## Ecclesiastes Chapter 11

###### Ecclesiastes 11:1
[Ecclesiastes 11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ecclesiastes/r/11:1)

שַׁלַּ֥ח לַחְמְךָ֖ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַמָּ֑יִם כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥ב הַיָּמִ֖ים תִּמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it.

**The Koren Jerusalem Bible:**
Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

**The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
Cast your bread upon the waters, for in the abundance of days, you will find it. [i.e., do good even to one you never expect to see again (e.g., Yithro vis-à-vis Moses, Exodus 3:20)].


###### Ecclesiastes 11:2
[Ecclesiastes 11:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ecclesiastes/r/11:2)

תֶּן־חֵ֥לֶק לְשִׁבְעָ֖ה וְגַ֣ם לִשְׁמוֹנָ֑ה כִּ֚י לֹ֣א תֵדַ֔ע מַה־יִּהְיֶ֥ה רָעָ֖ה עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
Contribute to seven and even to eight; for you never know what calamity will come upon the earth.

**The Koren Jerusalem Bible:**
Give a portion to seven, and even to eight; for thou knowst not what evil shall be upon the earth.

**The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
Give a portion [of your bread] to seven [needy ones] and also to eight [others]. For you do not know what evil will befall the earth [and you may need all of them, or the merit of the charity you gave them, to survive.]


###### Ecclesiastes 11:3
[Ecclesiastes 11:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ecclesiastes/r/11:3)

אִם־יִמָּלְא֨וּ הֶעָבִ֥ים גֶּ֙שֶׁם֙ עַל־הָאָ֣רֶץ יָרִ֔יקוּ וְאִם־יִפּ֥וֹל עֵ֛ץ בַּדָּר֖וֹם וְאִ֣ם בַּצָּפ֑וֹן מְק֛וֹם שֶׁיִּפּ֥וֹל הָעֵ֖ץ שָׁ֥ם יְהֽוּא׃

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
When the clouds are filled with rain they will empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree falls in the south or in the north, in the place where the tree falls there it remains.

**The Koren Jerusalem Bible:**
If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree falls towards the south, or towards the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.

**The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
If the clouds be filled with rain, there [i.e., where they can be of most benefit] will they be emptied. [Likewise,] if a “tree” [(a sage and a tzaddik)] dwell in the south or in the north, in the place that the "tree" dwells, there shall it [i.e., the good deeds and virtues of the tzaddik] be [perpetuated, even after his death].


###### Ecclesiastes 11:4
[Ecclesiastes 11:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ecclesiastes/r/11:4)

שֹׁמֵ֥ר ר֖וּחַ לֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ע וְרֹאֶ֥ה בֶעָבִ֖ים לֹ֥א יִקְצֽוֹר׃

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
He who watches [waits] for the wind, will never sow; and he who looks to the clouds will never reap.

**The Koren Jerusalem Bible:**
He who observes the wind shall not sow; and he who regards the clouds shall not reap.

**The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
He who waits for the wind will not sow [(for it might not come at all)], and he who looks for the clouds [to clear] will not harvest [(for fear of rain)].


###### Ecclesiastes 11:5
[Ecclesiastes 11:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ecclesiastes/r/11:5)

כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר אֵֽינְךָ֤ יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ מַה־דֶּ֣רֶךְ הָר֔וּחַ כַּעֲצָמִ֖ים בְּבֶ֣טֶן הַמְּלֵאָ֑ה כָּ֗כָה לֹ֤א תֵדַע֙ אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֶת־הַכֹּֽל׃

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
Just as you do not know the way of the wind, nor the nature of that which is hidden in the womb of her that is with child, so will you never know the working of God Who does all things.

**The Koren Jerusalem Bible:**
As thou knowst not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowst not the works of God who makes all.

**The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
Just as you do not know the way of the wind, as [you do not know] what is enclosed in the full womb, so you do not know the deed [i.e., the decree] of G-d [in respect to poverty and wealth], which does all, [(so do not shrink from fulfilling His mitzvoth for fear of being impoverished)].


