## Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness

###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 1
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זה יקרא אוהב נאמן / המתנדב לקראתך,
עם הונו עת חסרונך, / ובנפשו יום צרתך.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
A faithful friend him thou shouldst call, who cheerfully renders thee help; whether money or life is what is required, he is ready to meet thy need.


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אכן בזאת תבחן אנוש / חברתך,
אם תחלוק עמו / ותכעיסהו,
ובעת גדול כעסו / יהודה האמת,
שימו עלי לבך / והקריבהו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
If thou wouldst select a friend worthy the name, try him, and see, if he'll stand this one test:—If, when thou dost cross him and thwart him, he will keep true as before, he is the man thou shouldst hold, for he loveth thee no less.


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אל תבטחה על איש / יהודך בעת
צורכו, ויש לו / ממך תוחלת,
אך כאשר יודה / ויפארך
עת תמנעה לו תת / ובל משאלת.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Trust not him who praiseth thee when he be in want, and awaiteth thy help; but trust him who speaketh of thee with pride, even when thou refusest his request.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 4
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שלשה נבחנו / על יד שלשה,
למד אותם / ולא תשוב לכסלה,
אנוש עניו בעת / כעסו, וגבור
במלחמה, ואוהב / את שאלה.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Three things prove if men are wise; learn them well, and never shalt thou turn to folly: Be humble amid all provocation; be a hero in the fight; be pleased to grant a man's request.


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בעת שתאהב דבר יכסה לך מומין אשר היו לפנים,
ועת תשנא לכל דבר יגלה לך מומיו ואם המה צפונים.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
If lovingly thou do a thing, thy former faults will be concealed; if sullenly thou show thyself, thy secret sins will be disclosed.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 6
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אל תחשוב עון עלי אדם / יתנצלה ממך בדברתו,
כן לאשר הודה מחול וסלח / פשעו וחטאתו ואשמתו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Think not ill of any man, if once thy pardon he hath craved; forgive and pardon all his guilt, if once his sin he hath confessed.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 7
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אנוש אינו מאמין / בעת התנצלות,
וגם אינו מוחל / בשעת הודאה,
חשוב את אהבתו / כאלו לא היתה,
ואכן את רחוקו / מאד רחקה באה.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
As for him who will not trust the apology sincerely made, nor readily forgive the man who hath frankly said, "I've erred,"—deem his friendship as though it had never been, and give him now a good wide berth.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 8
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בעת יתנצלה אוהבך / לחובו או לקוצר יד מחול לו,
ודע כי המחילה מנתיבת / אנוש נדיב ומדעו ושכלו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
When, for their guilt or shortcomings, thy friends beg indulgence, forgive; for know, forgiveness is in the heart of generous men; it's in the path of intelligence.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 9
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דין כל אדם יחטא לזכות / טרם יתנצל ממך,
גם אל תחשוב עליו רעה, / כי אם יזכה יאשימך.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Judge all men's errors kindly, even before thy indulgence is craved; nor think ill of the man whose guilt is not proved, for in this case the guilt will be thine.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 10
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אל יתעכב עמך חוב איש / כי עד יום התנצלותו,
כי האחד ברור, גם השני ספק, / יבין אותו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
From the day of a man's apology, harbour not in thy mind his wrongdoings, though his wrong may be clear, and he may offer a doubtful excuse; understand thou this, and be not unkind.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 11
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לא תמצאה עצל כעצל מקנות / האוהבים אליו מאד נחברים,
יותר מאד עצל אשר קנם ואבד / אהבתם וכעת נפזרים.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
No man can be found more neglectful than he who doth not choose the most genial of friends; yet far more neglectful is he, the prodigal, who, once having made them, loseth the friends he hath won.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 12
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קבל אנוש בא לך להנצל, / אם האמת אתו ואם שקר,
כי כאשר יכנע לפניך, / לפני בני איש אותך מוקר.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Receive the man who, be he true or false, cometh to thee with regret for past offence; for, in this very act of his humiliation, he raiseth thee in men's esteem.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 13
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ממרה את פיך בגלוי / אל עין [כל] מקל יקרתך,
אכן מקלך בסתר / מראה כי יש לו פחדתך.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
When a man refuseth in public to obey thee, he showeth that thou hast some honour to lose; and whenever in private he offereth thee slight, doth he not show that he feareth thy superior power?


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 14
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תמחול לפשע ואשם לנבלים, / כמו תמחול ותסלח לאצילים.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Pardon transgression and sin in fools, as thou wouldst pardon them in nobler men.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 15
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לאיש תן ממך מנע שאלה, / ואם הרע לך תן לו מחילה.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Refuse not to give to a man, though he may have refused thee thy request; and refuse not to pardon, though he may have done thee harm.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 16
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הודה עונך, ואז בקש למחול על כל זדוניך,
כי אם תהי כופר ולא תודה, נחשב לך כפל עוניך.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
To confess thy sin is thy very first task, when forgiveness for trespass thou seekest; for should thy denial confession preclude, thou hast nothing further to hope, as thy sin will be graver, aye, double.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 17
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סלח ומחול לפשע אוהבך, ואל תתגל בריב עם אויבך.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Be quick to pardon thy friend's transgression; and should he become thy foe, reveal it not in the course of thy contention.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 18
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אם (תהיה) תמחל לאיש תתענגה,
אך אם תהיה נוקם ונוטר תדאגה.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Have control over men and thou wilt find thy delight; be revengeful, and thou wilt find care and woe.


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טרם עשות מעשה חשוב עליו / הכי עוד יש בידך לעשותו כח.
או אם תצוה להרוג איש אין יכולת בך לגופו אך לחזיר הרוח.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Before some deed thou wouldst perform, consider well, hast thou the power to do it? If, say, thou givest order that a man be killed, hast thou the power to dispose of him thus; or is thy command empty as the wind, which goeth forth only to return whence it came?


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אדם אשר חטא (ל)כל ימיו, / ויחטא פעם חבירו לו,
איכה יהי כועס, ולא יזכור / כי יזכרה חטאו וכל מעלו.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Why should a man who sinneth all his days, when his fellow committeth one sin against him, fly into a rage, and forget that his own trespass and sin are not by the world forgotten?


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 21
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אם את תדבר בחבריך / ברבות דבריך ומליך,
אל יהיה קשה בעיניך / אם דברו הם על פעליך.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
If, in the multitude of words, thou speakest against thy friends, let it not seem hard to thee, if they speak against thee also.


###### Shekel HaKodesh, On the Testing of Friends, their Indulgence, and Forgiveness 22
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מחול לאשר חטא והודה, / וכן תמחול וכפר נא ותסלח,
ושער זה בעת תמנה חרוזיו, / במספריו תהי מונה ספר ל ח.

**Shekel Hakodesh, trans. Hermann Gollancz, London 1919:**
Pardon the man who hath sinned and confessed, pardon him in full, and *forgive*¹ =38, the number of lines in this section.] him completely.

footnotes:
¹ [Part of the word "Forgive"