## Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly

###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 1
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חמשה תמצאה בכסיל / ולא תמצאו בזולתו.
ללא דבר יהי כועס, / ולריק רוב יגיעתו,
ויתן כאשר יתן / ללא הגון במתתו,
ולא יכיר מקום מחנה / לאהבתו ושנאתו,
וסוד לא יחשוף ריע, / בעתו יחשוף אותו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Five faults may be found in a fool, and these cannot be found in any other: he showeth anger without any cause; most of his labour is useless and vain; when he maketh a resolve to give aught away, not to the fit doth he give; nor his love nor his hate knoweth its bounds; and in time he betrayeth the secret that his friend hath not told.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 2
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אנוש בין לא ידובר / בין כסילים
לעולם ואנוש / ישר ונבר,
כמרגלית יקרה / במחירים,
מחירה לא יהי / נודע במדבר.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
How little distinction doth the world draw between the fool and the upright and pure! 'Tis as the pearl of high price found in the desert, the value of which is not known.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 3
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שלשה הם מאד ירך עליהם לבב, משכיל ויכפיל כאבו,
אנוש דעת ומנהיגו משוגע, ואיש צדיק ורשע ישלטה בו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Three things there are at which the heart groweth faint: When redoubled pains the wise attack; when madmen lead the man of sense; when the wicked hold sway over the righteous and good.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 4
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וששה הדאגה בם / לעולמים מצומדת,
אנוש עשיר כבר ירד / ועשיר יפחד רדת,
ונוטר ואשר נפשו לעולמים / מחמדת,
ודורש מעלה אינה / ראויה לו ונכבדת.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Six are ever victims of anxious care—the rich, who from his height hath fallen; the rich who, sooner or later, feareth a fall; the man that's revengeful and full of spite; the slave of ambition, whom nothing will sate; and he who seeketh for high honours, unsuited to his station.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 5
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אם תשקלה שנאת חכמים בפלס ואהבת הכסיל, תמצא
יתרון בשנאת החכמים, גם אל כל אנוש נבון מאד נרצה.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
If we weigh the hate of the wise and the love of the fool in the balance, "I prefer to endure the hate of the wise," the prudent will say.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 6
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רועה כסיל יסכל, והולך את חכם לב כל אנוש זכרו כמור ידיח,
רוח בעברו על בשמים יהיה נודף, וטוב ריחו אל אף יריח,
אכן בעברו על נבלות יעלה באשו וצחנתו מאד תצריח.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
He who with a fool consorteth will himself become a fool; but he who with the wise of heart doth walk, will have a name like myrrh diffused, when crushed by human hand; just as the wind, driving across the fragrant spice, will bear to every face the sweet perfume, the beauteous scent. But should the wind o'er carrion pass, far different is the case; for smells, and stench, and odours ill, will sicken all the air.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 7
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שוים בשקל חד בעיני שוטה אוהב ושונא לו, וטוב וחוטא.
אשר נגדו בני אדם בשוה, לאולתו רפואה לא תקוה.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Equal all and on one plane are friend and foe to the fool; what matters it, to whom all's the same? For his folly there is no cure.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 8
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ומי הוא זה אשר קלון / בכל עת יעלה אתו,
אשר נכנס במקום / אין כראוי לו לאולתו,
ואומרים לו שבה בכאן, / והוא בוחר מקום שבתו,
והמאריך מאד דבר / לספר מבלי עתו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
What man is he who has to thank himself for bringing his shame to view? 'Tis he who entereth the place where folly hath no right; who will perforce his own seat choose, when once his seat's assigned; who talketh too much, and, what is worse, talketh out of time.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 9
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כסיל עת תם תשובותיו / יהי מוחל גדפותיו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
When a fool has had his say, of his swearing take no note.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 10
[Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shekel%20HaKodesh/s/On%20Stupidity,%20Pride,%20and%20Folly/r/10)

אנוש לא יהיה גאה בנפשו, בכל פעם ופעם יעזרנה,
וישפל האנוש גאה ונשא עדי עפר, וכל איש ירמסנה.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
The man all meek, who cannot boast, will betimes receive a brother's help; but the high and haughty will be abased, and trampled in the dust.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 11
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אדם בבינתו נשען ובעצתו, 
תעה ונכשל בטח בחכמתו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
He doth err who on his wit and counsel doth rely; he will surely fall, who trusteth to his sense alone.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 12
[Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shekel%20HaKodesh/s/On%20Stupidity,%20Pride,%20and%20Folly/r/12)

אתמה על כל אדם משכיל איכה אין אל לבו נותן,
איך יתגאה אדם עבר זה פעמים מעבר שתן.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
I wonder why, O man of reason, thou settest not thy heart to think: "Why be vain?" "Why proudly boast? Dost thou forget thy origin—Nature's part in the begetting?"


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 13
[Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shekel%20HaKodesh/s/On%20Stupidity,%20Pride,%20and%20Folly/r/13)

איש גאוה לובש / בשכלו יחזה
גדול בנשמתו / ורב ממנה,
ישמח ללא דבר / ויתגאה, ועת
יחשוב לעלותה / וישפילנה.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
The man, in senseless pride bedecked, deems his own soul too dear; boasting his powers beyond all due, he congratulates himself; but from the time he thinks he is rising, he will be sure to find that he is being brought down low.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Stupidity, Pride, and Folly 14
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עם הכסיל אל תדרכה תוך גל,
ועת תאבה לספור מספר חרוזיה תמצא במניין ג ל.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Be not led by a fool to tread into the *heap*¹ =33, the number of lines in this section.] (and so bespatter thyself).

footnotes:
¹ ["Heap"