###### Ecclesiastes 11:6
[Ecclesiastes 11:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ecclesiastes/r/11:6)

בַּבֹּ֙קֶר֙ זְרַ֣ע אֶת־זַרְעֶ֔ךָ וְלָעֶ֖רֶב אַל־תַּנַּ֣ח יָדֶ֑ךָ כִּי֩ אֵֽינְךָ֨ יוֹדֵ֜עַ אֵ֣י זֶ֤ה יִכְשָׁר֙ הֲזֶ֣ה אוֹ־זֶ֔ה וְאִם־שְׁנֵיהֶ֥ם כְּאֶחָ֖ד טוֹבִֽים׃

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
[Therefore] in the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not remain idle; for you do not know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether both are equally good.

**The Koren Jerusalem Bible:**
In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening do not withhold thy hand: for thou knowst not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

**The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
In the morning, sow your seed [e.g., in your youth, learn Torah, etc.], and in the evening [i.e., in your old age], do not slacken your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, this or the other, or whether both alike shall be good.


###### Ecclesiastes 11:7
[Ecclesiastes 11:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ecclesiastes/r/11:7)

וּמָת֖וֹק הָא֑וֹר וְט֥וֹב לַֽעֵינַ֖יִם לִרְא֥וֹת אֶת־הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
And the light is sweet; and it is good [pleasant] for the eyes to behold the sun.

**The Koren Jerusalem Bible:**
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

**The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
And sweet is the light [of Torah], and good for the eyes [of Torah scholars] to see the sun of Torah [in its full resplendence.]


###### Ecclesiastes 11:8
[Ecclesiastes 11:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ecclesiastes/r/11:8)

כִּ֣י אִם־שָׁנִ֥ים הַרְבֵּ֛ה יִחְיֶ֥ה הָאָדָ֖ם בְּכֻלָּ֣ם יִשְׂמָ֑ח וְיִזְכֹּר֙ אֶת־יְמֵ֣י הַחֹ֔שֶׁךְ כִּֽי־הַרְבֵּ֥ה יִהְי֖וּ כׇּל־שֶׁבָּ֥א הָֽבֶל׃

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
For even if many years should man live, let him rejoice in all of them; and remember the days of darkness, for they will be many; all that comes is vanity.

**The Koren Jerusalem Bible:**
for if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

**The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
For if a man live for many years, in all of them let him rejoice [in his lot], so long as he remembers [to avoid] the [eternal] days of darkness [(lived by the wicked)]. For they shall live in those [eternal days] more [than in the days of their life in this world]. All that comes [upon them in those days of the afterlife] will be punishment [(if they do not take heed in this world.)]


###### Ecclesiastes 11:9
[Ecclesiastes 11:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ecclesiastes/r/11:9)

שְׂמַ֧ח בָּח֣וּר בְּיַלְדוּתֶ֗יךָ וִֽיטִֽיבְךָ֤ לִבְּךָ֙ בִּימֵ֣י בְחוּרוֹתֶ֔יךָ וְהַלֵּךְ֙ בְּדַרְכֵ֣י לִבְּךָ֔ וּבְמַרְאֵ֖י עֵינֶ֑יךָ וְדָ֕ע כִּ֧י עַל־כׇּל־אֵ֛לֶּה יְבִֽיאֲךָ֥ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, follow the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes; but realize that for all these things, God will bring you to judgement.

**The Koren Jerusalem Bible:**
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thy eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

**The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
[(stated sarcastically:) Go ahead and] rejoice, young man, in your youth; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart and in the sights of your eyes — but know that for all of these, G-d will bring you into judgment.


###### Ecclesiastes 11:10
[Ecclesiastes 11:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ecclesiastes/r/11:10)

וְהָסֵ֥ר כַּ֙עַס֙ מִלִּבֶּ֔ךָ וְהַעֲבֵ֥ר רָעָ֖ה מִבְּשָׂרֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־הַיַּלְד֥וּת וְהַֽשַּׁחֲר֖וּת הָֽבֶל׃

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
Therefore, banish anger from your heart and remove evil from your flesh; for childhood and youth are vanity.

**The Koren Jerusalem Bible:**
Therefore remove vexation from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

**The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
And remove [the] anger [of the L-rd] from your heart, and rid your flesh [i.e., your heart] of evil [i.e., of the evil inclination]; for childhood and youth are vanity.