## Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting

###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 1
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איש מניח בקור אוהב דבק אליו וחומס נפשו,
אך איש בקר אדם כבד ימצא קלון שיבאישו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
He who faileth to visit his intimate friend doeth violence to his soul; but he whose dull visit is one heavy wail, will meet with confusion, insult, and shame.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 2
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בקר לעתים רחוקות / תוסיף בלבות אהבות,
אך אם לעתים קרובות, / תוסיף שנאות ואיבות.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Visit but rarely, attachment will grow; from visits too frequent estrangement will spring.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 3
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מיל תטרחה עת תבקר / אנשי חלאים ואונים,
וטרח שנים להכניס / שלום ולשבית מדנים.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Let not a mile be the proverbial stile, when thou shouldst visit the sorrowing and sick; let two miles be as nothing, when as peacemaker thou'rt sought, to cause strife and dissension to cease among men.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 4
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חדל מבקרה כל / עת חברים,
והוקר רגלך / ממשכניהם,
ראה מטר / בהעצר וגשם,
בני אדם בעוד / יכלון עליהם.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Visit not thy friends at all times and all hours, but keep back thy foot from their dwelling; see, how men long for the showers of rain, when for a time they are kept back from the earth!


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 5
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כבד לבקר בא / פני חולה,
ויאריך עמו / את ישיבתו,
ויענה לו, אם לך / עסק, מהר
להשלימו / ולעשותו,
אך אם אני חייב לך / מחוב, אמור
כמה אני חייב, / (שאל) וקח אותו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
When a bore once came to visit a friend, prolonging his stay to an inordinate length, the patient remarked—"If thou hast business to do, then say so, be quick! Let's be done with the thing! Or if it's a debt thou hast come to claim, then speak of the debt. How much do I owe? I'll give it: Take it and go!"


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 6
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קחה מוסר לך ייטיב וינעם, ואיש כבד חדל מבקרהו,
למען תהיה עליו למשא בבקורך מאד ממחלהו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
O dullard, if thou'lt be advised for thy good, pray visit the sick no longer; for worse, worse by far than the sickness itself, are the visits that prove thee a bore.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 7
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אמרו לחולה מה חולייך, ענם זדון נפשי וחטאתי,
ויאמרו לו, תאות לבך מה היא, השיבם רק היא סליחתי.
אמרו הנלך נקראה רופא, ויענם הוא החלה אותי,
השיבוהו נאכילך, ענם כל מזון הוא מחלתי.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
A patient was once asked, "What aileth thee?" And he answered forthwith, "My will, that is stubborn and sinful." They said unto him then, "What is the wish that thou wouldst now ask?" And he answered and said, "My sole wish is that Heaven may forgive me my sins." Again they did ask, "Shall we go and fetch the physician?" And he answered and said, "'Twas he who made me ill." They continued and spake, "Shall we give you some relish?" And his answer was then, "I am sick of all food."


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 8
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דחה כד בחברתך, / במיעוט האזנתך.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
To keep off the bore from thy circle of friends, have little to do with him, give him no ear.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 9
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אכילה עם אהוביך / כנופת צוף ומרקחת,
אכילה עם משנאיך / כספחת וקדחת.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Like tasting of honeycomb's droppings, is the pleasure of dining with friends; to dine with men that are hateful to thee, is as bad as the fever and scab.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 10
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בעת תראה בסוד / יושבים שנים מבני אדם,
רחק מהם, ואל תבחר / להכנס בתוך סודם.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
When thou seest two in close converse, quickly withdraw and hold back; obtrude not thyself on their presence.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 11
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המאריך אומרו ושיחתו, / קצים בני אדם בחברותו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
The world grows sick of the society of those who never cease to prate.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 12
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מלך היה שונא כבד, ויצו לכתוב על טבעתו,
הכבדת קום, ויהי לו הטבעת עד לכתו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
A King, to get rid of the bore he did hate, bethought him of this fine device: He bade them inscribe on the signet he wore these words which bluntly told him his mind—"Canst thou not see thou art a great bore? O dull one, rise and begone!" And this ring he would turn again and again, till the bore rose up and went off.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 13
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הלא כתוב בספר הרפואות באגרת שמינית גם תשיעית,
אשר מושב אנוש כבד בחברה, ישיבתו כקדחת רביעית.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Is it not writ in the 8th and 9th chapters of Medical Lore, that, as the quaternary fever is the visit of the heavy and dull?


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 14
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אנוש כבד יבקרך / בפעם ובאחרת,
ולו לשון ברוב דבר / ושונה ומדברת.
תשו אזנך כחרשת / ועינך שים כעורת,
ורגליך כגדמת, / ופיך שים כסוררת.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
When a dull man visiteth thee at one time or another, and, stupidly chatting on a host of things, repeateth himself in his talk, then make thyself deaf, and pretend to be blind, act as though thou hast lost the use of thy feet, and as though thy mouth, in rebellion, had resolved not to speak.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On Visiting Friends and the Sick, and on Nuisances in Visiting 15
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בקר אוהב גם איש חולה, וחדל לך מלבקר הכבד,
אם תתבונן בחרוזיהם, תמצאם מניין ה כ ב ד.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Visit a friend, visit the sick; but, pray, cease thou from visiting at all, if thou must needs be *heavy*¹ =31, the number of lines in this section.] and dull.

footnotes:
¹ ["Heavy"