu kol-
sheba havel: semach bachur beyaldutecha vitivcha libecha bimei vechurotecha vehallech
bedarchei libecha uvemar'ei einecha veda ki al-kol-eleh yevi'acha ha'elohim
bamishpat: vehaser ka'as milibecha veha'aver ra'ah mibesarecha ki-hayaldut
vehashacharut havel: uzechor et-borecha bimei bechurotecha ad asher lo-
yavo'u yemei hara'ah vehigi'u shanim asher tomar ein-li bahem chefetz: ad
asher lo-techshach hashemesh veha'or vehayareach vehakochavim veshavu he'avim
achar hagashem: bayom sheyazu'u shomerei habayit vehit'avetu anshei hechayil uvatlu
hatochanot ki mi'etu vechashechu haro'ot ba'arubot: vesugru delatayim bashuk
bishfal kol hatachanah veyakum lekol hatzipor veyishachu kol-benot hashir: gam
migavoah yira'u vechatchatim baderech veyaneitz hashaked veyistabel hechagav vetafer
ha'aviyonah ki-holech ha'adam el-beit olamo vesavevu vashuk hasofedim:
ad asher lo-yerachek chevel hakesef vetarutz gulat hazahav vetishaver kad al-
hamabu'a venarotz hagalgal el-habor: veyashov he'afar al-ha'aretz keshehayah
veharuach tashuv el-ha'elohim asher netanah: hevel havalim amar hakohelet
hakol havel: veyoter shehayah kohelet chacham od limad-da'at et-ha'am ve'izen
vechiker tiken meshalim harbeh: bikesh kohelet limtzo divrei-chefetz vechatuv
yosher divrei emet: divrei chachamim kadarvonot uchmasmerot netu'im ba'alei
asupot nitnu mero'eh echad: veyoter meheimah beni hizaher asot sefarim
harbeh ein ketz velahag harbeh yegi'at basar: sof davar hakol nishma et-
ha'elohim yera ve'et-mitzvotav shemor ki-zeh kol-ha'adam: ki et-kol-
ma'aseh ha'elohim yavi bemishpat al kol-ne'elam im-tov ve'im-ra:

English

as good as one another. There is a sweetness in the light; it is good for the eyes to see the sun. And should a man live many years he should rejoice in all of them, remembering, too, the days of darkness, for there will be many. All that comes is but a breath. Young man, rejoice now in your youth; let your heart ease you while you are young. Follow your heart where it leads you, your eyes where they allure you - and know that God will bring you into judgment for all this. So clear your heart of bitterness and free your flesh of pain, for youth and dark-haired days pass by like breath. And remember your Creator in these days of your youth; before the days of despair, before years come when you shall say: There is nothing here that I desire. Before the sun is darkened and the light, the moon and stars, and clouds return again after the rain. The day when the guards of the house will shake, and the soldiers buckle; when the grinders sit idle, grown few, and the women at the windows sit in darkness. When all the doors in the street are closed, as the mill-stone falls silent, and a man starts up at the sound of a bird, but the singing girls' voices drop low. And one lives in terror of heights, and all the pitfalls on the road. The almond blossoms, the grasshopper bears its burden, the caper fruit breaks asunder, but man is departing for his eternal home, and the mourners turn about around the streets. Remember - before the silver cord snaps, and the golden bowl is shattered, and the jug is broken beside the spring, and the basin is smashed against the well, the dust returns to the earth where it began, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Shallowest breath, says Kohelet. It is all but shallow breath. Kohelet's wisdom went further than this; he taught the people understanding always, and weighed and explored and assembled many wise sayings. Kohelet sought out choicest words, and wrote words of truth honestly. The words of the wise are like goads; like pointed nails are the scholars' sayings. One Shepherd gave them all. And further than this, my child, take heed; there is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the flesh. The final word: it has all been said. Hold God in awe, and heed His commands, for that is all man has. And all that is done - God shall bring it to judgment; all that is hidden, the good and the bad.

Hebrew

סוף דבר הכל נשמע
את האלהים ירא ואת מצותיו שמור
כי זה כל האדם

Sephardi

sof davar hakol nishma
et ha'elohim yera ve'et mitzvotav shemor
ki zeh kol ha'adam

English

The final word: it has all been said. Hold God in awe, and heed His commands, for that is all man has.